No abstract available.
Head* ; Neck* ; Neurilemmoma*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy* ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic* ; Siblings* ; Twins, Monozygotic*

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle is an important risk factor for many diseases. We need to educate medical students for advocating health promoting behaviors to their patients. Teaching knowledge, however, was not enough for medical students to change their health-related lifestyle. In this study, we investigated health promoting behaviors of medical students, and the improvement of their health behaviors after competitive lifestyle modification program. METHODS: All sophomores of medical college in Seoul National University were included in this study. We performed lifestyle modification program consisting of lecture, group competition, and feedback. We focused on reforming health behaviors like smoking, drinking, exercise, stress management and eating habits. And we also checked common symptoms of functional diseases, medication frequency for relieving these symptoms and general life satisfaction. RESULTS: After 2 months of lifestyle modification program, the obese (P = 0.0455) and the average value of BMI (P < 0.001) were decreased and two of smokers quitted smoking. Numbers of medical students with health related habits such as regular exerciser (P = 0.027), frequent user of symptom-relief medication (P < 0.001), breakfast skipper (P = 0.005) were signifi cantly changed in positive way, and the average value of general life satisfaction score (P = 0.003) was improved. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle modification program improved medical students' health habits and enhanced general life satisfaction.
Breakfast ; Drinking ; Eating ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Life Style ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Students, Medical

This study was conducted to define the underlying mechanism of hypophagia induced by increased central serotonergic action. Rats received 3 daily injections of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP), a serotonin precursor, at a dose of 100 mg/kg/10 ml saline at 1 h before lights off. A significant suppression in food intake was observed shortly after the 5-HTP injection and persisted during 3 daily 5-HTP injections. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the arcuate nucleus increased after 3 days of 5-HTP treatment, as high as in the pair-fed group. Immunoreactivity of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (pERK1/2) in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was increased markedly by 3 days of 5-HTP treatment, but not by 3 days of pair-fed. mRNA expression levels of serotonin reuptake transporter (5-HTT) was increased in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the 5-HTP treated rats, but not in the pair-fed group. Results suggest that increased pERK1/2 in the PVN of 5-HTP injected rats may be a part of serotonergic anorectic signaling, perhaps blunting the orectic action of NPY; i.e., 5-HTP injected rats showed hypophagia despite of increased NPY expression in the arcuate nucleus.
5-Hydroxytryptophan ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus ; Eating ; Hypothalamus ; Light ; Neuropeptide Y ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Protein Kinases ; Raphe Nuclei ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Serotonin

No abstract available.
Lithotripsy* ; Shock* ; Ureter*

Objective: The rate of dropouts by emergency residents is relatively high in Korea, which causes harm to both medicalinstitutions and individuals. This study investigated the dropouts in emergency residents to identify the related factors. Methods: In this retrospective study, data were collected through in-depth individual interviews by telephone after thefirst interview by e-mail for residents who dropped out of emergency medicine training, and thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Three themes were identified from nine subthemes: ‘Overload,’ ‘Disposition dilemma,’ and ‘Occurrence of negativefeeling.’ Conclusion The core themes of dropout in emergency residents are complex, leading to skepticism about emergencymedicine training and a loss of self-esteem as an emergency medicine doctor. Therefore, the guidance specialist shouldexamine the appropriateness of the job of the resident to prevent the dropout in emergency medicine departments, recognizethe ambiguous patient dilemma as a problem of the emergency system, and watch for negative emotions of theresidents.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the STANDARD F Influenza A/B FIA test (SD Biosensor Inc., Korea) for the rapid detection of influenza A virus in comparison with the Sofia Influenza A+B FIA (Quidel Corp., USA) and SD BIOLINE Influenza Ag A/B/A(H1N1) (Standard Diagnostic, Inc., Korea) tests. Methods: A total of 227 non-duplicated nasopharyngeal aspirates submitted for real-time RT-PCR analysis were included in the study. We used the three commercial tests in remnant samples from routine assays, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We analyzed the diagnostic performance, including sensitivity and specificity, of the three tests. Results: Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that 67 (29.5%) samples were positive and 160 (70.5%) were negative for influenza A virus, and that all the specimens were negative for influenza B. The overall sensitivity and specificity for influenza A virus detection were 50.7% and 100% for the STANDARD F, 50.7% and 100% for the Sofia, and 29.9% and 100% for the SD BIOLINE tests, respectively. The STANDARD F and SD BIOLINE tests showed negative results for influenza B virus in all specimens, whereas the Sofia test showed two false-positive results. Conclusion The STANDARD F Influenza A/B test showed a good diagnostic performance and may be useful for the rapid diagnosis of influenza A.

BACKGROUNDS: Standardization of nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) which can be achieved by the use of standard to validate reproducibility and sensitivity in each assay run is necessary before the introduction of such methods for routine screening of blood and blood products for viral contaminants. The objective of this study was to analyze the serological and genotypic characteristics of HCV positive plasmas and to manufacture the HCV RNA national standard candidate. METHODS: We obtained three plasmas from Blood Transfusion Research Institute, Korea, with highly positive HCV RNA plasmas (#37, #40, #46) and with normal plasma for dilution. All the plasmas were confirmed by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test for anti-HIV, HBsAg, anti-HCV and by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) for HBV DNA, HIV RNA, HCV RNA. The genotypes of those were confirmed by INNO-LiPA HCV II. HCV RNA national standard candidate was manufactured by dispensing the diluted plasma into about 2,000 vials. Each vial was rapidly frozen using liquid nitrogen and was kept in refrigerator at -70 degrees C. RESULTS: All plasmas were identified as anti-HIV, HBsAg, HBV DNA, and HIV RNA negative plasmas. The genotypes of those were confirmed as 1b for #37, 1b or 2 for #40 and 2a or 2c for #46, respectively. Sample #37 was selected as the candidate material. After manufacturing, we obtained 1,944 vials for the candidate. CONCLUSION: In this study, we analyzed HCV positive plasmas and manufactured the HCV RNA national standard candidate. In near future, this material would be established for national standard to increase in the safety of blood and blood products in Korea.
Academies and Institutes ; Blood Transfusion ; DNA ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; HIV ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Nitrogen ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; Plasma* ; RNA*

The coronary arteries are also subject to congenital anomalies of both minor and major consequence. Hemodynamically significant primary anomalies of the coronary arteries are those which alter myocardial perfusion. There are four major types : coronary artery fistula, origin of the left voronary artery from the pulmonary artery, congenital coronary stenosis or atresia and origin of the left or right coronary artery from the opposite sinus of Valsalva with subsequent passage of the vessel between the aorta and right ventricular infundibulum. Minor anomlies are the variation of the origin of the coronary arteries from the aorta with normal distal circulation. We can see more coronary anomalies associated with congenital cardiac anomalies, probably representing a circulatory response to the primary intracardiac defect. We present a total of 76 cases of congenital coronary anomalies, reviewing 3946 cases of angiocardiography or selective coronary arteriography, performed during last 8 years at Sejong General Hospital.
Angiocardiography ; Angiography ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels* ; Fistula ; Hospitals, General ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Artery ; Sinus of Valsalva

PURPOSE: This study was designed to review the clinical outcome of infants who underwent tracheostomy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a single center in Korea during 16 years. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 33 patients who underwent tracheostomy in NICU of Samsung Medical Center between January, 1997 and December, 2013. We collected data on timing, indications, clinical outcomes, and complications of tracheostomy in the study patients. We also compared these variables with those in another single center study (study A) recently showing the outcome of infants who underwent tracheostomy in a NICU of USA during 10 years. RESULTS: The median gestational age and birth weight of the study patients were 35 weeks, and 3,200 g, respectively. Gestational age of the study patients was greater than that of study A (35 weeks vs. 27 weeks). The most common indication for tracheostomy was airway disease (69.7%) in our study. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (9%) was less frequent indication for tracheostomy in our study when compared with in the study A (41%). Granuloma formation was the most common complication of tracheostomy (48%) and decannulation was accomplished in nine patients (27.3%). Although the mortality rate was 12.1%, no patient died from tracheostomy-related complications. CONCLUSION: Main causes of tracheostomy in our NICU are airway problems and neuromuscular diseases rather than bronchopulmonary dysplasia itself. For better clarification of clinical courses and outcomes related to tracheostomy performed in NICU in Korea, further study in a larger population will be needed.
Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Gestational Age ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal* ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Tracheostomy*