No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Asthma*

No abstract available.
Asthma* ; Child* ; Humans

Trichilemmal horn(trichilemmal keratosis) is a rare keratinizing tumor that resembles a cutaneous horn. Histologically, it is characterized by an abrupt maturation of keratinocytes into lamellar keratin without the formation of a granular layer. We describe a case of a trichilemmal horn on the right cheek of a 78-year-old woman.
Aged ; Animals ; Cheek ; Female ; Horns* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes

OBJECTIVES: On September 2, 2010 and November 25, 2011, the Korean Research Project on Integrated Exposure Assessment to Hazardous Materials for Food Safety (KRIEFS) organized two international symposia in Seoul, Korea. KRIEFS, established by the Korean Food and Drug Administration in March 2010, envisioned these international symposia as means to obtain advanced experiences from other countries and to reflect on and refine the KRIEFS's survey design and methods. METHODS: For the first symposium KRIEFS invited human biomonitoring (HBM) experts from Germany, the US, and Canada. The visiting HBM experts shared the details of their national studies while the KRIEFS discussed study design, as well as the methods, results and policymaking processes of the KRIEFS project. The second symposium was organized to share the survey design and results on endocrine disruptors from Taiwan. RESULTS: The Speaker from Germany introduced the German Environmental Survey and shared their experiences in HBM design, such as the process of developing reference values, and discussed the new HBM plan in Germany and the European Union. The Representative from Canada shared insights from national HBM approach. In the case of the US, the speaker focused on risk communication with subjects in epidemiological studies. In the second international symposium, the speaker shared the experience of endocrine disruptors'studies from Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: KRIEFS was able to better understand previous nationwide HBM research designs, policy making process, and risk communication with research subjects.
Canada ; Cohort Studies ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Epidemiologic Studies ; European Union ; Food Safety ; Germany ; Hazardous Substances ; Humans ; Korea ; Policy Making ; Reference Values ; Research Design ; Research Subjects ; United States Food and Drug Administration

OBJECTIVES: Child abuse can affect mental and physical health of abused children. Accurate assessment of mental health of abused children is integral to providing proper treatment and preventing any further impact of childhood abuse on their future life. In this study, we investigated psychiatric illnesses among abused children. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version-Korean Version were conducted for 61 abused children after obtaining consent from their guardians. We also assessed the relationship between the demographic data of these abused children and their diagnoses. RESULTS: Among the abused children, more than half had more than one psychiatric disorder. The most frequently diagnosed disorders were attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. The incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder was higher in abused girls compared with abused boys. Abused children had a higher suicide risk than the general population. Among the parents of abused children, 50.8% had alcohol use disorders. CONCLUSION: Among the abused children, 50.8% had psychiatric disorders. Administration of intensive psychiatric treatment to abused children, and prevention of child abuse by education, treatment, and monitoring high-risk parents is imperative.
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders ; Child Abuse ; Child* ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mental Disorders* ; Mental Health ; Mood Disorders ; Parents ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Suicide

