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Background: Even though home deaths have been reported to improve quality of life, satisfy patients and families, and reduce healthcare expenditures, not enough is known about the factors that influence home deaths in Korea. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the factors associated with home deaths among middle-aged and older adults in South Korea. Methods: This secondary data analysis used core interview and exit interview data of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging conducted between 2008 and 2018. The deceased included adults over the age of 45 years. The exit data were obtained from interviews with family members or other acquaintances known to the deceased every two years since 2008. Complex-sample logistic regression was conducted using 1,565 middle-aged and older deceased adults. Results: Among 1,565 decedents, the average age at the time of death was 80.67±10.69 in the home death group, and 78.72±9.83 in the non-home death group. The proportion of home-related deaths was 26.4%. Age over 81 years was associated with increased odds of home death, whereas having two or more living children, living in town/small city, paid medical expenses by children/grandchildren and their spouses, expected death, death from disease, and having three or more chronic diseases were associated with decreased odds of home death. An increase in activities of daily living during three months before death was associated with a decrease in home death. Conclusion: The findings could help healthcare professionals develop tailored interventions to help people die at their preferred place of death based on family characteristics and healthcare accessibility. Age, residential area, number of children and children's financial support, and illness-related factors influenced home death by creating differences in access to healthcare resources and support. Policymakers should decrease healthcare disparities and improve health resource allocation and home-based care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Finger injuries caused by green onion cutting machines in Korean kitchens have unique characteristics of an incomplete amputation in which multiple parallel soft tissues and blood vessels are injured in the same form. In this study, we aimed to describe unique finger injuries and to report the treatment outcomes and experiences of performing possible soft tissue reconstructions. Methods: This case series study included 65 patients (82 fingers) from December 2011 to December 2015. The mean age was 50.5 years. We retrospectively classified the presence of fractures and the degree of damage in patients. The injured area involvement level was categorised as distal, middle or proximal. The direction was categorised as sagittal, coronal, oblique or transverse. The treatment results were compared according to the amputation direction and injury area. Results: Of the 65 patients, 35 had a partial finger necrosis and needed additional surgeries. Finger reconstructions were performed through stump revision or local or free flap use. The survival rate was significantly lower in patients with fractures. As for the injury area, distal involvement led to 17 out of 57 patients displaying necrosis and all 5 patients showing the same in proximal involvement. Conclusions: Unique finger injuries caused by green onion cutting machines can easily be treated with simple sutures. Then prognosis is affected by the extent of injury and the presence of fractures. Reconstruction is necessary for finger necrosis owing to extensive blood vessel damage and limitations when making this selection. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eurotiales is a relatively large order of Ascomycetes, well-known for their ability to produce secondary metabolites with potential beneficial applications. To understand their diversity and distribution, different environmental sources including soil, freshwater, insect, and indoor air were investigated. Eight strains of Eurotiales were isolated and identified based on their morphological characters and a multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of the ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2 regions. We identified eight taxa that were previously not reported from Korea: Aspergillus baeticus, A. griseoaurantiacus, A. spinulosporus, Penicillium anthracinoglaciei, P. labradorum, P. nalgiovense, Talaromyces atroroseus, and T. georgiensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree for the eight new records species are presented, and information regarding the records is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]