No abstract available.
Vasovasostomy*

OBJECTIVETo establish HPLC fingerprints of unfinished product of Nauclea injection.

METHODA high performance liquid chromatography assay was developed with an Agilent-Extend C18 column, a gradient elution:water-5% acetonitrile (10 min), 5% acetonitrile-10% acetonitrile (10-60 min), 50% acetonitrile-water (60-70 min), a 0.7 mL x min(-1) flow rate, at detection wavelength, 245 nm within a 70 min total elution time.

RESULTThe RSD of relative retention time and peak area of coexist peaks meet to method requirement during the investigation of precision, stability and repeatibity trials. All of the 10 batches of samples share a high similarity.

CONCLUSIONThis method can be used to control the quality of unfinished product of Nauclea injection.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Injections ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rubiaceae ; chemistry

Objective: Two years after the 2017 Pohang earthquake, some people sought follow-up mental health support. The demographic and clinical characteristics of this unique group of people were investigated to identify some insights on the predisposing factors of the longterm need for psychiatric help after a severe earthquake disaster. Methods: De-identified data from those seeking mental health support 2 years after the 2017 Pohang earthquake were used. The descriptive statistics of demographic and clinical characteristics of the study group was identified and paired with general population data obtained from open and public governmental websites. Sex, age distribution, destruction of house, and psychiatric disorder were compared between the follow-up sample and general population. Results: The proportion of women in the group seeking support was two times higher than that in the general population, and people ages between 50 and 70 years commonly sought support. The severity of home destruction was higher among people who sought and needed follow-up mental health support programs than in the general population. There was a higher proportion of people with psychiatric disorders in the group seeking support than in the general population. Conclusion The need for long-term mental health support 2 years after an earthquake was higher in women than in men and those aged between 50 and 70 years, and those with a previous psychiatric history and with a higher severity of home destruction, which lead to necessitating leaving the home. Future earthquake response should include screening and psychiatric treatment referral and residential support in vulnerable people.

Advances in oncology research have led to identification of tumor-specific biomarkers, some of which are important predictive indicators and ideal targets for novel therapeutics. One such biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Patients with NSCLC who harbor an activating EGFR mutation show a more favorable response to treatment with an EGFR inhibitor, such as gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib, than to chemotherapy. The prevalence of EGFR mutations in East Asian patients is higher than that in other populations, and in some clinical settings, patients have been treated with EGFR inhibitors based on clinicopathologic characteristics with no information on EGFR status. However, based on results from a series of studies in which East Asian patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC were treated with EGFR inhibitors alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy, this may not be the best practice because EGFR mutation status was found to be a key predictor of outcome. Data from these studies highlight the necessity of EGFR testing in determining the most suitable treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biological Markers ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Drug Therapy ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Prevalence ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor*

SS-cream is a topical agent for treating premature ejaculation (PE) which is made with extracts from 9 natural products. We evaluated the efficacy of SS-cream in the treatment of PE. An open pilot study was performed in 186 patients with PE. The mean ejaculatory latency from intromission to ejaculation was 1.5 minutes. Sixty-four of the 186 patients (34.4%) were combined with mild erectile dysfunction in whom penile rigidity was not sufficient to be satisfied in sexual activity. Patients were instructed to apply 0.1 gm. of SS-cream on the glans penis 1 hour before sexual contact and to wash out the cream before sexual intromission. Patients were asked to complete a report form including ejaculatory latency, the degree of satisfaction in the sexual lives of both themselves and their partners, and any adverse effects after each application. One hundred and sixty-six out of 186 patients (89.2%) reported they were satisfied with the application of the SS-cream and the mean ejaculatory latency was significantly prolonged to 10.89 +/- 5.60 minutes. The mean ejaculatory latency was 9.85 +/- 3.58 minutes in 52 out of 64 patients (81.2%) with mild erectile dysfunction. There was no significant difference in the changes of ejaculatory latencies between patients with pure PE and patients with mild erectile dysfunction. Twenty patients (10.8%) claimed to have no changes of ejaculatory latencies after the application of SS-cream. Adverse effects were noted in 11 patients (5.9%), which were mild local irritation symptoms in 7 patients, and delayed ejaculation of more than 30 minutes in 4 patients, the symptoms subsided spontaneously within 4 hours. These results indicate SS-cream is effective in the treatment of PE and also PE combined with mild erectile dysfunction with a few side effects. Further studies on the action mechanisms of SS-cream and a double blind placebo-controlled trial are needed.
Administration, Topical ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Ejaculation/drug effects* ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Penile Erection/drug effects

PURPOSE: As there have been few reports on the sexual behavior of Korean women, we investigates female sexual function by self-report measures in both clinical and nonclinical populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We distributed 1500 copies of the Brief Index of Sexual Function for Women(BISF-W), a self-report measure of female sexual dysfunction, to both clinical and nonclinical married populations aged 24 to 50 years. The women were asked to answer the 23 questions and return the reports in the self-addressed envelope. Factor analysis was done through three dimensions: sexual interest or desire, sexual activity or frequency, and satisfaction with sexual relationships. Some items measured the ejaculatory latency of the sexual partner and any tendency toward homosexual behavior. RESULTS: Of the BISF-W reports distributed, 623 were returned of which 586 were sufficiently complete for analysis. Subjects were grouped by age at 5-year intervals. Those who had younger partner accounted for 5.2% of the group and those with a partner of the same age for 14.6%. Sexual activity was decreased in women in their 30s and increased in the early 40s. The most active group were those age 25-29, whose average intercourse frequency was 9.2 times during 4 weeks. Orgasmic dysfunction was reported by 7.7% of the series. Factors adversely influencing sexual life were reported by more than 57%, and the most common factor was 'lack of time or intimacy'. Fewer than 30% of the women reported talking actively to their partners about sexual desire. However, satisfaction rate (more than moderate) was as high as 71%. Severe dissatisfaction was highly related to the partner's ejaculatory latency time. The mean ejaculatory time was 11.3 min. A homosexual tendency was revealed by 5.8% of the respondents, and 3.5% reported relationships involving anal sex. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual activities of Korean women are much influenced by lack of time. However, in spite of the low sexual activity, the satisfaction rate was relatively high. A larger study will be needed for investigation of the board range of psychosocial and interpersonal variables.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Homosexuality ; Humans ; Orgasm ; Sexual Behavior* ; Sexual Partners

Aged ; Bile Duct Diseases ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; etiology ; Klatskin Tumor ; diagnosis ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thrombosis ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Aims: VraSR and GraSR were shown to be important in conferring intermediate vancomycin resistance in VISA. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism modulated by these systems leading to the development of VISA remains unclear. We employed a proteomic approach to determine the VraS and GraR regulons and subsequently derive the possible vancomycin resistance regulatory pathway(s) in the Mu50 lineage of Staphylococcus aureus. Methodology and results: Staphylococcus aureus strains Mu50Ω, Mu50Ω-vraSm and Mu50Ω-vraSm-graRm are isogenic strains with ascending levels of vancomycin resistance. Total proteins were extracted from the 3 strains and trypsin digested prior to protein isolation and identification by LC-ESI MS/MS and PLGS 2.4. Expression profiles of resulting proteins were analyzed using Progenesis LC/MS software. Differential expression profiles revealed 3 regulons, each controlled by VraS (Mu50Ω-vraSm vs Mu50Ω), GraR (Mu50Ω-vraSm-graRm vs Mu50Ω-vraSm) and VraS-GraR (Mu50Ω-vraSm-graRm vs Mu50Ω), respectively. The regulon down-regulated by VraS in Mu50Ω-vraSm were proteins associated with virulence (MgrA, Rot, and SarA), while GraR up-regulated resistance-associated proteins (TpiA, ArcB and IsaA) in Mu50Ω-vraSm-graRm. The VraS-GraR regulon mediated both up-regulation of resistance-associated proteins (ArgF, ArcB, VraR and SerS) and down-regulation of virulence-associated protein GapB. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Down-regulation of virulence- in concert with up-regulation of resistance-associated proteins appears to be integral for development of intermediate-vancomycin resistance in the Mu50 lineage of S. aureus.
Staphylococcus aureus

Background: This is an experimental study conducted to assess whether the fibular head is a reliable reference point to identify the position of the common peroneal nerve at the posterolateral corner of the knee. Materials and methods: Twelve cadaveric knees were dissected through the lateral approach. The common peroneal nerve was identified and traced. The location where the common peroneal nerve crossed the posterior border of the biceps femoris and the posterior border of the fibular neck were designated as points B and N, respectively. The tip of the fibular head was designated F. Distances FB and FN were measured and the triangular area FBN was calculated at various degrees of knee flexion. Results: During knee motion, distance FN showed minimal change and was not affected by variation in degrees of knee flexion (p = 0.131). Distance FB and distance BN were affected by variation in degrees of knee flexion (p< 0.001).Triangular area FBN increased in size up to 60° of knee flexion measuring 621.22 mm 2 and subsequently decreased with further knee flexion. Conclusion The common peroneal nerve can consistently be found at approximately 20.7 ± 1 mm on the fibular neck with respect to the tip of the fibular head. The tip of the fibular head is a consistent landmark that can be used to predict the position of the exit point of the common peroneal nerve at the posterolateral corner of the knee.

Radioiodine-refractory distant metastases in well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas are rare but pose a significant diagnostic and management challenge. Follicular thyroid carcinoma which is a type of well-differentiated carcinoma, is known for its hematogenous spread. Various sites of distant metastasis have been described. We report the first-ever case of radioiodine-refractory metastasis at the cavernous sinus, arising from follicular thyroid carcinoma. The atypical site of metastasis and management complexity of radioiodine-refractory disease is discussed in this article.