No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Intussusception*

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Embolism*

Split hand split foot(SHSF) is a rare human developmental defect characterized by mi-ssing digits, fusion of remaining digits, and a deep median cleft in the hands and feet. Cy-togenetic studies of deletions and translocations associated with this disorder have indicated that an autosomal dominant split hand/split foot locus maps to 7q21-q22. We have experienced a case of ectrodactyly in a 25-year-old primigravida woman and her baby and reported out our experience with a review of related literature.
Adult ; Female ; Fetus* ; Foot ; Hand ; Human Development ; Humans

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of four different sequences : moderately T2 weighted, two heavily T2-weighted single shot turbo spin-echo sequence and breath-hold axial-2D balanced turbo field-echo sequence(bFFE) for characterization of focal lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the 3-month period between June and August 2005, seventy-six patients were proved to have ninety-three focal hepatic lesions on MR imaging. The patients consisted of 49 men and 27 women (age range, 15-75 years; mean age, 56.23 years). All MR images were acquired on a 1.5-T MR using the following sequences: 1. A breath-hold axial T2-weighted single shot turbo spin-echo sequence, 2. a breath-hold axial-2D balanced turbo field-echo sequence. Two radiologists performed quantitative analysis. Another radiologist measured the lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio at the region-of-interest in the four sequences. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in inter-observer variability between the four sequences. The accuracy for both cyst and malignancy of moderate T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 80 msec) was also highest. There was significant difference for lesion characterization between moderate T2 weighted MRI and balanced steady state procession (p-value: 0.004) in the second reader. For longer echo time, the CNR of cystic lesions were markedly increased in comparison to lesions of other component. CONCLUSION: The accuracy and inter-observer variability of single shot turbo spin echo T2 weighted sequence was higher than bFFE. Although there was no statically significant difference, moderate T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 80 msec) was more accurate than heavily T2 weighted sequence (echo time: 300 msec). If the results for lesion characterization is equivocal in TE 80, the addition of heavily T2 weighted MRI (echo time: 180 msec) can be helpful.
Female ; Humans ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Observer Variation

Purpose: Cention N (Ivoclar Vivadent) was a recently introduced alkasite-based restorative material that was expected to replace amalgam and glass ionomer cement. This material was an esthetic restoration with adequate mechanical strength and release of fluoride and calcium. The purpose of this study was to measure the water sorption and water solubility of Cention N and evaluate its long-term durability compared to other esthetic restorations (Resin-Modified Glass Ionomer cement [RMGIC], Giomer, Composite Resin). Materials and Methods: Twenty specimens each of Cention N (CN), Resin Modified-Glass Ionomer Cement (FJ), Giomer (BF), and Composite Resin (FZ) were made. After each specimen was completely dried in a desiccator for 24 hours using a vacuum pressure pump, the specimen was weighed (m1). After that, the specimen was immersed in distilled water at 37°C for 7 days, stored in a drying oven, and weighed (m2). After drying completely for 24 hours in a desiccator, the specimen was weighed (m3) to calculate the water absorption and water solubility using Formulas 1 and 2. The measured values were statistically processed and analyzed using SPSS, and the significance level was set at 0.05.Result: When measuring water sorption, FJ (122.61 μg/mm3 ) showed significantly higher water sorption than CN (35.42 μg/mm3 ) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between FZ (18.03 μg/mm3 ) and BF (14.76 μg/mm3 ) (P=0.930). When measuring water solubility, CN (6.65 μg/mm3 ) showed significantly higher water solubility than FJ (1.47 μg/mm3 ) (P<0.05). Conclusion Cention N had lower water sorption than RMGIC, but higher water solubility, indicating that it is more vulnerable to moisture and has lessened long-term durability.

Embedded computing and wireless communication technology were used to develop a mobile biotelemetry system, featuring the functions of mobile measurement, wireless transmission, database archival, and internet retrieval of biomedical signals. Two PPCs (Pocket PC) with WLAN (wireless LAN) PC cards were used to simulate the communicating situation of biomedical signals between wireless sensors and a personal monitor. A PPC client program simulated the wireless sensors and a PPC server program simulated the personal medical monitor. Medical PDA was implemented by SBC (single board computer), LCD display, touch screen and Bluetooth module. Windows CE.net was ported as its operating system and the application program was developed using embedded Visual C++ 4. The measured transmission speed of ECG data was 2150 samples per second in the WLAN environment. For wireless internet connection, a Web-based server program was developed, able to display the biomedical signals of remote patients and be remotely monitored by medical doctors in a distant hospital. PDA data, which was archived at the server's database table, was transformed to an XML message and could be displayed on a Web browser as a signal graph. This system would be very useful for patients with chronic illness, especially in an emergent environment, and for containing medical cost in the aged society.
Chronic Disease ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Internet ; Web Browser

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and complicated grief in Korean high school students who experienced a peer suicide. METHODS: A total of 956 students were included in the statistical analysis. One week after a peer suicide, a school-based crisis intervention program was conducted. The cohort was followed-up at one week and five months after a peer suicide. The program consists of screening tests, educational sessions, and further interview with psychiatric specialists for the selected group. Screening tests were conducted for all students to measure the Child Report of Post-traumatic Symptoms (CROPS), the post-traumatic stress symptoms (The University of California at Los Angeles post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] reaction index; UCLA-PTSD-RI), the anxiety symptoms (The Korean-Beck Anxiety Inventory; K-BAI), the depressive symptoms (The Korean-Beck Depression Inventory-II; K-BDI-II), and the complicated grief reaction (The Inventory of Complicated Grief; ICG). For statistical analysis, the SPSS Statistics 21.0 program was used. RESULTS: At baseline and five months follow-ups, 8.6% and 2.9% of the students showed post-traumatic stress symptoms. At five months follow-up, there was a statistically significant decline in the post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, and complicated grief among the ‘trauma group.’ A higher proportion of the female students showed post-traumatic stress symptoms after the incident of peer suicide than the male students. CONCLUSION: School-based crisis intervention helps improvement of trauma-related symptoms. It might be an effective way to prevent suicide spreading among students by alleviating trauma-related symptoms.
Anxiety ; California ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Crisis Intervention* ; Depression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Grief ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Specialization ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Suicide*

Limited information from human studies indicates that dietary quercetin supplementation influences blood lipid profiles, glycemic response, and inflammatory status, collectively termed cardiometabolic risks. We tested the hypothesis that quercetin-rich supplementation, derived from onion peel extract, improves cardiometabolic risk components in healthy male smokers in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled parallel design. Randomly assigned subjects were instructed to take either the placebo (n = 43) or 100 mg quercetin capsules each day (n = 49) for 10 weeks. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured, and blood lipids, glucose, interleukin-6, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were determined at baseline and after 10 weeks of quercetin supplementation. Quercetin-rich supplementation significantly reduced serum concentrations of total cholesterol (P < 0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.01), whereas these effects were not shown in the placebo group. Furthermore, significant increases were observed in serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol both in the placebo (P < 0.005) and quercetin-rich supplementation group (P < 0.001); however, changes in HDL-cholesterol were significantly greater in subjects receiving quercetin-rich supplementation than the placebo. Both systolic (P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) decreased significantly in the quercetin-rich supplementation group. Glucose concentrations decreased significantly after 10 weeks of quercetin-rich supplementation (P < 0.05). In contrast, no effects of quercetin-rich supplementation were observed for the inflammatory markers-IL-6 and sVCAM-1. Daily quercetin-rich supplementation from onion peel extract improved blood lipid profiles, glucose, and blood pressure, suggesting a beneficial role for quercetin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular risk.
Blood Pressure ; Capsules ; Cholesterol ; Dyslipidemias ; Glucose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Male ; Onions ; Quercetin ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to survey the prescription status of potentially teratogenic drugs to women of childbearing age in an emergency department (ED). In addition, the frequency of documentation of patient's pregnancy status was also evaluated. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted through the use of warehouse data at a tertiary care center. Women aged 20~39 years who were prescribed drugs that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identifies as class D or X were evaluated. The frequency of prescription of potentially teratogenic drugs and the rate of pregnancy tests performed at the ED were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 7,742 women of childbearing age with ED visits, 1,962(25.3%) patients received at least one potentially teratogenic drug during 2006, based upon the FDA risk classification system. The most frequently prescribed drugs were non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) (50.8%), opioid drugs(26.3%), and benzodiazepines(10.3%). The number of pregnancy tests performed before prescribing potentially teratogenic drugs was 838 (39.0%). Among patients for whom a pregnancy test was not performed, only 87(7.6%) patients were advised by their doctors of drug teratogenecity. CONCLUSION: The frequency of prescription of potentially teratogenic drugs to women of childbearing age was 1 in every 4 visits at the ED. In addition, the rates of documentation of pregnancy status and explanation of teratogenecity were relatively low. Introducing a pregnancy information system and a pregnancy alerting system, as well as increasing the frequency of pregnancy tests before prescribing are necessary, not only for pregnant women and fetuses but also for emergency medical personnel at the point of care.
Aged ; Drug Information Services ; Emergencies ; Female ; Fetus ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Medical Order Entry Systems ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Tests ; Pregnant Women ; Prescriptions ; Retrospective Studies ; Teratogens ; Tertiary Care Centers ; United States Food and Drug Administration

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is extremely rare, with less than 200 cases reported in the literature. However, primary malignant melanoma is an aggressive tumor. We report a case of primary esophageal malignant melanoma that presented with a large polypoid mass in the lower esophagus, and subsequently showed multiple metastatic nodules in the subcutaneous layer, skin and retroperitoneum. Primary malignant melanoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of a polypoid esophageal mass, especially in cases where metastases to unexpected areas occur or in cases of unexpected metastatic patterns.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Esophagus* ; Melanoma* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Skin