Kainic acid (KA) is a frequently used excitotoxin in experimental epilepsy research. The excitatory effect of KA leads to generalized convulsions when KA is administered systematically at convulsant doses. Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous messenger that plays a role in neurotransmission. NO is formed by NO synthase (NOS) from arginine. Purification and molecular cloning led to identification of at least three NOS isoforms designated as neuronal NOS (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS). In the central nervous system, NO seems to be involved in plasticity and cytotoxicity. Therefore, the present study has investigated the congruence of mRNA induction and protein expression of nNOS, eNOS, iNOS and neuropeptide Y (NPY) following KA-induced seizure activity. The patterns of NOS and NPY were studied by NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in the rat brain. NADPH-d displayed a region-specific induction pattern. Regions of NADPH-d induction were the motor cortex and perirhinal cortex of KA treated group. Whereas NADPH-d neurons were not induced in auditory cortex, visual cortex, cingulate cortex, insular cortex, retrosplenial cortex and ectorhinal cortex of KA treated group. NPY neurons were not induced in all cortical areas of KA treated group. Subsequent to cortical neuronal induction, NADPH-d activity was increased in constitutive NADPH-d neurons of 1 and 3 days group of KA treatment. 1 and 3 days following KA administration, increased levels of nNOS, eNOS and iNOS mRNA were seen in the cerebral cortex. However, the level of NPY mRNA was decreased in 6 and 12 days after seizure. These findings demonstrate that mRNAs encoding for NOS isoforms are translated into the respective proteins following excitotoxic seizure.
Animals ; Arginine ; Auditory Cortex ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Cortex* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Epilepsy* ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kainic Acid ; Motor Cortex ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides* ; Neurotoxins ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Plastics ; Protein Isoforms ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Seizures ; Synaptic Transmission ; Visual Cortex

OBJECTIVE: Screening tests for dysphagia have been introduced to prevent complications arising from dysphagia in stroke patients. Among them, Gugging swallowing screen (GUSS) was proven as an effective screening tests for dysphagia of stroke patients in 24 hours after onset. We compared several screening tests and clinical scales including GUSS. METHOD: Subjects were 37 stroke patients 3 months after onset. GUSS, 3 oz water test, Burke dysphagia screening test (BDST) and Standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) were carried out at bedside. VFS was performed in 24 hours after other studies were done. Functional dysphagia scale (FDS) and Penetration-aspiration scale (P/A scale) were derived from VFS. Clinical scales such as American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System (ASHA NOMS) swallowing scale and Clinical dysphagia scale (CDS) were measured to see the correlation between GUSS and another dysphagia scales. RESULTS: GUSS had a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 69.2%. 3 oz water test had a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 76.9%. Sensitivity and specificity of BDST were respectively 90.9%, 61.5%. Sensitivity of SSA was 90.9%, specificity 61.5%. Correlation between GUSS and FDS was significant (r =-0.527, p<0.01). Correlation between GUSS and P/A scale also showed significance (r=-0.747, p<0.01). ASHA NOMS swallowing scale and GUSS showed significant correlation (r=0.432, p<0.01). CDS and GUSS showed significant correlation as well (r=-0.815, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The screening ability of GUSS was equal to other screening tests for dysphagia of stroke patients. Correlations among GUSS and other VFS and clinical scales showed availability of GUSS as a clinical scale for dysphagia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate satisfaction with and perception of the school meal service according to middle school students and dieticians/dietetic teachers in Gwangju area who experienced change to the free meal service and the main contents were as follows. METHODS: The research subjects were 197 students (99 boys and 98 girls) and 42 dieticians/dietetic teachers were recruited. RESULTS: Compared to the free meal service before, satisfaction of students was high (53.8%), and 69.9% of students said there was no change in the school meals, however a significant difference was observed between gender. Overall 80.2% of middle school students said that there was no change in menu, 70.6% were no change in the frequency of food with high preference, and 64.0% were no change in leftover of meals. 85.7% of dieticians/dietetic teachers said that there was no change in the student's satisfaction according to the conversion of free meal services; 59.5% of dieticians/dietetic teachers said that there was no change in the frequency of foods with high preference, the variety of vegetables was increased in the qualitative change item of food materials, and 95% of them were not aware of change in the amount of students' leftover foods. Dieticians/dietetic teachers had limitations in selecting menus with purchase and costs of food materials (26.2%) by conversion of the free meal service and their priority considered was the food cost (45.2%) when they selected menus. Change in feeding affairs was office work management (26.2%) and recipe research and development (19.0%). CONCLUSION: With the results of this study, the satisfaction with the school meal service was not changed in the awareness of students and dieticians/dietetic teachers. Therefore further study is needed to determine the middle school's satisfaction with school meals based on a variety of factors including the environmental food meal services.
Gwangju ; Humans ; Meals* ; Research Subjects ; Vegetables

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The high melting temperature and chemical reactivity of titanium necessitates casting machines different from those used in conventional casting. Despite the new developments in Ti casting systems, inadequate mold filling and internal porosity are frequently observed casting defects. Therefore, the study on the fabrication technique including sprue design to solve these casting defects is still necessary. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of sprue design and cross sectional area of sprue on the internal porosity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 simulated cast three units titanium crowns were prepared. 5 cast crowns for each with different sprue design(sinlge sprue, double sprue and plate sprue) of two cross sectional areas(small and large cross sectional areas) were fabricated. The sections of titanium castings were photographed in a microscope at x100 magnification to record internal porosities. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Within the limits of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. There was a significantly lower in internal porosity of titanium castings for large cross sectional area of sprue group than the small group(P>.05). 2. There was no significant difference in internal porosity among sprue designs in similar cross sectional area of sprue(P>.05).
Celiac Disease* ; Crowns ; Freezing ; Fungi ; Porosity* ; Titanium*

Objectives: Loneliness was associated with not only social status but also general health. Psychological conditions in older people have negative effects on general health and oral health. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between loneliness and subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) for the questionnaire, UCLA loneliness scale data of 1,511 older adults living in a rural community. Logistic regression was conducted to identify the relevance of subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly according to the level of loneliness. Results: According to the final model that after adjustment for other risk factors (age, gender, level of education, smoking, drinking, etc.), in the elderly who rarely feel loneliness group compared to the elderly who never feel loneliness was Odds ratio (OR) 1.256 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.99-1.60) and sometimes+often feel loneliness was OR 2.110 (95% CI: 1.39-3.21). Conclusions Loneliness is associated with subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. Older people feeling loneliness are likely to have more subjective chewing discomfort.

This study investigated the actual status of constipation. In total, 978 female students in Korea participated. We identified the relationship among constipation and life style, clothing patterns, housing patterns, dietary habits, and dietary intake in a constipation symptom group and a normal group. The actual constipation rate based on the Rome II criteria was 27.0% (n = 264). Body weight (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.05) in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The incidence of functional bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The discomfort of wearing underwear was significantly higher in the constipation group than that in the normal group. The constipation group revealed a significantly higher rate of irregular dietary habits than those in the normal group. The dietary diversity score of the normal group was 4.22 (p < 0.05), which was significantly higher than that of constipation group (4.12). No significant difference in life style factors was observed. It is necessary for university female students to correct their dietary habits, maintain food intake of three times per day, and select diverse foods. Furthermore, it is necessary for university female students to wear comfortable clothing to lessen symptoms and improve constipation rates.
Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Clothing ; Constipation ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Housing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Korea ; Life Style ; Rome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) has a high mortality rate and pandemic potential. However, the neurological manifestations of MERS have rarely been reported since it first emerged in 2012. METHODS: We evaluated four patients with laboratory-confirmed MERS coronavirus (CoV) infections who showed neurological complications during MERS treatment. These 4 patients were from a cohort of 23 patients who were treated at a single designated hospital during the 2015 outbreak in the Republic of Korea. The clinical presentations, laboratory findings, and prognoses are described. RESULTS: Four of the 23 admitted MERS patients reported neurological symptoms during or after MERS-CoV treatment. The potential diagnoses in these four cases included Bickerstaff's encephalitis overlapping with Guillain-Barré syndrome, intensive-care-unit-acquired weakness, or other toxic or infectious neuropathies. Neurological complications did not appear concomitantly with respiratory symptoms, instead being delayed by 2–3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular complications are not rare during MERS treatment, and they may have previously been underdiagnosed. Understanding the neurological manifestations is important in an infectious disease such as MERS, because these symptoms are rarely evaluated thoroughly during treatment, and they may interfere with the prognosis or require treatment modification.
Cohort Studies ; Communicable Diseases ; Coronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Diagnosis ; Encephalitis ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome ; Humans ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ; Middle East* ; Mortality ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pandemics ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Prognosis ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND: During carotid endarterectomy (CEA), hemodynamic stability and adequate fluid management are crucial to prevent perioperative cerebral stroke, myocardial infarction and hyperperfusion syndrome. Both pulse pressure variation (PPV) and stroke volume variation (SVV), dynamic preload indices derived from the arterial waveform, are increasingly advocated as predictors of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of PPV and SVV for predicting fluid responsiveness in patients undergoing CEA. METHODS: Twenty seven patients undergoing CEA were enrolled in this study. PPV, SVV and cardiac output (CO) were measured before and after fluid loading of 500 ml of hydroxyethyl starch solution. Fluid responsiveness was defined as an increase in CO > or = 15%. The ability of PPV and SVV to predict fluid responsiveness was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Both PPV and SVV measured before fluid loading are associated with changes in CO caused by fluid expansion. The ROC analysis showed that PPV and SVV predicted response to volume loading (area under the ROC curve = 0.854 and 0.841, respectively, P < 0.05). A PPV > or = 9.5% identified responders (Rs) with a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 90.9%, and a SVV > or = 7.5% identified Rs with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 63.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Both PPV and SVV values before volume loading are associated with increased CO in response to volume expansion. Therefore, PPV and SVV are useful predictors of fluid responsiveness in patients undergoing CEA.
Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Endarterectomy, Carotid ; Fluid Therapy ; Hemodynamics ; Hetastarch ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Stroke ; Stroke Volume

