PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of a Qigong prenatal education program on anxiety, depression and physical symptoms in pregnant women. METHOD: The subjects were a total of 40 pregnant women who received regular prenatal care at S hospital. Twenty people were enrolled in the Qigong prenatal education program and were assigned to the experimental group. The other 20 people who received regular prenatal care only were the control group. The Qigong prenatal education program was given to the experimental group once a week and 2 hours per session for 4 weeks. Anxiety, depression and physical symptoms were collected by a self-administered study questionnaire at the pre- and post test. RESULT: There were no significant differences in subjects' general characteristics or pretest scores of study variables at the pretest indicating both groups were homogeneous. Differential t-tests were used to test the effects of the Qigong prenatal education program on study variables. Pregnant women who received the Qigong prenatal education program had a lower level of depression than those who did not attend(t=2.23, p=.03). There were no significant differences on anxiety and physical symptoms. CONCLUSION: The Qigong prenatal education program was effective in alleviating depression during pregnancy. However, further study is needed to replicate the results with a greater sample size and to investigate the long term effects of the program on the labor and delivery process.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Prenatal Education* ; Qigong* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sample Size

BACKGROUND/AIMS: DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent. In the present study, we investigated the effect of DA-9701 on the motility of the gastric antrum in the normal and clonidine-induced hypomotility in an in vivo animal model. METHODS: A strain gauge force transducer was sutured on the gastric antrum to measure the contractile activity in rats. A total of 28 rats were subclassified into the 4 groups: (1) the placebo group, (2) the DA-9701 group, (3) the placebo group in the clonidine-pretreated rats, and (4) the DA-9701 group in the clonidine-pretreated rats. After the basal recording, either placebo (3% [w/v] hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose) or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. In the clonidine-pretreated rats, either placebo or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. RESULTS: Oral administration of DA-9701 did not significantly alter the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the placebo group. The administration of clonidine decreased the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the administration of placebo. This reduction of the antral motility by the administration of clonidine was not observed in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group. The percentage of the motility index in the postprandial period was significantly greater in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group, compared with the clonidine-pretreated placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: DA-9701 improves the hypomotility of the gastric antrum induced by clonidine, suggesting its gastroprokinetic effect in the pathologic condition.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Clonidine ; Meals ; Models, Animal ; Postprandial Period ; Pyloric Antrum* ; Rats* ; Transducers

Myopericarditis is an uncommon manifestation, but can be reaely a lethal complication of infectious mononucleosis. We experienced a case of infectious mononucleosis complicated by myopericarditis in which the clinical pictur was confused as acute myocarddial infarction. A 25-year-old male who presented with syncope and chest pain. The diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis was comfirmed by both a positive heterophil antibody test and a high titer of Epstein-Barr virus antibody. He was found to have completely normal findings at cardiac catheterization, including coronary arteriography. Pathologic specimen from right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy demonstrated extensive lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltration of the myocardium.
Adult ; Angiography ; Biopsy ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Infarction ; Infectious Mononucleosis* ; Male ; Myocardium ; Syncope

The thymus is a central lymphoid organ for T cell development. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) constitute a major component of the thymic stroma, which provides a specialized microenvironment for survival, proliferation, and differentiation of immature T cells. In this study, subsets of TECs were examined immunohistochemically to investigate their cytokeratin (CK) expression patterns during thymus regeneration following thymic involution induced by cyclophosphamide treatment. The results demonstrated that both normal and regenerating mouse thymuses showed a similar CK expression pattern. The major medullary TECs (mTEC) subset, which is stellate in appearance, exhibited CK5 and CK14 staining, and the minor mTEC subset, which is globular in appearance, exhibited CK8 staining, whereas the vast majority of cortical TECs (cTECs) expressed CK8 during thymus regeneration. Remarkably, the levels of CK5 and CK14 expression were enhanced in mTECs, and CK8 expression was upregulated in cTECs during mouse thymus regeneration after cyclophosphamide-induced acute thymic involution. Of special interest, a relatively high number of CK5+CK8+ TEC progenitors occurred in the thymic cortex during thymus regeneration. Taken together, these findings shed more light on the role of CK5, CK8, and CK14 in the physiology of TECs during mouse thymus regeneration, and on the characterization of TEC progenitors for restoration of the epithelial network and for concomitant regeneration of the adult thymus.
Adult ; Animals ; Cyclophosphamide ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Keratins ; Light ; Mice ; Regeneration ; T-Lymphocytes ; Thymus Gland

PURPOSE: In this study the present status of the practicum in Fundamentals of Nursing and test for student competency in nursing skills were surveyed. METHOD: Participants included 72 nursing schools. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and SPSS 17.0 for data analysis. RESULTS: Credits for Fundamentals of Nursing, credits for practicum and hours per credit were 2.93, 7.34, and 2.14 respectively. Number of students per practice unit, full time assistants and students per assistant were 28.6, 0.6, and 20.2 respectively. Utilization of CPX room and OSCE room for practice was 5.6%, and 9.7% respectively. Of the school, 32.0% included clinical practice in the practicum. 90.3% provided an open lab but only 48.4% had full-time assistants for these clinical practice areas. Testing for nursing skill competency was performed twice a semester in most schools. Utilization of standard patients and high fidelity models for testing was 8.3%, and 23.6% respectively. The test was thought to be inappropriate in 33.4% of the schools. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that to improve the outcomes, the practicum for Fundamentals of Nursing needs to be changed to include expansion of facilities and human resources, utilization of standard patients and high fidelity models and development of appropriate test methods.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Pyridines ; Schools, Nursing ; Statistics as Topic ; Thiazoles

