PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the social perceptions of the baby box and infant abandonment. METHODS: The study included a survey on social perceptions of infant abandonment, including the baby box and permissiveness of infant abandonment. F-tests and t-tests were performed to clarify the differences in permissiveness of infant abandonment based on general characteristics. RESULTS: First, it was found that awareness of the baby box was high, and positive perceptions were slightly higher than negative perceptions due to the value placed on the abandoned child's life and safety, the unavoidable reasons for not rearing a child, and the child's quality of life after abandonment. However, the reasons for negative attitudes toward the baby box included the increase in infant abandonment and the decrease in parental responsibility toward the child. Second, the permissiveness of infant abandonment was generally low; however, the level of permissiveness differed according to age, education level, status, and marital status. For people who are in their 30s or older, hold a graduate or higher level degree, are employed, and are married, the permissiveness of infant abandonment was lower than that of others. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the current support policy for unmarried mothers should be changed to improve the economic and social conditions of child care. Furthermore, we must strive to improve the social perceptions of various family structures, including unmarried parents and their children.
Child ; Child Abuse ; Child Care ; Education ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Infant ; Marital Status ; Parents ; Permissiveness ; Quality of Life ; Single Person ; Social Conditions ; Social Perception

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify the status of intrahospital transport (IHT) of critically ill patients and provide baseline data to form recommendations for safer transport. Methods: : Data were collected from 141 intensive care unit (ICU) nurses who attended national conferences between February and August, 2018. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA, and post-hoc analysis was conducted with the Scheffé and Games-Howell tests. Results: : Of the nurses surveyed, 61.7% answered that their workplace had a transport guideline. In terms of the experience of ICU nurses, 31.2% of respondents answered that they had received training on IHT. This result indicated that the degree of implementation of the guidelines for IHT was generally high, but some, including guidelines on personnel, equipment, and monitoring, were not. Guidelines of IHT were well observed when the institutes had specific guidelines for IHT of critically ill patients with specified transport grades, a scoring system to assess stability of a patient, a checklist and a protocol for action in case of problems, and when healthcare providers were provided with training. Conclusion : These results suggest that organized infrastructure, such as a transport guideline with transport grades, a checklist to improve the implementation of guidelines, and a protocol for coping with a problem, should be provided for safe transport. Additionally, effective education and evaluation to improve the competency of staff participating in the transport of patients will help reduce the occurrence of adverse events in intensive care transport in hospitals and promote patient safety.

Background and Objectives: Microtia is a congenital deformity where the pinna and middle ear structures are underdeveloped. Auricular reconstruction in microtia is one of the most difficult surgeries in otolaryngology due to the complex three-dimensional structure of the auricle. This study investigated the post-operative results in total auricular reconstruction performed by otologic surgeons in a single institution.Subjects and Method We analyzed data from 27 microtia patients who underwent auricular reconstruction in our institution from 2011 to 2019. The post-operative results were evaluated in terms of the shape of the auricle, the symmetry of the ear, and the degree of auriculocephalic sulcus stricture. The type and frequency of post-operative complications associated with the reconstruction were also evaluated. Results: Of the 24 patients, the shape of the auricle was good in 11 (40.7%), moderate in 11 (40.7%), and poor in 5 (18.6%) patients. The symmetry of the ear size was symmetric in 24 (88.9%) and asymmetric in 3 (11.1%) patients. The degree of auriculocephalic sulcus stricture was good in 11 (40.7%), partial stricture in 12 (44.4%), and severe stricture in 4 (14.8%) patients. Postoperative complications included skin necrosis, suture material exposure, and wound infection with cartilage deformation. Conclusion Total auricular reconstruction is a complex and sophisticated operation utilizing either autologous rib cartilage or artificial implant material. Considering that microtia is often accompanied by ear canal stenosis and hearing impairment, otolaryngologists should be more interested in the field of auricular reconstruction.

PURPOSE: This study was to identify which factors are likely to influence the effectiveness of smoking cessation on adults who smoke in Metropolitan Incheon. METHOD: Data from 9,083 smokers, who visited a smoking cessation clinic of a public health center from Jan. to Oct. 2005, were provided by the Korean Health Research Society. Among 9,083 smokers, 1,495 people were selected for follow up care at 6 months in order to analyze the differences between two groups one is a successful group and the other is a failure group. RESULTS: The successful group included 639 people and the failure group 856 people. In the demographic profiles such as sex, age and motive registration, there was a significant difference between the two groups. In the view of smoking pattern and factors such as the expiratory CO level, the age of starting to smoke, the duration of smoking, alcohol, and dependence on alcohol use and nicotine, there were significant differences between the two groups. The smoking cessation method, results of uni variate analysis, the total number of visits to the smoking cessation clinics, and the use of nicotine gum or a patch(stage 1, stage 2) were significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of multi variate analysis have shown that the factors associated with the success for smoking cessation is the total number of visits to the smoking cessation clinic, and the dependence on alcohol.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Demography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nicotine/administration & dosage ; Smoking Cessation/*methods/psychology/statistics & numerical data

