Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors associated with normal cognitive reversion and progression to dementia in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) residing in the community and to develop a nomogram. Methods: This longitudinal study used secondary data from the Korea Longitudinal Study of Ageing Panel Data (2006–2018). The study included 1,262 participants aged 60 or older, with initial Mini-Mental State Examination scores ranging from 18 to 23. Data were analyzed using the Rao-Scott chi-square test, panel binary logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve in Stata ver. 17.0 (Stata Corp.). Results: The rate of reversion from MCI to normal cognition was 37.0% after 2 years and 32.9% after 12 years. The rate of progression to dementia was 18.0% after 2 years and 30.2% after 12 years. In the nomogram for reversion to normal cognition, the most significant influences were grip strength, depression, number of meetings, age, and regular exercise, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of .66. In contrast, in the nomogram for progression to dementia, the most significant influences were age, grip strength, instrumental activities of daily living, number of social meetings attended, depression, and regular exercise, with an AUC of .69. Conclusion These nomograms can serve as an effective intervention tool for preventing dementia in the field of community health care since they can serve as a visual technique for presenting information on risk to individuals with MCI.

Purpose: As nursing continues to advance through digital health, clinical specialization, and interdisciplinary research, early-career nurse scientists are central to advancing innovation. However, Korea lacks a structured platform to support their research, collaboration, and career development. This review aimed to identify the needs of early-career nurse scientists and examine international best practices to guide the creation of an effective communication platform. Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of the final report from the project “Establishment of a communication platform for young nursing scientists,” carried out by the Korean Society of Nursing Science. The report comprises data from focus group interviews with domestic graduate students and early-career researchers, a literature review of international communication and support systems, and a global policy analysis related to young nursing scientists. Based on this report, the present review synthesizes key findings and draws implications for the development of a communication platform in Korea. Results: International examples, such as grant writing programs, mentoring initiatives, and digital collaboration hubs, showed positive outcomes in strengthening research capacity and promoting the professional growth of nurse scientists. Based on these findings, key considerations for platform development include: (1) establishing clear leadership and a participatory governance model; (2) providing demand-driven content such as research guides, mentoring, and mental health resources; (3) implementing mechanisms to ensure sustainability, content quality, and user data protection; and (4) designing an integrated platform that fosters synergy across research, policy development, education, and global networking. Conclusion A digital platform for early-career nurse scientists should function not merely as an information portal, but also as dynamic infrastructure for collaboration, mentorship, and growth. It is recommended that the Korean Society of Nursing Science spearhead this initiative, with governmental support, to enhance the research capacity and expand the global engagement of Korean nursing scientists.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify core domains for pre-registered nurses by comparing licensing competencies with program outcomes (POs) in undergraduate nursing education. This was accomplished in preparation for the transition of the Korean Nurse Licensing Examination (KNLE) from a tradition seven-subject format to a newly integrated, competency-based single-subject format that reflects current trends in nursing assessment. Methods: A literature review and survey were conducted. From 828 studies retrieved via PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar using keywords such as “newly graduated registered nurses” and “competency OR competence,” 18 were selected according to pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Documents from national and international nursing organizations were included to extract relevant licensing competencies. We also reviewed POs from all undergraduate nursing schools in South Korea to align educational outcomes with the identified core domains. Results: The core domains identified were clinical performance and decision-making, professional attitudes and ethics, communication and interpersonal skills, leadership and teamwork, quality improvement and safety, health promotion and prevention, and information technology and digital health. These domains showed strong alignment with POs under the fourth-cycle accreditation standards. Conclusion It concludes the seven core domains will be appropriate for evaluating pre-registered nurses in the integrated KNLE. Based on the seven identified core domains, expert consensus should be sought in the next phase to support the development of integrated, competency-based test items grounded in these domains.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between self-rating of subjective oral health, oral hygiene behaviors, and objective oral health status, and to identify factors that determine self-rating for subjective oral health. Methods: This retrospective study examined data from 1,128 patients who underwent panoramic radiography and oral examination based on national health checkups between 2009 and 2015. Oral hygiene behavior was validated using a questionnaire, and the presence of oral diseases was validated through oral examination and panoramic radiographs. The effect of oral hygiene behaviors on the presence of oral diseases or dental treatment was evaluated using univariate regression analysis. Oral hygiene behaviors and the prevalence of oral disease were compared, according to selfrated subjective oral health, using the chi-square test. Factors affecting self-rating of subjective oral health were determined using multivariate regression analysis. Results: Patients who brushed their teeth less than three times per day had a higher risk of dental caries, periodontitis, and missing teeth (P<0.05). The percentage of patients performing oral hygiene behaviors differed significantly according to the self-rating of subjective oral health. The factors affecting the self-rating of subjective oral health were pain and the presence of restored teeth.The presence of gingivitis, periodontitis, and the number of dental caries had no significant effect on the self-rating of oral health. Conclusions Self-rating of oral health was determined by treatment experience rather than objective oral health status and it affected oral hygiene behavior.

