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OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the smoking status and its associated factors in military life among young Korean men to provide date for smoking prevention in military areas as a part of the health promotion program for soldiers. METHODS: 1,033 infantrymen serving in 17 military units, which are located in suburbs of K city, were enrolled in this study. A questionnaire on the soldiers smoking status and other various characteristics was obtained from October 2nd to 12th, 2000. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the various variables in order to determine the factors related to smoking. RESULTS: 1) 830(80.3%) out of 1033 subjects had smoked cigarettes and 759 persons(73.4%) were regular smokers. 2) Among the 734 soldiers who started smoking before their military service, 714 soldiers(97.2%) continued to smoke after, while 45 soldiers(15.0%) among the 299 non-smokers started smoking after joining the army. 3) Through the logistic regression analysis, the education level, specialty in the army, smoking amongst the friends they met before military service, smoking amongst soldiers in the army, dating girl friends, drinking, satisfaction with their army lives and the presence of convenient smoking places at the barracks were significant factors related to the prevalence of smoking in soldiers. CONCLUSION: the factors related with incidence of smoking in the army are the complicated interactions among the individuals personal background, general charcterisitcs of the solider and the special environment in the barracks. Therefore, to improve national soldiers' health, an active non-smoking campaign and education should be pushed to discourage smoking in the barracks.
Drinking ; Education ; Female ; Friends ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Military Personnel* ; Prevalence ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products

Restoring the microbiota via fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be an effective treatment for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the gut. Here, we report two adult patients who underwent FMT to treat steroid-refractory acute GVHD of the gut. The first patient was a 43-year-old man who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with cells from a matched sibling donor. The second patient was a 70-year-old woman who underwent haplo-identical HSCT with cells from her son. Gut GVHD developed at 7 and 4 weeks after HSCT, respectively. After undergoing FMT, the clinical symptoms improved; the first patient had a complete response and the second patient had a partial response. Microbial analyses using RNA gene sequencing showed that a diverse fecal microbiome was recovered by 4 weeks after FMT. FMT should be considered an effective therapeutic option for managing steroid-refractory acute GVHD of the gut.

Restoring the microbiota via fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be an effective treatment for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the gut. Here, we report two adult patients who underwent FMT to treat steroid-refractory acute GVHD of the gut. The first patient was a 43-year-old man who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with cells from a matched sibling donor. The second patient was a 70-year-old woman who underwent haplo-identical HSCT with cells from her son. Gut GVHD developed at 7 and 4 weeks after HSCT, respectively. After undergoing FMT, the clinical symptoms improved; the first patient had a complete response and the second patient had a partial response. Microbial analyses using RNA gene sequencing showed that a diverse fecal microbiome was recovered by 4 weeks after FMT. FMT should be considered an effective therapeutic option for managing steroid-refractory acute GVHD of the gut.

Masclura tricuspidata, also called as Cudrania tricuspidata, is one of the most common Moraceae family plants in East Asia. Its trivial name follows mulberry due to the similar morphology. Investigation of the bioactive constituents of M. tricuspidata leaves yielded a new xanthone derivative along with twenty known compounds through various chromatographic techniques. A new compound was defined as mascluraxanthone (3), a prenylated xanthone glucoside on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and MS data. Twenty known compounds were identified as four xanthone derivatives (1-2 and 4-5), two flavans (6-7), six flavanol derivatives (8-13), a flavonone (14) and seven flavonol derivatives (15-21). Among the isolated compounds, flavanol and flavonoid derivatives with 3′,4′-OH groups showed antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities. Conclusively, the leaves of M.tricuspidata are rich in aromatic compounds including xanthones and flavonoids. In addition, these constituents showed antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase potentials, which might be useful for oxidative stress related diseases.

BACKGROUND: Because of the long time required for conventional drug susceptibility test (DST) for rifampin and isoniazid, development of rapid DSTs is necessary. Recently, the AdvanSure(TM) MDR-TB GenoBlot Assay kit (LG Life Science, Korea), using reverse hybridization line blot assay, was developed. We compared this kit with Genotype(R) MTBDRplus (HAIN Lifescience, Germany) and conventional DST. METHODS: Of the DNAs preserved after performing DST by using Genotype(R), we selected 144 samples having conventional DST results. The experiments with both the kits were performed according to the manufacturers' instructions. For the samples for which discrepant results were obtained, sequencing was performed if the DNA was available. Conventional DST was performed at the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis by using the absolute concentration method. RESULTS: For rifampin, the findings obtained using both the kits were the same with concordance rates of 98.6% (142/144) compared to conventional DST. Of the 2 discrepant findings, one was very major error and the other was major error. For isoniazid, compared to conventional DST, concordance rates of AdvanSure(TM) and Genotype(R) were 95.8%(138/144) and 95.1%(137/144) respectively. Of the 6 discrepant findings between conventional method and Advansure(TM), 5 were very major error and one was major error. All the 7 discrepant findings between conventional method and Genotype(R) were very major error. CONCLUSIONS: The findings obtained using AdvanSure(TM) showed high concordance with those obtained using Genotype(R) and conventional DST. This kit has a higher rate of detection of isoniazid resistance because it includes probes for an additional target (ahpC).
Biological Science Disciplines ; Chimera ; DNA ; Isoniazid ; Rifampin ; Tuberculosis

The idiopathic long-QT syndrome is an infrequent inherited disorder, characterized by prolonged QT interval and by the occurrence of life-threatening tachyarrhythmia, particularly in association with emotional or physical stree. In its characteristic presentation, with obvious QT prolongation and stree induced syncope with torsades de points, the diagnosis is straightforward for physicians aware of the disease. But sometimes in cases of borderline QT prolongation and vague symptom, a correct diagnosis is delayed and frequently misdiagnosed as a seizure disorder. The mortality of untreated symptomatic patients with LQTS exceeds 20% in the year after their first syncopal episode and aapproaches 50% within 10 years. But this high mortality rate has been significantly reduced by the use of pharmacological or surgical antiadrenergic therapy or both. So early detection of the disease and antiadrenergic treatment sympathetic innervation to the heart. Second, there was intrinsic gene abnormality in the mechanisms responsible for cardiac repolarization. We report one case of LQTS in a 24 years old female patient who had been suffering from stree related syncope. Her initial EKG had prologed QT interval(588msec) and increased QT intrval dispersion(200msec). In the Holter monitor, long and short cycle sequence induced (pause-dependent) torsades de pointes was detected. She has been treated by beta-blocker and has maintained her condition without recurrence of the symptoms.
Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Long QT Syndrome ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Syncope ; Tachycardia ; Torsades de Pointes ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: In this study, we retrospectively investigated the medical records of patients with facial fractures and suspected cranial injuries in order to determine if there was any relationship between various facial fracture patterns and cranial injuries. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed to identify patients diagnosed with facial fractures who underwent cranial computed tomography (CT) scans. Records were reviewed for gender, age, injury mechanism, facial fracture pattern, and presence or absence of cranial injuries. Facial fracture patterns were classified as isolated fractures (tripod, zygomatic arch, maxilla, orbit, and mandible), combined fractures, or total fractures. Cranial injuries included skull fractures, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages, subdural hemorrhages, epidural hemorrhages, and contusional hemorrhages. All cranial injuries were established by using cranial CT scans, and these kinds of cranial injuries were defined radiologically-proven cranial injuries (RPCIs). We evaluated the relationship between each pattern of facial fractures and the incidence of RPCIs. RESULTS: Of 132 eligible patients with facial fractures who underwent cranial CT scans, a total of 27 (20.5%) patients had RPCIs associated with facial fractures. Falls and slips were the most common causes of the fractures (31.8%), followed by assaults and motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). One hundred one (76.5%) patients had isolated facial fractures, and 31 (23.5%) patients had combined facial fractures. Fractures were found most commonly in the orbital and maxillary bones. Patients with isolated maxillary fractures had a lower incidence of RPCIs than those with total mandibular fractures. RPCIs frequently accompanied combined facial fractures. CONCLUSION: Combined facial fractures had a significant positive correlation with RPCIs. This means that facial fractures caused by stronger or multidirectional external force are likely to be accompanied by cranial injuries.
Brain Injuries ; Contusions ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mandibular Fractures ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Fractures ; Medical Records ; Motor Vehicles ; Orbit ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Fractures ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic ; Zygoma

We report a case of recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma in a 30-years-old woman who had undergone operations three times during 60 months and had received post-operative radiotherapy. On neurological examination, no neurological deficits were noticed. In brain magnetic resonance image(MRI), there was right parieto-occipital scalp mass with high signal in T2-weighted image, low signal in T1-weighted image with homogeneous enhancement. The removal was done including about 2cm uninvolved margins and pathologic examination of the lesion revealed dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans(DFSP). The prognostic factors of local recurrence may be related to surgical margins for resection; the length from the grossly intact margins, and the microscopically controlled excision in margins.
Brain ; Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Female ; Humans ; Neurologic Examination ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Scalp*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to discover a way to increase the bond strength between bis-acryl resins, using a comparison of the shear bond strengths attained from bis-acryl resins treated with light curing, pressure, oxygen inhibition, and heat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Self-cured bis-acryl resin was used as both a base material and as a repair material. Seventy specimens were distributed into seven groups according to treatment methods: pressure - stored in a pressure cooker at 0.2 Mpa; oxygen inhibition- applied an oxygen inhibitor around the repaired material,; heat treatment - performed heat treatment in a dry oven at 60degrees C, 100degrees C, or 140degrees C. The shear bond strength was measured with a universal testing machine, and the shear bond strength (MPa) was calculated from the peak load of failure. A comparison of the bond strength between the repaired specimens was conducted using one-way ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison tests (alpha=.05). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the shear bond strength between the control group and the light curing, pressure, and oxygen inhibition groups. However, the heat treatment groups showed statistically higher bond strengths than the groups treated without heat, and the groups treated at a higher temperature resulted in higher bond strengths. Statistically significant differences were seen between groups after different degrees of heat treatment, except in groups heated at 100degrees C and 140degrees C. CONCLUSION: Strong bonding can be achieved between a bis-acryl base and bis-acryl repair material after heat treatment.
Hot Temperature* ; Oxygen*