Objective To analyze the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the patients with snow-white sign of advanced colorectal adenoma (ACA) and explore its clinical significance.Method Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of COX-2 in the adenoma tissue and the normal tissue adjacent to the adenoma tissue (>5 cm away from the distal end of the adenoma tissue) of 40 ACA patients with snow-white sign and 40 ACA patients without snow-white sign.Results The appearance of snow-white sign in ACA patients was associated with patient age (P=0.001) and not associated with sex,smoking history,drinking history,ethnic groups,family history of colorectal cancer,abdominal pain,diarrhea,constipation,fecal occult blood,or tumor markers (all P>0.05).Snow-white sign mainly appeared in the ACA patients with multiple adenomas (P=0.004),large adenomas (P=0.006),adenomas in distal colon (P=0.015),protruding polyps (P=0.044),and late-stage pathology (P=0.010).The occurrence of snow-white sign showed no difference in the ACA patients with different results of Japan NBI Expert Team classification (P=0.502).The expression of COX-2 in the adenoma tissue was higher than that in the adjacent normal tissue in the patients with and without snow-white sign (P<0.001,P=0.004).The patients with snow-white sign had higher expression of COX-2 protein in the adenoma tissue than the patients without snow-white sign (P=0.001).The expression of COX-2 protein in the adjacent healthy tissue had no significant difference between the patients with and without snow-white sign (P=0.603).Conclusions Snow-white sign is more like to appear in the ACA patients with young age,multiple and large adenomas,adenomas in distal colon,protruding polyps,and late-stage pathology.Moreover,the expression of COX-2 in the ACA patients with snow-white sign is significantly higher than that in the ACA patients without snow-white sign.The adults with snow-white sign are prone to cancerization than those without snow-white sign.
Adult ; Humans ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Snow ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Adenoma

BACKGROUND: Topical hemostatic agents are used when ligation, electrocauterization, or other conventional hemostatic methods are impractical. Because a hemostatic agent is a foreign body, it can cause foreign body reactions, inflammation, and infections that can interfere with the wound healing process. Therefore, we should select hemostatic agents after considering their effects on wound healing. Here, we compared the effects of hemostatic agents on wound healing in a rectus abdominis muscle defect in rats. METHODS: Twelve Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to creation of a 6 × 6 mm defect in the rectus abdominis muscle and divided into four groups: control group; group A, Tachosil fibrin sealant patch; group B, Surgicel Fibrillar oxidized regenerated cellulose; and group C, Surgicel Snow oxidized regenerated cellulose. For the histologic analysis, biopsies were performed on the 3rd, 7th, and 27th days. RESULTS: The foreign body reaction was the weakest in group A and most significant in group C. The inflammatory cell infiltration was the weakest in group A and similar in groups B and C. Muscle regeneration differed among periods. The rats in group A were the most active initially, while those in group C showed prolonged activity. CONCLUSION: Tachosil and Surgicel administration increased inflammation via foreign body reactions, but the overall wound healing process was not significantly affected. The increased inflammation in the Surgicel groups was due to a low pH. We recommend using Tachosil, because it results in less intense foreign body reactions than Surgicel and faster wound healing due to the fibrin action.
Animals ; Biopsy ; Cellulose ; Cellulose, Oxidized ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive ; Fibrin ; Fibrinogen ; Foreign Bodies ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Hemostatics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Inflammation ; Ligation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rectus Abdominis ; Regeneration ; Snow ; Thrombin ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries

Amylosporus sulcatus sp. nov. is described from Nonggang Nature Reserve, southern China, on the basis of morphological and molecular data. The morphological description and illustrations for the new species are provided. The species is characterized by pileate and stipitate basidiocarps. The pileus surface is obviously concentrically and radiately sulcate and tomentum, and the pore surface is snow white. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer and nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA confirmed it to be a new species.
China* ; Classification ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Fruiting Bodies, Fungal ; Snow

To analysis the trend of ski and snow board injury, and use this study result in designing injuries prevention strategy. We studied 25,292 patients who had the ski and snow board injuries in a ski resort in Pyeongchang Gun, Gangwon Do, Korea during 1999-2001 season, 2005-2007 season, and 2008-2010 season. They were studied with a questionnaires, physical examination and radiograph. And the analysis was based on age, sex, injury type and site and slope level of difficulty. Snow board related injury have increased, injury to teens and thirties increased, injury to female snowboarder increased (p<0.001), contusion type of ski and snow board injury increased (p<0.001) and upper extremity injury increased but beginner grade slope injury (p<0.001) decreased since last 10 years. The overall type and site of ski and snowboard injuries have changed due to increased snowboard injury, gender and age of them have shown the diversity since last 10 years.
Adolescent ; Contusions ; Female ; Health Resorts ; Humans ; Korea ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seasons ; Snow ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: Through a clinical and retrospective analysis of pediatric patients who visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center of Masan Samsung Hospital from January 2007 to December 2008, we characterized pediatric and adolescent emergency patients to improve emergency care in future. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 14,065 pediatric patients below 19 years of age. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 1.5:1, and the most common age group was less than 3 years (49.6%). The peak month was May (10.0%), the peak day of the week was Sunday (24.7%), and the peak time of day was 20:00.20:59 (8.5%). There was no difference in the number of visits per day based on weather (sunny, rain [below 10 mm per day], snow, and fog) or daily temperature difference; however, visits increased on sandy, dusty days and decreased on rainy days with more than 10 mm of rain per day. Based on the international classification of disease (ICD)-10 system, the most common disease code was code R (symptoms, sign, and abnormal clinical laboratory finding) (31.5%), and the most common symptom was fever (13.1%). Final outcomes were discharged (73.8%), admitted (25.7%), transferred (0.4%), and expired (0.1%). In adolescent patients aged 15.19 years, the most common disease code was Injury & Poisoning (code S&T, 36.9%); the most common symptom was abdominal pain (9.6%). CONCLUSION: Pediatric patients visiting the emergency center were most likely to be male and under 3 years of age and to visit between 20:00 and 21:00 on Sundays and in May, and the most common symptom was fever. Differences between adolescents and pediatric patients showed that adolescents had a higher visiting rate with abdominal pain and a larger temperature difference.
Abdominal Pain ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Child ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Female ; Fever ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nitroimidazoles ; Rain ; Retrospective Studies ; Snow ; Sulfonamides ; Weather

PURPOSE: Hexadactyly without thumb is a rare congenital anomaly of the hand where six triphalangeal digits are symmetrically distributed without thumb. Contrary to mirror hands, triphalangeal six digits are symmetrically distributed on each side at the midline with well-differentiated carpal bones, extensor tendons, one ulna and one radius. The authors developed a new surgical technique based on a three-dimensional concept to correct the hexadactyly and applied to 2 cases of hexadactyly with good functional and aesthetic results. Here we document the surgical technique and its result. METHODS: A 16 month old male patient visited our clinic with chief complaints of bilateral hexadactyly deformity. On physical examination most radial first and second digits showed no opposition and adduction motion on both side hands. Radiography showed 6 triphalangeal digits with normal development of carpal, radial and ulnar bone. Right side abnormality was corrected by removal of most radial side extra-digit, rotation and migration of 2nd ray to thumb position and creation of 1st web by transposing a mid-palm based rectangular palmar flap as in Snow & Littler procedure which has been being applied for correction of 1st web syndactyly in cleft hand deformity. Seven months later, left side abnormality was also corrected with the same procedure. RESULTS: Postoperative appearances of the both hands were satisfactory. Flexion, extension, opposition and grasping were possible with the pollicized 2nd ray. Pinching power was 3.0kg 15 months after the surgery and 2.5kg 22 months after in right hand respectively. CONCLUSION: In correction of hexadactyly deformity, satisfactory aesthetic and relevant functional results can be expected with authors' newly developed technique: removal of most radial digit, rotation and migration of 2nd digit to thumb position as well as creation of the 1st web space by transposition of mid-palm based rectangular flap.
Carpal Bones ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Hand ; Hand Deformities ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Radius ; Snow ; Syndactyly ; Tendons ; Thumb ; Ulna

PURPOSE: The purpose of present study was to discover the experience of the body of aged women, having had disease. Thus, the researcher tried to explore the perception of the informants and the context in which this perception emerged. METHODS: 9 aged women who had disease or trauma were recruited by snow balling and theoretical sampling methods. The iterative data collection and analyzing process proceeded between September, 1999 and January, 2005. Questions posed to the informants included: "What major change in your body comes from the disease?" "How did you feel about yourself after having had disease?". Data from interviews and participant observation was taken as text. The text was analyzed using the ongoing process of qualitative content analysing method and taxonomy of Spradley. RESULTS: Disease gives aged women a chance to reinforce the meaning of their body: the body as the most low valued component of a human, the body as a wholistic field of interacting each component of human and with natural environment and cosmos, and the body as a source of group identity. These meanings were constructed in their life world by the rules of hierarchy, reciprocity, and group cohesiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The human body is constructed as a cultural being by a social process. Nursing is concerned with the biological body and the social body. The results of this study can serve to help understand the socialization of the body and to construct a somology of nursing.
Classification ; Data Collection ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Nursing ; Snow ; Socialization

Seasonal variations of fractures are concerned with seasonal sports injuries and pathologic fractures in elderly osteoporotic patients. Despite various attempts at prevention, injuries in downhill skiing especially free style, snowboarding, snowmobile, and tobogganing continue to be seasonal recreational problem. Knee injuries in skiing can be prevented by health education as well as self-releasing test for the binder. Injury of the upper extremity in snowboarding and of the spine in snowmobile also can be reduced by education program. Another aspect of seasonal variation of fractures is related to the osteoporosis in elderly patients. Distal radius fractures, hip fractures, and compression fractures of the spine are common problems in winter. The high incidences these fractures in winter are not only due to ice and snow but also related to the daylight hours and level of vitamin D. So we can reduce the incidence of these fractures by snow clearing, sand and salt spreading in strategic areas, slip-preventive aids on shoes, sometimes padding for older women, and most of all, early detection and treatment of osteoporosis in elderly people.
Aged ; Athletic Injuries ; Education ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Health Education ; Hip Fractures ; Humans ; Ice ; Incidence ; Knee Injuries ; Off-Road Motor Vehicles ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence* ; Radius Fractures ; Seasons* ; Shoes ; Skiing ; Snow ; Spine ; Upper Extremity ; Vitamin D

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe physical health and depression status, as well as to assessing factors that influence the physical health status. METHOD: The data was collected from July to August 2000. Study participants were 252 community-dwelling elderly who were recruited from 10 senior centers located in Seoul, Korea. Their physical health status was measured using the Physical Health Status Measurement Scale developed by Choi and Jung (1991), and depression was measured using BDI-II developed by Beck et al. (1996). RESULTS: 1) The physical health status score was 4.00 +/-0.68 (range :1-5). The sub-dimension that showed the highest score was personal hygiene ability at 4.62+/-0.95, and the lowest score was sexual function at 2.20+/-1.38. 2. The depression score was 17.99+9.79 (range : 0-63). Regarding the sub-dimensions, the depression scores were higher in the domain of interest with sexuality, general weakness, difficulty in concentration, and fatigue. 3. Deeper levels of depression were correlated with a declining physical health status. 4. The most influential factor on physical health was depression, and the explaining variance was 31.68%. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that elder subjects in senior centers had fairly good physical health and self-care ability. Also, they did not have significantly high levels of depression. Therefor, health promotion of elderly, it is recommended that elder individuals should be regarded as a respectful and useful segment of our society. Along with this basic concept, there should be a social milieu that does not snow prejudice. Moreover, health care professionals should give more attention to helping the elderly achieve a minimal level of ALD, and, particularly, to raise sexuality and help energize the lives of elder individuals.
Aged* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Depression* ; Fatigue ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Korea ; Prejudice ; Self Care ; Senior Centers ; Seoul ; Sexuality ; Snow

PURPOSE: It is important in asthmatic children to encourage ordinary physical activity. However physical activities in winter are limited excessively by their parents for fear of bronchospasm by cold air and exercise. Children's asthma camps help them to learn about asthma management, make new friends with other asthmatic children, have positive attitude about the disease and have a more active lifestyle. But there have been few asthma camps and appropriate asthma camp programs have not been developed in Korea. Our study was done to see how camp programs influenced on asthma patient by measuring of PEFR during camp programs and thereby to have the data be used for future development of asthma camp programs. METHODS: From January 19th to 22th 1998, we recruited for camp 17 asthmatic patients and 31 normal children who had no history of admission due to respiratory infection. The main camp programs consisted of skiing and sledding. PEFR was checked 5 times a day and we analyzed variation of PEFR in relation to daily activities, temperature, humidity of atmosphere. RESULTS: 1) The mean age was 8 years with a range of 5 years to 11 years with male predominance (male/female : 2.4/1) in asthma group and the mean age was 10 years with a range of 5 years to 16 years with female predominance (male/female: 1/2) in control group. 2) The mean PEFR (% predicted) was checked early morning, prior to breakfast, lunchtime, supper and at the end of the day's activities (before sleeping) were 90.43+/-24.15%, 93.48+/-19.42%, 98.99+/-25.89%, 96.77+/-21.23%, 100.9+/-20.86% in asthma group and 93.69+/-16.41%, 94.49+/-17.13%, 94.15+/-17.28%, 96.84+/-16.44%, 96.52+/-16.24% in control group. All values were within normal range and there was no significant change of the mean PEFR value in relation to daily activity. The values of PEFR were low at early morning. We have observed a significant difference of PEFR between early morning and before sleeping in asthma group (P<0.05). 3) In the asthma group, 2 cases had respiratory difficulty prior to lunchtime but symptoms were resolved after bronchodilator nebulization. CONCLUSION: We recommend ski or sledding to be safe as one of the programs for asthma camp but control of asthma attack is needed because lung function is decreased at night and appropriate warming up is needed before cold air sports.
Asthma ; Atmosphere ; Breakfast ; Bronchial Spasm ; Child ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Humidity ; Korea ; Life Style ; Lunch ; Lung ; Male ; Meals ; Motor Activity ; Parents ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Reference Values ; Skiing ; Snow Sports ; Sports