The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between physical activity and immanent fall risk factors in the elderly. The subjects were 138 (male: n=51; female: n=87) elderly who have no restriction in daily physical activity. Physical activity was measured over consecutive seven days by accelerometer. Immanent fall risk factors (Berg Balance Scale [BBS], Activities-specific Balance Confidence [ABC], and gait-related fitness) were measured. There are significant correlations between physical activity and BBS (male r=0.46, female r=0.36), gait-related fitness (male r=0.44, female r=0.43). And there are significant correlations between physical activity and ABC in female (r=0.38). Through this study, it is assumed that physical activity has correlation with immanent fall risk factors. Also, physical activity has correlation with gate-related fitness in the elderly.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Perinatal complications associated with maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy have been well documented. But until now there has been no clinical data on it collected in our country. In this paper, we tried to research the association between maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy and the physical indices of the neonate at delivery among unmaried mothers from one charitable institution. METHODS: We enlisted 125 unmarried with a history of smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy who delivered a baby in National Medical Center from March, 2001 to March, 2004 as a study group. As a control, 174 unmarried mothers without a history of smoking and alcohol were enlisted. Then, we compared the physical indices - birth weight, height, and the head circumference - of the neonates from both groups. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of the period and the quantity of maternal smoking and alcohol ingestion on the physical indices of the neonates from the both groups. RESULTS: Low physical indices of neonates were found in the study group(either smoking group, or drinking group) compared with the control group. The quantity of smoking or drinking and the period of smoking or drinking have no significant effect on physical indices. CONCLUSION: We found that maternal smoking and alcohol result in the low physical index of neonates, and educational initiatives must be directed at expectant mothers to emphasize the harmful effects of smoking and alcohol ingestion in pregnancy.
Alcohol Drinking ; Birth Weight ; Drinking ; Eating ; Head ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Single Person ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

BACKGROUND: Treatment outcomes of children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have dramatically improved in recent years. However, there are few studies on the outcomes of pediatric NHL in Korea.METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 34 children diagnosed with NHL and treated at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from Jan. 1987 to Dec. 2009, according to age, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, histology, stage and involved site.RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 9.0 years. The abdomen and head/neck regions were the most common primary sites. On histologic classification, Burkitt lymphoma was the most common, followed by lymphoblastic lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and unclassifiable, with respective incidences of 35.3%, 23.5%, 17.6%, 17.6%, and 5.9%. Various combination chemotherapies according to the diagnosis with mean treatment duration of 14.9 months showed 5 year event free survival (EFS) and 5 year overall survival (OS) rate of 67.7+/-8.0% and 79.3+/-7.0%, respectively. Nine out of the 34 patients relapsed, and the 5 year OS rates for those who relapsed vs. 25 patients without relapse were 44.4+/-16.6%, vs. 92.0+/-5.4%, respectively (P<0.01). Although 5 year EFS rate varied according to stage, 5 year OS rate were not different according to age, sex, LDH, stage, histology, or treatment period.CONCLUSION: The outcome of children with NHL treated in our setting was comparable to those of other large centers in Korea. No factor other than stage, including LDH, histologic subtype showed significant prognostic value.
Abdomen ; Burkitt Lymphoma ; Child ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Background: Locked posterior fracture-dislocation of the shoulder (LPFDS) is a very rare injury that occurs predominantly in young patients following high-energy trauma. The long-term outcome of the treatment of this injury is often poor. This study sought to present the characteristics of injury, discuss the pathological anatomy, and to report the treatment outcomes of our case series. Methods: Between January 2012 and May 2018, a total of 234 patients who underwent surgical treatment for proximal humerus fractures were reviewed. Among them, six patients (mean age, 54.7 years; range, 35–76 years) with LPFDS were included in this study. Four patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with locking plates, one with hemiarthroplasty, and one with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Clinical results were evaluated by Constant, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and visual analog scale (VAS) scores and radiologic evaluation was conducted using follow-up radiographs. Results: The mean length of follow-up was 26.2 months (range, 12–54). The mean Constant, ASES, and VAS scores were 66.7, 65.5, and 2.2, respectively. Four patients who underwent ORIF achieved bony union, but avascular necrosis (AVN) of the humeral head was observed in two patients. No complications were observed in the patients who underwent arthroplasty surgery until final follow-up. Conclusions In the treatment of LPFDS, replacement arthroplasty can produce predictable results. The approach of ORIF may be considered as a first choice of treatment in young patients but is sometimes correlated with postoperative complications such as AVN and the functional outcomes may be unpredictable. Therefore, patients should undergo careful diagnosis and treatment of this type of injury.

Chronic cough is defined as a cough that lasts for more than three weeks. In most patients, chronic cough is caused by four conditions: postnasal drip, asthma, chronic bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux. Psychogenic chronic cough is not a frequent disorder. Furthermore, chronic vocal tic disorder is a very rare cause of chronic dry cough. A 22- year-old male suffered from chronic dry cough for last two years. His character showed obsessive- compulsive disorder. He has been shrugging both shoulders inadvertently since his childhood. Consequently, he was diagnosed as having chronic motor tic disorder. But after contracting respiratory tract infection, his motor tic disappeared and chronic dry cough was developed concomitantly. He had no history of smoking, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux. Physical examinations were normal. Chest X-ray, paranasal sinus view, metacholine bronchial provocation test, and esophago-gastroscopy were normal. Chronic cough was never relieved despite empirical treatment. Psychiatric consultation suggested chronic vocal tic disorder. The frequency of cough was diminished two days after administeration of valium and haloperidol and thereafter his complaint disappeared in one month. Here we report a very rare case of chronic motor tic disorder which was transformed into chronic vocal tic disorder presenting as a chronic cough. As far as we know, this is the first case of its kind in Korea.
Asthma ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Cough ; Diazepam ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Prader-Willi Syndrome ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Rhinitis ; Shoulder ; Sinusitis ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thorax ; Tic Disorders ; Tics

PURPOSE: Through a review of data provided by an adoption institution, this study was designed to provide a clue to help to reduce the abandonment of children by comparing the conditions at birth, social background, reason for request for adoption, and the degree of dependence on foreign adoption compared with the previous four reports. METHODS: A total of 445 children who had been admitted to an institution during the period of 1997 to 2001 were subjected to the study. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The sex ratio of male to female was 1:0.87. The mean birth weight was 2.97+/-0.70 kg, and the mean gestational age was 38.8+/-2.4 weeks. Full term babies accounted for 82%. Most of the children(94.8%) admitted to the studied institution were under one month of age, which showed a significant increase compared to the previous results. Most of the children(98.9%) were delivered at a hospital and this percentage was significantly higher than that of the previous results. The average age of the mothers was 21.2+/-5.7 years. Most of them(52.1%) fell between the ages of 16 and 20, which showed a significant increase as compared to the previous result. Four hundred(89.9%) babies were first bornes, and the majority of adoption requests were made by unmarried mothers (83.6%). The vast majority(96.4%) were adopted in foreign countries. CONCLUSION: The main reason for adoption was the unmarried status of the baby's mothers and the maternal age tended to be younger. In order to reduce the number of unmarried mothers and consequent adoptions, first of all, an overall social view on adoption must change, and active promotion of domestic adoption must be carried out and supported by the country.
Birth Weight ; Child* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Single Person

The mammalian trematode Paragonimus westermani is a typical digenetic parasite, which can cause paragonimiasis in humans. Host tissues and blood cells are important sources of nutrients for development, growth and reproduction of P. westermani. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding a 47 kDa hemoglobinase of P. westermani was characterized by sequencing analysis, and its localization was investigated immunohistochemically. The phylogenetic tree prepared based on the hemoglobinase gene showed high homology with hemoglobinases of Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma spp. Moreover, recombinant P. westermani hemoglobinase degradaded human hemoglobin at acidic pH (from 3.0 to 5.5) and its activity was almost completely inhibited by E-64, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical studies showed that P. westermani hemoglobinase was localized in the epithelium of the adult worm intestine implying that the protein has a specific function. These observations suggest that hemoglobinase may act as a digestive enzyme for acquisition of nutrients from host hemoglobin. Further investigations may provide insights into hemoglobin catabolism in P. westermani.
Sequence Alignment ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Paragonimus westermani/*enzymology/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Hemoglobins/metabolism ; Escherichia coli/enzymology/genetics ; DNA, Complementary/genetics ; Cysteine Endopeptidases/*genetics/immunology/*metabolism ; Astacoidea/parasitology ; Antigens, Helminth/genetics/immunology/metabolism ; Animals ; Amino Acid Sequence

P7C3 and its derivatives, 1-(3,6-dibromo-9H-carbazol-9-yl)-3-(p-tolylamino)propan-2-ol (1) and N-(3-(3,6-dibromo-9H-carbazol-9-yl)-2-hydroxypropyl)-N-(3-methoxyphenyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide (2), were previously reported to increase neurogenesis in rat neural stem cells (NSCs). Although P7C3 is known to increase neurogenesis by protecting newborn neurons, it is not known whether its derivatives also have protective effects to increase neurogenesis. In the current study, we examined how 1 induces neurogenesis. The treatment of 1 in NSCs increased numbers of cells in the absence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), while not affecting those in the presence of growth factors. Compound 1 did not induce astrocytogenesis during NSC differentiation. 5-Bromo-2\'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) pulsing experiments showed that 1 significantly enhanced BrdU-positive neurons. Taken together, our data suggest that 1 promotes neurogenesis by the induction of final cell division during NSC differentiation.
Animals ; Cell Division* ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Neural Stem Cells* ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurogenesis* ; Neurons ; Rats

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography has now evolved into a highly sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic tool in patients with hepatobiliary-pancreatic disorders. However, this procedure is associated with risks of significant complications such as cholangitis, pancreatitis, hemorrhage, and perforation which have been widely recognized. Hepatic subcapsular biloma is a very rare and less recognized complication of this procedure. Recently, we experienced a case of hepatic subcapsular biloma, developed after endoscopic removal of choledocholithiasis, managed with percutaneous drainage procedure and endoscopic stenting, and report with a review of literature.
Cholangiography* ; Cholangitis ; Choledocholithiasis ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pancreatitis ; Stents

The identification of marker chromosomes is important for genetic counseling. However, the origin or composition can rarely be defined with conventional cytogenetic technique alone. In this study, we investigated the incidences and types of marker chromosomes in Korean patients and attempted to establish a cost-effective diagnostic approach for marker chromosomes. We reviewed the karyotypes of 2,984 patients that were requested for the cytogenetic analysis between 1997 and 2003 at the Samsung Medical Center. Ten marker chromosomes were found and identified using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Among the ten marker chromosomes, six were supernumerary marker chromosomes (SMCs) and the rest were marker chromosomes in Turner syndrome (TS). The incidence of SMCs was 2.01/1,000, slightly higher than that previously reported. Five of six SMCs were satellited marker chromosomes. Three bisatellited marker chromosomes originated from chromosome 15 and two from chromosome 22. The origin of one SMC could not be identified. All marker chromosomes in TS originated from X- or Y chromosome. The application of FISH is indispensable to identify marker chromosomes, and the appropriate selection of probes is necessary for cost-effective analysis. For analyzing satellited marker chromosomes, application of probes for chromosome 15 followed by those for chromosome 22 is recommended and in cases of TS, probes for sex chromosomes should take precedence.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; *Chromosome Aberrations ; *Chromosomes, Human ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Genetic Markers ; Human ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Karyotyping ; Korea ; Male ; Turner Syndrome/genetics