We investigated the cold reaction of fingers in cold water as a criterion of peripheral resistance to frostbite in order to obtain elementary data to improve farmers' health. Experiments were carried out on 81 farmers and 64 urbanites at 20±2°C, 55±5% RH with sitting position on the floor. The finger skin temperatures of the subjects were measured while the left middle finger of each subject was immersed in cold water or 0°C for 30 minutes and recorded once every one minute with the thermistor. We also compiled statistics on the following items: mean finger skin temperature (MST), finger skin temperature at initial rising after immersion (TFR), time for the appearance of initial rising after immersion (TTR), cold resistance index (RI), etc. The results were as follows RI was higher in farmers than in urbanites, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In men, RI was lower in farmers than in urbanites, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. By contrast, in women, TFR and RI were significantly higher in farmers than in urbanites. MST was significantly higer in women than in men, but RI was no statistically significant difference. By age, the men in their 30's showed significantly the highest MST and the shortest TFR. RI was significantly higher in the men in their 30's than others. In women, however, the difference in RI was of no statistical significance. By region, MST was the highest in Seoul dwellers. RI was the highest in Okku dwellers, but there was no statistically significant difference among regions.
These results indicated that farmers tended to be higher than urbanites in cold resistance index.

PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effect of postpartum exercise on mental health. Mental health comprises a 9 symptom dimension of Somatization, Obsessive-Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobic anxiety, Paranoid Ideation, and Psychoticism. METHOD: A non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group study was conducted. Fifty-two puerperal women who were admitted to a postpartum ward of a mother-baby clinic in Pusan were recruited; 26 women were assigned to the experimental group and 26 women to the control group. Postpartum exercise was applied to the experimental group from postpartum day 3 for a period of 8 weeks while no exercise program was applied to the control group. Mental health with SCL-90-R was measured before and after exercise. Data was analyzed using mean, x2-test, t-test, and ANOVA by SPSS 10.0. RESULT: The mental health status in the exercise group did not show a statistically significant decrease when compared to that of the control group. CONCLUSION: There is no effect of postpartum exercise on women's mental health during the first 8 weeks of the postpartum period. Further studies are needed for randomized clinical trials with a larger sample size.
Anxiety ; Busan ; Depression ; Female ; Hostility ; Humans ; Mental Health* ; Postpartum Period* ; Sample Size

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare tumor of vascular origin having a intermediate clinical course between benign cavernous hemangioma and malignant anglosarcoma. Patients present nonspecific clinical signs and symptomas. We experienced a case of surgically proven hepatic epithelioid hemangioen-dothelioma. Computed tomography showed multiple nodules with internal calcifications, chiefly in peripheral portion of both lobes of the liver. Ultrasonography showed hypoechoic nodules and tiny calcific foci in peripheral portion. Open biopsy of the liver and the omenrum confirmed epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas.
Biopsy ; Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Humans ; Liver* ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship between fatigue and sleep disturbance in adult women so as to provide basic data for developing a women's health promotion program and nursing intervention. METHOD: A convenience sample of 184 women who visited a Well-baby clinic at P city Maternal child center during October in 2004 was obtained. Data was collected by self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: The Subjects' mean age was 36.87 years and 70% were employed and had more education than high school. The mean level of fatigue was 56.65, mean sleeping hours were 6.54, and time until falling asleep was 17.58 minutes. Scores of fatigue differed by subject's age, level of education, and menstruation status. In addition, sleeping hours differed by age, occupation status, and income level. There were significant low levels of correlation between fatigue and sleeping hours (r=-.16) and getting up too early (r=-.15). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that fatigue and sleeping patterns have a significant relationship.
Adult ; Child ; Education ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Nursing ; Occupations ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women's Health

It remains a problem that successful revascularization and reperfusion after ischemia are associated with high systemic complication rates and severe local tissue injuries. With prolonged ischemia, there is damage to tissue from anoxia, but further injury may occur after reperfusion. The activation of leukocytes and endothelial cells during reperfusion causes neutrophil adhesion in capillaries, resulting in plugging and further ischemia, Alternativety, neutrophil adhesion to endothelium leads to the migration of neutrophil with local edema formation, hemorrhage and thrombosis. Some chemotactic and activating factors are needed to propel neutrophils to the site of local inflammation. The chief cytikines that induce a pro-adhesive state in endothelium are tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta(IL-1 beta) and endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide(LPS). Similarly, TNF-alpha,and to a lesser extent interleukin-8(IL-8), is the important stimulus that acts on neutrophils and other leukocytes to alter their adhesion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pathogenetic role of IL-8 after perfusion with CDl8 monoclonal antibody(CDl8 mAb), the blocking antibody of neutrophil adherence, on reperfusion injury in rat epigastric island skin flap. A 6 X 3 cm-sized island skin flap was made on the abdomen. The epigastric pedicle was occluded for six hours with ambient temperature. Fifteen minutes before reperfusion, the flap was perfused with saline and CDl8 mAb(1 mg/kg). For evaluation of IL-8 levels, tissue fluid and serum were obtained at 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after reperfusion. IL-8 concentrations of the CDl8 mAb group in the tissue fluid were significantly decreased at 8, 12 and 24 hours compared to the control group(P > 0.01), but the difference between the two groups was not significant at 4 hours after reperfusion IL-8 concentrations of the CDl8 mAb group in the serum were significantly decreased over time compared to the control group(P > 0.05, p > 0.01). Form the above results, we concluded that blocking neutrophil adherence using CD18 mAb within the peak level of IL-8 at 4 hours after reperfusion may be a better method of reducing reperfusion injury to the island skin flap.
Abdomen ; Animals ; Anoxia ; Capillaries ; Edema ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium ; Hemorrhage ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-8* ; Ischemia ; Leukocytes ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Perfusion ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion* ; Skin ; Thrombosis

