Confirming a beneficial effect of the six-minute walk test on exercise confidence in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Low confidence to exercise is a barrier to engaging in exercise in heart failure patients. Participating in low to moderate intensity exercise, such as the six-minute walk test, may increase exercise confidence. AIM: To compare the effects of a six-minute walk test with an educational control condition on exercise confidence in heart failure patients. METHODS: This was a prospective, quasi-experimental design whereby consecutive adult patients attending an out-patient heart failure clinic completed the Exercise Confidence Scale prior to and following involvement in the six-minute walk test or an educational control condition. RESULTS: Using a matched pairs, mixed model design (n=60; 87% male; Mage=58.87±13.16), we identified a significantly greater improvement in Total exercise confidence (F(1,54)=4.63, p=0.036, partial η2=0.079) and Running confidence (F(1,57)=4.21, p=0. 045, partial η2=0.069) following the six-minute walk test compared to the educational control condition. These benefits were also observed after adjustment for age, gender, functional class and depression. CONCLUSION: Heart failure patients who completed a six-minute walk test reported greater improvement in exercise confidence than those who read an educational booklet for 10 min. The findings suggest that the six-minute walk test may be used as a clinical tool to improve exercise confidence. Future research should test these results under randomized conditions and examine whether improvements in exercise confidence translate to greater engagement in exercise behavior.

Comparison of the effects of the pretreatment and treatment with RhIL-11 on acute liver failure induced by D-galactosamine.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of the pretreatment and treatment with recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) on acute liver failure induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN). METHODS: The Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, model, pretreatment, treatment and repeated treatment groups. The acute liver failure model was established by intraperitoneal injections with D-GalN (1400 mg/kg). The pretreatment, treatment and repeated treatment groups were injected subcutaneously with rhIL-11 (500 µg/kg). The rats were killed 24, 48, or 72 h after the D-GalN injection. The symptoms and survival rate of the rats were analysed. Liver injury was assessed by serum ALT and AST levels and by histological analysis. The percentage of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA+) cells in the liver tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the survival rate of the pretreatment group improved markedly, and these rats were protected from severe hepatic injury, as shown by the decreased serum ALT and AST levels and improved histological results. In the pretreatment group, the percentage of PCNA+ cells was significantly increased in the late stage. In contrast, the treatment and repeated treatment groups did not show improved survival rates or the prevention of severe hepatic injury, as shown by the absence of any decrease in the serum ALT and AST levels and the lack of any improvement in the histological results.The treatment and repeated treatment groups also have a significant increase in the percentage of PCNA+ cells in the late stage. CONCLUSIONS: The pretreatment with rhIL-11 can reduce acute liver failure and protect the liver. In contrast, the treatment with rhIL-11 cannot reduce acute liver failure or protect the liver.

Congenital auricular deformity consisting of cleft concha and transposition of the earlobe and antitragus.

We have reported a patient with a congenital auricular deformity consisting of cleft concha transposition of the earlobe and antitragus. This is an extremely rare entity. We have named it congenital auricular deformity consisting of cleft concha and transposition of the earlobe and antitragus because the case we described is a congenital cleft auricle and transposition of the earlobe and antitragus in terms of position of the deformity.

Respiratory Symptoms, Cognitions about Working Environments and Pulmonary Functions in Coal Mine Workers / 대한산업의학회지

To assess the adverse effects of dust on pulmonary function and to determine the association between subjective respiratory symptoms, cognitions about working environments and pulmonary functions, the study was conducted on 719 coal mine workers (395 workers on direct part, 324 workers on indirect part) being employed in a coal mine industry located in Hwa-Soon area. Questionnaires on respiratory symptoms and cognitions about working environments were filled out by themselves, and pulmonary function test was given by trained doctors. The results obtained were as follows ; 1. Significantly increased subjective respiratory symptoms prevalence were found in the workers on direct part comparing to workers on indirect part, and symptoms prevalence rate was higher in sputum, coughing, respiratory difficulty, palpitation and chest pain in order. 2. Significantly increased cognitions degree about working environments were found in workers on direct part comparing to workers on indirect part, and the degree was higher in dust concentration, temperature, working density and humidity in order. 3. FVC, FEV(0.5), FEF(200-1200ml) and FEF(25-75%) were lower for workers on direct part than that for workers on indirect part. 4. In workers on direct and indirect part, lung functions except FEF(200-l200ml) for the high subjective symptom group was smaller than that for the low group. There was not significane statistically, but the significane was found in FVC and FEVt in total coal workers. 5. In workers on direct part, FEVt and FEF(25-75%) for high cognition group about working environmental conditions was smaller than that for the low group but other lung functions were reversed. But in workers on indirect part, similar results was found and the significance was found in FEV(0.5) FEF(25-75%) and FEF(200-1200ml) in total coal workers. 6. Lung functions had negative correlation between sputum and FEF(200-1200ml).

[Etiological diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis].

1,014 faecal specimens were collected from 4 hospitals in Nanjing to investigate the infection of Cryptosporidium. Each faecal specimen was smeared and screened by auramine phenol staining method for oocyst, the positive and suspected specimens were identified by modified acid-fast staining method and safranin-methylene blue staining method. The result showed that 13 specimens were positive by auramine-phenol staining method and confirmed by modified acid-fast staining method. 5 suspected specimens were negative as shown by the latter two methods. The best result could be obtained when auramine-phenol staining method was first used and followed by modified acid-fast staining method. This technique is simple, sensitive and reliable. It is difficult to find oocysts by safranin methylene blue staining method when the oocysts are few.