The purpose of this study was to explore the change of muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and activities of daily living to develop a rehabilitational program. The subjects were selected randomly among the patients who underwent kidney transplantations at one major transplantation hospital in Seoul, Korea. This study was carried out between November 23, 1999 and February 15, 2000. The subjects in this study consisted of 16 patients who had kidney transplantations between 1 month and 12 months ago prior to this study. They were all on steroids and did not take any physical exercise regularly. The muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility and activities of daily living were evaluated at 1st week and after 12 weeks. The data were analyzed with numbers, percentiles, mean, standard deviation and t-test. The results were as follows: 1. After 12 weeks, the grip strength was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 2. After 12 weeks, the back lift strength was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 3. After 12 weeks, the muscle endurance was increased than 1st week, but it was not significant(p=.5487). After 12 weeks, the flexibility was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0002). 5. After 12 weeks, the activities of daily living was significantly decreased than 1st week (p=.0006). Like the above result, the kidney transplant receipients' muscle strength, flexibility and activities of daily living were reduced. In order to solve this problem, the writer has found that program development to prevent the defects should be extremely required. Since now on the number of patients should expand. After the kidney transplantation, the periods of 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks are extended. The writer proposes to examine the different phase of change in each periods.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Exercise ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Korea ; Muscle Strength* ; Pliability* ; Program Development ; Seoul ; Steroids ; Transplantation*

Aortic aneurysms infected by Klebsiella pneumoniae are rarely seen. We describe a 50-year-old man with infected aortic aneurysm that was successfully treated with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Diagnosis was confirmed using blood culture and computed tomography (CT). Intravenous antibiotics were immediately administered, with improvements in clinical findings and negative blood cultures before the procedure. Twenty-four months after the procedure, the patient was stable and serial CT revealed regression of the infected aortic aneurysm. Therefore, after controlling bacteremia and fever with targeted antibiotic therapy, EVAR can be considered as an alternative for patients who have serious comorbidities and are ineligible for conventional surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We intended to know how the cryoprotectant ethylene glycol (EG) would affect the outcome of the embryo development when used in slow freezing method. And to know if there is any difference in the outcome of frozen-thawed embryos according to freezing methods and the timing. METHODS: We used 5-6 weeks old ICR female mice and T6 containing 0.4% BSA for basic culture media. The embryos at the developmental stages of 1-cell, 8-cell and blastocyst were cryopreserved respectively by slow freezing method using EG, propylene glycol (PROH), and glycerol as a cryoprotectant. We also compared the results of slow freezing and vitrification methods with the same cryoprotectant, EG. And finally, we evaluated the quality of blastocysts by counting the cell numbers in each group. RESULTS: The post-thaw embryo development were better in EG group when they were frozen at 1-cell and blastocyst stage (P<0.05). Although there were no differences in the recovery rate, the survival rate in vitrification group was significantly higher (P<0.05). Post-thaw embryo development to morula and blastocyst were better in vitrification group when frozen at 1-cell embryo (P<0.05), not at 8-cell and blastocyst group. The cell counts of blastocyst derived from 1-cell stage frozen EG group were significantly increased than that of PROH-glycerol groups (P<0.05), however, there was no difference between the two freezing methods. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that EG may be advantageous comparing with the conventional cryoprotectants, PROH and glycerol in slow freezing method for mouse embryo cryopreservation. In terms of freezing method, vitrification is better than slow freezing.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Cell Count ; Cryopreservation ; Culture Media ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Ethylene Glycol* ; Female ; Freezing* ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Mice* ; Morula ; Pregnancy ; Propylene Glycol ; Survival Rate ; Vitrification

GFAP (Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein) was one of the intermediate filament group and used as an astrocyte marker. The numerous studies about GFAP immunoreactive cell's distribution were investigated for fetus, neonate and aged brains. There are several reports about that GFAP immunoreactive cells were appeared at early fetus and after birth. In cases of mammalian fetus radial glia cells migrated toward pial surface at early stage and revealed GFAP immunoreactivity by the immunostain. But in cases of rodents, they migrated at late gestation or after birth. This study, the GFAP immunoreactive cells' localizations and distribution in the fetuses (the 30 th, 45 th, 60 th, 90 th, 105 th, 120 th of gestation) and neonate mesencephalon of korean native goat were investigated by immunohistoche-mistry (ABC method). The results obtained in this study were summarized as followings; 1. Multipolar astrocytes at 60 days of gestation were found in midbrain, in 90 days of gestation were found in cerebral aqueduct. 2. Radial glial cell presented 60 days of gestation and process of GFAP immunoreaction was to stretch out from ventricular to pia mater and nonpolar immunoreactive cell was transformed to bipolar, monopolar and multipolar immunoreactive cell. 3. The number of GFAP immunoreactive cells of field were gradually decreased from 90 days of gestation till 105 days of gestation. But in 120 days of gestation and newborn were slightly increased. 4. Immunoreactivity of GFAP immunoreactive cells were gradually decreased from 95 days of gestation till 120 days of gestatioin. These results were suggested that radial glial cell of midbrain developed very earlier than that of cerebral aqueduct. However, cerebral aqueduct developed lately than that of midbrain, but faster developing than other.
Astrocytes ; Brain ; Cerebral Aqueduct ; Ependymoglial Cells ; Fetus* ; Goats* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Intermediate Filaments ; Mesencephalon* ; Neuroglia ; Parturition ; Pia Mater ; Pregnancy ; Rodentia

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the outcome of endoscopic and microscopic tympanoplasty. METHODS: This was a retrospective comparative study of 73 patients (35 males and 38 females) who underwent type I tympanoplasty at Samsung Medical Center from April to December 2014. The subjects were classified into two groups; endoscopic tympanoplasty (ET, n=25), microscopic tympanoplasty (MT, n=48). Demographic data, perforation size of tympanic membrane at preoperative state, pure tone audiometric results preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively, operation time, sequential postoperative pain scale (NRS-11), and graft success rate were evaluated. RESULTS: The perforation size of the tympanic membrane in ET and MT group was 25.3%±11.7% and 20.1%±11.9%, respectively (P=0.074). Mean operation time of MT (88.9±28.5 minutes) was longer than that of the ET (68.2±22.1 minutes) with a statistical significance (P=0.002). External auditory canal (EAC) width was shorter in the ET group than in the MT group (P=0.011). However, EAC widening was not necessary in the ET group and was performed in 33.3% of patients in the MT group. Graft success rate in the ET and MT group were 100% and 95.8%, respectively; the values were not significantly different (P=0.304). Pre- and postoperative audiometric results including bone and air conduction thresholds and air-bone gap were not significantly different between the groups. In all groups, the postoperative air-bone gap was significantly improved compared to the preoperative air-bone gap. Immediate postoperative pain was similar between the groups. However, pain of 1 day after surgery was significantly less in the ET group. CONCLUSION: With endoscopic system, minimal invasive tympanoplasty can be possible with similar graft success rate and less pain.
Ear Canal ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Pain, Postoperative ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplants ; Tympanic Membrane ; Tympanoplasty*

Mangostenone F (MF) is a natural xanthone isolated from Garcinia mangostana. However, little is known about the biological activities of MF. This study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of MF in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. MF dose-dependently inhibited the production of NO, iNOS, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1beta) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, MF decreased the NF-kappaB luciferase activity and NF-kappaB DNA binding capacity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, MF suppressed the NF-kappaB activation by inhibiting the degradation of IkappaBalpha and nuclear translocation of p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. In addition, MF attenuated the AP-1 luciferase activity and phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases. Taken together, these results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of MF is associated with the suppression of NO production and iNOS expression through the down-regulation of NF-kappaB activation and MAPK signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.
Cytokines ; DNA ; Down-Regulation ; Garcinia mangostana ; Interleukin-6 ; Luciferases ; Macrophages* ; NF-kappa B* ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Transcription Factor AP-1