PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of attaining a smoking cessation goal when an agreement on means to achieve smoking cessation among male college student smokers was established. METHOD: This study was planned as a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design and the sample was divided into an agreement group and a comparison group by convenience sampling in a college of G city. The data was analysed with SPSS Win10.0 using a Likelihood chi2-test, Odds ratio, Paired t-test and ANCOVA. RESULT: The theory that the degree of smoking cessation will be higher in the agreement group than the Comparison group was rejected (delta = 2.567, p = .055). The theory that nicotine dependency will be lower in the agreement group than the comparison group was supported (F = 3.965, p = .049); however, the theory that the number of cigarettes smoked per day will be lower in the agreement group than the comparison group was rejected (F = 1.342, p = .252). CONCLUSION: It has been shown that an agreement on means to achieve smoking cessation goals is a key factor to success in quitting smoking.
Universities ; Tobacco Use Disorder/rehabilitation ; Students/*psychology ; Smoking Cessation/*psychology ; Motivation ; Male ; Humans ; Adult

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of Ahmed valve implantation for refractory glaucoma following pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS: Seventeen eyes of 15 patients suffering from secondary glaucoma following pars plana vitrectomy underwent Ahmed valve implantation. All the eyes were in critical condition, and intraocular pressure could not be controlled with anti-glaucoma medications. Success was characterized by an intraocular pressure less than 22 mmHg and greater than 6 mmHg, regardless of anti-glaucoma medication usage. RESULTS: The total success rate was 83.4% at 6 months and 76.4% at the final visit. The reduction in intraocular pressure and the number of medications used postoperatively were both statistically and clinically significant (p< 0.005). Postoperative complications included: transiently increased intraocular pressure, transient hyphema, early postoperative hypotony, choroidal detachment, malposition of the valve tip, and phthisis bulbus. CONCLUSIONS: Ahmed valve implantation is a safe and effective method for refractory glaucoma following vitrectomy.
Vitrectomy/*adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Prosthesis Implantation/*instrumentation ; Prosthesis Design ; Postoperative Complications ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Intraocular Pressure/physiology ; Humans ; *Glaucoma Drainage Implants ; Glaucoma/etiology/physiopathology/*surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Aged ; Adult

Anthors have evaluated postoperative visual outcome and complications on 60 high myopic patients who had underwent extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with or without posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) implantation, retrospectively. The average axial length of eyeballs of patients underwent only ECCE and ECCE with PC IOL were 30.7 mm and 27.04 mm, respectively. Corrected visual acuity was improved in 56 eyes (91.5%) after cataract sugery. 19 eyes (63.6%) out of 30 aphakia and 11 eyes(36.2%) out of 30 pseudophakia showed better than 20/40 and this difference was statistically significant (p< 0.05). Posterior capsular opacity and cystoid macular edema (CME) were founf in 7 eyes (23.3%) and in 2 eyes (6.6%) of 30 aphakia, while those were in 2 eyes (6.6%) and 1 eye (3.3.%) of 30 pseudophakia, respectively. However, these complications did not decrease a visual acuity and there was no retinal detachment in both aphakia and pseudophakia, with these resuls, it was founf that the clinical results of ECCE with PC IOL was more effective in visual improvement and prevention of posterior capsular opacity than only ECCE for high myopic patients.
Aphakia* ; Cataract Extraction ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Macular Edema ; Myopia* ; Pseudophakia* ; Retinal Detachment ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

A study on objective personality characteristics of 41 central serous chorioretinopathy patients was performed to investigate the etiologic relationship of psychological behaviors about the central serous chorioretinopathy. Fourty-one healthy subjects were used as a control group. Authors used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) which consisted of 4 validity scales and 10 clinical scales. Three neurotic scales of hypochondriasis, depression and hysteria in the atients group were significantly higher than in the normal control group even though the mean scores on each clinical scale were within normal ranges in both groups.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy* ; Depression ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; MMPI ; Reference Values ; Weights and Measures

Hydroxyapatite is generally used as an orbital implant which is biocompatible. It is considered esthetically and functionally better than traditional measure. We performed hydroxyapatite implantation using autogenous temporalis muscle fascia for 4 eyes of 4 phthisis patients by truma. Hydroxyapatite implants wrapped with autogenous temporalis muscle fascia were inserted into all eyes after enucleation. Follow-up for 12-15 months [mean:13.4 months] showed less inflammatory reaction. There were has no wound dehiscence, implant protrusion and migration. MRI showed a goodfibrovascular proliferation at 4-5 months postoperatively, so we performed drilling. Temporalis muscle fascia is easily obtained and there is no esthetic problem because scar at scalp is covered by hair.
Cicatrix ; Durapatite* ; Fascia* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hair ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Orbital Implants ; Scalp ; Wounds and Injuries

Phacoemulsification combined with pars plana vitrectomy was performed on seventeen eyes with both cataract and vitreoretinal disease. Postoperative visual acuity improved in ten of seventeen cases. There was no serious perioperative complication. In those eyes with both cataract and vitreoretinal disease, the small incision used in phacoemulsification allows better control of the anterior chamber during vitrectomy. In addition, this procedure allows endocapsular fixation of the intraocular lens.
Anterior Chamber ; Cataract ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Phacoemulsification* ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy*

PURPOSE: To elucidate the mechanism of neoangiogenesis in human retinal pigment epithelium under oxidative stress. METHODS: Paraquat was added to cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (HRPE) for 72 hours to induce oxidative stress milieu. Expression and production of angiogenic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelial derived factor (PEDF), was checked by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The induction of neoangiogenesis was monitored by both tube formation in ECV 304 cell and migration assay of human fetal dermal microvascular endothelial cells. RESULTS: Competitive RT-PCR showed that PEDF gene in paraquat-treated HRPE was expressed at a significantly lower level than in non-treated HRPE. However, Western blot showed a significant increase of VEGF production (p<0.05) and a decrease of PEDF production (p<0.05). Moreover, angiogenesis was dose-dependently increased when the various concentrations of paraquat were added to HRPE. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, oxidative stress by addition of paraquat caused HRPE to produce more VEGF and less PEDF, thereby leading to neoangiogenesis, and suggesting that the neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is caused by destroying the balance of angiogenic factors in HRPE such as VEGF and PEDF; that is, in oxidative stressed HRPE, more VEGF is released and less PEDF, as compared to normal HRPE.
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Blotting, Western ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans* ; Macular Degeneration ; Oxidative Stress* ; Paraquat ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Air-bags have received widespread support as an effective means of enhancing automotive safety, and they are becoming more common as standard automobile equipment on many cars. Although air-bag induced ocular injuries are rare, they present a serious concern because of the possibility of permanent damage or visual impairment. To date, most reports have investigated ocular injury from high velocity motor vehicle accidents and reports of ocular injury from low speed motor vehicle accidents have been rare. We describe a patient who sustained severe ocular injury, including periorbital fracture, hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, and choroidal rupture of the macular area, due to an inflated air-bag in a low speed motor vehicle accident.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Air Bags/*adverse effects ; Choroid/*injuries ; Eye Injuries/*etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hyphema/*etiology ; Orbital Fractures/*etiology/radiography ; Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vitreous Hemorrhage/*etiology/ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the effect of stem cell transplantation into the sub-retinal space in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients for improving their visual acuity. RP is a progressive hereditary disease that leads to the blindness, and there is no reliable treatment for recover the disease until now. METHODS: The author transplanted mesenchymal stem cell extracted from umbilical cord blood into the sub-retina of four RP patients recommended by Korea RP association, and checked the changes of their visual acuity and electroretinograms. RESULTS: There was no obvious improvement in their visual acuity and elecroretinograms compared with preoperative state. Two patients, however, experienced slight improvements of their color sense and peripheral visual fields, and slight decrease of photophobia. Although there were no any obvious complications in relation to the stem cell transplantation, surgical procedures developed complications such as vitreous hemorrhage and retinal detachment. CONCLUSIONS: Mesenchymal stem cell derived from umbilical cord blood could not improve visual acuity and electroretinogram of RP patients.
Blindness ; Fetal Blood ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Humans ; Korea ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Photophobia ; Retinal Detachment ; Retinitis Pigmentosa* ; Retinitis* ; Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Stem Cells* ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: To evaluate how much the indocyanine green (ICG) influence cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells(ARPE-19; ATCC No. CRL-2302). METHODS: Human RPE cells were incubated with media and various concentration of ICG. Their viability upon different ICG concentration and exposure time were examined by MTT assay. Also, the amount of ICG to be influxed onto the cells was estimated with the flow cytometry and the confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS: The viability examined by MTT assay decreased upon different ICG concentration and exposure time. Also, they were effected in the condition of very low dose of ICG (0.00016%, 0.0008%). The amount of ICG to be influxed onto cells increased upon its concentration and time to be exposed. CONCLUSIONS: In the exposure of RPE cells to ICG, it accumulated in the cells and their viability decrease. These results should be taken into account when ICG is used for macular hole surgery.
Epithelial Cells* ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green* ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde*