No abstract available.
Epigastric Arteries* ; Rectus Abdominis* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
Nose* ; Replantation*

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the value of statistical life (VSL) and health damage cost on theoretical mortality estimates due to environmental pollution. METHODS: We assessed the health risk on three environmental problems and eight sub-problems. Willingness to pay (WTP) was elucidated from a questionnaire survey with dichotomous contingent valuation method and VSL (which is the division of WTP by the change of risk reduction) calculated from WTP. Damage costs were estimated by multiplying VSL by the theoretical mortality estimates. RESULTS: VSLs from death caused by air pollution, indoor air pollution and drinking water contamination were about 0.3, 0.5 and 0.3 billion won, respectively. Damage costs of particulate matters (PM10) and radon were higher in the sub-problems and were above 100 billion won. Because damage cost depends on theoretical mortality estimate and WTP, its uncertainty is reduced in the estimating process. CONCLUSION: Health damage cost or risk benefit should be considered as one scientific criterion for decision making in environmental policy.
Air Pollution ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Decision Making ; Drinking Water ; Environmental Policy ; Environmental Pollution ; Methods ; Mortality* ; Radon ; Risk Assessment ; Uncertainty

No abstract available.
Aortic Stenosis, Supravalvular*

communicable diseases. The purposes of the study is to estimate reporting proportion of National Notifiable Infectious Diseases(NNIDs) and investigate characteristics related to reporting using KAP(knowledge, attitude, practice) model. METHOD: We surveyed randomly selected 2,185 physicians (speciality: internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, general physicians) of their knowledge, attitude, and practice of NNIDs reporting through self-administered mail questionnaires. Of them, 231 physicians responded (response proportion: 10.6%). RESULT: The reporting proportion was estimated to 27.0%. Recognition level (knowledge) of NNIDs was relatively high with proportion of 69.4%, and attitude (public health importance) of reporting was 65.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that knowledge, attitude significantly affected physicians' reporting in a positive direction (O.R. 6.2, 6.2 respectively). Whereas, senior age group, specialty (family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology) showed significantly lower reporting. General (tertiary care) hospital level of care showed significantly higher reporting practice (alpha=0.05). CONCLUSION: The NNIDs reporting proportion, 27.0% is similar with those studied recently. Continuous efforts to increase the performance level of communicable diseases surveillance system. Of those, restructuring surveillance systems considering characteristics of notifiable diseases classes must be stressed. Educational approach of physicians needs to be tailored specially to newly-designated diseases such as Group II, Designated Group NNIDs.
Communicable Diseases* ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Logistic Models ; Pediatrics ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Passive surveillance (PS) is a traditional approach to communicable disease surveillance. To complement the approach, several countries have adopted active surveillance (AS) systems that involve the voluntary participation of physicians. This study compares AS versus PS systems in Korea based on the systems' reporting propensity of chickenpox. A mail questionnaire survey was conducted with a random sample of physicians involved in the PS system (N=1,955) and all sentinel physicians of the AS system (N=193). Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with reporting propensity. The reporting propensity of physicians in the AS system was significantly higher than that in the PS surveillance system, 2.7 versus 1.9 on a 5-point Likert scale (p<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that, in addition to the type of the surveillance system, physician knowledge of chickenpox as a notifiable disease and the type of institution with which a physician was affiliated were significant factors for a physician's reporting propensity. For both systems, the common barriers for reporting were 'lack of confidence in diagnosis,' 'burden from interference by the public health department following reporting,' and 'complexity of the reporting system.' In conclusion, AS of communicable diseases appeared to have a significantly better performance compared to PS in Korea in the case of chickenpox reporting. These findings would be useful for countries concerned with developing more effective strategies for improving the reporting rate of notifiable diseases.
Chickenpox ; Communicable Diseases ; Complement System Proteins ; Korea ; Mandatory Reporting ; Postal Service ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea* ; Sentinel Surveillance

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pediatric endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) has become widely used for the treatment of chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis that is unresponsive to medical management. But the effect of pediatric ESS on facial growth or sinus growth are controversial and not well understood. The object of the present study was to determine whether pediatric ESS causes the volumetric restriction of the sinuses. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Fifteen cases of patients who underwent unilateral endoscopic sinus surgery for antrochoanal polyp were reviewed retrospectively. Postoperative maxillary and ethmoid sinus volumes were measured by computed tomography at 73.5 (51-101) months after surgery, and these were compared with non-operated sinus volumes. RESULTS: The mean volume of the operated and non-operated maxillary sinuses were 18.9+/-6.4 ml and 21.7+/-5.3 ml. and the mean volume of the operated and non-operated ethmoid sinuses were 4.1+/-1.2 ml and 3.7+/-1.2 ml. There was no significant difference in sinus growth between operated and non-operated sinuses. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence that pediatric ESS affected maxillary and ethmoid sinus growth.
Ethmoid Sinus ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Polyps* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Isolated sphenoid sinus disease is rare and difficult to diagnosis. Due to the close proximity of the sphenoid sinus to important structures, serious complications can develop. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of isolated sphenoid sinusitis. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Thirty-four patients with isolated sphenoid sinusitis were analyzed. A retrospective chart review was performed with respect to the symptoms, radiologic findings, treatment outcomes, and complications. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 34 cases were bacterial sphenoid sinusitis, and 13 cases were fungal sinusitis. Headache was the most common symptom (76.9%), followed by visual disturbance and diplopia. Endoscopic sphenoidotomy was performed, and symptoms completely improved in 88.5% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory diseases commonly involve the sphenoid sinus, but the presenting symptoms can be nonspecific. Early diagnosis and endoscopic surgical treatment can be successfully employed to treat the majority of patients with isolated sphenoid sinusitis.
Diplopia ; Early Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Sinusitis ; Sphenoid Sinus ; Sphenoid Sinusitis

The purpose of this study was to classify noodle meals into a few groups according to their menu patterns and cooking methods from the 318 noodles and Ttokgook menus of 360 elementary school foodservices around Busan and Gyeongnam province. Noodle meals with high frequency were also analyzed by season and region to give information for menu planning and to improve elementary school foodservices. The menus were collected from the internet (http://www.kdclub.com) and the home pages of elementary schools between December 2004 and September 2005. Taking all kinds of noodle meals together, the serving frequencies were significantly different among regions, but were not different from season to season. Three different menu patterns were revealed from the collected noodle menus. The most frequently served menu pattern was "main dish + starchy food & dessert + fruit & beverage + kimchi" Gooksu, Ttokgook, Udong, and Kalgooksu meals were served with this menu pattern. The menu pattern of Jajangmeon meal was "main dish + side-dish + starchy food & dessert + fruit & beverage + (kimchi)" . For the Bibimmeon and the spaghetti meals "main dish + soup + starchy food & dessert + fruit & beverage + kimchi" was used. Ttigim, Danmugy, Saengchae, and chicken were frequently selected as side dishes in the overall noodle menus. More side dishes of a wide variety were served in Ttokgook meal, whereas Danmugy was the most preferred food item as a side dish with Jajangmeon and Udong meals. Corndog, Mandu, Ttok, Matang, and doughnut were preferred food items as a "starchy food & dessert" with most kinds of noodle meals, except spaghetti with which only garlic-bread was served. The fruit and beverage items were not different with the majority of noodle meals. These results suggest that cost, food habits, compatible flavor combinations, and food preference of children rather than nutritional considerations contributed to the selection of food items for the components of noodle meals in the school foodservices.
Beverages ; Busan* ; Chickens ; Child ; Cooking ; Food Habits ; Food Preferences ; Fruit ; Humans ; Internet ; Meals* ; Menu Planning ; Seasons

PURPOSE: Fungi, rhinoviruses (RVs), and eosinophils are associated with upper respiratory diseases. We evaluated the effects of fungal stimulation and eosinophil co-culture on the expression of mucin genes in RV-infected nasal polyp epithelial cells. METHODS: Nasal polyp epithelial cells were obtained from chronic rhinosinusitis patients. Cultured epithelial cells were stimulated with Alternaria and Aspergillus with or without RV-16 infection. The epithelial cells were co-cultured with eosinophils for 16 h. MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC8 mRNA expressions in the epithelial cells were quantified using real-time RT-PCR. To determine the underlying mechanism, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), activator protein-1 (AP-1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors were used to inhibit mucin gene expression. RESULTS: Fungi and RV-16 induced mucin gene expression in nasal polyp epithelial cells. However, there was no synergistic increase in mucin gene expression, with the exception of MUC4 mRNA expression stimulated by 25 microg/mL Aspergillus. When RV-16-infected epithelial cells were stimulated with fungi and then co-cultured with eosinophils, MUC4, MUC5B, and MUC8 mRNA expressions increased. Mucin gene expression was inhibited by NF-kappaB inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: RV-16, airborne fungi, and eosinophils may exacerbate the inflammatory process in nasal mucosal diseases by enhancing mucin gene expression.
Alternaria ; Aspergillus ; Coculture Techniques ; Eosinophils* ; Epithelial Cells* ; Fungi* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Methods ; Mucins* ; Nasal Polyps ; NF-kappa B ; Protein Kinases ; Rhinovirus ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcription Factor AP-1