PURPOSE: The present study investigated the validity of personality classification using four pillars theory, a tradition in China and northeastern Asia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four pillars analyses were performed for 148 adults on the basis of their birth year, month, day, and hour. Participants completed two personality tests, the Korean version of Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised-Short Version (TCI) and the Korean Inventory of Interpersonal Problems; scores were correlated with four pillars classification elements. Mean difference tests (e.g., t-test, ANOVA) were compared with groups classified by four pillars index. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between personality scale scores and total yin/yang number (i.e., the 8 heavenly or earthly stems), and no significant between-groups results for classifications by yin/yang day stem and the five elements. There were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.29) correlations between the five elements and personality scale scores. For the six gods and personality scales, there were significant but weak (r=0.18-0.25) correlations. Features predicted by four pillars theory were most consistent when participants were grouped according to the yin/yang of the day stem and dominance of yin/yang numbers in the eight heavenly or earthly stems. CONCLUSION: Although the major criteria of four pillars theory were not independently correlated with personality scale scores, correlations emerged when participants were grouped according to the composite yin/yang variable. Our results suggest the utility of four pillars theory (beyond fortune telling or astrology) for classifying personality traits and making behavioral predictions.
Adolescent ; Adult ; *Character ; China ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Personality/*classification ; Personality Inventory/*statistics & numerical data ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea ; *Temperament ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: Ginseng has a long history of being used in insomnia treatment and there is some evidence from animal studies of its sleep-enhancing property. From this, it can be assumed that ginseng has sleep-promoting effect in humans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Korean red ginseng on change of sleep architecture in humans. METHODS: A total of 20 healthy young males with regular sleep and wake habits and without any psychiatric nor cognitive problems were selected based on review of sleep questionnaires and sleep diaries they completed followed by an interview with a board-certified psychiatrist. The subjects were randomly assigned to red ginseng or placebo for 2 weeks of trial. The total daily dose of ginseng was 4,500 mg. The polysomnographic recordings were made at baseline and at 2 weeks after. The effects of red ginseng and placebo on sleep were assessed by comparing the changes in polysomnographic variables between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 15 subjects, 8 from red ginseng group and 7 from placebo group, were included to undergo polysomnographic procedures. The red ginseng group showed tendencies to increase stage 3 sleep (p=0.087) and to decrease stage 2 sleep (p=0.071) from the baseline compared with the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Korean red ginseng tends to increase deep sleep and decrease shallow sleep. Our result is in line, at least in part, with previous findings that Korean red ginseng increased total and NREM sleep in rats. Further studies with higher ginseng dosage, larger sample size and longer trial duration should be conducted to confirm the sleep stabilizing and balancing effects of Korean red ginseng.
Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Panax ; Polysomnography ; Psychiatry ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rats ; Sample Size ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Animal models for human chronic pain syndromes were developed and widely used for pain research. One of thsese neuropathic pain model by Kim and Chung[1992] has many advantages for operation and pain elicitation. We have examined the c-fos protein, substance P, CGRP immunoreactivity in dorsal root ganglia and dorsal horn in this neuropathic model. About 50 Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this study. L5 and L6 spinal nerve were ligated tightly to produce neuropathic pain model. After 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 hours and 1 week of surgery, rats were anesthesized and sacrificed by perfusion through the left ventricle with saline followed by 0.1M phosphate buffer[pH 7.4] containing 3% paraformaldehyde, 3% glutaraldehyde, and 0.1% picric acid. After confirmation of the roots transected by the surgery, the L5 and L6 dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord were removed and processed for immunohistochemistry. All tissue sections were immunohistochemically stained for substance P, CGRP and c-fos by using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase[PAP] method. Count the number of immunostained substance P and CGRP dorsal root ganglion cells and c-fos immunoreactive dorsal horn cells and analyzed statistically with Mann-Whitney U test. The results are as follows. 1. The number of c-fos protein immunoreactive neurons in the superficial layer of dorsal horn were increased markedly at 2 hours after operation, gradually decreased to normal level 1 week after operation. 2. The number of c-fos protein immunoreactive neurons in the deep layer of dorsal horn were gradually increased to the peak 24 hours after operation, decreased to normal level 1 week after operation. 3. The number of substance P and CGRP immunoreactive L5 and L6 dorsal root ganglion neurons were decreased markedly at 1 week after pain model operation. In conclusion, after neuropathic pain model operation, c-fos protein were immediately expressed in the superficial layer of spinal dorsal horn, thereafter c-fos protein in the deep layer of spinal dorsal horn were expressed. CGRP and substance P immunoreactive neurons were decreased markedly 1 week after neuropathic pain model operation.
Animals ; Chronic Pain ; Ganglia, Spinal* ; Glutaral ; Heart Ventricles ; Horns* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Models, Animal ; Neuralgia ; Neurons* ; Perfusion ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Posterior Horn Cells ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves ; Substance P

