We have studied the genetic differences among four isolates of Trichinella including a new strain of Trichinella spiralis (ISS 623) recently found from a human case who took a badger in Korea. Because they have a different host origin and came from geographically separated regions, we supposed the genetic pattern of the isolates might be different as had been previously reported. It was analysed by PCR-RFLP analysis of the rDNA repeat that can readily distinguish a species or strain from others. Isolated genomic DNA of each isolate of Trichinella larvae was amplified with ITS1 specific primers and digested with restriction endonucleases. The PCR product of ITS1 was confirmed using Southern blot analysis to be a 910 bp fragment. The restriction fragments of each isolate had variable patterns when it was digested with Rsa 1 only. According to the RFLP patterns, the estimated genetic divergence between each isolate was different. In conclusion, four isolates of Trichinella including a new strain of T. spiralis obtained from a Korean patient may have genetic differences in the ITS1 region and the Shanghai isolate was genetically more similar to the Japanese unknown isolate than others in the ITS1 region.
Animals ; *DNA, Helminth ; *DNA, Ribosomal ; Human ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid ; Trichinella spiralis/*genetics/isolation & purification

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling is critical for regulating metabolic homeostasis in mammals. In particular, transcriptional regulation by cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and its coactivator, CREB-regulated transcription coactivator (CRTC), is essential for controlling the expression of critical enzymes in the metabolic process, leading to more chronic changes in metabolic flux. Among the CRTC isoforms, CRTC2 is predominantly expressed in peripheral tissues and has been shown to be associated with various metabolic pathways in tissue-specific manners. While initial reports showed the physiological role of CRTC2 in regulating gluconeogenesis in the liver, recent studies have further delineated the role of this transcriptional coactivator in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in various tissues, including the liver, pancreatic islets, endocrine tissues of the small intestines, and adipose tissues. In this review, we discuss recent studies that have utilized knockout mouse models to delineate the role of CRTC2 in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing organizational commitment of nurses at the advanced beginner stage by examining relationships between positive psychological capital, social support, head nurses' authentic leadership and organizational commitment. Methods: One hundred and ten nurses at the advanced beginner stage were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Their clinical experience was from over 13 months to less than 36 months. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires which were used to identify participants' characteristics, positive psychological capital, social support, head nurses' authentic leadership and organizational commitment. Results: The organizational commitment score was 3.16±0.43 points. The results of the stepwise multiple regression showed that factors affecting organizational commitment of nurses at the advanced beginner-stage were head nurse’s authentic leadership, positive psychological capital, and job satisfaction in current working department, indicating that these three variables accounted for 25% of organizational commitment. Conclusion The findings from this study indicate that the authentic leadership of head nurses needs to be enhanced to increase the organizational commitment of nurses at the advanced beginner-stage, also a program needs to be developed to improve their positive psychological capital.

PURPOSE: This study was to develop an online 'alternative therapy and health promotion' class for university students and to evaluate its changes. METHOD: The online class was developed based on the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model and model of Web-Based Instruction (WBI) developmental process. This was a quasi- experimental, one group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study were 130 students in 3 universities, and they were provided the cyber class for 16 weeks. Data was analyzed by descriptive and plural answer statistics, and paired t-test. RESULTS: The cyber class was developed in five steps : analysis, design, data collection and reconstruction, programing and publishing, and evaluation. The results of program evaluation were positive, which included learning 3.47, system 3.57, and learning satisfaction 3.64 on the scale of 5. The posttest scores of cognition and reliability of alternative therapy were higher than pretest scores. The posttest score of health promoting lifestyle (t=-5.051, p=.000) and perceived health status (t=2.979, p=.003) were significantly higher than those of the pretest. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the cyber class is a positive method in increasing a cognition, reliability of alternative therapy, and is effective to improve a health promotion lifestyle and perceived health status for the university students.
Complementary Therapies/*education/standards ; *Computer-Assisted Instruction ; *Health Promotion ; Humans ; Internet

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to explore and describe the process of nursing home placement decision making and adaptation among adult children caregivers of demented parents in Korea and to generate a substantive theory grounded in their experiences. METHODS: The participants were 16 adult children caregivers who had placed their demented elders into nursing homes. Data were collected by in-depth unstructured interviews with individual participants. Data were analyzed by Strauss and Corbin's Grounded Theory methodology. RESULTS: Analysis revealed that the core category of the process of nursing home placement decision making and adaptation among adult children caregivers was accepting the inevitable and reorienting to changes. It consisted of four phases: realizing a dead end, seeking a way out, accepting the inevitable decision, and reorienting to changes. Participants were driven to the corner of making the inevitable decision by the overwhelming care situation and confronted by various challenges in dealing with the decision. But they managed to accept the inevitableness of the decision and further learned to reorient themselves to the changed care situation utilizing various action/interaction strategies. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study provide the basic information for developing proactive strategies to support family caregivers better in the difficult period of nursing home placement.
Adult ; Adult Children ; Caregivers ; Decision Making ; Dementia ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing Homes ; Parents

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop and measure the effect of a movie-based-nursing intervention program designed to enhance motivation for rehabilitation and reduce depression levels in stroke patients. METHODS: The study used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group and a pretest-posttest design. The 60 research subjects were assigned to the experimental (n=30) or control group (n=30). The movie-based nursing intervention program was provided for the experimental group during 60-minute sessions held once per week for 10 weeks. The program consisted of patient education to strengthen motivation for rehabilitation and reduce depression, watching movies to identify role models, and group discussion to facilitate therapeutic interaction. RESULTS: After 10 weeks of participation in the movie-based nursing intervention program, the experimental group's rehabilitation motivation score was significantly higher, F=1161.54 (within groups df=49, between groups df=1), p<.001, relative to that observed in the control group. In addition, the experimental group's depression score was significantly lower relative to that observed in the control group, F=258.97 (within groups df=49, between groups df=1), p<.001. CONCLUSION: The movie-based nursing intervention program could be used for stroke patients experiencing psychological difficulties including reduced motivation for rehabilitation and increased depression during the rehabilitation process.
Depression* ; Humans ; Motion Pictures as Topic ; Motivation* ; Nursing* ; Patient Education as Topic ; Program Development ; Rehabilitation* ; Research Subjects ; Stroke*

This study was performed to investigate the validity of food photographs for estimating individuals' dietary intakes and compare it with other dietary assessment methods. Subjects were 7 professors, 2 researchers, 12 dietitian and 16 graduate students majoring in food and nutrition. Among the subjects, 20 subjects had research experiences in the dietary intake survey more than one year while 17 had not. Each subject estimated 50 food portions displayed in computer monitor by comparing with standard food photographs, which were weighed portions of 28 foods from typical Korean diet. No significant differences between the estimated value and the weighed value of 17 (34%) food portions were shown in research-experienced group and those of 14 (28%) food portions were shown in no-researchexperienced group. 24-hour recall was the most frequently-used method for dietary assessment followed by in the order of food frequency questionnaire, dietary record, diet history and weighing method. After estimating food portions by photographs, 30 subjects (81%) were willing to use the method for dietary assessment because of its convenience and easy communication between researcher and subject. This study suggests that digital photography method would be a useful and convenient new instrument for estimating individuals' dietary intake. However, it is necessary to create standard database for food portions and carry out systematic education for food estimation in order to apply this method in the fields.
Diet ; Diet Records ; Humans ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Photography ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Angiosarcomas are rare tumors that are derived from vascular endothelial cells. They may occur in various sites, including the skin, breast, visceral organs and deep soft tissues. The pleura usually a metastatic site from angiosarcomas. However, thirty one cases of primary pleural angiosarcomas have been reported worldwide. Here, we report a 61-year-old man with a primary angiosarcoma of the pleura with a brief review of the literature.
Breast ; Endothelial Cells ; Hemangiosarcoma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pleura* ; Skin

The Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor is a rare sex cord stromal tumor of the ovary, accounting for less than 0.5% of all primary ovarian neoplasm. This tumor is the most common type of all virilizing ovarian tumors. However, only one-third of patients develop virilization. Recently, we experienced a case of intermediately differentiated Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor with amenorrhea and so we present it with brief review of literature.
Amenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor* ; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors ; Virilism

PURPOSE: This study examined Korean clinical nurses' intentions to care for SARS patients and identify determinants of the intentions. Theory of planned behavior was the framework to explain the intentions of Korean nurses for SARS patients care. METHODS: A convenient sample of six hundreds and seventy nine clinical nurses from four university-affiliated hospitals located in Seoul and in Kyung-gi province was used. Self-administered (83-items) questionnaire was used to collect data. Intentions, attitude, subjective norm, perceive behavioral control, behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs were the study variables. All items were measured using 7-point Likert scale (-3 to +3). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation method, and stepwise multiple regression methods. RESULTS: Intentions and attitudes toward SARS patient care among Korean clinical nurses were moderate, but their subjective norm and perceive behavioral control of SARS patients care were negative. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that attitude toward SARS patient care, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm were the determinants of the intentions for SARS patients care as theory proposed. Among the behavioral beliefs, "SARS-patient caring would be a new experience", "during SARS-patient caring, I should be apart from my family", "after completing SARS-patient caring, I would be proud of myself being able to cope with a stressful event" and "with my SARS-patient caring, patients could recover from SARS" were the significant determinants. Among the normative beliefs, colleague approval, spouse approval, and physician approval were significant determinants of the intentions. Among the control beliefs, "SARS-patient caring would be a challenge" "SARS-patient caring is a professional responsibility", "tension during the care of SARS patients" and "support from team members" were the significant determinants of the intentions. CONCLUSIONS: Korean clinical nurses in this study were not willing to care for SARS patients and showed negative attitude toward the care. They believed their friends and family were not approved their care for SARS patients. Nurses were in conflicts between professional responsibilities to care for SARS patients and personal safety. This study was the first to understand stress and burden of Korean clinical nurses who are in front line to care for newly developed communicable disease such as SARS. Under the circumstance where several fatal communicable diseases are predictable, conflicts between professional responsibility and their personal risks should be taken into considerations by nurses themselves and by nursing administrators in order to improve quality of care.
Adult ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Humans ; *Intention ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Psychological Theory ; Regression Analysis ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome/*nursing