PURPOSE: The present study investigated the validity of personality classification using four pillars theory, a tradition in China and northeastern Asia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four pillars analyses were performed for 148 adults on the basis of their birth year, month, day, and hour. Participants completed two personality tests, the Korean version of Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised-Short Version (TCI) and the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems; scores were correlated with four pillars classification elements. Mean difference tests (e.g., t-test, ANOVA) were compared with groups classified by four pillars index. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between personality scale scores and total yin/yang number (i.e., the 8 heavenly or earthly stems), and no significant between-groups results for classifications by yin/yang day stem and the five elements. There were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.29) correlations between the five elements and personality scale scores. For the six gods and personality scales, there were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.25) correlations. Features predicted by four pillars theory were most consistent when participants were grouped according to the yin/yang of the day stem and dominance of yin/yang numbers in the eight heavenly or earthly stems. CONCLUSION: Although the major criteria of four pillars theory were not independently correlated with personality scale scores, correlations emerged when participants were grouped according to the composite yin/yang variable. Our results suggest the utility of four pillars theory (beyond fortune telling or astrology) for classifying personality traits and making behavioral predictions.
Adolescent ; Adult ; *Character ; China ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Personality/*classification ; Personality Inventory/*statistics & numerical data ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea ; *Temperament ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify levels of family function, codependency, depression, and self-esteem, and to identify factors influencing family function in families pathological gamblers. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Participants in the survey for this study were 103 families pathological gamblers from gambling counseling G center in Gyung-gi province. Data were collected from January to December, 2012 using self-report structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and Stepwise regression with SAS program. RESULTS: Codependency, depression, self-esteem and family function showed strong correlations (p<.001). Family status, type of housing tenure, codependency and self-esteem were identified as factors influencing family function in families pathological gamblers. These variables explained 27% of family function. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study suggest that these variables should be considered in developing nursing intervention programs to improve family function in families pathological gamblers.
Codependency (Psychology) ; Counseling ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Family Health ; Gambling ; Housing ; Humans ; Nursing ; Self Concept

A 50-yr-old man presented with intermittent hemoptysis and was diagnosed small cell lung cancer. 18F-FDG PET/CT for staging demonstrated extensive hypermetabolic lesions throughout the skeleton and liver. Interestingly, skeletal muscles of limbs, mediastinum, bowel, and especially brain showed very low FDG uptake. Because of some characteristics in common with super scan on skeletal scintigraphy, this case could be considered as 'metabolic super scan'.
Carcinoma, Small Cell/complications/radionuclide imaging ; Fluorine Radioisotopes/diagnostic use ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/*diagnostic use ; Hemoptysis/complications/radionuclide imaging ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/secondary ; Lung Neoplasms/complications/radionuclide imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals/*diagnostic use

No abstract available.
Animals ; Rats*

The purpose of this study was to investigate the college and university student's perception on the brand awareness of contract foodservice management company in Incheon area. The developed questionnaires were distributed to the college and university students in Incheon area from September 20 to September 24 in 2004. Total 198 questionnaires were used for the final data analysis with response rate of 82.5%. The results showed that 85 % of the students has known that the foodservice operation was managed by contracted management company, only 56.5% of them have known the exact name of contract foodservice management company managing their cafeteria. It was recommended therefore that contract foodservice management company need more efforts for widening public activities for their company's name.
Humans ; Incheon* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic

The purposes of this study were 1) to analyze the relationship between brand equity factors ie brand awareness, brand image, brand preference and brand loyalty and 2) to suggest the strategy for brand management of contract food service management company. The developed questionnaires were distributed to the college and university students in Incheon area from September 20 to September 24 in 2004. Total 198 questionnaires were used for the final data analysis with response rate of 82.5%. For the statistical analysis, the descriptive analysis, factor analysis, pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted by using SPSS Win (10.0). The results of this study showed that the following 5 hypotheses were supported. Hypothesis 1: The brand awareness of the contract foodservice company affects positively the brand image of that. Hypothesis 2: The brand image of the contract foodservice company affects positively the brand preference of that. Hypothesis 3: The brand awareness of the contract foodservice company affects positively the brand preference of that. Hypothesis 4: The brand preference of the contract foodservice company affects positively the brand royalty of that. Hypothesis 5: The brand image of the contract foodservice company affects positively the brand loyalty of that. As a conclusion, the brand awareness has a positive effect on the brand image and brand preference significantly, so it is recommended that the contract foodservice company should focus on improving the brand awareness as a brand strategy. And the brand preference and brand image have the significant effect on the brand loyalty. Therefore the company should strive to strengthen the brand loyalty though building brand preference and brand image, because the brand loyalty brings about the customer's more visiting the foodservices, which is directly related to the profitabilities of the contract foodservice management company.
Food Services ; Humans ; Incheon* ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is an autosomal dominant craniosynostosis syndrome, usually involving unior bilateral coronal synostosis and mild limb deformities, and is induced by loss-of-function mutations of the TWIST1 gene. Other clinical features of this syndrome include ptosis, low-set ears, hearing loss, hypertelorism, broad great toes, clinodactyly, and syndactyly. The authors of the present study report 2 children with clinical features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome who showed mutations in the TWIST1 gene, and is the first molecular genetic confirmation of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome in Korea. The molecular genetic testing of the TWIST1 gene for patients with coronal synostoses is important to confirm the diagnosis and to provide adequate genetic counseling.
Acrocephalosyndactylia ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Craniosynostoses ; Ear ; Extremities ; Genetic Counseling ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Korea ; Molecular Biology ; Syndactyly ; Synostosis ; Toes

