No abstract available.
Nephrolithiasis* ; Uric Acid*

BACKGROUND: In Korea, tuberculosis is resistant to isoniazid (INH) and/or rifampicin (RIF) in more than 10% of cases. To prevent the spread of resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, it is crucial to develop more rapid resistance detection methods. METHODS: To determine the feasibility of using direct sequencing for detecting INH- and RIF-resistant strains, the katG gene, the regulatory region of the inhA gene, and the 81-bp hot-spot region of the rpoB gene from 95 culture isolates and 46 respiratory specimens were sequenced. Total 141 culture isolates were classified by conventional drug susceptibility testing (DST) as INH(R)/RIF(R) (N=30), INH(R)/RIF(S) (N=23), INH(S)/RIF(R) (N=15), and INH(S)/RIF(S) (N=73). RESULTS: Compared with phenotypic DST, the overall sensitivity and specificity of sequencing were 83.0% (44/53) and 96.6% (85/88), respectively, for INH resistance, and 93.3% (42/45) and 100% (96/96), respectively, for RIF resistance. The rates were similar between culture isolates and respiratory specimens. Interestingly, three specimens with inhA -15C>T mutation were susceptible to INH by conventional DST. CONCLUSIONS: Detection of mutations in the katG codon 315, the inhA regulatory region, and the hot-spot region of rpoB would be useful for rapid detection of INH and RIF resistance in Korea.
Antitubercular Agents/*pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins/*genetics ; Catalase/*genetics ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Genotype ; Humans ; Isoniazid/*pharmacology ; Mutation ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Oxidoreductases/*genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Rifampin/*pharmacology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/*methods

The aim of this study was to evaluate the foodservice management practices in elementary school in order to provide basic information for an efficient foodservice management. A self completed questionnaire survey of 912 schools in Korea was undertaken. Survey questionnaires consisted of 4 parts including general background, foodservice practices, purchasing practices and the status of cooking facilities and equipments. The main results of the empirical survey were as follows. 1. Elementary schools categorized by location were in urban areas (38.2%), provincial areas (48.0%) and in isolated areas (13.8%). 2. Conventional schools were 72.4% of the total followed by commissary management schools(23.5%) and commissary schools(4.1%). 3. The major factors considered for menu planning were nutritional adequacy(77.4%), preference of children(50.8%), food cost(46.0%), and cooking facilities & equipments in order. 4. The average cost of school lunch in provincial areas was 1494.8+/-224.9 won followed by in isolated areas (1337.0+/-793.3won) and in large cities (1271.4+/-308.1won). The average food cost of lunch was approximately 950won with no significant difference by location of schools. 5. 60% processed food were purchased through retailers in schools located in provincial and isolated areas, whereas 6.6% in schools located in urban areas. Food groups such as meat and its processed food, poultries, fish & shellfish, fruits and vegetables were more purchased through wholesalers in schools located in urban areas than in provincial and isolated areas. 6. Cereals including rice were regularily purchased once a month, whereas of other food items were found to be daily purchased in school located in urban and provincial areas.
Edible Grain ; Cooking ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea ; Lunch ; Meat ; Menu Planning ; Poultry ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Shellfish ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: In this study, we attempted to provide an evidence for the effects of meridian acupressure on relieving and preventing constipation in the institutionalized elderly. METHODS: The research design was a non-equivalent control group, non-synchronized design. The subjects consisted of 31 institutionalized elderly (experimental group: 16, control group: 15). The experimental group was given meridian acupressure for 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks. The data was analyzed by the chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The number of bowel movements per week of the experimental and control group performed meridian acupressure verified by repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that interaction existed between the meridian acupressure availability and the measurement point (F=98.183, p<.001). Repeated measures analysis of variance to compare the changes in Bristol stool form scale scores of the experimental and control group performed meridian acupressure revealed that interaction existed between the meridian acupressure availability and the measurement point (F=48.896, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show the meridian acupressure is a useful nursing intervention on constipation in the institutionalized elderly.
Acupressure* ; Aged* ; Analysis of Variance ; Constipation* ; Humans ; Massage ; Meridians ; Nursing ; Research Design

