Socio-economic factors and medical conditions affecting regular stomach cancer screening in Korea: a retrospective longitudinal study using national public health data for 11 years

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore socio-economic factors and medical conditions that affect regular stomach cancer (SC) screening among Korean adults.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective observational study.

METHODS

Study subjects were 5545 adults aged ≥40 years who participated in the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and were followed up to year 2017 based on data linking to the Korean National Health Insurance Service and Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment. Socio-economic factors included sex, age, residential area, education, occupation, marital status, disability, public and private health insurance, service through local public health organizations, history of cancer except for SC, and family history of SC. Medical factors included six gastric lesions with the possibility of facilitating SC screening, including benign gastric neoplasm, chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric polyp, Helicobacter pylori infection, intestinal metaplasia, and peptic ulcers. The outcome was adherence to SC screening, which was divided into non-adherence, irregular adherence, and regular adherence.

RESULTS

After adjusting for the effects of socio-economic factors, multivariate ordinal logistic regression revealed that participants with a history of four types of gastric lesions were more likely to regularly participate in SC screening: chronic atrophic gastritis (odds ratio [OR] 1.567; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.276-1.923), gastric polyps (OR 1.565; 95% CI = 1.223-2.003), H. pylori infection (OR 1.637; 95% CI = 1.338-2.003), and peptic ulcer (OR 2.226; 95% CI 1.750-2.831).

CONCLUSIONS

To improve participation in SC screening, it is necessary to implement personalized strategies for individuals at risk for gastric cancer in addition to population-based strategies for vulnerable groups.

Corrigendum to "Unions, Health and Safety Committees, and Workplace Accidents in the Korean Manufacturing Sector" [Saf Health Work 7 (2) (2016) 161-165]

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.shaw.2016.02.005.].

Unions, Health and Safety Committees, and Workplace Accidents in the Korean Manufacturing Sector

BACKGROUND

Despite the declining trend of workplace accidents in Republic of Korea, its level is still quite high compared with that in other developed countries. Factors that are responsible for high workplace accidents have not been well documented in Republic of Korea. The main purpose of this paper is to estimate the effects of unions and health and safety committees on workplace accidents in Korean manufacturing firms. We also allow for the interactions between unions and health and safety committees in the analysis. The results obtained in this paper will not only contribute to the literature in this field, but might also be useful for employers and worker representatives who are trying to find an effective way to reduce workplace accidents.

METHODS

This paper utilizes the 2012 Occupational Safety and Health Trend Survey data, which is a unique data set providing information on workplace injuries and illness as well as other characteristics of participatory firms, representative of the manufacturing industry in Republic of Korea.

RESULTS

In estimating the effects of unions and health and safety committees, we build a negative binomial regression model in which the interactions between unions and health and safety committees are permissible in reducing workplace accidents.

CONCLUSION

Health and safety committees were found to reduce the incidence of accidents whereas unionized establishments have higher incidence of accidents than nonunionized establishments. We also found that health and safety committees can more effectively reduce accidents in nonunionized establishments. By contrast, nonexclusive joint committees can more effectively reduce accidents in unionized establishments.

Theoretical and experimental studies for high-repetition-rate disordered crystal lasers with harmonic self-mode locking

A harmonically self-mode-locked Nd:Sr3Y2/(BO3)4 disordered crystal laser with subpicosecond pulse duration is demonstrated. We exploit the damped harmonic oscillator model to numerically verify that the mode spacing of the laser cavity can be modified to be the harmonics of the free spectral range of the Fabry-Perot cavity when the optical length of the laser cavity is close to a commensurate ratio of the optical length of the Fabry-Perot cavity. In experiment, the Fabry-Perot cavity can be formed by the pump facet of the disordered crystal and the front mirror. A 110 GHz single-pulse harmonically mode-locked pulse train with pulse duration of 857 fs is experimentally achieved under optical lengths of 27.19 and 4.08 mm for the laser cavity and Fabry-Perot cavity respectively, corresponding to a fractional number of 20/3. A maximum output power of 162 mW is obtained at an incident pump power of 3.1 W.

Reconstruction algorithm for nasal basal cell carcinoma with skin involvement only: analysis of 221 cases repaired by minor surgery

BACKGROUND

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) often occurs on the nose. Reconstruction of the nose should yield excellent aesthetic and functional outcomes.

AIM

We propose a technical algorithm for the reconstruction of surgical defects, based on our analysis of 221 cases of nasal BCC with skin involvement only, which could be repaired by minor surgery.

METHODS

The aesthetic and functional outcomes for various reconstruction techniques were analysed according to defect location and size. A reconstruction algorithm was proposed with the aim of obtaining the best surgical results.

