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.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method. RESULTS: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines. CONCLUSION This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method. RESULTS: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines. CONCLUSION This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method. RESULTS: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines. CONCLUSION This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method. RESULTS: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines. CONCLUSION This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As awareness of climate change increases, the relevance of environmental education in dietary choices gains prominence. Although diversely defined, food literacy (FL) is increasingly recognized as the ability to make food choices with an awareness of environmental sustainability. This study aims to conduct a pilot implementation and assess the effectiveness of a program developed to improve FL among university students. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study spanned from August 2022 to February 2023, involving 92 participants (42 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group). Over 11 weeks, the program included cooking classes, local farm visits, and environmental impact lectures developed through extensive literature reviews and interviews with students and experts. FL was measured using a 33-item survey along with basic sociodemographic factors. After the intervention, both groups participated in qualitative interviews. All statistical analyses were carried out in Stata/SE version 17.0, and interview data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using the framework analysis method. RESULTS: The FL scores of the intervention group improved significantly from an average of 65.8 to 69.6 points (P = 0.015), with notable gains in the socio-ecological domain in FL from 65.3 to 71.5 points (P < 0.001). A linear regression analysis comparing FL between the intervention and control groups found that only the knowledge items were marginally significant (P = 0.054), with no statistically significant difference in the practice aspect before and after the intervention (P = 0.657). The interviews revealed that the intervention group experienced broadened perspectives and heightened environmental consciousness, although translating these into practice was challenged by unchanged daily routines. CONCLUSION This pilot program effectively enhanced some aspects of FL-related knowledge of participants. High satisfaction among participants and no dropouts indicated its potential for scaling. Future programs will benefit from strategies that facilitate the transition from educational improvement to practical application.

Purpose: Phenomenological methods are used to capture human experience, and nursing research has long attempted phenomenological approaches in many studies. This study explored the 22-year trends (2001– 2022) in phenomenological research within Korean nursing science and identified the types of journals where research is published, common phenomenological data analysis methods, phenomena of interest, and standards of rigor applied to phenomenological studies. Methods: This scoping review followed the six stages recommended by Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) and utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) for reporting guidance. A total of 4,354 articles acquired through systematic searches across seven search engines PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korea Citation Index (KCI), Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), and Korean studies Information Service System (KISS) were reviewed. Key search terms and inclusion and exclusion criteria were used as strategies to identify relevant articles. Results: In the final review, 568 Korean phenomenological studies were included. Among the phenomenology research, 50.4% of the total work was performed between 2016 and 2020, and the Colaizzi method of study was the most common (62.9%). Most researchers were published in nursing journals (55.8%). Nurses constituted the majority of participants (24.5%), followed by people living with illnesses (23.1%) and people of all ages. The primary focus included participants' experiences: the disease experience of the sick, the job-related experience of the nurses, and the learning-related experience of the nursing students. The median sample size of reviewed papers (i.e., 9) is relevant to phenomenological research saturation. The most rigorous studies applied Lincoln and Guba's criteria (54.0%). Conclusions Advancing phenomenological research in nursing entails giving priority to diverse perspectives, rigor, and the foundational essence of phenomenology. Ensuring transparency and reliability requires reinforcing rigor through the integration of phenomenology, philosophy, and effective data analysis methods.

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.

Purpose: To evaluate the refractive outcomes after ultrathin Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (UT-DSAEK) combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation (triple procedure) in the South Korean population. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 37 eyes of 36 patients who underwent the UT-DSAEK triple procedure between 2012 and 2021 in a single tertiary hospital. Preoperative and postoperative refractive outcomes and endothelial parameters at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were observed. Results: At the final postoperative 12-month period, the average best-corrected visual acuity was 0.4 ± 0.5 in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. The mean endothelial cell density at 12 months was 1,841.92 ± 731.24 cells/mm2, indicating no significant endothelial cell loss compared to the baseline (p = 0.128). The mean postoperative central corneal thickness at 12 months was 597.41 ± 86.26 μm. The postoperative mean absolute error at 12 months was 0.96 ± 0.89 diopters (D) and mean error was 0.89 ± 0.97 D. Conclusions The results of our South Korean cohort study on UT-DSAEK triple surgery showed favorable and safe outcomes. Regardless of graft thickness, it should be noted that a hyperopic shift of 1.00 to 2.00 D needs to be considered in the case of UT-DSAEK triple surgery.