Objectives: In the epidemiology of communicable diseases, the term epidemic period, also referred to as "wave" is often used in the general and academic milieu. A wave refers to a natural pattern of increase in the number of sick individuals, a defined peak, and then a decline in the number of cases. It implies a pattern of peaks and valleys after a particular peak is taken. The idea of epidemic waves is a useful tool for predicting the course as well as helping to accurately describe an epidemic. However, in many domestic and foreign news as well as in various research results in Korea, most of the reports either had no standard, were inaccurate, had a questionable classification of the period of the epidemic, or the basis for classification of a given wave was not presented. Methods: The author reviewed and organized related literature with epidemic wave. The author made several suggestions of an epidemic wave as follows. Results: To start with, it should be based on the number of incident cases in consideration of the size of the outbreak, then the period from the bottom to the peak and then reaching the next bottom; also, the period over a certain scale based on the number of incident cases; and the period according to the change in the major infection type (mutation-dominant species). In addition, according to the period of change in the vaccination rate (formation of herd immunity), as well as the content and duration of the intervention, that is, classification according to the applied quarantine stage. Furthermore, the classification of epidemic periods by the time-dependent reproduction number or time-varying reproduction number (R t ), and lastly the application of mathematical methodology. Conclusions Therefore, classifying the epidemic period into generally known and accepted time frames is considered to be a very important task for future research analysis and development of intervention strategies.

Retroperitoneal duodenal rupture is rare and is often difficult to diagnose on the plain abdominal x-ray. From a review of the plain abdomen films of 21 cases with retroperitoneal duodenal rupture, confirmed by operation, pneumoretroperitoneum was revealed in 16 cases; Air in the peritoneum was manifested as a bubbly shadow in 12 cases, a renal halo in 9 cases, air shadow along the right psoas margin in 2 cases, air along the diaphragmatic crus in 2 cases and air in the right properitoneal fat in 2 cases, US and CT also revealed air bubbles and fluid collection around the right kidney. We recommend the plain abdomen as a useful diagnostic method for detection of pneumoretroperitoneum.
Abdomen* ; Kidney ; Methods ; Peritoneum ; Retropneumoperitoneum ; Rupture*

For the purpose of epidemiologic study, the patients who visited Severance Hospital Behcet's Syndrome Specialty Clinic were grouped by Shimizu classification into the complete, incomplete, suspected types and evaluated. The results of the evaluation with respect to personal characteristics, geographic distribution, socioeconomic characteristics, family history, and clinical characteristics are as follows. 1. The incidence among the subgroups was incomplete type(46.3%), suspected type(36.7%), complete type(17.0%) and the male to female ratio was 0.60: 1, and the average age of onset was 29.1. years for males and 27.6 years for females. 2. The occupational distribution among males included office workers, 31.5%; drivers, 10.6% and among females was office workers, 6.7%; teachers, 3. 7 %; unemployed, 81.7%. 3. Among the presumed aggrevating factors affecting oral cavity, recurrent tonsillitis(20.8%) was most common, and premenstrual exacervation(12.8%) was most common. 4. The most common initial major manifestation was oral ulcer(80.6%), and the longest duration of major manifestations was oral ulcer(average 6.4 years), and the most frequent relapse of major manifestations was oral ulcer(average 14.6 times/year). 5. The average duration between the appearance of the first and second major manifestations was 5.2 years for complete type, 6.3 years for incomplete type, and 6.6 years for suspected type. 6. Combinations of major manifestations most commonly included oral ulcer, genital ulcers and skin lesions(65.3%) for incomplete type, and oral ulcer, skin lesion(54.8%) for suspected type.
Age of Onset ; Behcet Syndrome* ; Classification ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mouth ; Oral Ulcer ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: Face-to-face interviews were conducted to investigate the relationship between blood pressure and the impairment of cognitive function in rural elderly (N=932) aged 60-64 in Dalsung County, April to September in 1996 METHODS: Impairment of cognitive function was defined as a score of less than 23 by the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK). Blood pressure was measured once in each subject using a portable automatic sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: By univariate logistic regression on males, no category of systolic blood pressure bore statistical significance. Groups with diastolic blood pressures of, less than 80 mmHg, 90-94 mmHg, and more than 95mmHg had odds ratios of more than one compared with the reference group (80-89 mmHg). This was most significant in the group with blood pressures lower than 80 mmHg, which had a statistically significant odds ratio of 1.68 (95 % confidence interval Cl; 1.02-2.75). No category of blood pressure was statistically significant in females. Multivariate logistic regression for males, with adjustment for age, educational attainment, smoking, alcoholic drinking, body mass index, atherosclerotic disease, and antihypertensive medication use, did not alter the odds ratios significantly in terms of systolic blood pressure. However, the group with diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had an increased odds ratio of 2.01 (95 % Cl; 1.15-3.52) compared with the reference group. In females, systolic blood pressure did not alter the odds ratio, but the group with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 mmHg had a statistically significant odds ratio of 0.57 (95% Cl; 0.37-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function status is stronger diastolic than systolic blood pressure and that there is a complex relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function by sex.
Aged ; Alcoholics ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Mass Index ; Drinking ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sphygmomanometers

No abstract available.
Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling* ; Chorionic Villi* ; Female ; Pregnancy

The localizations and morphological characteristics of gonadotropes in the adenohypophy-sis of Korean native goat were investigated with double immunohistochemistry. The gonadotropes were present in the pars distalis and pars tuberalis, but not in the pars intermedta. Gonadotropes occupied about 49.0% of the cells in the pars distalis in females, and about 40.8% in males. Three types of gonadotropes ; FSH immunoreactive cells[FSH cells], LH immunoreac-tive cells[LH cells], and FSH and LH immunoreactive cells[FSH/LH cell], were identified according to their immunoreactivities for FSH and LH antisera. The possessional perce-ntages of FSH cells, LH cells and FSH/LH cells were 1.1%, 40.6%, 58.3% in females and 1.8%, 30.0%, 68.8% in males, respectively. FSH/LH cells were large and oval or round in shape. These cells were distributed throughout the pars distalis, but were more abundant on the dorsal part adjacent to the hypophyseal cavity and along the lateral and ventral peripheral regions. LH cells were smaller than other gonadotropes and were observed throughout the pars distalis, but predominant in the central region. FSH cells were large and oval in shape. These cells were intercalated between FSH/LH cells.
Female ; Goats* ; Gonadotrophs ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Korea*

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Arteries* ; Humans

Inflammation of the prostate gland results in accessory sexual gland secretory dysfunction. The prostate gland and seminal vesicle provide specific factors to the seminal plasma which are essential to the male fertility such as prostaglandins. To evaluate the affection of prostatitis on the concentrations of prostaglandins in semen and its relation to the male fertility, prostaglandin(PG)E and PGF2 degrees C alpha were measured by radioimmunoassay method in semen samples from 20 normal men, 32 prostatitis patients with normal sperm quality, 16 prostatitis patients with abnormal sperm quality and 17 infertile patients with abnormal sperm quality. The results were as follows. 1. Inflammation of prostate caused significant decrease in the PGE/PGE2 degrees C alpha ratio in semen. 2. The PGE/PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio in semen from prostatitis patients was decreased significantly when the number of white blood cells increased. 3. The PGE/PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio in semen from infertile patients was lower than that from normal man. 4. The PGE/PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio in semen from prostatitis patients with abnormal sperm quality was more decreased significantly than that from infertile patients. 5. The change of concentration of PGE2 degrees C alpha in semen affected more than that of PGE on the change of the PGE/PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio. In view of our findings it seems that prostatitis causes subfertility by decreasing the PGE/ PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio in semen and these results suggest that the seminal PGE/PGF2 degrees C alpha ratio is important to the male fertility potential in that their levels are significantly interdependent with white blood cells in expressed prostatic secretion.
Dinoprost ; Dinoprostone ; Fertility ; Humans ; Infertility ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Prostaglandins E ; Prostaglandins* ; Prostate ; Prostatitis* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Semen* ; Seminal Vesicles ; Spermatozoa

Mail questionnaire was administrated to 370 practising physicians and 388 pharmacists in Taegu city selected by systematic sampling to examine utilization states and opinion of pharmacy under medical care insurance programme and the attitude to the functional division between physicians and pharmacists from April to May 1992. Regarding the opinion on the outcome of drug-store under medical insurance, 71.2 percent of practicing physician answered failure but 13.4 percent of practicing pharmacists answered failure in contrast. Fifty percent of practicing physician asserted introducing functional division between physician and pharmacist while 66.9 percent of practicing pharmacist answered drug-store under medical insurance itself is successful programme. Average daily numbers of preparation of medicine was 32.2 case. Percentage of utilization of drug-store under medical insurance to average daily cases of preparing of medicine was 20 percent, percentage of utilization with physician's prescription was 0.7 percent. And 58.7 percent of practicing physician experienced outside the institute prescription. Regarding the opinion on the pros and cons of enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, 59.2 percent of practicing physician preferred pros and 17.7 percent cons ,but 38 percent of practicing pharmacist preferred pros and 45.5 percent cons. And pharmacist know better the content of functional division between physician and pharmacist, practicing emphasized to prevent misuse or abuse of medicine but practicing pharmacist emphasized to display physician and pharmacist's professional ability. And as an opinion on implementation style of functional division between physician and pharmacist in pros respondents, practicing physician favored mandatory enforcement (52.3%), while practicing pharmacist favored partial incomplete functional division (81.7%). As the method of prescription if functional division between physician and pharmacist will be enforced, both practicing physician and pharmacist preferred generic name (44.0%, 89%) mostly, but physician preferred brand name (35.3%) secondly. Regarding the reason for not implementing functional division between physician and pharmacist up to date, both physician and pharmacist answered problem of business right between physician and pharmacist, followed by lack of recognition, and interest of people and lack of the governmental willness. Regarding the opinion on prior decision of condition for enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, practicing physician and pharmacist named uneven distribution of medical facilities and drug-store between rural and urban, inequality of physician and pharmacist manpower and the problem of manpower demand and supply mostly, and practicing physician pointed out establishing attitude of acceptance on the part of pharmacist and practicing pharmacist favored establishing attitude of acceptance on the part of physician, which was different attitudes between physician and pharmacist. Following conclusion was reached; 1. Current drug-store under medical insurance program yield insufficient outcome, so we should consider program conversion from drug-store under medical insurance program to functional division between physician and pharmacist. 2. There were problem of business right and conflicts between physician and pharmacist at enforcing functional division between physician and pharmacist, so the government should search for formulating plan to resolve the problem and have neutral willness for the protection of the national health.
Commerce ; Daegu* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Insurance ; Pharmacists* ; Pharmacy ; Postal Service ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Socioeconomic Factors