OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effects of changes in obesity and life style factors, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise, on the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol among Korean men. METHODS: This study included 7,205 healthy male employees in the steel manufacturing industry. Each subject underwent health examination in 1994 and was re-examined in 1997. The study subjects were classified into four categories, according to changes in body mass index (BMI) (loss; stable; mild gain; severe gain), cigarette smoking (quitter; non-smoker; smoker continued; smoker started), alcohol drinking (quitter; non-drinker; drinker continued; drinker started) and exercise (more exercise; continuous regular exercise; continuous irregular or no exercise; less exercise), respectively. We evaluated the relationship between the categories of change in those independent variables and the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol, adjusted for BMI in 1994 and age by analysis of variance. RESULTS: The change in systolic blood pressure was positively associated with the changes in BMI (p<0.001) and drinking (p=0.001), but negatively with smoking (p=0.004), compared to the first category of each independent variables. The systolic blood pressure was significantly less increased in the continuous smoking group than quitter or non-smoker. The changes in diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol appeared to have statistically significant linear relationships only with the change in BMI. The change in exercise showed a marginal significance with diastolic blood pressure (p=0.088). CONCLUSIONS: These prospective data emphasize the importance of obesity as a determinant of the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol. In addition, the changes in smoking and drinking habits can affect systolic blood pressure.
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol* ; Drinking ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Male ; Obesity ; Prospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Steel*

During 1 year and 9 month period, from September, 1980 to June, 1983, retrospective study was performed on 35 patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse at Kyung Hee University Medical Center. And the following results were obtained; 1) The mitral valve prolapse syndrome presents with various cardiovascular symptoms including dyspnea(63%), palpitation(49%), chest pain(34%), syncope and dizziness(11%). 2) Of 35 patients with MVP, 17 cases were isolated MVP, 13 cases were associated with cardiovascular disorders and 5 cases were associated with non-cardiovascular disorders. 3) Electrocardiographic abnormalities were found in 20 patients with MVP. The most common abnormality was ST-T change and atrial fibrillation, VPB, RBBB, first degree A-V block and W-P-W syndrome were also noted. 4) QTc interval prolongation was more common in serverely symptomatic patients with MVP. 5) 18 cases in 35 patients showed systolic click or murmur on phonocardiography. 6) Of 35 patients with MVP, 19 patients demonstrated prolapse of the anterior leaflet, 11 patients demonstrated prolapse of posterior leaflet and 5 patients demonstrated prolapse of the both leaflets. 7) There were severe derangement on echocardiography in severely symptomatic patients were MVP.
Academic Medical Centers ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Prolapse* ; Mitral Valve* ; Phonocardiography ; Prolapse ; Retrospective Studies ; Syncope ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Fournier Gangrene* ; Scrotum* ; Sparganosis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of cultural competency of visiting nurses and community health practitioners and explore factors that are related with their cultural competency. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 113 visiting nurses and 103 community health practitioners working in Gangwon-do. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on May 24, 2011. The SPSS/WIN 17.0 program was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The average score for cultural competency of visiting nurses was 2.76+/-0.60 and that of community health practitioners 2.91+/-0.51. Most of subjects received no multicultural education (78.0% for nurses, 85.7% for community health nurses). Factors influencing cultural competency were number of service experience for multicultural clients and participation of multicultural education. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develop systematic educational programs to enhance the cultural competency of nurses.
Community Health Nursing ; Cultural Competency ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study attempted to adapt evidence-based oral health care guidelines for nursing home residents in South Korea. METHODS: The manual for guideline adaptation, version 2.0, developed by the Korean National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency was applied. On the basis of a comprehensive literature review of current research and multidisciplinary panel discussion on adapting such guidelines, we developed evidence-based guidelines for oral health at nursing homes. RESULTS: The guidelines have three domains: oral assessment, oral hygiene care, and support and facilities. Oral assessment includes recommendations on the frequency of and tools for conducting oral health assessment. Oral hygiene care involves recommendations for care of natural teeth, denture care, xerostomia, and behavioral problems. Support and facilities refer to six components of the support system provided by facilities to encourage oral hygiene care among nursing home residents. CONCLUSION: These adapted guidelines could be an effective method to improve oral hygiene among nursing home residents.
Delivery of Health Care ; Dentures ; Korea* ; Nursing Homes* ; Nursing* ; Oral Health* ; Oral Hygiene ; Tooth ; Xerostomia

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide fundamental materials for improving school health promotion programs by investigating school nurses' awareness of the importance, performance level, and perceived competence level of school health promotion programs in Gangwon-do. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 173 school nurses who were working in Gangwon-do. The instrument for this study was a scale for awareness of importance, performance level, and perceived competence level. Data were collected on December 15, 2007 and analyzed using SPSS 13.0 for Windows. RESULTS: The mean score of awareness of importance was 3.51 (range: 1~4). The mean score of performance level and the mean score of perceived competence level were 3.35 (range: 1~4) and 3.29 (range: 1~4), respectively. The younger school nurses were (F=4.380, p=.014), the higher their awareness of importance was. The performance level was lowest in high school nurses (F=5.013, p=.008). There were significant correlations between awareness of importance, performance level, and perceived competence level in school nurses. CONCLUSION: In order to improve the effectiveness of school health promotion programs, training and education programs for school nurses' competencies and technical support systems for school nurses should be provided.
Education ; Gangwon-do ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Mental Competency* ; School Health Services*

