Variable methods have been using for reconstruction of soft tissue defect of feet and legs. Skin graft, local flap, and free flap have been using for this purpose. But, skin graft produced secondary contracture of recipient site and increased in donor site scarring. Local flap was limited its donor site and remained severe deformities of recipient site. Free flap was required prolonged operation time and secondary operation. Acelluar human dermal allograft, AlloDerm, was removed cellular elements of the epidermis and dermis. It was relatively immunologically inert. From August 1997 to April 1998, we have grafted acellular human dermal allograft with thin split-thickness skin graft on soft tissue defect of feet and legs in 7 cases. We concluded that cryopreserved acelluar human dermal allograft has been proposed as the solution to problems of skin graft, local flap, and free flap.
Allografts ; Cicatrix ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Foot* ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Leg* ; Skin ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

In general, split thickness skin graft was done under general anesthesia. However, there was a difficulty to do general anesthesia in some cases due to poor general condition. The lateral cutaneous nerve block of the thigh(LCNBT) anesthesia the usual donor site of split-thickness skin graft in the thigh. Using 10 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, LCNBT was used thigh for harvesting split-thickness skin in 42 patients. Patients age ranged from 18 to 62 years with mean 49 years. The onset of full anesthesia took between 12 and 21 minutes. The area anesthetised ranged from 200 cm2to 940 cm2with mean 551 cm2. The duration of full anesthesia was from 6 to 16 hours. In 6 patients, LCNBT was compared with previous lidocaine local anesthesia and all patients preferred to do LCNBT. In our experience, LCNBT is a safe, and simple method for harvesting split-thickness from the thigh and LCNBT provided good postoperative analgesia.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Local ; Bupivacaine ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Nerve Block ; Skin* ; Thigh* ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Lysozyme, a major serous component of airway epithelial secretions, plays an important role in airway defense. However, little is understood about the regulation of its expression and the associated signaling pathway. The object of this study is to investigate the regulation of lysozyme expression, the downstream signaling pathway of lysozyme expression, and the related protein kinases under inflammatory conditions using the IL-1beta, which acts as a significant cytokine in many airway inflammations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After the IL-1beta treatment of normal human nasal epithelial cells (NHNE), lysozyme mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. Expressed levels of ERK/p38 kinase were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: IL-1beta treated NHNEcells had over-expressed lysozyme compared to the control group. Activated ERK/p38 kinase level showed marked increment by treating NHNE with IL-1beta. Lysozyme expression and ERK/p38 kinase levels decreased when inhibitors of ERK/p38 MAP kinases were added to the IL-1beta treated cells. Finally, expression of lysozyme and activated level of ERK/p38 MAP kinases decreased in a dominant-negative cell line even when treated with IL-1beta. CONCLUSION: From these results, we concluded that IL-1beta induces over-expression of lysozyme via ERK/p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways in airway epithelial cells.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Epithelial Cells* ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Muramidase* ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases* ; RNA, Messenger

The quality factors (kQ,Q0) were evaluated by appling the results recently studied for the effect of central electrode in TRS-398 protocol. The PTW-31010 and IBA-CC13 chambers were used in this study. The quality factors were calculated as a function of beam quality for high energy electron and photon beams and compared with data currently used in TRS-398 protocol. In the PTW-31010 chamber using aluminium electrode, appling the new central electrode collections, the quality factors were 0.4% and 0.9% higher than current TRS-398 data for high energy photon and electron beams respectively. In the IBA-CC13 chamber using C-552 electrode, there are no variations in quality factors compared to TRS-398 data currently used.
Electrodes ; Electrons

In this study the dosimetric evaluation for a biological sample irradiated by gamma rays from Cs-137 irradiator (Gamma Irradiator, Chiyoda Technol Co., Japan) was performed for radiobiological experiment. A spherical water with a diameter of 3 cm was assumed as a biological sample. The absorbed dose were determined by the air kerma based dosimetric calculation system. The theoretical and Monte Carlo calculations (MCNPX) were performed and compared to evaluate measured air kerma and determined absorbed dose respectively. As a result of comparison with theoretical calculation, the measured air kerma was in good agreement within 3.1% at the distance of 100 and 200 cm from the source. In comparison with Monte Carlo results the determined absorbed dose along the central axis was in good agreement within 1.9% and 3.7% at 100 cm and 200 cm respectively. Although the preliminary results were obtained in this study these results were used as a basis of dosimetric evaluation for radiobiological experiment. Extended study will be performed to evaluate the dose in various conditions of biological samples.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Gamma Rays ; Water

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine the population-based prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes in a rural district of Daegu City, Korea. METHODS: Between August and November 2003, a community-based health survey of adults aged 20 years and older was performed in the rural district of Dalseong-gun in Daegu City. A total of 1,806 of all eligible individuals agreed to participate. Fasting plasma glucose was measured in all participants. Two hour oral glucose tolerance was measured in the 1,773 participants for whom there was neither an established diagnosis of DM nor evidence of DM according to fasting glucose levels. The prevalence of DM and prediabetes was determined according to the 2003 criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Subjects with prediabetes were classified into one of three categories of glucose intolerance: isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG); isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT); or combined IFG and IGT. RESULTS: The prevalence of DM was 12.2%. The highest prevalence rates were observed in subjects in their seventies. A total of 34.7% of all subjects who were assigned a diagnosis of DM in the present study had not been diagnosed previously. The prevalence of prediabetes was 22.7%. The highest prevalence rates were observed in subjects in their fifties. CONCLUSION: The present study identified prevalence rates of 12.2% for DM (age-standardized prevalence rate [ASR], 6.8%), and 22.7% for prediabetes (ASR 18.5%). These results emphasize the need for community health promotion strategies to prevent or delay the onset of DM in individuals with prediabetes.
Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Health Promotion ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Plasma ; Prediabetic State ; Prevalence