The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the effects of hand moxibustion therapy to decrease pain and relieve coldness of the body in women who had a hysterectomy. The conceptual framework of this study was derived from Ying-Yang, Khi and other corresponding theories. The data were collected from February to May 1997. A Graphic Rating scale was used to measure the degree of pain and Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging(D.I.T.I) was used to examine the degree of coldness. The subjects were women who resided in Seoul and had a hysterectomy within five years. An experimental group was composed of five women who received moxibustion and a control group was composed of five who did not. The research procedure began with having both the experimental group and control group describe their general characteristics and the degree of pain they perceived. Then, Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging(D.I.T.I) was conducted. Moxibustion was only given to the experimental group on both hands twice every day for a total of five weeks. Their perception of pain and D.I.T.I were examined weekly. The control group received no therapy. After finishing therapy, the perception of pain and D.I.T.I for both groups were also measured. According to this study, moxibustion therapy resulted in a change of body temperature on the right shoulder joint(p=0.00074), abdomen(p= 0.0047), waist(p=0.0068) and hands(p=0.0317) respectively. Also, the study results showed significant decrease (p=0.0001) in pain over time and significant improvement over body coldness.
Body Temperature ; Female ; Hand* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Moxibustion* ; Pilot Projects ; Seoul ; Shoulder

This study compared he importance of food service, views to the performance, management objectives, and recognition gap about the contract contents towards the dietetic departments of hospitals that manage the patients' food service and managers of contract managed companies, and dieticians. It conducted questionnaires and survey towards the vice director and dieticians of 17 hospitals, over 500 beds, and the persons responsible for contract managed companies and dietitians who were in charge of food service. The hospitals showed significantly(p<0.05) higher the importance scores in menu planning, the distribution of meal, sanitation management, and leadership than those of the contract managed companies. In the difference of hospitals and contract managed companies about performance, it appeared high in the contract managed companies. In the importance of the foodservice management objective, the hospital had significantly(p<0.05) higher scores in the management of client's satisfaction and quality improvement element through management innovation than those of the contract managed companies. In the importance of contract term, the contract method, expense, and payment condition of commission fee were significantly(p<0.05) high scores in the contract managed companies, compared to the hospital.
Fees and Charges ; Food Services ; Humans ; Leadership ; Meals ; Menu Planning ; Nutritionists* ; Quality Improvement ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sanitation

The principal objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status and dietary quality in low-income elderly individuals residing at home (LH) or in health care facilities (LHCF) with dietitian. This study was conducted via anthropometric measurements, questionnaire interviews, and dietary surveys using a 24 hr recall method with 120 low-income elderly individuals (LHCF=46, LH=74). The average ages of the LH and LHCF group were 76.3 years and 78.6 years, respectively. The LH group evidenced a significantly higher frequency of skipping meals than the LHCF group. The average energy intakes of the LHCF and LH group were 1921.0 kcal and 1443.9 kcal, with a significant difference (p<0.001). Most of the nutrient intake and intake rates for recommended intake were significantly higher among the LHCF group as compared with the LH group. The LHCF group showed significantly higher values for the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), the mean adequacy ratio (MAR), nutrient density (ND), and the index of nutritional quality (INQ) by dietary qualitative estimation than in the LH group. The Korean diet diversity scores (KDDS) were 3.66 for LH group and 4.93 for the LHCF group, thus were significantly higher in the LHCF group than in the LH group. The results of the present study demonstrate that the LH group appeared to experience more dietary problems than the LHCF group. It was suggested that nutritional education is needed for low-income elderly individuals living at home, in order for them to learn proper dietary management. This can be achieved via educational programs in social welfare institutions, incentives toward employment as a dietitian, and implementation of community-based support.
Aged ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diet ; Employment ; Humans ; Meals ; Motivation ; Nutritional Status ; Nutritive Value ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Social Welfare

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effects of oral sildenafil on erectile function according to the number of accompanying cardiovascular risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Q3 (the ability to achieve an erection) and Q4 (the ability to maintain an erection) scores of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were obtained, before and after the administration of oral sildenafil at least 4 times, in a total of 195 patients (mean age: 57.9 8.9 years) with erectile dysfunction. Of these, 125 had 1 (n=76), 2 (n=33) or 3 (n=16) cardiovascular risk factors. The effects of oral sildenafil for each group were compared by mean paired differences of the Q3 and Q4 scores after treatment. RESULTS: The mean Q3 and Q4 scores increased significantly in all patients, regardless of the presence and number of risk factors (p<0.001). The greater the number of risk factors, the lower the Q3 and Q4 scores, while the mean paired differences in the scores before and after treatment were not significantly different between patients without and with cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Oral sildenafil improves the erectile function in patients with cardiovascular risk factors, and combined erectile dysfunction and the degree of improvement seem to be similar, regardless of the number of cardiovascular risk factors.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors* ; Sildenafil Citrate

OBJECTIVES: Midlife women's knowledge, positive attitudes and management toward menopause may improve the quality of peri and post-menopause life. This study was to identify correlations of the knowledge, attitude, symptoms and management toward menopause in middle-aged women. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional questionnaire study applying to 231 perimenopausal and menopausal women aged from 40 to 59 years old. The completed data of 189 perimenopausal and menopausal women were analyzed through t-test, ANOVA and pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS statistical programme. RESULTS: The menopausal women showed significantly higher physical symptoms than perimenopausal women. The menopausal women showed significantly higher psychosomatic symptom than perimenopausal women. There was a significant correlation between the menopausal attitude and management. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the fundamental data of developing midlife women's symptom index (MSI) and providing menopause management could be a strategy to encourage successful menopausal transition in middle-aged women.
Female ; Humans ; Menopause* ; Postmenopause ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The information on nasal transport and the metabolism of peptides have been obtained from pharmacokinetic investigations in experimental animals. However, there are no transport and metabolic studies of human nasal epithelial cells. In this study, the permeability characteristics and the metabolic properties of in vitro human nasal cell monolayers were investigated. Material and METHODS: Normal human inferior nasal conchal tissue samples were obtained from patients undergoing endoscopic nasal cavitary surgery. The specimens were cultured in a transwell using an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture, and the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value of the blank filter and confluent cell monolayers were measured. To determine the % leakage of mannitol, 4µmol 14C-labelled mannitol was added and the % leakage was measured every 10 minute for 1 hour. RESULT: Human nasal epithelial cells in the primary culture grew to a confluent monolayer within 7 days and expressed microvilli. The tight junction between the cells was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The TEER value of the blank filter, fifth day and seventh day reached 108.5 ohm.cm2, 141 ohm.cm2 and 177.5 ohm.cm2, respectively. Transcellular % leakage of the 14C-mannitol at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes was 35.67±5.43, 34.42±5.60, 32.75±5.71, 31.76±4.22, 30.96±3.49 and 29.60±3.68 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: The human nasal epithelial monolayer using ALI using techniques is suitable for a transcellular permeability study. The data suggests that human nasal epithelial cells in as ALI culture technique shows some promise for a nasal transport and metabolism study.
Animals ; Culture Techniques* ; Electric Impedance ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans* ; Mannitol ; Metabolism ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microvilli ; Peptides ; Permeability ; Tight Junctions

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare testicular volumes measured by Prader orchidometer and scrotal ultrasound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The volumes of 467 adult male testes were measured by Prader orchidometer and scrotal ultrasound. The testicular volumes on ultrasound were calculated by the formula: length x width x height x 0.71. The testicular volumes of the Prader orchidometer were divided into two groups: 15 ml or less, and over 15 ml. The two measurements were compared for each group. RESULTS: In the group with testicular volumes of 15 ml or less, the testicular volumes measured by orchidometer(13.29+/-1.94 ml) were significantly smaller than those measured by ultrasound(14.83+/-2.76 ml). In contrast, the group with over 15 ml did not show any significant difference in the volumes measured by orchidometer(21.21+/-2.58 ml) versusultrasound(20.77+/-4.26 ml). Mean paired differences of the testicular volumes between the orchidometer and ultrasound were 1.54+/-2.65 ml for the group with 15 ml or less and -0.44+/-3.38 ml for the group over15 ml these values are significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of testicular volume of 15 ml or less measured by Prader orchidometer, scrotal ultrasound is necessary for an accurate measurement of the volume.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Testis ; Ultrasonography*

