PURPOSE: In 2015, South Korea had the highest global smartphone penetration (88%). However, smartphone addiction can seriously disrupt daily life and have a major negative impact on academic achievement. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was completed by 250 nursing students for this descriptive study. RESULTS: Students who were older, more satisfied with their major, exercised, and used their smartphone for less than 30 minutes before sleeping had higher learning engagement than those who were younger, less satisfied, did not exercise and used their smartphone for more than three hours. Quality of sleep and smartphone addiction were negatively correlated as was quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness. Interestingly, sleep pattern did not impact learning engagement directly. CONCLUSION: Smartphone usage influences learning engagement of nursing students rather than their sleeping patterns, which suggests a need to develop self-disciplining strategies for smartphone use to enhance learning engagement.
Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Nursing ; Smartphone ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: In this study factors affecting job satisfaction and turnover intention of nurses were explored in the context of organizational culture, self-leadership, and empowerment. METHODS: Participants were 286 nurses drawn from 3 general hospitals. Data were analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and hierarchial multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. RESULTS: Significant differences in job satisfaction and turnover intention were found according to organizational culture types. Significant positive correlations were found between self-leadership, empowerment, task oriented organizational culture, relationship oriented organizational culture, innovation oriented organizational culture and job satisfaction. On the other hand, significant negative relationships were found between empowerment, relationship oriented organizational culture, innovation oriented organizational culture and turnover intention. The factors that enhance job satisfaction were found to be higher innovation-oriented organizational culture. Lower turnover intention was shown to be positively associated with relationship- or innovation oriented organization culture. CONCLUSION: Innovation oriented organizational culture is needed in order to raise job satisfaction and reduce turnover intention of nurses.
Hand ; Hospitals, General* ; Intention* ; Job Satisfaction* ; Organizational Culture* ; Power (Psychology)*

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate etiology, clinical features, and treatment modalities of the mandibular condyle fracture in children and young adolescents. This study was conducted based on medical records and radiographic examinations of 44 pediatric patients. Patients received treatment under diagnosis of mandibular condylar fracture. They were divided into 4 groups according to their age. The involvement of condyle in the mandible fracture occurred in higher percentage in younger age groups. Falling was the most common etiologic factor in all age group, especially in children with age under 7. Condyle head was the most frequent site of fracture in age group of 4-7 whereas fracture tends to occur in lower condylar areas in older groups. In 54.5% of the mandibular condyle fracture, symphysis fracture was accompanied. Teeth injury occurred in higher incidency when condyle fracture accompanied symphysis fracture. Conservative treatments were applied to 43 out of 44 patients.

Cytochrome P450 4A11 (CYP4A11) is a fatty acid hydroxylase enzyme expressed in human liver. It catalyzes not only the hydroxylation of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, but the conversion of arachidonic acid to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a regulator of blood pressure. In this study, we performed a directed evolution analysis of CYP4A11 using the luminogenic assay system. A random mutant library of CYP4A11, in which mutations were made throughout the entire coding region, was screened with luciferase activity to detect the demethylation of luciferin-4A (2-[6-methoxyquinolin-2-yl]-4,5-dihydrothiazole-4-carboxylic acid) of CYP4A11 mutants in Escherichia coli. Consecutive rounds of random mutagenesis and screening yielded three improved CYP4A11 mutants, CP2600 (A24T/T263A), CP2601 (T263A), and CP2616 (A24T/T263A/V430E) with ~3-fold increase in whole cells and >10-fold increase in purified proteins on the luminescence assay. However, the steady state kinetic analysis for lauric acid hydroxylation showed the significant reductions in enzymatic activities in all three mutants. A mutant, CP2600, showed a 51% decrease in catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m) for lauric acid hydroxylation mainly due to an increase in K m. CP2601 and CP2616 showed much greater reductions (>75%) in the catalytic efficiency due to both a decrease in k cat and an increase in K m. These decreased catalytic activities of CP2601 and CP2616 can be partially attributed to the changes in substrate affinities. These results suggest that the enzymatic activities of CYP4A11 mutants selected from directed evolution using a luminogenic P450 substrate may not demonstrate a direct correlation with the hydroxylation activities of lauric acid.
Animals ; Arachidonic Acid ; Blood Pressure ; Cats ; Clinical Coding ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; Escherichia coli ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Humans* ; Hydroxylation ; Liver ; Luciferases ; Luminescence ; Mass Screening ; Mutagenesis

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) occurs either in isolation or in association with other dental abnormalities and systemic disorder. A rare syndrome associating AI with nephrocalcinosis was named as Enamel Renal Syndrome (ERS; OMIM #204690). This syndrome is characterized by severe enamel hypoplasia, failed tooth eruption, intra pulpal calcifications, enlarged gingiva, and nephrocalcinosis. Nephrocalcinosis is a condition where calcium salts are deposited in renal tissue, and this may lead to critical kidney complications. This rare syndrome shows pathognomonic oral characteristics that are easily detectable at an early age, which proceeds the onset of renal involvement. Pediatric dentists are the first oral health practitioners whom ERS patients will meet at early age. The role of pediatric dentists is critically important for early diagnosis and referral of patients to both nephrologists for renal assessment and geneticists for identification of causative mutation and diagnosis. Early detection of renal involvement may provide chances to prevent further undesired renal complications.

BACKGROUND: Spotted fever group rickettsiosis occurs worldwide and includes various causative organisms depending on the region and clinical features. In Korea, previous studies have shown that several kinds of spotted fever rickettsiae have been identified in ticks, and in stored sera obtained from febrile patients. Previously, it was difficult to correlate the results of serologic or molecular biologic tests with the clinical or epidemiological features of this disease in humans. In 2004, the first Korean patient with Japanese spotted fever (JSF) was identified on Mueui Island, Incheon, Korea. To estimate the prevalence of JSF and to compare the incidence of JSF with those of other infectious diseases endemic to Korea, we performed a serosurvey of Japanese spotted fever and other rickettsiosis (scrub typhus and murine typhus), hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and leptospirosis on the island where the patient had been living. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In October 2004, we performed a seroprevalence survey of Mueui Island where nearly 300 persons resided. There were 91 persons who participated in the survey and answered the questionnaire. The participants included 30 healthy subjects receiving a check up at the Health Promotion Center at Inha University Hospital, and 30 patients with rheumatoid factor as control groups for the serologic tests. RESULTS: Of the 91 residents, only one person showed a positive reaction to R. japonica at a titer of 1:80. IgG antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi were positive at a titer of 1:32 in 3 persons, and those against R. typhi were at 1:32 in 1 person and at 1:64 in 2 persons. Serum IgG antibodies to Hantan virus were positive at a dilution of 1:64 in 2 persons and those to leptospira were negative. All 30 healthy persons and 30 patients with rheumatoid factor in the control group showed negative results in 1:40 diluted sera. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the seroprevalence of R. japonica is not as high in Korea as it is in Japan. Further studies should be performed in a large number of patients, including residents of other islands and the Korean peninsula.
Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Communicable Diseases ; Fever* ; Health Promotion ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Islands ; Japan ; Korea ; Leptospira ; Leptospirosis ; Prevalence ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Rickettsia* ; Scrub Typhus ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Serologic Tests ; Ticks ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne ; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Spotted fever group rickettsiosis occurs worldwide and includes various causative organisms depending on the region and clinical features. In Korea, previous studies have shown that several kinds of spotted fever rickettsiae have been identified in ticks, and in stored sera obtained from febrile patients. Previously, it was difficult to correlate the results of serologic or molecular biologic tests with the clinical or epidemiological features of this disease in humans. In 2004, the first Korean patient with Japanese spotted fever (JSF) was identified on Mueui Island, Incheon, Korea. To estimate the prevalence of JSF and to compare the incidence of JSF with those of other infectious diseases endemic to Korea, we performed a serosurvey of Japanese spotted fever and other rickettsiosis (scrub typhus and murine typhus), hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and leptospirosis on the island where the patient had been living. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In October 2004, we performed a seroprevalence survey of Mueui Island where nearly 300 persons resided. There were 91 persons who participated in the survey and answered the questionnaire. The participants included 30 healthy subjects receiving a check up at the Health Promotion Center at Inha University Hospital, and 30 patients with rheumatoid factor as control groups for the serologic tests. RESULTS: Of the 91 residents, only one person showed a positive reaction to R. japonica at a titer of 1:80. IgG antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi were positive at a titer of 1:32 in 3 persons, and those against R. typhi were at 1:32 in 1 person and at 1:64 in 2 persons. Serum IgG antibodies to Hantan virus were positive at a dilution of 1:64 in 2 persons and those to leptospira were negative. All 30 healthy persons and 30 patients with rheumatoid factor in the control group showed negative results in 1:40 diluted sera. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the seroprevalence of R. japonica is not as high in Korea as it is in Japan. Further studies should be performed in a large number of patients, including residents of other islands and the Korean peninsula.
Antibodies ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Communicable Diseases ; Fever* ; Health Promotion ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Islands ; Japan ; Korea ; Leptospira ; Leptospirosis ; Prevalence ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Rickettsia* ; Scrub Typhus ; Seroepidemiologic Studies* ; Serologic Tests ; Ticks ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne ; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Cedrol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, isolated from Juniperus chinensis has been reported to inhibit minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins as cancer biomarkers in human lung cancer in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of cedrol in vitro and in vivo using human colorectal cancer HT29 cells and a human colorectal tumor xenograft model. Cedrol inhibited MCM protein expression and cell growth in HT29 cells, which are associated with G1 arrest and the induction of apoptosis. We demonstrated that cedrol effectively reduced HT29 tumor growth without apparent weight loss in a human tumor xenograft model.Compared with vehicle- and adriamycin-treated tumor tissues, cedrol induced changes in the tumor tissue structure, resulting in a reduced cell density within the tumor parenchyma and reduced vascularization. Moreover, the expression of MCM7, an important subunit of MCM helicase, was significantly suppressed by cedrol in tumor tissue. Collectively, these results suggest that cedrol may act as a potential anti-cancer agent for colorectal cancer by inhibiting MCM protein expression and tumor growth.