No abstract available.
Gaucher Disease*

Objectives: Community organization is a resident-led movement aimed at creating fundamental social changes in the community by resolving its problems through the organized power of its residents. This study evaluated the effectiveness of health community organization (HCO), Gangwon’s Health-Plus community program, implemented from 2013 to 2019 on residents’ health behaviors. Methods: This study had a before-and-after design using 2011-2019 Korea Community Health Survey data. To compare the 3-year periods before and after HCO implementation, the study targeted areas where the HCO had been implemented for 4 years or longer. Therefore, a total of 4512 individuals from 11 areas with HCO start years from 2013 to 2016 were included. Complex sample multi-logistic regression analysis adjusting for demographic characteristics (sex, age, residential area, income level, education level, and HCO start year) was conducted. Results: HCO implementation was associated with decreased current smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57 to 0.95) and subjective stress recognition (aOR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.97). Additionally, the HCO was associated with increased walking exercise practice (aOR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.71), and attempts to control weight (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.64). No significant negative changes were observed in other health behavior variables. Conclusions The HCO seems to have contributed to improving community health indicators. In the future, a follow-up study that analyzes only the effectiveness of the HCO through structured quasi-experimental studies will be needed.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the factors for the development of the Gangwon's Health-Plus Community Program into the health community organization. Methods: Participants of the study consisted of a total of 8 individuals, including trainers, residents, and public health center officials. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from August to October 2022. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Results: According to the results, the factors that enabled the Gangwon's Health-Plus Community Program to develop into a health community organization are as follows. First, participants believed that residents could do well by themselves, Second, participants met with residents rather than existing leaders.Third, education that encouraged residents to speak and positive assessment was implemented. Fourth, projects were started based on what residents wanted to do. Fifth, participants waited for residents to take action. Sixth, participants engaged with residents instead of just observing. Seventh, participants did not demand short-term outcomes. Conclusions This study will contribute to the progression of community participatory health promotion programs towards a health community organization aimed at community empowerment.

STUDY DESIGN: This retrograde study was designed to compare the clinical features and postoperative clinical results of diabetic and non-diabetic patients who had undergone decompression and postero-lateral fusion with instrumentation. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether diabetes affected the outcome of surgery and to identify the clinical features associated with a poor outcome. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Symptoms of peripheral angiopathy and neuropathy as long-term complications of diabetes closely mimic those of lumbar stenosis and there may be a risk of inappropriate surgical intervention in patients with both diabetes and spinal stenosis. In the presence of diabetes, a poor surgical outcome might be expected. But only a few literatures have been documented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 21 diabetic(mean age 58.2 years) and 21 non-diabetic patients(mean age 61.3 years) who had undergone decompression and postero-lateral fusion with instrumentation for lumbar spinal stenosis at a mean of 32 months after operation by reviewing the medical records such as clinical symptoms and results of objective examination(including electrophysiologic study). RESULTS: The preoperative symptoms were similar in the two groups except that abrupt onset of symptoms, the presence of night pain and the absence of any posture-related pain relief were recorded only by diabetic patients. The level of decompression, co-morbidity rate, and intra-operative blood loss were similar in two groups, too. Nerve-conduction velocity was lowered in 66.7% of the diabetic and in 25% of the non-diabetic patients. Polyneuropathy, which are highly suspicious of diabetic neuropathy was detected 46.7% in only diabetic group. The long-term result was excellent or good for thirteen(61.9%) of the twenty-one diabetic patients and for nineteen(90.5%) of the twenty-one non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Thus diabetic patients who haute spinal stenosis cannot be expected to have same clinical outcome as non-diabetic patients, which is consistent with the general belief of impression. Therefore, the selection of patient according to clinical and electrophysiologic findings would be the most important factor in determining the rate of success of surgical treatment.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Peripheral Vascular Diseases ; Polyneuropathies ; Spinal Stenosis*

