BACKGROUND: The influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The primary target groups recommended for annual vaccination are healthcare workers and households which have frequent contact with persons at high risk and can transmit influenza to those persons at high risk. Members of these groups should be vaccinated against the flu so that they can avoid getting infected with continuously mutating influenza viruses. We assessed healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza vaccination in order to help promote the vaccination rate. METHODS: This survey was carried out in two hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University School of Medicine, from December 2004 to January 2005. Of the 3,023 questionnaires distributed, 2,023 could be evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequently cited reason for receiving influenza vaccine was self-protection against influenza (55.4%). The most common reasons for not receiving influenza vaccine are personal health problems such as concurrent flu, pregnancy or breast-feeding (29.2%). There is no significant difference in the frequency of side effect between two groups receiving and not receiving vaccine. The most frequent side effect of influenza vaccination is flu-like syndrome; People receiving vaccine have more significant knowledge than those people not receiving vaccine about efficacy of flu vaccination, risk of influenza infection of healthcare workers and their need of flu vaccination. CONCLUSION: In order to promote the vaccination rate, education targeting people at high risk need to keep continuous and facilitate access to vaccination.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human* ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Pregnancy ; Vaccination* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was conducted using the theory of planned behavior to analyze factors influencing mothers' intention to vaccinate their children against hepatitis A (HA). METHODS: This descriptive study used a questionnaire. The participants were 100 mothers with children under 19 years. The collected data were analyzed by the t-test, analysis of variance, and the Mann-Whitney U test. The Pearson's correlation was used to test the correlations among variables. Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify factors related to HA vaccination intention. RESULTS: The attitude of mothers with children under 19 to HA vaccination were quite positive (6.2 of 7), and their perceived behavioral control (5.73 of 7), subjective norm (5.54 of 7), and vaccination intention (5.96 of 7) were relatively high. Attitude toward HA vaccination was the strongest influencing factor, followed by subjective norm. The explanatory power of attitude and subjective norm for HA vaccination was 84%. CONCLUSION: HA vaccination is very important for preventing HA. Mothers' positive attitudes toward HA vaccination were an important factor influencing their children's HA vaccination. Providing education on the benefits of HA vaccination and the vaccination schedule may foster positive attitude toward vaccination.
Appointments and Schedules ; Child ; Education ; Hepatitis A* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Intention* ; Mothers ; Vaccination

No abstract available.
alpha-Tocopherol* ; beta Carotene* ; Humans ; Retinoids*

A case is presented of an amnionic rupture sequence which led to massive fetal ventral herniation and lordoscoliosis. Characteristic ultrasonographic findings of an omphalocele, fetal attachment to the placenta, and the absence of free-floating umbilical cord were observed.
Abnormalities, Multiple/*etiology/ultrasonography ; Adult ; Amnion ; Female ; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture/*complications ; Gestational Age ; Hernia, Umbilical/etiology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Umbilical Cord/abnormalities

In Asian rhinoplasty, allograft materials are often required due to insufficient amount of autologous sources for dorsal augmentation. Nowadays, Silicon and polytetrafluoroethylene are commonly used allograft materials although these can often lead to postoperative complications such as protrusion, migration or infection of implanted graft. Permacol® is a collagen sheet which is indicated for soft tissue reinforcement or repair of the head and face area in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Its clinical safety and stability is well established with low complication rates. However, its histopathology has rarely investigated, especially in human. Thus, we reviewed histopathology of two graft-removal cases of patients who had undergone rhinoplasty using Permacol®. In conclusion, Permacol® can lead to fibrosis of imbedded tissues with or without absorption in long-term follow-up. Although Permacol® is gradually absorbed as time passes, the implanted graft can maintain its volume by replaced fibrotic connective tissues.
Absorption ; Allografts ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Collagen* ; Connective Tissue ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Plastics ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Postoperative Complications ; Rhinoplasty* ; Silicon ; Transplants

