This study was conducted to investigate the vibrio flora in sand shrimp, Crangon affinis, which were collected in the estuarine area, Dadaepo near Nakdong River in Korea from in June 1996 to in May 1997. Crangon affinis is very important role in food chain in nature because of food for many seabirds and fishes. Six species of vibrios (Vibrio alginolyticus, V. parahaemolyticus, Listonella damsela (V. damsela), V. harveyi, V. splendidus biotype I, V. splendidus biotype II, and V. natriegens, an unrecorded species in Korea) were isolated from the intestine of shrimps and characterized by the biochemical tests.
Crangonidae* ; Estuaries* ; Fishes ; Food Chain ; Intestines ; Korea* ; Listonella ; Rivers* ; Silicon Dioxide ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Femur*

A middle-aged female patient showed long-standing multiple or confluent small hyperkeratotic papules on her palms and soles with subsequent development of well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma on the left sole and poorly differentiated pulmonary carcinoma. Arsenic as a possible etiological factor is discussed.
Arsenic ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Tissue Donors*

BACKGROUND: Otitis media with effusion(OME) is a very common disease in pediatric age. However, a few literatures on epidemiologic study of otitis media with effusion are available in Korea due to the great variability of its diagnostic criteria and clinical features. The aim of this study is to provide the estimate of silent otitis media prevalence for preschool age. METHODS: The study population includes 329 children enrolled in 6 kindergartens in Kunsan city from April 1 to 10, 1995. Silent otitis media was diagnosed with otoscopy, pneumatic otoscopy and impedance audiometry by DANAC 40 model impedance audiometer from DANA JAPAN Co. RESULTS: The prevalence of silent otitis media with effusion was 14.5% and peak at 6 years of age(17.8%).The prevalence of silent otitis media with effusion according to sex were 11.8% in boys group, 17.9% in girls group. Nine cases(11.8%) involved bilaterally. Forty three cases(89.6 %) were asymptomatic cases. CONCLUSIONS: Among 329 preschool children, the prevalence of silent otitis media with effusion was 14.5%. The prevalence by sex showed slightly higher in girls group than boys group. OME involved unilateral site mostly and subjective symptoms were rare.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Electric Impedance ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; Jeollabuk-do* ; Korea ; Otitis Media with Effusion* ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Otoscopy ; Prevalence*

This study was conducted to investigate the vibrio flora in edible shellfish (Ruditapes philippinarum, Scapharca broughtonii, Batillus cornutus and Mytilus coruscus) which were purchased from seafood-market or collected from shellfish culture bed in Pusan and Masan Bay from May to October 1997. Sixty-three vibrio strains were identified among 438 collected strains. Five species of vibrios [V. alginolyticus (22 strains), V. parahaemolyticus (35 strains), V. costicola (2 strains), L. damsela (V. damsela 2 strains), and V. cholerae non-Ol (2 strains)] were identified by their phenotyfic and biochemical characteristics. Four groups (142 strains) were identified as genus Vibrio by their biological characteristics, but they could not be identified to the species level.
Bays ; Busan ; Cholera ; Mytilus ; Population Characteristics ; Scapharca ; Shellfish* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Blood Donors* ; Chemistry* ; Chlamydia* ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae* ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Prevalence*

Seminal biochemical compositions are to be affected during inflammatory conditions of seminal tract such as chronic prostatitis. Especially chronic prostatitis induces changes in composition of prostatic fluid, and the chronic nature of disease also induces atrophy of prostatic secretory acini and the inflammation of seminal vesicle. We investigated the change of the seminal composition and the possible effect in sperm motility of chronic prostatitis patients. Sperm motility and seminal levels of zinc, citric acid, prostatic acid phosphatase(PAP) and fructose were measured on 12 healthy males and 21 chronic prostatitis patients. Sperm motility in chronic prostatitis patients was decreased and seminal levels of zinc, citric acid, PAP and fructose in control and chronic prostatitis patients were 143+/-10/102+/-7(ug/L), 389+/-17/293+/-25(mg/dl), 446+/-61/ 382+/-28(U/ml), 306+/-7/297+/-6(mg/dl), respectively. The change of zinc was statistically significant. In conclusion, although decrease of seminal zinc in patients with chronic prostatitis was found, there was no convincing evidence to suggest that alterations in seminal composition due to chronic prostatitis lead to decrease of sperm motility.
Atrophy ; Citric Acid ; Fructose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Prostatitis* ; Semen ; Seminal Vesicles ; Sperm Motility ; Zinc

Inflammatory white blood cells in semen is related to semen quality affecting fertility. The role of inflammatory cells on the seminal levels of various cytokines associated with inflammation and sperm motility is evaluated. Semens from 10 healthy males and 20 chronic prostatitis patients were evaluated for the levels of interleukin(IL)-1a, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-a. Motility parameters were recorded using Hamilton-Thorne computer semen analysis system. Sperm motility parameters such as including average path velocity(VAP), straight line velocity(VSL), curvilinear velocity(VCL), lateral head displacement(ALH), beat frequency(BCF), straightness(STR), linearity(LIN), elongation and area in control and chronic prostatitis patients were 44.9+/-2.5/38.8+/-1.3(um/sec), 36.4+/-2.4/30.5+/-1.1(um/sec), 64.2+/-3.9/ 58.0+/-2.4(Fm/sec), 3.3+/-0.2/4.8+/-0.3tm), 19.8+/-3.7/13.9+/-0.3(Hz), 77.7+/-5.1/78.8+/-1.2(%), 50.6+/-17.5/53.5+/-1.9(%), 66.8+/-5.4/57.8+/-1.1(9%), 2.9+/-0.3/3.8+/-0.1(um/sec), respectively. Statistical significance was noted in VAP, VSL, ALH, BCF, elongation and area. Semen levels of IL-1a, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a in control and chronic prostatitis patients are 15.1+/-1.5/52.9+/-14.2 (pg/ml), 10.5+/-2.2/38.3+/-12.2 (pg/ml), 1.60+/-0.38/ 6.02+/-0.26 (ug/L), 11.8+/-2.5 / 21.7+/-4.0(pg/ml) statistically significant in all. For combined parameters, the correlation coefficient of IL-1a and VSL, ALH, Area were 0.40, 0.41, 0.37 respectively which were significant. The correlation coefficient of IL-8 and VAP, VSL, VCL, ALH, BCF, Elongation, Area were 0.48, 0.49, 0.39, 0.41, 0.55, 0.59, 0.66 respectively which were also significant. Seminal inflammatory cytokines are present in increased quantities if inflammatory white blood cells are present in semen and this increase might be related to sperm motility.
Cytokines* ; Fertility ; Head ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Necrosis ; Prostatitis ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Motility* ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Flowmeters* ; Magnets* ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Penile Erection* ; Rats*