PURPOSE: We compared the abilities of Stratus optical coherence tomography (OCT), Heidelberg retinal tomography (HRT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP) to detect the progression of normal tension glaucoma (NTG) in patients whose eyes displayed localized retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) defect enlargements. METHODS: One hundred four NTG patients were selected who met the selection criteria: a localized RNFL defect visible on red-free fundus photography, a minimum of five years of follow-up, and a minimum of five reliable SAP, Stratus OCT and HRT tests. Tests which detected progression at any visit during the 5-year follow-up were identified, and patients were further classified according to the state of the glaucoma using the mean deviation (MD) of SAP. For each test, the overall rates of change were calculated for parameters that differed significantly between patients with and without NTG progression. RESULTS: Forty-seven (45%) out of 104 eyes displayed progression that could be detected by red-free fundus photography. Progression was detected in 27 (57%) eyes using SAP, 19 (40%) eyes using OCT, and 17 (36%) eyes using HRT. In early NTG, SAP detected progression in 44% of eyes, and this increased to 70% in advanced NTG. In contrast, OCT and HRT detected progression in 50 and 7% of eyes during early NTG, but only 30 and 0% of eyes in advanced NTG, respectively. Among several parameters, the rates of change that differed significantly between patients with and without progression were the MD of SAP (p = 0.013), and the inferior RNFL thickness (p = 0.041) and average RNFL thickness (p = 0.032) determined by OCT. CONCLUSIONS: SAP had a higher detection rate of NTG progression than other tests, especially in patients with advanced glaucoma, when we defined progression as the enlargement of a localized RNFL defect. The rates of change of the MD of SAP, inferior RNFL thickness, and average RNFL thickness differed between NTG patients with and without progression.
Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure/*physiology ; Low Tension Glaucoma/*diagnosis/physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retina/*pathology ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/*methods ; Visual Field Tests/*methods ; Visual Fields/*physiology

This study was performed to assess the effect of one year's of meal service for home-staying urban elderly with low incole on their nutritional status. One hundred and eighty three subjects, who had already completed the first nutritional survey, were assigned to two group : meal served(served) and non-meal served(non-served). A meal containing approximately on half of the RDA for energy, protein, calcium and iron was served as lunch everyday to served group. After on year of meal service, follow-up-nutritional survey was done and changes of parameters were analyzed with paired t-test. Served female showed signficantly increased intake of riboflavin and calcium, while non-served female showed significantly decreased intake of calcium. Serum total protein, serum albumin and serum cholesterol were significantly increased in female regardless of meal service. Served remale was observed with significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol, whereas non-served female showed singnificantly lowered HDL-cholesterol. Significantly decreased serum iron, serum transferrin saturaion and significantly increased TIBC were observed for female regardless of meal service. But the proportion of anemic elderly according to Hb or serum iron was decreased more in served group. Female showed significantly increased serum zinc and copper regardless of meal service, whereas only served male showed significantly increased serum copper.
Aged* ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Copper ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Lunch ; Male ; Meals* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Riboflavin ; Serum Albumin ; Transferrin ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Urticaria*

No abstract available.
De Lange Syndrome*

We produced two murine monoclonal antibodies designated S2E1 and S2C11, which recognize S antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBsAg). S2E1 could bind to denatured form of recombinant HBsAg as well as native form of HBsAg, but S2C11 could bind only to native form of HBsAg. Both antibodies reacted with HBsAg in the hepatocyte of patient infected with hepatitis B virus. Analyses of the nucleotide sequences encoding the variable regions of these antibodies revealed that S2E1 and S2C11 utilize variable gene segment which belong to V4/5 gene family and utilize the J5 and Jk4 gene segments, respectively. In addition, the heavy chain of S2E1 express a member of V14 gene family and a member of DSP2.9 and Jh3 gene families. S2C11 is related to the V1 gene family and expresses DFL16.1 gene regions in conjunction with the Jh3 gene segment.
Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Base Sequence ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatocytes ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of balance taping for elders suffering from leg pain. METHOD: This study was a nonequivalent pretest-posttest design, quasi-experimental study. There were 25 elders in the experimental group and 25 in the control group. The degree of leg pain was measured three times. RESULTS: In the experimental group, the leg pain score before taping was 6.28, but 1 hour after the taping was applied it was 3.24, and at 24 hours after the taping was applied, 2.16. The leg pain score for elders in the experimental group decreased significantly but for those in the control group, it hardly changed. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study support the conclusion that balance taping may benefit individuals with leg pain. Also, balance taping therapy can be used as an independent nursing intervention.
Leg ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting prenatal care (PNC) by married immigrant women. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of "Reproductive Health Status of Married Immigrant Women and Policy Directions in Korea" by the Korea Institute for Health & Social Affairs. The participants were 727 married immigrant women from Asia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi2 test and logistic regression with SPSS 14.0. RESULTS: Of the 727 women interviewed, 91.7% visited prenatal clinic. However, first time for PNC was late and total number of PNC was lower (9.07) than the average of Korean women. Timing and number of PNC in rural area were later and fewer than those in urban area. PNC by these women was significantly lower in those who had lived in Korea longer and for those who the employed. However, PNC was significantly higher in those who attended health education during pregnancy and had not experienced premature delivery. Those who attended health education during pregnancy (OR=2.84, CI=1.49~5.40) or were unemployed (OR=0.51, CI=0.26~0.99) were more likely to have PNC. CONCLUSION: These findings illustrate the need to strengthen the public information and provide special services to their demands about PNC for married immigrant women.
Asia ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Care

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mothers*

In the case of crush injury, the failure rate of replantation of free tissue transfer is high. Recently, the freezing of intact and repaired microarteries has been known to relieve spasm without inducing thrombosis in vivo. Therefore, the author thought that the vascular freezing of crushed vein showing only unrecognized endothelial damage after adequate debridement of a damaged vessel can also relieve spasm without inducing thrombosis and improve the patency rate of microvascular anastomosis. In this study, the process of vascular freezing was investigated in veins with acutely damaged endothelium using ethly chloride in a rat model. Two experiments were performed in 30 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing about 250 gm. In the first experiment, a new crush model was established on the femoral vein of the rats. The degree of vessel injury was evaluated as crush energy. The proper crush energy was determined only by the endothelial damage without inducing thrombosis(0.037 J). In the second experiment, femoral veins were crushed with the energy of 0.037 J on the left side and then frozen after inflicted crush injury with the same energy on the right side. The gross and pathologic findings and patency rates were observed at postoperative day 2, 10 and 30. Patency in both the crushed and crush-freezing group was 100%. Pathlolgic findings in the crush-freezing group were more severe loss of the intima and most parts of the media, as well as cellular depopulation of the media when compared to the crushed group. Microthrombi adherent to the wall were demonstrated in several crush-freezing specimens, but the crush-freezing group showed relief of crush-induced vasopasm and endothelial regeneration. In conclusion, the freezing of microveins with acute endothelial damage relieves spasm without inducing thrombosis. Therefore, this study presents the posslbility of clinical application of vascular freezing in a case of crush injury requiring microvascualr anastomosis.
Animals ; Debridement ; Endothelium* ; Femoral Vein* ; Freezing* ; Models, Animal ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Replantation ; Spasm ; Thrombosis ; Veins

No abstract available.
Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy*