Purpose: To identify the childbearing intentions of young adults in South Korea and examine the factors influencing them using a social-ecological model (SEM). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Unmarried employed men and women (n=181) aged 25–40 years completed an online survey. The data included socio-demographic characteristics and responses at four levels: (1) intrapersonal (perception of parenthood and fertility knowledge), (2) interpersonal (quality of family relationships), (3) institutional (work-family culture), and (4) community and public policy (adequacy of government policies and social support systems). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple logistic regression. Results: Approximately 77% of the participants planned to have children, and more than 60% wanted to have two or more children. Among the four levels of SEM, only intrapersonal factors, including intention to marry, fertility knowledge, and attitudes toward parenthood, were statistically significant in influencing childbearing intentions. The model explaining the intention to have a child demonstrated an explanatory power of 59.6%, incorporating factors such as marital intention, perceptions of parenthood, and fertility knowledge. Conclusion A noticeable gap exists between childbearing intentions and childbirth in South Korea. These findings provide insights into the nursing educational content needed for delivering family planning education to young adults. Targeted interventions such as counseling services and community education should be integrated into nursing practice. Moreover, nursing curricula should discuss factors influencing childbearing intentions to equip future nurses better to support young adults' family planning decisions.

Purpose: To identify the childbearing intentions of young adults in South Korea and examine the factors influencing them using a social-ecological model (SEM). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Unmarried employed men and women (n=181) aged 25–40 years completed an online survey. The data included socio-demographic characteristics and responses at four levels: (1) intrapersonal (perception of parenthood and fertility knowledge), (2) interpersonal (quality of family relationships), (3) institutional (work-family culture), and (4) community and public policy (adequacy of government policies and social support systems). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple logistic regression. Results: Approximately 77% of the participants planned to have children, and more than 60% wanted to have two or more children. Among the four levels of SEM, only intrapersonal factors, including intention to marry, fertility knowledge, and attitudes toward parenthood, were statistically significant in influencing childbearing intentions. The model explaining the intention to have a child demonstrated an explanatory power of 59.6%, incorporating factors such as marital intention, perceptions of parenthood, and fertility knowledge. Conclusion A noticeable gap exists between childbearing intentions and childbirth in South Korea. These findings provide insights into the nursing educational content needed for delivering family planning education to young adults. Targeted interventions such as counseling services and community education should be integrated into nursing practice. Moreover, nursing curricula should discuss factors influencing childbearing intentions to equip future nurses better to support young adults' family planning decisions.

Purpose: To identify the childbearing intentions of young adults in South Korea and examine the factors influencing them using a social-ecological model (SEM). Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. Unmarried employed men and women (n=181) aged 25–40 years completed an online survey. The data included socio-demographic characteristics and responses at four levels: (1) intrapersonal (perception of parenthood and fertility knowledge), (2) interpersonal (quality of family relationships), (3) institutional (work-family culture), and (4) community and public policy (adequacy of government policies and social support systems). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple logistic regression. Results: Approximately 77% of the participants planned to have children, and more than 60% wanted to have two or more children. Among the four levels of SEM, only intrapersonal factors, including intention to marry, fertility knowledge, and attitudes toward parenthood, were statistically significant in influencing childbearing intentions. The model explaining the intention to have a child demonstrated an explanatory power of 59.6%, incorporating factors such as marital intention, perceptions of parenthood, and fertility knowledge. Conclusion A noticeable gap exists between childbearing intentions and childbirth in South Korea. These findings provide insights into the nursing educational content needed for delivering family planning education to young adults. Targeted interventions such as counseling services and community education should be integrated into nursing practice. Moreover, nursing curricula should discuss factors influencing childbearing intentions to equip future nurses better to support young adults' family planning decisions.

The bond strength to the silicate-based CAD/CAM blocks may be affected by the composition and microstructure of the silicatebased blocks, surface treatment, and the properties of the applied adhesive. In this study, the shear bond strength to the silicate blocks with various universal adhesives after sandblasting or HF-treatment was measured, and the effects of the additional silane application after surface treatments are evaluated. Six silica-containing blocks and five universal adhesives currently used in dental clinics were selected. After polishing the silicate block surface, the specimens were divided into two groups. The first groups were HF-treated and the second groups were sandblasted with alumina, and the surface roughness, contact angle, and microstructure were analyzed by CLSM (Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope), contact angle analyzer, and FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope).Composite resin (2 mm diameter) was bonded with universal adhesive to silicate blocks and stored in a 37 ℃ water bath for 24 hours, and the shear bond strength was measured using a universal testing machine. The measured values were statistically analyzed using the Tukey-multiple comparison test (α=0.05). For hybrid composite ceramics, there was no significant difference in bond strength between sandblasting or HF-treatment, and additional silane application may not be necessary when bonding with a universal adhesive, whereas for leucite-reinforced and lithium disilicate glass-ceramics, HF-treatment may be more favorable for adhesion than sandblasting, and additional silane application appears to be necessary even when applying a universal adhesive.

On May 1, 2024, the Republic of Korea lifted the infectious disease crisis alert for mpox, almost two years after the first case was reported. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has led the response, which included diagnosis, epidemiological investigations, treatment, and vaccination. This article particularly reviews the vaccination strategy implemented and proposes suggestions for enhancing future response efforts. Initially, the KDCA recommended pre-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk groups, later expanding to include broader demographics as domestic cases rose. By April 2024, a total of 6,863 individuals had received their first vaccine dose, with 3,875 completing the second dose of third-generation vaccines. Strategies to improve future responses include addressing stigma, securing nationally representative safety data, and conducting vaccine cost-benefit analyses.These measures will help ensure a robust and effective response to future outbreaks.

The shear bond strength of the composite resin to a CAD/CAM hybrid composite resin block (CRB) can be affected by the composition and microstructure of the hybrid CRB, surface treatment and the properties of the applied adhesive. In this study, the shear bond strengths between composite resin and the hybrid CRBs were measured to evaluate the effect of microstructure differences in hybrid CRBs on the bond strength. Ten conventional and reinforced hybrid CRBs developed by five domestic and international manufacturersand five universal adhesives currently used in dentistry were selected. After polishing the hybrid CRB surface, the specimens were divided into two groups. The first group was HF-treated to observe the microstructure by FE-SEM, and the second group was sandblasted with alumina, measured the surface roughness by CLSM, bonded with composite resin (diameter = 2.0mm) using universal adhesive, and stored in a 37 ℃ water bath for 24 hours, and measured the shear bond strength using a universal testing machine. The measured values were statistically analyzed using the Tukey-multiple comparison test (α= 0.05). It was observed that the size, type, and fraction of the filler particles contained in the regular and reinforced hybrid CRBs affected the microstructure, but the differences did not affect the shear bond strength. All five universal adhesives containing 10-MDP as the main functional monomer met the minimum bond strength (>20 MPa) required for clinical applications.

Background: Several T-cell response assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are available; however, their comparability and correlations with antibody responses remain unclear. We compared four SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response assays and two anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody assays. Methods: We enrolled 89 participants who had received a booster dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine after two doses of the ChAdOx1 or BNT162b2 vaccine. Fifty-six participants without breakthrough infection (BI) (ChAdOx1/BNT162b2 group: N=27; BNT162b2 group: N=29) and 33 with BI were included. We evaluated two whole-blood interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) (QuantiFERON and Euroimmun), T-SPOT.COVID, an in-house enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay (targeting the spike and nucleocapsid peptides of wild-type and Omicron SARS-CoV-2), Abbott IgG II Quant, and Elecsys Anti-S, using Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Spearman’s correlation tests. Results: The correlations between the IGRAs and between the ELISPOT assays (ρ=0.60–0.70) were stronger than those between the IGRAs and ELISPOT assays (ρ=0.33–0.57). T-SPOT.COVID showed a strong correlation with Omicron ELISPOT (ρ=0.70). The anti-spike antibody assays showed moderate correlations with T-SPOT.COVID, Euroimmun IGRA, and ELISPOT (ρ=0.43–0.62). Correlations tended to be higher in the BI than in the noninfected group, indicating that infection induces a stronger immune response. Conclusions T-cell response assays show moderate to strong correlations, particularly when using the same platform. T-SPOT.COVID exhibits potential for estimating immune responses to the Omicron variant. To accurately define SARS-CoV-2 immune status, both T-cell and B-cell response measurements are necessary.

