PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the antioxidant level, serum cholesterol and skin beta-carotene, of female elderly who had been living more then 10 months in institutions which offered either vegetarian or nonvegetarian diet. METHODS: Total of 110 female elderly, 56 from institution serving vegetarian diet and 54 from nonvegetarian diet, were recruited from institutions located in S and N city in Korea. beta-carotene level was measured on their palm using Pharmanex Biophotonic Scanner and annual health evaluation data was utilized for the analysis of serum cholesterol. RESULTS: The subjects on a vegetarian diet had a significantly higher level of phosphorus, carotene, and folic acid. The elderly who were living in an institution offering a vegetarian diet had a lower level of serum cholesterol and higher level of skin beta-carotene, compared to those living in an institution offering a non-vegetarian diet. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that a vegetarian diet is beneficial in increasing skin beta-carotene level, decreasing serum total cholesterol level. The skin beta-carotene measurement appear valuable as a bio-marker of antioxidant intake. Further study on antioxidant food and effective serving strategy for elderly are recommended.
Aged ; beta Carotene ; Carotenoids ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Diet, Vegetarian ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Korea ; Phosphorus ; Skin

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to determine whether or not newly proposed high-resolution activity features could provide a superior analytic foundation compared to those commonly used to assess transitions in children's activities, under circumstances in which the types of courses attended exert different situational effects on activity levels. METHODS: From 153 children at a local elementary school, 10 subjects with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 7 controls were recruited. Their activity data was collected using an actigraph while they attended school. Ratios of partitioned activity ranges (0.5-2.8 G) during the entire activity were extracted during three classes: art, mathematics, and native language (Korean). Extracted activity features for each participant were compared between the two groups of children (ADHD and control) using graphs and statistical analysis. RESULTS: Activity distributions between ADHD and control groups for each class showed statistically significant differences spread through the entire range in art class compared to native language and mathematics classes. The ADHD group, but not the control group, experienced many significantly different intervals (> 50%) having low to very high activity acceleration regions during the art and languages courses. CONCLUSIONS: Class content appears to influence the activity patterns of ADHD children. Monitoring the actual magnitude and activity counts in a wide range of subjects could facilitate the examination of distributions or patterns of activities. Objective activity measurements made with an actigraph may be useful for monitoring changes in activities in children with ADHD in a timely manner.
Acceleration ; Actigraphy ; Activities of Daily Living ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Child ; Humans ; Mathematics ; Motor Activity ; Pilot Projects

Intractable pain from advanced carcinoma of the upper abdomen is difficult to manage. On method used to control pain associated with these malignancies is to block off the splanchnic nerve. In 1919 kappis described a technique by which the splanchnic nerve of the upper abdomen could be anesthetized, using a percutaneous injection. This method has been used for the relief of upper abdominal pain due to hepatoma and cancer of the pancreas, stomach, gall bladder, bile duct, and colon. During the period from November 1968 to January 1986, this method was used in 208 cases of malignancy at Severance Hospital and clinically evaluated. Patients were retroactively grouped according to the stage of development of technique used. Twelve patients who received the treatment in the period from November 1968 to March 1977 were designated as group 1, 26 patients from April 1977 to April 1979 as group 2, and 170 from May 1979 to January 1986 as group 3. The results are as follows: 1) The number of patients receiving splanchnic nerve block has been increasing since 1977. 2) A total of 208 patients, including 133 males and 75 females, ranging in age from 18 to 84 and averaging 51. 3) The causes of pain were stomach cancer 90, pancreatic cancer 69, and miscelianeous cancer 49 cases respectively. 4) There were 57.7% who had had surgery, and 3.7% of whom had had chemotherapy before the splanchnic nerve block was done. 5) These blocks were carried out with the patient in the prone position as described by Dr. Moore. Fro group 2 and 3 C-arm image intensifier was used. In group 1, a 22 gauze 10cm long needle was inserted at the lower border of the 12th rib on each side about 7cm from the midline. The average distance from the middle was 6.60+/-0.61cm on the left side and 6.60+/-0.83cm on the right side in group 2, and 5.46+/-0.76 on the left side and 5.49+/-0.69cm on the right side in group 3. The average depth to which the needle was inserted was 8.60+/-0.52cm on the left side and 8.74+/-0.60cm on the right side in group 2, and 8.96+/-0.63cm on the left side and 9.18+/-0.57cm on the right side in group 3. 6) The points of the inserted needles were positioned in the upper quarter anteriorly. 51.8% on the left side and 54.4% on the right side of the L1 vertebra by lateral roentgenogram in group 3. The inserted needle points were located in the upper and anterolateral part, of the L1 vertebra 68.5% on the left side and 60.6% on the right side, on the anteroposterior rentgenogram in group 3. The needle tip was not advanced beyond the anterior margin of the vertebral body. 7) In some case of group 3, contrast media was injected before the block was done. It shows the spread upward along the anterior margin of the vertebral body. 8) The concentration and the average amount of drug used in each group was as follows: In group 1, 39.17+/-6.69ml of 0.5% -1% lidocaine or 0.25% bupivacaine were injected for the test block and one to three days after the test block 40.00+/-4.26ml of 50% alcohol was injected for the semipermanent block. In group 2, 13.75+/-4.48ml of 1% lidocaine were used as the test block and followed by 46.17+/-4.37ml of 50% alcohol was injected as the semipermanent block. In group 3, 15.63+/-1.19ml of 1% lidocaine for test block followed by 15.62+/-1.20ml of pure alcohol and 16.05+/-2.58ml of 50% alcohol for semipermanent block were injected. 9) The result of the test block was satisfactory in all cases. However the semipermanet block was 83.3 percent of the patients in group 1 who received relief from pain for at least 2 weeks after the block, 73.1% in group 2, and 91.8% in group 3. In these unsuccessful cases, 2 cases in group 1 were controlled by narotics but 7 cases in group 2 and 14 cases in group 3 received the same splanchnic nerve block 1 or 2 times again within 2 weeks. But in some cases it was 3 to 5 months before the 2nd block and in 1 cases even 7 years. 10) The most common complications of splanchnic nerve block were hypotensino(25.5%) occasional flushing of the face, nausea, vomiting, and chest discomfort. 11) For the patients in group 3, the supplemental block most commonly used was a continuous epidural block; it was used as a diagnostic block and to afford relief from pain before the splanchnic nervel block was done. 12) The interval between the receiving of the alcohol block and discharge was from 5 to 8 days in 61 cases(31.1%) and from 1 to 2 days in 48 cases(24.5%). From the above results, it can be concluded that the splanchnic nerver block done in the prone position with pure and 50% alcohol immediately after an effective test block with 1% lidocaine under C-arm fluoroscopic control is satisfactory and reliable. How to minimize the repeat block is still a problem to be solved.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Bile Ducts ; Bupivacaine ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Colon ; Contrast Media ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Flushing ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Male ; Nausea ; Needles ; Pain, Intractable ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Prone Position ; Ribs ; Spine ; Splanchnic Nerves* ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thorax ; Urinary Bladder ; Vomiting

This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of sevaflurane including an adjustability for anesthetic depth and an efficacy in 30 healthy patients who had no previous anesthetic complications or have not experienced general anesthesia within 1 month. After premedication with intramuscular administration of midazolam and glycopyrrolate, anesthesia was induced with thiopental sodium and succinylcholine and endotracheal intubation was done for all the patients. Anesthesia was maintained with 0.5 to 2.0 vol% of sevoflurane according to changes of blood pressure in response to surgical stimuli in N2O(2 L/min)-O2(2 L/min) following 4-5 vo1% inhalation for initial 5 minutes. For the muscle relaxation, vecuronium or pancuronium bromide 0.08 mg/kg was injected initially with additional doses in needed. At the end of operation, administration of N2O and sevoflurane was discontinued. Pure oxygen with 5 L/min- flow rates was inhaled until full recovery. The emergence time interval from the discontinuation of sevoflurane to the response of verbal command was about 10 minutes. The systolic blood pressure during operation reduced by 10 mmHg from preinduction value (from 126 to 116 mmHg). And the heart rate just before incision inereased by 14 beats/min from the preinduction value (from 83 beats/min to 97 beats/min). Arterial blood gas study showed mild hyperventilation with PaCO2 of 30 torr during operation, but PaCO returned normocapneic state during spontaneous breathing after recovery from anesthesia. There was no evidence of respiratory depression during perianesthetic periods. Complete blood counts, biochemical studies, serum electrolytes, and urinalysis at the preanesthetic period, the 1st and 7th postoperative days revealed clinically nonisgnificant changes. However SGPT increased to 30 IU/L in the 7th postoperative day from the preoperative value of 13 IU/L. No arrhythmia did occur during anesthesia, and no complaint including headache, nausea and vomiting ect, was seen after recovery.
Alanine Transaminase ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthetics ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Pressure ; Electrolytes ; Glycopyrrolate ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Inhalation ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Midazolam ; Muscle Relaxation ; Nausea ; Oxygen ; Pancuronium ; Premedication ; Respiration ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Urinalysis ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Vomiting

