No abstract available.
Cryotherapy* ; Stomatitis*

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered a primary driver of global mortality and is estimated to be responsible for approximately 17.9 million deaths annually. Consequently, a substantial body of research related to CVD has developed, with an emphasis on identifying strategies for the prevention and effective treatment of CVD. In this review, we critically examine the existing CVD literature, and specifically highlight the contribution of Mendelian randomization analyses in CVD research. Throughout this review, we assess the extent to which research findings agree across a range of studies of differing design within a triangulation framework. If differing study designs are subject to non-overlapping sources of bias, consistent findings limit the extent to which results are merely an artefact of study design. Consequently, broad agreement across differing studies can be viewed as providing more robust causal evidence in contrast to limiting the scope of the review to a single specific study design. Utilising the triangulation approach, we highlight emerging patterns in research findings, and explore the potential of identified risk factors as targets for precision medicine and novel interventions.
Artifacts ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Mortality ; Precision Medicine ; Random Allocation ; Risk Factors

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered a primary driver of global mortality and is estimated to be responsible for approximately 17.9 million deaths annually. Consequently, a substantial body of research related to CVD has developed, with an emphasis on identifying strategies for the prevention and effective treatment of CVD. In this review, we critically examine the existing CVD literature, and specifically highlight the contribution of Mendelian randomization analyses in CVD research. Throughout this review, we assess the extent to which research findings agree across a range of studies of differing design within a triangulation framework. If differing study designs are subject to non-overlapping sources of bias, consistent findings limit the extent to which results are merely an artefact of study design. Consequently, broad agreement across differing studies can be viewed as providing more robust causal evidence in contrast to limiting the scope of the review to a single specific study design. Utilising the triangulation approach, we highlight emerging patterns in research findings, and explore the potential of identified risk factors as targets for precision medicine and novel interventions.

BACKGROUND: Several antibiotics can be used to treat ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB-VAP) including high-dose sulbactam. However, the effectiveness of high-dose sulbactam therapy is not well known. We report our experience with high-dose sulbactam for treatment of CRAB-VAP. METHODS: Medical records of patients with CRAB-VAP who were given high-dose sulbactam between May 2013 and June 2015 were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients with CRAB-VAP were treated with high-dose sulbactam. The mean age was 72.0 ± 15.2 years, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score was 15.1 ± 5.10 at the time of CRAB-VAP diagnosis. Early clinical improvement was observed in 65.5% of patients, and 30-day mortality was 29.3%. Early clinical failure (odds ratio [OR]: 8.720, confidence interval [CI]: 1.346-56.484; p = 0.023) and APACHE II score ≥ 14 at CRAB-VAP diagnosis (OR: 10.934, CI: 1.047-114.148; p = 0.046) were associated with 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose sulbactam therapy may be effective for the treatment of CRAB-VAP. However, early clinical failure was observed in 35% of patients and was associated with poor outcome.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; APACHE ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated* ; Sulbactam*

