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1.
Nature ; 569(7757): 546-550, 2019 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31118523

ABSTRACT

The recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer relies on the continued decline in the atmospheric concentrations of ozone-depleting gases such as chlorofluorocarbons1. The atmospheric concentration of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), the second-most abundant chlorofluorocarbon, has declined substantially since the mid-1990s2. A recently reported slowdown in the decline of the atmospheric concentration of CFC-11 after 2012, however, suggests that global emissions have increased3,4. A concurrent increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern Asia contributes to the global emission increase, but the location and magnitude of this regional source are unknown3. Here, using high-frequency atmospheric observations from Gosan, South Korea, and Hateruma, Japan, together with global monitoring data and atmospheric chemical transport model simulations, we investigate regional CFC-11 emissions from eastern Asia. We show that emissions from eastern mainland China are 7.0 ± 3.0 (±1 standard deviation) gigagrams per year higher in 2014-2017 than in 2008-2012, and that the increase in emissions arises primarily around the northeastern provinces of Shandong and Hebei. This increase accounts for a substantial fraction (at least 40 to 60 per cent) of the global rise in CFC-11 emissions. We find no evidence for a significant increase in CFC-11 emissions from any other eastern Asian countries or other regions of the world where there are available data for the detection of regional emissions. The attribution of any remaining fraction of the global CFC-11 emission rise to other regions is limited by the sparsity of long-term measurements of sufficient frequency near potentially emissive regions. Several considerations suggest that the increase in CFC-11 emissions from eastern mainland China is likely to be the result of new production and use, which is inconsistent with the Montreal Protocol agreement to phase out global chlorofluorocarbon production by 2010.

2.
J Diabetes Res ; 2018: 1792760, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29770339

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The relationship between RDW and carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT), a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, has been inconsistent in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. In this study, we investigated the relationship between RDW and carotid atherosclerosis in people with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Four hundred sixty-nine people with type 2 diabetes without history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases were enrolled. Anthropometric measures and various biochemical parameters including RDW were assessed. Ultrasonographic measurement of carotid intima-media thickness was used to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis. RESULTS: The participants were stratified into 3 groups according to RDW. The C-IMT increased gradually according to RDW tertiles (lowest, second, highest RDW tertiles; 0.740 ± 0.120, 0.772 ± 0.138, and 0.795 ± 0.139, respectively; p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that RDW was associated with C-IMT in people with type 2 diabetes, and it remained significant after control for various cardiovascular risk factors including body mass index, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and smoking status in multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: RDW is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis assessed by carotid IMT after control of various covariates in people with type 2 diabetes without cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases.


Subject(s)
Atherosclerosis/complications , Carotid Artery Diseases/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Adult , Aged , Atherosclerosis/blood , Biomarkers/blood , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Blood Pressure/physiology , Body Mass Index , Carotid Artery Diseases/blood , Carotid Intima-Media Thickness , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Erythrocyte Indices , Female , Humans , Insulin Resistance/physiology , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Smoking
3.
Sci Rep ; 8(1): 4669, 2018 03 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29549350

ABSTRACT

The East Asian Summer Monsoon driven by temperature and moisture gradients between the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean, leads to approximately 50% of the annual rainfall in the region across 20-40°N. Due to its increasing scientific and social importance, there have been several previous studies on identification of moisture sources for summer monsoon rainfall over East Asia mainly using Lagrangian or Eulerian atmospheric water vapor models. The major source regions for EASM previously proposed include the North Indian Ocean, South China Sea and North western Pacific. Based on high-precision and high-frequency 6-year measurement records of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), here we report a direct evidence of rapid intrusion of warm and moist tropical air mass from the Southern Hemisphere (SH) reaching within a couple of days up to 33°N into East Asia. We further suggest that the combination of direct chemical tracer record and a back-trajectory model with physical meteorological variables helps pave the way to identify moisture sources for monsoon rainfall. A case study for Gosan station (33.25°N, 126.19°E) indicates that the meridional transport of precipitable water from the SH accompanying the southerly/southwesterly flow contributes most significantly to its summer rainfall.

4.
J Perinatol ; 35(8): 575-9, 2015 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25856762

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To understand how postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in mothers of high-risk infants progress and identify what factors predict postpartum PTSD. STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively obtained self-reported psychological data from neonatal intensive care unit discharged infants' mothers (NICU mothers) at the infants' corrected ages of 1 (T0), 3 (T1) and 12 months (T2) and mothers of healthy infants (controls). Maternal sociodemographic and infant-related factors were also investigated. RESULT: PTSD was present in 25 and 9% of NICU mothers and controls, respectively. We identified four PTSD patterns: none, persistent, delayed and recovered. The postpartum PTSD course was associated with trait anxiety. Whether the infant was the first child who predicted PTSD at year 1 (adjusted odds ratio=7.62, 95% confidence interval=1.07 to 54.52). CONCLUSION: Mothers of high-risk infants can develop early or late PTSD, and its course can be influenced by factors besides medical status. We therefore recommend regular screenings of postpartum PTSD.


Subject(s)
Anxiety/diagnosis , Depression, Postpartum/diagnosis , Mothers/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Intensive Care, Neonatal , Logistic Models , Male , Mother-Child Relations , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Self Report
5.
Allergy ; 69(4): 517-26, 2014 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24611950

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory process in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, and bacteria have been considered to be a cause. Indeed, recent evidence indicates that bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) appear to be an important causative agent of inflammatory diseases. Here, we aimed to evaluate the diversity of nasal microbiota and their secreted EV in patients with CRS. METHODS: Nasal lavage (NAL) fluid samples were obtained from five patients with CRS with polyposis, three patients with CRS without polyposis, and three non-CRS controls. After preparation of bacteria and EV from samples using differential centrifugation, genomic DNA was extracted and 16S-rDNA amplicons were subjected to high-throughput pyrosequencing on a Roche 454 GS-FLX platform. RESULTS: Metagenomics showed that bacteria composition was positively correlated with EV composition. Samples from patients with CRS had greater bacterial abundance and lower diversity, both from bacteria and the EV portion of samples, compared with non-CRS samples. At each phylogenetic level, Bacteroidetes decreased while Proteobacteria increased in the CRS group at the phylum level. At the genus level, Prevotella spp. decreased in the CRS group, while Staphylococcus spp. increased from both bacteria and EV. Moreover, Staphylococcus aureus and its secreting EV compositions were higher in samples from CRS with polyps compared with CRS without polyps. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that patients with CRS have altered nasal microbiota and decreased diversity in bacterial compositions as well as increased S. aureus abundance in those patients with polyps.


Subject(s)
Microbiota , Nasal Mucosa/microbiology , Rhinitis/microbiology , Sinusitis/microbiology , Adult , Aged , Bacteria/classification , Bacteria/genetics , Biodiversity , Exosomes , Female , Humans , Male , Metagenome , Middle Aged , Nasal Mucosa/pathology , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S , Rhinitis/pathology , Sinusitis/pathology , Young Adult
6.
Waste Manag ; 32(1): 110-6, 2012 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21865024

