PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate if the 7–item Berg balance scale (BBS) 3–point, which is a short form of the BBS (SFBBS), has compatible psychometric properties in comparison with the original BBS, and also to study the concurrent validity using a 10-meter walk test (10mWT) and a timed up and go test (TUG), which are widely used with SFBBS in clinical settings. METHODS: A total of 255 patients who had experienced stroke participated in this cross-sectional study. We used results obtained from 188 patients who completed both 10mWT and TUG. The three levels in the center of the BBS were collapsed to a single level (i.e.,0-2-4) to form the SFBBS. The concurrent validity was assessed by computing the Spearman coefficients for correlation among outcome measures and in between each outcome measure and the SFBBS. As there were four outcomes, the corrected p-value for significant correlation was 0.013 (0.05/4). RESULTS: Spearman coefficients for correlations and evaluation instruments for concurrent validity revealed significantly high validity for both of SFBBS and BBS (r=0.944). 10mWT and TUG were −0.749 and −0.770 respectively, which are in the high margin and are statistically significant (p>0.000). CONCLUSION: SFBBS has sound psychometric properties for evaluating patients with stroke. Thus, we recommend the use of SFBBS in both clinical and research settings.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Psychometrics ; Stroke*

In Korea, the use of herbal remedies is a common cause of drug-induced liver injury. However, the occurrence of both acute pancreatitis and acute hepatitis after taking herbal remedies has rarely been reported. Herein, we report a case of concurrent acute pancreatitis and acute hepatitis associated with Ceramium kondoi ingestion. A 58-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer 7 months ago. Total gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy was performed without complications. The patient had been well until recently, when she presented with severe abdominal pain after ingestion of Ceramium kondoi for 4 weeks. The laboratory findings demonstrated elevated liver enzymes and lipase, and abdominal computed tomography revealed pancreas swelling with fat infiltration. The diagnosis was made based on the diagnostic criteria for drug induced pancreatitis and the Russel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method scale for drug-induced liver injury. After cessation of Ceramium kondoi, she showed clinical and biochemical improvement.
Abdominal Pain/etiology ; Acute Disease ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury/*diagnosis/enzymology ; Female ; Humans ; Lipase/metabolism ; Liver/*drug effects ; Middle Aged ; Pancreas/*drug effects ; Pancreatitis/*chemically induced/*diagnosis ; Plant Extracts/chemistry/*toxicity ; Rhodophyta/chemistry/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare, multi-systemic disease primarily affecting young male adults with a history of smoking. The two patients with PLCH in our report showed relatively early and atypical radiologic presentations at initial evaluation. On chest CT, PLCH presents variable radiologic features depending on the evolutional stage of the disease. Atypical CT features of PLCH may render precise radiologic diagnosis difficult and usually require lung biopsy for a confirmation of the diagnosis. Our case review is aimed at raising the awareness of radiologists on the atypical CT features of PLCH, to help make accurate radiologic diagnosis and prevent unnecessary and invasive diagnostic procedures.

Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare, multi-systemic disease primarily affecting young male adults with a history of smoking. The two patients with PLCH in our report showed relatively early and atypical radiologic presentations at initial evaluation. On chest CT, PLCH presents variable radiologic features depending on the evolutional stage of the disease. Atypical CT features of PLCH may render precise radiologic diagnosis difficult and usually require lung biopsy for a confirmation of the diagnosis. Our case review is aimed at raising the awareness of radiologists on the atypical CT features of PLCH, to help make accurate radiologic diagnosis and prevent unnecessary and invasive diagnostic procedures.

Background and Objectives: Vitamin D modulates immunity, including that of allergic diseases, and plays its roles through contact with vitamin D receptors (VDR). Recent studies have shown that patients with allergic rhinitis have low systemic serum vitamin D level. However, the expression of VDR in local tissue such as human nasal mucosa has not been investigated. Our study demonstrated that, in nasal mucosa of normal controls and patients with allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods: Nasal mucosa were harvested from twenty-five patients who had normal nasal mucosa and twenty-five patients with allergic rhinitis. After the total RNA isolation, we performed reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis. Results: VDR were expressed in submucosal glands and the superficial layer of epithelial cell, and that inflammatory cells are expressed more highly in the nasal mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis compared to those without. In the mucosa of patients with allergic rhinitis, VDR expression level was upregulated compared to that in normal nasal mucosa. Conclusion This findings suggest that VDR plays a role in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. Additional research is needed to determine the mechanism and consequences of VDR upregulation.

Objective: Adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience significant difficulties with executive functioning (EF) and related adaptive skills, yet the lack of interventions in South Korea targeting these areas has resulted in a heightened need to develop an evidence- based program. Therefore, we developed a novel intervention aiming to enhance everyday EF and daily adaptive skills in adults with high-functioning ASD and conducted a pilot study to evaluate the validity and feasibility of the program. Methods: A behavioral intervention of 10-weekly sessions was developed based on literature searches and focus group interviews. Seven adults with high-functioning ASD (mean age=20.29) participated in a single-group pilot trial. We used self and parent-report questionnaires as well as skills measured by assessment instruments to analyze differences before and after the intervention. Results: Significant improvements were shown in everyday EF, including time management, organization, self-restraint, and regulation of emotions. Additionally, results demonstrated an enhancement in adaptive functioning, especially in the subdomains of daily living skills. Analyses of parental outcomes only revealed a significant decrease in the scores of emotion regulation. Conclusion The current study provides good evidence for the validity and feasibility of an intervention to improve everyday EF and adaptive skills in adults with ASD.

Objective: Adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience significant difficulties with executive functioning (EF) and related adaptive skills, yet the lack of interventions in South Korea targeting these areas has resulted in a heightened need to develop an evidence- based program. Therefore, we developed a novel intervention aiming to enhance everyday EF and daily adaptive skills in adults with high-functioning ASD and conducted a pilot study to evaluate the validity and feasibility of the program. Methods: A behavioral intervention of 10-weekly sessions was developed based on literature searches and focus group interviews. Seven adults with high-functioning ASD (mean age=20.29) participated in a single-group pilot trial. We used self and parent-report questionnaires as well as skills measured by assessment instruments to analyze differences before and after the intervention. Results: Significant improvements were shown in everyday EF, including time management, organization, self-restraint, and regulation of emotions. Additionally, results demonstrated an enhancement in adaptive functioning, especially in the subdomains of daily living skills. Analyses of parental outcomes only revealed a significant decrease in the scores of emotion regulation. Conclusion The current study provides good evidence for the validity and feasibility of an intervention to improve everyday EF and adaptive skills in adults with ASD.

Background: The management of dental plaque and the appropriate use of oral hygiene tools are crucial for oral health. Withincreasing interest in oral health care, various oral hygiene products are available on the market. As the most basic oral hygiene tool, the large-head toothbrush has gained significant consumer interest. This study evaluates the suitability of large-head toothbrushes as oral hygiene tools by comparing their efficacy with that of regular-sized toothbrushes. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of large-head and regular-sized toothbrushes. The amount of dental plaque before and afterbrushing was measured using quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital (QLF-D) images and the plaque index (PI) in adult participants with more than 28 teeth (n=15/group). After brushing, the collected toothbrushes were rinsed 10 times in clean water, thoroughly dried, and weighed on an electronic scale. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with SPSS Statistics Version 29.0. Results: QLF-D analysis showed a significant decrease in fluorescence intensity scores after use of a regular-sized toothbrush,whereas the scores after use of a large-head toothbrush were not significantly reduced. PI measurements indicated significant reductions in dental plaque for both head types. However, detailed analysis by tooth surface revealed that the regular-sized toothbrush significantly reduced plaque on the proximal, palatal/lingual, and labial/buccal surfaces. In contrast, the large-head toothbrush only showed significant reductions in place on the proximal and palatal/lingual surfaces, not on the labial/buccal surface. Additionally, compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush retained more toothpaste residue despite similar cleaning efforts after brushing. Conclusion Compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush showed lower overall efficacy in dentalplaque removal. The results of this study provide significant information regarding the use of large-head toothbrushes.

Background: The management of dental plaque and the appropriate use of oral hygiene tools are crucial for oral health. Withincreasing interest in oral health care, various oral hygiene products are available on the market. As the most basic oral hygiene tool, the large-head toothbrush has gained significant consumer interest. This study evaluates the suitability of large-head toothbrushes as oral hygiene tools by comparing their efficacy with that of regular-sized toothbrushes. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of large-head and regular-sized toothbrushes. The amount of dental plaque before and afterbrushing was measured using quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital (QLF-D) images and the plaque index (PI) in adult participants with more than 28 teeth (n=15/group). After brushing, the collected toothbrushes were rinsed 10 times in clean water, thoroughly dried, and weighed on an electronic scale. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with SPSS Statistics Version 29.0. Results: QLF-D analysis showed a significant decrease in fluorescence intensity scores after use of a regular-sized toothbrush,whereas the scores after use of a large-head toothbrush were not significantly reduced. PI measurements indicated significant reductions in dental plaque for both head types. However, detailed analysis by tooth surface revealed that the regular-sized toothbrush significantly reduced plaque on the proximal, palatal/lingual, and labial/buccal surfaces. In contrast, the large-head toothbrush only showed significant reductions in place on the proximal and palatal/lingual surfaces, not on the labial/buccal surface. Additionally, compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush retained more toothpaste residue despite similar cleaning efforts after brushing. Conclusion Compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush showed lower overall efficacy in dentalplaque removal. The results of this study provide significant information regarding the use of large-head toothbrushes.

Background: The management of dental plaque and the appropriate use of oral hygiene tools are crucial for oral health. Withincreasing interest in oral health care, various oral hygiene products are available on the market. As the most basic oral hygiene tool, the large-head toothbrush has gained significant consumer interest. This study evaluates the suitability of large-head toothbrushes as oral hygiene tools by comparing their efficacy with that of regular-sized toothbrushes. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of large-head and regular-sized toothbrushes. The amount of dental plaque before and afterbrushing was measured using quantitative light-induced fluorescence digital (QLF-D) images and the plaque index (PI) in adult participants with more than 28 teeth (n=15/group). After brushing, the collected toothbrushes were rinsed 10 times in clean water, thoroughly dried, and weighed on an electronic scale. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with SPSS Statistics Version 29.0. Results: QLF-D analysis showed a significant decrease in fluorescence intensity scores after use of a regular-sized toothbrush,whereas the scores after use of a large-head toothbrush were not significantly reduced. PI measurements indicated significant reductions in dental plaque for both head types. However, detailed analysis by tooth surface revealed that the regular-sized toothbrush significantly reduced plaque on the proximal, palatal/lingual, and labial/buccal surfaces. In contrast, the large-head toothbrush only showed significant reductions in place on the proximal and palatal/lingual surfaces, not on the labial/buccal surface. Additionally, compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush retained more toothpaste residue despite similar cleaning efforts after brushing. Conclusion Compared to the regular-sized toothbrush, the large-head toothbrush showed lower overall efficacy in dentalplaque removal. The results of this study provide significant information regarding the use of large-head toothbrushes.