PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effect of nursing organizational culture on empowerment as perceived by new clinical nurses. METHODS: For the objective a sample of 175 new nurses from secondary/tertiary hospitals having not less than 250 beds located in B city was selected to complete a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, One-way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson correlation coefficients and simultaneous multiple regression with the SPSS 14.0 software program. RESULTS: As for nursing organizational culture as perceived by the respondent, relation-oriented culture had the highest average score (3.60+/-.63) out of a possible 5 points followed by hierarch-oriented culture, innovation-oriented culture and task-oriented culture with 3.45+/-.30, 3.19+/-.53 and 3.05+/-.46, respectively. The respondents' level of perceived empowerment was 3.06+/-.41. The factors influencing empowerment according to nursing organizational culture were innovation-oriented and relation-oriented culture in that order. These 2 variables were statistically significant predictors and explained 48.6% of the variance in empowerment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that emphasis should be given to nursing organizational culture strengthened by innovationoriented and relation-oriented culture, rather than task-oriented and hierarch-oriented culture, in order to foster harmonious empowerment among nurses at all levels.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Organizational Culture ; Power (Psychology)

No abstract available.
Penicillamine*

BACKGROUND: Although postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy is known to reduce cardiovascular mortality, the mechanism is not clear yet. Furthermore, the effect of estrogen on vascular tonus is reportedly variable according to the animal models, vascular beds and agonists used. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Bilateral ovariectomies were performed in 12 week-old, 18 spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and 18 normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Rats were divided into three groups according to the dose of 17beta-estradiol (E 2 ) pellets implanted subcutaneously two weeks after ovariectomy: control (no implantation), low-dose (0.5 mg) and high-dose (5 mg) E 2 replacement group. Two weeks after pellet implantation, organ bath experiments were performed using descending thoracic aortae. For endothelium-dependent relaxation, acetylcholine (10(-9) -3x10(-6) M) was cumulatively added into the vessels precontracted with 10(-7) M norepinephrine (NE). For vasoconstrictor responses, cumulative concentration-contraction curves were constructed in quiescent vessels using NE (10(-9) -10(-5) M), U46619 (10(-9) -3x10(-6) M), endothelin-1 (10(-10) -10(-7) M). In addition, contraction to angiotensin II (10(-7) M) was also obtained. Serum 17beta-estradiol levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff method in some SHRs before ovariectomy and after placebo/E 2 replacement. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was impaired in WKY treated with 5 mg E 2 (pIC 50 : control vs 5mg E 2 : 7.75+/-0.13 vs 7.27+/-0.16: n=6: p<0.05). No significant effect was noted in SHR. Contraction to angiotensin II was inhibited by low-dose E 2 in WKY and high-dose E 2 in SHR (% of the contraction to 60 mM KCl: WKY: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 : 39+/-5 vs 25+/-2: SHR: control vs 5 mg E 2 : 34+/-4 vs 22+/-2: n=6 and p<0.05 in WKY and SHR). In contrast, NE-induced contraction was enhanced by E 2 replacement (both low- and high-dose) in WKY and SHR (WKY: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : AUC: 280+/-24 vs 387+/-26 vs 374+/-25: maximal contraction: 137+/-8 vs 166+/-8 vs 162+/-3: pD 2 : 7.63+/-0.11 vs 8.17+/-0.13 vs 8.13+/-0.13: SHR: control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : AUC: 265+/-17 vs 349+/-16 vs 406+/-19: maximal contraction: 152+/-6 vs 181+/-9 vs 203+/-16: pD 2 : 7.45+/-0.13 vs 7.91+/-0.08 vs 8.04+/-0.04: n=6 and p<0.05 between control and treated groups in WKY and SHR for all parameters). Contraction to U46619 was enhanced by E 2 replacement in SHR (control vs 0.5 mg E 2 : AUC: 478+/-30 vs 574+/-23: maximal contraction: 181+/-9 vs 230+/-10: n=6: p<0.05 for both parameters). Maximal contractile response to endothelin-1 was also enhanced in SHR (control vs 0.5 mg E 2 vs 5 mg E 2 : maximal contraction: 165+/-7 vs 189+/-7 vs 199+/-8: n=6 and p<0.05 between control and treated groups) but not in WKY. Blood pressure was not different between placebo and E 2- treated SHR (171+/-2 vs 174+/-4 mmHg). CONCLUSION: In WKY, chronic high-dose estrogen replacement impairs endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine.: low-dose estrogen replacement does not affect endothelium-dependent relaxation in SHR and WKY. Estrogen replacement enhances the contraction to most of the contractile agonists tested except angiotensin II in both WKY and SHR. These results suggest that estrogen replacement affect the vascular tonus differently according to the vasoactive substances and/or hormones without significant effect on blood pressure.
15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5,13-dienoic Acid ; Acetylcholine ; Angiotensin II ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Area Under Curve ; Baths ; Blood Pressure ; Endothelin-1 ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Models, Animal ; Mortality ; Norepinephrine ; Ovariectomy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Relaxation

