No abstract available.
Animals ; Blood Platelets* ; Butylated Hydroxytoluene* ; Rats* ; Streptococcus* ; Thrombin*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Twins*

Erythromelalgia(Erythermalgia) is a syndrome of red, warm, congested, and burning painful extremities. Presently, there are three distinct clinicopathological entities: erythromelalgia, primary erythermalgia, and secondary erythermalgia. Secondary erythermalgia usually arises at an adult age either in association with a detectable underlying disorder or with the use of vasoactive drugs. Typically, it responds to proper treatment of the underlying disorder or discontinuation of the causative drugs. A seven-year-old boy presented with persisting burning pain, erythema, and warmth on both of his feet and lower legs, along with hypertension. He had had this condition for 20 months. Laboratory studies of the patient revealed increased urinary catecholamines and plasma renin activity. Various treatment modalities including aspirin, captopril, sodium nitroprusside, labetalol, epidural block, and stellate ganglion block yielded unfavorable results. Herein, we report an intractable case of secondary erythermalgia associated with hypertension in a child.
Adult ; Aspirin ; Burns ; Captopril ; Catecholamines ; Child ; Erythema ; Erythromelalgia* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Extremities ; Foot ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Labetalol ; Leg ; Male ; Nitroprusside ; Plasma ; Renin ; Stellate Ganglion

The bleeding duodenal varices are a rare complication in patients with portal hypertension, but present a difficult diagnostic problem. If there is no bleeding esophageal, gastric fundal varices or ulcer in a patient with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and portal hypertension, the possibility of bleeding duodenal varices should be kept in mind. Thorough endoscopic examination of the entire duodenal mucosa is essential to document bleeding from duodenal varices. As an initial treatment, endoscopic sclerotherapy has had limited success in controlling active duodenal variceal bleeding. However, rebleeding rate is high, surgical treatment including shunt operation may be required for permanent control of bleeding and portal decompression. We report three cases of duodenal varices causing massive hemorrhage. All the patients had portal hypertension caused by liver cirrhosis of various etiologies and had varices in their esophagus. The second portion of the duodenum was the site of duodenal varices in all cases. The management was tailored to the condition of each patient, but only one patient among three survived.
Decompression ; Duodenum ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Esophagus ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mucous Membrane ; Sclerotherapy ; Ulcer ; Varicose Veins*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance is associated with hyperlipidemia. Recently, visceral fat adiposity is reported to be associated with insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia. We investigated insulin resistance and visceral fat adiposity in hyperlipidemic patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Hyperlipidemic group included 14 hyperlipidemic patients (total cholesterol > or = 220 mg/dl and triglyceride < or = 400 mg/dl) without hypertension, angina, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus (DM). Control group included age, sex and body mass index (BMI) matched 25 healthy volunteers. We measured plasma lipid profiles and the insulin and glucose during the oral glucose tolerance test. We measured visceral fat area and abdominal subcutaneous fat area with computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: There were no differences of age, sex and BMI in both group. Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, area under curve (AUC) of the glucose and insulin and the Insulin / Glucose (IG) ratio increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. Significant positive correlations were demonstrated between visceral fat area and the fasting plasma glucose, AUC of glucose and insulin at 120 minutes after glucose load. However, there was no difference in visceral fat area between both groups. After adjustment of visceral fat area, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, area under curve (AUC) of the glucose and insulin and the Insulin / Glucose (IG) ratio still remained increased significantly in hyperlipidemic group. CONCLUSION: We observed significantly increased insulin resistance in hyperlipidemic group. There was partial relationship between visceral fat area and the glucose and insulin profile. However, we did not find increased visceral fat area in hyperlipidemic group.
Adiposity ; Area Under Curve ; Blood Glucose ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Hypertension ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Intra-Abdominal Fat* ; Obesity* ; Plasma ; Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal ; Triglycerides

Antibiotics were reported to be able to alter bacterial surface properties in subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs). The effects of sub-MICs of certain antibiotics on a bacterial surface property such as hemagglutination, as well as on the cell morphology were studied using Streptococcus gordonii and Staphylococcus aureus. The effect of sub-M1Cs of antibiotics on the binding of these bacteria to immobilized fibrinogen were also investigated. The MICs of antibiotics were determined by culturing S. gordonii and S. aureus in media supplemented with serially diluted drug solutions, and one-half the MIC was used as the sub-MIC of the drugs, unless stated otherwise. Sub-MICs of antibiotics did not affect bacterial agglutination of erythrocytes. Microscopic observation of S. gordonii grown at sub-MIC concentration of 0.02 ug/ml of amoxicillin revealed cell enlargement of 1.6 times those grown without the drug. When grown in the sub-MIC amount of 0.08 ug/ml of cefazolin, most S. gordonii cells were enlarged and elongated into rod-shape, resulting in 3 times the size of the cells grown without the antibiotic. The data from the fibrinogen-binding experiments showed that the binding of S. gordonii to immobilized fibrinogen was increased with all the B-lactam drugs tested; the binding of S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen, on the other hand, was decreased with the same drugs. The results show that low concentrations of certain B-lactam antibiotics are able to cause alterations in cellular morphology of S. gordonii and affect the binding of S. gordonii and S. aureus to immobilized fibrinogen.
Agglutination ; Amoxicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Bacteria ; Cefazolin ; Cell Enlargement ; Erythrocytes ; Fibrinogen ; Hand ; Hemagglutination ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Streptococcus gordonii* ; Streptococcus* ; Surface Properties*

