The capability of higher ascomyceteous fungi to cause typical soft-rot decay for wood under laboratory conditions is reviewed and discussed. Fungi tested were extremely active in the decomposition of timbers. Scanning electron micrographs illustrated typical soft-rot decay pattern of higher wood decay ascomycetes, with the exception of H. trugodes that caused white-rot decay. Most of the fungi tested could be grouped as soft-rot fungi that showed typical soft-rot type II. Hypha confined primarily to the resin canals in softwoods or vessel elements in hardwoods and spread tracheid to tracheid via pits of cell wall to cell wall with mechanical force.
Ascomycota ; Cell Wall ; Fungi* ; Hyphae ; Wood*

Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Indomethacin ; therapeutic use ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn

BACKGROUND: Sustained-release theophylline, which is generally prescribed as a twice-daily equal-dose regimen, is one of the more common asthma treatments. the development of a sustained-release drug delivery technology that enables improved control of the theophylline blood levels represents a significant advancement in both the efficacy and safety of dosing. METHOD: A crossover study was conducted with 25 adult chronic asthmatic patients requiring daily bronchodilator therapy. The study group included thirteen males and twelve females with ages ranging from 19 to 71 years. The overall approach was to place the patients first on the twice-daily preparation(Etheophyl®) for 28 days at 8 AM and 8 PM, and measure the pulmonary function and theophylline level on the 28th day. the patients were subsequently switched to the once-daily preparation(Uniphyl®) in the same daily dose at 8 PM on the 29th day and the same parameters were measured on the 56th day. RESULTS: the mean serum levels of theophylline were 8.18±1.66µg/ml in the Etheophyl®-treated period and 8.00±1.75µg/ml in the Uniphyl®-treated period. In addition, the FEV1 showed 71.40±7.48 percent in the Etheophyl®-treated and 69.18±9.00 percent in the Uniphyl®-treated period. Thus there were no significant differences between the once-daily and twice-daily preparation. CONCLUSION: The results indicated little clinical differences between the two medication. The two drugs are equally effective in controlling asthma over the four weeks of treatment.
Adult ; Asthma* ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Theophylline

BACKGROUND: Definite criteria for the diagnosis and treatment evaluation for different clinical stags of syphilis are not yet present dute to the inability to dultivate Treponema pallidum in vitro. However, as the staining methods and the serological tests currently used have their limitations, a more definite method for its confirmation is needed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), due to its high sensitivity and specificity, is currently being applied to the detection of T. pallidum. OBJECTIVE: We have used PCR for the detection of T. pallidum DNA in various clinical specimens in orber to evaluate its potenital as a diagnostic tool. METHOD: Clinical specimens were collected from patients with different stages of syphilis who visited ithe Deparment of Dermatology of Yonsei medical Center for 1 year beginning from May, 1991. Sera from 63 patients, cerebrospinal fluids from 24 patients, amniotic fluids from 3 patients, and 21 tissues from 19 patients were subjected to PCR and the results were analyzed to evaluate its usefulness as a diagnostic and treatment evaluation tool. A portion of the T. pallidum-specific chromosomal DNA, tpp47, which encodes the 47 kDa surface protein, was used as the template DNA to amplify the 658 bp DNA fragment, and the following results were obtained. PCR using primers 47-1 and 47-2 were applied to amplify 658 bp DNA fragments from the T. pallidum-specific tpp47 gene encoding 47 kDa surface protein. RESULT: 1. To evaluate the sensitivity of the PCR, T. pallida and their chromosomal DNA were diluted. The diluents contataining a single organism and 1 fg of the chromosomal DNA showed positive reactions by the amplification. 2. Specificity of the PCR was determined by using T. pallidum, 4 species beloging to genus Treponema, and 9 species of nonpathogenic or pathogenic organisms. A positive reaction was obtained only when T. pallidum chromosomal DNA was used. 3. PCR was positive in 5 of 9 (55%) sera in primary syphilis, 22 of 26(84%) in secondary syphilis, 3 to 15(20%) in early latent syphilis, 1 of 19 (11%0 in late latent syphilis, 2 of 2 (100%) in neurosyphlis, and 0 of 2 (0%) in congenital syphilis. The differences in the positive rates were statistically significant (P<0.01) in all stages except neurosyphilis and congenital syphilis, as their numbers were too smalll to deduce any significant meaning. Despite their high VDRL titers, the positive rate in early latent syphilis was relatively low when compared to the rate in secondary syphilis. 4. Follw-up PCR of sera in some patients showed positive results 9 months after treatment. However, some with negative PCR before treatment showed positive results after treatment. 5. PCR was positive in 1 of 1 (50%) cerebrospinal fluid in primary syphilis, 3 of 14 (21%) in secondary syphilis, 2 of 7 (29%) in early latent syphilis, and 1 of 1(100%) in neurosyphlis. The differences in the positive rates showed no statistical significance in relation to the clinical stages. Cerebrospinal fluid VDRL test, white blood cell count, and protein content showed no correlation to the PCR results in early syphilis patients. 6. Amniotic fluid showed a positive PCR result only in a pregnant woman whose serum showed a high VDRL titer and a positive PCR. 7. PCR positive rates were 90% in frozed tissues and 50% in paraffin embedded tissues. CONCLUSION: From the results, it is suggested that PCR is not suitable for treatment evaluation but is useful for the detection of T. pallidum in sera of secondary syphilis patients and syphilitic lesions, and for the confirmation of the diagnosis the diagnosis in these cases.
Amniotic Fluid ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Dermatology ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Neurosyphilis ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Pregnant Women ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Congenital ; Syphilis, Latent ; Treponema pallidum* ; Treponema*

Numerous studies on epidemiological aspects of contact dermatitis have been published in recent years since the introduction of a standardized method of patch test. We have performed the patch test on patients with contact dermatitis and on patients with other forms of dermatitis, A total of 153 patients were tested in this study between January 198l and August 1982. We have routinely attached 29 Hollister's standard batteries and 0. l% Tego, which is a commonly used antiseptic in our hospital, to the patients back. The tapes used were Leukotape and Finn chamber. Forty-eight hours after the tape had been attached, the patches were removed and read. The second reading was taken 24 or 48 hours after the patch had been removed. According to the results of this study, the most common allergens were cinnamic alcohol (11. 1%), ammoniated mercuric chloride (10. 5%), nickel sulfate (9. 2%), hydroxycitronellal(6. 5%), paraben mix(5. 9%), mercaptobenzothiazole(5. 9%) and thimerosal(5. 9%). In conclusion, cosmetics, metals, medicaments and rubber compounds were found to be the most common etiologic agents of contact dermatitis in this studyBackground and possible explanation of these rusults were discussed and a comparison was made between this report and others.
Allergens ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Humans ; Mercuric Chloride ; Metals ; Nickel ; Patch Tests ; Rubber

A case of Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome described originally by Klippel and Trenaunay on 1900, was presented with a brief review of literatures. The patient, 30 year-old male, said that he had noticed a reddish plaque in his right leg at the age of about 10 and had felt the asymmetricity of the limbs about 5 years later. On physical examination, he had an ulcerated sclerosing hemangioma on his right limb which is extending from medial aspect of upper one third of the lower leg to the foot. It was also associated with the varicosities just above the hemangioma, edema and hypertrophy around the right ankle, and a visible elongation of the right limb. A plane X-ray revealed osteohypertrophy of tibia and fibula without any periosteal reaction, and a soft tissue hypertrophy was also noticed around the right ankle. Histological findings of the hemangioma revealed moderate fibrosis around the proliferated vascular tissue and two of the remarkable thrombosis in the median sized vessels.
Adult ; Ankle ; Edema ; Extremities ; Fibrosis ; Fibula ; Foot ; Hemangioma ; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome* ; Leg ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Thrombosis ; Tibia ; Ulcer

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell*

No abstract available.
Blepharoptosis*

No abstract available.