PURPOSE: To evaluate protective mechanism of melatonin against radiation damage and its relationship with apoptosis in mouse jejunum. MATERIALS AND METHODS:' 168 mice were divided into 28 groups according to radiation dose and melatonin treatment. To analysis crypt survival, microcolony survival assay was done according to Withers an (l Elkind's method. To analysis apoptosis, TUNEL assay was done according to Labet-Moleur's method. RESULTS: Radiation protection effect of melatonin was demonstrated by crypt survival assay and its effect was stronger in high radiation dose area. Apoptosis index with 8 Gy irradiation was 18.4% in control group and 16.5% in melatonin treated group. After 18 Gy, apoptosis index was 17.2% in control group and 15.4% in melatonin treated group. Apoptosis index did not show statistically significant difference between melatonin treated group and control group. CONCLUSION: Melatonin shows clear protective effect in mouse jejunum against radiation damage but it.', protective effect seems not to be related with apoptosis protection effect.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Cell Survival* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Jejunum ; Melatonin* ; Mice* ; Radiation Protection

Urticaria pigmentosa developed in twins at the age of 6 weeks. They have numerous round to oval shaped, discrete or confluent reddish brown colored macules over whole body surface and neither twin had vomiting, diarrhea, flushing or irritability. Their relatives are unaffected. Biopsy specimen of. back lesion showed. pooling of mast cells in the upper dermis, and electron microscopic examinattion revealed normal mast cells.
Biopsy ; Dermis ; Diarrhea ; Flushing ; Humans ; Mast Cells ; Twins* ; Urticaria Pigmentosa* ; Urticaria* ; Vomiting

Spinal fusion has performed for instability and anatomical reconstruction since 1985 by Barthe. Bone grafts and synthetic materials has been used for spinal fusion, but they have several limitations and complications. Recently a new synthetic polymer B.O.P.(Biocompatible Osteoconductive Polymer) was developed and it overcome the limitations of other materials. The B.O.P. showed no foreign body reaction and gave scaffolding for the osteoconduction and osteointegration. Authors operated 35 cases of spinal fusion with B.O.P. and the results and literature reviews were discussed.
Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Polymers ; Spinal Fusion* ; Transplants

Anterior interbody fusion has used for instability and anatomical reconstruction in various cervical diseases since 1958 by cloward. Bone grafts such as autograft, allograft, xenograft and synthetic materials were utilized in fusion as a graft material. But conventional fusion materials have problems including postoperative morbidity, transmission of diseases, foreign body reaction, collapse, prolongation of operation time. A new synthetic material, Biocompatible Osteoconductive Polymer(B.O.P) is developed and it was useful for cervical anterior interbody fusion as a substitute for other fusion materials.
Allografts ; Autografts ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Heterografts ; Transplants

The incidence of tinea capitis was the least in the middle of 1970s, and thereafter it has been msrkedly increased along with other superficial mycoses due to Microsporum cania This study was to investigate the recent clinical and mycological trends of tinea capitis among the individuals of both out-patients of dermatologic clinic and orphanage children. These study data were compiled from 47 out-patients, which consisted of 31 patients from St. Pauls Hospital from September, 1980 to August, 1981 and 16 from St. Marys Hospital and Kangnam St. Marys Hospital from February to May in 1981, and from 79 patients of the orphage located in Seoul area in May, 1981. The results were as follows: 1. M. canis was isolated from all 47 out-patients with tinea capitis(male: 21, female 26). In orphanage, from 50 patients(63.3%) among the 79 patients with tinea capitis, 46 strains(92%) of T. ferrugineum from 30 male and 16 female patients, 3(6%) of M. canis from 3 males, and 1(2%) of T. violaceurn from a female were isolated. 2. The incidence of tinea capitis by M. canis in a total 5, 340 out-patients was 0. 58% (0. 62% in male, 0.56% in female) and its monthly distribution was almoat even through the studied period. The male to female ratio was 1:1,24, being more prevalent in female. 3. The age of onset was younger in female with tinea capitis due to M. canis than in male: The median age of onaet was 5 years in female and 7 years in male. In the group below 7 years of age, the maIe to female ratio was 1:1.84 and in the group above 8 years of age, l.74: 1.4. Most lesions of tinea capitis due to M. canis from out-patients showed multiple round grey scaled patches with shrotened hairs or round erythematous scaled alopetic patches. Kerion celsi were found in 4(9%) out of 47 out-patiente. Tinea corporia was combined in 4(9%) out-patients. There were domestic animals shch as kit or dog in 7(29%) among 24 houses of the patients.
Age of Onset ; Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Child ; Dogs ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Microsporum ; Mycoses ; Orphanages ; Outpatients ; Seoul* ; Tinea ; Tinea Capitis