This study aimed to establish infection control strategies for preventing the spread of scabies within a single institution by analyzing the epidemiological characteristics of patients diagnosed with scabies. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study. The electronic medical records of 430 patients diagnosed with scabies at the dermatology outpatient department of Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were used to collect data on their characteristics. The subjects were divided into three groups: patients, family of confirmed patients, and healthcare workers. General and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. Results: The average age was 60.89 ± 22.39 years. The number of days from symptom onset to diagnosis was unknown in many cases (65.3%), although the average was 63.42 ± 64.18 days. Repeated visits after treatment were observed in 193 patients (67.5%), 38 family members of confirmed patients (55.1%), and 35 healthcare workers (46.7%), showing a statistically significant difference (p = .002). The most common place of residence before the visit was home (56.2%), and the most common suspected origin of contagion was the home (38.3%), and the most common category of the suspected contagious person was family (49.6%). Conclusion: Cases of scabies were disproportionately common in women and older adults. The interval from symptom onset to diagnosis was long, and about half of the cases involved itching but no skin lesions. More than one-thirds of cases did not revisit for a follow-up after 2 weeks. In the overall results, unlike previous studies, factors related to home and family were frequently observed as epidemiological characteristics.

Background: Prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is crucial in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients undergoing coronary interventions. Previous studies suggest that high-dose statins may aid in CIN prevention, yet comparative studies among different statin types using cystatin C (cysC) as a biomarker for CIN are absent. This study evaluated the effectiveness of high-dose rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin in preventing cysC-based CIN (cysC-CIN) in AMI patients. Methods: This multicenter registry included 431 patients (rosuvastatin 20 mg: n = 231, atorvastatin 40 mg: n = 200). The primary endpoint was cysC-CIN incidence within 48 hours post contrast; the secondary endpoints were creatinine-based CIN (cr-CIN) incidence within 72 hours post contrast and post 30 days adverse events. Results: The incidences of cysC-CIN (12.1% vs. 7.5%, P = 0.103) and cr-CIN (6.2% vs. 3.5%, P = 0.103) were higher in the atorvastatin group without significant statistical differences.Multivariable regression analysis, which was adjusted for CIN risk factors and the variables with univariate association, showed no increased odds ratio (OR) (OR, 2.185; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.899, 5.315; P = 0.085) for cysC-CIN in the atorvastatin group compared to the rosuvastatin group. However, statin-naïve atorvastatin subgroup had significantly increased odds of cysC-CIN compared to the rosuvastatin group (OR, 2.977; 95% CI, 1.057, 8.378; P = 0.039). At post 30 days renal, cardiovascular, and mortality event rates were both low and similar between the two groups. Conclusion No significant difference in cysC-CIN incidence was found between the highdose rosuvastatin and atorvastatin groups in AMI patients and cysC was more sensitive to the early detection of CIN than creatinine.

Background: In Korea, the patterns of prevalence of gynecological cancers have shifted due to rising obesity-related cancer cases. We evaluated the associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with the risk of gynecological malignancy in Korean women. Methods: Using National Health Insurance Service cohort data, we analyzed 365,581 participants among the 1,999,980 women aged ≥ 19 years who underwent health check-ups at the baseline year 2009–2010, excluding those who died, those with prior cancer diagnoses, underwent hysterectomy and/or salpingo-oophorectomy before the index date (January 1st, 2011), or missing/outliers BMI and WC values. Follow-up extended to December 31st, 2021, evaluating the incidences of endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each gynecological malignancy according to BMI and WC were calculated using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: Among the 365,581 participants, 898, 1,268, and 873 cases of endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer occurred, respectively. HRs (95% CIs) for endometrial cancer were 1.37 (1.15–1.63), 1.63 (1.38–1.94), and 3.64 (2.81–4.70) for BMIs of 23.0–24.9, 25.0–29.9, and ≥ 30 kg/m2 compared to BMI of 18.5–22.9 kg/m2 (P for trend < 0.001). HRs (95% CIs) for ovarian cancer were 1.16 (1.00–1.33), 1.19 (1.03–1.37), and 1.49 (1.12–1.98) for BMIs of 23.0–24.9, 25.0–29.9, and ≥ 30 kg/m2 compared to BMI of 18.5–22.9 kg/m2 (P for trend = 0.002). No significant association was found between BMI and the risk for cervical cancer (P for trend = 0.266). HRs (95% CIs) for endometrial cancer were 1.35 (1.09–1.66), 1.41 (1.14–1.74), and 1.90 (1.55–2.34) for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles of WCs compared to the 1st quartile (P for trend <0.001). Ovarian cancer tended to increase and cervical cancer tended to decrease as WC increased (P for trend = 0.035 for ovarian cancer, P for trend = 0.034 for cervical cancer). Conclusion In Korean women, the risks of endometrial and ovarian cancers increased significantly from the pre-obese level as BMI and WC increased, while cervical cancer risk tended to increase as WC decreased. Management of obesity should be reinforced for the prevention of obesity-related gynecological cancers, considering the increasing incidence of these cancers among Korean women.

