Background: Onychomycosis is a common nail disease that accounts for 50% of abnormal nails. Accurate diagnosis of onychomycosis is essential before long-term antifungal treatment. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a rapid real-time imaging technique that is widely used for the diagnosis of skin diseases. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of RCM and standard diagnostic methods in the diagnosis of onychomycosis and to determine their sensitivity and specificity. Methods: We evaluated 60 Korean patients with suspected onychomycosis using three diagnostic methods: KOH smear, culture, and RCM. RCM diagnosis was based on the presence of specific structures and filamentous and/or spore-like spherical structures. To compare the usefulness of the diagnostic methods, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for each method were calculated. Results: Of the patients, 57 had at least one positive value for these diagnostic methods. RCM was the most sensitive test for the diagnosis of onychomycosis, with a sensitivity of 84.21%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 25%, and accuracy of 85%. Among the 48 patients who showed positive results on RCM, RCM images presented hyphae structures in 35 cases (72.9%), conidia structures in 39 cases (81.3%), and coexistence of both structures in 26 cases (54.2%). Conclusion In this study, RCM was the most sensitive method for the diagnosis of onychomycosis. The fungal morphology and load can be identified in vivo by RCM and can be used in clinical situations.

Calcium is the most abundant stored mineral in the human body and is especially vital for bone health; thus, calcium deficiency can cause bone-related diseases, such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. However, a high concentration of serum calcium, which is commonly known as hypercalcemia, can also lead to weakened bones and, in severe cases, osteosarcoma. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the concentration of calcium that is appropriate for bone biology. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of high concentration of calcium, approximately 2 folds the normal calcium level, on osteoblast differentiation. The CaCl2 treatment showed dose-dependent suppression of the alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized nodule formation. Calcium showed cytotoxicity at an extremelyhigh concentration, but a moderately high concentration of calcium that results in inhibitory effects to osteoblast differentiation showed no signs of cytotoxicity. We also confirmed that the CaCl2 treatment repressed the mRNA expression and protein abundance of various osteogenic genes and transcriptional factors. Considered together, these results indicate that a high concentration of calcium negatively regulates the osteoblast differentiation of C2C12 cells.

No abstract available.
Athletes* ; Forearm* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy* ; Metabolism* ; Phosphorus*

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies have suggested that a higher consumption of whole grain foods can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The objective of the current study was to examine associations among the consumption of whole grains and nutrient intakes and biochemical indicators associated with chronic diseases among generally healthy middle-aged Korean women. METHODS: Using 24-hour recall data from the 2008-2009 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, whole grain intake (g/day) was calculated for a total of generally healthy 1,953 subjects. The subjects were divided into three groups by the level of whole grain consumption (0 g/day, > 0 and < 20 g/day or > or = 20 g/day). Mean values or proportions of various nutrient intakes and metabolic risk factors were compared according to the level of whole grain consumption. All statistical analysis was conducted using SAS software version 9.2. RESULTS: We observed that the overall consumption of whole grains was quite low. Specifically, 58.2% of subjects reported no whole grain consumption on the day of the survey, and the mean whole grain intake was only 15.3 g/day. The whole grain consumption was positively associated with intakes of various macro and micronutrients, namely, plant proteins and fats, dietary fiber, calcium, plant iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, beta-carotene, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid. In addition, we found significantly decreasing trends in abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia as whole grain intake levels increase. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggested the importance of promoting whole grain consumption as an efficient tool for improving various dietary aspects and preventing chronic diseases.
beta Carotene ; Calcium ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Edible Grain* ; Chronic Disease ; Dietary Fats ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Iron ; Micronutrients ; Niacin ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Plant Proteins ; Plants ; Potassium ; Riboflavin ; Risk Factors* ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin B 6 ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy* ; Pregnancy*

Bronchogenic cyst is a congenital anomaly of the embryolgic foregut. A bronchogenic cyst is thought to arise from developing lung bud structure in the 7th week of gestation. Subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst is developed from isolated lung parenchyme during cell migration. Sometimes the fistula is formed between cyst and epidermis. Histologically, fistula tract is lined with sebaceous gland, which is the evidence of embryologic anomaly of cyst. The most common extrapulmonary location of bronchogenic cyst is mediastinum. Subcutaneous location is uncommon. Subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst is commonly located in suprasternal notch followed by the presternal area, neck and scapula. Subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst is predominantly found in male and the ratio is four to one. Clinically the cutaneous presentation vary from nodular swelling, sinus tract ostium to papillomatous lesion. The differential diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst include branchial cleft cyst, thyroglossal duct cyst, cutaneous ciliated cyst and mature cystic teratoma. The diagnosis of subcutanoeus cyst is entirely dependent on the histologic feature. Bronchogenic cyst is lined with ciliated pseudostratified columar epithelium of respiratory origin. Underlying wall is surrounded by the smooth muscle, cartilage and seromucinous gland. This report is on a subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst in a 5-years-old male without fistula tract. The cyst is 5 x 4 x 3 cm in size and histolgically shows the typical feature of bronchogenic cyst.
Branchioma ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Cartilage ; Cell Movement ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epidermis ; Epithelium ; Fistula ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neck ; Pregnancy ; Scapula ; Sebaceous Glands ; Teratoma ; Thyroglossal Cyst

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Spleen*

Morphea, a subclass of localized scleroderma, is a connective tissue disorder limited to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. We report herein a case of secondary cicatricial alopecia due to morphea, which showed very unusual site and clinical manifestations. A 24-year-old woman presented to the department of dermatology with a solitary skin-colored patch on the frontoparietal area through the eyebrow. The histopathologic findings showed hydrophic changes of the basal cells in the epidermis. In addition, there were broadened, compact, eosinophilic collagen fibers and perifollicular lymphocytic infiltration with loss of elastic fibers and adnexal structures in the entire dermis. On the basis of clinical and pathological findings, she was diagnosed with secondary cicatricial alopecia due to morphea on the frontoparietal area through the eyebrow.
Alopecia ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Eosinophils ; Epidermis ; Eyebrows ; Female ; Humans ; Scleroderma, Localized ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify and analyze the trends of theory-based research published in Asian Oncology Nursing (AON) from 2011 to 2017. METHODS: We analyzed 22 theory-based studies taken from among the 232 studies published in AON for 7years. We analyzed the framework developed by researchers, descriptive summaries of theory, keyword classification of nursing meta-paradigms, the generic character of the studies, and the type of research designs. RESULTS: A total of 23 theories were applied in the 22 (9.5%) studies. ‘Nursing’ was the most prevalent field of study (34.8%). In the field of study of theory, nursing theory was the largest with eight (34.8%), and in the method of theory utilization, all 22 studies were theoretical applications 3 middle-range theories were most prevalent. In the keyword classification using meta-paradigm in nursing, we found 83 key words. Among them, ‘Health’ related key words were most frequent (53), followed by ‘Cancer’ keywords (13). CONCLUSION: AON has a high ratio of theoretical study compared to other journals, but the ratio is still less than 10%, which is still weak. Therefore, it is believed that the attention to, utilization of, application, and institutional establishment of nursing theory should be necessary.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Classification ; Humans ; Methods ; Models, Theoretical ; Nursing ; Nursing Theory ; Oncology Nursing ; Research Design

Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome (BOS) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited genetic cutaneous disorder characterized by connective tissue nevi that may or may not be accompanied by sclerotic bone lesions (osteopoikilosis). BOS is caused by loss-of-function mutations in LEMD3. Skin lesions appear in childhood and may increase in size and number with age and primarily manifest as yellow or skin-colored plaques or papules. A 21-year-old male presented with brownish, firm plaques on his back and buttocks since childhood. He revealed a history of similar skin lesions in his mother and brother. He was incidentally diagnosed with osteopoikilosis, 2 years prior to presentation. Histopathological examination of a skin biopsy specimen revealed increased collagenous stroma. We report a rare case of Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome that presented with brownish plaques.