We have observed that the companion shadow of the upper rib may be misinterpreted as a small pnemothorax or pleural plaque associated with asbestosis. To observe the radiographic characteristics of the normal companion shadow, we analyzed, on the posteroanterior(PA) chest radiographs, the companion shadow of 50 normal cases. Factors such as occurrence on each rib, the sharpness of the margin, the relative position to the rib, the shape and the thickness were observed. Also, we analyzed the displaced pleura of 4 pneumothorax cases to differentiate their frndings from the findings of normal companion shadows. On 50 normal chest radiographs, 192 compaion shadows were observed on the first to fourth ribs. In 173 of those shadows, the visceral margin of the companion shadow on the second rib simulated pneumothorax more closely than those on any othe rivs due to its apical location and thinness. In six of 50 normal cases, the companion shadow on the first or second rib showed an inw rdly convex lower margin, mimicking pleural plaque. The compaion shadow was suggested on the plain chest radiograph by the following characteristics imultiplicity(47/50), thicker than normal pleura(3/4), persistent on serial filma with the same shape and specific location(4/4).
Asbestosis ; Friends* ; Humans ; Pleura ; Pneumothorax ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Ribs* ; Thinness

This study was done to identify the reality in doing the intradermal skin test of injectional antibiotics and to serve a basis to the clinical and educational situations. For the study, the survey was done to the staff nurses who are working at one of the selected 39 hospitals in the capital area, from January 6 to Feburary 8 in 1997. The data analysis was done by mean, standard deviation, Fisher's exact test, t-test, ANOVA through running SAS computer program. The results of the study were as follows : 1.The dilution ratio of the antibiotics was mostly 1 : 10 regardless of what kind of antibitics. Making the contrast was done only for the suspended to the antibiotics. Mostly the reaction was detected after 15 to 20 minutes from its diameter of redness and wheals. Most of the respondents answered they do the intradermal skin test only once for the same antibiotics. 2. In the education on the skin test the 66.7% from the respondents had exposed to the education mostly through the new nurses orientation. The 85.4% from them answered the need of the continuous education which had a significant difference in the number of beds(p=.046). The had experiences of detecting positive reactions(98.3%), and of anaphyaxis(49.5%) which had a significant difference in experience(p=.002) and in their age groups(p=.000). 3. The average score of the confidence on the intradermal skin test was 3.32 form 4-point scale. Also it had a significant difference from the number of beds(p=.010), the year of experiences(p=.016), and their age groups(p=.046). 4. From the general characteristics of respondents, the infection methods had a significant difference in the amounts of injection, whether adopting the contrast pairing, and the repeatable skin tests for the same antibiotics. 5. Only 15 from 39 hospitals had their protocol about the intradermal skin test provided by nursing department which differs in its contents from that provided by the medical information center. From the results of the study, it is suggested that the continuous education on the intradermal skin test and its unified protocol should be provided. Also it is recommended that the drug manufacturer should notice about its anaphylactic cautions and pack its extra skin test use.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Information Centers ; Nursing ; Running ; Skin Tests* ; Skin* ; Statistics as Topic

This study examined effect of preceptorship on clinical education of senior nursing students of Y. University in Seoul. Quasi-experimental study design was used. Sixty students of pre-test and 80 of post-test participated in this study. Competency scores of the students before the clinical education(pre-competency scores) were compared with the competency scores after the clinical education(post-competency scores), and teacher evaluation scores between preceptors and clinical the data from students with preceptors(experimental group, N=22) and with clinical instructors(comparative group, N=58) were also examined. Study results indicated that the total post-competency scores were higher compared to the total pre-competency scores, and the difference was statistically significant. Among 7 sub-domains, differences were all statistically significant in 6 sub-domains except "self-esteem" domain. Competency scores of the students who had clinical education with had clinical education from clinical instructors. But the difference between those scores was not statistically significant. However, students gave higher evaluation scores to preceptors than clinical instructors. This study concluded that preceptorship did not influence much on clinical education at this time yet. However it is expected that when preceptors adjust their new roles and function them in expert education. This study recommended that for the preceptors to increase their motivation to teach students and to accept their roles, systemic rewards are needed.
Education* ; Humans ; Motivation ; Nursing* ; Preceptorship* ; Reward ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing*

OBJECTIVE: We studied the expression of epidermal growh factor(EGF) and transforming growth factor(TGF)-a and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) in human trophoblast and decidua at the first and third trimester. METHODS: To confirm the expression of EGF, TGF-a and EGFR immunohisochemically in human trophoblast and decidua, we used monoclonal antibodies to EGF, TGF-a and EGFR. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical stainings using anti-EGF, anti-TGF- a and anti-EGFR antibodies showed a specific stainings in human trophoblast and decidua at the first and third trimester. The staining intensity of EGF in the trophoblast was light to moderate at the first trimester and moderate at the third trimester, and that in the decidua was light to moderate at the first trimester and light at the third trimester. The patterns of expression of TGF- a in the trophoblast and decidua were similar to that seen with EGF in the trophoblast and that of EGFR in trophoblast and decidua were similar to that seen with EGF in decidua. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that EGF, TGF-a and EGFR may play an important role in human trophoblast and decidua during gestation.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Decidua* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Trophoblasts*

No abstract available.
Nephritis, Interstitial* ; Yersinia pseudotuberculosis* ; Yersinia*

No abstract available.
Kidney* ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Transplantation*

DNA barcoding has been widely used in species identification and biodiversity research. A short fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence serves as a DNA bio-barcode. We collected DNA barcodes, based on COI sequences from 156 species (529 sequences) of fish, insects, and shellfish. We present results on phylogenetic relationships to assess biodiversity the in the Korean peninsula. Average GC% contents of the 68 fish species (46.9%), the 59 shellfish species (38.0%), and the 29 insect species (33.2%) are reported. Using the Kimura 2 parameter in all possible pairwise comparisons, the average interspecific distances were compared with the average intraspecific distances in fish (3.22 vs. 0.41), insects (2.06 vs. 0.25), and shellfish (3.58 vs. 0.14). Our results confirm that distance-based DNA barcoding provides sufficient information to identify and delineate fish, insect, and shellfish species by means of all possible pairwise comparisons. These results also confirm that the development of an effective molecular barcode identification system is possible. All DNA barcode sequences collected from our study will be useful for the interpretation of species-level identification and community-level patterns in fish, insects, and shellfish in Korea, although at the species level, the rate of correct identification in a diversified environment might be low.
Biodiversity ; DNA ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Insects ; Korea ; Shellfish

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of life style characteristics on the prevalence risk of metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODS: A total of 581 adults were recruited from a cardiovascular outpatient clinic. A newly developed comprehensive life style evaluation tool for MS patients was used, and patient data related to the MS diagnosis were reviewed from the hospital records. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MS was 53.2%, and the mean of MS score was 2.6 for patients at a cardiovascular outpatient clinic (78% of the patients had hypertension). Dietary habits among the life style characteristics had significant influence on the prevalence risk of MS and MS scores. And also interestingly, the classification and regression tree (CART) model suggested that the high prevalence risk groups for MS were older adults (61.5< or =age<79.4), and adults between 48.5 and 61.5 yr of age with bad dietary habits. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that nurses should focus on dietary habits of patients (especially patients classified as high prevalence risk for MS) for improvement and prevention of MS prevalence risk.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Demography ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; *Life Style ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome X/diagnosis/epidemiology/*psychology ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological

The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) had gradually been declining all over the world, but in recent years, TB has been increasing due to the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). When immune-suppression status deteriorates further, extrapulmonary TB generally appears more often. Abdominal TB is one type of extra-pulmonary TB, which may involve the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneum, lymph nodes or solid viscera. We encountered a case who had initially been diagnosed as having abdominal TB, had progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome and was eventually confirmed as having developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome. In cases of coinfection of TB and HIV, it is reported that immunological responses become poor and complications with higher morbidity frequently occur. Therefore, the Korean guidelines for TB should be revised to ensure whether HIV infection exists in TB patients.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome* ; Coinfection ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Peritoneum ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Tuberculosis* ; Viscera

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of the addition of Vit. D3 (1,25-Dihydroxychole calciferol D3) to the conventional postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy on bone mineral density(BMD) DESIGN: A 2-year retrospective , randomized study Setting : Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Catholic university hospital Patients : 388 postmenopausal women were recruited and divided into 5 groups according to treatment regimen; A: conjugated estrogens only treated group(n=146), B : conjugated estrogens and progesterone treated group(n=103), C : conjugated estrogens and Vit.D3 treated group (n=36), D : conjugated estrogens, progesterone and Vit.D3 treated group (n=41), E : control group (n=60). METHODS: The bone mineral density of the lumbar spines and femoral neck were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry(DEXA) every 2 years. STATISTICS: The difference between before and after treatment was determined by paired t-test. The comparison among the groups were determined by one way ANOVA test and student's t-test. RESULTS: The addition of progesterone to estrogen showed insignificant increase in the lumbar and femoral neck BMD. The addition of Vit. D3 compared with conventional hormone replacement therapy insignificantly influened bone density in women with initially normal BMD, but definitely increase in women with initially osteopenic and osteoporotic BMD of femoral neck rather than lumar spine(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of Vit. D3 combined with postmenopausal estrogen replacement effects the increase of BMD in low bone density than normal bone density, especially femoral neck.
Bone Density* ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Estrogens ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Gynecology ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Obstetrics ; Progesterone ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Vitamins*