PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of abdominal breathing on relieving anxiety in women diagnosed with preterm labor. METHOD: This was a pilot study, which was based on a repeated pre-post experiment design without a control group. Seven patients with preterm labor who were admitted to Y university medical center, Seoul, Korea, participated in the experiment. They were under receiving ritodrine hydrochloride(Yutopa) as tocolytic therapy and did not have any other complications. The patients were taught abdominal breathing, which is a modified version of Mason's breathing technique. The experimental treatments were done 33 times from February 18 to June 19 in 2005. RESULT: After abdominal breathing, the average psychological anxiety level decreased significantly. The physical anxiety levels of preterm labor patients were measured by blood pressure, pulse, and skin temperature. After abdominal breathing, the average systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 117.3mmHg to 107.6 mmHg (z=-3.85, p<.001) and from 67.3mmHg to 62.7 mmHg (z=-3.14, p<.005), respectively. The average pulse rate also decreased from 97.2/min to 89.8/mim (z=-4.76, p<.001). The average skin temperature increased from 94.0 to 94.9(z=-4.80. p<.001). CONCLUSION: Abdominal breathing is effective for relieving anxiety of women diagnosed with preterm labor. This study, however, has been limited to short-term effects, and therefore further studies are required in order to examine the long-term effects of abdominal breathing.
Academic Medical Centers ; Anxiety* ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Korea ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnancy ; Respiration* ; Ritodrine ; Seoul ; Skin Temperature ; Tocolysis

No abstract available.
Humans ; Thyroid Diseases* ; Thyroid Gland*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the expression of senescence-related proteins according to the aging process and to determine the role of senescence-related proteins in the bone tissue and their effects on the process of bone union. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 18 Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old: 7, 32 weeks old: 6, and 70 weeks old: 5) were used in the experiment. A unilateral closed femur fracture was made, and the fracture callus was obtained 2 weeks after the fracture. The ossification process was observed in proliferative chondrocytes, the hypertrophic chondrocytes, and in the mesenchymal layer individually by immunohistochemistry, using p16, p21, c-fos and c-jun antibodies. RESULTS: There was no significant differences in the manifestation of p-16, p-21, c-fos, c-jun gene according to the age. The positive ratio of p-16 was maximal in proliferative chondrocytes (54.93%) and decreased in the mesenchymal layer (46.48%), and in hypertrophic chondrocytes (10.85%), in order. The positive ratio of c-fos was maximal in proliferative chondrocytes (73.32%) and decreased in the mesenchymal layer (51.84%), and in hypertrophic chondrocytes (9.64%), in order. CONCLUSION: We believe that senescent genes in the bone tissue participate in the differentiation of osteochondral cells and in the process of fracture callus ossification.
Aging ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Bone and Bones ; Bony Callus* ; Chondrocytes ; Femur ; Genes, jun ; Immunohistochemistry ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

We evaluated the results of sequential SPECT dual-isotope imaging with Tl-201 and Tc-99m MIBI in 24 patients, all of whom also had coronary angiography within the past one month. Coronary angiography showed that 12 patients had no CAD, 4 patients had one-vessel CAD, 7 patients had two-vessel CAD and 1 patient had three-vessel CAD. Serial studies of resting Tl-201 and dipyridamole stress Tc-99m MIBI were completed within 2 hours. When more then 50% of coronary artery narrowing was considered significant. The overall sensitivity and specification of CAD detection were 91.7%. The sensitivity of CAD detection in patients with one-vessel and multi-vessel diseases was 75% and 100%, respectively. Therefore, sequential dual-isotope SPECT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity of CAD detection. In conclusion, sequential dual-isotope imaging is feasible and can be completed in a short time and may therefore enhance laboratory throughput and patient convenience.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Dipyridamole ; Humans ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Prolymphocytic leukemia is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder, characterized by prominent splenomegaly, prolymphocytes accounting for more than 55% of circulating lymphocytes, no significant peripheral lymphadenopathy and short term survival with terminal fatal multi-organ failure. We report a case of B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia in a 57-year-old woman who presented with easy bruising and arthritis for 1 year and low abdominal pain for 2 months. Physical examination revealed gingival hypertrophy and mild splenomegaly. On peripheral blood smears the leukocytes were markedly increased in number due to leukemic cells that count about 62% of leukocytes. The bone marrow aspiration smear and biopsy revealed diffuse infiltration of medium to large prolymphocytes having moderate amount of basophilic cytoplasm, round to oval nuclei with coarse chromatin, and prominent nucleoli. Abdominal pain aggravated despite chemotherapy, and pelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed a huge lobular pelvic mass which had increased in size on the follow-up CT. Total hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy was performed. Microscopic findings included massive infiltration of prolymphocytic cells in the uterus, upper vaginal wall, bilateral ovaries, and bilateral mesosalpinges. On immunohistochemistry, the leukemic cells showed B cell gamma light chain phenotype.
Abdominal Pain ; Arthritis ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Basophils ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Drug Therapy ; Female* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingival Hypertrophy ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukemia, Prolymphocytic ; Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, B-Cell* ; Leukocytes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Middle Aged ; Ovary ; Phenotype ; Physical Examination ; Splenomegaly ; Uterus

The aim of our study was to evaluate intermediate-term oncologic outcomes, predictive factors for recurrence, and recurrence patterns in a multicenter series of patients treated with robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) for urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder. Between 2007 and 2015, 346 patients underwent RARC at multiple tertiary referral centers in Korea. Descriptive statistics were used for demographics and perioperative variables. Survival and recurrence were estimated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Logistic regression models were used to determine predictors of recurrence. Median follow-up was 33 months (interquartile range [IQR], 7–50). The numbers of patients with organ-confined and lymph node (LN)-positive disease were 237 (68.4%) and 68 (19.7%), respectively. LN density (1–20 vs. > 20) was 13.6% and 6.1%, with a median of 17 nodes removed (IQR, 9–23). In logistic regression analysis, type of LN dissection, and pathologic tumor stage were significant predictors of cancer recurrence and death from cancer. Local, distal recurrence and secondary UC occurred in 7 (2.0%), 53 (15.3%), and 4 (1.2%) patients, respectively. The 5-year overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 78%, 84%, and 73%, respectively. At last follow-up, RFS for extended pelvic LN dissection vs. standard pelvic LN dissection was 70% and 47% (P = 0.038). In addition, at last follow-up, LN density (0 vs. 1–20 vs. over 20) was 67%, 41%, and 29%, respectively (P < 0.001). Patients undergoing RARC in this multi-institutional cohort demonstrated intermediate-term oncologic outcomes, predictive factors for recurrence, and recurrence patterns that were not unusual.
Cohort Studies ; Cystectomy* ; Demography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Nodes ; Recurrence* ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Hearing loss can lead to a number of disabilities and can reduce quality of life. Noise-induced hearing losses have become more common among adolescents due to increased exposure to personal music players. We, therefore, investigated the use of personal music player among Korean adolescents and the relationship between hearing threshold and usage pattern of portable music players. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 490 adolescents were interviewed personally regarding their use of portable music players, including the time and type of player and the type of headphone used. Pure tone audiometry was performed in each subject. RESULTS: Of the 490 subjects, 462 (94.3%) used personal music players and most of them have used the personal music player for 1-3 hours per day during 1-3 years. The most common type of portable music player was the MP3 player, and the most common type of headphone was the earphone (insert type). Significant elevations of hearing threshold were observed in males, in adolescents who had used portable music players for over 5 years, for those over 15 years in cumulative period and in those who had used earphones. CONCLUSION: Portable music players can have a deleterious effect on hearing threshold in adolescents. To preserve hearing, adolescents should avoid using portable music players for long periods of time and should avoid using earphones.
Adolescent ; Age Distribution ; *Audiovisual Aids ; Auditory Threshold ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; *Music ; Sex Distribution

PURPOSE: N-13 ammonia uptake and retention in the myocardium is related to perfusion and metabolism. There are several potential advantages of N-13 ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) to detect myocardial ischemia, such as higher spatial resolution, greater counting efficiencies, and robust attenuation correction. But there are few reports comparing Tc-99m myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography (MPS) and N-13 ammonia PET. We thus compared adenosine stress N-13 ammonia PET/CT and Tc-99m sestamibi MPS in patients with suspected coronary artery stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients (male 13 : 63+/-11 years old) underwent adenosine stress N-13 ammonia PET/CT (Discovery ST, GE), Tc-99m sestamibi MPS (dual head gamma camera, Hawkeye, GE) and coronary angiography within 1 week. N-13 ammonia PET/CT and Tc-99m sestamibi MPS images were assessed with a 20-segment model by visual interpretation and quantitative analysis using automatic quantitative software (Myovation, GE). RESULTS: Both sensitivities and specificities of detecting an individual coronary artery stenosis were higher for N-13 ammonia PET/CT than Tc-99m sestamibi MPS (PET/CT: 91%/ 89% vs MPS: 65%/ 82%). N-13 ammonia PET/CT showed reversibility in 52% of segments that were considered non-reversibile by Tc-99m sestamibi MPS. In the 110 myocardial segments supplied by the stenotic coronary artery, N-13 ammonia PET/CT showed higher count densities than Tc-99m MPS on rest study (p<0.01), and the difference of count density between the stress and the rest studies was also larger on N-13 ammonia PET/CT. CONCLUSION: Adenosine stress N-13 ammonia PET/CT had higher diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, more reversibility of perfusion defects and greater stress/rest uptake differences than Tc-99m sestamibi MPS. Accordingly, N-13 ammonia PET/CT might offer better assessment of myocardial ischemia and viability.
Adenosine ; Ammonia ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Gamma Cameras ; Head ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium ; Perfusion ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Retention (Psychology) ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

