This study was carried out to reduce the number of marine accidents on versatile small ships and to minimize the casualties. The study looked into the compulsory education systems regarding embarkation on small ships such as the Korean Marine Officers Act, conducted a survey targeting on the education receivers to suggest problems, and drew a conclusion. Conclusions are as follows. First, it is needed to give education opportunities in the system by increasing the recipients of the Ships Officers Act, and to simplify the compulsory education by separating similar courses from the education regulated by the Korean Marine Officers Act, and by establishing integrated courses suitable to each size and facility of ships. Second, in cases where the compulsory education courses of different purpose of ships by other legislations are similar, it is necessary to expand the scope of the inter-education so that corresponding year's education is exempted. Third, by classifying the education ares, the education courses should be based on case studies and the audiovisual or field education that correlates relevant expertise should be managed within a reasonable time frame. Fourth, it is needed to enhance the education effect by converting the regular education courses to practical courses by different ships for safe navigation, and is also needed to review the system so that special courses for safe navigation can be carried out in each region on a regular basis by expanding both human and financial support of special institutions.

Background: This study analyzed the presentation, characteristics, and management of foreign bodies in different age groups of pediatric patients with ear, nose, and throat foreign bodies. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using data from October 2012 to September 2020. A total of 1285 patients with ear, nose, and throat foreign bodies who were less than 12 years of age and who presented to the emergency room were included in this study. Their biographical data, clinical presentations, foreign body types and locations, and management outcomes were obtained from medical records and analyzed as three age groups (infancy: <2 years old; early childhood: 2–5 years old; and late childhood: 6–12 years old). Results: The early childhood group had the highest number of patients (n = 672; 52.2%). Throat was the most common location (59.2%), and bone was the most common type of foreign body. Among the children who visited our hospital, foreign bodies were actually found in only 657 patients (51.1%) and removed by an otolaryngologist in 625 (95.1%) cases. Conclusion: Our study could provide guidance for the diagnosis and management of pediatric patients who present to emergency departments with foreign bodies.

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Apoptosis induced by DNA damages is a basic mechanism in exposure to radiation or chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of carcinomas. The team analyzed the relation between p21Waf-1 protein and ionizing radiation (IR)induced apoptosis in human squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Apoptosis was induced by IR-or UV in human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2) and uterine cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells. In both cell lines, over-expression of p21Waf-1 protein was observed by transient transfection and in a tetracycline-regulated system, whereas suppression of p21Waf-1 protein was observed by using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide transfection. Immunohistochemical analysis of carcinomas from patients with recurrence after the radiotherapy was also done. RESULTS: IR steadily induced p21Waf-1 protein in HEp-2 cells, but not in HeLa cells. In contrast, p53 protein was induced in a similar manner after IR or UV treatment. UV caused rapid, dramatic and caspase-independent reduction of p21Waf-1 protein in both cancer cells. Only in HEp-2 cells, p21Waf-1 protein recovered close to the basal level. Furthermore, over-expression of p21Waf-1 protein rescued IR-and UV-induced apoptosis by transient transfection. As a result, suppression of p21Waf-1 protein caused by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide transfection facilitated UV-induced apoptosis in both HEp-2 and HeLa cells. There were expressions of p53 and p21 in human laryngeal carcinomas. CONCLUSION: P21Waf-1 protein (modified independently from p53) functions as an inhibitor of IR-as well as UVinduced apoptosis in squamous carcinoma cells; p53 and p21 may play important roles in the progression of LSCC. SIGNIFICANCE: P53 and p21 may play important roles in the progression of LSCC.