Prader-Willi(PW)syndrome is characterized by obesity, hypotonia, mental retardation, hypogonadism, short stature, excessive eating and characteristic facial appearance. Diabetes mellitus has been considered a component of PW syndrome. Recently this syndrome is caused by the absence of paternally derived genes normally located on chromosome segment 15 q11-q13 or may be the result of maternal uniparental disomy with the absence of paternally derived 15 q11-q13 region. The developement of probes containing segments of DNA from chromosome region 15 q11-q13 provides the oppotunity to confirm the diagnosis of PW syndrome by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH). We experienced a 15-year-old boy of PW syndrome with diabetes mellitus, who revealed mental retardation, hypogonadism, obesity and microdeletion of chromosome 15 q11-q13 comfirmed by FISH.
Adolescent ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Eating ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Intellectual Disability ; Male ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Obesity ; Prader-Willi Syndrome* ; Uniparental Disomy

A condition of underestimation of sleep is classified as paradoxical insomnia or sleep state misperception. However, overestimation of sleep, so called positive sleep state misperception has not been clearly described. Here we report a middle-aged woman with positive sleep state misperception who presented excessive sleepiness mimicking hypersomnia.
Disorders of Excessive Somnolence* ; Female ; Humans ; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

An important error in the result of Table 3 was confirmed in the article.

Purpose: Some patients who have undergone surgery due to lumbar disc herniation still complain of leg pain and other abnormal sensations. Therefore, the study examined the effects of the neurodynamics on pain and other abnormal nerve sensations in post-operated patients with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: The participants of this study comprised 20 adults (10 males and 10 females) who were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation. The subjects were classified into two groups of 10 patients each in the lower extremity neurodynamics (LEN) and lumbar stabilization exercise (LSE) groups. Each intervention was applied twice a day for one week and was composed of two different exercise patterns; one was applied by a therapist, and the other was performed by the patients themselves. The data were analyzed using assessment methods of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), Toronto clinical neuropathy scoring system (TCNSS), Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR) test, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scale. Results: Significant differences in TCNSS, DITI, ODI scale were observed between the LEN and LSE group (p<0.01). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the SSR test between pre and post-treatment (p>0.05). Conclusion The results indicated that neurodynamics treatment is effective in pain reduction and abnormal sensations, such as leg muscle cramps, in post-operated patients with lumbar disc herniation.

Purpose: Some patients who have undergone surgery due to lumbar disc herniation still complain of leg pain and other abnormal sensations. Therefore, the study examined the effects of the neurodynamics on pain and other abnormal nerve sensations in post-operated patients with lumbar disc herniation. Methods: The participants of this study comprised 20 adults (10 males and 10 females) who were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation. The subjects were classified into two groups of 10 patients each in the lower extremity neurodynamics (LEN) and lumbar stabilization exercise (LSE) groups. Each intervention was applied twice a day for one week and was composed of two different exercise patterns; one was applied by a therapist, and the other was performed by the patients themselves. The data were analyzed using assessment methods of Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), Toronto clinical neuropathy scoring system (TCNSS), Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR) test, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scale. Results: Significant differences in TCNSS, DITI, ODI scale were observed between the LEN and LSE group (p<0.01). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the SSR test between pre and post-treatment (p>0.05). Conclusion The results indicated that neurodynamics treatment is effective in pain reduction and abnormal sensations, such as leg muscle cramps, in post-operated patients with lumbar disc herniation.

BACKGROUND: Bovine pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde(GA) is one of the most popular prosthetic materials. However, its late calcific degeneration after implantation results in early failure of the prosthesis. Therefore, we investigated the effects of combined treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) and glutamate on calcific degeneration of GA treated bovine pericardium. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty square-shaped pieces of bovine pericardia were fixed in 0.625% GA solution with 4g/L MgCl2 6H2O as a control group (group 1). Sixty pieces pretreated with 1% SDS (group 2) and sixty pieces posttreated with 8% glutamate (group 3) were also fixed in the same GA solution. Sixty pieces pretreated with 1% SDS and posttrated with 8% glutamate were also fixed in the same GA solution (group 4). After 1 month of fixation, the pieces were implanted into the belly of sixty Sprague-Dawley rat subdermally and were extracted 1 month, 2 months and 3 months after the implantation. With an atomic absorption spectrophotometry, we measured the calcium amount deposited. RESULT: The calcium deposition in 1 month was 2.01+/-0.13 mg/g in group 1, 1.45+/-0.31 mg/g in group 2, 2.49+/-0.15 mg/g in group 3 and 0.75+/-0.27 mg/g in group 4. In 2 months, it was 3.57+/-0.15 mg/g in group 1, 0.98+/-0.30 mg/g in group 2, 3.46+/-0.12 mg/g in group 3, and 1.48+/-0.39 mg/g in group 4, and 5.45+/-0.42 mg/g in group 1, 2.43+/-0.53 mg/g in group 2, 4.20+/-0.55 mg/g in group 3, and 1.02+/-0.27 mg/g in group 4 in 3 months. The calcium depositions in group 2 and 4 were less than those of group 1 and 3 in 1 month 2, months, and 3 months(p<0.01). The calcium depositions in group 1, 2 and 3 increased with time. However, they remained unchanged in group 4, which was statistically significant(p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with SDS is effective in reducing calcification of GA treated bovine pericardium, and the combined method of pretreatment with SDS and posttreatment with glutamate was more effective than the other methods.
Animals ; Calcinosis ; Calcium ; Glutamic Acid* ; Glutaral* ; Magnesium Chloride ; Pericardium* ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate* ; Sodium* ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

