No abstract available.
Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index* ; Cholesterol* ; Humans ; Plasma* ; Spouses*

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of placebo(emotional stimulus) on physical fitness and psychological wellbeing. The subjects for the study were divided into tow groups. One experimental group received placebo and the other control group did not receive. Each group was composed of 15 women. The subjects continued aerobic exercise for an hour each time, three times a week, for eight weeks. The enhancement of physical fitness has been evaluated by body weight, BP, pulse rate, skinfolds thickness, circumference of waist and hip, body fat, % body fat, lean body mass, % lean body mass they were measured three times every 4 weeks. Also to evaluate the enhancement of psychological wellbeing, the self-esteem and self-perception were measured. The results can be summarized as follows : 1. The % body fat of experimental group decreased significantly than that of control group(p<0.1). 2. The % lean body mass of experimental group decreased significantly than that of control group(P<0.1). 3. There was no significant difference of other physical fitness factors between experimental group and control group. 4. There was no significant difference of self-esteem between experimental group and control group. 5. There was no significant difference of self-perception between experimental group and control group. From these results, it may be concluded that placebo(emotional stimulus) which received during aerobic exercise period is partially effective in the enhancement of the physical fitness.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Weight ; Exercise* ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Hip ; Humans ; Physical Fitness* ; Placebo Effect ; Self Concept

PURPOSE: Refractory status epilepticus(RSE) is a serious neurological emergency in children. The mortality is high and the neurological outcome is not good. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) pleocytosis in refractory status epilepticus in children. METHODS: From January 1999 to January 2006, 25 out of 37 children with refractory status epilepticus had spinal tapping. We retrospectively analyzed the data from these children's medical records. We compared the results between groups with and without CSF pleocytosis, and between a group with first seizure and a group with epilepsy . RESULT: Six out of 25 children had CSF pleocytosis. The group without CSF pleocytosis had a higher mortality rate and required higher doses of antiepileptic drugs as compared with the group with CSF pleocytosis. The group with CSF pleocytosis had much worse neurologic segualae. However, except for the children with CNS infection, the overall prognosis between the group with and without CSF pleocytosis was not significantly different. All children with CSF pleocytosis came in with first seizures. CONCLUSION: In children with RSE, a CSF study must be perfomed as soon as possible to exclude the possibility of CNS infection. A CSF study is even more important in cases of first seizure or CNS infection suspected. Mild CSF pleocytosis without evidence of infection does not seem to affect the prognosis, so physicians should therefore be more cautious in selecting antibacterial or antiviral agents for it.
Anticonvulsants ; Antiviral Agents ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Child ; Emergencies ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Leukocytosis* ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Spinal Puncture ; Status Epilepticus*

PURPOSE:Decreased bone mineral density(BMD) has been reported in girls with Turner syndrome. Estrogen therapy is recommanded to improve sexual infantilism and decreased BMD. Short stature is also characteristic finding in patients with Turner syndrome. Treatment modality for short stature has included estrogen, anabolic steroids and growth hormone(GH). Recently GH therapy in GH deficient children could increase BMD in addition to improve short stature. We observed the treatment effects on bone mineral density in patients with Turner syndrome. METHODS: Bone Mineral Density in second to fourth lumbar spine area were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 56 girls with Turner syndrome, before and after growth hormone and/or estrogen. All Turner girl was confirmed by clinical and chromosomal examination. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference in BMD according to karyotype. 2) The mean BMD of untreated Turner syndrome was 0.752+/-0.122g/cm2. 3) The mean BMD before and after GH treatment were 0.620+/-0.028g/cm2, 0.793+/-0.093g/cm2 respectively. The mean BMD before and after estrogen treatment were 0.761+/-0.125g/cm2, 0.918+/-0.141g/cm2 respectively. In combined group, the BMD were 0.752+/-0.087g/cm2 and 0.939+/-0.134g/cm2. Growth hormone was also effective to improve BMD as well as estrogen. But the changes of BMD were more significant in estrogen and combined group(p<0.05). 4) A significant positive correlation was found between age and BMD(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Estrogen therapy can accelerate epiphysial maturation and compromise final height. Growth hormone therapy in Turner girls was effective for improvement bone mineral density as well as growth improvement. But growth hormone and estrogen combined therapy or Estrogen therapy is more effective to improve bone mineral density in Turner syndrome. Estrogen replacement can be delayed for a while on growth hormone treatment and the appropriated time of estrogen therapy should be elucidated.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Bone Density* ; Child ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens ; Female ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Sexual Infantilism ; Spine ; Steroids ; Turner Syndrome*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to determine the usefulness of transvaginal ultrasonographic assessment of the uterine cervix and to compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasonographic and digital examination of the cervix in predicting a successful induction of labor. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred-one singleton term pregnancies without ruptured membranes admitted for the labor induction were included in this study. Digital examination and transvaginal ultrasonography of the uterine cervix were performed at the time of admission. Cervical parameters evaluated included cervical length, presence of funneling, funnel length, and funnel width. Labor induction was underwent by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) vaginal suppository and/or pitocin intravenous infusion. Outcome variable was a successful labor induction within 48 hours after beginning of the induction. RESULTS: The prevalence of induction failure was 10.9% (11/101). Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve and multiple logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between the successful induction of labor and cervical length <3.1 cm. The diagnositic indices of endocervical length was superior to those of Bishop's cervical score in predicting a successful induction of labor. In patients with cervical length <3.1 cm, the labor was induced successfully with fewer tablets of PGE2, less use of pitocin infusion, and shorter induction-delivery interval. CONCLUSION: Transvaginal ultrasonographical examination of the uterine cervix is more accurate than digital examination of the cervix in the prediction of a successful induction of labor in term gestation.
Cervix Uteri* ; Dinoprostone ; Female ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Logistic Models ; Membranes ; Oxytocin ; Pregnancy* ; Prevalence ; Suppositories ; Tablets ; Ultrasonography

