PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the experiences of sensations after breast cancer surgery characterized by prevalence, frequency, and severity, distresses, and disturbances in ADL using the BSAS (Breast Sensation Assessment Scale) and to develop the standardized Korean BSAS. METHODS: Thirty two women from 3 to 100 days after breast cancer surgery (BCS) completed Roberta's BSAS. The 18 sensations of BSAS were translated using the references of Lee's Korean Pain Rating Scale and English-English, English-Korean dictionaries and the consultation from two native Americans, one bilingual permanent resident of the States, and one nursing professor. The Korean-translated BSAS has high reliability in test-retest. Likert type 4-point scale and 100 mm VAS were used for assessment. RESULTS: Certain sensations remained prevalent (tender, pull, pain), frequent (numb, nag, throb), severe (throb, shoot, numb), causing distress (throb, penetrate, shoot), and influencing on ADL (throb, penetrate, nag). The most frequently experienced sensation other than BSAS was itching. There was little difference in the prevalence of symptom experiences between sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection. CONCLUSION: The women after BCS are suffering from neuropathic sensations. The Korean- translated BSAS could be used in effectively assessing breast sensations after BCS in Korean women.
Activities of Daily Living ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Indians, North American ; Lymph Node Excision ; Nitriles ; Nursing Assessment ; Prevalence ; Pruritus ; Pyrethrins ; Sensation ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: Many studies have showed that excess or lack of sexual hormones, such as prolactin and testosterone, induced the sexual dysfunction in humans. Little, however, is known about the role of sexual hormones showing normal range in, especially, the basal state unexposed to any sexual stimulation. We hypothesized sexual hormones in the basal state may affect sexual behavior. METHODS: We investigated the association of the sexual hormones level in the basal hormonal state before visual sexual stimulation with the sexual response-related brain activity during the stimulation. Twelve heterosexual men were recorded the functional MRI signals of their brain activation elicited by passive viewing erotic (ERO), happy-faced (HA) couple, food and nature pictures. Both plasma prolacitn and testosterone concentrations were measured before functional MR scanning. A voxel wise regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the concentration of sexual hormones in basal state and brain activity elicited by ERO minus HA, not food minus nature, contrast. RESULTS: The plasma concentration of prolactin in basal state showed positive association with the activity of the brain involving cognitive component of sexual behavior including the left middle frontal gyrus, paracingulate/superior frontal/anterior cingulate gyri, bilateral parietal lobule, right angular, bilateral precuneus and right cerebellum. Testosterone in basal state was positively associated with the brain activity of the bilateral supplementary motor area which related with motivational component of sexual behavior. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested sexual hormones in basal state may have their specific target regions or network associated with sexual response.
Brain ; Cerebellum ; Dopamine ; Heterosexuality ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Plasma ; Prolactin ; Reference Values ; Sexual Behavior ; Testosterone

We developed a prototype of web-based instruction(WBI) program to provide more convenient and more effective service to the public health officials. This web-based instruction program had specific objectives on vaccination for the public health officials who were working for national immunization program. This course had 21 chapters composed of hypertext or voice-based instruction. Using the WBI courseware of Korean Officials Trainging Institution(KOTI), 32 public health official volunteers joined this prototype 2 week program in April 2001. A Auestionnaire survey for evaluation of subjective satisfaction and related factors, cyber-education behavior, and internet using behavior was performed in April, 2001. Among the answered 29 subjects, 24 were female(82.8%). Mean age was 36.6% 6.16. 79.3% of the 29 subjects connected internet in their office. The highest frequent study duration was < 1 hr(51.7%) per connection. They represented relatively high subjective satisfaction in education form(78.6%), and contents(85.7%). But 62.3% of these subjects answered the subjective relative effectiveness score(which was as 100 in case of classical lecture form) was lower than 100. The place to connect internet was only statistically significant factor between these two groups in bivariable analysis. But we could not found any significant factors in multivariate analysis. 89.7% of the subjects answered they would like to participate any more WBI courses serviced by Korean National Health Institute. This study had restriction of small sample size.
Education ; Education, Distance ; Hypermedia ; Immunization Programs ; Internet ; Multivariate Analysis ; Public Health* ; Sample Size ; Vaccination ; Volunteers

