No abstract available.
Candida albicans* ; Candida*

OBJECTIVE: In Korea, control activities against the endemic malaria due to Plasmodium vivax had been done in 1960s. It is now widely accepted in Republic of Korea that indigenous malaria stopped its endemicity in the mid-1970s. But a vivax malaria case without history of being abroad was recognized in 1993. In addition to this case, 20 cases of indigenous malaria were detected in 1994. And they were progressively increased to about 80 cases in 19%. We report these recently developed cases. METHODS: In a 7-month period between June and December 1995, high fever patient were examined. Patients having a narcotic drug injection or those who had blood transfusion were excluded. Laboratory studies including blood cell count, peripheral blood smear and abdominal sonogaphy were taken. RESULTS: Over 3-month period from July through September 19%, 26 cases of new indigenous malaria were diagnosed. In a blood smear, plasmodium vivax was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: The twentysix new indigenous malaria cases occured. Because all the detected patients had no history of visiting endemic countries, they were not imported cases. Vivax malaria in the present patients can be contracted by infected mosquitos which came across the militarized zone (DMZ). Officially speaking, DMZ is a 4 km wide between the north and south borders, Hut the width is much narrower in many parts. However, we do not have any information on the malaria situation in the north Korea. In order to evaluate a significance of the recent indigenous malario occurrence, a surveillance system should be operated in these areas.
Blood Cell Count ; Blood Transfusion ; Culicidae ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Fever ; Humans ; Korea ; Malaria* ; Malaria, Vivax ; Plasmodium vivax ; Republic of Korea

No abstract available.
Atrophy* ; Brain*

No abstract available.
Polyarteritis Nodosa*

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine the levels of psychosocial distress among clerical public officers to reveal the various related factors. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaires was administered between Dec. 5th, 2005 and Jan. 31st, 2006, to 1,005 individuals in the service of general administration located in Daejeon City. The survey items included the subjects'socio-demographic and job-related characteristics, health-related behavior, degree of job demand, job autonomy, social support in work, type A behavior pattern, locus of control, sense of self-esteem, and psychosocial distress. RESULTS: The results showed that 24.8% of subjects were categorized as high risk stress, 64.9% as latent stress, and 10.3% as normal. The level of psychosocial distress was influenced by various sociodemographic characteristics, such as personality traits (type A behavior pattern, locus of control, selfesteem) and whether performing health-related behavior or not, as well as according to job-related characteristics such as rank in work, job career, job specifications, job demand, job autonomy, social support in work. CONCLUSIONS: The effective strategy for stress reduction among governmental employees requires additional programs focusing on innovated job specifications and managed personality traits.
Internal-External Control ; Psychology ; Questionnaires

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) is a spherical plant virus that has a single 6.3 kb positive strand RNA as a genome. Previously, we have made the recombinant TYMV construct containing a 0.7 kb eGFP gene or a 1.8 kb GUS gene. The genomic RNAs from these constructs were efficiently encapsidated. To examine in more detail whether size constraint exists for replication and packaging of TYMV, we have inserted into the TY-GUS an extra sequence derived from either eGFP or GUS. We also made a recombinant containing RNA1 sequence of Flock house virus. These TYMV recombinants were introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves by agroinfiltration. Northern blot analysis of the viral RNAs in the agroinfiltrated leaves showed that the genomic RNA band from the recombinant TYMV became weaker as longer sequence was inserted. The result also showed that the efficiency of genomic RNA encapsidation decreased sharply when an extra sequence of 2.2 kb or more was inserted. In contrast, the recombinant subgenomic RNA containing an extra sequence of up to 3.2 kb was efficiently encapsidated. Overall, these results show that size constraint exists for replication and encapsidation of TYMV RNA.
Blotting, Northern ; Genome ; Genome Size* ; Plant Viruses ; Product Packaging* ; RNA ; RNA, Viral ; Tobacco ; Tymovirus*

Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) is a non-enveloped icosahedral virus composed of 20 kDa single coat proteins. In this study, we modified the TYMV coat protein (CP) ORF by inserting an oligonucleotide linker corresponding to T7, HSV, Tat, (Arg)9, or (RxR)4 peptide at the 5'-end of the CP ORF and examined its effect on replication, RNA packaging, and virion assembly. The results showed that the constructs containing (Arg)9 and (RxR)4 sequences were barely capable of replication. The TYMV constructs containing T7 and Tat peptide produced virions that co-migrated with wild-type virions. However, the insertion of T7 and Tat sequences impaired genomic RNA (gRNA) accumulation and packaging, respectively. When only the CP gene was expressed, CPs with (Arg)9 or (RxR)4 successfully produced virus-like particles whose mobility was comparable to that of wild type. In the case of CP having a HSV tag, the virion band was not detected, although a sufficient amount of CP was produced. This indicates that CP with the HSV tag failed to assemble into virions. Overall, the results suggest that TYMV replication, RNA packaging and virion assembly are strongly influenced by the insertion sequence.
Animals ; Brassica napus* ; Capsid Proteins ; Ecthyma, Contagious ; Product Packaging* ; RNA* ; Tymovirus* ; Virion*

OBJECTIVE: Weight gain is a commonly encountered problem associated with atypical antipsychotics, especially olanzapine. To investigate the weight reducing effect of amantadine, we conducted an prospective open label study. METHODS: We started amantadine treatment in outpatients who had gained weight during olanzapine treatment (mean dose of 11.94 mg/day, mean weight gain of 6.33 kg). Data were collected at St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea. The add-on treatment of amantadine was given at a mean dose of 161.9 mg/day with mean duration of administration for 110.2 day. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Extrapyramidal Symptom Scale were checked to evaluate the tolerability of amantadine. RESULTS: Before administration of amantadine, the mean dose of olanzapine was 11.94+/-4.58 mg and mean duration of administration was 123.1+/-174.6 days. Body weight and BMI during this period was significantly increased mean 6.33+/-4.45 kg (Z=-3.839, p<0.001), 4.94+/-0.75 (Z=-3.724, p<0.001) respectively. Amantadine was administered mean dose of 161.90+/-58.96 mg for mean 110.2+/-78.7 days. Body weight and BMI was decreased mean 0.96+/-3.44 kg, 0.71+/-2.7, respectively. There was no deterioration in psychiatric symptoms, as shown in BPRS score decrement and no adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSION: The present data suggests that amantadine does not significantly decrease weight gain experienced by some patients during olanzapine treatment and does not worse psychotic symptoms. Randomized placebo-controlled trial should be needed to confirm these findings.
Amantadine* ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Body Weight ; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Prospective Studies ; Weight Gain*

PURPOSE: In this study, we evaluated the bond-strength between a few metal ceramic-alloys and veneered-porcelain and found if the bond strength of metal-ceramic alloy with lower gold content than the presently used gold alloy was high enough. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this study, after plasticizing porcelain only for gold alloy, metal specimen was fabricated using Ni-Cr alloy and gold alloy with different gold content. Three point flexural test were performed to measure their bond-strength. RESULTS: The bonding strength of Group 1 to porcelain was 40.62 +/- 3.32 MPa, which was the highest (P<.05). In sequence of decreasing value, Group 2 (75%) was 37.47 +/- 1.57 MPa, Group 3 (52%) 35.85 +/- 1.48 MPa, Group 4 (51.5%) 35.04 +/- 1.34 MPa, Group 5 (32%) 33.17 +/- 1.62 MPa, Group 6 (10%) 30.75 +/- 1.21 MPa. Bonding strength of Group 3 and Group 4 to porcelain did not show statistically significant difference with comparison to that of Group 5 (Duncan's test, P>.05), while there was a significant difference between that of Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 and that of Group 6 (Duncan's test, P<.05). The bonding strength between gold alloy and porcelain increased according to the content of gold. In all experimental groups showed higher value than 25 MPa, which is the least value recommended by ISO 9693. CONCLUSION: In all groups, bonding strength was higher than 25 MPa, which is the least value of ISO9693. Therefore, it is considered that metal gold alloy with low gold content is clinically usable.
Alloys ; Dental Porcelain ; Plastics

Torsion of the fallopian tube is an uncommon cause for acute low abdominal pain in female that is difficult to diagnose. Because it has no pathognomonic clinical symptoms or laboratory findings, a high index of suspicion is important when there is history of pelvic pathologic conditions or surgery. The early diagnosis and surgical treatment of the disease are mandatory to preserve oviduct.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent* ; Animals ; Early Diagnosis ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Humans ; Oviducts