Background: Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to assess whether better coping with stress, as assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), is associated with slower cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study used 2018/2019 data and 2-year follow-up data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Of the 3,014 total participants, we included 1,826 participants (mean age, 77.6±3.7 years, 51.9% female) who completed BRS and Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Battery and the Korean version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Results: Higher BRS score at baseline was associated with a lesser decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination score over 2 years after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, and depression (B, 0.175; 95% confidence interval, 0.025–0.325) for 2 years, which represents global cognitive function. Other cognitive function measurements (Word List Memory, Word List Recall, Word List Recognition, Digit Span, Trail Making Test-A, and FAB) did not change significantly with the BRS score at baseline. Conclusion These findings suggest that better stress-coping ability, meaning faster termination of the stress response, may limit the decline in cognitive function.

Background: Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to assess whether better coping with stress, as assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), is associated with slower cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study used 2018/2019 data and 2-year follow-up data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Of the 3,014 total participants, we included 1,826 participants (mean age, 77.6±3.7 years, 51.9% female) who completed BRS and Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Battery and the Korean version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Results: Higher BRS score at baseline was associated with a lesser decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination score over 2 years after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, and depression (B, 0.175; 95% confidence interval, 0.025–0.325) for 2 years, which represents global cognitive function. Other cognitive function measurements (Word List Memory, Word List Recall, Word List Recognition, Digit Span, Trail Making Test-A, and FAB) did not change significantly with the BRS score at baseline. Conclusion These findings suggest that better stress-coping ability, meaning faster termination of the stress response, may limit the decline in cognitive function.

Background: Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to assess whether better coping with stress, as assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), is associated with slower cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study used 2018/2019 data and 2-year follow-up data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Of the 3,014 total participants, we included 1,826 participants (mean age, 77.6±3.7 years, 51.9% female) who completed BRS and Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Battery and the Korean version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Results: Higher BRS score at baseline was associated with a lesser decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination score over 2 years after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, and depression (B, 0.175; 95% confidence interval, 0.025–0.325) for 2 years, which represents global cognitive function. Other cognitive function measurements (Word List Memory, Word List Recall, Word List Recognition, Digit Span, Trail Making Test-A, and FAB) did not change significantly with the BRS score at baseline. Conclusion These findings suggest that better stress-coping ability, meaning faster termination of the stress response, may limit the decline in cognitive function.

Background: Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to assess whether better coping with stress, as assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), is associated with slower cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study used 2018/2019 data and 2-year follow-up data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Of the 3,014 total participants, we included 1,826 participants (mean age, 77.6±3.7 years, 51.9% female) who completed BRS and Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Battery and the Korean version of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Results: Higher BRS score at baseline was associated with a lesser decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination score over 2 years after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, and depression (B, 0.175; 95% confidence interval, 0.025–0.325) for 2 years, which represents global cognitive function. Other cognitive function measurements (Word List Memory, Word List Recall, Word List Recognition, Digit Span, Trail Making Test-A, and FAB) did not change significantly with the BRS score at baseline. Conclusion These findings suggest that better stress-coping ability, meaning faster termination of the stress response, may limit the decline in cognitive function.

Objectives: . This study aimed to compare the oncological outcomes of partial versus superficial or total parotidectomy for superficial T1 or T2 primary parotid cancers and investigate their prognostic factors and recurrence patterns. Methods: . The medical records of 77 patients with T1–2 primary parotid malignancies between May 2003 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic factors associated with overall survival, disease-free survival, and local and distant recurrence. Results: . The average follow-up duration was 70.2 months (range, 12–202 months). The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 88.7% and 77.1%, respectively. Twenty-two patients underwent partial parotidectomy, and 55 underwent superficial or total parotidectomy. There were no significant differences in the disease recurrence (P=0.320) and mortality rates (P=0.884) of the partial and superficial or total parotidectomy groups. The mean duration of surgery was shorter and the overall complication rates were significantly lower in the partial group than in the superficial or total parotidectomy group (P=0.049). Sixteen cases of recurrence occurred during the study period (20.8%). Univariate analyses showed that high-grade tumors (P=0.006), lymphovascular invasion (P=0.046), and regional lymph node metastasis (P=0.010) were significant risk factors for disease recurrence. Multivariate analysis identified regional lymph node metastasis as an independent prognostic factor for disease recurrence (P=0.027), and lymphovascular invasion as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P=0.033). Conclusion . The conservative surgical approach of partial parotidectomy can yield oncological outcomes comparable to those of superficial or total parotidectomy with careful patient selection in T1-2 parotid cancers.

Purpose: To report a case of papillophlebitis treated with an intravitreal bevacizumab injection in an adolescent patient.Case summary: A 15-year-old female with no medical history presented with a 3-day history of blurred vision and a floating sensation. The initial visual acuity (VA) was 0.0 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) in the left eye. A fundus examination revealed a blurry disc margin, peripapillary hemorrhage, and venous engorgement. Optical coherence tomography indicated subretinal fluid (SRF) accumulation. Both color vision and pupillary reactions were normal in bilateral eyes. Blood tests revealed no significant abnormalities. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed mild focal papillitis, but the patient did not report eye movement pain or discomfort. The diagnosis was papillophlebitis; however, high-dose steroid treatment was not initiated due to the absence of a significant decrease in VA. A single injection of intravitreal bevacizumab was administered to address the SRF. At the 9-month follow-up, VA remained at 0.0 logMAR, and the retina demonstrated anatomical stabilization after complete absorption of the SRF without recurrence. Conclusions Papillophlebitis can manifest during adolescence. Treatment of a 15-year-old patient with intravitreal bevacizumab obviated the need for high-dose steroid therapy and produced favorable outcomes, including preservation of VA and anatomical stabilization of the retina.

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the relationships among new nurses’ meaning of work, organizational commitment, professional self-image, and retention intention through path analysis. Methods: The participants were 872 nurses with less than a year of clinical experience working at general or tertiary hospitals over 500 beds in Korea. The data were collected using structured questionnaires from May 15, 2021 to June 28, 2021, and analysis was conducted using SPSS/WIN 22.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs. Results: Retention intention was explained by meaning of work, organizational commitment, and professional self-image, its explanatory power was 46.5%. The mediating effect of professional self-image was found on the relationship between meaning of work and retention intention. Conclusion To encourage the retention intention among new nurses, an environment where new nurses can set a high value on the meaning of work and sense of accomplishment should be created, and a strategy to improve organizational commitment and professional self-image should be established.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in central macular thickness (CMT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) after phacovitrectomy over a 2-year period in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) patients. Methods: The records of 52 idiopathic ERM patients (52 eyes) who underwent phacovitrectomy, without recurrence of the condition over a 2-year follow-up period, were reviewed retrospectively. Changes in CMT and SFCT, as measured by optical coherence tomography, were analyzed and compared with those of a normal control group over a 2-year period. Results: The mean preoperative CMT and SFCT were 425.67 ± 84.67 and 257.56 ± 90.13 μm, respectively. Postoperative CMT was reduced significantly to 372.17 ± 45.26 μm at 1 year and 363.15 ± 47.35 μm at 2 years (p < 0.001). SFCT at 1 and 2 years postoperatively was significantly reduced to 238.85 ± 84.85 and 230.31 ± 87.95 μm, respectively (p < 0.001). In the control group, there was no significant change in CMT; however, the SFCT decreased by 11.09 ± 22.36 μm during the 2-year follow-up (p = 0.007). In contrast, in the patient group, CMT and SFCT decreased by 62.52 ± 71.45 and 27.25 ± 41.97 μm, respectively, showing a significant difference from the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.043, respectively). Both before surgery and at 1 year postoperatively, the thinner the CMT, the better the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (p = 0.010 and p = 0.018, respectively). A better postoperative BCVA at 2 years was associated with a thinner CMT and better BCVA before surgery (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions Following a phacovitrectomy procedure, ERM patients showed significant reductions in both the CMT and SFCT at the 2-year follow-up.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic made it necessary for medical schools to restructure their curriculum by switching from face-to-face instruction to various forms of flexible learning. Flexible learning is a student-centered approach to learning that has received interest in many educational sectors. It is a critical strategy for expanding access to higher education during the pandemic. As flexible learning includes online, blended, hybrid, and hyflex learning options, learners have the opportunity to select an instruction modality based on their needs and interests. The shift to flexible learning in medical education took place rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and learners, instructors, and schools were not prepared for this instructional change. Through the lens of the technology acceptance model, human agency, and a social constructivist perspective, I examine students, instructors, and educational institutions’ roles in successfully navigating the digital transformation era. The pandemic has also accelerated the use of advanced information and communication technologies, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, in learning. Through a review of the literature, this paper aimed to reflect on current flexible learning practices from the instructional design and educational technology perspective and explore emerging technologies that may be implemented in future medical education.