No abstract available.
Fetal Blood* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Umbilical Cord*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

Background: Recent studies have shown that oral administration of probiotics may improve the immune imbalance caused by dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in atopic dermatitis (AD). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and immunological effects of Lactobacillus pentosus in children with mild to moderate AD. Methods: Children aged 2–13 years with AD were randomized to receive either 1.0 × 1010 colony-forming units of L. pentosus or placebo, daily, for 12 weeks. The clinical severity of AD and transepidermal water loss were evaluated. Blood eosinophil counts, serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and cytokine levels were measured. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were also analyzed. Results: Eighty-two children were recruited, and 41 were assigned to the probiotics intervention group. The mean scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) indices at baseline were 30.4 and 34.3 for the probiotics and placebo groups, respectively. At week 12, the mean indices were 23.6 and 23.1 for the probiotics and placebo groups, respectively. Clinical severity decreased significantly over time in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups. In both groups, there were no significant differences in cytokine levels, microbial diversity, or the relative abundance of the gut microbiota at week 12 compared with the corresponding baseline values. The mean subjective scores of SCORAD indices after intervention for the probiotics group were significantly lower than those for the placebo group in IgE sensitized AD (P = 0.019). Conclusion Our results show improved symptoms in the probiotics and placebo groups, and we could not find additional effects of L. pentosus in AD. However, the mean subjective scores of SCORAD indices for the probiotics group are significantly improved compared with those for the placebo group in allergen-sensitized AD.

BACKGROUND: The College of Medicine at Korea University has lunched the new curriculum which incorporated optional elective courses in 2000. Optional elective course is consisted of 10 subjects. 8 subjects are conducted in classroom lectures and 2 of them are active experiences in research or community service. The purpose of this study is to identify the level of achievement of its own educational goals and objectives. Also, we tried to explore the possibilities of improving this course for the maximum educational effectiveness.. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We conducted a survey and the subjects of this study were second, and third year medical students who finished this course. RESULTS: 84.8% of respondents were aware of the goals of the course. 91.1% of them agreed this course is needed to enhance the effectiveness in undergraduate medical education. Most students agreed the course provide an opportunity to broaden their perspectives of field of medicine(81.4% of respondents). Also, this course provided good informations for students' future career choice(78.6% of respondents). However, students wanted to have more in-depth learning experience. INTERPRETATION: The implementation of the optional elective course at the Korea University, Medical College was successful. Despite of its initial success, the course has to be revised to allow students to get more in - depth study according their own interests.
Curriculum ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Lectures ; Lunch ; Social Welfare ; Students, Medical

This study was understand in order to examine the effect of hardness on stress-causing factors, defined in this study as burnout in nursing. The subjects were 248 nurses working in three general hospitals in Taejon. The instruments used for this study were a survey of general characteristics, modified Health-Related Hardiness Scale(HRHS) (25 items), job stress scale (63 items), and burnout scale(20 items). Analysis of data was done through the mean, percentage, Person correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression done with a SAS program. The results of this study are as follows. 1) The average item score for the job stress was high at 4.44. In the subcategories, the highest degree of stress was night duty(5.11), and work overload(4.70), responsibility for extra affairs(4.70), conflict in nurse-doctor relationships(4.69), and low reward (4.63) in that order. 2) In the stepwise multiple regression analysis, hardiness(11.55%) was a significant determinant of burnout along with job stress(17.24%) and job duration(12.94%). The results of this study show that hardiness has an effect on psychological distress caused by stress.
Daejeon ; Hardness ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Reward

