PURPOSE: The study was performed to identify the process of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy corresponding to the stage of smoking cessation behavior based on Transtheoretical Model in industrial workers. METHOD: A convenience sample of 146 industrial workers except for the never smokers, were recruited at a H industry in Ulsan. Data were collected from February 1 to 28, 2002. The research instruments were Stages of Change of Smoking Cessation Measure(DiClemente et al, 1991), Process of change(Prochaska, 1988), Smoking Abstinence Self Efficacy (SASE: DiClemente et al, 1985) and Decisional balance(SDB; Kim, 1999). RESULT: The results of this study were as follows; 1. The subjects were distributed in each stage of smoking cessation change: There were 64 subjects (43.0%) in the precontemplation stage, 35 subjects(23.5%) in the contemplation stage, 28 subjects(18.8%) in the preparation stage, 14 subjects(10.1%) in the action stage and 7 subjects(4.7%) in the maintenance stage. 2. Analysis of variance showed that experiental process(F=2.808, p=.042), behavioral process (F=4.567, p=.004) self-efficacy(F=9.809, p=.000), pros(F=11.107, p=.000), cons(F=6.686, p=.000), pros- cons(F=3.446, p=.018) were significantly associated with the stages of smoking cessation change. 3. Through discriminant analysis, it was found that 'PROS' was the most influential variable in discriminating the four stages of change. CONCLUSION: This study can provide the basis of staged matching smoking cessation program using TTM for more effective and useful intervention.
Self Efficacy* ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Ulsan

To investigate the perceptions and attitudes of dental hygienists toward radiation safety management in Korea. A total of 800 dental hygienists were randomly selected for an anonymous survey, and 203 of them participated. The questionnaire items included the following: sex, career period, type of installed radiographic equipment, recognition of the diagnostic reference level (DRL), participation in radiation safety education, and attitudes toward radiation protection for both patients and dental hygienists. The participants were divided into two groups according to their years of experience (< 10 years versus ≥ 10 years). The difference between the groups was investigated according to frequency distribution. Fisher’s exact test or Pearson’s chi-square (χ2 ) test was used as appropriate. A regression analysis was performed to investigate the impact of wearing a thyroid collar for personnel protection during patient radiation exposure. The types of installed radiographic equipment included panoramic radiography (96.1%), cephalometric radiography (76.9%), intraoral radiography (72.9%), and cone-beam computed tomography (69.5%). Significant differences were observed in the learning pathway for the DRL (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.05), satisfaction with radiation safety education (Pearson’s χ2 test = 5.3975, Pr = 0.02), and use of personnel radiation monitoring systems (Pearson’s χ 2 test = 18.1233, Pr = 0.000) between the groups. Significant differences were also observed in personnel protection using a thyroid collar and patient protection during panoramic radiography (odds ratio = 14.2). Dental hygienists with more than 10 years of experience were more satisfied with radiation safety education and more interested in radiation monitoring. Considering career experience, customized, continuous, and effective radiation safety management education should be provided.

The adult trematodes, Fasciola hepatica, Eurytrema pancreaticum and Paramphistomum cervi, employed in this experiment were obtained from the cattle slaughtered at the local abbatoir. The worms selected and washed several times in normal sterilized saline solution. Each about ten of intact F. hepatica, fourty of E. pancreaticum, and twenty of P. cervi were incubated in 50 cc volume of special incubation flasks with incubation medium consisting of 10 cc. of Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer(pH 7.4) The incubation medium was added C(14)-1-acetate and non-radioactive carrier Na-acetate so as to contain acetate concentration of 50 mg per cent . The worms were allowed to incubate for 5 hours in the Dubnoff metabolic shaking incubator at 38 C. After incubation period, respiratory CO(2) samples from central well of incubation flask were analysed for total CO(2) production rate and their specific activity of respiratory CO(2). The lactate and pyruvate appearance rates were determined by analyzing the lactate and pyruvate concentration in a medium after incubation. The glycogen samples isolated from worms were analyzed for the tissue concentration and their radioactivities in order to determine the turnover rate of glycogen pool. Radioactivities of these series of experiments were counted by an endwindow Geiger-Muller counter as an infinitely thin samples. The quantitative analysis of C(14)-acetate utilized by F. hepatica, E. pancreaticum and P. cervi were compared and discussed in this report. According to these data of the experiment, it is suggested that the fatty acid such as acetate may play a part of their oxidative process into the respiratory CO2 and the synthetic process into glycogen in the above species of trematodes.
parasitology ; helminth ; trematoda ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum cervi ; acetate ; metabolism ; biochemistry ; CO(2) ; glycogen ; Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer

Protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium are small coccidian parasite known to infect the mucosal epithelium of a variety of animals including human, causing fatal course in immunodeficient patients as well as self-limited illness in healthy individuals. Various life cycle stages including trophozoite, meront, merozoite, gametocyte and oocyst in infected mucosa are a diagnostic feature. Electron microscopy (EM) provides sufficient findings for genus and species identification of this parasitic organism. The authors presented scanning and transmission EM findings of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in two children: one with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the other without any evidence of immune compromise.
Animals ; Child ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; Cryptosporidium* ; Epithelium ; Humans* ; Intestines* ; Life Cycle Stages ; Merozoites ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucous Membrane ; Oocysts ; Parasites ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Trophozoites

