Normal human B cells produce autocrine growth factor in response to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I strain (SAC). However, the functional role and molecular nature of the B cell derived-B cell growth factor (B-BCGF) are largely unknown. We have tried to investigate the nature of B-BCGF using mAb for several years. We report here that B- BCGF is capable of binding to hemoglobin (Hb). The concentrated culture supernatant from tonsillar B cells stimulated with SAC for 24 h was loaded into the fast protein liquid chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. The peak with BCGF activity was shown to have a M.W. of 16-18 Kda in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain. Amino acid sequence of the fraction was found to identical to human hemoglobin (Hb) by more than 85%. However, Hb itself had no BCGF activity. The presence of Hb in culture supernatant was due to the contamination of SRBC during B cell purification. SRSC were completely removed from B cells by percoll-gradient centrifugation and B cells were stimulated with SAC and exogenous Hb was added to the cultures. The Hb fraction from FPLC again showed a BCGF activity. These data strongly suggested that BCGF binds to Hb. We confirmed this in dot blot as well as Western blot. The M.W of Hb-binding BCGF was 20 Kda. This information may provide a rapid progress in research of BCGF.
Amino Acid Sequence ; B-Lymphocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Centrifugation ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Humans ; Silver ; Staphylococcus aureus

No abstract available.
Humans ; Physicians, Family*

Heart failure (HF) is a growing health concern in aging societies worldwide. Sacubitril/valsartan is changing the real-world treatment in the whole spectrum of HF. The beginning was the PARADIGM-HF trial published in 2014, which demonstrated the beneficial effects of inhibiting natriuretic peptide breakdown in combination with hindering the renin-angiotensin system in HF patients with a reduced ejection fraction. Subsequent large-scale randomized trials have evaluated angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor in HF patients with acute decompensation or with preserved ejection fraction. The post hoc analyses are being conducted as well. This review summarizes the recent evidence of sacubitril/ valsartan regarding patient-centered outcomes, based on randomized controlled trials and their associated studies.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify factors affecting nurses' burnout in secondary general hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected through structured questionnaires from 241 nurses working at the secondary general hospitals with below 400 beds in the P, C, and S city between April and May, 2009. Data analysis was done with independent t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple stepwise multiple regression with SPSS WIN v 17.0. RESULTS: Burnout was significantly different according to religion, age, clinical experiences, and shift work. Burnout score of the subjects was 58/100. Burnout of the subjects were positively correlated with job stress and negatively correlated with hardness, self efficiency, self esteem, spiritual wellbeing, social support, and job satisfaction. The explained variances for burnout was 51.8% and factors affecting nurses' burnout in secondary general hospitals were job stress, hardness, self efficiency, job satisfaction and shift work. CONCLUSION: These results showed the significant factors fo nurses' burnout in secondary general hospitals. These findings can be utilized to development of strategies for reducing job stress and enhancing hardness, self efficiency and job satisfaction.
Hardness ; Hospitals, General ; Job Satisfaction ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Concept ; Statistics as Topic

The purpose of this study was to examine the long term effects of breast feeding on growth, bone development and nutrient intakes in preschool children. Subjects were 62 preschool children. Anthropometric characteristics and bone mineral density of carpus were measured using DEXA. The questionnaire was composed of health status, life style, dietary behaviors, and dietary intakes and was completed by the children's mothers. The average age of the boys was 62.4 months and that of the girls was 62.1 months. Average birth height and weight of the subjects was 50.9 cm and 3.4 kg for boys and 50.3 cm and 3.3 kg for girls, respectively. The average height, weight, % body fat, and obesity index were 111.7 cm, 19.6 kg, 15.0%, -2.1% in boys and 109.4 cm, 18.7 kg, 17.5%, 0.2% in girls, respectively. Forty children were fed colostrum, 21 were fed breast milk, 29 were fed formula, and 12 were fed mixed milk. There was no significant difference in growth status between children who were fed colostrum and those who were not. Children who had mixed feedings were significantly taller than those who did not (p < 0.001), and children who had colostrum had significantly higher bone mineral density than those who did not (0.25 +/- 0.04 g/ cm2 vs. 0.23 +/-0.04 g/cm2, p < 0.05). However, the different feeding methods did not show any difference in bone mineral density. Except vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin E, vitamin, mineral and calorie intakes did not meet the Korean RDAs. Calcium intake was especially lower than recommendations by as much as 62% and 70% in boys and girls, respectively. There was no significant difference in nutrient intakes between children who had colostrum and those who did not. However, children who were formula consumed significantly more animal fat than those who did not (p < 0.05). Neonatal feeding and breast or formula feeding seems to associate with height, bone mineral density and animal fat intakes in preschool children, based on the results of this study. A longitudinal study is needed to clarify this relationship.
Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Bone Density* ; Bone Development ; Breast Feeding* ; Breast* ; Calcium ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Colostrum ; Feeding Methods ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Life Style ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Obesity ; Parturition ; Vitamin B 6 ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

