Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Azaperone ; Durapatite ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Polyethylenes ; Polypropylenes ; Seeds ; Swine

OBJECTIVES: A growing body of research has documented that job stress has a pivotal role in developing adverse health outcomes. However, little is known about the relationship between farmers' job stress and health outcomes. This study was undertaken to identify the relationship between job stress and self-perceived fatigue in Korean farmers. METHODS: A total of 526 Korean farmers were asked to participate in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the participants' general characteristics, job stress and self-perceived fatigue. Job stress was measured using a forty-eight item Farm Stressor Inventory (FSI), and the self-perceived fatigue was estimated by Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS). Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between job stress and self-perceived fatigue. RESULTS: The result showed that job stress was associated with self-perceived fatigue. For the farmers with high job stress, the risk of self-perceived fatigue was more likely to increase compared to those with low job stress. For males, labor intensity (OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.91~7.89), job environment (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.22~4.93), social support (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.07~4.13), social isolation (OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.15~5.60), financial problems (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.53~6.91), uncertainty (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.30~4.75) and health problems (OR, 5.77; 95% CI, 2.46~13.53) were associated with self-perceived fatigue. For females, job environment (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.22~4.08), social isolation (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.05-4.15), physical environment & weather condition (OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.33~5.12), financial problems (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.55~5.32), uncertainty (OR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.95~6.83) and health problems (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.57~7.27) were associated with self-perceived fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that farmers' job stress plays a role in the development of fatigue, and job stressors related to fatigue are slightly different according to gender.
Agriculture ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Questionnaires ; Social Isolation ; Uncertainty ; Weather

Bone and Bones ; Calcium ; Durapatite ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Polyethylenes ; Polymers ; Polypropylenes ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Engineering ; Transplants

Alveolar Bone Loss ; Animals ; Dental Implants ; Dogs ; Electrodes ; Femur ; Implants, Experimental ; Osseointegration ; Plasma ; Porosity ; Titanium ; Vacuum

PURPOSE: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard treatment for symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia, but significant complications are associated with this procedure. The aim of this study was to compare the standard TURP with the high power (80W) potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser (KTP/532; Greenlights PVTM laser system; Laserscope, San Jose, USA) to elucidate the efficacy and safety of laser treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed comparative trials of 40 patients suffering with symptomatic bladder outlet obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia from February 2005 to June 2005. Twenty patients were treated with TURP (Group I) and 20 patients were treated with KTP (Group II). All patients were assessed preoperatively and at an interval of 3 months postoperatively based on the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the quality of life (QoL) index, changes in maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and the postvoid residual urine (ml). The safety parameters we evaluated included the operative time (minutes), the postoperative catheterization time (day) and the blood loss (ml). The Kolmogorov- Smirnov & Shapiro-Wilk test, Student's t-test, Student's t-test (paired), and Fisher's Exact test were performed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of each group was 68.9+/-9.9 years (group 1) and 63.9+/-9.7 years (group II), and the prostate weight was 49.5+/-15.4cc and 45.0+/-17.3cc, respectively. The mean operation time was shorter for group II (27.7+/-13.6min) than for group I (48.1+/-22.6min) (p<0.05). The mean catheterization time was 5.6+/-1.82 and 1.36+/-1.64 days, respectively, (p<0.001). The blood loss was lower in group II (11.7+/-11.4ml) than in group I (181.9+/-168.17ml, respectively) (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary short-term study, KTP Laser enucleation of the prostate was shown to be an effective alternative for treating benign prostate hyperplasia as compared with standard TURP.
Catheterization ; Catheters ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Laser Therapy* ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Operative Time ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Quality of Life ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction

PURPOSE: This study was performed in order to evaluate the factors related to the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and prostate associated symptoms of professional taxi drivers in Korea, who had to abstain from adequate voiding on working time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study, including 192 professional taxi drivers and 120 sedentary desk workers (control group), was performed. The subjects were assessed by a questionnaire that was composed of three parts; structurized 13 basic questions including voiding abstinence, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and National Institute of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). All possible factors that affect the presence of LUTS and prostate associated symptoms were analyzed, such as age, the duration of service, on-duty time per day, and length of voiding abstinence. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in age between the taxi driver group and the control group. The duration of service of the control group was significantly longer, however, on-duty time per day was significantly longer in the taxi driver group than the control group (p<0.01). The length of voiding abstinence during duty was significantly longer in the taxi driver group than the control group (p<0.01). The total score, irritative symptom score, obstructive symptom score, and quality of life score of the IPSS questionnaire were significantly high in the taxi driver group (p<0.01). Also, the total score, pain score, urinary symptom score, and quality of life impact score of the NIH-CPSI questionnaire were significantly higher in the taxi driver group (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LUTS and prostate associated symptoms were more frequent and severe in the taxi driver group than the control group. The habitual abstinence of voiding and prolonged sedentary working environments could contribute to poor voiding function and prostate associated symptoms in taxi drivers.
Automobile Driving ; Korea ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate* ; Prostatitis ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urinary Tract*

