Vitamin K has been suggested to plays a role in bone metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine whether vitamin K2 supplementation is related to bone mineral density, bone formation markers, and bone resorption in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Forty Sprague-Dawley female rats (body weight, 200 +/- 10 g) were divided into four groups: a sham group fed a control diet, a sham group fed a vitamin K2 supplemented diet, OVX fed a control diet, and OVX fed a vitamin K2 supplemented diet (3.5 mg vitamin K2/kg diet). All rats were fed the experimental diets for 6 weeks, and deionized water was provided ad libitum. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), osteocalcin, and urinary deoxypyridinoline crosslink values were measured as markers of bone formation and resorption. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content were measured in the spine and femur using PIXImus (GE Lunar Co., Madison, WI, USA). No significant differences in body weight gain, food intake, or food efficiency ratio were observed between the control and experimental groups. Serum ALP, osteocalcin, and urinary crosslink values were not significantly different between the vitamin K2 supplemented groups. No significant differences were observed for any of the variables in the sham group. Spine BMD values were significantly lower in the OVX than those in the sham groups. Spine and femur BMD per weight of vitamin K2 tended to be higher than the control diet group within the OVX group, but no significant differences were observed. In conclusion, dietary vitamin K2 supplementation may have a beneficial effect on spine and femur BMD in OVX rats. Further research is needed to understand the potential benefits of vitamin K2 on bone loss in OVX rats.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amino Acids ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Bone Density ; Bone Resorption ; Diet ; Eating ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Osteocalcin ; Osteogenesis ; Rats ; Salicylamides ; Spine ; Vitamin K ; Vitamin K 2 ; Vitamins ; Water

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) on the renal renin-angiotensin systems. In rats chronically treated with CsA, the intrarenal expression of various genes of the renin-angiotensin system was assessed by Northern blot analysis. Along with the increases in plasma and renal renin activities, chronic CsA-treatment differentially affected the renal expression of renin-angiotensin system. The treatment with CsA for one week did not significantly alter the expression of either type 1 angiotensin II receptor (AT1A) or angiotensinogen gene, but increased the renin mRNA level. The three-week-treatment caused increases in the expression not only of renin but also of AT1A and angiotensinogen genes. Supplementation with L-arginine kept the expression of renin mRNA normal in the one-week-treated, but failed to prevent the alterations of the gene expression in the three-week-treated. Feedback control among components of the renin-angiotensin system also influences angiotesinogen. In the liver, the expression of angiotensinogen mRNA was decreased by the CsA-treatment for either one- or three-weeks. In conclusion, chronic CsA-treatment is associated with a differential expression of various genes for the renin-angiotensin system. L-Arginine may be effective in maintaining the normality of renin-angiotensin system only during early period after beginning the use of CsA.
Angiotensinogen ; Animals ; Arginine ; Blotting, Northern ; Cyclosporine* ; Gene Expression ; Liver ; Plasma ; Rats ; Receptors, Angiotensin ; Renin ; Renin-Angiotensin System* ; RNA, Messenger

In this study, data from a pandemic H1N1 outbreak in Korea were analyzed according to time, geography (districts), and age. A total of 252,271 samples collected nationwide were referred to the Greencross Reference Laboratory from June 2009 to February 2010 for H1N1 confirmation testing. Of these samples, 105,300 (41.7%) were H1N1-positive. With time, positivity was highest (57.0%) from October 26 - November 1 (4 weeks after Chuseok). The positive rates among districts show the highest value in Ulsan City (63.1%) and the lowest in Gyeongnam Province (32.8%). The positive rates for ages 0-2, 3-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and > 60 yr were 17.0%, 33.1%, 56.2%, 55.5%, 55.3%, 41.5%, 28.2%, 30.5%, 31.1%, and 16.8%, respectively, indirectly indicating propagation of H1N1 through schools. Pandemic control should involve school-targeted strategies.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; *Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human/*epidemiology/prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Pandemics/prevention & control/statistics & numerical data ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Students ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the validity of a modified clinical performance examination (CPX) for preclinical students in nursing. METHOD: 70 nursing students in their second semester of the junior year at C University participated in CPX. Scenarios and checklists were developed by our research team from September to October 2005. Six stations were organized. Evaluation included physical examination of a patient with lung cancer, education on usage of a metered dosage inhaler, and lobectomy postoperative care. Students were randomly assigned to a station. RESULT: There was a difference in the CPX scores according to stations. The agreement of scoring between trained faculty members and SPs was more than moderate (r=.647). The correlation between the CPX score and the average grade in the previous semester and between the CPX score and the average grade of a paper and pen test of the pulmonary system of adults was low (r=.276; r=.048). CONCLUSION: Traditional CPX is generally recommended, however, modified CPX is appropriate for preclinical students in the current Korean Nursing school setting if there are additional scoring systems to balance the testing level at each station.
Administration, Inhalation ; Adult ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards ; Educational Measurement ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/nursing ; Male ; Medical History Taking ; Physical Examination ; Postoperative Care ; Reproducibility of Results ; Task Performance and Analysis

To identify the neonates at the risk of having meconium aspiration syndrome, the perinatal characteristics and finding of fetal heart rate monitorings in 366 neonates who had meconium-stained amniotic fluid were retrospectively reviewed. The results were as follows; 1) Overall incidence of MAS was 0.7%. 2) Mortality rate of MAS was 5.8%. 3) The mean Apgar scores at 1-and 5-minute were significantly different in the two groups with and without meconium aspiration sydrome (MAS)(p<0.001). 4) PROM, postterm delivery and IUGR were the major obstetric risk factors associated with MAS. 5) Although severe variable decelaeration and decreased variability on FHR monitoring were present more often in the group with MAS, it showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. 6) The presence of above findings on monitoring and thick meconium in amniotic fluid should alert clinicians to the possibility of a fetus that requires intervention.
Amniotic Fluid ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Heart* ; Fetus ; Heart Rate, Fetal* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome* ; Meconium* ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

This study was designed to evaluated the effects of opioid receptor agonists on the spontaneous alternation behaviour in an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder in rats. According to the theory that dopamine is related to the biological etiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the effect of the nalbuphine(opioid kappa agonist) and the tramadol(opioid mu agonist), which act as manipulating agents on the inhibition or stimulation of dopamine release, in the spontaneous alternation behaviour were evaluated. 24 hours prior to the experiment, rats were food-deprived. These rats were put into the T-maze, in which white and black goal boxes were baited with small amounts of chocolate milk. Each rat was given 2 set of 7 trials during which it was placed in the start box and allowed to choose the one of the goal boxes for each time. After identifying the stable baseline of spontaneous alternation behaviour, nonselective 5-HT agonist 5-MeODMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) disrupted spontaneous alternation. Rats were stratified into fluoxetine(10mg/kg/IP), nalbuphine(10mg/kg/IP), tramadol(46.4mg/kg/IP), and saline(0.5cc/IP) injection group with experimental drug treatment for 21 days. The effects on the 5-M?DMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) induced disruption of spontaneous alternation behaviour were checked at the next day of discontinuation of drug treatment. The results were as follows : 1) At the day after 21 days of the drug treatment, the nalbuphine treated group and the fluoxetine treated group showed significant difference from the tramadol treated group and the saline treated group in the 5-MeODMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) induced suppression of spontaneous alternation behaviour. 2) Within each drug treatment group, the fluoxetine treated group showed significant difference between before and after the treatment of fluoxetine in the 5-MeODMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) induced suppression of spontaneous alternation behaviour. And also, the nalbuphine treated group showed significant difference between before and after the treatment of nalbuphine in the 5-MeODMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) induced suppression of spontaneous alternation behaviour. There was no difference between the baseline and after the treatment of nalbuphine in the 5-MeODMT(1.25mg/kg/IP) induced suppression of spontaneous alternation behaviour. We indentified that the opioid kappa agonist that act as dopamine release inhibitor affect the spontaneous alternation behaviour which is an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder in rat.
Animals ; Cacao ; Dopamine ; Fluoxetine ; Milk ; Models, Animal ; Nalbuphine ; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ; Rats* ; Receptors, Opioid ; Serotonin Receptor Agonists ; Tramadol

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced multidetector CT (MDCT) and the Alvarado score for acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MDCT and determination of the Alvarado score were prospectively performed in 282 patients with 146 pathologically proven cases of acute appendicitis and 136 pathologically proven or clinically diagnosed cases of non-acute appendicitis. To compare the diagnostic performance of MDCT and the Alvarado score, the patients were subdivided according to age and sex, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and Spearman rank correlation were performed. RESULTS: ROC analysis revealed that the optimal cut off value of the CT appendicitis grades was 2 in all patients, resulting in a sensitivity of 96.6% and a specificity of 94.9%. The optimal cut off values of the Alvarado score was different according to age and sex, resulting in a sensitivity of 85.6% and a specificity of 48.5%. There was a significant correlation between the CT appendicitis grades and the surgical-pathological grades (r=0.496, p<.0001). However, no significant correlation was observed between the Alvarado score and the surgical-pathological grades. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced MDCT has a higher diagnostic accuracy and significant correlation with pathological findings than those of the Alvarado score in patients with acute appendicitis.
Acute Disease ; Appendicitis* ; Humans ; Prospective Studies* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Background: Desflurane, a fluorinated methyl-ethyl ether, has some advantageous properties including low blood solubility, stability in soda lime, and resistance to biodegradation. Desflurane in vivo has demonstrated myocardial depressant property. The purpose of this study was to test the direct effects of desflurane on myocardial contractile function and coronary flow in the isolated heart. Methods: Twelve isolated rat hearts were continuously perfused with modified Krebs solution containing 6, 9 and 12 vol% of desflurane for 10 min at each concentration. Systolic left ventricular pressure and rate of change of ventricular pressure (dp/dt) were measured. Heart rate and coronary flow were also measured. To differentiate direct vasodilatory effect of desflurane from an indirect metabolic effect due to autoregulation of coronary flow, oxygen delivery, myocardial oxygen consumption and percent oxygen extraction were calculated. Results: Heart rate (control 266+/-22 beats/min) decreased to 250+/-23 beats/min at 6 vol%, 236+/-26 beats/min at 9 vol% and 223+/-22 beats/min at 12 vol% of desflurane. Systolic left ventricular pressure and dp/dt decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. In spite of decrement of myocardial oxygen consumption, coronary flow (control 12.0+/-1.2 ml/min) increased to 12.8+/-1.6 ml/min at 6 vol%, 12.9+/-1.6 ml/min at 9 vol% and 13.7+/-1.4 ml/min at 12 vol% of desflurane. Oxygen delivery increased proportionally with coronary flow. Percent oxygen extraction decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggest that desflurane has a direct myocardial depressing and coronary vasodilating effect in a concentration-dependent manner.
Animals ; Ether ; Heart Rate ; Heart* ; Homeostasis ; Oxygen ; Oxygen Consumption ; Rats* ; Solubility ; Ventricular Pressure

PURPOSE: There has been no epidemiological data on unilateral visual disabilities in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the causes and current clinical manifestation of unilateral blindness in Korea based on the register. METHODS: This study was performed of all unilateral blindness registered as sixth degree visual disability from January to December 2000. Sex, the age at onset, and leading causes of blindness were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 145 patients with available clinical data, men were 114(78.6%). The peak incidence of onset of unilateral blindness were at less than 10 years of age(32 patients, 22.1%) and twenties(29 patients, 20.0%). It was found that the leading causes in order of frequency of incidence were trauma(81 patients, 55.9%), congenital anomaly(20 patients, 13.8%), retinal disease(17 patients, 11.7%), glaucoma(12 patients, 8.2%), and corneal disease(7 patients, 4.8%). The mechanism of trauma was penetrating trauma(38 patients, 46.9%), traffic accident(21 patients, 25.9%), and blunt contusion(11 patients, 13.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The unilateral blindness in Korea was much more frequently seen in subjects aged 10 years or less and twenties. The main cause was trauma developed during playing or working. Therefore, health education and safety strategies should be considered for the prevention of unilateral blindness.
Blindness* ; Epidemiology ; Health Education ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Retinaldehyde