The purpose of this study was to examine the comparison of growth development, bone mineral density and nutrient intakes between double income families' preschool children(DIFPC) and full-time housewives' preschool children(FHPC). Subjects were 111 preschool children. Anthropometric characteristics and bone mineral density in right forearm were measured. The questionnaire was composed of health status, life style, dietary behaviors, and dietary intakes and was completed by the children's mothers. The average age of the DIFPC(n=60) was 53.02 months and that of the FHPC(n=51) was 54.80 months. The birth height and weight of the subjects were 50.47cm and 3.27Kg for DIFPC and 50.85cm and 3.36Kg for FHPC, respectively. The average height, weight, % body fat, and obesity index were 108.50cm, 18.35Kg, 15.35%, 96.71% in DIFPC and 111.46cm, 19.64Kg, 16.80%, 97.31% in FHPC, respectively. The bone mineral density in forearm of two groups were 0.24g/cm2 in all. The infant feeding method was significantly different between DIFPC and FHPC; 58.9% of DIFPC was fed formula, while 44.4% of FHPC was fed breast milk(p<0.05). Proportions of children for their regular meal were 59.4%, 89.6%, and 61.0% for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. The major reasons for irregular meal were lack of time and poor appetite for breakfast and snacks for lunch and dinner. Most of the children answered they have snack over once a day, and 60.0% have unbalanced diet. The intakes of energy, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B1, niacin, and vitamin C did not meet the Korean RDAs. The intakes of K and vitamin A for DIFPC were significantly higher than those of FHPC(p<0.05, p<0.05). In conclusion, double income families' preschool children more have a low frequency of breast feeding and low intakes of micro nutrients, such as K and vitamin A than full-time housewives' ones.
Adipose Tissue ; Appetite ; Ascorbic Acid ; Bone Density ; Breakfast ; Breast ; Breast Feeding ; Calcium ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Diet ; Feeding Methods ; Forearm ; Humans ; Infant ; Iron ; Life Style ; Lunch ; Meals ; Mothers ; Niacin ; Obesity ; Parturition ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Snacks ; Thiamine ; Vitamin A ; Zinc

This study was alone to identify the meaning and the essence of the menopause experience by means of the Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The participants were eight women, 48-60 years old, who were experiencing perimenopause or postmenopause. They were selected using a theoretical sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from April 6 to May 20, 1999. The interviews took from 40 to 90 minutes. Interviews were tape- recorded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Significant statements from data were extracted. From these formulated meanings, 18 themes, 8 clusters of themes and 3 catagories were constructed. Final descriptions were found to be valid through the interviewee validation process. Essential themes of the menopausal experience which emerged were "coming of change", "inclined to deny the in mind", and "adapted life". Menopause, as coming of change was the turning point in the women's life cycle acompaning changes, in body and mind and marital life changes. Especially, the unpredictable menopausal changes were an opportunity to hide the fact of menopause and not to talk with anybody. Such a phenomenon reflected on the psychological attributes of menopausal woman such as an inclination to deny in the mind. Their experiences of menopause as adapted life were generally regarded as signalling the end of fertility and were interpreted as a natural developmental process that indicates a life transition. In conclusion, participants depicted the menopause as a natural stage in the life cycle. In order to help women have a positive life change and self accomplishment, nurses need to understand the essential themes of the menopausal experience. Thus, the importance of an open approach in eliciting the phenomena of menopause cannot be overemphasized. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that exercise program is one of the effective interventions to improve the self-efficacy and also to lower the fatigue in the sample of female college students.
Climacteric ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Menopause ; Perimenopause ; Postmenopause

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis*

We reviewed the medical records of 23 boys with surgically and pathologically proved monorchism. A striking laterality to the left side was identified. In 75 per cent of patients wolffian structures were present. These findings strongly suggest that in most instances of monorchism a testis had been present and had undergone subsequent in utero degeneration. Despite of various diagnostic technique for searching testes, we believe that surgical exploration continues to be the most reliable and more direct approach to the diagnosis and treatment of monorchism.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Strikes, Employee ; Testis*

OBJECTIVES: Lipocortin-1 (LC-1), a member of annexin family of calcium-binding proteins induced by corticosteroid, originally evoked interest as one of the secondary messengers in the antiinflammatory action of corticosteroid, But the exact mechanism of LC-1 responsible for antiinflammatory effect is still unclear. We investigated the potential role of LC-1 in the effect of corticosteroid on amelioration of collagen induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. METHODS: Four groups of DBA/1j mice were immunized by intradermal injection of 5mg/kg of type 2 collagen with complete Freunds adjuvant which was boostered on day 21 and 42. Group 1 received no treatment and group 2 received 1mg/kg dexamethasone intraperitoneally twice weekly from day 21. Group 3 and 4 were treated with 50 and 0.5microgram/kg of anti LC-1 monoclonal antibody subcutaneously and dexamethasone from day 21 twice weekly, respectively. The prevalence of arthritis and arthritis score were assessed twice weekly. At week 10, we measured serum anticollagen antibody levels and splenic mononuclear cell stimulation indices (SI) to collagen. RESULT: CIA started to develop after 4 weeks of collagen treatment in all groups. All mice of group 1 developed arthritis by the 9 week. Treatment with dexamethasone markedly inhibited arthritis development (P<0.05). Cotreatment of anti LC-1 monoclonal antibody and dexamethasone abolished the antiinflammatory effect of dexamethasone (P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in the serum levels of anticollagen antibody or splenic mononuclear cell SI among the groups. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that LC-1 is involved, at least in part, in the antiinflammatory actions of corticosteroid in chronic inflammation, although the mechanism of which is unclear.
Animals ; Arthritis* ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Collagen* ; Dexamethasone ; Freund's Adjuvant ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Injections, Intradermal ; Mice ; Prevalence