Child Safety Injury Experiences, Prevention Behaviors and Educational Needs among Immigrant Vietnamese Women on Jeju Island

PURPOSE: Study purpose was to describe the child safety injury experiences, injury prevention behaviors and educational needs of immigrant Vietnamese women on Jeju Island, and to explore associations among those factors.METHODS: A descriptive correlational study was conducted using structured questionnaires to collect data from immigrant Vietnamese women who visited a multicultural centers on Jeju Island from January to April, 2017.RESULTS: Data from 60 women were analyzed. They were 28.2±5.5 years old, had resided in Korea for 40.6±31.1 months, and had 1.5±0.6 children on average. In total, 51.7% had previous injury prevention education, 68.2% had experienced child safety injuries, and 95.0% wanted to receive education on how to prevent child safety injuries. The mean total score of child injury prevention behaviors was 27.33±17.79, and that variable was associated with a longer duration of formal education (t=2.41, p=.021) and with women's experiences of child safety injury (t=5.97, p<.001).CONCLUSION: Immigrant Vietnamese women experienced a higher frequency of child safety injuries and needed educational opportunities to prevent these injuries. Further research is necessary to develop the essential content and effective methods for education on child safety injury prevention among this unique multicultural population.

Synergic induction of human periodontal ligament fibroblast cell death by nitric oxide and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonist

PURPOSE: Nitric oxide (NO) has been known as an important regulator of osteoblasts and periodontal ligament cell activity. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between NO-mediated cell death of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5, 10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK801). METHODS: Human PDLFs were treated with various concentrations (0 to 4 mM) of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) with or without 200 microM MK801 in culture media for 16 hours and the cell medium was then removed and replaced by fresh medium containing MTS reagent for cell proliferation assay. Western blot analysis was performed to investigate the effects of SNP on the expression of Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 proteins. The differences for each value among the sample groups were compared using analysis of variance with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In the case of SNP treatment, as a NO donor, cell viability was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, a synergistic effect was shown when both SNP and NMDA receptor antagonist was added to the medium. SNP treated PDLFs exhibited a round shape in culture conditions and were dramatically reduced in cell number. SNP treatment also increased levels of apoptotic marker protein, such as Bax and cytochrome c, and reduced caspase-3 in PDLFs. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was activated by treatment of SNP and NMDA receptor antagonist. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that excessive production of NO may induce apoptosis and that NMDA receptor may modulate NO-induced apoptosis in PDLFs.

Synergic induction of human periodontal ligament fibroblast cell death by nitric oxide and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor antagonist

PURPOSE: Nitric oxide (NO) has been known as an important regulator of osteoblasts and periodontal ligament cell activity. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between NO-mediated cell death of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10, 11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5, 10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK801). METHODS: Human PDLFs were treated with various concentrations (0 to 4 mM) of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) with or without 200 microM MK801 in culture media for 16 hours and the cell medium was then removed and replaced by fresh medium containing MTS reagent for cell proliferation assay. Western blot analysis was performed to investigate the effects of SNP on the expression of Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 proteins. The differences for each value among the sample groups were compared using analysis of variance with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In the case of SNP treatment, as a NO donor, cell viability was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, a synergistic effect was shown when both SNP and NMDA receptor antagonist was added to the medium. SNP treated PDLFs exhibited a round shape in culture conditions and were dramatically reduced in cell number. SNP treatment also increased levels of apoptotic marker protein, such as Bax and cytochrome c, and reduced caspase-3 in PDLFs. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was activated by treatment of SNP and NMDA receptor antagonist. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that excessive production of NO may induce apoptosis and that NMDA receptor may modulate NO-induced apoptosis in PDLFs.

The Correlations between Pulse Pressure and Functional Outcomein Acute Middle Cerebral Arterial Ischemic Stroke

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the pulse pressure (PP) and functional outcome in acute middle cerebral arterial (MCA) ischemic stroke. METHOD: We reviewed the medical records of 52 first-ever hemiplegic MCA ischemic stroke patients (age 61.5+/-9.7 years; 35 men, 17 women). Functional outcomes were evaluated with Korean-modified Barthel index (K-MBI), functional independence measure (FIM), Korean-national institutes of health stroke scale (K-NIHSS), and Korean-mini mental state examination (K-MMSE) on 3 days and 3 months after the onset of stroke in all the subjects. The PP was measured six times within initial 24 hours after stroke onset and then the highest PP was selected for the analysis. RESULTS: The degree of PP elevation revealed the significant correlations with male gender, over the age of 55 years, diabetes mellitus, and current smoking history, respectively (p<0.05). In TOAST (Trial Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification, the large artery atherosclerosis group showed significantly the higher PP rather than the other groups (p<0.05). There were inverse correlations between the PP and each of FIM and K-MBI scores on 3 months after stroke onset (p=0.000, 0.009; r=- 0.479, -0.358). There was an inverse correlation between the PP and the change of FIM (p=0.000, r=-0.532). CONCLUSION: The PP within initial 24 hours after stroke onset revealed significant correlation with functional outcome. The management for the proper PP gives the favorable effect on the functional outcome in acute MCA territory ischemic stroke.

Correlation between Functional Evaluation Scales and Cognitive Evoked Potentials in Patients with Chronic Stroke

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between functional evaluation scales and cognitive evoked potentials (CEPs) in chronic stroke patients. METHOD: Ten chronic stroke patients with middle cerebral arterial infarction (age 53.6+/-15.7 years, 5 men, 5 women, duration 210.5+/-143.2 days) were recruited. Korean mini-mental status examination (K-MMSE) scores of the subjects were ranked between 15~24 points and the grades of Rancho Los Amigos level of cognitive function of the subjects were VI or VII. They received physical therapy using neuro-developmental technique and cognitive rehabilitation twice a day, 5 times a week, for total 4 weeks. Before and after the treatment, cognitive function tests including K-MMSE, Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment (LOTCA) and motor-free visual perception test (MVPT) and functional ability tests including functional independence measure (FIM) and Korean version of National Institutes of Health stroke scale (K-NIHSS) were done and CEPs were recorded. RESULTS: The scores of K-MMSE, LOTCA, MVPT, FIM and K-NIHSS showed significant improvement, respectively (p<0.05). The P300 latencies significantly decreased from 420.2+/-34.8 msec to 391.5+/-36.4 msec (p<0.05). There were significant correlations between the percentage of change of P300 latencies and each percentage of change of K-MMSE, LOTCA and MVPT (r=0.863, p=0.001; r=0.745, p=0.013; r=0.806, p=0.005). There were significant correlations between the percentage of change of P300 latencies and each percentage of change of FIM and K-NIHSS (r=0.758, p=0.011; r=0.743, p=0.014). CONCLUSION: The CEPs would be a useful method for reflecting the effect of neuro-cognitive rehabilitation treatment and predicting the functional recovery in chronic stroke patients.

Adult-onset Still's Disease with Dysphagia: Case report

We experienced a case of adult-onset Still's disease with dysphagia of soft tissue origin. A 38-year-old woman was admitted for intermittent high spiking fever, diffuse pain and swelling on anterior neck with dysphagia. Physical examination revealed a thin woman with trismus, board-like hardness of anterior neck, hepatomegaly, and erythematous evanescent rash on leg. Neck CT displayed bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy with soft tissue swelling, and tonsilitis. Chest and abdomen CT showed the inflammatory changes of multiple organs. Laboratory evaluation revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis, slightly increased alanine transaminase, negative antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor, and increased inflammatory markers. Skin, liver, colon, and pleural biopsy demonstrated the chronic inflammation. Videofluoroscopic swallowing study revealed laryngeal penetration with large amount residue in vallecular space and pyriform sinus, and incomplete cricopharyngeal relaxation. Gradual improvement in anterior neck pain and pulmonary edema and the decrease of effortful and multiple swallowing were observed with high dose steroid therapy.