Objectives: This study aimed to examine the frequency of convenience food consumption at convenience stores (CVS) and the CVS usage patterns of middle and high school students as well as to understand students’ attitude toward sodium and sugar reduction. Methods: We used an online questionnaire for data collection. The questionnaire comprised five distinct categories: general characteristics, CVS usage, frequency of consumption according to convenience food menus at CVS, attitude toward sodium and sugar reduction, and adherence to dietary guidelines. Results: A total of 75 students from Seoul (14 middle school students and 61 high school students) participated in the study. Most respondents visit CVS 3-5 times a week. CVS are predominantly used during weekdays, mostly during lunch, and dinner. The students mostly checked the caloric content and expiration date as food labeling information. The participants were aware of the need to reduce their sugar and sodium intake. Among frequent CVS convenience food consumers, there was an increased consideration of the need to reduce their sugar and sodium consumption, despite their actual selection of foods with high sugar and sodium content. Additionally, they did not check the sugar and sodium levels indicated in food labeling. Further, the dietary action guide from the Ministry of Health and Welfare were poorly followed by most students. Conclusions There is a need for nutrition education specifically addressing the sugar and sodium content of the convenience foods predominantly consumed by students. Additionally, educating students with frequent convenience food consumption to actively check the sugar and sodium information on food labels could help promote healthier food choices.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of gambling addiction from the perspective of problematic gamblers through their life stories. Methods: A narrative approach was utilized for this study. The data were collected from June 1 to September 30, 2019, from a purposive sample of three participants by using in-depth interviews, observations, and note-taking. Results: The participants told their life stories from childhood, stressing the experiences of being abused physically and emotionally by their own families. Their life stories commonly revealed that they became involved in gambling to escape the influence of the violence they had suffered. Due to their childhood abuse experiences, they had various problems, including distorted values toward money, low self-esteem, ambivalent feelings, and a lack of interpersonal coping skills, which often contributed to their addiction problems. Conclusion This study is meaningful in that it tried to understand the current addiction problem by focusing on the individual life experiences from the past to the present. Addiction recovery involves not only stopping the problematic behavior but also forming a new life meaning to lead a confident and independent future.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a theory on the gambling addiction process in adults who experienced domestic violence in childhood. Methods: Data were collected from 20 adults from May 1st to August 30th, 2020. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology as suggested by Strauss and Corbin. Results: The core category of this study was revealed to be ‘becoming addicted to gambling to avoid the physical and emotional pain caused by childhood domestic violence and be rewarded’. The core phenomenon was ‘struggle from pain’, which was derived from casual and contextual conditions: ‘ruthless physical violence’, ‘intolerable psychological pain’, and ‘bystand of violence’, ‘family addiction problem’. ‘parental immoral attitude’, The action and interaction strategies were ‘making money by any means’, and ‘gambling to forget the pain’. The intervening conditions affecting them were ‘a distorted view of money’, ‘resignation to helpless’, and ‘avoiding emotional distress’. The phases abbreviated through the produced process were the trauma phase, the avoidance phase, and the addiction phase. Conclusion Adults became addicted to gambling as a manifestation of distorted compensation mentality in an attempt to avoid the physical and emotional trauma of domestic violence in childhood.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a theory on the gambling addiction process in adults who experienced domestic violence in childhood. Methods: Data were collected from 20 adults from May 1st to August 30th, 2020. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology as suggested by Strauss and Corbin. Results: The core category of this study was revealed to be ‘becoming addicted to gambling to avoid the physical and emotional pain caused by childhood domestic violence and be rewarded’. The core phenomenon was ‘struggle from pain’, which was derived from casual and contextual conditions: ‘ruthless physical violence’, ‘intolerable psychological pain’, and ‘bystand of violence’, ‘family addiction problem’. ‘parental immoral attitude’, The action and interaction strategies were ‘making money by any means’, and ‘gambling to forget the pain’. The intervening conditions affecting them were ‘a distorted view of money’, ‘resignation to helpless’, and ‘avoiding emotional distress’. The phases abbreviated through the produced process were the trauma phase, the avoidance phase, and the addiction phase. Conclusion Adults became addicted to gambling as a manifestation of distorted compensation mentality in an attempt to avoid the physical and emotional trauma of domestic violence in childhood.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) serves as an anticancer drug for bladder cancer by enhancing the innate immune response and facilitating the expression of beta-defensin-2/-3. BCG is significantly more effective than other treatment modalities; however, it has limitations due to the nonspecific secretion of immune proteins such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IFN-γ, necessitating frequent injections that result in toxicity. The newly developed BCG-cell wall skeleton (BCG-CWS) is intended to address the non-specificity and the requirement for repeated treatments associated with BCG. BCG-CWS stimulates antigen-presenting cells by secreting cytokines such as IL-12, using an adjuvant to enhance the immune response and synergize with it to provoke a potent immune reaction. Nevertheless, BCG-CWS encounters issues related to cellular uptake due to the substantial molecular weight of the drug.To meet this challenge, various strategies such as the introduction of R8 protein, the liposome evaporated via an emulsified lipid method, and nanoparticle formulation have been employed which can enhance targeted drug delivery, though issues related to particle size remain unresolved. This paper aims to discuss future perspectives by examining the mechanisms and challenges of BCG-CWS.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) serves as an anticancer drug for bladder cancer by enhancing the innate immune response and facilitating the expression of beta-defensin-2/-3. BCG is significantly more effective than other treatment modalities; however, it has limitations due to the nonspecific secretion of immune proteins such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IFN-γ, necessitating frequent injections that result in toxicity. The newly developed BCG-cell wall skeleton (BCG-CWS) is intended to address the non-specificity and the requirement for repeated treatments associated with BCG. BCG-CWS stimulates antigen-presenting cells by secreting cytokines such as IL-12, using an adjuvant to enhance the immune response and synergize with it to provoke a potent immune reaction. Nevertheless, BCG-CWS encounters issues related to cellular uptake due to the substantial molecular weight of the drug.To meet this challenge, various strategies such as the introduction of R8 protein, the liposome evaporated via an emulsified lipid method, and nanoparticle formulation have been employed which can enhance targeted drug delivery, though issues related to particle size remain unresolved. This paper aims to discuss future perspectives by examining the mechanisms and challenges of BCG-CWS.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) serves as an anticancer drug for bladder cancer by enhancing the innate immune response and facilitating the expression of beta-defensin-2/-3. BCG is significantly more effective than other treatment modalities; however, it has limitations due to the nonspecific secretion of immune proteins such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IFN-γ, necessitating frequent injections that result in toxicity. The newly developed BCG-cell wall skeleton (BCG-CWS) is intended to address the non-specificity and the requirement for repeated treatments associated with BCG. BCG-CWS stimulates antigen-presenting cells by secreting cytokines such as IL-12, using an adjuvant to enhance the immune response and synergize with it to provoke a potent immune reaction. Nevertheless, BCG-CWS encounters issues related to cellular uptake due to the substantial molecular weight of the drug.To meet this challenge, various strategies such as the introduction of R8 protein, the liposome evaporated via an emulsified lipid method, and nanoparticle formulation have been employed which can enhance targeted drug delivery, though issues related to particle size remain unresolved. This paper aims to discuss future perspectives by examining the mechanisms and challenges of BCG-CWS.

Background: This retrospective study investigated the incidence rate of accidental foreign body aspiration and ingestion according to patient sex, age, and dental department. This study aimed to verify whether the incidence rate is higher in geriatric than in younger patients and whether it is different among dental departments. Methods: Accidental foreign body aspiration and ingestion cases were collected from electronic health records and the safety report system of Yonsei University Dental Hospital from January 2011 to December 2017. The collected data included patients’ age, sex, medical conditions, treatment procedures, and foreign objects that were accidentally aspirated or ingested. The incidence rate was calculated as the number of accidental foreign body aspirations and ingestions relative to the total number of patient visits. Differences depending on the patients’ sex, age, and dental department were statistically identified. Results: There were 2 aspiration and 37 ingestion cases during the 7-year analysis period. The male to female incidence ratio was 2.8:1. The incidence rate increased with age and increased rapidly among those aged 80 years or older. Seven of the 37 patients with accidental foreign body ingestion had intellectual disability, Lou Gehrig’s disease, dystonia, or oral and maxillofacial cancer. The incidence rate was highest in the Predoctoral Student Clinic and the Department of Prosthodontics. The most frequently swallowed objects were fixed dental prostheses and dental implant components. Conclusion The incidence rate of accidental foreign body aspiration and ingestion differed according to patient sex, age, and dental department. Dental practitioners must identify high-risk patients and apply various methods to prevent accidental foreign body aspiration and ingestion in dental clinics. Inexperienced practitioners should be particularly careful.

Background: and Purpose Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) is characterized by recurrent vertigo and ataxia due to mutations in CACNA1A that encodes the α 1A-subunit of the P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel. This study aimed to determine intellectual function in EA2. Methods: During 2019–2023, 13 patients (6 males, age range=10–52 years, median age=29 years) with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of EA2 had their intellectual function evaluated using the Korean versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (version IV) for adults or children in 3 referral-based university hospitals in South Korea. Results: The full-scale intelligence quotients (FSIQs) among the 13 patients were below the average (90–109) in 11, low average (80–89) in 5 (38.5%), borderline (70–79) in 1 (7.7%), and indicated intellectual disability (≤69) in 5 (38.5%). These patterns of cognitive impairments were observed in all four of the following subtests: verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. The FSIQ was not correlated with the ages at onset for vertigo and ataxia (Pearson correlation: p=0.40). Conclusions Patients with EA2 may have hidden intellectual disabilities even without a history of epilepsy or administration of antiepileptic drugs, and should be considered for genetic counseling and therapeutic interventions. Given the availability of medication to control episodic vertigo and ataxia, early diagnosis and management are important in preventing irreversible brain dysfunction in EA2.