No abstract available.
Deoxycholic Acid* ; Phosphatidylcholines* ; Prurigo*

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior and interest. Sleep problems are not uncommon in children with autism spectrum disorders. Symptoms of insomnia are the most frequent sleep problems in individuals with ASD. Sleep problems can cause significant difficulties in the daily life of children with ASD and their families. Genetic factor, deregulations of melatonin synthesis, extraneous environmental stimuli and psychiatric and medical conditions may cause sleep problems. The first line treatment of sleep problems in ASD includes managements for potential contributing factors and parent education about sleep hygiene care for child and behavioral therapy. Supplementation with melatonin may be effective before considering other medications, such as risperidone, clonidine, and mirtazapine.
Autistic Disorder* ; Child ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Clonidine ; Education ; Genetics ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Melatonin ; Parents ; Risperidone ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Cobb syndrome is a rare neurocutaneous angiomatosis characterized by a vascular skin nevus associated with a spinal cord angioma of the same metamere. A 14-year-old girl had an asymptomatic large cutaneous hemangioma distributed from the TI dermatome downward to the L3 dermatome since birth and complained of a gait disturbance and urination difficulty for 1 year. A biopsy specimen in the skin lesion revealed the findings of capillary hemangioma. From C7 downward to L4 posterior epidural hemangioma composed of arteriovenous and cavernous components was diagnosed by radiological examination and surgical exploration. Because of very extensive cord hemangioma, only partial removal of the tumor at T11, T12 and L1 level was performed and postoperatively she was transferred to a special facility for rehabilitative therapy.
Adolescent ; Angiomatosis ; Biopsy ; Female ; Gait ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Nevus ; Parturition ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Urination

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the impact of alcohol use on the antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence of Koreans living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). METHODS: A total of 144 HIV-infected Koreans older than the age of 19 years who had been receiving antiretroviral drugs for at least 3 months were surveyed. Alcohol use was identified as nonhazardous, binge, hazardous, and alcohol dependent as determined by the Alchol Use Disorder Identification Test-Korea (AUDIT-K). ART adherence was defined according to the components of adherence motivation, adherence knowledge, and 95% medication adherence using the modified Morisky scale. Collected data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis for each component of therapy adherence. RESULTS: Of all participants, 13.9% were binge drinkers, 17.4% were hazardous drinkers, and 4.2% were alcohol dependent. For low adherence motivation, the odds ratio for the hazardous drinkers was 7.47 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.72–32.41; p = .007] and for the alcohol dependent, it was 12.61 (95% CI: 1.38–115.38; p = .025) when compared with the nonhazardous drinkers. For medication adherence under 95%, the odds ratio for binge drinkers was 4.65 (95% CI: 1.15–18.92; p = .032), for hazardous drinkers was 8.05 (95% CI: 2.08–31.20; p = .003), and for the alcohol dependent was 27.67 (95% CI: 2.12–360.51; p = .011). CONCLUSION: It is recommended that Korean institutions and governments develop specific mediation and counseling programs that include alcohol useerelated monitoring for the improvement of the ART adherence of people living with HIV.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Alcoholism ; Counseling ; HIV* ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Medication Adherence ; Motivation ; Negotiating ; Odds Ratio

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to correlate the CT and histopathologic findings of abscess wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT findings of 12 patients with pathologically proven brain abscess were retrospectively analyzed with particular attention to the thickness, smoothness and uniformity of enhancing abscess wall, and the results were correlated with histopathologic findings. RESULTS: Two patients with acute cerebritis showed an isodense ring on non-contrast CT(NCCT), but a true capsule formation could not be identified at pathologic examination. Six other patients with isodense ring on NCCT consisted of early to late cerebritis(3 cases), late cerebritis to early capsule(1 case), early capsule(1 case), and late capsule(1 case). These 6 cases showed ring enhancement on contrast enhanced CT(CECT) and true capsule formation pathologically. There was no isodense ring on NCCT in the remaining four patients. They consisted of early to late cerebritis(2 cases), late cerebritis(1 case), and late cerebritis to early capsule formation(1 case). These also showed ring enhancement on CECT and true capsule formation pathologically. CONCLUSION: We found that it is difficult to predict the exact stage of brain abscess on preoperative CT findings. It is suggested that clinical findings and sequential dynamic CT may provide more detailed informations for evaluation of abscess staging.
Abscess ; Brain Abscess* ; Brain* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies

Canalith repositioning maneuver is effective to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). This case showed complicated form of the BPPV such as changes of canalolithiasis to cupulolithiasis, involvement of one canal to two canals and from unilateral to bilateral involvement during the reposition maneuver. This patient was diagnosed as left lateral canalolithiasis at first. After left barbecue maneuver, the type was changed to the right posterior cupulolithiasis. Semont maneuver was performed and then the type of BPPV was changed to combined type with right posterior canalolithiasis and left lateral canalolithiasis. We performed left barbecue maneuver and right Epley maneuver. Then the type of BPPV was changed to left lateral cupulolithiasis. After Brandt-Daroff maneuver and left barbecue maneuver, nystagmus and dizziness disappeared finally.
Dizziness ; Humans

Sequence comparison of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of human caliciviruses (HuCVs) from Korean children with gastroenteritis revealed significant genetic variation among them. cDNA clones were produced from the HuCVs collected from pediatric population during a period of 1987-1994. The application of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers directed to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region within ORF1 of Norwalk virus (NV) showed that 13.7% of HuCVs yielded PCR products of similar size to the NV prototype, NV8Flla/68/US, with exceptions of HuCV185/87/Korea and HuCV1115/90/Korea. Computer analyses showed that the PCR products had a continuous protein encoding frame on the positive strand, and contained GLPSG and YGDD amino acid motifs at the predicted distance from primers. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of HuCVs with previously published sequences for Snow Mountain agent (SMA), NV, and Sapporo/82/Japan indicated that these strains can be divided into four major genogroups. There were 10 (45%) SMA-like CVs, one (4.5%) NV-like HuCVs, two (9%) Sapporo-like HuCVs, and nine (41%) unidentified HuCVs. This fourth genogroup should be investigated further. HuCV185/87/Korea and HuCV1115/90/Korea, Sapporo-like CVs, were genetically distinct from previously characterized HuCVs and more closely related to known animal CVs. One of the animal CV-like strain, HuCV185/87/Korea, showed nucleotide and amino acid homology of only 67% and 73% with the prototype Sapporo/82/Japan. Further characterization of animal and human CV genomes and studies of possible cross-transmission of CVs from animals to humans are likely to be beneficial in understanding the epidemiology of HuCVs.
Amino Acid Motifs ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Child ; Clone Cells ; DNA, Complementary ; Epidemiology ; Gastroenteritis ; Genetic Variation ; Genome ; Genotype ; Humans* ; Korea* ; Norwalk virus ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA Replicase ; Snow

Human caliciviruses (HuCVs) cause sporadic cases and outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Three maior genogrovps of HuCVs have been described including the Norwalk virus (NV)-, the Snow Mountain virus (SMA)-, and the Sapporo-genogroups. This study describes the detection and genetic variation of HuCVs from hospitalized infants with AGE in Korea by RT-PCR and sequencing. The cDNA fragments of 206 to 470bp corresponding to the region of 3 primer pairs (36/35, 35/51 or 3/51) in the polymerase region of NV were generated. Of 185 stools screened, 8% were positive by RT-PCR and their sequences showed that all strains contained the GLPSG and YGDD motifs which are conserved for HuCVs. Amino acid (aa) sequence analysis showed that these strains can be divided into 3 maior genogroups. High conservation was observed in that one strain shares 100% of as sequence with Southampton virus, another shares 99% with the Sapporo virus, and six strains share 90 to 95% with Snow Mountain virus. However, significant sequence variation was also found in other strains. This study indicates that all maior genogroups of HuCVs are circulating in Korea.
Disease Outbreaks ; DNA, Complementary ; Gastroenteritis ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans* ; Infant ; Korea* ; Norwalk virus ; RNA Replicase* ; Sapovirus ; Sequence Analysis ; Snow

A 29 kDa cysteine protease of Taenia solium metacestodes was purified by Mono Q anion-exchanger and Superose 6 HR gel filtration chromatography. The enzyme was effectively inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitors, such as iodoacetic acid (IAA) and trans-epoxy-succinyl-L-leucyl-amido (4-guanidino) butane (E-64) while inhibitors acting on serine- or metallo-proteases did not affect the enzyme activity. The purified enzyme degraded human immunoglobulin G (IgG), collagen and bovine serum albumin (BSA), but human IgG was more susceptible for proteolysis by the enzyme. To define the precise biological roles of the enzyme, more detailed biochemical and functional studies would be required.
Taenia solium/*enzymology ; Serum Albumin, Bovine/metabolism ; Leucine/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Iodoacetic Acid/pharmacology ; Immunoglobulin G/metabolism ; Humans ; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Cysteine Endopeptidases/chemistry/*isolation & purification/metabolism ; Collagen/metabolism ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Chromatography, Gel ; Animals

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at identifying the effects of improved methods of endotracheal suction and hand washing on incidence of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in the neurosurgical ICU. METHOD: Repeated training of nurses about hand washing and adherence of the single use of suction catheter and sterile normal saline of endotracheal suction was provided. Then hand washing compliance of nurses before and after training was investigated. and the incidence of NP in all patients hospitalized for more than 72 hours in the neurosurgical ICU was investigated from Sep 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2001 (2nd surveillance). The NP rate of that period was compared with the incidence of the 1st surveillance period, from Sep 1, 1999 to Jan 31, 2000. The data were analyzed with chi-square-test. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis by SAS 8.0. RESULT: The proportion of hand washing performance increased from 15.6% to 46.8%. The rates of NP per patient during 1st surveillance and 2nd surveillance were 10.3%, 3.9%(p=0.01) patient-days rates of NP were 10.0 cases/1,000 patient days, 4.1 cases/1,000 patient days(p=0.04), and ventilator-days rates of NP were 67.6 cases/1.000 ventilator days, 16.2 cases/1,000 ventilator days(p=0.00) respectively. Out of 29 isolates, 18 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was the most frequently isolated microorganism. The risk factors associated with incidence of NP were age, length of stay, Glasgow coma scale, diabetes mellitus, duration of intubation, insertion of endotracheal tube, duration of tracheostomy, presence of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator, use of ventilator, and insertion of nasogastric tube. CONCLUSION: These results showed that single use of suction catheters and sterile normal saline and increased compliance of hand washing were important factors to decrease the incidence of NP.
Catheters ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Pneumonia* ; Risk Factors ; Suction* ; Tracheostomy ; Ventilators, Mechanical