This study aims at analyzing the articulator of human body and its composition using the Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI, 0.5 Telsa). The MRI images were photographed for 1cm per every cm of human body using TR 600ms and TE 20ms spin-echo sequence. For this test, 6 healthy male subjects were sampled. The subject's heights and weights were measured before photographing and then their entire bodies were photographed in the MRI whole body scanner which has a 56cm diameter. It took 90~120 minutes to scan every subject's body during scanning the subjects were allowed to put their both hand beside their femurs. According to his height, each subject were photographed for 180~200 MR slices and every image was analyzed on the tracing paper via X-ray reading View Box. Then, the traced images were all volumized through computer scanner and CAD program, and thereupon, each volume was multiplied by its density coefficient. The results of study can be summarized as follows ; The mass of the bones occupied 8.41±0.62kg, which accounted for 11% of the body mass. The femurs accounted for 19.73±2.73% of the bone mass in terms of bodily articulation. The muscle occupied 39.70±5.28kg which accounted for 51.28±8.98% of the body mass. The part which has the richest muscle mass was femur which accounted for 33.93±5.58% of entire muscle mass. The fat accounted for 24.61±11.6% of the body mass, among which the back waist including inside intestinal fat occupied 30.66±3.64%. It was suggested through this study that MRI analysis is the most suitable method to evaluate the composition of human body and that the data acquired through MRI analysis may apply as references to other indirect or estimated evaluation of human body.
Body Composition* ; Dental Articulators ; Femur ; Hand ; Human Body ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Methods ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) has been debated with regard to its clinical significance and diagnostic criteria. The current diagnostic criterion for PLMD in adults has been changed from periodic limb movement index (PLMI) > 5/ hour to PLMI > 15/hour by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in polysomnographic sleep variables according to PLMI and to determine the relevance of the diagnostic criterion for PLMD. METHODS: Out of 4195 subjects who underwent standard polysomnography, we selected 666 subjects (370 males and 296 females, aged 47.1 ± 14.8) who were older than 17 years and were not diagnosed with primary insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or REM sleep behavior disorder. Subjects were divided into three groups according to PLMI severity: group 1 (PLMI ≤ 5), group 2 (5 < PLMI ≤ 15), and group 3 (PLMI > 15). Demographic and polysomnographic sleep variables and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: There were significant differences among the three groups in age and gender. Sleep efficiency (SE) and stage 3 sleep percentage in group 1 were significantly higher than those in groups 2 and 3. The wake after sleep onset (WASO) score in group 1 was significantly lower than those in groups 2 and 3. However, there were no significant differences in SE, stage 3 sleep percentage, or WASO between groups 2 and 3. Sleep latency (SL) in group 1 was significantly lower than that in group 3, but there was no difference in SL between group 2 and group 3. ESS score in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 3, but there was no difference between group 2 and group 3. Partial correlation analysis adjusted by age showed that PLMI was significantly related to SE and WASO. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that PLMI influences polysomnographic sleep variables. In addition, we found the individuals who did not have PLMD but had PLMI > 5 were not different in polysomnographic sleep variables from the individuals who had PLMD according to the current criterion. These results raise questions about the relevance of the current diagnostic criterion of PLMD.
Adult ; Classification ; Extremities* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Narcolepsy ; Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome ; Polysomnography ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Sleep Wake Disorders

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hypoxia-reoxygenation on the proliferation of fibroblast, and to elucidate the role of oxygen free radicals in this process. Malme-3 fibroblast, derived from human skin fibroblast, was used for this study. The hypoxia or reoxygenation condition was made by exposing cultured cells to the environment of 95% N2, 5% CO2 or 95% room air, 5% CO2, respectively. Cell proliferation was estimated by the cell numbed, and DNA synthesis was measured by the [3H]-thymidine uptake. Release of oxygen free radicals was measured by the means of Ohkawa's method of lipid peroxidation. The effect of oxygen free radicals was confirmed by using dimethylthiourea(DMTU) and alpha-tocopherol, two known oxygen free radical scavengers. The results are as follows: 1. The dissolved oxygen of the culture medium was 8.97+/-1.23 ppm in the normal condition. When the culture dish was exposed to the hypoxic condition for 3 or 6 hours, the dissolved oxygen of the culture medium decreased markedly to the level of 3.10+/-0.46 ppm or 2.37+/-0.47 ppm, respectively 2. The number of cultured cells increased in a hypoxia duration-dependent manner up to 6 hours when the cells were cultured for 24 hours after hypoxia. The same pattern was observed in the cells cultured for 48 hours after hypoxia. Lipid peroxidation in the culture increased after the exposure to hypoxia-reoxygenation. DMTU or alpha-tocopherol blocked the increase in lipid peroxidation induced by the exposure to hypoxia-reoxygenation. 3. [3H]-thymidine uptake of the cultured cells increased after the exposure to hypoxia-reoxygenation. 4. DMTU or alpha-tocopherol blocked the proliferation of fibroblasts induced by the exposure to hypoxia-reoxygenation. The increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was also noted after the exposure to hypoxia-reoxygenation, and this increase was blocked by DMTU or alpha-tocopherol. These results indicate that the hypoxia-reoxygenation induces the proliferation of fibroblasts, and that oxygen free radicals play an important role in this process. Moreover, oxygen free radical scavengers may be of potential therapeutic value in preventing fibrosis.
alpha-Tocopherol ; Anoxia ; Cell Line* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA ; Fibroblasts* ; Fibrosis ; Free Radical Scavengers* ; Free Radicals ; Humans* ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Oxygen* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: The proper management of the patients with hypotention remains a difficult clinical problem. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gepefrin in the treament of symptomatic hypotensive patients in outpatient clinic of university hospital. METHODS: Thirty milligrams of Gepefrin was given twice daily for 4 weeks in 30 patients with hypotension(6 males, 24 females ; 23-60 years of age). Blood pressure, heart rate, subjective symptoms and side effects were checked before medication and at the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th week of medication. RESULTS: 1) Grpefrin increased sitting systolic blood pressure significantly(p<0.05) by the end of 1st week and thereafter. 2) Hypotensive symptoms were improved in 76% of hypotensive patients and overall rate of usefulness was 70%. 3) Heart rate did not change significantly. 4) One patient complained of loose bowel movement and another one, of anorexia among 30 study patients and all laboratory parameters were within normal limits before and after drug treatment, thus the rate of safety was 93%. CONCLUSION: Results from this study suggests that gepefrin 60mg daily increases the blood pressure mildly and improves the symptoms moderately in symptomatic hypotensive patients.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anorexia ; Blood Pressure ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension* ; Male ; Quality of Life

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur* ; Humans ; Resistance Training* ; Thigh*

This study was carried out to evaluate the calcium and phosphorus intakes and correlation with growth performance of 25male breast and formula-fed infants from 1 to 3 months postpartum. There were four groups breast-fed(BF) and three formula-fed groups(FFM, FFN and FFP). There was no significant difference in the height and weight of infants according to feeding methods and formula brands. Milk intake and the concentration of calcium and phosphorus from human milk and the formulas were measured. The average calcium content of human milk was 26.6+/-4.1mg/dl and 13.5+/-2.0mg/dl, respectively. The average calcium intakes of the brest-fed and formula-fed infants were 205.5+/-29.3mg/day and the 460.5+/-70.6mg/day, respectively the average calcium intake of breast-fed infants was significantly lower than that of formula fed infant. The percent of RDA(41%) of breast-fed infants was lower than that(75.4%) of formula fed infant. The average phosphorus intake of the brest-fed and formula-fed infants were 105.1+/-20.1mg/day and 288.3+/-37.3mg/day, respectively. The precent of RDA(27%) for brest fed was significantly lower than that(75.4%) of formula fed. The Ca/P ratios were 2.1 in brest fed and 1.6 in formula fed infant. The average calcium and phosphorus intakes of the formula fed infants was higher than that of the brest-fed infants. This data suggests the calcium and phosphorus intakes form human milk sufficiently support the growth of infants. Therefore, the level of calcium and phosphorus recommended dietary allowances for infants should be reduced.
Breast ; Calcium* ; Feeding Methods ; Humans ; Infant* ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Phosphorus* ; Postpartum Period ; Recommended Dietary Allowances

BACKGROUND: IL-8 is a potent chemotactic cytokine that plays an important role in the host defense mechanism against M. tuberculosis by recruiting inflammatory cells to the site of the infection. Lung epithelial cells, as well as alveolar macrophages are known to preduce IL-8 in response to M. tuberculosis. IL-8 gene expression is mainly regulated on the level of transcription by NF-κB. This study investigated whether or not A549 cells produce IL-8 in NF-κB dependent mechanism in response to macrophages phagocytosing M. tubersulosis. METHODS: Peripheral blood monocytes that were obtained from healthy donors were cultured for 24 h with M. tuberculosis and a conditioned medium(CoMTB) was obtained. As a negative control, the conditioned medium without M. tuberculosis (CoMCont) was used. A549 cells were stimulated with M. tuberculosis, CoMCont and CoMTB and the IL-8 concentration in the culture media was measured by ELISA. The CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression in the A549 cells was evaluated using RT-PCR, and CoMTB induced IκBα degradation was measured using western blot analysis. CoMTB induced nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB was also examined using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), and the CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity was measured using a luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS: CoMTB induced IL-8 production by A549 cells(46.8±4.8 ng/ml) was higher than with direct stimulation with M. tuberculosis (6.8±2.9 ng/ml). CoMTB induced IL-8 mRNA expression increased after 2 h of stimulation and was sustained for 24 h. IκBα was degraded after 10 min of CoMTB stimulation and reappeared by 60 min. CoMTB stimulated the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB. The CoMTB induced NF-κB dependent IL-8 transcriptional activity(13.6±4.3 times control) was higher than either CoMCont(2.0±0.6 times control) or M. tuberculosis (1.4±0.6 times control). CONCLUSION: A conditioned medium of peripheral blood monocytes phagocytosing M. tuberculosis stimulates NF-κB dependent IL-8 production by the lung epithelial cells.
Blotting, Western ; Culture Media ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; DNA ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Reporter ; Humans ; Interleukin-8* ; Luciferases ; Lung* ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Donors ; Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES: Patients with schizophrenia often present idea of reference in social situations, but there has been a limitation in quantitatively measuring their reactions to the social stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate behavioral characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in social situations in which idea of reference can be provoked. METHODS: Forty subjects with schizophrenia (21 males) and 26 healthy volunteers (17 males) performed the idea-of-reference-provoking task, which was composed of movie clips with scenes of two women sitting on a bench of 1 or 5 m away. The conditions consisted of "referential conversation", "non-referential conversation" or "no conversation". The reactions of the participants were rated by the questionnaires for self-referential perception, malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction. RESULTS: There were significant group differences in the reactions on self-referential perception, malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction. After the treatment, patients with schizophrenia showed improved scores of the reactions. In particular, score changes of malevolent interpretation and anxiety reaction in patients with schizophrenia were correlated with change of paranoia scale (rs=0.65, p<0.05 and rs =0.73, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Patients with schizophrenia revealed self-referential bias and paranoid responses to social situations, which were improved after psychiatric treatment. Self-referential perceptions and paranoid responses may be state dependent rather than trait of schizophrenia.
Anxiety ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Paranoid Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia* ; Social Perception*

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in a postmenopausal women has affected by a long-term swimming exercise. Swimming exercised 9 female and non-exercised 13 female were involved in this study. All of them were accepted by selection criteria through a questionnaire and personal interviews. Experimental group performed regularly swimming exercise while over a 8 year, but control group never taken part in any activities periodically. Bone densities were measured at Lumbar 2-4 and Femur's 3 sites (neck, ward's triangle, and trochanter) with DEXA method (Lunar DPX). There are no significant differences between two groups on the ages, body weights, heights, % fats, and menopausal durations. Bone densities on the neck and ward's triangle of Femur were 1.7% and 2.7% higher in the control group than in the swimming group, not significant between two groups. In the case of Femur trochanter and Lumbar 2-4 sites, swimming group however were nonsignificantly higher 2% and 5.3% than control group, respectively. In conclusion, it was recognized that a long-term swimming exercise may be ineffective to intensify local density, stiffly lowering in a postmenopausal women.
Body Weight ; Bone Density* ; Bone Remodeling ; Fats ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Methods ; Neck ; Osteoporosis ; Patient Selection ; Postmenopause ; Swimming

To evaluate the effectiveness of superselective transcatheter arterial embolization (STAE) for hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) with a mixture of ethanol and Lipiodol, STAE was done in 12 male patients with HCC. Three were diagnosed clinically with angiographic findings and elevated alphafetprotein levels and three were recurrent tumors after surgery. Sono-guided aspiration biopsy proved the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in another six patients. The tumor was a small single nodule (2-5cm in diameter) in 11 patients. In one patient, two nodules were found. Superselective catheterization was done using 3F Tracker catheter(Target Therapeutics USA) coaxially through 6F catheter into the feeding hepatic artery, usually the third order branch. One to four cc of 75% ethanol mixed with Lipiodol was infused under fluoroscopy immediately after imjection of 2% lidocaine. Immediate angiography and CT after 2 weeks were undertaken. Complete segmental or subsegmental devascularization including feeding arteries and tumor vascularities occurred in all patients. Follow-up angiography after 6 to 15 months revealed the tumor opacified by Lipiodol. The tumor decreased in 5 cases and recurrence was found in three patients. CT taken 2 weeks after STAE showed low density halo around the tumor in 5 cases. Subsequest segmentectomy in four patients revealed total or near total necrosis of the tumor and no evidence of damage in surrounding parenchyme. STAE for HCC with a mixture of ethanol and Lipiodol is an effective and safe measure for small HCC.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Biopsy, Needle ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Ethanol* ; Ethiodized Oil* ; Fluoroscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Necrosis ; Recurrence