Circadian rhythm is a global phenomenon, the control mechanisms of which are manifested at every level of biological organization, from genes and intracellular mechanisms to networks of cell populations, and to all central neuronal systems at the organismic level. In pharmacotherapy, the pharmacokinetic parameters such as drug absorption and distribution, drug metabolism, and renal elimination show diurnal variations. The symptoms and signs in diseases like asthma, myocardiac infarction, angina pectoris, hypertension and stroke also show diurnal fluctuations. These observations require drug treatment considering the circadian rhythm of body function and disease. Circadian time has to be taken into account as an important variable influencing a drug's pharmacokinetics and/or its effects or side effects in clinical practice.
Absorption ; Angina Pectoris ; Asthma ; Circadian Rhythm ; Clinical Medicine* ; Drug Therapy ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Metabolism ; Neurons ; Pharmacokinetics ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Nephrectomy*

No abstract available.
Killer Cells, Natural* ; Lymphocytes* ; Lymphocytes, Null* ; Schizophrenia*

Circadian rhythms have been observed to be disturbed in mood disorders, especially seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Clock related gene variants also have been suggested to be associated with seasonality (seasonal variations in mood and behavior). This study tested the potential association between a length polymorphism of Period3 gene and seasonal variations in mood and behavior. 297 Korean college students were genotyped for the Period3 polymorphism and were for evaluated the seasonal variation by Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The genotype frequencies were 0.76 for 4R/4R, 0.22 for 4R/5R and 0.013 for 5R/5R. The global seasonality score was not different among Period3 gene variants (4R/4R, 4R/5R and 5R/5R) except for 'sleep length' subscore. The 5R/5R genotype showed the higher 'sleep length' subscore than others (p=0.024). The comparison between seasonals (syndromal plus subsyndromal SAD determined by SPAQ) and non-seasonals did not show any significant difference in frequencies of genotypes. These findings suggest that there is a possibility that the investigated Period3 polymorphism may play a partial role in the susceptibility of seasonal variations in a Korean population.
Circadian Rhythm ; Genotype ; Humans ; Mood Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seasonal Affective Disorder ; Seasons*

OBJECTIVES: In the past, latent dreams were emphasized in the psychiatric field, but these days the interest in manifest dreams is increasing as ego psychology develops. Hall and Nordby proposed that there are similarities between manifest dreams and real life. The Hall/Van de Castle System is a method of dream content analysis, which considers both the quantitive and qualitive analytic aspects of manifest dreams. METHODS: The dreams of 232 males and females (M: F=127: 105; mean age=21.02.7) were collected through the Most Recent Dream Method. Collected data were analyzed using the Hall/Van de Castle System. RESULTS: Female subjects tended to be more detailed and meticulous in reporting their dreams. The dreams of male subjects showed a higher percentage in self-negativity (2=6.64, df=1, p=0.004), and the dreams of female subjects showed a higher percentage in group character (2=6.64, df=1, p=0.0099), dreamer-involved success (2=3.12, df=1, p=0.048), and good fortune (2=4.52, df=1, p=0.034). CONCLUSION: This study suggests the norm of dream content of Korean college students, and it presents the differences between Korean males and females, and between Korean college students and American college students. This study may contribute to further studies on dream content analysis.
Dreams* ; Ego ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychology

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Male*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Male*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this present study was to compare mouse embryo development in 3 commercial media and hatching competence of mouse embryo with or without enzymatic treatment. METHODS: Collected 375 mouse embryos were divided into three groups, and then cultured in IVF-20 (G2), Medicult IVF (M3), P-1 (blastocyst M), respectively. Three day mouse morulae were cultured in G2 media treated with pronase. The results were analyzed using Chi-square test, and considered statistically significant when p<0.01. RESULTS: The developmental rate of 2 cell mouse embryo after 72 hours was highest in IVF-20 (G2) among conventional 3 media. The hatching rate of mouse morulae was low when clultured in G2 media without pronase during 48 hours. However, it was higher when cultured in media treated with l mg/ml, 2.5 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml pronase, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using good media and digestion of zona pellucida with enzymatic treatment improve development and hatching rate of embryo. Therefore, implantation and pregnancy rate could be improved.
Animals ; Digestion ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Mental Competency ; Mice* ; Morula ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pronase* ; Zona Pellucida

BACKGROUND: As an airplane has been developed, the man could experienced the new environment. In these circumstances, the research of human's physical changes in the air was commended. About 80% of airplane's accidents was occurred by human factors and about 4% was related to the pilot's physical state. According to the many studies, the most common cause of the permanent grounding of the pilot is coronary artery disease(CAD). Therefore the tool of prevention and early detection for CAD was needed. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of routine and regular Exercise Treadmill Test(ETT) to the civil airline pilots especially 1) in decreasing the correctable risk factors of coronary artery disease 2) in reducing the medical disqualification rate of pilots. METHOD: Routine ETT has been performed to the Asiana Airlines' pilot during his regular physical check up. When the pilot showed abnormal resting ECG or abnormal ETT results, Echocardiography, 24hour Holter monitoring, Cardiac SPECT or Coronary angiography were done to rule out coronary artery disease. Review the medical records from June 1993 through December 1998. Compare the medical disqualification rate between Asiana Airlines pilot & other pilot groups. Compare the individual correctable risk factors of coronary artery disease and the numbers of risk factors between pilot and non-pilot group using SPSS 8.0 t-test. RESULTS: 1. The results showed no evidence of CAD and there was no case of CAD as a pilot's disqualifying conditions. 2. The levels of cholesterol and the numbers of risk factors of pilot had a statistically significantly lower than non-pilot group. CONCLUSIONS: Routine and regular ETT will be effective in educating the pilot to do his best to decrease the correctable risk factors of CAD.
Aircraft ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ; Exercise Test* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Risk Factors ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans(DFSP) is a rare, distinctive cutsneous tumor originating in the dermis that appears as a raised uninodular or multinodular lesion on the trunk or the proximal extremities. In about 10% of the cases, DFSP arises in childhood and it is rarely evident already at birth. Histopathologically, DFSP shows the chsracteristic storiform and cartwheel patterns, with the fibroblasts arranged radially about a small central hub of fibrous tissue. We report herein a case of childhood DFSP in a 7-year-old boy.
Child ; Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition