Background: and PurposeChopsticks are a primary eating utensil in East Asia, but systematic assessments of chopsticks skills in parkinsonian disorders is lacking. We aimed to identify any differences in chopsticks skills in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism (AP), including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Methods: We consecutively recruited 111 patients with PD and 74 with AP (40 with PSP, 30 with MSA, and 4 with CBS) who were in a drug-naïve state. The motor and cognitive functions of the patients were evaluated using a standardized protocol. Everyday chopsticks skills were evaluated using a chopsticks questionnaire developed in-house. The chopsticks skills test (CST) involved counting the number of pills that the subject was able to carry using chopsticks between two dishes separated by 20 cm within 20 seconds. Results: Patient responses to the questionnaire indicating poor chopsticks skills (“I cannot pick up some of the food items” or “I cannot use chopsticks anymore”) were present in 23.0% of AP patients and 30% of PSP patients, compared to only 5.6% of PD patients [odd ratio (OR)=5.07 and OR=7.29, p≤0.001 in both]. The performance in the CST was worse in PSP than in PD (p<0.001). The CST results were correlated with hand motor skills including in the coinrotation test, timed figure-tapping test, and motor Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores in all of the patient groups (p<0.001). In PSP, a decline in visuospatial function and frontal executive function was associated with a poor performance in the CST in addition to poor motor performance (p<0.05). Conclusions Impairments in chopsticks skills were more common in PSP than in PD during the early stages of parkinsonism. This suggests that early functional impairment of chopsticks skills can be used as a warning sign for PSP.

BACKGROUND: Sub-umbilical surgery under caudal block in conjunction with sevoflurane sedation may be safe in terms of maintaining spontaneous breathing and avoiding complications associated with general anesthesia. However, sevoflurane-induced emergence agitation (EA) continues to be a clinically important phenomenon in children. To compare the incidence of EA in children undergoing sub-umbilical surgery under caudal block with two different doses of sevoflurane.METHODS: Forty children (aged 1–5 years) scheduled to undergo inguinal hernia repair under caudal block with sevoflurane sedation via a face mask were randomized into either the low-dose (1.0%) end-tidal sevoflurane concentration group (Group LS) or the high-dose (2.5%) end-tidal sevoflurane concentration group (Group HS). We monitored EA episodes at 5 and 30 min in the post-anesthetic care unit (PACU) by using the four-point agitation scale and the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale.RESULTS: The four-point agitation scale scores and PAED scores were not different between the groups at 5 min. However, the agitation score was higher in Group HS than in Group LS at 30 min after arriving in the PACU. The time required to recover from sedation was longer in Group HS than in Group LS.CONCLUSIONS: Face-mask sedation with 1.0% sevoflurane in conjunction with caudal block may be more effective than that with 2.5% sevoflurane in preventing EA.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Delirium ; Dihydroergotamine ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Masks ; Respiration

PURPOSE: Cancer stem like cells (CSCs), with unlimited self-renewal potential and other stem cell characteristics, occur in several cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although CSCs can initiate tumors, malignant proliferation, relapse and multi-drug resistance, the ways how to activate them still remain unknown. This study aims to evaluate whether CSC acquire tumorigenic characters under tumor hypoxia, analyzed by microarray analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CSCs were purified from HCC patients and Affymetrix microarray was used to investigate their gene expression profiles. The results were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The results of the microarray indicated that 18 genes were up-regulated and 10 genes were down-regulated in CSCs. Several genes were identified to be significantly involved in the regulation of CSCs such as HCC. Furthermore, the up-regulated genes were related with metabolism, angiogenesis and hypoxia, whereas the down-regulated genes were related with apoptosis and inflammation. CONCLUSION: The results may help to understand the mechanisms of tumor development through CSCs which acquired their distinctive tumorogenic properties by hypoxic stimulation.
Anoxia* ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Gene Expression Profiling* ; Gene Expression* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Metabolism ; Microarray Analysis ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recurrence ; Stem Cells ; Transcriptome

BACKGROUND: Growth factors play important roles in wound healing. However, the evidence for the effects of growth factors on post-thyroidectomy scars is limited. OBJECTIVE: We performed a prospective study to assess the preventive and therapeutic effect of a multi-growth factor (MGF)-containing cream on post-thyroidectomy scars. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with thyroidectomy scars applied MGF cream twice a day. We assessed the changes in erythema, pigmentation, skin elasticity, and skin hydration status using the erythema index, melanin index, cutometer, and corneometer, respectively. In addition, Vancouver scar scale (VSS) and patient satisfaction were assessed at 10 days after surgery (baseline), 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after baseline. RESULTS: The mean total VSS scores were significantly lower at 6 weeks (3.24±1.51 vs. 1.91±1.38) and 12 weeks (3.24±1.51 vs. 1.71±1.59) compared to the baseline. The degree of pigmentation was significantly lower at 12 weeks compared to the baseline, and the skin elasticity, and the skin hydration status were significantly higher at 12 weeks compared to the baseline. Over 85% of the patients were satisfied with the use of MGF cream without any adverse effect. CONCLUSION: MGF cream might have additive or supportive effect for scar formation after thyroidectomy.
Cicatrix* ; Elasticity ; Erythema ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Melanins ; Patient Satisfaction ; Pigmentation ; Prospective Studies ; Skin ; Skin Pigmentation ; Thyroidectomy ; Wound Healing

No abstract available.
Hair*

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is the major complication related to general anesthesia, occurring in 60–80% of patients after thyroidectomy. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of an intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion with remifentanil, as anesthetic adjuvants of balanced anesthesia, on PONV in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. METHODS: Eighty patients scheduled for thyroidectomy were randomized into the following two groups: 1) The dexmedetomidine group (Group D), who received an initial loading dose of dexmedetomidine (1 µg/kg over 10 min) during the induction of anesthesia, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.3–0.5 µg/kg/h; 2) the remifentanil group (group R), who received remifentanil at an initial target effect site concentration of 4 ng/ml during the induction of anesthesia, followed by a target effect site concentration of 2–3 ng/ml. PONV was assessed during the first 24 hours in 2 time periods (0–2 h and 2–24 h). The pain intensity, sedation score, extubation time, and hemodynamics were also assessed. RESULTS: During the 2 time periods, the incidence and severity of PONV in group D were significantly lower than in group R. In addition, the need for rescue antiemetics was significantly lower in group D than in group R. The effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative pain relief (2–24 h) was superior to that of remifentanil. The hemodynamics were similar in both groups, whereas eye opening and extubation time were delayed in group D. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant use of intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion may be effective for the prevention of PONV.
Adjuvants, Anesthesia ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Antiemetics ; Balanced Anesthesia* ; Dexmedetomidine* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* ; Thyroidectomy*

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine current practice for preoperative anxiety reduction in Korean children. METHODS: An email survey of all members (n = 158) of the Korean Society of Pediatric Anesthesiologists was conducted from November 2014 to January 2015 to assess current practice, preferences, and general opinions regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions performed to alleviate preoperative anxiety in children prior to general anesthesia. RESULTS: Forty-one anesthesiologists completed the survey; a response rate of 26%. Only 4.9% of respondents undertook anxiety reduction according to a written hospital policy, and 95.1% did not. Most respondents (70.7%) performed anxiolytic intervention guided by informally standardized hospital protocol. In clinical practice, 90% of respondents used pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological intervention to alleviate anxiety in children. Nearly half of the respondents (53.7%) used premedication to reduce anxiety, and midazolam was most frequently used. Parental presence during induction of anesthesia was considered the most effective non-pharmacological intervention (60.4%), and was allowed by 78% of respondents, and watching a video was considered the second most effective intervention (27.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Korean pediatric anesthesiologists use both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate preoperative anxiety, and these interventions are generally guided by an informally standardized hospital protocol. Anesthesiologists requiring effective anxiety reduction prefer pharmacological intervention and most commonly use intravenous midazolam, whereas those that want safe anxiety reduction prefer non-pharmacological intervention and most frequently use parental presence during induction of anesthesia.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Anxiety* ; Child ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Electronic Mail ; Humans ; Korea* ; Midazolam ; Parents ; Pediatrics ; Premedication ; Preoperative Period

No abstract available.
Adalimumab* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Necrosis* ; Rheumatoid Nodule*

No abstract available.
Epithelium*

No abstract available.
Hair* ; Melanocytes* ; Nevus, Halo*