Analysis for 6 metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Mn) by Atomic absorption spectrophotometer were made on hair samples of healthy 135 in urban area and 130 in rural area who have not dealt with the above metals in their daily working life. Marked variations were found. Samples of urban area contained more cadmium, copper, lead and manganese than those of rural area. No sexual difference in mean value could be observed and the amount of metals in hair did not increase with age. And no age dependency was found. There was a statistically significant correlation between the concentrations of cadmium and lead in both urban and rural people; Pb=1.50 Cd + 6.69 (r = 0.213, p<0.05) in urban area. Pb=1.44 Cd + 3.67 (r = 0.327, p<0.001) in rural area.
Absorption ; Cadmium ; Copper ; Hair* ; Humans* ; Manganese ; Metals

In all enterprises of Korea employing workers more than five, employees have a duty of conducting a periodic health screening for improvement and maintaining healthful living and working conditions of employees. The health screening is performed annually in line workers and biennially in table workers under the supervision of the government. But there are some argument to the health screening programme in view of effectiveness, efficiency, reliability and etc. In order to obtain basic reference materials for increasing the efficiency of periodic health screening programme for workers and understand the attitude of health screening institutions and enterprises toward the periodic health screening, mail questionnaire survey was conducted in July 1987. The questionnaire went to 950 health screening institutions and 700 enterprises in whole land but they were returned from 254 health institutions and 187 enterprises, which were analyzed. The results were as follows: 1) The attitude of the respondents toward the necessity and benefit of the periodic health screening was showed highly positive responses in both of screening institutions and enterprises, and it was more positive in screening institutions. The attitude toward the affirmative and the contentment was showed less positive than that of the necessity and benefit. 2) The respondent recognized may problems on regard to the screening programme. The health screening institutions lie in the state of competition with other institutions for undertaking the screening programme. 3) One of major complaints from enterprises was the lack of sincerity in performing the screening programme. They wanted more practical and reliable health screening examination rather than showy one. 4) Health screening institutions and enterprises showed some mutual contradictions in the matter of screening fee, and so the screening fee should be adjusted to the appropriate cost.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Fees and Charges ; Korea* ; Mass Screening* ; Mortuary Practice ; Organization and Administration ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

0.05).Conclusion The SIS method not only can determine multiple index in Chinese materia medica(CMM)simultaneously,but also be simple and accurate.It will be a good quality evaluation pattern for CMM.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Drugs, Investigational ; Humans ; Plasma

OBJECTIVETo explore guiding role of three-column theory in manipulative reduction, small splint fixation and early rehabilitative exercises of Colles fracture.

METHODSFrom August 2011 to February 2012,47 patients with Colles fractures were treated by manipulative reduction small splinting fixation and early rehabilitative exercises under the guidance of three-column theory, including 21 males and 26 females aged from 40 to 76 years old with an average of (65.5 +/- 2.3). According to AO fracture classification, 27 patients were type A (including 18 cases with type A2 and 9 cases with type A3) and 20 patients were type C (including 10 cases with type C1, 6 cases with type C2 and 4 cases with type C3). Pain and recovery time of swelling, postoperative complications were observed and recorded, Gartland-Werley scoring system were applied for evaluate functional recovery and biomechanical analysis of wrist joint at 12 weeks after operation.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up for 3 to 9 months with average of 5 months. Pain relief time ranged from 5 to 15 d with average of (7.6 +/- 2.2) d,recovery time of swelling of opisthenar was for 6 to 13 d with an average of (8.9 +/- 1.9) d. Two patients occurred tension vesicle within 3 days after operation, but no other complications occurred. According to Gartland-Werley scoring system, 25 cases got excellent results, 18 cases good and 4 cases moderate at 12 weeks after operation.

CONCLUSIONUnder the guidance of three-column theory, treating Colles fracture by manipulative reduction, small splinting fixation and early rehabilitative exercises can reduce pain and swelling time, promote union of fracture, effectively rehabilitate wrist function, improve clinical efficacy, and fit for concept of biomechanics.

Adult ; Aged ; Colles' Fracture ; rehabilitation ; surgery ; therapy ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Fracture Fixation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

This study was designed to investigate the impact of ultra-filtration extract mixture from Astragals mongholicus (UEMAM) o radiosensitivity of H22 ascitic tumor in mice to 12C6+ ions radiation. The H22 ascitic tumor model was established in mice by intraperitoneal injection of 0.2 mL H22 ascitic cells. The animals were subsequently divided into 4 groups randomly, treated with normal saline, UEMAM, heavy ion beam radiotherapy and UEMAM plus heavy ion beam radiotherapy, respectively. The body weights, abdomen circumference of the mice were measured and the mouse behavior was monitored every day; survival time was recorded to evaluate life extension effect; flow cytometry technique was used to detect H22 cell apoptosis and cell cycle; protein levels of p53, Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved Caspase-3 were analyzed by Western blot; the single cell gel electrophoresis was used to detect the level of deoxyribonucleic acid damage (DNA damage). The results suggest that UEMAM significantly increased survival time, and decreased body weights and abdomen circumference over the saline control group. The treatment increased cell apoptosis, cycle arrest and DNA damage compared to the saline control group. UEMAM significantly enhanced the therapeutic effect of heavy ion beam radiation in survival time, and decreased body weights and abdomen circumference in the tumor-baring mice. The combination increased cell apoptosis, cycle arrest and DNA damage compared to the radiotherapy group. The results of Western blot suggest that the treatment significantly enhanced p53-induced apoptotic signals. The experiment discovered that UEMAM could improve radiosensitivity of H22 ascitic tumor through activation of p53-mediated apoptotic signal pathway.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Damage ; Ions ; Mice ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Radiation Tolerance ; Signal Transduction

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

The authors have experinced 8 cases of chronic carbon disulfide poisoning in workers engaged in the viacase rayon industry during the period between March 1987 and September 1988. Cases of carbon disulfide poisoning has not been reported in Korea till then. Carbon disulfide is primarily a neurotoxic poison, therefore those symptoms indicating central and peripheral nervous damage are very important. And it has toxic effects on the various organs such as skin, eye, ear, and respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic, genitourinary, hematological, and endocrine system. Occupational histories were obtained, and clinical findings and laboratory findings were analysed on all cases. 1. Seven (7) cases had been exposed to carbon disulfide for more than 10 years, and 1 case has been exposed for 6 years. 2. Most common symptoms were neurological symptoms such as gait disturbance, extremity weakness, paresthesia, and speech disturbance. 3. Involvement of central nervous system was noted in 7 cases through abnormal findings of electroencephalography, brain computerized tomography, neurological signs, and psychological test. Needle electromyography and nerve conduction study showed polyneuropathy in all cases. Ophthalmological abnormalities were found in 7 cases, mainly retinal microaneurysms and peripheral constriction of the visual field. Renal damage appeared in 4 cases, increase of serum cholesterol and/or triglyceride level appeared in 3 cases, and dercrease of erythrocyte and hemoglobin appeared in 2 cases. And hypertenison appeared in 2 cases, and diabetes appeared in 1 case. One(1) case who has been exposed tn carbon disulfide for 6 years showed polyneuropathy and peripheral constriction of the visual field.
Brain ; Carbon Disulfide* ; Carbon* ; Central Nervous System ; Cholesterol ; Constriction ; Ear ; Electroencephalography ; Electromyography ; Endocrine System ; Erythrocytes ; Extremities ; Gait ; Korea ; Needles ; Neural Conduction ; Paresthesia ; Poisoning* ; Polyneuropathies ; Psychological Tests ; Retinaldehyde ; Skin ; Triglycerides ; Visual Fields

Objective: To summarize the clinical experience and short-term outcome of minimally invasive occlusion in patients with peri-membranous ventricular septal defect (PmVSD) via right subaxillary route under trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance.
Methods: A total of 122 PmVSD patients treated in our hospital from 2014-01 to 2015-07 were summarized. There were 54 male and 68 female with the mean age of (2.7±2.2, 0.5-9.7) years, mean body weight of (13.9±6.0, 6.1-38.0) kg and mean PmVSD diameter of (3.8±0.8, 2.5-7.0) mm. The patients were taken left lateral position, a (2-3) cm incision was performed along right mid-axillary line between the 3rd rib and 4th rib, the thoracic entrance was at 4th inter-costal space. A purse-string suture was conducted on right atrial surface, a special hollow probe was inserted into right atrium and crossed tricuspid into right ventricle under TEE guidance; the probe was adjusted to the point or crossed VSD into left ventricle followed by guide wire insertion to establish a deliver pathway, and ifnally, occlusion device was regularly deployed to close the defect. Post-operative ECG, TEE and chest X-ray were conducted for followed-up study.
Results: There were 119/122 (98.4%) patients occluded successfully and 3 failed patients were converted to cardiopulmonary bypass surgery at the original incision. The average size of occluder was (4.9±1.1, 4-10) mm and all devices were concentric. The patients were followed up at the mean of (8.3±5.0, 1.0-19.8) months, during that period, 12/119 (10.1%) had new mild tricuspid regurgitation, 16 (13.4%) suffered from incomplete right bundle branch block, 4 (3.4%) had small residual shunt and 2 of them were self-closed at 1 and 3 months after operation respectively. There were no complete atrio-ventricular block, no new aortic valve regurgitation and no device dislocation.
Conclusion: Minimally invasive occlusion of PmVSD via right subaxillary route under TEE guidance was a safe, effective, feasible and better cosmetic method for treating relevant patients; while its long-term outcome should be further observed.

Objective To compare the difference of ultrasound and digital subtraction anginography (DSA) in diagnosing carotid atheriosclerosis. Methods A total of 340 patients of ischemic cerebrovascular disease with carotid atheriosclerosis were examined with ultrasound and DSA. They were divided into cerebral infarction group (n=235) and transient ischemic attack (TIA, n=105), and also were divided into the young-aged group (n=54), middle-aged group (n=137) and old-aged group (n=149) by age. Results Both of the ultrasound and DSA found that the incidence of carotid artery stenosis in cerebral infarction was higher than that in TIA (P<0.05);the incidence that of carotid artery stenosis in old-aged group were higher than that in middle-aged and young-aged group (P<0.05), and in middle-aged group was higher than that in young-aged group. Taking DSA as standard, the accordance rate of ultrasound in diagnosing stenosis, clot and both of them were 89.39%, 80.85%, 87.15%, respectively. Conclusion Carotid artery ultrasound has high sensitivity in diagnosis of carotid atheriosclerosis. Either carotid artery ultrasound or DSA has advantages. With combination of two methods, there will be an important significance in the diagnosis, clinical treatment, assess before operation and follow-up after operation in patients with carotid atheriosclerosis.