Free radicals are known as an important factor which may act on reperfusion injury after transient or permanent brain ischemia. Numerous studies about cytotoxic function of free radical have been done. Most of these studies demonstrate the function of free radical in reperfusion injury by using radical scavenger or antioxidant as inhibitor of radicals. We used a modification of Karnovsky's Mn2 /diaminobenzidine (DAB) technique to demonstrate intravascular free radicals following transient occlusion and reperfusion of one middle cerebral artery in Sprague-Dawley rats. The MCA was occluded for 2 hours using an intraluminal suture method. The reperfusion time after transient ischemia was 1 hour, 6 hours, and 24 hours, respectively. Animals were perfused transcardially with solution containing Mn2 and DAB. After DAB perfusion, the brains were removed promptly, sectioned in frozen, and stained with methylene blue for light microscopic examination. Upon light microscopic examination, free radicals were confined within intravascular lumen and the amount of deposits increased according to the duration of reperfusion. Upon electron microscopic examination, free radicals were located in nuclear membrane and membrane of mitochondria and RER, and demonstrated as electron dense deposits. In addition, cell processes of the neuron revealed an electron dense deposits beneath the inner side of the membrane. In conclusion, free radicals demonstrated in the reperfusion injury area indicate that free radical acts as an important cytotoxic factor. Intracellular localization of free radicals may explain the relationship between free radical and delayed neuronal injury.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia* ; Brain* ; Free Radicals* ; Ischemia ; Membranes ; Methylene Blue ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mitochondria ; Neurons ; Nuclear Envelope ; Perfusion ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury* ; Reperfusion* ; Sutures

Background: and Purpose: Previous studies suggest that cognitive intervention can mitigate the development of dementia in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the previous cognitive intervention was mostly provided as a group session, in which MCI patients sometimes had difficulty in regularly attending sessions or were reluctant to participate in group-based classes. Additionally, experienced instructors for traditional cognitive intervention may be unavailable in some chronic-care facilities or community centers. Considering these reasons, we have developed 5 programs for home-based cognitive intervention using a personal robot for MCI patients. In this preliminary study, we aimed to demonstrate the effects of our newly developed home-based cognitive intervention with robots on cognitive function in MCI patients. Methods: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial enrolling 46 MCI patients. Participants were randomized into 2 groups: the robot cognitive intervention (robot) (n=24) group and without cognitive intervention (control) (n=22) group. The interventions comprised 60-min sessions per day for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in cognitive function measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Results: There were no significant baseline demographic or clinical differences between the robot and control groups. After the 4-week cognitive intervention, the robot group showed greater improvement in working memory than did the control group. Conclusions Our home-based cognitive intervention with a personal robot improved the working memory in MCI patients. Further studies with larger samples and longer study periods are required to demonstrate the effects of these programs in other cognitive domains in MCI patients.

We have always attempted to create a standard treatment protocol for patients with gastric cancer. However, many debates still exist regarding gastric cancer treatment. For the past 2 years, at the Annual Congress of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association, we have presented a grand symposium on the "Debates on the strategy for treating gastric cancer". In 2008, four major topics were discussed and voted on after discussion. The four major topics were proximal location treatment for early gastric cancer, management choices for pyloric obstruction with advanced gastric cancer, management of liver metastasis, and reconstruction methods after a distal gastrectomy. The opinions of the audience for six minor topics were expressed by an electronic voting system. In 2009, the four main topics were treatment for submucosal tumor sized around 2 cm, laparoscopic gastrectomy in T2N1 gastric cancer, choices for managing gastric lymphoma, and application of a pylorus preserving procedure for early gastric cancer at the antrum. The opinions of the audience for these six minor topics were expressed by an electronic voting system, as was conducted in 2008. It was good opportunity to identify a point of contact about the debates on managing gastric cancer. The results of these debates and studies will identify the best methods to treat patients with gastric cancer.
Clinical Protocols ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Politics ; Pylorus ; Stomach Neoplasms