No abstract available.
Child ; Child, Orphaned* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Child ; Child, Orphaned* ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: Fall is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults. Falls result from many various causes, and dizziness is important risk for falls, especially in the elderly. Research on the relationship between chronic dizziness and falls in elderly people has been rarely performed and these were no studies that analyzed the risk of falls according to subtypes of chronic dizziness. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of the association between subtypes of chronic dizziness and falls in the elderly between 65 to 75 years. We divided dizzy patients into 5 groups according to the results of symptom, vestibular and autonomic function test. Falls and new events (acute dizziness or other medical conditions) were checked monthly by telephone or out patient department follow-up for 6 months. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were enrolled and all completed follow-up for 6 months. Nine patients classified as the falling groups and 34 patients as nonfalling group. Whereas the frequencies of orthostatic hypotension (n=6, 67%) and vestibular dysfunction (n=1, 11%) were higher in fall group, psychogenic dizziness (n=12, 35%), and vestibular migraine (n=3, 9%) were more frequent in nonfall group. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of dizziness in the elderly is a strong predictor of fall, especially orthostatic hypotension is an important predictor of fall. In order to lower the risk of falls in the elderly, an approach based on the cause of dizziness is needed.
Accidental Falls ; Adult ; Aged ; Classification ; Dizziness ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Migraine Disorders ; Mortality ; Prospective Studies ; Telephone

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the genotoxic effects of 40-59 nm silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) by bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test), in vitro comet assay and micronucleus (MN) assay. In particular, we directly compared the effect of cytochalasin B (cytoB) and rat liver homogenate (S9 mix) in the formation of MN by Ag-NPs. METHODS: Before testing, we confirmed that Ag-NPs were completely dispersed in the experimental medium by sonication (three times in 1 minute) and filtration (0.2 microm pore size filter), and then we measured their size in a zeta potential analyzer. After that the genotoxicity were measured and especially, S9 mix and with and without cytoB were compared one another in MN assay. RESULTS: Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537 strains revealed that Ag-NPs with or without S9 mix did not display a mutagenic effect. The genotoxicity of Ag-NPs was also evaluated in a mammalian cell system using Chinese hamster ovary cells. The results revealed that Ag-NPs stimulated DNA breakage and MN formation with or without S9 mix in a dose-dependent manner (from 0.01 microg/mL to 10 microg/mL). In particular, MN induction was affected by cytoB. CONCLUSIONS: All of our findings, with the exception of the Ames test results, indicate that Ag-NPs show genotoxic effects in mammalian cell system. In addition, present study suggests the potential error due to use of cytoB in genotoxic test of nanoparticles.
Animals ; Comet Assay ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Cytochalasin B ; DNA ; Female ; Filtration ; Liver ; Micronucleus Tests ; Mutagenicity Tests* ; Nanoparticles* ; Ovary ; Rats ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Silver* ; Sonication

PURPOSE: The forehead flap is the workhorse in nasal reconstruction, which provides a similar skin color, texture, structure, and reliability. There are some disadvantages, including donor site morbidities, 2- or 3-stage operations, and postoperative management after initial flap transfer. Furthermore, there has been little attention to the exposed raw surface wound, after the first stage of an operation. This article describes the authors??modification to overcome this problem, using artificial collagen membrane. METHODS: An Artificial collagen membrane is composed of an outer silicone membrane and an inner collagen layer. After a forehead flap elevation, the expected raw surface was covered by an artificial collagen membrane with 5-0 nylon suture. A simple dressing, which had been applied to the site, was changed every 2 or 3 days in an outpatient unit. At 3 weeks postprocedure, a second stage operation was performed. RESULTS: With biosynthetic protection of the raw surface, there were no wound problems, such as infection or flap loss. Thus, the patient was satisfied due to an effortless management of the wound and a reduction in pain. CONCLUSION: The application of an artificial collagen membrane to the raw under-surface of the flap could be a comfortable and a protective choice for this procedure.
Bandages ; Collagen ; Forehead ; Humans ; Membranes ; Membranes, Artificial ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; Nylons ; Outpatients ; Silicones ; Skin ; Surgical Flaps ; Sutures ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: The forehead flap is the workhorse in nasal reconstruction, which provides a similar skin color, texture, structure, and reliability. There are some disadvantages, including donor site morbidities, 2- or 3-stage operations, and postoperative management after initial flap transfer. Furthermore, there has been little attention to the exposed raw surface wound, after the first stage of an operation. This article describes the authors??modification to overcome this problem, using artificial collagen membrane. METHODS: An Artificial collagen membrane is composed of an outer silicone membrane and an inner collagen layer. After a forehead flap elevation, the expected raw surface was covered by an artificial collagen membrane with 5-0 nylon suture. A simple dressing, which had been applied to the site, was changed every 2 or 3 days in an outpatient unit. At 3 weeks postprocedure, a second stage operation was performed. RESULTS: With biosynthetic protection of the raw surface, there were no wound problems, such as infection or flap loss. Thus, the patient was satisfied due to an effortless management of the wound and a reduction in pain. CONCLUSION: The application of an artificial collagen membrane to the raw under-surface of the flap could be a comfortable and a protective choice for this procedure.
Bandages ; Collagen ; Forehead ; Humans ; Membranes ; Membranes, Artificial ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; Nylons ; Outpatients ; Silicones ; Skin ; Surgical Flaps ; Sutures ; Tissue Donors

OBJECTIVE: Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is involved in social emotional processing. A leading hypothesis is that oxytocin facilitates positive prosocial behaviors; the peptide may also play a more general role in inhibiting withdrawal-related social behaviors. The present study examined these possibilities. METHODS: A double-blind, placebo controlled crossover design was used with 31 healthy women. Forty-five minutes following the administration of 40 IU of intranasal oxytocin or a placebo, the participants were presented with two dot probe tests with pairs of face stimuli depicting emotional and neutral faces in adults. RESULTS: Oxytocin specifically reduced the attention bias toward the location of the faces of adults showing negative emotions, particularly in the case of disgust. Oxytocin did not enhance the attentional bias toward adult happy faces. The effect of oxytocin toward adult negative emotion was correlated with the sensitivity of the drive in the behavioral motivational system. CONCLUSION: Oxytocin reduces attention to negative social emotions in adults, which supports oxytocin serves to inhibit withdrawal-related social behaviour.
Adult* ; Bias (Epidemiology)* ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Neuropeptides ; Oxytocin* ; Social Behavior

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/AIMS: Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) has been extensively investigated as a marker of airway inflammation in asthma, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is recognized as a useful tool for its evaluation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between FeNO levels and bronchodilator response (BDR), and between FeNO and mannitol-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), in patients with suspected asthma. METHODS: Clinical variables were collected from patients aged ≥ 13 years with suspected bronchial asthma and measured levels of FeNO. These levels were compared with patient values for forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow at 25 and 75% of the pulmonary volume (FEF(25-75%)) in bronchodilator response tests under control conditions, and during bronchial provocation with mannitol. Correlations and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves between FeNO levels and each test were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 259 patients were included in the analysis. The mean ages of the two test groups were 41.1 and 47.8 years, respectively. FeNO levels were strongly correlated with bronchodilator response (%) and with the mannitol dose producing a 15% fall in FEV1 (PD15). On the other hand, FeNO levels were only weakly correlated with FEF(25-75%). The optimal cut-off values for FeNO to predict a positive BDR and AHR were 38.5 and 29.5 parts per billion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that FEV1 and FEF(25-75%) airway responses correlate with FeNO levels in patients with suspected bronchial asthma. FeNO levels may help to predict positive responses to BDR and AHR.
Asthma* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Mannitol ; Nitric Oxide* ; ROC Curve