The Impact of Indoor Environmental Factors on Skin Hydration of Children with Atopic Dermatitis: Preliminary Study

Objective@#Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that is diagnosed by clinical characteristics including itchiness, eczema, dry skin, etc. High levels of indoor air pollutants may exacerbate atopic diseases, along with various allergic respiratory diseases, especially for those who spend most of their lives indoors. This study was conducted to evaluate the main components responsible for the aggravation of AD symptoms. @*Methods@#A total of 31 patients with AD aged 6 months and 6 years old were enrolled. The measurement of air quality included particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5), temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 in their homes. The symptom severity of AD was assessed by the daily record of symptom scores and the degree of skin hydration. @*Results@#The skin hydration level at the most severe area selected by the patient’s caregiver was decreased by median 1.7% (interquartile range [IQR], 0.4%–3.0%) or median 15% (IQR, 5.3%–24%) with a unit increase of indoor PM2.5 (P=0.0133) or room temperature (P=0.0034). CO2 also showed a potentially negative association with the change of skin hydration level but it was not statistically significant. @*Conclusion@#Our study showed that indoor PM2.5 and temperature could impact the aggravation of skin hydration in children. Therefore, further studies including a large number of cases and interventions are necessary.

The Impact of Indoor Environmental Factors on Skin Hydration of Children with Atopic Dermatitis: Preliminary Study

Objective@#Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that is diagnosed by clinical characteristics including itchiness, eczema, dry skin, etc. High levels of indoor air pollutants may exacerbate atopic diseases, along with various allergic respiratory diseases, especially for those who spend most of their lives indoors. This study was conducted to evaluate the main components responsible for the aggravation of AD symptoms. @*Methods@#A total of 31 patients with AD aged 6 months and 6 years old were enrolled. The measurement of air quality included particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5), temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 in their homes. The symptom severity of AD was assessed by the daily record of symptom scores and the degree of skin hydration. @*Results@#The skin hydration level at the most severe area selected by the patient’s caregiver was decreased by median 1.7% (interquartile range [IQR], 0.4%–3.0%) or median 15% (IQR, 5.3%–24%) with a unit increase of indoor PM2.5 (P=0.0133) or room temperature (P=0.0034). CO2 also showed a potentially negative association with the change of skin hydration level but it was not statistically significant. @*Conclusion@#Our study showed that indoor PM2.5 and temperature could impact the aggravation of skin hydration in children. Therefore, further studies including a large number of cases and interventions are necessary.

Factors related to Professional Quality of Life among Community Health Practitioners in Korea / 산업간호학회지

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to examine the work, client, and personal environments of community health practitioners, including the level of their professional quality of life (ProQOL), and identify the factors affecting their ProQOL. METHODS: Data were collected using a web-survey questionnaire, which was completed by a sample of 308 community health practitioners currently working in Korea. The questionnaire included items on ProQOL; three dimensions labeled compassion satisfaction, burn out, and secondary traumatic stress; job stress; job satisfaction; sense of community; and general characteristics. RESULTS: The mean scores for the three dimensions were 39.2±6.44 (compassion satisfaction), 31.9±3.59 (burn out), and 26.4±5.05 (secondary traumatic stress). A multiple linear regression revealed that compassion satisfaction varied significantly according to the satisfaction with job choice, sense of community, job stress, and job satisfaction. The factors affecting burn out were sense of community and work load, while the factors affecting secondary traumatic stress were education, job stress, and job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that comprehensive intervention focusing on improving the sense of community and job satisfaction and reducing job stress is essential to promote community health practitioners' ProQOL.

Factors related to Professional Quality of Life among Community Health Practitioners in Korea / 한국직업건강간호학회지

PURPOSE@#The aims of this study were to examine the work, client, and personal environments of community health practitioners, including the level of their professional quality of life (ProQOL), and identify the factors affecting their ProQOL.@*METHODS@#Data were collected using a web-survey questionnaire, which was completed by a sample of 308 community health practitioners currently working in Korea. The questionnaire included items on ProQOL; three dimensions labeled compassion satisfaction, burn out, and secondary traumatic stress; job stress; job satisfaction; sense of community; and general characteristics.@*RESULTS@#The mean scores for the three dimensions were 39.2±6.44 (compassion satisfaction), 31.9±3.59 (burn out), and 26.4±5.05 (secondary traumatic stress). A multiple linear regression revealed that compassion satisfaction varied significantly according to the satisfaction with job choice, sense of community, job stress, and job satisfaction. The factors affecting burn out were sense of community and work load, while the factors affecting secondary traumatic stress were education, job stress, and job satisfaction.@*CONCLUSION@#The findings of this study suggest that comprehensive intervention focusing on improving the sense of community and job satisfaction and reducing job stress is essential to promote community health practitioners' ProQOL.

A Preliminary Study of Computerized Cognitive Ability Enhancement Program Using Smart-Toy for Children

OBJECTIVES: This study was to examine the effectiveness of computerized cognitive ability enhancement program (CCAEP) using Smart-toy. The CCAEP using Smart-toy which can interact with children via bluetooth is a kids-friendly and convenient method for improving children's cognitive abilities by increasing their motivation for performing the program. We developed the CCAEP which designed to train auditory-verbal memory, visual-spatial memory, auditory-verbal working memory, and visual-spatial working memory. METHODS: Eighteen children aged 8 to 10 participated in CCAEP individual training composed of 8 sessions of 40 minutes each for 4 weeks. The effect of the training was measured with Smart Toyweb's cognitive assessment tasks (smart device based assessment) as well as traditional neuropsychological tests before and after the training. RESULTS: Children showed significant improvement in auditory-verbal memory, visual-spatial memory, auditory-verbal working memory and visual-spatial working memory abilities after the training. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated promising results suggesting the effectiveness of CCAEP using Smart-Toy in clinical settings as well as school and home situations. Further controlled study with larger sample size including various clinical groups is needed to confirm the present results.

The Development and Validation of Memory Tasks Using Smart Devices for School Aged Children

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop auditory-verbal and visual-spatial memory tasks using smart devices for children aged 8 to 10 years and examine their validity. METHODS: One-hundred and fourteen school-aged children were recruited through internet advertising. We developed memory tasks assessing auditory-verbal memory, visual-spatial memory, and working memory, and then examined their construct validity by examining the developmental trend of the children's mean scores with age. In order to examine the concurrent validity of the tasks, we conducted correlation analyses between the children's scores on the newly developed auditory-verbal, visual-spatial memory and working memory tasks and their scores on well-known standardized tests of memory and working memory, including the auditory-verbal memory subtests of the Korean Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery for Children, Korean Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, digit span and arithmetic subtest of Korean Educational Development Institute Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised, and Corsi block test. RESULTS: The memory and working memory scores measured by the newly developed tasks tended to increase with age. Further, there were significant correlations between the scores of the four cognitive tasks and the corresponding scores of the standardized assessment tools. CONCLUSION: This study revealed promising evidence for the validity of the memory tasks using smart devices, suggesting their utility for school-aged children in research and clinical settings.

Efficacy of sonic-powered toothbrushes for plaque removal in patients with peri-implant mucositis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of powered toothbrushes for plaque control in patients with peri-implant mucositis, in comparison with manual toothbrushes. METHODS: This randomized, prospective, controlled, clinical parallel study compared the efficacy of manual and powered toothbrushes for plaque control in implant restorations. Patients with bleeding on probing, no residual pocket depth (as indicated by a pocket probing depth > or = 5 mm), and no radiological peri-implant bone loss were eligible for this study. Patients were requested to complete a questionnaire describing their oral hygiene habits. The duration and frequency of tooth brushing were recorded by subjects in order to assess their compliance. Clinical parameters, including the modified plaque index (mPI), the modified sulcus bleeding index (mSBI), and clinical photographs (buccal and lingual views) were recorded at baseline and at one-month and two-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between patients who used manual toothbrushes and those who used powered toothbrushes were found regarding the frequency of tooth brushing per day and the duration of brushing at one-month and two-month follow-up visits, while no statistically significant differences were found relating to other oral hygiene habits. A statistically significant difference in patient compliance for tooth brushing was found at one month, while no difference was found at two months. Statistically significant decreases in the mPI and the mSBI were observed in both groups from baseline to the one- and two-month follow-ups. The overall reduction of these parameters was not significantly different between the two groups, except for mPI reduction between baseline and one month of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Sonic-powered toothbrushes may be a useful device for plaque control in patients with peri-implant mucositis.

Molecular Characterization of Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus gag Genes from Pigs in Korea

Xenotransplantation, as a potential solution to the shortage of human organs, is associated with a number of concerns including immunologic rejection and xenogenic infection. While the pigs are considered the most suitable organ source for xenotransplantation, there is a potential public health risk due to zoonosis. Among the known porcine zoonotic microbes, Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (PERV) is the most considerable virus. PERV belongs to the Gammaretrovirus and has been divided into three groups (A, B, and C). To characterize the gag of PERVs, we isolated the genomic DNAs from three pig breeds (Birkshire, Duroc, and Yorkshire) and two types of SPF miniature pigs. About 1.5 kb fragments covering full length of gag were amplified and cloned into T-vector. A total of 38 clones were obtained and sequenced. Nucleotide sequences were analyzed and phylogenetic trees were constructed from the nucleotide and deduced amino acids. PERV-A, -B and -C were present in the proportion of 47, 19 and 34%, respectively. Regardless of origin or subgroups, gag clones showed highly homology in nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences. Deduced amino acids sequence alignments showed typical conserve sequences, Cys-His box and processing sites. Among analyzed clones, about 28% of isolates had the correct open reading frame. To test the functional expression of Gag protein, gag was subcloned into expression vector and confirmed its expression in HeLa cell. This research provides the fundamental information about molecular characteristics of gag gene and functional Gag protein related xenotropic PERVs.

Contents Analysis of Textbook Related to Safety Education in Elementary School

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data to develop safety education programs in elementary school. METHOD: Analysis is made based on textbooks for 1st-6th-grade elementary school students published by Korea Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development. RESULTS: 1) Among the textbooks. only , , , and courses dealt with safety education. 2) The contents of safety education included traffic safety, water safety, indoor and outdoor safety, fire, emergency measures, misuse and abuse of drug, smoking, toy safety, sports safety, leasure safety and disasters. However, the contents were theoretical, fragmentary, local and limited. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the consents of safety education must be strengthened, and more practical and more behavior-oriented in consideration of activities.

Molecular Cloning of PERV-A and PERV-B Envelope Genes from Miniature Pigs

Xenotransplantation of porcine organs has the potential to overcome the acute shortage of human tissues and organs for human transplantation. Swine represents an ideal source of such organs owing to their anatomical and physiological similarities to human besides their plentiful supply. However, this procedure is also associated with a number of safety issues related to zoonotic infections. Among such zoonotically important pathogens, porcine endogenous viruses (PERVs) represent the most concerned virus as they persist asymptomatically and show germline transmission in pigs. They belong to gamma retroviruses and are of three types viruses: A, B and C. In the present study, PCR based cloning was performed with chromosomal DNA extracted from miniature pigs to analyze the envelope gene of PERVs. Amplified PCR fragments of about 1.5 Kb, covering the partial env gene, were cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO vectors and sequenced. A total of 51 env clones were obtained from two miniature pigs, types M149 and T1111. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed the presence of only PERV type A and B in the proportion of 45% and 55%, respectively. Among these, 9 clones had the correct open reading frame: eight were PERV type A and one PERV type B. Since both these PERV types are polytropic and have the capacity to infect human cells, our data raise a concern that proviral PERVs might have the potential to generate infectious viruses during or after xenotransplantation in humans.

Molecular Cloning of PERV-A and PERV-B Envelope Genes from Miniature Pigs

Xenotransplantation of porcine organs has the potential to overcome the acute shortage of human tissues and organs for human transplantation. Swine represents an ideal source of such organs owing to their anatomical and physiological similarities to human besides their plentiful supply. However, this procedure is also associated with a number of safety issues related to zoonotic infections. Among such zoonotically important pathogens, porcine endogenous viruses (PERVs) represent the most concerned virus as they persist asymptomatically and show germline transmission in pigs. They belong to gamma retroviruses and are of three types viruses: A, B and C. In the present study, PCR based cloning was performed with chromosomal DNA extracted from miniature pigs to analyze the envelope gene of PERVs. Amplified PCR fragments of about 1.5 Kb, covering the partial env gene, were cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO vectors and sequenced. A total of 51 env clones were obtained from two miniature pigs, types M149 and T1111. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes revealed the presence of only PERV type A and B in the proportion of 45% and 55%, respectively. Among these, 9 clones had the correct open reading frame: eight were PERV type A and one PERV type B. Since both these PERV types are polytropic and have the capacity to infect human cells, our data raise a concern that proviral PERVs might have the potential to generate infectious viruses during or after xenotransplantation in humans.