PURPOSE: This study is to develop a hypothetical structural model of the quality of life of single aged women and to explain the compatibilities between the models and actual data. METHODS: Ten theoretical variables were used to evaluate of the quality of life of single aged women. 300 of single aged women were selected as the subjects. A hypothetical prediction model of quality of life was tested by the covariance structure analysis with PC-LISREL 8.12. RESULTS: Economy, religion activity, leisure activity, social support, self-esteem, depression and health prompting behavior were the significant variables which affected to the quality of life directly in the single aged women. But social support, self-esteem affected to them indirectly. Knowing perceived health status directly but it affected indirectly to the quality of life in single aged women. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was discovered that self-esteem was the most important factor to affect to the quality of life in single aged women and the next was the depression and health promoting behavior. As a result, it was discovered that age, economic status, self-esteem and depression were the significant factors to affect to the quality of life in single aged women.
Aged ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Leisure Activities ; Models, Structural ; Quality of Life

College and university foodservice dietitians have to be competent for playing a role as the future food service executive as well as the present foodservice administrator in the promising foodservice industry field. The study conducted a survey to examine training needs corresponding to educational contents for the purpose of helping them acquire a new knowledge related to self-development and duty through educational training. The results of this study suggested that training needs were differed by general characteristics of dietitians, operational characteristics of food services, and training subjects. A future study should develop systematic training strategies for dietitians.
Administrative Personnel ; Food Services ; Humans ; Nutritionists*

No abstract available.
Testis*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to suggest direction and strategy of safety education proper to elementary school children. METHOD: The subject of this survey consisted of 313 3rd-5th grade from 4 elementary schools in Kyungi-Do and Kwangwon-Do. Data were collected from March to May, 2002 using a questionnaire about "safety education needs", "knowledge about injury prevention", "attitude about injury prevention. RESULT: 1. The degree of safety education needs showed averaged 77.50 on the basis of 100 points. 2. The degree of knowledge and attitude about injury prevention showed averaged 72.81 and 81.74 seperately on the basis of 100 points. 3. With the respect to the demographic characteristics, there were stastically significant differences in safety education need according to children's grade(F=8.692, p=.003), sex(t=-2.059, p=.040), family type(t=-2.229, p=.027) and in knowledge & attitude about injury prevention, there statiscally significant difference according to experience of injury prevention education(t=3.058, p=.003; t=5.308, p=.000) each. 4. The level of safety education needs is correlated at signficant level with knowledge and attitude about injury prevention of childrens(r=.166, p=.048; r=.265, p=.001) and between knowledge and attitude about injury prevention, there was significant correlation (r=.427, p=.000). CONCLUSION: From this results, nurses can plan safety education program appropriate to children's needs, level of knowledge and attitude about injury prevention.
Child* ; Education* ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The region segmentation of the pap-smear image is known to be a difficult and important part in the automatic image recognition system. Both the pixel based methods(thresholding) and the region based methods(split and merge, region growing and edge detection) are widely used for segmentation of the nucleus, cytoplasm and background in the pap-smear images. The pixel based methods are relatively fast, but not accurate, while the region based methods are accurate, but slow. This paper proposes a multistage segmentation strategy which uses thresholding and incremental color clustering methods to reduce computation time while not sacrificing accuracy. Proposed method consists of three stages. The first stage uses global thresholding method to search nucleus blob position, and the second stage employs incremental color clustering with color information. The final stage segments unsuitable nuclei using thresholding method after calculating suitability for each extracted nucleus blob. The proposed segmentation method is tested under various error measures. The experimental results showed that each stage of the proposed method reduced specific error measures: The second stage reduced false negative error and the third stage false positive error.
Cytoplasm

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis, as seen on abdominal CT imaging after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma, should be considered as the recurrence of carcinoma or postoperative change. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty-one abdominal CT examinations of 71 patients who had undergone subtotal or total gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma were included in our study. Conventional CT scans were obtained with 1 cm thickness and interval from the diaphragm to the kidneys after contrast enhancement. It was considered that carcinoma had not recurred if findings were negative on UGI series, endoscopy with biopsy and a normal level of carcinoembryonic antigen except for soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis on abdominal CT. We then divided subjects into a recurrence group (N = 20) and normal group (N = 51) and on initial follow-up CT (FU-CT), analyzed the incidence, margin, shape, extent, degree and pattern of attenuation of the soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis in both groups. Since the second FU-CT examination, we observed changes in the soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis. RESULTS: On initial follow-up CT, at mean 308 days after surgery, fifty-five percent(39/71) of total patients (70% (14/20) of the recurrence group and 49% (25/51) of the normal group) showed soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis. The margin was distinct in 12 (86%) of the recurrence group and indistinct in 21 (84%) of the normal group (P < 0.001). Twelve (86%) of the recurrence group showed a nodular or confluent nodular shape and 21 (84%) of the normal group showed a permeative shape (P < 0.001). Extent was unilateral in eight (57%) of the recurrence group and bilateral in 16 (64%) of the normal group. Attenuation was similar to that of the spleen and muscle in seven (50%) of the recurrence group and was similar to that of muscle in 18 (72%) of the normal group. The pattern of attenuation was homogeneous in 13 (93%) of the recurrence group and 21 (84%) of the normal group. There was no significant difference in extent, degree and pattern of attenuation between the two groups. Since the second FU-CT examination, soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis was seen to have changed. In one patient in the recurrence group it had a distinct margin, was nodular in shape, unilateral in extent and showed attenuation similar to that of the spleen. In one patient in the normal group, it had changed and had an indistinct margin, three patients showed a decrease in the amount of soft tissue and eight showed decreased attenuation. CONCLUSION: Follow-up abdominal CT is useful in the differentiation of cancer recurrence and postoperative change, and for observing changes in soft tissue surrounding the celiac axis.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra* ; Biopsy ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Diaphragm ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Recurrence ; Spleen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Leukemia*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the effects of life stress and depression in undergraduates on suicidal ideation. METHODS: The participants in this study were 306 nursing students from three different cities. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean score for life stress was 48.48, for depression, 28.59, and for suicidal ideation, 5.90. There were positive relationships between depression and life stress, suicidal ideation and life stress, and suicidal ideation and depression. The four factors of life stress, depression, school life, and gender were identified as factors influencing on suicidal ideation in undergraduates. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that the establishment of mental health care centers in universities, and development and implementation of nursing intervention programs for suicide prevention would be helpful.
Depression ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Stress, Psychological ; Students, Nursing ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide ; Child Health

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using ultrasound guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for the benign nodules of the thyroid gland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 148 patients with benign thyroid nodules (200 total nodules) that were confirmed histopathologically, and we performed ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation. The radiofrequency ablation was done 1 to 5 times per one nodule, and follow-up ultrasonography was performed one to nineteen months after the ablation procedures. The physical changes and the decrease of volume of the nodules were evaluated, and the complications related to radiofrequency ablation were observed. RESULTS: The mean initial nodule volume was 0.01-95.61 ml (mean; 6.83+/-SD of 10.63 ml) and the nodule volume after radiofrequency ablation was decreased to 0.00-46.56 ml (mean; 1.83+/-SD of 4.69 ml). The mean volume reduction rate was 73.2%. Reduction of more than 50% was noted in 90% of all cases. For 180 nodules (90%), the decrease was 50% or more, in 20 nodules (10%), the decrease was 49% or less. On gray-scale ultrasonogram obtained after ablation, the echogenicity of the nodules changed to darker, and on the doppler-sonogram, the vascular flow within the nodules disappeared in all cases. Most patients complained pain during or right after the procedure, but the pain was transient and subsided after medication. Two patients developed hoarseness that was improved in 1 week and 2 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sonoguided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation can be one of the treatments for benign nodules of the thyroid gland.
Catheter Ablation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and malignant rate of incidental asymmetric palatine tonsillar uptake (ATU) on (18)F-FDG PET/CT in various clinical indications and to evaluate the clinical and PET/CT findings suggesting malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 2,901 patients (58.4+/-12.3 yrs, range 20~88 yrs, M:F=1,841:1,060) who underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT during an 1-year period with various indications except primary tonsillar cancer and lymphoma evaluation. On (18)F-FDG PET/CT, metabolic abnormality of the palatine tonsil and cervical lymph node were visually assessed. ATU was defined as increased palatine tonsillar uptake with diffuse, focal, or irregular pattern compared to contralateral side. The incidence and malignant ratio of ATU were evaluated according to clinical and PET/CT findings. RESULTS: Of 2,901 cases, 290 (10.0%) showed ATU. The incidence of ATU showed seasonal variation and was high in the winter (12.1%). Of 209 cases with ATU confirmed pathologically and/or clinically, five (2.4%) were malignant lesions. ATU with irregular uptake pattern (2/2) and in cases referred for cervical lymph node metastasis of unknown origin (3/5) were frequently associated with malignant lesion (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: ATU was not infrequently observed on (18)F-FDG PET/CT, and the malignant risk of ATU was low. However, ATU with cervical lymph node metastasis or with irregular pattern on PET/CT would be further evaluated by the histopathologic examination.
Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Palatine Tonsil ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Tonsillar Neoplasms