BACKGROUND: Because systolic and diastolic dysfunction frequently coexist in acute myocardial infarction(AMI), we hypothesize that a combined measure of ventricular performance using Doppler echocardiography may be more sensitive and time-saving diagnostic tool for the evaluation of patients presenting with cardiogenic chest pain. METHOD AND RESULTS: Seventy-one patients with AMI (47 male, 59+/-11 years) and 45 patients with normal coronary artery (29 male, 52+/-11 years) were included in the study for measurement of cardiac performance index and established parameters of ventricular function using conventional echo-Doppler methods. a new derived index of cardiac performance: (ICT+IRT)/ET, was obtained by subtracting ejection time(ET) from the interval between cessation and onset of the mitral inflow velocity to give the sum of isovolumic contraction time(ICT) and isovolumic relaxation time(IRT). The mean value of the index was significantly different between normal and AMI(p<0.01). The degree of inter-group overlap was smaller for the index compared to other parameters. within functional groups, the value of the index did not appear to be related to heart rate, mean arterial pressure and the degree of mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSION: cardiac performance index is a conceptually new, simple and reproducible Doppler index of combined systolic and diastolic myocardial performance, and it is useful as screening test for patients with cardiac dysfunction due to AMI.
Arterial Pressure ; Chest Pain ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Relaxation ; Ventricular Function

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological and neurochemical changes following spinal injury are not yet elucidated. This study was designed to evaluate the morphological changes of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and profiles of pain behaviors following intraspinal injection of NMDA in rats. METHODS: Rats were randomized into three groups: a sham-operated control group and groups where the rats received 10 mM or 100 mM N-methyl-D-aspatate (NMDA) injected into their spinal dorsal horn. Following injection, hypersensitivity to cold and mechanical stimuli and excessive grooming behaviors were assessed serially for four weeks. Morphological changes of the spinal cord were evaluated four weeks after intraspinal injection. RESULTS: Few animals in the NMDA groups developed hypersensitivity to cold and mechanical stimuli. The number of groomers and the severity of excessive grooming were significantly higher in the 100 mM NMDA group than those values of the control and 10 mM NMDA groups. The size of the neck region (lamina III-IV) was significantly smaller in the 100 mM NMDA group than in the control and 10 mM NMDA groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, intraspinal injection of NMDA in rats leads to the pathological sequela in the spinal cord and to excessive grooming behavior. These results support the use of NMDA and excessive grooming behavior after excitotoxic SCI as a model to study chronic pain after SCI.
Animals ; Chronic Pain ; Cold Temperature ; Grooming ; Horns ; Hypersensitivity ; Injections, Spinal ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neck ; Pilot Projects ; Rats ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Injuries

No abstract available.
Lymph Nodes* ; Tuberculosis*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complication and recurrence rates in patients undergoing trocar-guided mesh implant for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed based on the medical records of patients who had undergone mesh implant by one surgeon from May 2006 to August 2013 at the Presbyterian Medical Center in Korea. We evaluated perioperative complications such as bladder injury, mesh exposure, urinary symptoms, infections, and chronic pelvic pain. Recurrence was defined as a POP-quantification system stage ≥II or any symptomatic prolapse. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were evaluated, and the mean age of patients was 65.4±7.2 years. Stage ≥III POP-quantification Ba was noted in 61 patients (91%). Intraoperative complications included three cases of bladder injury (4.5%). The mean follow-up period was 44.1±7.9 months. Postoperative complications occurred in seven women (10.5%): four cases of urinary symptoms (6%), two cases of infections (3%), and one case of chronic pelvic pain (1.5%). Mesh exposure did not occur (0%). Prolapse recurrence was reported in five patients (7.5%). CONCLUSION: Based on our operational result, the trocar-guided mesh implant seems to provide safe and effective outcomes.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse* ; Pelvic Pain ; Postoperative Complications ; Prolapse ; Protestantism ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Mesh ; Urinary Bladder

Arachnoid cysts represent 1 percent of all intracranial masses. Their common locations include the middle cranial fossa, the quadrigeminal cistern, the suprasellar region, the posterior fossa, and the region of the cerebral convexities. Midline cysts often create a disturbance in intracranial dynamics due to the shift and displacement of surrounding structures, and then developed hydrocephalus. So, early diagnosis and treatment of these cysts are important. The arachnoid cyst by ultrasonogram shows characteristic well capsulated homogeneous hypoechoic cyst. We report a case of prenatally diagnosed suprasellar arachnoid cyst by ultrasonogram and MRI, which was treated postnatally.
Arachnoid Cysts ; Arachnoid* ; Cranial Fossa, Middle ; Early Diagnosis ; Hydrocephalus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prenatal Diagnosis* ; Ultrasonography

A 24-year-old woman, gravida 1, para 0, was referred to our hospital at 14 weeks of gestation due to suspected twin pregnancy with hydatidiform mole and coexisting fetuses. The present pregnancy was achieved following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Ultrasound examinations at 14 weeks 3 days of gestation revealed a live fetus appropriate for assigned gestational age with a normal-looking placenta and a dead fetus with an additional echogenic mass resembling molar placenta. The patient was planned to take amniocentesis for chromosomal analysis. However, regular uterine contraction was developed and spontaneous expulsion was occurred at 14 weeks 4 days of gestation. Chromosomal analysis of twin pregnancy using normal and molar placental tissues revealed normal karyotype with 46,XY, 46,XX, respectively. Follow-up showed no progression to persistent gestational trophoblastic disease. We present a twin pregnancy with diploid partial hydatidiform mole and coexisting fetuses that occurred following IVF-ET, which was aborted spontaneously.
Amniocentesis ; Diploidy ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Fetus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; Karyotype ; Molar ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Uterine Contraction ; Young Adult

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cigarette smoking is considered the most important risk factor for the development of COPD, and several studies have demonstrated that inflammation in the respiratory tract is an early event in cigarette smoker and long.acting bronchodilator provides significant improvement in lung function, quality of life and symptoms in asymptomatic patients who were not previously receiving maintenance treatment. Considering pathophysiology of COPD, early diagnosis of the disease with aggressive management in early stages is the best strategy to reduce costs in COPD. However, it is inadequate to diagnose COPD as symptoms, and GOLD guideline does not recommend regular treatment in mild COPD patients. Furthermore, the reason for the underdiagnosis and delay in treatment may from medical insurance in Korea covers using regular long acting anticholinergics only in moderate or more severe patients. This article reviewed the necessity of early diagnosis, the mechanism of COPD and the significance of aggressive intervention in early COPD patients.
Cholinergic Antagonists ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Insurance ; Korea ; Lung ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory System ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

The nfa1 gene was cloned from a cDNA library of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri by immunoscreening; it consisted of 360 bp and produced a 13.1 kDa recombinant protein (rNfa1) that showed the pseudopodia-specific localization by immunocytochemistry in the previous study. Based on the idea that the pseudopodia-specific Nfa1 protein mentioned above seems to be involved in the pathogenicity of N. fowleri, we observed the effect of an anti-Nfa1 antibody on the proliferation of N. fowleri trophozoites and the cytotoxicity of N. fowleri trophozoites on the target cells. The proliferation of N. fowleri trophozoites was inhibited after being treated with an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody in a dose-dependent manner for 48 hrs. By a light microscope, CHO cells co-cultured with N. fowleri trophozoites (group I) for 48 hrs showed severe morphological destruction. On the contrary, CHO cells co-cultured with N. fowleri trophozoites and anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody (1: 100 dilution) (group II) showed less destruction. In the LDH release assay results, group I showed 50.6% cytotoxicity, and group II showed 39.3%. Consequently, addition of an anti-Nfa1 polyclonal antibody produced a decreasing effect of in vitro cytotoxicity of N. fowleri in a dosedependent manner.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*immunology ; Antigens, Protozoan/genetics/*immunology ; CHO Cells ; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic ; Female ; Hamsters ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Naegleria fowleri/growth & development/immunology/*pathogenicity ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics/*immunology ; Recombinant Proteins/immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting a hypothetical model of testing for general hospital nurses’ job embeddedness. Methods: Data were collected from August 20 to September 19, 2021, by a self-administered questionnaire answered by 428 general hospital nurses. The data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS. Results: Nine of the hypothetical model’s 12 hypotheses were supported by the data collected from all participants. The test results indicate that ego resilience, subjective career success, and recovery experience from job stress directly affect participants’ job embeddedness. Nurses’ work environments were reported to affect ego resilience and subjective career success, while at the same time ego resilience and subjective career success affected the participants’ job embeddedness. Work-life balance was found to affect ego resilience and ego resilience affected subjective career success, and at the same time subjective career success directly affected participants’ recovery experiences from job stress and job embeddedness. Of these variables, subjective career success had the strongest direct effect on participants’ job embeddedness. Work-life balance affected the participants’ recovery experiences from job stress, and their recovery experiences from job stress were found to directly affect job embeddedness. Conclusion These results suggest that different management strategies to enhance hospital nurses’ job embeddedness should address nurses’ ego resilience, subjective career success, and recovery experiences from job stress.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate obstetrical characteristics related to fetal trisomies and to survey the predictive value of abnormal second trimester ultrasonographic findings for fetal trisomies. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 3,023 patients who had fetal karyotyping performed between May 1989 and May 2005, and then retrospectively examined 71 cases of trisomies diagnosed prenatally. All patients were classified into three groups according to indications of fetal karyotyping such as positive triple test result, maternal age older than 35 at delivery, and abnormal ultrasonographic findings and we compared the obstetrical features and positive predictive value of each indication. RESULTS: Thirty two cases (39%) of total trisomies had abnormal ultrasonographic findings. Abnormal ultrasonographic findings were significantly more common (16 cases, 76%, P=0.001) in fetuses with trisomy 18 compared to the other trisomies. Structural anomalies in fetuses with trisomy were usually detected in late second trimester. The positive predictive value of abnormal ultrasonographic findings was 3.0% (elderly woman; 1.4%, positive triple test; 1.7%) in trisomy 21 and 6.3% (elderly woman; 1.6%, positive triple test; 1.8%) in both trisomy 21 and 18. CONCLUSION: The positive predictive value of abnormal ultrasonographic findings for diagnosis of fetal trisomy is higher than the other indications for fetal karyotyping. In addition, screening of trisomy 18 with an ultrasonography may be still more important because the majority of fetuses with trisomy 18 show various congenital anomalies.
Down Syndrome ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Mass Screening ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Retrospective Studies ; Trisomy