OBJECTIVES: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation are commonly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, and through their defects in homocysteine metabolism, they have been implicated as a risk factor for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Recent report describe that 28-bp tandem repeat polymorphism in thymidylate synthase enhancer region (TSER) that influence enzyme activity would affect plasma homocysteine level. We have investigated the relationship between TSER genotype and plasma homocysteine level in 54 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion. METHODS: Plasma homocysteine level was measured by fluorescent polarizing immunoassay. MTHFR mutation (C677T and A1298C) was identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay and TSER mutation was analyzed by PCR method. The data were analyzed using the program SAS 8.2 for Windows. RESULTS: Total homocysteine level was significantly higher in MTHFR 677TT genotype (9.80+/-3.87 mumol/L) than MTHFR 677CC genotype (8.14+/-1.74 mumol/L) in Korean patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (p=0.0143). However, the plasma homocysteine level was not significantly different in the MTHFR 1298AA (8.42+/-2.65 mumol/L) and 1298CC (6.09+/-0.32 mumol/L; p=0.2058) and, TSER 2R2R (8.61+/-1.68 mumol/L) and 3R3R (8.05+/-2.81 mumol/L; p=0.9319) mutant genotypes, respectively. In this study, we found the combination effects of TSER and MTHFR C677T genotypes. Plasma homocysteine levels were the highest (11.47+/-4.66 mumol/L) in individuals with TSER 3R3R (8.05+/-2.81 mumol/L) and MTHFR 677TT (9.80+/-3.87 mumol/L) genotypes. Individuals with a combination of both TSER 2R2R/2R3R and MTHFR 677CC/CT genotypes (7.69+/-1.77 mumol/L) had lower plasma homocysteine levels than TSER 2R2R (8.61+/-1.68 mumol/L) and MTHR 677CC (8.14+/-1.74 mumol/L) genotypes, respectively. The effect of MTHFR polymorphism in the homocysteine metabolism appears to be stronger than that of TSER polymorphism. CONCLUSION: Although statistically not significant, we found the elevated level of plasma homocysteine in combined genotypes with TSER and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) in Korean patients with unexplained habitual abortion. In this study, we reported the possibility that TSER polymorphism is a genetic determinant of plasma homocysteine levels in the Korean patients as well as MTHFR C677T polymorphism. A large prospective study is needed to verify our findings.
Abortion, Habitual ; Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Female ; Genotype ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Immunoassay ; Metabolism ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; Plasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; Thymidylate Synthase*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate parents' perceptions and attitudes regarding a screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. METHODS: A descriptive research design was used, and included disproportional stratified and cluster random sampling. The sample comprised 223 parents of elementary, middle, and high school students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, and ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 21.0. RESULTS: Overall, parents responded that they knew of the goals, types, and tools of screening tests for students' emotional and behavioral problems. In total, 64.6% of parents reported having information for the screening test in advance. Only 13.5%(n=30) of students had emotional and behavioral problems in the last year. Among these students, 56.7%(n=17) were referred to mental health facilities but only 29.4%(n=5) of them received ongoing management from these facilities. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that parents should receive information about the screening test for and subsequent management of students' emotional and behavioral problems. Health professionals need to build strategies to provide ongoing management for students who have emotional and behavioral problems.
Health Occupations ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Mental Health ; Mental Health Services ; Parents ; Problem Behavior* ; Research Design ; School Health Services ; Student Health Services

