BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The paranasal sinuses present considerable diversity in the degree of pneumatization in pediatric age group. However, the developmental pattern and degree of pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus in children has not been well understood. This study was designed to evaluate the multiplanar developmental pattern of the sphenoid sinus pneumatization in children using magnetic resonance (MR)imaging technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MR images of the sphenoid sinus in 152 children with ages ranging from 2 months to 163 months were retrospectively reviewed. The degree of pneumatization was independently analyzed both in axial and sagital image, and then correlated with aging of the studied children. RESULTS: The sphenoid sinus pneumatization was identifiable as early as 2 months of age on axial image, and at 4 months of age on sagittal image. The sphenoid sinuses were unexceptionably pneumatized at the age of 3 on axial image and at the age of 6 on sagittal image. At the age of 9, all the children showed pneumatization of grade 2 or more on both axial and sagittal images.
Aging ; Child* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphenoid Sinus*

No Abstract available.
Academic Medical Centers* ; Infection Control*

Liver transplantation has been regarded as the definitive curative approach for pathologic liver conditions from the acute stage to the chronic end stage for decades. Recently, translational research has been focused on liver stem cell transplantation, using various cell therapies, due to the potential benefit of natural host liver regeneration. Many studies are ongoing utilizing and evaluating the use of either fetal-liver-derived stem cells or oval cells, however many obstacles still remain. Extensive research identifying and characterizimg stem/progenitor cells for potential application to in vitro cell therapy, whereas many questions remain concerning the isolation and identification of adult liver stem cells with adequate capacity for proliferation and the regeneration of injured liver. Recent approaches to liver regeneration include the production of hepatocyte-like cells from other stem cell sources such as mesenchymal stem cells and embryonic stems cells. Another major target for liver regeneration studies include the generation of liver stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC) We review the current data concerning characterization of stem cells and progenitor cells for their capacity to support their potential for re-population and regeneration of normal adult liver from liver damaged due to injury and/or disease.
Adult ; Cell Transplantation ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Liver Regeneration ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Regeneration ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Stem Cells* ; Translational Medical Research

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Embolism*

No abstract available.
Stents* ; Ureter*

No abstract available.
Autoantibodies* ; DNA*

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to review the findings of health insurance fraud investigations and to evaluate their impacts on medical costs for target and non-target organizations. An interrupted time series study design using generalized estimation equations was used to evaluate changes in cost following fraud investigations. METHODS: We used National Health Insurance claims data from 2009 to 2015, which included 20,625 medical institutions (1,614 target organizations and 19,011 non-target organizations). Outcome variable included cost change after fraud investigation. RESULTS: Following the initiation of fraud investigations, we found statistically significant reductions in cost level for target organizations (−1.40%, p < 0.001). In addition, a reduction in cost trend change per month was found for both target organizations and non-target organizations after fraud investigation (target organizations, −0.33%; non-target organizations of same region, −0.19%; non-target organizations of other regions, −0.17%). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that fraud investigations are associated with cost reduction in target organization. We also found similar effects of fraud investigations on health expenditure for non-target organizations located in the same region and in different regions. Our finding suggests that fraud investigations are important in controlling the growth of health expenditure. To maximize the effects of fraud investigation on the growth of health expenditure, more organizations needed to be considered as target organizations.
Cost Savings ; Delivery of Health Care ; Fraud ; Health Expenditures ; Health Policy ; Insurance, Health ; Interrupted Time Series Analysis ; Korea ; National Health Programs

In approximately 10% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), angiography does not reveal an obstructive coronary stenosis. This is known as myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), which has complex and multifactorial causes. However, this term can be confusing and open to dual interpretation, because MINOCA is also used to describe patients with acute myocardial injury caused by ischemia-related myocardial necrosis. Therefore, with regards to this specific context of MINOCA, the generic term for MINOCA should be replaced with troponin-positive with non-obstructive coronary arteries (TpNOCA). The causes of TpNOCA can be subcategorized into epicardial coronary (causes of MINOCA), myocardial, and extracardiac disorders. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can confirm MI and differentiate various myocardial causes, while cardiac computed tomography is useful to diagnose the extracardiac causes.

In approximately 10% of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), angiography does not reveal an obstructive coronary stenosis. This is known as myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA), which has complex and multifactorial causes. However, this term can be confusing and open to dual interpretation, because MINOCA is also used to describe patients with acute myocardial injury caused by ischemia-related myocardial necrosis. Therefore, with regards to this specific context of MINOCA, the generic term for MINOCA should be replaced with troponin-positive with non-obstructive coronary arteries (TpNOCA). The causes of TpNOCA can be subcategorized into epicardial coronary (causes of MINOCA), myocardial, and extracardiac disorders. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can confirm MI and differentiate various myocardial causes, while cardiac computed tomography is useful to diagnose the extracardiac causes.

We evaluated the clinical effects of amlodipine in 10 patients(7 male and 3 female) with angina pectoris in terms of the effect on the anginal pain, hemodynamic changes and side effects. The results obtained were as follows; 1) The clinical improvement was obsebed in 8(80.8%) of 10 and 9(88.9%) of 9 patients at 2 and 10 weeks after oral amlodipine. 2) The systolic and diastolic blood pressure was decreased significantly(136.0+/-16.5mmHg vs 117.0+/-10.6mmHg, p<0.01 and 85.0+/-9.7mmHg vs 75.0+/-5.3mmHg, p<0.01 respectively) but the heart rate was indepentent of amlodipine administration. 3) The adverse effects of amlodipine were as headache in 3, facial flushing in 3, palpitation, dizziness, urinary difficulty in 1 respectively and one of them discontinued amlodipine due to severe palpitation and facial flushing.
Amlodipine* ; Angina Pectoris* ; Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Flushing ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male