Although colorectal cancer emerged as a major public health concern, its incidence as well as mortality are decreasing during recent years in Korea. Most important contributor for these reduction in disease burden is colorectal cancer screening. Besides screening, primary prevention through risk factor modification could reduce 10% to 54% of colorectal cancer incidence. These factors include limiting alcohol, processed and red meat consumption, and cigarette smoking, maintaining optimal weight, and engaging physical activities.

Although colorectal cancer emerged as a major public health concern, its incidence as well as mortality are decreasing during recent years in Korea. Most important contributor for these reduction in disease burden is colorectal cancer screening. Besides screening, primary prevention through risk factor modification could reduce 10% to 54% of colorectal cancer incidence. These factors include limiting alcohol, processed and red meat consumption, and cigarette smoking, maintaining optimal weight, and engaging physical activities.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Epidemiology ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Motor Activity ; Primary Prevention ; Public Health ; Red Meat ; Risk Factors ; Smoking

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on the emergency department length of stay (ED-LOS) and outcomes of patients admitted with pneumonia. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study that included adult pneumonia patients admitted to the emergency department during the period from February to July 2019 and the corresponding period in 2020. After the COVID-19 outbreak, many changes occurred in medical systems, causing prolonged ED-LOS. We divided ED-LOS into pre-, mid-, and post-ED-LOS and compared ED-LOS, hospital LOS and in-hospital mortality rates of pneumonia patients during the above-mentioned periods. In addition, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors leading to in-hospital mortality in 2020. Results: A total of 365 patients were included in the study. Pre-ED-LOS, mid-ED-LOS, post-ED-LOS, and in-hospital mortality in the 2020 group were significantly higher than those of the 2019 group (P<0.05). Mid-ED-LOS (odds ratio [OR], 1.474; P=0.001) and post-ED-LOS (OR, 1.098; P=0.024) were identified as being independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in 2020. Conclusion Our study shows that ED-LOS and in-hospital mortality increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mid-ED-LOS and post-ED-LOS were independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with pneumonia in 2020.

Background: s/Aims: The treatment landscape for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has significantly evolved over the past decade. We aimed to analyze trends in treatment patterns for HCC using a nationwide claims database from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort study analyzed 171,002 newly diagnosed HCC patients between 2008 and 2022. Etiologies and treatment modalities were categorized based on the ICD-10 codes and insurance data. Results: The annual incidence decreased from 11,814 in 2008 to 10,443 in 2022. However, patients aged ≥70 increased noticeably, with those aged ≥80 rising from 3.8% in 2008 to 13.1% in 2022. From 2008 to 2022, the predominant cause of hepatitis B virus decreased from 68.9% to 59.7%, whereas nonalcoholic fatty liver disease increased from 8.9% to 15.8%. The initial treatment trends shifted: surgical resection and systemic therapy increased from 12.2% to 21.3% and from 0.2% to 9.6%, whereas transarterial therapy decreased from 49.9% to 36.6%. Best supportive care decreased from 31.7% to 21.3%. In the subgroup analysis, laparoscopic resection rate increased from 10.6% to 60.6% among the surgical resections. Sorafenib initially accounted for 100%, lenvatinib peaked at 36.5% in 2021, and atezolizumab-bevacizumab became the most widely used (63.1%) by 2022 among the systemic therapies. Conclusions This study demonstrates the temporal changes in the treatment patterns of Korean HCC patients. Surgical resection, particularly laparoscopic liver resection, and systemic therapy has increased significantly. These changes may have been influenced by reimbursement policies and advances in clinical research.