BACKGROUND: To investigate the possibie difference, if any, between office blood pressure(BP) and home BP may be important in the diagnosis and treatment of hypersensive patients. This report deails the difference between the two BP's and the usefulness of digital electronic sphygmomanometer(DES) for self-monitoring of home BP. METHODS: The BP's of 14 patients with essential hypertension were measured with mercury sphygmomanometers at outpatient department by physician and with DES at home(twice a day) by the patients. Patients were followed up every 2 weeks for 4 weeks and previous 2 weeks' average home BP's were compared with the office BP's of each 2 weeks' end. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between office and home BP(both systolic and diastolic) ; office average BP(151/95mmHg) was higher than home average BP(136/86mmHg). CONCLUSION: Caution may be needed in the interpretation of office BP unless it is measured several times after adequate rest.
Blood Pressure* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Outpatients ; Sphygmomanometers*

Healthcare system in Korea was found to be very vulnerable to public health emergency preparedness and response as demonstrated in the recent outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. We need to redefine the function of and improve the capability of local district public hospital and local health center to cope with potential threats by newly emerging infectious disease in the nearer future. While central government may be responsible for early detection of newly emerging infectious disease transmitted from outside of the country, local government and its district-level public healthcare agencies need to primarily control over spread of the disease among the local residents. Governance setting for rapid response required in public health crisis situation appears to be possible based on strong local public health infrastructure for health promotion and disease prevention at si-gun-gu district level. Proper and sustainable investment is also needed for local public hospital with high standard facilities and skilled healthcare manpower since there seems little economic incentives to maintain such facilities in private hospitals. In conclusion, it would be urgent task to improve prevention activities for infectious disease of local health centers and clinical activities of local public hospital. Especially, role and competencies of public health physicians working at the public health center need to be specified as an essential component of public health infrastructure.
Civil Defense ; Communicable Diseases ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging* ; Coronavirus ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Health Promotion ; Hospitals, Private ; Hospitals, Public* ; Investments ; Korea* ; Local Government ; Middle East* ; Motivation ; Public Health

Congenital constricting band of the trunk is a rare malformation with a wide spectrum of associated congenital anomalies. A 3-year-old boy with a congenital constricting band around the waist and anterior thigh and clubfoot deformity is reported. Laboratory test and chest and abdominal X-ray examination were within normal limits and unremarkable. Histopathologic examination revealed compact fibrocollagenous bundles in deep dermis. The compact fibrocollagenous bundles are parallel to the skin surface and have thin wavy nuclei. We think these bundles caused annular constriction on the trunk. We follow up the patient regularly without specific treatment because the constricting band caused no functional impairment and hypertrophic scar had developed at the biopsy site.
Biopsy ; Child, Preschool ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Clubfoot ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Constriction ; Dermis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Thigh ; Thorax

A 51-year-old male with sustained fever was diagnosed with military tuberculosis and tuberculous aortitis complicated with pseudoaneurysm formation at the proximal descending aorta. A follow-up computed tomography evaluation showed an increased size of the pseudoaneurysm in this area, suggestive of a contained rupture. Consequently, the patient underwent emergency excision and replacement of the aorta using a left heart bypass. The patient was discharged without postoperative complications on post-operative day 12. During the one-year follow-up period, the patient was free of any complications or recurrence of tuberculosis. We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the descending aorta that was successfully surgically repaired.
Aneurysm, False ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortitis ; Emergencies ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Bypass, Left ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Military Personnel ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Rupture ; Tuberculosis

