Although tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is involved in ureteral obstruction-induced increase in renal blood flow (RBF), its contribution to RBF is not well established due to the concommitant increases in prostaglandin (PG) and renal interstitial fluid pressure (Pisf), both of which affect RBF one way or the other. Since Pisf and TGF are closely affected by renal hemodynamics, RBF will respond differently to increases in ureteral pressure depending on renal hemodynamic conditions. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate how the changes in renal hemodynamics affect the response of RBF to increases in ureteral pressure. The effect of PG on RBF was assessed by comparing the effects obtained before and after indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Six anesthetized dogs were prepared with flow probes and inflatable silastic occluder around the renal artery, the ureteral catheter with its free end attached to a water reservoir, and the arterial and venous catheters. RBFs were obtained at ureteral pressures of 0, 15, and 40cmH2O during the maintenance of the renal artery pressure (RAP) at the level of systemic arterial pressure, 10mmHg above and below the lower autoregulatory limit of RBF (65+/-4 mmHg) both before and after indomethacin administration (10mg/kg). In response to the ureteral pressure of 40cmH2O, RBF increased from 172+/-6 to 185+/-10ml/min when RAP's were equal to systemic arterial pressure and decreased from 162+/-10 to 120+/-9 ml/min when RAP's were 55+/-4mmHg. Indomethacin pretreatment, depending on the level of RAP either prevented an increase or augmented a decrease in RBF in response to ureteral pressure elevation. This suggests that RAP-dependent changes in susceptibility of the renal venous system to compression by increased Pisf is the main mechanism by which the changes in renal perfusion pressure modulate the response of RBF to ureteral pressure elevation.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Catheters ; Dogs* ; Extracellular Fluid ; Hemodynamics ; Indomethacin ; Perfusion ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Renal Artery ; Renal Circulation* ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction* ; Urinary Catheters ; Water

Steroid cell tumor of ovary, first described as lipid cell tumor, is rare lesions composed entirely of cells resembling typical steroid hormone - secreting cells, that is lutein cells, Leydig cells, and adrenal cortical cells. Steroid cell tumors oftcn secret androgen and manifest themselves with symptoms of virilization. Other presentations include abdominal swelling or pain, menstrual dysfunction, postmenopausal bleeding, or rarely ascites. We experienced a case of right ovarian steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified(NOS), manifested hirsuitism and amenorrhea in 49 - year - old patient. The tumor was about 5 cm in size, and associated with huge ascites (l3,000 ml), both pleural effusion, and elevated serum CA 125. We present a case of Meigs syndrome associated with benign ovarian steroid cell tumor with a brief review of the literature.
Amenorrhea ; Ascites* ; Dysmenorrhea ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leydig Cells ; Luteal Cells ; Male ; Meigs Syndrome ; Ovary ; Pleural Effusion ; Virilism

No abstract available.
Bronchiectasis* ; Bronchography*

Continuous bladder irrigation with 1% alum solution was performed in 10 patients with various lesions in whom massive bladder hemorrhage persisted despite evacuation of clots and normal saline irrigation. Hematuria ceased promptly in all patients without any complication. So, we report them with the literature review.
Hematuria ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Urinary Bladder*

No abstract available.

The high variability of measured olfactory thresholds in humans reflects very broad range of sensitivity within and among individuals. This can be derived from the strongly compressive nature of olfaction, which makes it relatively hard to compare the size of two stimuli in odor sensation. However, we know that some portion of the variation is the result of extrinsic factors e.g. the method used to measure the olfactory threshold. For this reason, in order to address the bias and reliability of a psycophysical method, we combined the use of the CCCRC (Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center) test with the step method in 40 normal Korean adults twice a week for the evaluation of threshold. The measured thresholds showed high test-retest reliability and the threshold estimates remained consistent during the testing without trial-biases. Based on the results, we can conclude that a combined test using the CCCRC test and step method can be used in the measurement of olfactory threshold in a clinical context.
Adult* ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Humans ; Odors ; Sensation ; Smell

