BACKGROUND: This study researched the relationship between shift work and one of its relevant health problems, functional gastrointestinal disorders. The study targeted nurses working at a university hospital, and compared the differences in gastrointestinal disorders of shift workers and non-shift workers and identified causes that significantly influence these symptoms. METHODS: In August 2013, a self-report survey was conducted on nurses working at a university hospital. Among those sent out, 1,201 responded and 851 were used for the final analysis. RESULTS: It was shown that the frequency of gastrointestinal disorders in shift workers was 1.881 times higher than that of non-shift workers. Factors that influenced gastrointestinal disorders included age, marital status, work duration, type of employment, job satisfaction, and perceived health status. Gastrointestinal disorders were seen more often with older age, being married, longer duration of employment, non-regular worker, low job satisfaction, bad perceived health status, and shift works. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent gastrointestinal disorders in nurses who work shifts, a health checkup system should be in place for clinical nurses who are of older age and have longer employment records. To decrease the causes of gastrointestinal disorders, campaigns suggesting regular diet and quitting alcohol use should be held consistently. Also, a category related to gastrointestinal disorders should be added to the employee health checkup for nurses with long work experience.
Diet ; Employment ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Job Satisfaction ; Marital Status ; Occupational Health

Internal hernia is an unusual cause of the intestinal obstruction. The advances of CT make the diagnosis more easier than in the past. We report one case of internal hernia with herniation of the ileum into the lesser omenturn. The diagnosis could be made when abdominal radiographs showed fixed clustering of the small bowel loops in upper abdomen medial to the stomach. CT and ultrasound showed characteristic interposition of the ileum between the left hepatic lobe and the stomach.
Abdomen ; Diagnosis ; Hernia* ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Stomach ; Ultrasonography

Juvenile dermatomyositis is an uncommon autoimmune disease with classic heliotrope discoloration of eyelids, erythematous skin rash of joints and proximal muscle weakness. Quite different from adults, malignancy is rarely accompanied in juvenile dermatomyositis. However vasculitis, muscle atrophy, calcification and gastrointestinal involvement are often observed in juvenile dermatomyositis. A six year old boy was admitted with chief complaints of general weakness and skin rash. Muscle biopsy was performed which was consistent with dermatomyositis. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, steroid, methotrexate and physiotherapy. We report a case of juvenile dermatomyositis.
Adult ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Biopsy ; Dermatomyositis* ; Exanthema ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Joints ; Male ; Methotrexate ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Atrophy ; Vasculitis

No abstract available.
Nephrotic Syndrome*

Purpose: The purpose of this program is to develop an educational program to improve the nursing management competency of middle-level nursing managers. Methods: The program outline is based on the results of the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and Systematic Review (SR). Also performed the content validity accordingly. Results: The result of the concepts are derived from 6 competencies for planning process, 4 competencies for organizing process, 4 competencies for staffing process, 26 competencies for directing process, and 12 competencies for controlling process by integrating IPA and SR. This outline of the program was constructed according to the derived integrated concept and both content validity and structured outline were interpreted as valid. Conclusion This suggests that middle-level managers need a systematic program and support to effectively lead the organization by recognizing the importance rather than performance.

Studies on the correlation between proliferative activity of biopsied specimen and pathologic findings of resected specimen have been carried out to find the prognostic factors. To estimate the proliferative activity, 100 cases of biopsied specimen of gastric adenocarcinoma were tested for the PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and the AgNOR (argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region) by the immunohistochemical and histochemical stainings, respectively. The resected tumors classified by histologic type, differentiation, depth of invasion, and nodal metastatic status were followed by cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry. The PCNA LI (labelling index) were higher in well or moderately differentiated tumors (P<0.01) than the poorly differentiated ones and the aneuploid tumors (P<0.05) more than in diploid ones. However, there were no correlations among histologic types, depth of invasion, nodal metastatic status and PCNA LI. The AgNOR counts were higher in advanced tumor than in the EGC (early gastric cancer) (P<0.01). In cases with nodal metastasis, most of them showed the AgNOR counts higher than those without nodal metastasis. There were no correlations between the AgNOR counts and the DNA ploidy, histologic type, or differentiation. High PCNA LI and high AgNOR counts were shown in cases with advanced tumors (P=0.000) and nodal metastasis (P<0.05). No correlation was shown with the histologic type or differentiation. The results show that proliferative activity of the biopsied specimen of gastric adenocarcinoma is correlated with the differentiation and the invasion depth of resected specimen. Especially, better correlation is obtained by analyzing both the PCNA LI and the AgNOR counts than by analyzing each.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aneuploidy ; Cell Cycle ; Diploidy ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nucleolus Organizer Region ; Ploidies ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is well known that androgen and sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG) in women were associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as obesity, central fat accumulation and atherogenic lipid profile. High resolution B-mode ultrasonography can visualize directly both luminal and vessel wall characteristics, and ultrasonic measurement of carotid intima-medial thickness(IMT) can be used to investigate the atherosclerosis of coronary, cerebral and peripheral arteries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate(DHEA-S) and SHBG, and body fat distribution pattern, cardiovascular risk factor and carotid atherosclerosis in women. METHODS: Blood pressure, fasting serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, SHBG and DHEA-S were measured. Body fat distribution pattern was assessed by waist to hip ratio, waist to thigh ratio and subscapular to triceps skin fold thickness ratio, faf mass measured by bioelectric impedance analyzer, subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, and visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio(VSR) at the level of umbilicus using the computed tomography. The IMT of the carotid artery was measured by high resolution B mode ultrasound as a marker of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: 1) There was no significant difference of age-adjusted values of carotid IMT among subjects with NGT(0.426+/-0.09mm), IGT(0.46+/-10.09mm) and NIDDM(0.453+/-0.11mm). 2) In postrnenopausal women, carotid IMT was greater(0.484+/-0.11mm, p=0.05) than premenopausal women(0.426+/-0.08mm), but it was not significant after age adjustment. Serum SHBG and DHEA-S levels in postmenopausal women were significantly lower(p<0.05) than premenopausal women, but they were not significant after age adjustment. 3) Carotid IMT was significantly correlated with age(r=0.37, p<0.01), fasting serum glucose (r=0.32, p<0.01), total cholesterol(r= 0.25, p<0.05), LDL-cholesterol(r=0.26, p<0.05), visceral fat area(r=0.35, p<0.01) and VSR(r=0.31, p<0.05). 4) By the stepwise multiple regression analysis, carotid IMT was positively and significantly associated with age(p<0.01) and serum DHEA-S concentration(p<0.05) in dent of age, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, fasting serum glucose. CONCLUSION: Carotid IMT was associated with age and serum DHEA-S concentration in women without cardiovascular disease. Therefore, serum DHEA-S may be one of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women. However, we could not conclude its cause-result relationship because of cross sectional nature of our study, and prospective study will be needed.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Body Fat Distribution ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery Diseases* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate* ; Dehydroepiandrosterone* ; Electric Impedance ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Mortality ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Phenobarbital ; Risk Factors ; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin* ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Thigh ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography ; Umbilicus ; Waist-Hip Ratio