The purposes of this study were to develop an in vitro co-culture model of epithelial tissue with dermal equivalent, cultured at an air-liquid interface, and to evaluate the effects of extracellular matrix and concentration of calcium and fetal bovine serum in medium to find optimized culture condition. Oral keratinizing epithelial cells in monolayer culture were grown in Mitomycin-treated 3T3 feeder. Primary cultured oral epithelial cells were reconstituted onto the dermal equivalents consisting of 3T3 fibroblast and type I collagen, and co-culture was grown at the air-liquid interface. The histomorphological development of reconstituted oral epithelium in vitro for 21 days revealed 10~12 layered statified epithelium, closely similar to the parakeratinized gingival epithelium. Neither laminin nor type IV collagen was able to induce keratinocyte differentiation. But a mixture of laminin and type IV collagen induced well-polarized keratinizing tissue with anchoring structure of basal cells. When the reconstituted oral epithelium was incubated in 1.0% and 0.5% serum-containing medium, the granular cell layers with orthokeratinization developed. The reconstituted epidermis generated in serum-free keratinocyte growth medium (KGM)-containing pituitary extract showed features of incomplete differentiation. The present study shows that the dermal equivalents containing fibroblasts will support epidermal morphogenesis and differentiation. And these results suggest that extracellular matrix and calcium concentration are important factors during the reconstitution of keratinizing epithelium in vitro.
Calcium ; Coculture Techniques ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type IV ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts ; Keratinocytes* ; Laminin ; Morphogenesis ; Population Characteristics*

PURPOSE: The study was performed to investigate the IgG subclasses in acute febrile phase of Kawasaki disease(KD) to find correlation between selective IgG4 deficiency and incidence of KD patients. METHODS: The patients group consisted of 64 cases in acute phase of KD hospitalized from Jan. 1996 to Jul. 1999, and control group consisted of age matched 36 cases who admitted without KD. The obtained sera were measured the level of total IgG, IgM, IgA and IgG subclasses(IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4) by using Enzyme Immuno Assay and Single Radial Immuno-Diffusion method. RESULTS: The sex ratio of male to female was 1.4:1.0, and febrile days before admission was 4.6+/-2.4 days. Total levels of IgG, IgM and IgA were normal range in both groups. The levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 were not specific changes but significantly decreased the level of IgG4 in patients group as compared with control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Selective decreased the levels of serum IgG4 can be one of factors to increasing the incidence of KD.
Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M ; Incidence ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Reference Values ; Sex Ratio

PURPOSE: This study examines the difference of optimism, self-esteem and depression to verify an effect of laughter therapy program for menopausal women. METHODS: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pre / post-test design was used. The participants (n=57) were 28 in the experimental group and 29 in the control group. The data were collected in December of 2011. The experimental group participated in laughter therapy for 30 min per session, five times a week for the period of 2 weeks. The questionnaires were used to measure pre / post-test optimism, self-esteem, and depression of menopausal women. RESULTS: The results showed that laughter therapy was effective in increasing optimism (p=.020) and self-esteem (p<.001). And the depression of menopausal women decreased (p=.003). CONCLUSION: The result of the study indicates that laughter therapy for menopausal women may be an effective nursing intervention to improve optimism, self-esteem and depression of menopausal women.
Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Laughter ; Laughter Therapy ; Menopause ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The nuclear accumulation of p53 protein is known to correspond with mutation of p53 tumor supressor gene. To investigate the relationsbip between clinico-pathologic features and expression of p53 mutations, 65 cases of primary cervical carcinoma were analysed by an immunohistochemieal method using monoclonal antibody of p53. Immunostaining demonstrated varioua nuclear stinings of cancer cells in 48.4% of squamous cell carcinoma(51.9% in large cell carcinoma and 25.0% in small cell carcinomas) and 23.5% of adenocarcinoma(p<0.05) No differences in clinical stage and p53 positivity were found. There was no significant correlation between p53 positive cases and status of recurrence. This data suggests that p53 protein is not correlated with the disease progression and prognosis.
Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Cervix Uteri* ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Genes, p53* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the effects of self-foot reflexology on urinary incontinence symptoms, vaginal contraction and daily life discomfort of middle-aged women. METHOD: A quasi-experimental design was used. The subject were 39 middle-aged women with urinary incontinence, who were composed of 18 women in the experimental group, while 21 were in the control group. In the experimental group, self-foot reflexology was applied for 30 minutes, three times a week for 4 weeks. The obtained data were analyzed by using the Mann-Whitney U test of SPSS. RESULT: 1. Frequency(U=78.00, P=.001), amount(U=65.00, p=.001) and the situation score(U=81.00, P=.002)of urinary incontinence were reduced significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 2. Maximum pressure(U=33.50, p=.000), mean pressure(U=38.00 p=.000) of vaginal contraction were improved significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group. 3. Daily life discomfort in the experimental group was reduced whereas that of the control group was increased(U=63.00, p=.000) significantly. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that self-foot reflexology is an effective method for reducing urinary incontinence symptoms and daily life discomfort and for increasing pressure of vaginal contraction of middle-aged women. Therefore self-foot reflexology can be considered as a independent nursing intervention for urinary incontinence.
Female ; Humans ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Urinary Incontinence*