No abstract available.
Vomiting

OBJECTIVES: Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) is one of the most frequently used scales to evaluate apathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the AES (K-AES) and to apply the K-AES in examining the characteristics of apathy in the Korean patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: 129 healthy people and 29 patients with schizophrenia have been evaluated using the K-AES, Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS), Social Anhedonia Scale (SAS), and the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). Split-half reliability and internal consistency were evaluated and factor analysis and correlation analysis was conducted. Between-group comparison was conducted using independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: K-AES showed good reliability and validity. Factor analysis confirmed 3 factors, which represented interest and drive, initiative, self-awareness and self-assessment. Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher K-AES and BDI scores than the healthy group. K-AES scores in patients with schizophrenia were significantly correlated with the PAS score, but did not correlate with SAS and BDI scores. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the reliability and validity of the K-AES. Our findings also suggest that the K-AES may be a reliable instrument in assessing apathy as a negative symptom in patients with schizophrenia.
Anhedonia ; Apathy* ; Depression ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Schizophrenia* ; Self-Assessment ; Weights and Measures

Patients can be tested for the H. pylori infection via invasive or non-invasive methods. At present, no single test is absolutely relied upon to detect colonization of H. pylori, and a combination of two tests is recommended if feasible. A growing interest in non-invasive tests for the detection of Helicobacter pylori has been observed recently. Although serology for IgG often is chosen in the outpatient setting because of its convenience, it is less accurate than either the urea breath test (UBT) or stool antigen test. In addition, the UBT and stool antigen test can be used to confirm eradication, whereas serology remains positive for months after eradication. The test should be used in the basis of the clinical circumstances, the likelihood ratio of positive and negative tests, the cost-effectiveness of the testing strategy, and the availability of the tests.
Breath Tests ; Colon ; Diagnosis* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Outpatients ; Urea

No abstract available.
Caves ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Portal Vein

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Colon ; Neoplasm Metastasis

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Stomach

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiologic studies have shown that increased uric acid is a risk factor of cardiovascular mortality. Elevated serum uric acid is also a feature of insulin resistance. However, increased or decreased levels of uric acid have been variably reported in diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relation between uric acid and metabolic parameters and chronic complications in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Total 387 patients with type 2 diabetes were evaluated and divided according to their uric acid level in quartiles. Plasma glucose, lipid profiles, blood pressure, C-peptide levels and complications including nephropathy and retinopathy were compared between four groups according to plasma uric acid levels. Patients were divided as follows : Quartile 1 (<3.7 mg/dL, n=94), Quartile 2 (>or=3.7 mg/dL and < 4.5 mg/dL, n=96), Quartile 3 (>or=4.5 mg/dL and < 5.4 mg/dL, n=101), Quartile 4 (>or=5.4 mg/dL, n=96). RESULTS: Patients within the highest quartile showed significantly longer duration of diabetes, higher prevalence of retinopathy and higher blood pressure, higher level of triglyceride, creatinine and C-peptide (p<0.05). Patients within the lowest quartile showed significantly higher concentrations of fasting plasma glucose, postprandial glucose and HbA1c (p<0.05). In the multiple regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, duration of diabetes, a positive correlation was found between uric acid levels and creatinine (beta=0.245, p<0.01), triglyceride (beta=0.127, p<0.05), diastolic blood pressure (beta=0.156, p<0.05) and percentage of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (beta=0.141, p<0.05). After readjustment for age, sex, duration of diabetes and creatinine, the strong predictor of uric acid was triglyceride levels (beta=0.161, p<0.05) and diastolic pressure (beta=0.227, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In type 2 diabetes, elevated uric acid level was related with the components of insulin resistance syndrome and the degree of microvascular complications.
Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; C-Peptide ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Complications* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance ; Mortality ; Plasma* ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Uric Acid*

No abstract available.
Echinococcosis, Hepatic*

No abstract available.
Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Neuropeptides ; Phenotype

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study is to evaluate the differences of the rate and the ratio of heart rate changes, which is well known to reflect the vagal reactivation, after peak exercise between ischemic heart disease and normal during treadmill exercise test. Additionally R-wave amplitude changes are evaluated to have the discriminal power between ischemic heart disease and normal. METHODS: We have studied 253 human (196 control, 57 patients) who took the symptom-limited exercise test using Marquette case 8000 model. The 57 patients who showed the positive result by exercise test have confirmed by coronary angiography. The rate of heart rate changes was defined as the absolute difference of the heart rate subtracted by the just-previous stage heart rate. The ratio of heart rate changes was defined as the percentile of the rate of heart rate changes comparing to the just-previous stage heart rate. The changes of R-wave amplitude at lead V5 and aVF were obtained by the subtraction of R-wave amplitude at the peak exercise stage from that at the standing rest stage respectively. Additively heart rate recovery was defined as the rate of heart rate change which was obtained at 1 minute later after peak exercise. RESULTS: In patients and control, the resting heart rate were 70 +/- 13 bpm and 69 +/- 11 bpm (p>0.05), and the peak heart rate were 136 +/- 22 bpm and 155 +/- 18 bpm respectively (p<0.001). The rate of heart rate changes in patients group were significantly lower than that in control at 1 minute, 3 minute, and 5 minute respectively (p<0.001, p=0.008, p=0.002). The ratio of heart rate changes in patients group were also significantly lower than that in control at 1 minute, 3 minute, and 5 minute respectively (p=0.017, p=0.027, p=0.002). With comparing both groups, the incidences of ventricular ectopy were not different during exercise and recovery stages, and the difference in the changes of R-wave amplitude at lead V5 and aVF were not observed respectively. CONCLUSION: The rate and ratio of heart rate changes are significantly lower in iscemic heart disease than in normal, and these are resulted from the depression of vagal reactivation. These findings are supplemental to make a diagnosis and a arrhythmic risk stratification of ischemic heart disease.
Coronary Angiography ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Exercise Test ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Ischemia*