To determine effects of the direction of the rotational work shifting on the circadian rhythm and adaptation of physiological and psychological components were investigated with nursing students. Two groups of seven volunteers participated as experimental subjects, and eight nursing students participated as a control group. The directions of rotation work shift were as follows : CW(clockwise)-shift system rotation in the direction of day shift(3 lays), evening shift(3days), off duty(1day) and night shift(5days). and CCW(counterclockwise)-shift system rotation in the reverse direction. Urinary free cortisol and 17-hydroxycorticoster oids in the urine were measured by the solid-phase radioimmunoassay and the colorimetry methods, re spectively. Plasma melatonin was measured by radioimmunoassay. The urinary free cotisol rhythm changed to ir-regular on the evening and night shift in the CCW shift system, whereas the rhythm seems to adapt on night shift in the CW shift system. The daily rhythms of urinary 17-OHCS indicate that they are well synchronized to shift work. These results show that the rotation of shift in the CW direction is more acceptable in terms of the adaptation of hormonal rhythms. These results indicate that the CCW rotation of shift work makes it more difficult for the workers to adapt on a physiological level, and has many more negative effects on nurses when compared with the CW rotation. Thus, a clockwise rotating shift systern seems to be more desirable for the optimal health and performance of nurses.
Circadian Rhythm* ; Colorimetry ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Melatonin ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Students, Nursing ; Volunteers

Local anesthesia in strabismus surgery allows for the evaluation of ocular alignment during the operation and enables early postoperative recovery.However, extraocular muscle traction results in decreased heart rate and discomfort for the patient. Therefore, it is our attempt to reveal the degree of of decreased heart rate during extraocular muscle traction and the patient`s pain perception. This was done prospectively on personalities of the patient, preoperative heart rate in the operating room, change of heart rate and pain perception of the patient during surgery. The statistically significant decrease in heart rate due to the ocular cardiac reflex occurs during medial rectus resection, lateral rectus recession, and leads to less satisfaction in the anxious patients. Strabismus surgery under topical anesthesia does not decrease the heart rate significantly, therefore it is relatively safe and the patient`s personality was influence on the intraoperative pain perception of the patients.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Local ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Operating Rooms ; Pain Perception ; Prospective Studies ; Reflex ; Reflex, Oculocardiac ; Strabismus* ; Traction

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the outcome of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cases treated in our hospital. METHODS: The case studies of 43 patients who had been treated for primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor from 1990 to 1999 in Korea University Guro Hospital were evaluated retrospectively. The clinical characteristics analyzed included patient age, sex, tumor location, and size; while also analyzed was the 5-year survival rate according to tumor location, size and malignancy in order to identify the factors that predict survival. RESULTS: Tumor locations were stomach (31 cases), small bowel (11 cases) and colon (1 case). The malignant GISTs comprised 22 cases, borderline GISTs 5 cases and benign GISTs 16 cases. The overall 5-year patient survival rate was 83.3% and the 5-year survival rates according to dgree of malignancy were 100% (benign and borderline GISTs) and 68.1% (malignant GISTs, p=0.026). The 5-year survival rates according to tumor size were 100% (tumor size smaller than 5 cm) and 70.8% (tumor size larger than 5 cm, p=0.015). The 5-year survival rate was not related to tumor location to a statistically significant extent. CONCLUSION: GISTs are infrequently encountered tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Tumor size was found to be the most important factor for survival prediction in the clinical situation and hence the complete resection of tumors especially those larger than 5 cm, will improve the treatment outcome for GISTs.
Colon ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of ERK and PPAR gamma on the TGF-beta1 induced human endometrial stromal cell decidualization in vitro. METHOD: Endometrial stromal cells are cultured under the following condition: DMEM/F12 (10% FBS, 1 nM E2 and 100 nM P4). TGF-beta1 (5 ng/ml), Rosiglitazone (50 nM), and PD98059 (20 microgram) were added according to experimental purposes. Trypan-Blue and hematocytometer were utilized to count cell number. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting were utilized to detect proteins. RESULT: TGF-beta1 inhibited proliferation of cultured human endometrial stromal cells and induced expression of PGE2 and prolactin. This effect was mediated by Smad and ERK activation. Administration of rosiglitazone, PPAR gamma agonist, prevented TGF-beta1 effect on cell proliferation. Furthermore, Rosiglitazone inhibited TGF-beta1 induced activation of ERK, consequently reduced PGE2 and prolactin production. CONCLUSION: TGF-beta1 induced decidualization of endometrial stromal cell through Smad and ERK phosphorylation. PPAR gamma acts as a negative regulator of human endometrial cell decidualization in vitro.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Dinoprostone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors* ; Phosphorylation ; PPAR gamma ; Prolactin ; Stromal Cells* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

No abstract available.
Fractures, Open*

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

Chinese herb nephropathy (CHN) is characterized by progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis and development of renal failure in a couple of years after diagnosis. Aristolochic acid (AA) is believed to be associated with the development of CHN. The authors report a case of CHN in which AA in the herb regimen was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A 32-year-old female presented with nausea, vomiting and generalized weakness. She had been taking Chinese herbs for symptomatic care. Clinical and laboratory examinations revealed Fanconi syndrome, renal failure, and severe anemia. Renal biopsy showed severe tubulointerstitial nephritis with moderate tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis. She developed end-stage renal failure 4 months after diagnosis. The herb she had been taking was Aristolochia fangchi. HPLC technique was used to identify AA and to measure its concentration in the herb. From the clinical and laboratory data, the patient was diagnosed with CHN caused by aristolochic acid.
Adult ; Anemia ; Aristolochia* ; Aristolochic Acids ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Diagnosis ; Fanconi Syndrome ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Nausea ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; Renal Insufficiency ; Vomiting

Myocardial bridging is defined that short segments of coronary artery descend into the myocardium for a variable distance and each systolic contraction of these fibers can cause narrowing of the artery. Systolic narrow-ing may rarely be caused by connective tissue such as fibrous band. Myocardial ischemia, infarction and sudden death may be seen in some patients with myocardial bridging. Myocardial infarction in association with isolated myocardial bridges with systolic narrowing is uncommon. We report a case of Q wave myocardial infarction in a patient with angiographic systolic narrowing at the middle segment left anterior descending coronary artery which was caused by fibrous band.
Arteries ; Connective Tissue ; Coronary Vessels ; Death, Sudden ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Bridging* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardium

No abstract available.
Germ-Line Mutation* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry*