No abstract available.
Compartment Syndromes*

To optimally convert corn hull, a byproduct from corn processing, into bioethanol using Pachysolen tannophlius, we investigated the optimal conditions for hydrolysis and removal of toxic substances in the hydrolysate via activated carbon treatment as well as the effects of this detoxification process on the kinetic parameters of bioethanol production. Maximum monosaccharide concentrations were obtained in hydrolysates in which 20 g of corn hull was hydrolyzed in 4% (v/v) H2SO4. Activated carbon treatment removed 92.3% of phenolic compounds from the hydrolysate. When untreated hydrolysate was used, the monosaccharides were not completely consumed, even at 480 h of culture. When activated carbon-treated hydrolysate was used, the monosaccharides were mostly consumed at 192 h of culture. In particular, when activated carbon-treated hydrolysate was used, bioethanol productivity (P) and specific bioethanol production rate (Qp) were 2.4 times and 3.4 times greater, respectively, compared to untreated hydrolysate. This was due to sustained bioethanol production during the period of xylose/arabinose utilization, which occurred only when activated carbon-treated hydrolysate was used.
Carbon ; Efficiency ; Hydrolysis ; Monosaccharides ; Phenol ; Zea mays

Cockcroft and Gault's formula is frequently used to estimate creatinine (Ccr) in clinical practice. To determine the accuracy of such estimation in Korean patients, we measured simultaneously, serum creatinine and 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion in 696 Korean patients (male:350, female:346). Measured Ccr was significantly different from estimated Ccr in several age groups and the decrease of creatinine excretion with age is less than Cockcroft and Gault's estimation. We assumed that this difference can be due to difference of the body habitus and difference of urinary creatinine excretion per body weight between different races. So we divided the sample population into two groups and derived the new formula in one group with regression analysis between age and 24 hour urinary creatinine excretion per body weight for estimation of Ccr as Cockcroft and Gault derived their formula and applied it to another group to compare the new formula with Cockcroft and Gault's formula in Korean patients. The new formula was Ccr (mL/min)=[ (260-age)x weight (kg)]/[160 x serumCr (mg/dL)] for male and Ccr (mL/min)-[ (236-age) x weight (kg)]/[180 x serum Cr (mg/dL)] for female. Predictive accuracy of the new formula was significantly better than the Cockcroft and Gault's formula in the other sample population and also in subgroup of the patients with azotemia.
Azotemia ; Body Weight ; Continental Population Groups ; Creatinine* ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Male

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) can involve any organ. The majority of reported cases involve IgG4-RD of the biliary tract or pancreas, while only two cases of pericarditis have been reported. A 58-year-old man visited the outpatient clinic of our institution with a seven-day history of progressive dyspnea. Based on his transthoracic echocardiogram and transesophageal echocardiogram, he was diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis. The histopathology of his pericardiectomy revealed the cause of constrictive pericarditis to be IgG4-RD. Prednisolone (40 mg) was initiated after the pericardiectomy. As the patient's symptoms resolved, he was discharged and followed-up on an outpatient basis. This is the first case report of constrictive pericarditis caused by IgG4-RD in Korea.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Biliary Tract ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulins* ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Pancreas ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericarditis ; Pericarditis, Constrictive* ; Prednisolone

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a global public health concern owing to its increasing prevalence and socioeconomic burden. However, few studies have assessed the economic impact of atopic dermatitis in Korea. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a cost analysis of atopic dermatitis and evaluated its economic impacts on individual annual disease burden, quality of life, and changes in medical expenses with respect to changes in health related-quality of life. METHODS: The cost analysis of atopic dermatitis was performed by reviewing the home accounting records of 32 patients. The economic impact of the disease was evaluated by analyzing questionnaires. To handle uncertainties, we compared the results with the data released by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Board on medical costs claimed by healthcare facilities. RESULTS: The direct cost of atopic dermatitis per patient during the 3-month study period was 541,280 Korean won (KRW), and expenditures on other atopic dermatitis-related products were 120,313 KRW. The extrapolated annual direct cost (including expenditures on other atopic dermatitis-related products) per patient was 2,646,372 KRW. The estimated annual indirect cost was 1,507,068 KRW. Thus, the annual cost of illness of atopic dermatitis (i.e., direct+indirect costs) was estimated to be 4,153,440 KRW. CONCLUSION: The annual total social cost of atopic dermatitis on a national level is estimated to be 5.8 trillion KRW.
Cost of Illness ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A dentigerous cyst is an epithelium-lined sac that surrounds the crown of an unerupted tooth or odontoma. And the most common sites of this cyst are the mandibular and maxillary third molar and maxillary cuspid areas. Clinically, expansion of bone with subsequent facial asymmetry, extreme displacement of teeth, severe root resorption of adjacent teeth and pain are all possible sequelae of this cyst. The standard treatment for a dentigerous cyst is enucleation and extraction of the involved tooth. But in large cysts, this can lead to functional, cosmetic and psychologic consequences to the patients. So recently, more conservative methods are used. We report 5 cases of dentigerous cysts in pediatric patient which were treated by a conservative approach, By this methods, we can preserve teeth and guide eruption of the teeth which are involved in cystic area.
Crowns ; Cuspid ; Dentigerous Cyst* ; Facial Asymmetry ; Humans ; Molar, Third ; Odontoma ; Root Resorption ; Tooth ; Tooth, Unerupted

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Choledochal cyst of the bile duct is characterized by cystic dilatation of the intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts. It is a relatively uncommon disease and there is still much controversy regarding its etiology as being congenital or acquired. METHODS: The medical records of 60 patients who underwent surgical treatments for choledochal cyst between April 1995 and April 2009 at the Gachon University Gil Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. To compare the clinical characteristics, patients under 19 years of age were grouped into children and the others were grouped into adults. RESULTS: Of the overall 60 patients, 24 were grouped into children and 36 were grouped into adults. Female predominance was common in both groups (M : F=1 : 6.5). The most common clinical symptom was abdominal pain (73.3%) in both groups. Children had remarkable jaundice (33.3% vs. 0%) and gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea and vomiting. Fever and chills were more common in children because of the associated complications of cholangitis. According to the Todani classification, type I was the most common form of choledochal cyst in both groups, and type IVa was significantly more common in children than adults (45.3% vs. 16.7%). Thirty patients (50%) had anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union which was confirmed by preoperative imaging studies or intraoperative cholangiography. All patients except for one child underwent cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics of choledochal cysts between children and adults. However, combined diseases especially bile duct malignancy were common in aged patients, early detection and more aggressive surgery is necessary for patients with choledochal cysts.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Aged ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Child ; Chills ; Cholangiography ; Cholangitis ; Choledochal Cyst ; Dilatation ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Medical Records ; Nausea ; Retrospective Studies ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to collect data regarding depressive disorder of elderly people at a community health center. METHODS: A total of 109 elderly people participated in this study. Trained examiners evaluated the general characteristics and symptoms of the subjects. Then the doctors conducted interviews with the elderly subjects in person and diagnosed depressive disorder according to the standard of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR. RESULTS: The prevalence of depressive disorder was 19.3%, major depressive disorder 10.1%, dysthymic disorder 1.8%, and others 7.3%. According to results of logistic regression analysis, in terms of demographic variables, the odds ratio of elementary school dropout compared with elementary school graduates was 3.60, after adjusting for age and sex. Thus, we found that elementary school dropout was associated with an increased risk of prevalence of depression. CONCLUSION: This is the first study of prevalence of depressive disorder in a primary health care center in Korea. Results of this study confirm that the prevalence of depressive disorder is two times higher among adults in the Chungju community. In addition, the level of education was also highly related. Examiners detected a possible relationship between sex and residence. The results will be helpful in conduct of future studies at the health care center.
Adult ; Aged* ; Community Health Centers* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder* ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Dysthymic Disorder ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence* ; Primary Health Care ; Student Dropouts

Esthetics ; Humans ; Orbit

Atraumatic splenic rupture (ASR) in a patient undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) is uncommon, but can be life-threatening. According to recent systematic reviews, the major causes of ASR are 1) neoplastic (30.3%), 2) infectious (27.3%), 3) non-infectious inflammatory (20.0%), 4) iatrogenic (9.2%), 5) mechanical (6.8%), and 6) idiopathic (6.4%). It is diagnosed by imaging studies, most commonly ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT). Due to its rarity, the early diagnosis of ASR is difficult, and no standard treatment has been described. Here, we report a case of idiopathic ASR in a patient undergoing PD. The diagnosis was established by abdominal CT scan, and splenectomy was performed. Thus, hemoperitoneum in a PD patient should raise suspicion of ASR. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment will lead to a better outcome.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Rupture ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography