No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

No abstract available.
Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Fluorouracil* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to investigate the effects of physical illness on depression in North Korean Defectors. METHODS: One hundred forty-four North Korean Defectors(20 males, 124 females) and 376 South Koreans 133 males, 243 females) in Incheon Metropolitan areas participated the present study. Face-to-face interview was conducted for demographic information including presence of physical illnesses. To investigate depressive symptoms, all participants were required to complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). RESULTS: After controlling gender, age, marital status, educational year, employment status and physical illness, North Korean Defectors showed higher CES-D score than South Koreans(beta=0.449, p<0.001). Within North Korean Defectors, the presence of physical illnesses independently was related to higher CES-D score(beta=0.243, p<0.001). However, within South Koreans, the presence of physical illnesses did not significantly predict CES-D score. North Korean Defectors with physical illness have higher CES-D score than North Korean Defectors without physical illness(26.8+/-13.8 versus 19.7+/-12.7). However, there was no significant differences of CES-D score between South Koreans with physical illness and South Koreans without physical illness(10.3+/-9.8 versus 9.3+/-8.8). CONCLUSION: Compared to South Koreans, North Korean Defector showed higher depressive symptoms independently from gender, age, education, employment, marriage. In addition, only North Korean Defectors showed the relationship between depression and physical illness. Our study suggests that depression should be assessed when North Korean Defectors have physical illness.
Depression ; Employment ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Marriage

The color stability of current prosthetic composites is unknown, even though the quality of com-posite materials has been improving. This study examined the intrinsic color stability of various current prosthetic resins (ceramic-polymers) after an accelerated aging process and the extrinsic color stability after immersion in a coffee solution. By comparing the amount of dis-coloration after aging with that without aging, the effect of the accelerated aging process on external discoloration could be evaluated. Three current prosthetic composites (Artglass, Targis, Sculpture), one light polymerized direct composite (Z100) and one dental porcelain control (Ceramco) were assessed. The col-or changes (delta E) of all the specimens were determined using the CIE L*a*b* color order system with a reflected spectrophotometer. The results were as follows: 1. The prosthetic composite materials subjected to the accelerated aging test showed no sig-nificant difference in color changes (p> .05). 2. In the coffee solution immersion test after the aging process, the color changes of the Targis and Artglass groups were not different from that of the Z100 group, which showed the highest color change. 3. In the immersion only test, a significantly high color change was observed in the sculpture glazing group. 4. The aging process influenced on the color changes more in the Targis, Artglass and Z100 groups than in the Sculpture and Ceramco groups.
Aging* ; Coffee* ; Dental Porcelain ; Immersion* ; Polymers ; Sculpture

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by disturbance in immune surveillance and has an increased risk of cancers. However, no case of tonsillar cancer in SLE has been reported. We report a case of tonsillar cancer in a patient with SLE treated with immunosuppressive agents. A 43-year-old woman with SLE who had been treated with hydroxychloroquine, prednisolone, and azathioprine was admitted because of a palpable mass on her right neck. The patient was diagnosed to have a tonsillar cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis. She received a wide tonsillectomy, right radical neck dissection and radiation therapy.
Adult ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Azathioprine ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Immunosuppression ; Immunosuppressive Agents* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Lymph Nodes ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prednisolone ; Tonsillar Neoplasms* ; Tonsillectomy

The purpose of this study is to develop species-specific DNA probes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for detection and identification of Prevotella nigrescens (P. nigrescens) 9336. This study procedure includes (1) whole-genomic DNA extraction of P. nigrescens 9336 (2) construction of the genomic DNA library, (3) screening of strain-specific DNA probe by reverse dot Hybridization method, (4) confirmation of strain-specific DNA probe by Southern blot analysis, (5) determination of nucleotide sequences of strain-specific DNA probe. Thirty-five restriction fragments of P. nigrescens 9336 genomic DNA digested with the Hind III were obtained. Reverse dot hybridization and Southern blot analysis data showed that three of them, Pn10, Pn23, and Pn35, could be P. nigrescens 9336-specific DNA probes. These data indicated that these DNA probes could be useful in detection and identification of the P. nigrescens 9336.
Base Sequence ; Blotting, Southern ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA Probes* ; DNA* ; Gene Library ; Mass Screening ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevotella nigrescens* ; Prevotella*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors in North Korean Defectors (NKDs). METHODS: One hundred forty-four NKDs (male: 20; female: 124; average age: 40.4+/-11.7 yrs.) completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). A stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate factors associated with the psychiatric symptoms of the participants. RESULTS: NKDs mainly reported somatization (42.4%) and depressive symptoms (38.9%). Female NKDs showed higher prevalence of somatization (p=0.001), anxiety (p=0.020), hostility (p=0.026) and psychoticism (p=0.022) than males. The presence of physical illness was strongly related to most psychiatric symptoms on the SCL-90-R including somatization (p<0.001), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p=0.020), interpersonal sensitivity (p=0.031), depression (p<0.001), anxiety (p<0.001), hostility (p=0.011), paranoid ideation (p=0.015) and psychoticism (p<0.001). Younger age, unemployment, lower income, and longer duration of defection were found to be the risk factors of psychiatric symptoms. In regard to mental health service utilization, we found that most (83.3%) of the participants had not received any form of psychiatric help. CONCLUSION: Somatization and depression were the most prevalent psychiatric symptoms in NKDs. Our results suggest that psychiatric symptoms accompany certain sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that are associated with susceptibility to acculturation stressors. An understanding of these factors will be helpful providing appropriate mental health services to NKDs.
Acculturation ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Hostility ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health Services ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Unemployment

OBJECTIVES: We introduce a novel analysis method of spatio-temporal pattern analysis of EEG. Using it, we presents a results discriminating severe Alzheimer's disease patients from normal subjects. METHOD: To the groups of 10 Alzheimer's disease patients and 10 normal aged subjects, we applied the Karhunen-Loeve decomposition method and observed their principal patterns and time-varying dynamics. RESULTS: First, there was a first primary pattern of the eigenvector in Alzheimer's disease patients that showed opposite polarities at the left and the right hemispheric regions. Second, the Alzheimer's disease patients had significantly different average values of the eigenvector at the left parieto-temporal area than the normal controls did. Third, some Alzheimer's disease patients had one, coherent frequency component in the Fourier amplitude spectrum of the first pattern expansion coefficient. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the pathophysiologic site of Alzheimer's dementia may be left temporo-parietal area in brain and further studies need to evaluate whether the spatio-temoral pattern analysis could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's dementia patients.
Alzheimer Disease ; Brain ; Dementia* ; Electroencephalography* ; Humans

Endometriosis is defined as condition, which is ectopic location of endometrial tissue other than uterus and cause many clinical symptoms. Among extrapelvic endometriosis, scar endometriosis secondary to surgery or procedure is very rare condition. We have experienced one interesting case of endometrioma in uterine wall cesarean section scar. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination of the scar tissue taken after total abdominal hysterectomy.
Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Uterus