PURPOSE: We wished to evaluate the usefulness of helical CT for the diagnosis of strangulation of the dilated small bowels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT scans of 31 patients with small bowel obstruction from various causes were reviewed retrospectively. Thirteen of these patients were confirmed as small bowel strangulation by surgery and pathology. Fourteen patients underwent surgery, but they had no strangulation. Three patients were reduced by using a nasogastric tube and one infant with intussusception was reduced by air reduction. The following CT findings of strangulation were evaluated: reduced bowel wall enhancement by visual assessment and measuring the HU, ascites, thickening of bowel wall, abnormal mesenteric vessel location and whirlpool appearance, and mesenteric venous engorgement. For the precise evaluation of reduced bowel wall enhancement, the HUs were measured by 1 mm2 of ROI, and the differences of HUs between the well enhanced bowel and poorly enhanced bowel were compared. RESULTS: For the diagnosis of strangulation, measurement of HU of the bowel wall could improve the sensitivity from 69% to 100%. The specificity of both methods, by visual assessment and measurement of HU, was 94%. Ascites had a sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 44%. Thickening of bowel wall had a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 78%. Abnormal mesenteric vessel location and whirlpool appearance had a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 83%. Mesenteric venous engorgement had a sensitivity of 31% and specificity of 72%. CONCLUSION:Measurement of HU of the bowel wall after contrast enhancement can be a useful method in the differential diagnosis between the strangulated and non-strangulated bowels in patients with small bowel obstruction.
Ascites ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Infant ; Intussusception ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Spiral Computed* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Citrus and its peels have been used in Asian folk medicine due to abundant flavonoids and usage of citrus peels, which are byproducts from juice and/or jam processing, may be a good strategy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of bioconversion of Jeju Hallabong tangor (Citrus kiyomi × ponkan; CKP) peels with cytolase (CKP-C) in RAW 264.7 cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: Glycosides of CKP were converted into aglycosides with cytolase treatment. RAW 264.7 cells were pre-treated with 0, 100, or 200 µg/ml of citrus peel extracts for 4 h, followed by stimulation with 1 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 8 h. Cell viability, DPPH radical scavenging activity, nitric oxide (NO), and prostagladin E2 (PGE2) production were examined. Real time-PCR and western immunoblotting assay were performed for detection of mRNA and/or protein expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, respectively. RESULTS: HPLC analysis showed that treatment of CKP with cytolase resulted in decreased flavanone rutinoside forms (narirutin and hesperidin) and increased flavanone aglycoside forms (naringenin and hesperetin). DPPH scavenging activities were observed in a dose-dependent manner for all of the citrus peel extracts and CKP-C was more potent than intact CKP. All of the citrus peel extracts decreased NO production by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity and PGE2 production by COX-2. Higher dose of CKP and all CKP-C groups significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of LPS-stimulated iNOS. Only 200 µg/ml of CKP-C markedly decreased mRNA and protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Both 100 and 200 µg/ml of CKP-C notably inhibited mRNA levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6, whereas 200 µg/ml CKP-C significantly inhibited mRNA levels of TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that bioconversion of citrus peels with cytolase may enrich aglycoside flavanones of citrus peels and provide more potent functional food materials for prevention of chronic diseases attributable to oxidation and inflammation by increasing radical scavenging activity and suppressing pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Survival ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chronic Disease ; Citrus ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cytokines ; Dinoprostone ; Flavanones ; Flavonoids ; Functional Food ; Glycosides ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Medicine, Traditional ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; RNA, Messenger