No abstract available.
Asthma*

No abstract available.
Diatomaceous Earth* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Pneumoconiosis*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of retinopathy in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon. METHODS: Chronic hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon were evaluated during regular routine ophthalmic examinations including fundus examination before and during the 1-year follow-up after treatment. A total of 88 patients were included in the study. RESULTS: Retinopathy developed in 11 (12.5%) out of 88 patients at a mean of 7 weeks after initiation of treatment. Peginterferon treatment was continued in all patients and retinal abnormalities including cotton wool spot, retinal hemorrhage and microaneurysm resolved without visual impairment. The incidence of hypertension between the retinopathy group and the group without retinopathy was significantly different (P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of retinopathy with peginterferon in chronic hepatitis B patients was low and the prognosis was benign. Thus, routine screening for peginterferon retinopathy is not necessary.
Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Mass Screening ; Prognosis ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Retinaldehyde ; Vision Disorders ; Wool

BACKGROUND: Dopamine is an inotropic agent that is often selected for continuous infusion. For hemodynamic stability, the rate of infusion is controlled in the range of 5-15 µg/kg/min. This study aimed to compare the time intervals from the administration of dopamine to the onset of its hemodynamic effects when dopamine was administered through three different peripheral veins (the cephalic vein [CV], the great saphenous vein [GSV], and the external jugular vein [EJV]). METHODS: Patients in group 1, group 2, and group 3 received dopamine infusions in the CV, GSV, and EJV, respectively. A noninvasive continuous cardiac output monitor (NICCOMO™, Medis, Ilmenau, Germany) was used to assess cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Six minutes after intubation, baseline heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), CO, and SVR values were recorded and dopamine infusion was initiated at a dose of 10 µg/kg/min. Hemodynamic changes at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 15 minutes postinfusion were recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups with respect to the rate of hemodynamic change. In all groups, systolic BP, diastolic BP, MAP, and SVR tended to increase after decreasing for the first 4 minutes; in contrast, HR and CO decreased until 8 minutes, after which they tended to reach a plateau. CONCLUSIONS: For patients under general anesthesia receiving dopamine at 10 µg/kg/min, there were no clinical differences in the effect of dopamine administered through three different peripheral veins.
Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Dopamine* ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Jugular Veins ; Saphenous Vein ; Vascular Resistance ; Veins*

Acne fulminans shows severe inflammatory changes in acne lesions and is accompanied by systemic symptoms, such as fever and myalgia. Acne fulminans can leave scars, which can profoundly affect patients’ quality of life and require proper treatment. Herein, we present a case of acne fulminans that occurred after COVID-19 vaccination in a 15-year-old male patient. Considering no signs of infection, new drug administration, and immunological factors that can cause acne fulminans other than COVID-19 vaccination and the short time interval between the time of vaccination and the acne fulminans outbreak, acne fulminans is thought to have been caused by COVID-19 vaccination. Oral steroid and isotretinoin treatment was initiated, and 3 months after the treatment, acne lesions recovered to pre-COVID-19 vaccination status, with no exacerbated episode until 6 months follow-up.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify workplace violence experience of new nurses and to investigate effects on organizational variables. Workplace violence experience can lead to new nurses developing negative attitudes towards nursing jobs. A safe organizational culture in which new nurses can work while being protected from workplace violence must be established. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 180 nurses. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and regression analysis. Results: The total score for workplace violence experience of new nurses was 1.75±0.55. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between verbal (r=-.32, p <.001), threatening (r=-.26, p <.001), and total (r=-.28, p <.001) workplace violence experience and job satisfaction, and a positive correlation between verbal (r=.18, p =.016), threatening (r=.17, p =.024), total (r=.17, p =.021) and turnover intention, respectively. Verbal violence experience was found to be a significant factor influencing job satisfaction, and the explanatory power of the model was 9.5%. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to develop a workplace violence prevention program for new nurses and a procedure and reporting system to cope with workplace violence. Furthermore, there is a need to expand a culture of mutual cooperation and a nonviolent atmosphere.

BACKGROUND: More attention is given to oxidative hypothesis which causes atherosclerosis to be recognized as inflammatory response. The relationship between serum ferritin which catalyzes lipid peroxidation and high sensitivity C-reactive protein which reflects vascular inflammation was investigated among adults in a health promotion center. METHODS: The study group consisted of 297 men and women (men 86, women 211) who visited the health promotion center of a hospital in Seoul to have a health checkup from October 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. These subjects answered the questionnares and were measured in the following; blood tests, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and several anthropometric measurements. Statistical analysis was performed on 111 subjects after exclusion of those subjects who were taking antihypertensive agents or antidiabetic agents, and who had acute inflammatory diseases, acute liver diseases, anemia, and who had a WBC > or =11,000x10(3)/mm3 or a serum ferritin > or =200 ug/L or a ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) <0.9. RESULTS: The average serum ferritin concentration of men against women was 132.57+/-43.12 ng/ml to 78.23+/-38.10 ng/ml which means that men have about 1.7 times as high concentration than women (P<0.001). Serum ferritin was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.332). Even in multiple stepwise regression analysis, there was a independent relationship between serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (beta=0.138, P=0.010). When we analyzed with distinction of sex, this relationship in women was constant (beta=0.131, P=0.031), but serum ferritin in men just showed the trend of correlation with BMI (beta=9.510, P=0.059). CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between the increase of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in healthy women; furthermore, studies in men need to be confirmed.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anemia ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Atherosclerosis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Female ; Ferritins ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Pulse Wave Analysis

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether embryonic stem (ES) cells can be established from isolated blastomeres of mouse embryos. METHODS: Blastomeres were separated from mouse (C57Bl/6J) 2- or 4-cell embryos. Isolated blastomeres or whole 4-cell embryos were co-cultured with mitosis-arrested STO feeder cells in DMEM supplemented with recombinant murine leukemia inhibitory factor and ES-qualified fetal bovine serum. After the tentative ES cell lines were maintained from isolated blastomeres or whole embryos, some of them were frozen and the others were sub-cultured continually. Characteristics of tentative ES cell lines as were evaluated for specific gene expressions with immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. RESULTS: One ES cell line (3.0%) was established from isolated blastomere of 2-cell embryo and one cell line (4.0%) from isolated two blastomeres of 4-cell embryo. And five cell lines (16.7%) were established from whole 4-cell embryos. Both cell lines from isolated blastomere and whole embryo expressed mouse ES cells specific markers such as SSEA-1, Oct-4 and alkaline phosphatase. Marker genes of three germ layers were expressed from embryoid bodies of both cell lines. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mouse ES cells could be established from isolated blastomeres, although the efficiency is lower than whole embryos. This animal model could be applied to establishment of autologous human ES cells from biopsied blastomeres of preimplantation embryos in human IVF-ET program.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Antigens, CD15 ; Blastocyst* ; Blastomeres* ; Cell Line ; Embryoid Bodies ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Embryonic Structures ; Feeder Cells ; Gene Expression ; Germ Layers ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; Mice* ; Models, Animal

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) with C3F8 injection for branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) involving fovea. METHODS: Seven patients (7 eyes) presenting with subfoveal hemorrhage caused by BRVO were treated with an intravitreal tPA and C3F8 injection. We assessed the visual acuity (VA) and foveal thickness measured with optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The mean duration of symptoms before surgery was 5.42+/-1.90 weeks. The mean logMAR VA improved from 1.14+/-0.19 at baseline to 0.87+/-0.34 at one week and 0.30+/-0.32 at six months. The mean foveal thickness decreased from 564.421+/-186.88 micrometer at baseline to 483.14+/-275.06 micrometer at one week and 353.28+/-152.99 micrometer at six months. There was no adverse effect related to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal tPA with C3F8 injection may be an effective treatment for resolving macular edema with subfoveal hemorrhage and improving the VA in recently developed BRVO.
Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema ; Retinal Vein ; Retinal Vein Occlusion ; Retinaldehyde ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity

This work aimed to assess some pharmacological activities of P. leptostachya var. asiatica Hara. The dried roots of P. leptostachya var. asiatica Hara were extracted with 70% ethanol to generate the powdered extract, named PLE. Anti-angiogenic activity was detected using chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated via analyzing nitric oxide (NO) content, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Antioxidant activity was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the stimulated macrophage cells. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and -2 (MMP-2) activities in the culture media were detected using zymography. PLE exhibits an anti-angiogenic activity in the CAM assay, and displays an inhibitory action on the generation of NO in the LPS-stimulated macrophage cells. In the stimulated macrophage cells, it is able to diminish the enhanced ROS level. It can potently scavenge the stable DPPH free radical. It suppresses the induction of iNOS and COX-2 and the enhanced MMP-9 activity in the stimulated macrophage cells. Both monooxygenase and oxidase activities of tyrosinase were strongly inhibited by PLE. Taken together, the dried roots of P. leptostachya var. asiatica Hara possess anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin whitening activities, which might partly provide its therapeutic efficacy in traditional medicine.
Chorioallantoic Membrane ; Culture Media ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Ethanol ; Macrophages ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; Medicine, Traditional ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Oxidoreductases ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Skin*