• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.6
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• 2024

IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) was originally discovered in 1999 while attempting to identify an IL-18 receptor ligand binding chain (also known as IL-18Rα) by subjecting concentrated human urine to an IL-18 ligand affinity column. The IL-18 ligand chromatography purified molecule was analyzed by protein microsequencing. The result revealed a novel 40 amino acid polypeptide. To isolate the complete open reading frame (ORF), various human and mouse cDNA libraries were screened using cDNA probe derived from the novel IL-18 affinity column bound molecule. The identified entire ORF gene was thought to be an IL-18Rα gene. However, IL-18BP has been proven to be a unique soluble antagonist that shares homology with a variety of viral proteins that are distinct from the IL-18Rα and IL-18Rβ chains. The IL-18BP cDNA was used to generate recombinant IL-18BP (rIL-18BP), which was indispensable for characterizing the role of IL-18BP in vitro and in vivo. Mammalian cell lines were used to produce rIL-18BP due to its glycosylation-dependent activity of IL-18BP (approximately 20 kDa). Various forms of rIL-18BP, intact, C-terminal his-tag, and Fc fusion proteins were produced for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Data showed potent neutralization of IL-18 activity, which seems promising for clinical application in immune diseases involving IL-18. However, it was a long journey from discovery to clinical use although there have been various clinical trials since IL-18BP was discovered in 1999. This review primarily covers the discovery of IL-18BP along with how basic research influences the clinical development of IL-18BP.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.67-79
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• 2015

The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study was determine the effect of critical thinking and clinical decision-making on ethical dilemmas. A survey of dental hygienists residing in Busan and South Gyeongsang, Korea was conducted using convenience sampling between September and December, 2013. A total of 153 responses were used in the final analysis. Data analysis and structural equation modeling were performed with IBM SPSS Statistics(version 21.0) and AMOS(version 18.0) programs. A negative(-) correlation coefficient(-0.37) was observed between critical thinking and ethical dilemmas on statistical analysis, i.e., higher critical thinking led to less ethical dilemmas(p=0.024, CR=-2.264). The values from the structural equation model were ${\chi}^2=98.124$ df=66, GFI=0.919, AGFI=0.871, and RMSEA=0.057. This study proposed a theoretical model in which critical thinking, ethical values, and decision-making skills should be firmly established to effectively respond to specific situations, such as ethical dilemmas, and that greater tendencies for critical thinking led to less ethical dilemmas, thereby demonstrating a negative(-) correlation between the two parameters.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.125-154
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• 1997

The hospital, clinical department and the physician factor in explaining variations of hospital resource use in surgically admitted patients was compared. This analysis was based on 6, 361 discharges in 28 hospitals for three surgical conditions - lens procedures anal and stomal procedures, uterine and ovarian procedures using medical insurnce claim data. The results were as follows: 1. Regression analysis indicated that the hospital and clinical department characteristics, such as hospital ownership and size, were more significant predictors of the resource use indicators than the physician and patients' social characteristics. 2. Regarding to the physician factors, the hospital where the physician received the residency training and the medical shool where he/she graduated had less effect compared to the hospitals where he/she currently works. Between the residency trained hospital and medical school, the is more important than the latter. 3. When the hospital charges were divided into type of service provided i. e. room, drug, laboratory & radiologic, procedure & operation, and anesthesic charges, variance due to the hospital factor was larger than that due to the physician factor in each item. In summary, the hospital and clinical departmental factor played an important role than physician factor ; indicating to reduce the variation in hospital resource use, the policy that affects hospital behavior would be more effective than that targets individual physician behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-107
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study investigated the job-centered curriculum in the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Brighton, England, to examine NCS (national competency standards) curriculum in physiotherapy. METHODS: The researcher visited the University of Brighton from September 2015 to May 2016 and conducted interviews with faculty members. Data were collected through the university's website and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. RESULTS: The undergraduate program is a three-year program and with a module system. There is a course leader for each module. Each grade requires 120 credits (10 hours per credit) and credit hours can be earned through lectures, tutorials, practical sessions, self-directed e-learning, group work, inter-professional classes, and seminars. Clinical placement is carried out six times during 3 years, for a total of 32 weeks, 35 hours per week, 1120 hours in total. Students are enrolled as a student members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and are covered by professional liability insurance during clinical placement. The Center for Teaching and Learning holds regular workshops to discuss curriculum and module design, conduct course reviews, and review student assessment and feedback. All courses at the university must be approved, monitored annually, and re-approved every 5 years. CONCLUSION: This study can contribute to the development and operation of the NCS physiotherapy curriculum, as well as to the development of modules and assessment tools related to the application of this curriculum.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.148-155
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the degree of clinical nurses' emotional labor that they perceive in the relationships with people related to their work. Methods: This study was a descriptive research, and its subjects were 167 nurses in five university hospitals located in B and Y city. The degree of emotional labor was measured with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Data were collected from April to May in 2015, and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ and Games-Howell examination. Results: The score of the emotional labor of health care providers and visitors were higher than non-health care providers. Among health care providers, doctors had the highest emotional scores, and fellow nurse and nurses other departments were followed after that. Among visitors in hospital, patients and their family had the higher emotional labor scores than care givers. There was statistically significant difference in the emotional labor, according to the subjects' educational level, age, wages, job position, and working departments. Conclusion: Clinical nurses perceived emotional labor not only from the interaction with patients, but also from the interaction with the various other persons concerned such as health care providers, non-health care providers and visitors.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.302-312
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the influencing factors of job stress, self-efficacy, and organizational culture to presenteeism in clinical nurses. Methods: A descriptive correlation research design was used for the this study. The subjects were 245 nurses working at the hospital in S, A and C City, from August $1^{st}$ to October $30^{th}$ 2014. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, $Scheff{\acute{e}}^{\prime}s$ test, stepwise multiple regression by SPSS 21.0 program. Results: Job impairment indicated a significant positive relationship to job stress (p=.009), health problem (p<.001), and indicated significant negative relationship to self-efficacy (p<.001), innovative-oriented (p<.001), affiliative-oriented (p=.002), task-oriented (p=.026) in organizational culture. Significant factors of influencing to presenteeism were self-efficacy (p<.001, ${\beta}=-.363$), culture of task-oriented (p<.001, ${\beta}=-.248$) in organizational culture, and health problem (p=.002, ${\beta}=.187$). Conclusion: Self-efficacy was defined as a variable to influence on presenteeism, and developing of strategies and program to strengthen self-efficacy and task-oriented of organizational culture in nursing is helpful to reduce the presenteeism of clinical nurses.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.216-222
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• 2021