Background: While the clinical course of radiation-induced meningioma (RIM) is considered to be more aggressive than that of sporadic meningioma (SM), the genetic predisposition for RIM is not established well. The present study aimed to analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of RIMs to increase understanding of the tumorigenesis and prognosis of RIMs. Methods: We investigated a database of 24 patients who met the RIM criteria between January 2000 and April 2023. Genetic analysis through next-generation sequencing with a targeted gene panel was performed on 10 RIM samples. Clinical, radiological, and pathological parameters were evaluated with genetic analyses. Results: The median ages for receiving radiotherapy (RT) and RIM diagnosis were 8.0 and 27.5 years, respectively, with an interval of 17.5 years between RT and RIM diagnosis. RIMs tended to develop in non-skull bases and multifocal locations. Most primary pathologies included germ cell tumors and medulloblastoma. The tumor growth rate was 3.83 cm 3 per year, and the median doubling time was 0.8 years. All patients underwent surgical resection of RIMs. The histological grade of RIMs was World Health Organization grade 1 (64%) or 2 (36%). RIMs showed higher incidences in young-age (63%), high-dose (75%), and extendedfield (79%) RT groups. The recurrence rate was 21%. Genetic analysis revealed NF2 one copy loss in 90% of the patients, with truncating NF2 mutations and additional copy number aberrations in grade 2 RIMs. TERT promoter mutation and CDKN2A/B deletion were not identified. Notably, loss of H3K27me3 was identified in 26% of RIMs. H3K27me3 loss was associated with a higher prevalence of grade 2 RIMs (67%) and high recurrence rates (33%). Conclusion The study reveals a higher prevalence of high-grade tumors among RIMs with more rapid growth and higher recurrences than SMs. Genetically, RIMs are primarily associated with NF-2 alterations with chromosomal abnormalities in grade 2 tumors, along with a higher proportion of H3K27me3 loss.

Background: s/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in South Korea. This study evaluated the characteristics of Korean patients newly diagnosed with HCC in 2016-2018. Methods: Data from the Korean Primary Liver Cancer Registry (KPLCR), a representative database of patients newly diagnosed with HCC in South Korea, were analyzed. This study investigated 4,462 patients with HCC registered in the KPLCR in 2016-2018. Results: The median patient age was 63 years (interquartile range, 55-72). 79.7% of patients were male. Hepatitis B infection was the most common underlying liver disease (54.5%). The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system classified patients as follows: stage 0 (14.9%), A (28.8%), B (7.5%), C (39.0%), and D (9.8%). The median overall survival was 3.72 years (95% confidence interval, 3.47-4.14), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of 71.3%, 54.1%, and 44.3%, respectively. In 2016-2018, there was a significant shift toward BCLC stage 0-A and Child-Turcotte-Pugh liver function class A (P<0.05), although survival rates did not differ by diagnosis year. In the treatment group (n=4,389), the most common initial treatments were transarterial therapy (31.7%), surgical resection (24.9%), best supportive care (18.9%), and local ablation therapy (10.5%). Conclusions Between 2016 and 2018, HCC tended to be diagnosed at earlier stages, with better liver function in later years. However, since approximately half of the patients remained diagnosed at an advanced stage, more rigorous and optimized HCC screening strategies should be implemented.

Hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) are benign monoclonal liver tumors. Advances in molecular studies have led to the identification of distinct subtypes of HCA with unique pathways, clinical characteristics, and complication risks, underscoring the need for precise diagnosis and tailored management. Malignant transformation and bleeding remain significant concerns. Imaging plays a crucial role in the identification of these subtypes, offering a non-invasive method to guide clinical decision-making. Most studies involving patients with HCAs have been conducted in Western populations; however, the number of studies focused on Asian population has increased in recent years. HCAs exhibit distinct features in Asian population, such as a higher prevalence among male patients and specific subtypes (e.g., inflammatory HCAs). Current clinical guidelines are predominantly influenced by Western data, which may not fully capture these regional differences in epidemiology and subtype distribution. Therefore, this review presents the updated molecular classification of HCAs and their epidemiologic differences between Asian and Western populations, and discuss the role of imaging techniques, particularly magnetic resonance imaging using hepatobiliary contrast agents, in classifying the subtypes and predicting the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.