No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation* ; Humans ; Muscles* ; Pelvic Floor*

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation* ; Humans ; Muscles* ; Pelvic Floor*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Electric Stimulation*

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of CarnitilR (acetylcarnitine, Hanmi, Korea) therapy in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four subfertile men with abnormal semen parameters were treated between March, 2003 and March, 2004 with 3 g of CarnitilR daily for 3 months. Changes in semen parameters were evaluated 3 months after this therapy. RESULTS: The mean age was 34.2 years and the mean follow-up duration was 3.7 months. In asthenospemic patients (n=28), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in volume (2.64+/-1.65 ml vs. 3.10+/-1.60 ml), motility (35.1+/-17.7% vs. 45.9+/-20.4%) and viability (51.4+/-20.3% vs. 59.3+/-13.6%) respectively. In oligoasthenospermic patients (n=16), semen analysis before and after CarnitilR treatment showed an increase in sperm count (10.7+/-54.4 million/ml vs. 38.4+/-32.5 million/ml) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men the empirical medical therapy with acetylcarnitine may be considered as primary treatment.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count

No abstract available.
Thorax* ; Ventilators, Mechanical*

A survey for nematode and cestode parasites of rodents in Korea has been carried out at the areas of Chulwon, Kumwha, Pochon, Paju and Chungpyong, Kyunggi-Do. A total of 300 rodents of seven species was examined, comprising of 219 A. agrarius, 33 R. norvegicus, 8 R. alexandrinus, 14 Mus musculus yamashinai, Microtus fortis pellceus, 21 Crocidura russula and a Cricetulus trition nester. The following fifteen species belonging to thirteen genera were identified: NEMATODA: Heterakis spumosa, Syphacia obvelata, Nippostrongylus muris, Protospirura muris, Capillaria hepatica, Capillaria sp., Heligmosomum sp., Heligmosomoides sp., Rictularia sp. and Gongylonema sp. CESTODA: Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Raillietina coreensis, Paranoplocephala sp. and Cysticercus fasciolaris(the larva of Taenia taeniaeformis).
parasitology-helminth-nematoda-cestoda ; Heterakis spumosa ; Syphacia obvelata ; Nippostrongylus muris ; Protospirura muris ; Capillaria hepatica ; Capillaria sp. ; Heligmosomum sp. ; Cysticercus fasciolaris ; Taenia taeniaeformis ; epidemiology ; rodent

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of treating female stress incontinence with a extraperitoneal laparoscopic Burch. We compared the operative data of laparoscopic Burch, open Burch and Raz`s suspension and we introduced our technique, hybrid of the laparoscopic Burch and Gittes` procedure which avoids traditional intracorporeal suturing entirely. Twenty patients underwent a laparoscopic Burch were compared with 15 open Burch and 21 Raz`s suspension during the same time period for anatomical stress incontinence. We did not use the application of balloon dissection and intracorporeal suturing but extracorporeal knot tying. The results showed that laparoscopic Burch operation could shorten the Foley catheter removal day and hospital day compared to other methods. There were no significant differences in operation time and the complications. Laparoscopic Burch operation offers a less invasive approach to surgical correction of stress urinary incontinence and a rapid return to normal activities. Further clinical assessment is necessary to evaluate the long-term feasibility.
Catheters ; Female* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Urinary Incontinence*

A study was carried out to evaluate the house rats in southern Korea as reservoir host of intestinal trematodes, in 13 different areas: 7 in inland and 6 in brackish-water zones, during the period from August 1980 to August 1981. A total of 170 house rats was captured; 101 rats from inland and 69 from brackish-water zones. They consisted of 129 Rattus norvegicus, 22 R. rattus rufescens, and 19 unidentified. The infection status of the rats were as follows: Total 29 rats (17.1%) were infected by one or more kinds of intestinal trematodes; 27 from inland and 2 from brackish-water zones by areas. Rats in inland were more heavily infected. The intestinal trematodes collected from rats were identified as Echinostoma hortense, E. cinetorchis, Plagiorchis muris, Fibricola seoulensis, Clonorchis sinensis and Metagonimus yokogawai. As a reservoir host, the rats were very important in Echinostoma hortense and E. cinetorchis infection. Rats infected with these trematodes were found widely in southern Korea, and its infection rates were the highest among the discriminated flukes. In this study, no rats were found to be infected with Heterophyes and Pygidiopsis even in endemic areas. The negligible importance of rats as reservoir host of these heterophyid should be reevaluated in the future.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; rat- Rattus norvegicus-Rattus rattus rufescens ; zoonosis ; epidemiology ; Echinostoma hortense ; Echinostoma cinetorchis ; Plagiorchis muris ; Fibricola seoulensis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; intestine ; Metagonimus yokogawai

Purpose: The prevalence of microdeletion of the Y chromosome is 13% in non-obstructive azoospermic patients. Klinefelter's syndrome may be found in about 11% of azoospermic patients. The prevalence and correlation of microdeletion of the Y chromosome in Klinefelter's syndrome, which is the most common cause of chromosomal disorders in male infertility, were investigated. Materials and Methods: Hormone tests (Testosterone, LH and FSH) were performed and peripheral genomic DNA of 82 patients detected as Klinefelter's syndrome between September 2001 and December 2003. The microdeletion of the Y chromosome was examined by a PCR technique. The primers used for the PCR were Sequence-Tagged sites (STS) of the long arm of the Y chromosome (sY84, sY129, sY134, sY254 and sY255) and SRY (control). Results: The mean age, and values of testosterone, LH and FSH in the 82 Klinefelter's syndrome patients were 32.71 3.13 years, 1.84 1.31ng/ml, 14.88+/-5.38mlU/ml and 38.79 12.40mlU/ml, respectively. No patient in this study was found to have Y chromosomal microdeletion. Conclusions: As the role of the Y chromosome in the spermatogenesis of male is well known, microdeletion of the Y chromosome causes severe damage to the spermatogenesis in infertile males. A microdeletion of the Y chromosome could not be detected in patients with Klinefelter's syndrome. Therefore, multiple factors or other mechanisms that influence the defect of spermatogenesis in Klinefelter's syndrome may exist.
Arm ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosome Disorders ; DNA ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Sequence Tagged Sites ; Spermatogenesis ; Testosterone ; Y Chromosome*