PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on maternal role adjustment among the primiparous women in the first year after childbirth. METHODS: The study subjects were 210 healthy primiparous women who have delivered at one of four women's health hospitals and revisited the out-patient department for the routine check-up and baby's vaccination during the first year after childbirth. Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire which consisted of general characteristics, maternal role adjustment, spousal rearing support, childcare stress, and postpartum depression. Collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS Win 18.0 program with descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. RESULTS: The maternal role adjustment was significantly correlated with spousal rearing support (r=.649, p<.001), childcare stress (r=-.596, p<.001), postpartum depression (r=-.569, p<.001), and subjective health condition (r=.204, p=.003). The multiple regression analysis showed that the maternal role adjustment were significantly affected by spousal rearing support (t=6.542, p<.001). childcare stress (t=-3.268, p=.001), and postpartum depression (t=-2.238, p=.018). CONCLUSION: From these results, it is concluded that the nursing intervention for enhancing spousal support in childcare and decreasing the childcare stress and depression should be developed for improving maternal role adjustment in the first time mother, especially within one year after childbirth.
Depression ; Depression, Postpartum ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Behavior ; Mothers ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Parity ; Parturition* ; Vaccination ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore the relationship between expectations of the clinical ladder system (CLS), career commitment and turnover intention in nurses employed in small-medium sized hospitals. METHODS: Participants were 154 nurses from 3 small-medium sized hospitals in Gyeonggi Province and Gwangju City. From February, 8 to April, 14, 2017, self-report questionnaires were collected and analyzed using frequency, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, and Person correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Of the participant nurses, 61% perceived the CLS as needed. The mean score for expectation of CLS, career commitment, and turnover intention on 5-point scale were 3.38, 3.17, 3.21, respectively. There were no significant differences in expectation of CLS according to general characteristics, but career commitment and turnover intention did show significant differences depending on age, position, type of work shift. Expectation of CLS correlated positively with career commitment (r=.23, p=.005), and career commitment correlated negatively with turnover intention (r=−.49, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that there is a need to adopt the clinical ladder system to improve career commitment.
Career Mobility ; Gwangju ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Intention

PURPOSE: The aim of study was to identify the effects of exercise on the relief of low back pain in patients on absolute bed rest after TAE. METHOD: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design research design was used. The participants were 43 patients who had received TAE in a university hospital; patients in the experimental group (21) received both exercise therapy and general post-op nursing care and in the control group (22) only the latter. The exercise program used in this study was modified from exercise for post CABG to exercise for post TAE, which deflect the movement of thigh in which the catheter was inserted, the lumbar region of the back and pelvis. RESULTS: First, Low back pain scores in the experimental group were lower than the control group. Second, The first dose of analgesics in the experimental group was delayed compared to the control group. Third, There was no significant difference in bleeding complications between the experimental group control groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the exercise program used in this study is effective for relief of low back pain in patients on absolute bed rest after TAE.
Analgesics ; Bed Rest ; Catheters ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Exercise Therapy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Region ; Nursing Care ; Research Design ; Thigh

This study examined foodservice management performance in child-care centers and suggests ways in which meal service quality can be improved. Questionnaires were distributed to 51 child-care facilities. The majority of respondents were facility directors (dietitians) and their facility type was tax-paid (92.2%). The dietitian response rate was 51.0%, and the majority (96.2%) were hired with co-management status, visiting a facility once a week (76.0%). Only 52.1% of the facilities had menu planning by a dietitian, and improvements were needed in terms of planning menus with standardized recipes, especially for infant meals. The monthly food cost per child was 47,394 won, and the labor cost for a co-management dietitian was 3,670 won per child, indicating 21.8% and 1.8% of the tuition fee, respectively. Other necessary improvements included: more reliable food purchasing management, securing additional foodservice equipment, and better sanitation management. In addition, respondents rated the following as requirements to ensure high quality meal service: 'modernized foodservice equipment and facilities', 'government financial support', and 'information on nutrition and foodservice management provided by dietitians'. Based on the study results, the following are recommendations for improving meal service quality in child-care centers: Dietitian placement should be extended to facilities of over 50-capacity in addition to their current placement in facilities of over 100-capacity, and co-management dietitians should have their control span restricted to two facilities instead of five. Finally, nationwide nutrition support plans and nutrition education programs should be developed and implemented by dietitians, and their roles should be extended to foodservice mangers as well as nutrition teachers.
Child ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dietary Sucrose ; Fees and Charges ; Humans ; Infant ; Meals ; Menu Planning ; Sanitation

Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown algae that has been reported to perform multiple biological activities, including immunostimulation. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan has beneficial effects on endotoxemia induced by LPS, a septic model in mice. The focus of this study was on survival rates and spleen function of the mice upon treatment. We found that fucoidan had prophylactic effects on the survival rate of mice with endotoxemia. Flow cytometric analysis using antibodies for subset-specific markers revealed that fucoidan profoundly reversed the depleted population of dendritic cells in mice with endotoxemia. According to Western blot analysis, the spleen cells of LPS/fucoidan-treated mice showed a higher expression of anti-apoptotic molecules compared to those of LPS-treated mice. Also, fucoidan-treated spleen cells were more responsive to mitogens. Taken together, these results demonstrate that fucoidan pre-treatment has beneficial effects on the survival rate and function of the spleen in mice with endotoxemia. This study may broaden the use of fucoidan in clinical fields, especially endotoxemia.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Blotting, Western ; Dendritic Cells ; Endotoxemia ; Immunization ; Mice ; Mitogens ; Phaeophyta ; Polysaccharides ; Spleen ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristic radiological findings of various diseases forming chest wall masses by CT and MR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed CT and MR findings of the chest wall masses in 31 patients. Morphology, density, features of contrast enhancement, and location of the mass within the bony thorax or soft tissue were analyzed. RESULTS: Benign lesions of bony thorax were osteochondritis(n=2), tuberculosis(n=1), and osteochon droma (n=l). Malignant lesions of bony thorax were Ewing's sarcoma(n=I) and metastasis(n=3). Benign lesions of soft tissue were abscess(n=1), tuberculosis(n=7), lipoma(n=l), cavernous hemangioma(n=2), cavernous lymphangioma(n=1), and neurofibroma(n=l). Malignant lesions of soft tissue were lymphoma(n=l), spindle cell sarcoma(n=1), metastasis(n=8). Tuberculosis of the chest wall (n=8) were ill-defined hypodense(n=7) or isodense(n=l) mass than surrounding muscle on pre-enhanced CT scan. All massess showed peripheral rim enhancement after contrast enhancement. Five cases were associated with pulmonary or pleural tuberculosis. All malignant lesions of bony thorax showed bone destruction, but inflammatory processes also showed bone destruction. MR showed characeristic signal intensity in the case of lipoma(n=l) and hemangioma(n=l). CONCLUSION: We conclude that CT and MR are helpful for differential diagnosis of chest wall masses.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pleural

Functional paraganglioma of the mediastinum is an uncommon tumor of the paraganglion system that causes symptoms and signs of episodic catecholamine release. It has not been reported in Korea. We experienced a case of a 17 years old man with a history of diaphoresis and paroxysmal hypertension refractory to therapy since 14 years old. Urinary execretion of catecholamine and its metabolites were elevated. Computed tomography(CT) scan revealed high density mass located on the posterior mediastinum in the area of the right fifth intercostal space. At thoracotomy, a 3X3X4cm sized lesion was resected and confirmed as a paraganglioma.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Mediastinum* ; Paraganglioma* ; Pheochromocytoma ; Thoracotomy

Background: Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists have been used as adjuvants to modulate immune responses in both animals and humans. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of the TLR 4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and the TLR 3 agonist polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) on equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs), and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Methods: The PBMCs, MoDCs, and BM-MSCs collected from three mixed breed horses were treated with MPL, Poly I:C, and their combination. The mRNA expression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p40, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The combination of MPL and Poly I:C significantly upregulated immunomodulatory responses in equine cells/ without cytotoxicity. The combination induced greater mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-6 than MPL or Poly I:C stimulation alone in PBMCs. In addition, the combination induced significantly higher mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12p40 in MoDCs, and IL-8, MCP-1, and VEGF in BM-MSCs compared to stimulation with a single TLR agonist. Conclusions The combination of MPL and Poly I:C can be used as a potential adjuvant candidate for vaccines to aid in preventing infectious diseases in horses.

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis is characterized by ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and disturbance of consciousness. It is similar to Miller Fisher syndrome, a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome, in that they share features such as ophthalmoplegia and ataxia. The difference is that patients with Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis have impaired consciousness, whereas patients with Miller Fisher syndrome have alert consciousness and areflexia. Here, we report the case of a 3-year-old child who was diagnosed with Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis presenting typical clinical features and interesting radiological findings. The patient showed ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and subsequent stuporous mentality. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed high signal intensity in the pons and cerebellum around the 4th ventricle on a T2-weighted image. He was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. Differentiation of Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis and Miller Fisher syndrome is often difficult because they possess many overlapping features. Brain magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful in diagnosing Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis, especially when lesions are definitely found.
Ataxia ; Brain ; Brain Stem* ; Cerebellum ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Consciousness ; Encephalitis* ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Miller Fisher Syndrome ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pons ; Stupor

Mycobacterial cell-wall skeleton (CWS) is an immunoactive and biodegradable particulate adjuvant and has been tried to use for immunotherapy. The CWS of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG-CWS) was studied as an universal vaccine vehicle for antigen conjugation, to develop potentially effective and safe vaccine. Although a variety of biological activities of BCG-CWS have been studied, the effects of BCG-CWS on spleen cells are not fully elucidated. Using MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion test, we found that BCG-CWS significantly enhanced the viability and proliferation of cells. Multiple clusters, indicating proliferation, were observed in BCG-CWS-treated spleen cells and surface marker staining assay revealed that BCG-CWS promoted the proliferation of CD19+ B lymphocyte rather than CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocyte. In addition, BCG-CWS up-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic molecules such as bcl-2, bcl-xL. BCG-CWS increased the surface expression of CD25 and CD69 as well as IL-2 production of spleen cells, suggesting increased activation. Furthermore, BCG-CWS enhanced the antigen-specific cell proliferation and interferon-gamma production of spleen cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate the immunostimulatory effects of BCG-CWS on spleen cells via multiple mechanisms, providing valuable information to broaden the use of BCG-CWS in clinical and research settings.
Animals ; Bacillus ; Cell Proliferation ; Collodion ; Diminazene ; Immunotherapy ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukin-2 ; Lymphocytes ; Mice ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Skeleton ; Spleen ; Trypan Blue