As we face a rapidly aging population in the Republic of Korea, the number of patients with the need to prevent or alleviate periorbital changes due to aging will grow. The periorbital changes that occur with aging comprise a dynamic process involving the aging of facial tissue and bony structures. Epidermal thinning and decreases in collagen cause the skin to lose its elasticity. Loss of fat, coupled with gravity and muscle pull, leads to wrinkling and the formation of dynamic lines. The aging process has also been shown to affect the facial bones. Multiple studies suggest that aging of the orbit and midface bones occurs primarily due to contraction and morphologic changes. This loss of bony volume and projection may contribute to an aged appearance. The effort to understand each patient's individual involutional changes, which differ by age and gender, is mandatory. Identifying the patient's personal needs and selecting the appropriate treatment accordingly is crucial for achieving the best outcome both for the clinician and the patient.
Aging* ; Collagen ; Contracts ; Elasticity ; Eyelids ; Facial Bones ; Gravitation ; Humans ; Muscles ; Orbit ; Republic of Korea ; Skin

We demonstrated that a mineral aqueous solution (MAS) administered to mice functionally and histologically protected against cisplatin-induced acute renal failure (ARF) and CCl4-induced acute liver failure (ALF). In ARF model, 0.4 and 0.2% MAS decreased mortality and the serum concentrations of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine in mice. Additionally, 0.4 and 0.2% MAS reduced contraction of distal convoluted tubules and suppressed expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interlukein-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) in the kidney. In ALF model, 0.4 and 0.2% MAS decreased serum concentrations of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in mice. Additionally, 0.4 and 0.2% MAS reduced necrotic areas and suppressed expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the liver. These results indicate that a MAS might have protective effects against ARF and ALF.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Contracts ; Creatine ; Cytokines ; Interleukin-6 ; Kidney* ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Liver* ; Mice* ; Mortality ; Silicon ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare a neuroprotective effect of thoracic cord neuromodulation to that of sacral nerve neuromodulation in rat thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) model. METHODS: Twenty female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the normal control group (n=5), SCI with sham stimulation group (SCI, n=5), SCI with electrical stimulation at thoracic spinal cord (SCI + TES, n=5), and SCI with electrical stimulation at sacral nerve (SCI + SES, n=5). Spinal cord was injured by an impactor which dropped from 25mm height. Electrical stimulation was performed by the following protocol: pulse duration, 0.1ms; frequency, 20 Hz; stimulation time, 30 minutes; and stimulation duration at thoracic epidural space and S2 or 3 neural foramina for 4 weeks. Locomotor function, urodynamic study, muscle weights, and fiber cross sectional area (CSA) were investigated. RESULTS: All rats of the SCI + TES group expired within 3 days after the injury. The locomotor function of all survived rats improved over time but there was no significant difference between the SCI and the SCI + SES group. All rats experienced urinary retention after the injury and recovered self-voiding after 3-9 days. Voiding contraction interval was 25.5+/-7.5 minutes in the SCI group, 16.5+/-5.3 minutes in the SCI+SES group, and 12.5+/-4.2 minutes in the control group. The recovery of voiding contraction interval was significant in the SCI + SES group comparing to the SCI group (p<0.05). Muscle weight and CSA were slightly greater in the SCI + SES than in the SCI group, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: We failed to establish a rat spinal cord stimulation model. However, sacral neuromodulation have a therapeutic potential to improve neurogenic bladder and muscle atrophy.
Animals ; Contracts ; Electric Stimulation ; Epidural Space ; Female ; Humans ; Muscles ; Muscular Atrophy ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salicylamides ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord Stimulation ; Tromethamine ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic ; Urinary Retention ; Urodynamics ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: Hepatopulmonary syndrome is an arterial oxygenation disorder brought about by advanced liver failure and pulmonary vascular dilatations. The reason why hypoxia develops in hepatopulmonary syndrome depends on the broadening of perialveolar capillary veins. Our study aims to investigate the effects of Flavanoid on hepatopulmonary syndrome through its inhibition of nitric oxide. METHODS: Three groups, each having 8 rats, were formed within the scope of our study. Group I (the control group) only received laparatomy, group II received choledoch ligation, and group III was administered Flavanoid (90% flavonoid diosmin, 10% flavonoid hesperidin) following choledoch ligation. The rats were administered Flavanoid at week two following choledoch ligation. The rats' livers and lungs were examined histopathologically following a five-week follow-up and the perialveolar vein diameters were measured. Arterial blood gases and biochemical parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: It was seen that fibrosis and oxidative damage in the liver with obstructive jaundice as well as hypoxia with pulmonary perialveolar vein sizes were significantly lower than the other group with cirrhosis formed through the administration of Flavanoid. CONCLUSION: We have concluded that Flavanoid administration might be useful in the treatment of hypoxia in hepatopulmonary syndrome and the delay of cirrhosis contraction.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Capillaries ; Contracts ; Dilatation ; Diosmin ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gases ; Hepatopulmonary Syndrome* ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Failure ; Lung ; Oxygen ; Rats ; Veins

OBJECTIVES: Thioperamide is used as an antagonist to the histamine H3 receptor. During administration of the drug, the trachea may be affected via nasal or oral inhalation. This study was to determine the effects of thioperamide on the trachea of rats in vitro. METHODS: We tested the effectiveness of thioperamide on isolated rat trachea submersed in Kreb's solution in a muscle bath. Changes in tracheal contractility in response to the application of parasympathetic mimetic agents were measured. The following assessments of thioperamide were performed: 1) effect on tracheal smooth muscle resting tension; 2) effect on contraction caused by 10(-6) M methacholine as a parasympathetic mimetic; 3) effect of the drug on electrically-induced tracheal smooth muscle contractions. RESULTS: Thioperamide induced a significant relaxation response at a preparation concentration up to 10(-4) M. The drug also inhibited the electrical field stimulation induced spike contraction. However, thioperamide alone had a minimal effect on the basal tension of the trachea at increasing concentrations. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that high concentrations of thioperamide might actually antagonize cholinergic receptors and block parasympathetic function of the trachea.
Animals ; Asthma ; Baths ; Contracts ; Inhalation ; Methacholine Chloride ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscles ; Piperidines ; Rats ; Receptors, Cholinergic ; Receptors, Histamine H3 ; Relaxation ; Trachea

This study examined the hygiene practices of contract foodservice employees and investigated the influence of education and work environment on these hygienes practices. A questionnaire was distributed to 250 contract foodservice employees and a total of 232 responses were received and analyzed. The overall score for hygiene practices of contract foodservice employees was 3.89 based on a 5-point scale. Cross-contamination was prominent (highest score at 4.46) and the heating temperature was less prominent (lowest score at 3.49). The factors most affecting contract foodservice employees were their work period, the size of the contract foodservice management company, the number of meals served daily, the frequency of meal service per day and the frequency of hygiene education. Compared to small and medium-sized contract foodservice management companies, the major contract foodservice management companies showed higher scores for refrigerator/freezer control (P<0.001), vegetable/fruit disinfection (P<0.001), thawing (P<0.001), heating temperature (P<0.001), cleaning/disinfection (P<0.01), and personal hygiene (P<0.05). The frequency of hygiene education had a significant effect on the performance levels for refrigerator/freezer control (P<0.001), vegetable/fruit disinfection (P<0.001), thawing (P<0.001), heating temperature (P<0.001), cleaning/disinfection control (P<0.001), food supply control (P<0.05), and personal hygiene (P<0.05). From these results, to increase the sanitation quality of contract foodservice operations, hygiene practice levels need to increase and hygiene education systematically should be enforced for foodservice employees.
Contracts ; Disinfection ; Food Supply ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Meals ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sanitation

This study was carried out to evaluate the diagnosis of acute clinical mastitis (ACM) which was based on the vital signs and complete blood count (CBC) tests in dairy cows. Twenty eight dairy cows diagnosed with ACM, were selected for the study between Jan 2003 and July 2006 in the National Institute of Animal Science. Based on their vital signs (rectal temperature, depression, rumen contraction and, dehydration status), ACM was divided into three different classes; mild, moderate and severe forms. In addition, ACM cows were subjected to CBC tests for further diagnosis of ACM. Of the 27 dairy cows diagnosed with ACM, 3 cows were determined to have a mild form, while moderate and sever forms were each observed in twelve cows. Among of them, 4 cows died, 5 cows were culled and 18 cows were recovered. In the mild form, all haematological parameters were comparable with normal values. However, leukopenia, due to neutropenia and lymphocytopenia, appeared characteristically in the moderate and severe forms. Using the observation of vital signs in conjunction with CBC tests, the diagnosis of ACM is more accurate, and is helpful in making decisions of whether treatment or culling of dairy cows infected with ACM is most appropriate.
Animals ; Blood Cell Count ; Contracts ; Dehydration ; Depression ; Female ; Leukopenia ; Lymphopenia ; Mastitis ; Neutropenia ; Reference Values ; Rumen ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) as a supplementary diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients who were tested with the IGRA to diagnose GUTB were included. All patients had clinical or radiologic features suspicious for GUTB. Signs and symptoms included chronic dysuria with long-standing sterile pyuria, renal calcification with distorted renal calyces and contracted renal pelvis, and chronic epididymitis. Patients who had a history of tuberculosis in other organs were excluded. Tests including IGRA, urine acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain and culture, urine tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction (UT-PCR), and radiological examinations were performed to confirm GUTB. The medical records of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The IGRA result was positive in 30 patients (52.6%). The results of the urine AFB stain and culture were positive in 5 patients (8.8%) and 7 patients (12.2%), respectively. The results of UT-PCR were positive in 9 patients (15.8%). The 7 patients who showed positive results in the urine AFB stain and culture also had positive results on the IGRA. A UT-PCR-negative patient was diagnosed with GUTB by positive results on both the IGRA and AFB stain and culture. CONCLUSIONS: The IGRA might feasibly be used as a supplementary or screening tool for the diagnosis of GUTB in addition to urine AFB stain and culture. Further studies for statistical evaluation of its sensitivity, specificity, and efficacy are needed.
Contracts ; Dysuria ; Epididymitis ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Kidney Pelvis ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pyuria ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Urogenital

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Asthmatics have abnormal esophageal motility and increased prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The contribution of gastric motility is less studied. We studied gastric myoelectrical activity, gastric emptying (GE) and their association with GERD symptoms and vagal function in adult asthmatics. METHODS: Thirty mild, stable asthmatics and 30 healthy controls underwent real-time ultrasonography and 1 hour pre- and post-prandial cutaneous electrogastrography, following a test meal (480 kcal, 60% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 20% fat and 200 mL water). The percentage of normal slow waves and arrhythmias, dominant frequency and power, frequency of antral contractions, gastric emptying rate (GER) and antral motility index (MI) was calculated. Twenty-seven asthmatics underwent gastroscopy and in all subjects GERD symptoms were assessed by a validated questionnaire. Vagal function parameters were correlated with gastric motility parameters. RESULTS: The asthmatics (37% male; 34.8 +/- 8.4 years) and controls (50% male; 30.9 +/- 7.7 years) were comparable. None had endoscopic gastric pathological changes. Twenty asthmatics described GERD symptoms. Twenty-two (73.3%) asthmatics showed a hypervagal response. Compared to controls, asthmatics had delayed GER and lower MI, lower percentage of normal gastric slow waves, more gastric dysrythmias and failed to increase the post-prandial dominant power. There was no correlation of GE and cutaneous electrogastrography parameters with presence of GERD symptoms or with vagal function. CONCLUSIONS: Asthmatics showed abnormal gastric myoelectrical activity, delayed GE and antral hypomotility in response to a solid meal compared to controls. There was no association with vagal function or GERD symptom status.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Asthma ; Carbamates ; Cohort Studies ; Contracts ; Eating ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Meals ; Organometallic Compounds ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Achalasia is a primary motility disorder of esophagus. Many parameters represent esophageal function and morphologic changes, but their interrelationship is not yet established. We hypothesized that esophageal body would need to generate unusual pressure to empty the food bolus through the non-relaxing lower esophageal sphincter in patients with achalasia; therefore, higher is the residual lower esophageal sphincter pressure, greater would be the contraction pressure in the esophageal body in these patients. To verify the hypothesis, correlations among parameters from esophageal manometry, esophagography and esophageal transit study had been investigated. METHODS: A retrospective review of 34 patients was conducted. Resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure and contraction pressure of esophageal body were obtained from conventional esophageal manometry. Diameter of esophageal body was measured from barium column under esophagography. Radionuclide imaging was performed to assess the esophageal transit, designated as R30, which was the residual radioactivity at 30 seconds after ingesting radioactive isotope. RESULTS: In vigorous achalasia group, contraction pressure of esophageal body was negatively correlated to dilated diameter of esophageal body (P = 0.025, correlation coefficient = -0.596). Esophageal transit was more delayed as dimensions of esophageal body increased in classic achalasia group (P = 0.039, correlation coefficient = 0.627). CONCLUSIONS: Diameter of esophageal body in classic achalasia was relatively wider than that of vigorous achalasia group and the degree of delayed esophageal transit was proportionate to the luminal widening. Patients with vigorous achalasia had narrower esophageal lumen and relatively shorter transit time than that of classic achalasia group. Proper peristalsis is not present in achalasia patients but remaining neuromuscular activity in vigorous achalasia patients might have caused the luminal narrowing and shorter transit time.
Barium ; Contracts ; Esophageal Achalasia ; Esophageal Sphincter, Lower ; Esophagus ; Humans ; Manometry ; Peristalsis ; Phenobarbital ; Radioactivity ; Retrospective Studies