• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.581-592
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe nurses' experience of a career ladder program (CLP) in a general hospital in Korea. Methods: The data were collected from 15 nurses who participated in the CLP. Each nurse completed individual in-depth interviews, for which the main interview question was "How do you describe your experience of CLP?" All interview data were transcribed and were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Results: The core category of the experience of CLP was identified as "challenging to rebirth as an expert". The participants used five action/interaction strategies such as "taking some time for introspection", "appreciating the essence of nursing", "making use of feedback positively", "throwing away doubts about their own capabilities", "exerting themselves with confidence". The consequence of the process of adjusting to CLP was "positioning a differentiated expert". Conclusion: The results of this study show that participants recognized CLP as a powerful resource which leads them to professional growth and development. Thus, CLP could be utilized as a clinical career-promoting program and ultimately as a program for providing high-quality nursing services.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.282-291
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify clusters of nursing competency, and investigate the influence of reflective thinking, team learning climate, and learning organization building according to nursing competency clusters. Methods: Participants were 244 clinical nurses who worked in 4 general hospitals in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires during June and July, 2011. Nursing competency, levels of reflection hierarchy, team learning climate, and learning organization building were measured. Data were analyzed using frequencies, means, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and K-means cluster analysis with SPSS/WIN 20.0 version. Results: Nursing competency correlated positively with intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building (p<.001). There were three clusters of nursing competency in a clinical ladder, which were derived from cluster analysis, grouped as high, middle, and low competency. Intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building showed significant differences according to grouping of nursing competency. Conclusion: The results indicate that developing intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building would be useful strategies for enhancement of nursing competency.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.1027-1038
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to analyze the job of clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Methods: Through the "developing a curriculum (DACUM)" workshop, the definition of CRCs' role was described and CRCs' duties and tasks were identified. Finally, the developed duties and tasks were validated for importance, difficulty, and frequency. Results: A CRC is defined as the one who coordinates and performs tasks related to clinical research/trials among investigators, participants, and sponsors according to the Good Clinical Practice at institutions conducting clinical trials. Twelve duties and 78 tasks were identified on the DACUM chart which represented the importance, difficulty, and frequency of tasks represented as A, B, and C respectively. Based on determinant coefficient (DC) of the task, the highest ranked task was confirming the eligibility of participants for research (DC=8.03) and the lowest was inventory management for clinical study materials (3.95). Conclusion: In this study, the job of a CRC was analyzed through the DACUM process and it was found that CRCs were doing various duties and tasks. Based on these results, it is suggested that it is necessary to develop CRC education programs considering the career ladder of CRCs.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2006

Induction of apoptosis allows the organism to get rid of abnormal cells and also of tumor cells. Understanding the mechanism involved in Ultraviolet radiation (UV) induced apoptosis may improve its therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we present expression of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) during apoptosis induced by UV in HeLa $S_3$ cells. Four different assays were performed in this study: morphological assessment of apoptotic cells and cell viability, DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis, quantitative assay of fragmented DNA, and expression of PARP by the western blot analysis. The percentages of apoptotic HeLa $S_3$ cells irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV was increased continuously from 3 hrs incubation. DNA ladder pattern was appeared at 6 hrs. The amount of nucleosomal DNA fragments in cells treated UV increased from 3 to 12 hrs incubation and gradually decreased. The cleavage of PARP in HeLa $S_3$ cells irradiated with UV was induced, and the cleavage of PARP was more delayed in the cells pretreated with $5J/m^2$ UV and subsequently irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV. than that in the cells only irradiated with $75J/m^2$ UV. Thus these data suggest that the cleavage of PARP relates with DNA fragmentation associated with apoptosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2023

In humic substances, fulvic acid (FA) is a subclass of diverse compounds known as humic substances, which are by-products of organic degradation from microorganisms. FA can suppress the proliferation of tumor cells. Despite numerous studies, the exact mechanism for the various effects of FA is not clearly understood. Based on results demonstrating anti-proliferation effects on human cancer, we investigated whether FA has similar effects on lung cancer in this study. Firstly, the anti-cancer effect of FA in pulmonary epithelial tumor cell lines (TC-1 cells) was examined by confirming its inhibitory effect on the cell proliferation of TC-1 cells. TC-1 cell proliferation was reduced by FA on a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. After 24 hours of FA treatment, cell morphological changes such as cell volume decrease, non-adherence and increased number of apoptotic cells were clearly observed. In addition, FA induced a DNA ladder pattern by increased of DNA fragments in TC-1 cells. In the intracellular regulatory pathway by FA, we confirmed that FA induced the reduction of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 protein levels. These results indicate that FA has anticancer effect by inducing intracellular apoptotic pathway. Further research on the mechanism of anticancer effects will be basic data for the development of potential anticancer drugs.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.115-118
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• 2008

Salmonella typhi is frequent causes of foodborne illness and its detection is important for monitoring disease progression. In this study, by using general PCR and novel LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) assay, we evaluated the usefulness of LAMP assay for detection of Salmonella typhi. In this LAMP assay, forward inner primer (FIP) and back inner primer (BIP) was specially designed for recognizing target invA gene. Target DNA was amplified and visualized as ladder-like pattern of bands on agarose gel within 60 min under isothermal conditions at $65^{\circ}C$. When the sensitivity and reproducibility of LAMP were compared to general PCR, there was no difference of reproducibility but sensitivity of LAMP assay was more efficient than PCR (the detection limit of LAMP assay was 30 fg, while the PCR assay was 3 pg). These results indicate that the LAMP assay is a potential and valuable means for detection of Salmonella typhi, especially for its rapidity, simplicity and low cost.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1042-1048
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• 2008

