Comparison of alkaline phosphatase activity of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on different Ti surfaces: modified sandblasted with large grit and acid-etched (MSLA), laser-treated, and laser and acid-treated Ti surfaces

PURPOSE: In this study, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implant surface treatment on cell differentiation of osteoblast cells. For this purpose, three surfaces were compared: (1) a modified SLA (MSLA: sand-blasted with large grit, acid-etched, and immersed in 0.9% NaCl), (2) a laser treatment (LT: laser treatment) titanium surface and (3) a laser and acid-treated (LAT: laser treatment, acid-etched) titanium surface. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MSLA surfaces were considered as the control group, and LT and LAT surfaces as test groups. Alkaline phosphatase expression (ALP) was used to quantify osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cell. Surface roughness was evaluated by a contact profilometer (URFPAK-SV; Mitutoyo, Kawasaki, Japan) and characterized by two parameters: mean roughness (Ra) and maximum peak-to-valley height (Rt). RESULTS: Scanning electron microscope revealed that MSLA (control group) surface was not as rough as LT, LAT surface (test groups). Alkaline phosphatase expression, the measure of osteoblastic differentiation, and total ALP expression by surface-adherent cells were found to be highest at 21 days for all three surfaces tested (P.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that MSLA and LAT surfaces exhibited more favorable environment for osteoblast differentiation when compared with LT surface, the results that are important for implant surface modification studies.

Development of a Standardized Job Description for Healthcare Managers of Metabolic Syndrome Management Programs in Korean Community Health Centers

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a job description for healthcare managers of metabolic syndrome management programs using task analysis. METHODS: Exploratory research was performed by using the Developing a Curriculum method, the Intervention Wheel model, and focus group discussions. Subsequently, we conducted a survey of 215 healthcare workers from 25 community health centers to verify that the job description we created was accurate. RESULTS: We defined the role of healthcare managers. Next, we elucidated the tasks of healthcare managers and performed needs analysis to examine the frequency, importance, and difficulty of each of their duties. Finally, we verified that our job description was accurate. Based on the 8 duties, 30 tasks, and 44 task elements assigned to healthcare managers, we found that the healthcare managers functioned both as team coordinators responsible for providing multidisciplinary health services and nurse specialists providing health promotion services. In terms of importance and difficulty of tasks performed by the healthcare managers, which were measured using a determinant coefficient, the highest-ranked task was planning social marketing (15.4), while the lowest-ranked task was managing human resources (9.9). CONCLUSION: A job description for healthcare managers may provide basic data essential for the development of a job training program for healthcare managers working in community health promotion programs.

A Study on Attitude to Euthanasia by Student Nurses / 기본간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitude of student nurses to euthanasia. The convenient sample for this study consisted of 293 nursing students at a nursing college in Kyeongi Province. The data were collected from Oct. 15, 2002 to Oct. 30, 2002 and were analyzed using frequency, percentage, and X2-test with the SAS package. The results of this study are as follow :77.1% of students agreed to passive euthanasia and 70.6% subjects agreed to legalization of passive euthanasia.78.5% of students can given an exact explanation of the concept of hospice. They obtained information about hospice from the mass media (1.1%), books (30.0%), friends and neighbors (3.4%), and religious groups (2.4%). The preferred place for death was reported to be home (75.4%), hospital (9.4%) or a peaceful place (6.3%).Fears of facing death were suffering in death (23.4%), grief of remaining family (21.2%), unknown about the other world (10.0%), separation from people who are loved (9.7%), forgotten from the people's memory(6.3%). In conclusion, the attitude of student nurses toward passive euthanasia approached a positive direction. But euthanasia was seen as dangerous and having multiple problems. Therefore the training for student nurses as health professionals should include content on dealing with hospice care and euthanasia.