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

Leiomyomas of vagina and vulva are rare solid tumors, but most common mesenchymal tumors in adult woman. Most of the reported cases have been benign. The tumors were firm, well-defined submucosal masses in a majority of patients. We experienced two cases of vulvar and vaginal leiomyoma, thus it is presented with a brief review of the cases and its literatures.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Vagina* ; Vulva*

Acute appendicitis is the most common operative disease in general surgery, but it is not also rate disease to see in other clinical department such as Internal Medicine and Obstetric and Gynecology, because it reqnires to differenciate from many other diseases which have similar symptoms. Expecially, because the clipical aymptoms of acute appendicitis are not typieal in children, elderly, and women, it is hard to be diagnosed as acute appendicitis and it is often misdiagnosed as other disease. We performed colonoscopy due to be interpretated aa one of the colon diseases rather than acute appendicitis. But in colonoscopic findings, there were hyperemie and edematous change on the appendiceal orifice of cecum(cherry or acorn shape). So we report 5 cases of acute appendicitis diagnosed br colonoscopy.
Aged ; Appendicitis* ; Child ; Colon ; Colonoscopy* ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Internal Medicine

The displacement of an entire tooth into the adjacent anatomical area is an uncommon complication of a tooth extraction. We encountered a 23-year-old woman who had previously undergone surgery under local anesthesia to remove the lower third molar about 12 weeks prior and the upper third molar was extracted 2 days prior to visiting this hospital. Upon admission, she complained of a swallowing discomfort and a mouth opening limitation. Panoramic radiograph and a CT scan revealed a displacement of the entire tooth into the lateral pharyngeal space. The tooth was retrieved via the transoral approach under general anesthesia. The removed tooth had an indentation formed by a dental bur. Therefore, it was concluded that the tooth displaced into the lateral pharyngeal space was the lower third molar. This report describes an unusual case of a third molar that was displaced into the lateral pharyngeal space with a review of the relevant literature.
Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Local ; Deglutition ; Female ; Humans ; Molar, Third* ; Mouth ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Young Adult

The Dandy-Wlaker syndrome is a developmental disoeder characterized by cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle and agenesis or hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis and is usually associated with hydrocephalus. This syndrome is also associated with intracranial malformations such as agenesis of corpus callosum, and extracranial malformations such as facial anormalies (cleft palate, cleft lip, and ocular anomalies), polycystic kidney, and cardiac anormalies. Reported associated ophthalmic anomalies are microphthalmos, coloboma, and congenital cataract.We experienced a case of infantile esotropia in abnormal insertion and direction of lateral rectus muscle as a variant of the Dandy-Walker syndrome accompanied by cleft palate and cleft lip in a 19-month-old male infant. Subsequent treatment of the 30delta esodeviation and left inferior oblique muscle overaction, including resection of the lateral rectus muscle in both eyes and the myectomy of the inferior oblique muscle in the left eye, yielded satisfactory results, so we report this case, with a review of the pertinent literature, as the first case of Dandy-Walker syndrome associated with esotropia with abnormal course of lateral rectus muscle in Korea.
Agenesis of Corpus Callosum ; Cleft Lip ; Cleft Palate ; Coloboma ; Dandy-Walker Syndrome* ; Dilatation ; Esotropia* ; Fourth Ventricle ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Korea ; Lip ; Male ; Microphthalmos ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases

PURPOSE:Recent studies proposed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the omega6 series (linoleic acid, LA) compared to the omega 3 series (linolenic acid, LNA) may be a potent promoters of adipogenesis during the gestation/lactation period. Increased ratio of LA/LNA may stimulate adipose tissue development during gestation/lactation period and may subsequently lead to chilhood obesity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate fatty acids composition of the breast milk in Korean lactating women and to analyze the relationship between LA/LNA and the body weight gain of the infants. METHODS:Fifty eight healthy postpartum lactating women and their healthy 58 breast feeding infants were studied. At 11.3+/-3.9 days of postpartum, breast milk were taken and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography with one-step methylation method. RESULTS:The total fat contents in breast milk were 3.2+/-1.3%. The total fat contents in breast milk were not related to maternal BMI or Kaup index of infants. The percentage of PUFA was 24.9+/-6.0%. Among these PUFA, the percentage of LA and LNA was 20.3+/-5.8% and 2.2+/-0.8%, respectively. LA/ LNA ratio was 10.2+/-2.5. There were no significant correlations between LA/LNA ratio and infant weight gain during the first 2 months of life. CONCLUSION: Short term weight gain of infant was not related to the LA/LNA ratio in the breast milk. Further studies on the long term effects on fat percent and body weight of infants would be needed.
Adipogenesis ; Adipose Tissue ; alpha-Linolenic Acid ; Body Weight* ; Breast Feeding ; Breast* ; Chromatography, Gas ; Fatty Acids* ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Female ; Humans ; Infant* ; Linoleic Acid ; Methylation ; Milk, Human* ; Obesity ; Postpartum Period ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Lipomatosis, Multiple Symmetrical*

Four hundred and sixty five randomly selected clones from a cDNA library of Blattella germanica were partially sequenced and searched using BLAST as a means of analyzing the transcribed sequences of its genome. A total of 363 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated from 465 clones after editing and trimming the vector and ambiguous sequences. About 42% (154/363) of these clones showed significant homology with other data base registered genes. These new B. germanica genes constituted a broad range of transcripts distributed among ribosomal proteins, energy metabolism, allergens, proteases, protease inhibitors, enzymes, translation, cell signaling pathways, and proteins of unknown function. Eighty clones were not well-matched by database searches, and these represent new B. germanica-specific ESTs. Some genes which drew our attention are discussed. The information obtained increases our understanding of the B. germanica genome.
Sequence Alignment ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Male ; Female ; *Expressed Sequence Tags ; Blattellidae/*genetics ; Base Sequence ; Animals

The taxonomy of Acanthamoeba spp., an amphizoic amoeba which causes granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and chronic amoebic keratitis, has been revised many times. The taxonomic validity of some species has yet to be assessed. In this paper, we analyzed the morphological characteristics, nuclear 18s rDNA and mitochondrial 16s rDNA sequences and the Mt DNA RFLP of the type strains of four Acanthamoeba species, which had been previously designated as A. divionensis, A. parasidionensis, A. mauritaniensis, and A. rhysodes. The four isolates revealed characteristic group II morphology. They exhibited 18S rDNA sequence differences of 0.2-1.1% with each other, but more than 2% difference from the other compared reference strains. Four isolates formed a different clade from that of A. castellanii Castellani and the other strains in morphological group II on the phylogenetic tree. In light of these results, A. paradivionensis, A. divionensis, and A. mauritaniensis should be regarded as synonyms for A. rhysodes.
Acanthamoeba/*classification/*genetics ; Animals ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics

OBJECTIVE: Closure of a low transverse cesarean incision with one layer and two layer, we compared operative time, hemostasis, blood loss and postoperative sonohysteroperitoneographic findings. Study design: At our hospital 103 women were randomized to closure of a low transverse cesarean incision with either one continuous layer of a locking No. 1 chromic suture or two continuous of No. 1 chromic suture with the first layer locked between Mar. 1, 1998 and Dec. 31, 1998. After three months later, sonhysteroperitoneography was taken and then we evaluated uterus indirectly. RESULTS: A one layer closure required less operative time, 16 versus 20.8 minutes (p<0.01), less hemoglobin change, 0.44 versus 1.3 (p<0.01) and less suture materials (p<0.01). But postoperative follow up sonohysteroperitoneography, a one layer closure shows slightly thinning of isthmic layer of myometrium, two layer closure shows more adhesional band and both are similar other findings. CONCLUSION: A one layer does not significantly affect the clinical course than traditional two layer closure. So we recommended a one layer closure when its use is anatomically feasible.
Animals ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Operative Time ; Sutures ; Uterus