The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on the renal renin-angiotensin systems. In rats chronically treated with CsA, the intrarenal expression of various genes of the renin-angiotensin system was assessed by Northern blot analysis. Along with the increases in plasma and renal renin activities, chronic CsA-treatment differentially affected the renal expression of renin-angiotensin system. The treatment with CsA for one week did not significantly alter the expression of either type 1 angiotensin II receptor (AT1A) or angiotensinogen gene, but increased the renin mRNA level. The three-week-treatment caused increases in the expression not only of renin but also of AT1A and angiotensinogen genes. Supplementation with L-arginine kept the expression of renin mRNA normal in the one-week-treated, but failed to prevent the alterations of the gene expression in the three-week-treated. Feedback control among components of the renin-angiotensin system also influences angiotesinogen. In the liver, the expression of angiotensinogen mRNA was decreased by the CsA-treatment for either one- or three-weeks. In conclusion, chronic CsA-treatment is associated with a differential expression of various genes for the renin-angiotensin system. L-Arginine may be effective in maintaining the normality of renin-angiotensin system only during early period after beginning the use of CsA.
Angiotensinogen ; Animals ; Arginine ; Blotting, Northern ; Cyclosporine* ; Gene Expression ; Liver ; Plasma ; Rats ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; Renin ; Renin-Angiotensin System* ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: This study is to identify the types of role awareness of home health care specialists working at medical institutions, to understand their role awareness correctly by grasping the quality of each type, and to provide useful help in the education of home health care specialists. METHOD: Q-methodology is used to objectify role awareness of medical institution specialists who may recognize situations differently according to their individual experience and comprehension based on the view of behavior. Q-classification was carried out on 30 home health care specialists working at medical institutions using 30 selected questions. Collected data were examined through factor analysis using QUANL PC program. RESULTS: Three different types of role awareness of home health care specialists working at medical institutions were identified. Type I is "educational-function-centered", Type II "patient-centered" and Type III "professional-service-centered". CONCLUSION: Regardless of these types, home health care specialists commonly had a high pride as a specialist and a sense of mission regarding themselves as important persons responsible for patients' health.
Comprehension ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Missions and Missionaries ; Specialization*

BACKGROUND: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare disease in which a painful nodule or pustule breaks down to form a progressive enlarging ulcer. Until now, only 8 cases of pyoderma gangrenosum have been reported in Korea. Therefore, we thought it necessary to perform a clinical analysis of pyoderma gangrenosum in Korea with a review of literature. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to find the clinical features of pyoderma gangrenosum in Korea. METHODS: Fourteen cases with pyoderma gangrenosum were investigated by reviewing medical records. Results There were 6 males and 8 females. The onset age was between 4 years and 65 years, and most(9 cases) had developed the condition between the ages of 20 and 60. Thirteen cases involved the extremities and 3 cases had whale body involvement, Seven cases(50%) had multiple lesions. All cases had pain at the lesional sites. Two cases were classified as the bullous type and the others were ulcerative in nature. The histological fmdings were non-specific. Dense inflarnmatory infiltrates composed of lymphocytes and predominant neutrophils were found in the epidermis and dermis associated with ulceration. Two cases were treated only with systemic steroids, and 2 cases with dapsone and steroids, 2 cases with colchicine and steroids, and 1 case with steroids, dapsone and colchicine. One case was treated with colchicine and anti-Tbc drug, 1 case with dapsone, 3 cases with antibotics, 1 case with the anti-Tbc drug and 1 case with anti-cancer drugs. Systemic disease was present in 5D% of the cases. The associated diseases were Behcets disease(3 cases), tuberculosis(2 cases), systemic lupus erythematosus(1 case), pancytopenia(1 case), iron deficiency anemia(1 case), acute leukemia(1 case), and colon adenoma(1 case). Recurrence developed in 2 cases and positive pathergy reactions were observed in 3 cases. CONCLUSION: Pyoderma gangrenosum was eccompanied with systemic disease in 50% of the cases and the most common therapeutic drugs were steroids. It is therefore impartant to detect the presence of any underlying disease and to treat this alongside pyoderma gangrenosum.
Age of Onset ; Colchicine ; Colon ; Dapsone ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Korea ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neutrophils ; Pyoderma Gangrenosum* ; Pyoderma* ; Rare Diseases ; Recurrence ; Steroids ; Ulcer ; Whales

