No abstract available.
Pancreatic Pseudocyst*

No abstract available.
Hernia, Diaphragmatic* ; Stomach Volvulus*

No abstract available.
Breech Presentation* ; Female ; Fetus* ; Pregnancy

Retina, a part of CNS, has served valuable and accessible tissue for elucidating the cellular properties of neurons and glia due to its similarity to brain. Unlike mammalian counterpart, avian retina is devoid of vessels and astrocytes. However little is known about glial reaction to neuronal injuries in this species. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the microglial responses in the quail retina following neuronal injuries. The retinae from normal and optic nerve transected adult quails were studied immunohistochemically with anti-QH1, a marker known to be specific for microglia. In the normal retina, QH1-labeled microglial cells displayed typical feature of ramified (resting) form and were localized mainly in the inner plexiform layer. After optic nerve transection (ONT) morphology of microglial cells changed from the ramified to the amoeboid form. This feature of microglial cells maintained throughout the post operational periods until 28 days after ONT. Particularly, at 14 and 21 days after ONT amoeboid microglia displayed cell bodies with stout and bushy processes, suggesting active phagocytosis. The distribution pattern of microglia also changed in accord to ganglion cell degeneration: they gradually moved to layers of ganglion cells and optic nerve fibers where ganglion cell bodies and axons were under degeneration. This change of microglial distribution was most prominent at 14 days of ONT. The result of this study is generally consistent with that reported in mammalian counterpart and this similarity between the avascular avian retina and the vascularized mammalian counterpart suggests that processes of microglial activation, such as migration and phagocytosis, can occur in the vessel-free CNS tissue.
Adult ; Astrocytes ; Axons ; Brain ; Ganglion Cysts ; Humans ; Microglia* ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Optic Nerve Injuries* ; Optic Nerve* ; Phagocytosis ; Quail ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde*

OBJECTIVE: Tube thoracostomy (TT) is a commonly performed intensive care procedure. Simulator training may be a good alternative method for TT training, compared with conventional methods such as apprenticeship and animal skills laboratory. However, there is insufficient evidence supporting use of a simulator. The aim of this study is to determine whether training with medical simulator is associated with faster TT process, compared to conventional training without simulator. METHODS: This is a simulation study. Eligible participants were emergency medicine residents with very few (≤3 times) TT experience. Participants were randomized to two groups: the conventional training group, and the simulator training group. While the simulator training group used the simulator to train TT, the conventional training group watched the instructor performing TT on a cadaver. After training, all participants performed a TT on a cadaver. The performance quality was measured as correct placement and time delay. Subjects were graded if they had difficulty on process. RESULTS: Estimated median procedure time was 228 seconds in the conventional training group and 75 seconds in the simulator training group, with statistical significance (P=0.040). The difficulty grading did not show any significant difference among groups (overall performance scale, 2 vs. 3; P=0.094). CONCLUSION: Tube thoracostomy training with a medical simulator, when compared to no simulator training, is associated with a significantly faster procedure, when performed on a human cadaver.
Animals ; Cadaver ; Chest Tubes ; Critical Care ; Education ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Methods ; Simulation Training ; Thoracostomy*

PURPOSE: Neuroblastoma is a common tumor in childhood, and generally exhibits heterogeneity and a malignant progression. MYCN expression and amplification profiles frequently correlate with therapeutic prognosis. Although it has been reported that MYCN silencing causes differentiation and apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells, MYCN expression influences the cytotoxic potential of chemotherapeutic drugs via the deregulation of the cell cycle. STI-571 may constitute a promising therapeutic agent against neuroblastoma, particularly in cases in which c-Kit is expressed preferentially in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine whether STI-571 exerts a synergistic effect on cytotoxicity with MYCN expression, we assessed apoptotic cell death and cell cycle distribution after 72 h of exposure to STI-571 with or with out treatment of SK-N-BE(2) neuroblastoma cells with MYCN siRNA. RESULTS: MYCN siRNA-treated SK-N-BE(2) cells did not affect apoptosis and cells were arrested in G0/G1 phase after STI-571 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: siRNA therapy targeted to MYCN may not be effective when administered in combination with STI-571 treatment in cases of neuroblastoma. Therefore, chemotherapeutic drugs that target S or G2-M phase may prove ineffective when applied to cells arrested in the G0/1 phase as the result of MYCN knockdown and STI-571 treatment.
Apoptosis ; Benzamides ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Neuroblastoma ; Piperazines ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Pyrimidines ; Imatinib Mesylate ; RNA, Small Interfering

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate conservative management of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesion, grade III (CIN III) and positive resection margins after cervical conization. METHODS: We reviewed records of 64 patients undergoing cervical conization revealing CIN III with positive resection margins between January 1997 and December 1999. Thirty-three (51.5%) patients underwent conization only and thirty-one (48.5%) underwent conization and subsequent hysterectomy. These patients were followed up with a Pap smear every 3-6 months and then persistence and recurrence were determined in each group. The sites of incomplete excision and HPV infection at cone and residual lesion at hysterectomy specimen were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-one of 33 patients receiving conservative management and all 31 patients receiving subsequent hysterectomy had negative Pap smear (P=0.262). In the group of the conservative management, one case of 11 patients with extension to the endocervical margin had positive Pap smear (P=0.577). One of 17 cases with HPV infection and one of 10 cases with negative HPV testing had positive cytology (P=0.630). In the group of subsequent hysterectomy, nine cases (42.86%) of 21 patients with extension to endocervical margin and two (22.22%) of 9 patients with extension to exocervical margin had residual lesion in hysterectomy specimen (P=0.258). Only one (8.33%) of 12 cases with positive HPV and five (50%) of 10 patients with negative HPV had residual lesion (P=0.043). CONCLUSION: Patients with CIN III and positive resection margins after cervical conization can be followed appropriately with serial cytology. Endocervical margin involvement and HPV infection were not statistically significant predictors of residual lesion, persistence and recurrence in our patients.
Conization* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Recurrence

The carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) is specifically expressed in oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for myelination in the central nervous system. However no direct evidence on relationship between myelin formation and CA-II immunoreactivity has been described. The aims of these studies are to investigate the relationship between CA-II and myelination during cerebellar development of mouse. Myelin staining was found on postnatal (P) 14, and its intensity increased in proportion to developmental age. CA-II positive oligodendrocytes were observed in the white matter of cerebellum on P 14 day. CA-II positive oligoden-drocytes also occured in the granular layer and Purkinje cell layers in the later stage of dvelopment. The parallel development in the CA-II expression and myelination during development suggests that CA-II in oligoendrocyte play a role to myelination.
Animals ; Carbon* ; Carbonic Anhydrase II* ; Carbonic Anhydrases* ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebellum* ; Mice* ; Myelin Sheath ; Oligodendroglia

The primary leiomyosarcoma of the vagina is very rare tumor in the female lower genital tract. A case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the vagina in the 44 years old woman was presented with lower abdominal pain and cystic and solid mass in the vagina. The mass was mainly comprised with spindle shaped cells showing moderate degree of cellular atypia and mitosis up to 8/10HPF. The mainstay of treatment is surgical excision of the primary mass. Treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy usually reserved for inoperable or recurrent cases. We present this case with a review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Mitosis ; Sarcoma ; Vagina*

Differences in the characteristics of the culture conditions can influence the multiplication rate of Plasmodium falciparum. The Petri dish method is one of the most popular methods of cultivating this parasite. In many previous studies, ideal culture conditions of the Petri dish method were achieved by using erythrocytes collected from blood that had been stored for at least 2 weeks, with daily changes of the medium. In the present study, we studied the multiplication rate of P. falciparum in cultures containing erythrocytes of various ages together with changing the medium at various intervals of time. Our results strongly suggest that the rate of in vitro multiplication of P. falciparum was higher in freshly collected erythrocytes than in aged erythrocytes regardless of the anticoagulant and that when the parasitemia is lower than 8% with a hematocrit of 5%, the medium change interval can be as long as 48 hr without a great reduction in the rate of multiplication.
Animals ; Blood Specimen Collection ; Cell Aging ; Culture Media ; Erythrocytes/*parasitology ; Plasmodium falciparum/*growth & development ; Time Factors