BACKGROUND: Reperfusion injury often develops after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and MgSO4 is known to be related to such injury. The goal of this study was to determine the hemodynamic and oxygen metabolic effects of administering MgSO4 after cessating cardiopulmonary bypass during coronary bypass surgery in control and nicardipine infusion groups. METHODS: After obtaining hospital ethics committee clearance, we studied 29 patients with coronary artery disease scheduled for CABG, who were randomly assigned to receive nicardipine (0.5 microgram/kg/min, n = 11) or placebo (n = 18). All patients were administered MgSO4 (60 mg/kg) after the cessation of CPB. The hemodynamic variables and oxygen parameters were recorded and calculated by continuous cardiac output and mixed venous oxygen saturation monitoring, through a thermodilution Swan-Ganz catheter before and 20 minutes after MgSO4 administration. RESULTS: Heart rate was reduced after administering MgSO4 in both groups, and the mean arterial pressure was also reduced in the nicardipine group. The cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance index, pulmonary vascular resistance index, right and left stroke work indices were well-maintained after administering MgSO4. Mixed venous oxygen saturation and other oxygen parameters were maintained without change after MgSO4 administration. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that MgSO4 can be used without inducing any significant oxygen metabolism or hemodynamic derangements during CABG. But further work is needed to elucidate the myocardial protective effects of MgSO4.
Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Catheters ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Ethics Committees, Clinical ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Nicardipine ; Oxygen ; Reperfusion Injury ; Stroke ; Thermodilution ; Vascular Resistance

Adipose tissue secretes a variety of bioactive substances that are associated with chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. While resistin was first known as an adipocyte-secreted hormone (adipokine) linked to obesity and insulin resistance in rodents, it is predominantly expressed and secreted by macrophages in humans. Epidemiological and genetic studies indicate that increased resistin levels are associated with the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Resistin also appears to mediate the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by promoting endothelial dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, arterial inflammation, and the formation of foam cells. Thus, resistin is predictive of atherosclerosis and poor clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that resistin is associated with atherogenic dyslipidemia and hypertension. The present review will focus on the role of human resistin in the pathogeneses of inflammation and obesity-related diseases.
Adipose Tissue ; Arteritis ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Proliferation ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Dyslipidemias ; Foam Cells ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Inflammation* ; Insulin Resistance ; Macrophages ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Obesity ; Resistin* ; Rodentia

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at investigating the role of betaadrenoceptor subtypes in mediating the relaxation and contraction of seminal vesicles in rabbits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relaxation or contractile responses of epithelium- removed muscle strips of a rabbit seminal vesicle, which were precontracted with 10-5M norepinephrine, to selective betasubtypes-adrenoceptor agonists were observed in an organ bath. The contractile responses induced by isoproterenol were also observed after application of selective antagonists. RESULTS: Isoproterenol showed a concentration-dependent contractile response, but the contractility was weaker than those with phenylephrine and norepinephrine. The betaselective-agonists(xamoterol for beta, clenbuterol for beta and BRL37344 for beta) alone evoked neither contraction nor relaxation. However, the beta- and beta-agonists inhibited the contraction of the precontracted strips with 10-5M norepinephrine, while the beta-agonist enhanced the contraction. The pretreatment with a beta-antagonist(ICI118551) reduced the tension of the strips developed by 10-4M isoproterenol, but the beta-(atenolol) and beta-(SR59230A) antagonists showed no changes in the response. CONCLUSIONS: beta- and beta-adrenoceptors seem to mediate the relaxation of the seminal vesicle, while the beta-adrenoceptor may have a supplementary role in contraction.
Baths ; Clenbuterol ; Isoproterenol ; Negotiating ; Norepinephrine ; Phenylephrine ; Rabbits ; Relaxation* ; Seminal Vesicles*