OBJECTIVES: Patients with schizophrenia often have a concrete thinking or an impairment in abstract thinking, but there has been a limitation in quantitatively measuring this cognitive function. The aim of the current study was to investigate a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia using the theme identification task. METHODS: Twenty subjects with schizophrenia and 20 healthy volunteers participated in the behavioral study for theme identification. The visual stimuli were composed of a series of pictures, which contained positive or negative emotional situations. Three words, indicating a main theme of the picture, a theme-related item and a theme-unrelated item, respectively, were presented in the bottom of the pictures, and participants had to select a theme. RESULTS: The patient group selected theme words at significantly lower rate in both emotional conditions than the control group (positive, p=0.002 ; negative, p=0.001). Especially, in the negative condition, the patient group more selected theme-unrelated items than the control group (p=0.001). The rates of theme identification were inversely correlated with scores of the Social Anhedonia Scale (positive, r=-0.440, p=0.007 ; negative, r=-0.366, p=0.028). CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia exhibited an impairment in abstract thinking, and it was remarkable in the negative condition. The ability to think abstractly was associated with the severity of social anhedonia. The impairment of abstract thinking may become one of the reasons for poor social functioning in socially anhedonic patients.
Anhedonia ; Humans ; Schizophrenia ; Thinking

PURPOSE: The Purposes of this study are to identify the circulating etiologic viruses of acute lower respiratory tract infection in children and to understand the relation with clinical diagnosis. METHODS: We obtained a total of 418 nasopharyngeal aspirates from children admitted for their acute lower respiratory tract infections at three tertiary hospitals in Seoul from September 2008 to March 2009. We performed multiplex RT-PCR to identify 14 etiologic viruses and analyzed their emerging patterns and clinical features. RESULTS: Average age of patients was 16.4 months old and the ratio of male to female was 1.36. Viruses were detected in 56.2% of a total of 418 samples. Respiratory syncytial virus (35%) was the most frequently detected and followed by human rhinovirus (22%), human bocavirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and human coronavirus. Co-infection reached 21.9% of positive patients. CONCLUSION: When we manage the patients with acute lower respiratory infectious diseases, we should remind the role of various viral pathogens, which might be circulating by seasons and by local areas.
Adenoviruses, Human ; Child ; Coinfection ; Communicable Diseases ; Coronavirus ; Female ; Human bocavirus ; Humans ; Male ; Metapneumovirus ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Rhinovirus ; Seasons ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Viruses

This study was conducted to identify the effects of a planned exercise program based on Bandura's self efficacy model on metabolism, and the exercise compliance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The study design was a nonequivalent pre-test post-test control design. Thirty four type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, who received follow-up care regularly through the diabetic out-patient clinic, were randomly sampled for this study. Twenty patients were assigned to the experimental group and fourteen patients were assigned to the control group. In the experimental group, a planned exercise program is composed of an individualized exercise prescription for 12 weeks, an individual education, and even a telephone coach program. In the case of the control group, they were instructed to continue with their usual schedules. The data collection period was from March 1999 to February 2000 Data were analyzed using SPSS/WINDOW 10.0program. The results were as follows. 1. In the experimental group, the level of fasting blood sugar has significantly decreased from 188.20 mg/dl to 155.55 mg/dl after planned exercise program (F= 16.86, p=.000). For lipid metabolism, body fat per cutaneous decreased from 27.16% to 26.57% after planned exercise program. The score of self efficacy has increased from 64.20 to 66.65 after planned exercise program and it was statistically significant (F=4.850, p=.040) The functional vital capacity has increased from 3.28 liter to 3.37 liter and it was statistically significant(F=7.300, p=.020). 2. In an after effect of a planned exercise program, 35 percent of the subjects who participated in a planned exercise program continued to exercise for another six months. In conclusion, the planned exercise program can improve cardiopulmonary function, glucose, and lipid metabolism. This program was show a positive effect on the self efficacy and exercise compliance.
Adipose Tissue ; Appointments and Schedules ; Blood Glucose ; Compliance* ; Data Collection ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Education ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Metabolism* ; Outpatients ; Prescriptions ; Self Efficacy ; Telephone ; Vital Capacity

No abstract available.
Myocardial Stunning*

Contact urticaria refers to a wheal-and-flare response after cutaneous exposure to certain chemicals. If contact urticaria is accompanied by systemic symptoms, it is referred to as contact urticaria syndrome. Herein we report two cases of contact urticaria syndrome occur-ring in nurses due to occupational exposure to cefotiam.
Cefotiam ; Occupational Exposure ; Urticaria*

No abstract available.
Dermoid Cyst*

Epikeratophakia is a newly developed refractive corneal surgery for the correction of aphakic vision. Two aphakic patients have received hyperopic epikeratophakia grafts. Three months postoperatively, two patients had visual acuities of 0.6 without spectacle overcorrection. Epikeratophakia appears to be effective for the correction of adult aphakia.
Adult* ; Aphakia* ; Epikeratophakia* ; Humans ; Transplants ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This is a qualitative study to identify dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality that provide high-level medical services for long-term care patients in Korea. METHODS: Service consumers and providers were interviewed, and collected data were analyzed into thesis, type and dimension. The focus group method was applied to two provider groups and individual interview was applied to two persons who had experienced a long-term care hospital. RESULTS: The results of analyzing the comsumers and providers was integrated into 8 dimensions: physical environment, staff, clinical care and nursing, multiplicity of activity program, atmosphere, interaction with family, nutrition, and quality improvement system. CONCLUSION: The dimensions of long-term care hospital care quality from this study can be used as a basis of quality indicators. Quantitative studies to test these dimensions are required for establishing quality management systems.
Atmosphere ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Korea ; Long-Term Care* ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Quality Improvement ; Quality Indicators, Health Care

No abstract available.
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

No abstract available.