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a critical manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is a main cause of death. Several treatment modalities for SSc have been identified, with effects that improve quality of life and mortality rates. However, whether these drugs can also normalize pulmonary arterial pressure, remains unclear. Here, we report the case of a woman with diffuse SSc with pulmonary arterial hypertension, who had a functional status equivalent to the New York Heart Association class III. The patient was treated with inhaled iloprost. After six years of inhaled iloprost therapy, echocardiography showed that pulmonary arterial pressure normalized, accompanied by improvement in functional capacity. Inhaled iloprost might not only normalize pulmonary arterial pressure, but also improve the functional status of patients with SSc with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Arterial Pressure ; Cause of Death ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Iloprost* ; Mortality ; Quality of Life ; Scleroderma, Systemic*

PURPOSE: Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) are important for staging of patients with node-positive breast cancer. However, these can be avoided in select micrometastatic diseases, preventing postoperative complications. The present study evaluated the ability of axillary lymph node maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) to predict axillary metastasis of breast cancer.METHODS: The records of invasive breast cancer patients who underwent pretreatment (surgery and/or chemotherapy) PET-CT between January 2006 and December 2014 were reviewed. ALNs were preoperatively evaluated by PET-CT. Lymph nodes were dissected by SLNB or ALND. SUVmax was measured in both the axillary lymph node and primary tumor. Student t-test and chi-square test were used to analyze sensitivity and specificity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the ROC curve (AUC) analyses were performed.RESULTS: SUV-tumor (SUV-T) and SUV-lymph node (SUV-LN) were significantly higher in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) group than in other groups (SUV-T: 5.99, P < 0.01; SUV-LN: 1.29, P=0.014). The sensitivity (0.881) and accuracy (0.804) for initial ALN staging were higher in fine needle aspiration+PET-CT than in other methods. For PET-CT alone, the subtype with the highest sensitivity (0.870) and negative predictive value (0.917) was TNBC. The AUC for SUV-LN was greatest in TNBC (0.797).CONCLUSION: The characteristics of SUV-T and SUV-LN differed according to immunohistochemistry subtype. Compared to other subtypes, the true positivity of axillary metastasis on PET-CT was highest in TNBC. These findings could help tailor management for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.
Area Under Curve ; Breast Neoplasms ; Electrons ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Needles ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Postoperative Complications ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to identify factors that influence 17-OHP levels in preterm infants and to suggest a reasonable follow-up schedule of screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in preterm infants. METHODS: The 17-OHP concentrations in filter paper blood spots of 427 preterm infants were obtained. The effects of gestational age (GA), systemic diseases, and antenatal dexamethasone on screening and follow-up 17-OHP values were investigated. RESULTS: The screening 17-OHP values were markedly variable (range: 0.1-143.3 ng/mL). The screening 17-OHP levels were negatively correlated with GA (r=-0.535, P<0.01). In infants with GA <32 weeks, the screening 17-OHP levels were significantly higher in sick infants or infant with hypotension than in healthy infants. The screening values of prenatal dexamethasone-treated infants had a tendency to be low. In infants with initial 17-OHP values > or =20 ng/mL, the intervals until rescreening 17-OHP <10 ng/mL or serum 17-OHP <20 ng/mL were negatively correlated with GA (r=-0.541, P<0.01) and were prolonged in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.01). None of the preterm infants were confirmatively diagnosed with CAH. CONCLUSION: The 17-OHP values of preterm infants were influenced by GA, prenatal dexamethasone, and postnatal diseases. Because the 17-OHP vlues of preterm infants were markedly variable, a follow-up schedule should be developed considering both 17-OHP values and clinical status.
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Appointments and Schedules ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Dexamethasone ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Mass Screening ; Neonatal Screening