Surgical advance on the general surgical department as minimal access procedure was changed into the laparoscopic cholecystectomy from open cholecystectomy for treatment of cholelithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is far less invasive, less painful, less expensive, less complicative, high cosmetic and high eonservative procedure, and reduced hospitalization than open surgery. (continue...)
Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Cholelithiasis ; Hospitalization ; Korea*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare differences on sexual satisfaction between non-smokers and smokers of Korean adult males. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 304 current smokers and 331 current non-smokers(stop smokers, never smokers) (58.0%). Because of the nature of the study, the participants were recruited through a home page advertisement of a brand newspaper company in Korea, and the survey was done through Internet system. The tool to measure participant's sexual satisfaction was adopted from the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale-Male. RESULT: Participant's age ranged from 20 to 49, mostly in their 30s-40s(96.1%). They were smoking average of 15 cigarettes per day. There were no significant difference on sexual satisfaction between current smokers and non- smokers(t=-.55, p>.05). However, there were significant difference on sexual satisfaction between ever smokers(n=481) and never smokers(n=154) (t=2.10, p<.05). There were significant differences an erectile and orgasm satisfaction according to number of cigarettes they smoked per day. 54.5% smokers who said that they have difficulty in keeping erectile state considered on smoking cessation within 30 days whereas 24.2% in those who said that keeping erectile state was easy. CONCLUSION: Informing about the high risk of sexual dysfunction with cigarette smoking should become a important part of smoking cessation education and for smoking adolescents.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Arizona ; Education ; Humans ; Internet ; Korea ; Male* ; Newspapers ; Orgasm ; Periodicals ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets* ; Fetal Growth Retardation* ; Platelet Count* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Carcinogens* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Humans*

No abstract available.
Oncogenes* ; Rectal Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: To characterize strain-specific differences in radiation response in murine tissues with different radiosensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six-week old male mice of 2 strains, C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeJ, were given whole body gamma-radiation with a single dose of 10 or 25 Gy. At different times after irradiation, mice were killed and tissues with different radiosensitivity, thymus and liver, were collected. Each tissue sample was stained with hematoxylin and eosin and apoptotic cells were scored. Expression of p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-x, and Bax was analysed by western blotting and densitometry. RESULTS: Radiation induced massive apoptosis in thymus with a peak level at 8 h after radiation. With 10 Gy irradiation, apoptotic indices in C57Bl/6J and C3H/HeJ were 81.0 2.5% and 59.4 4.0%, respectively (p<0.05). Radiation upregulated the expression of p53, Bcl-x, and Bax, but not Bcl-2; p53 with a peak level of 2.5 fold (C57Bl/6J) and 1.4 fold (C3H/HeJ) at 4 h, Bax with a peak level of 2.6 fold (C57Bl/6J) and 1.3 fold (C3H/HeJ) at 8 h, and Bcl-x with a peak level of 11.1 fold (C57Bl/6J) and 8.2 fold (C3H/HeJ) at 8 h after radiation. In liver, however, radiation-induced apoptosis was minimal (peak apoptotic index of 2.1% in C57Bl/6J and 1.7% in C3H/HeJ). None of p53, Bcl-2, Bcl-x, and Bax was significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: Induction of apoptosis and regulation of related genes by radiation were tissue specific. Strain difference of radiation-induced apoptosis was well coupled with theinduction of related genes in thymus, a radiosensitive tissue. This study shows that quantitative difference of radiation induced apoptosis by strain is regulated at the gene level with the involvement of multiple genes.
Animals ; Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Densitometry ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Mice ; Radiation Tolerance ; Thymus Gland

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the uses of complementary and alternative therapies(CAT), pain, and quality of life(QOL) in patients with chronic back pain. METHOD: A descriptive survey was conducted using convenient sample. One hundred sixty two patients with chronic back pain participated in this study. Types and satisfaction of CAT, pattern of back pain, and QOL were investigated. RESULT: 83.3% of all participants reported in the use of CAT. The most common types of CAT used were acupuncture and half-bath. Yoga were the most high satisfaction among the types. The mean score of back pain was 4.12, QOL was 3.10, that was mostly low score. There was no significant difference back pain and QOL between CAT user and nonuser. Correlation with satisfaction of CAT according the most using types were a negative correlation with back pain and a positive correlation with QOL. CONCLUSION: These result indicate that the mostly patients with back pain feels the satisfaction of CAT use. It is important that provide the obvious information about CAT which can be helpful to patient.
Acupuncture ; Animals ; Back Pain ; Cats ; Complementary Therapies ; Humans ; Morinda ; Quality of Life ; Yoga

It is difficult to distinguish benign from malignant, pulmonary nodule by conventional roentgenologic examination. But CT makes it easier to evaluate adjacent parencymal invasion, pleural or mediastinal extenstion,or early metastasis to intra- or extrathoracic lymph node as well as distant organs, although only a solitaryperipheral pulmonary nodule is seen on plain radiograph. Authors reviewed CT of 22 cases of histopathologically confirmed primary lung cancer seen as a solitary peripheral pulmonary mass from May 1980 to Sep. 1984 at DongsanMedical Center, Keimyung University. The results are as follows: 1.The incidence was most common in the 6thdecade(36%). Male to female ratio was 10:1 and 2 females all had bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma. 2. Thedistributions of histologic cell type were as follows: squamous cell carcinoma 40%, adenocarcinoma, small cellcarcinoma, bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma and unclassified carcinoma 14% in each cases, and adenoid cysticcarcinoma 4% . 3. The CT findings were as follows: a) Superior and posterior basal segments of both lower lobeswere most frequently involved(68%). b) The mean diameter of the mass was 48mm, and most common in the range of30-49 mm in the greatest dimension(46%). c) The mean CT atttenuation value was 57 H.U., and most common in thegroup of 41-70 H.U. (64%). d) Lymph node metastasis was found in 13 (59%) of 22 cases, and the involved nodes wereas follows: hilar nodes 10 cases, paratracheal nodes 8 cases, subcarinal nodes 7 cases and extrathoracic nodes 3cases. In 2 of 3 cases with small cell carcinoma, diffuse multiple lymph nodes were involved. e) Distantmetastasis was seen relatively early in 3 cases; cerebral metastasis in 1 case of squamous cell carcinoma, rightaderenal metastasis without intrathoracic lymph node metastasis or invasion of adjacent structures in 1 case ofbronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma, and liver and bone metastases in 1 case of unclassified carcinoma. f) Adjacentpleural or mediastinal invasion was found in 7 cases(32%): pleural invasion along chest wall in 4 cases, andinvasion of adjacent mediastinal pleura in 3 cases of 2 squamous cell carcinoma and 1 unclassifed carcinoma. g)Calcifications witihin the mass were found in 5 cases (23%), and most common in squamous cell carcinoma(3 cases).In all cases, a few granular calcification were seen along the peripheral margin of the mass. h) Tumor necrosiswas seen in 4 cases(18%), and 3 cases were squamous cell carcinoma, and one of them showed irregular centralcavitation. i) The margins of tumor were irregularly lobulated with radiating spiculations in all except one ofadenoid cystic carcinoma, which revealed oval shaped, smooth clear margin. j) In 9(41%) of 22 cases, someenlargement of pulmonary vessels with perivascular linear infiltrations were found in the adjacent lungparenchymes of the mass, which were thought to be retrograde perivascular lymphangitic spread along pulmonaryvessels.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoids ; Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pleura ; Thoracic Wall

Phospholipase C (PLC) plays a pivotal role in transmembrane signal transduction pathway for cellular proliferation differentiation and growth. Thus far, there have been few reports in which PLC activity was investigated in human malignant neoplastic tissues. In the present study, we evaluated PLC activity in 23 human gastric cancer tissues and normal mucosal tissues to investigate whether alteration of PLC activity is associated with gastric cancer. The amount of [14C] diacylglycerol, one of the earliest products of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis by PLC, was measured by thin layer chromatography. Also, expression of PLC-gamma1, which is one of the most important PLC isozymes,was examined by immunohistochemistry using specific monoclonal antibody directed against PLC-gamma1. The results are summarized as follows. PLC activity in all 23 gastric cancer tissues (1.35+/-1.04 units/mg of protein) was significantly higher than normal mucosal tissues (0.28+/-0.21 units/mg of protein) (P<0.001). PLC activity in gastric cancer tissues was not correlated with histologic grade (P>0.05). PLC-gamma1 immunoreactivity was detected in all of 23 cases studied. The intensity and extent of PLC-gamma1 immunoreactivity was not correlated with PLC enzyme activity, although stronger intensity was demonstrated in malignant cells in comparison to normal gland epithelial cells. The present study provides the first evidence of significant elevation of PLC activity in human stomach cancer tissues. Our results strongly suggest that PLC might be involved in tumorigenesis and/or progression(uncontrolled continuous cycling of cells) of human gastric cancer. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of elevated PLC activity in cancer tissues.
Humans ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: Irradiation cones by using backscatter electrons are made for the treatment of superficial small lesions of skin, oral cavity, and rectum where a significant dose gradient and maximum surface dose is desired. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Backscatter electrons are produced from the primary electron beams from the linear accelerators. The design consists of a cylindrical cone that has a thick circular plate of high atomic number medium (Pb or Cu) attached to the distal end, and the plate can be adjusted the reflected angle. Primary electrons strike the metal plate perpendicularly and produce backscatter electrons that reflect through the lateral hole for treatment. Using film and a parallel plate ion chamber, backscatter electron dose characteristics are measured. RESULTS: The depth dose characteristic of the backscatter electron is very similar to that of the hard x-ray beam that is commonly used for the intracavitary and superficial lesions. The basckscatter electron energy is nearly constant and effectively about 1.5 MeV from the clinical megavoltage beams. The backscatter electron dose rate of 35~85 cGy/min could be achieved from modern accelerators without any modification. and the depth in water of 50% depth dose from backscatter electron located at 6mm for 45degrees angled lead scatter. The beam flatness is dependent on the slit size and the depth of treatment, but is satisfactory to treat small lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The measured data for backscatter electron energy, depth dose flatness dose rate and absolute dose indicates that the backscatter electrons are suitable for clinical use.
Mouth ; Particle Accelerators ; Rectum ; Skin ; Strikes, Employee ; Water