Purpose: It is essential to ensure the readiness for practice among undergraduate nursing students since the purpose of such education is to cultivate competent nurses who deliver high-quality and safe nursing. Astin's theory of student involvement suggests that this is affected by their personal factors and learning environment. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between November 16, 2020 and December 21, 2020 which examined personal factors and aspects of the clinical learning environment among senior nursing students (n = 838) enrolled across 54 nursing schools in Korea. The participants were asked to fill out a self-administered online survey, which assessed demographic characteristics, self-esteem, depression, work-life balance, clinical learning environment, anxiety during clinical practicum, and readiness for practice. Readiness for practice was measured using the Casey-Fink Readiness for practice survey. We used structural equational modeling to test our hypothetical model. Results: The nursing students' readiness for practice was significantly affected by their self-esteem, work-life balance satisfaction, and clinical learning environment. Anxiety during clinical practicum directly influenced their readiness for practice. Conclusion Increasing self-esteem and work-life balance satisfaction, and improving their clinical learning environment by providing sufficient educational and clinical support, could help facilitate the transition from nursing schools to real-world practice for nursing students.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of hypothyroidism in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients who received radiotherapy (RT) either with or without neck dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2005, 115 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer and who received definitive RT or postoperative RT including standard anterior low-neck field were recruited to be part of this study. Nineteen patients had undergone ipsilateral neck dissection, whereas, 18 patients underwent bilateral neck dissection, and 78 patients were received RT alone. Patients' ages ranged from 28 to 85 years (median, 59 years) and there were a total of 73 male and 42 female patients. The primary tumor sites were the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and other sites in 18, 40, 28, 22 and 7 patients, respectively. Radiation dose to the thyroid gland ranged from 44 Gy to 66 Gy with a median dose of 50 Gy. Follow-up time ranged from 2 to 91 months, with a median of 29 months. RESULTS: The 1- and 3-year incidence of hypothyroidism was 28.7% (33 patients) and 33.0% (38 patients), respectively. The median time to detection of hypothyroidism was 8.5 months (range, 0 to 36 months). A univariate analysis revealed that neck node dissection was a risk factor for hypothyroidism (p=0.037). However, no factor was statistically significant from the results of a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients treated for advanced head and neck cancer with radiotherapy with or without neck dissection will develop hypothyroidism. It is important to check the thyroid function periodically in these patientsespecially with the risk factor of neck node dissection.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Larynx ; Male ; Mouth ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Oropharynx ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thyroid Gland

Some Bacillus species present in fermented foods are regarded as probiotics because of their ability to modulate the prevention of some intestinal infections and the modulation of the inflammatory immune response. We isolated bacteriocin-like substances producing Bacillus subtilis and B. lentus from Cheonggukjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste having an inhibitory effect against Salmonella Typhimurium using a well diffusion inhibition assay and a broth co-culturing method. B. subtilis or B. letus was fed to Drosophila melanogaster alone as well as in combination with Salmonella Typhimurium and survival was monitored daily. The survival rates by oral feeding B. subtilis, B. lentus and Salmonella Typhimurium separately resulted in 85, 90 and 75%, respectively. In contrast, survival rates of co-feeding of B. lentus with Salmonella Typhimurium were increased from 75 to 90% during 7 days post-feeding as compared to Salmonella Typhimurium alone. However, B. subtilis in co-feeding with Salmonella Typhimurium significantly reduced D. melanogaster survival rate (85 to 70%). We found that the immune response to B. lentus and Salmonella Typhimurium is characterized synergistic activation of antimicrobial peptide gene expression by Imd pathway. In conclusion, the in vitro and natural-route infection of the D. melanogaster digestive system can result in the use of the probiotic B. lentus for effective treatment of Salmonella Typhimurium infection. We therefore propose the strain B. lentus as a suitable candidate probiotics for use in the prevention and treatment of the intestinal infections caused by Salmonella Typhimurium.
Bacillus ; Bacillus subtilis ; Diffusion ; Digestive System ; Drosophila ; Drosophila melanogaster ; Gene Expression ; Intestines ; Peptides ; Probiotics ; Salmonella ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Soybeans ; Sprains and Strains ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Statins are used to treat hypercholesterolemia; however, major cardiovascular events are decreased only 30% by statin treatment. Treatment with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor has been reported to decrease serum glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity in mice and humans, but there was no study in serum cholesterol levels. This study examined the effect of gefitinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on cholesterol metabolism in humans. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 299 patients with primary lung cancer treated with gefitinib for ≥1 month and 72 patients with other treatments. Serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and body mass index were measured before and after treatment. The changes in serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and body mass index were compared between the gefitinib treatment group and the control group and were also analyzed according to the presence or absence of EGFR mutations. RESULTS: Serum cholesterol levels decreased significantly from 178.9 to 164.4 mg/dL after 1-month of gefitinib treatment. A total of 54 of the 299 patients underwent examination for the presence of the EGFR mutations. Serum cholesterol was significantly decreased in the group with the activating EGFR mutation (Δ=21.3 mg/dL) compared to that of those without the EGFR mutation (Δ=-3.1 mg/dL) after treatment with gefitinib. In contrast, there was no significantly difference between the two groups in control patients. CONCLUSION: Treatment with gefitinib decreased serum cholesterol in lung cancer patients, particularly in those with activating mutations in EGFR. These data suggest that EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors provide a novel and attractive strategy for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Insulin Resistance ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung ; Medical Records ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies ; Triglycerides

An abnormally enlarged right ovary and a mass in fat surrounding the right kidney were discovered in a dairy cow during routine postmortem examination at slaughter. The ovary was dark reddish and multinodular in shape. Numerous cystic structures were identified in the mass. Histopathologically, the ovary was completely replaced with large, uniform, polyhedral neoplastic cells containing vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. The mitotic index was high. In the lymphatic vessels, tumor emboli were observed. Another mass in the fat surranding the right kidney had the same histological features as the ovarian mass. This animal was diagnosed with malignant dysgerminoma and metastasis to other peritoneal organs.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Dysgerminoma* ; Female ; Kidney ; Lymphatic Vessels ; Mitotic Index ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovary

Four 3-day-old piglets with retarded growth were submitted to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency for diagnosis. Necropsy showed that one piglet had black spots ranging from 2 mm to 1 cm in diameter in the cerebellum, lungs, regional lymph nodes, and cecum. Histological findings were consistent with the gross appearance in which melanin pigmentation was observed in the organs mentioned above. Based on Fontana-Masson staining, we diagnosed this animal with systemic melanosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of systemic melanosis in black breeds of swine in Korea.
Animals ; Cecum ; Cerebellum ; Diagnosis ; Korea ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanins ; Melanosis* ; Pigmentation ; Plants ; Quarantine ; Swine

BACKGROUND/AIMS: When a patient is diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, it is important to help both the patient and their family members gain knowledge and confidence with regard to self-management. A diabetes camp is an excellent way to recognize the benefits of education. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diabetes camp on patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This study comprised 30 patients with diabetes who had participated in a diabetes camp from August 2005 through August 2011. The effectiveness of the diabetes camp was examined retrospectively via clinical parameters, compliance behavior, and a self-esteem questionnaire. RESULTS: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; p = 0.004) was significantly decreased, while measures of self-esteem (p = 0.000) and compliance (p = 0.001) were significantly increased after attending the camp. No significant differences were observed in other clinical parameters, such as weight, body mass index (BMI), and lipid profiles, before and after camp attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes camp may be an effective way to control diabetes mellitus.
Body Weight ; Camping ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Self Care

OBJECTIVES: The information security management systems (ISMS) of 5 hospitals with more than 500 beds were evaluated with regards to the level of information security, management, and physical and technical aspects so that we might make recommendations on information security and security countermeasures which meet both international standards and the needs of individual hospitals. METHODS: The ISMS check-list derived from international/domestic standards was distributed to each hospital to complete and the staff of each hospital was interviewed. Information Security Indicator and Information Security Values were used to estimate the present security levels and evaluate the application of each hospital's current system. RESULTS: With regard to the moderate clause of the ISMS, the hospitals were determined to be in compliance. The most vulnerable clause was asset management, in particular, information asset classification guidelines. The clauses of information security incident management and business continuity management were deemed necessary for the establishment of successful ISMS. CONCLUSIONS: The level of current ISMS in the hospitals evaluated was determined to be insufficient. Establishment of adequate ISMS is necessary to ensure patient privacy and the safe use of medical records for various purposes. Implementation of ISMS which meet international standards with a long-term and comprehensive perspective is of prime importance. To reflect the requirements of the varied interests of medical staff, consumers, and institutions, the establishment of political support is essential to create suitable hospital ISMS.
Commerce ; Compliance ; Dietary Sucrose ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Medical Staff ; Privacy

Purpose: Under the South Korea’s unique health insurance structure, any new surgical technology must be evaluated first by the government in order to consider whether that particular technology can be applied to patients for further clinical trials as categorized as ‘New Health Technology,’ then potentially covered by the insurance sometime later. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the safety and efficacy of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal cancer, activated by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) TaTME committee. Methods: We systematically searched Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-Embase, Cochrane, and Korean databases (from their inception until August 31, 2019) for studies published that compare TaTME with laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LaTME). End-points included perioperative and pathological outcomes. Results: Sixteen cohort studies (7 for case-matched studies) were identified, comprising 1,923 patients (938 TaTMEs and 985 LaTMEs). Regarding perioperative outcomes, the conversion rate was significantly lower in TaTME (risk ratio, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.11–0.34; P < 0.001); whereas other perioperative outcomes were similar to LaTME. There were no statistically significant differences in pathological results between the 2 procedures. Conclusion Our meta-analysis showed comparable results in preoperative and pathologic outcomes between TaTME and LaTME, and indicated the benefit of TaTME with low conversion. Extensive evaluations of well-designed, multicenter randomized controlled trials are required to come to unequivocal conclusions, but the results showed that TaTME is a potentially beneficial technique in some specific cases. This meta-analysis suggests that TaTME can be performed for rectal cancer patients as a ‘New Health Technology’ endorsed by NECA in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Recent in vivo studies indicated that R-spondin 1 (RSPO1) regulates food intake and increases insulin secretion, but its role in humans remains unknown. This study investigated the association between serum levels of RSPO1 and diverse metabolic parameters in humans. METHODS: The study population consisted of 43 subjects with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus, and 79 non-diabetic participants. Serum levels of RSPO1 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationships between circulating RSPO1 and diverse metabolic parameters were analyzed. RESULTS: Circulating RSPO1 levels increased to a greater extent in the obese group than in the lean group. Moreover, serum levels of RSPO1 were higher in the insulin-resistant group than in the insulin-sensitive group. Serum levels of RSPO1 were significantly correlated with a range of metabolic parameters including body mass index, fasting C-peptide, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, and lipid profile. Moreover, levels were significantly associated with insulin resistance and obesity in non-diabetic subjects. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the association between serum levels of RSPO1 and a range of metabolic parameters in humans. Serum levels of RSPO1 are significantly related to obesity and insulin resistance, although the precise mechanisms remain unknown.
Biomarkers ; Body Mass Index ; C-Peptide ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Eating ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fasting ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Insulin ; Obesity