No abstract available.

Coccidioidomycosis is a common infectious disease in southwestern North America, which is caused by the soil fungus, Coccidioides immitis. Due to the mobility of the modern population, increasing numbers of cases are being diagnosed outside the endemic areas. Moreover, diagnosis in non-endenmic areas may be delayed or confused due to its rarity. Here we report a case of pulmonary coccidioidomycisis in an immigrant. The patient presented with unexplained pulmonary symptoms. A history of recent travel to or immigration from an endemic area may suggest coccidioidomycosis. In addition an early tissue biopsy is helpful in establishing this diagnosis.
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses ; Biopsy ; Coccidioides ; Coccidioidomycosis* ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Emigration and Immigration ; Fungi ; Humans ; Mycoses ; North America ; Soil

PURPOSE: To investigate nutritional status of inpatients by using subjective. and objective evaluation methods and to find the relationship between them. METHOD: The subjects were 101 inpatients with medical health problems at a university hospital. Nutritional status was evaluated by the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and physical assessment including percentage of weight loss, serum albumin, hemogloin, and hematocrit. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, Kendall's tau. RESULTS: Grouping by the SGA, 61.4% were classified as severe malnutrition group. When applying the objective methods{physical assessment). 1.9~42.6% were diagnosed as malnutrition each item. The percentage of weight loss during previous 1-6month(r=.43~.54. P=.0001), serum albumin(r=-.26, P=.0003), hemoglobin of male(r=-.38, P=.0001), and hematocrit of male(r=-.34, P=.0001) were significantly correlated with SGA score. The coincidence rate of nutrition evaluation between the objective methods and SGA were 27.7 35.6%, 20.8%, 47.5%, 58.4% in percentage of weight loss, albumin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. CONCLUSION: These findings showed a majority of inpatients were exposed to the risk of malnutrition. We recommend to evaluate inpatients' nutritional status periodically and to develop nursing intervention to solve their nutritional problems.
Hematocrit ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Malnutrition ; Nursing ; Nutritional Status* ; Serum Albumin ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: To investigate audiometery and characteristics related to tinnitus in tinnitus patients. and to understand the relationship between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life. Methods: The subjects were 110 patients with tinnitus. The data were collected using tinnitus handicap questionnaire. quality of life, and pure tone audiometry, which measured hearing level in dB and frequency in Hz matching of tinnitus. RESULTS: Majority of tinnitus patients (75.5%~81.8%) had normal auditory sensation. but 82.7% of patients indicated that they have heard tinnitus frequently. or always, and the major sounds of tinnitus were wing, wung, wang, The matching sounds of tinnitus had various range in hearing level(dB) and frequency(Hz). Tinnitus patients reported moderate levels of the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life, and there were negative correlation between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life(r=-.314, p .00l). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that special attention is needed for tinnitus patients because the physical. psychological. and social impacts of tinnitus could be decrease their quality of life, Specialized nursing intervention considering specific conditions related to tinnitus is required to solve various health problems of tinnitus patients.
Audiometry ; Hearing ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Social Change ; Tinnitus*

Functional magnetic resonance imaging is a promising imaging technique developed recently to obtain functional maps of the brain, and can be successfully performed on widely available diagnostic MR imaging systems. Thus, the technical principle and application of this new imaging are no more minor part of knowledge in radiology. We describe herein the overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging about the physiologic mechanism, imaging technique, image-processing method and practical application.
Brain* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

Glutathione S-transferase (28GST) with molecular mass of 28 kDa is an antioxidant enzyme abundant in Clonorchis sinensis. In adult C. sinensis, 28GST was localized in tegumental syncytium, cytons, parenchyma, and sperm tails examined by immunoelectron microscopy. C. sinensis 28GST was earlier found to neutralize bioreactive compounds and to be rich in eggs. Accordingly, it is suggested that 28GST plays important roles in phase II defense system and physiological roles in worm fecundity of C. sinensis.
Animals ; Clonorchis sinensis/*enzymology ; Glutathione Transferase/*metabolism/physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Immunoelectron ; Molecular Weight ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.

An autopsy case of a newborn male who died of exsanguination into the subamniotic space of placenta presumably due to the rupture of the umbilical vein, is reported. This fetus, previously uneventful except for hydramnios and partial breech presentation showed obvious signs of fetal distrees during the first stage of labor that lasted for 6 hours to this 25 year old multigravid mother who came to the hospital because of labor pain at 29 weeks of gestation. Immediately after birth the baby was pale and the Apgar score was 1. He died 30 minutes after birth. Postmortem examination confirmed generalized pallor in this 1380 gm baby, with petechial hemorrhage of viscera and subarachnoid hemorrhage. No other findings of the cause of death were found. The placenta showed large ellipsoid subamniotic hematoma containing approximately 76 ml of blood, which is 57% of the total circulation blood volume of the fetus.
Male ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effects of weight-bearing exercise(WBE) on bone metabolism. METHOD: WBE was performed for 12 weeks by healthy college women. Bone-related parameters were measured four times during this period by evaluating the immunoradiometric assay and enzyme immunoassay. Bone mineral densities(BMDs) were measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry before and after the WBE program. Data was analyzed using t-test, paired t-test, x2-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULT: Osteocalcin, a bone formation marker, increased more in the experimental group than in the control group based on the interaction between time and group(F=3.29 p=.024). Little difference between the two groups was found for the other parameters: urinary deoxypyridinoline, insulin-like growth factorI, parathormone, serum calcium, and serum phosphorus without showing any time interaction between the groups. The femoral trochanter BMD rose in the experimental group while that of the control group fell, showing a significant difference for BMD(t=3.06 p=.005). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups for changes in BMD of the forearm, lumbar spine, femoral neck, and femoral ward's triangle. CONCLUSION: These findings supported the WBE is beneficial for increasing bone formation in college women and long-term application is needed to substantiate the effects of WBE as a intervention in promotion of bone-health.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; *Bone Density ; *Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Osteocalcin/blood

No abstract available.
Mitral Valve*