No abstract available.
Lymphadenitis* ; Parotid Gland* ; Tuberculosis, Cutaneous* ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated and validated the reliability of smartphones as measuring equipment for the dorsi-plantar flexion of ankle joint position sense (JPS) ability. METHODS: The subjects were 20 healthy young students in their 20s. We confirmed the concurrent validity by comparison with existing electrogoniometer data. The reliability of the smartphone was confirmed using the test-retest method. RESULTS: In the case of dorsiflexion, there was no significant difference between the smartphone and electrogoniometer groups (p > 0.05). Regarding the correlation, it was significantly high (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), and ICC(3,1) was good (ICC(3,1) = 0.79). For the case of plantar flexion, there was no significant difference between the smartphone and electrogoniometer groups (p > 0.05), the correlation was significantly high (r = 0.69, p < 0.05), and the ICC(3,1) was very good (ICC(3,1) = 0.82). In the case of dorsiflexion, there was no significant difference between test and retest (p > 0.05), the correlation was intermediate (r = 0.59, p < 0.05), and the ICC(3,1) value was good (ICC(3,1) = 0.74). For plantar flexion, there was no significant difference between test and retest (p > 0.05), the correlation was significantly high (r = 0.63, p < 0.05), and the ICC(3,1) was good (ICC(3,1) = 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that smartphones provide high validity and reliability as measurement equipment for JPS of dorsi-plantar flexion of the ankle. Finally, the study also considers that smartphone-based JPS measuring methods may replace the traditional and expensive methods that are currently being used for the same purpose.
Ankle Joint ; Ankle* ; Humans ; Joints* ; Methods ; Proprioception* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Smartphone*

Objectives: Aquatic therapy is a significant intervention method for both patients and healthy individuals. However, in clinical practice, quantitative measurements are rarely applied in aquatic therapy due to the disadvantages of submerging expensive instruments in water. In this study, we used readily available smartphones and armbands to measure leg segments and joint angles during aquatic gait and evaluated the reliability of these measurements. Methods: Waterproof smartphones were strapped to the trunk, thighs, and shanks of 19 healthy young adults using armbands. The angles of the trunk, thigh, and shank segments were measured during aquatic gait. The measurements were repeated 1 day later. The data were analyzed to obtain the angles of the hip and knee joints. Results: Measurement repeatability, calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), was the highest for the shank segment range of motion (ROM) (first 46.79° ± 5.50°, second 50.12° ± 9.98°, ICC = 0.78). There was high agreement in trunk segment ROM (first 6.36° ± 1.42°, second 4.29° ± 1.83°, ICC = 0.73), thigh segment ROM (first 33.49° ± 5.18°, second 37.31° ± 8.70°, ICC = 0.62), and knee joint ROM (first 52.43° ± 11.26°, second 62.19° ± 16.65°, ICC = 0.68) and fair agreement in hip joint ROM (first 34.60°±4.71°, second 37.80° ± 7.84°, ICC = 0.59). Conclusions Smartphones can be used to reliably measure leg segments and joint angles during aquatic gait, providing a simpler method for obtaining these measurements and enabling the wider use of aquatic motion analysis in clinical practice and research.

Objective: Among various causes of insomnia, stress is the most common and representative cause. Insomnia is also known to negatively affect the quality of life (QoL). The objective of this study was to explore the effect of stress on QoL and the mediating role of insomnia symptoms in the relationship between stress and QoL. Methods: In this study, the mediating effect of insomnia symptoms on the relationship between stress and QoL was analyzed by enrolling 3,714 participants from the Ansung and Ansan cohorts of the Korea Association Resource project from 2001 to 2004. These cohort participants were asked about how much they felt stressed during their everyday life. Insomnia symptoms were evaluated by asking participants whether they had trouble sleeping such as difficulty in falling asleep, disrupted sleep, and early morning awakening due to the lack of a validated questionnaire for this cohort. QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization QoL Scale Brief Version. Results: In total, stress was positively associated with insomnia symptoms, which in turn predicted QoL. The same result could be derived from subgroup analysis according to sex, and it was confirmed that insomnia symptoms acted as a mediating factor more significantly in female than in male. Conclusion In this study, insomnia symptoms were confirmed to act as a significant mediating factor between stress and QoL, suggesting that insomnia symptoms should be actively identified and controlled to alleviate the negative effect of stress on QoL in clinical practice.

Background: While individuals exposed to radiation in hospitals are typically registered as radiation workers, with regulated exposure levels, many interns and residents who are not registered as radiation workers are occupationally exposed to radiation. This study aimed to assess the current status and awareness of radiation exposure and related protective practices among interns and residents. Methods: An online survey was conducted nationwide from June 3 to June 16, 2023, engaging 262 interns and 799 residents. Descriptive analyses were conducted to summarize the status of occupational radiation exposure and radiation protection practices. Results: Approximately 6% of interns and 18% of residents reported receiving personal dosimeters, and 6% and 20%, respectively, were registered as radiation workers. In contrast, compliance with personal radiation protection equipment, such as lead aprons and thyroid shields, exceeded 85% during tasks involving radiation exposure. On average, interns spent 7 months (standard deviation [SD], 2.1) and residents 8.1 months (SD, 4.8) in main departments with potential radiation exposure. While overall safety performance showed improvement, the provision of personal dosimeters and radiation worker registration remained low (14.7%, 16.6%). Conclusion Despite improvements in radiation protection education and the provision of personal protective equipment, the registration rate for radiation workers among interns and residents remains low. Ensuring these medical professionals are registered and managed as radiation workers is crucial for prioritizing their safety and well-being.

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effects of overestimation of their own body shape on weight control behaviors, mental condition, physical activity, dietary behavior, health-related quality of life, and nutritional status among young Korean females. METHODS: A total of 1,514 women aged 20-39 years who are not pregnant and lactating among those who participated in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010~2011), were analyzed and grouped into underestimation (n=120), normal estimation (NE, n=840), and overestimation (OE, n=554), based on their body perception compared to actual percent ideal body weights. Variables were compared between OE group and NE group. RESULTS: The subjects in OE group were significantly younger (29.5 vs. 30.5 years, respectively p < 0.05) and had lower body mass index (20.9 vs. 22.2 respectively, p < 0.01), health-related quality of life measured by EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimension)(0.97 vs. 0.98 respectively, p < 0.05), nutrition adequacy ratio (NAR) of protein (0.91 vs. 0.93 respectively, p < 0.05), phosphorous (0.93 vs. 0.96 respectively, p < 0.05), and iron (0.70 vs. 0.75 respectively, p < 0.01), and index of nutrition quality (INQ) of iron (0.84 vs. 0.89 respectively, p < 0.05) compared to those in the NE group. The results of logistic regression showed that unmarried status (OR 1.32; 1.01~1.72) and severely underweight/underweight status (OR 1.94; 1.01~3.75)/(OR 1.81; 1.34~2.45) were significantly related to the probability of overestimation by the subjects. Significantly more women in OE group practiced fasting, skipping meals, and taking prescribed pills to lose body weights and had skipped breakfast compared to those in the NE group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that the Korean young women's distorted perception of own body shape may be associated with undesirable weight control behavior, low quality of life, and lower nutritional status. Therefore, nutrition education for this group should include information on correct body shape perception and its importance.
Body Image* ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Breakfast ; Education ; Fasting ; Female* ; Humans ; Ideal Body Weight ; Iron ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Meals ; Motor Activity ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Nutritional Status* ; Quality of Life* ; Single Person ; Weight Perception

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in patients using oral anticancer treatment are more common than in those using injectable anticancer agents. In addition, DDIs related to anticancer treatment are known to cause clinically significant outcomes, such as treatment failure and severe toxicity. To prevent these negative outcomes, significant DDIs are monitored and managed using the information provided in drug databases. We aimed to evaluate the consistency of information on clinically significant DDIs for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) between representative drug databases. Methods: We selected clinically significant DDIs involving medications that are co-prescribed with TKIs and met the following criteria: the severity level of DDIs was equal or greater than “D” in Lexicomp® or “major” in Micromedex® . We then analyzed the consistency of the severity classification and evidence level between the drug databases. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to identify the relationship between DDI information in the drug databases. Results: In total, 627 DDI pairs were identified as clinically significant; information on these was provided by Lexicomp® and Micromedex® for 571 and 438 pairs, respectively, and both drug databases provided information on 382 DDI pairs.There was no correlation between the severity and evidence level of DDIs provided in the two databases; Spearman’s correlation coefficient for Lexicomp® and Micromedex® was -0.009 (p=0.861) and -0.064 (p=0.209), respectively. Conclusion To judge the significance of DDIs, healthcare providers should consider that the information on DDIs may be different between drug information databases; hence, clinical factors must be considered concurrently.

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in patients using oral anticancer treatment are more common than in those using injectable anticancer agents. In addition, DDIs related to anticancer treatment are known to cause clinically significant outcomes, such as treatment failure and severe toxicity. To prevent these negative outcomes, significant DDIs are monitored and managed using the information provided in drug databases. We aimed to evaluate the consistency of information on clinically significant DDIs for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) between representative drug databases. Methods: We selected clinically significant DDIs involving medications that are co-prescribed with TKIs and met the following criteria: the severity level of DDIs was equal or greater than “D” in Lexicomp® or “major” in Micromedex® . We then analyzed the consistency of the severity classification and evidence level between the drug databases. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to identify the relationship between DDI information in the drug databases. Results: In total, 627 DDI pairs were identified as clinically significant; information on these was provided by Lexicomp® and Micromedex® for 571 and 438 pairs, respectively, and both drug databases provided information on 382 DDI pairs.There was no correlation between the severity and evidence level of DDIs provided in the two databases; Spearman’s correlation coefficient for Lexicomp® and Micromedex® was -0.009 (p=0.861) and -0.064 (p=0.209), respectively. Conclusion To judge the significance of DDIs, healthcare providers should consider that the information on DDIs may be different between drug information databases; hence, clinical factors must be considered concurrently.

Background: Chronic atrophic gastritis causes hypochlorhydria, hypergastrinemia, and malabsorption of nutrients, leading to lower bone mineral density. The few studies that investigated the association between chronic atrophic gastritis and bone mineral density have reported inconsistent findings. As such, the present study assessed the association between chronic atrophic gastritis and bone mineral density among a large sample of women >40 years of age in Korea. Methods: Data from 8,748 women >40 years of age who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and bone densitometry were analyzed. Chronic atrophic gastritis was diagnosed using esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae (L), femur neck, and femur total, measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, were the primary outcome variables. Low bone mineral density, which could be diagnosed as osteoporosis or osteopenia, was defined and analyzed as a secondary outcome. Linear regression was used to calculate adjusted mean values of bone mineral density. The association between low bone mineral density and chronic atrophic gastritis was analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: The adjusted mean bone mineral density for L1–L4 was 1.063±0.003, femur neck (0.826±0.002), and femur total (0.890±0.002) were significantly lower in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis than others (1.073±0.002, 0.836±0.001, 0.898±0.002, respectively; all P<0.01). Women with chronic atrophic gastritis exhibited an increased likelihood for osteopenia or osteoporosis, even after adjusting for age and other confounding factors (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.40; P<0.01). However, subgroup analysis revealed statistical significance only in postmenopausal women (odds ratio, 1.27; P<0.001). Conclusion Chronic atrophic gastritis was associated with lower bone mineral density and a higher risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis among postmenopausal women.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a new disease entity characterized by elevated serum IgG4 and infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells in tissue. IgG4-RD can involve various organs, and skin could also be affected. The manifestations of IgG4-related skin disease (IgG4-RSD) are not characteristic, however it usually presents with multiple erythematous nodules or plaques with itching sensation. We report two cases of IgG4-RSD. Histological studies of these cases revealed infiltration of numerous plasma cells and mononuclear cells in the entire dermis. Some plasma cells were strongly positive for IgG4 stain. IgG4-RSD is a treatable disease with systemic corticosteroids. Thus, clinicians should obtain a biopsy and identify IgG4-positive cells for an accurate diagnosis.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Immunoglobulin G ; Plasma Cells ; Pruritus ; Sensation ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin*