Factors Associated with the Weight Bias Internalization of the Girls in Early Adolescence

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify factors (biological, psychological, interpersonal, and contextual factors) associated with the weight bias internalization of the Korean girls in early adolescence. @*Methods@#This study used a cross-sectional design. Data was collected from 233 girls aged 12~14 years with a self-reported questionnaire. With multiple regression analysis, the factors associated with the weight bias internalization of the girls in early adolescence were analyzed. @*Results@#Of psychosocial factors, fear to fat (anti-fat attitude) (β=.43, p<.001) was associated with the weight bias internalization of the girls in early adolescence. In addition, attachment with teachers (β=-.11, p=.029) of an interpersonal factor and perceived socio-cultural pressure regarding weight control (β=.34, p<.001) of a contextual factor were associated with the weight bias internalization of the girls in early adolescence. @*Conclusion@#For releasing the weight bias internalization of the girls in early adolescence, decreasing anti-fat attitude and socio-cultural pressure regarding weight control should be primarily required through social efforts including community and school based interventions.

Beneficial Effects of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Women

Purpose@#This study aims to determine whether breastfeeding may have any beneficial effects onmetabolic syndrome in a cohort of postmenopausal Korean women. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study with secondary data analysis was conducted using the cohort in theKorean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Data from 1,983 postmenopausal women were analyzed bylogistic regression analysis. Controlled covariates were chosen based on a biopsychosocial model andincluded age, family history of hypertension; type 2 diabetes mellitus; and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases,body mass index, age of menarche, parity, socioeconomic status of family, educational level, past orcurrent smoking experience, and current alcohol consumption experience. @*Results@#Breastfeeding experience and duration were not significantly associated with a decreasedlikelihood of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women. However, breastfeeding experience(adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.52 [p= .010]) and a total duration of breastfeeding exceeding3 months were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of abdominal obesity (3and < 6 months: AOR: 0.49 [p= .014]; 6 and < 12 months: AOR: 0.51 [p= .009]; <12 months: AOR:0.56 [p= .024]). @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that breastfeeding might have beneficial effects on reducing abdominalobesity in postmenopausal women. Health-care providers should publicize beneficial long-term effectsof breastfeeding on the prevention of abdominal obesity, a component of metabolic syndrome.

Beneficial Effects of Breastfeeding on the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Women

Purpose@#This study aims to determine whether breastfeeding may have any beneficial effects onmetabolic syndrome in a cohort of postmenopausal Korean women. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional study with secondary data analysis was conducted using the cohort in theKorean Genome and Epidemiology Study. Data from 1,983 postmenopausal women were analyzed bylogistic regression analysis. Controlled covariates were chosen based on a biopsychosocial model andincluded age, family history of hypertension; type 2 diabetes mellitus; and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases,body mass index, age of menarche, parity, socioeconomic status of family, educational level, past orcurrent smoking experience, and current alcohol consumption experience. @*Results@#Breastfeeding experience and duration were not significantly associated with a decreasedlikelihood of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women. However, breastfeeding experience(adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.52 [p= .010]) and a total duration of breastfeeding exceeding3 months were significantly associated with decreased likelihood of abdominal obesity (3and < 6 months: AOR: 0.49 [p= .014]; 6 and < 12 months: AOR: 0.51 [p= .009]; <12 months: AOR:0.56 [p= .024]). @*Conclusion@#Our findings indicate that breastfeeding might have beneficial effects on reducing abdominalobesity in postmenopausal women. Health-care providers should publicize beneficial long-term effectsof breastfeeding on the prevention of abdominal obesity, a component of metabolic syndrome.

Factors Associated with Pressure to Eat as a Feeding Practice among Mothers with Infants

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify factors-both infant-related and maternal-associated with pressure to eat as a feeding practice among mothers with infants. @*Methods@#This study used a cross-sectional design and included 163 mothers of infants aged 2~12 months. Of the 180 self-reported questionnaires that were distributed, 163 (91%) were included in the data analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with pressure to eat as a feeding practice among the mothers. @*Results@#Infant’s temperament (β=-.17, p=.035), mother’s body mass index (β=-.16, p=.048), and concern about the infant being underweight (β=.30, p=.001) were associated with pressure to eat as a feeding practice among mothers. The explanatory power of these variables in the predictive model was 19.2%. @*Conclusion@#Educational programs should be developed for improving mother’s awareness of cues from infants with difficult temperament. In addition, educational interventions regarding the correct evaluation of infant’s weight are needed to relieve mother’s concern about their infant’s being underweight. These interventions might be helpful to reduce the prevalence of pressure to eat as a feeding practice among mothers with infants.

