The rapid economic development of Korea since 1960 has also brought a rapid urbanization process, and recently many rural areas have begun to show actual depopulation, in which particularly the young, productive and high educated groups are leaving for cities. More than 70% of migrations go to large cities such as Seoul, Pusan and Taegu. Their main motives for migration are to seek a job in urban areas. The study showed following results; The rate of migration a year was 1% of total population. Regarding the age of migrators belong to between 10-39 years old, especially migrator aged 10-29 years as comprised 87%. The educational level of migrator was a little higher than that of the residents. Considering the sibling order of migrators, the traditional value system for first son seemed to change. Concerning the place of destination, more than 70% of migrators moved to large cities such as Seoul, Pusan and Taegu. The main motivation of migration was to seek a job in urban areas. The occupation at the place of destination were factory workers, employee at company, students, salesmen, farmers and public officials in that order.
Busan ; Daegu ; Economic Development ; Emigration and Immigration* ; Humans ; Korea ; Motivation ; Occupations ; Seoul ; Siblings ; Urbanization

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Heart rate variability has been known to be a prognostic factor of heart disease. However, determinants of heart rate variability in general korean population without clinical heart disease have not been studied. Objectives of this study were to measure heart rate variability in general population and to investigate clinical determinants of heart rate variability. METHODS:Heart rate variability measures were obtained by LRR-03TM and MemCalcTM software (GMS, Tokyo, Japan) from public officials in a district of Seoul and their families(n=69). Predictors of heart rate variability included age, gender, heart rate, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol. Univariate analysis and analysis of variance of low frequency power(0.04-0.15 Hz), high frequency power(0.15-0.30 Hz), and total power spectrum in relation to explanatory variables were done. In order to select determinants of heart rate variability, multiple linear regression model of each heart rate variability measure was created and stepwise selection method was applied. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed that older age, higher heart rate, body mass index > or =27, systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure > or =90 mmHg, and serum total cholesterol > or =240 mg/dl were negatively associated with one or more heart rate variability measures. Serum HDL-cholesterol > or =35 mg/dl was positively associated with low and high frequency power. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that age and heart rate were the major determinants, gender and cardiovascular risk factors such as diastolic blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol, and smoking contributed to one or more heart rate variability measures. CONCLUSIONS: Age, heart rate, gender, and cardiovascular risk factors must be considered when evaluating heart rate variability.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Linear Models ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Seborrheic dermatitis is a very common chronic inflammatory disease. Previous studies suggested that, Pityrosporum, lipophilic fungi, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the disease clinically and mycologically for better understanding of the pathogenesis. METHODS: Two hundred and one new patient.s with seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp and 67 norrnal subjects were obs!,rved clinically by the dermatologist and studied stat,istically by questionnaires. A mycologic study of Pityrosporum was also performed by direct smear. RESULTS: Among a total of 201 patients wit,h seborrheic dermatitis, 72.6% had pityriasis sicca, 10.5% had pityr iasis steartoides and 16.9% had inflammatory seborrheic dermatitis. On clinical grading by the Kligman.. scale, grade III(slightly scaling) was the most common in the patients and 52.6% of the norma. subjects were below grade II (no scaling). Spores of Pityrosporum were observed in 76.7% of the patients and 91.5% of the normal subjects. The incidence of Pityrosporum was lower particularly in t,he patients with inflammatory seborrheic dermatitis t,han in other pa~tients groups. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the study, it, is difficult to conclude that Pityrosporum is a main causative ager t of seborrheic dermatitis. In addition, it is thought t.hat further studies of the role of Pityrosporum in seborrheic dermatitis are needed.
Dermatitis, Seborrheic* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malassezia* ; Pityriasis ; Scalp* ; Spores ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Seborrheic dermatitis is a very common chronic inflammatory disease. Previous studies suggested that, Pityrosporum, lipophilic fungi, may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the disease clinically and mycologically for better understanding of the pathogenesis. METHODS: Two hundred and one new patient.s with seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp and 67 norrnal subjects were obs!,rved clinically by the dermatologist and studied stat,istically by questionnaires. A mycologic study of Pityrosporum was also performed by direct smear. RESULTS: Among a total of 201 patients wit,h seborrheic dermatitis, 72.6% had pityriasis sicca, 10.5% had pityr iasis steartoides and 16.9% had inflammatory seborrheic dermatitis. On clinical grading by the Kligman.. scale, grade III(slightly scaling) was the most common in the patients and 52.6% of the norma. subjects were below grade II (no scaling). Spores of Pityrosporum were observed in 76.7% of the patients and 91.5% of the normal subjects. The incidence of Pityrosporum was lower particularly in t,he patients with inflammatory seborrheic dermatitis t,han in other pa~tients groups. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the study, it, is difficult to conclude that Pityrosporum is a main causative ager t of seborrheic dermatitis. In addition, it is thought t.hat further studies of the role of Pityrosporum in seborrheic dermatitis are needed.
Dermatitis, Seborrheic* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malassezia* ; Pityriasis ; Scalp* ; Spores ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Myocardial Infarction*

BACKGROUND: Several biochemical mediators, such as substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and prostaglandin E2, have been demonstrated to be involved in herniated or degenerated disc-induced radiculopathy. The authors tested the hypothesis that these mediators would existed in the epidural space of humans. METHODS: Thirty nine patients were divided into two groups; 27 patients, who were diagnosed with spinal stenosis (stenosis group), and 12 scheduled for epidural anesthesia, without a history of back pain (control group). Under fluoroscopic guidance, an epidural catheter was introduced through the caudal space and placed into the anterior and posterior spaces, up to and around the epidural adhesive area, in the stenosis group. In the control group, the catheter was placed into the posterior epidural space through the L3 4 or L4 5 intervertebral space. Epidural irrigation was performed with 10 ml of saline, via an epidural catheter. Aspirated lavage fluid was collected, and the concentrations of biochemical mediators (substance P, CGRP and prostaglandin E2) measured using an enzyme immunoassay kit. RESULTS: Substance P, CGRP and prostaglandin E2 were detected in all the epidural lavage fluids from both groups. The concentrations of substance P and prostaglandin E2 in the stenosis group were higher than those of the control (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the CGRP levels between the two groups. In the stenosis group, the concentrations of these three mediators in the anterior epidural space were no different to those in the posterior space. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that biochemical mediators, such as substance P and prostaglandin E2, in the epidural space might be partly involved in pain mechanism associated with spinal stenosis.
Adhesives ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Back Pain ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide* ; Calcitonin* ; Catheters ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dinoprostone* ; Epidural Space* ; Humans* ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Stenosis ; Substance P* ; Therapeutic Irrigation

BACKGROUND: Amezinium methylsulfate(Risumic) is the useful drug in the treatment of essential hypotension. This drug elevate blood pressure by stimulating sympathetic nervous system and improve symptoms related hypotension. This study was designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of Risumic for patients with essential hypotension. METHODS: This study was performed in patients with systolic blood pressure less than 100mmHg from June, 1999 to December, 1999. Risumic blood pressure response, improvement of symptom and side effect were examined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. RESULTS: Total of 54 patients participated in this study and only 55.6% of them were finished and the rest of them(44.4%) was stopped. 6 patients of this patients were stopped because of side effects. But there was no difference in side effects in Risumic and placebo periods. In diastolic BP, Risumic group is 5mmHg higher than placebo group. And then there was significant difference in statistics. CONCLUSIONS: In essential hypotensive patients, Risumic is elevater DBP than SBP, side effects frequency was no significance difference in Risumic and placebo group.
Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Sympathetic Nervous System

The dermoid cysts occur most frequently in the ovary and are extremely rare in the greater omentum. We report a case of dermoid cyst of the greater omentum misdiagnosed as right ovarian cyst. She was a 27-year-old woman with an omental dermoid cyst of 6 cm in diameter in the cul-de-sac, and the tumor was resected laparoscopically. The histopathologic diagnosis was dermoid cyst and no evidence of malignancy was noted. The patient had no right ovary and tube. These findings demonstrated possible autoamputation of an ovary with dermoid cyst.
Adult ; Dermoid Cyst ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Omentum ; Ovarian Cysts ; Ovary

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to clarify the long-term functional outcome of NF-2 and to elucidate optimal treatment strategy. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed clinical records and radiological imaging of 32 patients of NF-2 treated at from 1979 to 2000. Age at diagnosis was 30(14-54). Male to female ratio was 14:18. Mean follow-up(F/U) periods were 61(6-240) months. Four patients were lost during F/U periods. Fifty-one tumors of 29 patients were surgically treated including radiosurgery, and three patients rejected any treatment. Eleven tumors of 10 patients with non-schwannomas were managed by craniotomy, and one of them was managed by biopsy only. Among 21 tumors of 19 patients with schwannomas, 16 tumors of 14 patients were vestibular schwannomas(VS), one trigeminal schwannoma, and four spinal schwannomas. Fourteen tumors with 13 patients were managed by radiosurgery. RESULTS: Presenting symptoms were hearing problem(44%, 14/32 patients), motor or sensory change (25%, 8/32 patients), and visual symptoms (15%, 5/32 patients). Long-term functional outcome was poor (KPS; median 46.6). Six patients died during follow periods and the cause of death was aspiration pneumonia related to lower cranial palsy or high cervical cord lesion(except 1 case; suicide). In 17 patients, 7 patients of initial hearing had preserved after any treatment modalities, another 10 patients had deteriorated hearing function. In facial nerve function, 12 patients except one patient deteriorated after surgical resection. Even though facial-hypoglossal anastomosis was performed in two patients, there was no improvement of facial nerve function. CONCLUSION: Long-term results of NF-2 patients were unfavorable. The early detection of the tumor, regular F/U of patients and individually refined management are important for the optimal treatment of NF-2 patients.
Biopsy ; Cause of Death ; Craniotomy ; Diagnosis ; Facial Nerve ; Female ; Hearing ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 2* ; Paralysis ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Radiosurgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome*

OBJECTIVES: Mental health and work efficiency are adversely affected by exposure to physical and chemical hazards in the workplace. This study is the first large scale evaluation of the relationship between physical and chemical hazard exposure in the workplace in relation to the mental health of Korean workers. METHODS: A national survey of a random sample of workers (n=10,043) was conducted between June and September 2006 in Korea. Physical and chemical hazards in the workplace were considered if exposure occurred over more than a quarter of the time spent at work. Mental health problems were defined as work-related depression, anxiety or insomnia. We analyzed whether physical and chemical hazards were independent risk factors for work-related mental health problems by multiple logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, employment type, education, occupation, duty schedule, work hours, smoking, and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The mean age of surveyed workers was 42 years and 58% were male. A total of 7.8% of workers had work-related mental health problems. Exposure to high temperature, mist, fumes, dust, chemicals, and radiation were associated with an increased risk of work-related mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: This study reaffirmed that physical and chemical hazard exposure in the workplace significantly elevates the risk of work-related mental health problems.
Anxiety ; Appointments and Schedules ; Depression ; Dust ; Employment ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Risk Factors ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vibration