CD44 is a family of transmembrane glycoproteins involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Expression of CD44 isofonns (splice variants) has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in several human cancers. We evaluated the expression patterns of the CD44 isofortn (CD 44 splice variant v6) in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast by immunohistochemical and RT-PCR method. Paraffin embedded blocks from seventy-five cases of mastectomized samples were analyzed immunohistochemically using monoclonoal antibody against CD44v6. CD44v6 was detected in fifty-seven cases (76%) of the tumor samples. Adjacent normal myoepithelial cells and ductal epithelial cells revealed focal positive reaction to CD44v6. Thirtytwo cases (80.0%) with lymph nodal metastasis revealed overexpression of CD44v6 monoclonal antibody, but twenty-five cases (71.4%) without nodal metastasis also showed positive reaction to CD44v6 monoclonal antibody, and there is no statistically significant value. Other prognostic factors of infiltrating ductal carcinoma, such as tumor size, histologic grade and hormonal receptors did not show any significant correlation with CD44v6 expression. The RT-PCR studies for 9 cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma showed the same band patterns both in the normal and tumor tissues. From the above results, it is concluded that the expression of CD44v6 is not a valuable prognostic marker of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of breast.
Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Epithelial Cells ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paraffin ; Prognosis

Oral stereognosis is a function recognizing the characteristics, such as the size and shape, of objects in the mouth by integrating the senses with movement. As a child grows up, this function develops gradually but is reduced by aging and neurological damage, such as a stroke. In addition, it may affect the swallowing function in the oral phase of stroke patients with dysphagia. The shape and size of an intraoral bolus provide sensory information that is important for swallowing. Therefore, oral stereognosis is important for safety during eating and drinking. Oral stereognosis is designed for evaluation using two-dimensional or three-dimensional shapes of various sizes, and the accuracy or response rate is scored. On the other hand, there is no method of standardized examination. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a new training method for promoting the recovery of the oral sensory function. The method should also aim to recover the oral stereognostic ability through a larger number of subjects and diseases in the future.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to empirically investigate the determinants on oxygen free radical degree which causes biological damage focusing on smoking habit and health behaviors in daily life. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the subjects were adult males who submitted free radical tests among the examinees of the comprehensive medical testings at an university hospital in Suwon from 2008 to 2010. Total 497 samples were used in analyses for clarifying the relations of free radical degree to age, smoking, obesity, and other health behaviors. RESULTS: First, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.164 as the age group increases (P<0.05). Second, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.547 as the smoking habit increases (P<0.001). Third, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.087 as the exposure to hazardous factors in workplace increases (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study imply that the smoking habit has more great influence on the increase of oxygen free radical in body than any other health behaviors. The causality of free radical to smoking and health behavior was not identified due to the limit of the cross-sectional study so it needs to be studied prospectively in the future.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Free Radicals ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; Oxygen ; Smoke ; Smoking

This study was accompolished to analyze and compare the number and area of the occlusal contact points in healthy volunteers and athletes with normal occlusion. For this study, 15 athletes(13 amles and 2 females with average age 20) and 21 healthy volunteers(14 mles and 7 females with average age 20.09) were selected. The visual display acquired by scanning of occlusal record in maximal intercuspation was converted into 16 gray value image. Then, using computer program (J &Lee Occlusal Analyser), the pixel which was in definite range of the gray value was recognized, and the numbers of recognized pixel were claculated to area. The results were as follows ; 1. The average numbers of total occlusal contact points were 31.05 in control group, and 34.67 in athlete group. The average area of total occlusal contacts was 100.25mm2in control group, and 127.78mm2in athlete group. 2. In control group, the average numbers of occlusal contact points were revealed in order as follows ; the first molar(8.48), the second molar(8.24), the second premolar(4.71), the lateral incisor(2.90), the first premor(2.43), the central incisor(2.19), and the canine(2.1). The least average in canine(2.1) was similar to the average(2.19) in central incisor and (2.09) in lateral incisor. In athlete group, the average numbers of occlusal contact points were revealed in order as follows ; the first molar(8.87), the second molar(8.47), the second premolar(5.60), the canine(3.80), the lateral incisor(3.33), the first premolar(2.67), and the central insicor(1.93). 3. In control group, the average areas of occlusal contact surface were revealed in order as follows ; the first molar(39.47mm2), the second molar(37.54mm2), the second premolar(9.54mm2) the first premolar(6.18mm2), canine(3.49mm2), the central incisor(3.7mm2), and the central incisor(2.25mm2). 4. With aging in both control and athlete group, there was a decreasing tendancy in average number of occlusal contact point, and was an increasing tendancy in average area of occlusal contact surface. In comparison at each age, both the numbers and area of occlusal contact were greater in athlete group than in control group. It was not significant in the numbers of occlusal contact points beween athlete and control group(p>0.1), but significant in the area of occlusal contact surface(p<0.05). 5. In comparision as to the kind of sports(Gymnastics : 2, Rugby : 3, Soccor : 5, Ice hocky : 5), the numbers of occlusal contact points were the most in ice hocky, and the area of occlusal contact surface was the greatest in gymnastics. With increasing a career in athlete group, there was a decreasing tendancy in average numbers of occiusal contact points and was an increasing tendancy in average area of occlusal contact surface. 6. By T-scan analyzing, the contact numbers on the anterior teeth were greater in control group than in athlete group, and on the posterior teeth were greater in athlete group than in control group. And the results acquired by T-scan were lesser than that caquired by the silicone bite records. It was not significant in the posterior teeth, but significant in the anterior teeth. In T-scan records, the numbers of occlusal contact points on second molar were the greatest, but in the silicone records, the numbers on first molar were the greatest.
Aging ; Athletes* ; Female ; Football ; Gymnastics ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Ice ; Incisor ; Molar ; Silicones ; Tooth ; Volunteers*

No abstract available.
Lymphangioma, Cystic*

The purpose of this study was to investigate loneliness in infertile women and determine how loneliness related to personal characteristics, cause of infertility, family composition, and family conflicts. It also provides basic data for nursing strategies concerning infertile women. A total of 182 subjects were selected at an infertile clinic in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected from May 2 to June 21, 1997 by questionaire. It consisted of questions concerning general characteristics, items relating to infertility, and the Loneliness Scale. The UCLA Loneliness scale was used(more specifically, the Korean version of the Revised UCLA Scale by Kim Ok Soo.). The data were analyzed by using SPSS/PC computer program. The result are as follows: 1. The mean age of infertile women was 32.4 years old, and the mean age of souses was 34.8 yerars old. 30.2% of women had a marital duration of 3-5 years, and 25.8% had a marital duration of 5-10 years. 23.1% reported the main etiology of infertility as unexplained, 18.1% reported ovulation disturbances, and 26.4% reported complex causes. 3.8% of the couples had sexual relationship difficulty 83% lived in nuclear families, while 17% lived in large families. 2. The mean loneliness scores of infertile women was 35.53(SD=8.66). The total loneliness score of this study was 80. 3. There were significant differences in loneliness scores according to ages(F=6.893, p=.001), education background(t=4.418, p=.000), and the educational background of husband(t=2.339, p=.020). 4. Loneliness scores related to family situations were significantly different according to several male nephews in husbands' family(F=2.822, p=.027). 5. Loneliness scores related to conflicts were significantly different according to husbands and their family(F=11.465, p=.000). Nurses should acknowlege the fact that some infertile women may experience loneliness. In conclusion, nurses can provide infertile women with information about ways to decrease loneliness and create support groups for themselves, assisting infertile women to adjust to the experience of infertility through positive methods.
Education ; Family Characteristics ; Family Conflict ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Korea ; Loneliness* ; Male ; Nuclear Family ; Nursing ; Ovulation ; Self-Help Groups ; Seoul ; Spouses

With the rapid growth of research and recognition about usefulness and importnace of the Nursing Diagnosis, the demand for application of Nursing Diagnosis has never been stronger. But in clinical field, not many nurses has used Nursing Diagnosis. Especially, nursing student have a difficulty to use Nursing Diagnosis because it demands for high level of capability of analyzing collected data and combining with relevant references. Therefore. this research has developed Nursing Diagnosis Self-learning Program using Back-propagating Neutral Network Model which is based on 98 surgery patients' data for nursing student. The twenty-six nursing diagnoses based on NANDA Taxonomy with 189 cases' reports and aid of 8 nursing experts wee determined to develop the program. To verify the usefulness of Nursing Diagnosis Self-learning Program constructed with the fully trained neural nets, the Program was tested with 70 real patients' data. The simulated output of program was compared with the judgement of the researcher and of two experts of nursing. The misdiagnosis rate of this program was eleven percent. This Program needs input of Signs and Symptoms, risk factors and 'related to' factors and also input the nursing diagnoses which a student selects. And than prints out two types of diagnoses. One is from the system and the other is what the student inputed. And the student makes the final diagnosis by refering the two types of diagnoses. Finally, the program prints out the completed diagnosis which problem combines with etiology in the diagnosis producing module. The program helps students to improve her capacity related to use Nursing Diagnosis.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Neural Networks (Computer)* ; Nursing Diagnosis* ; Nursing* ; Risk Factors ; Students, Nursing

OBJECTIVE: To determine the changes of nitric oxide production in preeclampsia, the concentration of nitric oxide metabolite, nitrite, was measured in umbilical vein after perfusing plasma from normal pregnant women and preeclamptic pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 15 normal and 15 preeclamptic umbilical cords were obtained at the time of cesarean section. Two pieces of umbilical cord in equal length(20 cm in length) were prepared from each umbilical cord. Two pieces of umbilical cord were connected in parallel in a perfusion chamber. One piece of umbilical cord was perfused sequentially for 20-minutes' interval with the perfusates in the order of cord buffer, cord buffer including 15% normal pregnant serum, 15% normal pregnant serum with histamine(10-5mol/L), 15% normal pregnant serum with calcium ionophore A23187(5 mol/L) and the other one was perfused exactly same way using 15% preeclamptic serum instead of 15% normal pregnant serum. All the perfusates used were gassed with 95% O2 and 5% CO2 and warmed to 37degree C. Perfusates were collected in eppendorf tube and freezed at -70degree C until assayed. NO was measured by means of Greiss reaction. one way ANOVA and paired t-test were used where appropriate and p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: NO production in normal umbilical cords was not different regardless of perfusate. Although adding histamine and calcium ionophore, the NO production was slightly increased but statistically not significant in both groups. NO production in preeclamtic umbilical cords was significantly increased with 15% preclamptic serum(15% normal serum vs. 15% preeclamptic serum; 0.060+/-0.016microgram/ml/min vs 0.075+/-0.014microgram/ml/min, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The preeclamptic sera may not affect the production of NO in the human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The biologic significance of increased NO production in preeclamptic umbilical cord with perfusing preeclamptic serum is unknown, but it might be compensation for the vasoconstriction of preeclampsia.
Calcium ; Cesarean Section ; Compensation and Redress ; Female ; Histamine ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide* ; Perfusion ; Plasma ; Pre-Eclampsia* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Umbilical Cord ; Umbilical Veins ; Vasoconstriction

This study was carried out to examine information regarding usage of health improving agents and health status of male workers in the Chonnam Yeosu industrial area. We obtained data by means of a questionnaire from 329 men. Of the subjects 44.7% were in their forties, high school education was 43.0%, married was 83.0% and 1,500~3,000 thousand won in monthly income was 35.8%. Average height and weight of the subjects was 171.8 +/-5.4 cm and 70.5 +/-8.1 kg. Average BMI was 23.8 +/-2.2. Drinking rate of respondents was 85.5%, the drinking rate of daily workers was significantly higher than rotation workers (p < 0.05). Rotation workers exercised more regularly than daily workers (p < 0.001). Subjective symptoms of the subjects always had eye problems (11.7%), shoulder aches (5.8%), ache in one's empty stomach (4.7%) in decreasing order. 21.4% of the subjects had a disease, and liver disease was the highest in the subjects; the second was cardio-vascular disease. Interval of health food intake was highly irregular (62.7% of respondents), and keeping healthy was the main motivation for the usage of health foods. Health improving agents included oriental medicine, animal protein based restorative foods, nutrition supplements, health supplements, and natural foods. 33.3% of the subjects took health supplements, nutrition supplements (29.1%), oriental medicine (20.6%), natural foods (16.7%) and animal protein based restorative foods (3.9%), in respective order. Health improving agents were consumed higher in liver disease than other diseases. This study suggests that nutritional education and monitoring should be implemented for industrial workers to prevent life-habit diseases and to keep proper self-management of health status under special environments.
Animals ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Drinking ; Education ; Food, Organic ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do* ; Liver Diseases ; Male* ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Motivation ; Self Care ; Shoulder ; Stomach

An ABO discrepancy was observed in a 19-year-old man clinically diagnosed as congenital hypogammaglobulinemia. The patient's red cell was typed as group O, and his serum had no ABO isoagglutinins. Absence of A antigen and B antigen on patient's RBC was confirmed by adsorption- elution test and saliva test. A-transferase and B-transferase activities were not demonstrated in patient's serum. Patient's serum protein electrophoresis revealed hypogammaglobulinemia pattern, and immunoglobulin levels were markedly decreased. Complete absence of B lymphocytes was observed on patient's lymphocyte subset profile. Patient's father and mother were typed as blood group O and no abnormalities were recognized in their serum protein electrophoresis patterns and immunoglobulin concentration.
Agammaglobulinemia ; B-Lymphocytes ; Electrophoresis ; Fathers ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Mothers ; Saliva ; Young Adult