A comparison of the outcomes of families with children aged less than 2 who received universal versus sustained nurse home visiting services in Korea: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare maternal outcomes and the home environment between non‑vulnerable families with children under 2 receiving universal home visiting services and vulnerable families receiving sustained home visiting services.

Methods: This study was conducted in Seoul, Korea, where the country's first nurse‑led early childhood home visiting program was introduced. A total of 551 mother‑child dyads participated in cross‑sectional surveys conducted at various child ages (6±2 weeks, 6±1 months, 12±1 months, and 24±1 months).

Association Between Heated Tobacco Product Use and Quitting Combustible Cigarette Smoking Among Korean Adults.

Introduction: Combustible cigarette (CC) smokers often use heated tobacco products (HTPs) to quit CC smoking; however, the role of HTPs in quitting CC smoking is uncertain. We evaluated the link between HTP use and quitting CC smoking considering the intensity of HTP use among a large nationally representative sample of Korean adults.

Aims And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the 2019 Community Health Survey in Korea.

Impact of the Korea Early Childhood Home-visiting Intervention (KECHI) on child health and development and maternal health: a randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of early childhood home-visiting interventions led by nurses have been conducted mainly in Western countries, whereas such trials have been limited in non-Western cultures, including Asia. In South Korea, a national nurse home visit programme (Korea Early Childhood Home-visiting Intervention (KECHI)) was developed in 2020 and launched throughout the country. We designed a pragmatic RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of KECHI on child health and development and maternal health.

COVID-19 Outcome and Tobacco Product Use: Case-Control and Retrospective Cohort Studies Using Nationwide Samples.

Background: Conflicting evidence exists regarding the association between smoking and the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We investigated the association between combustible cigarette (CC) smoking, noncombustible tobacco product (NCTP) use, and the use of any tobacco product with various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted using the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency-COVID19-National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) cohort.

Correction: Heated tobacco product use and its relationship to quitting combustible cigarettes in Korean adults.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

The association of women's experience of abuse in childhood with depression during pregnancy and the role of emotional support as a moderator.

Background: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of antenatal depression and experience of abuse during childhood, to analyze the association between having experienced childhood abuse and depression during pregnancy, and to explore the role of emotional support as a moderator of that association.

Methods: In total, 44,770 pregnant women were analyzed from the self-administered registry for risk assessment at community public health centers in Seoul, Republic of Korea, for home visiting service provision between 2015 and 2019. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was applied for the assessment of depression.

Amphiphilic stilbene derivatives attenuate the neurotoxicity of soluble Aβ oligomers by controlling their interactions with cell membranes.

The misfolded proteins or polypeptides commonly observed in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are promising drug targets for developing therapeutic agents. To target the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide plaques and oligomers, the hallmarks of AD, we have developed twelve amphiphilic small molecules with different hydrophobic and hydrophilic fragments. fluorescence binding assays demonstrate that these amphiphilic compounds show high binding affinity to both Aβ plaques and oligomers, and six of them exhibit selective binding toward Aβ oligomers.

Prevalence of intimate partner violence victimization among Korean perinatal women and associated factors.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and the factors associated with IPV during pregnancy and the early postnatal period in Korean community samples.

Methods: We enrolled 5953 pregnant mothers and mothers with young children registered in the Early Life Health Management Program provided by 30 public health centers in Korea between 2020 and 2021. We used the Korean Hurt, Insult, Threaten, and Scream (K-HITS) questionnaire to measure IPV.

Divalent 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole Bifunctional Chelators for Cu Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease.

Herein, we report a new series of divalent 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole bifunctional chelators (BFCs) with high affinity for amyloid β aggregates and favorable lipophilicity for blood-brain barrier penetration. The addition of an alkyl carboxylate ester pendant arm offers high binding affinity toward Cu(II). The novel BFCs form stable Cu-radiolabeled complexes and exhibit promising partition coefficient (log) values of 1.

Association Between the Use of Tobacco Products and Food Insecurity Among South Korean Adults.

Food insecurity is the most basic form of human deprivation; thus, strategies to eradicate poverty should include policies to improve food insecurity. This study investigated the association between the use of tobacco products and food insecurity. We analyzed 21,063 adults from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013-2015, 2019.

Is a universal nurse home visiting program possible? A cross-sectional survey of nurse home visitation service needs among pregnant women and mothers with young children.

In 2019, the South Korean government established a plan to develop home visitation services for pregnant women and women with children below the age of 24 months and expand the services nationwide. Therefore, a national survey was needed to provide relevant information for the policy decision of whether to implement universal home visitation services by nurses for families with young children. To determine home visitation service needs in South Korea, 804 women who were pregnant or had children below the age of 24 months were selected as survey participants through stratified random sampling by region reflecting geographical distribution in numbers of births.

The smoking population is not hardening in South Korea: a study using the Korea Community Health Survey from 2010 to 2018.

Introduction: The hardening hypothesis proposes that the proportion of hardcore smokers increases when smoking prevalence declines. To evaluate whether such hardening occurs in South Korea, we examined the association between quitting behaviours, the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the proportion of hardcore smokers and smoking prevalence among local districts in South Korea.

Methods: This study used the cross-sectional data from the Korea Community Health Survey (2010-2018) to examine local district-level associations between smoking prevalence and quit attempts, quit plans, quit ratios, cigarettes smoked per day and the proportion of hardcore smokers.

Azo-Stilbene and Pyridine-Amine Hybrid Multifunctional Molecules to Target Metal-Mediated Neurotoxicity and Amyloid-β Aggregation in Alzheimer's Disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with progressive neuronal cell death, and they are commonly correlated with aberrant protein misfolding and aggregation of Aβ peptides. Transition metal ions (Cu, Fe, and Zn) have been shown to promote aggregation and oxidative stress through formation of Aβ-metal complexes. In this context, integrating molecular scaffolds rationally is used here to generate multifunctional molecules as modulators for metal-induced abnormalities.

Ga-Labeled Benzothiazole Derivatives for Imaging Aβ Plaques in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.

Timely diagnostic imaging plays a crucial role in managing cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-the condition in which amyloid β is deposited on blood vessels. To selectively map these amyloid plaques, we have designed amyloid-targeting ligands that can effectively complex with Ga while maintaining good affinity for amyloid β. In this study, we introduced novel 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-based bifunctional chelators (BFCs) that incorporate a benzothiazole moiety as the Aβ-binding fragment and form charged and neutral species with Ga.

Comparison of nicotine dependence between single and multiple tobacco product users among South Korean adults.

Introduction: The relationship between nicotine dependence and the use of multiple tobacco products, such as heated tobacco products (HTPs), electronic cigarettes (ECs), and combustible cigarettes (CCs), is not well investigated. We evaluated nicotine dependence symptoms among South Korean adults among single and multiple tobacco product users.

Methods: We conducted an online survey involving 7000 adults aged 20-69 years in November 2018 and compared the nicotine dependence among single, dual, and triple use of tobacco products.

Perceived relative harm of heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes and its association with use in smoke-free places: A cross-sectional analysis of Korean adults.

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are often considered to be less harmful and safer than combustible cigarettes (CCs). As a result, numerous tobacco product users opt to use e-cigarettes or HTPs as a safer alternative, though the safety of these products is not fully warranted. The present study aimed to assess the various attitudes towards e-cigarettes and/or HTPs among Korean tobacco product users and their associations with the practical use of e-cigarettes and/or HTPs in private or smoke-free public places.

2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole dicarboxylate ester TACN chelators for Cu PET imaging in Alzheimer's disease.

Herein we report a new series of bifunctional chelators (BFCs) with high affinity for amyloid β aggregates, strong binding affinity towards Cu(II), and favorable lipophilicity for potential blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. The alkyl carboxylate ester pendant arms show high binding affinity towards Cu(II). The BFCs form stable Cu-radiolabeled complexes and exhibit favorable partition coefficient (log ) values of 0.

Amyloid β-Binding Bifunctional Chelators with Favorable Lipophilicity for Cu Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease.

Herein, we report a new series of bifunctional chelators (BFCs) with a high affinity for amyloid aggregates, a strong binding affinity toward Cu(II), and favorable lipophilicity for potential blood-brain barrier penetration. The alkyl carboxylate ester pendant arms offer up to 3 orders of magnitude higher binding affinity toward Cu(II) and enable the BFCs to form stable Cu-radiolabeled complexes. Among the five compounds tested, the Cu-YW-7 and Cu-YW-10 complexes exhibit strong and specific staining of amyloid plaques in ex vivo autoradiography studies.

Use of heated tobacco products where their use is prohibited.

Introduction: Stealth use implies using tobacco products where their use is prohibited. This paper aimed to investigate stealth use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in terms of its prevalence and associated factors.

Methods: An online survey was conducted to investigate the use of HTPs in 7000 randomly selected participants (2300 men and 4700 women, aged 20-69 years) from the database registered with an online-research company; we used a sex ratio of 1:2, considering a low female prevalence of tobacco use in Korea.

Amphiphilic Distyrylbenzene Derivatives as Potential Therapeutic and Imaging Agents for Soluble and Insoluble Amyloid β Aggregates in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, and efficient therapeutic and early diagnostic agents for AD are still lacking. Herein, we report the development of a novel amphiphilic compound, LS-4, generated by linking a hydrophobic amyloid-binding distyrylbenzene fragment with a hydrophilic triazamacrocycle, which dramatically increases the binding affinity toward various amyloid β (Aβ) peptide aggregates, especially for soluble Aβ oligomers. Moreover, upon the administration of LS-4 to 5xFAD mice, fluorescence imaging of LS-4-treated brain sections reveals that LS-4 can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and bind to the Aβ oligomers .

Metal-chelating benzothiazole multifunctional compounds for the modulation and Cu PET imaging of Aβ aggregation.

While Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, there is still a dearth of efficient therapeutic and diagnostic agents for this disorder. Reported herein are a series of new multifunctional compounds (MFCs) with appreciable affinity for amyloid aggregates that can be potentially used for both the modulation of Aβ aggregation and its toxicity, as well as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of Aβ aggregates. Firstly, among the six compounds tested is shown to be capable to reroute the toxic Cu-mediated Aβ oligomerization into the formation of less toxic amyloid fibrils.

Heated tobacco product use and its relationship to quitting combustible cigarettes in Korean adults.

Objective: We assessed the prevalence of, and factors associated with, heated tobacco product (HTP) use and analysed the association between HTP use and quitting combustible cigarettes (CCs) in Korean adults.

Methods: We conducted an online survey with 7,000 adults (males, 2,300; females, 4,700; ages 20-69) out of 70,000 age-, sex- and provincial-distribution-matched individuals based on 2018 national population statistics. Females were oversampled because the prevalence of tobacco product use is very low among women in Korea.

Trends in the Socioeconomic Inequalities Related to Second-Hand Smoke Exposure as Verified by Urine Cotinine Levels Among Nonsmoking Adults: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2018.

Introduction: The expansion of smoke-free policies has reduced the prevalence of second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure; however, declines differ according to socioeconomic positions. We evaluated the trends in socioeconomic inequalities related to SHS exposure in nonsmoking Korean adults from 2008 to 2018.

Methods: We analyzed 30,027 nonsmoking adults from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008 to 2018.