The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experience of people with HIV/AIDS. Three men and three women with HIV/AIDS participated in the study. They were asked open-ended and descriptive questions in order for them to talk about their experience in their own terms. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed to maintain data integrity and to reduce perceptual bias. The transcripts were analyzed by the Colaizzi method. Member checks from the participants were used to validate the emergent themes. Seven themes emerged from the analysis. 1. People with HIV/AIDS have a strong impact and emotional reaction when receiving positive HIV test results. 2. All people with HIV/AIDS attempt to conceal HIV infection because of fear of stigma or rejection. 3. After the initial brief traumatic reaction to HIV/AIDS diagnosis, all participants feel lonely because they had no one to express or share their own experiences. 4. People with HIV/AIDS reflect on their life, think about the death and dying process and they become depressed. 5. Most participants feel that the family members who know his/her diagnosis are a big source of support. 6. According to the normativeness of infection route of HIV, the degree of guilty feeling differs among participants. 7. Although all participants think medication is a lifeline, the adherence to medication is not maintained because of side effects, denial and concealment of HIV/AIDS. The results of this study may help nurses and other health care workers to implement more efficient nursing strategies for people with HIV/AIDS by more deeply understanding their experience.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Delivery of Health Care ; Denial (Psychology) ; Diagnosis ; Female ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the psycho-social factors such as self-esteem, stress, and family support that affect the depression in pregnant women. METHODS: The participants were 149 pregnant women who were seen at the urban G and M woman hospital. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from January 10 to May 20, 2011, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficients, and Stepwise Multiple Regression with SPSS/WIN 17.0 program. RESULTS: Mean age was 31 years, and 28.9% of the participants reported depression. Depression in the pregnant women showed a negative correlation with self-esteem (r=-.47, p<.001) and family support (r=-.38, p<.001), but a positive correlation with stress (r=.42, p<.001). In addition, variables that predicted depression in pregnant women were general health condition, stress, self-esteem, communication with husband, and planned pregnancy (39.0%). CONCLUSION: The findings from this study indicate the need to screen pregnant women for depression. There is also a need for programs to prevent depression in pregnant women and assess risk considering psycho-social factors.
Depression* ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses

The aim of this stud y was to compare the epidermal thinning properties of four corticosteroid ointments applied under occlusion, using histology and histometry. The results were surnmerized as follows: 1.The stratum corneurn was dramatically thinned, appearing as a wispy layer of horny cells as apposed to the norrnal basket-weave configuration. this effect was prominent at sites treated with clobestasol propionate, fluocinonide, and fluocinolone acetonide. 2. With the histometry, visible epidermal thickness wa.s markedly reduced. This effect w is prominent in the following ascending order: fluocinolone acetonide, fluocienonide, clobestasol-17-propionate. Hydrocortisone was the least atrophogenic. 3. Clohestasol-17-propionate and fluocinonide caused significant flattening of dermo-epidermal junction, Fluocinolone acetonide and hydrocortisone caused less pronounced cbanges. 4. Marked capillary dilation af papilly dermis is caused by clobestasol-17-propionate, fluocinonide and fluocinolone acetonide.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Atrophy* ; Capillaries ; Dermis ; Diethylpropion ; Epidermis* ; Fluocinolone Acetonide ; Fluocinonide ; Humans* ; Hydrocortisone ; Ointments

A study was made of the differences in clinical features and immunological aspects between herpes zoster patients with malignancies and those without malignant tumors. The results obtained from the retrospective review of medical records are as follows: Herpes zoster occurred more frequently in younger patients(less than twenty) with malignanciee as compared with the control group of the same ages,' Male was dominant among zoster patients with malignancies as is the contrary to contral group; Tihere were no marked differences in primarilly involved dermatomes between the two groups; Generalized varicelliform eruptiona were more common in zoster pa,tients with malignaneies than in control group, It seemed that zoster patients with malignancies complained of milder degree of pain. Zoeter patienta associated with malignancies were more frequently DNCB-negative and had decreased OKT3+ pan T cells, OKT4+ helper/inducer T cells as compared with control group, which suggest impaired cell mediated immunity in the former.
Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes

Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were isolated from the blood of an ocular patient, and have been successfully passaged in the laboratory, for over a year, by peritoneal inoculation in mice. The isolated parasite was designated the Korean Isolate-1 (KI-1) and its characteristics were compared with those of the RH strain, a wellknown virulent strain originating from a child who suffered from encephalitis. The morphology, pathogenicity, infectivity and cell culture characteristics of the KI-1 were similar to those of the RH strain. Both RH and KI-1 antigens were detected by an anti-T. gondii monoclonal antibody (mAb), Tg563, against the major surface protein SAG1 (30 kDa), whereas no reaction was observed against an anti-Neospora caninum mAb, 12B4. The KI-1 was confirmed as an isolate of T. gondii. A long-term laboratory maintenance and characterization of a local T. gondii isolate is reported for the first time in the Republic of Korea.
Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan/analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Parasitemia/parasitology ; Sarcoma 180 ; Serial Passage ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; *Toxoplasma/classification/growth & development/isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Toxoplasmosis, Ocular/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Virulence

No abstract available.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Sepsis* ; Vibrio cholerae* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Embryonic Structures* ; Humans* ; Upper Extremity*

The purpose of this study is to develop a model of medical cyber education. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the authors examined the social changes in the future, the shift of educational paradigm, the status of regulations and policy of cyber education, and local educational system of cyber education. The study went through analysis of related literature and received advises from the experts. The model of medical cyber education consists of the following contents; the purpose of the establishment, administrative structure, curriculum, cyber lectures, student administration, internal and external joint relationships and advertising. The expectations of such development are as follows; the implementation of medical cyber education system goes along with the recent trend of student-centered educational system and constructivism, and will expand the social recognition and the accountability of medical schools.
Curriculum ; Education* ; Humans ; Joints ; Lectures ; Schools, Medical* ; Social Change ; Social Control, Formal ; Social Responsibility

PURPOSE: This study was to determine the effect of DHEA administration before, during, and after dexamethasone treatment on body weight and TypeI,II muscle weight of rat receiving dexamethasone treatment. METHOD: Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups: control(C), dexamethasone(D), DHEA administration for 3days after dexamethasone treatment for 7days(7D+3DH), dexamethasone treatment for 7days after DHEA administration for 3days(3DH+7D), DHEA administration during dexamethasone treatment for 4days after dexamethasone treatment for 3days(3D+4DDH), DHEA administration during dexamethasone treatment for 7days(7DDH). Dexamethasone was injected by subcutaneously daily at a dose of 5mg/kg. DHEA was orally administered daily at a dose of 5mg/kg for 7 days. Soleus(TypeI) muscle, and both plantaris and gastro- cnemius(TypeII) muscles were dissected on the 7th day of experiment. RESULT: Body weight of both 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group increased significantly compared with that of 7D group. Body weight of 7D+3DH group decreased significantly compared with that of 7D group, 7DDH group, 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group. Muscle weight of both plantaris and gastro- cnemius tended to decrease compared with that of 7D group. Muscle weight of 7DDH group, 3D+4DDH group and 3DH+7D group increased significantly compared with that of 7D+3DH group. Muscle weight of gastrocnemius of both 3DH+7D group and 3D+4DDH group increased significantly compared with that of 7D group. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it can be suggested that DHEA administration before and during dexamethasone treatment can increase both body weight and mass of atrophied TypeII muscle induced by dexa- methasone treatment.
Animals ; Body Weight* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Dexamethasone* ; Muscles* ; Rats* ; Rats, Wistar

Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) was established during only 12 yr from its inception (1977-1989), providing universal medical coverage to the entire nation and making a huge contribution to medical security. However, the program now faces many challenges in terms of sustainability. The low birth rates, aging population, low economic growth, and escalating demands for welfare, as well as unification issues, all add pressure to the sustainability of NHI. The old paradigm of low contribution - low benefits coverage - low NHI's fee schedule needs to be replaced by a new paradigm of proper contribution - adequate benefit coverage - fair NHI's fee schedule. This new paradigm will require reform of NHI's operating system, funding, and spending.
Health Care Reform ; Humans ; National Health Programs/*economics ; Program Evaluation ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Universal Coverage/economics