PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify job experiences of male hospital nurses. METHODS: Data were collected from 20 male nurses working at general hospitals, through semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Using content analysis, data were coded and categorized. RESULTS: The analyzed domains were motivations for choosing nursing, occupational experiences (3 subdomains), and attitudes toward the future. A total of 85 significant statements were selected from the data and classified into 32 categories. The nurses' motivations for choosing nursing were advantages of employment, their aptitude, scarcity value of men, professionalism and job security, good promotion, stable income, and family influence. In occupational experiences, they were assigned to special fields and dissatisfied with vertical relationship, promotion system, their salary, and gaps in military service time; they had difficulties in adapting to female-dominated groups and encountered gender role stereotype and preconception; they were satisfied with their distinguished performance, but had damaged self-esteem, and were stressed and disappointed in their work. In their attitudes toward the future, they considered their career changes, but tried to make professional and personal advancement. CONCLUSION: These findings have implications for recruiting and retaining male nurses in clinical settings.
Aptitude ; Employment ; Gender Identity ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Motivation ; Nurses, Male ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Statistics as Topic

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate inhaler device handling in elderly patients. Inhaler devices with respect to misuse and error correction were also compared. Methods: Inhaler use technique was assessed using standardized checklists at the first visit and 3-month follow-up visit after retraining. The primary outcome was difference in the acceptable use ratio among inhaler devices. Secondary outcomes included differences in error correction, the most common step of misuse, and factors affecting the accuracy of inhaler use. Results: A total of 251 patients (mean age, 76.4 years) were included. The handling of 320 devices was assessed in the study. All patients had been trained before. However, only 24.7% of them used inhalers correctly. Proportions of acceptable use for Evohaler, Respimat, Turbuhaler, Ellipta, and Breezhaler/Handihaler were 38.7%, 50.0%, 61.4%, 60.8%, and 43.2%, respectively (p=0.026). At the second visit, the acceptable use ratio had increased. There were no significant differences among inhaler types (Evohaler, 63.9%; Respimat, 86.1%; Turbuhaler, 74.3%; Ellipta, 64.6%; and Breezhaler/Handihaler, 65.3% [p=0.129]). In multivariate analysis, body mass index, Turbuhaler, and Ellipta showed positive correlations with acceptable use of inhalers, whereas Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test score showed a negative correlation. Conclusion Although new inhalers have been developed, the accuracy of inhaler use remains low. Elderly patients showed more errors when using pressurized metered-dose inhalers than using dry powder inhalers and soft-mist inhalers. However, there were no significant differences in misuse among inhaler devices after individual training. Results of this study suggests that repeat training is more important than inhaler type.

This is a retrospecitve analysis of 54 patients with stage I or II Non-odgkin's lymphoma involving the head and neck region treated with curative radiotherapy in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital during the period of February 1979 through September 1982. The minimum follow-p period was 24 months. The review of histologic slides was available in 36 cases. Waldeyer's ring was the most common extranodal sites (46%). 41% of patients were in the stage I and 59% in the stage II by Ann Arbor classification. Of the 44 patients who responded after radiotherapy, 24 patients (54.5%) subsequently relapsed. Regional recurrence rate was 29%, distant metastasis was 54% and simultaneous regional recurrence and distant metastasis was 17%. The survival rate and disease free survival at 2 years were 57% and 45% respectively. Those patients with a large primary lesion (over 6cm in diameter), multiple conglomerated. extranodal site and diffuse cell type, experienced a high rate of distant metastasis. Therefore it seems desirable to study the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in those patients with a high probability of distant metastasis.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Classification ; Disease-Free Survival ; Head* ; Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Seoul ; Survival Rate

P53 and its family member p63 play important roles in cellular senescence and organismal aging. In this study, p53 and p63 immunoreactivity were examined in the hippocampus of young, adult and aged mice by using immunohistochemistry. In addition, neuronal distribution and degeneration was examined by NeuN immunohistochemistry and fluoro-Jade B fluorescence staining. Strong p53 immunoreactivity was mainly expressed in pyramidal and granule cells of the hippocampus in young mice. p53 immunoreactivity in the pyramidal and granule cells was significantly reduced in the adult mice. In the aged mice, p53 immunoreactivity in the pyramidal and granule cells was more significantly decreased. p63 immunoreactivity was strong in the pyramidal and granule cells in the young mice. p63 immunoreactivity in these cells was apparently and gradually decreased with age, showing that p63 immunoreactivity in the aged granule cells was hardly shown. However, numbers of pyramidal neurons and granule cells were not significantly decreased in the aged mice with normal aging. Taken together, this study indicates that there are no degenerative neurons in the hippocampus during normal aging, showing that p53 and p63 immunoreactivity in hippocampal neurons was progressively reduced during normal aging, which might be closely related to the normal aging processes.
Adult ; Aging ; Animals ; Cell Aging ; Fluorescence ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Neurons ; Pyramidal Cells

