BACKGROUND: Passive smoking is an important worldwide public health issue. In many Korean studies, parental smoking has been reported to be associated with reduced pulmonary function in children. But few studies have evaluated the effects of passive smoking on pulmonary function in adults. Therefore, we looked into this association in the study. METHODS: Participants in the study included non-smoking, healthy men (n=46) and women (n=326) from rural Korea enrolled from June to December 2006. Exposure to passive smoking was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire, and standardized pulmonary function tests were performed. RESULTS: There were significant reductions in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, % of predicted) and forced mean expiratory flow rate 25-75% (%) among the men exposed to passive smoke compared with those not exposed (55.7 vs 75.8, P=0.010; 33.9 vs 58.6, P=0.029, respectively). There were significant reductions in FEV1 among men exposed at both workplace and home compared with men exposed only at either workplace or home (42.8 vs 49.3, 64.6; P=0.034). No significant difference in pulmonary function was found between women exposed to passive smoke compared those not exposed. There were, however, reductions in FEV1 and FEV1/forced vital capacity among the women exposed at workplace. Regression analysis showed that passive smoking negatively affected lung function, which were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, particularly at the workplace, adversely affects pulmonary function in adults.
Adult ; Child ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Parents ; Public Health ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; Vital Capacity ; Surveys and Questionnaires

It was not until 1919 that the treatment of retinal detachment began to plan on rationale line by Jule Gonin, Who was the first to appriciate the pathological significance of retinal break and therapeutic effect of closing these. Since after the first Gonin's suggestion, various surgical techniques for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was reoprted in the literatures. Recently the authors had been experienced good surgical results of 45 eyes, beililg operated. The authors employed encircling procedurs and segmental buckling procedure with implants. The segmental buckling procedure was modified from the pocket technique, being employed in the case of simple posterior vitreous detachment. The encircling procedure followed the Crock and Galbraith technique modified from Schepens, being employed in the case of to tal posterior vitreous detachment with collapse. 36 eyes out of 45 eyes was much successful, and no postoperative complication was occurred.
Postoperative Complications ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vitreous Detachment

The author had been experienced one case of ophthalmic migraine recently and was reviewed the liturature. Variability of symptoms and periodicity are characteristic feature of the migraine Syndroms. In this case, periodic scintillating scotoma, which developed abruptly, was revealed congruous in the right homonymous fields, lasting about 30 minutes. Scintillating scotoma refers to the migraneous scotoma with the shimmering border. This illuminated dancing border takes the form of "fortification figures". The Author was concerned particularly about the variable symptoms and pathogenesis of aphthalmic migraine.
Dancing ; Migraine Disorders* ; Periodicity ; Scotoma

Sternal metastasis of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of sternal metastasis of PDTC in an 83-year-old woman, 2 years after right hemithyroidectomy, treated with sternal resection and reconstruction.

No abstract available.
Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Neurofibromin 1 ; Vitiligo*

Viral meningitis and encephalitis are important and serious diseases in young children and adults. There are many causative viruses but it is known that a low percentage of adenovirus (ADV) and parvovirus (PA V) infected individuals develop meningitis or encephalitis. Few reports have been published about central nervous system complications that were rare but fatal. First we used enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with monoclonal antibody to detect ADV antigen (Ag) and PAV Ag in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from acute phase of hospitalized adult patients with viral meningitis or viral encephalitis. Second we detected ADV DNA and PAV DNA in the same CSF after cell culture by nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Third we evaluated ADV and PAV dual infection in CSF by EIA and nested-PCR. ADV Ag in CSF by EIA positivity was 42.9% (12l28) and PAV Ag in CSF by EIA positivity was 21.4% (6/28). ADV DNA in CSF by nested-PCR positivity was 89.3% (25/28) and PAV DNA in CSF by nested-PCR positivity was 38.5% (10/26). ADV and PAV dual infection in CSF by 11CSted-PCR was 35.7% (10/28). Detection rate of ADV DNA and PAV DNA in CSF by nested-PCR with viral meningitis or encephalitis adult patients were higher than we expected. Positive detection of nested-PCR was higher than that of EIA with monoclonal antibody for detection of antigens ADV and PAV in CSF with viral meningitis or encephalitis adult patients. Both methods were analnized by the McNemar test.
Adenoviridae* ; Adult* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; DNA ; Encephalitis ; Encephalitis, Viral ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques* ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Viral* ; Parvovirus* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Adenovirus (AD) is classified into A, B, C, D, E and F subgenera on the basis of neutralization, hemagglutination and DNA homology tests. Six AD subgenera have 51 serotypes. We selected AD types 3, 7, and 11 since they are known to frequently cause respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease and meningitis, which often require hospitalization of the patients. The purpose of this study was to detect and to evaluate the correlation of AD types 3, 7 and 11 and the diseases. The detection method, used for AD types 3, 7 and 11, was a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with HEp-2 cell cultured with clinical samples. The result was as follows: AD 3 (22/62, 35.5%), AD 7 (27/62, 43.5%), and AD 11 (50/62, 80.6%) were detected by the multiplex PCR in 62 clinical samples. AD 3 detection rate in cerebrospinal fluid was relatively higher than in other specimens but its statistical significance was low (p=0.07). AD 11 was detected (50/62, 80.6%) with the highest frequency and appeared to significantly be associated with gastroenteritis, respiratory disease, and meningitis in hospitalized children, and arthritis in adult patients. AD 3, AD 7 and AD 11 types were detected singly in 21/62 (33.9%), doubly in 15/62 (24.2%), and triply in 16/62 (25.8%). The multiplex PCR method using Hep2 cell culture with clinical specimens could detect AD types 3, 7, and 11 in children with meningitis, respiratory infection, or gastroenteritis, and in adults with cancer and arthritis.
Adenoviridae* ; Adult ; Arthritis ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized ; DNA ; Gastroenteritis ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Hemagglutination ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction*

OBJECTIVE: According to the increase of older people, the need for effective methods to maintain or improve cognitive functions in the elderly has increased. These cognitive enhancing methods may contribute to the prevention of elderly cognitive decline by aging and dementing illness as well. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of multistrategic memory training with the metamemory concept on cognitive functions in the normal health elderly in Korea. METHODS: The program used in this study was developed by psychiatrists and psychologists in accordance with Korean situations. We applied the training program to the community-dwelling elderly with subjective memory complaints. Twenty participants were randomly received the intervention with 20 non-treatment controls. This program consisted of 10 sessions and was administered once a week. We examined the effects of this memory training for verbal memory, visuospatial memory, working memory, and verbal fluency ability by repeated ANOVA. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in Word List Short-term Delayed Free and Cued Recall, Word list Long-term Delayed Free and Cued Recall and visuospatial recognition memory. Performance improvements in visuospatial span forwards and the Categorical Fluency Test were also significant. These improvements were still significant after adjusting for depression improvement exact categorical fluency. CONCLUSION: This study shows that multistrategic memory training with the metamemory concept may improve memory ability and other cognitive functions which are not trained and that these improvements may be achieved by pure cognitive training effects.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Depression ; Humans ; Memory ; Memory, Short-Term ; Psychiatry

BACKGROUND: Multi-organ failure from sepsis is very lethal disease entity, which is suspected to be caused by activated inflammatory cells. Inflammatory cells activated by endotoxins generate oxidants and cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6, which in turn stimulate macrophages and neutrophils. Augmented inflammation makes an organ-injury deteriorate into an organ-failure, which may progress to multi-organ failure. This study is designed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of vitamin-C, a scavenger of oxidants, in sepsis. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups : a control group, a group injected intrapetoneally with LPS(lipopolysaccharide), and a group injected intraperitoneally with LPS and vitamin-C. Each eight rats were sacrified 24 hours and 48 hours after injection, and samples of the blood, the liver and the lung were obtained. Biochemical assays of TNF-alpha level in the blood and malondialdehyde(MDA) level, catalase activity and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity in the liver and the lung tissues were performed. RESULTS: Serum TNF-alpha level, tissue lipid peroxidation and tissue i-NOS activity were dramatically increased, and tissue catalase activity was exhausted rapidly in sepsis. High dose vitamin-C administration decreased serum TNF-alpha level, tissue lipid peroxidation and tissue i-NOS induction, and protected against catalase exhaustion. CONCLUSION: high dose vitamin-C therapy was proved to have definite antioxidant effect in septic condition.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Catalase ; Cytokines ; Endotoxins ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Neutrophils ; Nitric Oxide ; Oxidants ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Abdominal distension is not an uncommon symptom in the neonate; it is indistinguishable from Hirschsprung disease by symptoms and X-ray findings. In three patients, severe abdominal distension was found at early infancy and improved with conservative treatment without relapse. The findings were different from those of Hirschsprung disease. Immaturity or poor coordination of peristaltic movement is postulated as the cause. With maturation such problems can normalize. However the pathogenesis remains unclear and further investigation is needed to improve our understanding.
Hirschsprung Disease ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Recurrence