This study was conducted to investigate the bone mineral density (BMD) and the anthropometric measurements, socioeconomic factors, family history of osteoporosis and other environmental factors affecting BMD in children. One hundred sixty children (80 males, 80 females) in second grade of elementary school in Seoul were recruited; the mean age was 7.7 +/- 0.47 years. Bone mineral density was measured in the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), femoral trochanter (FT), and Ward's triangle (WT) by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). Socioeconomic factors, family history of osteoporosis, and other environmental factors were assessed by questionnaire. Bone mineral densities of LS, FN, FT, and WT were 0.677, 0.637, 0.618, and 0.658 g/cm2. BMD of boys was higher than that of girls (LS: 0.685 vs. 0.669, FN: 0.660 vs. 0.614, FT: 0.632 vs. 0.604, WT: 0.678 vs. 0.639 g/cm2). Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, relative body weight, circumference of waist and hip) were positively correlated with BMD. With increasing family income, BMD of LS was significantly lowered, and negative correlation was observed between mother's age at birth of subject and the BMD of FN. And the BMD of children with a family history of osteoporosis was significantly lower. However BMDs were not different by educational level of parents, family pattern, delivery term, birth weight, and type of feeding. Further studies are needed to clarify the factors affecting BMD of children and earlier age, included infants and even prenatal life. If any association is revealed and persist until the attainment of peak bone mass, osteoporosis prevention programs are needed to be start very early in the life cycle.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Birth Weight ; Body Weight ; Bone Density* ; Child* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Infant ; Life Cycle Stages ; Male ; Osteoporosis ; Parents ; Parturition ; Seoul ; Socioeconomic Factors* ; Spine ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Lung disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) represents an increasing proportion of all mycobacterial diseases. We investigated recent occurrences of NTM and evaluated the clinical significance of NTM isolates from 752 respiratory specimens collected from patients at National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital between January 2007 and May 2011. Specimens were incubated on solid and liquid media (BACTEC MGIT 960, BD, USA) for 6-8 weeks, and PCR and reverse blot hybridization were performed (REBA Myco-ID, Molecules & Diagnostics, Korea). Clinical features of the patients were reviewed through medical records. The most frequently isolated organism was Mycobacterium avium (46.7%), followed by M. intracellulare (14.8%), M. fortuitum (7.2%), and M. abscessus (6.6%). The most common mycobacteria among definitive cases of NTM lung disease were M. avium (42/351, 12.0%), M. intracellulare (19/111, 17.1%), M. abscessus (11/50, 22.0%), M. massiliense (4/13, 30.8%), and M. fortuitum (4/54, 7.4%). Clinically significant cases of NTM lung disease increased from 4 patients in 2007 to 32 in 2011. The mean patient age was 64 yr (range: 35-88 yr), and 58 (64%) patients were women. Patients suffered from cough, productive sputum, and hemoptysis. In summary, the most common mycobacteria causing NTM lung disease were M. avium and M. intracellulare; however, cases of M. massiliense and M. abscessus infection are on the rise in Korea.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/microbiology ; DNA, Bacterial/analysis ; Female ; Hospitals, General/standards/*trends ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria/genetics/*physiology ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Republic of Korea ; Sputum/microbiology

This study was conducted to assess the nutrient intake patterns among urban and rural adolescents and to investigate the effects due to parent's socioeconomic status and other factors, such as mother's job, family type and regular exercise on that pattern. 2,455 middle and high school students living in Seoul and Yangpong, Kyounffi-Do participated in a self-administered questionnaire that was used to collect data. The one-day dietary intake was surveyed through a 24-hour recall method. The factors significantly different between urban and rural adolescents according to monthly income, parent's education level, mother's job, family type and exercise. Income, the parents' education level and regular exercise were associated with the patterns of nutrient intakes as a percent of the RDA. So, when adjusted for parental income, the father's and mother's education level and regular exercise, there were no signifcant differences within the patterns of nutritional intake between urban and rural adolescents. The results provided the information regarding the determinants of nutrient status among adolescents and were expected to be helpful for planning school health promotion programs.
Adolescent* ; Education ; Humans ; Parents* ; School Health Services ; Seoul ; Social Class* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A yeast-like strain was isolated from the brain abscess of a patient diagnosed with astrocytoma. Morphological and molecular analysis on D1/D2 domain in the 26S rRNA gene and internal transcript spacer region of the strain revealed that the strain belonged to the genus Pseudozyma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation of a Pseudozyma strain from brain abscess.
Aged ; Astrocytoma/*complications ; Brain Abscess/complications/diagnosis/*microbiology ; Brain Diseases/*complications ; DNA, Fungal/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mycological Typing Techniques ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal/genetics ; Ustilaginales/classification/genetics/*isolation &purification