No abstract available.
Abscess* ; Citrobacter koseri

PURPOSE: To confirm the effect of tailored life style improvement program, provided by occupational health nurse for hypertensive workers on their blood pressure, self-efficacy, and life style changes in workplace. METHOD: The experimental and control group of thirty subjects each were randomly assigned for those who agreed to participate in the study among the pre-hypertensive workers. The tailored life style improvement program was provided to the experimental group and conducted once a week for 8 weeks. This program was composed of exercise and low salt diet to control high blood pressure and weight, and the measurement of carbon monoxide for non-smoking inducement. RESULT: In the experimental group, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased while self-efficacy increased after the program compared to the control group. Smoking and drinking habits of the experimental group were significantly decreased whereas exercise and nutritional habits were significantly improved compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The tailored life style improvement program provided by occupational health nurses for the hypertensive workers was positively affected on their blood pressure, self-efficacy and life style changes in workplace.
Blood Pressure ; Carbon Monoxide ; Diet ; Drinking ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Occupational Health ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study is to conduct a comparative analysis of influencing factors on the experience of mammography targeting ordinary women and outpatients. METHODS: The target subjects were 116 ordinary women and 105 outpatients, and the study period was around 8 months from May to December. RESULTS: When mammography experience was examined, it was found that mammography experience was conducted in 44.8% of ordinary women and 59.0% of outpatients, but this study showed that there was a statistically significant difference. When the relation between the characteristics of the targeted objects and the experience of mammography was examined, it was found that ordinary women have a lot of experience when they have regular exercises and a high health belief. On the other hand, in case of outpatients. mammography experience was more frequent in the older group. In addition, outpatients had experiences in breast-related diseases or high self-efficacy. It was also found that the influencing factors on the experience of mammography were a high health belief in case of ordinary women, and old ages and high self-efficacy in case of outpatients. CONCLUSIONS: In order to increase the rate of conducting early detection behavior for mammography, it is needed to conduct an intervention that increases health belief for ordinary women, while it is effective to conduct an intervention that increases self-efficacy for outpatients.
Breast Neoplasms ; Exercise ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Mammography* ; Outpatients*

E-cadherin is a calcium-dependent epithelial adhesion molecule which plays a role in the initial step of invasion of cancer cells. The step that follows the migration of separated tumor cells is a proteolytic lysis of basement membrane and extracellular matrix by protease of epithelial and endothelial cells such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to be an endothelial cell-specific powerful mitogen as well as a vascular permeability factor. This study is aimed to evaluate the correlation between expression of these factors and pathologic or clinical variables and the roles and prognostic significance of those factors in squmous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung. Immunohistochemical stains were performed for E-cadherin, MMP-2, and VEGF in surgically resected specimens from 90 patients with squmous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung. Mean age of the patients was 59.7 years. Histologic type was categorized into 56 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 34 cases of adenocarcinoma. Mean survival period of the 35 patients was 54 months. The immunohistochemical stains for E-cadherin, MMP-2, and VEGF revealed positive reaction in 67 cases (74.4%), 43 cases (47.8%), and 34 cases (37.8%), respectively. The expression of E-cadherin was higher in adenocarcinoma (82.4%) than in squamous cell carcinoma (69.6%). MMP-2 was expressed in the tumor cells, especially those invading into the surrounding stroma. The expression of MMP-2 was significantly correlated with the survival rate (p<0.05). The expression of VEGF in the tumor cells was significantly higher in cases with lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). In conclusion, these findings suggest that the expression of MMP-2 and VEGF predict poor prognosis of patients with squmous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung and that VEGF may play a role in tumor metastasis.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Basement Membrane ; Cadherins* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Coloring Agents ; Endothelial Cells ; Extracellular Matrix ; Humans ; Lung* ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

Congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia, the most severe form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, is caused by mutations in the steroidogenic acute regulatory protien (StAR). It is characterized by failure of synthesis of all three classes of adrenal steroids and massive accumulation of lipids and cholesterol in the adrenal cortex. The computed tomography (CT) unequivocally delineated massively enlarged adrenal glands of fat-tissue attenuation, enabling early diagnosis and replacement therapy. We report a case of congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia, in which CT established that lipoid deposition at the adrenal cortex disappeared after the adrenal hormone replacement therapy.
Adrenal Cortex ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital ; Cholesterol ; Early Diagnosis* ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Hyperplasia* ; Steroids

The cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction model has been developed based on information on CVD-free subjects, including age, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, and smoking status. A methodological review on whether the CVD risk prediction model is appropriate for diabetes patients is necessary. In general, the prediction model consists of three components-relative risk (RR), mean of risk factors, and survival rate. The prediction model would be useable if no differences in those components are found between the general population and diabetes patients. However, in our results, differences were found in the mean of risk factors and survival rate of CVD between the general population and diabetes patients, while no difference was found in RR. In other words, diabetes patients had a significantly increased mean of risk factors and decreased survival rates for CVD. Since the existing CVD risk prediction model for the general population is not applicable to diabetes patients, it is critical to develop a new model for them.
Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Cholesterol ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Forecasting ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survival Rate