ABSTRACT

A wide variety of antibiotics have been detected in natural water samples and this is of potential concern because of the adverse environmental effects of such antibiotic residues. One of the main sources of antibiotics effluence to the surrounding environment is livestock manures which often contain elevated concentrations of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) which survive digestion in the animal stomach following application in animal husbandry practices. In Korea, livestock manures are normally used for compost production indicating that there is potential for antibiotic release to the environment through compost application to agricultural lands. Therefore, reduction of the amount of VAs in composts is crucial. The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of the composting process and the components of the compost on the levels of three common classes of antibiotics (tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and macrolides). Composted materials at different stages of composting were collected from compost manufacturing plants and the variation in antibiotic concentrations was determined. Three different antibiotics, chlortetracycline (CTC), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and tylosin (TYL) at three different concentrations (2, 10, and 20mgkg(-1)) were also applied to a mixture of pig manure and sawdust and the mixtures incubated using a laboratory scale composting apparatus to monitor the changes in antibiotic concentrations during composting together with the physicochemical properties of the composts. During composting, in both field and lab-scale investigations, the concentrations of all three different antibiotics declined below the relevant Korean guideline values (0.8mgkg(-1) for tetracyclines, 0.2mgkg(-1) for sulfonamides and 1.0mgkg(-1) for macrolides). The decline of tetracycline and sulfonamide concentrations was highly dependent on the presence of sawdust while there was no influence of sawdust on TYL decline.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/analysis , Chlortetracycline/analysis , Manure/analysis , Sulfamethazine/analysis , Tylosin/analysis , Animals , Swine , Waste Management
7.
Diabet Med ; 28(7): 815-7, 2011 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21672004

ABSTRACT

AIMS: We evaluated the antibody response to a single-dose adjuvanted, inactivated, pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccination in patients with diabetes and assessed factors associated with the failure to induce antibody responses. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with Type 2 diabetes were vaccinated and antibody responses were determined with haemagglutination inhibition assay and anti-haemagglutinin antibody ELISA. RESULTS: Among 70 antibody-negative patients at baseline, 34 (48.6%) achieved seroconversion; 28 (60.9%) in the young adults group and six (25%) in the elderly group acquired H1N1-specific antibodies. Patients in the older age range or with longer duration of diabetes had a lower seroconversion rate. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show low cross-reactive antibody carrying rate and low seroconversion rate in patients with diabetes. Until larger-scale, case-controlled trials become available, older patients and patients with a longer duration of diabetes should be considered for the two-dose vaccination or have antibody titres measured after the first vaccination.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/immunology , Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/immunology , Influenza Vaccines/immunology , Influenza, Human/prevention & control , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Antibody Formation/immunology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Humans , Immunity, Humoral , Influenza, Human/epidemiology , Korea/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Young Adult
8.
Waste Manag ; 31(1): 39-44, 2011 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20869228

ABSTRACT

The effluence of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) to aquatic and terrestrial environments is of concern due to the potential adverse effects on human health, such as the production of antibiotic resistant bacteria. One of the main pathways for antibiotics to enter the environment is via the application of manure and/or manure-based composts as an alternative organic fertilizer to agricultural lands. While a wide diversity of manure-based composts are produced in Korea, there is currently no regulatory guideline for VA residues. Hence, monitoring and limiting the concentration of VA residues in manure and/or manure-based composts prior to application to the lands is important to mitigate any environmental burden. The current study was conducted to examine the applicability of the Charm II antibiotic test system for monitoring tetracyclines, sulfonamides and macrolides in manure-based composts. The Charm II system was a highly reproducible method for determining whether VA residue concentrations in manure-based compost exceeded specific guideline values. A wide range of manure-based composts and liquid fertilizers commercially available in Korea were examined using the Charm II system to monitor the residues of the target VAs. For this, the guideline concentrations of VA residues (0.8 mg kg(-1) for tetracyclines, 0.2 mg kg(-1) for sulfonamides, and 0.1 mg kg(-1) for macrolides) stated in 'Official Standard of Feeds' under the 'Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act' in Korea were adopted to establish control points. Of the 70 compost samples examined 12 exceeded 0.8 mg kg(-1) for tetracyclines and 21 exceeded 0.2 mg kg(-1) for sulfonamides. Of the 25 liquid fertilizer samples examined most samples exceeded these prospective guidelines.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/analysis , Drug Residues/analysis , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Manure/analysis , Soil Pollutants/analysis , Fertilizers/analysis , Soil/chemistry
9.
J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci ; 878(31): 3249-54, 2010 Dec 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21036111

