Nicotine is one of the major components of cigarette smoking which causes various systemic and local diseases to human body. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of nicotine on bone mineralization in human fetal osteoblasts cell line(hFOB1). To compare the alkaline ph-osphatase(ALP) synthesis, hFOB1 were cultured with DMEM/F-12 1:1 Mixture and 100 pg/ml, 1 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml, 1 microgram/ml, 10 microgram/ml, 100 microgram/ml of nicotine. And to compare the calcium accumulation, hFOB1 cultured for 23 days were quantified and photographed. ALP activity of hFOB1 exposed to nicotine was not significantly changed at a lower concentrations of nicotine, but was significantly decreased at a higher concentrations (10 microgram/ml, 100 microgram/ml) of nicotine (p<0.05). A quantified calcium acculation in hFOB1 was significantly decreased at 1, 10, and 100microgram/ml of nicotine (p<0.05). Significantly decreased calcium deposition was observed at 1, 10, and 100microgram/ml of nicotine. These results indicate that a higher concentration of nicotine show a negative effects on mineralization of hFOB1.
Calcification, Physiologic ; Calcium ; Human Body ; Humans* ; Nicotine* ; Osteoblasts* ; Smoking

PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to identify factors related to burden and well-being in primary caregivers of patients who have had a stroke and examine the correlation between burden and well-being of the caregivers. METHODS: Between April 2006 to June 2007 data were collected using self-report questionnaires and interviews with 85 primary caregivers of stroke patients in C University Hospital. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test and Pearson's correlation with SPSSWIN 15.0. RESULTS: Factors related to burden of primary caregivers were sex and activities of daily living of the patients, and age, education level and satisfaction with income of the caregivers. The factors related to well-being of primary caregivers were sex of patients, and age and education level of caregivers as well as cohabitation with the patient. A negative correlation was found between burden and well-being of the caregivers (r= -.393, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate a need to develop a nursing intervention program for caregivers and education program for other family members to reduce caregiver burden. These programs should lead to improvements in the well-being of the caregiver.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: In the Republic of Korea, Plasmodium vivax malaria, which had disappeared since 1984, re-emerged in 1993. Currently, malaria is becoming a serious public health problem in the Republic of Korea. The diagnosis of malaria has relied on microscopic examination such as thin and thick blood smears. However, even for expert microscopists, this test is a laborious and time-consuming procedure. Therefore, the development of a reliable, easy, and convenient diagnostic test is crucial. Recently, the LG malaria anti-PvTM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for the detection of a specific antibody against the merozoite surface protein (MSP) of P. vivax was developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic kit for P. vivax malaria in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: To determine the usefulness of the LG malaria anti-PvTM as a diagnostic kit for vivax malaria, a total of 59 serum samples from patients with P. vivax malaria were tested. The patients were diagnosed microscopically and the parasitemia index of their blood was calculated. Sera from 203 uninfected healthy blood donors, which were microscopically negative for Plasmodium vivax, were used as negative controls. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the LG malaria anti-PvTM were 98.31% (58/59) and 98.03% (199/203), respectively. The false-positive and false-negative rates were 1.97% (4/203) and 1.69% (1/59), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic kit, LG malaria anti-PvTM, might be a useful tool for diagnosis and screening of P. vivax malaria in Korea.
Blood Donors ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Korea ; Malaria* ; Malaria, Vivax* ; Mass Screening ; Merozoites ; Parasitemia ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Public Health ; Republic of Korea* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Spermatozoa*

A pancreatic arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a very rare disease entity that is usually asymptomatic; however, it may present with a massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Recent advances in cross-sectional imaging and the widespread availability of angiography have contributed to the diagnosis of this condition. A patient was transferred to our clinic due to unknown origin gastrointestinal bleeding and upper abdominal pain. Double balloon enteroscopy and duodenoscopy revealed a bleeding pancreatico-cholangio-duodenal fistula. We were able to diagnose an arteriovnous malformation with a pancreatico-cholangio-duodenal fistula by the use of angiography and from the post-operative pathological findings.
Abdominal Pain ; Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Diagnosis ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy ; Duodenoscopy ; Fistula ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Pancreas ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Melanoma*

No abstract available.
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

The neuroma is a tumor of nerve tissue that partially or completely severed through incomplete regeneration process. Neuromas that formed in the stump of a limb following amputation is a cause of the stump pain and can make intractable pain. The authors report a rare case of 36-year-old man with neuroma at stump, which has been recurred three times. This patient was treated with end-to-end neurorrhaphy after resecting neuroma. Follow-up at out-patient clinic showed satisfied result.
Adult ; Amputation* ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm* ; Humans ; Nerve Tissue ; Neuroma* ; Outpatients ; Pain, Intractable ; Regeneration

A 51-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and hemoptysis. After evaluation of the fever focus, he was diagnosed with pulmonary valve infective endocarditis. Thus pulmonary valve replacement and antibiotics therapy were performed and discharged. He was brought to the emergency unit presenting with a high fever (>39degrees C) and general weakness 6 months after the initial operation. The echocardiography revealed prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis. Therefore, redo-pulmonary valve replacement using valved conduit was performed in the Rastelli fashion because of the risk of pulmonary arterial wall injury and recurrent endocarditis from the remnant inflammatory tissue. We report here on the successful surgical treatment of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis with an alternative surgical method.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Endocarditis ; Fever ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Valve

A 51-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and hemoptysis. After evaluation of the fever focus, he was diagnosed with pulmonary valve infective endocarditis. Thus pulmonary valve replacement and antibiotics therapy were performed and discharged. He was brought to the emergency unit presenting with a high fever (>39degrees C) and general weakness 6 months after the initial operation. The echocardiography revealed prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis. Therefore, redo-pulmonary valve replacement using valved conduit was performed in the Rastelli fashion because of the risk of pulmonary arterial wall injury and recurrent endocarditis from the remnant inflammatory tissue. We report here on the successful surgical treatment of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis with an alternative surgical method.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Echocardiography ; Emergencies ; Endocarditis ; Fever ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Valve