This study was carried out to investigate the heavy metal contents and their correlations between paddy soil and brown rice near the Kum-River area. In this study, eighty soil samples and forty brown rice samples were taken from the paddy soil. The contents of heavy metals were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results were as follows: 1. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in surface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 15.31, Zn 18.10 and Pb 9.08 ppm. The average contents of soluble heavy metals in subsurface soil were Cd 0.19, Cu 14.52, Zn 17.75 and Pb8.11 ppm. There wan no statistically significant difference between the two layers. 2. The contents of Cu, Zn and Pb of Taejeon(S6) and Cd of Sinbyung(S5) in surface soil were higher than those of other areas. The contents of Cd and Cu of Taejeon(S6) and Zn and Pb of Kumnam(S3) in brown rice were higher than those of other areas and four heavy metals in soil and brown rice of Simchon(S7) were lower than those of other areas. 3. The ratio of soluble contents(Cd : Cu : Zn : Pb) in surface soil was 1 : 79 : 93 : 47, that of soluble contents in subsurface soil was 1 : 79 : 94 : 43, and that of total contents in brown rice was 1 : 84 : 294 : 12. 4. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in surface(0-15 cm depth) soil total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cd>Cu>Zn>Pb. The correlations of the content between soluble heavy metals in subsurface(20-30 cm depth) soil and total heavy metals in brown rice was found to be order of Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb.
Metals, Heavy ; Rivers* ; Soil* ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

STUDY DESIGN: The lumbar segmental motions were analysed in asymptomatic volunteers. OBJECTIVES: To obtain normative data on flexibility and Graf's instability degree in sagittal plan of the normal lumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Although several clinical and radiological measurement tech niques are available, little is known about the normal range of lumbar spine motion. As a consequence, the diagnostic evaluation of radiographs are frequently based on subject opinions rather than object reality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors have checked lumbar flexion-extension Yiews of 95asymptomatic volunteers who were divided into 5 groups by the age, and then their flexibility and Graf's instability degree were calculated by Graf's method with using Graf/Bar Mark II(digitalizing table) and personal computer program(RachisR). Evaluation of the sexual difference and comparison of the difference of each age group in spine level were done RESULTS: 1. There were significant differences in flexibility among age groups(p<0.05) and highest flexibility was observed in group 1 (age: 15-19yrs) and 15-19 segment 2. Flexibility was not different between male and female(p>0.05). 3. Graf's instability degree was not different among 5 age groups(p>0.05), and between male and female(p>0.05). 4. The mean Craf's instability degree was below 8o in L2-3, L3-4, and L4-5 segment, but above 8 in L5-S1 segment(male: 11.62+/-9.27 , female. 11.11+/-8.70). CONCLUSIONS: Although we observed small subjects, these results are the basic steps toward more objective and careful interpretation of flexibilty and Graf's instability degree.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microcomputers ; Pliability* ; Reference Values ; Spine ; Volunteers

Meralgia paresthetica is a syndrome of pain or dysesthesia, or both, of the anterolateral thigh caused by entrapment or metabolic neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. Many cases of meralgia paresthetica have been presented for a century. We have experienced a case of meralgia paresthetica which was misdiagnosed as lumbar radicu- lopathy at other hospital, of a 53-year-old man who had developed painful paresthesia and dysesthe- sia of the anterolateral thigh caused by soft tissue tuberculosis of oblique abdominal muscles just proximal to the lateral inguinal ligament where the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve passes. We report a case of unilateral meralgia paresthetica secondary to soft tissue tuberculosis with review of literatures because it has not previously been reported.
Abdominal Muscles ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Middle Aged ; Paresthesia ; Thigh ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Radiation Oncology*

PURPOSE: To report the clinical results of tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis fixed with multiple cannulated screws for the cases of painful ankle and hindfoot arthropathy regardless of any deformity or instability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed upon 10 patients that underwent tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis from October 1999 to May 2006. There were 4 males and 6 females, with an average age of 63 years (43-70). The etioloty of arthrodesis included 5 osteoarthritis, 2 Charcot joints, 1 rheumatoid arthritis, 1 Tbc arthritis and 1 residual poliomyelitis. Chief complaints were pain in 9 cases and instability in 1 case. Three patients had combined severe varus deformity. Tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis using multiple cannulated screws was performed by transfibular approach for all cases and short leg cast was applied for 12 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 16.5 months (12-26 months). VAS pain score was average 8.2 (7-10) and modified AOFAS score was average 25 (8-40, total 86) preoperatively. At final follow-up, VAS score was average 1.0 (0-3) and AOFAS score improved to average 66 (58-75). There were 4 complications: 2 nonunion, 1 tibia stress fracture and 1 malunion. Seven of 8 patients were satisfied with the results at final follow-up. CONCLUSION: Fixation with multiple cannulated screws for tibio-talo-calcaneal arthrodesis through transfibular approach is a recommendable surgical option.
Animals ; Ankle ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthrodesis ; Arthropathy, Neurogenic ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Stress ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; Poliomyelitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibia

The treatment for full thickness skin defect with the full or split-thickness autograft was often associated with aesthetically poor result, hypertrophic scar or extensive injury on donor site. Because of this donor morbidity, the use of artificial dermis was considered, which was the substrate of collagen or collagen cross-linked with polyglactin or polylactin. Unfortunately this substrate was void of advantages for the artificial dermis but was of easy biodegradability, antigenicity, or cytotoxic property. Currently chitosan is given attention by many investigators for its biochemical properties in wound healing process. Chitosan is the deacetylated derivative of chitin, which is a polymer of 2-amino-2-deoxy glucose with chemically active free amino group. Chitosan facilitates wound healing process, and then stimulates migration of polymorphonuclear cell(PMN) and macrophage, release of IL-8 and accelerates collagen synthesis surely with vascularization. Indeed chitosan supplies the resistance against bacterial infection of the wound. In this study, we have investigated the clinical applicability of the artificial dermal substrate which is cross-linked of collagen and GAG with chitosan, which we have applied on the full thickness skin defect in Fisher rat. The conclusions are as the follows: 1. There was sufficient vascularization in the grafted dermal substrate for STSG after 2 weeks of artificial dermis grafting. 2. Four 4 weeks after artificial dermis grafting, the architecture of the dermal substrate was maintained in about half amounts and the half of dermal skeleton was replaced with the newly formed dermis(neodermis). In conclusion, the dermal substrate used in this study is available enough for wound of full thickness skin defect.
Animals ; Autografts ; Bacterial Infections ; Chitin ; Chitosan ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Equipment and Supplies ; Glucose ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; Macrophages ; Polyglactin 910 ; Polymers ; Rats ; Research Personnel ; Skeleton ; Skin ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: A number of clinical decision tools for osteoporosis risk assessment have been developed to select postmenopausal women for the measurement of bone mineral density. We developed and validated machine learning models with the aim of more accurately identifying the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women compared to the ability of conventional clinical decision tools. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected medical records from Korean postmenopausal women based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The training data set was used to construct models based on popular machine learning algorithms such as support vector machines (SVM), random forests, artificial neural networks (ANN), and logistic regression (LR) based on simple surveys. The machine learning models were compared to four conventional clinical decision tools: osteoporosis self-assessment tool (OST), osteoporosis risk assessment instrument (ORAI), simple calculated osteoporosis risk estimation (SCORE), and osteoporosis index of risk (OSIRIS). RESULTS: SVM had significantly better area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic than ANN, LR, OST, ORAI, SCORE, and OSIRIS for the training set. SVM predicted osteoporosis risk with an AUC of 0.827, accuracy of 76.7%, sensitivity of 77.8%, and specificity of 76.0% at total hip, femoral neck, or lumbar spine for the testing set. The significant factors selected by SVM were age, height, weight, body mass index, duration of menopause, duration of breast feeding, estrogen therapy, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Considering various predictors associated with low bone density, the machine learning methods may be effective tools for identifying postmenopausal women at high risk for osteoporosis.
Aged ; *Artificial Intelligence ; Bone Density/*physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of curative emergency surgery for complicated colon cancer in terms of tumor recurrence and survival compared with that of elective surgery. METHODS: A total of 238 primary surgeries for colon cancer were performed. All patients were deemed to have undergone a curative resection. Patients were classified into an emergency surgery group for complicated colon cancers (n=40) and an elective surgery group for uncomplicated colon cancers (n=198). RESULTS: Emergency colonic cancers present at a more advanced stage (P=0.002). The postoperative mortality rate in the emergency group was significantly higher than it was in the elective group (15.0% vs. 2.5%, P= 0.004). There were differences between the two groups in tumor recurrence (32.5% vs. 13.1%, P=0.003), overall survival (52.5% vs. 71.7%, P=0.017), and disease-free survival (50.0% vs. 69.7%, P=0.016). However, after the patients were stratified according to tumor stage, no statistical differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with uncomplicated colon cancers, complicated colon cancers present at a more advanced stage with a higher postoperative mortality and an overall worse prognosis. However, the difference decreases when patients are stratified according to the tumor stage. The negative prognostic efficacy of emergency surgery for complicated colon cancers appears to be confined to the perioperative period. Despite the more advanced stage of tumors in patients undergoing emergency surgery, the aim of the surgeon should be to offer a curative resection for better survival, if possible.
Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Perioperative Period ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage (STH) is an extremely rare event. Usually, the causes of STH are ascribed to vessel wall erosion secondary to bacterial or viral infection of tonsils. Other causes include vascular or tumorous lesions around tonsil, coagulation disorders and idiopathic one. On one hand, the total number of reported STH has slightly increased because STH is defined as all forms of "bleeding tonsils", including even minor bleeding. On the other hand, the portion of the total STH that is life-threatening has become relatively few. Management of STH involves the use of antibiotics, and early tonsillectomy is recommended. We have experienced a case of a 29 year-old female with tonsillar hemorrhage in the absence of any identifiable cause. We report the case with a review of the related literatures.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Female ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hand ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Palatine Tonsil ; Tonsillectomy

Background: In early 2024, there was an issue with the supply of the anti-D reagent for blood typing. This reduced the anti-D reagent in our laboratory below the minimum stock level. We validated the appropriateness of using diluted anti-D reagents as a contingency plan in the event of an anti-D reagent shortage. Methods: A total of eight dilutions, ranging from 2X to 256X, were prepared by serial dilution of the low-protein monoclonal anti-D reagent. The original anti-D reagent and the eight anti-D dilutions were used to perform RhD typing by the tube and plate methods. To further evaluate the reactivity and stability of the 8-fold diluted anti-D reagent, RhD typing was performed on internal quality control red blood cells and RhD-positive patient specimens for 30 days. Results: The maximum dilution that gave the same results as the original anti-D reagent in both the tube and plate methods was 8X. The 8X anti-D dilution was tested against internal quality control red blood cells and patient specimens. It showed the same result as the original anti-D reagent, with reactivity remaining constant over 30 days. Conclusion We have confirmed the appropriateness of using a diluted low-protein monoclonal anti-D reagent for RhD typing. Therefore, we suggest that the diluted anti-D method can be considered for priority use in emergencies when the anti-D reagent is in short supply. Although 8X is suggested as an appropriate dilution factor in this study, this may vary depending on the type of product used in each laboratory and the laboratory conditions.