Manganese is an essential element in the body. It is mainly diposited in the liver and to a lesser degree in the basal ganglia of the brain and eliminated through the bile duct. Rapid turnover of manganese in the body makes it difficult to evaluate the manganese exposure in worker, especially in those with irregular or intermittent exposure, like welder. Therefore, conventional biomarkers, including blood and urine manganese can provide only a limited information about the long-term or cumulative exposure to manganese. Introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) made a progress in the assessment of manganese exposure in the medical conditions related to manganese aculmulation, e. g., relaxation time on MRI due to its paramagnetic property, resulting in high signal intensity(HSI) on T1-weighted image(T1WI) of MRI. Manganese deposition int he brain, therefore, can be visualized as an HSI in the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra, the putamen and the pituitary. Clinical and epidemiologic studies regarding the MRI findings in the cases of occupational and non-occupational manganese exposure were reviewed. Relationships between HSI on T1WI of MRI and age, gender, occupational manganese exposure, and neurological dysfunction were analysed. Relationship between biological exposure indices and HSI on MRI were also reviewed. Literatures were reviewed to establish the relationships between HSI, manganese deposition in the brain, pathologic findings, and neurological dysfunction. HSI on T1WI of MRI reflects regional manganese deposition in the brain. This relationship enables an estimation of regional manganese deposition in the brain by analysing MR signal intensity. Manganese deposition in the brain can induce a neuronal loss in the basal ganglia but functional abnormality is supposed to be related to the cumulative exposure of manganese is relatively too short to reflect the long-term cumulative exposure of manganese in the brain, use of brain MRI for the assessment of exposure in a group of workers seems to be hardly rationalized, while it can be a useful adjunct for the evaluation of manganese exposure in the cases with suspected manganese-related health problems.
Basal Ganglia ; Bile Ducts ; Biomarkers ; Brain* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Globus Pallidus ; Liver ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Manganese* ; Neurons ; Putamen ; Relaxation ; Substantia Nigra

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of the nursing work environment and self-efficacy on medical safety competence of nurses in general hospital. Methods: Participants included 183 nurses who were recruited through convenience sampling in a general hospital in South Korea. Questionnaires were collected from August 25 to September 22, 2023. The nursing work environment, self-efficacy and medical safety competence scales were used to assess the study variables. The t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression tests were performed using IBM SPSS ver. 26.0. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between nurses’ medical safety competence and nursing work environment (r=.34, p<.001), and self-efficacy (r=.48, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.38, p<.001), nursing work environment (β=.25, p<.001), and clinical experience (β=.14, p=.043) had the greatest effect on nurses’ medical safety competence (F=21.21, p<.001), with an explanatory power of 30.0%. Conclusion This study confirmed that the nursing work environment and nurses' self-efficacy have a significant impact on nurses' medical safety competence. In order to implement patient safety in hospitals, it is necessary to develop and apply strategies to improve the nursing work environment and increase nurses’ self-efficacy to enhance their medical safety capabilities.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of the nursing work environment and self-efficacy on medical safety competence of nurses in general hospital. Methods: Participants included 183 nurses who were recruited through convenience sampling in a general hospital in South Korea. Questionnaires were collected from August 25 to September 22, 2023. The nursing work environment, self-efficacy and medical safety competence scales were used to assess the study variables. The t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression tests were performed using IBM SPSS ver. 26.0. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between nurses’ medical safety competence and nursing work environment (r=.34, p<.001), and self-efficacy (r=.48, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.38, p<.001), nursing work environment (β=.25, p<.001), and clinical experience (β=.14, p=.043) had the greatest effect on nurses’ medical safety competence (F=21.21, p<.001), with an explanatory power of 30.0%. Conclusion This study confirmed that the nursing work environment and nurses' self-efficacy have a significant impact on nurses' medical safety competence. In order to implement patient safety in hospitals, it is necessary to develop and apply strategies to improve the nursing work environment and increase nurses’ self-efficacy to enhance their medical safety capabilities.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of the nursing work environment and self-efficacy on medical safety competence of nurses in general hospital. Methods: Participants included 183 nurses who were recruited through convenience sampling in a general hospital in South Korea. Questionnaires were collected from August 25 to September 22, 2023. The nursing work environment, self-efficacy and medical safety competence scales were used to assess the study variables. The t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression tests were performed using IBM SPSS ver. 26.0. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between nurses’ medical safety competence and nursing work environment (r=.34, p<.001), and self-efficacy (r=.48, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.38, p<.001), nursing work environment (β=.25, p<.001), and clinical experience (β=.14, p=.043) had the greatest effect on nurses’ medical safety competence (F=21.21, p<.001), with an explanatory power of 30.0%. Conclusion This study confirmed that the nursing work environment and nurses' self-efficacy have a significant impact on nurses' medical safety competence. In order to implement patient safety in hospitals, it is necessary to develop and apply strategies to improve the nursing work environment and increase nurses’ self-efficacy to enhance their medical safety capabilities.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of the nursing work environment and self-efficacy on medical safety competence of nurses in general hospital. Methods: Participants included 183 nurses who were recruited through convenience sampling in a general hospital in South Korea. Questionnaires were collected from August 25 to September 22, 2023. The nursing work environment, self-efficacy and medical safety competence scales were used to assess the study variables. The t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé ́ test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression tests were performed using IBM SPSS ver. 26.0. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between nurses’ medical safety competence and nursing work environment (r=.34, p<.001), and self-efficacy (r=.48, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.38, p<.001), nursing work environment (β=.25, p<.001), and clinical experience (β=.14, p=.043) had the greatest effect on nurses’ medical safety competence (F=21.21, p<.001), with an explanatory power of 30.0%. Conclusion This study confirmed that the nursing work environment and nurses' self-efficacy have a significant impact on nurses' medical safety competence. In order to implement patient safety in hospitals, it is necessary to develop and apply strategies to improve the nursing work environment and increase nurses’ self-efficacy to enhance their medical safety capabilities.

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and risk factors for widespread pain and its influence on quality of life in residents of Korean communities. A rural and an urban community were selected, and 5,037 subjects were surveyed. Participants were asked if they had pain, aching, or stiffness in any of their joints on most days. Widespread pain was defined as pain above the waist, below the waist, on both sides of the body and in the axial region. The prevalence of widespread pain was 12% (16.2% and 5.5% in females and males, respectively). It was more frequent among females and increased with age in both genders. Age, female gender, and the presence of hand or knee arthritis were significantly associated with widespread pain after multivariate analysis. Except for mental health, all the items in the SF-12 were adversely affected in the widespread pain group after adjustment for confounding factors. Our findings show that the prevalence of widespread pain among residents of Korean communities is comparable to that reported among Caucasians. The significantly worse quality of life among subjects with widespread pain suggests that it may cause major health issues in the aging population.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Demography ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Pain/*epidemiology/psychology ; Prevalence ; *Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Urban Population

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of piroxicam patch(Trast) in rheumatoid arthritis patients with knee joint pain and swelling and to determine the concentration of plasma and synovial fluid following patch application. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The patients were instructed to apply piroxicam or placebo patch at one knee and re-apply it every other day for 2 weeks. They had washout period for 2 weeks and then applied the other patch for 2 weeks at the same joint. The patients recorded knee joint pain using visual analog scale. Knee joint swelling and tenderness were assessed before and after application of piroxicam and placebo patch. Complete blood count, AST, ALT, BUN, creatinine, joint fluid analysis were also done. Piroxicam concentration in plasma and synovial fluid were measured by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) after 2 weeks of piroxicam patch application. RESULTS: Knee joint pain improved significantly after the application of piroxicam patch for 2 weeks(visual analog scale, 56. 2+5. 9m vs 48. 2+5. 7mm, p=0. 03 by Wilcoxon signed rank test). There was no significant change in white cell count of synovial fluid, peripheral blood cell count, chemistry, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In terms of adverse effects, mild gastrointesti nal disturbance(8/21 cases, 38%) and local side effects such as pruritus and ery thema(3/21 cases, 14%) were developed, which were insignificant compared with control groups(30%, 15% respectively). Piroxicam concentrations in plasma and synovial fluid after the application of piroxicam patch were 0. 129+0. 04ug/ ml (mean+SE) and 0. 644+0. 202ug/ml respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Piroxicam patch is a safe and effective therapeutic modality for knee joint pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mild adverse effects such as gastrointestinal disturbance and local side effects were noted. Piroxicam concentration was higher in synovial fluid than in plasma following the application of piroxicam patch.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cell Count ; Chemistry ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Piroxicam ; Plasma ; Pruritus ; Synovial Fluid ; Visual Analog Scale

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze initial displacement and stress distribution of the maxillofacial complex during dentoskeletal maxillary protraction with various appliance designs placed on the palatal region by using three-dimensional finite element analysis. METHODS: Six models of maxillary protraction were developed: conventional facemask (Type A), facemask with dentoskeletal hybrid anchorage (Type B), facemask with a palatal plate (Type C), intraoral traction using a Class III palatal plate (Type D), facemask with a palatal plate combined with rapid maxillary expansion (RME; Type E), and Class III palatal plate intraoral traction with RME (Type F). In Types A, B, C, and D, maxillary protraction alone was performed, whereas in Types E and F, transverse expansion was performed simultaneously with maxillary protraction. RESULTS: Type C displayed the greatest amount of anterior dentoskeletal displacement in the sagittal plane. Types A and B resulted in similar amounts of anterior displacement of all the maxillofacial landmarks. Type D showed little movement, but Type E with expansion and the palatal plate displayed a larger range of movement of the maxillofacial landmarks in all directions. CONCLUSIONS: The palatal plate served as an effective skeletal anchor for use with the facemask in maxillary protraction. In contrast, the intraoral use of Class III palatal plates showed minimal skeletal and dental effects in maxillary protraction. In addition, palatal expansion with the protraction force showed minimal effect on the forward movement of the maxillary complex.
Finite Element Analysis* ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Traction

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to construct reference data for birth length of full-term and preterm Korean infants by sex and to define a sex-specific birth length cut-off to identify small for gestational age (SGA).METHODS: Data were collected from the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2009), comprising 843 children with birth length data and birth history.RESULTS: References for the 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th percentiles of birth length and weight were created using singleton neonates of gestational age (GA) 36–37 weeks and 38–41 weeks by sex. The birth length cutoff value for SGA (<10th percentile) was 48 cm in both male and female neonates, and the ≤3rd percentile cutoff was 47 cm in males and 46 cm in females born at a GA of 38–41 weeks.CONCLUSION: New Korean reference data were created for birth length and differed from those of other ethnicities. Further research on short-term and long-term health outcomes of SGA infants based on the new reference data is needed.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Parturition ; Reproductive History

Arachnoid cyst of the cavernous sinus is very rare. When present, its anatomic location frequently gives rise to cranial nerve palsy. We report a case of arachnoid cyst of the cavernous sinus in a 38-year-old man with impaired eyeball movement and diplopia.
Adult ; Arachnoid Cysts ; Arachnoid* ; Cavernous Sinus* ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Diplopia ; Humans