PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of upper extremity exercise training on the motor activity, the ADL and the health related quality of life. METHOD: A non-equivalent pretest-posttest design was used. Study subjects were conveniently selected 40 hemiplegic patients(20 experimental subjects, 20 control subjects) who had been enrolled in two community health centers. After biofeedback training the subjects of experimental group were given constraint-induced movement, involving restraint of unaffected U/E in a sling for about 6 hours over a period of two weeks, while at the same time intensively training the affected U/E. Outcomes were evaluated on the basis of motor activity(amount, quality) of plegic side, DL(ADL, IADL) and health related QOL(SF-36). RESULTS: 1. After 2 weeks of treatment, the amount of use and the quality of motor activity of affected U/E were significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group. 2. There were no significant differences in ADL and IADL between experimental and control groups. 3. After 2 weeks of treatment. the health related QOL was significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group. CONCLUSION: The above results state that the U/E exercise training could be an effective intervention for improving the motor activity and the health related QOL of chronic hemiplegic patients. Long-term studies are needed to determine the lasting effects of constraint-induced movement.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Community Health Centers ; Humans ; Motor Activity* ; Quality of Life ; Upper Extremity*

No abstract available.
Congenital Hypothyroidism*

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

Balloon cell malignant melanoma (BCMM) is a rare histologic variant of malignant melanoma, which is composed either predominantly or entirely of large clear or foamy cells. The incidence of balloon cell malignant melanoma is about 0.15% of all cutaneous malignant melanomas. Recently, we experienced a case of cutaneous balloon cell malignant melanoma in the right lower abdomen with right inguinal and both axillary lymph node metastasis in a 56-year-old man. The cutaneous lesion was 4.5 3.5 cm in size, a well-demarcated black nodular mass, involving abdominal skin and subcutaneous tissue. The tumor was histologically composed of two types of tumor cells: predominant clear cell and focal, pigmented spindle cell. The nodal lesion was composed entirely of clear cells. Both clear and spindle cells showed positive reaction for S-100 protein and HMB-45 on immunohistochemistry.
Abdomen ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training using biofeedback and constraint-induced movement on the upper extremity function of hemiplegic patients. METHOD: A non-equivalent pretest-posttest design was used. Study subjects were a conveniently selected group of 40 hemiplegic patients(20 experimental subjects, 20 control subjects) who have been enrolled in two community health centers. After biofeedback training the subjects of experimental group were given constraint-induced movement, involving restraint of unaffected U/E in a sling for about 6 hours in a day over a period of two weeks, while at the same time intensively training the affected U/E. Outcomes were evaluated on the basis of the U/E motor ability(hand function, grip power, pinch power, U/E ROMs), and motor activity(amount, quality). RESULT: 1. After 2 weeks of treatment, the motor abilities of affected U/E(hand function, grip power, pinch power, ROMs of wrist flexion, elbow flexion and shoulder flexion/extension) were significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group with no decrement at 4-week follow-up. However, there was no significant difference in wrist extension between experimental or control group. 2. After 2 weeks of treatment, the amount of use and the quality of motor activity of affected U/E were significantly higher in subjects who participated in exercise training than in subjects in the control group with no decrement at 4-week follow-up. CONCLUSION: The above results state that exercise training using biofeedback and constraint-induced movement could be an effective intervention for improving U/E function of chronic hemiplegic patients. Long-term studies are needed to determine the lasting effects of constraint-induced movement.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aromatherapy on the level of anxiety and fatigue in student nurses who were undergoing their first clinical practice. METHOD: A non-equivalent, control group, pretest-posttest design was used. A convenience sample of 42 student nurses were selected. They were assigned to experimental and control groups. The aromatherapy using lavender, geranium and camomile was given to the experimental group for four consecutive days while the control group only rested. RESULT: 1.Anxiety scores for the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th days of clinical practice. 2. Fatigue scores for the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day of clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The results support the conclusion that aromatherapy using selected essential oils is an effective intervention for relieving anxiety and fatigue in student nurses experiencing their first clinical practice. However differences between aromatherapy and massage were not clear. Further investigation needs to be done.
Anxiety* ; Aromatherapy* ; Chamomile ; Fatigue* ; Geranium ; Humans ; Lavandula ; Massage ; Oils, Volatile

PURPOSE: The population of metabolic syndrome is increasing in Korea. The prevalence is related to lifestyle, such as lack of physical activity and irregular diet. Most patients with metabolic syndrome know that lifestyle intervention is important to managing the condition. However, they do not always follow the intervention for various reasons, including lack of knowledge on how to change their lifestyle and lack of accessibility to that knowledge. The purpose of this study was to test the web-based health promotion program we developed. METHODS: Fifty-six adult workers from eight areas of business were recruited. They all had a confirmed metabolic syndrome diagnosis after being registered at a university hospital for annual health checkups. Twenty-nine workers were assigned to the experimental group, and the others were assigned to the control group. The web-based program was applied to the experimental group as an intervention for 8 weeks.Waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure were measured before and after the program. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and t test. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in waist circumference and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (t = -4.43, p < .001; t = 2.22, p = .031, respectively). Of the 29 participants, 13 (44.83%) in the intervention group had less than two indices for metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a web-based program is useful for patients with metabolic syndrome to improve physiologic parameters related to metabolic syndrome. The web-based program may be easily applicable to community as well as clinical setting.
Adult ; Blood Glucose/metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Health Promotion/*methods/standards ; Humans ; *Internet ; *Life Style ; Lipoproteins, HDL/blood ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*rehabilitation ; Middle Aged ; Triglycerides/blood ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: In this study, the effects of meridian massage and hand massage on the affected upper extremity of patients with a stroke were identified. METHOD: A nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design was used. Participants were 84 (Experimental. 1: 28, Experimental. 2: 28, Control.: 28) patients with a stroke who were hospitalized in K oriental medical center. Experimental treatment for patients in experimental group 1 was the meridian massage for 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks, and for those in experimental group 2, hand massage for 2 minutes, 30 seconds each, daily for 2 weeks. Outcome variables were upper extremity function (grip power, shoulder pain, edema, ROM), ADL, and depression. Data were analyzed using SPSS PC+ version. RESULTS: The score for upper extremity functions and ADL were significantly higher in experimental group 1 who had meridian massage than for experimental group 2 or the control group. Experimental group 1 showed less depression than experimental 2 or the control group. CONCLUSION: Meridian massage can be an effective nursing intervention to improve upper extremity function and ADL, and to decrease depression in patients stroke who have had a stroke.
Activities of Daily Living ; Depression ; Edema ; Hand* ; Humans ; Massage* ; Meridians ; Nursing ; Shoulder Pain ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity*