Validating the revised Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities Scale with health care professionals.

Objective: Disability stigma has been linked with adverse chronic and acute health outcomes in people with disabilities. The present study updated the widely used Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons measure (to the revised Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities [ATPD] scale) among health care professionals and validated the measure using a disability stigma framework.

Design: A survey with 272 health care professionals and students was conducted.

Colorectal cancer screening disparities in Asian Americans: the influences of patient-provider communication and social media use.

Purpose: We examined the role of patient-provider communication (PPC) during in-person visits and via electronic communication and social media use on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Asian Americans (AAs) and Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) aged 50 and older.

Methods: Health Information National Trends Survey 2017-2020 data were analyzed.

Results: AAs tended to evaluate the quality of PPC during their in-person visits to a health care provider lower than NHWs.

A Technology-Enhanced Physical Activity Intervention: A Feasibility Study.

Using a single-group, pre-posttest design, we evaluated feasibility and acceptability of a technology-enhanced physical activity intervention in 43 midlife (aged 35-64) first-generation Korean American adults who were physically inactive. The intervention consisted of bi-weekly education sessions for 4 weeks, monthly small group walks for the following 8 weeks, and weekly reminder text messages during the entire intervention period. A 100% retention rate, 93% adherence, and 88.

Relationship between Acculturative Stress and Pain Catastrophizing in Korean Americans.

Acculturative stress is speculated to be a sociocultural factor contributing to pain since cultural beliefs and practices can influence the way patients perceive and respond to pain. However, the relationship between acculturative stress and pain catastrophizing remains poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the relationship between acculturative stress and pain catastrophizing in Korean Americans.

The Relationship Between β-Endorphin and Experimental Pain Sensitivity in Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of pain in people aged 45 years, and the knee is the most commonly affected joint. There is a growing interest in understanding the biological factors that influence pain among older adults, but few studies have examined the relationship between β-endorphin and experimental pain sensitivity in older adults with knee OA pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between resting plasma levels of β-endorphin and experimental pain sensitivity.

Association of CTRP13 With Liver Enzymes and Cognitive Symptoms in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease in which patients present with metabolic dysregulation and obesity as well as fat accumulation in the liver. Those with NAFLD frequently have symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. C1q/TNF-related protein 13 (CTRP13) regulates glucose metabolism and obesity in mice, yet the role of CTRP13 in human NAFLD has not been elucidated.

Trustworthiness, Readability, and Suitability of Web-Based Information for Stroke Prevention and Self-Management for Korean Americans: Critical Evaluation.

Background: Websites are common sources of health information to stroke survivors and caregivers for continual management of stroke and its long-term sequelae. The presence of risk factors and mortality rates related to stroke are high in Korean Americans. A vast majority of this group are active Web users and rely on the Web-based information due to lack of insurance and, thus, limited access to long-term stroke care.

Smoking Behaviors in Arab Americans: Acculturation and Health Beliefs.

Introduction: Arab Americans are a growing population in the United States. In the 2011 American Community Survey, the U.S.

Unidimensional and Bidimensional Approaches to Measuring Acculturation.

Background And Purpose: Researchers easily overlook the complexity of acculturation measurement in research. This study is to elaborate the shortcomings of unidimensional approaches to conceptualizing acculturation and highlight the importance of using bidimensional approaches in health research.

Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis on acculturation measures and eating habits obtained from 261 Korean American adults in a Midwestern city.

Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Americans: A Systematic Review.

Background: Despite Korean Americans being one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the United States, little is known about their cardiovascular health or cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risks and their contributing factors in Korean Americans and recommend future directions for the development of cardiovascular disease prevention or management research to meet the unique needs of this ethnic group.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review using databases of PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and identified 27 studies that reported the prevalence of cardiovascular disease or its risk factors in Korean Americans, published in English between 2000 and 2016.

Facilitators of and barriers to emergency medical service use by acute ischemic stroke patients: A retrospective survey.

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify facilitators and barriers to emergency medical service use among acute ischemic stroke patients in Korea.

Methods: This paper presents a secondary analysis of a retrospective survey that collected data from questionnaires and medical records. Among 233 acute ischemic stroke patients enrolled in a large-scale study, 160 patients who had arrived at a hospital within 72 h after symptom onset were included in the data analysis.

Decreased Interleukin-4 Release from the Neurons of the Locus Coeruleus in Response to Immobilization Stress.

It has been demonstrated that immobilization (IMO) stress affects neuroimmune systems followed by alterations of physiology and behavior. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is known to regulate inflammation caused by immune challenge but the effect of IMO on modulation of IL-4 expression in the brain has not been assessed yet. Here, it was demonstrated that IL-4 was produced by noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) of the brain and release of IL-4 was reduced in response to IMO.

Factors Associated With the Hospital Arrival Time in Patients With Ischemic Stroke in Korea.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability among the Korean population. Ischemic stroke patients tend to delay arrival at the hospital and often miss the "golden" 3-hour window, which is optimal for tissue plasminogen activator treatment.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to compare demographic, clinical/behavioral, and sociocultural characteristics of ischemic stroke patients who reside in urban and rural areas of Korea and to identify factors contributing to the time taken from symptom onset to hospital arrival.

IL-4 Inhibits IL-1β-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior and Central Neurotransmitter Alterations.

It has been known that activation of the central innate immune system or exposure to stress can disrupt balance of anti-/proinflammatory cytokines. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the modulation of depressive-like behaviors, the hormonal and neurotransmitter systems in rats. We investigated whether centrally administered IL-1β is associated with activation of CNS inflammatory pathways and behavioral changes and whether treatment with IL-4 could modulate IL-1β-induced depressive-like behaviors and central neurotransmitter systems.

Salivary Biomarkers of Chronic Psychosocial Stress and CVD Risks: A Systematic Review.

Background: The use of salivary biomarkers in stress research is increasing, and the precision and accuracy with which researchers are able to measure these biomarkers have dramatically improved. Chronic psychosocial stress is often linked to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Salivary biomarkers represent a noninvasive biological method of characterizing the stress phenomenon that may help to more fully describe the mechanism by which stress contributes to the pathogenesis and outcomes of CVD.

Integrative Review of Co-Occurring Symptoms Across Etiologies of Chronic Liver Disease and Implications for Symptom Management Research and Practice.

Purpose: Chronic liver disease affects over 30 million people worldwide, and despite advances in medical management that have increased survival, a majority of these individuals report multiple symptoms that severely impair function and quality of life. The purpose of this integrative review was to examine and summarize the current literature focused on self-reported symptoms in individuals with chronic liver disease in order to inform the development and delivery of symptom management strategies in clinical practice.

Design And Methods: Combinations of search terms related to the symptom experience were used to search three electronic databases.

Decreased low back pain intensity and differential gene expression following Calmare®: results from a double-blinded randomized sham-controlled study.

In this double-blinded, randomized controlled trial we evaluated the effects of Calmare®, a non-invasive neurocutaneous electrical pain intervention, on lower back pain intensity as measured by the "worst" pain score and on pain interference using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, on measures of pain sensitivity assessed by quantitative sensory testing, and on mRNA expression of pain sensitivity genes. Thirty participants were randomized to receive up to 10 sessions of Calmare® treatment (n = 15) or a sham treatment (n = 15) using the same device at a non-therapeutic threshold. At 3 weeks after conclusion of treatment, compared with the sham group, the Calmare® group reported a significant decrease in the "worst" pain and interference scores.

We stop for no storm: coping with an environmental disaster and public health research.

Coping with natural disasters is part of the public nurses' role, and the public health nursing (PHN) researcher is doubly challenged with continuing to conduct community-based research in the midst of the disaster. The PHN may provide service along with attempting to continue the research. The challenges faced by public/community health nurse researchers as a result of hurricane Ike are discussed to provide lessons for other public/community health researchers who may be affected by natural disasters in the future.

Psychological strains, salivary biomarkers, and risks for coronary heart disease among hurricane survivors.

Objective: To examine the associations of psychological strains, salivary biomarkers, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risks in hurricane survivors 2 years after Hurricane Ike in the United States.

Background: Hurricane survivors often suffer from long-lasting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other forms of psychological strain related to surviving a natural disaster and dealing with its aftermath. Psychological strains may be associated with biomarkers, which, in turn, may be associated with a higher incidence of CHD risks.

Shared symptoms and putative biological mechanisms in chronic liver disease: implications for biobehavioral research.

Liver disease affects over 25 million people in the United States and, despite advances in medical management resulting in increased survival, a majority of these individuals report multiple co-occurring symptoms that severely impair functioning and quality of life. The purpose of this review is to (1) propose defining these co-occurring symptoms as a symptom cluster of chronic liver disease (CLD), (2) discuss putative underlying biological mechanisms related to CLD, including the liver-gut-brain axis and influence of the microbiome, and (3) discuss the implications for biobehavioral research in this patient population. Biobehavioral research focusing on the interrelated, and possibly synergistic, mechanisms of these symptoms may lead to the development and testing of targeted symptom management interventions for improving function and quality of life in this growing patient population.

Effect of acculturation and mutuality on family loyalty among Mexican American caregivers of elders.

Purpose: Informal family care for elders is conventional in Mexican American communities despite increasing intergenerational gaps in filial values. In our study, we explored whether acculturation and dyadic mutuality, as perceived by Mexican American family caregivers, explain the caregivers' expectations of family loyalty toward elderly relatives.

Design: A nonexperimental, correlational design with convenience sampling was used in El Paso, Texas, from October 2007 to January 2008.

Web-based comprehensive information system for self-management of diabetes mellitus.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a web-based comprehensive information system, consisting of Internet and cellular phone use, on blood glucose control.

Methods: We established eMOD (electronic Management of Diabetes), a web-based ubiquitous information system, for cell phone users along with a website for Internet users to provide diabetes education. We examined whether this information system has the same impact on glycemic control as conventional education for the diabetes patient.

Needle-free acupuncture benefits both patients and clinicians.

Objective: This study examined whether a needle-free acupuncture can be an alternative to conventional needle injection acupuncture.

Methods: Patients (n=101) suffering myofascial shoulder pain were randomly assigned to either needle-free or conventional needle injection acupuncture group. Bee venom was administered into GB21 (Gyeonjeong) acupuncture point for both groups.

Electroacupuncture analgesia in rat ankle sprain pain model: neural mechanisms.

Objectives: Acupuncture, an alternative medical therapy with a long history, is appealing because it can activate endogenous analgesic mechanisms by minimally invasive means. The mechanisms of acupuncture, however, are not well understood yet. The following sentence was removed from our original manuscript.