No abstract available.
Addison Disease*

In vivo 31P NMR spectroscopic study of forearm wrist flexor muscles was performed in two groups of volunteers composed respectively of 6 sedentaries and 6 canoe athletes. A continuous isometric contraction of endurance exercises was adopted in oder to assess the endurance capacity and recovery potential of skeletal muscles. Differences in high energy phosphorus metabolism between the sedentaries and athletes were evaluated with and emphasis on the intracellular pH and Pi/PCr ratio as indicators of high energy phosphorus metabolism. There were no differences of baseline pH and Pi/PCr ratio between the two groups. The athletes sustained the exercise at more acidic intracellular pH and at a higher Pi/PCr ratio of intracellular conditions for an all-out than did the sedentaries. The recovery rate of pH showed no difference between the two groups. There was a tendency of faster recovery of Pi/PCr in athletes showing half recovery time(T1/2) of 39.0±3.0 seconds as compared to that of sedentaries (55.7±7.5 seconds). The recovery rate of Pi/PCr as a function of Pi/PCr ratio at a given period of time was significantly faster in athletes than in sedentaries (P<0.001). The correlation coefficient of the recovery rate of Pi/PCr against the Pi/PCr ratio was 0.985 and 0.914 respectively for the athletes and sedentaries. The pH and the Pi/PCR ratio at an all-out state can be used as indicators of endurance capacity and the recovery rate of Pi/PCr, as a reovery potential of skeletal muscles.
Athletes* ; Exercise ; Forearm ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Isometric Contraction ; Metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Muscles ; Phosphorus ; Volunteers ; Wrist

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Head* ; Neck*

Over the past years, university administrators have known how hard it is to transform into the modern university. Rigid in-bred research system, narrow interest, unworkable graduate programs are complicatedly woven into a network of academic fraction. Cronyism and protectionism flood various laboratories and research institutes affiliated with the university. Until recently, the department structure of medical school has steadfastly guarded its territory and refused to allow non-medical undergraduate students to apply for the graduate schools of medical science. The graduate schools in medical science are considered just extra appendages because most of graduate students should be engaged in hard work position such as junior faculty or residentship training course of university hospital. In the present environment of graduate program, medical schools are consequently not able to bring in full-time young researchers, but only recently has its door been open for others. It should be time to reorganize the medical school graduate course into large multidisciplinary research group by expanding graduate programs.
Academies and Institutes ; Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Schools, Medical*

No abstract available.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: The authors present the effect of VEGF upon neuronal and glial response following transient global ischemia of the rat METHODS: We studied the effect of VEGF in 36 rats subjected to 15 minutes of transient global ischemia. Animals were devided into control group(transient global ischemia only: day-3, day-7, day-14, respectively n=6) and VEGF-treated group(transient global ischemia with intraventricular injection of 100 micro gram VEGF: day-3, day-7, day-14, respectively n=6). These animals were sacrificed at 3 days, 7 days and 14 days after induction of ischemia. Nissle stain and immunohistochemistry of GFAP(glial fibrillary acidic protein), OX-42, and ED1 were done for assessment of neuronal and glial responses. RESULTS: In the CA1 hippocampus, there was a significant reduction of pyramidal cell damage in VEGF-treated group as compared with control group in post-ischemia 3, 7, 14 days(p<0.05). In the CA3 hippocampus which is relatively resistant to ischemia, reduction of pyramidal cell damage was significant in post-ischemia 7 days(p<0.05), not significant in post-ischemia 3, 14 days(p>0.05). In the assessment of CA1 hippocampus with GFAP stained areas, there was significant reduction of reactivity in post-ischemia 3, 7 days(p<0.05), not significant in post-ischemia 14 days(p>0.05). In the CA3 hippocampus, reduction of GFAP reactivity was significant in post-ischemia 3, 7 days(p<0.05), not significant in post-ischemia 14 days(p>0.05). In the assessment of CA1 hippocampus with OX-42 stained areas, there was significant reduction of reactivity in post-ischemia 3, 7, 14 days(p<0.05). But in the CA3 hippocampus, the difference was not significant in post-ischemia 3, 7 days(p<0.05). In the assessment of of CA1 hippocampus with ED1 stained areas, there was significant reduction of reactivity in post-ischemia 3, 7, 14 days(p<0.05). But in the CA3 hippocampus, the difference was significant in post-ischemia 3 days only(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that VEGF can reduce neuronal damage in transient global ischemia, thus have protective effect on ischemic brain injury. In our experiment, the reduction of glial response with VEGF seems to be related to the secondary neuroprotective effect of VEGF. However, the proliferation of endothelial cells and new vessel formation take days to months, the thus neuroprotective effect of VEGF against ischemia seems to related to a certain mechanism rather than angiogenesis.
Animals ; Astrocytes ; Brain Injuries ; Endothelial Cells ; Hippocampus ; Immunohistochemistry ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Ischemia* ; Microglia ; Neurons* ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Pyramidal Cells ; Rats* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

This study surveyed the prevalence of traumatic reticular diseases (TRD) of slaughter cattle in Korea, the typology of the causative foreign bodies and the effects on beef quality and carcass weight. The overall prevalence of TRD in 3,121 slaughter cattle was 5.5%. However, the prevalence was significantly higher in Korea indigenous cattle Hanwoo (5.8%, p < 0.05) and female cattle (20.75%, p < 0.001). The prevalence significantly increased in aged cattle (p < 0.001). Major lesions related to foreign bodies were reticulitis (96%) and peritonitis (86%). Most causative foreign bodies were made of iron including nails, wires, steel rods, screw nails, and syringe needles. Cattle affected with TRD produced significantly lower grade quality of beef compared to normal cattle (p < 0.0001), but TRD did not affect carcass weight. The data will be useful in the management of TRD, with the aim of increasing beef productivity in Korea.
Aged ; Animals ; Cattle ; Efficiency ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Iron ; Korea ; Nails ; Needles ; Peritonitis ; Prevalence ; Steel ; Syringes

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical significance of renal excretion of oral Gastrografin in gastric resectionpatients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven days affter gastric resection, eight normal volunteers and 30 patientsunderwent abdominal and CT scanning before and 1-1.5 his after oral administiration of Gastrografin. Theattenuation coefficients of the bladder were measured and the maximal attenuation difference between pre-andpost-gastrografin administration was calculated. RESULTS: In the control group, there was no abnormal renalexcretion of oral Gastrografin, though in 83 % of patients(25 of 30), this was demonstrated as focal increase inthe density (> or = 20 HU) of the bladder and/or collecting system, or ureteral opacification. Mean maximal densitydifference was 84.4+/-82.9HU in the patient group (n=24), with renal excretion of enteral Gastrografin and,3.5+/-4.4 HU in the control group (n=7), with statistical significance (Student's t-test, p<0.01). No patientshowed either radiological or clinical evidence of direct leakage from the suture site. Patients who underwenttotal gastrectomy showed a higher maximal density difference than those in whom gastrectomy was subtotal. CONCLUSION: Unless direct leakage is visvalized on fluoroscopy or spot films, renal excretion of oralGastrografin should not be regarded as a sign of anastomotic leakage. Situations other than leakage, e. g.increased mucosal permeability or absorption, or increased bowel transit time in postoperative duration, should beconsidered as possible causes.
Absorption ; Administration, Oral* ; Anastomotic Leak ; Diatrizoate Meglumine* ; Fluoroscopy ; Gastrectomy ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Permeability ; Sutures ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With the present methods for assessing speech, there are procedures that make effective diagnostics possible for voice disorders. One such procedure is cepstrum. Spectrum is produced by Fourier transformation of sound waves, and if Fourier transformation is performed again about the spectrum, cepstrum is produced. This study compared cepstrum to jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonic ratio (NHR) for assessment of its usefulness. Cepstrum was measured by Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP) calculated by the Hillenbrand method and Cepstral Mean Values (CMV) calculated using the Computerized Speech Laboratory software. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We included in the study 30 patients with vocal nodule and unilateral vocal cord palsy who were diagnosed in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital between March 2010 and May 2011, and 30 normal controls. Phonation of sustained vowel /a/ sample and running speech was subjected to acoustic analysis using CMV and CPP. Then we compared the correlation of cepstrum with other acoustic methods. RESULTS: The measured values of CPP-a were 14.16, 17.25, 20.00 and the age adjusted CPP-s values were 11.21, 12.85, 15.00 for vocal cord palsy, vocal nodule and normal group, respectively. There was significant correlation with perceptions of dysphonia (p<0.001), but in CMV-a, CMV-s, there was no significant correlation. When jitter, shimmer, and NHR were compared with cepstrum, the result showed negative correlation among the three groups but CPP values showed significant difference (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In the assessment of voice disorders, cepstrum may be used as a reliable method for comparing other complementary analysis tools. For the acoustic analysis of voice by cepstrum, however, CPP has more reliable correlations with dysphonia than CMV.
Acoustics ; Dysphonia ; Fourier Analysis ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Phonation ; Running ; Sound ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Voice ; Voice Disorders

PURPOSE: To compare the dose distributions between three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) radiation treatment plans calculated by Ray-tracing or the Monte Carlo algorithm, and to highlight the difference of dose calculation between two algorithms for lung heterogeneity correction in lung cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively gated 4D CTs in seven patients were obtained with a Brilliance CT64-Channel scanner along with a respiratory bellows gating device. After 4D treatment planning with the Ray Tracing algorithm in Multiplan 3.5.1, a CyberKnife stereotactic radiotherapy planning system, 3D Ray Tracing, 3D and 4D Monte Carlo dose calculations were performed under the same beam conditions (same number, directions, monitor units of beams). The 3D plan was performed in a primary CT image setting corresponding to middle phase expiration (50%). Relative dose coverage, D95 of gross tumor volume and planning target volume, maximum doses of tumor, and the spinal cord were compared for each plan, taking into consideration the tumor location. RESULTS: According to the Monte Carlo calculations, mean tumor volume coverage of the 4D plans was 4.4% higher than the 3D plans when tumors were located in the lower lobes of the lung, but were 4.6% lower when tumors were located in the upper lobes of the lung. Similarly, the D95 of 4D plans was 4.8% higher than 3D plans when tumors were located in the lower lobes of lung, but was 1.7% lower when tumors were located in the upper lobes of lung. This tendency was also observed at the maximum dose of the spinal cord. Lastly, a 30% reduction in the PTV volume coverage was observed for the Monte Carlo calculation compared with the Ray-tracing calculation. CONCLUSION: 3D and 4D robotic radiotherapy treatment plans for lung cancers were compared according to a dosimetric viewpoint for a tumor and the spinal cord. The difference of tumor dose distributions between 3D and 4D treatment plans was only significant when large tumor movement and deformation was suspected. Therefore, 4D treatment planning is only necessary for large tumor motion and deformation. However, a Monte Carlo calculation is always necessary, independent of tumor motion in the lung.
Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Population Characteristics ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Tumor Burden