Ochratoxin A is a natural contaminant of mouldy food and feed, which is produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus, and is suspected of being one of the etiological agents responsible for Balkan endemic nephropathy and the associated urinary tract tumors. For evaluation of the mutagenicity of ochratoxin A, we performed in vitro chromosome aberration tests using Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (CHL cells) and monkey kidney cells (VERO cells), in vivo micronueleus tests using ddY mouse bone marrow cells and somatic mutation and recombination tests (SMART) using Drosophila melanogaster. The results of chromosome aberration tests in CHL cells showed no incidence of increased structural and numerical aberrations regardless of metabolic activation, while in VERO cells treated with 2.0, 1.0, 0.5, 0.3 ug/ml of ochratoxin A showed significant increase of structural aberrations without metabolic activation. Aspartame and-phenylalanine, structural analogs of ochratoxin A, didn't affect the chromosome aberrations induced by ochratoxin A. The in vivo induction of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were measured in bone marrows of ddY mice treated with 10.0, 5.0, 2.5mg/kg/10ml of ochratoxin A through intraperitoneal route once. At 24 and 48 hours after treatment, ochratoxin A didn't induce micronuclei in bone marrows of ddY mice. And at the concentration of 40, 20, 10 ug/ml of ochratoxin A, which was administered by feeding to larvae of Drosophila melanogaster, showed no incidence of increased multiple wing hairs and flares. Summarizing all results, we concluded that ochratoxin A is a kidney cell specific direct genotoxicant.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Aspartame ; Aspergillus ; Balkan Nephropathy ; Biotransformation ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus* ; Drosophila melanogaster* ; Drosophila* ; Erythrocytes ; Fibroblasts ; Hair ; Haplorhini ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Larva ; Lung* ; Mice* ; Penicillium ; Recombination, Genetic ; Urinary Tract ; Vero Cells*

The primary T-cell lymphoma of the stomach is a extremely rare disease, only about 33 cases were described in the literature since 1986. Recent studies have proved a strong relation between Helicobacter pylori infection and several gastric diseases such as peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, gastric cancer, and lymphoma. We report a case of primary gastric T-cell lymphoma with H. pylori infection in a 63-year-old male who had a history of epigastric fullness for 2 years. Gastroscopy showed a round ulcer of 1cm in size on anterior side of gastric angle. The gastroscopic biopsy revealed diffuse large cell malignant non-Hodgkin' s lymphoma on light microscopic examination, and T-cell immunophenotype with immunohistochemical study. The result of CLOtest was positive. No lymphadeno-pathy was found with chest roentgenogram and computed omography of abdomen and pelvis. Bone marrow examination showed normal finding.
Abdomen ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Gastritis ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvis ; Peptic Ulcer ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Stomach Diseases ; Stomach Neoplasms ; T-Lymphocytes* ; Thorax ; Ulcer