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Background: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of workplace hazards and organizational protection resources according to the size of the enterprise in the manufacturing industry of the Republic of Korea. Methods: We analyzed data of waged workers (weighted N = 5,879) from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017). Enterprise sizes were categorized as “micro enterprises” (less than five employees), “small enterprises” (5–49 employees) and “medium-large enterprises” (50 or more employees). Self-reported exposure to 18 physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards were measured. The presence of organizational protection resources such as a labor union, a safety delegate working at the company, designated spaces to deal with safety, and the provision of health and safety information was evaluated. Results: Compared to workers in medium-large enterprises, those in micro enterprises showed a higher proportion of exposure to most of physical, chemical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards, except for exposure to solvents, prolonged sitting, and experiencing a state of emotional unrest. On the other hand, workers in micro enterprises had the lowest proportion of access to organizational protection resources. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that manufacturing workers at the micro enterprise in the Republic of Korea are exposed to the most hazardous work environment and yet have access to the fewest organizational protection resources.

Abstract Background In South Korea, Korean Chinese workers experience ethnic discrimination although they share physical similarities and ethnic heritage with native-born Koreans. This study aimed to examine whether perceived ethnic discrimination is associated with poor self-rated health and whether the association differs by gender among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea. Methods We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using data of 13,443 Korean Chinese waged workers from the Survey on Immigrants’ Living Conditions and Labor Force conducted in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Based on perceived ethnic discrimination, asking for fair treatment, and subsequent situational improvement, respondents were classified into the following four groups: “Not experienced,” “Experienced, not asked for fair treatment,” “Experienced, asked for fair treatment, not improved,” and “Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved.” Poor self-rated health was assessed using a single question “How is your current overall health?” We applied logistic regression to examine the association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, with gender-stratified analyses. Results We found an association between ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers. In the gender-stratified analysis, the “Experienced, not asked for fair treatment” group was more likely to report poor self-rated health compared to the “Not experienced” group, regardless of gender. However, gender differences were observed in the group stratified by situational improvements. For male workers, no statistically significant association was found in the “Experienced, asked for fair treatment, improved” group with poor self-rated health (odd ratios: 0.87, 95% confidence intervals: 0.30–2.53). Conversely, among female workers, a statistically significant association was observed (odd ratios: 2.63, 95% confidence intervals: 1.29–5.38). Conclusions This study is the first to find an association between perceived ethnic discrimination and poor self-rated health, along with gender differences in the association between situational improvements after asking for fair treatment and poor self-rated health among Korean Chinese waged workers in South Korea.

Background: Eosinophils are possibly the most important inflammatory cells in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. Eosinophilic nasal mucosal infiltration is characteristic of nasal polyposis. The aim of this work was to study the possibility of correlations between cytological and tissue eosinophilia in patients with nasal polyposis and with the stage of the disease. If this correlation exists, nasal cytology will be very useful in diagnosis and management of patients with nasal polyposis., Methods: We studied 40 patients affected idiopathic nasal polyposis and 12 normal group controls. Qualitative measurements of eosinophils in nasal exudates and in tissue biopsy specimens were performed and the results were compared., Results: Nasal cytology and tissue biopsy showed a statistical correlation in the normal as well as in the pathological group. Clinical staging polyposis also correlated with cytological and tissue eosinophilia., Conclusions: Nasal cytological eosinophilia is a simple, fast, nontraumatic, and inexpensive method in the evaluation of patients with nasal polyposis. Eosinophilic infiltration of the nasal mucosa is characteristic of nasal polyposis. It correlates with the stage of the disease and tends to be higher in patients with asthma, nasal polyposis, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intolerance (acetyl-salicylic acid triad).

Background: Eosinophils are possibly the most important inflammatory cells in the pathogenesis of rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. Eosinophil degranulation is the mechanism by which these cells exert their inflammatory action. Knowledge of eosinophil state and degranulation mode therefore may help us to better understand this disease. A study is made of eosinophil state and degranulation mode using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), attempting to establish correlations with certain clinical variables considered to be of importance in patients with nasal polyposis., Methods: A prospective TEM study was made to examine 582 eosinophils under 5000x magnification, classifying them according to their state and degranulation mode. The cells originated from 36 cases of nasal polyposis and were catalogued according to the clinical-radiological presentation of the disorder, the presence of asthmatic disease, or acetilsalicilic acid (ASA) triad syndrome (nasal polyposis, asthma, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intolerance), and the degree of nasal tissue eosinophilia of the case of origin., Results: A total of 30.75% of the eosinophils were inactive, 41.75% exhibited piecemeal degranulation (PMD), 27.5% exhibited cytolysis, and 0.34% were in apoptosis. The degranulation mode was significantly correlated to the clinical and histological parameters studied. Thus, cytolysis tended to be less pronounced and PMD greater, in the cells from cases with intense eosinophilia or severe polyposis (high clinical stage and ASA triad)., Conclusion: Cytolysis and PMD are the principal degranulation modes of eosinophils in nasal polyposis-apoptosis being very infrequent. Nasal polyposis shows a correlation between eosinophil degranulation mode and the clinical and radiological stage and the degree of tissue eosinophilia of the case of origin.

Introduction: The histological study of nasal polyps does not reveal any specific lesions but eosinophilic infiltration nasal mucosae seems to be characteristic of nasal polyposis. The aim of this work is to study possible links between certain histological and clinical aspects in nasal polyposis. Furthermore, we attempt to compare the quantification of tissue eosinophilia according to the number of eosinophils per field with the percentage figure obtained with respect to the total of inflammatory cells., Material and Method: We have studied 40 patients with idiopathic bilateral nasal polyposis, assessing the correlations between various clinical aspects such as their endoscopic and radiological status, association with asthma and intolerance to NSAIDs, against histological aspects of nasal polyps such as the frequency of metaplasia, fibrosis and the degree of eosinophilic infiltration. A group of 12 healthy subjects allowed comparison of our results with healthy nasal mucosa., Results: Tissue eosinophilia correlates statistically with clinical staging and tends to be higher in patients with ASA triad. The quantitative measurement of tissue eosinophilia (number of eosinophils per field) correlates with the percentage figure obtained (with respect to the total number of inflammatory cells in the infiltrate)., Conclusions: Eosinophil infiltration of the nasal mucosa is, together with oedema, the most constant histological characteristic of nasal polyposis and seems to be an important factor in the clinical behaviour of sinonasal polyposis. Quantitative measurement of tissue eosinophilia is easier and quicker to perform and equivalent to percentage evaluation.

Laryngeal mucociliary clearance was studied in 35 rabbit larynxes in the immediate post mortem period using charcoal powder. Mucociliary currents flowed from the subglottic walls to the posterior commissure. The normal laryngeal mucociliary clearance rate was 3.7 +/- 1.1 mm/min. Salbutamol accelerated mucociliary clearance (p < 0.01). Propranolol significantly reduced the mucociliary clearance rate (p < 0.001). Mucociliary clearance was not observed in any methoxamine-treated larynxes.

The larynx is the point of confluence of all tracheobronchial secretions and of the particles trapped within them. A study is made of laryngeal mucociliary transport using charcoal particles in 8 anesthetized rabbits and in 8 more during the immediate postmortem period. Most secretions were found to reach the posterior commissure, and were then swallowed. In the immediate postmortem rabbits, mucociliary transport velocity was 3.59 +/- 1.23 mm/min., with a transport time of 4.62 +/- 1.5 min. In the 8 rabbits anesthetized with droperidol, diazepam and thiobarbital, transport was found to be significantly slowed (p = 0.001).

The vestibulo-spinal reflex is of great importance in maintaining balance--hence the interest in evaluating it objectively in patients suffering from vertigo. A review is made of the objective exploratory methods currently available, i.e., static posturography, stimulation posturography, dynamic posturography and craneocorpography. The clinical applications of posturographyare discussed, fundamentally as applied to the diagnosis of central vestibular pathology, treatment planning and evolutive monitoriacion of the patient with vertigo.

In this syndrome there is a disproportionate dwarfism with kyphoscoliosis, stiffness of the joints, minor facial dysmorphia, myopia and both conductive and sensorineural deafness in 50 percent of patients. It is a dominant autosomic heritable malady of unknown incidence, but both sexes seems equally affected. The patient's condition is diagnosed at birth, because of the short limbs and the enlargement of the joints. In the presented case, diagnosed at birth, the deafness was suppose to be transmissive, owing to the coexistence of a cleft palate, and consequently a grommet was inserted in the tympanum. Only afterwards, when the girl was 12 years old, the cochlear component of the hypoacusis fell in consideration.