Purpose: This study presents a translation, cultural adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of two instruments of the Fertility Awareness and Attitudes Towards Parenthood (FAAP) questionnaire (Conditions and Life changes) for use in South Korea. Methods: This methodological study included 166 university students for psychometric evaluation in the sixth step. The first five steps included forward translation, backward translation, committee review, assessment of content validity, and a pre-test. In the sixth step, psychometric properties, including internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion validity, were evaluated. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to identify the structure of the tool and to assess its validity. Results: The Korean version showed acceptable internal consistency. Cronbach's ⍺ was .73 for FAAPC-conditions and .83 for FAAP-Life changes. FAAP-Conditions showed a four-factor structure (social conditions, relationship with partner, external environment, and child-rearing support) and FAAP-Life changes had a two-factor structure (reward and burden). In the confirmatory analysis, CMIN/DF, TLI, IFI, SRMR, CFI, and RMSEA were satisfactory. Conclusion This study provided preliminary evidence of the acceptability, reliability, and validity of the Korean version of the FAAP questionnaire in university students in South Korea. Nonetheless, further evaluation among Korean young adults is warranted to validate this instrument.

Background/Aims: Advance directives (ADs) in Korean patients with heart failure (HF) and the associations of attitude towards ADs and HF prognosis with ADs were initially assessed using the model of the Korean-Advance Directive (K-AD). Methods: Twenty-four patients with HF (age, 67.1 years; men, 58.3%; ejection fraction, 35.9%) participated. A pilot test to evaluate the feasibility of ADs and the possible associations of attitudes towards ADs and prognosis with end-of-life treatment preferences among patients with HF was conducted. Results: Fifteen patients (62.5%) completed the K-ADs. The major reason for incomplete K-AD was knowledge deficit. Patients valued “comfortable death” the most (45.4%), followed by “giving no burden to the family” (13.6%). Among treatment preferences, hospice care was preferred by the majority (66.7%), while cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was preferred by the minority (31.8%). Children (50.0%) were mostly appointed as a proxy, followed by the spouse (33.3%). More patients with moderately positive attitudes completed the K-ADs than their counterparts (70.0% vs. 57.1%). The 5-year survival rate was 69.2%; the patients who preferred CPR had a higher survival rate (70.6% vs. 68.5%) whereas those who preferred hospice care had a lower survival rate than their counterparts (70.7% vs. 75.2%). Conclusions The findings support the feasibility of the K-AD model, with a high acceptance rate in two-thirds of the sample. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether treatment preferences are associated with attitude towards ADs and/or HF prognosis using larger sample size.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of effective data quality control and management is to minimize the impact of errors on study results by identifying and correcting them. This study presents the results of a data quality control system for the Korea HIV/AIDS Cohort Study that took into account the characteristics of the data. METHODS: The HIV/AIDS Cohort Study in Korea conducts repeated measurements every 6 months using an electronic survey administered to voluntarily consenting participants and collects data from 21 hospitals. In total, 5,795 sets of data from 1,442 participants were collected from the first investigation in 2006 to 2016. The data refining results of 2015 and 2019 were converted into the data refining rate and compared. RESULTS: The quality control system involved 3 steps at different points in the process, and each step contributed to data quality management and results. By improving data quality control in the pre-phase and the data collection phase, the estimated error value in 2019 was 1,803, reflecting a 53.9% reduction from 2015. Due to improvements in the stage after data collection, the data refining rate was 92.7% in 2019, a 24.21%p increase from 2015. CONCLUSIONS Despite this quality management strategy, errors may still exist at each stage. Logically possible errors for the post-review refining of downloaded data should be actively identified with appropriate consideration of the purpose and epidemiological characteristics of the study data. To improve data quality and reliability, data management strategies should be systematically implemented.