No abstract available.
Laser Therapy*

No abstract available.

Organ transplantations have become popular procedures for diseases in modern medical field with developing medical science. There have been so many hot discussions about ethical issues of organ transplantation, especially brain death, whenever medical ethics was addressed. However, we have not so far discussed ethical issues related to tissue banking, even though the history of tissue banking in medicine is longer than that of organ transplantation and the range of use of Human-based tissues is wider than that of organ transplantation. Tissue banking has medically and ethically similar aspects with organ transplantation, but tissue banking system has unique characteristics in total process. Ethical questions related to tissue banking involve informed consent, conflicts of interest, and the equitable distribution of human-based tissues and related profit issues. Families expect that their beloved ones' tissue will be used to improve the lives of people with medical needs, either through transplantation or medical research. However, concerns have been raised that some tissue might be used for purpose other than those intended by the donor. Donors may intend or believe that donated skin shall be used for the treatment of burn victims. However, in some cases it might be used for elective cosmetic surgery. It is not clear how much human-based tissues are currently used for cosmetic purposes, but there is always a potential commercial application of human-based tissues. The question is whether this is morally acceptable. We should always honor and treat with respect to the donors' wishes, and distribute the human-based tissues maximizing its usefulness and minimizing its hazards and waste the tissue.
Brain Death ; Burns ; Ethics* ; Ethics, Medical ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Organ Transplantation ; Skin ; Surgery, Plastic ; Tissue Banks* ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

In South Korea, the north border area has been under vivax malaria epidemic since 1993. However, Jeollabuk-do, which is about 300 kms from the border, has not experienced the same epidemic. I investigated a total of 58 notified cases of malaria in Jeollabuk-do in the year 2000. All of the cases had an exposure history in the epidemic area. Among them were 49 ex-soldiers, 3 soldiers who served near the border area and 6 civilians who traveled there. The causal agent of all cases was Plasmodium vivax. Except the civilians, the soldiers and ex-soldiers were aged in their twenties. In the present study, the incubation period was from 6 to 520 days with a median of 157 days, and the latent onset type (92%) was more prevalent than the early onset type. Illness onset of most cases (86%) peaked during the summer season (June to September) despite of variable incubation periods. The time lag for diagnosis ranged from 2 to 42 days with a median of 11 days. Jeollabuk-do has not been an area of epidemic until now, but incidences have been increasing annually since 1996. In Jeollabuk-do, early diagnosis and treatment can be a feasible disease control measure to prevent spreading from the epidemic area.
Human ; Incidence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Malaria/diagnosis/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Seasons ; Time Factors

No abstract available.
Biliary Tract*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Communicable Diseases, Emerging*

No abstract available.

The upshoot and downshoot in Duane's retraction syndrome is believed to be related to a leash effect from the lateral rectus muscle. When the eye is rotated into the adducted position, the lateral rectus muscle slips over the globe, producing the up-and downshoot on adduction. The splitting of the ends of the lateral rectus into a Y configuration prevents the rotation of the globe up or down by stabilizing the muscle's position on the eye. Three patients with Duane's retraction syndrome demonstrated abnormal vertical movement on adduction and underwent a Y-splitting on the lateral rectus. In all patients, marked decrease in the up-and downshoot in noted after surgery.
Duane Retraction Syndrome* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Genome, Human* ; Human Genome Project* ; Humans ; Humans*