To understand the ability of producing cellulolytic enzyme activity in the sapstaining fungi, four species of Ophiostoma and two species of Leptographium were investigated in the culture media containing each of cellulose substrates such as CM-cellulose, Avicel and D-cellobiose and each of chromogenic dyes such as Congo-Red, Phenol Red, Remazol Brilliant Blue and Tryphan Blue. When the fungi were grown for 5~7 days at 25degrees C, the formation of clear zone by chromogenic reaction around the margin of the fungal colony was demonstrated in all the culture media Congo-Red containing CM-cellulose. There was difference in the formation of clear zone among the dyes. Only Ophiostoma setosum and Leptographium spp. showed cellulolytic activity to the three substrates. Overall, the results of this study show that ophiostomatoid sapstaining fungi can produce cellulolytic enzymes.
Cellulose ; Coloring Agents ; Culture Media ; Fungi ; Ophiostoma* ; Phenolsulfonphthalein

PURPOSE: To evaluate the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding associated with use of low-dose aspirin in children. METHODS: Among about 250 children who received low-dose aspirin (5 mg/kg/day) under the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease, from March 1995 to May 2001, at Eul-Ji general hospital, 100 children were enrolled in this study. We reviewed the medical records and interviewed the children's parents over the phone to confirm the existence of gross gastrointestinal bleeding. RESULTS: The age of the children at the beginning of medication ranged 4~118 months. About 75% of them was younger than 3 years old. The duration of medication ranged 0.5~17 months. About 70% of the children took the medicine for 2~3 months. Only 1 child (1%) had hematochezia during medication without any accompanying gastrointestinal symptom, and cimetidine for 1 week had cleared up the bleeding. The total duration of medication of 100 children was 341.5 months, and only 1 child had gastrointestinal bleeding. This translates into a rate of clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding of 3.5 episodes/100 children/year. CONCLUSION: The long-term use of low-dose aspirin is safe, but, is associated with the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in children. Careful follow-up and efforts to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding are necessary during long-term low-dose aspirin therapy in children.
Aspirin* ; Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Cimetidine ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Parents

BACKGROUND: Phantom limb sensation is an unusual position sense of the extremity during nerve block that the position of extremity is misinterpreted as being flexed, or elevated, when actually they are in neutral position. Whether it is from the fixation of proprioceptive input at the time of motor blockade or from unmasking of the pattern which has been already present in the CNS is still controversial. We perfomed this study under the assumption that phantom limb sensation can still be reproduced without the influence of position at the time of nerve blockade. METHODS: Thirty-six patients scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery were randomly assigned. For 26 patients, spinal anesthesia was performed with hyperbaric 0.5% tetracaine or bupivacaine at lateral decubitus position and the position was changed to supine immediately. Existence of phantom limb sensation and the level of anesthesia was recorded at 10 and 20 minutes after injection of local anesthetics. For 10 patients, same local anesthetics were injected after patient's legs were straightened in lateral decubitus position. RESULTS: Forteen out of 26 patients whose position were changed to supine immediately after the injection of local anesthetics experienced phantom limb sensations. Five out of 10 patients whose legs were kept straight before the injection of local anesthetics experienced phantom limb sensations. Previous history of trauma was positively related to the expression of phantom limb sensation. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that the expression of phantom limb sensation is reproducible. And this was not related to the position at the time of spinal anesthesia. Trauma seems to be an important factor related to the expression of phantom limb sensation.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anesthetics, Local ; Bupivacaine ; Extremities ; Humans ; Leg ; Nerve Block ; Orthopedics ; Phantom Limb* ; Proprioception ; Sensation* ; Tetracaine

Herein, a new left renal vein stenting procedure (expandable metallic stent placement), which provided relief for an 18-year-old man incapacitated by an intermittent gross hematuria, is reported. The placement of an expandable metallic stent is a minimally invasive therapy, and a simpler and more physiological therapy than previous approaches to Nutcracker syndrome.
Adolescent ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Renal Veins ; Stents*

