A Case of Huge Nasolabial Cyst in 56 Year-Old Patient

A nasolabial cyst is a rare, non-odontogenic cyst that develops within the area adjacent to the ala of the nose around the uppermost portion of the nasolabial crease. The origin of such a cyst is unclear but may be due to developmental problems. Clinical characteristic of asymptomatic nasolabial swelling and radiological findings are important for diagnosis. Treatment is usually surgical resection via a sublabial approach but can also involve incision and drainage or marsupialization. Unlike the typical clinical features reported in other cases, we experienced a case of a giant nasolabial cyst of 4.4 cm in a 56-year-old male with elevation of the nasal cavity base, gingival swelling, and perilesional bony destruction. In this case, we discussed the growth potential of a nasolabial cyst and proper timing of treatment.

LC/MS-based Analysis of Bioactive Compounds from the Bark of Betula platyphylla var. japonica and Their Effects on Regulation of Adipocyte and Osteoblast Differentiation

Betula platyphylla var. japonica (Betulaceae), also known as Asian white birch, is an endemic medicinal tree, the bark of which has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In our continuing search for bioactive compounds from Korean natural resources, a phytochemical investigation of the bark of B. platyphylla var. japonica led to the isolation of 7-oxo-β-sitosterol (1) and soyacerebroside I (2) from its ethanol extract as main components by liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis. The structures of isolates were identified by comparison of ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data and physical data with the previously reported values and LC/MS analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the isolated compounds, 7-oxo-β-sitosterol and soyacerebroside I, were isolated in B. platyphylla var. japonica. We examined the effects of the isolates on the regulation of adipocytes and osteoblast differentiation. These isolates (1 and 2) produced fewer lipid droplets compared to the untreated negative control in Oil Red O staining of the mouse mesenchymal stem cell line without altering the amount of alkaline phosphatase staining. The results demonstrated that both compounds showed marginal inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation but did not affect osteoblast differentiation.

The Impact of Educational Interventions on Osteoporosis Knowledge among Korean Osteoporosis Patients

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an educational intervention that includes information sharing about absolute fracture risk on the knowledge of osteoporosis and modifiable risk factors among Korean patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: Adults aged >50 years who visited the outpatient clinic for osteoporosis were recruited. Subjects with trauma-related fractures or pathological fractures were excluded. The anthropometric data and clinical risk factors for fracture were collected at baseline. The participants completed the survey questionnaire that measured their knowledge regarding osteoporosis at baseline and then received information about the risk of fracture and individual education. Fracture risk was classified into five groups according to degree. The post-survey was conducted 3 months later. The pretest results were compared with the posttest results. RESULTS: In this study, 179 subjects (15 men and 164 women) were enrolled. After the educational intervention, the mean osteoporosis knowledge score significantly increased from 10.6±5.7 at pre-education (baseline) to 11.7±6.3 at post-education (P < 0.001). When comparing the pre- and post-education Korean fracture risk scores, a negligible difference was found between the “very low risk” and “low risk” groups. However, the scores in the “very high risk” and “high risk” groups decreased from 77.6% to 76.0%. We found a difference over time only in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Simple educational intervention is effective in increasing osteoporosis knowledge among Korean patients with osteoporosis. It may confer some benefit by providing information about osteoporotic fracture risks to improve knowledge and awareness regarding osteoporosis.

Which Exercise Is Better for Increasing Serum Testosterone Levels in Patients with Erectile Dysfunction?

PURPOSE: We investigated the correlations of serum total testosterone (TT) levels with body composition and physical fitness parameters in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) to know the best exercise for testosterone deficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven ED patients underwent serum TT assessment as well as body composition and basic exercise testing. The bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess body composition. Seven types of basic exercise tests were used to determine physical fitness. Correlations between serum TT levels and body composition/physical function parameters were evaluated using partial correlation analyses. A serum TT cut-off value was obtained for the parameters significantly correlated with serum TT levels. RESULTS: The subjects had a mean serum TT level of 342.1 ng/dL. Among the body composition parameters, body and abdominal fat percentages showed statistically significant negative correlations with serum TT levels. Among the basic exercise test parameters, only the cycle ergometer test for cardiorespiratory fitness showed a statistically significant positive correlation with serum TT levels. CONCLUSIONS: Serum TT levels in patients with ED, may be increased by reducing fat percentage and improving cardiorespiratory fitness via aerobic exercise.

Introns: The Functional Benefits of Introns in Genomes

The intron has been a big biological mystery since it was first discovered in several aspects. First, all of the completely sequenced eukaryotes harbor introns in the genomic structure, whereas no prokaryotes identified so far carry introns. Second, the amount of total introns varies in different species. Third, the length and number of introns vary in different genes, even within the same species genome. Fourth, all introns are copied into RNAs by transcription and DNAs by replication processes, but intron sequences do not participate in protein-coding sequences. The existence of introns in the genome should be a burden to some cells, because cells have to consume a great deal of energy to copy and excise them exactly at the correct positions with the help of complicated spliceosomal machineries. The existence throughout the long evolutionary history is explained, only if selective advantages of carrying introns are assumed to be given to cells to overcome the negative effect of introns. In that regard, we summarize previous research about the functional roles or benefits of introns. Additionally, several other studies strongly suggesting that introns should not be junk will be introduced.

Triptolide downregulates human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) gene expression in SK-MEL-2 human melanoma cells

In this study, we have shown that gene expression of human GD3 synthase (hST8Sia I) is suppressed by triptolide (TPL) in human melanoma SK-MEL-2 cells. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the downregulation of hST8Sia I gene expression in TPL-treated SK-MEL-2 cells, we characterized the TPL-inducible promoter region within the hST8Sia I gene using luciferase constructs carrying 5'-deletions of the hST8Sia I promoter. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the hST8Sia I gene demonstrated that the -1146 to -646 region, which contains putative binding sites for transcription factors c-Ets-1, CREB, AP-1 and NF-kappaB, functions as the TPL-inducible promoter of hST8Sia I in SK-MEL-2 cells. Site-directed mutagenesis and ChIP analysis indicated that the NF-kappaB binding site at -731 to -722 is crucial for TPL-induced suppression of hST8Sia I in SK-MEL-2 cells. This suggests that TPL induces down-regulation of hST8Sia I gene expression through NF-kappaB activation in human melanoma cells.

Enhancement of Exercise Capacity by Black Ginseng Extract in Rats / 한국실험동물학회지

This study was carried out to investigate an enhancing effect of black ginseng extract (BGE) on exercise capacity in an endurance exercising animal model. Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 5 experimental groups including non-training control, training control, and 3 treated groups (BGE at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg). The animals were treated with BGE for 6 weeks and their exercise ability in the maximal running distance test was determined using a treadmill every week. The blood lactic acid (LA) level and the activity of citrate synthase (CS) in the muscle were also measured after the exercise. The levels of glucose and glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) in the liver and muscle were determined using commercial assay kits. BGE treatments at the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg significantly increased the exercise capacity compared with the non-training control or training control groups (P<0.05). The level of blood LA was decreased but the activity of CS was increased by the treatment of BGE at the dose of 300 mg/kg compared with the training control group. The level of G-6-P in the liver was elevated by the treatment of BGE at the dose of 300 mg/kg, compared to the training group. As compared with non-training control group, the treatments of BGE increased the levels of glucose and G-6-P in the liver and soleus muscle of rats. These results indicate that BGE have a potential for promoting exercise capacity by increasing CS activity in the muscle and decreasing LA in the serum of rats. These results also suggested that BGE can be used as a candidate supplement of health food products for promoting endurance exercise capacity in human athletes.

Enhancement of Exercise Capacity by Black Ginseng Extract in Rats / 한국실험동물학회지

This study was carried out to investigate an enhancing effect of black ginseng extract (BGE) on exercise capacity in an endurance exercising animal model. Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to 5 experimental groups including non-training control, training control, and 3 treated groups (BGE at doses of 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg). The animals were treated with BGE for 6 weeks and their exercise ability in the maximal running distance test was determined using a treadmill every week. The blood lactic acid (LA) level and the activity of citrate synthase (CS) in the muscle were also measured after the exercise. The levels of glucose and glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) in the liver and muscle were determined using commercial assay kits. BGE treatments at the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg significantly increased the exercise capacity compared with the non-training control or training control groups (P<0.05). The level of blood LA was decreased but the activity of CS was increased by the treatment of BGE at the dose of 300 mg/kg compared with the training control group. The level of G-6-P in the liver was elevated by the treatment of BGE at the dose of 300 mg/kg, compared to the training group. As compared with non-training control group, the treatments of BGE increased the levels of glucose and G-6-P in the liver and soleus muscle of rats. These results indicate that BGE have a potential for promoting exercise capacity by increasing CS activity in the muscle and decreasing LA in the serum of rats. These results also suggested that BGE can be used as a candidate supplement of health food products for promoting endurance exercise capacity in human athletes.

The Effect of Direct Communication between Emergency Physicians and Interventional Cardiologists on Door to Balloon Times in STEMI

We developed an institutional protocol mandating emergency physicians to contact the interventional cardiologist directly in all cases of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and hypothesized that this would reduce door-to-balloontimes (DTBT). From January 2004 to July 2006, 208 patients with STEMI were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 144 patients were treated before implementing the new protocol ("before") and 64 patients were treated after the implementation ("after"). The DTBT was significantly reduced from 148+/-101 min to 108+/-56 min (p<0.05). While only 25% of the "before'' patients received PCI within 90 min after arrival, 50% of the "after'' patients received PCI within 90 min (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between two groups in other outcomes (postprocedural TIMI flow, mortality, subsequent stroke, heart failure, shock, reinfarction, length of stay in intensive care unit, and the total hospital length of stay). In conclusion, mandating emergency physicians to directly notify interventional cardiologists of all STEMI patients reduces DTBT.

A Case of Coexistent Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and Ankylosing Spondylitis / 대한류마티스학회지

Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (BJHS) is characterized by generalized ligamentous laxity, with associated tendency to recurrent sprain and dislocation. Whereas ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterized by ankylosis and loss of mobility of the affected joints by fibrosis and ossification of cartilage and enthesis. The association of these two pathologies is rare. We report on a 18-year old man with a joint hypermobility and laxity as well as accompanying 18-month history of back pain at the lumbar spine, both knee and left buttock pain. At physical examination the patient presented 5 points of Nine-Point Beighton hypermobility score and limitation of movement in the lumbar spine due to back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis showed bilateral sacroiliitis and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were elevated and HLA B27 was positive. Transthoracic echocardiography and opthalmologic examination excluded other cause of joint hypermobility. We diagnosed co-existent BJHS and AS.

The internet using pattern and addition-relating factor analysis of adolescents in Korea

BACKGROUND: Internet use is taking place as a necessary part in modern life. Recently, internet use among adolescents has bocome a prominent social problem. In accordance with assessment of internet using pattern and addiction, this study analyzed addiction, this study analyzed addiction-relating factors. According to analysis of intimate relating factor, this study attempted to provide appropriate countermeasure. METHODS: The author had performed physical examination on the subjects on May, 2001. The subjects were elementary, middle, and high school students. Among them, 913 students were surveyed with questionnaires. Among the 193 students, elementary school students were 222, middle school 369, high school 291, and 31 did not complete the survey. Addiction-relating factors were sex, age, frequency, mostly connected web-site, time, and place. Young's scale was used as internet addiction assessment, 70 points, and above were used as criteria for internet addiction. RESULTS: There were 32 addicted students among the subjects. By sex, male students were 7, female students 25. By age, elementary school student was 1, middle school students 9, and high school students 22. In frequency, 424 students used the internet more than 5 times per week among all subjects. 30 students used the internet more than 5 times per week among addicted students. CONCLUSION: Internet use of chatting sire is an intimate addiction-relating factor. Therefore, substitute activity which can reduce computer using time, and frequency should be encouraged. Especially, avoiding chatting site is considered a preventive methive of addiction during the computer using time.

A case of fetus papyraceus in twin pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

No abstract available.

A case of fetus papyraceus in twin pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

No abstract available.

A Clinical Study of Replantation of Amputated Upper Limbs and Digits / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Since the first report of completely amputated thumb replantation by Tamai in 1965, replantation surgery has been popularized with increasing success rate and improving functional regain. Recently, difficult replantation such as traction avulsion amputation has been challenged and good success rate and function have been reported. We have analized 34 cases of upper extremity and finger replantation in 23 patients, which were performed at the Dept. of Orthopedic surgery. Hyun Dai Hae Seong Hospital, Ulsan, Korea, from June 1982 to January 1986. The results were as follows: 1. Male patients were 22, female was 1, left upper limbs and digits injuries were more prevalent(16: 7), and average age was 25 years old. 2. The most common injury was done by cutting machine. 3. The number of amputations of fingers were almost same in all fingers and most prevalent in zone III(26 cases, Danial classification). 4. Success rate of replantation was 82.4% In cases of less than 6 hrs ischemic time, the rate was 93.4%, and more than 6 hrs ischemic time, rate was 33.3% 5. Performing arterial anastomosis prior to venous anastomosis, can find out main draining vein, and with one vein and one artery anastomosis, can get good results distal to zone IV. 6. Functional results were satisfactory, evaluating by modified. Tamai score, average 87.5. 7. 6 cases of digital replantations distal to sublimis tendon insertion have good results functionally, cosmetically and technically easy (Tamai score 98). 8. 5 cases of traction avulsion amputations needed many additional surgery to restore function, but end results were relatively satisfactory.