Objective: The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease–Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) was developed to assess cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SCOPACog (K-SCOPA-Cog). Methods: We enrolled 129 PD patients with movement disorders from 31 clinics in South Korea. The original version of the SCOPA-Cog was translated into Korean using the translation-retranslation method. The test–retest method with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to assess reliability. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K) and the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess concurrent validity. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.797, and the ICC was 0.887. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation with the K-MMSE and MOCA-K scores (r = 0.546 and r = 0.683, respectively). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the K-SCOPA-Cog has good reliability and validity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the elastic compression stockings and Kinesio taping on muscle activity and mechanical properties in healthy women during the heel raise exercise that causes muscle fatigue. Methods: Participants were divided into the elastic compression stockings group (ESG, n= 8), Kinesio taping group (KTG, n= 8), and control group (CG, n= 8). All participants performed the heel raise exercise to cause muscle fatigue. Muscle activity, stiffness, and the muscle tone of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior were measured before and after the heel raise exercise. Results: In the gastrocnemius, muscle activity was significantly increased after the heel raise exercise in both the ESG and KTG (p< 0.05).There was a significant difference in the change in the gastrocnemius muscle activity between the groups (p< 0.05). Post hoc analysis showed that the ESG exhibited a significantly greater change in gastrocnemius muscle activity than the CG (p< 0.05). The muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius was significantly decreased after the heel raise exercise in the ESG (p< 0.05). The muscle tone of the gastrocnemius was significantly increased after the heel raise exercise in the control group (p< 0.05). There were no significant differences in the change in the gastrocnemius stiffness and muscle tone between the groups (p> 0.05). In the tibialis anterior, there were no significant differences in muscle activity, stiffness, and muscle tone between and within the groups (p> 0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the use of elastic compression stockings and Kinesio taping during the heel raise exercise are beneficial and delay muscle fatigue in the gastrocnemius.

The first edition of ‘A Standardized Pathology Report for Gastric Cancer’ was initiated by the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists and published 17 years ago. Since then, significant advances have been made in the pathologic diagnosis, molecular genetics, and management of gastric cancer (GC). To reflect those changes, a committee for publishing a second edition of the report was formed within the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists. This second edition consists of two parts: standard data elements and conditional data elements.The standard data elements contain the basic pathologic findings and items necessary to predict the prognosis of GC patients, and they are adequate for routine surgical pathology service. Other diagnostic and prognostic factors relevant to adjuvant therapy, including molecular biomarkers, are classified as conditional data elements to allow each pathologist to selectively choose items appropriate to the environment in their institution. We trust that the standardized pathology report will be helpful for GC diagnosis and facilitate large-scale multidisciplinary collaborative studies.

The first edition of ‘A Standardized Pathology Report for Gastric Cancer’ was initiated by the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists and published 17 years ago. Since then, significant advances have been made in the pathologic diagnosis, molecular genetics, and management of gastric cancer (GC). To reflect those changes, a committee for publishing a second edition of the report was formed within the Gastrointestinal Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists. This second edition consists of two parts: standard data elements and conditional data elements. The standard data elements contain the basic pathologic findings and items necessary to predict the prognosis of GC patients, and they are adequate for routine surgical pathology service. Other diagnostic and prognostic factors relevant to adjuvant therapy, including molecular biomarkers, are classified as conditional data elements to allow each pathologist to selectively choose items appropriate to the environment in their institution. We trust that the standardized pathology report will be helpful for GC diagnosis and facilitate large-scale multidisciplinary collaborative studies.

Several studies have reported that depression is prevalent in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. However, the relationship between weight changes and the risk of depression has not been elucidated in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we selected 67,866 patients with DKD and body weight data from two consecutive health examinations with a 2-year interval between 2009 and 2012. Weight change over 2 years was categorized into five groups: ≥–10%, <–10% to ≥–5%, <–5% to <5%, ≥5% to <10%, and ≥10%. The occurrence of depression was monitored via the codes of International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th revision through the end of 2018. Results: During the 5.24-year follow-up, 17,023 patients with DKD developed depression. Weight change and the risk of depression had a U-shaped relationship: patients with ≥–10% weight change (hazard ratio [HR], 1.12) and those with ≥10% weight change (HR, 1.11) showed higher HRs for depression than those with <–5% to <5% weight change, even after adjusting for several confounding factors. In the subgroup analyses, the risk of depression tended to increase as weight gain or weight loss increased in all subgroups. Conclusion: Both weight loss and weight gain increased the risk of depression in patients with DKD.

Purpose: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Cataract-related Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ). Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study of 141 cataract patients was conducted from March 2022 to June 2022. The questionnaire was created based on a literature review and advice from an expert panel. This study determined its construct validity, criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Results: The CVFQ consists of 15 items distributed among five categories: overall visual quality, overall visual function, distance vision, near vision, and glare. In the exploratory factor analysis of validity, the first three principal components explained 77.8% of the variance. The p-values in the Spearman correlation test comparing the pre- and postoperative total CVFQ score and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were 0.006 and 0.004, respectively. In the reliability analysis, Cronbach’s alpha was > 0.9 for internal consistency and the p-values of each subcategory were all significant in the analysis of test-retest reliability. Conclusions Our results indicate that the CVFQ is useful for measuring the visual quality and visual function of cataract patients in Korea.

Although multiple factors influence the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), the effects of socioeconomic status on MACE in the presence and absence of renal dysfunction (RD) have not been comprehensively explored in Korea. Methods: We examined the effects of socioeconomic status on MACE in individuals with and without RD. The data of 44,473 Koreans from 2008 to 2017 were obtained from the Health Care Big Data Platform of the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea. Their socioeconomic status was assessed using a socioeconomic score (SES) based on marital status, education, household income, and occupation. The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death was compared according to SES level (0–4). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for outcomes based on participant SES. Results: MI risk was only affected by education level. The participants’ income, education, and SES affected their stroke risk, whereas death was associated with all four socioeconomic factors. The incidence of stroke and death increased as SES worsened (from 0 to 4). SES was positively related to risk of stroke and death in participants without RD. SES did not affect MI, stroke, or death in participants with RD. Conclusion: A low socioeconomic status is associated with risk of stroke and death, especially in individuals without RD.

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the tooth whitening effect of Listerine Healthy White and provide effective management of extrinsic discoloration by comparing the whitening effects of existing whitening products. Methods: The included study four groups: those using whitening gel, whitening toothpaste, and Listerine Healthy White and a control using artificial saliva. Each group received 40 bovine tooth specimens, which were stained with commonly consumed tooth-coloring-inducing foods; black tea, black coffee, and instant noodles for 72 hours. The specimens were treated with tooth whitening materials for 5 weeks, after which the lightness (L*) was measured weekly using a spectrophotometer. Results: There was a significant difference in lightness among the groups between the 1st and 5th week of treatment for all tooth-coloring-inducing foods (p＜0.05). When comparing the changes in lightness values from before whitening to the 5th week of whitening for all tooth-coloring-inducing foods, the order of change was as follows: whitening gel, whitening toothpaste, Listerine Healthy White, and artificial saliva. Listerine Healthy White showed a significant whitening effect for all toothcoloring-inducing foods (p＜0.05). Particularly, changes in lightness values for specimens stained by black tea after 5 weeks of whitening were in the following order: whitening gel (21.72), whitening toothpaste (14.89), Listerine Healthy White (12.91), and artificial saliva (3.85). For specimens stained by black coffee, the changes in lightness values were in the following order: whitening gel (12.99), whitening toothpaste (9.66), Listerine Healthy White (7.91), and artificial saliva (3.12). Lastly, changes in lightness values for specimens stained by instant noodles were as follows: whitening gel (10.84), whitening toothpaste (9.85), Listerine Healthy White (7.71), and artificial saliva (2.61). Conclusion Listerine Healthy White exhibits continuous whitening effects over time, and for consumers seeking convenient ways to achieve tooth whitening effects at home, consistent use of Listerine Healthy White is recommended.

Further studies are needed to identify whether muscle mass, muscle strength, or sarcopenia is the best indicator of survival in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). We aimed to compare the association of sarcopenia and its components with survival in patients undergoing PD. Methods: We identified all patients with PD (n = 199). We routinely recommended handgrip strength (HGS) and lean mass measurements using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in all patients with PD. Sarcopenia was defined using cutoff values from the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. We evaluated the patient and technique survival rates. Results: The number of patients with low HGS was 95 (47.7%). The median follow-up interval was 17 months (interquartile range, 13–21 months). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients with low HGS or sarcopenia had poorer patient and technique survival compared with patients with normal HGS or without sarcopenia. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with low HGS had greater hazard ratios for patient death and technique failure compared with those with normal HGS. However, patients with low muscle mass were not significantly higher hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure compared with those with normal muscle mass. Patients with sarcopenia had significantly greater hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure than those without sarcopenia only in univariate analysis. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that HGS may be superior to muscle mass or sarcopenia for predicting patient or technique survival in patients undergoing PD.