Serum Immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM, levels were measured in 99 coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients and 12 healthy coal workers and 9 non-miners to compare with each group by the radiological categories, its complications and working period in coal mine. Serum were measured by nephelometry. The findings were as follows: 1) Serum IgA levels were significantly different between three groups of CWP patient, healthy coal worker and non-miner (mean+/-standard deviation: 226.4+/-87.7, 221.3+/-45.1, 170.1+/-65.7 respectively). 2) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among radiological categories of CWP. 3) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among simple pneumoconiosis and its complicated disorders. 4) The three Ig levels were slightly increased in the group of mining years less than 20 years (IgA: r=0.1869, p<0.10 IgG: r=0.2902, p<0.05 IgM: r=0.2889, p<0.05).
Coal* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins* ; Mining ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pneumoconiosis*

The purpose of this study is to analyze occupational history of coal miners with pnemoconiosis. In this study, occupational chracteristics of 49 coal miners with pneumoconiosis were compared with those of 45 coal miners without pneumoconiosis but in similar age category (43-52 years of age) based on interview survey. Various indices on occupational characteristics were developed for the following areas: duration of employment, perception of working condition, working density, dust concentration, temperature, humidity, and experience of respirator wearings. Perception of working condition were measured in 5 points scales but experiences of respirator wearing was measured in 3 points scale. Each index was multiplied by duration of employment. From the analysis, only the experience of respirator wearing showed statistically significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, respirator wearing seemed to be effective in reducing occurrence of pneumoconiosis.
Coal* ; Dust ; Employment ; Humidity ; Pneumoconiosis* ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Glomerular Basement Membrane*

The relationship between the attitude and satisfaction for sexuality of pregnant women was observed to provide rationales of nursing intervention to help promote healthy sexual lifestyles. Questionnaires were collected from 211 obstetric outpatients of H university hospital in C city, Korea from February to May 1999. The research tools were D.S.F.I (Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory in Korean, Chronbach's alpha= 0.710) and Sexuality Satisfaction Method (Kim, 1997, Chronbach's alpha =0.864). Data was analyzed for frequency, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, t-test and ANOVA by Windows SAS. The results of this study were as follows: Mean age of the subjects were 29.8; the average score of attitude to sex was moderate (27.60), and that of satisfaction sex was high (54.11); the positive relationship was shown between attitude and satisfaction for sexuality (r=0.51, p=.000); the higher educational and income levels of pregnant women and their husbands, were the better the attitude and satisfaction for was; professional women had better attitude than housewives. According to the results, it is suggested that the study is necessary to develop an effective nursing intervention related with the sexuality of pregnant women.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Pregnant Women ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexuality* ; Spouses

Objective: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is suggested as a prognostic biomarker for communityacquired pneumonia (CAP). However, its predictive value for an individual adult and elderly CAP patients has not been fully investigated. Methods: Patients with CAP aged 18 years and older, who visited the emergency department (ED) from March 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019, were included in this study. Patients were divided into the adult group and the elderly group (age ≥70 years). Data was collected from the ED-based registry, and medical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The registry data included sociodemographic and past medical characteristics, as well as laboratory findings including NT-proBNP and C-reactive protein (CRP), Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), and CURB65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and aged 65 or more). The independent potential of NT-proBNP to predict mortality was assessed in both groups using multivariable logistic regression, and its predictive ability was evaluated in terms of performance (using areas under the curve [AUCs]) and goodness-of-fit (using the Bayesian information criterion [BIC]). Results: Totally, 325 CAP patients were evaluated, of which 208 (64%) belonged to the elderly group. NT-proBNP was identified as an independent predictor of CAP mortality in elderly patients, but not in adult patients. Moreover, AUC of the NT-proBNP for mortality was comparable to AUC of the PSI, but was higher than that of the CURB65, in elderly CAP patients. Similarly, the NT-proBNP had a better overall fit (lower BIC value) compared to the CURB65, for mortality. Additionally, both AUC and overall fit of the NT-proBNP for mortality were significantly superior to values obtained for CRP. Conclusion For elderly CAP patients in the ED, the NT-proBNP is an independent and useful predictor of mortality.

BACKGROUND: A low dose of ketamine can be an effective preemptive analgesic by preventing central sensitization when administered before surgical trauma. In this study, we assessed the preemptive analgesic effect of low-dose ketamine administered intravenously to patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with intra articular ropivacaine injection. METHODS: This randomized, double-blinded study included fifty-six patients scheduled for elective arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Normal saline (group C) or 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine (group K) was injected intravenously before the skin incision. An intra articular injection using 20 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine was performed in both groups just before wound closure by the surgeon at the end of the surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed by the numeric rating scale (NRS) in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively. The total dose of fentanyl consumption and side effects were recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the C and K groups for the NRS of pain in the PACU and at 12, 24, and 48 hours after the surgery. In addition, there was also no significant difference in total fentanyl consumption between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Preemptive ketamine did not reduce preemptive pain scores and fentanyl consumption in patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with intra articular local anesthetic injection. Therefore, more aggressive and multimodal pain control is required in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery regardless of the use of preemptive intravenous ketamine injection.
Central Nervous System Sensitization ; Fentanyl ; Humans ; Ketamine* ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Rotator Cuff* ; Shoulder ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the core competencies of nursing students and to improve competency-based nursing education. METHODS: A triangulation method was used. A literature review and focus group interviews (FGI) were used to identify nursing core competencies. The present level of nursing competencies of students was identified through the nursing core performance questionnaire. RESULTS: 1) Nursing core competencies, including 23 different competencies, were categorized into seven areas through a literature review and qualitative research. These competencies included: desirable personality, attitude & interpersonal skills, professionalism, nursing knowledge & basic nursing skills, ability to cope with nursing situations, basic ability in nursing research, coping ability with changes in the healthcare environment, and leadership. 2) Core nursing skills, nursing research, and nursing leadership were the three lowest ranking competencies. Some courses in the curriculum were to be newly established in an e-learning system, student's portfolio in non-curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed in order to show effects of the changes. Changes after applying the strategy of a nursing education program will be measured. Continuous research in competency-based nursing education is needed.
Competency-Based Education* ; Curriculum ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Leadership ; Nursing Research ; Nursing* ; Qualitative Research ; Students, Nursing

Microglia have multiple functions in regulating homeostasis of the central nervous system. Microglia cells have been implicated as active contributors to neuron damage in neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, medicinal plant extracts (MPEs) were used to evaluate the cell-death induction effect in microglia BV-2 cells. Among 35 MPEs tested in this study, 4 MPEs showed less than a 30% cell survival after 24 hours of incubation. These were Foeniculi Fructus, Forsythiae Fructus, Zingiberis Rhizoma and Hedera Rhombea. The concentration showed that 50% cell death (IC50) occurred with 33, 83, 67 Ed highlight: Please confirm wording, and 81 µ /ml, respectively. For further study, we chose Zingiberis Rhizoma (ZR) which showed a reasonably low IC50 value and an induction of cell death in a relatively narrow range. Western blot analysis showed that ZR-treated cells showed activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP Ed highlight: When an acronym is first presented it needs to be spelled out in both dose- and time-dependent manners. However, the level of Bcl-2 and Bax were not changed by ZR-treatment in BV-2 cells. These results suggest that ZR-induced apoptosis in BV-2 cells occured through caspase-3 activation. The results also suggested that ZR may be useful in developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Central Nervous System ; Forsythia ; Hedera ; Homeostasis ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Microglia* ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons ; Plants, Medicinal

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to compare the general condition of peritonitis through a study of three connector systems : The Straight transfer set with Spike-and-Pork system(SPS), The Straight transfer set with Luer-Lock system(SLS), and The Y-set with Two Bag system(YS). METHODS: We reviewed our experience with 134 patients from 1988.1 to 1995.12. According to various kinds of connector system, we divided cases into 3 groups : The SPS(1988. 1-1991. 3) was used on 55 patients(mean age 47+/-2, M:F=30:25); The SLS(1991.4-1993.8) on 45 patients(mean age 55+/-1, M:F=30:15); and The YS(1993.9-1995.12) on 34 patients(mean age 49+/-5, M:F=15:19). RESULTS: 1) Total CAPD duration was 1.22 patient year in SPS, 1.08 in SLS, and 0.96 in YS. The incidence of peritonitis is 1.71 episodes per patient year in SPS, 1.03 in SLS, and 0.61 in YS. 2) Among the causative organisms of peritonitis, coagulase negative Staphylococcus was most common in the three groups(SPS:10.4%, SLS:10%, YS:20%). In SPS and SLS, S. aureus(7.7%, 8%), Pseudomonas(6.5%, 8%), E. coli(5.2%, 6%) were present in decreasing order. In YS, Pseudomonas (15%), S. aureus(15%), E. coli(10%) were present in decreasing order. There were no growth of organisms in 55.9% of SPS, 38% of SLS, and 30% of YS. 3) The probability of experiencing the first peritonitis at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months was 21.4%, 21.4%, 21.4%, and 23.9% respectively in SPS, 3.4%, 34.5%, 34.5%, and 10.3% respectively in SLS, and 0%, 28.5%, 35.7%, and 28.5% respectively in YS. 4) In the response to the treatment of peritonitis, 59.7% of the peritonitis episodes in SPS, 72% in SLS, and 85% in YS were cured with antibiotics. In 37.7% of the peritonitis episodes in SPS, 24% in SLS, and 10% in YS, the catheter was removed due to fungal, tubercolous, recurrent, or peritonitis not responding to antibiotics. 2 patients in SPS, 2 patients in SLS, and 1 patient in YS died due to peritonitis. 5) The catheter survival rate at 3, 6, 12 months was 72%, 63.6%, and 40% respectively in SPS, 89%, 78.3%, and 46.7% respectively in SLS, and 94%, 85.3%, and 76.6% respectively in YS. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that there is a relationship between the development of connector system and a decrease of peritonitis in CAPD.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters ; Coagulase ; Humans ; Incidence ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Peritonitis* ; Pseudomonas ; Staphylococcus ; Survival Rate