• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.503-508
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• 1998

Background: Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis is one of the common causes of cervical mass in adult (especially in woman) in korea. Sometimes it appears to be difficult in defining the role of surgery and duration of antituberculous chemotherapy. Method: To clarify the proper duration and/or combination of regimens, we analyzed the clinical data of 31 patient with cervical lymphadenitis diagnosed at Chungnam National University Hospital from March 1996 to December 1996 and all patients were prospectively randomized into two groups(2HREZ/4HRE and 6HREZ) by treatment method. Result: Prevalent age, male to female ratio, association with pulmonary tuberculosis and history of previous antituberculous medication were not statistically different between two groups. The average size of the largest lymph node before teatment was $2.43{\pm}0.98cm$ and $3.15{\pm}1.74cm$, respectively and was 0.63cm and 0.6cm after treatment, respectively. In both groups, 2 patients have engrowing node or not changed node during tratment and no recurrence was found during follow up period upto 12 months. In both groups, no significant side reaction resulting in discotinuation or changing the regimens was noticed. Conclusion: Short course antituberculosis therapy(2HREZ/4HRE) could be recommanded as effective standard therapy for superficial lymph node tuberculosis. Longterm follow up at least 36 months to observe recurrence might be needed to confirm this conclusion.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.137-142
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• 2009

Purpose: World Health Organization (WHO) have suggested that an individual's 10-year absolute fracture risk is more reliable than Bone Mineral Density (BMD) measurement as the predictor of osteoporotic fracture. In 2008, Fracture Risk Assessment Tool ($FRAX^{TM}$) was developed by WHO to evaluate fracture risk of patients based on individual's clinical risk factors. The purpose of this study is to offer the comparative analysis of the existing GE prodigy and $FRAX^{TM}$ Tool in Absolute Fracture Risk Assessment Tool. Materials and Methods: 201 women ($55{\pm}3.5$ years) underwent femoral neck BMD measurement using GE Prodigy. The 10-year probability (%) of hip fracture (or a major osteoporosis-related fracture) was estimated using T-scores of GE prodigy and $FRAX^{TM}$. We made a comparative analysis of these data using SPSS (Ver.12). Results: There was a significant difference statistically between T-score ($-0.52{\pm}0.97$) of GE prodigy and T-score ($-1.45{\pm}0.81$) of $FRAX^{TM}$ (r=0.977, p=0.000). Also, there was a significant difference statistically between a major osteoporosis- related fracture ($9.15{\pm}3.71$) of GE prodigy and a major osteoporosis-related fracture ($4.87{\pm}1.51$) of $FRAX^{TM}$ (r=0.909, p=0.000). Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found in the 10-year probability of hip fracture of GE prodigy ($1.56{\pm}1.48$) and of hip fracture ($0.53{\pm}0.61$) of $FRAX^{TM}$ (r=0.905, p=0.000). Conclusions: There was a significant difference statistically between GE prodigy and $FRAX^{TM}$ Tool in Absolute Fracture Risk Assessment Tool. Especially, T-score, a major osteoporosis-related fracture and the 10-year probability of hip fracture that were estimated using GE prodigy tended to show the higher results than one evaluated by $FRAX^{TM}$ Tool. In conclusion, $FRAX^{TM}$ Tool may provide a better tool. The application of $FRAX^{TM}$ Tool as a fracture predictor remains to be clarified.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.9 s.254
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• pp.601-608
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• 2005

Background: To maximize the histological advantage and minimize the physiological disadvantage, we have been using the skeletonized gastroepiploic artey (GEA) as a free graft for total arterial revascularization. The aims of the current study was to assess the efficacy of the skeletonized GEA as a composite or extended graft for total arterial revascularization. Material and Method: Between January 2000 and Feburary 2005, 133 patients (43 female, mean age=61.8 yrs) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with a skeletonized GEA as free graft (22 extended, 107 composite and 4 others) were enrolled in this study. Coronary angiograms were performed in the immediate (median 44 days, n=86), early (median 366 days, n=56) and midterm (median 984 days, n=29) postoperative periods. Result: There were 3 ($2.2\%$) early and 4 ($3.3\%$) late cardiac-related deaths. The mean number of distal anastomoses per patient was 3.34 for total graft and 1.92 for GEA graft. The immediate, early, and midterm GEA patency were 157/159 ($98.7\%$), 106/142 ($94.6\%$), and 53/56 ($94.6\%$), respectively. During follow-up, four patients required percutaneous intracoronary intervention because of GEA and target coronary artery stenosis or competitive flow. Conclusion: These data demonstrate satisfactory clinical and angiographic results in the skeletonized GEA as free graft for total arterial revascularizatioh. Although we need a careful longer follow-up, the skeletonized GEA as a free graft will be a valuable option 'to be' for CABG.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2012

Objective : This study aims to identify the effect of an occupational therapeutic intervention program including horticultural therapy on cognition and daily living performance of the elderly with dementia. Methods : For the purpose, the study measured the changes before and after the therapy, targeting sixteen women with dementia who were living in nursery facilities. We used MMSE-K to analyse the cognition, and evaluated daily living performance using K-MBI(p<.05). Results : The results of the study were presented as follows: 1. To identify changes of MMSE-K before and after the therapy between the control and test groups. As a result, it was discovered that MMSE-K of the control group was $16.25{\pm}1.38$ before the therapy and $16.00{\pm}.92$ after the therapy, which indicated no significant differences, but MMSE-K of the test group was $16.00{\pm}1.51$ before the therapy and $17.87{\pm}1.35$ after the therapy, which was statistically significant (p<.05). 2. To identify changes in daily living performance(K-MBI) between the two groups before and after the therapy, and it was discovered that scores of the control group were $74.00{\pm}1.30$ before the therapy and $74.25{\pm}1.16$ after the therapy, which showed no significant difference, but those of the test group were $73.75{\pm}1.28$ before the therapy and $76.37{\pm}1.30$ after the therapy, which was statistically significant(p<.05). Conclusion : Based on the results above, it was demonstrated that the an occupational therapeutic intervention program including horticultural therapy had a positive effect on cognition and daily living performance of elderly women with dementia and it is suggested that the results can be used as basic data for clinical intervention of the elderly with dementia.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2005

Purpose : The aim of this study is to find the prevalence of obesity, the serum lipid levels and the age at menarche in adolescent female athletes and to examine the effects of exercise in adolescent stage. Methods : With a questionnaire regarding their age at menarche, physical measurement, body fat, and blood samples of the serum lipid levels to evaluate the hyperlipidemia were obtained from adolescent female athletes(n=107) and general adolescent students(n=650) who didn't exercise at regular intervals, aged 12 to 18 years. Results : The mean weight in the athletes' group was $53.3{\pm}7.3kg$ which was similar with $54.3{\pm}8.0kg$ in the control group. The mean height in the athletes' group was $161.4{\pm}5.4cm$, which was taller than $158.9{\pm}5.3cm$ in the control group. The prevalence of obesity by obesity index, body fat, and BMI in the athletes' group were significantly lower than in control group. There was no significant difference in age at menarche between two groups($12.6{\pm}1.3$, $12.9{\pm}1.2$). The levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol in the athletes' group were higher than in the control group. The levels of triglyceride in the athletes' group was lower than in control group. Conclusion : These data suggest the importance of exercise in adolescents for the prevention of obesity since it may reduce body fat and increase the height. There was no negative effect of exercise on the age at menarche. We think that more controlled assessment of nutrition, diet habit, hormonal effect and height are warranted to find the correlation with hyperlipidemia and exercise at the adolescent stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.1308-1314
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• 2006

Purpose : This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of auditory evoked potential (AEP) in clarifying neuronal development in premature small for gestational age (SGA), and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants. Methods : A total of 183 premature infants who were born from August 2002 to July 2005, were examined with AEP. They were divided into three groups; AGA, symmetric-SGA and asymmetric-SGA group. Results : Statistically significant differences in the head circumference were observed in three groups. Among the risk factors, prevalence of hypoglycemia and hypoalbuminemia between AGA and asymmetric SGA infants were significantly different. V absolute peak latency (APL) in the right side of AGA infants was delayed were than that of asymmetric SGA infants. III-V interpeak latency (IPL) of asymmetric SGA infants was delayed more than that of symmetric SGA infants. Moreover, I-V IPL on both sides of symmetric SGA infants was shortened more than that of AGA infants. However, all the results of AEP were within the reference range, according to gestational age. Birth weight of, only asymmetric SGA, was related to the III APL on both sides and the III-V IPL on right side. Conclusion : This study shows that the values of APL and IPL of premature SGA infants are different than that of premature AGA infants. These data could be an indicator in evaluating the neurologic functions of small for gestational age infants.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.610-616
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• 2006

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the timing of sexual maturation and secular trends of menarchial age in Korean adolescents. Methods : Nine hundred eighty two school students and 119 university female students were included. Tanner's pubertal assessment method was applied using a self-assessment sheet with pictures for their developmental stages. A medical checkup database from 1,156,022 women was also used to analyze the age of menarche from the year 1900 to 1980. Results : Onset of puberty was at $11.3{\pm}1.3$ years(y) in girls and $12.1{\pm}1.5$ y in boys and total pubertal duration was 3.6 y in girls and 3.3 y in boys. Height at the onset of puberty was $146.1{\pm}7.9cm$ in girls and $152.7{\pm}9.8cm$ in boys. Weight at the onset of puberty was $39.3{\pm}6.9kg$ in girls and $47.7{\pm}14.4kg$ in boys. The mean age of menarche was $12.0{\pm}1.0y$ and mean age at nocturnal emission was $12.3{\pm}1.8y$. By age ten, 3.0 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 41.1 percent by age 12, and 98.0 percent by age over 15. By SMR 2 breast stage, 18.2 percent of girls experienced menarche, which increased to 66.1 percent and 91.7 percent by SMR stages 3 and 4, respectively. By SMR 2 pubic hair stage, 52.0 percent and by SMR 3, 93.8 percent of girls experienced menarche. While the menarchial age of women born around 1980 was $12.4{\pm}1.1y$, the menarchial age of women born around 1990 was $12.0{\pm}1.1y$. Age at menarche has been advanced approximately by 2 years between 1900 and 1980 birth cohorts. Conclusion : There was a downward secular trend in pubertal timing. Age at menarche has been advanced by 2 years during the last 80 years. Further large scale, prospective studies, including inspection by specialists, are needed to provide reference data for pubertal timing in Korean adolescents.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.12
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• pp.1340-1347
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• 2006

Purpose : The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of polymorphic cytosine adenine (CA) repeat of the IGF-I gene in the age-related alterations of serum IGF-I levels in healthy children. Methods : Two hundred and forty three normal healthy children (136 boys; 107 girls) aged between 7 and 15 years were enrolled in the present study. The primers were designed to cover the promoter regions containing the polymorphic CA repeat. Data were analyzed using GeneMapper software, version 3.7. All analyses were performed using MEDCALC software packages. Results: Deletion of 2 bp (G, A) following 3' of CA repeat were observed in all Korean children. The CA repeat sequences ranged from 17 to 23, and 19 CA repeat were the most common with an alleles frequency of 39.3 percent. Considering genotypes, 63.8 percent of subjects were homozygote or heterozygote for 19 CA repeat (192 bp allele), suggesting that this is wild type allele from which all other alleles originated in Korean children. Homozygote for 19 CA repeat were 14.7 percent, heterozygote for 19 CA repeat was 49.1 percent and 19 CA noncarriers totalled 36.2 percent. In 19 CA repeat noncarriers, the mean height, weight and serum IGF-I level were lower compared with those of 19 CA homozygous carriers, but statistically not significant. Correlations between serum IGF-I level and age according to the IGF-I genotypes revealed statistically significant relationships in the all groups, in the 19 CA repeat carrier group and, even in the noncarrier group. Conclusions : There were no significant differences of the mean height, weight and serum IGF-I levels among three different genotype groups. Also, there were no significantly different correlations between 19 CA repeat polymorphisms and serum IGF-I levels, according to genotype. Our results suggest that the IGF-I 19 CA repeat gene polymorphism is not associated with circulating IGF-I levels in healthy children.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.1337-1347
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• 2009

Purpose:Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a simple sulfur-containing amino acid. It is abundantly present in tissues such as brain, retina, heart, and skeletal muscles. Current studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of taurine, but limited data are available for such effects during neonatal period. The aim of this study was to determine whether taurine could reduce hypoxic-ischemic (HI) cerebral injury via anti-apoptosis mechanism. Methods:Embryonic cortical neurons isolated from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at 18 days gestation were cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into hypoxia group, taurine-treated group before hypoxic insult, and taurine-treated group after HI insult. In the in vivo model, left carotid artery ligation was performed in 7-day-old SD rat pups. The pups were exposed to hypoxia, administered an injection of 30 mg/kg of taurine, and killed at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the hypoxic insult. We compared the expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 among the 3 groups by using real- time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Results:The cells in the taurine-treated group before hypoxic insult, although similar in appearance to those in the normoxia group, were lesser in number. In the taurine-treated group, Bcl-2 expression increased, whereas Bax and caspase-3 expressions reduced. Conclusion:Taurine exerts neuroprotective effects onperinatal HI brain injury due to its anti-apoptotic effect. The neuroprotective effect was maximal at 1-2 weeks after the hypoxic injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.7
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• pp.824-831
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• 2009

Purpose : We aimed to investigate the efficacy of and functional recovery after intracerebral transplantation of different doses of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) in immature rat brain with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods : Postnatal 7-days-old Sprague-Dawley rats, which had undergone unilateral HI operation, were given stereotaxic intracerebral injections of either vehicle or mMSCs and then tested for locomotory activity in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th week of the stem cell injection. In the 8th week, Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the learning and memory dysfunction for a week. Results : In the open field test, no differences were observed in the total distance/the total duration (F=0.412, P=0.745) among the 4 study groups. In the invisible-platform Morris water maze test, significant differences were observed in escape latency (F=380.319, P<0.01) among the 4 groups. The escape latency in the control group significantly differed from that in the high-dose mMSC and/or sham group on training days 2-5 (Scheffe's test, P<0.05) and became prominent with time progression (F=6.034, P<0.01). In spatial probe trial and visible-platform Morris water maze test, no significant improvement was observed in the rats that had undergone transplantation. Conclusion : Although the rats that received a high dose of mMSCs showed significant recovery in the learning-related behavioral test only, our data support that mMSCs may be used as a valuable source to improve outcome in HIE. Further study is necessary to identify the optimal dose that shows maximal efficacy for HIE treatment.