With the advent of faster scan time and new computer program, a scanning technique called “dynamic computedtomography” has become possible. Dynamic CT consists of performing multiple rappid sequence scans after injectionof contrast material. The authors have evaluated the clinical usefulness of CT and dynamic CT of 93 patients withbrain infarction and/or ischemia during the period of 17 months from April 1983 to Aug. 1983 to Aug. 1984 inDepartment of Radiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital. The results were as follows; 1. The agedistribution ranged from 18 years to 78 years. Among them the most common age group was between 50 years and 59years(40.9%). 2. The sites of brain infarction were cerebral lobes(63 cases,68), basal ganglia(15 cases, 16.1%)and mlultiple sites(6 cases, 6.4%). The common affected site was middle cerebral artery territories. 3. Thecontrast enhancement of acute infarction was noted in 14 cases(17.5%) which occured commonly between 3 days and 2weeks from ictus. 4. The patterns of time-density curve in brain infarction and/or ischemia were as follow: a .Depression of slow wash-in phase was 20 cases(59%). b. Lower peak concentration was 17 cases(50%), c. Lower anddelayed peak concentration was 7 cases(21%), d. No definite peak concentration was 6 cases(18%). First threepatterns of time-density curve were thought as relatively characteristic curve of brain infarction and/orischemia. 5. Two cases that showed negative findings on precontrast CT scan appeared to be positive findings ashypodensity on postcontrast CT scan and were confirmed as brain infarction by dynamic CT. 6. The diagnostic entityof dynamic CT scan were as follows: a. large artery thrombotic infarction were 23 cases (58%). b. lacunarinfarction were 6 cases (15%). c. ischemia were 5 cases (13%), d. normal were 5 cases(13%), In six cases oflacunar infarction which was doubtful hypodensity on pre-and postcontrast CT scan had a marked difference in CT#(HU) on absolute scale graph of dynamic CT, so diagnosis of lacunar infarction could be made easily. 7. Theclinical values of dynamic CT consist in not only diagnosis of lacunar infarction but also evaluation ofeffectiveness of medical or surgical treatment.
Arteries ; Brain Infarction ; Brain ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Jeollabuk-do ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study was designed to describe the burnout experiences of nurses counseling people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in hospital-based counseling services in Korea. METHODS: A qualitative research technique with focus group interviews was used and the data were collected in 2012. Participants were 13 counseling nurses from 16 medical hospitals in South Korea who had worked full-time for more than six months as a counseling nurse for PLWHA. The 13 nurses made up 68.4% of all 19 official HIV counseling nurses in South Korea. Data were collected using focus group interviews and analyzed with the content analysis methodology of Downe-Wamboldt. RESULTS: Burnout experience of counseling nurses for PLWHA was analyzed for two domains-causes of, and effects of burnout. Each domain was classified into three categories; personal, job-related, and relationships. Further 17 sub-categories and 47 concepts were discovered. CONCLUSION: In this study various causes and effects of burnout experienced by nurses counseling PLWHA were identified. These findings can be used in developing effective strategies for nurses, administrators, and health policy makers to solve the burnout of counseling nurses. Further research is required to develop detailed and practical job description for nurses counseling PLWHA.
Administrative Personnel ; Counseling ; Focus Groups ; Health Policy ; HIV ; Humans ; Job Description ; Qualitative Research ; Republic of Korea

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are metabolically distinct from their differentiated counterparts. ESC mitochondria are less complex and fewer in number than their differentiated progeny. However, few studies have examined the proteins responsible for differences in mitochondrial structure and function between ESCs and somatic cells. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the differences between mitochondrial proteins in these two cell types. We demonstrate that HSP60 is more abundant in mouse ESC mitochondria than in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Depletion of HSP60 inhibited mouse ESC proliferation and self-renewal, characterized by decreased OCT4 expression. HSP60 depletion also enhanced apoptosis during mouse ESC differentiation into embryoid bodies. Our results suggest that HSP60 expression has an essential role in ESC self-renewal and survival of differentiated cells from ESCs.

The fate of testicular salvage in spermatic cord torsion depends on the duration of ischemia and the degree of torsion. Even though spermatic cord torsion (SCT) can occur at any age, it is rarely reported in older patients. If the physician does not pay close attention to this unusual situation, the lack of suspicion for SCT may result in a missed or delayed diagnosis. We report a very uncommon case of missed SCT occurring in a 63-year-old man.
Delayed Diagnosis ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Middle Aged ; Spermatic Cord ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; Testis

