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

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising ablation technique for benign thyroid nodules. Current evidence has found good short- to medium-term outcomes, similar to those of better-established ablation techniques such as radiofrequency and laser ablation. The fact that it does not require insertion of a needle into the target makes HIFU a truly non-invasive treatment. Although it is not without risks, its low risk profile makes it an attractive alternative to surgery. There is much room for future development, starting from expanding the current indications to enhancing energy delivery. Relapsed Graves disease and papillary microcarcinoma are diseases that can benefit from HIFU treatment. Its role in the mediation of immune responses and synergistic effects with immunotherapy are promising in the fight against metastatic cancers.
Ablation Techniques ; Goiter, Nodular ; Graves Disease ; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation ; Hyperthermia, Induced ; Immunotherapy ; Laser Therapy ; Needles ; Negotiating ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

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: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of perceptions regarding the importance of patient safety management in the relationship between incident reporting attitudes and patient safety care activities for nurses in small-and medium-sized general hospitals. The objective was to provide a basis for planning tailored training programs aimed at improving patient safety care activities.METHODS: This study was conducted with 187 participants in small- and medium-sized general hospitals in K city in South Korea from March 15 to March 31, 2019. The data collected from participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a multiple regression using IBM SPSS/WIN 21.0 software.RESULTS: Patient safety care activities were found to be correlated with incident reporting attitudes (r=.27, p < .001) and perceptions of the importance of patient safety management (r=.59, p < .001). Further, perceptions of the importance of patient safety management had a complete mediating effect (β=.409, p < .001) on the relationship between incident reporting attitudes and patient safety care activities.CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, tailored training programs regarding patient safety care activities focused on boosting perceptions of the importance of patient safety management are highly recommended to improve nurses' patient safety care activities in small- and medium-sized general hospitals.
Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Negotiating ; Patient Safety ; Risk Management ; Safety Management

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the moderating and mediating effects of resilience in the relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction among nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs).METHOD: The participants were 144 ICU nurses from three university hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis, using SPSS 25.0. The mediating effect of resilience in the relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction was analyzed by multiple regression analysis according to Baron and Kenny's procedure.RESULTS: Statistically significant negative correlations were found between emotional labor and resilience (r=−.21, p<.014) and between emotional labor and job satisfaction (r=−.34, p<.001). A significant positive correlation was found between resilience and job satisfaction (r=.31 p<.001). A partial mediating effect by resilience was found between emotional labor and job satisfaction (Z=−2.11, p =.034), but no moderating effect was found.CONCLUSION: To improve the job satisfaction of ICU nurses, evaluation of their emotional labor, resilience, and interventions are necessary to alleviate emotional labor and improve resilience.
Hospitals, University ; Intensive Care Units ; Job Satisfaction ; Methods ; Negotiating

PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship among the use of food-related content (FRC), dietary behaviors, and dietary self-efficacy to demonstrate the need for nutrition education to help adolescents build healthy eating habits and provide evidence for developing nutrition education programs for adolescents. METHODS: Three hundred and eighty-one high school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas participated in the study. The subjects were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) according to the level of use of the FRC, and their general characteristics, dietary behaviors, and dietary self-efficacy were analyzed. Correlation analysis was performed between FRC usage, dietary behaviors, and dietary self-efficacy, and the mediating effects of dietary self-efficacy on the relationship between the level of the use of FRC and dietary behaviors were estimated. RESULTS: A higher level of FRC usage was associated with an increased daily cost of eating out and snacking, but no difference was observed in the BMI range. The subjects in a group with a high level of FRC usage ate convenience store or instant foods instead of homemade meals (p = 0.033), had a late-night meal or snack (p = 0.024), and turned to emotional eating under stress (p < 0.001) more than those in the low level group. In addition, the high level group checked the nutrition facts label more carefully when purchasing processed foods (p = 0.016) and exercised at least 30 minutes daily, not considering physical education classes (p = 0.057). The higher level of FRC use, the lower the dietary self-efficacy, whereby the subscales ‘environmental stimulus control efficacy’ and ‘affective factor control efficacy’ showed complete mediating effects. CONCLUSION: Given that FRC has been increased recently, adolescents are in need of support to help them control and enhance their dietary self-efficacy as well as develop healthy dietary behaviors through proper nutrition education programs.
Adolescent ; Eating ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Meals ; Negotiating ; Physical Education and Training ; Seoul ; Snacks

OBJECTIVES: Suicide is the most frequent cause of death among Korean adolescents, and adolescents who have experienced trauma have an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, and suicide attempts. However, resilience and self-esteem are protective factors. We examined the effects of resilience and self-esteem on the relationship among traumatic experiences, PTSD symptoms, depression, and suicidal ideation. METHODS: Middle-school students (n=403) completed questionnaires assessing traumatic experiences, PTSD symptoms, depression, suicidal ideation, resilience, and self-esteem. Path analysis was performed to investigate the mediating effects of PTSD symptoms, resilience, self-esteem, and depression on the relationship between trauma exposure and suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Traumatic experience was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms, depression, and suicidal ideation. PTSD symptoms and depression were positively correlated with suicidal ideation. The relationship between traumatic experiences and suicidal ideation was mediated by PTSD symptoms, which had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation; the indirect effect was mediated by resilience, self-esteem, and depression. CONCLUSION: Korean adolescents who had experienced trauma were more likely to develop PTSD symptoms, increasing their risk of depression and suicidal ideation. However, self-esteem and resilience may help protect against depression and suicidal ideation. Our findings could inform suicide prevention initiatives.
Adolescent ; Cause of Death ; Depression ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Protective Factors ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide