Effects of Lower Rib Expansion Limitation on Maximal Respiratory Pressure and Abdominal Muscle Activity During Maximal Breathing in Healthy Subjects

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to determine the effects of lower rib cage lateral expansion limitation on the maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures and on abdominal muscle activity during maximal respiratory breathing in healthy subjects. @*Methods@#Fifteen healthy male subjects voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. During maximal breathing, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures were measured, and abdominal muscle activity was determined with using surface electromyography. Also, the measurement was repeated with using a non-elastic belt to the lower rib cage for limiting of lateral expansion. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed for obtaining the statistical difference with a significance level of 0.05. @*Results@#The findings of this study are as follows: 1) There were no significant differences in maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure with and without lower rib cage lateral expansion (p>0.05), 2) There was no significant difference in abdominal muscle activity during the maximal inspiratory phase (p>0.05). However, right external oblique muscle activity decreased significantly during maximum exhalation with lower rib expansion limitation (p<0.05). @*Conclusion@#The results of the current study indicate that a non-elastic belt was effective in decreasing right external oblique muscle activity during forced expiratory breathing in healthy subjects.

Effects of Lower Rib Expansion Limitation on Maximal Respiratory Pressure and Abdominal Muscle Activity During Maximal Breathing in Healthy Subjects

Purpose@#The aim of this study was to determine the effects of lower rib cage lateral expansion limitation on the maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures and on abdominal muscle activity during maximal respiratory breathing in healthy subjects. @*Methods@#Fifteen healthy male subjects voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. During maximal breathing, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures were measured, and abdominal muscle activity was determined with using surface electromyography. Also, the measurement was repeated with using a non-elastic belt to the lower rib cage for limiting of lateral expansion. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed for obtaining the statistical difference with a significance level of 0.05. @*Results@#The findings of this study are as follows: 1) There were no significant differences in maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure with and without lower rib cage lateral expansion (p>0.05), 2) There was no significant difference in abdominal muscle activity during the maximal inspiratory phase (p>0.05). However, right external oblique muscle activity decreased significantly during maximum exhalation with lower rib expansion limitation (p<0.05). @*Conclusion@#The results of the current study indicate that a non-elastic belt was effective in decreasing right external oblique muscle activity during forced expiratory breathing in healthy subjects.

Proposal for improving the system of physical therapy education and the Korean physical therapist licensing examination based on a comparison of the systems in World Confederation for Physical Therapy member countries / 보건의료교육평가

No abstract available.

Time Trend of Survival and Treatment Modalities of Endometrial Cancer in Korea (1990-2005) / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the overall survival and the change in treatment modalities in patients with uterine endometrial cancer in Korea. METHODS: From January 1990 to March 2005, medical records of 740 patients with endometrial cancer in nine hospitals were reviewed. The overall survival was determined supported by the death statistics of Korea National Statistical Office. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 51.5 years (range: 21-82 years). The mean gravidity and parity were 3.3 and 2.1 (range: 0-18, 0-9), respectively. The most common stage, grade and histological type at diagnosis were FIGO stage I, grade 1 and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (76.5%, 56.4% and 87.2%), respectively. The main treatment modalities was surgery on stage I (59.8%), surgery-adjuvant radiotherapy on stage II (55.1%), surgery-adjuvant radiotherapy or surgery-adjuvant chemoradiation on stage III (38.3%) and surgery-adjuvant chemotherapy on stage IV (55.6%). The preferred treatment modality was surgery only on grade 1 (69.0%) and surgery-adjuvant radiotherapy on grade 2-3 (43.4% and 53.2%). Surgery had been the most common method of therapy before 1998 but its prevalence gradually decreased. As a result, surgery-adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery-adjuvant chemotherapy were most widely performed in 2004-2005 and surgery-adjuvant chemoradiation also increased more than a twofold. The overall 5 years survival rate (5YSR) for all 740 patients was 81.3%. The overall 5YSR of stage I was 89.0%. The overall 5YSR of grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 were 96.0%, 92.0%, 80.0%. Before 1998, the survival rate was 77.0%. Since then it increased to 83-88% and in 2000-2001 it increased to 88.0%, and it was the highest survival rate. CONCLUSION: The survival rate of endometrial cancer has been improving for the past 15 years and the method of treatment is also being changed currently. In order to improve the survival rate of endometrial cancer, a close investigation including genetic and environmental factors of the pathophysiology of endometrial cancer along with the epidemiology of risk factors, should be carried out.

