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BACKGROUND The Cre-lox system is a non-dynamic method of gene modification and characterization. Promoters thought to be relatively cell-specific are utilized for generation of cell-lineage-specific gene modifications. METHODS CD11c.Cre+ITGA4fl/fl mice were generated to abolish the expression of ITGA (α4-integrin) in CD11c+ cells. Ex vivo flow cytometry studies were used to assess the expression of cellular surface markers in different lymphoid compartments and leukocytes subsets after Cre-mediated recombination. RESULTS A significant reduction of α4-integrin expression among CD11c+- cells was achieved in CD11c.Cre+ITGA4fl/fl mice in primary and secondary lymphoid tissues. A similar reduction in the expression of α4-integrin was also observed in CD11c- cells. CONCLUSION Cre-lox-mediated cell lineage-specific gene deletion is limited by the transient expression of recombination regulating sequences in hematopoietic cell lines. These methodological issues indicate the need to consider when to employ non-dynamic DNA recombination models in animal models of CNS autoimmunity. An experimental algorithm to address the biological complexities of non-dynamic gene recombination is provided. PURPOSE Hemiplegic patients often experience malnutrition and feeding risks due to disabilities and inadequate nursing support; nursing roles regarding mealtime assistance remain unclear in China. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the core knowledge and skills of nursing competency regarding mealtime assistance for hemiplegic patients in China. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of self-administered questionnaire to 640 nurses (response rate 57.7%) from two tertiary teaching hospitals and two sanatoriums was conducted. Survey content included 25 items regarding the mealtime assistance competency plus 6 items on demographic characteristics. The factor structure of the 25 items was explored and verified by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha. RESULTS Three factors including 22 items with a cumulative rate of 60.9% were identified “Assistance knowledge and skills for acute period”, “Knowledge about assistance and guidance for recovery period,” and “Professional basic knowledge regarding hemiplegia.” Its reliability was ensured with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from .86 to .96. In addition, evidence for its construct validity was obtained, as structural equation modeling revealed a good fit to the data within the allowable range based on various fit indices. CONCLUSIONS This study clarified the core knowledge and skills regarding mealtime assistance competency for hemiplegic patients, with “Assistance for acute period” most concerned, followed by “assistance and guidance for recovery period,” and “Professional basic knowledge,” and the latter two need more attention. Obtained results can provide useful evidence for competent nursing practice to improve the quality of mealtime assistance for hemiplegic patients in China. V.PURPOSE The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of dignity therapy for end-of-life cancer patients. MYK-461 solubility dmso MEATHODS This was a quasi-experimental study design with a non-randomized controlled trial. Dignity therapy was used as an intervention in the experimental group, and general visit was employed in the control group. Thirty end-of-life cancer patients were recruited, 16 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group. Outcome variables were participants’ dignity, demoralization, and depression. Measurements were taken as follows pre-test (prior to intervention), post-test 1 (the 7th day), and post-test 2 (the 14th day). The effectiveness of the interventions was analyzed the two groups was measured using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) with p value set to be less than 0.05. RESULTS After dignity therapy, the end-of-life cancer patients reflected increased dignity significantly (β = -37.08, SE = 7.43, Wald χ2 = 24.94, p less then .001), while the demoralization (β = -39.55, SE = 6.42, Wald χ2 = 37.95, p less then .001) and depression (β = -12.01, SE = 2.17, Wald χ2 = 30.71, p less then .001) were both reduced significantly. CONCLUSION Clinical nurses could be adopting dignity therapy to relieve psychological distress and improve spiritual need in end-of-life cancer patients. Future studies might be expanded to looking at patients vis-à-vis end-of-life non-cancer patients in order to improve their psychological distress. These results provide reference data for the care of end-of-life cancer patients for nursing professionals. V.PURPOSE The purpose of this study were to develop an SBAR fall simulation program for Korean nursing students and to evaluate its effectiveness. METHODS This study used a single-blind randomized control pretest-posttest design. The 54 nursing students in their third semester at a college in Korea were selected through convenience sampling (SBAR group 26, handoff group 28). SBAR-based program was provided to the experimental group while general handoff-based program was given to the control group. The program was designed for a total of three sessions each and no more than 120 minutes each. Measurement variables included the knowledge, skill, attitude, communication ability and its clarity related to falls. The data were analyzed with x2-test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 18.0 program. RESULTS The SBAR group showed the improved fall-related skill and communication clarity compared to the handoff group. There was a significant difference in the fall-related knowledge only in a time-dependent manner before and after intervention while there was no statistically significant difference in the attitude and communication ability related to falls. CONCLUSION SBAR-based simulation program revealed positive results in terms of patient safety of nursing college students compared to the general handoff-based method. Therefore, the SBAR-based simulation program is expected to be used as an educational intervention for nursing students not only to improve abilities in reporting and communication but to prevent or handle patient safety accidents efficiently. V.