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease and a chronic gastrointestinal disorder. Rubi Fructus (RF), the fruit of Rubus coreanus Miquel, is known to exert several pharmacological effects including anti-oxidative, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the improving effect and mechanism of RF on intestinal inflammation is not been fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory effect of RF on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. We evaluated the effects of RF on DSS-induced clinical signs by analyzing weight loss and colon length. The inhibitory effects of RF on inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, as well as the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), were determined in colitis tissue. Our data indicated that mice treated with DSS showed clinical symptoms of colitis, including weight loss, colon length decrease and diarrhea. However, we observed that RF treatment significantly improved these clinical symptoms of weight loss, colon length decrease and diarrhea induced by DSS. RF inhibited the enhanced levels of COX-2 and PGE₂ caused by DSS. We also showed that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of RF by suppressing the activation of NF-kB in DSS-treated colon tissues. Collectively, the findings of this study indicate the prospect of developing new drugs from RF for UC treatment.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.8
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• 2024

This article is a narrative review that discusses the recommended sample size requirements to design a pilot study to assess the reliability of a questionnaire. A list of various sample size tables that are based on the kappa agreement test, intra-class correlation test and Cronbach's alpha test has been compiled together. For all calculations, type I error (alpha) was set at a maximum value of 0.05, and power was set at a minimum value of 80.0%. For the kappa agreement test, intra-class correlation test, and Cronbach's alpha test, the recommended minimum sample size requirement based on the ideal effect sizes shall be at least 15, 22, and 24 subjects respectively. By making allowances for a non-response rate of 20.0%, a minimum sample size of 30 respondents will be sufficient to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. The clear guideline of minimum sample size requirement for the pilot study to assess the reliability of a questionnaire is discussed and this will ease researchers in preparation for the pilot study. This study provides justification for a minimum requirement of a sample size of 30 respondents specifically to test the reliability of a questionnaire.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.5.1-5.22
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• 2022

The approval of immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), adoptive cell therapies and cancer vaccines has revolutionized the way cancer treatment is approached. While immunotherapies have improved clinical outcome in a variety of tumor types, some cancers have proven harder to combat using single agents, underscoring the need for multi-targeted immunotherapy approaches. Efficacy of CPIs and cancer vaccines requires patients to have a competent immune system with adequate cell numbers while the efficacy of adoptive cellular therapy is limited by the expansion and persistence of cells after infusion. A promising strategy to overcome these challenges is combination treatment with common gamma-chain cytokines. Gamma-chain cytokines play a critical role in the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of multiple immune cell types, including CD8 T-cells and NK cells, which are at the center of the anti-tumor response. While the short halflife of recombinant cytokines initially limited their application in the clinic, advancements in protein engineering have led to the development of several next-generation drug candidates with dramatically increased half-life and bioactivity. When combining these cytokines with other immunotherapies, strong evidence of synergy has been observed in preclinical and clinical cancer settings. This promising data has led to the initiation of 70 ongoing clinical trials including IL-2, IL-7, IL-15 and IL-21. This review summarizes the recent advancements of common gamma-chain cytokines and their potential as a cancer immunotherapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2005

Background: Guillain-Barre syndrome is defined as a recognizable clinical entity that is characterized by rapidly evolving symmetric limb weakness, the loss of tendon reflexes, absent or mild sensory signs, and variable autonomic dysfunctions. This study evaluated the clinical and electrophysiological findings retrospectively. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, who were admitted to the Yeungnam University Hospital for six years from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1999 were investigated. The correlation between the clinical manifestation and the electrophysiological study was evaluated. Results: The male to female ratio was 1.8:1 and there was a peak seasonal incidence in the winter. A preceding illness was noted in 66.7 % of cases, and an upper respiratory tract infection was the most common one. The most common clinical manifestations were a loss of tendon reflex and ascending muscle weakness and paralysis. The cerebrospinal fluid examinations revealed, albuminocytologic dissociation in 33 cases (73.3 %). Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was performed in 29 cases (64.4 %). The sequential electrophysiological abnormalities were most marked at 2 to 4 weeks after onset. At that time the most significant change was a decrease in the compound muscle action potential amplitude. These 45 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome were subclassified using the clinical and electrophysiological data. Conclusion: The result in this study, concured with other research on the clinical and electrophysiological data of Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, an extensive and dynamic investigation is necessary to determine the reason for the peak seasonal incidence in winter.