OBJECTIVE: Cartoons have been known to motivate learners and make learning process easier by combining verbal and visual effects. But they are mostly applied to motivate the less able learners, and have limits in delivering comprehensive information. Thus, more careful and scientific validation for the pros and cons of using cartoons for everyday use in various subjects is in need. METHODS: In this research, we used Electroencephalography(EEG) to compare cartoon learning and text learning by measuring four characteristic brainwaves including theta, alpha, sensory motor rhythms(SMR), and beta, from the left and right brain. The EEG signals acquired from 24 subjects are analyzed using the mean difference of the left and right brain and canonical correlation analysis. RESULTS: The theta brainwave of the left brain and right brain shows significant differences (p<0.05) from cartoon learning versus text learning in the theta brainwave while the other brain waves show similar patterns. CONCLUSION: Cartoon learning produced significantly stronger theta brainwaves than text learning implicating that cartoon learning reduces more focused attention, SMR brainwaves and beta brainwaves from the left brain explained cartoon learning and text learning process while alpha brainwaves explained those processes in the right brain.
Brain ; Brain Waves ; Electroencephalography ; Learning

Forty cases of infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast were examined immunohistochemically for expression of TGF-beta and angiogenesis in order to analyze significant correlation with prognostic parameters including tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, histologic grade, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status. The TGF-beta expression was observed in tumors center and advancing edges of tumors. To determine microvessel density for angiogenesis, we stained endothelial cells for Factor VIII related antigen and counted microvessel within tumor. The results were as follows: 1) The strong immunohistochemical expression of TGF-beta and higher counts of microvessels were observed in advancing edges of tumors (p<0.05). 2) The TGF-beta expression in the advancing edges of tumors was closely related to clinical stage and presence of axillary lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). 3) The mean microvessel counts were significantly higher in tumors from patients with axillary lymph node metastasis and increased with increasing clinical stage (p<0.05). 4) The TGF-beta expression was not related to histologic grade, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status(p>0.05). Therefore, the results suggested that the TGF-beta expression and angiogenesis in infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast may play an important part in prognostic factors, closely related to the lymph node metastasis and clinical stage.
Neoplasm Metastasis

Four patients were treated who had limited flexion of the hips and various degrees of contracture of the abduction and external rotator muscles because of fibrosis of the gluteus maximus muscle. Each patient had a typical restriction of motion such that an affected hip could not be flexed in the usual sagittal plane, but had to be flexed in abduction. Genetic, congenital and postnatal factors have been suggested as the cause of fibrosis of gluteus maximus muscle. Three of the 4 patients reported here are of congenital origin and another one is of postnatal factor repeated intramuscular injections. Excellent correction of the hip contracture was achieved in all patients by division of the fibrotic bands.
Contracture ; Fibrosis ; Hip Contracture ; Hip ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Muscles

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology that affects spine, sacroiliac joint, and the large joints of the extremities, and lead to fibrous or bony ankylosis and deformity. The rigid ankylosed spine of ankylosing spondylitis is prone to fracture by minimal trauma, and the resulting fractures likely to be unstable and damage to spinal cord or cauda equina. The authors report a case of paraplegia in ankylosing spondylitis after open reduction of the femoral trohanteric fracture.
Ankylosis ; Cauda Equina ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Femur ; Joints ; Paraplegia ; Sacroiliac Joint ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

We have expressed GFP in Sf9 and Bm5 cells or Bombyx by larvae by using Ac-Bm hybrid virus capable of replicating in both Bm5 and Sf9 cells. Genomic DNA of Ac-Bm hybrid virus expressing P-galactosidase was cotransfected with baculovirus transfer vector containing GFP gene, pBacPAK-GFP in Sf9 cells. The Ac-Bm hybrid virus harboring GFP was named as Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP. The Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP-infected insect cells were easily selected by detecting the emission of GFP from each well of cell culture dish on the UV illuminator. GFP produced by Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP in Sf9 and Bm5 cells or B. mori larvae was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis using GFP antibody. In addition, B. mori larvae infected with Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP was apparently appeared fluorescence from the whole body at 5 days postinoculation. The fluorescence of GFP from the hemolymph and fat body of B. mori larvae infected with Ac-Bm hybrid virus-GFP was also observed by fluorescence microscope. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that in baculovirus expression vector system, use of Ac-Bm hybrid virus have an additional advantage of expanded host range for producing recombinant proteins.
Animals ; Baculoviridae ; Blotting, Western ; Bombyx* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Fat Body ; Fluorescence ; Hemolymph ; Host Specificity ; Insects ; Larva* ; Recombinant Proteins ; Sf9 Cells ; Spodoptera*