OBJECTIVE: This research is focused on modeling the diagnostic knowledge in traditional medicine. Unlike the previous studies which have dealt mainly with the standardized heuristic knowledge for diagnosis, we investigated the logical procedures and a set of source knowledge which the standardized diagnosis has been based on. These procedures and knowledge are related to Yin-Yang principle and their medical derivatives which are believed to interact with the heuristic knowledge for diagnosis through analogical reasoning. METHOD: we analyzed disorders which have been specified in traditional medicine and their signs and symptoms on the diagnostic criteria defined by Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine. Based on the conventional knowledge, all the symptoms were analyzed into elementary abstractive concepts so that we represented their properties by the principles mentioned above. And then we analyzed the procedures to link the disorders to their assigned sign and symptoms. RESULTS: Based on the proposed methodology, the diagnostic knowledge in traditional medicine was represented as rules in our ontology which was written by OpenCyc system. By applying these rules to the properties of the symptoms that have been derived from a patient, the patient's disorder can be determined. And this preliminary algorithm was implemented to be able to obtain a limited diagnostic result for individual patients. CONCLUSION: This research developed an analytic and consequently flexible diagnostic knowledge system for traditional medicine than the previous studies. These results will be extended to developing an analogical reasoning algorithm by the authors. It is also necessary, however, to improve them both by providing more practical diagnostic knowledge in such medicine and by carrying out clinical evaluations.
Aluminum Hydroxide ; Carbonates ; Expert Systems ; Humans ; Lifting ; Logic ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Medicine, Traditional ; Yin-Yang

The cryoballoon was invented to achieve circumferential pulmonary vein isolation more efficiently to compliment the shortcomings of point-by-point ablation by radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Its efficacy and safety were shown to be comparable to those of RFA, and the clinical outcomes have improved with the second-generation cryoballoon. The basic biophysics, implemental techniques, procedural recommendations, clinical outcomes, and complications of the cryoballoon are presented in this practical and systematic review.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Biophysics ; Catheter Ablation ; Cryosurgery ; Pulmonary Veins

The cryoballoon was invented to achieve circumferential pulmonary vein isolation more efficiently to compliment the shortcomings of point-by-point ablation by radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Its efficacy and safety were shown to be comparable to those of RFA, and the clinical outcomes have improved with the second-generation cryoballoon. The basic biophysics, implemental techniques, procedural recommendations, clinical outcomes, and complications of the cryoballoon are presented in this practical and systematic review.

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship among self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement and predictor of the self-achievements in elders. METHODS: A total of 294 subjects aged between 60 and 92 were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from May to June, 2008. Collected data were analysed by the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. RESULTS: Self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement were positively correlated. The most significant predictor of self-achievement in elders were self-management and self-esteem. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that self-achievement is influenced by self-management and self-esteem and needed for aged well.
Self Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes toward the mentally ill, identify the factors influencing their attitudes of administration clerks in national and private mental hospitals, and to get basic data to develop education program and the strategy to treatment of mental illness. METHODS: Total 166 administration clerks working in the two national mental hospital and four private mental hospital were interviewed by Community Attitudes to the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale. RESULTS: The administration clerks who working in the mental hospital showed generally sympathetic and positive attitudes in all CAMI scales like other community residents and mental health personnels. Administration clerks working in national mental hospitals showed more positive attitudes in authoritarianism subscale than those in private mental hospitals. Females who live in township areas (myeon), are low educated and have shorter duration of employment in national mental hospitals had relatively negative attitudes toward the mentally ill. Administration clerks working in private mental hospitals showed less significant differences according toward demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: It will be necessary to give information and systematic education about mental health for those who have negative attitude toward mentally ill, especially in the early period of employment. Further investigations should include comparison between characteristics of administration clerks working in national and private mental hospitals and change in attitudes after systematic education.
Authoritarianism ; Education ; Employment ; Female ; Hospitals, Psychiatric* ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Mentally Ill Persons* ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a Korean oriental nursing terminology set for nursing documentation in electronic nursing record systems. METHODS: This study was conducted in two steps. The primary terminology set was constructed by extracting terms from textbooks and materials about oriental nursing (2,708 terms). Then the appropriateness of terms as an oriental nursing vocabulary was reviewed by four teams of oriental nursing experts and practitioners. In addition, the frequency of uses of terms was examined in oriental nursing. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of 2,708 terms, 25.4% (n=688) were evaluated as appropriate and high-use oriental nursing terms by all expert teams. Among the terms, 24.1% (n=166) were nursing action terms representing acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, massage, treatment and observation, medication administration, health promotion, and others. The others (75.9%) were nursing phenomenon terms representing drugs, medical materials, instruments, tests, theories, disease names, syndrome differentiation, and signs and symptoms. The proportion of terms used only in oriental nursing was 52.3%. CONCLUSION: A total of 688 terms were identified as appropriate oriental nursing terms, as well as high-use terms. This terminology set can be used for the basic data to develop a formal terminology set in oriental nursing practice.
Acupuncture ; Health Promotion ; Massage ; Moxibustion ; Nursing Records ; Nursing* ; Vocabulary

In 2007, the Public Sanitation Administration Law in Korea was partially amended to subdivide cosmetology into general and skin cosmetology. Thus starting from 2008, a skin cosmetology qualification requirement license was newly created in Korea. Instead of improving the health standards concerning public health, the amendments have exaggerated the monopolistic right of trade of the Korean Central Esthetician's Association with the assistance of the Division of Sanitary Policy in the Korean Ministry for Health. In addition, the amended ordinances stipulate that cosmetologists can analyze skin conditions, hence allowing medical diagnostic procedures by non-medical personnel which has serious health problems causing serious conflict with Korean Medical Law. Legislation precedents from around the world demonstrate that medical supervision by physicians is absolutely necessary with fastidious requisitions in order to safeguard public health. However, in Korea there is a subversive attempt by some esthetician groups to limit the employment of estheticians by medical institutions in order to safeguard their private privileges. The newly amended Public Sanitation Administration Law should be revised in order to preserve the fundamental rights of the people, to enhance public health, and to uphold the well being of the people instead of catering to special interest groups.
Employment ; Human Rights ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Licensure ; Organization and Administration ; Public Health ; Public Opinion ; Sanitation ; Skin

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relations among ADL, self-efficacy, physical activity and cognitive function in elders. METHODS: A total of 257 subjects aged between 60 and 92 were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected with a self-reported questionnaire from January 10 to February 28, 2009. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 15.0. RESULTS: Differences in ADL, self-efficacy, physical activity, and cognitive functions according to general characteristics were as follows. ADL was significantly different according to age, cohabitation, recognition on health, and successful aging. Self-efficacy was significantly different according to cohabitation, recognition on health, and successful aging. Physical activity was significantly different according to age, educational level, cohabitation, and cognition on health. Cognitive function was significantly different according to age, educational level, job, and recognition on health. The correlation coefficient (r) of the ADL variables was .565 for self-efficacy, .633 for physical activity and .460 for cognitive function. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study may be useful in understanding the health status of community-dwelling elders and developing more specific health promotion programs.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Aging ; Cognition ; Health Promotion ; Motor Activity* ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Cisplatin* ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing*

PURPOSE: Amiodarone (AD) is a potent and effective anti-dysrhythmic drug, but some literature reports that it 's long-term use is associated with the development of potentially life-threatening amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity (AIPT). Until now, oxygen free radical theory has been the most probable hypothesis for the development of AIPT. We investigated the protective effect of two potent antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine(NAC) and vitamin E, against AIPT. METHODS: Twenty-six (26) Hamsters were divided into a sham-operation group(n=2) and the following 4 groups: AD-induced effects without antioxidants (group 1, n=6), with NAC (group 2, n=6), with vitamin E (group 3, n=6), and with both NAC and vitamin E (group 4, n=6). Vitamin E (100 mg/kg) was injected intramuscularly into the hind leg once a day. At day 21, amiodarone (1.83 umol) was administered by transoral intratracheal instillation. NAC (300 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally just after amiodarone instillation. At day 28, amiodarone and NAC were administered again. Twenty-one (21) days after instillation of the second dose of amiodarone, the hamsters were sacrificed, and the lung fibrosis index and the hydroxyproline content were assessed. RESULTS: In the NAC-treated group (group 2), there was no significant decrease in either the lung fibrosis index, as determined by microscopic evaluation, or the lung hydrox-yproline content (p > 0.05). But there were significant decreases in the fibrosis index and the lung hydroxyproline content in the vitamin E-treated groups (group 3 and 4 ) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although vitamin E and NAC are both potent antioxidants, we found that AD-induced lung fibrosis was significantly decreased by only vitamin E and that there was no synergistic effect between vitamin E and NAC. It is possible that AIPT is developed by some other mechanisms rather than oxygen free radical injury. Vitamin E may have some other path for decreasing lung fibrosis. Further studies are warranted.
Acetylcysteine ; Amiodarone ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; Cricetinae* ; Fibrosis ; Hydroxyproline ; Leg ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Fibrosis* ; Vitamin E* ; Vitamins*