PURPOSE: Conventional indomethacin therapy(0.2mg/kg every 12 hours for three doses) has been used for closure of PDA. The effect of prolonged low dose of indomethacin therapy(0.1mg/kg daily for six days)had been reported in foreign country but, nothing had been reported in our country. So we attempted this study to examine effects of these two methods. METHODS: Forty one infants with PDA of prematurity from January 1992 to July 1995 who were admitted in NICU of Il Sin Christian Hospital were included. 27 of these infants received conventional dose of indomethacin therapy and 14 received prolonged low dose of indomethacin therapy, and we examined with closure rate and complication etc. RESULTS: 1) Closure of PDA was observed in 15(55.6%) and relapse was 3(11.1%) in conventional dose therapy group. In prolonged low dose therapy group, closure was 8(57.1%) and relapse was none. 2) Intraventricular hemorrhage was observed in 20(74.1%), 6(42.9%) and gastrointestinal tract bleeding was 6(22.2%), 13(92.2%) in each group. There was statistically significant between the two groups(p<0.05). 3) The rise of serum BUN, creatinine was observed in 9(33.3%), 6(46.2%), bleeding tendency was 9(33.3%), 8(57.1%), necrotizing enterocolitis was 2(7.4%), 0 and retinopathy of prematurity was 8(29.6%), 3(21.4%) in each group.But there was not statistically significant correlation between the two groups. 4) The development of sepsis and broncopulmonary dysplasia was slightly more in prolonged low dose therapy group. 5) The reduction of urine output was observed in 11(40.7%), 2(14.3%) in each group but, absolute oliguria was not observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Though the closure rate of PDA was similar in both groups, prolonged low dose indomethacin therapy can be recommanded with its effectiveness on preventing the relapse of PDA and the accurrence of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Creatinine ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Indomethacin* ; Infant ; Oliguria ; Recurrence ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Sepsis

Forty year old woman with dysphagia underwent surgical correction of complete vascular ring formed by right aortic arch, Kommerell's diverticulum and ligamentum arteriosum. Operation consisted of ligamentum division, reduction diverticuloplasty and posterior diverticulopexy via left posterolateral thoracotomy. Dysphagia was relieved postoperatively, and concentic narrowing of esophagus in the level of aortic arch disappeared on postoperative esophagography.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diverticulum* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Humans ; Thoracotomy

BACKGROUND: Quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) means life expectancy (LE) reflecting health-related quality of life and is one of the indicators of healthy LE. We determined the trends in QALE in Korea by age, gender, educational level, and subregion from 2005 to 2013. METHODS: We applied the Sullivan method to estimate QALE. We calculated QALE from 2005 to 2013 by gender and QALE for 2005 and 2010 by educational level at the national level. Furthermore, we estimated QALE for 2005, 2008, and 2011 by subregion according to metropolitan and provincial levels. RESULTS: Population health in Korea measured by LE and QALE at age 0 increased steadily from 2005 to 2013. Annual percent changes of LE and QALE in men were 0.52 and 0.73, respectively (P value < 0.05), and those in women were 0.47 and 0.71, respectively (P value < 0.05). Koreans with a higher educational level had longer LE and QALE than those with a lower educational level, but the differences in LE and QALE according to educational level narrowed from 2005 to 2010. The LE and QALE at age 0 for each of the 16 subnational regions in 2011 increased compared to 2005, but there was still a difference of up to 4.57 years in QALE between subnational regions. CONCLUSION We showed that QALE could be easily calculated and be an appropriate measure for tracking the overall population's health level. The results from this study are expected to aid the Ministry of Health of Republic of Korea in setting up a goal for the National Health Plan.

The authors would like to publish this corrigendum to correct the spells of an author's name in the above article.

A total of 542 children under 10 years of age, admitted to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital, was examined for antibody titers of Toxoplasma gondii using indirect latex agglutination (ILA) test. Among them, 7.7% showed positive titers higher than 1:32, without significant difference between males (7.3%) and females (8.5%). The seropositive rate increased with age although the statistical significance was negligible (0.05 < P < 0.1). By residential areas, the prevalence appeared higher among children from southern provinces (Kyongsang-do and Cholla do) than those from other areas, but the statistical significance was also very low (0.05 < P < 0.1). When the seropositive cases were analyzed by coincidental diseases, the prevalence was significantly higher in patients with congenital diseases than in patients with non-congenital diseases (P < 0.05). The results showed that the seropositive rate of toxoplasmosis in children examined was not high compared with other endemic countries. Some correlations are suggested between toxoplasmosis and congenital anomalies in Korea.
Animal ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/immunology* ; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology*

PURPOSE: This pilot study assessed changes in the growth plate and growth rates in children during a 6-month period. METHODS: The study included 31 healthy children (17 boys, 14 girls) under evaluation for growth retardation. Height, weight, bone age, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and insulin like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3) were measured at baseline and after 6 months. In addition, the diameter, thickness, and volume of the femoral and tibial growth plates were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The mean bone age in boys and girls was 11.7 and 10.7 years, respectively. In boys, height (z score) (−0.2 vs. 0.0), weight (z score) (0.8 vs. 1.1), body mass index (BMI) (z score) (1.27 vs. 1.5), IGF-1 (ng/mL) (343.6 vs. 501.8), and IGF-BP3 (ng/mL) (5,088.5 vs. 5,620.0) were significantly higher after 6 months. In girls, height (z score) (−1.0 vs. −0.7), weight (z score) (−0.5 vs. 0.1), BMI (z score) (−0.02 vs. 0.3), IGF-1 (ng/mL) (329.3 vs. 524.6), and IGF-BP3 (ng/mL) (4,644.4 vs. 5,593.6) were also significantly higher after 6 months. In both sexes, the mean diameter and volume of the femoral and tibial growth plates were significantly increased 6 months later. CONCLUSION: No significant correlation was found between changes in the growth plate and clinical parameters in children with growth retardation in this study, other than correlations of change in femoral diameter with weight and BMI. A larger, long-term study is needed to precisely evaluate the correlation between change in the growth plate and growth.
Body Mass Index ; Carrier Proteins ; Child* ; Female ; Growth Plate* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pilot Projects