Despite recent advances in acute stroke management, many stroke patients suffer from long-term disability. Most stroke patients regain their function partially or fully during the first 3 to 6 months depending on many factors ; pre-stroke, stroke and post-stroke factors. Brain plasticity plays a major role during stroke recovery, and motor-relearning and brain plasticity shares the common mechanism. Successful neurorehabilitation is to drive beneficial plastic change and therefore to gain functional recovery. In this brief review, we will discuss mechanisms of brain plasticity engaged in stroke recovery and recent advanced management strategies for stroke recovery.

No abstract available.
Neurilemmoma*

Leiomyosarcoma of small intestine is an uncommon tumor, comprising less than 20 percent of all primary malignant tumors of small intestine. Duodenal leiomyosarcoma is rare disease which amount to about 20 percent of all small bowel malignancy but potentially curable tumors often diagnosed at an advanced age, so its five-year survival following resection approximates 50% in reported series. Recently, several cases of leiomyosarcomas of duodenum were diagnosed by hypotonic duodenograhy in Korea. We experienced a woman with duodenal leiomyosarcoma that was diagnosed by endoscopic duodenal biopsy and received currative resection of the tumor(Whipple's operation). We report the case with review of the literatures.
Biopsy ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Intestine, Small ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Finite Element Analysis* ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Tooth*

PURPOSE: To compare standard laparoscopy-assisted Billroth I gastrectomies including standard lymph node dissection (LABIG) with hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery with the HandPort system (HALS) for the removal of early gastric cancers (EGC). METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 26 patients of EGC at Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital from July 1999 to August 2001. Seventeen patients (Group L) received LABIG using conventional laparoscopy-assisted methods and 9 patients received LABIG using HALS (Group H). We used staplers for the anastomosis, and a standard D2 lymph node dissection was done with ultrasonic shears or electrocautery. RESULTS: In group L, pathologic reports revealed 14 EGC (stage IA 14 cases), and 3 pm cancers (stage IB 1 case, II 2 cases). In group H, there were 9 early gastric cancers (stage IA 8 cases, IB 1 case). Significant differences (P<0.05) were present between group L and H in regards to the number of harvested lymph nodes (30.8 vs 18.9), estimated blood loss (462.1 vs 286.7 ml) and postoperative transfusion amounts (0.59 vs 0 unit). There were no differences in the mean operating time, distance from the lesion to the resection margin, postoperative leukocyte count, frequencies for pain control, wound size, time to diet, weight loss, serum protein, and postoperative hospital stay. Complications were present in 1 case in group L (enterocutaneous fistula) and 1 case in group H (gastric atony). There was one conversion to open surgery in group H. CONCLUSION: LABIG including standard lymph node dissections with both standard laparoscopic surgery and HALS were performed with equal outcome. The choice of surgical method depends on the characteristics of the lesion and the patient's physical factors.
Conversion to Open Surgery ; Diet, Reducing ; Electrocoagulation ; Female ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastroenterostomy* ; Hand-Assisted Laparoscopy* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Prospective Studies* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Ultrasonics ; Wounds and Injuries

Irritant skin reactions can be evaluated by several techniques. Using different scores for the degree of erythema, edema, scaling and fissuring is the time-honored approach but implies t,he disadventagrs of lacking objectivity and pararretric properties. This paper describes the objective nteasurement of irritant. skin responses to various concentrations of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(SLS) and Ethanol by a color reflectance meter(Chroma Meter) and compares with visual scoring The results are summarized as follows : 1. Pretreatment assessments by a Chroma Meter on normal forearm area showed an average score of 7.70+1.53 for Chroma Meter value a*(rediies:; score). 2. Skin responses to SLS in various concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5% under occlusion for 24 hours were assessed by visual scoring system. They are measured 0.56+1.10, 0.74+1.29, 1.19 1.36, 2.11+1.69, 2.19+1.91, 2.56+1.50 2.81+2.16 respectively. 3. Skin responses to SLS in various concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5% under occlusion for 24 hour were assessed by a Chroma Meter valu a*(redness score). They are measured 8.29+1.98, 8.37+2.47, 9.31+2.27, 10.34+2.97, 10.35+3.18, 10.51+2.47, 11.61+3.45 respectively. 4. Skin responses to Ethanol in various concentrations were nearly negligible. 5. We have demonstrated there is a highly significant correlation between skin redness measured by the Chroma Meter and visually assessed erypthma(p<0.0001). It yields reproducible, objective, quantitative measurements of iryhema that parallel the subjective visual assessments.
Edema ; Erythema* ; Ethanol* ; Forearm ; Humans ; Male ; Skin* ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate* ; Sodium*

