PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the correlation that exists between quality of life and self-efficacy of schizophrenic patients, focusing on the influence of related factors on these varables. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 151 schizophrenic patients. The data were collected using questionnaires. The instruments used for this study were the general self-efficacy scale developed by Sherer & Maddex (1982), the specific self-efficacy scale modified and complemented by these co-researchers on the basis of the past studies and modified SIP by Voruganti (1996). The period of data collection was from July. 2000 to Jan. 2001. Data analysis was done by SPSS, t-test, ANOVA and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. RESULT: 1. The level of self-efficacy showed a mean score of 60.0 and the level of quality of life, a mean score of 47.0. 2. The general characteristics affecting the self-efficacy of schizophrenic patients were staying with family (p=0.05) and employment (p=0.00). 3. The general characteristics affecting the quality of life of schizophrenic patients were staying with family (p=0.04), employment (p=0.05) and duration of illness (0.03). 4. A positive correlation was identified between self-efficacy and quality of life (r=-0.469, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that nursing intervention strategy should be worked out to develop a psychiatric rehabilitation program that can promote self-efficacy and thus enhance the quality of life of schizophrenic patients.
Complement System Proteins ; Data Collection ; Employment ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: Systemic hypertension produces varying degree of LVH which is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidiity. Previous studies have documented regression of LVH with various antihypertensives including calcium channel blockers, except diuretics and vasodilators. Recently echocadiographic assessment of the change of left ventricular mass(LVM) after antihyertensive therapy have been reported to offer prognostic cardiovascular information. The aim of this echocardiographic study is determining the influence of nicardipine, a calcium channel blocker, on the change of LVM in patients with essential hypertenison. METHODS: Left ventricular mass(LVM) and left ventricular mass index(LVMI) were measured by M-mode echocardiography in 15 patients with essential hypertension. Nicardipine, a calcium channel blocker, was administered for 6 months and two echocardiographies were done before and after administering, respectively. RESULTS: In the 15 patients treated for 6 months, systolic and diastolic pressure remained very significantly decreased compared with pressure before before therapy(135+/-15mmHg vs 168+/-26mmHg, and 86+/-7mmHg vs 105+/-16mmHg, both p<0.01). Concomitantly both LVM and LVMI decreased significantly(209+/-49g vs 235+/-71g, and 116+/-6g/m2 vs 131+/-38g/m2,both p<0.05). And no change was noted in left ventricular cavity size, demonstration that LVM reduction was due to regression of hypertrophy. CONCLUSION: This study showed that nicardipine produced a significant decrease in blood pressure, LVM, and LVMI over the 6 months period. And large and longterm controlled studies are needed for the clarification of the association between nicardipine and regression of LVH in hypertensive patients.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; Calcium Channels ; Diuretics ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Nicardipine* ; Vasodilator Agents

No abstract available.
Fetus* ; Humans ; Male* ; Mesothelioma*

OBJECTIVE: We described the technique of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous removal of the foreign bodies (FB) with hydro-dissection in the radiologic department and presented video files of several cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four patients referred to the radiology department for US evaluation and US-guided percutaneous removal of the FBs in the upper and lower extremities between November, 2006 and November, 2013 were included in this study. The procedures started with US evaluation for the exact location and shape of the FB. A 5 mm-sized skin incision was made at the site of the nearest point from the FB where no passing arteries or tendons were present. We adopted a hydrodissection technique to separate the FB from adjacent tissue using a 2% lidocaine solution. Injected anesthetics detached the FBs from surrounding tissue and thereby facilitated removal. After the tip of the mosquito forceps reached the FB, the wooden FBs were removed. RESULTS: The mean time required for the entire procedure was approximately 20 minutes. There were no significant complications during the US-guided removal or long-term complications after the procedure. All 4 FBs were successfully removed from the soft tissue under US guidance. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous removal of the FBs with hydro-dissection in the radiology department is a less invasive and safe method over surgical removal in the operating room. Additionally, the use of a guide wire and serial dilator may help minimize soft tissue injury and facilitate the introduction of forceps.
Aged ; Child ; Female ; Foreign Bodies/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Humans ; Lower Extremity/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Soft Tissue Injuries/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Surgical Instruments

PURPOSE: Pandemic influenza viruses have caused significant morbidity and mortality. Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) was detected in April 2009 and caused worldwide outbreak. We investigated the differences in clinical characteristics and courses between pandemic and seasonal influenzas. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients, (< or =18 years) with influenza hospitalized to Gachon University Gil Medical Center from the 1 April 2009 to the 31 August 2011. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-six patients with pandemic influenza and 118 patients with seasonal influenza were included. Age, sex, and proportion of underlying diseases were similar between the two groups. Hypoxemia, shortness of breath, and tachypnea were more common in pandemic influenza.(P<0.05) Oxygen supplementation and radiologically confirmed pneumonia were more common in pandemic influenza.(P<0.005) However, there were no significant differences in the mean duration of hospitalization, proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit, need for mechanical ventilation, and death. CONCLUSION: Pandemic influenza caused more frequently lower respiratory tract infection and pneumonia. However, the courses of pandemic influenza were not different from those of seasonal influenza; probably, due to the effects of several factors, including antiviral therapy.
Anoxia ; Dyspnea ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Intensive Care Units ; Medical Records ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Oxygen ; Pandemics ; Pediatrics ; Pneumonia ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Seasons ; Tachypnea

