Cognitive Function in Korean Women Diagnosed with Early Stage Breast Cancer.

Cognitive deficits have been reported in western women following chemotherapy for breast cancer (BC). Attention and working memory deficits may negatively impact women’s abilities in performing in daily activities, dealing with stressful situations, and maintaining health-related quality of life. However, little is known about cognitive deficits in Korean women with BC. Furthermore, no research has examined cultural effects on cognitive deficits although cultural context can influence cognitive processing, thereby affecting performance and responses. This study investigated the incidence and severity of attention and working memory deficits in Korean women treated with chemotherapy for early stage BC and explored factors contributing to cognitive deficits. Based on the biobehavioral-neurocultural framework, demographic, general health, and medical characteristics, physical and psychological symptoms (fatigue, anxiety and depressed mood, sleep problem, and symptom distress), and cultural characteristics (cultural attitude of collectivism, housework burden, childrearing burden, and self-blame tendency about BC diagnosis) were considered as potential covariates. Assessment with established neurocognitive measures and self-reports of cognitive function and potential covariates was conducted in 32 BC participants about four months following chemotherapy and in 32 non-BC participants after negative screening mammography. Comparative statistics and multiple regression analyses were used. BC participants showed higher incidence and greater severity of cognitive deficits than non-BC participants. Specifically, BC participants had lower scores on neurocognitive tests, worse performance in the attention network test, and lower scores on perceived cognitive function than non-BC participants. These group differences were medium to large. Being in the BC group, older age, and lower educational level significantly predicted poorer cognitive performance while being in the BC group was found to be a predictor of better effectiveness of cognitive function. Interestingly, the number of symptoms regardless of severity was found to be an important predictor of worse performance and lower effectiveness in cognitive function. Depressed mood significantly predicted lower effectiveness in cognitive functioning. Cultural attitude of collectivism was a significant predictor of poorer cognitive performance, while having a daughter and lower childrearing burden predicted better effectiveness in cognitive functioning. These factors should be considered when designing therapeutic interventions to improve cognitive function in Korean women with BC.Ph.D.NursingUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91436/1/msjung_1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91436/2/msjung_2.pd

Eine Untersuchung zur Textkohärenz in Zeitungsartikeln und Märchen

Die Untersuchung bezweckt, die Fähigkeiten deutschlernender Koreaner beim Verstehen und Schreiben deutschsprachiger Texte zu verbessern und zu fördern. Die Ergebnisse sprachlicher Reflexionen und Übungen im Deutschunterricht sollten nicht Selbstzweck bleiben, sondern in der sprachlichen Alltagspraxis ihre Anwendung erfahren

On Toleration in Social Work

Toleration is one of many responses toward diversity and difference. With the growing diversity, the theme of toleration has often taken center stage in discussions of multiculturalism and social pluralism. Nonetheless, it has not received much attention in the social work profession. Social workers often encounter situations in which they face a choice between tolerating and not tolerating. We argue that toleration is a legitimate and relevant topic in social work discourse. To make this point, first, this paper discusses different conceptions of toleration. Then, it demonstrates its relevance to social work and explores a potential benefit of including the idea of toleration in social work discourse. Social work code of ethics implicitly supports toleration, or at least respect-toleration and esteem-toleration. Incorporating toleration in social work discourse may help social workers to better cope with or reduce ethical stress and disjuncture

Sample Size for Biosimilar Trials: In Defense of Synthesis

Biosimilars are biological products similar to, but not the same as, the innovator products. Both the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration have released detailed guidance on the development of biosimilars. This guidance requires the pivotal phase 3 clinical study to have an equivalence design, which means that the study objective is to demonstrate that one treatment is neither "worse than" nor "better than" the other by some clinically unimportant" amount. The most critical and controversial step in designing such a study is the choice of equivalence margin, as this determines the conclusion of the study. In this paper, we outline the methodology for determining an equivalence margin and, through case studies on biosimilar trastuzumab (HERCEPTIN ) and biosimilar bevacizumab (AVASTIN), explain the challenges of applying this in practice and why the synthesis method should be given greater consideration by regulatory authorities and biosimilar developers

A research design in technology-enhanced scaffolding in language teaching: What lessonLAMS can offer at the interface of educational and language learning research

This chapter aims to provide a language learning design principle using the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) as a platform in authentic classroom situations. A LessonLAMS sequence has been developed for this research project and was designed using a ‘Dynamic Scaffolding Technique’ within the learner’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky & Cole, 1978). Participants for this study were South East Queensland secondary students who are studying Korean as a foreign language as an elective subject. The learning design of the LessonLAMS sequence was incorporated in classroom instruction with the research focus on technology-enhanced learning tasks, which was designed and implemented in the foreign language classroom at the participating school.No Full Tex

Tai Chi for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Quality of Life in Elderly Patients with Benign Prostate Hypertrophy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tai chi exercise has been recommended as suitable for the improvement of health in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of tai chi on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs), quality of life (QoL), and sex hormone levels in patients with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). The elderly patients with BPH were randomized to receive tai chi or usual care. Fifty-six participants were randomized into either the tai chi group (n = 28) or the control group (n = 28). After 12 weeks of treatment, the tai chi group showed significant improvement in LUTS and QoL. There was a significant effect of tai chi on testosterone but no significant effect on insulin or glucose. No serious adverse events were observed during the study period. In conclusion, our results suggest that 12 weeks of tai chi may improve LUTS and QoL in elderly patients with BPH

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Related to Shift Work among Korean Workers Aged from 30 to 49 Years

This study was to compare health behaviors between day workers (DW ) and shift workers (SW), and to investigate the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among 30-49 years Korean workers. SW showed higher prevalence of smoking than DW. The proportion of adequate sleep was lower in SW than in DW. DW showed high.er prevalence of impaired fasting glucose, however, there were no significant differences in hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and metabolic syndrome between DW and SW. Further research is recommended to include mediating factors such as organizational culture or working time, etc., for scrutinizing the association between work type and CVD risk factors