Plasma inorganic fluoride concentrations were measured in adult patients without hepatic or renal disease following sevoflurane-N2O anesthesia (n = 7) or enflurane-N2O anesthesia (n = 6). The anesthetic dosage of sevoflurane and enflurane was 6.48 +/- 2.15 %-hours and 6.57 +/- 2.50 %-hours, respectively. The mean peak plasma inorganic fluoride concentration in the sevoflurane group was 19.5 +/- 13.4 mumol/L 1 hour after anesthesia, which decreased to preanesthetic levels 24 hours after anesthesia. In the enflurane group the values were 13.2 +/- 5.8 mumol/L at the end of anesthesia and decreased, but remained, still twice as high as the preanesthetic level 24 hours after anesthesia. The relationship of plasma inorganic fluoride concentration and anesthetic dosage was more pronounced in the sevoflurane group (r = 0.68, slope = 4.2) than in the enflurane group (r = 0.39, slope = 1.2). In conclusion, sevoflurane-N2O anesthesia results in similar subnephrotoxic levels of plasma inorganic fluoride as enflurane-N2O anesthesia, and although the fluoride concentration had a better correlation to anesthetic dosage in the sevoflurane group than in the enflurane group, its excretion was faster in the sevoflurane group than in the enflurane group.
Adolescent ; Adult ; *Anesthesia, General ; *Anesthetics ; Comparative Study ; *Enflurane ; *Ethers ; Female ; Fluorides/*blood ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; *Nitrous Oxide

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Mesentery* ; Teratoma*

Swine is a common source of Campylobacter coli human gastroenteritis, for the treatment of which erythromycin and fluoroquinolones are recommended. The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant C. coli differs significantly depending on countries. We investigated the prevalence of C. coli in swine from a farm in Buan-gun, Korea in 2010, and determined antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Rectal swab specimens were used to inoculate Campylobacter Preston media and incubated microaerophilically at 42degrees C for 48 h. The species were identified by phenotypic tests and by detecting hipO and glyA genes. PCR was used to detect mutations of A2074C in 23S rRNA gene, and quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA, which are associated with high level resistance to erythromycin, and with ciprofloxacin, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion and agar dilution tests. Of the 100 specimens, 55 (55%) yielded C. coli, and 23 of them (41.8%) had A2074G mutation. A2074G mutated isolates showed the lowest MIC90 of imipenem, while those of ampicillin and clindamycin were relatively low. The majority of both A2074G mutation-positive and -negative isolate were susceptible to ampicillin, cefotaxime, and chloramphenicol. All isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and had mutation in QRDR of gyrA. In conclusion, C. coli was detected in 55% of swine, and A2074G mutation was detected in 41.8% of the isolates. All isolates had gyrA mutation-mediated ciprofloxacin resistance.
Agar ; Ampicillin ; Campylobacter ; Campylobacter coli ; Cefotaxime ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clindamycin ; Diffusion ; Erythromycin ; Fluoroquinolones ; Gastroenteritis ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Swine

PURPOSE: To evaluate CT findings for the differential diagnosis of mechanical bowel obstruction and paralytic ileus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Without information relating to clinical or operative findings, we retrospectively analyzed the CT scans of 24 patients with mechanical bowel obstruction and 19 patients with paralytic ileus. Final diagnosis was confirmed by operation (n=26), or by clinical symptoms, radiologic findings and follow-up study CT findings were obtained : 1) the diameter of the most dilated part of the small bowel, and the thickness and enhancing pattern of the dilated small bowel wall; 2) the diameter of the most dilated part of the descending colon and the ratio of the diameter of the small bowel to that of the descending colon; 3) the number of transitional zones, length and thickness. and 4) associated ascites and its location. RESULTS: The mean diameters of the most dilated part of the small bowel in mechanical bowel obstruction and paralytic ileus were 3.6cm and 2.9cm, respectively. The diameter of the small bowel in mechanical bowel obstruction was significantly greater than in paralytic ileus(p< .05). The mean thickness of dilated small bowel wall was 4.0mm in mechanical bowel obstruction and 2.4mm in paralytic ielus, and target-like enhancement was prominent in mechanical bowel obstruction (46%) (p< .05). he mean diameter of the most dilated part of the descending colon was not significantly different to that of the most dilated part of the small bowel, but the ratio of the diameter of the small bowel to that of the colon was 2.9 in mechanical bowel obstruction and 1.9 in paralytic ileus, respectively, which was statistically significant (p< .05). A transitional zone was seen in 23 cases (96%) of mechanical bowel obstruction and in nine (47%) of paralytic ileus. In mechanical bowel obstruction, mean transitional zone length was 2cm, shorter than that of paralytic ileus (3.4cm) (p< .05) The thickness of transitional zone and the presence of ascites and its locations were not significantly different between mechanical bowel obstrction and paralytic ileus. CONCLUSION: In the differential diagnosis of mechanical bowel obstruction and paralytic ileus, the following CT findings were considered useful : diameter of the most dilated part of the small bowel ; thickness and target-like enhancing pattern of dilated small bowel wall ; ratio of the diameter of the small bowel to that of the descending colon ; and the number of transitional zones, and their length.
Ascites ; Colon ; Colon, Descending ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study was to investigate the characteristics of gentamicin-induced vestibulotoxicity of s otolith organs by assessing the results of earth vertical and the off-vertical axis rotation tests with a morphologic study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rabbits were grouped into two groups, ototoxic and ototoxic prevention group. Vestibulotoxicity was induced by injecting gentamicin (GM) into the peritoneum. Prevention of the vestibulotoxicity was studied by injecting NMDA receptor inhibitors (MK-801), iron chelating agents (deferoxamine) peritonially, and osmotic pumps filled with neurotrophic factors (GDNF, BDNF), respectively. The animal rotation system was designed to rotate the animal sinusoidally or in velocity step (constant velocity) rotation. Off-vertical rotation was applied to evaluate the otolithic function. Scanning electron microscopy were examined for the structural changes of the otolithic organs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: GM-induced vestibulotoxicity was confirmed by gain decreasing in the earth vertical SHA rotation test and bias decreasing in the off-vertical rotation test. However, changes in modulation was not definite. Bilateral prevention of GM-induced vestibulotoxicity was confirmed by systemic injection of deferoxamine and MK-801, and characteristics of unilateral prevention was confirmed by local application of the neurotrophic factors using osmotic pumps. In the SEM study, the GM-induced hair cell damages of the vestibule were identified, which was prevented by the preventive drugs. The reduction of bias value without change of modulation was comparable with the reduction of gain in the earth vertical axis rotation after GM-induced vestibulotoxicity.
Rabbits ; Animals ; Drug Toxicity

Purpose: Thioacetamide (TAA) produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver, and the generated ROS induces liver injury through inflammatory reactions. The current study was undertaken to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Artemisiae Capillaris Herba water extract (AC), imparted via its antioxidant activity, in an animal model of TAA-induced liver injury. Methods: Animal experiments were conducted in 5 groups: normal, control (TAA 200 mg/kg), SM (TAA 200 mg/kg + silymarin 100 mg/kg), ACL (TAA 200 mg/kg + AC 100 mg/kg), ACH (TAA 200 mg/kg + AC 200mg/kg). TAA (intraperitoneal) and treatment compounds (per oral) were administered for 3 days. Serum levels of ammonia concentration and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were subsequently measured. Liver tissues were subjected to western blot analysis for measuring the oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase), anti-oxidative activity (Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 [HO-1], superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase, and GPx-1/2), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) protein expressions. Results: Serum ammonia levels and MPO activity were significantly increased in the TAAinduced control group, whereas groups administered AC treatment showed markedly reduced levels. Western blot analysis revealed significantly increased NOX2 and p22phox expressions, (oxidative stress-related factors) in the TAA-induced control group. These levels were determined to be significantly decreased after AC exposure. Moreover, antioxidantrelated factors including Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, catalase, and GPx-1/2 were significantly decreased in the control group and increased in the AC treated groups. In addition, MMP expressions were significantly suppressed in the AC treatment group due to increased levels of TIMP-1. Conclusion Taken together, these data indicate that exposure to AC reduces the oxidative stress by inhibiting the expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX2 and p22phox ) through the Nrf2 signaling pathway. We therefore propose the potential of AC for the prevention and treatment of TAA-induced liver injury.