AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators have garnered significant attention for their potential to prevent the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) into liver fibrosis and to fundamentally improve liver function. The broad spectrum of pathways regulated by AMPK activators makes them promising alternatives to conventional liver replacement therapies and the limited pharmacological treatments currently available. In this study, we aim to illustrate the newly detailed multiple mechanisms of MASLD progression based on the multiple-hit hypothesis. This model posits that impaired lipid metabolism, combined with insulin resistance and metabolic imbalance, initiates inflammatory cascades, gut dysbiosis, and the accumulation of toxic metabolites, ultimately promoting fibrosis and accelerating MASLD progression to irreversible hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AMPK plays a multifaceted protective role against these pathological conditions by regulating several key downstream signaling pathways. It regulates biological effectors critical to metabolic and inflammatory responses, such as SIRT1, Nrf2, mTOR, and TGF-β, through complex and interrelated mechanisms. Due to these intricate connections, AMPK’s role is pivotal in managing metabolic and inflammatory disorders. In this review, we demonstrate the specific roles of AMPK and its related pathways. Several agents directly activate AMPK by binding as agonists, while some others indirectly activate AMPK by modulating upstream molecules, including adiponectin, LKB1, and the AMP: ATP ratio. As AMPK activators can target each stage of MASLD progression, the development of AMPK activators offers immense potential to expand therapeutic strategies for liver diseases such as MASH, MASLD, and liver fibrosis.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators have garnered significant attention for their potential to prevent the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) into liver fibrosis and to fundamentally improve liver function. The broad spectrum of pathways regulated by AMPK activators makes them promising alternatives to conventional liver replacement therapies and the limited pharmacological treatments currently available. In this study, we aim to illustrate the newly detailed multiple mechanisms of MASLD progression based on the multiple-hit hypothesis. This model posits that impaired lipid metabolism, combined with insulin resistance and metabolic imbalance, initiates inflammatory cascades, gut dysbiosis, and the accumulation of toxic metabolites, ultimately promoting fibrosis and accelerating MASLD progression to irreversible hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AMPK plays a multifaceted protective role against these pathological conditions by regulating several key downstream signaling pathways. It regulates biological effectors critical to metabolic and inflammatory responses, such as SIRT1, Nrf2, mTOR, and TGF-β, through complex and interrelated mechanisms. Due to these intricate connections, AMPK’s role is pivotal in managing metabolic and inflammatory disorders. In this review, we demonstrate the specific roles of AMPK and its related pathways. Several agents directly activate AMPK by binding as agonists, while some others indirectly activate AMPK by modulating upstream molecules, including adiponectin, LKB1, and the AMP: ATP ratio. As AMPK activators can target each stage of MASLD progression, the development of AMPK activators offers immense potential to expand therapeutic strategies for liver diseases such as MASH, MASLD, and liver fibrosis.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators have garnered significant attention for their potential to prevent the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) into liver fibrosis and to fundamentally improve liver function. The broad spectrum of pathways regulated by AMPK activators makes them promising alternatives to conventional liver replacement therapies and the limited pharmacological treatments currently available. In this study, we aim to illustrate the newly detailed multiple mechanisms of MASLD progression based on the multiple-hit hypothesis. This model posits that impaired lipid metabolism, combined with insulin resistance and metabolic imbalance, initiates inflammatory cascades, gut dysbiosis, and the accumulation of toxic metabolites, ultimately promoting fibrosis and accelerating MASLD progression to irreversible hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AMPK plays a multifaceted protective role against these pathological conditions by regulating several key downstream signaling pathways. It regulates biological effectors critical to metabolic and inflammatory responses, such as SIRT1, Nrf2, mTOR, and TGF-β, through complex and interrelated mechanisms. Due to these intricate connections, AMPK’s role is pivotal in managing metabolic and inflammatory disorders. In this review, we demonstrate the specific roles of AMPK and its related pathways. Several agents directly activate AMPK by binding as agonists, while some others indirectly activate AMPK by modulating upstream molecules, including adiponectin, LKB1, and the AMP: ATP ratio. As AMPK activators can target each stage of MASLD progression, the development of AMPK activators offers immense potential to expand therapeutic strategies for liver diseases such as MASH, MASLD, and liver fibrosis.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify the factors impacting nurse unit managers’ knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies. Methods: The participants were 200 nurse unit managers who worked at general hospitals or tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected from February 1 to June 30, 2021, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: Nurse unit managers perceived the ability of managerial competencies to be less important than knowledge thereof. Overall, nurse unit managers perceived the importance of human and technical competencies as the most important, while the importance of financial managerial competency as the lowest. The significant predictors of knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies were ‘nursing environment’ and ‘research experience’, and the input variables explained 34% of knowledge importance and 25% of ability importance. Conclusion Nurse administrators should continue to pay attention to the nursing environment, provide nursing unit managers with opportunities to conduct various research and provide related education.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify the factors impacting nurse unit managers’ knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies. Methods: The participants were 200 nurse unit managers who worked at general hospitals or tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected from February 1 to June 30, 2021, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: Nurse unit managers perceived the ability of managerial competencies to be less important than knowledge thereof. Overall, nurse unit managers perceived the importance of human and technical competencies as the most important, while the importance of financial managerial competency as the lowest. The significant predictors of knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies were ‘nursing environment’ and ‘research experience’, and the input variables explained 34% of knowledge importance and 25% of ability importance. Conclusion Nurse administrators should continue to pay attention to the nursing environment, provide nursing unit managers with opportunities to conduct various research and provide related education.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify the factors impacting nurse unit managers’ knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies. Methods: The participants were 200 nurse unit managers who worked at general hospitals or tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected from February 1 to June 30, 2021, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: Nurse unit managers perceived the ability of managerial competencies to be less important than knowledge thereof. Overall, nurse unit managers perceived the importance of human and technical competencies as the most important, while the importance of financial managerial competency as the lowest. The significant predictors of knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies were ‘nursing environment’ and ‘research experience’, and the input variables explained 34% of knowledge importance and 25% of ability importance. Conclusion Nurse administrators should continue to pay attention to the nursing environment, provide nursing unit managers with opportunities to conduct various research and provide related education.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify the factors impacting nurse unit managers’ knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies. Methods: The participants were 200 nurse unit managers who worked at general hospitals or tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected from February 1 to June 30, 2021, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0. Results: Nurse unit managers perceived the ability of managerial competencies to be less important than knowledge thereof. Overall, nurse unit managers perceived the importance of human and technical competencies as the most important, while the importance of financial managerial competency as the lowest. The significant predictors of knowledge and ability importance of managerial competencies were ‘nursing environment’ and ‘research experience’, and the input variables explained 34% of knowledge importance and 25% of ability importance. Conclusion Nurse administrators should continue to pay attention to the nursing environment, provide nursing unit managers with opportunities to conduct various research and provide related education.

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify influencing factors in a health promotion model that explains and predicts health promoting behavior in obese middle-aged women. Methods: Based on Pender’s health promotion model, a hypothetical model was constructed with nine factors (emotional eating, obesity stress, perceived benefits of action, perceived barriers to action, perceived self-efficacy, activity-related affect, social support, commitment to a plan of action, and health promoting behavior). The participants were 215 obese middle-aged women who visited one of three health check-up centers in Seoul, Incheon, or Gyeonggi Province to receive health check-ups through the National Health Insurance Corporation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: In the final research model, the factors that had a direct impact on health promoting behavior of obese middle-aged women were obesity stress (β=-.17, p=.001), perceived self-efficacy (β=.34, p<.001), activity-related affect (β=.22, p<.001), commitment to a plan of action (β=.34, p<.001). The explanatory power was 51.3%. Conclusion This study found that a higher level of engagement in health promoting behavior was associated with lower obesity stress, higher perceived self-efficacy, better activity-related affect, and a higher commitment to a plan of action. These results may be used as a basis for the development of a nursing intervention program to improve health promoting behavior in obese middle-aged women.

A total of 11,395 animals were impounded in shelters in Seoul in 2013. The Animal Protection Division of the Seoul metropolitan government has annual contracts with local veterinary associations as well as Korean animal rescue and management organizations for providing shelter to animals, and collects monthly statistics from these groups. In 2013, the collected intake and outcome data for 25 districts were reviewed to analyze shelter capacity in terms of housing capacity (monthly daily average intake, required holding capacity, and adoption-driven capacity), staff capacity (staff hours required for daily care), and live release rate. Seasonal variations in the monthly daily average intake were observed, indicating that management of these shelters requires various strategies. This study was performed to analyze and interpret meaningful statistics for improving the efficiency of animal shelters in Seoul. However, inconsistent collection of animal statistics limited data compilation. Creation of a basic animal statistics matrix with reference to well-designed matrices from recognized professional animal shelters is essential. These complied statistical data will help plan for future animal shelter needs in Seoul.
Animal Welfare ; Animals ; Housing ; Local Government ; Seasons ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic*

A food allergy is an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly upon exposure to a given food. In those with food allergies that are thought to cause aggravation of eczema, food avoidance is important. The objective of this study was to research the nutritional status of patients with food allergies. A total of 225 subjects diagnosed with atopic dermatitis underwent a skin prick test as well as measurement of serum immunoglobulin E. Food challenge tests were conducted using seven food items: milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, beef, pork, and chicken. At post-food challenge visits to the test clinic, participants completed a three-day dietary record, which included two week days and one weekend day, in order to evaluate energy intake and diet quality during the challenge. We analyzed nutrient intake based on differential food allergens. Subjects with a food allergy to milk showed lower intake of Ca, Zn, and vitamin B2, and subjects with a food allergy to egg showed lower intake of vitamin A, B1, B2, niacin, and cholesterol. Subjects with a food allergy to wheat and soybean showed lower intake of Ca, P, Fe, K, Zn, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and niacin; and subjects with a food allergy to beef, pork, and chicken showed lower intake of Fe and higher intake of K, vitamin A, B2. Subjects with atopic dermatitis were lacking in several nutrients, including vitamin A and vitamin C. A greater number of food allergies showed an association with a greater number of nutrient intake deficiencies. Allergen avoidance is the basic treatment for atopic dermatitis. However, when the allergen is food, excessive restriction can lead to nutrition deficiency. Findings of this study suggest the necessity for enhanced nutritional education in order to provide substitute foods for patients with food allergies who practice food restriction.
Allergens ; Ascorbic Acid ; Chickens ; Cholesterol ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diet Records ; Diet* ; Eczema ; Education ; Eggs ; Energy Intake ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Milk ; Niacin ; Nutritional Status* ; Ovum ; Riboflavin ; Skin ; Soybeans ; Triticum ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin B 6