Amyloidosis is characterized by a deposition of insoluble fibrils in various organs and tissues. Amyloid deposition, in the gastrointestinal track, provokes a dysfunction of the organ, due to an accumulation of fibrils, and causes a variety of clinical symptoms and endoscopic findings. Primary amyloidosis in the gastrointestinal tract is rarely reported in Korea. We experienced a case of recurrent intestinal bleeding, in a 59-year-old female patient with primary amyloidosis. A colonoscopy revealed the presence of multiple large circular ulcers. In the entire colon, diffuse nodular lesions with edema and bleeding were found. A colonoscopic biopsy established the diagnosis of amyloidosis, to the exclusion of other disease components. We concluded that the patient had localized amyloidosis. Though a definitive therapeutic strategy has not been established for localized gastrointestinal amyloidosis, the patient has been successfully treated with a high-dose of steroids and azathioprine.
6-Mercaptopurine/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Amyloidosis/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Antimetabolites/therapeutic use ; Colon/pathology ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Skin fibrotic disorders are understood to develop under the influence of various cytokines, such as transforming growth factor(TGF)-beta1, connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). To establish an appropriate animal model of skin fibrosis by exogenous application of growth factors, the author investigated the in vivo effects of growth factors by injecting recombinant TGF-beta1 protein and pCMV- Flag5-CTGF into the subcutaneous tissue of Sprague- Dawley rats. A single application of TGF-beta1 protein and CTGF DNA resulted in the formation of transient granulation tissue. Immunohistochemical finding showed increased expression of TGF-beta1 protein after injection of pCMV-Flag5-CTGF. In situ hybridization analysis revealed the expression of CTGF mRNA after injection of TGF-beta1 protein. VEGF expression was not affected by the TGF-beta1 and CTGF injection. These findings suggest TGF-beta1 and CTGF are deeply related with skin fibrosis and it appears that TGF-beta1 may cause the induction of CTGF expression. The animal model on skin fibrosis by exogenous application of TGF-beta1 protein and CTGF DNA developed in this study may be useful for future studies on fibrotic disorders.
Animals ; Cicatrix* ; Connective Tissue ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; Cytokines ; DNA ; Fibrosis ; Granulation Tissue ; In Situ Hybridization ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Models, Animal ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of school violence, self concept, psychopathology and psychosocial characteristics of male aldolescent delinquency doing school violence. And we hoped to use this result as basic material for prevention of school violence through comparison of those of students group. METHOD: We surveyed 725 male adolescents including 331 deliquents from educational program called "Big Brothers and Sisters" in Pusan. We used self-reporting questionnaire composed of demographic data and attitude to violence. In order to investigate the psychopathology and self-concept, we used Child Behavior Check List, Youth edit, Korean version(CBCL) and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Statistical methods employed were Chi-square, t-test, two-way ANOVA. RESULT: The results show that in most demographic and psychosocial factor including age, education, socio-economic condition, religion and relationship with friends, there was no significant difference between delinquent and student group. And there was no significant difference between bully and non-bully in both group. The frequency of alcohol drinking and smoking were higher in bullying groups. For the feeling of watching violent mass-media, bullying delinquents reported more excited state than non-bullying delinquents in both group. On results of CBCL, subscales of delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalizing problem, social scale in delinquent group were higher than those in student group. Subscale of somatic complaints, thought problem, attention problem, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, internalizing problem, and externalizing problem in bullying group were higher than those in nonbullying group. In both delinquent and student group, subscale of delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, and externalizing problem in bullying group were significantly higher than those in nonbully group. In the results of self-concept scale, subscales of behavior, intellectual and school status in delinquent group were lower than those in student group. Subscale of somatic complaints, thought problem, attention problem, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, internalizing problem, and externalizing problem in bullying group were higher than those in nonbully group. CONCLUSION: In both delinquent and student groups, most psychosocial factors in bully group were not significantly different with those in nonbully group. Bully group was more influenced by internal psychic state, psychopathology and environmental factor than nonbully group.
Adolescent* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Bullying ; Busan ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Education ; Friends ; Hope ; Humans ; Male ; Psychology ; Psychopathology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Concept ; Siblings ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Problems ; Violence*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify that laparoscopic resection for treating retroperitoneal benign neurilemmoma (NL) is expected to be favorable for complete resection of tumor with technical feasibility and safety. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 47 operations for retroperitoneal neurogenic tumor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital and Gangnam Severance Hospital between January 2005 and September 2015. After excluding 21 patients, the remaining 26 were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent open surgery (OS) and those who underwent laparoscopic surgery (LS). We compared clinicopathological features between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time, estimated blood loss, transfusion, complication, recurrence, or follow-up period between 2 groups. Postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the LS group versus the OS group (OS vs. LS, 7.00 ± 3.43 days vs. 4.50 ± 2.16 days; P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: We suggest that laparoscopic resection of retroperitoneal benign NL is feasible and safe by obtaining complete resection of the tumor. LS for treating retroperitoneal benign NL could be useful with appropriate laparoscopic technique and proper patient selection.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Neurilemmoma* ; Patient Selection ; Recurrence ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies

The goals of ideal lip reconstruction in chronic facial palsy include recovery of sphincteric function of the lip and symmetry of mouth during facial expression and the resting state. The lip reconstruction in chronic facial palsy can be mainly divided into dynamic and static method. Recently, the dynamic lip reconstruction tend to be reported more frequently with the development of microsurgery. From December of 1994 to August of 2001, We had 6 dynamic lip reconstruction by one or two staged free neurovascular flap, and followed up from 1 to 4 years and 4 months (mean 36 months). One case was two-staged free rectus abdominis flap after cross-face nerve graft with sural nerve. Another case was one- staged free gracilis muscle flap anastmosised with one of the buccal branch of facial nerve in the affected side, which had relatively good function. The other 4 cases were one-staged free neurovascular latissimus dorsi flaps. We also combined other procedures such as gold implant for lagophthalmos, temporalis muscle transfer on ectropion of the lower eyelid, and the excisional eyebrow lift on the affected side. We got relatively satisfactory results except 1 case.
Ectropion ; Eyebrows ; Eyelids ; Facial Expression ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis* ; Lip* ; Microsurgery ; Mouth ; Rectus Abdominis ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Sural Nerve ; Transplants

Multiple pterygium (Escobar) syndrome is a rare disorder manifested by growth retardation, facial and genital anomalies, and widespread musculo-skeletal deformities. This disorder was originally described by Bussiere in 1902. And then in 1976, Gorlin et al. described an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital arthrogryposis, skin webs across joints and unusual faces. It was fully delineated as a distinct entity by Escobar et al. in 1978 and an alternative name, Escobar syndrome. In this report, we present an multiple pterygium syndrome that manifested by arthrogryposis, pterygium in shoulder, elbow, wrist, severe deviation of lower leg and ankle, webbed neck, microphthalmia, low set ears, small mouth and high arched palate, and genital anomalies.
Ankle ; Arthrogryposis ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Ear ; Elbow ; Joints ; Leg ; Microphthalmos ; Mouth ; Neck ; Palate ; Pterygium* ; Shoulder ; Skin ; Wrist