No abstract available.
Catheters* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Nephrology*

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: No medication currently available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is universally effective, and all can produce adverse effects. It is well known that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has an anti-inflammatory action without any adverse effects reported. We conducted this study whether the Acanthopanax koreanum extract has a preventive and/or regressive effect of collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice. METHODS: Three groups of BDA/1J mice were immunized by intradermal injection of 5ma/ka bovine type lI collagen with complete Freund s adjuvant. Group received 20ma/ka of Acanthopanax koreanum extract orally twice weekly and group K received 1ma/ka dexamethasone intraperitoneally twice weekly. Group ll and lll were divided into two subgroups respectively(Group Il-A, E-B, lll-A and Ill-B). Subgroup A is prevention group(Drugs were started to be given 3 weeks after immunization) and subgroup B is suppression group(Drugs were started to be given 6 weeks after immunization when CIA had been developed already). Group I received no treatment. The prevalence of arthritis were assessed twice weekly. Serum anti-collagen antibody and splenic mononuclear cell stimulation indices (SI) to collagen were measured. Serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 levels were also measured by ELISA. RESULT: Collagen induced arthritis(CIA) started to develop 4 weeks after collagen injections. In Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group, CIA induction seemed not to be inhibited, but questionably partial supressive effect of arthritis were observed at 10 weeks after collagen injection. In dexamethasone treated group, both of prevention and suppression of CIA could be observed. Levels of anti-collagen antibodies were reduced in dexamethasone treated group, but not in the Acanthopanax koreanum extract treated group. No significant differences of splenic mononuclear cell SI among the groups was observed. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10 among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that the Acanthopanax koreanum extract does not have a definite effect on induction or supression of CIA.
Eleutherococcus* ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Collagen* ; Dexamethasone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunization ; Injections, Intradermal ; Interleukin-10 ; Mice* ; Necrosis ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal*

No abstract available.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of social support on loneliness and life satisfaction in elderly Korean Immigrants living in the U.S.A. The sample consisted of 174 community-dwelling elderly Korean Immigrants who lived in a large Midwestern city area. Telephone interviews were used to collect the data using translated Korean version of the Social Support Questionnaire 6, Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Index-Z. A descriptive level correlational design was used in this study. Results indicated that the subjects had on the average of two to three emotional supporters. The mean score of social support satisfaction was between fairly and a little satisfaction on the scale. The mean score of loneliness was 42.60, indicating that the subjects were moderately lonely. the mean score of life satisfaction was 12.94, indicating that the subjects were moderately satisfied with their life. In this study, social support variables( network size and satisfaction ) had both a direct effect on life satisfaction and an indirect effect through loneliness. Elderly Korean immigrants who had the large number of people in their network were less lonely and thus more satisfied with their life than those who had the small number of people in their network. also, elderly Koreans who were more satisfied with social support were less lonely and thus more satisfied with their life than those who were less satisfied with social support. Social support satisfaction was a better predictor for loneliness and life satisfaction than social network size.
Aged* ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Loneliness* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

Coronary atherosclerosis begins with the impairment of endothelial function of anti-thrombosis, vasorelaxation, anti-proliferation, and anti-atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfuction is induced not only by bio-chemical factors such as hypercholesterolemia, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, but also by bio-mechanical factors, such as disturbance of laminar flow of blood stream. In addition to these conventional risk factors, new ones emerge as important factors for atherosclerosis, which include hyperhomocysteinemia, oxidative stress, and infectious agents. The results of the several ongoing trials of antibiotics, antioxidant, and vitamins for prevention of cardiovascular diseases will elucidate implications of these new risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis. The new insight on the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis will change the preventive measures against cardiovascular events. We have to pay attention not only to the conventional measures such as reducing the cholesterol level, correcting hypertension, and prescribing anti-platelet agents, but also to the new measures such as reducing the homocysteine level by folate and vitamin B, encouraging intake of antioxidant in fresh vegetables and nuts, and eradicating infectious agents by oral care and ulcer treatment.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Folic Acid ; Homocysteine ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Hypertension ; Nuts ; Oxidative Stress ; Risk Factors ; Rivers ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Ulcer ; Vasodilation ; Vegetables ; Vitamins

In the 21st century, the number of elderly population will reach 10% of Korean's total population, As the elderly population are increasing, the anticipation of the elderly with chronic health problem are also increased. They feel social isolation, alienation because of pain, and psychological flinching such as depression, but they can not control appropriately their chronic pain. Therefore, this study is an attempt to expose a group reminiscence therapy effect to decrease pain and depression, increasing self-esteem of the elderly as effective therapeutic nursing intervention This study is conductcd for 5 weeks from July 28 to August 31, 1997. The Subjects of this study consisted of 33 the elderly women having ronic pain. 17 of 33 residents S nursing home were ontrol group in C city. 16 of 33 resident E nursin home were experimental group in M city. The study design was a nnneqi.uivalent nontrol group with a pretest-posttest design. As for the tool for this study, Visual An logue Scale and Discriptive rating Scale were u ed to measure the pain, Zung's Depression Status nventory(DSI) which was translated by Yang S k Ha was used to measure the depression, and self-esteem scale which was translated by Byung Jae Jeon was used Lo measure self-esteem. As for the process of the study, demo raphic variables, pain, depression, self-esteem were tested with both the experimental and control grou prior to the group reminiscence. The ezperimental group was divided into 3 subgroup and a total of 4 ession of the group reminiscence therapy was performed to the experimental group for an hour at a time once a week from the first to the fourth week. Analysis of this study was computerized by using SPSS/PC. and the homogeneity which may be affected by various bariables was verifie with Chi-square and t-test, the reliablity of th tools with Cronbach's alpha, the comparison of pre and post-test with t-test in the Pain, Depression, and Self-Esteem among the experimental group and control group. The Pearson Corelation Coefficient was for analysis the relation of the Pain, Depression and Self-esteem. The results of the study can be summarized as follows ; 1. The first hypothesis, the degree of pain will be decreased on the experimental group which performed group reminiscence therapy than that of control group, was supported. VAS(t = -2.35, p=.025), DRS(t= -2.11, p=O.43). 2. The second hypothesis, the degree of depression status of the experimental group which has perfomed group reminiscence therapy will be reduced than control group was supported(t= -2.53, p= .017). 3. The third hypothesis, self-esteem of the experiinental group which has performed group reminiscence therapy will be increased than that of control group was not supported(t=1.34, p= .191). 4. The fourth hypothesis, the correlation with pain, depression, self-esteem was to appeared highly. The significance of this study through the above results shows that the Group Reminiscence Therapy is an effective nursing intervention for the elderly with chronic pain and depression.
Aged* ; Chronic Pain* ; Depression* ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing ; Nursing Homes ; Social Isolation