Pseudohypoparathyroidism is a medical disorder characterized by a complex disorder of renal resistance to parathyroid hormone and the mechanism underlying the disease is still unclear. The authors described two cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism in sibling,who had metabolic anomalies(hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, high circulatin immunoreactive PTH)and basal ganglia calcification. Bilateral basal ganglia calcifications, which was not visible on plain skull film, was detected by CT scan of brain MRI. We report these cases with a review of related literatures.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Humans ; Hyperphosphatemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Pseudohypoparathyroidism* ; Siblings* ; Skull ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the sonographic findings of Osgood-Schlatter disease with correlation to radiographic findings and to determine value of sonography in the diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population consist of 22 cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease and 15 healthy subjects of the same age range for comparison. The sonographic study was carried out with real time units equipped with linear probe of 7 MHz frequency. Radiography and sonography were done in all cases and follow-up sonography was performed in 10 cases. RESULTS: The sonographic features of the Osgood-Schlatter disease were swelling of cartilage over the anterior tibial tuberosity ossification center in 16 cases, fragmentation and/or irregularities of the ossification center of the anterior tibial tuberosity in 14 cases, localized thickening of the pateliar tendon in 14 cases, ossicles in the thickened pateliar tendon in 3 cases, and distension of the infrapatellar bursa in 2 cases. Fifteen of 22 cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease had abnormal findings on radiographs and sonograms. Out of 7 cases which had normal radiograph and abnormal findings on sonogram, 6 cases showed pateliar tendon thickening, cartilage swelling, and/or distended infrapatellar bursa and one case showed fragmentation of anterior tibial tuberosity on sonogram. CONCLUSION: Sonographic evaluation of Osgood-Schlatter disease provided a clear picture about pathologic changes in the superficial soft tissues and in the cartilage and also yielded the same diagnostic information on bony change as radiography Sonography is a reliable and useful method for the evaluation of young patients with clinically suspected Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Cartilage ; Diagnosis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Osteochondrosis* ; Radiography ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the sonographic findings of Osgood-Schlatter disease with correlation to radiographic findings and to determine value of sonography in the diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population consist of 22 cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease and 15 healthy subjects of the same age range for comparison. The sonographic study was carried out with real time units equipped with linear probe of 7 MHz frequency. Radiography and sonography were done in all cases and follow-up sonography was performed in 10 cases. RESULTS: The sonographic features of the Osgood-Schlatter disease were swelling of cartilage over the anterior tibial tuberosity ossification center in 16 cases, fragmentation and/or irregularities of the ossification center of the anterior tibial tuberosity in 14 cases, localized thickening of the pateliar tendon in 14 cases, ossicles in the thickened pateliar tendon in 3 cases, and distension of the infrapatellar bursa in 2 cases. Fifteen of 22 cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease had abnormal findings on radiographs and sonograms. Out of 7 cases which had normal radiograph and abnormal findings on sonogram, 6 cases showed pateliar tendon thickening, cartilage swelling, and/or distended infrapatellar bursa and one case showed fragmentation of anterior tibial tuberosity on sonogram. CONCLUSION: Sonographic evaluation of Osgood-Schlatter disease provided a clear picture about pathologic changes in the superficial soft tissues and in the cartilage and also yielded the same diagnostic information on bony change as radiography Sonography is a reliable and useful method for the evaluation of young patients with clinically suspected Osgood-Schlatter disease.
Cartilage ; Diagnosis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Osteochondrosis* ; Radiography ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography*