Serum is free of cellular components. Because DNA is located in the nuclei or mitochondria of cells, serum could be assumed DNA free. Few previously published case reports to date have used serum for DNA typing. Here, we report on human genotyping via short tandem repeat (STR) analysis using serum as a sample, and discuss problems involved in the process.
DNA Fingerprinting* ; DNA* ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats* ; Mitochondria

Background: The absence of effective antiviral medications and vaccines increased the focus on non-pharmaceutical preventive behaviors for mitigating against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To examine the current status of non-pharmaceutical preventive behaviors practiced during the COVID-19 outbreak and factors affecting behavioral activities, we compared to the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in Korea. Methods: This was a serial cross-sectional population-based study in Korea with four surveys conducted on June 2 and 25, 2015 (MERS-CoV surveys), and February 4, and April 2, 2020 (COVID-19 surveys). Of 25,711 participants selected using random digit dialing numbers, 4,011 participants (aged ≥ 18 years) were successfully interviewed, for the 2020 COVID-19 (n = 2,002) and 2015 MERS-CoV (n = 2,009) epidemics were included. Participants were selected post-stratification by sex, age, and province. The total number of weighted cases in this survey equaled the total number of unweighted cases at the national level. We measured the levels of preventive behaviors (social distancing [avoiding physical contact with others]), and practicing transmission-reducing behaviors such as wearing face mask and handwashing. Results: Between the surveys, respondents who reported practicing social distancing increased from 41.9%–58.2% (MERS-CoV) to 83.4%–92.3% (COVID-19). The response rate for the four surveys ranged between 13.7% and 17.7%. Practicing transmission-reducing behaviors (wearing face masks and handwashing) at least once during COVID-19 (78.8%, 80.2%) also increased compared to that during MERS-CoV (15.5%, 60.3%). The higher affective risk perception groups were more likely to practice transmission-reducing measures (adjusted odds ratio, 3.24–4.81; 95 confidence interval, 1.76–6.96) during both COVID-19 and MERS-CoV. Conclusion The study findings suggest markedly increased proportions of non-pharmaceutical behavioral practices evenly across all subgroups during the two different novel virus outbreaks in Korea. Strategic interventions are needed to attempt based on preventive behavior works.

It is very important for the anesthesiologists to manage this kind of patient during anesthesia because of severe hemodynamic change that is induced by aortic clamping and declamping, and its secondary effect on visce, heart and spinal cord, etc. To minimize the sudden severe hemodynamic change, we used the following agents and techniques in this clinical report. 1) Ethrane anesthesia with intermittent Innovar administration to minimize cardiac irritability. 2) To prevent secondary damage by distal hypotension during aortic clamping and declamping. 1. slight overhydration. 2. mannitol. 3. diuretics. 3) To prevent secondary damage by proximal hypertension during aortic clamping. 1. d-tubocurarine for muscle relaxation. 2. Morphine. 3. Chlorpromazine. 4. phentolamine. More over, we recommend this kind of anesthetic method in some other surgeries such as coarctation of aorta, aortic aneuryam and pheochromocytoma, etc. which may exhibit severe hemodynamic change during anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Aortic Coarctation ; Chlorpromazine ; Constriction ; Diuretics ; Enflurane ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular* ; Hypotension ; Mannitol ; Morphine ; Muscle Relaxation ; Phentolamine ; Pheochromocytoma ; Spinal Cord ; Tubocurarine

No abstract available.
Forearm* ; Humerus*

An extended-release (ER) fixed-dose combination (FDC) of tramadol 37.5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg was developed due to the demand for varying dosages. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PKs) for two tablets of the new developed tramadol 37.5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg ER FDC (DW-0920, Wontran Semi ER®) as test formulation compared to one tablet of the tramadol 75 mg/acetaminophen 650 mg ER FDC (DW-0919, Wontran ER®) as reference formulation. A randomized, open-label, 2-way crossover study was conducted in 30 healthy subjects. Subjects were orally administered one of 2 formulations followed by an alternate formulation with a 7-day washout period. Blood samples were collected up to 36 hours post-dose. Plasma concentrations of tramadol and acetaminophen were determined using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric method. The geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and their 90% confidence intervals (90% CIs) of test formulation to reference formulation were calculated for the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from zero to the last measurable time point (AUClast). The PK profiles of 2 formulations were comparable. The GMRs (90% CI) of Cmax and AUClast for tramadol were 1.086 (1.047–1.127) and 1.008 (0.975–1.042), respectively. The corresponding values for acetaminophen were 0.956 (0.897–1.019) and 0.986 (0.961–1.011), respectively. All the values were within the bioequivalence range of 0.80–1.25. Two tablets of DW-0920 were comparable to one tablet of DW-0919. The DW-0920 may be used for optimal pharmacotherapy for pain control with a lower dose.

Cardiac arrest (CA) in children is associated with high mortality rates. In Korea, cohort studies regarding the outcomes of pediatric CAs are lacking, especially in emergency departments (EDs) or in-hospital settings. This study was conducted to examine the trends in epidemiology and survival outcomes in children with resuscitation-attempted CAs using data from a cross-sectional, national, ED-based clinical registry. We extracted cases in which cardiopulmonary resuscitation and/or manual defibrillation were performed according to treatment codes using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) from 2008 to 2012. The total number of ED visits registered in the NEDIS during the 5-yr evaluation period was 20,424,530; among these, there were 2,970 resuscitation-attempted CAs in children. The annual rates of pediatric CAs per 1,000 ED visits showed an upward trend from 2.81 in 2009 to 3.62 in 2012 (P for trend = 0.045). The median number of estimated pediatric CAs at each ED was 7.8 (25th to 75th percentile, 4 to 13) per year. The overall rates for admission survival and discharge survival were 35.2% and 12.8%, respectively. The survival outcome of adults increased substantially over the past 5 yr (11.8% in 2008, 11.7% in 2010, and 13.6% in 2012; P for trend = 0.001); however, the results for children did not improve (13.6% in 2008, 11.4% in 2010, and 13.7% in 2012; P for trend = 0.870). Conclusively, we found that the overall incidence of pediatric CAs in EDs increased substantially over the past 5 yr, but without significantly higher survival outcomes.
Adolescent ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/*mortality ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Heart Arrest/*epidemiology/*prevention & control ; *Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; *Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Giant fusiform aneurysms at the basilar trunk tend to have a poor natural history and surgical management for these aneurysms remains controversial. For these aneurysms, basilar trunk occlusion with endovascular coiling is difficult when the collateral supply from the carotid circulation is relatively poor. Interestingly, we herein present a successfully treated case of a partially thrombosed giant fusiform aneurysm at the basilar trunk with relatively poor collateral supply using endovascular coil occlusion following bypass surgery (superficial temporal artery-radial artery-superior cerebellar artery anastomosis).
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Natural History

BACKGROUND: Besides its general anesthetic effect, ketamine interacts with sodium channels in a local anesthetic-like fashion, including the sharing of binding sites with those commonly used by clinical local anesthetics. This study evaluated the dose related effects of ketamine during epidural anesthesia with 0.5% ropivacaine. METHODS: Sixty ASA physical status I-II patients, scheduled for minor elective surgery under epidural anesthesia using 0.5% ropivacaine, were randomly divided into three groups (n = 20 each). The patients initially received either 0.5% ropivacaine (group 1), ketamine (0.1 mg/kg) in addition to the epidural 0.5% ropivacaine (group 2) or ketamine (0.2 mg/kg) in addition to the epidural 0.5% ropivacaine (group 3). The regression of sensory block was assessed by transcutaneous electric stimulation (TES), equivalent to a surgical incision. Motor block was assessed using the Modified Bromage's scale. Episodes of bradycardia, hypotension and sedation were also recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the three groups in the maximal levels of sensory block or the times taken for these levels to be reached. The mean times for the block to regress to two and four segments below the maximal level were significantly prolonged by epidural ketamine. CONCLUSIONS: Epidural ketamine prolongs the duration of ropivacaine epidural anesthesia. These results suggest that ketamine has local anesthetic-like actions.
Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Binding Sites ; Bradycardia ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Ketamine* ; Sodium Channels ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the radiologic characteristics of nasal-type NK/T cell lymphomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed twenty-one cases of pathologically proven nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphomas. CT scans were obtained for 21 patients, MR image were obtained for 3 patients, and both CT and MR scans were obtained for 3 patients. The imaging features regarding patterns of the masses, extension to adjacent tissue, bony changes and the degree of contrast enhancement were evaluated. RESULTS: All of the 21 patients had diffuse mucosal thickening and 12 patients (12/21, 57%) also had polypoid masses. Nasal cavity lesions showed extension to the adjacent tissue in 20 cases (20/21, 95%). Adjacent bone erosion or destruction was noted in 14 cases (14/21, 67%) and the bone destruction was mild. CONCLUSION: Nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphomas revealed a tendency to involve the superficial soft tissue and to extend into the adjacent structures. The typical imaging features of nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma were diffuse infiltrative lesion with or without polypoid masses in the nasal cavity and frequently extension to adjacent soft tissue, and especially the subcutaneous tissue.
Humans ; Lymphoma* ; Nasal Cavity ; Skin* ; Subcutaneous Tissue* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been reported to be beneficial for the treatment of liver fibrosis. Here, we investigated the use of genetically engineered MSCs that overexpress hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a means to improve their therapeutic effect in liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of dimethylnitrosamine. HGF-secreting MSCs (MSCs/HGF) were prepared by transducing MSCs with an adenovirus carrying HGF-encoding cDNA. MSCs or MSCs/HGF were injected directly into the spleen of fibrotic rats. Tissue fibrosis was assessed by histological analysis 12 days after stem cell injection. Although treatment with MSCs reduced fibrosis, treatment with MSCs/HGF produced a more significant reduction and was associated with elevated HGF levels in the portal vein. Collagen levels in the liver extract were decreased after MSC/HGF therapy, suggesting recovery from fibrosis. Furthermore, liver function was improved in animals receiving MSCs/HGF, indicating that MSC/HGF therapy resulted not only in reduction of liver fibrosis but also in improvement of hepatocyte function. Assessment of cell and biochemical parameters revealed that mRNA levels of the fibrogenic cytokines PDGF-bb and TGF-beta1 were significantly decreased after MSC/HGF therapy. Subsequent to the decrease in collagen, expression of matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), MMP-13, MMP-14 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator was augmented following MSC/HGF, whereas tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-1 (TIMP-1) expression was reduced. In conclusion, therapy with MSCs/HGF resulted in an improved therapeutic effect compared with MSCs alone, probably because of the anti-fibrotic activity of HGF. Thus, MSC/HGF represents a promising approach toward a cell therapy for liver fibrosis.
Animals ; Cell Engineering ; Cells, Cultured ; *Genetic Engineering ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor/analysis/*genetics ; Humans ; Liver/metabolism/pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis/pathology/*therapy ; Male ; *Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/*metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; *Up-Regulation