PURPOSE: This study was done to compare the effectiveness of web learning versus traditional education for learning Asepsis technique in Basic Nursing Practice. METHOD: This research was a quasi-experimental study. The participants were 60 students who were taking Basic Nursing at a nursing college in G city. Thirty students each were assigned to the experimental and the control group. Data were collected between September 26 and 30, 2005. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Independent t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS: The mean score for competence in Asepsis technique practice in the experimental group was 24.73 and in the control group 22.80. This result was statistically significant(t = 3.723, P = .001). The mean score for knowledge in the experimental group was 42.93 and in the control group 38.93. This result was statistically significant(t = 2.119, P = .038). The mean score for satisfaction with degree of study in the experimental group was 55.50 for the pre-test and 56.17 for the post-test, and in the control group 60.23 and 58.00 respectively. This result was statistically significant(F = 10.537, P = .002). CONCLUSION: The Web based learning was found to be effective in nursing practice, student satisfaction and knowledge, but web-based programs have to be continuously managed and various demands from learners have to be accepted. Eventually we have to use web-based program as educational medium to promote effective learning nursing education.
Asepsis* ; Education* ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Learning* ; Mental Competency ; Nursing*

Aplasia cutis congenita is a congenital localized or widespread absence of the skin. We report a case of aplasia cutis congenita, type V, in a 6-day-old male infant born with the stellate and linear skin lesions covered by granulation tissue and soft capsule with slightly elevated erythematous edges on the trunk and lower extremities without any associated family history. The patient had amniotic bands and were diagnosed as aplasia cutis, type V. The patient received conservative treatment such as antiseptic dressing and prophylactic systemic antibiotics with healing of the ulcer.
Amniotic Band Syndrome ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bandages ; Ectodermal Dysplasia* ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Skin ; Ulcer

The present study was aimed at investigating the molecular regulation of the renin- angiotensin system (RAS) in two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) hypertension. The expression of renin, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II receptor genes was determined by Northern blot analysis in rats made 2K1C hypertensive for 2 or 4 weeks. The expression of renin gene was increased in the clipped kidney and decreased in the contralateral non-clipped kidney at weeks 2 and 4. The expression of angiotensinogen gene was not significantly altered at week 2, but increased at week 4 in the clipped kidney. However, it was not significantly altered in the contralateral kidney either at week 2 or 4. Nor was the expression of angiotensinogen gene significantly altered in the liver either at week 2 or 4. On the other hand, the expression of angiotensin II receptor gene was decreased at week 2, and increased at week 4 in the clipped kidney, whereas it was not significantly changed in the contralateral kidney either at week 2 or 4. In the liver, the expression of angiotensin II receptor gene was not significantly altered at week 2, but decreased at week 4. These results suggest that the components of RAS are transcriptionally regulated in 2K1C hypertension in a manner dependent on tissues and duration of hypertension.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensinogen* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Hand ; Hypertension ; Kidney ; Liver ; Rats* ; Receptors, Angiotensin* ; Renin

PURPOSE: To investigate the trend of refractive change in hyperopic patients according to increases in age. METHODS: Eighty-eight children who had hyperopia of more than +1.50 diopters (D) and could be followed up for at least 5 years were included in this study. We divided the patients into two groups according to the level of initial hyperopia and retrospectively analyzed hyperopic refractive changes over a 5-year period according to age at initial diagnosis, presence of esotropia, amblyopia, astigmatism and anisometropia. RESULTS: We gained the following formula about the aspect of hyperopic reduction in 88 patients over a period of 5 years: Diopter (D)=7.99-2.14 Ln (age). The presence of anisometropia and amblyopia did not affect hyperopic reduction. Hyperopic reduction amounts in the group with a hyperopic eye of more than +5D at initial diagnosis were greater than in the group with a hyperopic eye less than +5D, and greater in the group with an astigmatic eye of more than 1D. The presence of esotropia and the age at initial diagnosis did not affect hyperopic reduction. CONCLUSIONS: We show that emmetropization in hyperopic children occurs according to the following formula: Diopter (D)=7.99-2.14 Ln (age). Both the initial level of hyperopia and the concurrent presence of astigmatism affected hyperopic reduction. However, the presence of anisometropia, amblyopia, esotropia and the age at initial diagnosis did not significantly affect hyperopic reduction.
Amblyopia ; Anisometropia ; Astigmatism ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Esotropia ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: An exercise program, which was composed of motions simple and easy to follow, was developed and applied to aged women as a way to improve their health conditions. METHOD: To ascertain the effects of the exercise, which was conducted twice a week and 16 times in total for 8 weeks from September 10 to November 5, 2005 in two experimental groups (31 persons) and a control group (31 persons), this study conducted quasi-experiments of nonequivalent control group pre-post test design. Data were analyzed using SPSS/PC Win 10.0, the reliability of the measuring tools using Cronbach's alpha, the verification of equivalence for general properties and dependent variables using Chi-square test and t-test, and the verification of hypotheses using t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS: After the exercise program, the aged women showed profitable evaluation of decisional balance, high feeling of self-efficacy as well as improved subjective awareness of health. Their diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol were also reduced significantly after the exercise. CONCLUSION: After the conduct of the exercise program for 8 weeks, aged women showed increased profitable decisional balance, self-efficacy and subjective awareness of health. This suggests that continuous and proper exercise is effective as an intervention for health improvement for the aged as well as the prevention of and recovery from geriatric diseases.
Aged* ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Psychology*

This study was understand in order to examine the effect of hardness on stress-causing factors, defined in this study as burnout in nursing. The subjects were 248 nurses working in three general hospitals in Taejon. The instruments used for this study were a survey of general characteristics, modified Health-Related Hardiness Scale(HRHS) (25 items), job stress scale (63 items), and burnout scale(20 items). Analysis of data was done through the mean, percentage, Person correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression done with a SAS program. The results of this study are as follows. 1) The average item score for the job stress was high at 4.44. In the subcategories, the highest degree of stress was night duty(5.11), and work overload(4.70), responsibility for extra affairs(4.70), conflict in nurse-doctor relationships(4.69), and low reward (4.63) in that order. 2) In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, hardiness(11.55%) was a significant determinant of burnout along with job stress(17.24%) and job duration(12.94%). The results of this study show that hardiness has an effect on psychological distress caused by stress.
Daejeon ; Hardness ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Reward

High glucose activates protein kinase C, induces reactive oxygen species generation, and upregulates expression of transforming growth factor-beta1(TGF-beta1) and fibronectin by human peritoneal mesothelial cells(HPMC). High glucose also induces premature senescence in mesothelial cells. Mesothelial cells shrink after exposure to hypertonic medium and intracellular uptake of amino acids increase to ensure subsequent volume increase. Based on these observations, new and more biocompatible peritoneal dialysis solutions that are glucose free and/or iso-osmolar have been developed. We investigated the effects of different osmolality and different osmotic agents including glucose, mannitol, and icodextrin on viability and proliferation of HPMC. HPMC were obtained from the omental tissues of consenting patients undergoing Cesarean section or elective abdominal surgery. All experiments were performed using cells in the 2nd or 3rd passage. Near-confluent HPMC grown in culture dishes were incubated with serum-free medium for 48 hours to arrest and synchronize cell growth. Lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) release was measured for cell viability and [3H]-thymidine incorporation for proliferation of cultured HPMC, after exposing HPMC to different concentrations of glucose, mannitol, and icodextrin for up to 96 hours. High glucose and mannitol at concentrations up to 100 mM(375 mOsm) did not increase LDH release up to 96 hours compared to control M199. When HPMC were exposed to 2, 4, 7.5, and 9% of icodextrin for 24-96 hours, LDH release did not increase. Glucose at 30, 50, and 100 mM significantly inhibited [3H]-thymidine incorporation by HPMC at 24 and 48 hours. Mannitol at 30, 50, and 100 mM for 24 hours and at only 100 mM for 48 hours also significantly inhibited cell proliferation. Icodextrin 9% (305 mOsm) inhibited cell proliferation compared with control M-199 at 24 hours. In conclusion, high osmolality per se dose not appear to increase HPMC death. However, high osmolality appears to inhibit HPMC proliferation at early stage. In addition, high glucose appears to inhibit HPMC proliferation independent of osmolality since high glucose continues to inhibit cell proliferation at 48 and 72 hours when mannitol at the same concentration did not. Icodextrin 9% of which osmolality is 305 mOsm inhibits HPMC proliferation at early stage but does not appear to increase HPMC death.
Humans