As the morbidity of chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure has increased, the frequency of oral dryness upon taking drugs for a long time or several drugs at the same time has greatly increased. This study was conducted to investigate the status of oral dryness and utilize the data to develop treatment products. Surveys were assembled from October to December 2018, and a statistical analysis of the 144 responses was conducted. The surveyed consisted of 60 males and 84 females, with 31.3% of those in their 70s and older. Among them, 100 people took drugs for chronic diseases, while 27 people took drugs for more than 10 years and less than 20 years. Exactly 23 respondents who took drugs suffered from more than two types of chronic diseases, of which high blood pressure was the most cited, followed by hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Regarding complications, oral dryness (33.8%) was the most frequent, and there were significant differences in the degree of discomfort when taking medicine, especially for oral dryness depending on the age (P＜0.05). Groups that took medicine showed severe symptoms of dry mouth, especially when waking up at night or in the morning (P＜0.001) and eating food (P＜0.01), and had difficulty in swallowing food (P＜0.01) and speaking (P＜0.01). Exactly 89.6% of the respondents didn’t take lozenges (candy) for improvement of oral dryness, and the type of the product that they wanted to purchase the most was candy (45.1%). Respondents worried about rising blood sugar, dental caries, and calories when eating candy for relieving dryness (P＜0.01).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality characteristics of chicken sausage prepared with turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) powder (T) during storage at 4degrees C for 20 days. The pH and color values (a and b values) of sausage containing turmeric powder were significantly higher (P<0.05) than the control for both uncooked and cooked sausage. The hardness, chewiness, and gumminess of control sausage significantly changed after 15 days of storage, while the hardness and gumminess of turmeric-supplemented sausages (T) significantly increased after 5 days (until 15 days) for cooked sausages. The total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity of turmeric-supplemented sausages was significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control for both uncooked and cooked sausage during storage. On the other hand, the acid value of the control was higher than the turmeric-supplemented sausages and the peroxide value of the control was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the turmeric-supplemented sausages after 15 days of storage. Microorganism analysis revealed that total plate counts of uncooked and cooked control sausages were significantly higher (P<0.05) than turmeric-supplemented sausages at 20 days of storage. As a result, sausages prepared with turmeric powder demonstrate antioxidative activity and lipid oxidative stability during storage.
Chickens ; Cold Temperature ; Curcuma ; Hand ; Hardness ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Phenol

Owing to the rarity of the disease, epidemiologic information on achalasia is limited. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and treatment patterns of achalasia in the population of Korea using a national healthcare database. The diagnostic code K22.0 of the International Classification of Diseases was used to identify cases of achalasia between 2007 and 2011. Treatment modalities for achalasia were identified using the electronic data interchange codes Q7642 or Q7641 for balloon dilation and QA421 or QA422 for esophago-cardiomyotomy. A total of 3,105 patients with achalasia (1,447 men; mean age, 52.5 yr) were identified between 2007 and 2011, indicating a prevalence of 6.29/100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.94-7.66) during this 5-yr period. A total of 191 incident cases of achalasia (82 men; mean age, 49.5 yr), which were not diagnosed as achalasia in the previous 4 yr, were detected in 2011, indicating an incidence of 0.39/100,000 (95% CI, 0.15-0.63) for that year. During the study period, balloon dilation therapy was performed a total of 975 times in 719 patients, and surgical esophago-cardiomyotomy was performed once per patient in 17 patients. This is the first population-based epidemiologic study of achalasia in Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Databases, Factual ; Esophageal Achalasia/diagnosis/*epidemiology/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