Objectives of this study were to investigate the acceptability of liver sausages, one of the most favorite product of meats, and to examine the applicability of pork liver in manufacturing sausages. Sausages containing different proportions of pork liver were manufactured with various processes and were tested and analysed by means of sensory evaluation. Based on th basic recipe for manufacturing sausages, fifteen recipies were proposed with different combinations of ingredients, followed by evaluations on their physicochemical and nutritional properties. Sausages manufactured with different methods (sliceable, spreadable, smoked spreadable) and different proportions of liver were also evaluated. The Findings from these experiments are summarized as follows: 1. As the percentage of the liver was incresed, outer color of experimental sausages were significantly decreased. 2. The hardness, gumminess, chewiness were significantly decreased as the amount of liver increased. 3. Sausages containing 30% pork liver had best acceptability after swallowing. 4. The flavor and taste of liver in experimental sausages were significantly increased by adding liver. In summary, sausages containing 30% pork liver had best acceptability for consumption in terms of the indices measured in this study.
Deglutition ; Hardness ; Liver* ; Meat ; Smoke

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the relationship between goodness-of-fit for mother-preschool child dyads and parenting stress experienced by the mother. METHODS: Study participants were 500 mothers who had children aged 3 to 5 who attended one of ten kindergartens or infant schools in M City or B City. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated using the SPSS program. RESULTS: Comparison of goodness-of-fit scores for mother-preschool child dyad according to the characteristics of the participants, showed a significant difference according to child's age, gender, and birth order, mother's education and occupation, father's age and education, family income, and the chief caregiver in the family. There was a positive correlation between goodness-of-fit scores for mother-child dyad and parenting stress scores for mothers. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicate a need to identify differences between children's behavioral problems and parenting styles according to the degree of discord in the mother-child temperaments. It is also necessary to develop and apply nursing programs to promote harmonizing of temperaments, programs in which the characteristics of the child and the mother are considered.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Birth Order ; Child Care ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gender Identity ; Humans ; Income ; Male ; *Mother-Child Relations ; Mothers/*psychology ; *Parenting ; *Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of different isolation policies in reducing the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in hospital in-patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of an isolation policy on transmission of MRSA in the 745-beds hospital. First period, all patients with MRSA (March - July 2000) were not isolated Second period, strict isolation policies were performed (August 2000 - January 2002). All patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room, hand hygiene using alcohol handrub, gowning and g1oving, apply of MRSA notice sticker, criteria in isolation remove, separated disinfection and wastement. Third period, semi strict isolation policies were performed (February 2002 - August 2005). Some patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room and others were admitted in general ward for bed shortage. Only some practices were performed in hand washing and separated disinfection in general ward. RESULTS: The rates of MRSA nosocomial infection per patients during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.56, 0.23, and 0.42 (P<0.05). Patient-days rate of MRSA nosocomial infection during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.62, 0.27, and 0.38 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: With many different isolation policies, it was possible to reduce nosocomial infection of MRSA. In this study, strict isolation policies (2nd period) were the most effective practices in reducing MRSA infection.
Cross Infection ; Disinfection ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Patients' Rooms ; Prospective Studies

The cause of essential hypertension is yet unknown, but in general is caused by interaction of hereditary factors, diet, obesity, lack of exercise and stress. The aging process influences various physiological mechanism related to regulation of blood pressure. So elderly hypertensives have a tendancy to consider the disease as a result of the physiological aging process. This attitude causes many complications, worsening of the disease and even early death because of inappropriate care. In order to improve self-management of elderly hypertensives in this study the researcher examined the effect of blood pressure regulation by an education program that improves self-care behavior, through increasing self-efficacy. The education program consisted of group education on hypertension and self-care strategies, and encouraging and reinforcing self-efficacy resources such as verbal persuation, performance accomplishment and vicarious experiences. A quasi-experimental pre-and post-test design was used. Thirty-two elderly hypertensives participated in the study. Eighteen in the education group and fourteen in the control group. The education program consisted of eight sessions twice a week for four weeks. There was no intervention for the control group. Data were analysed using SPSS for Windows(Version 8.0). The results were as follows. 1. There was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 2. There was no significant difference in the level of self-care behavior between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 3. There was significant difference in self-efficacy of experimental and control group, depending on the measuring period, but there was no difference between these groups on interaction by groups and over time. 4. There was positive correlation between self efficacy and self care behavior depending on the measuring period. There was negative correlation between diastolic blood pressure and self-care behavior on the posttest of the program, and between systolic blood pressure and self-care behavior on the follow-up test of the program. Findings indicate that this study will contribute to develop nursing strategies for the regulation of blood pressure for the elderly, which is easy for the elderly to learn as a nonpharmacologic approach.
Aged* ; Aging ; Blood Pressure* ; Diet ; Education* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Nursing ; Obesity ; Self Care* ; Self Efficacy

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at developing an efficient nursing method for the management of constipation by comparing the effects of abdominal meridian massage on the symptoms of constipation. METHOD: The subjects were determined by the Rome II criteria and the Constipation Assessment Scale from Aug 30 through Sep 26, 2002. They were randomly divided into two groups: one experimental group of 16, another control group of 15. Abdominal meridian massage was given to the experimental group and no massage was given to the control group. The frequency of defecation and severity of constipation by CAS were measured. The data was analyzed with the t-test, chi-square-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in frequency of defecation, and severity of constipation in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Abdominal meridian massage can be considered an effective nursing method for the management of constipation among CVA patients.
Middle Aged ; *Massage ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Constipation/*nursing/therapy ; Cerebrovascular Accident ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; *Acupressure ; *Abdomen