BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia in human hypertension and in various animal models of hypertension may be due to abnormal maximal coronary vasodilator reserve and disturbaces of coronary vasomotion. The vascular reactivity defects in hypertension have been associated with the defective endothelium and sympathetic neural activation. However, such abnormalities in hypertension need to be elucidated. In the present study the effectsof cardiac ischemia reperfusion on coronary circulation, intramyocytic adenylates and purine nucleosides were examined in Langendorff-perfused Sprague Dawley rat (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts. Coronary venous and cardiac lactate and cardiac pyruvate were also measured. It should be noted that in the regulation of coronary flow the intrinsic flow autoregulation is highly variable due to coexisting metabolic flow control, and that natural coronary flow and cardiomyocytic energy state are normally reciprocally related in perfused heart. METHODS: For the Langendorff heart perfusion, bicarbonate perfusion buffer (pH 7.40+/-0.02,37degrees C) was equilibrated with 95% O2 : 5% CO2 and contained 5mM glucose (+5U/1 insulin) and 2mM pyruvate as energy-yielding substrates. Global hypoperfusion ischemia was induced by lowering coronary perfusion pressure of 100 to 40 cmH2O, followed by 20 min reperfusion. RESULTS: During the ischemia and reperfusion, metabolic acidosis and enhanced venous lactate output in SHR were observed with increases in coronary vascular resistance and myocardial oxygen consumption.In addition, coronary reactive hyperemia during reperfusion was depressed. Although ischemia-induced increase in combined adenosine plus inosine were abolished during prolonged reperfusion, SD still exhibited coronary vasodilation. The depressed reactive hyperemia in SHR was associated with decreases in cardiac adenosine triphosphate (ATP) pool and creatine phosphate/inorganic phosphate (CrP/Pi) ratio and an increase in cardiac lactate/pyruvate ratio. CONCLUSION: This abnormal vascular reactivity during ischemia and reperfusion in SHR may be in part due to an alteration in the cardiac energy state and hence to a mismatch between myocardial metabolic demand and supply.
Acidosis ; Adenosine ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Coronary Circulation ; Creatine ; Endothelium ; Glucose ; Heart* ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hyperemia ; Hypertension ; Inosine ; Ischemia ; Lactic Acid ; Models, Animal ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Oxygen ; Perfusion* ; Purine Nucleosides ; Pyruvic Acid ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Reperfusion ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasodilation

No abstract available.
Coronary Circulation* ; Heart* ; Rats, Inbred SHR*

PURPOSE: Chitin and chitosan are nontoxic natural chelators that chelate radiostrontium effectively. The purpose of this study was to compare radiostrontium chelation of chitin and chitosan with that of well known chemical chelators, namely EDTA and DTPA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chelaton rates of chitin, chitosan, EDTA and DTPA were compared using a column chromatography method (Sephadex G-25M, Sweden). Three kinds of chitins and four kinds of chitosans were used. All of them were water soloble. RESULTS: Phosphated chitosan showed the highest chelation yield of more than 97% at pH 7. All of chitins, chitosans, EDTA and DTPA showed chelation yield of more than 90% independent of varing pH level. CONCLUSION: Chitin and chitosan have similar chelation rate as compared with EDTA and DTPA.
Chelating Agents ; Chitin* ; Chitosan* ; Chromatography ; Edetic Acid* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Pentetic Acid*

Exercise induced asthma (EIA) is defined as acute, reversible, usually self-limiting airway obstruction which develop after strenous exercise in patients with asthma. EIA is a bigger problem in children than adults due to more active and smaller airways which obstruct more easily when bronchospasm develops. The exercise elicited many change in pulmonary function of asthmatic children. These change could be measured by measurements of PEFR, FEV1, FVC, or SRaw. The propose of this study is to determine the changes and sensitivity of different pulmonary function test in asthmatic children. 37 asthmatic children exercised on free running and pulmonary function tests were performed before and every 5 minutes during 15 minutes after exercise. The results were as follows. 1) In 37 asthmatic children, EIA developed in 23 children (62%) and did not developed in 14 children (38%). The difference in sex, height, weight, total eosinophil count, serum IgF and test between EIA and Non-EIA were not significant (P>0.05). 2) In EIA group, %PEFR was changed from 109.56% to 83.56%, But in Non-EIA group, %PEFR was not changed before and after exercise loading test. 3) In EIA group, %FEV1 was changed from 90.91% to 74.87%. But in Non-EIA group, %FEV1 was not changed before and after exercise loading test. 4) In EIA group, %FVC changed from 91.83% to 75.35%. But in Non-EIA group, %FVC was not change before and after exercise loading test. 5) There was significant difference in pre-exercise specific airway resistance between EIA (6.7+/-1.7) and normal children (5.8+/-2.2)(p<0.05). In EIA group, %SRaw was changed from 115.7% to 161.2%. But in Non-EIA group, %SRaw was not changed before and after exercise loading test. 6) During the post-exercise observation period, increasement of SRaw was greater than changes in any other pulmonary function test. SRaw is the most sensitive test for the ditection of exercise induced airway obstruction is asthmatic children.
Adult ; Airway Obstruction ; Airway Resistance* ; Asthma ; Asthma, Exercise-Induced ; Bronchial Spasm ; Child* ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Running

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify related factors of stress, social support and rehabilitation motivation of stroke survivors and analyze their relationship. METHOD: A sample of 106 stroke survivors completed face-to-face interviews. The levels of stress, social support and rehabilitation motivation were measured by the Neuman's stress, Multidimentional Scale Perceived Social Support and Han's Rehabilitation Motivation, respectively. The t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were conducted using the SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: The mean scores of stress, social support and rehabilitation motivation were 3.3 (SD=0.76), 3.2 (SD=0.88), and 3.4 (SD=0.49) respectively. Compared to stroke survivors who had no spouses, those with spouses had a lower level of stress (t=9.52, p=.003), a higher level of social support (t=7.32, p=.008) and a higher level of rehabilitation motivation (t=15.39, p=.001). The rehabilitation motivation was significantly higher in stroke survivors with higher education (F=5.00, p=.001), more monthly income (F=15.39, p=.001), greater income satisfaction (F=3.80, p=.026), shorter duration of disease (F=3.64, p=.030) and absence of dysarthria (t=6.81, p=.010). Stress, social support and rehabilitation motivation are significantly related with each other. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that these significant factors should be considered when caring for stroke survivors.
Dysarthria ; Humans ; Motivation ; Spouses ; Stroke ; Survivors

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) with acquired metallo β-lactamase (MBL) resistance have been increasingly reported worldwide and associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Here, an outbreak of genetically related strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing the imipenemase (IMP)-1 MBL in a medical intensive care unit (MICU) in Korea is reported. METHODS: Since isolating carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) at the MICU of the hospital on August 10, 2011, surveillance cultures for CRE in 31 hospitalized patients were performed from August to September 2011. Carbapenem resistance was determined based on the disk diffusion method outlined in the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for genes coding for β-lactamase. Associations among isolates were assessed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In addition, a surveillance study of environmental cultures and health-care workers (HCWs) was conducted in the MICU during the same time frame. RESULTS: During the study period, non-duplicated CRKP specimens were discovered in four patients in the MICU, suggestive of an outbreak. On August 10, 2011, CRKP was isolated from the sputum of a 79-year-old male patient who was admitted to the MICU. A surveillance study to detect additional CRE carriers by rectal swab revealed an additional three CRKP isolates. PCR and sequencing of the four isolates identified the presence of the IMP-1 gene. In addition, PFGE showed that the four isolated strains were genetically related. CRE was not identified in specimens taken from the hands of HCWs or other environmental sources during surveillance following the outbreak. Transmission of the carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strain was controlled by isolation of the patients and strict contact precautions. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that rapid and systemic detection of CRE and strict infection controls are important steps in preventing nosocomial transmission.
Aged ; Clinical Coding ; Critical Care* ; Diffusion ; Disease Outbreaks ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Hand ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Klebsiella pneumoniae* ; Klebsiella* ; Korea ; Male ; Methods ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sputum

Balloon cell malignant melanoma (BCMM) is a rare histologic variant of malignant melanoma, which is composed either predominantly or entirely of large clear or foamy cells. The incidence of balloon cell malignant melanoma is about 0.15% of all cutaneous malignant melanomas. Recently, we experienced a case of cutaneous balloon cell malignant melanoma in the right lower abdomen with right inguinal and both axillary lymph node metastasis in a 56-year-old man. The cutaneous lesion was 4.5 3.5 cm in size, a well-demarcated black nodular mass, involving abdominal skin and subcutaneous tissue. The tumor was histologically composed of two types of tumor cells: predominant clear cell and focal, pigmented spindle cell. The nodal lesion was composed entirely of clear cells. Both clear and spindle cells showed positive reaction for S-100 protein and HMB-45 on immunohistochemistry.
Abdomen ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; S100 Proteins ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Conjoined twins occur when there is imcomplete fission of the inner cell mass later at approximately 13 to 15 days after fertilization. The earlist case in the literat.ure appears to be that of the Biddenden Maids who were born in England in 1100. since then over two hundred cases of successful separation were reported on literature. And also successful separation cases were reported by Seung et al.(1991) in Korea. Conjoined twins occur between one in 50,000 to 100,000 births but real incidence is one in 200,000 because two thirds are stillbirth or died immediately after birth. The conjoined twins are not associated with maternal age, race or family history and 70 % of them are females. We experienced a case of conjoined twins with omphalopagus and performed surgical separation. A brief review of related literatures was done.
Animals ; Continental Population Groups ; England ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Maternal Age ; Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Parturition ; Stillbirth ; Twins, Conjoined*

The Pill Questionnaire (PillQ) has been proposed as a simple way to evaluate cognitive deficits and their impact on the daily lives of those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by asking patients or caregivers about whether patients can independently manage their pills. We used the PillQ to investigate the association of ability to manage medication with cognition and activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with PD. Patients were divided into two groups based on PillQ scores. The no-impact group was able to take their antiparkinsonian medication independently, and the impact group exhibited problems describing their treatment or taking their drugs independently. A total of 208 participants (93 men) were included. 111 patients (53.4%) were included in the no-impact group, and 97 (46.6%) were included in the impact group. The impact group showed significantly lower cognitive functioning, difficulties with the performance of ADLs, and severe motor dysfunction. PillQ scores were significantly correlated with Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Management of medication by PD patients is associated with cognitive function, and the PillQ is an easy and useful test for detecting cognitive impairment and its impact on daily life.

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans