• Title/Summary/Keyword: Intervention Strategies

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Carcinogen-DNA and Protein Adducts-Markers of Exposure and Risk

  • Sanetella, Regina M.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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    • 2002.05b
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    • pp.1-19
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    • 2002
  • It is well established that the initiating event in chemical carcinogenesis is the binding of reactive carcinogens to DNA. Thus, a number of analytic methods have been developed for determining levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts in humans as a marker of individual exposure and, potentially, of risk for cancer development. In addition, reactive carcinogens also bind to protein suggesting protein adducts can be used as a surrogate for DNA adducts in some situations. We have developed monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to carcinogen-DNA and protein adductis and highly sensitive ELISA and immunohistochemical assays for determining levels of adducts in human tissues. These studies have demonstrated higher levels of adducts in those with higher exposure as a result of workplace, dietary, chemotherapy, environmental of lifestyle (smoking) exposures. Elevated levels of adducts have been found in lung and liver cancer cases compared to controls. We have also used DNA adducts to determine efficacy of an antiosidant vitamin intervention. DNA adduct studies have demonstrated very different levels of damage in those with similar exposure levels. These interindividual differences are likely the result genetic differences in capacity to activate carcinogens, detoxify reactive intermediates and repair DNA adducts once formed. We are currently investigating the relationship between polymorphisms in a number of these genes to determine their relationship to adduct levels as well as their ability to confer increased risk for cancer development. The ability to identify high risk individuals will allow the targeting of screening and preventive strategies to those most likely to benfit.

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Recent Advances in Toxoplasma gondii Immunotherapeutics

  • Lim, Sherene Swee-Yin;Othman, Rofina Yasmin
    • Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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    • v.52 no.6
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    • pp.581-593
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    • 2014
  • Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii is widespread globally and causes severe diseases in individuals with impaired immune defences as well as congenitally infected infants. The high prevalence rate in some parts of the world such as South America and Africa, coupled with the current drug treatments that trigger hypersensitivity reactions, makes the development of immunotherapeutics intervention a highly important research priority. Immunotherapeutics strategies could either be a vaccine which would confer a pre-emptive immunity to infection, or passive immunization in cases of disease recrudescence or recurrent clinical diseases. As the severity of clinical manifestations is often greater in developing nations, the development of well-tolerated and safe immunotherapeutics becomes not only a scientific pursuit, but a humanitarian enterprise. In the last few years, much progress has been made in vaccine research with new antigens, novel adjuvants, and innovative vaccine delivery such as nanoparticles and antigen encapsulations. A literature search over the past 5 years showed that most experimental studies were focused on DNA vaccination at 52%, followed by protein vaccination which formed 36% of the studies, live attenuated vaccinations at 9%, and heterologous vaccination at 3%; while there were few on passive immunization. Recent progress in studies on vaccination, passive immunization, as well as insights gained from these immunotherapeutics is highlighted in this review.

Effects of Self-esteem on Nursing Students' Resilience (간호대학생의 자아존중감이 회복탄력성에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Jong Kyung;Yoo, Kyung Hee
    • Journal of muscle and joint health
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.261-269
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of self-esteem and resilience and to investigate factors affecting on the resilience among nursing students. Methods: The subjects for this study were 175 nursing students and the data were collected from November 15 to December 20, 2016. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression. Results: Subjects' mean scores of self-esteem and resilience were 3.60 and 3.78, respectively, on a 5-point scale. There were significant differences in the level of resilience among grade (F=3.30, p<.001). The post-hoc test showed that the resilience level of the fourth-grade subjects was significantly higher than that of the third-grade. There were no significant differences in the level of resilience according to gender, religion, residence type, and economic level. Self-esteem was positively correlated with resilience (r=.80, p<.001) and economic level (r=.20, p=.007). The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that self-esteem was a significant predictor for resilience (β=.81, p<.001) which explained 64.7% of the total variance. Conclusion: Self-esteem was an significant factor for nursing students' resilience. Therefore, intervention strategies should be developed for nursing students to improve their self-esteem.

Features Related to Smoking and Psychological Characteristics of Coronary Artery Patients Associated with the Stage of Change in Smoking Cessation (금연변화단계에 따른 관상동맥질환자들의 흡연관련 특성과 심리적 특성)

  • Kim, Hwa Soon
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.592-601
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    • 2005
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in smoking related characteristics and psychological features of coronary artery patients by the stages of change in smoking cessation behaviors. Method: Subjects for this survey were 97 patients who were smoking when doctors diagnosed them to have coronary artery diseases. Result: Subjects were distributed 21.6% in precontemplation stage, 24.7% in contemplation stage, 17.5% in preparation stage, 19.6% in action stage, and 16.5% in maintenance stage respectively. The numbers of previous attempts to quit smoking of subjects in precontemplation stage(mean=3.00, SD=3.71) and contemplation stage(mean=2.63, SD=2.32) were significantly lower than that of subjects in preparation stage(mean=5.82, SD=6.20). Benefit scores of subjects in maintenance stage were significantly greater than those of subjects in precontemplation stage. Self-efficacy, barriers, seriousness, and nicotine dependency were not significantly different by the stages of change. Number of signs and symptoms related to smoking which subjects were experiencing were not significant by the stages of change too. Conclusion: Future intervention programs for smoking cessation should be focused on the strategies to enhance the realization of health benefits that patients might acquire from smoking cessation.

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Nurses' Experiences of End of Life Care of Older Adults with Dementia (간호사의 치매노인 말기 돌봄에 대한 경험)

  • Kim, Chun-Gill;Lee, Young Hee
    • Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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    • v.29 no.2
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    • pp.119-130
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the nurses' experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia living in long-term care hospitals and geriatric care facilities. Methods: The participants were nine nurses. Open in-depth interviews were used to collect data from June, 2016 to November, 2016. Colaizzi's phenomenological approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Three categories were identified. The nurses' reported experiences of end of life care of older adults with dementia were 'warm care with living together', 'care for family', and the 'self-reflection and responsibility as a nurse'. There were ten clusters of themes and 24 themes. The participants stated that the end of life care of older adults with dementia were individualized holistic care with dignity, being in older adults with dementia and family, and responsibility as a professional. Nurses reported the need for dementia hospice care. Conclusion: These results could be considered in planning nursing intervention for hospice care. The findings support the need for educational strategies and programs to improve end of life care among older adults with dementia.

Addressing Factors Associated with Arab Women's Socioeconomic Status May Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality: Report from a Well Resourced Middle Eastern Country

  • Donnelly, Tam Truong;Al Khater, Al-Hareth;Al Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith;Al-Bader, Salha Bujassoum;Abdulmalik, Mariam;Al-Meer, Nabila;Singh, Rajvir;Fung, Tak
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.15
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    • pp.6303-6309
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    • 2015
  • Differences in socioeconomic status (SES) such as income levels may partly explain why breast cancer screening (BCS) disparities exist in countries where health care services are free or heavily subsidized. However, factors that contribute to such differences in SES among women living in well resourced Middle East countries are not fully understood. This quantitative study investigated factors that influence SES and BCS of Arab women. Understanding of such factors can be useful for the development of effective intervention strategies that aim to increase BCS uptake among Arab women. Using data from a cross-sectional survey among 1,063 Arabic-speaking women in Qatar, age 35+, additional data analysis was performed to determine the relationship between socioeconomic indicators such as income and other factors in relation to BCS activities. This study found that income is determined and influenced by education level, occupation, nationality, years of residence in the country, level of social activity, self-perceived health status, and living area. Financial stress, unemployment, and unfavorable social conditions may impede women's participation in BCS activities in well resourced Middle East countries.

Suppression of Human Fibrosarcoma Cell Metastasis by Phyllanthus emblica Extract in Vitro

  • Yahayo, Waraporn;Supabphol, Athikom;Supabphol, Roongtawan
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.11
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    • pp.6863-6867
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    • 2013
  • Phyllanthus emblica (PE) is known to exhibit various pharmacological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antimetastatic potential of a PE aqueous extract. Cytotoxicity to human fibrosarcoma cells, HT1080, was determined by viability assay using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol,2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reagent. Cell migration and invasion were investigated using chemotaxis chambers containing membranes precoated with collagen IV and Matrigel, respectively. Cell attachment onto normal surfaces of cell culture plates was tested to determine the cell-adhesion capability. The molecular mechanism of antimetastatic activity was assessed by measuring the gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases, MMP2, and MMP9, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The mRNA levels of both genes were significantly down-regulated after pretreatment with PE extract for 5 days. Our findings show the antimetastatic function of PE extract in reducing cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion in both dose- and time-dependent manners, especially growth arrest with low $IC_{50}$ value. A decrease in the expression of both MMP2 and MMP9 seems to be the cellular mechanism for antimetastasis in this case. There is a high potential to use PE extracts clinically as an optional adjuvant therapeutic drug for therapeutic intervention strategies in cancer therapy or chemoprevention.

A Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experience of Train Operators Exposed to Person under Train (PUT) (사상사고에 노출된 기관사의 경험에 대한 현상학적 연구)

  • Kim, Youngjoo;Choi, Heeseung
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.98-106
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: To understand the meaning of the lived experience with Person under train (PUT) for train or subway operators. Methods: The study was built on hermeneutic phenomenological themes from individual interviews of present-day train or subway operators in South Korea. Eight participants were selected to participate in the study. All qualitative data were analyzed using the heuristic guides of Van Manen. Results: Four fundamental lifeworld themes and eight sub themes emerged in the findings. The first theme of spatiality had'the place pressed by the darkness' and 'the train drags me there'. The second theme, corporeality had 'a foreboding fear', and 'debris of death that gets stuck in the whole body'. The temporality theme had'distorted time in chaos', and 'memory trapped in time'. Finally the last existential theme of relationality had 'intrapersonal encounter' and 'resentment and guilt'. Conclusion: The four existential lifeworld themes provided a framework for in-depth investigation of the operator's "lived experience." This leads to clear understanding of effects of PUT experience on related individuals. The findings imply that specific active nursing intervention strategies are necessary in order to treat affected train operators, and to prevent further issues in their work and private life.

The Influence of Drinking, Stress, and Sleep on Depression of Korean Obese Women by Different Age Groups (한국 비만여성의 음주, 스트레스, 수면이 우울에 미치는 영향: 연령대별 비교)

  • Jeon, Hae Ok
    • Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.451-463
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the drinking, stress, and sleep on depression of Korean obese women. Methods: The data of this study were derived from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI-3), conducted from January to December 2015 by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study subjects were 935 adult women between 20 and 70 years old (Body Mass Index${\geq}25$). The data were analyzed by the complex sampling design method applying the weights to the IBM SPSS 23.0 program. Results: The study result showed that the frequency of binge drinking, stress perception, sleeping time and depression of Korean obese women showed significant differences according to age group. In the 20-30's, the stress and sleeping time, the 40-50's were drinking at once, the frequency of drinking and stress, and the drinking and stress at 60-70's were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression in obese women. Conclusion: The intervention program for the management of depression in Korean obese women should include the strategies for managing stress and drinking, taking into account differences according to age.

A Study on the Quality of Life for Home Care Nursing Patient (가정간호대상자의 삶의 질에 영향을 미치는 요인)

  • Kwak, Kyung-Sun;Jung, Hye-Sun
    • Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.136-154
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    • 2005
  • Purpose : This study purposed to conduct a comprehensive survey of home care nursing clients' quality of life based on the PRECEDE model. Method : This study selected 74 home care nursing clients registered at a university hospital in Incheon and performed face-to-face interviews by structured questionnaire. The research period was two months from the $2^{nd}$ of February to the $30^{th}$ of March in 2004. Result : According to the result of assessment at each stage of the PRECEDE model, home care nursing clients' quality of life was 13.88 out of 25 points, health level 15.22 out of 21, abilities to perform activities of daily living 29.26 out of 100, cognitive abilities 16.00 out of 30, social support 13.68 out of 20, and satisfaction with home care nursing service 33.26 out of 40. According to the result of stepwise regression in order to identify factors influencing home care nursing clients' quality of life, social support and abilities of daily living were found to be significant variables among the characteristics of each assessment stage. Conclusion : It is necessary to develop nursing intervention strategies for strengthening social support and enhancing abilities to perform activities of daily living in order to improve home nursing clients' quality of life.

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