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*

Tardive dyskinesia(TD) is a serious side effect of long-term treatment with neuroleptic medications. To investigate if glutamatergic hyperfunction is associated with TD, effect of MK-801 on the prevention and treatment of TD was studied using a rat model, i.e., vacuous chewing movements(VCM). When comparing VCM scores of Group I(haldol decanoate+MK-801) with that of Group II(hadol decanoate+phosphate buffer saline), late measured VCM scores of former were significantly lower than that of latter, meaning that MK-801 is effective in the prevention of VCM. Furthermore, when MK-801 is also effective in the treatment of VCM. From the above results, it is suggested that glutamatergic hyperfunction might be involved in the development of TD and MK801 could be effective in the prevention and treatment of it.
Dizocilpine Maleate* ; Mastication ; Models, Animal ; Movement Disorders*

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to evaluate an education program for cardio-cerebrovascular high-risk patients. METHODS: To evaluate patients' quality of life, EQ-5D was used and an organized survey was conducted via calls and interviews for hypertension, diabetes patients who had visited the KHyDDI(Korea Hypertension Diabetes DaeguInitiative) education center or 70 clinics through out the nation. RESULTS: The subjects included 537 patients, 320 of who were in the clinic education and 217 of who were in the education center program. Sixty eight of the subjects went through the EQ-5D evaluation before and after the education program. In the EQ-5D index distribution of their quality of life before the education program, there was a statistically significant difference in gender(p<0.001) with higher points among males. Regarding age, there was a statistically significant difference between those aged over 65 years and under 65(p<0.001), with higher points in the group under the age of 65. Further, the EQ-5D 5 scope index was statistically significant different before and after receiving the education(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, the KHyDDI staged education program is effective for improving the quality of life. Moreover, it could contribute to the complications of the disease through a variety of approaches by considering both gender and age.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze relationships between dysphagia, and the timing and frequency of videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) in patients with acute stroke. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 111 patients with acute stroke whose dysphagia were evaluated by VFSS. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, and one-way ANOVA; Pearson correlation coefficient was also reported for all analyses. RESULT: Dysphagia was significantly different by transit time from stroke onset to arrival at the hospital (F=4.74, P=.011), paralysis site (F=3.05, P=.032), nasogastric tube (t=−3.81, P=.001), and diet just before the first VFSS (F=23.27, P<.001). VFSS timing was significantly different by smoking (t=2.88, P=.005), underlying disease (t=−3.58, P=.001), transit time from stroke onset to arrival at the hospital (F=5.90, P=.004), type of stroke (t=−5.24, P<.001), paralysis site (F=5.89, P=.001), nasogastric tube (t=−4.86, P=.001), surgery or angiography (t=−2.22, P=.032), level of consciousness (F=6.07, P=.000), length of stay (F=53.73, P=.001), department (F=16.37, P<.001), and diet just before the first VFSS (F=5.38, P=.006). VFSS frequency was significantly different by type of stroke (t=2.69, P=.008), nasogastric tube (t=−5.11, P=.001), length of stay (F=19.41, P=.001), department (F=7.18, P<.001), and the diet just before the first VFSS (F=16.67, P<.001). There was a significant correlation between dysphagia degree and the timing and frequency of VFSS. CONCLUSION: The more severe the degree of dysphagia, the longer the VFSS timing, and the greater VFSS frequency. The findings could be used for establishing systematic nursing care plans and active nursing intervention for dysphagia-related characteristics.
Angiography ; Consciousness ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Deglutition* ; Diet ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Nursing ; Paralysis ; Patient Care Planning ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Platycodon grandiflorum (PG), an oriental herbal medicine, has been known to improve liver function, and has both anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. However, little is known about the immune-enhancing effects of PG and its mechanism. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether fermented PG extract (FPGE), which has increased platycodin D content, activates the immune response in a murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7.MATERIALS/METHODS: Cell viability was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured using Griess reagent. Cytokine messenger RNA levels of were monitored by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying immunomodulatory actions of FPGE in RAW 264.7 cells, we have conducted luciferase reporter gene assay and western blotting. RESULTS: We found that FPGE treatment induced macrophage cell proliferation in a dosedependent manner. FPGE also modulated the expression of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. The activation and phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were increased by FPGE treatment. Moreover, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide, an activator of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), significantly reduced both lipopolysaccharides- and FPGE-induced NF-κB reporter gene activity. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings suggest that FPGE may be a novel immuneenhancing agent acting via AMPK-NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Although vitiligo does not cause direct physical impairment or life-threatening conditions, it can produce significant psychosocial problems. Nevertheless, its effect on the psychosocial well-being of patients has been neglected. OBJECTIVE: This study compared quality of life (QOL) in patients with vitiligo and in healthy controls, and assessed the impact of vitiligo on the patients' QOL using Skindex-29. METHODS: This study recruited 105 vitiligo patients and 105 healthy controls, and the QOL scores of the groups were compared using Skindex-29. Statistical analyses were performed to examine the relationship between QOL and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The total Skindex-29, emotion, and function scores, but not the symptom scores, were significantly higher in the vitiligo group than in the healthy controls. QOL, including symptom, function, and emotion scores, was significantly impaired in women, the elderly, married patients, and patients with a longer duration of disease, greater area of vitiligo, and lesions appearing on the exposed sites. But, symptom scores generally did not differ significantly. All aspects of QOL were impaired in patients with a previous treatment history, longer duration of treatment, and relatively low levels of satisfaction with treatment. CONCLUSION: Vitiligo can impair a patient's QOL. Therefore, it is important for the dermatologist to recognize and manage psychological problems to improve the QOL of vitiligo patients.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Vitiligo

Teratoma is one of germ cell tumor, common neoplasm in women of reproductive age, but it can arise at any age. Its malignant transformation is rare, less than 2%, frequently at older age. Nearly all the cases are squamous, sarcomatous and adenomatous transformation. Here we present a case of mixed transformation, adeno-squamous cell carcinoma with brief review of the concerned literature.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Teratoma*

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

BACKGROUND: The abnormal barrier function in atopic dermatitis(AD) is caused by a reduction in the amounts of ceramides in the intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum(SC). Replenishing the SC via the topical application of ceramides and pseudoceramides leads to effective recovery of the barrier function of skin. OBJECTIVES: An open clinical crossover evaluation was conducted to investigate the effects in AD of a multi-lamellar emulsion(MLE) that contained pseudoceramide(PC-9s). METHODS: The study group included 30 AD patiendaverage age: 4.4 yr, range: 1-8 yr), who applied MLE or a commercial moisturizing cream(CMC, 5% urea) alternately for four weeks each. We divided the subjects into two subgroups and started with different treatments in each subgroup. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the average subjective satisfaction scores for each symptom and the global clinical response. In addition, the SCORAD(Scoring AD) index was adopted to evaluate the severity of AD as objectively as possible. The patients were evaluated using this index every other week. RESULTS: Although the SCORAD improved in both subgroups, the patients had better results (p<0.05) when applying MLE(31-35% decrease) than CMC(13% increase to 14% decrease). The subjective satisfaction scores of the symptoms and signs of patients, including itching, erythema, and dry skin, were higher in the MLE group than in the CMC group, and the global response to treatment was also better in the MLE group. During the follow-up period, AD improved in all patients. MLE was more effective than CMC in our patients. CONCLUSIONS: The topical application of a multi-lamellar emulsion containing pseudoceramide is an effective regimen for improving symptoms of AD.
Ceramides ; Cross-Over Studies* ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Erythema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: Rising from a sitting position is a very common, yet essential activity in daily life. The activity to perform the sit-to-stand (STS) transfer is a prerequisite for upright mobility. This study aims to provide fundamental data concerning the execution of the STS, and in particularly the followings: 1) how do the angles of the lower limbs change throughout the process of rising from a chair; 2) how much motion torque and power in each joint are required per kilogram of body weight to complete the STS transfer? METHOD: Twenty-one children who have developed normally and could understand the command requested are involved as subjects. Their age ranged from 3 to 5 years old. Motion analysis of STS transfer were assessed with the Vicon 370 M.A (Oxford Metrics Limited, United Kingdom). The changes in joint angle, maximal moment and power in lower limb were calculated throughout the STS transfer. RESULTS: A series of transition points was observed in the angles of the hip, knee and ankle joints throughout the sit-to-stand movements, which was classified into five stages. The first stage is trunk and hip flexion phase; second stage, buttock take-off; third stage, ankle dorsiflexion and knee extension; forth stage, just-standing; fifth stage, stabilizing phase. The extension moment of each joint is 0.65 Nm/kg on right, 0.71 Nm/kg on left in hip, 0.41 Nm/kg on right, 0.38 Nm/kg on left in knee and 0.21 Nm/kg on right, 0.22 Nm/kg on left in ankle joint. The extension power is 0.60 watt/kg on right, 0.68 watt/kg on left in hip, 0.59 watt/kg on right, 0.50 watt/kg on left in knee and 0.15 watt/kg on right, 0.15 watt/kg on left in ankle joint. CONCLUSION: A consistent pattern was observed throughout the sit-to-stand transfer and six transition points were observed in the angles of the hip, knee and ankle joints throughout the STS transfer. By these 6 points, the movement of the STS transfer was classified into 5 stages. Major changes in angle, moment, and power of each joint were observed in sagittal plane. There were no side to side difference during the STS transfer.
Ankle ; Ankle Joint ; Body Weight ; Buttocks ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Lower Extremity ; Torque