Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the positive outcomes of fixed night shift, such as fatigue recovery experiences, work-life balance, and retention intentions, among nurses who had experienced both rotating shifts and fixed night shift. Methods: A single-cohort pre-post study design was used to compare the fatigue recovery experience, work-life balance, and retention intentions of nurses who have experienced fixed night shift. The study included 59 nurses working at a single university hospital in Seoul from September 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, paired t-test using the R statistical program. Results: The results revealed that acute and chronic fatigue levels decreased among nurses of night shifts during fatigue recovery assessment.However, the inter-shift recovery score did not improve, indicating that nurses' fatigue recovery was insufficient. Work-life balance scores increased, particularly in the area of work-leisure balance. Retention intention also improved among nurses of fixed night shift, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the successful establishment of a fixed night shift system will reduce the turnover rate of the next generation of nurses and create a medical environment where nurses can spend more time on direct patient nursing care. Furthermore, we hope to improve the quality of life of nurses and improve the health outcomes of patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the positive outcomes of fixed night shift, such as fatigue recovery experiences, work-life balance, and retention intentions, among nurses who had experienced both rotating shifts and fixed night shift. Methods: A single-cohort pre-post study design was used to compare the fatigue recovery experience, work-life balance, and retention intentions of nurses who have experienced fixed night shift. The study included 59 nurses working at a single university hospital in Seoul from September 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, paired t-test using the R statistical program. Results: The results revealed that acute and chronic fatigue levels decreased among nurses of night shifts during fatigue recovery assessment.However, the inter-shift recovery score did not improve, indicating that nurses' fatigue recovery was insufficient. Work-life balance scores increased, particularly in the area of work-leisure balance. Retention intention also improved among nurses of fixed night shift, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the successful establishment of a fixed night shift system will reduce the turnover rate of the next generation of nurses and create a medical environment where nurses can spend more time on direct patient nursing care. Furthermore, we hope to improve the quality of life of nurses and improve the health outcomes of patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the positive outcomes of fixed night shift, such as fatigue recovery experiences, work-life balance, and retention intentions, among nurses who had experienced both rotating shifts and fixed night shift. Methods: A single-cohort pre-post study design was used to compare the fatigue recovery experience, work-life balance, and retention intentions of nurses who have experienced fixed night shift. The study included 59 nurses working at a single university hospital in Seoul from September 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, paired t-test using the R statistical program. Results: The results revealed that acute and chronic fatigue levels decreased among nurses of night shifts during fatigue recovery assessment.However, the inter-shift recovery score did not improve, indicating that nurses' fatigue recovery was insufficient. Work-life balance scores increased, particularly in the area of work-leisure balance. Retention intention also improved among nurses of fixed night shift, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the successful establishment of a fixed night shift system will reduce the turnover rate of the next generation of nurses and create a medical environment where nurses can spend more time on direct patient nursing care. Furthermore, we hope to improve the quality of life of nurses and improve the health outcomes of patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the positive outcomes of fixed night shift, such as fatigue recovery experiences, work-life balance, and retention intentions, among nurses who had experienced both rotating shifts and fixed night shift. Methods: A single-cohort pre-post study design was used to compare the fatigue recovery experience, work-life balance, and retention intentions of nurses who have experienced fixed night shift. The study included 59 nurses working at a single university hospital in Seoul from September 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, paired t-test using the R statistical program. Results: The results revealed that acute and chronic fatigue levels decreased among nurses of night shifts during fatigue recovery assessment.However, the inter-shift recovery score did not improve, indicating that nurses' fatigue recovery was insufficient. Work-life balance scores increased, particularly in the area of work-leisure balance. Retention intention also improved among nurses of fixed night shift, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, the successful establishment of a fixed night shift system will reduce the turnover rate of the next generation of nurses and create a medical environment where nurses can spend more time on direct patient nursing care. Furthermore, we hope to improve the quality of life of nurses and improve the health outcomes of patients.

Objective: Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. Methods: Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Results: Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. Conclusion This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.

PURPOSE: Programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) axis blockades have revolutionized the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We assessed the effect of platinum-based chemotherapy on tumor PD-L1 expression and its clinical implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used immunohistochemistry to retrospectively evaluate the percentage of tumor cells with membranous PD-L1 staining (tumor proportion score) in paired tumor specimens obtained before and after platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in 86 patients with NSCLC. We analyzed the correlation between the change in PD-L1 tumor proportion score and clinicopathologic characteristics, response to NACT, and survival. RESULTS: The PD-L1 tumor proportion score increased in a significant proportion of patients with NSCLC after platinum-based NACT (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p=0.002). That pattern was consistent across clinically defined subgroups except for patients with partial response to NACT. Tumors from 26 patients (30.2%) were PD-L1‒negative before NACT but PD-L1-positive after NACT, whereas the reverse pattern occurred in six patients (7%) (McNemar’s test, p < 0.001). Increase in PD-L1 tumor proportion score was significantly associated with lack of response to NACT (Fisher exact test, p=0.015). There was a tendency, albeit not statistically significant, for patients with an increase in PD-L1 tumor proportion score to have shorter survival. CONCLUSION: Tumor PD-L1 expression increased after platinum-based NACT in a significant proportion of patients with NSCLC. Increase in tumor PD-L1 expression may predict poor clinical outcome.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Platinum ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

In the neural engineering field, physiological dysfunctions are approached by identifying the target nerves and providing artificial stimulation to restore the function. Neural stimulation and recording technologies play a central role in this approach, and various engineering devices and stimulation techniques have become available to the medical community. For bladder control problems, electrical stimulation has been used as one of the treatments, while only a few emerging neurotechnologies have been used to tackle these problems. In this review, we introduce some recent developments in neural stimulation technologies including microelectrode array, closed-loop neural stimulation, optical stimulation, and ultrasound stimulation.
Electric Stimulation ; Microelectrodes ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to estimate total sugar intake and identify major food sources of total sugar intake in the diet of the Korean population. METHODS: Dietary intake data of 33,745 subjects aged one year and over from the KNHANES 2008-2011 were used in the analysis. Information on dietary intake was obtained by one day 24-hour recall method in KNHANES. A database for total sugar content of foods reported in the KNHANES was established using Release 25 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, a total sugar database from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and information from nutrition labeling of processed foods. With this database, total sugar intake of each subject was estimated from dietary intake data using SAS. RESULTS: Mean total sugar intake of Koreans was 61.4 g/person/day, corresponding to 12.8% of total daily energy intake. More than half of this amount (35.0 g/day, 7.1% of daily energy intake) was from processed foods. The top five processed food sources of total sugar intake for Koreans were granulated sugar, carbonated beverages, coffee, breads, and fruit and vegetable drinks. Compared to other age groups, total sugar intake of adolescents and young adults was much higher (12 to 18 yrs, 69.6 g/day and 19 to 29 yrs, 68.4 g/day) with higher beverage intake that beverage-driven sugar amounted up to 25% of total sugar intake. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that more elaborated and customized measures are needed for control of sugar intake of different subpopulation groups, even though current total sugar intake of Koreans was within the range (10-20% of daily energy intake) recommended by Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. In addition, development of a more reliable database on total sugar and added sugar content of foods commonly consumed by Koreans is warranted.
Adolescent ; Agriculture ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Beverages ; Bread ; Carbonated Beverages ; Coffee ; Diet ; Energy Intake ; Food Labeling ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Vegetables ; Young Adult

One of the most important prognostic factors in esophageal carcinoma is lymph node metastasis, and in particular, the number of affected lymph nodes, which influences long-term outcomes. The esophageal lymphatic system is connected longitudinally and transversally; thus, the pattern of lymph node metastases is very complex. Early esophageal cancer frequently exhibits skipped metastasis, and minimal surgery using sentinel node navigation cannot be performed. In Korea, most esophageal cancer cases are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), although the incidence of adenocarcinoma has started to increase recently. Most previous reports have failed to differentiate between SCC and adenocarcinoma, despite the fact that the Union for International Cancer Control (7th edition) and American Joint Committee on Cancer staging systems both consider these separately because they differ in cause, biology, lymph node metastasis, and outcome. Endoscopic tumor resection is an effective and safe treatment for lesions with no associated lymph node metastasis. Esophageal mucosal cancer confined to the lamina propria is an absolute indication for endoscopic resection, and a lesion that has invaded the muscularis mucosae can be cured by local resection if invasion to the lymphatic system has not occurred.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Incidence ; Joints ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic System ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Neoplasm Staging

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a widely accepted treatment for early gastric and esophageal cancer. Compared to endoscopic mucosal resection, ESD has the advantage of enabling en bloc removal of tumors regardless of their size. However, ESD can result in a large artificial ulcer, which may lead to a considerable deformity. Circumferential mucosal defects of more than three-fourths the esophageal circumference, long longitudinal mucosal defects (>30 mm), and lesions in the upper esophagus are significant risk factors for the development of post-ESD strictures of the esophagus. In the stomach, a circumferential mucosal defects more than three-fourths in extent and longitudinal mucosal defects >5 cm are risk factors of post-ESD stricture. If scheduled early, regular endoscopic balloon dilation is effective in controlling and preventing post-ESD stricture. Moreover, intralesional steroid injections or oral steroids can achieve remission of dysphagia or reduce the need for repeated endoscopic balloon dilation. However, further study is needed to improve the prevention of stricture formation.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagus ; Risk Factors ; Steroids ; Stomach ; Ulcer