Objective To construct a cDNA library from Hepialus armoricanus parasitized by Cordyceps sinensi. Methods Total RNA was extracted from Hepialus armoricanus parasitized by Cordyceps sinensi and mRNA was purified, cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcription, and cDNA fragments larger than 1kb were ligated with dephosphorylated arms of pBluescriptⅡ SK(+) XR vectors. The recombinant vectors were eletroporated into DH10B.The size of cDNA inserts and the diversity of library were detected by PCR. Results The cDNA library of stroma contained 1.28?106 recombine clone,that of mycelium was 1.0?106 recombine clone. The rate of recombination of stroma was 87.5%,that of mycelium was 68.75%. The insert size ranged from 0.5 to 2 kb. Conclusion The cDNA library Hepialus armoricanus parasitized by Cordyceps sinensi has been constructed successfully.

PURPOSE: To evaluate survival rates and prognostic factors related to treatment outcomes after bladder preserving therapy including transurethral resection of bladder tumor, radiotherapy (RT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy in bladder cancer with a curative intent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 50 bladder cancer patients treated with bladder-preserving therapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from January 1999 to December 2010. Age ranged from 46 to 89 years (median, 71.5 years). Bladder cancer was the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage II, III, and IV in 9, 27, and 14 patients, respectively. Thirty patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and 20 patients with RT alone. Nine patients received chemotherapy prior to CCRT or RT alone. Radiation was delivered with a four-field box technique (median, 63 Gy; range, 48.6 to 70.2 Gy). The follow-up periods ranged from 2 to 169 months (median, 34 months). RESULTS: Thirty patients (60%) showed complete response and 13 (26%) a partial response. All patients could have their own bladder preserved. Five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 37.2%, and the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 30.2%. In multivariate analysis, tumor grade and CCRT were statistically significant in OS. CONCLUSION: Tumor grade was a significant prognostic factor related to OS. CCRT is also considered to improve survival outcomes. Further multi-institutional studies are needed to elucidate the impact of RT in bladder cancer.
Chemoradiotherapy* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Multivariate Analysis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

Nitric oxide[NO]plays a diverse role in many biological systems such as vascular, nervous and respiratory system. Recently, many studies have been performed to define the relationship between NO and physiological and pathophysiological processes. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of NO on cataractogenesis in uveitis model induced by Con A and LPS. Forty-five white male rabbits were divided into five experimental groups[ten rabbits for each group I, II, III, IV;five rabbits for group V, control]. The rabbits were received intravitreal injection of Con A[I], Con A &L-NAME [II], LPS[III], LPS &L-NAME[IV], BSS[Vfor control], respectively. After injection, the author evaluated the inflammatory grade, cataractous lens changes, NO[nitrite+nitrate]concentration in response to each material in aqueous humor and vitreous cavity and MDA concentration of lens with time interval. Other 7 rabbits 'eyes were enucleated and 14 fresh lenses were extracted to investigate the correlation with in vivo study via lens culture in 12-well plate. These results suggested that NO was closely related to Con A and LPS induced cataractogenesis in uveitis model and Con A was a more reliable candidate due to its prolonged effect. NOS inhibitors could suppress both inflammation and cataract formation. Potent oxidant, peroxynitrite played an important role on NO related cataractogenesis. So, on the clinical basis, NOS inhibitors may be useful in prevention of cataract in inflammatory condition of the eyes but further studies are needed for the confirmation of stability and selectivity of the NOS inhibitors.
Aqueous Humor ; Cataract ; Concanavalin A* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Nitric Oxide* ; Peroxynitrous Acid ; Rabbits ; Respiratory System ; Uveitis*

Nitric oxide[NO]plays a diverse role in many biological systems such as vascular, nervous and respiratory system. Recently, many studies have been performed to define the relationship between NO and physiological and pathophysiological processes. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of NO on cataractogenesis in uveitis model induced by Con A and LPS. Forty-five white male rabbits were divided into five experimental groups[ten rabbits for each group I, II, III, IV;five rabbits for group V, control]. The rabbits were received intravitreal injection of Con A[I], Con A &L-NAME [II], LPS[III], LPS &L-NAME[IV], BSS[Vfor control], respectively. After injection, the author evaluated the inflammatory grade, cataractous lens changes, NO[nitrite+nitrate]concentration in response to each material in aqueous humor and vitreous cavity and MDA concentration of lens with time interval. Other 7 rabbits 'eyes were enucleated and 14 fresh lenses were extracted to investigate the correlation with in vivo study via lens culture in 12-well plate. These results suggested that NO was closely related to Con A and LPS induced cataractogenesis in uveitis model and Con A was a more reliable candidate due to its prolonged effect. NOS inhibitors could suppress both inflammation and cataract formation. Potent oxidant, peroxynitrite played an important role on NO related cataractogenesis. So, on the clinical basis, NOS inhibitors may be useful in prevention of cataract in inflammatory condition of the eyes but further studies are needed for the confirmation of stability and selectivity of the NOS inhibitors.
Aqueous Humor ; Cataract ; Concanavalin A* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Nitric Oxide* ; Peroxynitrous Acid ; Rabbits ; Respiratory System ; Uveitis*

Vascular injury during lumbar disc surgery is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. It has been managed by open vascular surgical repair. With recent technologic advance, endovascular treatment became one of effective treatment modalities. We present a case of a 32-year-old woman who suffered with common iliac artery injury during lumbar disc surgery that was treated successfully by endovascular repair with temporary balloon occlusion and subsequent insertion of a covered stent. Temporary balloon occlusion for 1.5 hours could stop bleeding, but growing pseudoaneurysm was identified at the injury site during the following 13 days. It seems that the temporary balloon occlusion can stall bleeding from arterial injury for considerable time duration, but cannot be a single treatment modality and requires subsequent insertion of a covered stent.
Adult ; Aneurysm, False ; Balloon Occlusion ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Stents ; Vascular System Injuries

We experienced a rare case of solitary syphilitic osteomyelitis of the skull without any other clinical signs or symptoms of syphilis. A 20-year-old man was referred due to intermittent headache and mild tenderness at the right parietal area of the skull with a palpable coin-sized lesion of softened cortical bone. On radiological studies, the lesion was a radiolucent well enhanced mass (17 mm in diameter). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (52 mm/h) and C-reactive protein (2.24 mg/dL) were elevated on admission. Serum venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) and Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) tests were positive. There were no clinical signs or symptoms of syphilis. After treatment with benzathine penicillin, we removed the lesion and performed cranioplasty. The pathologic finding of the skull lesion was fibrous proliferation with lymphoplasmocytic infiltration forming an osteolytic lesion. In addition, a spirochete was identified using the Warthin-starry stain. The polymerase chain reaction study showed a positive band for Treponema pallidum. Solitary osteomyelitis of the skull can be the initial presenting pathological lesion of syphilis.
Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Ethylenediamines ; Headache ; Humans ; Osteomyelitis ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Skull ; Spirochaetales ; Syphilis ; Treponema pallidum ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the validity of triage of non-urgent ambulatory patients using Triage Tool, the Emergency Severity Index-4 by a family medicine resident in the emergency room (ER). METHODS: A total of 790 ambulatory patients who visited an urban ER between March and April 2007 were enrolled. A family medicine (FM) resident and emergency medicine (EM) residents independently evaluated the severity of patients with ESI-4, and reviewed the basic characteristics and disposition of the patients. Concurrent validity and predictive validity were measured using weighted kappa analysis and chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Concurrent validity was good. The weighted kappa value was 0.910 between an FM resident and EM residents. The hospitalization rate was 75% in catergory 2 and 19.6%, 2.5%, 0.05% in category 3 through 5, respectively. More severe category patients of ESI-4 had higher rate of hospitalization rate. CONCLUSION: Triage by a family medicine resident, using the Emergency Severity Index-4 in ambulatory patients of emergency room (ER) is a useful screening tool for non-urgent patients.
Emergencies ; Emergency Medicine ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Triage ; Walking

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this paper is to investigate for the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of patients with diagnosed novel influenza A (H1N1) and to evaluate the usefulness of clinical diagnosis. METHODS: Out of 696 patients who visited the community sentinel hospital for novel influenza from 27 Aug 2009 to 10 Sep 2009, 557 patients had performed the conventional RT-PCR test. Of these patients, 540 patients were enrolled to our study excluding 17 patients who had performed the test for their own request without clinical suspicion. RESULTS: The 79 patients (14.6%) were finally diagnosed as novel influenza by conventional RT-PCR, with median age 19. Main clinical symptoms were febrile sense, cough, rhinorrhea, and sore throat. The odd ratios of the symptoms with fever, febrile sense and myalgia, acute febrile respiratory disease, influenza-likely illness, the age with 10 to 19, and students were statistically significantly higher in finally diagnosed patients group. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of rapid antigen test for influenza were 29.4%, 99.3%, 90.9%, and 85.7%, respectively. In the acute febrile respiratory disease and influenza-likely illness, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value were 77.2%, 38.3%, 17.7%, and 90.7%, and 69.6%, 46.6%, 18.3%, and 89.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In the community sentinel hospital, the patients with novel influenza A (H1N1) present the clinical manifestations similar to the common seasonal influenza. Primary health care providers might have a lot of difficulties in differentiation and treatment necessitating consideration of a variety of diagnostic methods.
Cough ; Fever ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; Influenza, Human ; Nitriles ; Pharyngitis ; Primary Health Care ; Pyrethrins ; Seasons ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The lipid layer plays a important role in tear film stability. And several studies have reported the differences of lipid layer pattern and tear film break up time between normal and dry eye. To determine the availability of Tearscope(Keeler, UK), we observed the characteristics of lipid layer and compared non-invasive break up time(NIBUT) to invasive break up time(IBUT) in dry eye symptom and non-dry eye symptom group. By questionnaire, we selected the dry eye symptom(94 eyes in 47 persons) and the non-dry eye symptom(112 eyes in 56 persons) group. We observed lipid layer pattern and color by Tearscope, and measured NIBUT of Tearscope and IBUT of fluorescein solution. In the lipid layer, the dry eye symptom group had brown-yellow(about 112 nm) and uneven pattern. But, the non-dry eye symptom group represented amorphous(about 94 nm) and even pattern. In NIBUT, the dry eye symptom group had 9.57+/-11.40sec and the non-dry eye symptom group represented 27.42+/-20.15sec. In IBUT, two groups had 6.38+/-4.45sec and and 13.02+/-8.41sec, respectively. In conclusion, Tearscope is available in diagnosis and treatment in dry eye and also in diagnosis of tear lipid layer disorder.
Diagnosis ; Dry Eye Syndromes ; Fluorescein ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tears*

PURPOSE: To compare differences in the biomechanical characteristics of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstructed by the inlay and transtibial techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PCL reconstruction was performed in 12 pairs of porcine hindlimbs using the inlay and transtibial techniques. Cyclic load testing was carried out in three steps. The first step was 750 cycles at 35-350 N, the second 10,000 cycles at 35-350 N, and the third 10,000 cycles at 45-450 N. Length changes of the reconstructed PCLs were measured and the sites of rupture observed. RESULTS: Among the 10 pairs of limbs that completed the test procedure, the graft ruptured before step 3 in all specimens except one in the transtibial group, and seven specimens completed step 3 testing in the inlay group. Comparing the load elongation curves obtained in step 2 tests, more elongation of the graft was evident in the transtibial group (p<0.05). The site of rupture was proximal 1/3 (2 specimens) or distal 1/3 (1) to the graft in the inlay group, and in the distal 1/3 for all specimens of the transtibial group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tibial tunnel orifice renders a risk of attritional rupture to the graft in the transtibial technique. In this respect, the inlay technique has a biomechanical advantage over the transtibial technique.
Animals ; Extremities ; Hindlimb ; Inlays* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament* ; Rupture ; Transplants