Validity of serum CA125 level for assessing responsiveness to combined chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to identify the validity of serum CA125 level for assessing responsiveness to combined chemotherapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who had received postoperative combined chemotherapy (paclitaxel and cisplatin) at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Medical Center, from February, 1996 to July, 2000 were included. We analyzed the relation between the responsiveness criteria of WHO and the change in serum CA125 level. RESULTS: 1. There was a tendency that patients with more advanced stage(stage 1-4) had higher serum CA125 level without significant differences. 2. The percentage of patients who responded to paclitaxel and cisplatin was 46.7%(14/30) by WHO criteria and 56.7%(17/30) by serum CA125 level. 3. The sensitivity and specificity of serum CA125 level in the prediction of response were 78.6% and 62.5% respectively. 4. In a living group, the changes of percentage value in CA125 level were higher at 2nd, 3rd and 4th chemotherapy cycle than in an expired group(p<0.05). 5. There was a tendency that the responsiveness based on WHO criteria and CA125 had positive correlation(p=0.0865). 6. There was a tendency that the responsiveness based on serum CA125 level and patient`s survival had positive correlation(p=0.1454). CONCLUSIONS: Serum CA125 level is a valid tumor marker in assessing the responsiveness to combined chemotherapy which can be used with or instead of the WHO criteria in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Anticancer Activity of RetinoblastomaRB Gene Transfection in Cultured Ovarian Cancer Cells / 대한산부인과학회잡지

No abstract available.

Identification of Fetal Gender Using Maternal Plasma DNA / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To identify fetal gender using fetal DNA in maternal plasma. METHODS: DNA from maternal plasma of 55 pregnant women(47: inpatients, 8: outpatients) underwent a sensitive Y-PCR assay to identify gender. RESULTS: Of the inpatients, fetus-derived Y sequences were detected in 26(80.6%) of the 31 maternal plasma samples from women bearing male fetuses. None of the 16 women bearing female fetuses had positive results from plasma DNA. Eighteen weeks is earliest gestation of gender identification. Of the outpatients(GA 8-11 weeks), fetus-derived Y sequences were detected in 7 of the 8 maternal plasma. Only one patient's fetal gender(GA 9 weeks) was identified. The others were not identified at this moment. CONCLUSION: We identified fetal DNA in maternal plasma. The sensitivity of Y-PCR was 80.6% in women bearing male fetus and the specificity was 100% in women bearing female fetus.

A case of Krukenberg tumor of ovary metastases from ductal type breast carcinoma / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Krukenberg tumor of the primary breast carcinoma is rare and this is almost invasive lobular carcinoma. They are usually bilateral and frequent in premenopausal women. Diagnosis of symptomatic Krukenberg tumor is reported to be 1 or 2 year after the diagnosis of primary neoplasm. But sometimes it is discovered prior to the detection of the primary breast carcinoma. Unexpected ovarian micrometastasis was recognized after oophorectomy of normally appearing ovaries in breast cancer patients. Existence of Krukenberg tumor means advanced primary disease and possible metastasis to other organs, and have a poorer prognosis. We report a case of Krukenberg tumors occurred 3 years after the diagnosis of primary ductal type breast carcinoma.

Clinical Observation on the Cryptorchidism / 대한비뇨기과학회지

A clinical observation was done on 34 cases of cryptorchisms during the past 5 years from January 1974 to December 1978. 1. The most frequent age group was 16 to 20 and average age was 13.2 years which means too late for requiring adequate treatment. 2. The cryptorchism had the highest incidence rate among the anomalies of G-U tract (28.4%). 3. The bilateral cryptorchisms were observed in 13 cases (38%) and inguinal type in 16(47%), intraabdominal type in l0(29%) and subinguinal type in 8(24%). (13 cases in right and 8 cases in left) 4, 7 cases, over 20 years old, were performed the orchiectomy because of atrophy or impossible placement to scrotum and histopathology revealed atrophic change in all removed testes. 4 cases among them were proved to oligo-azoospermia by semen analysis. 5. Hormonal therapy (HCG) was done in 7 cases and 2 cases were respond slightly.