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to develop a MD-MBA joint program that will teach doctors professional hospital management and administration skills. METHODS: To assess the demand for hospital management and administration skills in the medical field, information was gathered from community physicians through a questionnaire. Personal interviews were also conducted with doctors having who graduated from a MD-MBA joint program and those working for hospital consulting firms. We visited institutions in developed countries offering this program and conducted literature reviews. Based on the data collected, a tentative plan for the introduction of a MD-MBA program in Korea was developed. RESULTS: The results of this study are as follows. Community practitioners realize the need for basic management skills and feel that hospital management should be part of undergraduate or graduate medical curriculum. In the United States, there is an annual increase in the number of institutions offering MD-MBA programs and in the number of MD-MBA graduates. These programs are run very systematically. It is apparent that the introduction of this program to Korean medical students is imminent. This program can be offered in Korea at the undergraduate level with the School of Business Administration in charge of the program, with the Medical School in charge, or as a cooperative effort between these two schools. CONCLUSION: Most private practitioners and medical professors recognize the necessity for a MD-MBA program. Systemic and experiential research must be done. Support must be given to finances, human resources and equipment in offering this program.
Commerce ; Curriculum ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Joints* ; Korea ; Program Development* ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical ; United States ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze the assessment of student performance in Problem-Based Learning, which was an elective course at Korea University College of Medicine, from 2001 to 2003, and to delineate effective strategies for Problem-Based Learning. METHODS: A questionnaire was given to 126 third year Korea University medical students. The questionnaire consisted of 25 items in 2001, 37 in 2002, and 64 in 2003. These items covered self-evaluation and overall evaluation of contents, learning environments, small group activity, and tutor in PBL. The respective reliability of items in scale was .67, .75, .79, and 81. Data was analyzed using the Spsswin.11.0 RESULTS: The results of this study are as follows. By most of all respondents, PBL was recognized as a more effective learning method, more interesting, and able to provide a more diverse spectrum of information than traditional lectures. Neutral or negative responses were given for educational settings. Competence of students was increased in the PBL setting. A large percentage of learning method was through the use of textbooks. Most respondents were satisfied with the small group activity and tutor. CONCLUSION: There should be sufficient educational equipments such as rooms for small group activity, textbooks, and journals for PBL. We have to consider student's characteristics carefully and to make concrete guideline and system for effective Problem based learning.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Lectures ; Mental Competency ; Problem-Based Learning* ; Students, Medical

Objective: To examine the changes in the cross-sectional area (CSA) ratio of the ankle invertors and evertors following rigid foot orthosis (RFO) application in children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot and to determine the correlation between the degree of change in CSA ratio and pain-severity after RFO application. Methods: We included 24 children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot without comorbidities and measured the CSAs of tibialis anterior (TA), tibialis posterior (TP), and peroneus longus (PL) using ultrasonography, resting calcaneal stance position (RCSP) angle, calcaneal pitch (CP), Meary’s angle, talonavicular coverage angle, and talocalcaneal angle using radiography, and foot function index (FFI) at baseline and 12 months after RFO application. We analyzed 48 data by measuring both feet of 24 children. The CSA ratios, the ratio of CSA of each muscle to the sum of CSA of TA, TP, and PL, were also compared. Correlations between the degree of change in FFI, each muscle’s CSA ratio, RCSP angle, and radiographic measurements were investigated. Results: Following RFO application, significant increase in the PL ratio and CP and significant decrease in the RCSP angle, FFI total, pain, and disability scores were observed. The degree of change in the total score, pain, and disability score of FFI were significantly correlated with the degree of change in the PL ratio and RCSP angle. Conclusion RFOs applied to children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot might reduce the compensatory activities of the ankle invertors, thereby increasing the PL ratio, and pain decreases as the PL ratio increases.

The Korean Neonatal Network (KNN), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, currently has more than 100 staff and researchers from >70 neonatal intensive care units nationwide in Korea. More than 85% to 90% of the population of very low birth weight infants in Korea are registered yearly, and more than half are followed up for up to 3 years at the KNN. A total of >19,000 cases have been accumulated through a strict data quality management process of the KNN. Based on this, >100 research projects have been proposed, >70 peer-reviewed papers have been published in leading international journals, and the cornerstone of the quality improvement project has been launched. In addition, we recently expanded the number of subjects for registration to very premature infants <32 weeks of age and continue to provide essential evidence data for establishing national health policies, such as linking with government policy projects of the Ministry of Health and Welfare for preterm infants. In such manner, the KNN is confident to be successfully and actively moving toward reaching the ultimate goal of standardizing neonatal intensive care and management of preterm infants in Korea by providing essential data for national health policy establishment along with quality improvement through evidence-based interactive data.

An internal hernia is a protrusion of visceral contents through a defect in the mesentery or peritoneum. Small bowel obstruction is a common clinical presentation of internal hernias, accounting for 4.1% of all intestinal obstructions. Transomental hernia is a rare type of internal hernia (1-4% of internal hernias), with non-specific symptoms, making its preoperative diagnosis difficult. It is strangulated more frequently, and the postoperative mortality rate is high (30%). Therefore, early diagnosis and management are crucial.We report a case of a 77-year-old female who presented with small bowel obstruction, and a suspected incarcerated internal hernia on abdomen-pelvis CT. A spontaneous transomental hernia was confirmed on emergency laparotomy.