Objective To investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of vocal polyps and vocal nodules.Methods Aerodynamic parameters of 58 patients with vocal polyps or vocal nodules and 30 normal adults were measured by Aerophone Ⅱ Voice Function Analyzer.The mean airflow rate,intraoral pressure,glottal resistance,glottal efficiency were compared among different group.Results The mean airflow rate,glottal resistance and glottal efficiency of vocal polyps,vocal nodules and normal adult were 254.50±36.02 ml/s,33.55±4.63 cmH_2O/(L·S),2.46±1.49,177.45±25.93 ml/s,38.83±8.88 cmH_2O/(L·S),7.75±3.71,118.44±29.98 ml/s,53.04±8.64 cmH_2O/(L·S),9.17±3.87,respectively.The difference between them was significant(P＜0.01).The difference of intraoral pressure between vocal polyps (8.97±1.36 cmH_2O) and normal adult (6.24±0.99 cmH_2O) was significant (P＜0.01).The mean airflow rate,glottal resistance,glottal efficiency were significantly different between vocal polyps and vocal nodules(P＜0.01).Conclusion The degree of vocal fold adduct and the effciency of voice production in vocal polyps is worse than that of vocal nodules.The aerodynamic parameters can make quantifiable,objective assessment in voice function of vocal polyps and vocal nodules.

PURPOSE: To evaluate current complementary feeding and maternal nutritional knowledge of a multicultural family in Korea. METHODS: Foreign mothers of babies aged 9~24 months, who visited pediatric clinics or attended a meeting on a multicultural family party between December 2010 and April 2011, were asked to fill out questionnaires. Data from 146 questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: Complementary food was introduced at 4~7 months in 78% of babies. The following were the sources of information on complementary feeding: friends (34%), relatives (27%), books/magazines (19%), multicultural family educational support center (8%), mass media (4%), and hospitals (3%). The cases of complementary food introduction after 8 months (21% vs. 10%, p<0.001), initial use of commercial food (26% vs. 6%, P<0.001) and initial use of bottle feeding (15% vs. 3%, p<0.001) were more frequent compared to the 2009 Korean survey. Mothers agreeing with the following suggestions were relatively fewer: feeding minced meat from 6~7 months (61%), No mixed cereal powder as complementary food (61%), feeding egg white after 12 months (63%), no adding salt or sugar to the complementary food (64%), bottle weaning before 15~18 months (66%) and considering formula better than soy milk (68%). CONCLUSION: Complementary feeding practices of multicultural families showed many points of improvement compared with the 2009 Korean survey. Pediatricians should make more of an effort to consult with families of multicultural infants about nutrition and complementary feeding. Also, the government and the pediatrics academy need to institute policies to support the nutrition of multicultural infants.
Aged ; Bottle Feeding ; Edible Grain ; Egg White ; Friends ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Mass Media ; Meat ; Mothers ; Pediatrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Soy Milk ; Weaning

BACKGROUND: Aging process causes several changes in the typical sleep patterns. Elderly people complain frequently about sleep duration, changes of sleep/wake rhythm and day time sleepiness. This study was performed to evaluate improvement of sleep quality after laughter therapy. METHODS: On July 2007, the study participants aged over 65 were recruited through a community center in Daegu. There were 48 subjects in the experimental group and 61 in the control group. The laughter therapy program was applied to the experimental group. We compared Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before and after laughter therapy. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, chi-square test, paired t-test, and ANCOVA using SPSS windows ver. 14.0. RESULTS: At initial study, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics. The ISI scores were 8.00 +/- 6.29 and 8.36 +/- 6.38; the PSQI scores were 6.98 +/- 3.41 and 7.38 +/- 3.70; The Geriatric Depression Seals (GDS) scores were 7.98 +/- 3.58 and 8.08 +/- 3.95 in experimental and control groups, respectively. After laughter therapy, the ISI scores were 7.58 +/- 5.38 (P = 0.327) and 9.31 +/- 6.35 (P = 0.019), PSQI scores were 6.04 +/- 2.35 (P = 0.019) and 7.30 +/- 3.74 (P = 0.847), GDS scores were 6.94 +/- 3.19 (P = 0.027), 8.43 +/- 3.44 (P = 0.422) in experimental and control groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: The laughter therapy is considered to be useful for the elderly people in a community that improves insomnia and sleep quality.
Aged ; Aging ; Depression ; Humans ; Laughter ; Laughter Therapy ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Adrenocortical tumors in children are rare and show various clinical symptoms. We present an 8-year-old boy with peripheral precocious puberty caused by adrenocortical tumor. He showed elevated serum DHEA-S and 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and computed tomography revealed an abdominal mass. After surgical resection, he developed central precocious puberty. We report a rare case that showed progression from peripheral precocious puberty to central precocious puberty.
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; Child ; Humans ; Puberty, Precocious

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence rate of dyslipidemia and the level of related factors in adolescents groups in Seoul and Yangpyong area. METHODS: Design; School based survey during May-Jun 1996 in Seoul and Yangpyong county. Subject; 2,453 boys and girls, aged 13 to 19 years; 1,137 Seoul and 1,316 Yangpyong county. Main Outcome Measures; Prevalence rates of raised serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, decreased HDL-cholesterol, obesity, and levels of energy intake and expenditure RESULTS: Energy intake and fat intake of boys were higher than those of girls and they were higher in Seoul. Energy expenditure per day of boys was bigger than that of girls too. Prevalence rate of obesity was higher in boys of Seoul(15.2%) and girls in Yangpyong county(14.0%). Serum lipid profiles(total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol) were higher among girls and all prevalence rates of dyslipidemia were higher in boys in Seoul and in girls in Yangpyong county. Especially, girls(29.1%) in Yangpyong had raised serum cholesterol level(> or =170 mg/dl). In contrast, boys in Seoul had higher level of decreased HDL-cholesterol(46.8%) compared to Yangpyong(23.6%). The relationships between serum lipid profiles and relative weights and sex are highly significant. And the relationship between triglycerides and energy intake is significant(p=0.038). But, the associations between serum lipid profiles and energy expenditure had borderline significances. CONCLUSIONS: Hypercholesterolemia rates in girls were higher. Obesity prevalence rate was highest in boys of Seoul. Relative weight and sex are significantly related to lipid profiles. Therefore, Korea is in need of preventive strategies for different obesity and gender groups.
Adolescent* ; Cholesterol ; Dyslipidemias ; Energy Intake ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Korea ; Obesity ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures

This investigation was amied at the infiltrative capability of the machinable-infiltrated-ceramic(MIC) glass and the color of the composite after the MIC glass infiltrated through the aluminous matrix with different packing densities. By heating the components to 1100 degrees C for 2 hours, the MIC glass was made to infiltrate through the aluminous matrix with different packing densities. We measured the infiltrative depth and the color parameter and observed the rupture surface of the composite by means of SEM. There was a linear relation between the square of infiltrative depth and the packing density of aluminous matrix. The minimal depth was 3.092 mm. No relationship was noted between the composite's color coefficient and the packing density of aluminous matrix. In the rupture process of the composite, crack deflexion, crystal evulsion, and rupture through crystal could be observed. This experiment proved that the infiltrative characters of MIC glass meet the clinical requirement, the composite's color is steady and the mechanical intensity is stable.
Aluminum Oxide ; chemistry ; Ceramics ; chemistry ; Color ; Dental Porcelain ; chemistry ; Hardness ; Materials Testing ; Osmosis

No abstract available.
T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: Chemotherapies for breast cancer generally have strong cellular cytotoxicity and severe side effects. Thus, significant emphasis has been placed on combinations of naturally occurring chemopreventive agents. Silibinin is a major bioactive flavonolignan extracted from milk thistle with chemopreventive activity in various organs including the skin, prostate, and breast. However, the mechanism underlying the inhibitory action of silibinin in breast cancer has not been completely elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the effect of silibinin in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and determined whether silibinin enhances ultraviolet (UV) B-induced apoptosis. METHODS: The effects of silibinin on MCF-7 cell viability were determined using the MTT assay. The effect of silibinin on PARP cleavage, as the hallmark of apoptotic cell death, and p53 protein expression in MCF-7 cells was analyzed using Western blot. The effect of silibinin on UVB-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: A dose- and time-dependent reduction in viability was observed in MCF-7 cells treated with silibinin. Silibinin strongly induced apoptotic cell death in MCF-7 cells, and induction of apoptosis was associated with increased p53 expression. Moreover, silibinin enhanced UVB-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. CONCLUSION: Silibinin induced a loss of cell viability and apoptotic cell death in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the combination of silibinin and UVB resulted in an additive effect on apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. These results suggest that silibinin might be an important supplemental agent for treating patients with breast cancer.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Death ; Cell Survival ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Milk Thistle ; Prostate ; Silymarin ; Skin

Vibrio vulnificus causes primary septicemia as a result of the consumption of contaminated seafood. The intestinal epithelial layer is the first host barrier encountered by V. vulnificus upon oral intake; however, epithelial translocation (invasion) of V. vulnificus has not been extensively studied. In this study, we investigated in vivo translocation of V. vulnificus using clinical (CMCP6) and environmental isolates (96-11-17M). And we analyzed physiological changes of intestinal epithelium concurrent with bacterial translocation by using polarized HCA-7 transwell culture system. The efficiency of epithelial translocation of 97-11-17M strains was significantly lower than that of pathogenic clinical isolate CMCP6 in a murine ligated ileal loop model. In an oral infection model, the survival rate was reciprocally related with efficacy of in vivo epithelial translocation. These results indicate that efficient translocation of V. vulnificus through intestinal epithelium is highly correlated with successful oral infection. We determined translocation of the bacteria from upper to lower chamber, changes of transepithelial electric resistance (TER) and cytotoxicity of the polarized HCA-7 cells to understand general features of V. vulnificus invasion. Bacterial translocation was accompanied by big decrease of TER (about 90%) and about 50% cytotoxicity of the epithelial cells. Taken together, these results indicate that V. vulnificus actively translocates the epithelium by destruction of epithelium and the efficiency of intestinal invasion by V. vulnificus is critical for successful oral infection. From this result, it is suggested that integrity of intestinal barrier is an important factor for susceptibility to oral infection of V. vulnificus.
Bacteria ; Bacterial Translocation ; Electric Impedance ; Epithelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Seafood ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

PURPOSE: The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase(ESBL) producing organism have emerged to be an important pathogen in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU). This study was conducted to investigate incidence, characteristics and risk factors associated with ESBL organism among newborns in NICU. METHODS: The subjects included 98 newborns admitted to NICU at Asan Medical Center between September 1998 to July 2002, from whom a total of 177 ESBL organisms were detected. Annual number of isolates, distribution of cultured sites, types of illness and patient profile were retrospectively reviewed and risk factors associated with the infection were identified between control group of 115 non-infected newborns. RESULTS: Of 177 ESBL isolates, 150(84.7%) and 27(15.3%) were ESBL producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli, respectively. The annual number of isolates were 2(1.1%), 23(13.0%), 126(71.2%), 17(9.6%) and 9(5.1%) for years 1998 to 2002. The annual incidence of sepsis due to ESBL organism was 2.9%, 8.2%, 17.8%, 3.1% and 2.8% for years 1998 to 2002:Year 2000 being an outbreak. The ESBL organisms were largely found in bronchial aspirates and urine. The infected patients were younger gestational age. The mean cultivation period was at 29.1+/-2.8 days. The risk factors for infection included, in the order of frequency, total parenteral nutrition, central venous catheterization, ventilator care, respiratory distress syndrome and dexamethasone therapy. CONCLUSION: Awareness of increasing infection due to ESBL producing organism in NICU is important not only for infection control but also placing a great limit in use of antibiotics, especially in premature infants.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; beta-Lactamases* ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Central Venous Catheters ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Dexamethasone ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care, Neonatal* ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; Ventilators, Mechanical