• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.7
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• pp.374-379
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• 2021

Tetranectin (TN), an adipogenic serum protein, enhances adipocyte differentiation, however, its functional mechanism has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the adipogenic function of TN by using medium containing TN-depleted fetal bovine serum (TN-del-FBS) and recombinant mouse TN (mTN). The adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells was significantly enhanced by mTN supplementation essentially at differentiation induction, which indicated a potential role of the protein in the early differentiation phase. The adipogenic effect of mTN was more significant with insulin in the differentiation induction cocktail, implicating their close functional relationship. mTN enhanced not only the proliferation of growing cells, but also mitotic clonal expansion (MCE) that is a prerequisite for adipocyte differentiation in the early phase. Consistently, mTN increased the phosphorylation of ERK in the early phase of adipocyte differentiation. Results of this study demonstrate that the adipogenic function of mTN is mediated by enhancing MCE via ERK signaling.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.12
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• pp.433-437
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• 2019

Acute pyelonephritis (APN) should be detected and treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of the development of acquired renal scarring. However, in the medical field, urine culture results are not available or considered when the prompt discrimination of APN is necessary and empirical treatment is started. Furthermore, urine culture cannot discriminate APN among children with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) (pyelitis, lower UTI with other fever focus). Therefore, the usefulness of urine culture for diagnostic purposes is small and the sampling procedure is invasive. Congenital hypoplastic kidney is the most common cause of chronic kidney injury in children. Thus, it is desirable that a main target be detected as early as possible when imaging studies are performed in children with APN. However, if APN does not recur, no medical or surgical treatment or imaging studies would be needed because the acquired renal scar would not progress further. Therefore, the long-term prognosis of APN in young children, particularly infants, depends on the number of recurrent APN, not other febrile UTI. New methods that enable prompt, practical, and comfortable APN diagnosis in children are needed as alternatives to urinary catheterization for urine culture sampling.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2013

There are many concerns about radiation exposure in Korea after Fukushima Nuclear Plant Accident on 2011 in Japan. As some isotope materials are detected in Korea, people get worried about the radioactive material. In addition, the mass media create an air of anxiety that jump on the people's fear instead of scientific approach. Therefore, for curbing this flow, health, medical institute from the world provide a variety of information about medical radiation safety and hold the campaign which can give people the image that medical radiation is safe. At this, the Korean Food and Drug Administration(KFDA) suggested that make the alliance of medical radiation safety and culture on August, 2011. Seven societies and institutions related medical radiation started to research and advertise the culture of medical radiation safety in Korea. In this report, mainly introduce the activities of the Korean Alliance for Radiation Safety and Culture in Medicine(KARSM) for spreading culture of medical radiation safety from 2011 to 2012.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.34-55
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• 2002

In this study, the impact of organizational culture on the quality of social work services in hospitals were empirically analysed. A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted between February 19 and April 10, 2001. A sample of total 70 hospitals, including general hospitals with one social worker at least and single-department hospital with two social workers or more, were identified nationwide through the registry of Korean Association of Medical Social Workers and Korean Association of Hospitals. According to coping strategy and reacting pattern with the environmental changes, four types of organizational culture in each hospital, classified as group culture, developmental culture, hierarchial culture, and rational culture, were adopted for the independent variables. Three dimensional aspects of quality of social work service - structure, process, and outcome were selected as dependent variables in this study. Also the quality of social work service was distributed into provider-perceiving quality and consumer-perceiving quality The major findings were as following in summary; First, most social workers reported that the characteristic of culture in their hospitals are group culture the first, hierarchial culture the second, developmental culture the third, and rational culture finally in order of comparing the level of quality perceived between social worker's recognition. Second, service provider and consumer, The provider-perceiving quality showed less score than that of consumer, especially the lowest was the score of quality of outcome perceived by provider. Third, according to the types of organizational culture, there were significantly different levels of quality in total social work services, structure dimension and process dimension. The quality of outcome dimension did not show significant differences among the type of organizational culture. Finally, the most influential variables to the quality of social work service ice proved departmental form of social work unit, leader of social work unit, and developmental culture of hospital To assure quality services, accordingly, social work unit in hospital is required to be organized as a single unit, that means to be an independent department of which qualified social worker is supposed to control the unit. It is strongly recommended to develop leadership for the leaders of social work unit.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2020

Recently, medical tourism is recognized as a high value-added industry because of its longer period of stay and higher expenditure than general tourism. In particular, although the number of medical tourists visiting Korea is increasing, the perception of Korean medical services is low. The purpose of this paper is to develop the app which, based on medical tourism type, recommends tourism destinations. Additionally, this proposed app can expand general tourism as well. It can provide tourists with medical information easily by sorting types tourists. Besides, as medical tourists normally stay long, we can take the advantage of post-treatment time. This app collects medical information data and tourist destination data, and categorizes the types of medical tourists into four categories: disease medical tourism, traditional medical tourism, cosmetic medical tourism, and recreational medical tourism. It provides medical information according to each type and recommends customized tourist destinations. User-based collaborative filtering is applied for tourist destination recommendations.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.75-90
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• 2016

Objectives: This study measures the level of cognition of employee's patient safety culture and evaluates the current level through comparing the results to external levels. Ultimately it is performed to construct a strategic improvement plan through the basic database for patient's safety culture. Methods: A questionnaire survey of self reporting type was carried out using structured questionnaire of the patient's safety culture for employees currently employed in a hospital. Total responders was 1,129 and a response rate was 54.6%. The survey results were calculated with a percent positive response, and the current level was evaluated by comparing with the survey results of a hospital (2009 and 2014) and the survey result of The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality(2014). Results: Sub-dimension of high percent positive response for each area were 'teamwork within hospital units' (80%), 'feedback & communication about error' (73%) and 'supervisor/manager expectations & actions promoting safety' (67%). Meanwhile, 'teamwork across hospital units' (31%), 'hospital management support for patient safety' (29%), 'staffing' (27%) and 'non-punitive response to error' (17%) were relatively low percent positive response. Compared to the survey results of AHRQ (2014) for each area, 'teamwork within hospital units' (80%), 'feedback & communication about error' (73%), 'frequency of event reporting' (66%) were at the top 50% percentile level and the remaining sub-dimensions showed a very low level in the lower 10% percentile area. Conclusion: In order to establish a system for patient safety culture within the hospital and evaluate the effect on this, it is necessary to periodically evaluate the patient's safety culture and establish regulations on hospital safety culture to comply with this.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2022

Neurokinin B (NKB) is a neuropeptide involved in the regulation of reproductive endocrine system of vertebrate animals, including fish. However, the pathway of NKB action in fish has not been clearly elucidated. In order to clarify the effect of NKB and NKF (neurokinin F) on gonadotropic hormone (GTH) gene expression in the pituitary, we studied the changes of LHβ and FSHβ gene expressions by using two different pituitary culture methods (whole pituitary culture or dispersed pituitary cell culture). Pituitaries were removed from mature female and male Nile tilapia. Changes of LHβ and FSHβ gene expressions were measured and compared after the treatment with NKB or NKF peptides at concentrations 0 to 1,000 nM. Expression of GTH genes in the whole pituitary cultures treated with NKB or NKF peptides did not show significant difference except in female at one concentration when treated with NKF. On the contrary, there were significant changes of GTH gene expressions in the dispersed pituitary cell cultures when treated with NKB and NKF peptides. These results suggest that dispersed pituitary cell culture is more relevant than whole pituitary culture in studying the function of pituitary, and that NKB and NKF could act directly on the pituitary to regulate the expression of GTH genes.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study lies in investigating nursing and medical staff perceptions on the importance of surgical patient safety protocol, teamwork, and patient safety culture, and how their grasp of the factors affects the degree of their performance of the protocol. Methods: A survey was conducted on 249 nurses and medical staff participating in the operating rooms of one higher general hospital in Seoul, using a 5-point scale self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were used. Results: Operating room nurses yielded the highest scores on both the importance of the patient safety protocol and its performance. In patient safety culture, the operating medical staff yielded significantly higher scores than those of operating room nurses. Perception of the importance of the patient safety protocol and teamwork had a significant effect on the nurses' complete performance of the protocol. Conclusion: It is important to create a safety culture, where all the staff can actively and freely communicate with one another through team-based training programs. By enhancing teamwork and patient safety culture, it will be possible to establish the surgical patient safety protocol and to improve the performance of the protocol by health professionals.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.321-334
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• 2007

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to understand and compare perception and experience between clinical staffs(nurses and pharmacists) and Quality Improvement managers. Method: A qualitative study was conducted with 14 clinical staffs and QI managers who are working at tertiary hospitals in Korea. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for systematic analyses of qualitative data. Results: Most critically, while QI managers acknowledged that establishment of the patient safety culture and reduction of medical errors are urgent tasks for QI effort, clinical staffs don't seem to share such perceptions. All participants agree that staff shortage and no compliance to safety procedures were major reasons for medical error occurrences. Many suggested that an organizational culture where errors were perceived as a systematic problems rather than individual failures or carelessness should be formed to promote voluntary reporting of medical errors. Conclusion: A more systematic effort and attention at the hospital leadership and public policy level should be promoted to constitute societal consensus on the urgence of promoting patient safety culture and more specific approaches to tackle the patient safety problems.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.87-98
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the effects of the awareness of patient safety culture, emotional labor, and job stress on patient safety nursing activities by comprehensive nursing care medical service ward nurses. Methods : The participants were 112 nurses from the comprehensive nursing care service wards from six hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 20.0. Results : The factors that significantly influenced patient safety nursing activities in the comprehensive nursing care medical service ward nurses included job stress (𝛽=-0.18, p<.032) and awareness of patient safety culture (𝛽=0.54, p<.001). The explanatory power of these factors was 31.0% (F=13.43, p<.001). Conclusion : This study showed that the factors that influenced patient safety management activities of comprehensive nursing care medical service ward nurses included job stress and awareness of patient safety culture.