BACKGROUND: Recent advances have been made in the treatment of acute stroke, but the effectiveness of the new therapies is highly time-dependent. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the time from symptom onset to hospital arrival and the total arrival delay time for patients with acute stroke. METHODS: A prospective registry of patients presenting to the ED with signs or symptoms of acute stroke was established at Ewha Womans University Mokdong and Dongdaeumn hospitals from March to December 1999. We analyzed the prehospital delay time(reaction interval and total arrival delay) and factors associated with delayed arrival at the hospital. RESULTS: The study included 256 patients(49% were women) with a mean age of 62+/-13 years. 50.9% of the patients arrived within 3 hours, and 94.9% patients arrived within 24 hours after onset of symptoms of acute stroke. The total arrival delay time was 180 minutes(median time), and the reaction interval was 60 minutes(median time). Transportation by 119 or 129 ambulances was linked to shorter delay(47 minutes). Age, mental status, and degree of disability were statistically significant factors associated with delayed arrival at the hospital. CONCLUSION: Age, mental status, and degree of disability were significant factors associated with delayed arrival at the hospital. For effective treatment of acute stroke patients, increased public awareness to use an ambulance with direct transport to the acute-care hospital required.
Ambulances ; Female ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke* ; Transportation

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a range of conditions including impairments in social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Pharmacological treatments can improve some symptoms of ASD, but the effect is limited and there is a huge unmet demand for successful interventions of ASD. Brain stimulation and modulation are emerging treatment options for ASD: electroconvulsive therapy for catatonia in ASD, vagal nerve stimulation for comorbid epilepsy and ASD, and deep brain stimulation for serious self-injurious behavior. Therapeutic tools are evolving to mechanism-driven treatment. Excitation/Inhibition (E/I) imbalance alters the brain mechanism of information processing and behavioral regulation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can stabilize aberrant neuroplasticity by improving E/I balance. These brain stimulation and modulation methods are expected to be used for exploration of the pathophysiology and etiology of ASD and might facilitate the development of a mechanism-driven solution of core domains of ASD in the future.
Autistic Disorder* ; Automatic Data Processing ; Brain* ; Catatonia ; Child ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Epilepsy ; Interpersonal Relations ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Optogenetics ; Self-Injurious Behavior ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Vagus Nerve Stimulation

No abstract available.
Parenteral Nutrition, Total

Milk of calcium located in the breast is typically a benign entity. However, carcinoma may incidentally arise adjacent to or even within milk of calcium. Consequently, the characteristics of all observed calcific particles should be carefully analyzed. In this study, we report a case of carcinoma presented as malignant microcalcifications mixed within milk of calcium in a breast.
Breast Neoplasms/*chemistry/radiography ; Calcium Carbonate/*analysis ; Carcinoma, Ductal/*chemistry/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Mammography ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: . This study aimed to fabricate provisional crowns at varying build directions using the digital light processing (DLP)-based 3D printing and evaluate the marginal and internal fit of the provisional crowns using the silicone replica technique (SRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS. The prepared resin tooth was scanned and a single crown was designed using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Provisional crowns were printed usinga DLP-based 3D printer at 6 directions (120°, 135°, 150°, 180°, 210°, 225°) with 10 crowns in each direction. In total, sixty crowns were printed. To measure the marginal and internal fit, a silicone replica was fabricated and the thickness of the silicone impression material was measured using a digital microscope. Sixteen reference points were set and divided into the following 4 groups: marginal gap (MG), cervical gap (CG), axial gap (AG),and occlusal gap (OG). The measurements were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Dunnett T3. RESULTS: MG, CG, and OG were significantly different by build angle groups (P<.05). The MG and CG were significantly larger in the 120° group than in other groups. OG was the smallest in the 150° and 180° and the largest in the 120° and 135° groups. CONCLUSION The marginal and internal fit of the 3D-printed provisional crowns can vary depending on the build angle and the best fit was achieved with build angles of 150°and 180°

