An outbreak of dermatosis occurred at a machinery manufacture factory in kyongju on Aug 1995. Authors conducted a questionnaire survey among 92 workers in the factory and a dermatologist examined their skin lesions. Authors also collected moths and identified them. The results are as follows; 1. Forty-two cases of dermatosis were identified with attack rate of 45.7%. Attack rate was not different by company, age, sex, educational level and duration of employment. Attack rate was 47.8% among productive workers, 25.0% among clerical workers and 100.0% among patrolmen. 2. Two cases among 42 dermatosis cases and three subjects among 50 non-cases had a history of same dermatosis last year. Four of dermatosis cases had a history of dermatosis among their family members. 3. skin lesions of the cases were scattered or grouped rice-sized erythematous papules or vesicles. Duration of dermatosis from the onset to the time of survey was from one day to more than 30 days. The most frequent site of skin lesion was the arms(81.0%), and it was also observed at the neck(47.6%), abdomen(45.2%), chest(42.9%), legs(38.1%) and back(35.7%). skin lesion was aggravated with sweating(31.0%), after shower(16.7%) and with scratching(l1.9%). 4. Moths were collected and identified as Euproetis subflava(Bremer). Many poisons stings were observed on their wngs which is harmful to human. 5. Contact with moths' wing droppings to two authors on their forearms for provocation resulted in severe immediate pain followed by prolonged pruritus. Erythematous macules quickly appeared and suoceeded by firm wheal-like red papules. Authors thought that the outbreak of dermatosis was brought about by Euproetix subflava(Bremer). Further studies on the factors contributing to the prosperity of the moths in this area are needed.
Bites and Stings ; Employment ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Forearm ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Moths* ; Poisons ; Pruritus ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Skin ; Skin Diseases* ; Wings, Animal

BACKGROUND: A growth factor cocktail (GFC) including fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) in combination with microneedling is an effective and safe treatment for patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, there is a lack of studies evaluating its effects based on microneedle depth. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a GFC including FGF9 on hair growth in patients with AGA, and compare the differences in efficacy according to microneedle depth. METHODS: The study was performed on patients with AGA who were treated with topical GFC including FGF9 with microneedling once every 2 weeks for 3 months. The scalp was divided into right and left sides, and treated with GFC including FGF9 (right side) and normal saline (left side). The microneedle depth was 0.8 mm for both sides. A total of 22 patients (11 males and 11 females) were enrolled. GFC including FGF9 was topically applied with a microneedle medical device. Treatment efficacy was evaluated through phototrichogram and digital photograph analyses after 6 repeated treatments for 3 months. RESULTS: The phototrichogram images showed that 3 months of treatment with GFC including FGF9 with microneedling increased hair density (27.4±4.4/cm²) and diameter (2.7±2.7 µm); increases in hair density (5.7±4.4/cm²) and diameter (2.2±2.3 µm) were also seen in the region of the scalp that received normal saline. These results were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The treatment effect was not significantly different between microneedle depths of 0.8 mm (used in this study) and 0.5 mm (used in our previous study) in terms of both hair density and hair diameter. CONCLUSION: GFC including FGF9 with microneedling is an effective and safe treatment for patients with AGA. According to the results of this study and our previous report, we believe that microneedle depths of 0.5∼0.8 mm can sufficiently stimulate the scalp to increase drug-delivery.
Alopecia ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 9* ; Fibroblast Growth Factors* ; Fibroblasts* ; Hair* ; Humans ; Male ; Scalp ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Treatment Outcome

Distraction osteogenesis is a biologic process of new bone formation between the surfaces of bone segments that are gradually separated by incremental traction. Distraction osteogenesis is clinically applied as a new treatment modality of mandibular hypoplasia or bony defect area in maxillofacial area by many studies of distraction devices and method. But disadvantage of distraction osteogenesis shows unfavorably long consolidation period and relapse tendency. Therefore. this experiment was designed to investigate the effectiveness of combined application of distraction and compression force for improving of bone quality and shortening of treatment period during distraction osteogenesis. Twenty-one Sprague-Dawley rats with 300-350gm were used. These were divided into two group as distraction group and combination group was applied with compression force in the consolidation period. The rat were sacrificed for gross finding, radiographic and histologic findings. at 2, 4 weeks after distraction. The result were follow : 1. On radiographic finding, all experimental groups appeared more radiopacity than control groups both at 2, 4 weeks after distraction. 2. On histologic finding, trabeculae of bone and mature lamellar bone were showed increasingly in experimental group. Ossification occured rapidly. From this study, we may suggest that compression force application in consolidation period during distraction osteogenesis can be useful method improve bone quality and to shorten the treatment period. But more experimental and clinical studis are necessitated on effects of compression force application during distraction osteogenesis.
Animals ; Mandible* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recurrence ; Traction

