No abstract available.
Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

Differentiation of neuronal cells has been shown to accelerate stress-induced cell death, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we find that early and sustained increase in cytosolic ([Ca2+]c) and mitochondrial Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]m) is essential for the increased sensitivity to staurosporine-induced cell death following neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells. Consistently, pretreatment of differentiated PC12 cells with the intracellular Ca2+-chelator EGTA-AM diminished staurosporine-induced PARP cleavage and cell death. Furthermore, Ca2+ overload and enhanced vulnerability to staurosporine in differentiated cells were prevented by Bcl-XL overexpression. Our data reveal a new regulatory role for differentiation-dependent alteration of Ca2+ signaling in cell death in response to staurosporine.
Animals ; Calcium/*metabolism ; Caspase 3/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/*physiology ; DNA Fragmentation ; Mitochondria/metabolism ; *Neurons/cytology/drug effects/physiology ; *PC12 Cells/cytology/drug effects/physiology ; Rats ; Staurosporine/*pharmacology ; bcl-X Protein/metabolism

Purpose: The object of this study was to attempt to assess the effects of microsurgical varicocelectomy in subclinical oligospermic or asthenospermic patients. Materials and Methods: Fourteen oligospermic or asthenospermic patients, with subclinical varicocele, were diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasound, between October 2001 and March 2004. All patients underwent an inguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy. Semen analyses were performed 4 months later, and compared with the preoperative data. Results: The mean patient and spouse ages were 31.9+/-2.09 (range 29 to 36) and 29.9+/-1.85 (range 27 to 33) years, respectively. Comparison of the semen parameter before and after surgery revealed significant improvement of the sperm count. The mean sperm count increased from 33.09+/-31.96 to 60.74+/-56.27 million/ml (p<0.05). There were no significant statistical differences in the pH, motility, morphology and viability on the semen analysis. 4 of the 14 patients achieved spontaneous pregnancy (28%) after 7 to 10 months, and 4 achieved pregnancy, with in vitro fertilization (28%), 10 to 30 months later. Conclusions: A microsurgical varicocelectomy in oligospermic or asthenospermic patients, with subclinical varicocele, significantly increased their sperm count. In infertile couples, with no specific problem other than subclinical varicocele, it is worth while performing a microsurgical varicocelectomy.
Family Characteristics ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; Spouses ; Ultrasonography ; Varicocele*

The purpose of this study was to verify the use of Seo's Elderly Stress Scale (SESS), which was developed in 1996. Through the modified tool, it is possible to examine the stress of Korean elders and to contribute to the welfare of them. The subjects were 350 elders over 65 years old who live in Seoul, Kwang-Ju, Yang-Ju Gun Kyung-ki Do, Ui-Jong Bu, and Young-Am Kun, Jeun-Ra Nam Do. the data of 331 elders (94%) were analyzed. Data were collected between January and March in 1996 and analyzed using the SPSS Win 8.0. The result are as follows: 1. Items with low correlation with the total items were removed. So 27 items were removed and 37 items remained. This 37 items were death in the family and/or close friends, family member's behavior not meeting expectations, marriage of daughter, marriage of son, friction with daughter- in-law, argument among children, children refuse to live with parent, children leaving home, sex injury or accident, in frequest visits from children and grandchildren, providing care for your daughter or daughter-in-law post-partum, decrease in decision making and authority in home, Lunar new year and the harvest featival, house sitting, working in the house, performing a sacrificial rite, missed birthday, not living with the eldest son, decreased eyesight, decreased strength, decreased memory, sleep pattern changes, thoughts about death, loneliness, decreased hearing, change of dental condition, change in your diet or eating style, difficulty in self care, moving because of disease or aging, argument with friend or neighbour, travel, dealing with the procedure of heritage, loss of money or property, not enough pocket money, hearing on elderly neglect in television or radio, hope of going home and ignorant from others. 2. Overlapped items were discussed by colleagues and were modified. 'marriage of daughter' and 'marriage of son' were modified in 'marriage of children'. 'self injury or accidents' and 'family accidents' were modified in to self or family accidents. 3. Factor analysis was done in order to identify validity and three factors were obtained from the result. The first factor familial relation area, included 17 items. The second factor, physical area, included 9 items. The third factor, psycho-socio-economic area, included 9 items. Cronbach coefficient alpha for the 35 items was .923. 4. Pearson's correlation was .704 between SESS and SOS (Symptoms of Stress) in order to confirm construct validity. Based on the result, the following is suggested; 1. The modified SESS needs to be reverified with elder. 2. Korean elder's health promotion can be made by development of stress intervention which was accurately measured with SESS.
Aged* ; Aging ; Child ; Decision Making ; Diet ; Eating ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Friction ; Friends ; Gwangju ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Promotion ; Hearing ; Hope ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Marriage ; Memory ; Nuclear Family ; Parents ; Self Care ; Seoul ; Television

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of CarnitilR (acetylcarnitine, Hanmi, Korea) therapy in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four subfertile men with abnormal semen parameters were treated between March, 2003 and March, 2004 with 3 g of CarnitilR daily for 3 months. Changes in semen parameters were evaluated 3 months after this therapy. RESULTS: The mean age was 34.2 years and the mean follow-up duration was 3.7 months. In asthenospemic patients (n=28), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in volume (2.64+/-1.65 ml vs. 3.10+/-1.60 ml), motility (35.1+/-17.7% vs. 45.9+/-20.4%) and viability (51.4+/-20.3% vs. 59.3+/-13.6%) respectively. In oligoasthenospermic patients (n=16), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in sperm count (10.7+/-54.4 million/ml vs. 38.4+/-32.5 million/ml) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men the empirical medical therapy with acetylcarnitine may be considered as primary treatment.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Exfoliative ; Phototherapy ; Psoriasis

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of a maternal role adjustment program on first-time mothers. METHODS: The research was quasi-experimental with a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants were first-time mothers admitted to two postpartum clinics at women's hospitals. The experimental group had 38 mothers and the control group had 35 mothers. A maternal role adjustment program was applied individually to the experimental group between the 1st and 2nd weeks after childbirth. Assessing Adaptation to Motherhood, Semantic Differential Scale-Myself as Mother, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to measure effects of the program. A pre-test was conducted in the 1st week after childbirth while post-tests were conducted in the 4th and 6th weeks. Data were analyzed with χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 24.0. RESULTS: Maternal role adjustment (F=6.17, p=.015) and maternal identity (F=6.63, p=.012) were significantly increased in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. However, the difference in postpartum depression (F=1.11, p=.335) was not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The maternal role adjustment program can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention program to enhance maternal role adjustment and maternal identity for first-time mothers.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Depression, Postpartum ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Behavior ; Mother-Child Relations ; Mothers* ; Nursing ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period ; Semantic Differential

No abstract available.
Electromyography* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity* ; Stroke*

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the external validity of a carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) acquisition risk prediction model (the CREP-model) in a medium-sized hospital. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 613 patients (CRE group:69, no-CRE group: 544) admitted to the intensive care units of a 453-beds secondary referral general hospital from March 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019 in South Korea. The performance of the CREP-model was analyzed with calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness. Results: The results showed that those higher in age had lower presence of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs), cephalosporin use ≥ 15 days, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score ≥ 21 points, and lower CRE acquisition rates than those ofCREP-model development subjects. The calibration-in-the-large was 0.12 (95% CI: - 0.16~0.39), while the calibration slope was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.63~1.12), and the concordance statistic was .71 (95% CI: .63~.78). At the predicted risk of .10, the sensitivity, specificity, and correct classification rates were 43.5%, 84.2%, and 79.6%, respectively. The net true positive according to the CREP-model were 3 per 100 subjects. After adjusting the predictors’ cutting points, the concordance statistic increased to .84 (95% CI: .79~.89), and the sensitivity and net true positive was improved to 75.4%. and 6 per 100 subjects, respectively. Conclusion The CREP-model’s discrimination and clinical usefulness are low in a medium sized general hospital but are improved after adjusting for the predictors. Therefore, we suggest that institutions should only use the CREP-model after assessing the distribution of the predictors and adjusting their cutting points.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is difficult to clinically distinguish infants with Hirschsprung disease (HD) from those with other causes of intestinal obstruction. Therefore, reliable and safe diagnostic procedures are particularly necessary in infants with early onset symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of anorectal manometry in the diagnosis of HD in infancy. METHODS: Forty five infants who were suspected of having HD, at Seoul National University Children's Hospital, from May 1999 to July 2002, were enrolled in this study. The diagnostic accuracy of recto-anal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) and transition zone was evaluated. RESULTS: Final diagnosis of HD was made in 18 cases. The presence of transition zone was proved to be very specific (100%), but sensitivity was very low (39%). The sensitivity and specificity of anorectal manometry were 100% and 93% in total 45 infants. However the sensitivity and specificity of this test were 100% in infants older than 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: It could be stated that the diagnostic accuracy of the RAIR is a highly valid diagnostic value for HD in young infancy. It is particularly helpful when clinical and radiological findings are inconclusive.
Diagnosis* ; Hirschsprung Disease* ; Humans ; Infant ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Manometry ; Reflex* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul