This study was to investigate the housewives' purchase behaviors on the environment-friendly agricultural products (EFAP) by survey in Daejeon area housewives. 390 questionnaires were used and analysed. Most of the subjects were female (92.6%) distributed evenly in their 40's (55.4%), and graduated from high school (43.6%) or college (36.4%). Subjects' occupation was most housewives (64.1%) and 77.4% of the subjects had monthly family income of 2 million won or more. 76.9% of the subjects had purchased EFAP already. The reason of purchasing EFAP was mainly "good for health" (80.3%), and reason for non-purchasing was "high prices" (28%) or "not so trustworthy" (25.6%). The most purchasing frequency was "once a week" (29%). 46.7% of the subjects spent 20% of their agricultural product cost for EFAP and 38.7% of them spent less than 30,000 won per month for EFAP. On checking of EFAP labeling, the housewives scored 3.59 for the validate date, 3.25 for the place of origin, 2.8 for the quality certification mark by 4-point Likert scale. 65.1% of the subject had intention to increase purchasing of EFAP in future. To promote the consumption of EFAP, the improvement factors were price-cutting (47.9%), trust on producers (18.2%) and quality betterment (17.7%). Accordingly, the consumers prefer EFAP for wellbeing health of families; however, they hesitate to buy due to their high price and the low reliability on producers of EFAP. Thus the producers and the related organization of EFAP should contrive proper countermeasures to increase consumer's satisfaction level on their credibility and price of EFAP.
Certification ; Female ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Intention ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Occupations ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECT: To evaluate how the therapeutic factors affect post-discharge course of patients with schizophrenia, we analyzed relationship between each therapeutic factor and outcome of inpatients with schizophrenia in Hanyang University Hospital. METHODS: This study is a retrospective report. Subjects were schizophrenic inpatients who were discharged from Hanyang University Hospital from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2004. We obtained demographic and clinical data from review of inpatient and outpatient charts. RESULTS: We analyzed the records of 104 patients with schizophrenia(44 males and 60 females). Patients who had longer first admission days have fewer number of readmission. There were no significant correlation between psychiatric rehabilitation and course of schizophrenia. Courses, such as duration of outpatient department follow-up and number and duration of rehospitalization, did not differ according to the existence of extrapyramidal symptoms or types of antipsychotics prescribed. CONCLUSION: Among the therapeutic factors, longer duration of the first admission only affected better post-discharge course of patients with schizophrenia.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Outpatients ; Rehabilitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Schizophrenia*

Background/Aims: Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has shown less favorable effect on lipids compared to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in clinical trials. However, data regarding these outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of TAF on the lipid in patients with CHB. Methods: A total of 237 TAF-treated CHB patients compared with TDF, inactive CHB, and non-hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected control groups using propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Following PSM, each analysis was conducted on cohorts via the matching of 70:140 (TAF:TDF), 89:89 (TAF:inactive CHB), 140:560 (TAF:non-HBV infected control), and 368:1,472 (TDF:non-HBV-infected control). A significant decrease in the total cholesterol (TC) level was noted at 48 weeks in the TDF group compared to the TAF group (176.3±32.9 vs. 156.7±27.7, P<0.001) and the non-HBV-infected control group (175.0±29.5 vs. 156.2±28.3, P<0.001). However, no significant change in TC was observed in the TAF group and inactive CHB or non-HBV-infected control groups at 48 weeks. For the subgroup analyses of TAF vs. non-HBV-infected control subjects and inactive CHB patients whose detailed lipid profile information were available, no between-group differences in TC, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, highdensity lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, TC/HDL ratio, and LDL/HDL ratio were observed at 48 weeks. Conclusions TDF seems to have a lipid-lowering effect compared to the non-HBV-infected control and TAF-treated groups. However, in real practice, TAF might not worsen the lipid profiles of subjects compared to non-HBV-infected controls and patients with inactive CHB.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is an uncommon disorder with only a few reported clinical studies. The goals of this study were to investigate the clinical manifestations and the natural course of SPM, as well as examine the current available treatment options for SPM. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 91 patients diagnosed with SPM between January 2008 and June 2015. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 22.7±13.2 years, and 67 (73.6%) were male. Chest pain (58, 37.2%) was the predominant symptom. The most frequent precipitating factor before developing SPM was a cough (15.4%), but the majority of patients (51, 56.0%) had no precipitating factors. Chest X-ray was diagnostic in 44 patients (48.4%), and chest computed tomography (CT) showed mediastinal air in all cases. Esophagography (10, 11.0%), esophagoduodenoscopy (1, 1.1%), and bronchoscopy (5, 5.5%) were performed selectively due to clinical suspicion, but no abnormal findings that implicated organ injury were documented. Twelve patients (13.2%) were discharged after a visit to the emergency room, and the others were admitted and received conservative treatment. The mean length of hospital stay was 3.0±1.6 days. There were no complications related to SPM except for recurrence in 2 patients (2.2%). CONCLUSION: SPM responds well to conservative treatment and follows a benign natural course. Hospitalization and aggressive treatment can be performed in selective cases.
Bronchoscopy ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mediastinal Emphysema* ; Outpatients ; Precipitating Factors ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

The dehiscence of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) is a rare, often fatal, complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We present the case of a 57-year-old man who underwent hemiarch graft interposition and CABG for a Stanford type A aortic dissection. Five months after discharge, the patient developed streptococcal sepsis caused by a hemodialysis catheter. Complete rupture of the proximal anastomoses of the saphenous veins and containment by the obliterated pericardial cavity was observed 25 months after the initial operation. The patient was successfully treated surgically. This report describes a patient who developed potentially fatal dehiscence of SVGs secondary to infection and outlines preventive and management strategies for this complication.
Catheters ; Containment of Biohazards ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pericardium ; Renal Dialysis ; Rupture ; Saphenous Vein ; Sepsis* ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Surgery has been the classical treatment of pectus carinatum (PC), though compressive orthotic braces have shown successful results in recent years. We propose a non-operative approach using a lightweight, patient-controlled dynamic chest-bracing device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with PC were treated between July 2008 and June 2009. The treatment involved fitting of the brace, which was worn for at least 20 hours per day for 6 months. Their degree of satisfaction (1, no correction; 4, remarkable correction) was measured at 12 months after the initiation of the treatment. RESULTS: Thirteen (72.2%) patients completed the treatment (mean time, 4.9+/-1.4 months). In patients who completed the treatment, the mean overall satisfaction score was 3.73+/-0.39. The mean satisfaction score was 4, and there was no recurrence of pectus carinatum in patients who underwent the treatment for at least 6 months. Minimal recurrence of pectus carinatum after removal of the compressive brace occurred in 5 (38.5%) patients who stopped wearing the compressive brace at 4 months. CONCLUSION: Compressive bracing results in a significant improvement in PC appearance in patients with an immature skeleton. However, patient compliance and diligent follow-up appear to be paramount for the success of this method of treatment. We currently offer this approach as a first-line treatment for PC.
Braces ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Patient Compliance ; Recurrence ; Skeleton ; Thoracic Wall

A 76-year-old woman with hypertension was admitted to the hospital with complaints of chest pain and dyspnea. An echocardiogram and pulmonary computed tomography angiography showed right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary thromboembolism. An operation to resect the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism was recommended; however, the patient refused and was discharged with anticoagulation therapy. Two years later, she developed dyspnea. Radiological studies and echocardiography showed similar results with the previous findings. The patient underwent mediastinotomy with resection of the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolectomy. As there are few reports on right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism, we report a successful case of surgical removal of right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism.
Angiography ; Chest Pain ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Embolectomy ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myxoma ; Pulmonary Embolism

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to measure inter-rater and test-retest reliability, concurrent and convergent validity, and factor solutions of the Korean version of the Clinical Language Disorder Rating Scale (CLANG). METHODS: The Korean version of the CLANG for assessing thought, language, and communication, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia were used to evaluate language disorder, formal thought disorder, positive and negative symptoms, manic symptoms, and depressive symptoms, respectively, in 167 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. The factor solution was obtained by the direct oblimin method. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to find the optimal cut-off score for discriminating schizophrenia patients with and without disorganized speech. RESULTS: Inter-rater reliability was considered moderate (intraclass coefficient=0.67, F=3.30, p=0.04), and test-retest reliability was considered high (r=0.94, p<0.001). Five factors, namely, pragmatics, disclosure, production, prosody, and association, were identified. An optimal cut-off score of 7 points with 84.5% sensitivity and 81.7% specificity was proposed for distinguishing schizophrenia patients with and without disorganized speech. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the Korean version of the CLANG is a promising tool for evaluating language disorder in patients with schizophrenia.
Bipolar Disorder ; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Depression ; Disclosure ; Humans ; Language Disorders* ; Psychometrics* ; ROC Curve ; Schizophrenia ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: The direct causal relationship between the experience of sexual assault and development of psychiatric disorder remains uncertain. However, studies consistently show that those with history of this horrendous event report a wide range of symptoms, higher level of distress, and various social and psychological problems. This study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors in a cohort sample of 340 Korean psychiatric patients. METHODS: Data from consecutive 340 new patients were gathered at a psychiatric department of a university affiliated hospital. Participants completed Life Events Scale, Symptom Checklist-90-R, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Dissociative Experiences Scale. RESULTS: History of sexual assault was reported by 11.5% of respondents (women 18.6%;men 2.1%). Bivariate analysis revealed that women (p<.001), divorced or widowed and never been married (p<.05), unemployed and students or housewives (p<.05), monthly income more than 2 million Won (p<.05) were associated significantly with experience of sexual assault. All the scores from the scales but Beck Depression Inventory were significantly higher for the sexually assaulted. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that women were 12 times more likely to be sexually assaulted (Odds ratio=12.24, 95% CI=3.51-42.64). Other risk factors included younger age and interaction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Global Severity Index. CONCLUSION: This study supported the risk factors of sexual assaults identified in western literature. Clinicians can be alert for any history of sexual assault when younger women with PTSD present higher level of symptomatology.
Anxiety ; Cohort Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Depression ; Divorce ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence* ; Rape ; Risk Factors ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Weights and Measures ; Widowhood

A 51-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and hemoptysis. After evaluation of the fever focus, he was diagnosed with pulmonary valve infective endocarditis. Thus pulmonary valve replacement and antibiotics therapy were performed and discharged. He was brought to the emergency unit presenting with a high fever (>39degrees C) and general weakness 6 months after the initial operation. The echocardiography revealed prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis. Therefore, redo-pulmonary valve replacement using valved conduit was performed in the Rastelli fashion because of the risk of pulmonary arterial wall injury and recurrent endocarditis from the remnant inflammatory tissue. We report here on the successful surgical treatment of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis with an alternative surgical method.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Endocarditis ; Fever ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Valve