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Humans

The duration of infection, frequency of eating raw fresh water fishes, and a series of liver function tests were studied in a group of 23 Korean symptomless cases with Clonorchis sinensis, and compared with those in a control group of uninfected persons. Of 23 lightly infected cases, 11 cases who had been infected for 10 to 20 years was found the highest in percentage(47.8), and 2 had been infected for over 30 years. The frequency of eating raw fresh water fishes ranged from 2 to 35 times. The range of Stoll egg-counts in 23 cases varied from 600 to 8,600 eggs per gram of feces and the average value was approximately 2,800 eggs. A series of liver function tests examined showed normal value in all cases. These results showed no difference in either infected group and its contol group.
parasitology-trematode-Clonorchiasis sinensis, epidemiology ; egg per gram ; liver function test

Today, CTDs (Cumulative Trauma Disorders) are one of major hazards in the US and European Industries disrupting work schedules, productivity and increasing workers compensation costs. The increase in injuries and their associated costs has led companies to form committees and implement programs to address this problem. Therefore, it is important that quantitative analysis tools help identify and assess industrial tasks that pose risk to workers. However, the process of quantifying risk in upper limb tasks is still in its infancy stage and calls for better measurement techniques are not going unheard. As the first work of quantification, baseline CTD checklist for risk assessment was developed in this study. It was mainly based on previous literature regarding CTDs. The checklist was unique in that its expected user was industrial hygienist who did not have much ergonomic background and in that it was targeted to Korean workers in various types of industries. As the first application of the checklist, some jobs in two industries (VDT, heavy Industry) were evaluated, and compared with the medical data. Eighteen out of thirty items in the checklist was univariately significant (p<0.05) on the results of medical examinations. The correlation between medical data and total risk score from the checklist was 0.62. The feasibility of its use by an industrial hygienist was also checked by comparing with the results by an ergonomist. Their correlation (on the basis of Kendall's tau-b) in terms of total risk score was 0.74. The checklist in this study shows reasonably good performance for the first trial. Further research will have to include continuous refinement and validation for many more industries and many more jobs.
Appointments and Schedules ; Checklist* ; Efficiency ; Risk Assessment* ; Upper Extremity ; Workers' Compensation

OBJECTIVE: The authors reviewed experience with patients harboring intracerebral hematoma (ICH) treated by stereotactic computed tomography (CT) guided thrombolysis and aspiration and evaluated feasibility, safety and prognostic factors of this procedure. METHODS: One hundred and ten patients with supratentorial ICH >25 ml without underlying structural etiology or coagulopathy were recruited. The patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <5 were excluded. A catheter was directed stereotactically into the ICH under CT guidance. Hematoma aspiration was followed by instillation of urokinase. This was repeated every 6 hours until less than half of its initial volume remained. For analysis of prognostic factors, we classified them into two groups;good (Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) > or =4) and bad (GOS<4) prognosis group, and performed comparative analysis between two groups. RESULTS: Mean age was 59.8 years. The baseline hematoma size ranged from 15 to 72 mL. ICH volume reduced by an average of 74.2%. At 6 months after the procedure, 56 patients had achieved a good recovery, 29 patients were dependent, and 10 remained vegetative. Fifteen patients died in hospital. The main good prognostic factors were young age, small ICH volume, high GCS, absence of rebleeding, underlying disease and complications. CONCLUSION: CT-guided thrombolysis and aspiration appears safe and effective in the reduction of ICH volume. Patients of ICH presenting with bad prognostic factors should require frequent radiological investigation and more meticulous procedure. Further studies are needed to assess optimal thrombolytic dosage and must include controlled comparisons of mortality, and disability outcome.
Catheters ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify whether growth and differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) expressions would be lower in the follicular fluid (FF) of those over age 35 who underwent IVF than under age 35. METHODS: A total of 24 IVF cycles (20 patients) were included in this study. All of patients were stimulated for IVF by the GnRH short protocol and divided into two groups for analysis, according to their age: <35 group (14 cycles, 11 patients) vs. > or =35 group (10 cycles, 9 patients). The expression levels of GDF-9 and TGF-beta1 were determined by western blotting and quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The numbers of retrieved oocytes and metaphase II oocytes were significantly lower in the > or =35 group. Lower expression of GDF-9 and TGF-beta1 by western blotting in the > or =35 group were observed as well. The mean GDF-9 and TGF-beta1 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were lower in the > or =35 group. The values were 6,850.5+/-928.4 ng/L vs. 3,333.3+/-1,089.2 ng/L of GDF-9 (p<0.05) and 3,844.1+/-571.1 ng/L vs. 2,187.7+/-754.0 ng/L of TGF-beta1 (p<0.05). A negative correlation between GDF-9 and age was observed (r=-0.546, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: GDF-9 and TGF-beta1 production from stimulated ovaries during IVF appears to decrease with age.
Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fertilization ; Follicular Fluid ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Differentiation Factor 9 ; Humans ; Metaphase ; Oocytes ; Ovary ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status and the basic information of cumulative traumatic disorder among workers. METHOD: The subjects were 198 workers, consisted of 100 shipspublisher workers, 155 telephone operators and 43 light workers. Workers were surveyed with a standardized self- administered questionnaire and examed by the occupational medicine doctors and physiatrists for the cumulative traumatic disorders. Laboratory tests, nerve conduction studies and X-rays of the C-spine and shoulders were performed in all subjects. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: Myofascial pain syndrome was the most frequent problem in the shipspublisher and telephone operators. As a result of the multiple logistic regression analysis, cycle time, palm pinch, lumbar and neck flexion were the significant variables accounting for the musculoskeletal symptoms.
Logistic Models ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes ; Neck ; Neural Conduction ; Occupational Medicine ; Prevalence* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Shoulder ; Telephone

Background: Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter. Excessive glutamate causes excitatory toxicity and increases intracellular calcium, leading to neuronal death. Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding protein that regulates calcium homeostasis. Quercetin is a polyphenol found in plant and has neuroprotective effects against neurodegenerative diseases. Objectives: We investigated whether quercetin regulates apoptosis by modulating parvalbumin expression in glutamate induced neuronal damage. Methods: Glutamate was treated in hippocampal-derived cell line, and quercetin or vehicle was treated 1 h before glutamate exposure. Cells were collected for experimental procedure 24 h after glutamate treatment and intracellular calcium concentration and parvalbumin expression were examined. Parvalbumin small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection was performed to detect the relation between parvalbumin and apoptosis. Results: Glutamate reduced cell viability and increased intracellular calcium concentration, while quercetin preserved calcium concentration and neuronal damage. Moreover, glutamate reduced parvalbumin expression and quercetin alleviated this reduction. Glutamate increased caspase-3 expression, and quercetin attenuated this increase in both parvalbumin siRNA transfected and non-transfected cells. The alleviative effect of quercetin was statistically significant in non-transfected cells. Moreover, glutamate decreased bcl-2 and increased bax expressions, while quercetin alleviated these changes. The alleviative effect of quercetin in bcl-2 family protein expression was more remarkable in non-transfected cells. Conclusions These results demonstrate that parvalbumin contributes to the maintainace of intracellular calcium concentration and the prevention of apoptosis, and quercetin modulates parvalbumin expression in glutamate-exposed cells. Thus, these findings suggest that quercetin performs neuroprotective function against glutamate toxicity by regulating parvalbumin expression.

INTRODUCTION: To prevent hemodialysis-related infections, it is important to maintain hemodialysis system without microbial contamination. In May 2003, routine surveillance showed that dialysis water from dialysis port was contaminated with bacteria. To identify the causes of the contamination, we conducted an investigation as follows. METHODS: Patients undergoing dialysis were carefully monitored to see whether evidences of pyrogenic reactions or infections were present. Factors that could have influence on bacterial contamination in hemodialysis systems were thoroughly examined. In addition, microbiologic surveillances were done 7 times in 1 month. RESULTS: Although pyrogenic reactions or bacteremia did not occur, R. pickettii was repeatedly isolated above the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards from almost all dialysis units. Bacterial counts of specimens were higher in the proximal part of the water supply tube than the other parts in all dialysis machines. The colony count of R. pickettii exceeded the maximum level of technical limit in the specimens collected from the dialysis machines in the early morning after intermission of 48 hours. The structure of the supply tube was suspected as the origin of the colonization because stagnant water is a reservoir for bacterial multiplication. After remodeling the structure of the water supply tube, neither R. pickettii nor any other bacteria were isolated. CONCLUSION: Our investigation successfully identified the source of R. pickettii contamination of reverse osmosis water. Appropriate corrective measures for water distribution systems of hemodialysis center could prevent outbreak of dialysis-associated illnesses.
Bacteremia ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Load ; Colon ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Osmosis ; Ralstonia ; Ralstonia pickettii ; Renal Dialysis ; Water ; Water Supply

Spontaneous herniation of the spinal cord is a rare disease entity in which spinal cord substance is herniated through a previously uninjured and/or untouched dura. It is a cause of myelopathy that is treatable but difficult to diagnose. We report the CT and MR findings of a case of spontaneous thoracic spinal cord herniation manifesting as ventrolateral protrusion of thoracic spinal cord through a dural defect.
Rare Diseases ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spinal Cord*

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system in mediating the stress response attends traumatic brain injury. Plasma dopamine(DA), epinephrine(E), norepinephrine(NE) levels were measured in 26 severe traumatically brain injured patients to determine whether catecholamine levels obtained within 24 hours after injury provide reliable prognostic endogenous markers of outcome. Patient outcome was determine at 1 week using the Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) and at the time of discharge the Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS), 7 patients with diseases except those with a severe traumatic brain injury were selected as a control group. Firstly, we analyzed the difference of the average DA, E, and NE between the control group and severe traumatic brain injury patients. Secondly, we analyzed the difference of the average catecholamine levels in the 3 groups according to admission GCS scores(respectively 3~4, 5~7, 8~9). Third, we analyzed the difference of the average catecholamine levels in the 5 groups according to GOS scores at 1 week(respectively dead, 3~4, 5~7, 8~11, >11). Finally, we analyzed the difference of the average catecholamine levels in the 5 groups according to GOS at the time of discharge. As a result, there was no statical difference between the level of DA in the control group and those of the severe brain injury patients. But the level of E an NE in the experimental group were higher than the control group(respectively p<0.03, p<0.04). The admission GCS score correlated highly with the catecholamine levels(NE : r=0.69, p<0.001 ; E ; r=0.42, p<0.03 ; DA ; r=0.42, p<0.03). In patients with admission GCS of 3 to 4, NE levels increaed fourfold above other group(p<0.005). In the 13 patients with GCS scores of 3 or 4 on admission. NE levels predicted outcome at 1 week. All two patients with NE levels less then 750 pg/ml were survived, while 10 of 11 with NE levels greater than 750 pg/ml were died(p<0.02). The levels of NE was significantly higher in patients who died than in those with better outcome(p<0.02). Therefore, these findings indicated that the level of circulating NE is an excellent endogenous marker that appear to reflect the extent of brain injury and that may predict the likelihood of recovery.
Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Coma ; Dopamine ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma* ; Prognosis* ; Sympathetic Nervous System