This study was performed to evaluate the semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire used to obtain information about. dietary patterns of adults in a rural county, Yang-pyeung Gun. The study population was 1311 adults aged 17~85 years. And well-trained interviewers interviewed subjects in 1990, 1992, 1993. The results are as follows. 1) Nutrients intake calculated from each questionnaire showed significant difference, because the number of question was not same(fifty questions in 1990, eighty questions in 1992, 1993). 2) Estimated nutrients intake from separate food items was significantly different when food items are combined in one question. 3) The agreement of nutrients intake level except vit C were high when the subjects are cross-classified by their ranks on the nutrients intake level from items in both questionnaires and on the nutrient intake level from items in each questionnaire. 4) And analysing this study data by multiple stepwise regression, we selected twenty seven food items whic could explained over 85% of inter-individual variation of nutrients(energy, carbohydrate, fat, protein, vit A, vit B1, vit B2, vit C, Ca). From above results, we suggested that it is neccessary to standardize questionnaire and perform validity studies.
Adult ; Humans ; Korea* ; Rural Population* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Malignant clear cell hidradenoma is a rare eccrine gland malignancy characterized by a solitary nodule on the head, trunk or distal extremity. We report a case of malignant clear cell hidradenoma in the left sole of a 66 year old female patient. Despite wide resection, regional lymph node dissection and radiation therapy, wide spread regional invasion and multiple distant metastasis were developed. As the malignant clear cell hidradenoma is reported rarely in the world and not yet reported in Korea, we report its clinical process of the diagnosis and treatment to patient's death.
Acrospiroma* ; Aged ; Diagnosis ; Eccrine Glands ; Extremities ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Neoplasm Metastasis

In 1947, Liver described adenoid squamous cell carcinoma under the title of "adenoacanthoma of sweat gland". This tumor is not rare, but reported cases in literatures were relatively few. The tumor were frequently found in the sun-exposed skin; such as face, ear, neck etc.. The cases involving non-sun-exposed area, such as oral and labial mucosa, nosopharynx and vulva etc., were also reported. Therefore, the relation between the pathogenesis of adenoid squamous cell carcinoma and sun damage has been still debated. Immunohistochemical studies have recently suggested that this tumor is squamous cell carcinoma undergoing acantholysis. The authors experienced a case of adenoid squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in a seventy-one year old female patient. She had suffered from itching sensation on vulva for 10 years, and palpable mass on vulva for 1 month. On gross examination, a pale gray pigmentation and erosion, was noted at the right labia major, the minor extending left labia major and minor. On microscopic examination, nests of atypical epithelial cells extending into the cornium showed an adenoid architecture. These were composed of a peripheral layers of cuboidal cell in a lacy pattern. And the glandular spaces contained dyskeratotic acantholytic tumor cells in central portion. Therefore we diagnosed this case as adenoid squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.
Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aquatic exercise on pain, fatigue, body composition, physical fitness and psychological variables in women with arthritis. METHOD: With a quasi-experimental design, 37 women who had arthritis were assigned into an experimental group (n=19) or a control group (n=18). Aquatic exercise consisted of one hour of exercise in water, two days per week, for six weeks and a self-help process. Measures included physiologic and psychological variables before and after the exercise. Data was analyzed with the SPSS WIN using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANCOVA. RESULT: The mean age of the subjects was 59 years in the experimental group and 52 years in the control group. Pretest scores in outcome variables were similar in both groups except BMI and body fat(%). After controlling for age, shoulder flexibility scores in the experimental group improved more than the control group (Rt: F=10.58, p=.003; Lt: F=5.91, p= .02; Waist: F=4.95, p= .03). Depression scores in the experimental group decreased (F=12.96, p= .001), and self efficacy and quality of life improved more than the others (F=5.07, p= .03; F=6.91, p= .01). CONCLUSION: Aquatic exercise can improve waist flexibility and shows consistent findings of improved shoulder flexibility and psychological function in women with arthritis.
Arthritis* ; Body Composition* ; Depression ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Fitness* ; Pliability ; Quality of Life ; Self Efficacy ; Shoulder

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*