PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation of critical thinking disposition and problem solving process, and the simulation-based assessment of clinical competence based on a survey of college nursing students. METHODS: In this descriptive correlation study, data for 214 nursing students were analyzed using t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Critical thinking disposition, problem solving process, and simulation-based assessment of clinical competence averaged 3.76+/-0.46 (out of 5), 3.67+/-0.47 (5), and 1.51+/-0.17 (2), respectively. A significant difference in scores for simulation-based assessment of clinical competence was found between the high-scoring group and low-scoring group in critical thinking disposition. A significant positive correlation was found between critical thinking disposition and nursing assessment, a sub-domain of clinical competence. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that success in simulation-based learning requires critical thinking disposition in the nursing students, and their critical thinking disposition plays a positive role in nursing assessment, which evaluates the patient's status in a complex situation. Simulation-based learning programs help assess the students' levels in their clinical judgement and performance, and identify their strengths and weaknesses so that the instructor can evaluate and improve the current teaching method.
Clinical Competence* ; Humans ; Learning ; Nursing Assessment ; Pediatric Nursing* ; Problem Solving* ; Statistics as Topic ; Students, Nursing* ; Teaching ; Thinking*

PURPOSE: This descriptive study was done to identify the academic achievement, self-directed learning (SDL), and critical thinking disposition (CTD) of nursing students according to their learning styles. METHOD: The participants were 240 nursing students. Data were collected using structured questionnaires which included Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, Academic Achievement in Fundamental Nursing and Health Assessment, Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. Data were analyzed using chi2 test, ANOVA, Pearson' correlation coefficients, and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: One third of respondents were shown to be Convergers in their learning style (33.3%). The Academic Achievement of students who were Convergers was significantly higher than those who were Divergers or Accommodators (F=5.95, p=.001). The SDL and CTD of students who were Convergers were significantly higher than Divergers and Assimilators (F=9.67, p<.001 and F=8.42, p<.001). No significant correlations were found between Academic Achievement and SDL or CTD, but a statistically significant positive correlation was found between SDL and CTD (r=.68, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that learning style influences academic achievement, SDL and CTD.
Achievement ; California ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Learning ; Self-Assessment ; Students, Nursing ; Thinking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of post-operative exercise on body composition, psychological factors, time to flatus and length of hospital stay in stage 1~3 colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 35 post surgery patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the exercise or controlled group. Participants in the exercise group exercised twice a day while participants in the control group followed the clinical pathways (CP). RESULTS: A total of 25 participants completed the trial. Post-operative exercise resulted in a clinically meaningful, but statistically insignificant reduction in body weight (Exercise: -1.10±1.63 kg vs. CP: -0.63±1.16 kg; p=.111), fat mass (Exercise: -1.43±0.95 kg vs. CP: 0.64±4.29 kg; p=.100). When participants' body composition were compared to their baseline values at the baseline, only the exercise group experienced a significant reduction in body weight, body mass index (BMI) and fat mass. In addition, post-operative exercise significantly improved health related quality of life (Exercise: 2.27±2.08 vs CP: -12.82±22.47; p=.008). However, there was no difference in time to flatus and the length of hospital stay between groups. CONCLUSION: The current pilot study suggests that the post-operative exercise program was safe and produced for health related quality of life improvements in colorectal cancer patients.
Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Critical Pathways ; Flatulence ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Pilot Projects ; Psychology ; Quality of Life

Mutations in the Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2 ) gene are the most prevalent cause of familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). The increase in LRRK2 kinase activity observed in the pathogenic G2019S mutation is important for PD development. Several studies have reported that increased LRRK2 kinase activity and treatment with LRRK2 kinase inhibitors decreased and increased ciliogenesis, respectively, in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. In contrast, treatment of SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neuronal cells with PD-causing chemicals increased ciliogenesis. Because these reports were somewhat contradictory, we tested the effect of LRRK2 kinase activity on ciliogenesis in neurons. In SH-SY5Y cells, LRRK2 inhibitor treatment slightly increased ciliogenesis, but serum starvation showed no increase. In rat primary neurons, LRRK2 inhibitor treatment repeatedly showed no significant change. Little difference was observed between primary cortical neurons prepared from wild-type (WT) and G2019S +/- mice. However, a significant increase in ciliogenesis was observed in G2019S +/- compared to WT human fibroblasts, and this pattern was maintained in neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiated from the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) prepared from the same WT/G2019S fibroblast pair. NSCs differentiated from G2019S and its gene-corrected WT counterpart iPSCs were also used to test ciliogenesis in an isogenic background. The results showed no significant difference between WT and G2019S regardless of kinase inhibitor treatment and B27-deprivation-mimicking serum starvation. These results suggest that LRRK2 kinase activity may be not a direct regulator of ciliogenesis and ciliogenesis varies depending upon the cell type or genetic background.

Mutations in the Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2 ) gene are the most prevalent cause of familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). The increase in LRRK2 kinase activity observed in the pathogenic G2019S mutation is important for PD development. Several studies have reported that increased LRRK2 kinase activity and treatment with LRRK2 kinase inhibitors decreased and increased ciliogenesis, respectively, in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. In contrast, treatment of SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neuronal cells with PD-causing chemicals increased ciliogenesis. Because these reports were somewhat contradictory, we tested the effect of LRRK2 kinase activity on ciliogenesis in neurons. In SH-SY5Y cells, LRRK2 inhibitor treatment slightly increased ciliogenesis, but serum starvation showed no increase. In rat primary neurons, LRRK2 inhibitor treatment repeatedly showed no significant change. Little difference was observed between primary cortical neurons prepared from wild-type (WT) and G2019S +/- mice. However, a significant increase in ciliogenesis was observed in G2019S +/- compared to WT human fibroblasts, and this pattern was maintained in neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiated from the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) prepared from the same WT/G2019S fibroblast pair. NSCs differentiated from G2019S and its gene-corrected WT counterpart iPSCs were also used to test ciliogenesis in an isogenic background. The results showed no significant difference between WT and G2019S regardless of kinase inhibitor treatment and B27-deprivation-mimicking serum starvation. These results suggest that LRRK2 kinase activity may be not a direct regulator of ciliogenesis and ciliogenesis varies depending upon the cell type or genetic background.

Viral load and the duration of viral shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are important determinants of the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019.In this study, we examined the effects of viral doses on the lung and spleen of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice by temporal histological and transcriptional analyses. Approximately, 1×105 plaque-forming units (PFU) of SARS-CoV-2 induced strong host responses in the lungs from 2 days post inoculation (dpi) which did not recover until the mice died, whereas responses to the virus were obvious at 5 days, recovering to the basal state by 14 dpi at 1×102 PFU. Further, flow cytometry showed that number of CD8+ T cells continuously increased in 1×102 PFU-virusinfected lungs from 2 dpi, but not in 1×105 PFU-virus-infected lungs. In spleens, responses to the virus were prominent from 2 dpi, and number of B cells was significantly decreased at 1×105PFU; however, 1×102 PFU of virus induced very weak responses from 2 dpi which recovered by 10 dpi. Although the defense responses returned to normal and the mice survived, lung histology showed evidence of fibrosis, suggesting sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings indicate that specific effectors of the immune response in the lung and spleen were either increased or depleted in response to doses of SARS-CoV-2. This study demonstrated that the response of local and systemic immune effectors to a viral infection varies with viral dose, which either exacerbates the severity of the infection or accelerates its elimination.

Background: As the number of large-scale studies involving multiple organizations producing data has steadily increased, an integrated system for a common interoperable format is needed. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of global efforts are underway to develop vaccines and therapeutics. We are therefore observing an explosion in the proliferation of COVID-19 data, and interoperability is highly requested in multiple institutions participating simultaneously in COVID-19 pandemic research. Results: In this study, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) approach has been adopted to systemically manage various COVID-19 non-clinical trial data, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight, body temperature, organ weights, viral titer (viral replication and viral RNA), and multiorgan histopathology, from multiple institutions based on a web interface. The main aim of the implemented system is to integrate, standardize, and organize data collected from laboratories in multiple institutes for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy testings. Six animal biosafety level 3 institutions proved the feasibility of our system. Substantial benefits were shown by maximizing collaborative high-quality non-clinical research. Conclusions This LIMS platform can be used for future outbreaks, leading to accelerated medical product development through the systematic management of extensive data from non-clinical animal studies.