The purpose of this study was to investigate the parents' perceptions of children's favorite foods. Mothers of elementary school students in Seoul were asked in a survey about their perceptions of children's favorite foods and their opinions of the related policy. Respondents pointed out the problems of children's favorite foods including insufficient sanitation, concerns with food additives, untrustworthy manufacturer, unsafe food distribution system and overuse of MSG. Overall hazardous perceptions of children's favorite foods were 2.71 out of 4.00. Most respondents believed that the children's favorite foods contained some harmful ingredients or over nutrients, and 69.2% of those respondents knew exactly which ingredients may cause children's health problems. The hazardous perception of chocolate, yogurt, sport drink and fruit drink were low compared to others, whereas hazardous perceptions and accuracy were high in candies, icebars, hamburgers and pizza, In terms of comprehensive countermeasures against unsafe children's foods, the respondents perceived that the establishment of standard amounts of nutrient value and food additives was the most important issue.
Cacao ; Candy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Food Additives ; Fruit ; Humans ; Mothers ; Sanitation ; Sodium Glutamate ; Sports ; Yogurt

The third complementarity determining region (CDR3) of the immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa () chain is known to be located at the center of antigen binding groove and critical for antibody specificity. Ig chain has been characterized by limited junctional diversity due to the absence of N-region addition resulting in relative conservation of CDR3 lengths with 9 or 10 amino acids. CDR3 region of 11 amino acids is only possible with N-region addition. Recently, x transcripts with 11 amino acids CDR3 was found to be expressed in normal individuals, and in autoimrnune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the fraction of 11 amino acids CDR3 of humkv325-derived chains was overexpressed compared to conventional adult peripheral B cells. However, the significance of this bias is difficult to interpret without a clear understanding of normal repertoire of CDR3 length during development. The purpose of this study is to determine whether developmental regulation of CDR3 amino acids codon lengths exists in chains expressed in the fetal liver, cord blood, and adult peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). Lymphocytes were seperated from fetal liver, cord blood and adult PBL and cDNA was generated from extracted mRNA. PCR-based CDR3 finger- printing assay was performed with VI-IV family specific primers. CDR3 length diversity of Ig x chain increases as the development proceeds. The length diversity most frequently occured in Vlll family derived transcripts including 11 amino acids CDR3. transcripts with 11 amino acids CDR3 were consitently expressed in both fetal and adult Ig repertoire. These results support the hypothesis that v chain CDR3 length is developmentally regulated and implicates the diversity of antigen-antibody specificity generation.
Adult ; Amino Acids ; Antibody Specificity ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; B-Lymphocytes ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Codon ; Complementarity Determining Regions ; DNA, Complementary ; Fetal Blood ; Humans* ; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains* ; Immunoglobulins* ; Liver ; Lymphocytes ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: There has been little research regarding the effectiveness of oseltamivir for influenza B infections. We sought to identify the different clinical manifestations between patients treated with and without oseltamivir. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the medical records of 72 inpatients or outpatients from two medical centers diagnosed with influenza B infections by either a rapid antigen test or multiplex reverse transcriptase PCR between January 2012 and July 2012. We compared gender, age, past medical history, admission period, total fever duration, fever duration after hospitalization, post-oseltamivir medication peak temperature, laboratory test, chest X-ray, antibiotic medication, and the presence of concomitant viral or bacterial infections. RESULTS: The number of subjects in our study was 72 who were diagnosed with influenza B pneumonia, acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, croup, and mean age was 3.6+/-2.8 year old. The demographic characteristics and clinical manifestations of oseltamivir and the non-oseltamivir groups, including hospitalization period (4.18+/-2.10 vs 4.79+/-1.49 days, P=.17) and total fever duration (5.32+/-2.07 vs 6.41+/-3.25 days, P=.09), demonstrated no significant differences. Notably, the oseltamivir group did have significantly reduced usage of antibiotic treatment than the non-oseltamivir group (P=.04). When we limited our patient group to patients under the age of three, similar results were seen. The group prescribed oseltamivir within 48 hours of fever onset had less antibiotic usage, in addition to a shorter fever duration. CONCLUSION: Oseltamivir appeared to have no benefit in improving the clinical course. However, if it is prescribed within the first 48 hours of symptoms, it may be more effective.
Bacterial Infections ; Bronchiolitis ; Bronchitis ; Child* ; Croup ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, University* ; Humans ; Influenza B virus* ; Influenza, Human ; Inpatients ; Medical Records ; Oseltamivir* ; Outpatients ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thorax

OBJECTIVES: Decreased pain sensitivity to the external stimuli was sought by measuring the pressure pain thresholds in patients with schizophrenia. In the case of the pain insensitivity(PI) being confirmed, the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and PI was to evaluated. METHODS: 21 schizophrenic and 23 healthy controls were enrolled. Pressure pain thresholds(PPT) were measured by pressure algometer on initial and recovered phase, and positive and negative symptoms by PANSS(Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale)(Stanley et al. 1991) were obtained in patient group. The confounding factor induced by antipsychotics to the PPT was controlled for. Comparisons of PPT between two groups, and correlations of PPT and psychiatric symptoms in patient group were tested. RESULTS: 1) Schizophrenic patients with active psychotic symptoms showed higher PPT compared to healthy controls. 2) When psychiatric symptoms were improved, PPT was decreased to the level of healthy controls. 3) Only the subscale of delusion in PANSS was closely correlated with PPT in patients with schizophrenia. 4) The dose of antipsychotics did not influence the PPT of the patient group. CONCLUSIONS: A part of patients with schizophrenia revealed they had higher pressure pain thresholds, which suggested PI in active symptom phase. However, PPT were restored almost to the level of normal controls when psychotic symptoms were improved. Thus, PI seemed to be a transient phenomenon rather than a persistent one. Changes of pain sensitivity to the external stimuli in schizophrenics would be associated with severity of delusion based upon reversible changes of brain function. Decreased attention due to delusion or lack of motivation seemed to be causal factors of PI. Clinicians should give attention to PI in schizophrenic patients to prevent physical illness and serious injuries in them.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Brain ; Delusions ; Humans ; Motivation ; Pain Threshold* ; Schizophrenia*

PURPOSE: Tc-99m-tetrofosmin(TF) is a recently proposed myocardial imaging agent which has similar biokinetic characteristics to Tc-99m-sestamibi(MIBI). The aim of this study was to compare TF and MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECTs in detecting coronary artery disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and sixty patients(l0l males, 59 females, mean age 57+/-9 yr) who had undergone both myocardial perfusion SPECT (M- SPECT) and coronary angiography within 1 month were studied. M-SPECT was performed using TF in 115 patients and MIBI in 45 patients. Stress-rest one day protocol was used in all patients A coronary stenosis was considered significant when the luminal diameter > or =50% was compromised. The chi square test was used to compare, differences in sensitivity and specificity between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no difference in age and diseased coronary artery branches between the two groups. There were more male patients in TF group: Male-to-female ratios of TF and MIBI groups were 78:37 and 23:22, respectively (p<0.05). The overall sensitivity of TF study was 92% and specificity 36%. The overall, sensitivity and specificity of MIBI study were 93% and 30% respectively. There was no difference between TF and MIBI groups in identifying individual diseased coronary artery branches. CONCLUSION: One day stress-rest myocardial SPECT using either TF or MIBI was comparable and was a very sensitive test in detecting coronary artery disease.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Perfusion* ; Phenobarbital ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