A 57-year-old man with left flank pain was referred to our institute. Computed tomography scans revealed two enhancing masses in the left kidney. The clinical diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma (RCC). He underwent a radical nephrectomy with an adrenalectomy. Two well-circumscribed solid masses in the hilum and the lower pole (4.5 × 3.5 cm and 7.0 × 4.1 cm) were present. Poorly cohesive uniform round to polygonal epithelioid cells making solid sheets accounted for most of the tumor area. The initial diagnosis was RCC, undifferentiated with rhabdoid features. As the tumor showed loss of INI1 expression and a mutation in the SMARCB1 gene on chromosome 22, the revised diagnosis was a malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) of the kidney. To date, only a few cases of renal MRT in adults have been reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MRT in the native kidney of an adult demonstrating a SMARCB1 gene mutation, a hallmark of MRT.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate dietary intake among female breast cancer survivors in a cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 127 women who had breast cancer surgery at least 6 months before baseline were included. Dietary intake of female breast cancer survivors was assessed through self-reported 3 day-dietary records. To compare dietary intake between breast cancer survivors and general female population without cancer, we selected the 1:4 age matched women from the 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). In the KNHANES, participants were asked about their dietary intake using the 24-hour dietary recalls. We also examined whether dietary intake varied by age group, cancer stage, or time since surgery among breast cancer survivors. We used the generalized linear model to compare their dietary intakes. RESULTS: Intakes of total energy, beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, plant iron and fruits were lower among breast cancer survivors with longer time since surgery compared to those with shorter time (p < 0.05). Breast cancer patients with higher stage at diagnosis tended to consume less legumes (p = 0.01) than those with lower stage. When we compared dietary intake between breast cancer survivors and the general female population without cancer, breast cancer survivors were more likely to consume most of macro- and micro-nutrients in larger quantity (p < 0.05) and adhere to healthier diet characterized by higher intakes of legumes, seed and nuts, vegetables and fishes and shells than the general female population who never had been diagnosed with cancer (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggested that the intakes of nutrients and foods varied by time since surgery and cancer stage among breast cancer survivors and dietary intakes among breast cancer survivors differed from that in the general population. Further prospective studies are warranted to explore the association between dietary intakes of specific food items and survival among Korean breast cancer survivors.
Ascorbic Acid ; beta Carotene ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Fabaceae ; Female ; Fishes ; Folic Acid ; Fruit ; Humans ; Iron ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nuts ; Plants ; Survivors* ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to assess the biological effects of TNF-alpha in Caco-2 well-differentiated colon adenocarcinoma cells and to determine radiation sensitivity in order to develop TNF-alpha into a cancer therapeutic agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cell viability test was conducted via a colorimetric and colony forming assay after 1 day and 3 days of incubation with TNF-alpha. Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to explore TNF-alpha-induced morphological and molecular changes in the adhesion molecules, E-cadherin and claudin-4. The effects of gamma-irradiation at a dose of 2 Gy on cell survival were evaluated by a clonogenic assay. The molecular changes in apoptosis-regulatory proteins were assessed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Caco-2 cells were highly resistant to TNF alpha-induced cell death and 2 Gy of gamma-irradiation. However, we observed the downregulation of the adherens junctional protein, E-cadherin and translocation of tight junctional protein, claudin-4 from the membrane to the cytosol induced by TNF-alpha treatment which would indicate cell-cell junction disruptions. These alterations of junctional proteins influenced the regulation of cell death in response to 2 Gy of gamma-irradiation. The combined treatment of TNF-alpha with 2 Gy of gamma-irradiation reduced the survival of Caco-2 cells by down-regulating bcl-xl and activating JNK pathways. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TNF-alpha might be potentially applied as a therapeutic agent in order to enhance sensitivity to 2 Gy of gamma-irradiation administered in radiotherapy for the treatment of human colon cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Blotting, Western ; Caco-2 Cells ; Cadherins ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Claudin-4 ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Cytosol ; Down-Regulation ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Membranes ; Proteins ; Radiation Tolerance ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between the adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors and health-related quality of life in a cross-sectional study of Korean breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A total of 157 women aged 21 to 79 years who had been diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancers according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and had breast cancer surgery at least 6 months before the baseline were included. We used a Korean version of the Core 30 (C30) and Breast cancer 23 (BR23) module of the European Organization for Research and Treatment Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ), both of which have been validated for Koreans. Participants were asked about their adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors, suggested by the Korean breast cancer society, using a 5-point Likert scale. We summed dietary guideline adherence scores for each participant and calculated the least squares means of health-related quality of life according to dietary guideline adherence scores using the generalized linear model. RESULTS: Breast cancer survivors who had higher adherence to dietary guidelines for breast cancer survivors had lower constipation scores than those with lower adherence (p for trend=0.01). When we stratified by the stage at diagnosis, this association was limited to those who had been diagnosed with stage II or III breast cancers. Also, sexual functioning scores increased significantly with increasing adherence scores of dietary guidelines among those with stage II or III breast cancers (p for trend < 0.001). However, among those who had been diagnosed with stage I, higher scores of dietary guidelines were associated with higher scores of pain (p for trend=0.03) and breast symptoms (p for trend=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the health-related quality of life levels of breast cancer survivors are associated with the adherence to dietary guidelines and may differ by the stage of the breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Constipation ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Policy* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survivors*

This survey of 836 midlife women (51.0 +/- 4.0 yrs) was undertaken by exclusively a face to face interview by well-trained interviewers guarantying data collection of higher quality. This survey data was analyzed using the SPSS program. The main purpose of this study was to describe the factors affecting self-rated health status, including dietary habits and physical . mental . social factors. In the self-rated health status of a 'good' group, age was lower (p < 0.05), monthly income was higher (p < 0.01), dietary habits score (p < 0.001) and appetite (p < 0.001) and the degree of movement (p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (p < 0.001), marital intimacy (p < 0.001) and relationship satisfaction with their children (p < 0.001) were significantly higher than the 'bad' group. The level of depression (p < 0.001) and severe feeling of menopausal symptoms (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the 'poor' group. The results of correlation analysis demonstrated that educational level (r = 0.069, p < 0.05),income (r = 0.157, p < 0.001), eating habits (r = 0.235, p < 0.001), appetite (r = 0.263, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (r = 0.197, p < 0.001), marital intimacy (r = 0.167, p < 0.001), child relationship satisfaction (r = 0.149, p < 0.001), positive attitude toward menopause (r = 0.070, p < 0.05) showed a positive correlation, but depression (r = -0.122, p < 0.001) and menopausal symptoms (r = -0.292, p < 0.001) showed a negative association with self-rated health status. The predictable factors affecting the self-rated health status of middle-aged women were examined by multiple regression analysis. The 'menopausal symptoms - physical discomfort' was the most important variables followed by the 'appetite', 'eating habits', 'menopause symptoms - sensory problems', 'BMI', 'positive attitude toward menopause' and 'high marital intimacy'. These results showed that the 'appetite' and 'eating habits' are important factors affecting the self-rated health status. Therefore, a program of dietary education must be considered for the effective health education and counseling of middle-aged women.
Appetite ; Child ; Counseling ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Depression ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Health Education ; Health Status ; Humans ; Menopause ; Women's Health

BACKGROUND: Detection of the viral load of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA is important for clinical decision making and for determining the prognosis of HIV-infected patients. The aim of the study is to compare the performance of real-time RT-PCR (COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1, CAP/CTM, Roche Diagnostics) and the Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NucliSens EasyQ HIV-1, NucliSens, BioMerieux) methods for testing Korean HIV-infected patients. METHODS: Among the specimens that were requested to undergo HIV-1 RNA viral load detection from 2005 to 2006, 153 specimens were selected based on the status of the specimens. The CAP/CTM and NucliSens tests were performed according to the manufacturer's instruction. RESULTS: HIV-1 RNA was detected by both tests in 93 specimens. Among the remainder, CAP/CTM detected HIV-1 RNA in 10 specimens, while the same specimens showed results lower than the detection limit with using the NucliSens. Though the results were appropriately correlated (r=0.85, P<0.0001), the mean differences between the two test results were -0.1321 log(10) IU/mL on the Bland-Altman test. CONCLUSION: The methodologic difference or the presence of a HIV subtype may affect the agreement between the two tests. The standardization of methods and the establishment of a linear range for the individual laboratory results may be helpful to obtain accurate test results.
Decision Making ; HIV ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Prognosis ; RNA ; Self-Sustained Sequence Replication ; Viral Load

PURPOSE: To report the experience of OSCE performed as a summative assessment of the medical students in year 4 at Ewha Womans University. METHODS: Ninety-eight students took the twenty stations including 3 pairs of linked stations. We conducted duplicated OSCEs and each station runs 4 minutes 30 seconds. We analyzed the validity of stations, the reliability of duplicated OSCEs and the difference of scores according to the OSCE tools and categories. RESULTS: Mean OSCE score was 64.45+/-5.49 and Cronbach-alpha of total stations was 0.74. The scores between duplicated examinee groups and between duplicated evaluator groups were not different: the score of preceding examinee group was 63.3 and the later 65.7 (p=0.13), and the score of the first evaluator group was 64.6 and the second was 63.6 (p=0.16). However according to the individual analysis, 9 stations showed statistically discrepancies (p< 0.05) between duplicated evaluator groups. Regarding OSCE tools and categories, physical examination and skill categories did not show statistically significant differences between duplicated evaluator groups. OSCE scores showed moderate correlation with the cummulative performance grade in general (r=0.53, p< 0.01). CONCLUSIONs: OSCE could be regarded as a reasonable evaluating tool for the summative assessment after two years of clinical clerkship of the fourth year medical students. Analysis of the OSCE stations which was done individually and according to OSCE tools/categories helps to improve the OSCE more complete and the duplicated stations more coincident.
Clinical Clerkship* ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Schools, Medical* ; Students, Medical