Background: Korea recently established 70 emergency medical service areas. However, there are many concerns that medical resources for stroke could not be evenly distributed through the country. We aimed to compare the treatment quality and outcomes of acute stroke among the emergency medical service areas. Methods: This study analyzed the data of 28,800 patients admitted in 248 hospitals which participated in the 8th acute stroke quality assessment by Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Individual hospitals were regrouped into emergency service areas according to the address of the location. Assessment indicators and fatality were compared by the service areas. We defined the appropriate hospital by the performance of intravenous thrombolysis. Results: In seven service areas, there were no hospitals which received more than 10 stroke patients for 6 months. In nine service areas, there were no patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Among 167 designated emergency medical centers, 50 hospitals (29.9%) responded that IVT was impossible 24 hours a day. There are 97 (39.1%) hospitals that meet the definitions of appropriate hospital. In 23 service areas (32.9%) had no appropriate or feasible hospitals. The fatality of service areas with stroke centers were 6.9% within 30 days and 15.6% within 1 year from stroke onset than those without stroke centers (7.7%, 16.9%, respectively). Conclusions There was a wide regional gap in the medical resource and the quality of treatments for acute stroke among emergency medical service areas in Korea. The poststroke fatality rate of the service areas which have stroke centers or appropriate hospitals were significantly low.

Purpose: No consensus currently exists regarding the maximal pressure of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy performed within 24 hours of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. This study aimed to evaluate the difference in therapeutic effects according to the first HBO2 pressure (3.0 atmospheres absolute [ATA] vs. 2.8 ATA). Methods: We used prospectively collected registry data on CO poisoning at a tertiary academic hospital in the Republic of Korea. Adult patients with acute CO poisoning treated with HBO2 within 24 hours after arrival at the emergency department and without the use of additional HBO2 after 24 hours between January 2007 and February 2022 were included. Data from 595 patients were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM). Patients with mild (non-intubated) and severe (intubated) poisoning were also compared. Neurocognitive outcomes at 1 month after CO poisoning were evaluated using the Global Deterioration Scale combined with neurological impairment. Results: After PSM, the neurocognitive outcomes at 1-month post-CO exposure were not significantly different between the 2.8 ATA (110 patients) and 3.0 ATA (55 patients) groups (p=1.000). Similarly, there was also no significant difference in outcomes in a subgroup analysis according to poisoning severity in matched patients (165 patients) (mild [non-intubated]: p=0.053; severe [intubated]: p=1.000). Conclusion Neurocognitive sequelae at 1 month were not significantly different between HBO2 therapy pressures of 2.8 ATA and 3.0 ATA in patients with acute CO poisoning. In addition, the 1-month neurocognitive sequelae did not differ significantly between intubated and non-intubated patients.

Objectives: ：This study was aimed to investigate the changes in metabolic syndrome (MetS) status and long-term impact of its components over a 10-year period in severe mental illness (SMI) patients in a national mental hospital. Methods: ：A total of 93 patients (schizophrenia=88, bipolar disorder=5) who met the diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) and participated in the MetS study in 2011 were included. MetS was defined by revised National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (revised NCEP-ATP-III) guidelines. Results: ：The prevalence of MetS was significantly increased from 40.9% in 2011 to 60.2% in 2020. There were significant differences in admission status and hospitalization months, compared to the groups with and without MetS. Upon reviewing the changes over a decade, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was a significant factor in the group without MetS. In the group with MetS, SBP, waist circumference, and BMI (body mass index) were significant factors. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that hospitalization during follow-up periods [odds ratio (OR)=0.969, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.948-0.991] and BMI (OR=1.426, 95% CI: 1.196-1.701) were significantly associated with MetS in subjects. Conclusion ：The prevalence of MetS in patients with SMI significantly increased over time. The admission status and hospitalization were also confirmed to be the significant values of MetS.

Reconstruction of submental defects is a challenge that needs to be approached carefully, since many important anatomical structures are located in this small space. Both aesthetic and functional outcomes should be considered during reconstruction. In this report, we describe a case where a superficial branch of the transverse cervical artery (STCA) perforator propeller flap was applied for coverage of the submental area. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 3-cm ovoid mass on her submental area. We covered the large submental defect with a STCA rotational flap in a 180° propeller pattern. The flap survived well without any complications at 1 year of follow-up. A STCA propeller flap is a useful surgical option in reconstruction for defect coverage of the submental area.