Histone-binding protein RbAp48 has been known to be involved in histone acetylation, and epigenetic alterations of histone modifications are closely associated with the pathogenesis of ischemic reperfusion injury. In the current study, we investigated chronological change of RbAp48 expression in the hippocampus following 5 min of transient ischemia in gerbils. RbAp48 expression was examined 1, 2, 5, and 10 days after transient ischemia using immunohistochemistry. In sham operated gerbils, RbAp48 immunoreactivity was strong in pyramidal and non-pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. After transient ischemia, RbAp48 immunoreactivity was changed in the cornu ammonis 1 subfield (CA1), not in CA2/3. RbAp48 immunoreactivity in CA1 pyramidal neurons was gradually decreased and not detected at 5 and 10 days after ischemia. RbAp48 immunoreactivity in non-pyramidal cells was maintained until 2 days post-ischemia and significantly increased from 5 days post-ischemia. Double immunohistofluorescence staining revealed that RbAp48 immunoreactive non-pyramidal cells were astrocytes. At 5 days post-ischemia, death of pyramidal neurons occurred only in the CA1. These results showed that RbAp48 immunoreactivity was distinctively altered in pyramidal neurons and astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 following 5 mins of transient ischemia. Ischemia-induced change in RbAp48 expression may be closely associated with neuronal death and astrocyte activation following 5 min of transient ischemia.

The genus Populus (poplar) belonging to the Salicaceae family has been used in traditional medicine, and its several species show various pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. No study regarding protective effects of Populus species against cerebral ischemia has been reported. Therefore, in the present study, we examined neuroprotective effects of ethanol extract from Populus tomentiglandulosa (Korea poplar) in the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA1) area of gerbils subjected to 5 minutes of transient global cerebral ischemia. Pretreatment with 200 mg/kg of P. tomentiglandulosa extract effectively protected CA1 pyramidal neurons from transient global cerebral ischemia. In addition, glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive astrocytes and ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 immunoreactive microglia were significantly diminished in the ischemic CA1 area by pretreatment with 200 mg/kg of P. tomentiglandulosa extract. Briefly, our results indicate that pretreatment with P. tomentiglandulosa extract protects neurons from transient cerebral ischemic injury and diminish cerebral ischemia-induced reactive gliosis in ischemic CA1 area. Based on these results, we suggest that P. tomentiglandulosa can be used as a potential candidate for prevention of ischemic injury.
Astrocytes ; Brain Ischemia* ; Calcium ; Ethanol ; Gerbillinae* ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Gliosis* ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Medicine, Traditional ; Microglia ; Neurons* ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Populus* ; Pyramidal Cells ; Salicaceae

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine the population-based prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes in a rural district of Daegu City, Korea. METHODS: Between August and November 2003, a community-based health survey of adults aged 20 years and older was performed in the rural district of Dalseong-gun in Daegu City. A total of 1,806 of all eligible individuals agreed to participate. Fasting plasma glucose was measured in all participants. Two hour oral glucose tolerance was measured in the 1,773 participants for whom there was neither an established diagnosis of DM nor evidence of DM according to fasting glucose levels. The prevalence of DM and prediabetes was determined according to the 2003 criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Subjects with prediabetes were classified into one of three categories of glucose intolerance: isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG); isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT); or combined IFG and IGT. RESULTS: The prevalence of DM was 12.2%. The highest prevalence rates were observed in subjects in their seventies. A total of 34.7% of all subjects who were assigned a diagnosis of DM in the present study had not been diagnosed previously. The prevalence of prediabetes was 22.7%. The highest prevalence rates were observed in subjects in their fifties. CONCLUSION: The present study identified prevalence rates of 12.2% for DM (age-standardized prevalence rate [ASR], 6.8%), and 22.7% for prediabetes (ASR 18.5%). These results emphasize the need for community health promotion strategies to prevent or delay the onset of DM in individuals with prediabetes.
Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Health Promotion ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Plasma ; Prediabetic State ; Prevalence

Myelin degeneration is one of the characteristics of aging and degenerative diseases. This study investigated age-related alterations in expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the hippocampal subregions (dentate gyrus, CA2/3 and CA1 areas) of gerbils of various ages; young (1 month), adult (6 months) and aged (24 months), using western blot and immunohistochemistry. Western blot results showed tendencies of age-related reductions of MBP levels. MBP immunoreactivity was significantly decreased with age in synaptic sites of trisynaptic loops, perforant paths, mossy fibers, and Schaffer collaterals. In particular, MBP immunoreactive fibers in the dentate molecular cell layer (perforant path) was significantly reduced in adult and aged subjects. In addition, MBP immunoreactive mossy fibers in the dentate polymorphic layer and in the CA3 striatum radiatum was significantly decreased in the aged group. Furthermore, we observed similar age-related alterations in the CA1 stratum radiatum (Schaffer collaterals). However, the density of MBP immunoreactive fibers in the dentate granular cell layer and CA stratum pyramidale was decreased with aging. These findings indicate that expression of MBP is age-dependent and tissue specific according to hippocampal layers.
Adult* ; Aging ; Blotting, Western ; CA1 Region, Hippocampal ; Gerbillinae* ; Hippocampus* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Myelin Basic Protein* ; Myelin Sheath* ; Perforant Pathway

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neurocardiogenic syncope is the major type of syncope and beta-blocker is initial drug of choice. However, the data generated from the studies so far could not represent the beneficial effects of beta-blocker, and the recurrence rate in the long term was not established. This study examined the long-term follow-up on patients with neurocardiogenic syncope with or without therapy and campared among the therapeutic strategies in preventing the relapse of syncope. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Among the 197 patients with neurocardiogenic syncope or presyncope, who underwent head-up tilt test (HUT) from Oct. 1994 to Sep. 1996, we investigated 125 patients (59 males and 66 females). They were either interviewed on the phone or answered the questionnaire. The mean age was 3916 years old and the mean duration of follow-up was 195.9 months. RESULTS: Out of the 125 patients, 85 patients (68%) turned out to be HUT-positive and 40 patients (32%), negative. In the course of the follow-up on the HUT-positive patients, the symptoms recurred in 2 (10%) of the 20 patients who continued medication, 4 (25%) of the 16 patients who had no medication, and 11 (22.4%) of the 49 patients who discontinued medication on the way. Out of the 20 HUT-positive patients who continued medication, the symptom recurred in 1 (7.1%) of the 14 patients who received head-up tilt guided therapy, and 1 (16.1%) of the 6 patients in empirical therapy group. CONCLUSION: The outcome of the group who had gone through the long-term treatment of neurocardiogenic syncope, was found to be more favorable than the one of no therapy group, and this implies that the tilt-guided therapy may be more effective than the empirical therapy in order to prevent neurocardiogenic syncope. However, there would be more radomized, placebo-controlled and larger scale research to be desired at this point.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Male ; Recurrence ; Syncope ; Syncope, Vasovagal* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition and nutritional disorder may cause problem of fertility and therefore adequate nutrition is very important during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated effects of supplemental diet contained folic acid, zinc, calcium, Iron, DHA and taurine on fertility outcome in the female rats and learning ability of their offsprings. METHODS: The female rats at 4 week were fed by two group divided control (AIN-76 diet) and supplement diet. The male rats were taken pellet type diet. After 3 weeks, female rats and male rats were mated. Then, at 3 weeks after mating, parturition was begun. After paturition, sex and birth weight of offsprings were examined for their offsprings. When the offsprings were 3 weeks of age, position reversional test in a water maze was done for 4 weeks. After female rats were fed experimental diet for 4 weeks, their follicle, corpus luteum, corpus albicans, progesterone, estradiol and ovary weight were measured. RESULTS: 22 rats of 30 in supplemental diet group succeeded on parturition, and 11 rats of 30 in control group succeeded. Pregnancy outcome was fine in both group. There was no significant difference in weight of major bowels and femur length of their offspring. The position reversional test of offsprings in a water maze showed a significant difference between control group and supplement group. Elapsed time and errorneous response to reach the escape platform were significantly lowered in supplemental group than control group. CONCLUSION: This result suggest that supplementation contained folic acid, multivitamins, DHA and taurine may increase fertility rate in the maternal rats and also learning ability in offsprings.
Animals ; Birth Rate* ; Birth Weight ; Calcium ; Child ; Corpus Luteum ; Diet ; Estradiol ; Female ; Femur ; Fertility* ; Folic Acid* ; Humans ; Iron ; Learning* ; Male ; Malnutrition ; Nutrition Disorders ; Ovary ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Progesterone ; Rats* ; Taurine ; United Nations ; Zinc