ABSTRACT

The enantioseparation of pranoprofen after its addition in racemic form into equine plasma and urine was conducted by chiral liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode. The methods for the assay of both enantiomers were linear (r≥0.9943) in the low range from 0.001 to 0.1µg/mL and high range from 0.01 to 1.0µg/mL with good precision (% RSD≤5.6) and accuracy (% RE=-5.3 to 1.9). When racemic pranoprofen was orally administered to four horses at a single dose of 3.1mg/kg, the median plasma concentrations of (R)-pranoprofen were lower than the levels of (S)-pranoprofen from start to finish. In contrast, the urinary level of (R)-pranoprofen was 2.5 fold higher than (S)-pranoprofen level for the first 6h, followed by its rapid decrease down below (S)-pranoprofen concentration. Monitoring of the R/S ratios in equine urine may be useful for the prevention of false positive in horse doping test.


Subject(s)
Benzopyrans/blood , Benzopyrans/urine , Chromatography, Liquid/veterinary , Horses/blood , Horses/urine , Propionates/blood , Propionates/urine , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/veterinary , Administration, Oral , Animals , Benzopyrans/chemistry , Benzopyrans/pharmacokinetics , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Doping in Sports , Female , Mefenamic Acid/analysis , Mefenamic Acid/chemistry , Propionates/chemistry , Propionates/pharmacokinetics , Reproducibility of Results , Stereoisomerism , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods
10.
J Clin Pharm Ther ; 35(6): 697-703, 2010 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21054462

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: CYP2C19 is a drug-metabolizing enzyme showing various genetic polymorphisms that may cause marked interindividual and interethnic variability in the disposition of its substrates. We assessed CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms in a Korean population using a newly developed multiplex pyrosequencing method. METHOD: A multiplex pyrosequencing method to simultaneously detect CYP2C19*2, *3, and *17 alleles was designed. We established the frequency of these CYP2C19 alleles in 271 Korean subjects using the multiplex pyrosequencing method. RESULTS: The results showed 100% concordance between single and multiplex pyrosequencing methods. We also validated the polymorphisms identified by pyrosequencing with direct sequencing method. The allele frequencies of CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, and CYP2C19*17 were 0·284, 0·101 and 0·015 respectively. These frequencies are similar to that reported for other Asian populations including Japanese and Chinese but different from that of Caucasians and Africans. CONCLUSIONS: The multiplex pyrosequencing method to detect CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, and CYP2C19*17 concurrently, seems to be a rapid and reliable genotyping method for the detection of important CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms. Similar to studies conducted on other Asian populations, this study reported that in the Korean population tested, the CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 alleles were relatively frequently found, whereas the frequency of CYP2C19*17 was very low.


Subject(s)
Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases/genetics , Gene Frequency , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods , Alleles , Asian People/genetics , Cytochrome P-450 CYP2C19 , Female , Genotype , Humans , Korea , Male , Polymerase Chain Reaction
11.
Clin Otolaryngol ; 35(1): 25-30, 2010 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20447159

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of psychological distress in laryngopharyngeal reflux patients and evaluate the correlation between symptoms, laryngeal signs, pH monitoring results and psychological profile. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Hanyang University Hospital, a university teaching hospital and tertiary referral center. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and six patients who were diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux by 24-h ambulatory double probe pH monitoring and 119 healthy controls visiting our health promotion center from January 2006 to June 2007. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The psychological profile of laryngopharyngeal reflux patients measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised questionnaire were evaluated and compared with those of healthy controls. The correlation between reflux symptom index, reflux finding score, parameters of pH monitoring and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised profiles were also evaluated. RESULTS: On the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised questionnaire, the total mean T-scores of the nine symptom dimensions and three global indices of the laryngopharyngeal reflux patients were all below 50. The Global Severity Index, which indicates overall psychological distress, was normal in all of the patients. On comparison with the control group, no statistically significant difference was noted in the psychological profile except on the Somatisation scale where laryngopharyngeal reflux patients showed significantly higher scores. Reflux symptom index showed significant positive correlation with the number of reflux episodes, percentage of time which pH fell below 4 in total positions, and DeMeester score of the upper probe. The nine symptom dimensions and three global indices of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised questionnaire did not show any correlation with reflux symptom index, reflux finding score and the parameters of the 24-h ambulatory double probe pH monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Laryngopharyngeal reflux patients did not demonstrate any significant level of psychological distress and their symptom severity showed significant positive correlation with reflux severity.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder, Major/etiology , Gastroesophageal Reflux/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index
12.
Diabet Med ; 27(1): 30-6, 2010 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20121886

ABSTRACT

AIMS: We examined the effect of rosiglitazone on insulin sensitivity, abdominal fat and mid-thigh intramuscular fat distribution, and plasma concentrations of adipocytokines in patients with Type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Rosiglitazone was administered at a daily dose of 4 mg to 42 Type 2 diabetes patients [age 32-70 years, body mass index (BMI) 17.5-32.6 kg/m(2), 15 women, 27 men] for 12 weeks. Various anthropometric and metabolic profiles, plasma adiponectin, leptin, and resistin levels were measured, and insulin resistance was calculated from the short insulin tolerance test. Body fat composition was assessed by computed tomography. RESULTS: Twelve weeks' rosiglitazone treatment resulted in improved insulin resistance despite increases in body weight and BMI. There was a significant decrease in abdominal visceral adipose tissue area (145 +/- 65.6 vs. 129 +/- 73.1 cm(2), P = 0.049). Mid-thigh low-density muscle area (TLDMA) increased from 23 +/- 9.6 to 26 +/- 8.2 cm(2) (P = 0.009). There were significant changes in plasma adipocytokines, but they were not significantly correlated with changes in insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Rosiglitazone treatment resulted in an improvement of insulin responsiveness in Type 2 diabetic subjects, which was associated with the redistribution of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, an increase in TLDMA, and changes in serum adipocytokine levels. Further studies are needed to elucidate the insulin sensitizing mechanism of rosiglitazone on peripheral skeletal muscles.


Subject(s)
Adipokines/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism , Hypoglycemic Agents/metabolism , Insulin Resistance/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Thiazolidinediones/metabolism , Adult , Aged , Body Fat Distribution , Body Mass Index , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology , Rosiglitazone , Thiazolidinediones/therapeutic use
13.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract ; 87(3): 329-34, 2010 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20060191

ABSTRACT

AIMS: We investigated the effect of mosapride, 5HT-4 (5-hydroxytryptamine) agonist, on blood glucose level and insulin sensitivity in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and conducted an in vitro study to evaluate the action mechanism. METHODS: Thirty IGT patients were randomly assigned to receive either mosapride or placebo for 2 weeks. Biochemical profiles and insulin sensitivity index from euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp test were assessed before and after treatment. In cultured myotubes from human skeletal muscle cells, insulin- and mosapride-induced GLUT4 translocation and tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 were determined. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of treatment with mosapride, glucose disposal rates were significantly increased up to those of control (mosapride 5.47+/-1.72 vs 7.06+/-2.13, P=0.004, placebo 5.42+/-1.85 vs 5.23+/-1.53mgkg(-1)min(-1)). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and insulin levels were decreased. Mosapride increased the contents of GLUT4 in plasma membrane representing the increased recruitment of glucose transporters from intracellular pool. While insulin treatment on human skeletal muscle cell resulted in an increased tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, mosapride did not have any effect. CONCLUSIONS: Mosapride is effective in decreasing FPG without stimulating insulin secretion in IGT subjects, possibly by inducing GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscles.


