No abstract available.
Parturition*

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PURPOSE: To investigate audiometery and characteristics related to tinnitus in tinnitus patients. and to understand the relationship between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life. Methods: The subjects were 110 patients with tinnitus. The data were collected using tinnitus handicap questionnaire. quality of life, and pure tone audiometry, which measured hearing level in dB and frequency in Hz matching of tinnitus. RESULTS: Majority of tinnitus patients (75.5%~81.8%) had normal auditory sensation. but 82.7% of patients indicated that they have heard tinnitus frequently. or always, and the major sounds of tinnitus were wing, wung, wang, The matching sounds of tinnitus had various range in hearing level(dB) and frequency(Hz). Tinnitus patients reported moderate levels of the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life, and there were negative correlation between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life(r=-.314, p .00l). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that special attention is needed for tinnitus patients because the physical. psychological. and social impacts of tinnitus could be decrease their quality of life, Specialized nursing intervention considering specific conditions related to tinnitus is required to solve various health problems of tinnitus patients.
Audiometry ; Hearing ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Social Change ; Tinnitus*

BACKGROUND: It is now well established that hypercholesterolemia is an important cause of coronary heart disease, and clinical intervention studies have demonstrated the therapeutic value of correcting hypercholesterolemia. One of lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a) [LP(a)] contains one(or two) molecule of apo(a) linked to apo B100 by a disulphied bridge, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. NIDDM patients have a two-to fourfold increased risk of coronary heart disease relative to nondiabetic subjects. This excess risk is explained only partially by increased levels of standard risk factors. This study was conducted to assess the relatioship between serum Lp(a) levels and coronary heart disease. Furthermore, whether the Lp(a) level was related with NIDDM or not. METHODS: Total 83 subjects undergoing coronary angiography were evaluated on clinical risk factors and lipid profies with Lp(a). Among them, 24 subjects had normal coronary artery, while the others revealed significant stenosis of coronary arteries more than 50%. RESULTS: The serum Lp(a) levels of the CHD group were significantly higher than control group(37.4 +/- 31.8mg/dl vs 22.6 +/- 12.9mg/dl). Other lipids profile were not significantly dfferent between two groups. Serum Lp(a) levels had no relations to fasting blood sugar level. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of lipid parameters revealed that cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and Lp(a) were best discriminator among risk factors for coronary heart disease. But in our study, the serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were within normal range. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that Lp(a) level was a significant independent risk factor for coronary heart disease whether there was fasting hyperglycemia or not.
Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease* ; Coronary Vessels ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperglycemia ; Clinical Trial ; Lipoprotein(a)* ; Lipoproteins ; Logistic Models ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors*

To estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) by using entomological evidence, species identification of forensically important flies is mandatory. However, the traditional species identification method, which relies on the key morphological features of adult flies, is not always available to investigators and has limitations to the immature samples. Because of these limitations, species identification using DNA sequences has long been an issue in the field of forensic entomology. In this review, I have briefly described the basic principles of molecular species identification and phylogenetic analysis and their applications in forensic entomology. I also recommend an experimental and statistical method to identify unknown fly samples obtained from the field.
Adult ; Base Sequence ; Diptera* ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; Entomology ; Forensic Sciences ; Humans ; Korea* ; Research Personnel ; Species Specificity

INTRODUCTION: Sleep has numerous important physiological and cognitive functions that may be particularly important to elite athletes. Sleep deprivation can have significant effects on athletic performance. However, there are few published data related to the amount of sleep obtained by elite athletes. We investigated sleep patterns of Korean women golfers using sleep-related questionnaires. METHODS: For this study, 98 Korean university women golfers and 46 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. All subjects were asked to complete the self-administered sleep questionnaire consisting of questions about habitual sleep patterns (sleep onset time, sleep latency, awakening time in the morning, day time napping time), exercise habits, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), validation of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: The sleep onset time was significantly earlier (pm 23 : 05 +/- 00 : 52 and 00 : 14 +/- 00 : 51 ; t = 5.287, p < 0.001), the waking time was later (am 07 : 21 +/- 01 : 09 and 6 : 35 +/- 00 : 32; t = -2.715, p = 0.008), the weekday total sleep time was greater (417.77 +/- 78.18 minute and 351.52 +/- 77.83 minute ; t = 4.406, p = 0.001), and the daytime nap time was greater (77.73 +/- 41.28 minute and 20.22 +/- 33.03 minute ; t = 7.623, p < 0.001) in the golf athletes compared to the controls. The PSQI scores were significantly lower, but estimated sleep latency and ESS, ISS, PSS, and BAI scores were not different among the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that Korean university women golfers have good sleep patterns resulting in no difference in sleep-related stress compared to age- and sex-matched control students.
Anxiety ; Athletes ; Athletic Performance ; Female ; Golf ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Cancer has become a major cause of death in Korea since 1989. Despite the major advances in the treatment of cancer, prevention and early detection is the most effective strategy to decrease the mortality from cancer. The indicence of invasive cervical cancer has declined since the 1950s, and indirect evidence suggests that this decline is the result of the institution of screening with cervical smear. However, cervical cancer continues to be a major health problem in the developing world today, where screening is not universal. Among Korean women, the incidence of cervical cancer is still high and was the 3rd most common cancer following stomach and breast cancer in 2000. If preinvasive conditions would be included, the disease would be the most frequent. The first organized screening programmes were initiated in 1949 at British Columbia, Canada. Since then, cervical cancer screening programmes have been implemented in almost all developed countries. In Korea, opportunistic screening began in the late 1950s, and organized screening began in 1998 by Health Insurance without a consensus meeting. The guidelines for the screening of cervical cancer were developed by National Cancer Center and the Koean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology in May, 2001 ; and the national screening programmes were developed by the Supporting Evaluation Board of National Cancer Screening Program in December, 2001. This article introduces these programmes.
Breast Neoplasms ; British Columbia ; Canada ; Cause of Death ; Consensus ; Developed Countries ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Mortality ; Obstetrics ; Papanicolaou Test ; Stomach ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Vaginal Smears

The pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorder(FGID) is not completely understood, but the importance of the 'Brain-Gut Axis(BGA)' model in FGID is being increasingly recognized. The BGA model is a bidirectional, hard-wired and homeostatic relationship between the central nervous system(CNS) and the enteric nervous system(ENS) via neural, neurohormonal and neuroimmunological pathways. In addition, the BGA model would provide a rationale for the use of psychotropics on FGID. The authors experienced two cases in which duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, was effective in relieving FGID symptoms as well as psychiatric symptoms such as depression and hypochondriacal anxiety. Therefore we discuss the vignettes from the perspective of BGA theory. Duloxetine showed efficacy in these two patients by reducing visceral hypersensivity (bottom-up regulation) and by relieving depression and anxiety(top-down regulation).
Anxiety ; Depression ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Thiophenes

No abstract available.
Amnion* ; Decidua* ; Female ; Humans*

Erythema nodosum is clinical entity defined easily, but because of the variable histopathologic findings showing involvement of the vessels, septa, and fat lobules, the histopathologic features often are not compatible with the clinical diagnosis, We present the results of clinical and histopathologic findings in 26 patients with erythema nodosum observed at the Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital, fram January 1973 to August 1976. 1. Clinical Findings Erythema nodosum is characterized by painful erythematous nodose lesion occurring symmetrically(92%) on shins(50%) or shins and calves(50%) of women(M: F==4: 22) between sixteen to twenty five years old of age(58%) chiefly. In laboratory study, leukocytosis(1/17) was rare but increased titers of antistreptolysin(64%) and elevation of E.S.R.(88%) were found frequently. 2. Histopathologic Findings Even though hemorrhage(73%), perivascular(100%) and periadnexal(85%) inflammatory cell infiltration were frequently seen in histopathologic changes of erythema nodosum, these changes were nonspecific. Moreover, granulomatous change (38%), thrombophlehitis(35%) and necrosis of fatty tiasue(38%) were observed not infrequently in erythema nodosum. So we concluded that there were no specific histopathologic findings in erythema nodosum which differentiated from the other erythematous nodose diseases on the legs consisted of panniculitis, thrombophlebitis or granulomatous changes.
Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; Erythema Nodosum* ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Leg ; Necrosis ; Panniculitis ; Seoul ; Thrombophlebitis