PURPOSE: To determine the reliability of sonourethrog raphy (SUG) in the evaluation of male anterior urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both SUG with retrograde saline infusion and retrograde urethrography (RUG) were performed in 5 young normal volunteers and 20 patients with symptoms of impaired urine flow. Those findings were compared with urethroscopic and operative findings in all patients. RESULTS: SUG was more accurate in the evaluation of the stricture length and degree than RUG in 7 patients with anterior urethral strictures, when compared with their subsequent open urethroplasty findings. Only SUG could classify the degree of spongiofibrosis surrounding the strictures in 15 patients. So, SUG was diagnostically as efficacious as or, superior to, RUG in all 20 patients. CONCLUSION: SUG can be used as one of complementary and reliable tools for diagnosis, evaluation and follow-up of anterior urethral strictures.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Urethral Stricture*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with perceived job satisfaction of TB control nurses in Korea. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive survey research design using data for 189 TB control nurses. Variables included in this study were demographic, social, and work-related characteristics (including job stress), and job satisfaction. ANOVA, t-test,and multiple regression analyses were performed using SPSS/WIN 19.0 program. RESULTS: The mean value of perceived job satisfaction was lower in the subjects (2.9+/-0.41) than in general nurses working in other departments. In multiple regression analysis, factors associated with TB control nurses' job satisfaction were job stress (beta=-.281, p<.001), marital status (beta=-.229, p<.001), and the number of TB control nurses employed (beta=.200, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that job satisfaction was associated more significantly with job-related characteristics than with non-job-related variables in workplace. Along with increased TB control nurse staffing, efforts should be made to reduce negative workplace issues such as job stress and inappropriate pay to improve the subject's job satisfaction.
Job Satisfaction* ; Korea ; Marital Status ; Nursing ; Research Design ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Adenoids* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic* ; Maxillary Sinus*

Laminin-1 is biologically active and can effect cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. In the central nervous system, neuronal cells are rarely reported to give positive reaction by laminin antibody staining. However, the original cell type which can produce the laminin molecule has not been well established. Since the neuronal cells of brain are derived from neuroectoderm, we thought that the neuronal cells should be able to produce the laminin molecules as other epithelial cells. In this study we aimed to explore whether the neuronal cells express the laminin chain mRNAs, and further to identify which types of laminin isoform are expressed at the specific sites of the brain structure. We found that neuronal cell was the important cell type in mouse brain, which could produce laminin isoforms. Although immunostainings disclosed reactivity of laminins in the basement membrane of capillaries as well as neuronal cells, mRNA expressions of laminins were intense only in the neuronal cells. It was relatively weak in the endothelial cells. Among neuronal cells the cortical cells of cerebrum, pyramidal cells of hippocampus, and Purkinje cells of cerebellum showed pronounced expression of laminin chain mRNA. Glial cells, especially astrocytes, were negative for laminin subtypes both in immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Taken together, our data indicate that the neuronal cells of mouse brain actively produce laminin isoforms, and the resultant polymerized laminins are accumulated mainly in the basement membrane of capillaries. In conclusion, the results indicate that neuronal cells produce and utilize the different laminin chains to maintain the neurovascular environment of brain.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Astrocytes ; Basement Membrane ; Brain* ; Capillaries ; Cell Proliferation ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebellum ; Cerebrum ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelial Cells ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Laminin* ; Mice* ; Neural Plate ; Neuroglia ; Neurons* ; Polymers ; Protein Isoforms ; Purkinje Cells ; Pyramidal Cells ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies exist in the existing researches regarding the association between social capital and self-efficacy, and most of these researches have been done in developed countries. The aims of this study were to assess the independent association between individual social capital and self-efficacy and to assess the associations between individual social capital, self-efficacy and self-rated health. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Gyeongnam health survey (6,500 persons) conducted in 2008. A self-administered questionnaire was additionally administered to gather information on demographic variables, health behaviors, chronic diseases, self-efficacy, social capital, and self-rated health status. Total study population was 3,843 as those with chronic diseases were excluded. RESULTS: In males, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty, and participation was negatively associated with confidence and positively associated with regulation and preference to task difficulty. In females, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty and negatively associated with regulation. Participation was positively associated with preference to task difficulty. In males, the odds for self-rated health status was better for persons with confidence (95% confidence interval, CI 1.088-1.705), trust (95% CI 1.172-1.821) and participation (95% CI 1.268-2.117). In females, the odds for self-rated health status was better for those with confidence (95% CI 1.250-1.803), preference of task difficulty (95% CI 1.019-1.683) and participation (95% CI 1.024-1.555). CONCLUSIONS: High social capital measured at an individual level may promote self-efficacy and health status.
Chronic Disease ; Developed Countries ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

During the arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, there was extravasation of fluid into the surrounding soft tissue due to the use of pressure pump irrigator. Clinically, the shoulder region became tense and intramuscular pressure of the deltoid could be elevated. To analyze the change of the intramuscular pressure of the deltoid and the efficiency of cryotherapy in the shoulder arthroscopy with pressure pump, we studied 35 consecutive patients who underwent various arthroscopic shoulder procedures at the Dankook University Hospital. We monitored intramuscular pressure using spinal needle connected to the patient monitoring system during arthroscopic procedures and postoperative period until return to preoperative pressure level. Twenty-seven patients were fitted with a cryotherapy. device in the operating room, and 8 were not according to the patient opinions. We evaluated the effect of cryotherapy with visual analog scales and amounts of analgisics for 3 days postoperatively. The results were followed; 1. Intraoperative highest intramuscular deltoid pressure was 293mmHg (average 169+/-68mmHg, 71293mmHg). 2. Immediate postoperative deltoid pressure was average 58.3+/-28.1mmHg (24-145mmHg). 3. Average time that the pressure had returned to the preoperative level was 114.3+/-38.6 minutes (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant between two groups, 113.9+/-41.1 min in the cryotherapy group and 115.7+/-32.6 min in the non-cryotherapy group. 4. Shoulder pain was less in the cryotherapy cases until second postoperative day. In conclusion, arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder can be performed with minimal complication in spite of high intramuscular deltoid pressure. More than 60 minutes may be needed for returning to normal intramuscular deltoid pressure. Cryotherapy is eftective in the pain relief but cannot minimize swelling postoperatively.
Arthroscopy* ; Cryotherapy* ; Humans ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Needles ; Operating Rooms ; Postoperative Period ; Shoulder Pain ; Shoulder* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Visual Analog Scale

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the anterior site of acute myocardial infarction(MI) and occurrence of stroke has become a recent subject of much debate in the relevant literature. The object of this study was to examine the incidence of ischemic stroke during the hospitalization after an acute MI and to identify predictors of MI-related stroke. METHOD: We performed retrospective analysis of 452 patients with acute MI admitted to department of Neurology or Cardiology from January 1990 to August 1997. Patients with a stroke during hospitalization after acute MI were recruited for this study. RESULT: Thirteen cases were recorded. Seventy-seven percent (10/13) of the strokes occurred within 4 days after onset of MI. Multivariate analysis identified the following as independent predictors of stroke : History of hypertension(OR. 2.6: CI, 1.1 to 5.9), previous stroke(OR, 22.3: CI, 5.9 to 84.9) and congestive heart failure (CHF)(OR, 15.4: CI, 2.2-108.6). Transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) was performed in 349/452(77%) during hospitalization. The incidence of left ventricular thrombosis(LVT) in patients with anterior MI who received thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy was not significantly different from that in patients with anterior MI who didn't(2.6% vs 6.1%, p=0.265). Stroke developed in only one of these patients with LVT. Thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy were more frequently used in patients without stroke compared with stroke.(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The incidence of stroke after acute MI is 2.9% and more frequent within the 4 days after MI. History of hypertension, previous stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF) were the factors independently favoring the occurrence of stroke, but there is no relation between the occurrence of stroke and anterior site of MI. Although intravenous thrombolytics followed by full anticoagulation treatment appeared to provide protection against ischemic stroke, it has no effect in the incidence of left ventricular thrombi in this study.
Cardiology ; Heart Failure ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Neurology ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes of epiblepharon by evaluating the severity of epiblepharon before and after induction of general anesthesia (GA) with a muscle relaxant and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) without a muscle relaxant. METHODS: Thirteen pediatric patients (26 eyes) underwent surgery for epiblepharon under GA using a muscle relaxant and 19 pediatric patients (38 eyes) underwent surgery for epiblepharon under TIVA without a muscle relaxant. The severity of epiblepharon in each eye was scored according to skin-fold height (scored 1-4) and area of ciliocorneal touch (scored 1-3) while the patient was in the supine position before induction and after induction of GA. RESULTS: Skin-fold height scores and ciliocorneal touch area scores decreased after induction of GA with a muscle relaxant (skin-fold height score before GA: 2.42 ± 0.86, after GA: 1.87 ± 0.88 p-value < 0.001; ciliocorneal touch area score before GA: 2.05 ± 0.70, after GA: 1.61 ± 0.68, p-value < 0.001). In the TIVA group, skin-fold height scores and ciliocorenal touch area scores were not statistically different before and after GA (skin-fold height score before GA: 2.23 ± 1.18, after GA: 2.38 ± 1.10, p-value = 0.212; ciliocorneal touch area score before GA: 2.06 ± 0.74, after GA: 1.94 ± 0.80, p-value = 0.161). CONCLUSIONS: The change of epiblepharon severity was significantly reduced by induction of TIVA without a muscle relaxant and there was no recurrence of epiblepharon 3 months after surgery. When using TIVA without a muscle relaxant, the change of epiblepharon severity was reduced and thus, this method can help prevent its undercorrection.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Intravenous* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Supine Position

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes of epiblepharon by evaluating the severity of epiblepharon before and after induction of general anesthesia (GA) with a muscle relaxant and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) without a muscle relaxant. METHODS: Thirteen pediatric patients (26 eyes) underwent surgery for epiblepharon under GA using a muscle relaxant and 19 pediatric patients (38 eyes) underwent surgery for epiblepharon under TIVA without a muscle relaxant. The severity of epiblepharon in each eye was scored according to skin-fold height (scored 1-4) and area of ciliocorneal touch (scored 1-3) while the patient was in the supine position before induction and after induction of GA. RESULTS: Skin-fold height scores and ciliocorneal touch area scores decreased after induction of GA with a muscle relaxant (skin-fold height score before GA: 2.42 ± 0.86, after GA: 1.87 ± 0.88 p-value < 0.001; ciliocorneal touch area score before GA: 2.05 ± 0.70, after GA: 1.61 ± 0.68, p-value < 0.001). In the TIVA group, skin-fold height scores and ciliocorenal touch area scores were not statistically different before and after GA (skin-fold height score before GA: 2.23 ± 1.18, after GA: 2.38 ± 1.10, p-value = 0.212; ciliocorneal touch area score before GA: 2.06 ± 0.74, after GA: 1.94 ± 0.80, p-value = 0.161). CONCLUSIONS: The change of epiblepharon severity was significantly reduced by induction of TIVA without a muscle relaxant and there was no recurrence of epiblepharon 3 months after surgery. When using TIVA without a muscle relaxant, the change of epiblepharon severity was reduced and thus, this method can help prevent its undercorrection.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Intravenous* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Supine Position