Macular atrophy is relatively rare skin disease and is characterized histologically by deficiency of elastic fibers and clinically by circumscribed area of thin, wrinkled bulging out skin. Whether the association with identificable specific dermatosis or not divides the macular atrophy into primary & secondary type. I present a case of widespreaded primary macular atrophy. A 28 year old male has been suffered from symptomless, slowly progressive, numerous, well demarcated, neither coalesced nor grouped, rice sized, round to oval shaped, hypopigmented, protruded, wrinkled surfaced eruptions which began from both flank at first about 3 years ago and then spreaded to abdomen, chest, back and all extremities except hands & feet. General physical & laboratory examinaions did not show distinct abnormality except skin tindings. Histopatholgical study revealed fragmentation, scantiness or disappearance of elastic fibers by means of Verhoeff-VanGieson stain and no increase of Periodic acid-Schiff stain positive material ruled out the possibility of amyloidosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical & histochemical findings. Literature was briefly reviwed for the discussion.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Amyloidosis ; Atrophy* ; Diagnosis ; Elastic Tissue ; Extremities ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Thorax

Prematurity is the main cause for respiratory disorders in neonates. The goal in respiratory management is to maintain respiration with adequate oxygenation. Chest vibration(CV) prior to endotracheal suctioning(ETS) has been arbitrarily applied to ventilated premature infants without the scientific evaluation of its safety and efficacy. A repeated measure within subjects experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of CV prior to ETS on oxygenation and lung secretions in twenty-one ventilated premature infants. The independent variable was the type of research protocol, the control type(ETS without CV) and the intervention(ETS with CV). The dependent variables were oxygen saturation(SpO2), heart rate (HR), measured by pulse oximeter, and the amount of lung secretions measured in gram, the results showed there was no difference in SpO2 responses regardless CV employed before ETS. But there was a significant difference in HR responses between the control and the intervention, even without clinical significance. There was a significant difference in the amount of lung secretions retrieved during ETS with CV, compared to ETS without CV. This study suggested the safety of CV by demonstrating no clinically significant changes in SoO2 and HR in premature infants. The efficacy of CV could be supported by the increases in the amount of sputum during ETS with CV compared to ETS without CV in premature infants.
Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung* ; Oxygen* ; Respiration ; Sputum ; Suction* ; Thorax* ; Vibration* ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Metabolism*

No abstract available.
Metabolism*

No abstract available.
Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male*

No abstract available.
Andropause* ; Diagnosis* ; Male

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Humans ; Male* ; Reproduction*

Newborn period is a transitional stage for independent adaptation from intrauterine to extrauterine life by maintaining respiration, temperature and nutrition. In general, the adaptability of the newborn is proportional to the gestational age(GA), so knowing the accurate GA is critical to develop nursing process in the newborn nursery. A newborn maturity rating, a Ballard examination, has been used to measure GA by assessing the maturity of newborn. It consists a total of 12 items, which is the 6 items for the neuromuscular maturity and the 6 items for the physical maturity. A total of 75 newborn were assessed for the maturity and GA using the Ballard examination. The results are follows: 1) The score of each item of Ballard examination is proportional to GA using the Ballard examination as well as LMP. 2) There was a greater positive relationship between neuromuscular, physical and total maturity, and the GA measured by Ballard examination, than the GA measured by LMP. 3) Any stressful environment to the newborn could influence to the maturity of newborn. In summary, the study showed the Ballard examination is more reliable and clinically feasible method to measure the accurate GA, compared to the GA by LMP. Therefore, it suggests the application of Ballard examination to measure the newborn maturity and GA is beneficial in developing nursing process. The expansion of the study with the variety of the subject characteristics will enhance the clinical applicability of the examination.
Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Nurseries ; Nursing Process ; Respiration ; Child Health

In order to clarify the cause of intracellular ATP dependency on Zn2+ blockade of KATP channels in pancreatic beta cells, we investigated the KATP channel activity during external Zn2+ application using voltage clamp technique. Cultured beta cells were used for patch-clamp experiment. When 3 mM glucose was applied in bath, KATP channel activity was increased transiently by externally applied Zn2+ in the cell-attached mode and was recoverable. The KATP channel activity was, however, consistently increased by Zn2+ application during the 0 mM glucose in bath. Inside-out mode, internally applied Zn2+ elicited no response on the KATP channels. Another divalent cation, Mn2+, didn't have any effect on the KATP channels. Therefore, This effect, so-called external glucose-dependency on Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels, might be due to intracellular Zn2+ metabolism which induces ATP consumption. This appears to be a mechanism that the Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels in the pancreatic beta cells depends on the intracellular ATP concentration.
Adenosine Triphosphate* ; Baths ; Glucose ; Insulin-Secreting Cells* ; KATP Channels* ; Metabolism

PURPOSE: lntra-arterial cisplatin infusion chemotherapy delivers higher concentration of this therapeutic agent to the limited area of cervical carcinoma. We evaluated the role of endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS) in the analysis of the tumor response to this chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ERUS was done in 20 patients of cervical carcinomas limited to the pelvis by rotating the 5 UHz linear arraytransducer along the reference sagittal plane in the middle of uterine cervix and vagina. We examined and compared the change of tumor size and morphology on ER US, before, during and after intra-arterial cisplatin (50 mg/m2) chemotherapy through internal lilac artery near uterine arterial branching. Colposcopy and radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy were performed in all patients, and ERUS findingswere compared with those findings. RESULTS: ERUS correlated well with surgery in the estimation of preoperative tumor size and morphology. Tumor reduction rate on ERUS (100-the largest area of the preoperative tumor/the largest area of the initial tumor) was as follows: more than 75% decrease of the original size in 3 patients, 75% -50% in 6 patients, 50%-25% in 8 patients, and less than 25% in 3 patients. Hyperechoic reflecting areas were noted in 4 patients, which corresponded to gaseous necrosis on postoperative pathology. CONCLUSION: ERUS is helpful to evaluate the morphologic change of cervical carcinoma limited tothe pelvis in intra-arterial cisplatin chemotherapy.
Arteries ; Cervix Uteri ; Cisplatin* ; Colposcopy ; Drug Therapy* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; Necrosis ; Pathology ; Pelvis ; Ultrasonography* ; Vagina