The force-interval relationship of cardiac muscle has been known as not only a fundamental manifestation of beat-to-beat kinetics of intracellular activator calcium which control contractile response but also a potential clinical tool for evaluating cardiac contracile function. In this study were evaluated the force-interval relationship of intact canine left ventricle through mechanical restitution curves by plotting contrctile responses to varying steady state, extrasystolic and postextrasystolic intervals, and compared the force-interval relationships of intact canine left and right ventricles quantitatively. Effects of localized myocardial ischemia on the left ventricular force-interval relationship and relaxtion function were also evaluated 30 minutes after ligating proximal left anterior descending coronary artery through observing contractile and relaxtion responses to various intervals. 1) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle showed that left ventricular dp/dt max responses rose stiffly until plateau level with increasing postextrasystolic intervals, then declined with further increment of postextrasystolic intervals. 2) Mechanical restitution curve of left ventricle shifted leftward and upward with shortening of steady state and extrasystolic intervals, which suggest intracellular calcium kinetics during electrical diastole may operate as a mechanism of the force-interval relationship. 3) Steady state contractile responses remained unchanged but maximal contractile responses increased significantly or contractile reserve in intact left ventricle. 4) Normalized force-interval relationships of left and right ventricle were similar quantitatively, which suggest the force-interval relationship is independent of structural factors in intact canine heart. 5) Occlusion of coronary artery lowered absolute values of left ventricular dp/dt max responses to varying postextrasystolic intervals, but didn't show significant changes of normalized dp/dt max responses, which suggest force-interval relationship be also present in spite of localized myocardial ischemia. 6) Responses of normalized left ventricular dp/dt min to varying postextrasystolic intervals were similar to those of normalized dp/dt max but reduced after coronary artery occlusion in the range above 100% dp/dt max response, which may be used for the detection and evaluation of deranged myocardial relaxation in the left ventricle with localized myocardial ischemia.
Calcium ; Coronary Vessels ; Diastole ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Kinetics ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium ; Relaxation ; Ventricular Function, Left*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nurse's role through job analysis of nursing duties for nurses working on East Asia traditional medicine wards. METHODS: Major steps in the study included a literature review, description of job activities of nurses on oriental medicine wards, comparative description of the literature, expert tests of validity of derived duties and tasks, and investigation of importance, difficulty and frequency of duties on job list. RESULTS: The job of nurses on oriental medicine wards was classified into 12 duties, 59 tasks, and 295 task elements. The 12 duties were nursing assessment, nursing diagnosis, nursing planning, nursing implementation, nursing evaluation, supplies management, management of human resources, management of environment, management of documents, formation of cooperative relationships, self-development, and nursing activity in oriental medicine. 'Formation of cooperative relationships' was the duty ranked highest for importance (4.34), 'self-development' was ranked highest for difficulty (3.47), and 'Formation of cooperative relationships' was ranked highest for frequency (4.21). CONCLUSION: Basic education for nurses on an oriental medicine unit is necessary for the performance of oriental nursing to be considered as a specialized field. This study contributes to human resource management in the oriental medical hospital.
Education ; Equipment and Supplies ; Far East ; Humans ; Job Description ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional* ; Medicine, Traditional ; Nurse's Role ; Nursing ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Diagnosis ; Task Performance and Analysis

The purpose of this study was to identify school dieticians' perceptions on the Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) and the inspection of food safety and sanitation conducted by Provincial Office of Education. Questionnaires were distributed to 400 school dieticians in elementary schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and 217 responses were collected. The majority of respondents (64%) defined PHF as food that easily decays at room temperature and over half of the respondents considered Korean cooked vegetables as a PHF. In addition, 4% of respondents completely excluded PHFs from their menus. Forty five percent of the respondents selected CCP rule 7 (delivery and distribution process) and 34% selected CCP rule 6 as the most difficult of the CCP rules to follow. Also, perceptions concerning food safety inspection and sanitation were not high in terms of validity, objectivity, and reliability among the evaluation criteria. The study results suggest that PHF as well as Potentially Hazardous Menu (PHM) definitions and guidelines should be re-established in consideration of traditional Korean food culture and the preparation of Korean foods.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Food Safety ; Humans ; Sanitation ; Vegetables

The size of spinal canal is mesured to detect the lumbar spinal stenosis syndrome and expanding intraspinaltumors by CT. This study was desinged for taking accurate measurement of the normal lumbar spinal canal in Koreanadults. The anteroposterior diameter, interpediculate distance and cross-sectional area of lumbar spinal canalwere measured in 110 normal adults. The results were as follows; 1. The window center that showed identical valueconsistent with actual measurement of phantom was between + 160HU and + 240HU and the window width was below +300HU. 2. In anteroposterio diameter, upper part of the canal was larger value than that of middle and lowerparts, but in interpediculate distance, lower part of the canal revealed larger value than that of upper andmiddle parts. There was no significant difference in cross-sectional area. 3. All measurements male were largerthan those of female at all levels of the spinal canal and 42 measurements(58%) were significant statisstically.4. Compared with Americans, Korean showed lower value in anteriopsterior diameter and cross-sectional area buthigher value in interpediculate distance. 5. Above results should contribute to making an another criteria fordiagnosing the lumbar spinal stenosis in Koreans.
Adult ; Asian Americans ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis