PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of aquatic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise on the balance, gait ability, and depression in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: Thirty patients with chronic stroke were assigned randomly to an experimental (n=15) or control (n=15) group. The experimental group performed aquatic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise. The control group performed ground proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise. Training was conducted once a day for 30 minutes, five days per week for six weeks. The balance ability was measured using the Berg balance scale. The gait ability was measured using the 10 Meter walk test. Depression was measured using the Beck depression inventory. RESULTS: As a result of a comparison within groups, the experimental and control group showed a significant difference for balance, gait ability, and depression after the experiment (p<0.05). In a comparison between the two groups, the experimental group, in which aquatic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise was applied, showed more significant changes in balance, gait ability, and depression than the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on these results, aquatic proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation pattern exercise effectively improved the balance, gait ability and depression in patients with chronic stroke.
Depression ; Gait ; Humans ; Stroke

There are some emergency situations when untested fresh blood should be transfused. Emergency blood donor tests(EBDT) have been done as an effort to protect these blood recipients from contracting transfusion associated infections in Seoul National University, Hospital. EBDT includes HBsAg, anti-HlV, STS, and ALT test. Anti-HCV test is not included because of the absence of appropriate test kit. A total of 534 tests have been done from June 1993 to August 1995. Among these, 495 tests(92.7%) have been done for blood donor screening, and 39 tests(7.3%) for emergency organ transplantation. Sensitivity and specificiy of the emergency HBsAg test were 69% and 98%, respectively. There were two RPR reactive blood donors, but no anti-HIV positive cases. Among 458 blood donors, 37 donors(8.1%) showed increased ALT level(> 45IU/L). The percent of agreement in HBsAg, elevated ALT and anti-HIV tests between emergent and routine blood donor tests, were 97.0%, 98.9% and 100%, respectively. Although false positive and false negative EBDT result may is useful, although limited, we think that EBDT is useful in protecting blood recipient from transfusion associated infections.
Blood Donors* ; Emergencies* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Organ Transplantation ; Seoul ; Transplants

PURPOSE: This examined the effect of Kinesio taping pre-intervention on the pain, tenderness, proprioceptive sensation, and muscle strength associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. METHODS: Thirty subjects were divided into a Kinesio taping application group of 15 subjects and a control non-taped group of 15 subjects, and the changes in individual variables were analyzed before taping and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after taping using two-way repeated ANOVA. Post-hoc t-tests were conducted in the cases with intergroup interactions, and the significance level α was set to α=0.01. RESULTS: The changes in pain during rest were significantly different only for the times, while the changes in pain during exercise were significantly different for the times, interactions between the times and groups, and intergroup changes (p<0.05). The changes in tenderness were significantly different for the times and for interactions between the times and groups (p<0.05). The changes in proprioceptive sensation were significantly different for the times, interactions between times and groups, and intergroup changes (p<0.05). The changes in muscle strength were significantly different only for the times (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of Kinesio taping had positive effects on the pain, tenderness, and proprioceptive sensation of delayed onset muscle soreness. These results suggest that Kinesio taping can be a useful therapeutic factor in future studies and in clinical settings.
Muscle Strength ; Myalgia ; Proprioception ; Sensation

Recurrent abortion has been defined as the occurrence of three or more clinically recognized pregnancy loss before 20 weeks and it occurs in 1% of women. The chromosomal abnormalities of abortuses have been suggested as the most common causes of recurrent abortion. We have studied the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in 57 patients with recurrent abortion using the chorionic villi samples. Of the 57 abortuses analysed, 32 (56.1%) had chromosomal abnormalities. Trisomy was predominant (23 cases, 40.4%), followed by mosaicism 3 (5.2%), tetraploidy 2 (3.5%), monosomy 2 (3.5%), and structural anomaly 1 (1.8%). Trisomy for the chromosome 16 was most prevalent among trisomies. The incidence of trisomy was positively related to matemal age above 35 year-old. But there is not statistically significant. And there are no correlation between gestational age and chromosomal abnormalities. In conclusion, the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities of recurrent abortuses was 56.1% which was similar to that of the other reports. This means that the analysis of karyotype of chorionic villi, as the first test to investigate the cause of recurrent abortion, may be not useful, however, it will require further.
Abortion, Habitual ; Adult ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Karyotype ; Monosomy ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Tetraploidy ; Trisomy

No abstract available.
Echocardiography ; Myocardial Infarction*

The cystic teratoma is the most common germ cell tumors in reproductive age women. The malignant change of cystic teratoma is rare, about 1~2%, and mostly change to squ-amous cell carcinoma. We experienced 4 cases of squamous cell carcinoma arising in cystic teratoma and re- port our cases with a brief review of the literature.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Ovary* ; Teratoma*

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present updated information on the research support programs offered by the National Research Foundation of Korea. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The research support programs offered by the National Research Foundation of Korea are an important cornerstone for obtaining other grants from the government and commercial companies. However, no information has yet been provided in the literature about these programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of the relevant literature. RESULTS: The research support programs offered by the National Research Foundation of Korea are complex. However, it is possible to find appropriate grants. It is necessary to focus on the individual basic research program. CONCLUSIONS: Novel proposals have a greater chance of receiving funding, especially if the appropriate background and preliminary data are provided.
Financial Management ; Financing, Organized ; Korea*

BACKGROUND: It is important to provide health education to students to ensure a healthy life. Using the internet for health education may be a way to overcome the practical barriers to health education such as time and content. This study was conducted to investigate the demands for health education using the internet. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Six hundreds and twenty-four and male female students in middle and high schools, who lived on Gyeongju-si and Seongju-gun in Gyeongsangbuk-do province, were interviewed by means of structured questionnaires, from March 5 to March 28, 2003. RESULTS: More than 90% of the subjects had their own computers, and nearly 38% of those possessing their own computers had accessed internet sites related to health and medicine. Middle school students and in particular, female students were more desirous for health education through e-mail. Regarding content, the three major topics which the respondents wanted to learn about were healthy lifestyles, growth and development, and disease prevention. In terms of the interval for providing educational materials, over half of the students wanted information once a week. Most of the students wanted to have the quantity of the material be one page. In addition, there were numerous additional topics requested by the students such as sleep and health, contraception and family planning, safety education, cancer prevention, emotional instability of juveniles, the utilization of medical care facilities, stress management, etc. CONCLUSION: The students had a desire for health education through the use of e-mail, and methods and materials should be developed for appropriate health education using the internet.
Contraception ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Electronic Mail ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Growth and Development ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Health Education* ; Humans ; Internet* ; Life Style ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: Unilateral interfacetal dislocation(UID) is a common injury in cervical spine, but diagnosis is somewhat difficult due to mild subluxation. Management of'locked facet' is not established yet and many authors advocate posterior fusion to secure stability. Because most of UID patients have minimal neurological symptom with normal activity, we tried anterior and posterior fusion simultaneously. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Various parameters, such as the radiological findings, operation time and methods, kinds of fixation devices, post-operative stability, neurological outcomes in 10 UID-patients, who showed no satisfactory closed reduction with Gardner tong traction. These patients underwent anterior fixation following posterior open reduction and fusion to maintain the definite stability. RESULTS: Median age was 40 years(18-64 range) and the male to female ratio was 7:3. Causes of injury consisted of 6 car accident, 3 fall-down, 1 diving accident. Mechanism of injury was flexion in all ten cases. Levels of injury were 2 in C4-5, 5 in C5-6 and 3 in C6-7. Operations were performed within 5 days of injury in eight patients. In two patients, who had no reduction procedures were operated on the 23rd day and the 4th month respectively. Kinds of device were: 7 titanium wire and 3 steel wire in posterior wiring, 9 Caspar nonlocking plate and 1 Orion locking plate in anterior plate fixation. All patients were ambulated at post-operative one day with Philadelphia cervical collar and showed post-operative stability with improved neurological outcome. CONCLUSION: In UID patients who failed in closed reduction with traction, anterior discectomy and bone fusion and plating following posterior open reduction and wiring proved good results.
Diagnosis ; Diskectomy ; Dislocations* ; Diving ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Spine ; Steel ; Titanium ; Traction

Two patients presenting with intraventricular meningioma and callosal astrocytoma are described. The first case is a 51 year old female presented with headache and paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed meningioma in the left occipital horn of lateral ventricle and astrocytoma in the corpus callosum, which were confirmed by operative removal and biopsy respectively. The second patient had been removed the meningioma in the left lateral ventricle. Seven years later poorly marginated enhancing lesion was found on the corpus callusum which was confirmed as astrocytoma by computed tomography guided biopsy.
Animals ; Astrocytoma* ; Biopsy ; Brain Neoplasms* ; Corpus Callosum ; Female ; Headache ; Horns ; Humans ; Lateral Ventricles ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Middle Aged ; Paraparesis