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the efficacy of transperitoneal laparoscopic renal cyst decortication for treating patients with symptomatic renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to July 2006, 57 patients with symptomatic renal cysts underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic renal cyst decortication. The mean age of the patients was 56.0 years old (29-77) and the male to female ratio was 1:1.2. The mean size of the renal cysts was 6.6cm (range: 4-11). The laterality of the renal cyst was on the left side in 31 cases, the right side in 11 and it was bilateral in 15. The location of the cysts was at the upper pole in 23 cases, at the middle pole in 13 cases and at the lower pole in 21 cases. All the procedures were performed via the transperitoneal approach. The preoperative and postoperative data were collected retrospectively. The mean follow-up period was 44.1 months (range: 3.2-66.2). RESULTS: The mean operation time was 68.3 minutes (range: 35-280) and the mean blood loss was 42.1cc (range: 30-150). With the mean follow-up of 44.1 months, 52 patients were asymptomatic and 5 patients were still symptomatic. For follow-up, abdominal ultrasonography was performed for 53 of 57 cases and computed tomography (CT) was performed in the others. The success rate was 94.7% (54/57) and the complication rate was 7.0% (4/57). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic renal cyst decortication in patients with symptomatic renal cysts via the transperitoneal approach seems to be an effective procedure to achieve symptomatic relief with minimal morbidity and an acceptable long-term success rate.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

Background: According to blood management law, serology and nucleic acid testing (NAT) are performed for HIV, HBV, HCV, and others as blood screening tests in Korea. The blood screening tests for HIV, HBV, and HCV have substantially improved transfusion safety. The blood screening results of one blood center were investigated because there is little domestic data available on screening tests. Methods: The blood donation records and screening tests results of a supplying blood center were analyzed retrospectively from January 2011 to December 2020 in Korea. Annual first-time donation numbers, sex, and age distribution of donors were investigated during 10 years. The positivity of ALT, HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV antibody testing and the positive cases of HIV, HCV, and HBV NAT were inquired. Results: For 10 years, the blood center has collected 1,896,392 units of blood, and male donation was 1,239,873 units, which was 65.38% of total blood donation. ALT abnormal blood units were 2.06% in 2011, 2.14% in 2013, and 0.81% in 2019. The donor screening test showed HBsAg 0.03%, anti-HCV 0.02%, and anti-HIV 0.06% positivity at 2020. NAT yield cases were three with HIV, two with HCV, and 260 with HBV for 10 years. Conclusion The positivity of serology screening tests of the Hanmaeum blood center showed a decreasing trend, and the transfusion of nucleic acid positive but serologically negative blood could be prevented by performing NAT.

PURPOSE: To establish new in vitro model systems that better reflect in vivo condition, multicellular tumor spheroids(MTS) and raft culture were developed using cell lines of squamous cell carcinoma(SCCHN) of the head and neck. In these 3-dimensional systems, the expression of cell surface molecules which are important for modulation of physiology of tumor cells were studied with or without the treatment of interferon(IFN)-gamma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four SCCHN cell lines were used for MTS and raft culture. The effects of interferon-gamma on SCCHN cells were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: All cell lines formed MTS, but only Tu-138 showed a good stratification at the air-liquid interface in the raft culture system. Immunohistochemical studies of MTS using monoclonal antibodies revealed a strong staining for MHC class I, no staining for MHC-DR, a weak patch expression of ICAM-1 and a central strong staining for integrin a 6. Staining patterns were similar for the raft cultures except integrin a 6(intense full-thickness positivity). In both systems, IFN-gamma enhanced the expression of MHC-DR and ICAM-1. No significant change was found in the expression of MHC class I and integrin a 6. CONCLUSIONS: MTS and raft culture system were established successfully from the SCCHN cell lines. IFN-gamma can modulate the surface molecules of tumor cells in the 3-dimensional culture systems.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Line ; Head* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Interferon-gamma ; Neck* ; Physiology