The challenges of successful nasal reconstruction, which are related to the anatomical complexity of the region, have been extensively studied. Revisional operations are often required to achieve proper nasal reconstruction, with results resembling the premorbid nasal status. This is necessary to ensure the quality of life of skin cancer patients. Fundamental nasal reconstruction requires both proper soft tissue coverage and proper function. However, earlier studies in the field primarily focused on the functional aspect of nose reconstruction, although the cosmetic aspect is also an important factor to consider. In response to this need, many recent studies on nose reconstruction have proposed various refinement strategies to improve aesthetic satisfaction. Most plastic surgeons accept the nasal aesthetic subunit principle as a standard for nasal reconstruction. This review outlines the commonly used surgical refinement options and management strategies for postoperative complications based on the subunit principle. In patients with nasal defects, a proper technical strategy might help minimize revision operations and optimize the long-term results.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: It is known that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the brain could regulate cognitive functions as well as blood pressure. Inhibition of RAS for the improvement of cognitive function may be a new strategy, but studies so far have mostly reported on the effects of RAS inhibition by drugs, and there is no research on cognitive improvement through RAS inhibition of food ingredients. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of curcumin on blood pressure and cognitive function and its related mechanism in spontaneously hypertensive rat/Izm (SHR/Izm).MATERIALS/METHODS: Six-week-old SHR/Izm rats were divided into 5 groups: control group (CON), scopolamine group (SCO, drug for inducing cognitive deficits), positive control (SCO and tacrine [TAC]), curcumin 100 group (CUR100, SCO + Cur 100 mg/kg), and curcumin 200 group (CUR200, SCO + Cur 200 mg/kg). Changes in blood pressure, RAS, cholinergic system, and cognitive function were compared before and after cognitive impairment. RESULTS: The SCO group showed increased blood pressure and significantly reduced cognitive function based on the y-maze and passive avoidance test. Curcumin treatments significantly improved blood pressure and cognitive function compared with the SCO group.In both the CUR100 and CUR200 groups, the mRNA expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensin II receptor type1 (AT1), as well as the concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II) in brain tissue were significantly decreased. The mRNA expression of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and acetylcholine (ACh) content was significantly increased, compared with the SCO group. CONCLUSIONS The administration of curcumin improved blood pressure and cognitive function in SCO-induced hypertensive mice, indicating that the cholinergic system was improved by suppressing RAS and AT1 receptor expression and increasing the mAChR expression.

OBJECTIVES: Although mercury (Hg) exposure is known to be neurotoxic in humans, its effects on liver function have been less often reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether total Hg exposure in Korean adults was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). METHODS: We repeatedly examined the levels of total Hg and liver enzymes in the blood of 508 adults during 2010-2011 and 2014-2015. Cross-sectional associations between levels of blood Hg and liver enzymes were analyzed using a generalized linear model, and nonlinear relationships were analyzed using a generalized additive mixed model. Generalized estimating equations were applied to examine longitudinal associations, considering the correlations of individuals measured repeatedly. RESULTS: GGT increased by 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5 to 18.0%) in women and 8.1% (95% CI, -0.5 to 17.4%) in men per doubling of Hg levels, but AST and ALT were not significantly associated with Hg in either men or women. In women who drank more than 2 or 3 times per week, AST, ALT, and GGT levels increased by 10.6% (95% CI, 4.2 to 17.5%), 7.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 14.7%), and 37.5% (95% CI,15.2 to 64.3%) per doubling of Hg levels, respectively, showing an interaction between blood Hg levels and drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Hg exposure was associated with an elevated serum concentration of GGT. Especially in women who were frequent drinkers, AST, ALT, and GGT showed a significant increase, with a significant synergistic effect of Hg and alcohol consumption.
Adult* ; Alanine Transaminase ; Alcohol Drinking ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Drinking ; Female ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Liver* ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Male

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of selecting commercially available blending teas and applying them to bovine teeth on color change over time. Methods: After selecting healthy bovine teeth, using a cutting-disc, 105 specimens with a dimension of 5×5×3 mm were prepared, and 15 specimens were distributed to each group. Black tea was used as a positive control, water was used as a negative control, and blended tea of five types was used as an experimental group. First, pH and buffering capacity were measured with a pH meter, and tooth color was determined using a spectrophotometer before immersion in the blending tea solution and 1, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days after immersion. Thereafter, the shape change of the enamel surface was observed using a scanning electron microscope, and SPSS ver.26 was used to analyze the color change. Results: The average pH of the five blending teas in the experimental group was 3.78, and the pH of group 3 (strawberry rhubarb) was the lowest at 3.22. The pH levels of black tea and water were 5.19 and 7.30, respectively. The buffering capacity was the highest in group 3 at both pH levels of 5.5 and 7.0. The L*a*b* color change according to immersion time was the largest in group 4 (rooibos yellow flower), and the amount of color change was large in black tea and group 4. As a result of observing the enamel surface of bovine teeth, changes in the surface shape were noted in all groups immersed in the experimental solution for 21 days, except for water. Conclusion There was a significant difference between the experimental groups in terms of color change according to the immersion time, and color and enamel surface changes were observed in black tea and all experimental groups, except for water.