The ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are a family of membrane-associated proteins known to play roles in cell-shape determination as well as in signaling pathways. We have previously shown that amphetamine decreases phosphorylation levels of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important neuronal substrate mediating rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. In the present study, we further examined what molecular pathways may be involved in this process. By direct microinjection of LY294002, a PI3 kinase inhibitor, or of S9 peptide, a proposed GSK3β activator, into the NAcc core, we found that phosphorylation levels of ERM as well as of GSK3β in this site are simultaneously decreased. These results indicate that ERM proteins are under the regulation of Akt-GSK3β signaling pathway in the NAcc core. The present findings have a significant implication to a novel signal pathway possibly leading to structural plasticity in relation with drug addiction.
Amphetamine ; Animals ; Glycogen Synthase Kinases ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Microinjections ; Negotiating ; Neurons ; Nucleus Accumbens ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Plastics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Rats ; Reward ; Signal Transduction ; Street Drugs ; Substance-Related Disorders

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the ability of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI)-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in assessing the microstructural change of extraocular muscles (EOMs) and optic nerves in patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) as well as in evaluating disease activity.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 35 TAO patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent pre-treatment rs-EPI-based DTI. Mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, and RD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the medial and lateral EOMs and optic nerve for each orbit were calculated and compared between TAO and HC groups and between active and inactive TAO groups. Factors such as age, sex, disease duration, mediation, and smoking history between groups were also compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of significant variables for disease activity.RESULTS: Disease duration was significantly shorter in active TAOs than in inactive ones (p < 0.001). TAO patients showed significantly lower FA and higher MD, AD, and RD than HCs for both medial and lateral EOMs (p < 0.001), but not the AD value of lateral EOMs (p = 0.619). Active patients had significantly higher FA, MD, and AD than inactive patients for medial EOMs (p < 0.005), whereas only FA differed significantly in the lateral EOMs (p = 0.018). The MD, AD, and RD of optic nerves were significantly lower in TAO patients than HCs (p < 0.05), except for FA (p = 0.129). Multivariate analysis showed that the MD of medial EOMs and disease duration were significant predictors for disease activity. The combination of these two parameters showed optimal diagnostic efficiency for disease activity (area under the curve, 0.855; sensitivity, 68.4%; specificity, 96.9%).CONCLUSION: rs-EPI-based DTI is promising in assessing microstructural changes of EOMs and optic nerves and can help to indicate the disease activity of TAO, especially through the MD of medial EOMs.
Anisotropy ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Diffusion ; Echo-Planar Imaging ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Muscles ; Negotiating ; Optic Nerve ; Orbit ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Troleandomycin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation model on nursing work outcomes based on Youssef and Luthans' positive psychological capital and integrated conceptual framework of work performance.METHODS: This study used a structured questionnaire administered to 340 nurses. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.RESULTS: Positive psychological capital showed indirect and direct effects on job satisfaction, retention intention, organizational citizenship behavior, and nursing performance. While, the nursing work environment had direct and indirect effects on job satisfaction and nursing performance, it only had indirect effects on intention to work and organizational citizenship behavior. Additionally, a mediating effect on retention intention and organizational citizenship behavior was found between job satisfaction and nursing performance variables.CONCLUSION: The nursing organization needs to build a supportive work environment and reinforce positive psychological capital to improve nursing performance. Additionally, it needs to actively manage the necessary parameters involved in the stages of job satisfaction, retention intention, nursing performance, and organizational citizenship behavior of nurses. The findings propose the continuous management of nursing personnel based on nurses' attitude outcome, behavioral intention, behavioral outcome, and stage of role performance.
Attitude of Health Personnel ; Intention ; Job Satisfaction ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Psychology, Industrial ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Work Performance

Particulate matter (PM), which refers to the mixture of particles present in the air, can have harmful effects. Damage to cells by PM, including disruption of organelles and proteins, can trigger autophagy, and the relationship between autophagy and PM has been well studied. However, the cellular regulators of PM-induced autophagy have not been well characterized, especially in keratinocytes. The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is expressed in the epidermis and is activated by PM. In this study, we investigated the role of the AhR in PM-induced autophagy in HaCaT cells. Our results showed that PM led to AhR activation in keratinocytes. Activation of the AhR-target gene CYP1A1 by PM was reduced by co-treatment with α-naphthoflavone (α-NF), an AhR inhibitor. We also evaluated activation of the autophagy pathway in PM-treated keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells, treatment with PM treatment led to the induction of microtubules-associated proteins light chain 3 (LC3) and p62/SQSTM1, which are essential components of the autophagy pathway. To study the role of the AhR in mediating PM-induced autophagy, we treated cells with α-NF or used an siRNA against AhR. Expression of LC3-ІІ induced by PM was decreased in a dose dependent manner by α-NF. Furthermore, knockdown of AhR with siAhR diminished PM-induced expression of LC3-ІІ and p62. Together, these results suggest that inhibition of the AhR decreases PM-induced autophagy. We confirmed these results using the autophagy-inhibitors BAF and 3-MA. Taken together, our results indicate that exposure to PM induces autophagy via the AhR in HaCaT keratinocytes.
Autophagy ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Epidermis ; Keratinocytes ; Negotiating ; Organelles ; Particulate Matter ; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon ; RNA, Small Interfering

