PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stretching, muscle strengthening, and walking exercise on the cardiopulmonary function and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Twenty-one patients in the intervention and the control group participated in the exercise respectively on maintenance hemodialysis at four university hospitals. The exercise was composed of 20 to 60 min per session, 3 sessions a week for 12 weeks. The effect of exercise was assessed by cardiopulmonary function (peak oxygen uptake, peak ventilation, peak respiration rate, maximal heart rate, and exercise duration) using a cycle ergometer. Grip strength was measured by dynamometer, and flexibility was measured by sit and reach measuring instrument. Health-related quality of life was measured using Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. RESULTS: Peak oxygen uptake, peak ventilation, peak respiration rate, exercise duration, grip strength, flexibility, and physical component scale were significantly improved in the intervention group after 12 week's exercise compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate the exercise can improve cardiopulmonary function, grip strength, flexibility, and physical component scale of health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients.
Adult ; *Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/physiopathology/psychology/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Strength ; Oxygen Consumption ; *Physical Fitness ; Quality of Life/*psychology ; Range of Motion, Articular ; *Renal Dialysis

No abstract available.
Liver Diseases* ; Liver*

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; alpha-Fetoproteins*

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Immunophenotyping*

The amniotic band syndrome is rare congenital deformity, presumably due to rupture of amniotic sac during the early pregnancy and appears to cause fetal injury through deformation, malformation, or disruption. This syndrome is given many names yet follows a clearly defined clinical pattern. The diagnosis was based on sonographic visualization of either amniotic bands or bands associated with fetal deformation or deformities in nonembryologic distribution. Recently, we experienced a case of amniotic band syndrome, in which partial absence of cranial bone, asymmetric facial dysmorphism and amputation of right lower leg were detected. At our best knowledge, this is one of few case describing prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of amniotic band syndrome in Korea. So, we present this case with a brief review of the literatures.
Amniotic Band Syndrome* ; Amputation* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Diagnosis ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Leg* ; Pregnancy ; Rupture ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To estimate the effect and toxicity of bimonthly low-dose leucovorin (LV) and fluorouracil (5-FU) bolus plus continuous infusion(LV5FU2) with docetaxel combination chemotheraphy in patients with inoperable or postoperative relapsed gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 27 patients are enrolled in this study. LV 20 mg/m2 (bolus), 5FU 400 mg/m2 (bolus), 5-FU 600 mg/m2 (24-hour continuous infusion) on day 1, 2, 15, and 16, docetaxel 60 mg/m2 (1-hour infusion) on day 15 every 4 weeks. RESULTS: Total of 141 cycles were administered and response rate were 36.8% with 2 complete response (10.5%) and 5 partial response (26.3%) in 19 evaluable patients. The median response duration is 8.1 months (95% CI, 4.0~12.1). The median progression-free survival time is 6.7 months (95% CI, 5.0~8.5) and the median overall survival time is 11.9 months (95% CI, 4.8~19.1). The grade 3-4 toxcity of neutropenia (24.8%) and anemia (11.3%), neutropenic fever (2.8%) is observed. The grade 1 toxcity of injection site reaction is observed all patients and the grade 1-2 toxcity of alopecia is observed 60%. CONCLUSIONS: LV5FU2 with docetaxel combination chemotheraphy is effective and tolerable in patients with inoperable or postoperative relapsed gastric cancer.
Alopecia ; Anemia ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fever ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; Neutropenia ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Taxoids

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure accessibility and to examine distribution of restaurants in the local community. METHODS: The target area of this study was two urban areas and a rural area in a city. We collected location information on all restaurants in target areas and classified all restaurants according to Korean food restaurants and Non-Korean food restaurants. We measured restaurant density per 100 m from the residences of the study population and calculated the distance of the nearest restaurant from the residences of the subjects using the Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis method. We compared the accessibility and distribution of restaurants in urban areas with that of the rural area, and compared the accessibility and distribution of Korean restaurants with that of Non-Korean restaurants. RESULTS: Restaurants in urban areas were more dense than those in the rural area, and, in urban areas, restaurants were intensively distributed around the subjects' residence. Also, there were more Non-Korean food restaurants than Korean food restaurants in urban areas, and it was opposite in the rural area. CONCLUSION: It is important that we understood the current state of the restaurant environment in the local community using GIS analysis for the first time in the field of food environment. Further research is necessary on the association of restaurant environments and the dietary life of the population.
Geographic Information Systems ; Restaurants*

PURPOSE: Antithrombotic therapy could be related with nuisance bleeding. This study investigated whether vitreous hemorrhage (VH) is associated with specific types of antithrombotic medication in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the Korean National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort, we identified 9352 antiplatelet/anticoagulant-treated AF patients. The occurrence of VH was compared between warfarin (n=1493) and a propensity score (PS)-matched antiplatelet group (n=1493) and between warfarin (n=1493) and a PS-matched warfarin+antiplatelet group (n=1493). RESULTS: The outcomes of VH were lower in the warfarin than in the matched antiplatelet (1.45 vs. 3.72 events/1000 patient-years) and matched warfarin+antiplatelet groups (1.45 vs. 6.87 events/1000 patient-years). Compared with warfarin, the risk of VH increased with antiplatelet [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 3.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–12.4, p=0.022] and warfarin+antiplatelet agents (aHR 4.39, 95% CI 1.74–11.2, p=0.002). Compared with warfarin only, warfarin+antiplatelet agents increased the risk of VH in patients ≥65 years, regardless of gender and hypertension. The risk of VH was significantly higher with dual antiplatelet therapy (aHR: 5.02, 95% CI: 1.56–16.2, p=0.007) or in dual (aHR: 5.02, 95% CI: 1.74–14.5, p=0.003) or triple therapy using warfarin and antiplatelet agents than with warfarin monotherapy (aHR: 6.12, 95% CI: 1.76–21.3, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Dual antiplatelet or triple therapy increased the risk of VH significantly, compared to warfarin monotherapy. Considering the low efficacy of preventing ischemic stroke and high risk of bleeding, dual or triple therapy using warfarin and antiplatelet agents should be avoided to prevent VH in AF patients.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Cohort Studies* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; National Health Programs* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Propensity Score ; Stroke ; Vitreous Hemorrhage* ; Warfarin

Leptin, the product of ob gene, is an endocrine hormone that regulates adipose tissue mass. Recently, leptin has been found to generate a growth signal involving a tyrosine kinase-dependent intracellular pathway and promote angiogenic processes via activation of leptin receptor (Ob-R) in endothelial cells. However, it is not clear how leptin functions to promote multi-step processes involved in the neovascularization at the atherosclerotic plaque. We have examined the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and Ob-R in human atherosclerotic lesions, leptin-mediated angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistochemical analysis of human atherosclerotic aorta revealed an increased expression of Ob-R in the intima of neorevascularized regions and of both MMPs and TIMPs predominantly in the endothelial lining of intimal neovessels and macrophages/foam cells. In the rat corneal angiogenesis assay, leptin elicited a comparable sensitivity of angiogenic activity to those of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The immunohistological analysis of the leptin-treated rat cornea showed definitive rises in Ob-R, MMPs and TIMPs expression as well as those of VEGF receptor (VEGFR-1). Leptin (10-40 ng/ml) induced proliferation of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and elevation of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Leptin also induced increases of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and Up-regulated the human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs). These findings suggest that leptin, a hormone with pluralistic properties including a mitogenic activity on vascular endothelial cells, plays a role in matrix remodeling by regulating the expression of MMPs and TIMPs. Taken together, our findings further provide evidences for leptin's role as an angiogenesis inducer in the normal organ (rat cornea) and in aberrant vasculature under duress like atherosclerosis.
Animal ; Arteriosclerosis/metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Division ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelial Growth Factors/metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular/*cytology/*enzymology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leptin/*chemistry/metabolism/*physiology ; Lymphokines/metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinases/*biosynthesis ; *Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Rats ; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism ; Receptors, Growth Factor/metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases/metabolism ; Umbilical Veins/metabolism ; Up-Regulation

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a reliable measurement tool to assess the urban food environment, particularly focusing on food stores in Korea. METHODS: The items for the measurement tool were selected through systematic literature reviews and adjusted to the Korean food environment. A total of 25 food stores in an urban area were recruited for the pilot test to evaluate the time required for completion of the survey, ease of response, willingness to participate, difficulties in conducting the survey, and appropriateness, and 34 food stores were recruited for assessment of the reliability of the tool using percent agreement and kappa value. RESULTS: The measurement tool is composed of questions regarding food store characteristics, accessibility, and food availability. On average, 26 minutes was required to survey a single food store, and the subjects and interviewers answered that the process was not difficult for the survey. The percent agreement for the inter-rater and test-retest reliability ranged from 93.9~98.8% and 91.9~97.9, respectively. The kappa values ranged from 0.78 to 0.97, which was very high. Percent agreement and kappa value of food with healthy option were lower than those of the general food in the inter-rater reliability (p = 0.0027, p = 0.0095 respectively) as well as in the test-retest reliability (p = 0.0081, p = 0.0290, respectively), although they were still high enough (86.4~98.0% for percent agreement, 0.64~0.96 for kappa value). CONCLUSION: The newly developed measurement tool for assessment of food store environment appears to be feasible and reliable; therefore, it can be applied to research on the association between food environment and dietary behaviors as well as health outcomes.
Korea