Factor Structure and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Emotional Availability Self-Report.

Background/objectives: Emotional interactions between mothers and children are essential for later developmental outcomes such as children's health, social competence, and language skills. However, an observational assessment of such interactions cannot reveal how mothers perceive their relationships with their children. Therefore, in this study, we translated and validated the Japanese version of the Emotional Availability Self-Report (EA-SR-J) and examined its factor structure, reliability, and validity.

BACES score: a predictor of health-related quality of life and associated factors in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

The evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is gaining importance among patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). We assessed whether the BACES score reflects HRQOL and associated factors in these patients. Data were collected from the nationwide NTM-KOREA prospective cohort of patients with NTM-PD who started antibiotic treatment and included symptoms, Quality of Life-Bronchiectasis (QOL-B) questionnaire, nutritional status using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), physical activity, body composition, spirometry, handgrip strength, and 6-min walking distance.

Aminoglycoside susceptibility and treatment outcomes in Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease.

Background: Treatment with parenteral aminoglycosides is recommended for patients with advanced Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD). However, the evidence supporting susceptibility-based treatment with aminoglycosides is limited.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with MAC-PD treated with aminoglycosides for at least eight weeks between October 2005 and December 2018 at a tertiary referral center in South Korea.

Disagreement on estimating cause of death under tuberculosis treatment between the national tuberculosis registry and statistics data in South Korea, 2011-2020.

Background: Disagreement persists regarding the cause of death in patients with tuberculosis (TB) between the national TB registry and vital registration statistics. This study investigated the disagreement and contributing factors between TB-related and non-TB-related deaths using an integrated national TB database in South Korea.

Methods: We identified a sub-set cohort of 29,033 patients with drug-susceptible TB registered between 2011 and 2020 who died during TB treatment.

Bibliometric Analysis of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Research in South Korea.

Background: Current research on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is multidisciplinary, necessitating proper organization to obtain comprehensive insight. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was performed to identify NTM research characteristics in South Korea.

Methods: The Web of Science was searched for NTM articles authored by Koreans at Korean institutions until March 2023.

Cross-sectional study of lung cancer patients as a potential high-risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is more common in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Considering that ruptured AAA is potentially fatal, timely management of AAA would result in long-term survival benefits. We assess the prevalence and characteristics of AAA in resectable NSCLC patients who would benefit from AAA surveillance.

Comparison of Patients Who Were Not Evaluated and Lost to Follow-Up with Multidrug/Rifampin-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Korea.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of the not evaluated (NE) group by comparing it with the lost to follow-up (LTFU) group among patients with multidrug/rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB).

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective longitudinal follow-up study using an integrated database constructed by data linkage of the three national databases. This database included 7226 cases of MDR/RR-TB notified between 2011 and 2017 in South Korea.

Development and Validation of Deep Learning-Based Infectivity Prediction in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Through Chest Radiography: Retrospective Study.

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) poses a global health challenge owing to the time-intensive nature of traditional diagnostic tests such as smear and culture tests, which can require hours to weeks to yield results.

Objective: This study aimed to use artificial intelligence (AI)-based chest radiography (CXR) to evaluate the infectivity of patients with PTB more quickly and accurately compared with traditional methods such as smear and culture tests.

Methods: We used DenseNet121 and visualization techniques such as gradient-weighted class activation mapping and local interpretable model-agnostic explanations to demonstrate the decision-making process of the model.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Adults in South Korea.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is characterized by immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens without clinical symptoms or evidence of active tuberculosis. Effective LTBI management is crucial for tuberculosis elimination, requiring accurate diagnosis and treatment. In South Korea, LTBI guidelines have been updated periodically, the latest being in 2024.

Effect of comorbidities on mortality in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial infection in Korea: National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data.

Patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection have multiple comorbidities, but the impact of comorbidities on mortality are not well known. We aimed to compare the mortality between people with and without NTM infection and associated comorbidities and their prognostic value on mortality using National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort data from 2006 to 2019. In this matched cohort study, people with and without NTM infection aged 20-89 years were matched 1:4 by sex, age, region, and income.

Homelessness and mortality: gender, age, and housing status inequity in Korea.

Objectives: We compared mortality rates among various housing statuses within the homeless population and investigated factors contributing to their deaths, including housing status, gender, and age.

Methods: Using a comprehensive multi-year dataset (n=15,445) curated by the National Tuberculosis Screening and Case Management Programs, matched with the 2019-2021 Vital Statistics Death Database and National Health Insurance claims data, we calculated age-standardized mortality rates and conducted survival analysis to estimate differences in mortality rates based on housing status.

Results: The mortality rate among the homeless population was twice as high as that of the general population, at 1,159.

Predicting Successful Weaning through Sonographic Measurement of the Rapid Shallow Breathing Index.

Diaphragmatic dysfunction correlates with weaning failure, highlighting the need to independently assess the diaphragm's effects on weaning. We modified the rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), a predictor of successful weaning, by incorporating temporal variables into existing ultrasound-derived diaphragm index to create a simpler index closer to tidal volume. We conducted a prospective observational study of patients who underwent a spontaneous breathing trial in the medical intensive care unit (ICU) at Severance Hospital between October 2022 and June 2023.

Medical Costs of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease, South Korea, 2015-2019.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) prevalence is a rising public health concern. We assessed the long-term healthcare systems perspective of costs incurred by 147 NTM-PD patients at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Median cumulative total medical cost in managing NTM-PD patients was US $5,044 (interquartile range US $3,586-$9,680) over 49.

PARK2 as a susceptibility factor for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

Background: The genetic signatures associated with the susceptibility to nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) are still unknown. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing to explore gene expression profiles and represent characteristic factor in NTM-PD.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with NTM-PD and healthy individuals (controls).

Malnutrition is associated with mortality in Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease.

The role of nutritional status as a prognostic factor in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease (SjS-ILD) is currently unclear. This study aimed to predict the prognosis of patients with SjS-ILD through their nutritional status assessment. In this retrospective observational study, nutritional status was evaluated at the time of diagnosis using body mass index (BMI) and nutritional markers such as controlling nutritional status (CONUT), the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), and prognostic nutrition index (PNI) for all participants.

Usefulness of the mini nutritional assessment short-form for evaluating nutritional status in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Although the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is recognized as a useful tool for evaluating nutritional status in patients with various diseases, its applicability in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) remains undetermined.

Methods: We designed a prospective cross-sectional study to investigate whether the MNA Short-Form (MNA-SF) score can serve as a screening tool to assess the nutritional status of patients with NTM-PD. The MNA-SF was conducted upon patient enrollment, and correlation analyses were performed to compare MNA-SF scores with other nutritional measurements and disease severity.

Beyond reducing direct medical cost: examining health outcomes in tuberculosis through a difference-in-differences analysis of South Korea's out-of-pocket payment exception policy.

Background: Universal health coverage and social protection are major global goals for tuberculosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an expanded policy to guarantee out-of-pocket costs on the treatment outcomes of patients with tuberculosis.

Methods: By linking the national tuberculosis report and health insurance data and performing covariate-adjusted propensity-score matching, we constructed data on health insurance beneficiaries (treatment group) who benefited from the out-of-pocket payment exemption policy and medical aid beneficiaries as the control group.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Pulmonary Diseases Caused by Coinfections With Multiple Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Species.

Background: Coinfections with multiple nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species have not been widely studied. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) caused by coinfection with multiple NTM species.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NTM-PD at a tertiary referral hospital in Korea between March 2012 and December 2018.

Predictors of positive tuberculin skin test in neonates exposed to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Neonates are at risk of nosocomial tuberculosis (TB) infection from health care workers (HCWs) in neonatal care facilities, which can progress to severe TB diseases. Tuberculin skin test (TST) is commonly used for TB diagnosis, but its accuracy in neonates is influenced by various factors, including bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. This study aimed to identify predictors of positive TSTs in neonates exposed to HCWs with pulmonary TB.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease in South Korea: A Meta-analysis of Individual Participant Data.

Background: Despite the global increase in nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), clinical characteristics show geographical variations. We investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with NTM-PD in South Korea.

Methods: We systematically reviewed articles concerning patients with NTM-PD in South Korea until February 2022.

Improvement in Health-Related Quality of Life Following Antibiotic Treatment in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease: Initial Analysis of the NTM-KOREA Cohort.

Background: Improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has emerged as a priority in the management of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). We aimed to evaluate HRQOL and its changes after 6 months' treatment in patients with NTM-PD.

Methods: The NTM-KOREA is a nationwide prospective cohort enrolling patients initiating treatment for NTM-PD in 8 institutions across South Korea.