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress is a major effector of various diseases; accordingly, antioxidants are frequently ingested in order to prevent or alleviate disease symptoms. Kimchi contains various natural antioxidants, and it is known that the functional activity varies depending on the ingredients and fermentation state. Black raspberries (BR) contain various bioactive compounds with antioxidant effects. This study investigated the antioxidant and liver-protection effects of kimchi supplemented with black raspberry juice powder (BJP). MATERIALS/METHODS: BJP-added kimchi (BAK; at 0.5%, 1%, and 2% concentrations of BJP) and control (without BJP) were prepared and fermented at 4℃ for 4 weeks. Changes in the antioxidant effects of BAK during fermentation were investigated. In addition, the protective activity of BAK against oxidative stress was investigated in a liver cirrhosis-induced animal model in vivo. RESULTS: BAK groups showed the acidity and pH of optimally ripened (OR) kimchi at 2 weeks of fermentation along with the highest lactic acid bacterial counts. Additionally, BAK groups displayed a higher content of phenolic compounds and elevated antioxidant activities relative to the control, with the highest antioxidant effect observed at 2 weeks of fermentation of OR 1% BAK. After feeding the OR 1% BAK to thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis rats, we observed decreased glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase activities and elevated superoxide dismutase activity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that the antioxidant effects of OR BAK and feeding of OR 1% BAK resulted in liver-protective effects against oxidative stress.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Bacterial Load ; Fermentation ; Glutamic Acid ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lactic Acid ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver ; Models, Animal ; Oxaloacetic Acid ; Oxidative Stress ; Phenol ; Pyruvic Acid ; Rats ; Rubus ; Superoxide Dismutase

PURPOSE: We investigated the expression of the N-myc and STAT interactor (NMI) protein in invasive ductal carcinoma tissue and estimated its clinicopathologic significance as a prognostic factor. The expression levels and prognostic significance of NMI were also analyzed according to the molecular subgroup of breast cancers. METHODS: Human NMI detection by immunohistochemistry was performed using tissue microarrays of 382 invasive ductal carcinomas. The correlation of NMI expression with patient clinicopathological parameters and prognostic significance was analyzed and further assessed according to the molecular subgroup of breast cancers. Moreover, in vitro experiments with 13 breast cancer cell lines were carried out. We also validated NMI expression significance in The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. RESULTS: Low NMI expression was observed in 190 cases (49.7%). Low NMI expression was significantly associated with the “triple-negative” molecular subtype (p < 0.001), high nuclear grade (p < 0.001), high histologic grade (p < 0.001), and advanced anatomic stage (p = 0.041). Patients with low NMI expression had poorer progression-free survival (p = 0.038) than patients with high NMI expression. Low NMI expression was not significantly associated with patient prognosis in the molecular subgroup analysis. In vitro, a reduction of NMI expression was observed in 8 breast cancer cell lines, especially in the estrogen receptor-positive and basal B type of triple-negative breast cancer molecular subgroups. The HPA database showed that low NMI expression levels were associated with a lower survival probability compared with that associated with high NMI expression (p = 0.053). CONCLUSION NMI expression could be a useful prognostic biomarker and a potential novel therapeutic target in invasive ductal carcinoma.

Although cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common hereditary disorders among Caucasians, it is very rare in the Korean population. Patients with CF are at particularly high risk for developing lung disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria such as the Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex or Mycobacterium abscessus. Here, we report a successfully treated case of M. abscessus lung disease in a Korean patient with CF.
Cystic Fibrosis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung Diseases* ; Mycobacterium avium Complex ; Mycobacterium* ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a rare and fatal cancer-related pulmonary complication leading to severe pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, and death. Few cases of PTTM have been diagnosed antemortem. A 62-year-old male showing complete remission of gastric cancer presented with exertional dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiography showed marked dilation of the right atrium, right ventricle, and the small left ventricle with normal left ventricular function. Right heart catheterization also showed mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension. A chest computed tomography scan revealed no evidence of acute pulmonary thromboembolism, but it showed consolidations with subpleural nodules in both lower lobes, and a lung perfusion scan showed multifocal, non-segmental perfusion defects. Finally, a diagnostic lung biopsy with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed, and the pathologic findings were compatible with PTTM. Here, we report a case of gastric cancer-related PTTM that was diagnosed antemortem.
Biopsy ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Heart Atria ; Heart Failure ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thorax ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies* ; Ventricular Function, Left