BACKGROUND: Although enriched broth cultures have been recommended as an adjuvant to the direct plating of tissue and body fluid specimens, the cost-effectiveness of broth cultures has been questioned in regard with the clinical significance of "broth only isolates(BOI)". The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of thioglycollate broth(THIO) cultures. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively results in the culture specimens of body fluids, tissue biopsies, and puses received during the month of July 1997. All specimens were inoculated into THIO in addition to agar plates. We reviewed the medical records of culture-positive patients to determine the clinical significance and relevance of their isolates. Clinically significant isolates were defined as those for which an appropriate antimicrobial therapy was done except one judged as contaminants by clinicians and clinically relevant isolates as the clinically significant one isolated first. RESULT: Of 2,008 specimens, 512(25.4%) from 365 patients grow 561 isolates 464 plate isolates and 97 BOI. Two hundred eighty nine(62.3%) of the 464 isolates from plate cultures were clinically significant, compared to only 12(12.4%) of 97 BOI (P<0.05). Only four (4.1%) BOI were clinically relevant, including one Pseudomonas aerugiosa from ascites. one Klebsiella pneumoniae and two Staphylococcus aureus from tissue specimens. CONCLUSION: A routine use of enriched broth culture rarely recover clinically relevant isolates. Considering the laboratory and medical costs of the recovery of contaminants and clinically irrelevant isolates, the enrichment broth cultures should be used more selectively.
Agar ; Ascites ; Biopsy ; Body Fluids ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Medical Records ; Pseudomonas ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus

PURPOSE: We retrospectively performed this study to evaluate the characteristic findings of maxillomandibular ameloblastomas on CT and MR imaging. MATERIAS AND METHODS: We reviewed histologically proved 12 cases of ameloblastomas, of which 7 cases were postoperative recurrent tumors. one of twelve cases was presumed ameloblastic carcinoma. Eleven cases were examined with CT and 3 cases with MR. RESULTS: The types were solid in 4, unicystic in 4, and mixed in the rest 4. CT and MRI of 11 ameloblastomas showed concentric expansile mass(n=11), cortical bone thinning and focal bone destruction by the tumors(n=9), well-margined, expansile destruction of surrounding sturctures(n=9), focal bulging of the tumors(n=6) and focal poorly-marginated invasion of tissue planes(n=4). Ameloblastic carcinoma showed ill defined irregular margin, aggressive invasion of surrounding structures and hematogeneous lung metastasis. Unerupted teeth or mural nodules were found in unicystic ameloblastomas. All three tumors examined by MRI showed isointensity to muscle on T1 weighted images and slight hyperintensity on T2 weighted images. The wall, septa and solid portions of the tumors were strongly enhanced on MR imaging. There was no difference in CT or MR finding between primary and recurrent tumors. CONCLUSION: Ameloblastomas showed solid, cystic or mixed pattern, and commonly well marginated expansile contour with local aggressiveness. Presence of mural nodules on CT in unicystic ameloblastoma with unerupted tooth was helpful in distinguishing ameloblastoma from dentigerous cyst.
Abdominal Pain ; Ameloblastoma* ; Ameloblasts ; Body Temperature ; Catheters ; Dentigerous Cyst ; Ethanol* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Retreatment ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Stages ; Tooth, Unerupted ; Ultrasonography

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is widely used for the treatment of Graves disease. After RAI therapy, 44% become hypothyroid and up to 28% remain hyperthyroid. The development of thyrotoxicosis after RAI therapy is believed to be mediated by 2 different mechanisms: a transient increased release of thyroid hormone due to radiation thyroiditis and the rare development of Graves disease due to the formation of antibodies to the thyroid-associated antigens released from the damaged follicular cells. A 55-year-old woman was hospitalized with severe headache, weight loss, and palpitation. She received a dose of 7 mCi of RAI (I-131) about 6 weeks earlier. Thyroid function test showed 7.98 ng/dL free T4, >8 ng/mL T3, <0.08 microIU/L thyroid stimulating hormone, and high titer thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) (85.8 IU/L). She improved with propylthiouracil, propranolol, and steroid treatment. The TSI, however, was persistently elevated for 11 months.
Antibodies ; Female ; Graves Disease* ; Headache ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating ; Iodine* ; Middle Aged ; Propranolol ; Propylthiouracil ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Thyrotoxicosis* ; Thyrotropin ; Weight Loss

Background: Dispensing of prescription drugs is the most important task for community pharmacists. However, the public’s satisfaction with pharmacist services is not high, and distrust due to dispensing by unqualified person and/or under unsanitary conditions led to demands for transparent dispensing room (TDR) in pharmacies. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate how pharmacy students perceive pharmacists’ credibility and professional ethics in conjunction with the TDR issue. Methods: A survey using 20-items questionnaire was conducted from July 12 to 20, 2019 in pharmacy students nationwide. Results: Among 218 respondents, 84.1% attended pharmacy school located in the metropolitan area, 61.1% were the 3rd or 4th graders, and 81.2% had no practical training in community pharmacy. 56.2% were unaware of the TDR issue, and 66.8% agreed on the public’s demand for TDR. 68.8% disagreed that TDR was the best way to solve the problem of unqualified dispensing, while 51.9% agreed that TDR was the best way in solving unsanitary dispensing problem. Publics’ confidence level of community pharmacists was mean 5.84 (range 1-10). In a question asking how expertise and professional ethics affect pharmacist confidence, 50% said expertise was more important, 31.7% the same, and 18.3% said professional ethics was more important. Conclusions To overcome the demand for TDR which began with public distrust in pharmacists, it is necessary to seek measures to increase the credibility of pharmacists, and as part of this, pharmacist ethics should be systematically educated at pharmacy school.

BACKGROUND: There have been several reports describing the capability of ginseng extracts as an adjuvant. In this study, we tested if ginsan, a polysaccharide extracted from Panax ginseng, was effective in enhancing antibody response to orally delivered Salmonella antigen. METHODS: Ginsan was treated before oral salmonella antigen administration. Salmonella specific antibody was determined by ELISA. mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. Cell migration was determined by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. COX expression was detected by western blot. RESULTS: Ginsan treatment before oral Salmonella antigen delivery significantly increased both secretory and serum antibody production. Ginsan increased the expression of COX in the Peyer's patches. Various genes were screened and we found that CCL3 mRNA expression was increased in the Peyer's patch. Ginsan increased dendritic cells in the Peyer's patch and newly migrated dendritic cells were mostly found in the subepithelial dome region. When COX inhibitors were treated, the expression of CCL3 was reduced. COX inhibitor also antagonized both the migration of dendritic cells and the humoral immune response against oral Salmonella antigen. CONCLUSION: Ginsan effectively enhances the humoral immune response to orally delivered antigen, mediated by CCL3 via COX. Ginsan may serve as a potent vaccine suppliment for oral immunization.
Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Movement ; Dendritic Cells ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Immunity, Humoral ; Immunization ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Panax ; Peyer's Patches ; Polysaccharides ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; RNA, Messenger ; Salmonella

BACKGROUND: Sorbus rufopilosa, a tsema rowan, is a species of the small ornamental trees in the genus Sorbus and the family Rosaceae found in East Asia. The bioactivities of S. rufopilosa have not yet been fully determined. The objective of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer effects of ethanol extract of S. rufopilosa (EESR) and to determine the molecular mechanism of its anticancer activity in human colon carcinoma HT29 cells. METHODS: To examine the antioxidant activity of EESR, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity assay was performed. Inhibitory effect of EESR on cancer cell growth and proliferation was determined by water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay. To investigate the mechanism of EESR-mediated cytotoxicity, HT29 cells were treated with various concentrations of EESR and the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: EESR showed significant antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect on HT29 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. EESR induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner by modulating cyclin B, cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and CDK inhibitor p21 expression. EESR-induced apoptosis was associated with the upregulation of p53, a death receptor Fas, and a pro-apoptotic protein Bax and the activation of caspase 3, 8, and 9, resulting in the degradation of PARP. CONCLUSIONS: EESR possessing antioxidant activity efficiently inhibits proliferation of HT29 cells by inducing both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. EESR may be a possible candidate for the anticancer drug development.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; CDC2 Protein Kinase ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints* ; Cell Cycle* ; Colon* ; Cyclin B ; Ethanol ; Far East ; Flow Cytometry ; HT29 Cells* ; Humans* ; Rosacea ; Rosaceae ; Sorbus* ; Trees ; Up-Regulation

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of salad dressings on the flowable composite resin surface and the erosion-inhibitory effect of calcium. Methods: The experiment included six groups: oriental dressing, balsamic dressing, lemon-garlic dressing, lemon-garlic dressing supplemented with 3% calcium, mineral water as a negative control group, and orange juice as a positive control group. pH and titratable acidity were measured. The prepared specimens were immersed in the experimental solutions for 1, 3, 5, 15, and 30 minutes. The surface microhardness was measured using the Vickers hardness number before and after the treatment, and the surface of the specimens was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results: The pH values of the experimental groups in increasing order were as follows: lemon-garlic dressing (2.49±0.03), balsamic dressing (3.12±0.06), lemon-garlic dressing ＋3% calcium (3.27±0.09), oriental dressing (3.75±0.03), orange juice (3.82±0.02), and mineral water (7.32±0.16). The largest surface hardness reduction value was shown in lemon-garlic dressing (−9.61±1.16), followed by balsamic dressing (−9.17±1.63), oriental dressing (−8.62±1.09), orange juice (−8.19±1.36), lemon-garlic dressing +3% calcium (−6.76±1.23), and mineral water (−1.63±2.47). According to the SEM findings, the experimental and positive control groups showed rough surfaces and micropores, whereas the negative control group showed a smooth surface. Moreover, the lemon-garlic dressing with +3% calcium showed fewer micropores and a smoother surface than the lemon-garlic dressing. Conclusion The intake of salad dressings at a low pH could weaken the surface microhardness of the flowable composite resin. However, adding calcium to these salad dressings can reduce the risk of microhardness reduction on the flowable composite resin surface.

