PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify whether alcohol use predicts marital stability and to investigate the mediating effects of marital communication and social support in international married Korean men who lived in a rural area. METHODS: The participants were 200 of the international married men. The data were collected during June, 2010. The instruments were Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Marital Instability (MI), Marital Communication (MC), Social Support (SS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean score for AUDIT was 9.6, and alcohol use was negatively correlated with marital stability, marital communication and social support. We also found that marital communication fully mediated the association between alcohol use and marital stability, while social support did not mediate this association. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study indicates a need to develop intervention strategies and education programs that include emphasis on moderate drinking and communication skills for couples in international marriages.
Drinking ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Male ; Marriage ; Negotiating*

No abstract available.
Atrophy* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Myelitis, Transverse* ; Spinal Cord*

In neuronal recording studies on anesthetized animals, reliable measures for the transitional moment of consciousness are frequently required. Previous findings suggest that pupil fluctuations reflect the neuronal states during quiet wakefulness, whose correlation was unknown for the anesthetized condition. Here, we investigated the pupillary changes under isoflurane anesthesia simultaneously with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG). The pupil was tracked by using a region-based active contour model. The dose was given to the animal in a stepwise increasing mode (simulating induction of anesthesia) or in a stepwise decreasing mode (simulating emergence of anesthesia). We found that the quickly widening pupil action (mydriasis) characterizes the transitional state in anesthesia. Mydriasis occurred only in the light dose in the emergence phase, and the events were accompanied by an increase of burst activity in the EEG followed by EMG activity in 47% of the mydriasis events. Our findings suggest that recording such pupil changes may offer a noncontact monitoring tool for indexing the transitional state of the brain, particularly when a lower threshold dose is applied.
Abstracting and Indexing as Topic ; Anesthesia* ; Animals ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Electroencephalography ; Isoflurane* ; Mydriasis ; Neurons ; Pupil* ; Wakefulness

In neuronal recording studies on anesthetized animals, reliable measures for the transitional moment of consciousness are frequently required. Previous findings suggest that pupil fluctuations reflect the neuronal states during quiet wakefulness, whose correlation was unknown for the anesthetized condition. Here, we investigated the pupillary changes under isoflurane anesthesia simultaneously with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG). The pupil was tracked by using a region-based active contour model. The dose was given to the animal in a stepwise increasing mode (simulating induction of anesthesia) or in a stepwise decreasing mode (simulating emergence of anesthesia). We found that the quickly widening pupil action (mydriasis) characterizes the transitional state in anesthesia. Mydriasis occurred only in the light dose in the emergence phase, and the events were accompanied by an increase of burst activity in the EEG followed by EMG activity in 47% of the mydriasis events. Our findings suggest that recording such pupil changes may offer a noncontact monitoring tool for indexing the transitional state of the brain, particularly when a lower threshold dose is applied.
Abstracting and Indexing as Topic ; Anesthesia* ; Animals ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Electroencephalography ; Isoflurane* ; Mydriasis ; Neurons ; Pupil* ; Wakefulness

Basal cell carcinomas usually arise from the epidermis and show some epidermal connections. It is very unusual that basal celi carcinomas occur as subderrnal mass without epidermal connections. A 51 year-old female h;d an asymptomatic skin colored indurated plaque with linear old scar on the left side of nose fcr about 20 years. She had had a tumor that supposed to be a epidermal cyst, on the same site and the lesion was excised about 20 years ago. We performed the punch biopsy on her first visit which revealed hypertrophic scar. She was treated with intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide to reduce the size of hypertrophic scar. However, the lesion had not been reduced. She underwent the surgery to remove the scar at plastic surgery and the excisional biopsy showed a subdermal basal cell carcinoma. We recommend that the newly developed skin tumor in the pre-excised region should be required excisional biopsy instead of punch and close observation
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Cicatrix ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Epidermal Cyst ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Middle Aged ; Nose ; Skin ; Surgery, Plastic ; Triamcinolone Acetonide

Diffuse or focal white matter hyperintensity lesions on MRI have been reported in only a few patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE), and anti-TPO antibody level is high in most cases. We report a 59-year-old woman who presented with acute onset of disorientation with confusion. Anti-thyroglobulin antibody was detected in high titer, although anti-TPO antibody titer was not high. Thyroid sonography and biopsy revealed Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Initial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed ill-defined, diffuse, high-signal intensity lesions on the deep white matters and globus pallidus. Brain SPECT showed significant hypoperfusion in both basal ganglia (especially globus pallidus), frontal and temporal lobes. With the impression of HE, the patient was treated on a high-dose steroid. Over the next 15 weeks, her cognition improved to a nearly normal state and the MRI findings on DWI and FLAIR showed resolution paralleling her clinical improvement. Our case illustrates the peculiar changes in the MR findings, especially in DWI, with hypoperfusion on brain SPECT in patients with HE and allows for a greater understanding of the pathophysiology of HE.
Autoantibodies ; Basal Ganglia ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Diseases ; Cognition ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; Hashimoto Disease ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Temporal Lobe ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inhibition of Clusterin gene expression via shRNA decreases proliferation and metastasis and increases chemosensitivity to paclitaxel in xenografted PEOH cells. METHODS: 1 x 10(6) paclitaxel resistant cell lines transduced with Clusterin shRNA in lentiviral inoculated subcutaneously into the flank region of 6 to 8 week-old female nude mice. Parental cells transduced with LacZ was used as a control. Tumor growth was measured twice every week and calculated by using the formula: length x width x depth x 0.5236. The mice were sacrificed and examined for Clusterin expression on tumor cells and counted the metastasis sites. RESULTS: shRNA for Cluaterin works in vivo and it is the in accord with the in vitro results. Although shRNA for Clusterin group showed decreased tumor growth and proliferation it has not statistical significance. But transfection of Clusterin shRNA on PEOH significantly increased paclitaxel-sensitivity (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: shRNA targeting of the Clusterin gene decreased the ovarian cancer cell's paclitaxel resistance.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Clusterin* ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paclitaxel* ; Parents ; RNA, Small Interfering* ; Transfection

Pericardial defect is a rare congenital cardiac disorder. Most patients were asymptomatic but some patients with partial pericardial defect occasionally complain acute symptoms such as angina, syncope, rarely sudden cardiac death. So, differential diagnosis with other ischemic or structural heart disease is crucial in the management of such patients. But there is no consistently successful diagnostic method. In the past, artificial diagnostic pneumothorax was used to document the absence of pericardium. However, it is not easily accepted due to excess morbidity and failure rate. Recently, echocardiography and more often, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging are used to confirm the diagnosis. We experienced a 52 years old male patient with atypical chest pain, who was diagnosed as complete left pericardial defect with computed tomography.
Chest Pain ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardium ; Pneumothorax ; Syncope

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the lifestyles of food habits of college students relate to constipation. The results were as follows : 1) All the total respondents were 541 college students. 220 (40.8%) respondents were male and 321 (59.2%) respondents were female. Based on their BMIs, 55.5% of the female respondents were under-weight (BMI < 20), 16.8% of the male respondents were under-weight, as well. These results point out the fact that a high percentage of female college students are under-weight, compared to male of students. 2) Of the respondents, 59.0% reported having 1 or 2 meals per day, but their eating patterns were irregular. Of the respondents, 71.2% preferred white rice with their meals. Of the respondents, 51.2% reported that they skipped breakfast. The main reasons why these respondents skipped breakfast were either that they were in a busy (44.7%), or it was their habit (38.4%). The response that their meals were nutritionally balanced was 34.6%, and the student who thought that their own meal pattern was healthful was 8.0%. 3) This research also focused on body image among female college students, and the results indicate that the majority of female respondents (62.5%) felt that they were overweight (very fatty or fatty) and 90.1% of the female respondents indicated they were interested in dieting (interest or very interest). Most of the students were involved in light or medium activity (94.2%) or no exercise (75.6%). The ratio of those who exercised was everyday only 33.6%. 4) Of the respondents, 48.7% reported that they had difficulty evacuating (every time very difficult, every time difficult and sometimes difficult) and 50.3% of the students reported that their bowel movements were irregular. 5) Of the females, 8.2% and Of the males, 0.5% were regarded as constipated. 6) The life habit factors that influenced constipation were skipping breakfast, the amount of water intake and exercise.
Body Image ; Breakfast ; Constipation* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diet ; Drinking ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits* ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Male ; Meals ; Overweight ; Seoul*

BACKGROUND: Flood is the most common natural disaster in our country. Lots of victims occurred during the period of flood in the northern territory of Kyoungkido on August 5, 1998. We tried to describe the characteristics of the flood-related injury and illness, management and medical requirements. METHODS: We interviewed the patients admitted to 8 hospitals in Ujungbu and reviewed medical records from aug 5 to Aug 14, 1998. RESULTS: There were total 102 patients, male were 52%and women were 48% Most of patients were between 30's and 60's. Most of them were minor, and less than 3%of them needed critical care. The diagnosis were laceration(39.2%, contusion(22.5%, fracture(13.7%, infectious disease(7.8%, ligament rupture(7.8%, aggravation of chronic illness(5.9%, dermatitis(2.0% and traumatic hyphema(1.0%. The laceration occurred in the foot(37.9%, lower leg(27.0%, thigh(16.2%, hand(10.8% and head(8.1%. The location of ligament injury were achilless tendon(62.5%, hand(25% and knee(12.5%. The 67.5%of flood-related laceration patients progressed cellulitis, especially in sutured wound and a typical tetanic patient was developed. Of hospitalized patients, 2 patients showed evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). CONCLUSION: During flood, civils have better to be educated about prevention of injury, such as wearing of shoes and clothes. Although laceration was minor, lacerated wounds should be thoroughly irrigated, debrided the margin and considered delayed closure, tetanus immunization. Reportedly, there is an increased prevalance of PTSD and depression after disasters. Therefore mental health care will be required in the future.
Cellulitis ; Critical Care ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Disasters ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Immunization ; Lacerations ; Ligaments ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mental Health ; Northern Territory ; Shoes ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Tetanus ; Wounds and Injuries