Grit Influencing Factors in Middle School Students: Focusing on Ego Resilience and Emotional Intelligence / 의료커뮤니케이션

Results@#Among grit’s sub-areas, consistent effort was significantly associated with gender (male students scored higher than female students (t=2.20, p=.029), scores were higher when parental relationships were intimate (F=5.88, p=.003), and the closer the relationship with the homeroom teacher, the higher the score (F=3.51, p=.032). The regression model in this study was statistically significant (F=26.730, p<.001), and the variables that influenced steady effort (Grit) were self-resilience (β=.331, p<.001), and self-emotion regulation (β=.290, p<.001), sex (β=-.142, p=.024), the explanatory power of the variable’s continuous effort was 29.4%. @*Conclusion@#The middle school age is the time to discover life goals and dreams. Grit is persistent efforts to achieve our goals and in order to raise the level of Grit, we need to develop and provide ongoing curriculum and tailored school programs that will increase self-resilience and self-emotion control skills.

Experience of taking Oral Contraceptives in Adult Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore essences and meanings of using oral contraceptives among adult women. METHODS: The interview was conducted with 20 adult women who lived in Seoul, Gyeongi Province, Jeolla Province, Chungcheong Province, and Gangwon Province. Participants with the experience of using oral contraceptives for contraception were selected by convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. RESULTS: Five themes revealed: ‘Lack of information and knowledge regarding oral contraceptives’, ‘Inconvenient and difficult purchase process of oral contraceptives’, ‘Pressure and fear regarding other people's reaction’, ‘Self-centered thinking toward the use of oral contraceptives’, ‘A need for a change in public awareness and policy’. CONCLUSION: A change in society's perception about oral contraceptives is required for safe contraceptives use. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the correct usage of oral contraceptives, and to develop a program for changing the paradigm of sex education.

Gambogic Acid Induced Apoptosis through Activation of Caspase-dependent Pathway in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells / 체질인류학회지

Gambogic acid (GA) has powerful apoptotic actions. The authors investigated whether GA has apoptotic effects on aortic smooth muscle cells, and compared its potency with that of simvastatin. Smooth muscle cells were isolated from the aortas of Sprague-Dawley rats (4-6 week). Cell purities were confirmed by IF staining using alpha-smooth muscle actin antibody. The IC50 values for cell death by GA and simvastatin were determined using a MTT assay, and the apoptotic effects of 1 microM GA or 30 microM simvastatin (concentrations correspond to IC50 values) were determined after 24 h of treatment using live cell images and by FITC annexin-V and propidium iodide double-staining. In addition, western blotting was used to evaluate apoptosis by quantifying reductions in the expression levels of the PARP and procaspase-3 as well as cleavages of PARP and procaspase-3 after treatment with 1 microM GA or 30 microM simvastatin. The IC50 of GA (1 microM) was lower than that of simvastatin (30 microM). Cell numbers were markedly reduced by both drugs in live cell images. GA (1 microM) produced a higher level of apoptosis than 30 microM simvastatin (26.4+/-2.37% vs. 8.3+/-1.54%, respectively; P<0.05, n=3) by FITC annexin-V & PI double-staining. In addition, 1 microM GA reduced the expressions of PARP, procaspase-3, and Mcl-1 in cells, whereas 30 microM simvastatin did not. Pretreatment with z-VAD-fmk attenuated GA-induced apoptosis and the cleavages of PARP and procaspase-3. The decreased level of Mcl-1 protein induced by GA treatment was recovered by z-VAD-fmk. These results indicate that GA-induced apoptosis was mediated by a caspase-dependent pathway.

Cytotoxic Activity and Structure Activity Relationship of Ceramide Analogues in Caki-2 and HL-60 Cells

B13, a ceramide analogue, is a ceramidase inhibitor and induces apoptosis to give potent anticancer activity. A series of thiourea B13 analogues was evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against human renal cancer Caki-2 and leukemic cancer HL-60 in the MTT assay. Some compounds (12, 15, and 16) showed stronger cytotoxicity than B13 and C6-ceramide against both tumor cell lines, and compound (12) gave the most potent activity with IC50 values of 36 and 9 microM, respectively. Molecular modeling of thiourea B13 analogues was carried out by comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). We obtained highly reliable and predictive CoMSIA models with cross-validated q2 values of 0.707 and 0.753 and CoMSIA contour maps to show the structural requirements for potent activity. These data suggest that the amide group of B13 could be replaced by thiourea, that the stereochemistry of 1,3-propandiol may not be essential for activity and that long alkyl chains increase cytotoxicity.

Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship between Diazabicyclo4.2.0octanes Derivatives and Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Agonists

Three dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship between diazabicyclo[4.2.0]octanes and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (h alpha4beta2 and h alpha3beta4) agonists was studied using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). From 11 CoMFA and CoMSIA models, CoMSIA with steric and electrostatic fields gave the best predictive models (q2=0.926 and 0.945, r2(ncv)=0.983 and 0.988). This study can be used to develop potent h alpha4beta2 receptor agonists with low activity on h alpha3beta4 subtype.

Cytotoxic Activity and Three-Dimensional Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship of 2-Aryl-1,8-naphthyridin-4-ones

A series of substituted 2-arylnaphthyridin-4-one analogues, which were previously synthesized in our laboratory, were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activity against human lung cancer A549 and human renal cancer Caki-2 cells using MTT assay. Some compounds (11, 12, and 13) showed stronger cytotoxicity than colchicine against both tumor cell lines, and compound 13 exhibited the most potent activity with IC50 values of 2.3 and 13.4 micrometer, respectively. Three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies of comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were performed. Predictive 3D-QSAR models were obtained with q(2) values of 0.869 and 0.872 and r(2)(ncv) values of 0.983 and 0.993 for CoMFA and CoMSIA, respectively. These results demonstrate that CoMFA and CoMSIA models could be reliably used in the design of novel cytotoxic agents.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Oncology Nurses Toward Cancer Pain Managements / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of oncology ward nurses toward cancer pain management and to find ways to improve the educational program for nurses. METHOD: A total of 209 nurses working at the oncology ward of three hospitals in Seoul and a Gyenggi Province. The survey instrument used was the 32-item scale for evaluating nurses knowledge and attitudes originally developed by McCaffery and Ferrell'(1990), that was by Kim'(1997). RESULTS: In terms of the nurses knowledge of pain management, the result showed that the nurses scored an average of 67.8 out of 100 for phamacokinetics of opioids, 84.8 for classification of analgesics, 60.1 for pain assessment, and 70.7 for drug administration. 18.2% of the nurses hesitate to inject the narcotic agent because of concerns regarding the drug's potential side effects. there was significant difference in the knowledge of pain management according to the general characteristics of pain in terms of the nurses age(p=.001), position (p=.016), years of experiences(p=.002), experience of cancer pain education(p=.001). CONCLUSION: The also showed that nurses working at cancer ward lack knowledge. It is important to provide intensive education to nurses about cancer pain management.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Oncology Nurses Toward Cancer Pain Managements / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of oncology ward nurses toward cancer pain management and to find ways to improve the educational program for nurses. METHOD: A total of 209 nurses working at the oncology ward of three hospitals in Seoul and a Gyenggi Province. The survey instrument used was the 32-item scale for evaluating nurses knowledge and attitudes originally developed by McCaffery and Ferrell'(1990), that was by Kim'(1997). RESULTS: In terms of the nurses knowledge of pain management, the result showed that the nurses scored an average of 67.8 out of 100 for phamacokinetics of opioids, 84.8 for classification of analgesics, 60.1 for pain assessment, and 70.7 for drug administration. 18.2% of the nurses hesitate to inject the narcotic agent because of concerns regarding the drug's potential side effects. there was significant difference in the knowledge of pain management according to the general characteristics of pain in terms of the nurses age(p=.001), position (p=.016), years of experiences(p=.002), experience of cancer pain education(p=.001). CONCLUSION: The also showed that nurses working at cancer ward lack knowledge. It is important to provide intensive education to nurses about cancer pain management.

Effects of Calcium Supplementations on Mineral Metabolism during Pregnancy with Calcium-Deficient Young Adult Rats

We examined the effects of calcium intake levels on mineral metabolism during pregnancy using calcium-deficient young adult rats. Five week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal Ca (NCa, 0.5%) and low Ca (LCa, 0.15%) diets for five weeks (pre-pregnancy). The low Ca intake group was then divided into three groups and fed low Ca (0.15%), normal Ca (0.5%) and high Ca (1.5%) diets for 3 weeks (pregnancy). All of the rats were mated with normal male rats. The control group was fed a consistently normal Ca (0.5%) diet during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy. On the day after delivery, dams and their pups were sacrificed. We measured total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase and mineral content in serum and weight, length, breaking force, ash and mineral content in the femur and lumbar (L2-L4) of the dams. Whole body mineral content was measured in the pups. There was no difference in weight gain and food intake among the groups. Serum total protein and albumin were in the normal range but a little lower during pregnancy. High Ca supplementation decreased serum Mg and Fe during pregnancy. Weight, ash and Ca of the femur and lumbar significantly decreased in rats fed a chronically low Ca diet during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy. Calcium supplementation levels were above normal during pregnancy and increased the bone weight and breaking force of rats fed the low Ca diet during pre-pregnancy. However, Ca supplementation did not increase the ash and Ca contents in the bones. High Ca supplementation during pregnancy significantly decreased Mg in the bones and increased Ca and P in the kidneys. Ash content of pups from dams fed the chronically low Ca diet decreased but there was no difference in whole body Ca among the groups. Mg and Fe in the whole body decreased in pups from dams fed the high Ca diet. Pregnancy performance was reduced in dams fed the low Ca diet. These results suggest that above normal Ca supplementation levels during pregnancy restored maternal bone status to some extent in rats fed the chronically low Ca diet. The same could not be said for mineral content. Also, high Ca supplementation during pregnancy may deteriorate mineral composition in bones and other tissues. Therefore, more detailed research is needed to facilitate sound recommendations on appropriate calcium intake during pregnancy.