Carcinoma of Gall bladder remains a terminal illness in most patients despite improved diagnostic capabilities, better perioperative care and a more aggresive surgical approch based on improved knowledge of this tumors natural histiory. Overall 5-year survival rates remain below 5%. This failure to significantly improve patient oucome is largely due to late recognition of gall badder cancer. Authors experienced 21 cases of gall bladder cancer confirmed by operation at the Kwang Ju Christian hospital from march 1983 to March 1991, and the results obtained were summarized as follows. (continue...)
Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Perioperative Care ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: In this study, the authors attempted to evaluate the stage migration phenomenon according to D1 lymphadectomy and D2 lymphadectomy in the same patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 300 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who had undergone curative resection with nodal yields of D2 or more from 1994 to 1997. The lymph node status was evaluated in two different extents. Group B included patients with whole harvested regional lymph nodes (D2<) while group A include patients with perigastric lymph nodes (D1). Each group was staged by the number of involved lymph nodes according to the UICC-TNM stage (5th), and by the ratio of involved to resected lymph nodes. Stage migration and the difference of 5YSR were observed between the two groups. RESULTS: In staging by the number of involved lymph nodes, 25 cases (8.3%) of group B were staged up. According to the status by the ratio of involved lymph nodes, 14 cases (4.6%) of group B were staged up and 28 (9.3%) were staged down. CONCLUSION: In the staging of gastric cancer, adequate lymph node dissection was essential for accurate lymph node staging. In the cases of limited lymph node dissection, some extent of stage migration was considered assessing in the prognosis.
Humans ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Growth factor treatment in combination with microneedling in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients is safe and effective. However, there is a lack of studies examining the effect of treatment according to the depth of the microneedle. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate differences in efficacy according to the depth of microneedle. METHODS: This study was performed on 6 male and 5 female AGA patients who were treated with topical growth factor cocktail (GFC) with microneedling every 2 weeks for 3 months. The scalp was divided into right and left sides and treated with microneedle depths of 0.5 and 0.3 mm, respectively. GFC was topically applied using a microneedle medical device. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by phototrichogram and digital photograph analysis on 6 repeated treatments for 3 months. RESULTS: Phototrichogram of the 0.5- and 0.3-mm-treated sides of the scalp showed 19 and 12 cm2 increase in hair density and 2.6- and 1.8-µm increase in hair diameter, respectively. These results were statistically significant (p<0.05). In terms of density, the 0.5-mm depth was significantly more effective than the 0.3-mm depth (p<0.05). With regard to diameter, the effect according to microneedle depth was not significantly different (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: GFC treatment with microneedling is effective and safe and a microneedle depth of 0.5 mm appears to be more effective than that of 0.3 mm. More research is necessary to confirm these results and determine the most effective depth for microneedling by investigating various depths.
Alopecia* ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Male ; Scalp ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: The educational assessment of residents is very important in order to check their knowledge and to improve their ability. In case of family practice, the residents spend most of their training time in outside rotations with other specialities. Therefore, they are requested to be evaluated by each specialist after each rotation. To give more accurate assessment, we surveyed directly our family practice residents and family practice faculties. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to family practice residents and family practice faculties in 116 hospitals from May to June 2006. The response rate was 29% and 78%, respectively. RESULTS: Among the total, 70.2% of family practice residents thought an assessment is necessary, but only 51.7% were evaluated. Overall, 90.4% of family practice faculties knew about the assessment of residents made by other specialists, and only 56.7% of faculties requested other specialists to assess their family practice residents. CONCLUSION: Most of the family practice residents and their faculties knew the need for assessment, but they complained there were no objectivity and the assessment tool was lacking. In order to solve this problem, it is urgent to develop a unified form and guidelines of assesment.
Educational Measurement* ; Equidae ; Family Practice* ; Humans ; Specialization ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Although bleeding is a major complication of oral anticoagulant therapy, warfarin-induced spontaneous intramural hematoma of the small bowel is a very rare complication. The clinical features of spontaneous intramural hematoma vary from mild abdominal pain to panperitonitis due to bowel perforation. Because spontaneous intramural hematoma can proceed to a life threatening situation, early diagnosis is of vital importance. Although there are a number of radiologic diagnostic tools available including abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography, confirmation of the diagnosis through direct visualization of the involved bowel mucosa is very helpful. Direct confirmation of warfarin-induced spontaneous intramural hematoma of the small bowel is possible using double-balloon enteroscopy. We report a case of warfarin-induced spontaneous intramural hematoma with a review of the relevant literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy ; Early Diagnosis ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Mucous Membrane

Developed proteome-scale ortholog and paralog prediction methods are mainly based on sequence similarity. However, it is known that even the closest BLAST hit often does not mean the closest neighbor. For this reason, we added conserved interaction information to find orthologs. We propose a genome-scale, automated ortholog prediction method, named OrthoInterBlast. The method is based on both sequence and interaction similarity. When we applied this method to fly and yeast, 17% of the ortholog candidates were different compared with the results of Inparanoid. By adding protein-protein interaction information, proteins that have low sequence similarity still can be selected as orthologs, which can not be easily detected by sequence homology alone.
Diptera ; Proteins ; Sequence Homology ; Yeasts

PURPOSE: Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis occurs in about 5% of patients with solid tumor and is being diagnosed with increasing frequency as patients live longer and as neuro-imaging studies improve. In general, the most commom cancers that involved the leptomeninges are breast cancer, lung cancer, and malignant melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 25 patients presented with multiple neurologic symptoms and signs who were diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis at the Yonsei Cancer Center from January 1990 to December 1999. RESULTS: The primary disease of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis were stomach cancer (10 cases), breast cancer (7 cases), lung cancer (5 cases), unknown primary cancer (2 cases) and common bile duct cancer (1 case). All patients were presented with multiple neurologic symptoms and signs involving the central nervous system (CNS), cranial nerve or spinal nerves. Twenty-one of twenty- five patients were treated with intrathecal chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or combination therapy. Fourteen of them (66.7%) experienced improvement or stabilization of neurologic symptom and sign. The median survival was 122 days (10-2190). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, although early diagnosis and active treatment of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis may improve the quality of life in selected patients, the median survival was relatively short. Therefore, new diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for leptomeningeal carcinomatosis were needed.
Breast Neoplasms ; Central Nervous System ; Common Bile Duct ; Cranial Nerves ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Melanoma ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Quality of Life ; Radiotherapy ; Spinal Nerves ; Stomach Neoplasms