PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the effects of a support group intervention on the burden of primary family caregivers of stroke patients. METHOD: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were 36 primary family caregivers of stroke patients [experimental(N=18) and control(N=18) groups] in a neurosurgery ward of a university hospital. The experimental group members participated in six sessions of a support group intervention for two weeks and the degree of their caregiving burden was evaluated. Data was analyzed by Chi-square tests, t-tests, and paired t-tests using SPSS 10.0. RESULT: The experimental group had a significantly lower total burden score (t=2.061, p= .047)and sub-scales of emotional(t=-3.319, p= .002), time-dependent(t=-2.045, p= .049) and developmental(t=-2.656, p= .012) burden scores than the control group, while no significant differences were found in physical, social or financial burden scores between the two groups. Within the experimental group, there was a significant decrease in physical(t=2.507, p= .023), emotional(t=4.754, p= .000), social(t=2.932, p= .009), time- dependent(t=5.015, p= .000) and developmental(t=7.541, p= .000) burden scores but not the financial burden score. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a support group intervention can be utilized as an effective nursing program to reduce the burden of primary family caregivers of stroke patients.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Attitude to Health ; Caregivers/education/*psychology ; Family/*psychology ; Family Relations ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Nursing ; *Self-Help Groups ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Stroke/*nursing

Purpose: The degree of caring behavior of oncology nurses is a crucial factor in the care provided to patients with cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate factors related to oncology nurses’ caring behavior, including their resilience and professional quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 107 oncology nurses at an urban tertiary hospital from May 18 to 24, 2015.We used a self-report questionnaire to measure resilience, professional quality of life, and degree of caring behavior. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 20.0. Results: Oncology nurses presented with low levels of resilience and caring behavior, and high levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. There was a statistically significant relationship between the degree of caring behavior, resilience (r = .43, p < .001), compassion satisfaction (r = .51, p < .001), and burnout (r = - .42, p < .001), as well as between secondary traumatic stress and burnout (r = .34, p < .001). Factors associated with oncology nurses’ degree of caring behavior were compassion satisfaction (t = 6.00, p < .001) and educational level (t = 3.45, p = .001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that oncology nurses’ degree of caring behavior is related to their professional quality of life and education. These findings suggest that enhancing oncology nurses’ healthy coping strategies at both the individual and organizational levels can further develop holistic nursing care. Additionally, it is necessary to examine the factors affecting nurses’ compassion satisfaction and to try to promote this aspect.

Purpose: The significance of the healthcare industry has grown exponentially in recent years due to the impact of the fourth industrial revolution and the ongoing pandemic. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine domestic healthcare-related patents comprehensively. Big data analysis was used to present the trend and status of patents filed in nursing. Methods: The descriptive review was conducted based on Grant and Booth’s descriptive review framework. Patents related to nursing was searched in the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service between January 2016 to December 2020. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, phi-coefficient for correlations, and network analysis using the R program (version 4.2.2). Results: Among 37,824 patents initially searched, 1,574 were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Nursing-related patents did not specify subjects, and many patents (41.4%) were related to treatment in the healthcare delivery phase. Furthermore, most patents (56.1%) were designed to increase effectiveness. The words frequently used in the titles of nursing-related patents were, in order, “artificial intelligence,” “health management,” and “medical information,” and the main terms with high connection centrality were “artificial intelligence” and “therapeutic system.” Conclusion The industrialization of nursing is the best solution for developing the healthcare industry and national health promotion. Collaborations in education, research, and policy will help the nursing industry become a healthcare industry of the future. This will prime the enhancement of the national economy and public health.

The massive reorganization of microtubule network involves in transcriptional regulation of several genes by controlling transcriptional factor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) activity. The exact molecular mechanism by which microtubule rearrangement leads to NF-kappaB activation largely remains to be identified. However microtubule disrupting agents may possibly act in synergy or antagonism against apoptotic cell death in response to conventional chemotherapy targeting DNA damage such as adriamycin or comptothecin in cancer cells. Interestingly pretreatment of microtubule disrupting agents (colchicine, vinblastine and nocodazole) was observed to lead to paradoxical suppression of DNA damage-induced NF-kappaB binding activity, even though these could enhance NF-kappaB signaling in the absence of other stimuli. Moreover this suppressed NF-kappaB binding activity subsequently resulted in synergic apoptotic response, as evident by the combination with Adr and low doses of microtubule disrupting agents was able to potentiate the cytotoxic action through caspase-dependent pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that inhibition of microtubule network chemosensitizes the cancer cells to die by apoptosis through suppressing NF-kappaB DNA binding activity. Therefore, our study provided a possible anti-cancer mechanism of microtubule disrupting agent to overcome resistance against to chemotherapy such as DNA damaging agent.
Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use ; *Apoptosis ; Caspases/metabolism ; Cell Line ; Colchicine/pharmacology ; DNA/metabolism ; *DNA Damage ; Doxorubicin/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Mice ; Microtubules/chemistry/*drug effects/metabolism ; NF-kappa B/antagonists & inhibitors/*metabolism ; Neoplasms/drug therapy ; Nocodazole/pharmacology ; Protein Binding ; Signal Transduction ; Tubulin Modulators/*pharmacology ; Vinblastine/pharmacology

An esophageal duplication cyst (EDC) is a congenital anomaly of the foregut. EDCs are often asymptomatic, so they are found incidentally on chest radiographs. In symptomatic patients, EDCs present with cough, dyspnea, vomiting, dysphagia, and chest pain. Potential complications of EDCs include perforation, obstruction, bleeding, and infection. The rarity of this condition may hinder timely diagnosis, which may lead to life-threatening complications. This article describes a case of esophagitis and mediastinitis developed in a 12-month-old infant with an EDC. We emphasize that although rare, EDCs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-specific respiratory signs such as cough, dyspnea, and stridor.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in North Korean defectors who have been living in South Korea for more than one year. METHODS: We used questionnaires developed by the authors to collect sociodemographic data in addition to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Psychosocial Well-being Index to measure stress, and a social support scale. A total of 367 subjects were included in this study. RESULTS: The results showed that 30.5% of the men and 34.7% of the women reported depressive symptoms, and 33.1% of the men and 36.1% of the women exhibited signs of severe distress. Correlates of depressive symptoms were lack of occupation [odds ratio (OR)=2.198, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.247-3.873], having escaped without family (OR=1.725, 95% CI, 1.006-2.959), and a poor subjective sense of health status (OR=3.111, 95% CI, 1.591-6.085). CONCLUSION: Continuing vocational training and career management, psychological support programs, and intensive physical health services are needed to improve the mental health of this population.
Depression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Health Services ; Humans ; Male ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; United Nations