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 5-0 prolene ligation around the Ahmed glaucoma valve tube to prevent the postoperative hypotony and flat anterior chamber. METHODS: Medical records of twenty one eyes of 20 patients those had got Ahmed valve implant surgery with temporary ligation of the tube with 5-0 prolene were retrospectively evaluated for efficacy of the pressure control and complications before and after the remove of the ligation suture. RESULTS: Preoperative intraocular pressure(IOP) was 46.1+/-9.1 mmHg. The ligation suture was removed at 2.8+/-1.5 postoperative day. Postoperative IOP before the removal of the suture was 24.8+/-15.4 mmHg at the day of removal. After removal of the ligation suture, the IOP decreased to 15.6+/-5.9 mmHg and 12.2+/-4.2 mmHg at one day and 12 weeks after the removal respectively. Complications before the removal of the ligation suture were mild hyphema and corneal edema, developed in one eye each. After the removal, shallow anterior chamber and choroidal detachment was developed in one eye. CONCLUSIONS: Although the efficacy of the temporary ligation of the tube in Ahmed valve implant surgery in controlling the IOP was similar to that of conventional Ahmed valve implant surgery without ligation, the early postoperative complications associated with the overfiltration appeared to be less frequent than conventional Ahmed valve implant surgery.
Anterior Chamber ; Choroid ; Corneal Edema ; Glaucoma* ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Ligation* ; Medical Records ; Polypropylenes* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Sutures

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of drinking patterns and the prevalence of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder with the assessment of alcohol policy needs in community population of urban city in Korea. METHODS: Data was collected from 1,000 residents in a single urban city in Korea, from June 1 to July 31, 2011 by a questionnaire. As research tools, socio-demographic characteristics composed of variables based on study purpose, alcohol problems and alcohol use disorder state scales composed with Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test(AUDIT) and Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener(CAGE), and the assessment of alcohol policy needs in community population questions were used. RESULTS: The lifetime experience of alcohol drinking was 97.4%. For the frequency of drinking, 21.9% of population responded 2 to 4 times per weekly. 24.4% of male had one time or more high risk drinking, defined as having four or more drinks in a sitting, per week. 51.6% experienced the first time drinking of alcohol in adolescence. The lifetime prevalence of hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorder were 14.9% and 3.3%, respectively using AUDIT. Alcohol use disorder were 9.6% with the CAGE scale. Problem drinking were 8.4% in this study. They requested the program such as prevention education(57.2%), construction of liaison system to treatment facilities( 50.1%), alcohol counseling and intervention(41.7%), and rehabilitation program(39.8%). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that alcohol problem and alcohol use disorder were much prevalent, and these problem started in the earlier age. It is necessary to develop an effective alcohol prevention program or policy with considering the needs in community population.
Adolescent ; Alcohol Drinking ; Counseling ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: A healthcare decision-making support model and rule management system is proposed based on a personalized rule-based intelligent concept, to effectively manage chronic diseases. METHODS: A Web service was built using a standard message transfer protocol for interoperability of personal health records among healthcare institutions. An intelligent decision service is provided that analyzes data using a service-oriented healthcare rule inference function and machine-learning platform; the rules are extensively compiled by physicians through a developmental user interface that enables knowledge base construction, modification, and integration. Further, screening results are visualized for the self-intuitive understanding of personal health status by patients. RESULTS: A recommendation message is output through the Web service by receiving patient information from the hospital information recording system and object attribute values as input factors. The proposed system can verify patient behavior by acting as an intellectualized backbone of chronic diseases management; further, it supports self-management and scheduling of screening. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic patients can continuously receive active recommendations related to their healthcare through the rule management system, and they can model the system by acting as decision makers in diseases management; secondary diseases can be prevented and health management can be performed by reference to patient-specific lifestyle guidelines.
Chronic Disease* ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Expert Systems ; Health Records, Personal ; Humans ; Knowledge Bases ; Life Style ; Mass Screening ; Self Care

No abstract available.
Nasal Surgical Procedures*