No abstract available.
Craniosynostoses ; Muscles

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of a quantitative forced cyclorotation test using a smartphone in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy. Methods: Twenty-nine patients who underwent muscle surgery for superior oblique palsy were included. With patients under anesthesia prior to surgery, the 12 and 6 o’clock positions of the limbus were marked, the globe was maximally excyclorotated and incyclorotated, and photographs of the globe were taken in each position. The maximum angle of rotation was read by two masked observers using two different smartphone applications. Maximum excyclorotation and incyclorotation were compared between patients with superior oblique palsy alone and patients with both superior oblique palsy and intermittent exotropia; associations were evaluated regarding age at surgery, angle of hypertropia, and cyclotorsion on fundus photographs. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient between the two readers was 0.989. The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes was significantly greater than that of the fellow eyes (46.1 ± 9.9° vs. 41.7 ± 7.6°; p = 0.040). Maximum incyclorotation did not differ between the two eyes. The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes of 18 patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy alone was significantly greater than that of the fellow eyes (47.0 ± 9.5° vs. 39.4 ± 6.3°; p = 0.010). The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes of 11 patients with both superior oblique palsy and intermittent exotropia was similar to that of the fellow eyes (44.5 ± 10.9° vs. 45.5 ± 8.3°). Maximum incyclorotation did not differ according to group or eye. Maximum excyclorotation did not differ according to age at surgery, angle of hypertropia, or cyclotorsion on fundus photographs. Conclusions New forced cyclorotation tests using a smartphone quantitatively assess the passive range of cyclorotation, and detect bilateral differences, particularly in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy alone.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of a quantitative forced cyclorotation test using a smartphone in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy. Methods: Twenty-nine patients who underwent muscle surgery for superior oblique palsy were included. With patients under anesthesia prior to surgery, the 12 and 6 o’clock positions of the limbus were marked, the globe was maximally excyclorotated and incyclorotated, and photographs of the globe were taken in each position. The maximum angle of rotation was read by two masked observers using two different smartphone applications. Maximum excyclorotation and incyclorotation were compared between patients with superior oblique palsy alone and patients with both superior oblique palsy and intermittent exotropia; associations were evaluated regarding age at surgery, angle of hypertropia, and cyclotorsion on fundus photographs. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient between the two readers was 0.989. The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes was significantly greater than that of the fellow eyes (46.1 ± 9.9° vs. 41.7 ± 7.6°; p = 0.040). Maximum incyclorotation did not differ between the two eyes. The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes of 18 patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy alone was significantly greater than that of the fellow eyes (47.0 ± 9.5° vs. 39.4 ± 6.3°; p = 0.010). The maximum excyclorotation of affected eyes of 11 patients with both superior oblique palsy and intermittent exotropia was similar to that of the fellow eyes (44.5 ± 10.9° vs. 45.5 ± 8.3°). Maximum incyclorotation did not differ according to group or eye. Maximum excyclorotation did not differ according to age at surgery, angle of hypertropia, or cyclotorsion on fundus photographs. Conclusions New forced cyclorotation tests using a smartphone quantitatively assess the passive range of cyclorotation, and detect bilateral differences, particularly in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy alone.

Tuberous sclerosis is not as rare as once thought and has high psychiatric comorbidities. However, bipolar or psychotic features associated with tuberous sclerosis have been rarely reported. This report first presents a tuberous sclerosis patient, resembling a schizoaffective disorder of bipolar type. A patient with known tuberous sclerosis displayed mood fluctuation and psychotic features. Her symptoms did not remit along with several psychiatric medications. After hospitalization, the patient responded well with lamotrigine and aripiprazole without exacerbation. As demonstrated in this case, tuberous sclerosis may also encompass bipolar affective or psychotic features. We would like to point out the necessity to consider bipolarity in evaluating and treating tuberous sclerosis.
Aripiprazole* ; Comorbidity ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Psychotic Disorders ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

PURPOSE: The role of local excision in treating rectal cancer patients continues to be controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term oncological results of local excision for early rectal adenocarcinomas and review the outcomes of salvage therapy on rectal cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1992 and September 2005, 35 consecutive patients with early-stage primary rectal adenocarcinomas were treated by local excision with curative intent. The mean tumor distance from the anal verge was 5 cm (range, 1-10 cm). RESULTS: The median follow-up was 66 months (range, 17-161 months). Pathological examination revealed 23 cases of T1 and 12 cases of T2. Recurrence had developed in 10 patients (6 local recurrences, 4 systemic recurrences). Purely extrapelvic recurrence was observed in only two (5.7%) patients. Of the eight recurrent patients with surgical salvage, five survived with no evidence of disease at the time of this analysis. The 5-year local recurrence-free and disease-free survival rates were 79.6% and 67.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Local excision alone of early-staged rectal adenocarcinomas, even in the ideal candidate, is followed by a relatively higher local recurrence rate than previously reported and may not be a valid modality. Either the use of adjuvant therapy with local excision, even in patients with T1 lesions or the use of preoperative therapy followed by local excision has good promise.
Adenocarcinoma/*pathology/surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/epidemiology/*pathology/surgery ; Rectal Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Salvage Therapy ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Pregnancy