Myxofibrosarcomas (MFSs), which consist of multiple nodules with a variable cellular population in a myxoid matrix, are primarily located in subcutaneous tissue. Pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumors (PHATs) are rare soft-tissue tumors characterized by a proliferation of highly pleomorphic spindle or polygonal cells and abundant ectatic blood vessels in cellular or myxoid stroma. We present here an unusual case of a high-grade MFS with a PHAT-like appearance. A 67-year-old man presented with an asymptomatic subcutaneous mass in the right forearm. The tumor had myxoid, hypo-, and hypercellular areas with highly pleomorphic spindle or polygonal tumor cells that showed frequent mitoses and nuclear pseudoinclusions. Foci of punctuate necrosis and inflammatory infiltration were present throughout the tumor, and abundant ectatic, thick-walled vessels containing blood clots were noted. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for vimentin but negative for CD34, S-100 protein, smooth muscle actin, desmin, and bcl-2.
Actins ; Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Desmin ; Forearm ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Mitosis ; Muscle, Smooth ; Necrosis ; S100 Proteins ; Sarcoma ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Vimentin

Purpose: : This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and risk factors associated with pressure injuries related to medical devices among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).Method : A retrospective study analyzed data from 462 ICU patients. Statistical analyses, including independent t-tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and logistic regression were performed to analyze the data. Results: : Among the 154 subjects, there were a total of 198 medical device–related pressure injuries (MDRPI). Stage 2 and deep tissue pressure injuries were the most frequent. MDRPI occurred most frequently on the face, with nasogastric tubes being its leading cause, followed by endotracheal tubes. The risk factors for MDRPI included male sex (odds ratio [OR]=1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.12-2.83), department at the time of ICU admission (OR=4.29, 95% CI=2.01-9.15), post-surgery ICU admission (OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.25-0.73), application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines (OR=2.72, 95% CI=1.06-6.95), number of medical devices (OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.05-1.30), inotropic drug administration (OR=2.33, 95% CI=1.19-4.60), and sedative use (OR=2.53, 95% CI=1.17-5.45). Conclusion : These results enable the determination of the characteristics and risk factors associated with MDRPI. It is crucial to acknowledge the risk factors for MDRPI in ICU patients and establish a prevention strategy.

Hemodialysis(HD)-associated hypotension is a frequent complication, but it is difficult to manage. Until now, several maneuvers have been tried to prevent the HD-associated hypotension. Of these, the sodium content of dialysate was regarded as an important factor for maintaining blood pressure during HD. In this study, we evaluated the effect of hypertonic dialysate on blood pressure, interdialytic weight gain and the incidence of thirst. The study was done for 6 weeks successively with 3 different groups. Each patient was dialysed with 3 different dialysates for 2 weeks: Group I(Conventional HD: sodium concentration: 137 mEq/L), Group II(Hypertonic HD: 147 mEq/L) and Group III (Sequential HD: from 147 to 140 mEq/L). Hemodynamic parameters(blood pressure, pulse rate and ultrafiltration rate), biochemical parameters(hematocrits, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, osmolality, sodium, potassium, chloride, fasting blood sugar) and complications (interdialytic weight gain &thirsty sensation) were compared among 3 groups. The results were as follows: 1. Decline of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure at the time of a 3 hour check during hemodialysis was lower in the Group II than Group I and III (p=0.002; p=0.012). and decline of diastolic blood pressure at the time of a 4 hour check during hemodialysis was lower in the Group II and III than Group I(p=0.04). 2. ncidence of hypotensive episodes during dialysis was significantly lower in Group II than group I (p=0.0287). 3. The ultrafiltration in Group III at the time of 1 hour, 2 hour and 3 hour check during hemodialysis was higher than that in Group I and II at the time of 1 hour, 2 hour and 3 hour check during emodialysis respectively (p=0.0001; p=0.0001; p=0.0004). 4. Interdialytic weight gain was higher in Group II(3.1+/-0.8) than GroupI(2.8+/-0.8) and III (2.9+/-0.9) (p=0.0422). 5. Hematologic and biochemical results were not significantly different among 3 Groups. 6. Frequency of thirst was different in Group I, II and III, 0.05+/-0.12, 0.41+/-0.24 and 0.22+/-0.29 respectively (p=0.0259). The results suggest that hypertonic HD was effective in preventing HD-associated hypotension but interdialytic weight gain and thirst sensations were increased as compared with a conventional method. In this situation, sequential HD seems to be an alternative method to minimizes the side effect of hypertonic HD.
Blood Pressure* ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; Dialysis ; Dialysis Solutions ; Fasting ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence* ; Osmolar Concentration ; Potassium ; Renal Dialysis* ; Sensation ; Sodium ; Thirst* ; Ultrafiltration* ; Weight Gain*

BACKGROUND: Polymerase chain reacation (PCR)-based methods have been described for rapid detection and identification of Candida spp. Multiplex PCR assay was developed using internal transcribed spacers and topoisomerase II gene for the accurate identification of Candida species. METHODS: We designed Dual Specificity Oligo (DSO) primers for multiplex PCR. Multiplex PCR was followed by agarose gel electrophoresis to test 8 type strains (C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae, C. dubliniensis) and 96 clinical isolates (C. albicans 51 isolates, C. parapsilosis 10 isolates, C. glabrata 10 isolates, C. tropicalis 9 isolates, C. krusei 6 isolates, C. guilliermondii 5 isolates, C. lusitaniae 5 isolates) of Candida spp. RESULTS: With multiplex PCR using DSO primers, the eight Candida type strains each could be easily differentiated and all 96 clinical isolates were identified as the same species as were identified by the conventional method. CONCLUSION: Multiplex PCR followed by electrophoresis can be useful for the simple and rapid identification of Candida species in routine laboratories.
Candida* ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type II ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The purpose of this study was to examine the donators' characteristics and donative foods of both government-dominant and non-governmental food bank program, to understand the problems and benefits of food bank program, and to find the solutions to activate food bank program. The questionnaires were distributed to 120 food bank operators and 3 donators were selected from each food bank for the survey from April 2002 to May 2002. 118 sheets (32.8%) from government-dominant food bank and 53 sheets (20.1%) from non-governmental food bank were collected. The main results of this study were as follows: The largest donators to either government-dominant or non-governmental food bank programs were bakery and confectionery companies 31.4% and 45.3% respectively. The majority of donated foods were "goods in stock" (55.6%) and frequency of donation were largely on a daily basis (27.1% for government-dominant and 22.6% for non-governmental). Some of the donators who had more donative food did not donate, and the reasons were closeness to expiration date of food (67.3%), lack of legal protection in the event of food poisoning (54.5%), and poor public image of food related accidents (52.3%).
Foodborne Diseases

No abstract available.
Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Multiple Sclerosis

OBJECTIVES: Pyrethroid pesticides are among the most commonly using insecticides in South Korean households and have been the subject of considerable interest among public health professionals for their potential health effects. The objective of this study is to examine the level of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) among elementary students in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate pyrethroid pesticide exposure levels by measuring the urinary metabolites of 3-PBA using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method in March 2011. Study participants were 70 Asan-area and Incheon-area elementary students. RESULTS: All respondents had values above the detection limit, and the geometric means of 3-PBA in all children were 1.85 μg/L and 1.46 μg/g creatinine. Children with the top 10% urinary levels of 3-PBA were more likely to be girls, under nine years of age, living in a rural area, and living in a residential type apartment. CONCLUSIONS: South Korean children have a higher concentration of urinary 3-PBA compared with those of other countries. Further research identifying exposure pathways and intervention efforts to reduce environmental pesticide use are needed in South Korea.
Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Insecticides ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Pesticides ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Pyrethroid pesticides are among the most commonly using insecticides in South Korean households and have been the subject of considerable interest among public health professionals for their potential health effects. The objective of this study is to examine the level of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) among elementary students in South Korea. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate pyrethroid pesticide exposure levels by measuring the urinary metabolites of 3-PBA using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method in March 2011. Study participants were 70 Asan-area and Incheon-area elementary students. RESULTS: All respondents had values above the detection limit, and the geometric means of 3-PBA in all children were 1.85 μg/L and 1.46 μg/g creatinine. Children with the top 10% urinary levels of 3-PBA were more likely to be girls, under nine years of age, living in a rural area, and living in a residential type apartment. CONCLUSIONS: South Korean children have a higher concentration of urinary 3-PBA compared with those of other countries. Further research identifying exposure pathways and intervention efforts to reduce environmental pesticide use are needed in South Korea.
Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Exposure ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Humans ; Insecticides ; Korea* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Pesticides ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose: To investigate the effect of lifestyle changes on patterns of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and the association between neurologic symptoms and outcomes in Korean children with CO intoxication. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients (< 18 years) with CO intoxication who visited the emergency department of Pusan National University Hospital between February 2012 and January 2020. We collected clinical findings, including age and sex, transfer from other hospitals, source, time and duration of exposure, manifestations with neurologic symptoms (syncope, seizure, and altered mental status), intensive care unit hospitalization, hospital length of stay, implementation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and findings of neuroimaging. These variables were compared between children with and without neurologic symptoms. In addition, levels of carboxyhemoglobin and lactate were compared between patients with and without specific manifestations. Results: The enrolled 47 patients’ median age was 10 years (interquartile range, 4.5-14.0). The most common source of exposure was fire (46.8%), followed by camping (23.4%). The most common times of exposure were night (44.7%) and winter (44.7%). The patients with neurologic symptoms (14 [29.8%]) showed longer duration of exposure and hospital length of stay (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). Of the 14 patients, 2 were hospitalized to the intensive care unit without an in-hospital mortality. A significant association was found between dyspnea and lactate level (P = 0.049), also between syncope or presyncope and carboxy hemoglobin level (P = 0.017). Conclusion CO intoxication in Korean children is most often caused by fire and camping, and at night and in winter. There is a correlation between neurologic symptoms and duration of exposure to CO.