OBJECTIVE: Despite the increasing number of female participation in employment, blue-collar women have been exposed to higher health risk. This study is to describe the prevalence of chronic diseases, health behaviors, and medical service utilization of female blue-collar workers. METHODS: Data were derived from the 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). The sample was made up of 37,108 male and female participants aged 20 or over selected nation-wide by probability sampling from Korea. This study applied the logistic regression for nominal variables such as disease prevalence and health behaviors and with the regression for continuos variables such as the length and costs of medical services. RESULTS: In general, women's prevalence of chronic illness and uncured rate were significantly higher than male, and especially female blue-collar workers had the highest prevalence, uncured rate, unhealthy status, and perceived stress. However, the medical care cost was the lowest in female blue-collar workers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that female blue-collar workers were more likely to experience health problems, and that despite the highest health risk, health service is not effectively utilized, and health policy maker should take consider of special status of female blue collar workers who are in health inequality.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Employment ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Care Costs ; Health Policy ; Health Services ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Women's Health

Five species of the genus Xylaria are recognized on Malaysia materials: X. hypoxylon (L. FR.) Grev., X. allantoidea (Berk.) Fr., X. cubensis (Mont.) Fr., X. curta Fr. and X. grammica (Mont.) Fr.. The collection of Xylaria allantoidea from Malaysia is compared to the collection from Taiwan in morphological characters. The species are described their the host and cultural characteristics by a bright microscope and a scanning electron microscope.
Cultural Characteristics ; Malaysia* ; Taiwan

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the relationship between the expression of Ki-67 and thymidine-phosphorylase (TP) according to the cancerous progression of uterine cervical cancer with immunohistochemical method. METHODS: The material was obtained from hysterectomized uterus and punched cervical specimen for two years from 1998 to 1999 at the Soonchunhyang Chunan hospital. The material included 15 normal epithelium, 13 CIN I/II, 21 CIN III, 15 microinvasive carcinoma and 13 invasive carcinoma. Monoclonal antibodies of Ki-67 and TP were used for immunohistochemical determination of cellular proliferation and angiogenic activity. RESULTS: 1. The positive rate of thymidine phosphorylase in each group of normal epithelium, CIN I/II, CIN III, microinvasive carcinoma and invasive carcinoma were 6.7%, 23.1%, 38.0%, 73.3%, 84.6% respectively. 2. The labeling indexes of Ki-67 in each group of normal epithelium. CIN I/II, CIN III, microinvasive carcinoma and invasive carcinoma were 2.0+/-0.7, 26+/-5.4, 41.2+/-10.1, 74.7+/-9.3 respectively. 3. There was statistically significant relationship between TP and Ki-67 expression. CONCLUSION: The above results indicates that the angiogenic activities and cellular proliferation indices increase according to the invasiveness of cervical cancer. We were able to reveal the expression of TP and Ki-67 and their relationship in cervical carcinoma.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Cell Proliferation ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Epithelium ; Thymidine Phosphorylase* ; Thymidine* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Uterus

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Ploidies* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Uterus*

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the data obtained from regular health checkups performed in a university hospital and investigated the effect of serum gamma-GT on hypertension for both Korean males and females. METHODS: A total of 3,288 adult males and females over 20 years of age were selected for this study who visited a health promotion center from April, 2004 to April, 2005. Patients with HBs Ag (+) or anti-HCV Ab (+) and those currently on medication that could affect hepatic function were excluded. The subjects' history of illness and their present health and medication status were examined through questionnaires and history taking. Also, basic physical examinations and laboratory tests were performed on these subjects. RESULTS: Classifying the serum gamma-GT into quartiles, as the gamma-GT classification stage increased, there was an increase in the amount of smoking, alcohol, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein for males or female (respectively, P for trend <0.01). When odd ratio (95% CI) for hypertension in the highest quartile of gamma-GT was compared to that of the lowest quartile, there was an increased risk of hypertension with an odd ratio of 1.6 (95% CI, 1.0~2.3) and 1.6 (95% CI, 1.0~2.4) for males and females, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the risk of hypertension was increased according to serum gamma-GT, even though the variable index affecting cardiovascular diseases was adjusted.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cholesterol ; Classification ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival, proliferation, and bone formation of dog mesenchymal stem cells (dMSCs) in the graft material by using Polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP), auto-fibrin glue (AFG), recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), and dMSCs after a transplantation to the scapula of adult beagle dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were two beagle dogs. Total dose of rhBMP-2 on each block was 10 microg with 50 microg/mg concentration. The cortical bone of the scapula of the dog was removed which was the same size of PCL-TCP block (Osteopore International Pte, Singapore; 5.0x5.0x8.0 mm in size), and the following graft material then was fixed with orthodontic mini-implant, Dual-top(R) (Titanium alloy, Jeil Co. Seoul, Korea). Four experimental groups were prepared for this study, Group 1: PCL-TCP + aFG; Group 2: PCL-TCP + aFG + dMSCs; Group 3: PCL-TCP + aFG + dMSCs + rhBMP-2; Group 4: PCL-TCP + aFG + dMSCs + rhBMP-2 + PCL membrane. The survival or proliferation of dMSCs cells was identified with an extracted tissue through a fluorescence microscope, H-E staining and Von-Kossa staining in two weeks and four weeks after the transplantation. RESULTS: The survival and proliferation of dMSCs were identified through a fluorescence microscope from both Group 1 and Group 2 in two weeks and four weeks after the transplantation. Histological observation also found that the injected cells were proliferating well in the G2, G3, and G4 scaffolds. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that bone ingrowth occurred in PCL-TCP scaffold which was transplanted with rhBMP-2, and MSCs did not affect bone growth. More sufficient healing time would be needed to recognize effects of dMSCs on bone formation.
Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/*pharmacology ; Calcium Phosphates/*pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dogs ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive/pharmacology ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/*cytology/*drug effects/physiology ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Osteogenesis/*drug effects ; Polyesters/*pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins/*pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/*pharmacology

PURPOSE: The pretransplant pregnancy has been thought to be a detrimental factor for graft survival following renal allografts. However, graft survival in woman who underwent renal allografts from her offspring donor can be affected either positively by chimerism during fetal circulation or negatively by hypersensitive response. We attempted to define the role of pretransplant pregnancy on allografts survival of mother recipients from offspring donors. METHODS: During July 1, 1990 through July 31, 2002 117 patients were enrolled in this study. We divided these patients into 3 groups: group 1 (mothers receiving allografts from offspring) of 40 patients, group 2 (fathers receiving allografts from offspring) of 42 patients, and group 3 (women with a history of pregnancy and received allografts from unrelated donors) of 35 patients. We analysed the rejection rate, and patient and graft survival among the 3 groups. RESULTS: The acute rejection episodes (ARE) within 3 months were prevalent in the patients who received allografts from offspring. But after 3 months, no significant difference was observed among the three groups. The 1, 5 years graft survival rate of each group was 90.0%, 85.5% in group 1, 97.4%, 97.4% in group 2 and 94.3%, 94.3% in group 3. And the 1, 5 years patient survival rate was 92.5%, 88.1% in group 1, 100%, 100% in group 2 and 94.3%, 94.3% in group 3. CONCLUSION: From these results we can assume that the higher rejection rate and somewhat lower graft survival rate in mother recipients who underwent renal allografts from the offspring donors were caused by the anamnestic response from presensitization during pregnancy. To achieve better results in this group, a perioperative cautious care with different strategy of immunosuppressant is recommended.
Allografts* ; Chimerism ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Mothers ; Pregnancy* ; Survival Rate ; Tissue Donors*

No abstract available.
Erythromycin* ; Gastric Emptying* ; Gastroparesis*

The appearance of a tumor in the chest wall is rare compared to that in any other part of the body. It can be classified into benign and malignant types and can be located in the rib, clavicle, sternum, cartilage and soft tissues. Tumors that are metastatic are commonly located in the lung, breast, bone and pleura. But, the soft tissue mass of anterior chest wall is rarely metastasized from a distant organ that is not confined to the thoracic cavity. This and thus has rarely been described. A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of resting dyspnea. A huge non-tender mass of about 10*15 cm in size was visible on his left lower anterior chest wall. We pathologically confirmed that the mass was a metastatic renal cell carcinoma of clear cell type by incision biopsy. Through an incision biopsy, the mass was pathologically confirmed as a metastatic renal cell carcinoma of the clear cell type.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Breast ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Cartilage ; Clavicle ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Pleura ; Ribs ; Sternum ; Thoracic Cavity ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Small Cell* ; Prognosis*