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effects of nurse-physician collaboration on nursing performance and organizational commitment in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was used and data were collected from 203 ICU nurses working in two advanced general hospitals and two general hospitals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients and Hierarchical multiple regression with SPSSWIN 23.0 program. RESULTS: The sub-domains of nursephysician collaboration were as follows: 3.77±0.51 for sharing of patient information, 3.36±0.65 for decision-making process on the cure or care, and 3.20±0.72 for relationship between nurse and physician. Nurse-physician collaboration was significantly positively correlated with nursing performance and organizational commitment. Regression analysis showed that nurse-physician collaboration explained an additional 24.9%p of nursing performance and an additional 13.4%p of organizational commitment. 'Sharing of patient information' and 'Relationship between nurse and physician' were significant predictors of nursing performance. 'Relationship between nurse and physician' was a significant predictor of organizational commitment. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence that the collaboration between nurses and physicians should be enhanced in terms of sharing patient information and mutual respect, to improve nursing performance and organizational commitment of ICU nurses.
Cooperative Behavior ; Critical Care ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Nursing ; Work Performance

To elucidate some DNA adducts as a biological marker for workers of chromate pigment, the effects of chromium exposure on the formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine(8-OH-dG) and sister chromatid exchanges(SCEs) frequency in 38 workers of a pigment plant in Bucheon which utilized lead chromates, were examined. The chromium contents of venous blood and urine were measured as working environmental exposure level. The concentrations of 8-OH-dG in DNA isolated from lymphocytes were determined with high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detector and denoted as a molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to deoxyguanosine(dG). The SCEs frequency were analyzed in DNA isolated from lymphocytes. A significant correlation was found between creatinine adjusted urine chromium concentration and the molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to dG(r=0.47, p<0.01). After adjusting the current smoking habit, the correlation coefficient was increased(r=0.62, p<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between the SCE frequency and chromium exposure. This significant results between molar ratio of 8-OH-dG to dG and chromium exposure are in good agreement with in vitro studies that support the importance of DNA adduct formation for the carcinogenic effect of chromium.
Biomarkers ; Chromates ; Chromatids ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Chromium* ; Creatinine ; DNA ; DNA Adducts ; Environmental Exposure ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Molar ; Plants ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange* ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is the most common pathogen of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Toxigenic strains produce toxin A and toxin B. The pathogenicity of C. difficile is due to the production of these two exotoxins. This study aimed to evaluate diagnostic value of two enzyme immunoassay by comparison of concordance rate to diagnose C. difficile-associated infection. METHODS: C. DIFF QUIK CHEK (TECHLAB, USA) that detect glutamate dehydrogenase antigen and VIDAS C. difficile Toxin A&B (BioMerieux, France) that detect toxin A and toxin B were done in 122 fecal specimens to detect C. difficile. RESULTS: In the total 122 stool specimens, 17 cases showed positive results in both tests. One specimen showed discrepancy that positive result in VIDAS C. difficile Toxin A&B (relative fluorescence value, RFV=2.93) but negative result in C. DIFF QUIK CHEK. Therefore, the concordance rate between two tests was 95.1% (116/122). Both anaerobic culture and in-house PCR for toxin B were negative in the discrepant fecal specimen and there was no clinical evidence that support C. difficile-associated diarrhea, so we concluded result in VIDAS C. difficile Toxin A&B as false positive. CONCLUSIONS: Although these two enzyme immunoassays targeted different antigen, they showed high concordance rate. The discrepant case was concluded to false positive in VIDAS C. difficile Toxin A&B test because it showed negative results in culture and PCR for toxin B and there were no clinical evidences of C. difficile-associated infection. It could be needed for analysis about conditions that cause false positive result in enzyme immunoassays to detect C. difficile toxin.
Azure Stains ; Clostridium difficile ; Diarrhea ; Exotoxins ; Fluorescence ; Glutamate Dehydrogenase ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Methylene Blue ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Xanthenes

BACKGROUND: One of the important factors in the prognosis of chronic hepatitis B patient is the degree of replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV). It has been known that HBV DNA polymerase plays the essential role in the replication of HBV. HBV DNA polymerase is composed of four domains, TP (Terminal protein), spacer, RT (Reverse transcriptase) and RNaseH. Among these domains, tyrosine, the 65th residue of TP is an important residue in protein-priming reaction that initiates reverse transcription. If monoclonal antibody that recognizes around tyrosine residue were selected, it could be applied to further study of HBV replication. METHODS: To produce TP-specific scFv (single-chain Fv) by phage display, mice were immunized using synthetic TP-peptide contains 57~80th amino acid residues of TP domain. After isolation of mRNA of heavy-variable region (VH) and light-chain variable region (VL) from the spleen of the immunized mouse, DNA of VH and VL were obtained by RT-PCR and joined by a DNA linker encoding peptide (Gly4Ser)3 as a scFv DNA fragments. ScFv DNA fragments were cloned into a phagemid vector. ScFv was expressed in E.coli TG1 as a fusion protein with E tag and phage gIII. To select the scFv that has specific affinity to TP-peptide from the phage-antibody library, we used two cycles of panning and colony lift assay. RESULTS: The TP-peptide-specific scFv was isolated by selection process using TP-peptide as an antigen. Selected scFv had 30 kDa of protein size and its nucleotide sequences were analyzed. Indirect- and competitive-ELISA revealed that the selected scFv specifically recognized both TP-peptide and the HBV DNA polymerase. CONCLUSION: The scFv that recognizes the TP domain of the HBV DNA polymerase was isolated by phage display.
Animals ; Bacteriophages* ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells ; DNA ; DNA Polymerase I ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Mice ; Prognosis ; Protein S ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Spleen ; Tyrosine