No abstract available.
Pulmonary Aspergillosis*

The sling operation is especially indicated in patients with intrinsic sphincter dysfunction (ISD). We evaluated of the effectiveness of the sling operation for the treatment of genuine stress incontinence patients with ISD. We operated 7 patients and followed up all of the patients for 214 (mean 8) months. Preoperative maximal urethral closure pressure was ranged from 23 to 74 (mean 38.4) cmH2O and valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) was ranged from 41 to 78 (mean 59.5) cmH2O. We applied rectus fascia or GoreTex mesh as sling material. As a results, genuine stress incontinence (GSI) had completely cured in all of 7 cases. However, postoperative urinary retention was developed in two cases. In one of these, we released suspension suture, and in another case, urethrolysis and Raz operation was underwent in other hospital. All of these two cases showed improvement of voiding and any recurrence of incontinence was not noted. In conclusion, GSI due to ISD can be cured by the technique of the sling operation, so we suggest that the sling operation is one of the treatment for GSI patient with ISD.
Fascia ; Humans ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Recurrence ; Sutures ; Urinary Retention

Increased death rate resulted from cardiovascular disease called for the study on the autonomic nervous system and cardiovascular system. It is known that an HRV (heart rate variability) spectrum analysis based on ECG (electrocardiograph) signals could be used to define activity of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system noninvasively. However, it is important to prove whether suggested HRV analysis method could provide the useful information for observing autonomic nervous system quantitatively and objectively before clinical application. In this study, 14 rats were used and divided into two groups, sympathectomy group and vagotomy group, respectively. During the experiment, ECGs of rats were collected three times at each experimental condition. After the application of Berger's series algorithm to the ECG raw data, HRV spectrum was obtained via FFT (fast Fourier transform). Power contents for each frequency bands were calculated from HRV waveforms. Two peak values, HF (high frequency) and LF(low frequency), representing autonomic nervous system status were used to extract the parameter, HF/LF ratio. Results showed that HF/LF values were increased for the sympathectomy group and decreased for the vagotomy group. It implies that the variations in HF/LF components exhibits the information for the classification of ANS(autonomic nervous system) function quantitatively. HRV analysis algorithm developed from this study could be expanded for the observation of autonomic nervous system variations in human.
Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Classification ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Mortality ; Parasympathetic Nervous System ; Rats ; Spectrum Analysis ; Sympathectomy* ; Vagotomy*

PURPOSE: Recent studies demonstrated disruption of the circadian clock gene is associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity is often caused by the high calorie intake, In addition, the chronic stress tends to contribute to the increased risk for obesity. To evaluate the molecular mechanisms, we examined the expression of circadian clock genes in high fat diet-induced mice models with the chronic stress. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a 45% or 60% high fat diet for 8 weeks. Daily immobilization stress was applied to mice fed with a 45% high fat for 16 weeks. We compared body weight, food consumption, hormone levels and metabolic variables in blood. mRNA expression levels of metabolic and circadian clock genes in both fat and liver were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: The higher fat content induced more severe hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, and these results correlated with their relevant gene expressions in fat and liver tissues. Chronic stress had only minimal effects on metabolic variables, but it altered the expression patterns of metabolic and circadian clock genes. These results suggest that the fat metabolism regulates the function of the circadian clock genes in peripheral tissues, and stress hormones may contribute to its regulation.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Circadian Clocks* ; Diet, High-Fat ; Gene Expression* ; Hyperglycemia ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hyperlipidemias ; Immobilization ; Liver ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Obesity ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recurrent vestibulopathy is defined a disease characterized by more than a single episode of vertigo of duration characteristic of endolymphatic hydrops but without auditory or clinical neurological symptoms or signs. To investigate the clinical characteristics and the efficacy of combination therapy, we analyzed the clinical records of the patients diagnosed as recurrent vestibulopathy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Clinical records of sixty four patients diagnosed as recurrent vestibulopathy were retrospectively reviewed. The data on age, sex distribution, natural history, family history of recurrent vestibulopathy, concurrent headache, caloric response was analyzed. The efficacy of combination therapy for vertigo control in the patients with a minimum 24-month follow-up was also evaluated. RESULTS: Mean onset age of recurrent vestibulopathy was 43 years and there was a female preponderance. Concurrent headache and elevated SP/AP ratio in electrocochleogram was frequently observed in these patients. After the combination medical therapy, patients with severe recurrent vestibulopathy showed significant decrease in the number of vertigo spells with 37.5% of complete control of vertigo. CONCLUSION: As a distinctive clinical disorder with unknown cause, recurrent vestibulopathy should be always considered to the patients complaining recurrent episodic vertigo. Combination therapy individualized to the symptoms and signs of the patients with recurrent vestibulopathy might be effective in reducing the frequency of vertigo attacks. Further case-control studies with large population should be necessary.
Age of Onset ; Case-Control Studies ; Endolymphatic Hydrops ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Natural History ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Distribution ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Neuronitis*

Medical education in Je Joong Won was proposed and initiated by Dr. HN Allen. In his proposal of building a new hospital, submitted to the king in 1885, he expressed his wish to teach Western medicine to young Koreans at the hospital. The king welcomed his proposal and the plan was soon realized. Je Joon Won, the first modern hospital in Korea, opened on April 10th, 1885. The following year, on March 29th, Dr. Allen began medical school attached to the hospital. Many applicants were recruited by the government and 16 students were selected through the entrance examination. At first, they were taught English and finally 12 students out of them were selected after three months of teaching. The selected students were taught arithmetic, physics, chemistry, anatomy and physiology. The medical education at this period cannot be evaluated entirely successful since none of the 12 students was presumed to have worked as a practitioner.
Education, Medical/*history ; English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; Hospitals/history ; Korea ; Mentors/*history ; Missions and Missionaries/*history ; United States ; Western World

Total ankle arthroplasty has become a viable motion-preserving alternative to ankle arthrodesis, especially in the last two decades. Recent improvements have been achieved in the strength of implant design and surgical technique. Nevertheless, addressing preoperative deformities is essential for successful outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty. Residual malalignment can produce instability and edge loading, causing acceleration of polyethylene wear, followed by osteolysis and an increased risk of revision surgery. Therefore, the accompanying deformities and their correction techniques need to be comprehensively elucidated and understood. In this article, we provide a review of the application of total ankle arthroplasty in arthritis with coronal plane varus and valgus deformities.

BACKGROUND: Although current dietary guidelines recommend to increase the consumption of whole grain, these recommendations are mainly derived from the belief that replacing fats with carbohydrate may reduce risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) by improving serum lipids. Our objective was to evaluate whether the isocalorical replacement of refined rice with whole grain reduce CAD risk factors such as insulin demand and lipid peroxidation in CAD patients. METHODS: Thirty-eight male patients with CAD were provided with 70 g powder of whole grain (220 kcal) for 16 weeks, replacing cooked refined rice as a carbohydrate source of breakfast. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in all subjects to determine the effect of whole grain consumption on serum concentrations of insulin and glucose in CAD patients with different degree of glucose tolerance. RESULTS: With the substitution of whole grain for refined rice, serum glucose concentrations decreased by 24% without altering body weight and energy intake. Estimates of daily fiber and vitamin E intakes increased by 24% and 50%, respectively. Whole grain consumption in CAD patients without diabetes decreased fasting glucose (22%) and the area under the curve (AUC) for insulin (26%) and glucose (19%) during an OGTT. CAD patients with diabetes also showed reductions in fasting glucose (27%) and AUC for glucose (25%) during the OGTT, compared with baseline values. Whole grain consumption reduced plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine and urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F 2alpha concentrations by about 30%. Lipid-corrected concentrations of alpha-carotene, retinol, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol and lycopene increased by 22-46%, compared with baseline values. Whole grain consumption decreased the percentage composition of w6 fatty acids of serum phospholipid increased by 14%. CONCLUSION: The replacement of refined rice with whole grain as a carbohydrate source of a meal showed significant beneficial effects on glucose, insulin and homocysteine concentrations and lipid peroxidation in CAD patients. These effects are likely to substantially reduce the risk factors of CAD and diabetes in CAD patients.
Area Under Curve ; Blood Glucose ; Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Edible Grain* ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Energy Intake ; Fasting ; Fats ; Fatty Acids ; gamma-Tocopherol ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Insulin* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Meals ; Nutrition Policy ; Plasma* ; Risk Factors ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

To attempt a rigorous definition of the structure of the accessory spleen (AS) in the Chinese hamster, we examined twenty-one animals, and found AS in 5 animals (23.8%), which were over 7-month-old. The AS had no connection with the main spleen and was seen as a dark red oval organ (0.7 mm x 1.5 mm), which was embedded in the adipose tissue near the tail of the pancreas. It was demarcated from the adipose tissue and some pancreatic tissue. The organ was encapsulated by thin collagenous connective tissue and smooth muscle fibers, and contained lymphatic nodules, reticular fibers, nodular central arterioles, macrophages and megakaryocytes. Notably the incidence of AS appeared to increase with age in the Chinese hamsters.
Adipose Tissue/anatomy & histology ; Age Factors ; Animals ; Connective Tissue/anatomy & histology ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus/*anatomy & histology ; Erythrocytes/cytology ; Lymphocytes/cytology ; Muscle, Smooth/anatomy & histology ; Pancreas ; Spleen/*anatomy & histology/cytology

After the clinical introduction of halothane, the problem of hepatotoxicity and mechanism has major implications for the practice of anesthesiology. This study was undertaken to investigate the liver function change after halothane anesthesia in 22 cases of electric burn patient. In this study, all cases had a great elevation of SGOT and SGPT levels, and previous experience of inhalation anesthesia, jaundice and who had not been transfused during this study. The following results were obtained: 1) Elevation of the SGOT and SGPT in electric burn patients may be influenced by damage of skeletal muscle and transaminase released into systemic circulation. 2) In the electric burn patients, elevation of the SGOT and SGPT does not enhance the susceptibility of the liver to injury by halothane.
Alanine Transaminase ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthesiology ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Burns, Electric* ; Halothane* ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Liver* ; Muscle, Skeletal