New oncogenic functions of LINE1 retroelement as a ceRNA for tumor suppressive microRNA miR-126 on ENPP5.

Retroelements (REs) had been considered 'Junk' until the encyclopedia of DNA elements (ENCODE) project demonstrated that most genome is functional. Although the function of retroelements has been reported in diverse cancers including human breast cancer (HBC) and subtypes, only a few studies have suggested the putative functions of REs via their random genome integration. A canine mammary tumor (CMT) has been highlighted due to the similarities in molecular and pathophysiology with HBC. This study investigated the putative roles of REs common in both HBC and CMT. The human LINE and HERV-K sequences harbor many miRNAs responsive elements (MREs) for tumor-suppressive miRNA such as let-7. We also observed that various MREs are exist in the ERV and LINE highly expressed in the transcriptome data of CMT as well as HBC sets. MREs against miR-126 were highly expressed in both HBC and CMT while the levels of miR-126 were down-regulated. Oppositely, the expression of miR-126 target genes was significantly up-regulated in the cancers. Moreover, cancer patients with an increased level of miR-126 showed better overall survival. The expression of ENPP5, a putative miR-126 target gene, was downregulated by miR-126 mimic. Importantly, overexpression of LINE fragment significantly suppressed miR-126 function on the target gene expression. We propose the functional role of REs expression in tumorigenesis as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) against tumor-suppressive miRNAs. This study provided pieces of evidence that LINE expression, even partial and fragmented, have a regulatory function in ENPP5 gene expression via the competition with miR-126.

The Effects of a Continuous Olfactory Stimulation Using Breast Milk (COSB) on Behavioral State and Physiological Responses in Korean Premature Infants.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of continuous olfactory stimulation with breast milk (COSB) on behavioral and physiologic states of Korean premature infants. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined the COSB effects on the behavioral states and physiological responses, including heart rate and oxygen saturation, in 30 premature infants using a non-equivalent control group pre- and post-test design. Sterile 2 cm × 2 cm gauzes wet with 2 cc breast milk were placed 10 cm away from the infants' nostrils 8 times per day for 3 consecutive days. We obtained five measurements each of the behavioral state, heart rate, and oxygen saturation of the premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The experiment group presented significantly reduced heart rate variations (p = .039). There were significant differences in the heart rate at all time-points in the control group (p < .001) but not in the experimental group, indicating more stable (p > .089) heart rates in the latter group. There were positive COSB effects on the behavioral states of premature infants at some time points. CONCLUSIONS: COSB can be a useful intervention program for high-risk infants for partial behavioral state stabilization and significant heart rate stabilization. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: COSB might enable NICU nurses to provide a useful and safe developmental care plan for the premature infants hospitalized in the NICU to improve their physiologic and behavioral condition.

[Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Transcultural Self-efficacy Scale for Nurses].

PURPOSE: This methodological study was conducted to develop and psychometrically test the Transcultural Self-efficacy scale (TCSEscale) for nurses. METHODS: Initial 41 items for the TCSE-scale were generated based on extensive literature reviews and in-depth interviews with 18 nurses who had experience in caring for foreign patients. Cultural Competence and Confidence model was used as a conceptual framework. Content validity was evaluated by an expert panel. Psychometric testing was performed with a convenience sample of 242 nurses recruited from four general hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gyeonggi-do province of South Korea. To evaluate the reliability of TCSE-scale, a test-retest reliability and an internal consistency reliability were analyzed. Construct validity, concurrent validity, criterion validity, convergent validity and discriminative validity were used to evaluate the validity. RESULTS: The 25-item TCSE-scale was found to have three subscales-Cognitive, Practical, and Affective domain-explaining 91.5% of the total variance. TCSE-scale also demonstrated a concurrent validity with the Cultural Competence Scale. Criterion-related validity was supported by known-group comparison. Reliability analysis showed an acceptable-to-high Cronbach's alpha-.88 in total, and subscales ranged from .76 to .87. The ICC was .90, indicating that the TCSE-scale has internal consistency and stability of reliability. CONCLUSION: This preliminary evaluation of the psychometric scale properties demonstrated an acceptable validity and reliability. The TCSE-scale is able to contribute to building up empirical and evidence based on data collection regarding the transcultural self-efficacy of clinical nurses. We suggest further testing of the applicability of TCSE-scale in different settings and community contexts.

Mediating Effect of School Nurses' Self Efficacy between Multicultural Attitude and Cultural Sensitivity in Korean Elementary Schools.

PURPOSE: This study examined the mediating effect of school nurses' self efficacy, which is one of the significant cognitive factors influencing cultural sensitivity, on the mutual relationships between multicultural attitude and cultural sensitivity in Korean elementary schools. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used. Participants were 157 school nurses in elementary schools located in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The survey instruments included Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey, Teacher Efficacy Scale, and Multicultural Sensitivity Scale. Data were analyzed using three regression equations to test the mediation model. RESULTS: The mean score of the school nurses' cultural sensitivity was relatively low. A positive correlation among multicultural attitude, self efficacy, and cultural sensitivity was noted. Self efficacy of school nurses showed a significant mediating effect on the relationships between multicultural attitude and cultural sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Given the meaningful influence of positive multicultural attitude on cultural sensitivity and significant mediator effect of self efficacy as a school nurse between the two variables, the strategies to cultivate a positive multicultural attitude and enhance school nurses' self efficacy in their unique role should be considered in a training program. School nurses' health care services will benefit from the improvement of cultural sensitivity toward young children from multicultural families.

The influence of family management style on psychosocial problems of childhood cancer survivors in Korea.

PURPOSE: To examine the psychosocial problems of childhood cancer survivors in Korea and investigate whether such problems are influenced by family management style. METHODS: Family members of 158 childhood cancer survivors answered a questionnaire on demographic and illness characteristics, described psychosocial problems in their children using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), and completed the Family Management Measure (FaMM). RESULTS: Perceived economic status and all six subscales of the FaMM were significantly correlated with children's psychosocial problems. In a multiple regression model, the Family Life Difficulty and Parental Mutuality scales of the FaMM were each independent predictors of psychosocial problems in young cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: A detailed care plan designed to (1) promote balance between the management of a child's condition and normal family life and (2) encourage parents to share their feelings with one another and provide mutual support should be required to improve psychosocial outcomes for childhood cancer survivors.

Resilience as a protective factor for the behavioral problems in school-aged children with atopic dermatitis.

This study investigates the relationships between resilience and behavioral problems in school-aged children with atopic dermatitis (AD) and identifies factors associated with these behavioral problems. A total of 102 school-aged children suffering from chronic AD were administered a self-report questionnaire on resilience, and the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist, to measure their internalizing/externalizing behavioral problems. The means of the internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems of children with AD were 6.58 and 7.26, respectively. Both resilience and economic status were negatively correlated with the internalizing, r = -0.262, p < 0.05, and externalizing, r = -0.248, p < 0.05, behaviors in children. The higher the children's school achievements, the less externalizing behavioral problems were reported, r = -0.327, p < 0.05. Resilience was identified as the single potent variable affecting children's behavioral problems. The higher the children's resilience scores, the lower was the chance of both internalizing, ß = -1.648, p = 0.034, and externalizing behavioral problems, ß = -1.382, p = 0.041. To prevent possible behavioral problems in children with chronic AD, a care plan enhancing their resilience (i.e. promoting parenting skills and social supports for children) should be developed.

Parenting and relationship characteristics in mothers with their children having atopic disease.

This study compared parental cognitions and relationship characteristics of mothers of children with atopic disease with those of mothers of children without atopic disease. These factors include child-rearing attitudes, parental locus of control, parental sense of competence, attachment security, and maternal sensitivity. Preplanned subanalyses were carried out according to specific disease, mothers' perception of disease severity, and presence of concurrent atopic diseases. The descriptive comparative study of 233 Korean mothers included 102 mothers of children aged six years or younger with atopic dermatitis, asthma, and/or allergic rhinitis. Data were collected from 2007 to 2008 from local clinics and day care centers. Parental cognitions and relationship characteristics did not differ significantly between groups of mothers, except that mothers of children with atopic dermatitis showed less affection. However, subanalyses showed that mothers who perceived their child's disease to be severe were less likely to encourage autonomy and had a lower sense of competence, more rejecting attitudes, and an external locus of control. Although we should be cautious in generalizing these results, special care plans are strongly recommended for mothers of children with severe atopic disease to provide support and education, help mothers develop an internal locus of control, and increase parental sense of competence.

[Validity and reliability of Korean version of the Family Management Measure (Korean FaMM) for families with children having chronic illness].

PURPOSE: To develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Family Management Measure (Korean FaMM) to assess applicability for families with children having chronic illnesses. METHODS: The Korean FaMM was articulated through forward-backward translation methods. Internal consistency reliability, construct and criterion validity were calculated using PASW WIN (19.0) and AMOS (20.0). Survey data were collected from 341 mothers of children suffering from chronic disease enrolled in a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea. RESULTS: The Korean version of FaMM showed reliable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha for the total scale of .69-.91. Factor loadings of the 53 items on the six sub-scales ranged from 0.28-0.84. The model of six subscales for the Korean FaMM was validated by expiratory and confirmatory factor analysis (χ²<.001, RMR<.05, GFI, AGFI, NFI, NNFI>.08). Criterion validity compared to the Parental Stress Index (PSI) showed significant correlation. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate that the Korean FaMM showed satisfactory construct and criterion validity and reliability. It is useful to measure Korean family's management style with their children who have a chronic illness.

Factors associated with the resilience of school-aged children with atopic dermatitis.

AIM: To identify the factors associated with the resilience of school-aged children with atopic dermatitis. BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis, a common chronic skin condition in childhood with an increasing incidence rate, can impose many challenges to children and their families. DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: The participants were 102 children, 7-15 years old, who were diagnosed with atopic dermatitis at least six months prior to data collection. The instruments used were a self-report questionnaire on the resilience of children suffering a chronic illness, the Childrearing Behavior Questionnaire to examine parenting practices and the Personal Relationship Measurement to evaluate relationships with friends and teachers. Descriptive, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: There was statistically significant relationship between resilience and duration of illness (r = -0·312, p < 0·05), disease severity (r = -0·325, p < 0·05), the warmth-acceptance of mothers (r = 0·384, p < 0·01) and fathers (r = 0·363, p < 0·01) and relationship with friends (r = 0·343, p < 0·01) and teachers (r = 0·349, p < 0·01). There was no significant relationship between resilience and age, academic achievement, economic status, mother's age and education, parental rejection-restriction and permissiveness non-intervention variables. In multiple regression analysis, duration of illness (ß = -0·392, p < 0·01) and relationships with friends (ß = 0·300, p < 0·01) were identified as significant variables affecting resilience. CONCLUSIONS: School-aged children with atopic dermatitis who reported a shorter duration of illness, lower severity score and better relationships with parents, friends and teachers showed a higher resilience score than their counterparts. A comprehensive intervention programme for children with atopic dermatitis to promote the development of positive relationships with parents, friends and teachers is recommended. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The careful nursing intervention to build a positive relationship with parents, friends and teachers would be helpful to enhance the resilience of school-aged children having atopic dermatitis. Considering social context of school-aged children having chronic skin condition should be enclosed to set a nursing plan.

[A nationwide survey on current conditions of school health education].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze and assess the current situation of Korea's school health education program and to establish measures to efficiently carry out school health education in Korea. METHOD: The survey was conducted through the internet with the health educators of elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide to assess the current condition of school health education programs, and 2,459 samples were collected which accounted for 23.4% of the total respondents. RESULTS: According to school health educators on the enforcement of health education, the higher the education became, the less the health education was enforced. The enforcement rate was 96.9% in elementary schools, 76.7% in middle schools, and 67.3% in high schools. The major reasons were found as difficulty in securing class time (54.5%) and other excessive workloads (20.9%). As a result of the health education awareness survey, over 99% answered that health education is needed, over 80% answered that the education requires independent health textbooks, and over 95% answered that health educators are suitable for the person in charge of the education. CONCLUSION: This study will be a useful in establishing a detailed policy on enhancing school health education in the future.

[Perceptions of obesity and management behaviors of obese adolescents and their families in Korea].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of obesity and management behaviors of obese adolescents and their families in Korea. METHOD: Nine adolescents with moderate-degree obesity and of four their mothers of them were investigated using semi-structured interviews. RESULT: The perceptions of obesity was classified into four domains and obesity management behaviors was classified into three domains. The domains regarding the perceptions of obesity include definitions of obesity(a danger signal of health status, deviation status, symbols of growth), causes of obesity(out of balance), opinions about their obesity(contempt, negative preconception, superiority) and changes on thought and attitudes owing to obesity(shrinkage, repulsion, sustaining losses, decreased activity, decreased self-confidence, defensive behaviors). The domains regarding obesity management behaviors include attitude about the management of obesity(not having priority, optimistic view, ardent wish), management behaviors for correcting obesity(encouraging physical activity, control of diet, gathering information, trial of diet control), attitudes about performing the management behaviors for correcting obesity(inconsistency, non-autonomy, conflict). CONCLUSION: This study helps to enhance the understanding of the perception of obesity and management behaviors of obese adolescents and their families. Furthermore, based on this understanding, effective and appropriate heath management programs can be planned and conducted.