Fungi have been recognized as a significant cause of external otitis and it may be the primary pathogen or be part of a mixed infection. In the immunocompromised host, fungus is capable of producing infection in inner ear or middle ear. Otomycoses are most frequently caused by Aspergillus spp. and Candida sap. There are few reports that Aspergillus species other than A. fumigatus, A. niger and f. flavus have caused chronic otitis media. We report two cases of chronic otitis media caused by Aspergillus ferrous in Korea. One case is a 7-year-old girl who had recurrent serous otorrhea and otalgia for 4 years, was reattended otolaryngology clinics with otorrhea of 3 days durations and another is a 6-year-old girl who had serous otorrhea for 2 months and 3 day fever, was attended otolaryngology clinics with them. Microscopic appearance and colony morphology from ear discharge cultures revealed A. ferrous. The infection responded well to topical ketoconazole therapy. This report should help to raise medical personnel's awareness of such human opportunistic fungal ear infections.
Aspergillus* ; Candida ; Child ; Coinfection ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Ear, Middle ; Earache ; Female ; Fever ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Ketoconazole ; Korea ; Niger ; Otitis Externa ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Otolaryngology ; Otomycosis

No abstract available.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Prospective Studies* ; Rupture*

PURPOSE:Recent studies proposed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the omega6 series (linoleic acid, LA) compared to the omega 3 series (linolenic acid, LNA) may be a potent promoters of adipogenesis during the gestation/lactation period. Increased ratio of LA/LNA may stimulate adipose tissue development during gestation/lactation period and may subsequently lead to chilhood obesity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate fatty acids composition of the breast milk in Korean lactating women and to analyze the relationship between LA/LNA and the body weight gain of the infants. METHODS:Fifty eight healthy postpartum lactating women and their healthy 58 breast feeding infants were studied. At 11.3+/-3.9 days of postpartum, breast milk were taken and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography with one-step methylation method. RESULTS:The total fat contents in breast milk were 3.2+/-1.3%. The total fat contents in breast milk were not related to maternal BMI or Kaup index of infants. The percentage of PUFA was 24.9+/-6.0%. Among these PUFA, the percentage of LA and LNA was 20.3+/-5.8% and 2.2+/-0.8%, respectively. LA/ LNA ratio was 10.2+/-2.5. There were no significant correlations between LA/LNA ratio and infant weight gain during the first 2 months of life. CONCLUSION: Short term weight gain of infant was not related to the LA/LNA ratio in the breast milk. Further studies on the long term effects on fat percent and body weight of infants would be needed.
Adipogenesis ; Adipose Tissue ; alpha-Linolenic Acid ; Body Weight* ; Breast Feeding ; Breast* ; Chromatography, Gas ; Fatty Acids* ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Female ; Humans ; Infant* ; Linoleic Acid ; Methylation ; Milk, Human* ; Obesity ; Postpartum Period ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.
Polydactyly

Tubocurarine ; Vecuronium Bromide

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare self-care behaviors and depressive symptoms between the young old (65-74 yr) and the old-old (75-84 yr) in low-income women with hypertension. METHODS: This study used a descriptive research design. The subjects of this study were 136 elderly women over 65 yr living in D city. Data was collected from September to December 2007 through personal interviews using a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS WIN 12.0 Program. RESULTS: Self-care behaviors, functional status, and number of medications showed a significant difference between young elderly and middle elderly. There was a negative correlation between self-care behaviors and depressive symptoms. 52.2% of variance in self-care behaviors of young elderly and 76.8% of variance in self-care behaviors of middle elderly were explained by depressive symptoms, number of medications, and functional status. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to manage depressive symptoms to improve the self-care behaviors of low-income elderly with hypertension. Depressive symptoms need to be considered in planning hypertension programs for low-income elderly women.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; *Depression ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Hypertension/etiology/*psychology/therapy ; Interviews as Topic ; Questionnaires ; *Self Care ; Social Support ; Socioeconomic Factors

OBJECTIVE: To prove that the skin of paralysed limb of spinal injured rat is more susceptible to a thermal injury than control, and to find out that the possible relating factors for explaining the increased susceptibility of skin. METHOD: Of total 69 male Sprague-Dawley rats, 50 were randomly divided into two groups, the spinal injured of which cords were transected at T10-13 level and the control. They were subdivided into 5 subgroups according to the duration of thermal injury. Infrared ray was used for thermal injury. Arterial cannulation was done in the femoral artery for blood gas analysis. Temperature was measured with a digital thermometer. Biopsy samples were stained with HE, and also immunohistochemical staining for heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) was done. RESULTS: After thermal injury, the spinal injured group showed more severe tissue damage and a higher temperature elevation than the control. There was a tendency of decreased blood pH and pO2, and increased pCO2. Contrary to the control, the immunoreactivity of HSP-70 was very tiny or rarely present in the spinal injured group. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the increased susceptibility of skin to the thermal injury in spinal injured rats may be related to the vasomotor instability. And, the poor expression of HSP-70 from the skin of spinal injured rat can be a factor for the explanation of the defective cellular protective response in spinal cord injury.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Catheterization ; Extremities ; Femoral Artery ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Infrared Rays ; Lower Extremity* ; Male ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin* ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Thermometers