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Increased mass of adipose tissue in obese persons is caused by excessive adipogenesis, which is elaborately controlled by an array of transcription factors. Inhibition of adipogenesis by diverse plant-derived substances has been explored. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of the aqueous methanol extract of laver (Porphyra yezoensis) on adipogenesis and apoptosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and to investigate the mechanism underlying the effect of the laver extract. MATERIALS/METHODS: 3T3-L1 cells were treated with various concentrations of laver extract in differentiation medium. Lipid accumulation, expression of adipogenic proteins, including CCAAT enhancer-binding protein alpha, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, fatty acid binding protein 4, and fatty acid synthase, cell viability, apoptosis, and the total content and the ratio of reduced to oxidized forms of glutathione (GSH/GSSG) were analyzed. RESULTS: Treatment with laver extract resulted in a significant decrease in lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which showed correlation with a reduction in expression of adipogenic proteins. Treatment with laver extract also resulted in a decrease in the viability of preadipocytes and an increase in the apoptosis of mature adipocytes. Treatment with laver extract led to exacerbated depletion of cellular glutathione and abolished the transient increase in GSH/GSSG ratio during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CONCLUSION: Results of our study demonstrated that treatment with the laver extract caused inhibition of adipogenesis, a decrease in proliferation of preadipocytes, and an increase in the apoptosis of mature adipocytes. It appears that these effects were caused by increasing oxidative stress, as demonstrated by the depletion and oxidation of the cellular glutathione pool in the extract-treated adipocytes. Our results suggest that a prooxidant role of laver extract is associated with its antiadipogenic and proapoptotic effects.
3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes* ; Adipogenesis* ; Adipose Tissue ; Apoptosis* ; Carrier Proteins ; Cell Survival ; Glutathione ; Humans ; Methanol* ; Oxidative Stress ; PPAR gamma ; Transcription Factors

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) neurography using the 3-dimensional double-echo steady-state with water excitation (3D-DESS-WE) sequence for the preoperative delineation of the facial and lingual nerves. Materials and Methods: Patients underwent MR neurography for a tumor in the parotid gland area or lingual neuropathy from January 2020 to December 2021 were reviewed. Preoperative MR neurography using the 3D-DESS-WE sequence was evaluated. The visibility of the facial nerve and lingual nerve was scored on a 5-point scale, with poor visibility as 1 point and excellent as 5 points. The facial nerve course relative to the tumor wasidentified as superficial, deep, or encased. This was compared to the actual nerve course identified during surgery. The operative findings in lingual nerve surgery were also described. Results: Ten patients with parotid tumors and 3 patients with lingual neuropathy were included. Among 10 parotid tumor patients, 8 were diagnosed with benign tumors and 2 with malignant tumors. The median facial nerve visibility score was 4.5 points. The distribution of scores was as follows: 5 points in 5 cases, 4 points in 1 case, 3 points in 2 cases, and 2 points in 2 cases. The lingual nerve continuity score in the affected area was lower than in the unaffected area in all 3 patients. The average visibility score of the lingual nerve was 2.67 on the affected side and 4 on the unaffected side. Conclusion This study confirmed that the preoperative localization of the facial and lingual nerves using MR neurography with the 3D-DESS-WE sequence was feasible and contributed to surgical planning for the parotid area and lingual nerve.

Background and Objectives: Congenital choanal atresia is a rare condition that occurs in approximately 1 in 7,000 to 8,000 live births and involves the obstruction of the posterior nasal airway. It may present as either unilateral or bilateral, with bilateral cases being more severe due to the risk of immediate neonatal respiratory distress. Bilateral congenital choanal atresia (BCCA) necessitates prompt medical intervention to prevent cyanosis and significant breathing difficulties. This study focuses on the timing of surgery, the duration of stent use, and postoperative care in patients with bilateral congenital choanal atresia who underwent endoscopic transnasal surgery. Unlike previous studies, this research emphasizes the efficacy of an extended stenting period and introduces novel stenting techniques aimed at reducing restenosis. Methods: From 2018 to 2021, three patients with BCCA underwent transnasal surgery that included the placement of stents. We retrospectively analyzed their medical records, focusing on the surgical outcomes in relation to the duration of stent placement and postoperative care. A novel approach was adopted, involving the use of customized stent sizes tailored to the specific anatomical factors of each patient, which facilitated improved neochoana maintenance. Results: The average interval from diagnosis to surgery was 3.6 weeks. Surgery was successful in all cases, and the stent was removed after 6 months. In all patients, stable neochoanae were maintained without significant restenosis. Additionally, we observed that maintaining a stent for a period longer than previously recommended significantly reduced the risk of restenosis compared to the shorter durations used in earlier studies. Conclusion Our study suggests that an extended stenting period of 6 months or more is crucial for maintaining long-term patency in patients with BCCA. This approach could lead to a more reliable stenting protocol and improved postoperative care, potentially establishing a new standard for managing BCCA.

Background and Objectives: Congenital choanal atresia is a rare condition that occurs in approximately 1 in 7,000 to 8,000 live births and involves the obstruction of the posterior nasal airway. It may present as either unilateral or bilateral, with bilateral cases being more severe due to the risk of immediate neonatal respiratory distress. Bilateral congenital choanal atresia (BCCA) necessitates prompt medical intervention to prevent cyanosis and significant breathing difficulties. This study focuses on the timing of surgery, the duration of stent use, and postoperative care in patients with bilateral congenital choanal atresia who underwent endoscopic transnasal surgery. Unlike previous studies, this research emphasizes the efficacy of an extended stenting period and introduces novel stenting techniques aimed at reducing restenosis. Methods: From 2018 to 2021, three patients with BCCA underwent transnasal surgery that included the placement of stents. We retrospectively analyzed their medical records, focusing on the surgical outcomes in relation to the duration of stent placement and postoperative care. A novel approach was adopted, involving the use of customized stent sizes tailored to the specific anatomical factors of each patient, which facilitated improved neochoana maintenance. Results: The average interval from diagnosis to surgery was 3.6 weeks. Surgery was successful in all cases, and the stent was removed after 6 months. In all patients, stable neochoanae were maintained without significant restenosis. Additionally, we observed that maintaining a stent for a period longer than previously recommended significantly reduced the risk of restenosis compared to the shorter durations used in earlier studies. Conclusion Our study suggests that an extended stenting period of 6 months or more is crucial for maintaining long-term patency in patients with BCCA. This approach could lead to a more reliable stenting protocol and improved postoperative care, potentially establishing a new standard for managing BCCA.

Background and Objectives: Congenital choanal atresia is a rare condition that occurs in approximately 1 in 7,000 to 8,000 live births and involves the obstruction of the posterior nasal airway. It may present as either unilateral or bilateral, with bilateral cases being more severe due to the risk of immediate neonatal respiratory distress. Bilateral congenital choanal atresia (BCCA) necessitates prompt medical intervention to prevent cyanosis and significant breathing difficulties. This study focuses on the timing of surgery, the duration of stent use, and postoperative care in patients with bilateral congenital choanal atresia who underwent endoscopic transnasal surgery. Unlike previous studies, this research emphasizes the efficacy of an extended stenting period and introduces novel stenting techniques aimed at reducing restenosis. Methods: From 2018 to 2021, three patients with BCCA underwent transnasal surgery that included the placement of stents. We retrospectively analyzed their medical records, focusing on the surgical outcomes in relation to the duration of stent placement and postoperative care. A novel approach was adopted, involving the use of customized stent sizes tailored to the specific anatomical factors of each patient, which facilitated improved neochoana maintenance. Results: The average interval from diagnosis to surgery was 3.6 weeks. Surgery was successful in all cases, and the stent was removed after 6 months. In all patients, stable neochoanae were maintained without significant restenosis. Additionally, we observed that maintaining a stent for a period longer than previously recommended significantly reduced the risk of restenosis compared to the shorter durations used in earlier studies. Conclusion Our study suggests that an extended stenting period of 6 months or more is crucial for maintaining long-term patency in patients with BCCA. This approach could lead to a more reliable stenting protocol and improved postoperative care, potentially establishing a new standard for managing BCCA.

Background and Objectives: The serum galactomannan test (GM test) and the (1,3)-β-D-glucan test (G test) are utilized in diagnosing invasive fungal sinusitis. However, their effectiveness in detecting paranasal sinus fungus balls (FBs) has not been established. This study aimed to explore their diagnostic value in patients with FBs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 105 patients (42 with FBs and 63 with chronic rhinosinusitis [CRS]) who underwent serum GM and G tests between June 2020 and May 2021. Olfactory test results and demographics were also analyzed. Results: There were 42 FB patients (10 men, 32 women) and 63 CRS patients (27 men, 36 women). The positivity rates for serum GM (7.1% in the FB group vs. 3.2% in the CRS group, p=0.640) and G test (9.5% in the FB group vs. 11.1% in the CRS group, p=0.482) did not differ significantly between groups. The sensitivities of the GM and G tests were 7.1% and 9.5%, respectively, and their specificities were 96.8% and 88.9%, respectively. The positive predictive values were 60.0% for the GM test and 36.3% for the G test, and the negative predictive values were 61.0% for the GM test and 59.6% for the G test. Conclusion Serum GM and G tests demonstrated low sensitivity and high specificity, indicating limited effectiveness in differentiating between patients with FBs and those with CRS. Histological examination remains the gold standard for the definitive diagnosis of FBs.