No abstract available.

No abstract available.

Port-wine stains (PWSs) are benign congenital vascular malformations that most commonly occur as isolated lesions on the face, neck and trunk. The major indication for therapy in most patient, regardless of age, is psychological burden imposed by the PWSs. A Candela SPTL-1 flashlamp-pumped pulsed dy laser (Candela Corp. Wayland, Mass.) using the principle of selective photothermolysis was used. Selective cutaneous vascular damages are influenced by the wavelength. pulse duration and energy density of the laser. To evaluate histopathological changes according to energy densities are essential to treat cutaneous benign vascular lesion by the iaser. 5 patients with PWSs were treated with the Candela SPTL-1 laser. Lesions were biopsied and analized immediately after laser exposure. 2 days and 7 days after laser exposure. The results were as follows : 1. Depth of penetration The penetration depth was increased from .2mm to 1.9mm with energies ranging from 6J/cm(2) to 10J/cm(2) respectively. 2. Nonvascular damages of epidermis & dermis Focal epidermal vacuolization has been observed in biopsy specimens immediately after laser exposure with energy density 6J/cm(2). As energy densities increased from 6J/cm(2) to 10J/cm(2), histopathological changes got worsened with appearance of vesicles. subepi dermal seperations and epidermal necrosis. 2. Vascular damages of dermis Multiple foci of agglutinated RBC, fibrin and platelet thrombi within the dermal blood vessels have been observed in biopsy specimens immediately after laser exposure. There was a pattern of "acute vasculitis" in the upper dermis and a prominent perivascular neutrophilic responses in the mid-dermis 2 days after laser exposure. Dermal vessels with smaller lumen and granulation tissue have been observed in biopy specimens 7 days after laser exposure. In summary, penetration depth of laser beam and nonvascular epidermal and dermal damages were directly proportional ot the energy density of the laser. But 7 days after laser exposure, epidermis and dermis showed normal appearance without detectable scarring. This study suggested that Candela SPTL-1 laser is safe and has no scar formation on the treatment of PWSs.
Biopsy ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Vessels ; Cicatrix ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Fibrin ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Neck ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Port-Wine Stain* ; Vascular Malformations

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Atopic*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Microbubbles*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among self-efficacy, collective efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of nurses working in general hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected from 239 nurses working in five general hospitals of a local area by self-reported questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchial multiple regression. RESULTS: Self-efficacy, collective efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment showed significantly positive correlations. Hierarchial multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy was the main factor of affecting job satisfaction, which explained 14.3% of the variance for the nurses' job satisfaction together with collective efficacy and weekly working time. In addition, the primary factor of affecting organization commitment was self-efficacy, which accounted for 17.2% of the variance for the nurses' organizational commitment together with hospital size and shift work. CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy and nursing working condition such as working time or hospital size contributed to the job satisfaction and organizational commitment and collective efficacy contributed to the job satisfaction. Therefore, the strategies for improving self and collective efficacy should be considered. Further study is also needed to investigate the concept of collective efficacy and its' measurement, and the relationship between collective efficacy and organizational commitment.
Health Facility Size ; Hospitals, General ; Job Satisfaction* ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

During evaluation of follow-up curettage of endometrial hyperplasia after progesterone treatment, we have noticed that the foci of squamous or morular metaplasia are persistent or even markedly increased after the hyperplastic glands have all disappeared. These observations have led us to study the histological changes of squamous or morular metaplasia in the hyperplastic endometrium after progesterone treatment and to examine the changes of estrogen receptors(ER) and progesterone receptors(PR) to find out, if there is any pathogenetic role of progesterone administration on the squamous or morular metaplasia. Squamous or morular metaplasia was associated in 21 cases (13.5 %) out of 156 endometrial hyperplasia during the study periods and all of them were associated with complex hyperplasia, but not associated with simple hyperplasia. At follow-up curettage after progesterone treatment, squamous metaplasia newly appeared in 3 cases(20 %), markedly increased in 4 cases(26.7%), persisted in 4 cases(26.7%) and decreased in 4 cases(26.7%), even after hyperplastic glands have all disappeared or were markedly decreased. On immunohistochemical staining, metaplastic foci showed ER- and PR- in 13 cases (87 %) in contrast to the surrounding endometrium and the remaining 2 cases showed minimal ER+ and PR+ confined to several nuclei. Intensity or staining pattern of ER and PR in metaplastic foci were not changed with progesterone treatment. In the background endometrium, intensity of glandular ER+ and PR + was higher than that of the stroma at the initial curettage, however, progesterone treatment predominantly down-regulated glandular ER+ more than stromal ER+. Increment or persistence of squamous metaplasia along the progesterone treatment seemingly would implicate hormonal influences as playing a significant role in the formation of squamous or morular metaplasia and the absence of cellular receptors for these hormones in the metaplastic foci may suggest qualitative changes in the receptors.

A congenital salivary gland tumor, sialoblastoma, is extremely rare. A sialoblastoma of the parotid gland, occurring in a 28-week old fetus, is described. The histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of this tumor were studied. The tumor was characterized by solid nests or sheets of tumor cells intermingled with ductal structures lined by a columnar cells. Some of the tumor cells showed squamous differentiation. Immunohistochemically, these epidermoid cells reacted positively with anti-cytokeratin. But anti-S-100, anti- vimentin, anti-smooth muscle actin, anti-GFAP positive cells were not found. The ultrastructure was characterized by primitive epithelial cells. Although various names have been proposed, we favored the term "sialoblastoma". The histogenesis of this tumor is also discussed.
Actins ; Epithelial Cells ; Fetus ; Parotid Gland ; Salivary Glands ; Vimentin

BACKGROUND: Factors that regulate hair matrix cell division within the hair follicles and control hair growth cycle have been poorly understood untill now. One of the main.causes seems to be lack of good in vitro models. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to investigate the hair growth promoting potencies of several agents including individual components of keratinocyte growth media. METHODS: Several agents such as epidermal growth factor, insulin, bovine pituitary extract which were contained in keratinocyte growth media as well as minoxidil and transforming growth factor-α were added to the isolated anagen hair follicles. Measuring the length of hair follicle, thymidine and leucine uptake were used for hair growth parameter. RESULTS: Isolated anagen hair follicles in keratinocyte growth media showed a significant increase in length over 48 hours. [Methyl-³H] thymidine and [U-¹⁴Cl leucine uptake were sustained at basal state as well as over 48 hours and [methyl-³H] thymidine uptake increased in the matrix cells under autoradiography. Insulin with a concentration above 0.5µg/ml and transforming growth factor-α with a concentration above 10ng/ml showed a promoting effect on hair growth. However, other agents did not promote hair growth at all. CONCLUSION: Our in vitro model resembles the in vivo status of hair growth for a limited period of time and we think that normal human hair organ culture may be a useful model for developing hair growth promoting agents in vitro.
Autoradiography ; Cell Division ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Hair Follicle* ; Hair* ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Insulin ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Keratinocytes ; Leucine ; Minoxidil ; Organ Culture Techniques* ; Thymidine

This study was undertaken to investigate the optimal conditions for challenge testing with DNCB in 3 vehicles applied to guinea pigs in standardized amount/ area (pg/cm2) The results are sumrnarized as follows: 1) All test reactions were negative when tested in 10 unsensitized animals. 2) There were significant difference in positive rate between 0. 05%, DNCB in alcohol and 0.1% DNCB in alcohol, but there were no significant difference between 0. l%, DNCB in alcohol and 0, 2% DNCB in alcohol. Same results were obtaincd when DNCR was dissolved in acetone. 3) Acetone gives the significantly higher degree of positive reactions, indicating that alcohol may be the safer vehicle in eliciting a response than acetone. 4) With DNCB in olive oil, relatively few animals reacted compared to the results obtained with alcohol and acetone. Furthermore, olive oil is slippery and difficult to utilize when attempting to delineate surface area. 5) With alcohol, we obtained a good correlation between the amount applied and the resulting response, showing that this vehicle might be a superior vehicle in eliciting contact allergy.
Acetone ; Animals ; Dinitrochlorobenzene* ; Guinea Pigs* ; Guinea* ; Hypersensitivity* ; Olea ; Olive Oil