Health and Welfare Training Center of Korean National Institute of Health (KNIH) has developed various education curricula for the officials who involved in the public health or welfare sectors. Still almost all education programs are off-line based. In off-line settings, both the lecturers and the students should come to KNIH from their counties to join the education programs, and it is impossible for the students to review or to re-practice the education contents. From September to October, 2000, we conducted a basic survey to evaluate the information infrastructure, internet use and attitude to the cyber education. The 183 institutions and 548 public health officials answered our questionnaire. The informationa infrastructure of each institution was not satisfactory for distance education via world wide web. The proportion of e-mail user was only about 62% of the answered subjects. But cyber- education was highly needed in both institutions and the surveyed officials. They answered that they would actively participate in the cyber-education(97%). The officials expected that the online education would be effective to acquire information, to increase the chance for participation and to reduce the education cost. The expected barriers of the cyber-education were the overload when they should undergo simultaneously education and working, lack of proper infrastructure, disinterest of their low capability of internet use.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Distance ; Electronic Mail ; Humans ; Internet ; Public Health* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection remains prevalent, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has made the treatment and control of gonorrhea more difficult. Therefore, it is important to compare isolation methods and transport media to overcome gonorrhea via epidemiologic understanding and to determine co-infection rates with other sexually transmitted diseases among primary-care hospitals. In this study, we determine the recovery rate of transferred specimens according to type of transport media and co-infection rate using PCR. METHODS: Genital specimens were collected at three primary-care hospitals from January 2010 to November 2012 using transgrow media and commercial BD transport media. Culture and multiplex PCR were conducted to isolate N. gonorrhoeae. RESULTS: Among 162 specimens, 57 (35.2%) isolates were recovered, and 146 (90.1%) specimens were positive for multiplex PCR. The recovery rate was 29.9% (78/261) using transgrow media and 19.2% (50/261) using BD transport media. The most common co-infected bacteria with N. gonorrhoeae was Chlamydia trachomatis (15.8%), followed by Mycoplasma hominis (6.2%) and M. genitalium (3.4%). CONCLUSION: Under general transport conditions, the rate of recovery of N. gonorrhoeae was as low as 19.2-29.9% depending on the type of transport media, suggesting that molecular diagnostic methods are required to detect the remaining 70% of gonorrhea-infected patients. Co-infection with other sexually transmitted diseases was not rare, and other tests for accurate additional antimicrobial regimens should also be considered.
Bacteria ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Coinfection* ; Gonorrhea ; Humans ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae* ; Pathology, Molecular ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

OBJECTIVE : To evaluate the vitamin D nutritional status and its influencing factors in Korean mothers and their newborn infants. METHODS : Maternal (n=181) and cord blood (n=180) serum concentrations of vitamin D (25OHD3), calcium, inorganic phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, intact parathyroid hormone were measured at the time of delivery. We defined vitamin D deficient, insufficient, and sufficient as 25OHD3 <11, 11~30, and >30 ng/mL, respectively. Using questionnaires, average duration of sun-light exposure (minutes/day) and dietary intake of vitamin D (microngram/day) were obtained. RESULTS : 1) The mean 25OHD3 level in mothers was 23.4+/-9.9 (range 4~71.6) ng/mL, and in newborns, 16.9+/-7.5 (range 0.9~53.6) ng/mL. 2) 8.3% of mothers and 22.2 % of newborns were vitamin D deficient, and 70% of both mothers and newborns were insufficient. 3) Maternal 25OHD3 showed a strong positive correlation with cord blood 25OHD3 (r=0.727, p<0.001). 4) The most significant risk factor for low 25OHD3 levels was the season of birth (June through November) in both mothers and newborns. 5) In multiple logistic regression analysis, the season of birth and the mode of delivery remained significant for maternal vitamin D status, whereas maternal 25OHD3 and the mode of delivery remained significant for neonatal vitamin D status. CONCLUSION : In conclusion, vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency was relatively common in Korean mothers and their newborn infants, and the most significant risk factor for low vitamin D status was the season of birth.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Calcium ; Fetal Blood ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Logistic Models ; Mothers* ; Nutritional Status* ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Parturition ; Phosphorus ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Seasons ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

BACKGROUND: Under certain conditions, exertional headaches may reflect coronary ischemia. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old woman developed intermittent exercise-induced headaches with chest tightness over a period of 10 months. Cardiac catheterization followed by acetylcholine provocation demonstrated a right coronary artery spasm with chest tightness, headache, and ischemic effect of continuous electrocardiography changes. The patient's headache disappeared following intra-arterial nitroglycerine injection. CONCLUSIONS: A coronary angiogram with provocation study revealed variant angina and cardiac cephalalgia, as per the International Classification of Headache Disorders (code 10.6). We report herein a patient with cardiac cephalalgia that manifested as reversible coronary vasospasm following an acetylcholine provocation test.
Acetylcholine ; Adult ; Angina Pectoris ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vasospasm ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Headache ; Headache Disorders ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Nitroglycerin ; Spasm ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Basal Ganglia Diseases/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcinosis/diagnostic imaging/drug therapy/*etiology ; Calcium/therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoparathyroidism/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin D/therapeutic use

HSP90 is a molecular chaperone that increases the stability of client proteins. Cancer cells show higher HSP90 expression than normal cells because many client proteins play an important role in the growth and survival of cancer cells. HSP90 inhibitors mainly bind to the ATP binding site of HSP90 and inhibit HSP90 activity, and these inhibitors can be distinguished as ansamycin and non-ansamycin depending on the structure. In addition, the histone deacetylase inhibitors inhibit the activity of HSP90 through acetylation of HSP90. These HSP90 inhibitors have undergone or are undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of cancer. On the other hand, recent studies have reported that various reagents induce cleavage of HSP90, resulting in reduced HSP90 client proteins and growth suppression in cancer cells. Cleavage of HSP90 can be divided into enzymatic cleavage and non-enzymatic cleavage. Therefore, reagents inducing cleavage of HSP90 can be classified as another class of HSP90 inhibitors. We discuss that the cleavage of HSP90 can be another mechanism in the cancer treatment by HSP90 inhibition.
Acetylation ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Binding Sites ; Drug Therapy ; Hand ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; Hot Temperature ; Indicators and Reagents ; Molecular Chaperones ; Rifabutin

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Embryonic stem (ES) cells have pluripotent ability to differentiate into multiple tissue lineages. SIRT1 is a class III histone deacetylase which modulates chromatin remodeling, gene silencing, cell survival, metabolism, and development. In this study, we examined the effects of SIRT1 inhibitors on the hematopoietic differentiation of mouse ES cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: Treatment with the SIRT1 inhibitors, nicotinamide and splitomicin, during the hematopoietic differentiation of ES cells enhanced the production of hematopoietic progenitors and slightly up-regulated erythroid and myeloid specific gene expression. Furthermore, treatment with splitomicin increased the percentage of erythroid and myeloid lineage cells. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the SIRT1 inhibitor splitomicin during ES cell differentiation to hematopoietic cells enhanced the yield of specific hematopoietic lineage cells from ES cells. This result suggests that SIRT1 is involved in the regulation of hematopoietic differentiation of specific lineages and that the modulation of the SIRT1 activity can be a strategy to enhance the efficiency of hematopoietic differentiation.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Survival ; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly ; Gene Expression ; Gene Silencing ; Histone Deacetylases ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells ; Niacinamide