No abstract available.
Immunotherapy ; Melanoma*

PURPOSE: This study is designed as a non-equivalent, control group pre/post-test for identifying effectiveness of a workplace walking program using a fitness tracker including individual counseling and tailored text messaging. METHODS: Seventy-nine employees from two large companies were allocated into an intervention group (n=39) and a control group (n=40). Participants were asked to wear a fitness tracker (Fitbit Charger HR) during 24-hour, 5-days per week, for 10 weeks. The intervention group was provided with daily walking steps measured by Fitbit, weekly counseling with a specifically designed workbook, and seven weekly text messaging, and the control group with the fitness tracker only. RESULTS: At the week 10 measurement, there were significant differences between the intervention and control groups in physical activity self-efficacy (p<.001), physical activity behavior (p<.001), daily walking steps (p<.001), systolic blood pressure (p=.033), and wellness (p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the workplace walking program using a fitness tracker including individual counseling and tailored text messaging is more effective for persons with 10,000 steps/day. Therefore, it is recommended to actively apply this workplace walking program to inactive employees for encouraging regular physical activities and improving their wellness.
Blood Pressure ; Counseling ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Text Messaging ; Walking

PURPOSE: Rotavirus infection is a leading cause of severe gastroenteritis among infants and young children worldwide. In temperate regions, institutional outbreaks of the disease occur mainly in cold dry weather, whereas in tropical settings its seasonal course is less well defined. We studied the annual changes in the seasonal prevalence of rotavirus infection for 5 years. METHODS: The study was conducted on 502 patients who lived in Taejon city and its vicinity. They were diagnosed with rotavirus gastroenteritis by stool latex coagulation method in Eulji Medical College Hospital from July 1993 to June 1998. RESULTS: During the 5-years period, 502 fecal specimens were positive by rotavirus latex coagulation method. The peak of the infection occurred in 1994 (July 1994-June 1995), 152 cases (30.3%) from July 1994 to June 1995 and the next peak occurred in 111 cases (22.1%) from July 1993 to June 1994. The seasonal peaks of the infection occurred in December 1993 (17.1%) and January 1994 (21.1%) and in March 1996 (23.4%) and March 1997 (22.5%). CONCLUSOIN: We observed that the seasonal peak in rotavirus infection changed over a 5-year period. The timing of rotavirus activity peaked during December-January(1993 and 1994), Februray-March (1996), and March-April (1997).
Child ; Daejeon ; Disease Outbreaks ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Infant ; Latex ; Prevalence* ; Rotavirus ; Rotavirus Infections ; Seasons* ; Weather

Purpose: This study aimed to elucidate the situational context and describe the factors and attributes pertaining to occupational stress among hospital nurses in Korea. Methods: Secondary data from focus group interviews conducted with 26 hospital nurses were analyzed using the content analysis method. Data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s content analysis method. Results: Based on the job demand-resource theory, the contents were divided into two major themes: the “excessive job demands” and the “shortage of job resources”.The first theme was summarized into the following four categories: excessive workload and work intensity, complex and difficult work demands, hazardous work environment, and role- and relationship-related conflicts. The second theme was summarized into the following five categories: inadequate staffing, insufficient education and training, lack of support system, poor monetary compensation, and low internal compensation. Conclusion The occupational stress factors of Korean hospital nurses can be summarized as excessive job demands and a lack job resources.

BACKGROUND: To detect progression of right ventricular (RV) systolic dysfunction (RVSD) in asymptomatic preterm children from infancy to 24-month corrected age, using velocity vector imaging (VVI). METHODS: Retrospective study comparing sequential RV longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) from 24 children born at < 33 weeks of gestational age and 10 term infants recruited as controls, obtained at a mean of 4-month (first exam) and 24-month corrected age (second exam). RESULTS: In 7/24 (29.2%) of preterm children, RV LPSS of < 16%, defined as RVSD, was detected at the second exam; 5/7 of these children had RV LPSS > 16% at the first exam, and only 2/7 of these children had a history of moderate or severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. CONCLUSION: In asymptomatic preterm children, routine echocardiographic screening using VVI could detect RVSD which could progress from 4–24 month corrected age.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Child* ; Echocardiography ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mass Screening ; Retrospective Studies

To identify osteoporosis and examine the relationship between health behavior and the self-efficacy of middle-aged women, a descriptive survey was conducted. The subjects were 465 healthy female residents of Kyunggido, Korea, who underwent ultrasound measurement and a health examination at the Kangmeung-Ci Health Center between July and August 2000. They were 40 to 60 years old, with a mean age of 46.7 years. The subjects completed a self- reported questionnaire that consisted of seven items concerning health behavior and twelve items concerning self-efficacy related to osteoporosis. Bone density was evaluated from ultrasound measurements of the right heel. All the data were analyzed using the program SAS-PC. The study found that the mean T score related to bone density was -1.30, and ranged from -3.52 to 3.06. Based on the T score, 74.8% of the subjects were normal, 12.9% had osteopenia, and 12.3% had osteoporosis. The mean osteoporosis self-efficacy score was 41.17 and ranged from 12 to 60. Osteoporosis self-efficacy differed significantly with health behavior related to health supplementary food (t=5.63, p=.018), exercise (t=6.65, p=.010), alcohol drinking(t=10.80, p=.001), and smoking (t=10.23, p=.001). A community-based health promotion program should be developed to prevent osteoporosis in middle-aged women.
Bone Density* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Heel ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Melanoma*

We previously reported that trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, induced DLC-1 mRNA expression and accumulated acetylated histones H3 and H4 associated with the DLC-1 promoter in DLC-1 non-expressing gastric cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrated the molecular mechanisms by which TSA induced the DLC-1 gene expression. Treatment of the gastric cancer cells with TSA activates the DLC-1 promoter activity through Sp1 sites located at -219 and -174 relative to the transcription start site. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA) revealed that Sp1 and Sp3 specifically interact with these Sp1 sites and showed that TSA did not change their binding activities. The ectopic expression of Sp1, but not Sp3, enhances the DLC-1 promoter responsiveness by TSA. Furthermore, the TSA-induced DLC-1 promoter activity was increased by p300 expression and reduced by knockdown of p300. These results demonstrated the requirement of specific Sp1 sites and dependence of Sp1 and p300 for TSA-mediated activation of DLC-1 promoter.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Histone Deacetylases/*antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Humans ; Hydroxamic Acids/*pharmacology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Sp1 Transcription Factor/genetics/*metabolism ; Sp3 Transcription Factor/genetics/metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Transcription, Genetic ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins/*biosynthesis/genetics ; p300-CBP Transcription Factors/genetics/metabolism

BACKGROUND: Varenicline is an effective smoking cessation aid. However, smokers prescribed with varenicline do not always receive varenicline for 12 weeks, as recommended. This study analyzed the subjects who received varenicline and investigated the effect of varenicline treatment duration on the success rate of 6-month smoking cessation. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 78 subjects, who received varenicline, out of the 105 smokers that had visited the smoking cessation clinic after medical examination from September 2007 to December 2009. RESULTS: The subjects were all males. Twenty-two subjects (28.2%) had varenicline treatment for 12 weeks or longer; 18 subjects (23.1%) for 8~12 weeks; 22 subjects (28.2%) for 4~8 weeks; and 16 subjects (20.5%) for less than 4 weeks. The total success rate of the 6-month smoking cessation was 47.4%. The success rate of the 6-month smoking cessation was 63.6% in the group that received varenicline for 12 weeks or longer, which was higher than 41.1% of the group that early terminated the varenicline treatment (p=0.074). The period of varenicline treatment was extended for one more week, the odds ratio of the 6-month smoking cessation success increased to 1.172-folds (p=0.004; 95% confidence interval, 1.052~1.305). Adverse events occurred in 30.8% of the subjects who received varenicline, but no serious adverse events were found. CONCLUSION: If varenicline treatment period is extended, the odds ratio of the success rate for the 6-month smoking cessation increases. Therefore, an effort to improve drug compliance for varenicline in clinical practices could be helpful for the long-term success of smoking cessation.
Benzazepines ; Compliance ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Medication Adherence ; Odds Ratio ; Quinoxalines ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation ; Varenicline

PURPOSE: Toxocariasis is the most common cause of peripheral blood eosinophilia in Korea and produces eosinophilic infiltration in various organs, including the lung. However, the prevalence of toxocariasis in the general population is rarely reported. METHODS: We investigated the seroprevalence of Toxocara larval antibody among asymptomatic people who attended Samsung Medical Center for a health checkup, including low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) between March 2012 and December 2013. A total of 633 people (400 men and 233 women) were prospectively recruited. RESULTS: The Toxocara-seropositive rate was 51.2% using the current cutoff value based on Toxocara enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (67.0% for men and 24.0% for women). In the multivariate-adjusted model, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.04-1.11), male sex (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.26-5.33), rural residence (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.05-2.30), and history of raw liver intake (OR, 8.52; 95% CI, 3.61-20.11) were significantly associated with Toxocara seropositivity. When subjects were divided into 3 groups using cutoff values base on weak positive and strong positive control optical densities (ODs), the ORs for peripheral blood eosinophilia and serum hyperIgEaemia were 0.31 (95% CI, 0.02-2.89) in the weakpositive group and 36.64 (95% CI, 11.73-111.42) in the strong positive group compared to the seronegative group. Similarly, ORs for the solid nodule with surrounding halo were 2.54 (95% CI, 0.60-10.84) in the weak positive group and 15.08 (95 CI 4.09-55.56) in the strong positive group compared to the seronegative group. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that the Toxocara-seropositive rate obtained by using the current cutoff value based on ELISA was high in the asymptomatic population in Korea. The results of this study suggest that active toxocariasis may be more frequently seen in the Toxocara-strong positive group than in the Toxocara-weak positive group.
Adult* ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Prevalence* ; Prospective Studies ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Serologic Tests* ; Thorax ; Toxocara ; Toxocara canis ; Toxocariasis*