Vibrio vulnificus infection is one of the most fatal diseases in Korea. This study was undertaken to determine the cellular fatty acid (CFA) compositions of ninety-five clinical strains of V. vulnificus isolated from Korea during 1985-1995. We compared these results with the CFA profile of V. vulnificus in the Microbial Identification System (MIS) (CLIN library version 3.9; Microbial ID Inc., Newark, Del.), and also evaluated the MIS ability to identify V. vulnificus. Subgrouping of V. vulnificus by CFA analysis was performed and its results were compared with those of serotyping. Most of the CFAs in V. vulnificus strains were similar to the CFA profile of V. vulnificus in the MIS, but some distinctive differences were observed. First, means of two major CFAs, 16:0 and 16:1w7c, were 22.16% and 18.26% in this study, but 23.52% and 25.44% in the MIS respectively. Second, all isolates had 11:Oiso3OH, which was not present in the MIS. Eighty-five strains (89.5%) disclosed the first choice identification of V. vulnificus by the MIS, but only two strains (2.1%) were identified with SI values of 0.6. Remaining ten strains (10.5%) showed 'NO MATCH' results. Cluster analysis of CFA could separate V. vulnificus into nine subgroups, and predominant subgroups were subgroup VII (45 strains) and V (36 strains). There was heterogeny between subgroups by CFA and serotypes of V. vulnificus. The strains of 04 serotype which accounted for 80% (76/95) of the isolates were distributed into six different subgroups such as VII (40 strains), V (27 strains), III (4 strains), I (2 strains) and VI (1 strain). These showed that V. vulnificus strains isolated from Korea had different characteristics in the CFA composition in comparison with the MIS V. vulnificus library. Subgrouping by the CFA analysis might be a useful tool for the epidemiological study of V. vulnificus infection in Korea.
Korea* ; Serotyping ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Knee* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging*

This study was aimed at finding out whether weight reduction alone can improve liver function in obese patients with fatty liver. We did a longitudinal, clinical intervention study on weight reduction by behavior modification, diet and exercise. The study subjects were 25 patients referred to an obesity clinic in whom obesity is the sole factor causing abnormal liver function and fatty liver. Patients were weighed about one year later. We compared the degree of improvement in hepatic function between Group I that showed weight reduction and Group II that showed no-weight reduction. Group I (13) showed dramatic improvement in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, nearly all down to within normal levels. AST showed statistically significant improvement from 74 +/- 36 IU/l to 25 +/- 7 IU/l. ALT also showed statistically significant improvement from 109 +/- 67 IU/l to 30 +/- 14 IU/l. Group II (12) showed higher AST and ALT levels on follow-up visit than initial visit. AST showed statistically significant elevation from 43 +/- 11 IU/l to 59 +/- 23 IU/l. ALT also showed statistically significant elevation from 64 +/- 21 IU/l to 97 +/- 33 IU/l. If we can rule the other causes of hepatic abnormalities in obese patients with fatty liver, we suggest these patients would benefit by weight reduction.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/metabolism ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/metabolism ; Body Weight/physiology ; Comparative Study ; *Diet, Reducing ; Fatty Liver/complications/*diet therapy/physiopathology ; Female ; Human ; Liver/enzymology/*physiopathology ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Middle Age ; Obesity/complications/*diet therapy/physiopathology

The present study has been undertaken to investigate the values of serum lipids with hypertension and ischemic heart diseases. Serum lipids and lipoproteins were measured from 231 cases of hypertension, 23 cases of angina pectoris, 18 cases of acute myocardial infarction and 67 healthy adults together with normal value as controls. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The mean values of serum lipids in healthy adults were 111.0+/-41.3mg% for triglyceride, 171.2+/-33.5mg% for cholesterol, 175.1+/-36.3mg% for phospholipid, 479.9+/-82.6mg% for total lipid. The values of serum lipoproteins were 219.8+/-46.8mg% for beta-lipoprotein, 93.4+/-53.8mg% for pre beta-lipoprotein and 164.1+/-40.8mg% for alpha-lipoprotein. The values of cholesterol, triglyceride and beta-lipoprotein were gradually increased with aging. 2. The mean values of serum lipids in patients with hypertension were 176.3+/-94.5mg% for triglyceride, 199.7+/-36.9mg% for cholesterol, 207.8+/-38.0mg% for phospholipid, 601.9+/-139.9mg% for total lipid. The values of serum lipoproteins were 266.0+/-73.5mg% for beta-lipoprotein, 147.7+/-89.5mg% for pre-beta-lipoprotein and 187.7+/-56.7mg% for alpha-lipoprotein. The serum lipid values in patients with hypertension were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. 3. The mean values of serum lipids and lipoproteins in patients with angina pectoris were significantly higher than in healthy controls. 4. The serum lipid values in general were higher rather in patients with acute myocardial infarction than healthy controls, but the values of serum phospholipid, pre-beta-lipoprotein and alpha-lipoprotein in them were not significantly higher than those in healthy controls. 5. The values of serum HDL-cholesterol in patients with hypertension, anginal pectoris and acute myocardial infarction were lower than those in healthy controls. The values of serum HDL-cholesterol in all cases were in general higher rather in femal than male.
Adult ; Aging ; Angina Pectoris ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Reference Values ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Body Weight* ; Diet* ; Exercise Therapy* ; Humans

PURPOSE: To evaluate the MR findings of knee injuries in skiing and to explain the mechanism of injury with MR findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed MR findings of 18 patients with history of knee injuries in skiing. The MR images were evaluated retrospectively to identify the ligament injuries, bone lesions and meniscal injuries. RESULTS: Ligament injuries were seen in 16 patients, bone contusions in 16 patients, meniscal lesions in two patients. The most common group of injury was anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and roedial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries with bone contusion on posterior lip of the lateral tibial plateau (LTP). The second common group of injury was isolated ACL injury with bone contusions on the lateral fernoral condyle (LFC) and posterior lip of the LTP. We considered that the mechanism of injury of the former group may be correlated with the valgus torque with secondary anterior displacement of the tibia and the latter group may be correlated with the pivot shift phenomenon. CONCLUSION: MR may play an important role in the diagnosis of knee injuries in skiing and its findings may explain the mechanism of injury.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Collateral Ligaments ; Contusions ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Knee Injuries* ; Knee* ; Ligaments ; Lip ; Retrospective Studies ; Skiing* ; Tibia ; Torque

No abstract available.
Meningitis, Bacterial*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although new technology of assistive listening device leads many hard of hearing children to be mainstreamed in public school programs, many clinicians and teachers still wonder whether the children are able to understand all instruction, access educational materials, and have social skills in the school. The purpose of this study is to develop a school adaptation program (SAP) for the hearing-impaired children who attend public elementary school. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The theoretical framework of the SAP was a system model including microsystem, mesosystem, and macrosystem merged with Keller's ARCS theory. RESULTS: The SAP consisted of 10 sessions based on five categories (i.e., school life, activity in the class, relationship with friends, relationship with teacher, and school environments). For preliminary validity testing, the developed SAP was reviewed by sixteen elementary school teachers, using the evaluation questionnaire. The results of evaluation showed high average 3.60 (+/-0.52) points out of 4 while proving a reliable and valid school-based program. CONCLUSIONS: The SAP indicated that it may serve as a practical and substantive program for hearing-impaired children in the public school in order to help them achieve better academic support and social integrations.
Child ; Friends ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss* ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Myocarditis* ; Stomach*

Appreciation of the normal variation of anterior and posterior diameter of the lumbar spinal canal under computerized axial tomogram may throw very important value on the diagnosis and treatment in lumbar spinal problems. The authers have measured the diameter of the lumbar spinal canal using EMI scanner CT 5005. The data was first based on the study of two cadaver lumbar spine and then the study of 268 normal Korean adults male 185, and female 83. The results were summerized as follows. 1. The diameter of the osseous segment was more narrow than articular segment in normal lumbar spinal canal, 2. The shape of lumbar spinal canal was oval in upper lumbar. but became triangular going down to the lower lumbar. There was no difference of diameter in sex. 4. The average diameter of anterior and posterior spinal canal was; L1 16.53± 0.18, L2 16.23± 0.215, L3 15.42± 0.26, L4 15.57± 0.43 and l% 17.7± 1.63mm respectively. 5. The average diameter of transverse spinal canal was; L1 23.31± 0.18, L2 23.76± 0.28, L3 24.78± 0.345, L4 26.07± 0.605 and L5 29.31± 1.19mm respectively. 6. It was more accurate to check out the pathology of the lumbar spinal canal using coinputerized axial tomogram than other method previously used.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Pathology ; Spinal Canal ; Spine