Prostate cancer is the most predominant cancer in men and related death rate increases every year. Till date, there is no effective therapy for androgen independent prostate cancer. To investigate the mechanism for cell growth inhibition or apoptosis in human androgen independent prostate cancer PC-3 cells after gamma irradiation. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of gamma irradiation to induce apoptosis in PC-3 cells and to assess the mechanism of gamma irradiation-induced apoptosis. Five different assays were employed in this study: cell proliferation assay, morphological assessments of apoptotic cells, DNA fragmentation analysis, quantification of apoptosis by annexin V (AV) and propidium iodide (PI) staning, and western blot analysis. Cell viability was inversely related to radiation dose. DAPI-positive cells were detected 48 hr after 40 Gy radiation exposure. And nuclear morphological changes of cells were observed by gamma irradiation. DNA ladder patterns in the cells exposed to gamma-radiation were appeared at 24 hr. Also, gamma irradiation induces apoptosis of PC-3 cells via Caspase3, Bax and PARP-dependent fashion.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 1996

Background: Interferon-$\gamma$ has various biologic effects, including antiviral effect, antitumor proliferative effect, activation of macrophage and B lymphocyte, and increased expression of major histocompatibility complex. Especially, antitumor proliferative effect of interferon-$\gamma$ has already been proved to be important in vivo as well as in vitro. And, clinical studies of interferon-$\gamma$ have been tried in lung cancer patients. However, the mechanism of antitumor effect of interferon-$\gamma$ has not yet been established despite of many hypotheses. "Necrosis" is a type of cell death which is well known to occur in the circumstances of severe stresses. In contrast, "apoptosis" is another type of cell death which occurs in such biological circumstances as embryonic development, regression of organs, and self-tolerance of lymphocytes. And, apoptosis is an active process of cell death in which cells are dying with fragmentations of their cytoplasms and nuclei. And, in the process of apoptosis the DNAs of cells are cleaved between nucleosomes by unidentified endonuclease and therefore DNAs of apoptotic cells result in a typical electrophoresis pattern known as DNA ladder pattern. Recently it has been suggested that cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ occurs via apoptosis. To elucidate the mechanism of antitumor cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$, we microscopically observed a lung cancer cell line, A549 which was treated with interferon-$\gamma$. We observed A545 treated with interferon-$\gamma$ was dying fragmented. And so, we performed this study to find out that the mechanism of antitumor cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ be apoptosis. Method: We treated A549, human lung cancer cell line with various concentration of interferon-$\gamma$ and quantified its cytotoxic effect of various periods, 24 hours, 72 hours and, 120 hours by MTT(dimethylthiazolyl diphenyltetrazolium bromide) bioassay. Also, after we treated A549 with 100 units/mi of interferon-$\gamma$ for 120 hours, we observed the pattern of cell death with inverted microscope and we extracted DNAs from the dead A549 cells and observed the pattern of 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide staining. Result: 1) Cytotoxic effect of interferon-$\gamma$ on A549: For the first 24 hours, threre was little cytotoxic effect and for between 24 hours and 72 hours, there was the beginning of cytotoxic effect and for 120 hours there was increased cytotoxic effect. 2) Pattern of A549 cell death by interferon-$\gamma$: We observed with inverted microscope that A549 cells were dying fragmented. 3) DNA ladder pattern of gel electrophoresis: We observed DNA ladder pattern of gel electrophoresis of extracted DNAs from dead A549 cells. Conclusion: We concluded that the mechanism of interferon-$\gamma$induced cytotoxicity on lung cancer cell line, A549 be via apoptosis.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to find out drug use pattern of narcotic analgesics in university hospitals in Korea. A university hospital located in Kyungbuk province was chosen for this study. The drug use pattern was analyzed in terms of ingredient, administration route, patient type, and attending department. Amount of drug usage was counted by unit dose defined by the number of ampule or vial for injectable, tablet or capsule for oral, and each for patch preparations. Result showed that 11 narcotic analgesic ingredients were used during 2007-2009, and the drug usage was increased by about 20% annually during the period. Proportion of oral preparations used for pain management was about two third of all narcotic analgesics usage and kept increasing during the period. Proportion of the drug usage for outpatients was also steadily increased. Notably, the usage of oral preparations of oxycodone, morphine, and hydromorphone was rapidly increased for the management of cancer pain while the usage of codeine and codeine-containing composite preparations for cancer pain were minimal (<10%). About 90% of all narcotic analgesics were used by physicians in Internal Department, especially in Oncology Division of the Department. These findings suggest that pain management is becoming more aggressive and in agreement with WHO's guidelines regarding selection of administration route. However, in terms of 3-step ladder for cancer pain management, the drug use pattern was not congruent to WHO's guidelines. Therefore, in conclusion, it appears that physicians need to try to be congruent to the guidelines when using narcotic analgesics for cancer pain.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate in-service education needs in order to develop clinical competence of critical care nurses', and to identify contents which have to include in-service education according to nurses' characteristics. Methods: Data was collected using Critical Care Nurse Job Analysis Tool that was modified by professional team. Collected data was analyzed using the SPSS program. Results: Total 148 critical care nurses, who had worked at adult intensive care unit of one tertiary hospital in Seoul, filled out questionnaire. The results showed the participants highly needed education about cardiological nursing practices such as ECMO, pacemaker, cardiac tamponade. And there were significant correlations among in-service educational needs and ICU careers, preceptors experience, and charge nurse experience. Conclusion: It will be necessary for better nursing to develop in-service education is based on critical care nurse's need and their characteristics. Especially, it is important to develop and provide in-service education programs, which consider ICU nurse's differences for their career ladder and nursing preceptors.