PURPOSE:The prevalence of childhood obesity has been increased rapidly, associated with high morbidity of dyslipidemia, cardiovascular risk factors and insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia. Hyperinsulinemia in obese children may depend on either increased insulin secretion or decreased insulin clearance. We investigate whether insulin secretion and clearance are different between obese and normal weight children. METHODS:The body mass index(BMI), fasting serum glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels were measured in 101 children(52 obese children and 49 non-obese controls) in Ansan area, from 6 to 14 years old. Fasting serum C-peptide/insulin ratio, insulin/glucose ratio, homeostasis model assessment(HOMA) were calculated and compared between obese and control group. RESULTS:The fasting serum insulin and C-peptide levels were significantly higher in obese group than in controls. The C-peptide/insulin ratio was significantly lower and insulin/glucose ratio was significantly higher in obese group than in controls. There were positive correlations between BMI and fasting serum insulin level, fasting insulin/glucose ratio and HOMA. The prevalence of hyperinsulinemia is higher in obese adolescents than in controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that increased insulin secretion and decreased insulin clearance may contribute to hyperinsulinemia in obese children.
Adolescent ; Blood Glucose* ; C-Peptide* ; Child* ; Dyslipidemias ; Fasting* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; Insulin* ; Obesity* ; Pediatric Obesity ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Radiotherapy, which is one of three major cancer treatment methods in modern medicine, has continued to develop for a long period, more than a century. The development of radiotherapy means allowing the administration of higher doses to tumors to improve tumor control rates while minimizing the radiation doses absorbed by surrounding normal tissues through which radiation passes for administration to tumors, thereby reducing or removing the incidence of side effects. Such development of radiotherapy was accomplished by the development of clinical radiation oncology, the development of computers and machine engineering, the introduction of cutting-edge imaging technology, a deepened understanding of biological studies on the effects of radiation on human bodies, and the development of quality assurance (QA) programs in medical physics. The development of radiotherapy over the last two decades has been quite dazzling. Due to continuous improvements in cancer treatment, the average five-year survival rate of cancer patients has been close to 70%. The increases in cancer patients' complete cure rates and survival periods are making patients' quality of life during or after treatment a vitally important issue. Radiotherapy is implemented in approximately 1/3 to 2/3s of all cancer patients; and has improved the quality of life of cancer patients in the present age. Over the last century, as a noninvasive treatment, radiotherapy has unceasingly enhanced complete tumor cure rates and the side effects of radiotherapy have been gradually decreasing, resulting in a tremendous improvement in the quality of life of cancer patients.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; *Quality Assurance, Health Care ; Quality of Life ; *Radiation Protection ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
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No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of the questionnaire. METHODS: Workers'health examination records, work environment record, and questionnaires of selected industries as samples were analysed using logistic regression analysis and discrimination analysis Results'Cases of bearing impairment (Dl+C) as dependent variables, and age, work duration and level of environmental noise as independent variables were selected for multiple unconditional logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio was 4.04 in hearing difficulty, 2.78 in tlnnitus and 1.08 in age. In the second analysis Noise induced hearing loss is selected as dependent variable. The OR in hearing difficulty was 3.67(95 % C.1. : 1.61 8.61), and was 1.09(95 % C.1. : 1.05-1.14) in age. Conditionnal multlple logistic regression analysis was performed. In hearing impairment as dependent variable, the OR of age was 1.02(95 % C.1. : 1.00-1.04) and other variables were not significant. However, NIHL as dependent, the OR of hearing difficulty was 4.57(95 % C.1. : 1.43-14.67). According to multiple logistic regression adopting each items of questionnaire as dependent variable, the only item of hearing difficulty showed significant difference with hearing ability. The discrimination analysis was performed with the class variable of hearing impairment, and discrimination variables of age, work duration, and environment noise level. The sensitivity of 59 %, and specificity of 88 %, and average error count of 23 % were obtained. When the numbers of items answered in questionnaire were assumed as the parameter of judgement for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), the highest sensitivity and specificity were 33.5% and 49.0% in cases of more than two items answered. CONCLUSIONS: The development of items that is simple and discriminative mainly consisted of chronic and specific diseases related items is needed. Computerization for newly developed items might be needed to establish effective surveillance system for NIHL in the future.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening* ; Noise* ; Odds Ratio ; Questionnaires* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The hippocampus plays important roles in the regulation and combination of short and long term memory and spatial navigation with other brain centers. Aging is accompanied by a functional decline of the hippocampus and degenerative disease. Microglia are major immune cells in the central nervous system and response to degenerative changes in the aged brain. In this respect, functional and morphological changes of the hippocampus have been closely related to microglial changes during normal aging with or without disease. Therefore, in this review, we discuss morphological and functional changes of the hippocampus and microglia in the aging brain.
Aged ; Aging ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Memory ; Microglia

Lipomas are common soft tissue that are usually located in the subcutaneous tissue. And intramuscular lipomas commonly arise in the upper and lower extremities, where they usually involve the large muscles. Intramuscular lipoma, also referred to as an infiltrating lipoma, is an unusual benign slow growing tumor composed of mature fat cell interdigitating with skeletal muscle. However, intramuscular lipomas are exceedingly rare in the face. We have been experienced a case intramuscular lipoma that located in the malar area. Because of the rarity of these tumors and their propensity to recur without adequate surgery, the case report is presented here. Achievement of surgical margin is essential as the recurrent rate may be as high as 15% to 62.5% without complete excision.
Adipocytes ; Lipoma* ; Lower Extremity ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Subcutaneous Tissue

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Though the surgical intervention of subclavian artery stenosis has been effective, its high morbidity and mortality have limited its clinical application. In 1980 percutaneous balloon angioplasty of stenotic artery was introduced as a substitute for surgical intervention and subsequent reports have supported its efficacy noting that it is more effective when combined with stent. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous intervention as an alternative or primary therapy for symptomatic subclavian artery stenosis. METHODS: Between September 1993 and October 1998, 17 lesions in 16 patients of symptomatic subclavian artery stenosis were enrolled as candidates for nonsurgical intervention. We performed percutaneous balloon angioplasty with stenting to the subclavian artery stenosis and evaluated the early results. RESULTS: 1)The patients had a mean age of 55+/-14 years and 13 of 16 patients were male. 2)Subclavian artery stenting was successful in 94% (16/17) of the lesion without significant complications. The cause of failure was suboptimal result after deployment of stent. 3)The types of stents deployed were Strecker stents in 4, Palmaz stents in 8, Wall stents in 3 and Jo stents in 2 cases. 4)The peak and mean pressure gradient reduced from 58.5+/-17.0 to 8.5+/-7.4 and 31.4+/-13.0 to 4.7+/-5.5 mmHg respectively (p<0.01) and the degree of luminal stenosis decreased from 92.5+/-8.5% to 10.0+/-14.3%. (p<0.01) CONCLUSION: Subclavian artery stenosis can be managed safely and effectively through percutaneous balloon angioplasty with stenting, with an excellent technical success rate and less morbidity and mortality particularly in patients coexisting other vascular and systemic diseases. However, the long-term patency and clinical effects should be warranted.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Phenobarbital ; Stents* ; Subclavian Artery* ; Subclavian Steal Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: Cadmium (Cd), a toxic and non-essential metal, is recognized as a human carcinogen, which has a tendency to accumulate in the human body. The levels of Cd in renal cortex and liver are good indicators as an index of Cd exposure in the general population. In this study, we present an estimation of reference Cd levels in tissue (renal cortex and liver) and total body burden in the general population of Korea. MEDTHODS: Cd and zinc (Zn) were analyzed in renal cortex and liver from 254 autopsies (male : 188 cases, female : 66 cases) aged 0 to 87 years. RESULTS: Geometric mean concentration of Cd was 27.4 and 3.1 ua/g wet weight in renal cortex and liver, respectively. The level of Zn in renal cortex and liver was 35.4 and 42. 6 v/g wet weight, respectively. The result suggests that kidney is the target organ for Cd accumulation. The accumulation of Cd in renal cortex was age-dependent with a biphasic pattern. The level of Cd in renal cortex increased with age up to the fifties, and then leveled off thereafter. Based on the data, the regression model for Cd accumulation in renal cortex by age is predicted by : Log KCd = 0. 2325 + 0. 0553 Age 0. 0005 Age. The highest Cd accumulation in renal cortex of Koreans was estimated at 43. 3 ua/g wet weight at 50. 8 years old. In addition, the total Cd body burden by age was estimated by the following equation: Total Cd Body Burden = -4. 5948 + l. 2278 Age - 0. 0121 Age. The highest body burden of Cd was estimated at 26. 5 mg at age 50. 7 years in the Korean general population. The positive correlation between Zn and Cd was observed in renal cortex and liver. CONCLUSIONS: The level of Cd exposure in Korean was found to be lower than in Japanese, but same as or higher than in American and Europeans.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Autopsy ; Body Burden ; Cadmium* ; Child ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex ; Kidney* ; Korea ; Liver* ; Reference Values* ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Humans*