No abstract available.
Kidney Transplantation*

The epicanthal fold is common natural finding in Asian eyes. It is very common that patients, who look for oriental blephaloplasty for double eye lid, request correction epicanthal fold. It is very often difficult to achieve satisfactory results if the correction of the epicanthal fold is not corrected concomitantly. Many authors described surgical procedures for correction of epicanthal folds. But most of them leave additional scars which tend to be hypertrophic and noriceable. We achieved satisfactory result in epicanthoplasty with invisible scar, using combination of procedures, such as upward incision, double eyelid operation, anchoring suture of the medial upper lid skin to the medial canthal tendon, trans-nasal root subcutaneous mattress suture of the epicanthal fold itself and combined rhinoplasty. For past six years (1998 to 2003) 17 patients have been operated with one of these mentioned procedures. The mean follow up was 4months (2weeks to 6months). All patients were satisfied and no major complication was noted. This method can be one of the effective procedures for correcting the Asian epicanthal fold for avoiding potential visible scar and ancillary procedure in double eye lid blephaloplasty.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cicatrix* ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Rhinoplasty ; Skin ; Sutures ; Tendons

Dysphagia is a disorder of the swallowing mechanism and presents a major problem in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. In-the present study, computerized laryngeal analyzer (CLA) was used for noninvasive assessment of the pharyngeal phase of the swallowing mechanism. Laryngeal elevation was measured with pressor sensor placed on the skin over the thyroid cartilage. In the study. CLA was applied at each posture of neck flexion, neutral, and extension in stroke group and control group. Significant differences were found in each of the these parameters measured in control group and stroke group. The quantitative measurements may aid the physician in choosing the appropriate therapy during the course of recovery. The onset latency of swallowing was delayed in stroke group than control group at all posture of neck(p<0.05). The pharyngeal transit time (PTT) was longer at extension than flexion and neutral posture of neck in stroke group(p<0.05). The PTT was longer in stroke group than control group at all posture of neck, but not significant(p>0.05). The amplitude of swallowing was decreased in stroke group at extension and neutral posture of neck compared to those of control group (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between stroke group and control group in neck flexion (p>0.05).
Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Humans ; Neck* ; Posture* ; Rehabilitation ; Skin ; Stroke* ; Thyroid Cartilage

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the utility of DNA vaccines encoding Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP) as a vaccine type for the production of GP-specific hybridomas and antibodies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA vaccines were constructed to express Ebola virus GP. Mice were injected with GP DNA vaccines and their splenocytes were used for hybridoma production. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), limiting dilution subcloning, antibody purification methods, and Western blot assays were used to select GP-specific hybridomas and purify monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from the hybridoma cells. RESULTS: Twelve hybridomas, the cell supernatants of which displayed GP-binding activity, were selected by ELISA. When purified MAbs from 12 hybridomas were tested for their reactivity to GP, 11 MAbs, except for 1 MAb (from the A6-9 hybridoma) displaying an IgG2a type, were identified as IgM isotypes. Those 11 MAbs failed to recognize GP. However, the MAb from A6-9 recognized the mucin-like region of GP and remained reactive to the antigen at the lowest tested concentration (1.95 ng/mL). This result suggests that IgM-secreting hybridomas are predominantly generated by DNA vaccination. However, boosting with GP resulted in greater production of IgG-secreting hybridomas than GP DNA vaccination alone. CONCLUSION: DNA vaccination may preferentially generate IgM-secreting hybridomas, but boosting with the protein antigen can reverse this propensity. Thus, this protein boosting approach may have implications for the production of IgG-specific hybridomas in the context of the DNA vaccination platform. In addition, the purified monoclonal IgG antibodies may be useful as therapeutic antibodies for controlling Ebola virus infection.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Antibody Formation ; Blotting, Western ; Clinical Coding* ; DNA* ; Ebolavirus* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Glycoproteins* ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; Hybridomas* ; Immunization* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mice ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, DNA*

Mucormycosis is a rare, fulminating, opportunistic fungal infection that occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised hosts such as patients with diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma. These fungi are ubiquitous in nature, and can be found on decaying vegetation and in the soil. So they are relatively frequent contaminants in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Recently the incidence of mucormycosis is rising associated with the increasing use of immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics. Though mucormycosis is frequently fatal, there has been a significant improvement in the outcome by early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Mucormycosis can be categorized as rhinocerebral, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, widely disseminated and miscellaneous; gastro-intestinal involvement is extremely rare. We report a patient with gastric mucormycosis who had diabetes mellitus and alcoholic hepatitis. His chief complaint was an epigastric pain, and the gastroscopy showed huge multiple ulcers, coated with exudates. The histologic examination revealed multiple broad, nonseptate hyphae with right angle branchings, diagnosed as mucormycosis.
Alcoholics* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Early Diagnosis ; Exudates and Transudates ; Fungi ; Gastroscopy ; Hepatitis, Alcoholic* ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Incidence ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Mucormycosis* ; Soil ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and relationship with depression and social disability. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 35 panic disorder patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism, Beck Depression Inventory and Sheehan Disability Scale. Statistics employed for the analyses were Pearson correlation and independent sample t-test. RESULTS: In personality factors and defense mechanisms, there were no definitely abnormal range of scores. But, among personality factors, tension/anxiety factor scored high and unstableness/stableness, shyness/boldness and praxernia/atunia were in low range of score. In defense mechanism, somaticzation and acting-out scored high and humor, suppression, altruism, avoidance and rationalization scored low. The mean BDI score was 18.25+/-9.97. The mean score of SDS were 4.88+/-3.11 in work category and 4.57+/-2.92 in social/leasure category. Male patients were significantly correlated with guit-proneness and atuia in personality factor and passive- aggressiveness, projection, denial and show-off in defense mechanism, compared with female patients (p<0.05). The patients' age was correlated with low intelligence in persolity factor and dissociation and anticipation in defense mechanism. It was negatively correlated with show-off (p<0.05). The BDI score was correlated with low intelligence, superego, unstableness, self-conflict, high superego and atunia in personality factor and dissociation and somatization in defense mechanism (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between BDI score and SDS work category (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Panic disorder patients show high score of tension/anxiety factor and they frequently use neurotic defense style like somatization. The depressive symptom, which depends on symptom severity, appears to have influence on work category and to cause social disability.
Altruism ; Defense Mechanisms ; Denial (Psychology) ; Depression ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Female ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Male ; Panic Disorder* ; Panic* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rationalization ; Superego

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of personality factor and defense mechanism and to compare the difference between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia patients. METHODS: Study subjects consisted of 28 social phobia patients diagnosed with the criteria of DSM-IV. Data were collected through Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire and Ehwa Diagnostic Test of Defense Mechanism. We employed was the independent sample t-test for the analysis. RESULT: Among the personality factor, the shyness/boldness factor scored lower than normal in social phobia patients. Humor drfense scored lower than normal among defense mechanisms. There was no significant correlation between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia in personality factors and defense mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Social phobia patients were shier and less frequently used humor defense than the ordinary people. There was no significant correlation between non-offensive and offensive types of social phobia patients in personality factors and defense mechanisms.
Defense Mechanisms ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Phobic Disorders* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Dental implants present several advantages over other tooth replacement options. However, there has been little research on masticatory function in relation to implant treatment. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the improvement of masticatory function two weeks after implant restoration. METHODS: Masticatory ability was evaluated with the subjective food intake ability (FIA) and objective mixing ability index (MAI) methods. Fifty-four subjects with first and second missing molars completed the study. The subjects were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire about 30 different food items, and to chew wax samples 10 times both before and two weeks after implant restoration. A total of 108 waxes were analyzed with an image analysis program. RESULTS: Dental implant restoration for lost molar teeth on one side increased the FIA score by 9.0% (P<0.0001). The MAI score also increased, by 14.3% after implant restoration (P<0.0001). Comparison between the good and poor mastication groups, which were subdivided based on the median MAI score before implant restoration, showed that the FIA score of the poor group was enhanced 1.1-fold while its MAI score was enhanced 2.0-fold two weeks after an implant surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Using the FIA and MAI assessment methods, this study showed that masticatory function was improved two weeks after implant restoration. In particular, the enhancement of masticatory function by implant restoration was greater in patients with relatively poor initial mastication than in those with good initial mastication.
Dental Implants ; Diagnosis ; Eating ; Humans ; Mastication ; Molar ; Tooth ; Waxes

Hypercarbia is a potential complication during laparoscopic surgery. However, is more likely to occur in extraperitoneal surgery than in intraperitoneal surgery because insufflated CO2 gas can diffuse easily into the surrounding tissues. We report the anesthetic course and complications encountered during endoscopic harvesting of a saphenous vein with CO2 insufflation in coronary artery bypass surgery. Although the surgery was successful, the patient developed signs and symptom of CO2 absorption: tachycardia, hypertension, hypercarbia and acidosis. Possible mechanisms are presented, along with a discussion of the prompt diagnosis and treatment. For the management of laparoscopic extraperitoneal surgery, care must be taken to monitor the CO2 insufflation pressure, perform a routine examination and palpation of the chest wall, use of N2O with caution, increase the level of ventilation to eliminate CO2, and excluding other causes of subcutaneous emphysema and hypercarbia.
Absorption ; Acidosis ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Insufflation ; Laparoscopy ; Palpation ; Saphenous Vein* ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Tachycardia ; Thoracic Wall ; Ventilation

The purposes of this study are to investigate the effect of the cold air application in the skin and intraarticular temperature changes and to observe the rebound temperature changes after cooling. We recorded the changes of the skin surface and intraarticular temperatures of knees during and after the cold air application. The intraarticular temperature was measured by a temperature probe inserted into the knee joint cavity and the skin temperature by the infrared system. Eighteen healthy subjects were examined. The knee was cooled by a 5-minutes application of CRAis (Kyung-won Century, Korea) machine and the intraarticular and skin temperatures of knees were measured at every 0.5-minute during and after the cold therpy, then at every minute for 5 minutes, and every 5-minute for the next 110 minutes. We also evaluated the variables that might affect the skin and intraarticular temperature changes. Results showed that the mean skin temperature dropped from 31.8oC to 10.5oC immediately after the cold air application for 5-minutes. The mean intraarticular temperature dropped from 33.9oC to 30.0oC after the cold air application for 5-minutes. Two hours after the initiation of treatment with cold air, the mean intraarticular temperatures did not recover to the baseline values(p<0.01). No significant correlations were found between the body mass index with the intraarticular and surface temperatures of knees. A highly significant correlation was noted between the baseline skin surface and intraarticular temperatures(p<0.01). In conclusion, the reduction of the joint temperature by the cold air application using CRAis machine can be a useful treatment method for the synovitis of knees.
Body Mass Index ; Cryotherapy ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Skin Temperature* ; Skin* ; Synovitis