Many authors reported the etiology of hypoplasia of the nasomaxillary complex as trauma, infection, underdevelopment. To correct these deformities, Le Fort II Osteotomy and its modification has been popularly applied. This method enabled total advancement of nasomaxillary complexes and acquirememt of midfacial esthetics. But it has some limitations such as various occlusal deviation or lateral shifting of nasomaxillary complex in case of nasomaxillary retrusion. We grouped these patients as follows : 1. Nasomaxillary retrusion without shifting of nasomaxillary complex (1) Anteroposterior deviation of occlusal plane (2) Lateral deviation of occlusal plane(including canting) (3) Supero-inferior deviation of occlusal plane (4) Combined disturbance of occlusal plane without shifting of nasamaxillary complex 2. Lateral shifting of nasomaxillary complex with or without deviation of occlusal plane We performed Le Fort II and I combined osteotomy on eleven cases of midfacial deformity from June 1994 to July 1997 and in most of the cases, followed up maximum 36 months and could acquire positional stability and improvement of facial eathetics.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Dental Occlusion ; Esthetics ; Humans ; Osteotomy*

We evaluated the distribution of normal conjuctival flora and the change of antibiotic sensitivity of cultured bacteria. Specimens were obtained from inferior conjunctiva cul de sac with sterile cotton-tipped applicator from healthy 216 human beings. Antibiotic sensitivity test was done by disk diffusion method. The results indicated that overall positive culture rate was 47.7% and major organisms were Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(55.7%), Staphylococcus aureus(16%), Gram negative bacteria(7.5%), Streptococcus(4.7%). Antibiotic sensitivity test of cultured Gram positive bacteria demonstrated less than 60% rate of susceptability in gentamicin, tetracyclin, erythromycin and 80.5% rate of susceptability in ciprofloxacin. Gram negative bacteria demonstrated less than 60% rate of susceptability in cephalothin, ampicillin. From the above results, we concluded that antibiotic resistance of normal conjunctival flora was increased from the past and the principle of antiviotic eye drop use should be emphasized.
Ampicillin ; Bacteria ; Cephalothin ; Ciprofloxacin ; Conjunctiva ; Diffusion ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Erythromycin ; Gentamicins ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Humans ; Staphylococcus

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the status of performance on standard precautions among nursing students and to examine the mediating effects of internal health locus of control on the relationship between awareness and performance on standard precautions of hospital-acquired infection control. METHODS: The participants in this study were 134 nursing students. The measurements included a standard precautions awareness and performance scale, and a multidimensional health locus of control scale. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and simple and multiple regression techniques. Mediation analysis was performed by the Baron and Kenny's method and Sobel test. RESULTS: The mean score of standard awareness, standard performance, and internal health locus of control about standard precaution were 174.30±9.08; 169.48±12.04; and 20.43±2.82; respectively. There was a positive correlation between standard awareness and performance (r=.414, p<.001). Also, standard awareness was significantly correlated with internal health locus of control (r=.413, p=.014). Internal health locus of control showed partial mediating effects in the relationship between awareness and performance. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a need to improve the internal health locus of control of nursing students. Therefore, an internal health locus of control improvement program should improve performance on standard precautions for patients and themselves.
Cross Infection ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Internal-External Control* ; Methods ; Negotiating* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Universal Precautions