PURPOSE: This study was done to comparatively analyze the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea. METHODS: Ten university 4-yr nursing schools were selected based on universities in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010 or "2009 Korea's Best Universities-Top 10" published by Joong-Ang Daily. Ten college 3-yr nursing schools were selected based on colleges in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010. RESULTS: 1) Generally 4-yr nursing schools maintained the relationships between organizational philosophy/purposes and subjects in the general education curriculum. But 3-yr nursing schools did not. 2) In 4-yr nursing schools there was a relatively higher credits ratio of general education curriculum and selective courses than in 3-yr nursing schools. 3) In 4-yr nursing schools variety of courses was relatively higher than 3-yr nursing schools. 4) In 4-yr nursing schools, operating conditions were relatively better (number of tenure professors, ratio of professors to students, Identification of exclusive organization in charge of the general education curriculum) for the general education curriculum than 3-yr nursing schools. CONCLUSION: The results identify significant differences in the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea, indicating that 3-yr nursing schools should make efforts to improve the good quality of general education curriculum.
*Curriculum ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards/trends ; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs/*standards/trends ; Humanities/*education ; Humans ; Nursing Education Research ; Republic of Korea

Infection is a critical and challenging situation encountered in treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs). It is associated with the disease activity itself and/or the immunosuppressant treatments. Vaccine preventable infections could be controlled by use of a timely vaccination protocol. Immunosuppressed situations observed in IRDs require some modification of the recommendation for the general population in each national society. Live attenuated vaccines are generally contraindicated in IRDs, except for varicella-zoster vaccination, which is solely permitted live vaccine and could be given on a case by case basis in autoimmune IRDs. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are strongly recommended due to increased mortality in patients with IRDs. The vaccination protocol reflects the current national medical environment and requirements; therefore, it could change with time. The Korean Rheumatology Society now requires that vaccination be recommended for patients with IRDs, with the possibility of both an adult and child version.
Adult ; Child ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Pneumococcal Vaccines ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Rheumatology ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, Attenuated

Transforming growth factor-B1(TGF-B1) has many fundamental biological processes including cell growth, extracellular matrix deposition and degradation, and inflammatory responses. TGF-B1 is released by platelet and inflammatory cells, and it affects all phases of wound healing after injury. It contributes to the regulation of fibroblast chemotaxis and proliferation, and also controls the synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix necessary for tissue repair. Clinically, scar tissue formation and subsequent stricture after urethral injury frequently results in troublesome problems to urologists. In the phase I study of this report, we intended to how the histological changes and the involvement of TGF-B1 in the formation of stricture in injured urethrae of rats. We injured urethrae of 24 adult male Sprauge-Dawley rats(200-250 g.) by urethrotome and Dormia basket and then observed histological changes and analysed TGF-f, mRNA levels of the injured urethrae by Northern blot. Northern b1ot analysis showed that TGF-t, mRNA was much expressed on day 1,3,5 after injury. Fibroblasts and deposition of extracellular matrix were markedly increased on day 5. Reepithelialization was completed and urethral lumen was narrowed on day 10. In the phase II study, we tried to know that antisense TGF-B1 oligodeoxynucleotides(ODNs) could inhibit TGF-B1 expression and the formation of stricture in injured urethrae of rats. We injured urethrae of rats and treated the urethral injury with the application of antisense TGF-B1 ODNs. Northern blot analysis showed that TGF-B1 mRNA was little expressed in the urethrae treated with the antisense on day 1,3 after injury. Comparing to the antisense-nontreated urethrae, the antisense-treated urethrae showed decrease of submucosal thickening and maintained normal sized urethral lumens on day 14, 21 after injury. In conclusion, increase of TGF-B1 mRNA in injured urethrae of rats suggests that TGF-B1 could play an important role in repair mechanism. With application of antisense TGF-B1 ODNs in injured urethrae of rats, the expression of TGF-B1 can be inhibited and also the formation of stricture prevented.
Adult ; Animals ; Biological Processes ; Blood Platelets ; Blotting, Northern ; Chemotaxis ; Cicatrix ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Male ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1* ; Urethra ; Urethral Stricture ; Wound Healing

Fibronectin(Fn) is a large, multidomain glycoprotein, which exists in a soluble form in plasma and an insoluble fibrillar form in extracellular matrices. Fn affects many aspects of cellular responses. However, it is not known whether Fn could activate macrophages for the tumor cell killing. We report that Fn induces the tumoricidal activity of macrophages for murine bladder tumor(MBT-2) cell. Tumoricidal activity was determined by 3[H]-thymidine uptake of MBT-2 cell. Fn alone had no effect, whereas recombinant interferon- r(IFN- r) weakly induced the tumoricidal activity of macrophages for MBT-2 cells. However combination of Fn with recombinant IFN-r synergized to activate macrophages to kill MBT-2 cells in a dose dependent manner. At this point nitric oxide(NO) was secreted by activated macrophages, and the secretion of NO and tumoricidal activity of macrophage were inhibited in the presence of NG-monomethyl- L-arginine(NGMMA), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase(NOS). Fn has various cell binding sites. The Arg-Gly-Asp(RGD) sequence present in the central cell binding domain of Fn is the prototype of these sites. Engineered fibronectin(eFn) is formed by RGD-rich sequence. Combination of eFn, instead of Fn, with recombinant IFN- T resulted in more powerful activation of macrophage in tumor cell killing than Fn. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that Fn acts as a modulator of macrophage activation for tumor cell killing induced by IFN-r via a process involving L-arginine dependent NO production. Especially, RGD sequence of Fn has important role for tumoricidal activity of macrophage. Although the precise mechanism of Fn to promote NO synthesis induced by IFN-r remains to be further elucidated, Fn-mediated macrophage adhesion by specialized cell surface receptors and activation of intracellular signals might be important in the development of macrophage activation.
Arginine ; Binding Sites ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins* ; Glycoproteins ; Homicide ; Macrophage Activation ; Macrophages* ; Nitric Oxide ; Plasma ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; Urinary Bladder

No abstract available.

Thrombocytopenia is included in the classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, severe thrombocytopenia causing spontaneous bleeding is rare. Here, we describe a 22-year-old woman who presented with spontaneous hemoperitoneum as the first manifestation of SLE. Laboratory findings compatible with SLE included positive antinuclear antibody and a false-positive venereal disease research laboratory. Symptoms suggesting the disease were not prominent early after admission, but headache and seizures that developed on the 3rd day of admission led to the diagnosis of SLE. The brain magnetic resonance imaging and angiography findings were compatible with the neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE. High-dose steroid and monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse therapy were effective at improving the headache and seizure, as well as the hemoperitoneum.
Adult ; Female ; Hemoperitoneum/*etiology ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/*complications ; Thrombocytopenia/etiology

The uterus with rudimentary horn occurs as a result of a lack of development during fetal life of the middle and lower part of one of the M llerian ducts, in which there is a failure of fusion of the two ducts. Pregnancy in the rudimentary uterine horn is very rare, its incidence is reported nearly as 1 case per 100,000 normal pregnancy. We experience a case of ruptured rudimentary uterine horn twin pregnancy at 29-gestational week and report the case with brief review of literatures.
Animals ; Horns* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Twins* ; Uterus

Intraperitoneal foreign body is a rare but extremely troublesome condition. Such as forceps, rubber tubes, pieces of broken instruments can retained during surgery but most commonly foreign body is the surgical sponge. The retained foreign body produce intra-abdominal abscess, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction in the postoperative period or even after weeks, months or years and very uncommonly migrate into the bowel. We report a case of intracolonic surgical sponge misdiagnosed as retained intraperitoneal foreign body with brief review of literatures.
Abdominal Abscess ; Foreign Bodies* ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Peritonitis ; Postoperative Period ; Rubber ; Surgical Instruments ; Surgical Sponges*

To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is associated with the development and clinical features of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Korean, we studied seventy two Korean patients with SSc fulfilling the ACR preliminary classification criteria. The controls were 114 healthy, disease free Koreans. ACE I/D genotypes were determined by PCR method using oligonucleotides. Sixty eight patients (94.4%) were women and age at diagnosis was 43.5+/-12.6 yr old (mean+/-SD). Thirty nine patients (54.2%) had a diffuse type of SSc. There were no statistical differences in the frequencies of all ACE I/D genotypes and D allele between patients and controls, and neither between diffuse and limited types of SSc. ACE I/D gene polymorphism was not associated with the development of SSc in Korea. The investigation for the pathogenesis of SSc requires more studies about the role of other candidate genes such as endothelin, TGF-beta, nitric oxide, or angiotensin II receptor in addition to the ACE genes.
Scleroderma, Systemic/*enzymology/*genetics ; *Polymorphism, Genetic ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A/*genetics ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; Genotype ; Gene Frequency ; Female ; DNA/genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Base Sequence ; Alleles ; Adult

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD) is known to be multifactorial and accumulating data suggest genetic mechanisms. Variations in nuclear DNAs have been largely investigated, while studies on mitochondrial DNAs are limited. The purpose of the current study is to investigate associations of mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes with BD. METHODS: Complete mitochondrial DNAs were sequenced using chip array with blood samples collected from 20 patients and 10 control subjects. Haplotypes were searched in hypervariable region 1 and 2. Chi square or Fisher's exact test was used to analyze associations of mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms between two groups and associations between clinical characteristics and mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms. RESULTS: From a total of 16,569 for each individual, 16,545 mitochondrial DNA nucleotides were sequenced. m.248A>G, m.709G>A, m.3970C>T, m.6392T>C, m.6962G>A, m.10310G>A, m.10609T>C, m.12406G>A, m.12882C>T, m.13928G>C, m.16129G>A, and m16304T>C were observed more frequently in the patient group, although without statistical significance, while m.304C>A, m.3010G>A, m.4883C>T, m.5178C>A, and m.14668C>T were more frequent in the control group (p=0.008, 0.026, 0.007, 0.007, and 0.026, respectively). m.16182A>C, m.16183A>C, and m.16189T>C were associated with uveitis (p=0.041, 0.022, and 0.014, respectively). None of the haplotypes we searched were statistically associated with BD risk, but B4a was observed more frequently in the patient group. CONCLUSION: We report the first association study between BD and mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms in a Korean population. In the current study, m.248A>G, m.709G>A, m.3970C>T, m.6392T>C, m.6962G>A, m.10310G>A, m.10609T>C, m.12406G>A, m.12882C>T, m.13928G>C, m.16129G>A, and m16304 T>C could be candidate mitochondrial single nucleotide polymorphisms in BD.
DNA ; DNA, Mitochondrial* ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; Nucleotides ; Pilot Projects* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Uveitis