Subject(s)
Benzamides/pharmacology , Blood Glucose/drug effects , Glucose Transporter Type 4/metabolism , Insulin Resistance/physiology , Morpholines/pharmacology , Adult , Blotting, Western , Cells, Cultured , Female , Glucose Clamp Technique , Humans , Immunoassay , Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins/metabolism , Lipids/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle, Skeletal/cytology , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Protein Transport/drug effects , Single-Blind Method
14.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract ; 84(2): 145-51, 2009 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19261346

ABSTRACT

We aimed to assess how metabolic profiles, surrogate markers of insulin resistance, and subclinical atherosclerosis are interrelated in subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and investigate whether the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease among subjects already at risk. We analyzed 1739 Korean subjects with IFG. The parameters of MetS, plasma adiponectin level, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were assessed. Subjects with MetS had unfavorable metabolic parameters, lower adiponectin level, and higher peripheral PWV compared to those without MetS. Adiponectin correlated with fasting glucose, waist circumference, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, BMI, HOMA-IR, and the number of MetS components. In addition to blood pressure, peripheral PWV was associated with triglyceride, waist circumference, and the number of MetS components while aortic PWV correlated positively with fasting plasma glucose. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that adiponectin correlated with HDL-cholesterol, HOMA-IR, fasting glucose, waist circumference, and triglyceride, peripheral PWV with blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, and the number of MetS components, and aortic PWV with fasting plasma glucose. In subjects with IFG, concurrent MetS increases PWV and has an unfavorable effect on cardiovascular risks, and these risks were further increased by additional MetS components.


Subject(s)
Adiponectin/blood , Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology , Glucose Intolerance/blood , Glucose Intolerance/physiopathology , Metabolic Syndrome/blood , Metabolic Syndrome/physiopathology , Pulse , Adult , Blood Glucose/analysis , Blood Pressure , Cardiovascular Diseases/blood , Cholesterol/blood , Cholesterol, HDL/blood , Cholesterol, LDL/blood , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Insulin/blood , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Peripheral Vascular Diseases/blood , Peripheral Vascular Diseases/epidemiology , Peripheral Vascular Diseases/physiopathology , Risk Factors
16.
Clin Radiol ; 64(2): 133-41, 2009 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19103342

ABSTRACT

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of covered retrievable nitinol stents in oesophageal cancer patients with airway involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under fluoroscopic guidance, covered retrievable nitinol airway stents were placed in 23 oesophageal cancer patients with airway stricture and/or oesophagorespiratory fistula (ERF) over a long period of 12 years. Six patients only had aspiration by ERF and three patients had both airway stricture and asymptomatic ERF. Technical aspects, dyspnoea improvement, and/or resolution of ERF symptoms, complications, reinterventions, and survival data were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 27 airway stents (14 tracheal, 11 bronchial, and two hinged) were placed successfully in 23 patients with airway stricture or ERF. Dyspnoea score decreased significantly after stent placement (p<0.001). ERF were sealed off in all nine patients. Complications included stent migration or expectoration (n=4), haemoptysis (n=2), sputum retention (n=7), and tumour overgrowth (n=1). All three migrated stents were easily removed. Twenty-one patients died, with the median survival period of 76 days (range 2-197 days). CONCLUSION: Placement of covered retrievable expandable nitinol stents was safe and effective for the palliative treatment of airway strictures and/or ERF, with a reasonable range of complications, in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer.


Subject(s)
Airway Obstruction/therapy , Esophageal Neoplasms/complications , Stents , Adult , Aged , Airway Obstruction/diagnostic imaging , Airway Obstruction/etiology , Alloys , Bronchi/pathology , Bronchography , Device Removal , Epidemiologic Methods , Esophageal Fistula/therapy , Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Fluoroscopy , Foreign-Body Migration/etiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Palliative Care/methods , Radiography, Interventional/methods , Respiratory Tract Fistula/therapy , Stents/adverse effects , Tracheal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging , Tracheal Stenosis/etiology , Tracheal Stenosis/therapy , Treatment Outcome
17.
Amino Acids ; 37(2): 407-13, 2009 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18712271

ABSTRACT

The reduction of elevated polyamine (PA) levels in biological fluids of cancer patients were known to be correlated with remission following diverse therapeutic treatments. In this study, altered urinary PA levels from three different cancer cases were monitored at different intervals during the long-term weekday acupuncture treatments. Nine urinary PA levels from 16 normal and three cancer patients with different types were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode as N-ethoxycarbonyl-N-pentafluoropropionyl derivatives. Their levels measured at three follow-up stages for each patient were then normalized to the corresponding normal group means and plotted into star symbol patterns. Large alterations of PA levels were observed for each patient. Each normalized concentration displayed elevation of the PA levels in multiples (0.0-57.7) of the respective normal mean values. The normalized PA values were transformed into distorted star patterns which were characteristic of each follow-up stage and of cancer type.


Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Neoplasms , Polyamines/urine , Female , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/urine , Sex Factors
19.
Rev Sci Instrum ; 79(2 Pt 2): 02C509, 2008 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18315252

ABSTRACT

Through many studies of the nitrogen implantation into aluminum alloy, researchers have concluded that AlN (aluminum nitride) formation is the key to hardening the aluminum surface. We implanted nitrogen ions into the Al6061, using an ion implanter which has a modified Bernas ion source. We changed the incident ion energies (25 keV, 50 keV) and fluences (1x10(17)-2x10(18) ions/cm(2)). To measure the depth hardness of implanted samples, we used nanoindentation test. The test results showed that the hardness of the implanted sample increased as the incident ion fluence increased until 1x10(18) ions/cm(2). However, the hardness did not increase at the fluence of 2x10(18) ions/cm(2). Furthermore, another result showed that the hardness was slightly decreased. To see the depth distribution of elements, we used Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis with depth profiling. Through the AES analysis, we observed that the nitrogen atomic ratio did not increase; since the atomic ratio reached its maximum point (50%), the depth profile formed a flat curve in the AES. It is determined by the AlN structure (1:1 combination), that is, by the stoichiometrical rule. The nitrogen atoms diffused to the inner and outer sides rather than made a narrowly ranged accumulation. We observed that the flat curve was lowered downward a little at the fluence of 2x10(18) ions/cm(2). Observing the atomic distribution of oxygen in AES, we could conclude that the lowered curve was due to the recoil implantation of oxygen which had been originally combined with the aluminum surface in the aluminum oxide (Al(2)O(3)) layer. Comparing the AES result and the nanoindention result, we concluded that the recoiled oxygen atoms are not effective on hardening the Al surface. In this study, we observed the tendency to stop increasing the samples' hardness over the ion fluence of 1x10(18) ions/cm(2). We observed the saturation of the atomic ratio by the stoichiometrical rule.

20.
Eur J Clin Nutr ; 62(6): 748-53, 2008 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17522616

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how the changes in overweight status from childhood to adolescence are related to metabolic syndrome phenotypes in adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total 375 adolescents aged 16 years. The overweight status from childhood to adolescence (from 7 years of age to 16 years) was determined by body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) calculated from records of the School Physical Examination data. The change in body weight was classified into four groups: normal weight to normal weight (NW-NW); overweight to normal (OW-NW); normal to overweight (NW-OW); overweight to overweight (OW-OW). Metabolic syndrome phenotypes were examined from a cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: The mean values of all phenotypes except for body fatness (BMI and waist) and the cluster score of phenotypes at 16 years of age were not different between the NW-NW group and the OW-NW group, nor between the NW-OW group and the OW-OW group. However, the score as well as the level of body fatness and blood glucose were significantly different between current overweight and normal adolescents regardless of overweight status during childhood (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a linear relationship between overweight status during childhood and metabolic syndrome phenotypes in adolescence but current overweight status (adolescence overweight) was more closely related to the adolescent risk of metabolic syndrome than childhood overweight status.


Subject(s)
Body Mass Index , Metabolic Syndrome/epidemiology , Nutritional Status , Overweight/metabolism , Thinness/metabolism , Adolescent , Body Weight/physiology , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Korea , Male , Metabolic Syndrome/etiology , Overweight/complications , Phenotype , Retrospective Studies , Thinness/complications
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