PURPOSE: Myocardial SPECT is an effective test for detecting coronary artery disease in the general population. But the diagnostic accuracy between sexes is not defined. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy between males and females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy seven male and 98 female patients who underwent myocardial SPECT within 1 month of coronary angiography were studied. Myocardial SPECTs were considered abnormal if fixed or reversible perfusion defects were detected. Stenosis severity of > or = 50% luminal diameter reduction of any artery defined coronary artery disease (CAD). RESULTS: Overall sensitivity for detection of CAD was 98% in men and 97% in women (p=not significant). However, specificities, accuracies, and positive predictive values (PPV) in men and women were 49% vs 31% (p<0.05), 81% vs 57% (p<0.01), 78% vs 48% (P<0.01), respectively Diagnostic accuracies for detection of right coronary artery disease were not different in both sexes, however, accuracies for detection of left anterior descending artery disease and left circumflex artery disease were significantly lower in female (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: A significant difference of diagnostic accuracy between sexes, especially in LAD and LCx disease, was noted. Artifacts from breast attenuation might be a cause for the lower diagnostic accuracy in female.
Arteries ; Artifacts ; Breast ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Perfusion* ; Phenobarbital ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Myocardial scintigraphy is a widely used noninvasive procedure with high sensitivity for the detection of patients with suspected coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of a normal myocardial scintigraphy in 292 patients (150 males, 142 females, mean age 53+/-12 years) with chest pain who were followed from 7 to 58 (mean 25) months. Myocardial SPECT was performed with Tc-99m MIBI in 173 patients, with Tc-99m tetrofosmin in 74 patients and with T1-201 in 45 patients. During the follow-up period, there were 2 cardiac deaths and 2 nonfatal myocardial infarctions resulting in cardiac event rate of 1.37% (0.66% per year). The cardiac event rate was not different in patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries (1/30, 3.3%) and in those who had significant coronary a disease (2/27, 7.4%) (p=0.60). In conclusion, patients with chest pain and normal myocardial scintigraphy have a low cardiac event rate, and there was no significant difference of cardiac event rates between patients with normal and abnormal coronary angiograms.
Chest Pain* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Death ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; Perfusion Imaging* ; Perfusion* ; Prognosis ; Thorax* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

It has been shown that both rest and stress myocardial perfusion imagings with technetium agents can be performed on the same day using two different doses injected within few hours. The purpose of this study was to compare the two protocols (stress-rest and rest-stress) in detecting coronary artery diseases. One hundred and sixty patients (101 males, 59 females, mean age 57+/-9 years) and 120 patients (79 males, 41 females, mean age 59+/-10 years) underwent stress-rest myocardial perfusion SPECT and rest-stress myocardial perfusion SPECT, respectively All of them underwent both myocardial perfusion SPECT and coronary angiography within 1 month. A coronary stenosis was considered significant when it compromised the luminal diameter by> or =50%. The chi square test was used to compare differences in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy between the two groups. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of stress-rest protocol were 99%, 35%and 68%, respectively. Those of rest-stress protocol were 96%, 47%, and 78%, respectively. There was no difference between the two protocols in identifying individual diseased coronary artery branches. Therefore, one day stress-rest and rest-stress myocardial SPECT using Tc-99m agents were comparable and were very sensitive tests in detecting coronary artery diseases.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Perfusion Imaging ; Perfusion* ; Phenobarbital ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Technetium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

No abstract available.
Durapatite* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

OBJECTIVES: The author tried to find out reasons why and how hysteria(and conversion disorder) patient numbers, which were so prevalent even a few decades ago, have decreased and the phenotype of symptoms have changed. METHODS: The number of visiting patients diagnosed with conversion disorder and their phenotype of symptoms were investigated through chart reviews in a psychiatric department of a University hospital for the last 12 years. Additionally, the characteristics of conversion disorder patients visiting the emergency room for last 2 years were also reviewed. Those results were compared with previous research results even if it seemed to be an indirect comparisons. The research relied on Briquet P. and Charcot JM's established factors of the vicissitudes of hysteria(and conversion disorder) which has been the framework for more than one hundred and fifty years since hysteria has been investigated. RESULTS: The author found decreased numbers and changes of the phenotype of the hysteria patients(and conversion disorder) over the last several decades. The decreased numbers and changes of the symptoms of those seemed to be partly due to several issues. These issues include the development of the diagnostic techniques to identify organic causes of hysteria, repeated changes to the symptom descriptions and diagnostic classification, changes of the brain nervous functions in response to negative emotions, and the influence of human evolution. CONCLUSIONS: The author proposed that the evolutionary brain discord reaction theory explains the causes of disappearance of and changes to symptoms of hysteria(conversion disorder). Most patients with hysteria(conversion disorder) have been diagnosed in the neurological department. For providing more appropriate treatment and minimizing physical disabilities to those patients, psychiatrists should have a major role in cooperating not only with primary care physicians but with neurologists. The term 'hysteria' which had been used long ago should be revived and used as a term to describe diseases such as somatic symptom disorder, functional neurological symptoms, somatization, and somatoform disorders, all of which represent almost the same vague concept as hysteria.
Brain* ; Classification ; Conversion Disorder ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hysteria ; Phenotype ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Psychiatry ; Somatoform Disorders