PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a scale to measure the grit for nurses and to examine the validity and reliability of the scale. METHODS: Through a literature review and focus group interviews, 28 preliminary items were selected. After a content validity examination by experts, 35 items were chosen. The questionnaire survey for this study was conducted with 330 nurses from five hospitals in A city in Korea. Among them, 305 met the inclusion criteria for analyses. RESULTS: From the exploratory factor analysis to determine validity, three factors were drawn. The variance explanation by the three factors was 56.62%, which means that the scale explained grit in clinical nurses. The three factors were labeled as ‘sustained persistence’ (5 items), ‘consistency of interest as a nursing professional’ (5 items), and ‘Patient oriented intrinsic motivation’ (4 items). The grit for criterion-related validity showed that the correlation coefficient was .53 (p<.001), validating the developed scale. For internal consistency, Cronbach's α coefficient was .91. CONCLUSION Through the development process for the instrument as described above, the clinical nurses' grit was shown to have validity and reliability. Improving the grit of clinical nurses may contribute to prevention of turnover.

Genipin, an aglycone derived from geniposide found in Gardenia jasminoides, is known to be an excellent natural cross-linker, strong apoptosis inducer, and antiviral agent. Although evidence suggests antiviral activity of genipin in several in vitro viral infection systems, there have been few literatures which review antitumor effects of genipin in a variety of in vitro/in vivo models of cancers yet. In this review, we present some of the latest findings in the studies of genipin focusing on antitumor effects and its mechanisms. In brief, genipin inhibits mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 to increase accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to ROS/c-Jun N-terminal kinase-dependent apoptosis of cancer cells. Genipin also increase tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases (MMP), resulting to decrease activities of MMP-2 which plays a key role in metastasis of cancers. Genipin has shown a biphasic effects on cell death and survival in cancer cells as many other plant-derived phytochemicals do. Finally we discuss the potential of genipin as a promosing novel antitumor agent which could be applicable to chemotherapy and/or chemoprevention for cancers.
Apoptosis ; Cell Death ; Chemoprevention ; Drug Therapy ; Gardenia ; In Vitro Techniques ; Metalloproteases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phytochemicals ; Reactive Oxygen Species

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and behaviors of Korean women of reproductive age in regards to contraception counseling. Materials and Methods: The study sample was collected in Korea and comprised 1011 women aged 20–44 years and 150 obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) doctors. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing their current methods of contraception, knowledge of and satisfaction with contraceptive methods, and willingness to learn about and use other contraceptive methods. Results: Women used condoms (74.2%), natural methods (cycle control or withdrawal, 52.4%), and combined oral contraceptives (COCs) (36.9%) more frequently than long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods, such as hormone-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) (4.5%), copper-intrauterine devices (3.3%), and subdermal implants (1.4%). Although the proportion of women who used LARC was low, those who used hormone-releasing IUS or subdermal implants reported high levels of satisfaction. The findings revealed discordant results between women and OB/GYN doctors regarding the initiation and quality of information provided by doctors about contraception and overall satisfaction with counseling. Most women (83.1%) expressed a desire to have more information about various contraceptive methods. More than 60% of women reported a willingness to use LARC, such as hormone-releasing IUS or subdermal implants, when provided with detailed information in counseling. Conclusion The majority of Korean women are familiar with condoms and natural methods, but lack knowledge about alternative contraceptive methods, including LARC. Women who used LARC reported higher levels of satisfaction than those who used other methods.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and behaviors of Korean women of reproductive age in regards to contraception counseling. Materials and Methods: The study sample was collected in Korea and comprised 1011 women aged 20–44 years and 150 obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) doctors. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing their current methods of contraception, knowledge of and satisfaction with contraceptive methods, and willingness to learn about and use other contraceptive methods. Results: Women used condoms (74.2%), natural methods (cycle control or withdrawal, 52.4%), and combined oral contraceptives (COCs) (36.9%) more frequently than long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods, such as hormone-releasing intrauterine system (IUS) (4.5%), copper-intrauterine devices (3.3%), and subdermal implants (1.4%). Although the proportion of women who used LARC was low, those who used hormone-releasing IUS or subdermal implants reported high levels of satisfaction. The findings revealed discordant results between women and OB/GYN doctors regarding the initiation and quality of information provided by doctors about contraception and overall satisfaction with counseling. Most women (83.1%) expressed a desire to have more information about various contraceptive methods. More than 60% of women reported a willingness to use LARC, such as hormone-releasing IUS or subdermal implants, when provided with detailed information in counseling. Conclusion The majority of Korean women are familiar with condoms and natural methods, but lack knowledge about alternative contraceptive methods, including LARC. Women who used LARC reported higher levels of satisfaction than those who used other methods.

EBV infection has been causally associated with incidence of many carcinomas. EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) has been classified as a unique gastric carcinoma subset, suggesting EBV infection is related to the development of gastric cancer. In this study, general trends of EBVaGC studies for last half-decades were reviewed in several perspectives of clinical significance, virological importance and etiological interests. Throughout this comprehensive reviewing, new study trends of EBV and EBVaGC for next half-decades were suggested.
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Incidence ; Methylation ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms

Intermediate filaments, including nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), are important for the brain to accommodate neural activities and changes during development. The present study examined the temporal changes of nestin and GFAP protein levels in the postnatal development of the mouse hippocampus. Mouse hippocampi were sampled on postnatal day (PND) 1, 3, 6, 18, and 48. Western blot analysis showed that nestin expression was high at PND 1 and markedly decreased until PND 18. Conversely, GFAP expression was acutely increased in the early phase of postnatal development. Nestin immunoreactivity was localized mainly in the processes of ramified cells at PND 1, but expression subsequently decreased. In contrast, GFAP was evident mainly in the marginal cells of the hippocampus at PND 1, but immunoreactivity revealed satellite, radial, or ramified shapes of the cells from PND 6-48. This study demonstrates that the opposing pattern of nestin and GFAP expressions in mouse hippocampus during postnatal development occur in the early development stage (PND 1-18), suggesting that the opposing change of nestin and GFAP in early postnatal development is important for neural differentiation and positioning in the mouse hippocampus.
*Aging ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain/cytology/growth & development ; Female ; *Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/genetics/*metabolism ; Hippocampus/cytology/*growth & development/*metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intermediate Filament Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics/*metabolism ; Neurons/metabolism