Objectives: ：The aim of this study was to examine socio-demographic variables and the correlation of their factors and mental health with resilience in adolescents. Methods: ：Participants were 4,325 middle and high school students living in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Participants completed self-report questionnaires examining socio-demographic characteristics and including the following self-rating scales: the resilience test, the adolescent mental health and problem behavior screening questionnaire-II (AMPQ-II). Results: ：The resilience test scores were positively correlated with the adolescent mental health and problem behavior screening questionnaire-II scores (p<0.001). In multiple regression analysis, below average academic achievement (OR 4.05, 95%CI 2.62-6.27, p<0.001), perceived poor relationship with parents (OR 2.91, 95%CI 2.28-3.71, p<0.001), body dissatisfaction (OR 2.09, 95%CI 1.57-2.79, p<0.001), middle school students (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.59-2.56, p<0.001), male (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.55-2.46, p<0.001), low socioeconomic status (OR 1.68, 95%CI 1.11-2.52, p=0.014), low maternal education level (OR 1.64, 95%CI 1.09-2.48, p=0.018) showed significant negative correlation with resilience. Conclusion ：Resilience needs to be considered to promote mental health of adolescents. Specifically, interventions providing psychological support should target adolescents with factors correlated low resilience

Objectives: ：The aim of this study was to examine socio-demographic variables and the correlation of their factors and mental health with resilience in adolescents. Methods: ：Participants were 4,325 middle and high school students living in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Participants completed self-report questionnaires examining socio-demographic characteristics and including the following self-rating scales: the resilience test, the adolescent mental health and problem behavior screening questionnaire-II (AMPQ-II). Results: ：The resilience test scores were positively correlated with the adolescent mental health and problem behavior screening questionnaire-II scores (p<0.001). In multiple regression analysis, below average academic achievement (OR 4.05, 95%CI 2.62-6.27, p<0.001), perceived poor relationship with parents (OR 2.91, 95%CI 2.28-3.71, p<0.001), body dissatisfaction (OR 2.09, 95%CI 1.57-2.79, p<0.001), middle school students (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.59-2.56, p<0.001), male (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.55-2.46, p<0.001), low socioeconomic status (OR 1.68, 95%CI 1.11-2.52, p=0.014), low maternal education level (OR 1.64, 95%CI 1.09-2.48, p=0.018) showed significant negative correlation with resilience. Conclusion ：Resilience needs to be considered to promote mental health of adolescents. Specifically, interventions providing psychological support should target adolescents with factors correlated low resilience

This study was a multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized,noninferiority trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of γ-linolenic acid(GLA) relative to α-lipoic acid (ALA) over a 12-week treatment period in type 2diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Objective: Boost radiation using brachytherapy (BT) is a standard treatment for local disease control in concomitant chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for advanced cervical cancer.However, it is associated with gastrointestinal and genitourinary complications. Hence, this study investigates the feasibility of helical tomotherapy (HT) as an alternative to BT. Methods: Medical records of patients who underwent CCRT between 2000 and 2017 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with stage IIB–IVA cancers were selected based on the 2009 criteria of The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.External beam radiation combined with chemotherapy was followed by either BT or HT. The propensity score matching of both groups was calculated using logistic regression analysis.Disease outcomes and treatment-related adverse events were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The matched population included 70 BT patients and 35 HT patients. The 5-year progression-free survival rates for BT and HT were 72.6% and 72.5%, respectively (p=0.721).There was no difference in the overall survival rate between the two groups (p=0.203). The presence of acute and chronic gastrointestinal complications was also similar between the groups (p=0.460 and p=0.563, respectively). The chronic genitourinary toxicities were also comparable (p=0.105). Conclusions HT boost treatment showed comparable disease outcomes with those observed with conventional BT in patients with advanced cervical cancer. HT could be a complementary boost protocol as a single modality or hybrid with BT in selected patients.Further studies with longer follow-up periods are warranted to confirm long-term outcomes.

Background: Oxidative stress induced by chronic hyperglycemia is recognized as a significant mechanistic contributor to the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Nonphagocytic nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (Nox4) is a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in many cell types and in the kidney tissue of diabetic animals. We designed this study to explore the therapeutic potential of chloroquine (CQ) and amodiaquine (AQ) for inhibiting mitochondrial Nox4 and diabetic tubular injury. Methods: Human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (hRPTCs) were cultured in highglucose media (30 mM D-glucose), and diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg i.p. for 5 days) in male C57BL/6J mice. CQ and AQ were administered to the mice via intraperitoneal injection for 14 weeks. Results: CQ and AQ inhibited mitochondrial Nox4 and increased mitochondrial mass in hRPTCs under high-glucose conditions. Reduced mitochondrial ROS production after treatment with the drugs resulted in decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, suppressed inflammatory protein expression and reduced cell apoptosis in hRPTCs under high-glucose conditions. Notably, CQ and AQ treatment diminished Nox4 activation and ER stress in the kidneys of STZ-induced diabetic mice. In addition, we observed attenuated inflammatory protein expression and albuminuria in STZ-induced diabetic mice after CQ and AQ treatment. Conclusion We substantiated the protective actions of CQ and AQ in diabetic tubulopathy associated with reduced mitochondrial Nox4 activation and ER stress alleviation. Further studies exploring the roles of mitochondrial Nox4 in the pathogenesis of DKD could suggest new therapeutic targets for patients with DKD.