No abstract available.
Thorax*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Hepacivirus* ; Hepatitis C* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Prevalence* ; Renal Dialysis*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to exam the effect of a biomedical ethics education program on the consciousness of biomedical ethics, moral sensitivity and critical thinking disposition in nursing students. METHOD: A quasi-experimental research design and repeated measured ANOVA were used. The participants were divided into an experimental group (n=148) and a control group (n=169). Each group underwent freshman university nursing training in two major cities. The mean age was 21.3 years and the time of providing the biomedical ethics education program was 15 hours for 15 weeks. The experimental group was provided biomedical ethics education during the semester; the control group was not provided any biomedical ethics education. RESULTS: The consciousness of biomedical ethics was increased significantly in the experimental group (t=-4.724, p<.001). Moral sensitivity was increased significantly in the experimental group (t=-2.021, p<.004). Critical thinking disposition was increased significantly in the experimental group (t=-5.775, p×.001). CONCLUSION: The results of the study show that providing biomedical ethics education to nursing students is an effective method to increase the consciousness of biomedical ethics, moral sensitivity and critical thinking disposition.
Bioethics* ; Consciousness ; Education* ; Humans ; Methods ; Nursing* ; Research Design ; Students, Nursing* ; Thinking

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of seminal vesicle fluid (SVF) on the acrosome reaction (AR) occurred spontaneously or induced by Ca2+ ionophore A23187, follicular fluid, and progesterone in mouse epididymal sperm. SVF was divided into high (MW>10 kM)) and low (MW<10 kD) fractions by ultrafiltration. The low MW fraction of SVF decreased the rate of spontaneous AR, however the high MW fraction did not. It suggested that the low MW fraction of SVF might have contained decapacitation factor(s) responsible for prolonging of time need for capacitation. When sperm preincubated for 60 min in the presence of SVF, the rate of AR induced by A23187 was decreased, but prolongation of preincubation time for 120 min significantly potentiated the AR by A23187. It suggested that addition of SVF into sperm preincubation medium imposed the epididymal sperm a condition similar to ejaculation. AR induced by human follicular fluid or progesterone was also inhibited by SVF. It suggested that substance in SVF might have affected AR of mouse sperm by inhibiting the interaction between AR inducing ligands and sperm surface receptors involved in acrosomal exocytosis.
Acrosome Reaction* ; Acrosome* ; Animals ; Calcimycin ; Ejaculation ; Exocytosis ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; Humans ; Ligands ; Male ; Mice* ; Progesterone ; Seminal Vesicles* ; Spermatozoa* ; Ultrafiltration

M-mode, pulsed Doppler and Doppler color flow mapping, in addition to two-dimensional echocardiography, have greatly improved imaging of the fetal heart through identification of abnormal cardiac anatomy and rhythm in utero. The early detection of cardiac disturbance in utero permits alteration in obstetric management such as delivery in a high-risk center for optimal neonatal care and/or decision in optimal delivery time. We report two cases of the neonatal arrhy-thmia which were observed by fetal echocardiography. In the first case, female baby showed neonatal arrhythmias including tachycardia and brady-cardia until 3 days after birth, and then turned to bradyarrhythmia due to non-conducted atrial bigeminy. These events lead us to review the fetal echocardiographs of the patient carefully. Premature atrial contractions were observed in her fetal echocardiography. At 2 months after birth, the patient's electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm. Severe neonatal bradycardia of the second case was due to congenital complete heart block, identified clearly by electrocardiogram after birth. This case also showed complete heart block in her fetal echocardiography. After insertion of the temporary pacemaker, cardiomegaly was improved. Both the neonate and the mother had positive anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody. But any other symptoms and signs of neonatal lupus did not appear in the neonate. Patient's mother also did not show any symptoms and signs of systemic lupus erythematosus. Since the prognosis depends upon the cause of bradyarrhythmia in fetus and neonates, differential diagnosis is important in obstetric management and optimal neonatal treatment.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac* ; Atrial Premature Complexes ; Bradycardia ; Cardiomegaly ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Fetal Heart ; Fetus ; Heart Block ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Prognosis ; Tachycardia

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of pregnant women's experiences with drinking alcohol during first trimester of pregnancy METHODS: The data were collected through in-depth interviews of 7 pregnant women who drank alcohol in the first trimester. Giorgi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Findings included 6 main themes and 14 themes. The main themes concerning pregnancy and drinking were: ‘Open attitude in drinking, History of drinking in family or spouse, Seeking information in how drinking affects pregnancy, Regret not doing planned pregnancy and not quitting drinking before pregnancy, Willing to stop drinking until the child birth, Awareness about importance of preconception care. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of pregnant women's experiences of drinking alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy. These results can be used in the development of strategies to prevent drinking alcohol during first trimester and to support preconception care and prenatal care.
Binge Drinking ; Child ; Drinking* ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Methods ; Parturition ; Preconception Care ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: This study was to explore factors affecting musculoskeletal symptoms of the child care centers' teachers in Korea. METHODS: This study was a descriptive research, using a cross-sectional survey. Convenience samples of 230 child care centers' teachers aged 20 to 65 were selected. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure general characteristics, job-related characteristics, exercise habit, fatigue and musculoskeletal symptoms of the body parts. The data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: Shoulder pain (73.5%), low back pain (72.6%) and wrist/hand pain (57.8%) were the most common musculoskeletal symptoms. Shoulder pain significantly differed depending on the age of children in charge at the child care center (p<.047). The exercise habit was related to low back pain (p<.028) and the career was linked to wrist/hand pain (p<.046). The logistic regression analysis revealed exercise habit and fatigue were the risk factors on musculoskeletal symptoms of many body parts. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that interventions targeting the child care centers' teachers should be considered job-related characteristics and fatigue in order to prevent musculoskeletal disorder. Thus, there continues to be a need to develop exercise program for the child care centers' teachers.
Child ; Child Care* ; Child* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fatigue ; Human Body ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Low Back Pain ; Risk Factors ; Shoulder Pain

PURPOSE: Temporal lobe epilepsy in infants and children have been the focus of many clinical investigations and observations. Several prognostic aspects of nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy (NLTLE) in childhood remain unclear or controversial. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of NLTLE influencing short-term remission and whether the short-term seizure outcome has any impact on long-term prognosis. METHODS: The study was performed between June 1994 and August 1997. There were 32 newly-referred patients who had diagnosed of NLTLE from the data registry of Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic of Ajou University Medical Center. The patients identification was based on the careful review of hospital records, EEGs, and brain MRI. We have evaluated 6 months terminal remission rate (6M-TR) at one year of continuous antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment as short-term outcome. The predictive value of clinical parameters of NLTLE was comparatively analyzed between the patient who attained 6M-TR and who did not. To identify the long-term prognosis in NLTLE, we analyzed continuous seizure free rate during the next one year and compared between the patient who attained 6M-TR and who did not. RESULTS: 1) Among total 32 NLTLE patients, 18 (56.2%) patients attained 6M-TR at one year of AED treatment. 2) We cannot find any statistically significant clinical parameters influencing the short-term outcome between the two groups : age of onset (P=0.467), duration of illness (P=0.408), seizure type (P=0.725), abnormality of EEG (P=0.473), MRI findings (hippocampal sclerosis or temporal neocortical atrophy) (P=0.685). However, a previous history of perinatal asphyxia (P=0.367) and febrile seizure (P=0.253) were not statistically significant but those clinical parameters suggest clinical significance of influencing short-term outcome of NLTLE. 3) Patients with 6M-TR have showed the next one year remission in significantly higher proportion (77.8%) than those without 6M-TR (28.6%) (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Early short-term outcome of NLTLE is relatively good and significant proportion of patients with early 6M-TR enters the next one year remission period. So we conclude that short-term remission of NLTLE may be an important determinant in predicting long-term prognosis.
Academic Medical Centers ; Age of Onset ; Asphyxia ; Brain ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis ; Sclerosis ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile ; Temporal Lobe*

PURPOSE: To verify the regulation of transepithelial resistance (TER) of Sertoli cells by Leydig cells in mouse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary culture of Sertoli cells was established on cell culture plate insert and monolayer culture was subjected to coculture in the Leydig cell culture. Changes in TER was monitored for 48 h using the conductivity meter equipped with two electrodes system. RESULTS: TER gradually increased according to the development of monolayer of Sertoli cells on the cell culture plate insert. Net changes in TER of Sertoli cells culture was significantly higher under the Leydig cells coculture compared to control after 48 h of coculture. CONCLUSIONS: It is the first report about the increase in TER of Sertoli cells by Leydig cells in vitro. Paracrine interaction between Leydig cells and Sertoli cells might be involved in the development of functional blood testis barrier which is made by tight junctions between Sertoli cells in mouse testis.
Animals ; Blood-Testis Barrier ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Coculture Techniques* ; Electrodes ; Leydig Cells* ; Male ; Mice* ; Sertoli Cells* ; Testis ; Tight Junctions

OBJECTIVE Present study was aimed to verify the effect of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the preimplantation development of mouse embryos and the involvement of the mitogen activated protein kiase (MAPK) in the GM-CSF signaling. METHODS: Two-cell embryos were cultured for 96 h in the presence or absence of GM-CSF (0, 0.4, 2, 10 ng/ml) and PD98059, a MEK inhibitor (10 muM). Morphological development, cell number per blastocyst, and apoptotic nuclei, were eamined. MAPK activity of embryonic immunoprecipitate by MAPK (ERK1/2) antibody was measured by in vitro phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. RESULTS: At post hCG 122 h the embryonic development among the experimental groups was significantly different (p=0.018). The rate of blastocyst development and cell number per embryo were the highest in 2 ng/ml GM-CSF treatment group. The percent of apoptotic cells of the GM-CSF-treated embryos was the lowest among the group. in blastocysts, GM-CSF treatment transiently increased MAPK activity. PD098059 attenuated the effect of GM-CSF on the morphological development, increase in cell number per blastocyst, down regulation of apoptosis, and upregulation of MAPK activity, suggesting that activation of MAPK cascade possibly mediated the embryotropic effect of GM-CSF. CONCLUSION: This result suggested that GM-CSF potentiated the development of preimplantation mouse embryos by activation of MAPK.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Blastocyst ; Cell Count ; Down-Regulation ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Granulocytes* ; Mice* ; Myelin Basic Protein ; Phosphorylation ; Pregnancy ; Up-Regulation