PURPOSE: To evaluate a role as over 35 years, maternal serum markers, and a false positive screen for Down syndrome were the predictor of adverse pregnancy outcome. Materials and METHODS: From Mar.1994, through Feb.1996, 5284 women were screened triple test to detect Down syndrome in the second trimester and were delivered Samsung Cheil hospital. The values of each maternal serum markers were measured with radioimmunoassay. And then, the screen positive of Down syndrome was calculated using alpha-software Version 4.0. The adverse outcome of the fetus and the mother included low birth weight(LBW) ( <2500gm), prematurity( <37 gestational weeks), placenta previa, preterm premature rupture of membranes(PPROM), pregnancy induced hypertension(PIH),abruptio placenta, and intrauterine fetal death(IUFD). The predictor markers included over 35years, elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), elevated human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG), lowered unconjugated estriol (uE3), and a false positive screen for Down syndrome. RESULTS: Mean age and mean gestational weeks in the study were 30+/-4.8 years and 17.1 weeks respectively. The adverse pregnancy outcomes were 357 LBW(6.8%), 253 prematurity(4.8%), 108 placenta previa(2.0%), 68 PPROM(1.3%), 66 PIH(1.3%), 24 abruptio placenta(0.5%), and 20 IUFD(0.4%). In univariate analysis, over 35 years was significantly associated with abruptio placenta, prematurity, and placenta previa, elevated MS-AFP( >2.0 MoM) associated with IUFD, LBW, PIH, prematurity, and PPROM , elevated MS-hCG (>3.0 MoM) associated with IUFD, LBW, PIH, prematurity, and placenta previa, lowered uE3 (<0.75) associated with IUFD, abruptio placenta, LBW, and prematurity.(P <0.05). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, IUFD was significantly associated with only elevated MS-AFP, LBW associated with elevated MS-AFP, elevated MS-hCG, and lowered uE3, PIH associated with only elevated MS-AFP, PPROM only elevated MS-AFP, prematurity only elevated MS-AFP, and placenta previa over 35 years, elevated MS-hCG.(P <0.05). However, abruptio placenta was not significantly associated with predictor markers.(P >0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Some predictors such as over 35 year, elevated hCG, lowered uE3, a false positive screen for Down syndrome were significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. Also in multivariate analysis, we identified especially elevated AFP to be the most reliable predictor for adverse pregnancy outcome.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Biomarkers ; Chorion ; Down Syndrome ; Estriol ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mothers ; Multivariate Analysis* ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rupture

BACKGROUND: There are a few studies on the effects of job strain on the prevalence of sleep problems in the foreign countries. In Korea, it has not been studied till now. In this article, the combined effects of job strain, shift work and some life style on the prevalence of sleep proplems were studied among workers in middle aged men. METHODS: 998 cases were chosen from 1109 men who visited health screening center from October to November, 1999. Sleep problems were categorized to insomnia, sleep deprivation, daytime sleepiness and snoring on the base of result of factor analysis of 11 questions. Job strain was measured by 11 questions which developed by Karasek and Theorell. All data set were analyzed using Chi square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The 4 sleep proplems were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis in relation to job strain, shift work, occupation, obesity, sedentary life style, smoking, drinking. Insomnia was increased significantly from highest job strain group(Odds ratio (OR:2.02)) and non exercise group(OR:2.05). In these groups, daytime sleepiness was increased significantly(OR=1.92 in the highest job strain group, OR=1.72 in non exercise group). Sleep deprivation was increased in the highest job strain group(OR=2.18), managers & clerks(OR:1.67) and non exercise group(OR:1.78). Snoring was increased from BMI(Body mass index)> OR =25(OR=1.77), BMI> OR =27(OR=2.80) and non exercise group(OR:1.87). CONCLUSION: In the highest job strain group, insomnia, sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness was increased significantly. And sedentary life style increased all sleep problems.
Dataset ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged* ; Obesity ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snoring

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Small Cell* ; Prognosis*