Purpose: To document the distribution and clinical features of iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome in its various subtypes observed in patients who visited a single institution in Korea. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of patients diagnosed with ICE syndrome at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yeungnam University Hospital, from 1993 to 2023. The cases were classified into Chandler syndrome, progressive iris atrophy, and iris nevus syndrome based on the severity of corneal and iris abnormalities. We also examined the presence of glaucoma, corneal edema, and iris abnormalities at diagnosis. Results: In all, 22 eyes from 21 patients with ICE syndrome were included. The mean age at diagnosis was 56.6 ± 16.1 years with a female predominance (20 patients, 95.5%). The syndrome was primarily unilateral (20 patients, 95.5%). Subtypes included 9 eyes with Chandler syndrome (40.9%), 7 eyes with progressive iris atrophy (31.8%), and 6 eyes with iris nevus syndrome (27.3%). Glaucoma was present in 15 eyes (68.2%), with 8 eyes (36.4%) undergoing glaucoma surgery. Of the 7 eyes that had trabeculectomy as initial glaucoma surgery, six experienced poor intraocular pressure control leading to Ahmed valve implantation in 4 cases. Corneal edema was noted in 10 eyes (45.5%) at diagnosis progressing to corneal decompensation in 6 eyes (27.3%). Conclusions ICE syndrome in Korea predominantly affects middle-aged women and occurs unilaterally with Chandler syndrome being the most common subtype. Given the high risk for glaucoma development, suboptimal outcomes of trabeculectomy, and significant risk for corneal decompensation, ongoing management efforts are essential for glaucoma and corneal function preservation.

Pagetoid reticulosis(PR) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that has been divided into the localized and disseminated type. There has been ongoing debate about the nature of PR. Some authors have regarded PR as a variant of mycosis fungoides(MF). However recent reported cases suggest that PR may represent a spectrum of lymphoproliferative disorders that may not be related to MF. We report a case of a 65-year-old woman who had an erythematous plaque on the anterior chest, buttock and lower extremities for 2 years. Histologically there was dense infiltrate of predominantly CD8-/CD30+ atypical mononuclear cells in the epidermis that produce a pagetoid appearance. We believe this is the first reported case of disseminated pagetoid reticulosis in the Korean literature.
Aged ; Buttocks ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Pagetoid Reticulosis* ; Thorax

Both death certificates and postmortem examination certificates are used as proof of death. These certificates sometimes contain erroneous information but how frequently they do so is unknown. In particular, only a few studies have measured the accuracy of the cause and manner of death on Korea death documents. In this study, we compared the cause and manner of death on both kinds of certificates with those on autopsy reports to determine the frequency of errors, and to identify way to improve the accuracy of these certificates. In 2012, 528 autopsies were requested of out institute, and certificates were submitted in 241 of the cases. The manner of death was classified as natural, unnatural, or unknown. The cause of death in the autopsy report matched that on the death certificate in 37 of 63 cases (58.7%), and the manner of death matched in 40 of 63 cases (63.5%). The cause of death in the autopsy report matched that on the postmortem examination certificate in 62 of 178 cases (34.8%), and the manner of death matched in 74 of 178 cases (41.6%). Death certificates and postmortem examination certificates are important documents. We identified many incorrect reports of causes and manners of death on both kinds of documents, especially the postmortem death certificates. These inaccuracies are presumably due to a lack of forensic information and education, as well as lack of interest on the part of medical doctors.
Autopsy* ; Cause of Death ; Death Certificates* ; Education ; Korea

Piriformis syndrome, a term applied to an abnormal condition of the piriformis muscle, is characterized by symptoms and signs due to sciatic nerve entrapment at the greater sciatic notch. Recently we reviewed a case of unusual low back pain, radiating to the left lower extremity with tenderness particular in the left buttock. The patient was successfully treated by sectioning the piriformis tendon. We described the clinical features of a case of piriformis syndrome and reviewed the foreign literature.
Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscular Diseases/*etiology ; Nerve Compression Syndromes/*etiology ; *Sciatic Nerve

Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae), which is a well-known food seasoning, has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and anorexia in Korea, China and Japan. Methanol extract from the fruit of P. nigrum was successively partitioned as n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and H₂O soluble fractions. Among those fractions the ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging activity, and piperine was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction. To know the antioxidant activity of piperine, we tested the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase together with oxidative stress tolerance and intracellular ROS level in Caenorhabditis elegans. To investigate whether piperine-mediated increased stress tolerance was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain including CF1553. Consequently, piperine enhanced SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose–dependent manner. Moreover, piperine-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.
1-Butanol ; Abdominal Pain ; Anorexia ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; Caenorhabditis ; Catalase ; China ; Diarrhea ; Fruit ; Japan ; Korea ; Medicine, Traditional ; Methanol ; Methylene Chloride ; Oxidative Stress ; Piper nigrum ; Piper ; Seasons ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Vomiting