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the content related to nosocomial infection control in the course on Fundamentals of Nursing. METHOD: Participants were 49 faculty who were teaching courses in Fundamentals of Nursing in universities and colleges in Korea. The questionnaire was composed of 55 items related to nosocomial infection control. RESULTS: Eighteen items out of 55 items were taught in more than 80% of the universities and colleges. These included principles of infection control, principles and effect of hand washing, method of hand washing, hand scrubs, and donning sterile gown and gloves. CONCLUSION: The most effective interventions for infection control, including asepsis, hand washing, infection control for urinary catheterization, and infection control for IV sites were taught in most universities and colleges. However, the time assigned for teaching these items and the importance placed on practice were not considered sufficient.
Asepsis ; Cross Infection* ; Education* ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Infection Control ; Korea ; Nursing* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare changes in learning objectives in Fundamentals of Nursing which were established between 2000 and 2004. METHOD: 2000, 2004 learning objectives were analyzed with frequencies and percents. RESULTS: There was an increase in the total number of learning objectives used in 2004(n=534) over 2000(n=527). In 2004 compared to 2000, there was an increase in learning objectives related to nursing process, need of oxygenation, need of nutrition, need of temperature regulation, need of activity and exercise, need of comfort, medication, preoperative care. According to Bloom's taxonomy, learning objectives established in 2004, mainly consisted of three domains, 35.5% for comprehension, 23.6% for synthesis, 20.4% for knowledge. Changes in learning objectives established in 2004 compared to 2000 decreases in the comprehension domain and increases in the synthesis domain. CONCLUSION: The learning objectives established in 2004 showed remarkable change when compared to those established in 2000. But the learning objective domains in Bloom's taxonomy were distributed unevenly. For better learning objectives in Fundamentals of Nursing, constant revision will be needed.
Classification ; Comprehension ; Learning* ; Nursing Process ; Nursing* ; Oxygen ; Preoperative Care

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide data for development of the Journal of Fundamentals of Nursing through reviewing classification of sectional editorship. METHODS: Descriptive statistical analysis was used, to identify content then, the classifications of sectional editorship were reviewed. RESULTS: The categories, "Basic concepts of nursing" (30.2%:17.9%), "Needs for comfort" (15.9%:13.1%), "Nursing education" (12.7%:12.7%), and "Needs for activity and exercise" (7.1%:7.1%) were most frequent through both the 1st and 2nd sectional editorship. CONCLUSION: Classification of sectional editorship was developed to clarify the educational purpose of fundamentals of nursing, and was modified through reflections by researchers. The current classification of sectional editorship is not a permanent formula, so using various viewpoints in further examination is needed.
Nursing Research

BACKGROUND: In order to achieve a maintenance level and to prevent hemorrhagic complications, regular monitoring of the INR is mandatory for patients on oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). A point-of-care instrument for INR monitoring is convenient for users, but the accuracy of the results has been controversial, and so this calls for exact evaluation of the point-of-care instrument that is used for INR monitoring. METHODS: From Aug 2007 through Feb 2008, 85 patients on OAT among the all the patients who were admitted to Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital were involved in this study. Parallel measurements of the PT INR were performed using a CoaguChek-XS and, a CA-7000 laboratory reference instrument and the results were analyzed. In addition, the patients' clinical data, including the diagnosis and the frequency and interval of the INR measurements, were also analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 85 patients, 25 were admitted more than once to undergo INR testing and the mean interval between testing was 8.6 weeks with 39% and 38% of the tests being less than INR 2 units with using the CoaguChek-XS and the reference method, respectively. The coefficients of variation of CoaguChek-XS were 4.50 and 2.45 for the high and low INR patients, respectively. An excellent correlation was found between the two methods with a R2 of 0.966 (p<0.001). Through Bland-Altman analysis, the mean INR difference between the two methods was 0.13 with the limit of agreement being -0.47 +0.72 with a 95% confidence interval. CoaguChek-XS was shown to overestimate the INR value for patients with an increasing INR, as compared to the reference method. CONCLUSION: CoaguChek-XS demonstrated great precision and accuracy for patients on OAT when compared to the laboratory INR results. Accordingly, the instrument should help to monitor the INR in the patients on OAT.
Avena ; Humans ; International Normalized Ratio ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Prothrombin ; Prothrombin Time

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis is thought to arise as a result of a chronic inflammatory process within the arterial wall. Insulin resistance is central to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and may contribute to atherosclerosis, either directly or through associated risk factors. Rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and previous findings suggest that it may have anti-inflammatory effects on atherosclerosis. This study was performed to evaluate whether rosiglitazone can improve arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetic patients. METHODS: This study consisted of 40 patients with type 2 diabetes. These subjects were classified into two groups either medicated with glimepiride (GLIME group, 61.5+/-8.2 years, M:F = 9:11) or with glimepiride and rosiglitazone (ROSI group, 65.6+/-9.5 years, M:F = 4:16). For each group, plasma a hsCRP, lipid profile, HOMAIR and HbA1c were measured before and after 12 months of medical treatment. At the same time, pulse wave velocity (PWV) using an automatic device (PP 1000, Hanbyul, Jeonju, Korea) was measured. RESULTS: The plasma hsCRP level was significantly decreased in the ROSI group as compared with the GLIME group (4.22+/-4.65 vs. 1.07+/-0.80 mg/L, p=0.025). The carotid-femoral PWV of the ROSI group improved significantly as compared with the GLIME group (8.29+/-1.25 vs. 7.26+/-1.49 m/sec, p=0.024). The changes of PWV were correlated with the changes of hsCRP (r=0.412, p=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that rosiglitazone can improve the arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetic patients.
Atherosclerosis ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Jeollabuk-do ; Peroxisomes* ; Plasma ; PPAR gamma ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Stiffness