A Study on Assessment System for Nursing Bachelor Degree Program Outcomes: Focused on Communication Ability Improvement / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The core of accreditation for nursing education is to improve the ability and quality of graduates through a CQI system based on outcomes. For program outcomes of nursing education accreditation criterion, it is necessary to understand the relationship among education assessment, objective and curriculum. METHODS: The focus of this study was on program outcomes and the assessment. First measures for improving the general problems of program outcomes associated with the assessment system were stated. Detailed measure for practicing program outcomes, the assessment system and the assessment tool using Rubrics were discussed. RESULTS: Detailed measure were established for practicing the program outcomes, assessment system and assessment tool, which makes use of rubrics, program outcome No 3 of the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education. CONCLUSION: Therefore it is expected that the assessment system established in this study will allow universities to conduct program outcomes and assessment.

The colchicine derivative CT20126 shows a novel microtubule-modulating activity with apoptosis

New colchicine analogs have been synthesized with the aim of developing stronger potential anticancer activities. Among the analogs, CT20126 has been previously reported to show immunosuppressive activities. Here, we report that CT20126 also shows potential anticancer effects via an unusual mechanism: the modulation of microtubule integrity and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase before apoptosis. When we treated COS-7 cells with CT20126 (5 muM), the normal thread-like microtubules were disrupted into tubulin dimers within 10 min and thereafter repolymerized into short, thick filaments. In contrast, cells treated with the same concentration of colchicine exhibited microtubule depolymerization after 20 min and never underwent repolymerization. Furthermore, optical density (OD) analysis (350 nm) with purified tubulin showed that CT20126 had a higher repolymerizing activity than that of Taxol, a potent microtubule-polymerizing agent. These results suggest that the effects of CT20126 on microtubule integrity differ from those of colchicine: the analog first destabilizes microtubules and then stabilizes the disrupted tubulins into short, thick polymers. Furthermore, CT20126 induced a greater level of apoptotic activity in Jurkat T cells than colchicine (assessed by G2/M arrest, caspase-3 activation and cell sorting). At 20 nM, CT20126 induced 47% apoptosis among Jurkat T cells, whereas colchicine induced only 33% apoptosis. Our results suggest that the colchicine analog CT20126 can potently induce apoptosis by disrupting microtubule integrity in a manner that differs from that of colchicine or Taxol.

Validation of a Needs Assessment Tool for Case Management in Korean Medical Aid Beneficiaries

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to validate the Needs Assessment Tool for Case Management (NATCM) for use with Korean medical aid beneficiaries. METHODS: Psychometric testing was performed with a sample of 645 Korean medical aid beneficiaries, which included 41 beneficiaries who were selected using proportional sampling method, to examine intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Data were evaluated using item analyses, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha, and ICC. RESULTS: Through psychometric testing the final version of NATCM was found to consist of two subscales: 1) Appropriateness of Health Care Utilization (5 items) and 2) Self Care Ability (6 items). The two subscale model was validated by CFA (RMSEA=.08, GFI=.97, and CFI=.93). Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha was .82, and subscale reliability ranged from .79 to .84. The ICC of the NATCM between case managers was .73 and between case managers and health care professionals. .82. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the final version of NATCM is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument to measure needs of Korean medical aid beneficiaries. Therefore, the NATCM can be effectively utilized as an important needs assessment as well as outcome evaluation tool for case management programs in Korea.

Colchicine-derived compound CT20126 promotes skin allograft survival by regulating the balance of Th1 and Th2 cytokine production

Colchicine has been shown to regulate the expression of inflammatory gene, but this compound possesses much weaker anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we synthesized a new colchicine derivative CT20126 and examined its immunomodulatory property. CT20126 was found to have immunosuppressive effects by inhibiting lymphocyte proliferation without cytotoxicity and effectively inhibit the transcriptional expression of the inflammatory genes, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta, in macrophages stimulated by LPS. This effect was nearly comparable to that of cyclosporine A. This compound also significantly suppressed the production of nitric oxide and Th1-related pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, and IL-2, with minimal suppression of Th2-related anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 in the sponge matrix allograft model. Moreover, administration of CT20126 prolonged the survival of allograft skins from BALB/c mice (H-2d) to the dorsum of C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice. The in vivo immune suppressive effects of CT20126 were similar to that of cyclosporine A. These results indicate that this compound may have potential therapeutic value for transplantation rejection and other inflammatory diseases.

PAP Smear-screening in Primary Care Women Physicians and Its Influence on Patients

BACKGROUND: PAP smear has been highly appraised for screening cervical cancer. Generally regarded is that women physicians regularly screen for PAP would promote patients' early detection and treatment rate by their strong recommendation. Hereby we investigated PAP-screening in primary care women physicians, recommending proportion and associated factors. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 981 members of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine, Korean Association of Family Practitioners, Korean Medical Women's Association, and Songpa-gu and Kangdong-gu family practitioners. a total of 193 respondents was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the total 55.4% of the respondents screened for PAP smear regularly, either annually (23.9%), or from their treating gynecologists (61.6%) or through routine check-up (81.1%). Common reasons for not screening were lack of time (40.7%) and forgetfulness (38.4%). Recommending proportion for PAP to patients was 49.2%. Reasons for not recommending were lack of equipment, forgetfulness (18.8% each). Confidence of PAP as a screening test was very high (71.5%); significantly related to PAP-screening and to recommending proportion (P=0.033, P=0.005, respectively). Many of the respondents thought physician's own PAP-screening affected its recommendation (45.3%), whereas significant relation to their actual PAP-screening was not found (P=0.845). PAP-screening in physicians showed no significant relationship with recommending proportion (P=0.053). Internal disease history had meaningful relation only with recommending proportion (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Though physicians show strong confidence in PAP and undergo more than the general public, most do not screen for it regularly and the recommending proportion was low. To improve physician's PAP-screening and recommending proportion, re-education of physicians and provision of proper clinical equipment are required.

Family Physician's Knowledge of and Attitude towards Spouse Abuse in Korea

BACKGROUND: The primary physician may be the first or the only professional who may come in contact with victims of spouse abuse. But little is known about family physician's knowledge of and attitude towards spouse abuse in Korea. Therefore, this study was conducted. METHODS: We selected 191 doctors from the participants of the 2003 annual meeting of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine (KAFM). We distributed a 5 paged questionnaire them to fillout and analyzed 125 cases among them. The questionnaire included social demographic characteristics, individual knowledge of and attitudes toword spouse abuse, individual practice experience, education and training experience, and others. RESULTS: We found a significant relationship between doctor's knowledge of spouse abuse and intervention after coming in contact with the victim. Also, this study showed that 31.8% of doctors intervened and traced the spouse abuse cases actively after physical treatment of victims, but none of the cases were reported to the police. Among the total 64.7% of the doctors explained that they did not want to intervene because they were afraid of getting involved in a legal situation. Some of the doctors who had prior educational experience concerning spouse abuse showed very significant high rate of actual intervention (P=0.0112). CONCLUSION: The more educational experience on spouse violence the doctors had, the more active intervention they showed. Therefore, we need to intensify the practical educational program along with the training medical program targeting medical practitioners. Of course we need to reguest sacrifice from doctors based on moral principles, but we also need systemic aid and reform to legal system to minimize burden to doctors.

Morphological Change and Distribution of Laminin and Fibronectin in Early Chick Embryos / 대한해부학회지

The distribution of fibronectin and laminin in early chick embryos has been studied by immunohistochemical method. Fibronectin was detected not only at the basement membranes of neural tube, dorsal aortae and somites but also at the entire mesenchyme area. But laminin only appeared at the basement membranes. During the development of chick embryo, the distribution pattern of these glycoproteins was not changed but showed strong intensity of staining. The dorsal aorta of a 2-day-old chick embryo had several layer of fibronectin-producing cells, but was devoid of laminin. Laminin expression commenced faintly after Day 3. In the brain capillary wall, fibronectin was distributed but laminin was not at Day 10. In the cardiac jelly, fibronectin was detected as thin dotted strands but laminin was not expressed at Day 2. Along the endocardium, fibronectin was detected but laminin was not found. After Day 3, fibronectin was found as increased in endocardium, myocardium and cardiac jelly, whereas laminin expression commenced. Cushion mesenchymal cell migration and development of myocardial trabeculae were inhibited by antifibronectin injected in the cardiac jelly but not anti-laminin. Conclusively, this study suggests that fibronectin and laminin are glycoproteins in the extracellular matrix but there is a difference between their distributions. Cushion mesenchymal cell migration from endocardium and development of trabeculae in chick embryonic heart are inhibited by anti-fibronectin. This result suggests that fibronectin is a `stepping stone` for the embryonic migrating cells and triggers cell migration. But laminin may not serve as a matrix for cell migration.

The Expression of Transforming Growth Factor -alpha and Epidermal Growth Factor on the Cardiovascularsystem of Developing Mouse Embryo / 체질인류학회지

The distribution of transforming growth factor -alpha (TGF -alpha ) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the cardiovascular system of developing mouse embryos of gestational age 7 to 12 days were immunohistochemically (ABC method) studies to investigate the differential expression of these growth factors. Paraffin embedded sections were immunostained with antibodies for TGF -alpha and EGF. In the 8 -day -old mouse embryos, the endocardial tissue, myocardial tissue and cardiac jelly were all TGF -alpha stained. EGF stain was observed in the cardiac jelly and myocardial tissue but was not observed in the endocardial tissue. This suggests that in the initial phase of the cardiovascular system development, TGF -alpha function as earlier growth factor than EGF. The 9, 10 and 11 -day -old embryos showed TGF -alpha stain in the broad spectrum of developing cardiovascular tissues such as, the bulbus cordis, primitive atrium, sinus venosus, aortic sac, dorsal aorta, vitelline artery, endocardial cushion tissue, and myocardium of primitive ventricle. However, EGF stain was observed only in the bulbus cordis, primitive atrium and endocardial tissue. This finding indicates that TGF -alpha function as a more extensive growth factor than EGF. The 12 -day -old embryos showed stronger EGF stain than TGF -alpha in the primitive ventricle, bulbus cordis, and endocardial tissue. This suggests that EGF function as a more growth factor than TGF -alpha at this particular developmental stage and plays important role at the end stage of the primitive heart development.

Differential Expression of Transforming Growth Factor-α and Epidermal Growth Factor in Developing Mouse Embryo / 체질인류학회지

The distribution of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in developing mouse embryos of gestational age 8 to 15 days was immunohistochemically (ABC method) studied to investigate the differential expression of these growth factors. Paraffin embedded sections were immunostained with antibodies for TGF-α and EGF. Staining of TGF-α was observed in several organs derived from endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm in 9-day-old mouse embryos, such as in the heart, optic pit, head mesenchyme, neural tube and primitive gut, and the staining became more intense in 10 to 15-day-old mouse embryos. The staining of EGF was seen in the heart and primitive gut derived from mesoderm and ectoderm respectively, in 9-day-old mouse embryos, but it was observed in other organs as well in 10 to 15-day-old embryos although the intensity was weaker. In the development of heart, immunoreactivity for TGF-α was more intense than EGF, which suggests more active involvement of TGF-α. In the lung, TGF-α staining was observed both in the bronchus and lung bud, whereas EGF staining was seen only the bronchus. In the nervous system, TGF-α was expressed more extensively and more intensively than EGF. In the developing skeletal system, TGF-α staining was stronger and the expression was observed at earlier stage compared with EGF. These results indicate that the activity of TGF-α is more potent than EGF in the development of mouse embryo in general, especially, in the development of mouse heart, nervous system, mesenchyme and skeletal system.

Classification of Korean Adult Mandibular Condyles / 체질인류학회지

This study is concerned with the classifcation of Korean adult mandibular condyles on the basis of the shape of their anteroposterior view. The results were as follows ; 1. Morphological variations are classified into 4 groups. The percentage of each group has been : flat, 7.7% ; convex, 47.2% ; angled, 14.8% ; round, 30.3%. 2. The location of the highest point were as follows : in the lateral third, 15.5% ; middle third, 80.3% ; medial third, 4.2%. 3. The maximum transverse diameter and greatest height were 20.3±2.4mm and 6.5±1.5mm, respectively.

Blood Oxygen Content in the Various Chambers of the Right Side of the Heart in Patients without Intracardiac Shunts

It would seem logical that a left to right shunt may be localized to that chamber in which an increase in oxygen content beyond the normal variation is first seen, while this is generally true, there are certain limitations to such direct diagnostic interpretation. The interpretation of an observed difference in oxygen content is influenced by the result of extremely poor mixing or of a change in respiratory, circulatory or metabolic steady states. This is one of the major challenges to proper interpretation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the blood oxygen content in various chambers of the right side of the heart in patients without shunt and to study the difference in oxygen content between the various chambers. The right heart catheterization was performed in 19 cardiac patients without shunt in Cardiac Laboratory in Hospital. 1. The blood oxygen content was 12.36+/-2.23 volume per cent (mean+/-standard error) in superior vena vava, 12.59+/-2.23 volume per cent in inferior vena cava, 12.59+/-2.23 volume per cent in mid-right atrium, 12.92+/-1.90 volume per cent in mid-right ventricle and 12.26+/-2.13 volume per cent in main pulmonary artery. 2. The mean difference of oxygen content was 0.16 volume per cent between superior vena cava and right atrium, 0.08 volume per cent between right atrium and right ventricle, and 0.06 volume per cent between right ventricle and main pulmonary artery.