PURPOSE: We hypothesized that the deletion of Y-chromosome specific genes is associated with testicular tumors. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the expressions of five Y-chromosome specific genes in testicular tumor samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five human testicular tumor specimens were processed for the micro-dissection of pure epithelial cells. The DNA was extracted, and polymerase chain reactions performed using five different specific primers (ZFY, DYS203, SMCYM45, GDB187507 and RH38676). These primers were designed based on sequences available in the public genome data bank. RESULTS: Deletion was observed in 88.6% of the testicular tumor specimens with at least one Y-chromosome specific gene. The losses of DYS203, ZFY, SMCYM45, RH38676 and GDB187507 were shown in 51.4, 42.9, 40, 28.6 and 20% of cases, respectively. There was a different pattern of loss of the Y-chromosome specific genes according to the histologic types of germ cell tumor. The losses of the DYS203 and GDB187507 genes were seen more frequently in the advanced stages. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant loss of the Y-chromosome specific genes in testicular germ cell tumors. The loss of the DYS203 gene was observed in about half the cases, and was more frequent in the higher stages of testicular tumor. The loss of Y-chromosome specific genes is associated with testicular tumors, suggesting their role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
DNA ; Epithelial Cells ; Genome ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Testicular Neoplasms

PURPOSE: We hypothesize that the cytolytic activity of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) may act through nitric oxide (NO) production, and that cell death is correlated with apoptosis, changes of NO and cell proliferation following BCG and/or nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition treatment of a murine bladder tumor-2 (MBT-2) cell line. If these cell lines show cell death due to apoptosis was also determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NO production and proliferation activity of the MBT-2 cell line were measured after stimulation, with BCG and/or L-NAME, using an enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After incubation of the MBT-2 cells with BCG and/or L-NAME, the cell cycle was analysis was performed by immunocytometry. RESULTS: The production of NO in the MBT-2 cells was significantly increased by the BCG. The BCG had direct dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on the MBT-2 cell line. After the L-NAME treatment, both the NO production and cytotoxicity were decreased (p<0.05). When the MBT-2 cells were cultured with BCG, the apoptotic cell ratio increased compared to that of the MBT-2 cells treated with L-NAME (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The up-regulation of the production of NO following BCG treatment of the MBT-2 cell line may be due, in part, to the cytolytic action of the BCG. The cell death, when BCG was instilled, correlated with apoptosis.
Apoptosis ; Bacillus* ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cell Proliferation* ; Mycobacterium bovis ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Up-Regulation ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a combination drug therapy (tamsulosin plus finasteride) for benign prostatic hyperplasia, with a small prostate volume of less than 40 grams. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three patients, with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia of less than 40 grams, were analysed. Group 1 (n=67) had been treated with a combination of finasteride (5mg/day) and tamsulosin (0.2mg/ day), and Group 2 (n=56) with tamsulosin only (0.2mg/day) over a 12 month period. The patients were periodically assessed by IPSS (international prostate symptom score), uroflowmetry and residual urine, during the treatment period. RESULTS: The mean changes in the total symptom score, obstructive and irritative symptom score for group 1 and group 2 at 1 year were -7.21+/-7.44 (39.86%), -4.79+/-5.07 (45.02%) and -2.42+/-3.25 (48.11%), and -7.39+/-9.98 (43.06%), -4.82+/-6.91 (45.21%) and -2.39+/-4.00 (37.82%) points, respectively. The mean changes in the peak urinary-flow rates and postvoid residual urine for group 1 and group 2 at 1 year were 2.07+/-5.42 (16.65%)ml/s and -31.58+/-60.99 (56.47%)ml, and 2.38+/-6.57 (16.53%)ml/s and -34.78+/-86.77 (50.24%)ml, respectively. The effects of the combination of finasteride and tamsulosin were no greater than the tamsulosin monotherapy (p>0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of finasteride and tamsulosin is no more effective than tamsulosin alone, in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, with a prostate volume of less than 40 grams.
Drug Therapy, Combination ; Finasteride* ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia*

PURPOSE: To determine the role of TGF-beta1, and its receptors, in bladder tumor, their expressions at various stages of chemically-induced rat bladder carcinogenesis were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250g) were given drinking water containing 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN), and twenty rats, used as a control group, were given tap water. After 10, 20, 25 and 30 weeks of the administration, the bladders of the rats were harvested. The control and BBN-treated rat bladders were analyzed for the expressions of TGF-beta1, and its receptors (RI, RII and RIII), in the mRNA by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expressions of the TGF-beta1 increased in the mRNA with the BBN treatment, while those of the TGF-beta receptors decreased. The up-regulation of TGF-beta1 was statistically significant after 25 weeks of BBN treatment, but down-regulations of RI, RII, and RIII were significant after 20, 25, and 30 weeks of BBN treatment, respectively (p<0.05). The immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that the TGF-beta1, and its receptors, were localized in the tumor cytoplasm, and their intensities reflected the expression in the mRNA of these tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the enhanced expression of TGF-beta1, as well as the loss of the expressions of RI, RII, and RIII, at the various stages, contributes to the carcinogenesis of the bladder and tumor progression.
Animals ; Carcinogenesis* ; Cytoplasm ; Drinking Water ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta ; RNA, Messenger ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; Up-Regulation ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder* ; Water