BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide(NO), a multifunctional mediator, is known as a endothelium-derived relaxing factor, a neurotransmitter, and a killer molecule formed by activated immune cells and participates in tissue destruction via apoptosis. In the skin, an increase in apoptotic cells has been desribed in the epidermis in various lichenoid diseases, in response, to ultraviolet radiation, and in neoplasia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a positive correlation occurs between iNOS(inducible nitric oxide synthase) expression and apoptosis index in psoriasis vulgaris(PV), lichen planus(LP), and Bowen's disease(BD). METHODS: TUNEL staining and immunohistochemical staining with anti-iNOS antibody were done in paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 4 cases of PV, 4 cases of LP, and 2 cases of BD.
Apoptosis* ; Bowen's Disease* ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Epidermis ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nitric Oxide ; Psoriasis* ; Skin

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Mammary Arteries* ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mitral Valve* ; Tricuspid Valve*

Eccrine nevus is a rare benign cutaneous lesion, frequently present at birth or at an early age. Herein we report on a 1-year-old girl with erythematous papules in a zosteriform arrangement associated with hyperhidrosis on the left side of her trunk.
Female ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis ; Nevus* ; Parturition

No abstract available.
Alloxan* ; Animals ; Rats*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of high myopic eyes with cataracts implanted with negative power intraocular lenses (IOLs) at the time of cataract surgery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 18 eyes of 14 patients who underwent cataract surgery with negative power IOLs and 10 eyes in 9 patients with low power IOLs. We investigated axial length, IOL power, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and preoperative and postoperative spherical equivalent (SE) refractive errors. RESULTS: Mean BCVA showed significant improvement in both groups. We measured postoperative SE refraction and the difference between the mean intended and the mean achieved SE refractive errors in the negative power group (17 eyes) was +1.59 ± 1.34 D and +0.31 ± 0.50 D in the low power group. CONCLUSIONS: BCVA was significantly improved in the majority of eyes, although they had myopic macular degeneration or posterior staphyloma. However, the mean achieved postoperative SE refraction was more hyperopic than the predicted postoperative SE error. Additionally, hyperopic refractive error was greater in the negative power group than the low power group. Therefore, we recommend that postoperative hyperopic refractive error should be considered when performing cataract surgery in high myopic patients.
Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular* ; Lenses, Intraocular* ; Macular Degeneration ; Myopia* ; Refractive Errors ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

OBJECTIVE: The results for finding the deficit in the anterior cingulate (ACC) in schizophrenic patients (SZ) have been inconsistent according to the studies that used different Stroop tasks, which is unlike the deficit in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In order to explore for the core region that's responsible for the selective attention deficit in SZ, we examined the results of a functional neuroimaging study, which involved the performance of the Stroop task using high or low prefrontal cortex related loads in SZ. METHODS: Ten schizophrenic patients and healthy controls (HC) received functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a Short/Long-term latency Stroop task. The changes in the neural activity were determined in well-known Stroop related regions of interest (ROIs) that consisted of the DLPFC, ACC, the parietal lobule and in the whole brain regions for both the main and interaction effects of latency, and the results of the short-term and long-term latency Stroop conditions were compared. RESULTS: The response times for both the congruency and latency effects were more prolonged in the schizophrenics than in the HC. For the congruency effect, the schizophrenics showed significantly less activation in the same site of the left DLPFC in both the short-term and long-term latency conditions, as compared with the HC. For the latency effect, the regions of the left-side language network were over- or under-activated in the schizophrenics, as compared with the HC. Any interaction effect was not found for both the behavioral and fMRI results. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the deficit in the left DLPFC is the core impairment of attentional processing in schizophrenics, regardless of other possible interactions such as the latency effect.
Brain ; Functional Neuroimaging ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prefrontal Cortex* ; Rabeprazole ; Reaction Time ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors affecting survival and pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: we performed reprospective analysis in 738 cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfers, in relation to the insemination methods, the freezing stage of embryo, patient's age, infertility factors and the origin of injected sperm in ICSI cycles. After conventional IVF or ICSI, the supernumerary PN stage zygotes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propandiol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. RESULTS: The survival rates of thawed embryos were 69.3% (1585/2287) in conventional IVF group and 71.7&% (1645/2295) in ICSI group. After frozen-thawed embryo transfers, 27.0% (92/341) and 32.0% (109/341) of pregnancy rates were achieved in conventional IVF and ICSI group, respectively. There were no significant difference in the survival and pregnancy rates according to the insemination methods, the freezing stage and patient's age. However, the pregnancy rate (36.2%) of male factor infertility (22.9%). In ICSI group, the origin of injected sperm did not affect the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that acceptable clinical outcomes can be achieved after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos regardless of the stage of embryos for freezing, the patient's age and the origin of injected sperm.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Survival Rate ; Zygote

Reactive perforating collagenosis(RPC) is a kind of perforating dermatosis characterized by transepidermal elimination of altered dermal collagen. RPC is classified into two forms; childhood or inherited form, and adulthood or acquired form. Acquired RPC is reported to occur in association with the severe complicated diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure and other diseases. We describe a 43-year-old Korean woman with atypical acquired RPC associated with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and severe pruritus. The histopathologic findings of the lesions showed neither transepidermal channel nor cup-shaped epidermal depression. Multiple degenerated collagen bundles arranged vertically and were eliminated through epidermis to the surface individually. Transmission electron microscopic findings showed the same as typical RPC. Skin lesions improved after the insulin subcutaneous injections, UVB phototherapy and antihistamine administration.
Adult ; Collagen ; Depression ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Insulin ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Phototherapy ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the state of internet addiction and to investigate the relationships among internet addiction, depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents. METHOD: Participants were 1,670 high school students in an urban city. The Internet Addiction Scale was used to measure internet addiction, the DISC-MDD-SQ was used to measure depression, and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-JR was used to measure suicidal ideation. RESULT: 38.1% of participants were perceived to be in the early stages of internet addiction and 1.5% reported heavy addiction. Overall the internet addiction scale score was 37.57(+/-12.52). The differences of internet addiction in sample characteristics were found to be significant in rank in class. The differences in DISC-MDD-SQ and IAS scores among the states of internet addiction were statistically significant. The level of internet addiction correlated positively to the level of depression and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Based upon these findings, there were significant positive correlations among Internet addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation in adolescents. As schools are often the first line for the identification of potential life-threatening behaviors, nurses, especially school-based health professionals, need to be cognizant of measures and procedures for the assessment of Internet addiction, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Adolescent ; *Adolescent Psychology ; Behavior, Addictive/diagnosis/*psychology ; Depression/diagnosis/*psychology ; Female ; Humans ; *Internet ; Male ; Suicide/*psychology