PURPOSE: This study examined the mediating and moderating effects of multicultural efficacy in the relationship between cultural empathy and cultural competence in child care teachers. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used. The participants were 277 child care teachers at private and public daycare centers in G and S districts of Seoul. The survey instruments included a cultural empathy questionnaire, a multicultural efficacy scale, and a cultural competence scale. Data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS programs. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation, and mediating and moderating effect analyses were performed. Bootstrapping was implemented to verify the mediating effect of the model developed herein. RESULTS: Positive correlations among cultural empathy, multicultural efficacy, and cultural competence were noted. Multicultural efficacy showed a significant mediating effect on the relationships between cultural empathy and cultural competence. However, there was no moderating effect. CONCLUSION: In order to enhance the cultural competence of child care teachers, it is necessary to develop a strategy that can promote their cultural empathy and multicultural efficacy. Furthermore, these results will ultimately enhance the role of child care teachers, thus contributing to the normal growth and development of multicultural children.
Child ; Child Care ; Child ; Cultural Competency ; Cultural Diversity ; Empathy ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Self Efficacy ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of major satisfaction in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement among nursing students. METHODS: Data were collected from 142 nursing students from March 5 to March 9, 2018, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 for Windows. RESULTS: Academic self-efficacy had a significant effect on both major satisfaction (β=.31, p<.001), and academic achievement (β=.43, p<.001). The parameter of major satisfaction was found to have a significant effect on the dependent variable, academic achievement (β=.22, p=.007), and the independent variable, academic self-efficacy, also had a significant effect on academic achievement (β=.39, p<.001). Thus, major satisfaction was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between academic self efficacy and academic achievement. The Sobel test showed that the path of the academic achievement and academic self efficacy variables was significantly mediated by major satisfaction (Z=2.99, p=.003). CONCLUSION: Academic self-efficacy was found to affect academic achievement, and major satisfaction was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between academic self efficacy and academic achievement.
Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Negotiating ; Nursing ; Self Efficacy ; Students, Nursing

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of body dissatisfaction on Smartphone addiction and to determine the relative magnitudes of specific mediation effect of personality characteristics.METHODS: One hundred and fifteen young and healthy participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale, Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination-Self Report, and NEO Five-Factor Inventory. By using Indirect SPSS macros, multiple-mediation analyses were performed.RESULTS: Body dissatisfaction had a significant total, direct and indirect effect on Smartphone addiction. Indirect effect of Body dissatisfaction on Smartphone addiction was significantly mediated via personality characteristics (Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, and Openness).CONCLUSION: These results suggest the importance of evaluating both patients' personality characteristics and body dissatisfaction for managing Smartphone addiction. Consequently, they will be useful in the prevention and treatment of Smartphone addiction.
Body Dysmorphic Disorders ; Healthy Volunteers ; Negotiating ; Smartphone

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the correlations of the temperament and character, depression, anxiety, and maternal-fetal attachment and the mediating effects of the depression, anxiety on the relationship between temperament and character and maternal-fetal attachment.METHODS: A hundred and eleven high-risk pregnant women were recruited in this study. All subjects were administered a sociodemographic and obstetric questionnaire, Temperament and Character Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State, and Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale.RESULTS: The results of this study were as follows. Higher scores on the reward dependence, persistence, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence scale were associated with higher scores on maternal-fetal attachment scale. Higher scores on the harm avoidance scale and lower scores on the self-directedness scale were associated with higher depression scores. Higher scores on the harm avoidance scale and lower scores on the persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness scale were associated with higher anxiety scores. Higher anxiety scores were associated with higher scores on maternal-fetal attachment scale. The anxiety was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between persistence and the maternal-fetal attachment. It was also found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between cooperativeness and the maternal-fetal attachment.CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that the anxiety has partial mediating effect on the relationship between temperament and character and maternal-fetal attachment. Based on these findings, it is suggested that examining temperament and character and screening vulnerable pregnant women can help to prevent negative results for high-risk pregnant women.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Negotiating ; Pregnancy, High-Risk ; Pregnant Women ; Reward ; Temperament

PURPOSE: This study tries to test mediating effects of hope and therapeutic relationship in the relation between general social functions and mental health recovery of community people with mental illness. METHODS: This study was carried out in a cross-sectional research design. The participants included 217 people with mental illnesses who were enrolled at eight Mental Health Welfare Centers in the Gyeonggi Province. Data were collected from February to May, 2018. The collected data were analyzed using a regression analysis, and SPSS PROCESS macro was used to test the mediating effects. RESULTS: This study analyzed the direct effects of general social functions on the hope, therapeutic relationship and mental health recovery. And general social functions had indirect effects on their mental health recovery via hope and therapeutic relationship. Both hope and therapeutic relationship had dual mediating effects in the influence of general social functions on mental health recovery. CONCLUSION: The role of hope and therapeutic relationship in the mental health recovery of community people with mental illness is important, and it is confirmed that hope is a powerful factor influencing mental health recovery.
Gyeonggi-do ; Hope ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Mentally Ill Persons ; Negotiating ; Professional-Patient Relations ; Research Design ; Social Adjustment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study isto identify the mediating effects of interpersonal problems in the relationship between Social Network Service (SNS) use tendency and depression among university students. METHODS: Data were collected from April 28 to May 7, 2018 and the participants included 222 university students, who responded to the question regarding SNS use tendency, interpersonal problems and depression. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. RESULTS: A positive correlation is found between depression and SNS use tendency (r=.24, p<.001), and among interpersonal problems (r=.62, p<.001), SNS use tendency and interpersonal problems (r=.34, p<.001). Interpersonal problems have a full mediating effect on the relationship between SNS use tendency and depression (Sobel test: 5.24, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that it is important to manage interpersonal problems to prevent depression caused by SNS use tendency.
Depression ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Negotiating