Regardless of the any cause leg ulcers are painful and inconvenient to patients and present clinical and economic problems due to their chronicity. Conventional skin grafts, cultured allogenic epidermis, and cultured autologous epidermis have been used for the treatment of leg ulcers. In a twenty-year-old woman with leg ulcers, autologous pure epidermal sheets were obtained from the lower chest by means of suction blisters and grafted to the leg ulcers. All lesions were healed completely in 20 days after grafting. The donor sites showed slight postinflammatory hyperpigmentations without scars. The autologous epidermal graft using suction blisters appears to be a useful method for the treatment of leg ulcers, with no immunologic rejection, no need for cultivation and anesthesia, no desiccation, and no scars on the donor sites.
Anesthesia ; Blister* ; Cicatrix ; Desiccation ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Methods ; Skin ; Suction* ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

In systemic hypertension, capillary resistance is highly elevated and' contractility of vascular smooth muscle is elevated. This is due to increased calcium uptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum of the vascular smooth muscle. Recently, nifedipine, an antihypertensive medication which inhibits calcium uptake into the vascular smooth muscle is commonly used. It decreases the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle and causes the vessels to relax, which in turn lowers the blood pressure. In 1987, according to Rodriguez-Sargent et al. the increased incidence of cataract in Dahl-salt sensitive rats(DSR) was due to increasd water and sodium contents and decreased potassium content. In this investigative study on hypertension, the water, Sodium and potassium contents in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats(SHR) were measured. After treatment with nifedipine in SHR, we observed decreased blood pressure along with the changes in water, sodium and potassium contents of the lenses. The following results were obtained from our experiments. 1. In normal SDR, The blood pressure did not decrease with nifedipine injection. 2. After 3-7 days of nifedipine injection bidaily, the blood pressure of SHR did not decrease. 3. After 2 weeks of nifedipine injection bidaily, the blood pressure of the SHR decreased slightly and after 4 weeks of nifedipine injection bidaily, the blood pressure of SHR decreased significantly. 4. Water and sodium contents of SHR were higher than that of SDR and the potassium content was similar to that of SDR. 5. The elevated water and sodium contents of SHR decreased along with decrease of blood pressure, and after 2 weeks of nifedipine injection, showed similar level as the contents of SDR lenses. 6. Potassium contents of SHR lenses showed no change were similar to SDR lines except the 4 weeks nifedipine injection group which showed higher potasslum contents.
Animals ; Blood Pressure* ; Calcium ; Capillary Resistance ; Cataract ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nifedipine* ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium ; Water*

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of walk training on leg strength, flexibility, postural stability, balance and gait in home bound elderly women. Eighteen elderly women of the experimental group aged between 70 and 90 years image who have normal vision, hearing and Romberg test. They participated in the 12 week walk training. The subjects of the experimental group practiced walk training 3 times a week for during 12 weeks. During the 40 minute workout, the subjects practiced 5 minutes of warming-up exercises, 30 minutes of conditioning exercises and 10 minutes of a cool-down exercise. The intensity for the conditioning phase was determined by subject' heart rates, which ranged from 60% to 70% of age-adjusted maximum heart rates. The body composition, leg strength, flexibility, postural stability, balance and gait were measured prior to and after the experimental treatment. The body fat, lean body mass, leg strength (ankle dorsiflexor, plantarflexor, inversor and eversir, knee flexor, extensior), flexibility (range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion and eversion), and postural stability of the experimental group were significantly greater than those of the control group. Duration of standing on the right foot and that of standing on the left foot of the experimental group was greater than that of the control group. Total balance scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Among 13 items for balance, the scores of experimental group in balance with eyes closes, turning balance, sternal nudge, neck turning, one leg standing balance and back extension were higher than those of the control group. Total scores of gait of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group following the walking training. Scores of experimental group in step height, step length and walk stance while walking among 9 items for gait were significantly higher than those of the control group. The results suggest that walk training can improve physical fitness for prevention in home bound elderly women.
Adipose Tissue ; Aged* ; Ankle ; Body Composition ; Cool-Down Exercise ; Exercise ; Female ; Foot ; Gait ; Hearing ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Knee ; Leg ; Neck ; Physical Fitness* ; Pliability ; Walking ; Warm-Up Exercise

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses' awareness of psychological distress and delirium in cancer patients and job stress. METHODS: The participants were 256 nurses in a cancer general hospital. The nurses' awareness of psychological distress and delirium was investigated using a self-report questionnaire (1–4 scale) developed by the researcher. Psychological distress was measured by depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Job stress was measured using the Korean version of the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (1–4 scale). RESULTS: The analysis of 9 questionnaires about nurses' awareness was divided into two factors: nurses' competence and importance. Nurses' competence results were 2.06 (depression), 2.17 (anxiety), 2.29 (insomnia), and 2.41 (delirium). Importance results were 3.23 (depression), 3.20 (anxiety), 3.15 (insomnia), and 3.37 (delirium). Most nurses have experienced nursing psychological distress and delirium in cancer patients, but only about a quarter have received the relevant education. Job stress was 2.52 and in subcategories, work load received the highest score 2.92. CONCLUSION: Nurses recognize that psychological distress and delirium in cancer patients are very important, but they are less aware of their competence. Therefore, it is suggested to develop an educational program to improve nurses' competence when dealing with psychological distress and delirium.
Anxiety ; Delirium* ; Depression ; Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of different isolation policies in reducing the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in hospital in-patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of an isolation policy on transmission of MRSA in the 745-beds hospital. First period, all patients with MRSA (March - July 2000) were not isolated Second period, strict isolation policies were performed (August 2000 - January 2002). All patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room, hand hygiene using alcohol handrub, gowning and g1oving, apply of MRSA notice sticker, criteria in isolation remove, separated disinfection and wastement. Third period, semi strict isolation policies were performed (February 2002 - August 2005). Some patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room and others were admitted in general ward for bed shortage. Only some practices were performed in hand washing and separated disinfection in general ward. RESULTS: The rates of MRSA nosocomial infection per patients during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.56, 0.23, and 0.42 (P<0.05). Patient-days rate of MRSA nosocomial infection during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.62, 0.27, and 0.38 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: With many different isolation policies, it was possible to reduce nosocomial infection of MRSA. In this study, strict isolation policies (2nd period) were the most effective practices in reducing MRSA infection.
Cross Infection ; Disinfection ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Patients' Rooms ; Prospective Studies

This study was alone to identify the meaning and the essence of the menopause experience by means of the Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The participants were eight women, 48-60 years old, who were experiencing perimenopause or postmenopause. They were selected using a theoretical sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from April 6 to May 20, 1999. The interviews took from 40 to 90 minutes. Interviews were tape- recorded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Significant statements from data were extracted. From these formulated meanings, 18 themes, 8 clusters of themes and 3 catagories were constructed. Final descriptions were found to be valid through the interviewee validation process. Essential themes of the menopausal experience which emerged were "coming of change", "inclined to deny the in mind", and "adapted life". Menopause, as coming of change was the turning point in the women's life cycle acompaning changes, in body and mind and marital life changes. Especially, the unpredictable menopausal changes were an opportunity to hide the fact of menopause and not to talk with anybody. Such a phenomenon reflected on the psychological attributes of menopausal woman such as an inclination to deny in the mind. Their experiences of menopause as adapted life were generally regarded as signalling the end of fertility and were interpreted as a natural developmental process that indicates a life transition. In conclusion, participants depicted the menopause as a natural stage in the life cycle. In order to help women have a positive life change and self accomplishment, nurses need to understand the essential themes of the menopausal experience. Thus, the importance of an open approach in eliciting the phenomena of menopause cannot be overemphasized. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that exercise program is one of the effective interventions to improve the self-efficacy and also to lower the fatigue in the sample of female college students.
Climacteric ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Menopause ; Perimenopause ; Postmenopause

BACKGROUND: Various molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA hybridization have been introduced to diagnose the hepatitis B more accurately. Recently, Hybrid Capture Assay (HCA) was developed, which uses the signal amplification solution hybridization capture assay with chemiluminescent detector. So we evaluated the sensitivity and clinical utility of the HCA and PCRs for the detection of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) and compared these results with serologic markers. METHODS: We analysed the 50 samples from the hepatitis B patients using enzyme immunoassay, HCA and nested PCRs with two different primer sets. The primers of PCR I and PCR II were targeted to pol and core region respectively. RESULTS: In 18 cases, HBV DNA were detected by HCA in which the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 55.6%, and 88.9%, respectively. And in 32 cases in which HBV DNA by HCA was negative, the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 6.2% and 31.3%, respectively. In 44 cases which were positive for HBsAg, the positive rates for HBV DNA were 38.6% by HCA, 27.3% by PCR I, and 56.8% by PCR II. In cases positive for HBeAg, the positive rates were 93.3% by HCA, 60.0% by PCR I and 80.0% by PCR II. In cases positive for anti-HBe and negative for HBeAg, the positive rates were 10.3% by HCA, 10.3% by PCR I, and 44.8% by PCR II. CONCLUSIONS: Both HCA and PCR compensated each other yet as to the accurate investigation of the viral replication in patients with hepatitis B and the sensitivity was better in HBV PCR with primers to core region than to pol region.
DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Recently, we experienced a patient with a B cell leukemia which could not be classified as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), prolymphocytic leukemia (PL) or follicular lymphoma in leukemic phase. He is a 58-year-old male and suffered from progressive lymphadenopathy at both inguinal and cervical areas. His blood film showed lymphocytosis (79%), and the cells were heterogeneous in size and shape. Twenty-five percent of the lymphocytes had nuclear irregularities or cleavages unlike the lymphocytes of CLL In which the cells often shows monomorphic features, small size with scanty cytoplasm and round nucleus. The bone marrow trephine biopsy specimen showed a diffuse pattern of infiltration of atypical Iymphoid cells. The lymph node histology showed atypical lymphoid colls proliferated as wide mantles around non-neoplastic appearing germinal centers. The immunophenotype of circulating lymphocytes in peripheral blood showed strong reactivity with CD5, CDl9 and CD20 without expression of CD2, CD3, CD7, CD10, CD22 and CD23. Although this case resembled CLL, the laboratory features showed major differences, notably in the Peripheral blood morphology, histology Patterns and the membrane Phenotype. By combining these data, we diagnosed this case as a leukemic phase of mantle cell lymphoma.
Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Cytoplasm ; Germinal Center ; Humans ; Leukemia, B-Cell ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell ; Leukemia, Prolymphocytic ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphocytosis ; Lymphoma, Follicular ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell* ; Male ; Membranes ; Middle Aged ; Phenotype

No abstract available.
Diffusion* ; Teicoplanin*

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders characterized by the overproduction of mature blood cells that have an increased risk of thrombosis and progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Next-generation sequencing studies have provided key insights regarding the molecular mechanisms of MPNs. MPN driver mutations in genes associated with the JAK-STAT pathway include JAK2 V617F, JAK2 exon 12 mutations and mutations in MPL, CALR, and CSF3R. Cooperating driver genes are also frequently detected and also mutated in other myeloid neoplasms; these driver genes are involved in epigenetic methylation, messenger RNA splicing, transcription regulation, and signal transduction. In addition, other genetic factors such as germline predisposition, order of mutation acquisition, and variant allele frequency also influence disease initiation and progression. This review summarizes the current understanding of the genetic basis of MPN, and demonstrates how molecular pathophysiology can improve both our understanding of MPN heterogeneity and clinical practice.