Tricholroacetic acid (TCA) chemical peeling is an effective, versatle and safe therapeutic method for patients with pigmentary disorders, acne scars and aging skin. With an experienced and skilled operator, the associated complications are rare and tend to be mild. No. ystemic toxicity is known to be induced by TCA. We observed the effect of TCA chemical peeling, evaluated by 242 patients themselves with melasma, freckles, senile lentgines, pigmented nevi, seborrheic keratosis, skin tags or acne scars. The patients evaluated TCA peeling as excellent for the treatment of seboirheic keratosis, pigmented nevi, skin tags and acne scars, and as selectively recommendable for the treatment of melasma, freckles and senile lentigines.
Acne Vulgaris ; Aging ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Keratosis ; Keratosis, Seborrheic ; Lentigo ; Melanosis ; Nevus, Pigmented ; Skin

A pregnancy is considered postterm if it is beyond 294 days (42 complete weeks). Several investigators have demonstrated that postterm pregnancy may be accompanied by a rise in perinatal morbidity and/or mortality. Abnormalities such as meconium staining, cringenital anomalies, intrauterine growth retardation, postmaturity syndrome, fetal asphyxia have been reported in some cases of reduced amniotic fluid volume (oligohyramnios) which is commonly observed in postterm pregnancies. Amniotic fluid volume has been shown to decrease significantly as gestational age advances beyond term. Oligohydramnios has particular relevance to postterm pregnancies. Poor perinatal outcomes of oligohydramnios on postterm pregnancy have been reported by several authors. To date, however, the relationship between oligohydramnios in pastterm pregnancy and fetal outcome is debatable. The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the relationship between oligohydr- amnios and perinatal outcome in 64 cases of postterm pregnancies. Amniotic fluid index(AFI) values were measured semiweekly in 64 good dated, uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. AFI values were categorized into 2 groups. The group 1; patients whose final AFI value was above 5.0 cm; Group 2, patients whose AFI value fell below 5.0 cm. Adverse fetal outcome was defined by the presence of meconium staining, fetal heart rate decelerations, cesarean delivery for fetal distress, low Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and perinatal mortality. The fetal outcome was compared group 1 with group 2 and results obtained were as follows: 1. The incidence of oligohydramnios in postterm pregnancy was 54.7 %. The average diminution of amniotic fluid index was from 8.2 1.8 cm to 5.6+2.2 cm/week. 2. The incidence of meconium-staining in amniotic fluid was 40.6 % (Group 1: 20.7 %, Group 2: 57.1 %) and showed statistically significant difference between the two groups(p= 0.003). 3. The incidence of Apgar score less than 7 was 23.4% in 1 minute (Group 1: 13.8 %, Group 2: 31.4 %) and 4.7 % in 5 minutes(Group 1: 3.4%, Group 2: 5.7 %), respectively and showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.140, p=1.000). 4. I'he incidence of cesarean delivery due to fetal distress was 12.5 % (Group 1: 6.9%, Group 2: 17.1 %) and showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.275). 5. The incidence of admission to NICU was 12.5 % (Group 1: 6.9%, Group 2: 17.1 %) and showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p=0.275). Adverse fetal outcome was not uniformly observed in postterm pregnancies with oligohydramnios. Amniotic fluid index in oligohydramnios group as a single independent guide was not enough to predict fetal outcomes in postterm pregnancy without specific pathologic condition of fetus.
Amniotic Fluid* ; Apgar Score ; Asphyxia ; Deceleration ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Heart Rate, Fetal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Meconium ; Mortality ; Oligohydramnios ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy* ; Research Personnel

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of follow-up care for stroke survivors on primary caregivers' quality of life. Quasi-experimental research was conducted in which an experimental group and a control group-each of 15 stroke survivors and their primary caregivers-were consecutively sampled. Data collected from July to September, 1999 by interview using a structured questionnaire with both the experimental and the control groups. After a month, the two groups were given the same questionnaire. The experimental group was also given a telephone follow-up every week for a month, as well as a home visit. The survey instruments used in this study were Saha and Cooper's Modified Barthel index (11 items) for checking the stroke survivors' level of activities of daily living, and a modified form of Jeong's Quality of life (18 items) for primary caregivers' QOL level. The obtained data were analyzed by percentage, t-test. chi-test. Kruscal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation coefficient by SAS/PC program. The results were as follows: 1. There was no significant difference in the stroke survivors' ADL level. though the level of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. 2. There was a statistical difference in the before and after treatment of the primary caregivers' QOL level. In conclusion. the follow-up a care program had useful effect on the quality of life of primary caregivers.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers ; Follow-Up Studies* ; House Calls ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stroke* ; Survivors* ; Telephone

This study was conducted to investigate food and meal preference of workers (435 male and 212 female) in the Chonnam Yeosu industrial area. The results of the survey were analyzed by principal components analysis. The results were obtained as follows: 19.3% of the subjects were twenties, 28.3% were thirties, 28.8% were forties and 23.7% were fifties. Females liked rice rolled in dried laver, rice cakes, janchi-noodle and breads, on the other hand males liked thick beef soup, loach soup, an eel stew and soju. The young liked instant noodles, fried chicken, sweet and sour pork, pork cutlet, pizza, hamburger, ham, sausage and fruit beverage, on the other hand the old liked a fish pot stew, loach soup, eel stew, fish boiled in soy with spices, panfried fish, sea slug, ascidian, bunder, green laver and boiled burdock-lotus root in soy. Females who are young liked hamburger and sweet and sour pork whereas males who are young liked instant noodles, pork cutlet, ham, sausage and fruit beverage. Aged females liked fish boiled in soy with spices, panfried fish, bunder, green laver, boiled burdock-lotus root in soy whereas aged males liked a fish pot stew, loach soup, eel stew, sea mussel and oysters. Boiled rice was located within the middle irrespective of age and sex, but noodles, wheat flour meal, fast foods and fruits were situated at the young female side. Aged males liked soup and pot stew. Young males liked meats and eggs whereas fish and shellfish and kimch were located at the aged people side. Aged females liked sea weeds and most people disliked vegetables but females liked some vegetables irrespective of age. Processed foods, salted foods, and alcohol were generally disliked foods by subjects but males liked those foods. Soybean curd was liked more males than females, and teas, except coffee, was liked by males.
Aged ; Beverages ; Bivalvia ; Bread ; Chickens ; Coffee ; Eels ; Eggs ; Fast Foods ; Female ; Flour ; Fruit ; Gastropoda ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Meat ; Ostreidae ; Ovum ; Shellfish ; Soybeans ; Spices ; Tea ; Triticum ; Urochordata ; Vegetables

We have retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological outcome in 22 cervical spondylotic myeloradiculopathy patients who underwent combined front anterior decompression and fusion) and back (open door laminoplasty) surgery between Mar. 1991 and Jan. 1995. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA) score and the recovery rate. Plain radiogram and MIR were taken before and after surgery, and then the cervical curvature, change of body to canal ratio and the A-P compression ratio of the cord were measured and compared to the clinical symptoms. Results : The mean JOA score increased from 10.1±3.3 preoperatively to 14.7±1.4 at the final follow-up with a mean recovery rate of 64.4%. No patients deteriorated as a result of the combined procedure. Post-op. radiograms showed an increasement of body to ratios (average 0.69±0.09 pre-op. to 1.0±0.13 post-op.) and maintenance or recovery of cervical Lordosis. On MRI, the A-P compression ratios of the cord were increased with recovery of subarachnoid space after the operation in most cases (average 38.4±7.6 pre-op. to 55.7±7.2 post-op.). Conclusion : This combined procedure safely and effectively resulted in decompression of the spinal cord and good functional recovery in patients with 1) anterior and posterior pathology, 2) narrow spinal canal and large spondylotic bar or herniated disc encroaching the spinal canal more than 5mm, 3) narrow spinal canal and kyphotic deformity, 4) narrow spinal canal and segmental instability, 5) multisegmental cord compression and severe radiculopathy.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Lordosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pathology ; Radiculopathy ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Subarachnoid Space

No abstract available.

In the rat brain, global hypoxia cause a delayed neuronal degeneration that occurs hours to days after reoxygenation. It is generally thought that the ischemic damage is initiated by neurotoxicity mediated through glutamate receptors, particulary NMDA subtypes. Calcium entry through the NMDA receptor is responsible for the synaptic plasiticity and neuronal pathology. Degradation of MAP-2 and NF200, a major components of neuronal cytoskeleton, by Ca2+-dependent protease after NMDA receptor activation has been postulated in delayed neuronal damage. Changes of NR subunit 2B, MAP2 and NF200 in rat brain postsynaptic density[PSD] after hypoxic injury were investigated through immunoblot analyses. To understand the effect of Ca2+ influx through NMDA receptors on neuronal damage which is manifested by cytoskeletal disruption, morphological change was examined through immunohistochemistry and H & E staining. We found that immunoreactivity to NR2B antibody in the cerebral cortex PSD was up-regulated while MAP2 and NF200 was down-regulated at 30 hours after initial hypoxic insult. At this time, morphological changes of neuronal cells in hypoxic conditions were manifested as down-regulation of MAP2 and NF200 immunoreactivities, hyperchromatic condensation of cytoplasm and nucleus, homogenizing cell change, expansion of perineuronal space and dispersion of chromatin. From 3 days, NR2B, MAP2, NF200 were up-regulated simultaneously. On the other hand, morphological alterations in hypoxic neurons were progress further. Our present results suggests that Calcium influx through NR1/NR2B receptor channel is effective whithin 30 hours but ineffective from 30 hours. Delayed neuronal cell death triggered by Ca2+ influx through NR1/NR2B receptor channel within 30 hours, which may activate intracellular profeases. Proteolysis of cytoskeleton by activated protease leads to its abnormal reorganization and eventually damages normal function of cell membrane which causes neuronal cell death.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Brain ; Calcium ; Cell Death ; Cell Membrane ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Cytoskeleton* ; Down-Regulation ; Hand ; Immunohistochemistry ; N-Methylaspartate* ; Neurons ; Pathology ; Proteolysis ; Rats* ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; Up-Regulation*

Transient cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery ligation with reperfusion to understand its effect on the expression of NMDA receptor subunits 2A (NR2A), 2B (NR2B), and NF200 The changes of the expressions of NR2A, NR2B, and NF200 in cerebral postsynaptic density (PSD) were evaluated through immunoblot analyses. The expressions of NR2A and NF200 were markedly decreased until 18 hours after reperfusion, while that of NR2B was increased. The immunohistochemistry with NFIGO antibody showed that NF200 protein, which is a marker for neuronal damage, was also significantly decreased at this time point indicating neuronal damages, and the morphological damages of neuronal cells were evident by hyperchromatic condensation of nucleus, irregular cell membrane, displacement of nucleus, and chromatolysis of Nissl substances in toluidine blue stain. However, from 18 hours to 3 day after reperfusion, immunoblot analyses showed that NF200 was increased significantly, while the expression of NR2A were recovered to the control level and that of NR2B was returned to somewhat higher level than control. The NR1/NR2B-type receptor is known to have a longer offset decay time than NR1/NR2A-type ones, and to be more potent in Ca2 influxing. Therefore, our results suggest that, until 18 hours, neurons are damaged by overinflux of Ca2 through NR1/NR2B receptors which helps to degrade NF200 by Ca2 sensitive professes resulting in damages to intracellular transport. The fact that the expression of NF200 was increased even though the NR2A and NR2B are control level during 18 hours to 3 days after damage suggests that NMDA receptor subunits expressed at this time may not form functional receptors. The worsening of some neuronal damages after 3 days may indicate that an abnormal reorganization of elevated NF200 between 18 hours to 3 days further disturb intracellular transport and functions of cell membrane which cause cell death.
Animals ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cell Death ; Cell Membrane ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ischemic Attack, Transient* ; Ligation ; N-Methylaspartate* ; Neurons ; Post-Synaptic Density ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Tolonium Chloride

In the rat brain, partial ischemia causes a delayed neuronal degeneration that occurs hours to days after reoxygenation. It is generally thought that the ischemic damage is initiated by neurotoxicity mediated through glutamate receptors, particulaly NMDA subtypes. Calcium entry through the NMDA receptor is responsible for the synaptic plasiticity and neuronal pathology. Degradation of MAP-2 and NF200, a major components of neuronal cytoskeleton, by Ca2+-dependent protease after NMDA receptor activation has been postulated in delayed neuronal damage. Calcium-activated protease calpain, excessive degradation of MAP-2, together with the calpain-sensitive microtubule and neurofilaments, would be expected to disrupt intracellular transport- and membrane-related functions that is vital to neurons. Changed of NR subunit 2A, 2B, MAP2 and NF200 in rat hippncampal postsynaptic density[PSD] after partial ischemic injury were investigated though immunoblot analyses. To understand the effect of Ca2+, influx through NMDA receptors on neuronal damage which is manifested by cytoskeletal disruption, morphological change was examined through immunohistochemistry and routine staining method. We found that immunoreactivity to NR2B receptor subuit in the hippocampal formation PSD was upregulated while MAP2 and NF200 was down-regulted at 18 hours after initial partial ischemic insult. On the other hand, morphological changes of neuronal cell in partial ischemic conditions were manifested as eosinophilic inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm which is progression of neuronal damage after 6 days. Calcium influx through NR1/NR2B receptor channel may activate intracellular proteases which would degrade cytoskeleton. Proteolysis of cytoskeleton leads to its reorganization and eventually damages normal function of cell membrane which cause neuronal cell death.
Animals ; Brain ; Calcium ; Calpain ; Cell Death ; Cell Membrane ; Cytoplasm ; Cytoskeleton ; Eosinophils ; Hand ; Hippocampus* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inclusion Bodies ; Ischemia ; Microtubules ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neurons ; Pathology ; Peptide Hydrolases ; Proteolysis* ; Rats* ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate

No abstract available.
Knee* ; Ligaments*