• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.958-969
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• 1998

In this study, we attempted to investigate the needs and problems of the terminal cancer patients and their family caregivers to provide them with nursing information to improve their quality of life and prepare for a peaceful death. Data was collected from August 1, 1995 to July 31, 1996 at the internal medicine unit of S hospital in Seoul area with the two groups of participants who were family members of terminal cancer patients seventy four of them were in-patients and 34 were out-patients who were discharged from the same hospital for home care. The research tool used in this study has been developed by selecting the questionnaires from various references, modifying them for our purpose and refining them based on the results of preliminary study. While general background information about the patients was obtained by reviewing their medical records, all other information was collected by interviewing the primary family caregivers of the patients using the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed with the SPSS PC/sup +/ program. The results of this study are summarized as follows ; 1) Most frequently complained symptoms of the terminal cancer patients were in the order of pain(87%), weakness(86.1%), anorexia(83.3%) and fatigue (80.6%). 2) Main therapies for the terminal cancer patients were pain control (58.3%), hyperalimentation(47.2%) and antibiotics(21.3%). 3) Special medical devices that terminal cancer patients used most were oxygen device (11.1%), and feeding tube(5.6%). Other devices were used by less than 5% of the patients. 4) The mobility of 70.4% of the patients was worse than ECOG 3 level, they had to stay in bed more than 50% of a day. 5) Patients wanted their medical staffs to help relieve pain(45.4%), various physical symptoms(29.6%), and problems associated with their emotion(11.1%). 6) 16.7% of the family caregivers hoped for full recovery of the patients, refusing to admit the status of the patients. Also, 37% wished for the extension of the patient's life at least for 6 months. 7) Only 38.9% of the family members was preparing for the patient's funeral. 8) 45.4% of family caregivers prefer hospital as the place for the patient's death, 39.8% their own home, and 14.8% undetermined. 9) Caregivers of the patients were mostly close family members, i.e., spouse(62%), and sons and daughters or daughter-in-laws(21.3%). 10) 43.5% of the family caregivers were aware of hospice care. 46.8% of them learned about the hospice care from the mass media, 27.7% from health professionals, and the rest from books and other sources. 11) Caregivers were asked about the most difficult problems they encounter in home care, 41 of them pointed out the lack of health professionals they can contact, counsel and get help from in case of emergency, 17 identified the difficulty of finding appropriate transportation to hospital, and 13 stated the difficulty of admission in hospital as needed. 12) 93.6% of family caregivers demanded 24-hour hot line, 80% the visiting nurses and doctors, and 69.4% the volunteer's help. The above results indicate that terminal patients and their family caregivers demand help from qualified health professionals whenever necessary. Hospice care system led by well-trained medical and nursing staffs is one of the viable answers for such demands.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1047-1059
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• 1998

Senile Dementia is one of the dispositional mental disorder which has been known to the world since Hippocratic age. It has become a wide-spread social problem all over the world because of chronic disease processes and the demands of dependent care for several years as well as improbability of treatment of it at the causal level. Essentially, life styles of the older generation differ from those of the younger generation. While the fomer is used to the patriarchal system and the spirit of filial piet and respect, the latter is pragmatized and individualized under the effects of the Western material civilization. These differences between the two generations cause conflict between family members. In particular, the pain and conflict of care-givers who take care of a totally dependent dementia patient not only is inciting to the collapse of the family union, but is expanding into a serious social problem. According to this practical difficulty, this study has tried to compare dementia care-givers' experiences inter-culturally and to help set up more proper nursing interventions, describing and explaining them through ethnographies by participant observation and in-depth interviews that enable seeing them in a more close, honest and certain way. It also tries to provide a theoetical model of nusing care for dementia patients which is proper to Korean culture. This study is composed of 12 participants (4 males, 8 females) whose ages range from 37-71 years. The relations of patients are 5 spouses(3 husbands, 2 wives), 4 daughters-in-law, 2 daughters, and 1 son-in-law. The following are the care-givers' meaning of experiences that results of the study shows. The first is "psychological conflict". It contains the minds of getting angry, reproaching, being driven to dispair, blaming oneself, giving up lives, and being afraid, hopeless, and resigned. The second is "physical, social and psychological pressure" . At this stage, care-givers are shown to be under stress of both body and soul for the lack of freedom and tiredness. They also feel constraint because they hardly cope with the care and live through others' eyes. The third is "isolation". It makes the relationship of patient care-giver to be estranged, without understanding each other. They, also, experience indifference such as being upset and left alone. The forth is "acceptance" They gradually have compassion, bear up and then adapt themselves to the circumstances they are in. The fifth is "love". Now they learn to reward the other with love. It is also shown that this stage contains the process of winning others' recognition. The final is "hope". In this stage they really want situations to go smoothly and hope everything will be O.K. These consequences enable us to summarize the principles of cue experience such as, in the early stage, negative response such as physical·psychological confusion, pain and conflict are primary. Then the stage of acceptance emerges. It is an initial positive response phase when care-givers may admit their situations. As time passes by a positive response stage emerges. At last they have love and hope. Three stages we noted above : however, there are never consistent situations. Rather it gradually comes into the stage of acceptance, repeating continuous conflict, pressure and isolation. If any interest and understanding of families or the support of surrounding society lack, it will again be converted to negative responses sooner or later. Otherwise, positive responses like hope and love can be encouraged if the family and the surroundings give active aids and understanding. After all, the principles of dementia care experiences neither stay at any stage, nor develop from negative stages to positive stages steadily. They are cycling systems in which negative responses and positive responses are constantly being converted. I would like to suggest the following based on the above conclusions : First, the systematic and planned education of dementia should be performed in order to enhance public relations. Second, a special medical treatment center which deals with dementia, under government's charge, should be managed. Third, the various studies approaching dementia care experiences result in the development of more reasonable and useful nursing guidelines.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.251-259
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• 2002

Background : Reduced lung compliance and increased lung resistance are the primary lung mechanical abnormalities in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although there is little information regarding the mechanisms responsible for the increases in the respiratory resistance of ARDS, bronchodilators have been frequently administered in mechanically ventilated ARDS patients. To determine the effect of a bronchodilator on the respiratory mechanics depending on the level of applied positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), the changes in the respiratory mechanics by salbutamol inhalation was measured under the variable PEEP level in patients with ARDS. Materials and Methods : Fifteen mechanically ventilated paralyzed ARDS patients (14 of male, mean age 57 years) were enrolled in this study. The respiratory system compliance, and the maximum and minimum inspiratory resistance were obtained by the end-inspiratory occlusion method during constant flow inflation using the CP-100 pulmonary monitor (Bicore, Irvine, CA, USA). The measurements were performed at randomly applied 8, 10 and 12 cm $H_2O$ PEEP before and 30 mins after administrating salbutamol using a meter-dose-inhaler (100ug${\times}$6). Results : 1) The maximum inspiratory resistance of the lung was higher than the reported normal values due to an increase in the minimal inspiratory resistance & additional resistance. 2) The maximum inspiratory resistance and peak airway pressure were significantly higher at 12cm $H_2O$ of PEEP compared with those at 10cm $H_2O$ of PEEP. 3) Salbutamol induced a significant decrease in the maximum and the minimum inspiratory resistance but no significant change in the additional resistance only was observed at 12cm $H_2O$ of PEEP(from $15.66{\pm}1.99$ to $13.54{\pm}2.41$, from $10.24{\pm}2.98$ to $8.04{\pm}2.34$, and from $5.42{\pm}3.41$ to $5.50{\pm}3.58cm$ $H_2O$/L/sec, respectively). 4)The lung compliance did not change at the applied PEEP and salbutamol inhalation levels. Conclusion : The bronchodilator response would be different depending on the level of applied PEEP despite the increased respiratory resistance in patients with ARDS.

• The Korean Journal of Elementary Counseling
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.159-184
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• 2006

Lately, the rapid social and family system change, the entrance examination-centered circumstance in education have a negative influence not only on making up the affirmative self-esteem but also on building up the personal relationship through mutual communication with friends of the same age. Making children adapt well to school life and develop a good relationship in the class is an important subject in educational field. Thus, various school activities should offer lots of opportunities to increase their affirmative self-esteem and more specified performance-centered programs are required toform a harmonious relationship among parties of students. The purpose of this study is to improve an affirmative self-esteern and a desirable personal relationship of children through developing friend-praise program and adapting it to children. Based on the above purpose, the following subjects for this study 'are suggested. Firstly, is the friend-praise program effective in forming an affirmative self-esteem of elementary students? Secondly, is the friend-praise program successful in improving a desirable personal relationship in an elementary school? In addition, two hypotheses of study are decided on the basis of theoretical background and the former study. Hypothesis 1. The friend-praise program will have a meaningful effect on improving an affirmative self-esteem. Hypothesis 2. The friend-praise program will have a meaningful effect on improving a desirable personal relationship. In order to improve the above hypotheses, the experiment was carried out with two classes on the fourth grade in M elementary school in Wonju with being divided into one experimental group and the other comparative group. The friend-praise program which was adapted to the experimental group was composed with four steps as 'introduction', 'preparation', 'operation' and 'closing'. This program which has twelve categories was executed once or twice in a week and each class was continued for forty or sixty minutes. Contrastively, comparative group had no application of the main program. For the purpose of proving the hypotheses after adapting the program to students, I have executed both self-esteem test and personal relationship test. The tests were performed with using SPSS/Windows V10.0 and the statistic was conducted through independant sample t-test for the difference between groups and contrastive sample t-test for the individual difference in each group. The results of this study can be summarized like the followings: Firstly, from the result of previous and after tests, there was no meaningful change in the comparative group, but the experimental group showed meaningful difference in all categories of self-esteem(t=-4.496, p=.000). Especially, the general self-esteem(t=-3.216, p=.003), social self-esteem(t=-2.680, p=.012), homely self-esteem(t=-3.732, p=.001), and school self-esteem(t=-3.902, p=.000) showed a meaningful difference. At the same time, the experimental group also showed meaningful difference with the comparative group in self-esteem(t=-4.758, p=.000). Especially, the general self-esteem(t=2.581, p=.017), social self-esteem(t=3.160, p=.003), homely self-esteem(t=4.283, p=.000), and school self-esteem(t=4.110, p=.000) showed a meaningful difference. As a result of this experiment, the friend-praise program will have a meaningful effect on improving an affirmative self-esteem was proved. Secondly, there was no meaningful change in the comparative group, but the experimental group showed meaningful difference in all categories of personal relationship(t=-4.131, p=.000). Specifically, satisfaction(t=-2.113, p=.045), communication(t=-3.381, p=.002), confidence(t=-3.517, p=.001), intimacy(t=-3.958, p=.000), sensibility(t=-2.955, p=.006), openness(t=-4.318, p=.000) and interest(t=-2.941, p=.000) showed a meaningful difference. In the same instant, the experimental group also showed meaningful difference with the comparative group in all categories of personal relationship(t=3.897, p=.000). Especially, satisfaction(t=2.257, p=.003), communication(t=3.527, p=.001), confidence(t=3.704, p=.001), intimacy(t=3.904, p=.000), sensibility (t=4.382, p=.000), openness(t=2.648, p=.013) and interest(t=2.944, p=.006) showed a meaningful difference. Accordingly, the friend-praise program will have a meaningful effect on improving a desirable personal relationship was proved. Judging from all these results, we should provide primary students with various opportunities to take part in active programs which help them to set up their righteous sense of value, to solve their own problems and to develop their potentials. Consequently, many kinds of practice-centered program like the friend-praise program should be developed more systematically and teachers should apply all those programs to students according to their individual level and developmental stage.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.162-178
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• 1974

The present study is purported to provide a basic information to be utilized by nurses to care and attend effectively for patients nearing the moment of death. Therefore, the primary purpose of the study has been placed upon grasping an understanding of the trends of death in general. For this purpose: 1. By utilizing the schneidman questionnaire, the trend of death has been categorized by 6 parts and analyzed. 2. A search has been conducted to find out dying patient's needs, nurse's attitudes viewed by the patient, and nurse attitudes to dying patient. The followings are itemized results of analysis: 1. Analysis by the schneidman questionnaire. (1) In general concepts of death. the first sighting of the occurrence of death was experienced upon strangers, grandfather and great grandfather. The death is openly discussed among people of all ages and sex. Ages in which the death is mostly feared were from 12 to well over 70 yews old that are evenly distributed regardless of difference in age. (2) As to the attitudes toward death the occurrence of death to most closely associated person influenced most upon the attitude of their own termination of lives. Among the reading materials, the maximum influence was effected by the Bible. In terms of religion, the thoughts of death were Influenced by religions education in case of the believers of the western religions (36%), and by their own health and physical conditions in case of the believers in the oriental religions (35%). In case of non-believer, their attitude toward death were largely determined through their own thinking meditation (45%). People aged 20 or thereunder revealed that they wished to know the day of their own death to be occurred (58%). However, the older the less thor wanted to know. (3) As to the choosing the time of death, 57% preferred senility, and 30% preferred the time in mediately following the prime period of their lives in general. In terms of religion, 85% of the believer in the oriental religion preferred senility, and 67% in the western religion, 58% in others, Therefore. the desiring of their lives to be terminated in earlier stage, not by the natural senility. sequenced as follows : Others, western religions and oriental religions. (4) Referring to the disposal of the corpse under the assumption that it had already occurred, majority desired the burial system. There has been seen a slight tendency to consider the importance of holding funeral services for the sake of survivors. Concerning the life insurance policy, it showed that the nurse had less belief in it than the patient (5) Upon the subject of life-after-death. religion wise, 72% of western religion believers preferred to have an existence of life-after-death: Among the believers of oriental regions, 35% desired this category, 30% did not mind either way. and 35% did not desire the existence of such a life-after-death. In others, 53% did not mind whether or not such a life existed. (6) In general, serious thoughts were not being attended to the commitment of suicide. 37% emphasized that such an act should be prevented. However, 30% insisted that such commitment should not be bothered, and that society possesses no right to prevented it. More male wished to commit suicide (13%) than females (9%). 2. Nurse's attitudes toward terminal patients and patient's needs. In the instance where the patient realized that their death is imminent, most of them showed desire to discuses mainly on the problems of life. When faced a situation of this nature, it is revealed that 40% of nurses could not furnish appropriate care for them.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 1993

Background: Since an important component of carcinogenesis is unregulated growth, many investigators have reported the methods to detect cell proliferation in tissues including PCNA. PCNA is a 36 Kd intranuclear polypeptide and plays a critical role in cell proliferation. Thus progressive dysregulation of proliferation during carcinogenesis can be directly visualized in the paraffin embedded tissue using immunohistochemistry for PCNA which has an advantage of simplicity and maintenance of tissue architecture. The heterogeneity of PCNA expression is known to be related with proliferating fraction, histologic grade, DNA ploidy, and susceptibility of anticancer drugs, etc. We analyzed the biologic significance of the expression of PCNA in lung cancer tissues. Method: 43 lung cancer tissues, which were resected by surgery and were embedded in paraffin, were stained immunohistochemically by one hour MicroProbe System and the results were corelated with cell type, stage, site and survival. Result: 1) Suamous cell type showed high positivity (89%) than in adenocarcinoma (54%). 2) No significant difference related to tumor stage was noticed. 3) No significant difference between primary site and metastatic site was noticed. 4) No significant difference in 12-month survival between positive group and negative group was noticed. Conclusion: From this study, we concluded that imunohistochemistry for PCNA expression of routinely processed tissue is a simple technique for the assessment of proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer. Whether the labelling index has an independent prognostic value and deserves special attention in pathobiological evaluation in lung cancer remains to be investigated from large series with longer follow-up and to be correlated with multiple biological markers.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate clinical results of the tumor prosthetic replacement for pathologic fracture of the proximal femur with extensive bony destruction due to metastatic bone tumors. Materials and Methods: From 2005 October to 2006 October, resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement was performed for metastatic bone tumors extensively involving trochanteric area in 6 patients. The mean age of overall patients was 61(range, 48~77). Mean clinical follow up was 10.5 months (range, 6~16). Primary tumor consisted with multiple myeloma in 2 patients, lung cancer in 1, breast cancer in 1, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in 1, unknown origin in 1 patient. $MUTARS^{(R)}$ proximal femur (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) were used in all cases. The functional evaluation in the lower extremities was performed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 scores. The degree of pain relief after surgical treatment was assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: At the final follow up, all of the patients survived. The mean lower extremities functional score of Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 was 17.8(59.3%)(range, 12~25). VAS was improved to 2.5 from 8.5 after the surgical treatment. Ambulation was encouraged as soon as possible and mean duration after surgery for ambulation was 7.3(range, 3~16) days. Post-operatively, there was no surgical infection, periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Dislocation occurred in one out of six cases. Conclusion: Resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement for metastatic bone tumors around proximal femur extensively involving trochanteric area seems to be safe procedure in view of post-operative complication, and effective for functional restoration as well as pain relief. Thus, it is accordant to the treatment principle of the metastatic bone tumors.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.92-95
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• 2017

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by an ${\alpha}$-galactosidase A (GLA, MIM 300644) enzyme deficiency due to pathogenic variants in the ${\alpha}$-galactosidase A gene (GLA). The disease leads to accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and related glycophospholipids affecting nearly all major organ systems, with the primary sites damaged by Gb3 including renal glomeruli, myocardium, neurons of the dorsal ganglion and autonomic nervous system, and vascular endothelial and smooth muscle. Progressive deposition in these organ systems present with various clinical manifestations including acroparesthesia, renal failure and heart failure. Here, we report a Chinese male diagnosed with Fabry disease in his late $4^{th}$ decades showing improvement of acroparesthesia during enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). A 48-year-old Chinese man who presented with chronic recurrent severe burning pain in his fingers and toes since the age of 10, with worse involvement of the former visited to our clinic for further evaluation. His medical history included a transient ischemic attack aged 40 and diagnosed with stage 4-5 chronic kidney disease aged 47. In the family history, the patient's brother was found to be have Fabry disease 1 month before his visit. Except for his brother, all other members of the family are healthy. Based on his medical history and family history, he was strongly suspicious for Fabry disease. He was found to have a galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose level 4.96 (Reference range, 42.5-67.9) suggestive of Fabry disease. The followed sequencing of GLA coding region in our patient revealed hemizyosity for the mutation c.988C>T (Q330X) in Exon 7. Since ERT start, he showed significant improvement in his symptoms of burning sensation of fingers and toes. On the contrary, due to deteriorating kidney function even with ERT, he is considered for kidney transplantation. Despite of diagnostic delay until late 4th decades, ERT showed a potential improvement of acroparesthesia in our patient. However, late start of ERT can lead to poor outcome in multiorgan function. Therefore, early diagnosis with high index of suspicion followed by continuous ERT with regular monitoring have an impact on quality of life in Fabry disease.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 1990

1. Background Women's health and their involvement in health care are essential to health for everyone. If they are ignorant, malnourished or over-worked, the health &-their families as well as their own health will suffer. Women's health depends on broad considerations beyond medicine. Among other things, it depends upon their work in farming. their subordination to their families, their accepted roles, and poor hygiene with poorly equipped housing and environmental sanitation. 2. Objectives and Contents a. The health status of rural women : physical and mental complaints, experience of pesticides intoxication, Farmer's syndrome, experiences of reproductive health problems. b. participation in and attitudes towards housework and farming c. accessibility of medical care d. status of maternal health : fertility, family planning practice. induced abortion, and maternal care 3. Research method A nationwide field survey, based on stratified random sampling, was conducted during July, 1986. Revised Cornell Medical index(68 out of 195 items). Kawagai's Farmers Syndrome Scale, and self-developed structured questionnaires were used to rural farming wives(n=2.028). aged between 26-55. 4. Characteristics of the respondents mean age : 40.2 marital status : 90.8% married mean no. of household : 4.9 average years of education : 4.7 yrs. average income of household : \235,000 average years of residence in rural area : 36.4 yrs average Working hours(household and farming) : 11 hrs. 23 min 5. Health Status of rural women a. The average number of physical and mental symptoms were 12.4, 4.7, and the rate of complaints were 22.1%, 38.8% each. revealing complaints of mental symptomes higher than physical ones. b. 65.4% of rural women complained of more than 4 symptoms out of 9, indicating farmer's syndrome. 11.9 % experienced pesticide overdue syndrome c. 57.6% of respondents experienced women-specific health problems. d. Age and education of respondents were the variables which affect on the level of their health 6. Utilization of medical services a. The number of symptoms and complaints of respondents were dependent on the distance to where the health-care service is given b. Drug store was the most commonly utilized due to low price and the distance to reach. while nurse practitioners were well utilized when there were nurse practitioner's office in their villages. c. Rural women were internalized their subordination to husbands and children, revealing they are positive(93%) in health-care demand for-them but negative(30%) for themselves d. 33.0% of respondents were habitual drug users, 4.5% were smokers and 32.3% were alcohol drinkers. and 86.3% experienced induced-abortion. But most of them(77.6%) knew that those had negative effects on health. 7. Maternal Health Care a. Practice rate of contraception was 48.1% : female users were 90.9% in permanent and 89.6% in temporary contraception b. Induced abortions were taken mostly at hospital(86.3%), while health centers(4.7%), midwiferies(4.3%). and others(4.5%) including drug stores were listed a few. The repeated numbers of induced abortion seemed affected on the increasing numbers of symptoms and complaints. c. The first pre-natal check-up during first trimester was 41.8%, safe delivery rate was 15.6%, post-natal check-up during two months after delivery. Rural women had no enough rest after delivery revealing average days of rest from home work and farming 8.3 and 17.2. d. 86.6% practised breast feeding, showing younger and more educated mothers depending on artificial milk 8. Recommendations a. To lessen the multiple role over burden housing and sanitary conditions should be improved, and are needed farming machiner es for women and training on the use of them b. Health education should begin at primary school including health behavior and living environment. c. Women should be encouraged to become policy-makers as well as administrators in the field of women specific health affairs. d. Women's health indicators should be developed and women's health surveillance system too.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2006

Phthalates such as di(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate(DEHP) are industrial chemicals with wide-ranging human exposures because of their use in plastics and other common consumer products. Consequently, their adverse effects as endocrine disruptor in the reproductive physiology of both laboratory rodents and human have been studied extensively. The present study was undertaken to examine whether prepubertal exposure to DEHP affects on the onset of puberty and the associated reproductive parameters such as hormone receptor expressions in female rats. DEHP(100mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 25(PND 25) through the day when the first vaginal opening(VO) was observed, and the animals were sacrificed on the next day. Gross anatomy and weight of reproductive tissues were compared to test the DEHP's effects on the cell proliferation. Furthermore, histological studies were performed to assess the structural alterations in the tissues. Specific radioimmunoassay was carried out to measure serum LH levels. To determine the transcriptional changes in progesterone receptor(PR), total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). As a result, delayed VO was shown in the DEHP group(PND $37.3{\pm}0.7$) compared to the control group(PND $35.3{\pm}0.7$; p<0.05). DEHP treatment significantly decreased the wet weight of ovaries and uteri compared to the control group(p<0.05). Interestingly, elevation of serum LH levels was shown in the DEHP group(p<0.05). Graafian follicles and corpora lutea were observed only in the ovaries from the control animals. Numerous primary, secondary follicles and small atretic follicles were observed in the ovaries from DEHP-treated animals. Similarly, hypotrophy of luminal and glandular uterine epithelium was found in the DEHP-treated group. These effects were probably due to the inhibitory effects of DEHP on the synthesis and secretion of estrogen from granulosa cells. In the semiquantitative RT-PCR studies, the transcriptional activities of PR in both ovary(p<0.05) and uterus(p<0.01) from DEHP-treated animals were significantly lower than those from the control animals. The present studies demonstrated that the acute exposure to DEHP during the critical period of prepubertal stage could inactivate the reproductive system resulting delayed puberty in female rats.