PURPOSE: We investigated reproducibility and repeatability of average macular thickness and volume measurements in normal eyes with Cirrus HD OCT (optical coherence tomography). METHODS: Fifty normal eyes from twenty-five subjects without medical and ocular histories were included. Macular cube 512 x 128 combination scanning using the Cirrus HD OCT was performed for a total of three times on the same visit by an experienced technician. Then other two technicians performed one more macular scanning respectively. Within-results, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each parameter studied to evaluate repeatability and reproducibility. The correlation between macular measurements and demographic variables (age, gender, and spherical equivalent) were also investigated. RESULTS: The ICCs for intraoperator reproducibility were 0.99 on the average macular thickness and 0.96 on the macular volume. And the ICCs for interoperator repeatability were found to be 0.98 and 0.96, respectively. The ICCs for measurements of nine regional retinal thickness also were higher than 0.90. The retinal thickness was correlated with age, gender and refractive error. However, neither age nor refractive error affected to reproducibility and repeatability. CONCLUSIONS: The retinal thickness and macular volume measurements using Cirrus HD OCT in healthy volunteers showed excellent reproducibility and repeatability. Therefore, Cirrus HD OCT has been recognized as an useful tool for diagnosis and mornitoring of variable maculopathies.
Eye ; Refractive Errors ; Retinaldehyde

PURPOSE: We evaluated the clinical characteristics of lower respiratory infections of preterm children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and compared them between those with and without lower respiratory infections that of preterm patients without BPD. METHODS: This study enrolled preterm patients under 2 years old, who admitted with acute lower respiratory infection from March 2014 to May 2016. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to BPD, and we retrospectively reviewed their medical records. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients (106 cases) were enrolled; the BPD group consisited of 29 patients (54 cases) and the control group 42 patients (52 cases). Compared to the patients in the control group, those in the BPD group were older (P=0.001), had lower gestational age and birth weight (P<0.001), and showed more frequent readmission in hospital (P=0.017). The most common causative virus was human rhinovirus (hRV) in the BPD group, whereas respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the control group. The patients in the BPD group showed a higher incidence of tachypnea, decreased aeration, and chest retraction (P<0.001, P=0.009, and P=0.026, respectively), a higher respiratory symptom score (P=0.011), a longer duration of cough and wheezy sounds (P=0.004 and P=0.009, respectively), and higher incidence and longer duration of treatment with oxygen, and mechanical ventilator support (P=0.016 and P=0.017, respectively) than those in the control group. In the BPD group, the patients with RSV showed a higher incidence of tachypnea and rales (P=0.033 and P=0.033, respectively) than those with hRV. CONCLUSION: The preterm children with BPD may have more severe clinical manifestations than those without.
Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia* ; Child* ; Cough ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Respiratory Sounds ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory Tract Infections* ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinovirus ; Tachypnea ; Thorax ; Ventilators, Mechanical

"The Supporting Program for Obstetric Care Underserved Areas (SPOU)" provides financial aids to rural community (or district) hospitals to reopen prenatal care and delivery services for regions without obstetrics and gynecology clinics or hospitals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early stage effect of the SPOU program. The proportion of the number of birth through SPOU was calculated by each region. Also survey was conducted to investigate the extent of overall satisfaction, elements of dissatisfaction, and suggestions for improvement of the program; 209 subjects participated from 7 to 12 December, 2012. Overall, 20% of pregnant women in Youngdong (71 cases) and Gangjin (106 cases) used their community (or district) hospitals through the SPOU whereas Yecheon (23 cases) was 8%; their satisfaction rates were high. Short distance and easy accessibility was the main reason among women choosing community (or district) hospital whereas the reasons of not selecting the community (or district) hospital were favor of the outside hospital's facility, system, and trust in the medical staffs. The SPOU seems to be currently effective at an early stage. However, to successfully implement this program, the government should make continuous efforts to recruit highly qualified medical staffs and improve medical facility and equipment.
Adult ; Delivery, Obstetric/economics/*utilization ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Care/economics ; *Program Evaluation ; Republic of Korea ; Rural Population