In order to decide on appropriate treatment strategy against gastric cancer, an accurate preoperative evaluation of the depth of cancer invasion is essential. We studied 165 cases(19%) of early gastric cancer among 706 cases of gastric cancer. resected over a 6 year period. A retrospective study of early gastric cancer was done to evaluate the endoscopic accuracy and lymph node metastasis status, the following results were obtained: 1) The proportion of EGC according to macroscopic type was 68.5% of depressed type(II, III, IIa+III, IIc+III, III+IIc, IIb+IIc), 26% of elevated type(I, IIa, IIa+ IIb, IIa+IIc), 5.5% of flat type(IIb). 2) In the view of accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis, the rate of accurate diagnosis suitable for postoperative macroscopic type was 37.5%, the rate of unsuitable typed EGC was 33.3%, overestimation(diagnosed to AGC) was 20.6% and underestimation(diagnosed to benign diseases)was 8.6%. Overall accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis was 70.8%. 3) The cases confined to the mucosa were 40.6% and others were submucosal cancers(59.4%). 4) Positive lymph node metastasis was found in 1.5% of M-cancer and 18.4% of SM-cancer(overall 11.5%). 5) Node positive rate of differentiated cancer was 10.5%, undifferentiated carcinoma was 15.4%. There was no signficant difference in frequency of nodal metastasis according tumor size and macroscopic type. 6) Tumors which satisfy the following criteria may not metastasize to lymph nodes:(1) confined to the mucosa; (2) less than 2.0cm in diameter; (3) macroscopically elevated or flat; (4) histologically well or moderately differentiated.
Carcinoma ; Diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is associated with airway remodeling and tissue injury in asthma. However, little is known about how MMP-9 is up-regulated in airway epithelial cells. In this study, we show that phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induces MMP-9 expression via a protein kinase Calpha(PKCalpha)-dependent signaling cascade in BEAS-2B human lung epithelial cells. Pretreatment with either GF109203X, a general PKC inhibitor, or Go6976, a PKCalpha/beta isozyme inhibitor, inhibited PMA-induced activation of the MMP-9 promoter, as did transient transfection with PKCalpha antisense oligonuclotides. PMA activated NF-kappaB by phosphorylating IkappaB in these cells and this was also inhibited by GF109203X and Go6976, suggesting that PKCalpha acts as an upstream regulator of NF-kappaB in PMA-induced MMP-9 induction. Our results indicate that a "PKCalpha-NF-kappaB"-dependent cascade is involved in the signaling leading to PMA-induced MMP-9 expression in the lung epithelium.
Up-Regulation/*drug effects ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/*pharmacology ; Protein Kinase C-alpha/*metabolism ; NF-kappa B/*metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/*metabolism ; Lung/drug effects/*metabolism ; Humans ; Epithelial Cells/drug effects/metabolism ; Cell Line

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the total antioxidant activity (TAA) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the effect of antidepressants on TAA using a novel potentiometric method. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with MDD and thirty-one healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The control group comprised 31 healthy individuals matched for gender, drinking and smoking status. We assessed symptoms of depression using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). We measured TAA using potentiometry. All measurements were made at baseline and four and eight weeks later. RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between BDI scores and TAA. TAA was significantly lower in the MDD group than in controls. When the MDD group was subdivided into those who showed clinical response to antidepressant therapy (response group) and those who did not (non-response group), only the non-response group showed lower TAA, while the response group showed no significant difference to controls at baseline. After eight weeks of antidepressant treatment, TAA in both the response and non-response groups was similar, and there was no significant difference among the three groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the response to antidepressant treatment in MDD patients might be predicted by measuring TAA.
Antidepressive Agents ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Drinking ; Humans ; Potentiometry ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This is for analyzing the recent citations from papers enrolled in the Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing and understanding correct marking of references. METHOD: Targeted 2,334 references in 93 articles introduced from Feb. 2002 to Dec. 2002 which are applied current contribution rules of the Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. RESULT: 1. 25 references are quoted per article and particularly foreign journals are most frequently quoted. Among foreign journals, Nursing Research is most frequently used. The Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing is also mostly referred material among national journals. 2. The retrieval rate is prove to be 1,539(83.8%) and 267(11.7%) are without errors and the other 2,022 have at least more than one error regardless of frequency. 3. Major error rate of periodical publication is 484(36.8%) and most occurred in the inconsistency of titles between articles and references. 4. Foreign journals have much more errors than national ones concerning periodical publications. CONCLUSION: Correct citation and marking of references can be achieved through strict reviewing process by authors, editors, publishers and paper investigators. In consequence, it is expected that these processes can cause improvement of quality in impact factor and papers.
Humans ; Nursing Research ; Nursing* ; Publications ; Research Personnel

PURPOSE: This is for analyzing the recent citations from papers enrolled in the Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing and understanding correct marking of references. METHOD: Targeted 2,334 references in 93 articles introduced from Feb. 2002 to Dec. 2002 which are applied current contribution rules of the Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing. RESULT: 1. 25 references are quoted per article and particularly foreign journals are most frequently quoted. Among foreign journals, Nursing Research is most frequently used. The Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing is also mostly referred material among national journals. 2. The retrieval rate is prove to be 1,539(83.8%) and 267(11.7%) are without errors and the other 2,022 have at least more than one error regardless of frequency. 3. Major error rate of periodical publication is 484(36.8%) and most occurred in the inconsistency of titles between articles and references. 4. Foreign journals have much more errors than national ones concerning periodical publications. CONCLUSION: Correct citation and marking of references can be achieved through strict reviewing process by authors, editors, publishers and paper investigators. In consequence, it is expected that these processes can cause improvement of quality in impact factor and papers.
Humans ; Nursing Research ; Nursing* ; Publications ; Research Personnel