This study was designed to explore the effectiveness of education to improve self-care of stroke patients with three types of character health locus of control and constitution. A total of 56 patients were selected by convenience sampling at one oriental hospital. The teaching of self-care was conducted by the researcher. The self-care performance was measured for 10 days. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and Scheffe method as post hoc test. The result of this study are as follows : 1. The self-care performance by patients characteristics : Age and education had impact on the self-care performance. The level of self-care performance of young and high educated patients was high, gender, religion, occupation, monthly income, and the paralyzed side, however, didn't have influence on the self-care performance. 2.. The self-care performance of patients with three types of constitution : There was no statistical significance on the self-care performance of patients group by constitution, However, average score of self-care performance of patients with So-Um was high. 3. The self-care performance of patients with three types of health locus of control : There was no statistical significance on self-care performance of patient group by health locus of control. 4. The correlation between the constitution and the health locus of control : There was no statistical significance on the introverted and chance health locus of control of patients with three types of constitution. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between the powerful others health locus of control and So-Yang. Even though there was no statistically significant self-care performance of patients with So-Um, there was a clinical significance on the high score of self-care performance of patients with So-Um as compared with the self-care performance of the patients. The health locus of control didn't have influence on the self-care performance of patients. There was a statistically significant relationship between the powerful others health locus of control and So-Yang. Therefore, this study suggest the need to develop the nursing intervention to improve the self-care of stroke patients with the powerful others health locus of control and So-Yang, Furthermore, the longitudinal research is needed to determine the effectiveness of training to imp.
Constitution and Bylaws* ; Education* ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Nursing ; Occupations ; Self Care ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is the primary biochemical marker used to monitor patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) for residual or recurrent disease after total thyroidectomy, as only normal or well-differentiated malignant thyroid cells produce Tg. Here, we evaluated the precision and functional sensitivity (FS) of a recently developed highly sensitive Tg (hsTg) electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA) and compared it to that of the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method using pooled human serum with low levels of Tg. METHODS: For the ECLIA method, the Elecsys Tg II kit (Roche Diagnostics, Germany) was used with an E170 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics). For the RIA method, the Tg-plus-RIA kit (BRAHAMS, Germany) was used with a Cobra Quantum gamma counter (Packard Instrument Company, USA). The precision and limit of detection (LOD) were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. FS was determined using a modification of the CLSI guideline. RESULTS: The total precision of the hsTg ECLIA and RIA methods was 9.6% and 48.2%, respectively. The manufacturer-reported LOD was verified by the hsTg ECLIA (0.04 ng/mL), but not by the RIA method (>0.08 ng/mL). The hsTg ECLIA showed better FS (0.04 ng/mL at a coefficient of variation [CV] of 10%) than the RIA method (0.37 ng/mL at a CV of 20%). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the hsTg ECLIA performed better than the RIA method in terms of FS, which is extremely important for the early detection of residual or recurrent disease in DTC patients after total thyroidectomy. The excellent performance of the hsTg ECLIA could allow for clinical Tg measurement without thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation, in contrast to the insufficient performance of the RIA method.
Biomarkers ; Elapidae ; Humans ; Immunoassay* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Radioimmunoassay* ; Thyroglobulin* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin

PURPOSE: We investigated the effects of mirodenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor developed in South Korea, on the female rat bladder in a partial bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: the control group, BOO without medication group, BOO with mirodenafil 1 mg/kg group, and BOO with mirodenafil 4 mg/kg group. Mirodenafil was administered orally for 2 weeks after the induction of BOO. Two weeks after BOO, the rats in each group underwent cystometry under urethane anesthesia. After cystometry, the bladder was excised to perform immunohistochemical staining for connexin 43. RESULTS: The three BOO groups showed significant increases in mean bladder weight compared with the control group. Baseline pressure, threshold pressure, and maximum contraction pressure were not significantly different between the four groups. Although the contraction interval was decreased in all BOO groups compared with the control group, it was prolonged in the two groups treated with mirodenafil compared with the untreated BOO group. In the immunohistochemical examination, connexin 43 staining intensity in the lamina propria increased in the three BOO groups compared with the control group. The two groups treated with mirodenafil, however, showed decreased connexin 43 staining compared with the untreated BOO group. CONCLUSIONS: Mirodenafil may increase the contraction intervals of female rat bladders in a partial BOO model. Decreasing bladder overactivity by mirodenafil may be related to intracellular communication mechanisms involving connexin 43.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Connexin 43 ; Contracts ; Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 5 ; Female ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors ; Pyrimidinones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Republic of Korea ; Sulfonamides ; Urethane ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive

Otosclerosis occurs when the normal ivory-like endochondral bone of the otic capsule is replaced by foci of spongy vascular irregular new bone. Eventually these foci of haversian bone become more solid. There anr two typesof otosclerosis : fenestral and retrofenestral or cochlear. The cochlear type is much less common and rarely occurs without fenestral involvement. Otosclerosis occurs very rarely in blacks and orientals ; in otolaryngologic articles in Korea there are few reports of otosclerosis, and then only the fenestral type. This is a case reportof cochlear otosclerosis that can be diagnosed on temporal bone CT.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Humans ; Korea ; Otosclerosis* ; Temporal Bone

PURPOSE: This study was intended to investigate the types and seriousness of the couvade syndrome, pregnancy-related physical and psychological symptoms among expectant fathers whose spouses were pregnant. METHOD: The subject was consists of 100 expectant fathers at one hospital in Seoul, Korea. The pregnant women had not been diagnosed any medical complication. Data were analyzed by SPSS/PC program. RESULT: 1) The total mean score was 1.85: the mean score of perceived physical symptoms (1.87) revealed higher than the mean score of psychological symptoms (1.81). 2) With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant correlations between subject's level of education and couvade symptoms (r=-.209, p=.037), gestational age and couvade symptoms (r=-.227, p=.023), family total income and couvade symptoms (r=-.198, p=.048), perceived self health status and couvade symptoms (r=-.254, p=.011). 3) With the respect to the general characteristics of subjects, there were statistically significant differences in pregnant woman's age (t=1.363, p=.044),occupation of subject (F=3.594, p= .009), educational level of subject (t=3.506, p=.002), family total income (F=16.822, p= .000), perceived self health status (F=3.151, p=.047). CONCLUSION: Couvade syndrome is an issue for nurses who perform an important role in the care of pregnant women and their spouses.
Education ; Fathers ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Korea ; Pregnant Women ; Seoul ; Spouses*

Primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma is a rare, potentially malignant tumor and assumes more malignant course than that originated in the soft tissue. It can be asymtomatic until attaining a large size within the lung. We report a case of malignant hemangiopericytoma of the lung in a 29 year old man. It represented as a sharply demarcated, huge homogeneous opaque mass in the right upper lobe. The cytologic and histologic features were that of malignant hemangiopericytoma.