RESULTS

Defect location and size were key considerations. Primary closure was the first option for small defects (< 10 mm), with scores of 3.4 for objective aesthetic outcome (OAO), 3.2 for subjective aesthetic outcome (SAO) and 3.3 for subjective functional outcome (SFO). The first option for medium defects (1-20 mm) was the island pedicle flap, with scores of 3.5 for OAO, 3.2 for SAO and 3.7 for SFO. The first option for large defects (> 20 mm) was the transposition flap for the upper nose (scores of 2.0 for OAO and SAO and 3.0 for SFO) and the interpolation flap for the lower nose (2.8 for OAO and 2.9 for SAO and SFO).

CONCLUSIONS

We have proposed an algorithm to select the optimal technique for repairing nasal BCC surgical defects according to their size and location.

Association between pelvic organ prolapse and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

Both pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and osteoporosis are age-related diseases in older aged women. Both POP and bone metabolism may be associated with collagen metabolism. Our study determined the relationship between POP and bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and femur neck in postmenopausal women. We selected 554 postmenopausal women (aged 50-79 years) and divided them into two groups (moderate to severe POP and absent to mild POP). We compared the BMDs of the lumbar spine and femur neck between the moderate to severe POP and absent to mild POP groups. Lumbar spine BMD was inversely correlated with POP severity (p = 0.001). However, after adjusting for age, time since menopause, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and vaginal delivery, the BMDs of both the lumbar spine and femur neck were not significantly different between the moderate to severe POP and absent to mild POP groups (p = 0.583 and p = 0.305, respectively). A lower BMD is associated with increased fracture risk and we postulated that women with severe POP would have an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture.

Immunohistochemical changes of adenomyosis after heat therapy: comparison of radiofrequency myolysis and endoablation

PURPOSE

To check the pathologic changes of focal adenomyosis after heat therapy using radiofrequency and to evaluate which approach--endometrial ablation or direct heat therapy--is better for adenomyosis. To evaluate whether the timing of the procedure and the menstrual cycle are related to pathologic outcomes after heat therapy.

METHODS

This study included nine women who underwent total hysterectomy for adenomyosis (diameter, > or = 6 cm). Six fresh uteri were excised in the midline and subjected to radiofrequency heat therapy at the center of the adenomyomas (direct heat therapy) and three uteri were subjected to endometrial ablation. Thereafter, 1 cm(3) myometrial tissue was obtained at 1 cm, 2 cm, and 3 cm away from the endometrium. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against cytokerain-19 (CK-19), actin, and estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) was performed to evaluate CK-19 (endometrial epithelium marker), actin (myometrial marker) and ER/PR (checking the state of the menstrual cycle), respectively.

RESULTS

After endometrial ablation, cauterized tissues were not noted 2 cm away from the endometrium. All tissues between the endometruim and center of adenomyosis were cauterized after direct heat therapy. During the uterine proliferative phase, unlike the secretory phase, subendometrial layers were cauterized 10 min after direct cauterization.

CONCLUSION

Direct heat therapy is more effective than endometrial ablation in adenomyosis, and heat is conducted effectively when the patients are in the proliferative phase.

Analysis of particle laden flow and heat transfer in cascade and rocket nozzle

This paper presents results for the calculation of particle trajectories in a cascade and a rocket nozzle using a Lagrangian method. When the floating particles collide to the components, the component surface is damaged severely. The surface erosion rate is strongly dependent on a particle size, a particle impact angle and a surface material. For a compressor cascade, the particle impact rate increases proportionally with the flow inlet angle and the erosion rate on the pressure side surface of blade are related to the surface or coating materials. For a solid rocket nozzle, the particle free zone in the nozzle divergent section increases quickly with increasing particle size and the maximum heat transfer density occurs at the starting region of nozzle convergent section. The Al2O3 droplet breaks up around the nozzle throat due to the high velocity difference between the droplet and gas stream, resulting in the big change of particle free zone.

Inhibitory effect of mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions in rats by spirulina

We investigated the effect of spirulina on mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions. Spirulina dose-dependently inhibited the systemic allergic reaction induced by compound 48/80 in rats. Spirulina inhibited compound 48/80-induced allergic reaction 100% with doses of 100-1000 microg/g body weight, i.p. Spirulina (10-1000 microg/g body weight, i.p.) also significantly inhibited local allergic reaction activated by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE. When rats were pretreated with spirulina at a concentration ranging from 0.01 to 1000 microg/g body weight, i.p., the serum histamine levels were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Spirulina (0.001 to 10 microg/mL) dose-dependently inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) activated by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. The level of cyclic AMP in RPMC, when spirulina (10 microg/mL) was added, transiently and significantly increased about 70-fold at 10 sec compared with that of control cells. Moreover, spirulina (10 microg/mL) had a significant inhibitory effect on anti-DNP IgE-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. These results indicate that spirulina inhibits mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions in vivo and in vitro.