Background: The treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT) for intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction is recommended to proceed with the use of the compound. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of brinzolamide combination therapy on POAG and OHT following the subgroup analysis among types of brinzolamide combined medications. Methods: By June 2019, PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched to find a study that met our inclusion criteria. Based on randomized control trials (RCTs), we collected studies that tested the brinzolamide combination therapy in POAG and OHT patients, and analyzed the literature identified by the results of the study on IOP reduction and adverse reactions. Results: A total of 13 literature was collected to conduct an analysis including 2,197 patients. The intervention included brinzolamide combination therapies, combined with timolol, brimonidine, PGA or combined with both brimonidine and PGA. The analysis showed significant decreasing tendency for values at morning and end treatment per day in the use of brinzolamide combination therapy in the absolute IOP change (mean difference (MD) −1.41; 95% CI −1.92, −0.90; p<0.001 vs. MD −1.46; 95% CI −2.03, −0.89; p<0.00001, respectively). We could see higher adverse reactions in the brinzolamide combination group using intervention (odds ratio 1.43; 95% CI 1.20, 1.71; p<0.0001). Conclusion Regarding IOP reduction in POAG and OHT patients, brinzolamide combination therapy is more effective but less safe than control treatment, which diverse among types of combined medications. Thus, more individualized therapy should be applied in real-world practice.

Background: The treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT) for intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction is recommended to proceed with the use of the compound. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of brinzolamide combination therapy on POAG and OHT following the subgroup analysis among types of brinzolamide combined medications. Methods: By June 2019, PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched to find a study that met our inclusion criteria. Based on randomized control trials (RCTs), we collected studies that tested the brinzolamide combination therapy in POAG and OHT patients, and analyzed the literature identified by the results of the study on IOP reduction and adverse reactions. Results: A total of 13 literature was collected to conduct an analysis including 2,197 patients. The intervention included brinzolamide combination therapies, combined with timolol, brimonidine, PGA or combined with both brimonidine and PGA. The analysis showed significant decreasing tendency for values at morning and end treatment per day in the use of brinzolamide combination therapy in the absolute IOP change (mean difference (MD) −1.41; 95% CI −1.92, −0.90; p<0.001 vs. MD −1.46; 95% CI −2.03, −0.89; p<0.00001, respectively). We could see higher adverse reactions in the brinzolamide combination group using intervention (odds ratio 1.43; 95% CI 1.20, 1.71; p<0.0001). Conclusion Regarding IOP reduction in POAG and OHT patients, brinzolamide combination therapy is more effective but less safe than control treatment, which diverse among types of combined medications. Thus, more individualized therapy should be applied in real-world practice.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the influence of clinical practicum-related stress, and awareness, and self-efficacy on strength on health promotion behaviors among nursing students. METHODS: The subjects were 274 students in nursing college who had experience in a clinical nursing practicum. Data were collected from self-reported questionnaires and were analyzed by independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses showed that strength self-efficacy and self-awareness on strength significantly affected overall health promotion behaviors. Regarding subscales of health promotion behaviors, self-awareness on strength significantly affected health responsibility and stress management in health promotion behavior when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, while the subscales of clinical practicum-related stress did not affect health promotion behavior. CONCLUSION: The recognition of an individual's strength and self-efficacy might be a factor in improving health promotion behaviors among nursing college students, although they suffer from stress during clinical nursing practicum.
Health Promotion* ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Self Efficacy ; Stress, Psychological ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cause of dark arcuate striae observed in infrared photographs in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) and macular hole patients after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. METHODS: Forty patients (41 eyes) of idiopathic ERM and macular hole who underwent trans pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling and gas tamponade were included in the present study. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded at preoperative and postoperative 6 months. Infrared (IR) photography with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were obtained at preoperative and postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. When abnormal findings were visible on IR photographs, additional SD-OCT was performed at the corresponding sites. RESULTS: Of 40 patients, 4 patients demonstrated dark striae extending from the optic nerve to near macular area in IR photographs at 1 week postoperatively. SD-OCT images of the dark striae region revealed the swelling of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). At postoperative 6 months, however, RNFL swelling previously observed subsided in all 4 cases, while temporal retinal thinning and dimples were observed in 3 cases. The preoperative and postoperative BCVA did not show any statistical difference between the patients with the RNFL swelling and the patients without the swelling. CONCLUSIONS: Swelling of RNFL may occur in idiopathic ERM and macular hole patients after pars plana vitrectomy and ILM peeling, which may present as dark striae in IR photographs.
Epiretinal Membrane ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Nerve Fibers* ; Optic Nerve ; Photography ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinaldehyde* ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy