Smartphone Use Patterns of Smartphone-dependent Children

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to identify the smartphone use patterns of smartphone-dependent children. @*Methods@#The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The data were derived from the 2017 survey on smartphone overdependence conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency. The study sample was 595 elementary school students identified as being smartphone-dependent. The data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, the independent t-test, the x2 test, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. @*Results@#The frequency of smartphone use was the factor strongly associated with more severe smartphone dependence in participants. Games were the most commonly used application type among participants, regardless of their degree of dependence. More severe smartphone dependence was associated with greater use of applications such as learning and television/video. @*Conclusion@#As smartphone dependence becomes more severe, children tend to use their smartphones more frequently and to use applications that involve solitary play for the purposes of entertainment and pleasure. The findings suggest that the parents should attentively monitor their children’s smartphone use patterns and provide consistent discipline in a way that ensures appropriate smartphone use.

Feasibility of Eye Tracking Assisted Vestibular Rehabilitation Strategy Using Immersive Virtual Reality

OBJECTIVES: Even though vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) using head-mounted display (HMD) has been highlighted recently as a popular virtual reality platform, we should consider that HMD itself do not provide interactive environment for VRT. This study aimed to test the feasibility of interactive components using eye tracking assisted strategy through neurophysiologic evidence. METHODS: HMD implemented with an infrared-based eye tracker was used to generate a virtual environment for VRT. Eighteen healthy subjects participated in our experiment, wherein they performed a saccadic eye exercise (SEE) under two conditions of feedback-on (F-on, visualization of eye position) and feedback-off (F-off, non-visualization of eye position). Eye position was continuously monitored in real time on those two conditions, but this information was not provided to the participants. Electroencephalogram recordings were used to estimate neural dynamics and attention during SEE, in which only valid trials (correct responses) were included in electroencephalogram analysis. RESULTS: SEE accuracy was higher in the F-on than F-off condition (P=0.039). The power spectral density of beta band was higher in the F-on condition on the frontal (P=0.047), central (P=0.042), and occipital areas (P=0.045). Beta–event-related desynchronization was significantly more pronounced in the F-on (–0.19 on frontal and –0.22 on central clusters) than in the F-off condition (0.23 on frontal and 0.05 on central) on preparatory phase (P=0.005 for frontal and P=0.024 for central). In addition, more abundant functional connectivity was revealed under the F-on condition. CONCLUSION: Considering substantial gain may come from goal directed attention and activation of brain-network while performing VRT, our preclinical study from SEE suggests that eye tracking algorithms may work efficiently in vestibular rehabilitation using HMD.

Behavioral Perception and Neural Correlates of Categorical Perception in Cochlear Implant Users / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although many cochlear implant (CI) recipients receive significant benefits from using the implants, speech perception ability is still known to vary among CI users, and the variability is closely related to the ability of users to process temporal information. As one of the important temporal cues for speech perception in CI users, voice onset time (VOT) can be used to examine behavioral perception and neural correlates of temporal processing. In this study, we measured categorical perception and N1-P2 cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) using a /ba/-/pa/ VOT continuum in CI users as well as in normal-hearing (NH) listeners. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Ten CI subjects and 11 NH controls participated in syllable identification tasks and in electroencephalography recording. CI subjects were divided into two groups, which were ‘good’ and ‘poor’ performers based on their speech perception scores. The stimuli used in both experiments were a synthetic /ba/-/pa/ VOT continuum. The identification boundary and N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitude were measured for each subject group. RESULTS: Behavioral results revealed that poor CI performers had a delayed identification boundary compared to NH listeners and good CI performers. However, N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitudes in both good and poor CI performers were significantly smaller than those in NH group. CONCLUSION: N1-P2 amplitudes reflected decreased auditory cortical activity of temporal cues in CI users. The categorical perception of good CI performers was similar to that of NH listeners, whereas their cortical responses were decreased to the level similar to that of poor CI performers. This finding indicates that CAEPs would be more sensitive to altered temporal processing of CI users than to behavioral measures.

Behavioral Perception and Neural Correlates of Categorical Perception in Cochlear Implant Users / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES@#Although many cochlear implant (CI) recipients receive significant benefits from using the implants, speech perception ability is still known to vary among CI users, and the variability is closely related to the ability of users to process temporal information. As one of the important temporal cues for speech perception in CI users, voice onset time (VOT) can be used to examine behavioral perception and neural correlates of temporal processing. In this study, we measured categorical perception and N1-P2 cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) using a /ba/-/pa/ VOT continuum in CI users as well as in normal-hearing (NH) listeners.SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Ten CI subjects and 11 NH controls participated in syllable identification tasks and in electroencephalography recording. CI subjects were divided into two groups, which were ‘good’ and ‘poor’ performers based on their speech perception scores. The stimuli used in both experiments were a synthetic /ba/-/pa/ VOT continuum. The identification boundary and N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitude were measured for each subject group.@*RESULTS@#Behavioral results revealed that poor CI performers had a delayed identification boundary compared to NH listeners and good CI performers. However, N1-P2 peak-to-peak amplitudes in both good and poor CI performers were significantly smaller than those in NH group.@*CONCLUSION@#N1-P2 amplitudes reflected decreased auditory cortical activity of temporal cues in CI users. The categorical perception of good CI performers was similar to that of NH listeners, whereas their cortical responses were decreased to the level similar to that of poor CI performers. This finding indicates that CAEPs would be more sensitive to altered temporal processing of CI users than to behavioral measures.

Predictors of Turnover Intention among Nurses in Small and Medium-sized Hospitals / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors of turnover intention among nurses working in small and medium-sized hospitals in South Korea. METHODS: Data were obtained from a survey conducted in 2016 on welfare policy and system improvement. The participants were nurses of the Korean Nurses Association who worked in small and medium-sized hospitals. The responses of 2,011 nurses were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, which was performed to explore the predictors of nurses' turnover intentions. RESULTS: The findings of this study showed that the predictors significantly reducing nurses' desire to leave their hospitals were a 40-hour workweek, satisfaction with the salary, and six out of the 40 fringe benefits provided by their hospitals: the provision of uniforms and work shoes, paid menstrual leave, operational costs for the department, job-related educational costs, and in-house nurse training program. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that hospitals should provide proper work hours and reasonable rewards for nurses' work in order to reduce turnover intention among their nurses.

Development and Validation of Nurse's Character Scale for Care in Clinical Settings / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Nurse's Character Scale for Care in Clinical settings (NCS_C). METHODS: The NCS_C was developed and validated as follows: Item generation, preliminary test of questionnaire, and tests of validity and reliability. One hundred and thirty six preliminary items were developed through a literature review and in-depth interviews by 10 nurse-experts and five patients. The content validity of the items was verified through an evaluation by five nurses and seven professors in the fields of Korean literature, pedagogy and nursing. Finally, 53 items were confirmed through item analysis, factor analysis and validity tests including convergent, discriminant and concurrent validities. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: Thirteen factors evolved from the factor analysis, which explained 63.1% of the total variance. The factors referred to the union of two dimensions: the professional dimension and the interpersonal dimension. The internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha, was .95, and reliability of the subscales ranged from .58 to .87. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the NCS_C is a reliable and valid primary scale to measure nurses' or students' character level for better care in clinical settings.

Study of Abilities Required to Develop for Student in Nursing Education / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify key abilities needed to develop for student nurses. METHODS: A methodological research design was used in this study. The abilities for student nurses were developed through literature review and educational objectives analysis of 60 nursing colleges in Korea. RESULTS: Finally, the abilities required to develop for student nurses in higher education were 8 cluster of abilities and 19 abilities such as problem solving ability, relationship ability, professional ability, ability in information processing, globalization, voluntary service. CONCLUSION: To perceive and achieve abilities for student nurses in higher education has to be needed a systematic approach in setting objectives, to improve curriculum and to develop program and educational methods.