• Asian Spine Journal
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.1043-1052
• /
• 2018

Study Design: Level III retrospective cross-sectional study. Purpose: To define and characterize the presentation, symptom duration, and patient/surgical risk factors associated with 'post-decompressive neuropathy (PDN).' Overview of Literature: PDN is characterized by lower extremity radicular pain that is 'different' from pre-surgical radiculopathy or claudication pain. Although it is a common constellation of postoperative symptoms, PDN is incompletely characterized and poorly understood. We hypothesize that PDN is caused by an intraoperative neuropraxic event and may develop early (within 30 days following the procedure) or late (after 30 days following the procedure) within the postoperative period. Methods: Patients who consented to undergo lumbar laminectomy with or without an instrumented fusion for degenerative lumbar spine disease were followed up prospectively from July 2013 to December 2014. Relevant data were extracted from the charts of the eligible patients. Patient demographics and surgical factors were identified. Patients completed postoperative questionnaires 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Questions were designed to characterize the postoperative pain that differed from preoperative pain. A diagnosis of PDN was established if the patient exhibited the following characteristics: pain different from preoperative pain, leg pain worse than back pain, a non-dermatomal pain pattern, and nocturnal pain that often disrupted sleep. A Visual Analog Scale was used to monitor the pain, and patients documented the effectiveness of the prescribed pain management modalities. Patients for whom more than one follow-up survey was missed were excluded from analysis. Results: Of the 164 eligible patients, 118 (72.0%) completed at least one follow-up survey at each time interval. Of these eligible patients, 91 (77.1%) described symptoms consistent with PDN. Additionally, 75 patients (82.4%) described early-onset symptoms, whereas 16 reported symptoms consistent with late-onset PDN. Significantly more female patients reported PDN symptoms (87% vs. 69%, p=0.03). Patients with both early and late development of PDN described their leg pain as an intermittent, constant, burning, sharp/stabbing, or dull ache. Early PDN was categorized more commonly as a dull ache than late-onset PDN (60% vs. 31%, p=0.052); however, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Opioids were significantly more effective for patients with early-onset PDN than for those with late-onset PDN (85% vs. 44%, p=0.001). Gabapentin was most commonly prescribed to patients who cited no resolution of symptoms (70% vs. 31%, p=0.003). Time to symptom resolution ranged from within 1 month to 1 year. Patients' symptoms were considered unresolved if symptoms persisted for more than 1 year postoperatively. In total, 81% of the patients with early-onset PDN reported complete symptom resolution 1 year postoperatively compared with 63% of patients with late-onset PDN (p=0.11). Conclusions: PDN is a discrete postoperative pain phenomenon that occurred in 77% of the patients who underwent lumbar laminectomy with or without instrumented fusion. Attention must be paid to the constellation and natural history of symptoms unique to PDN to effectively manage a self-limiting postoperative issue.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.98-106
• /
• 1994

The authors investigated 131 nonpsychiatric physicians' attitudes toward psychiatric consultation, using questionnaires. A comparison was made as regards psychiatric consultation from nonpsychiatric physicians over position(staffs vs. residents) and department(medical vs. surgical). These findings are as follows ; 1) 51.9 percent of nonpsychiatric physicians estimated that less than 30 percent of their patientshadpgychiatricproblems. 2) The percentage of the patients referred for psychiatric consultation were 30 or less than 30 percent 3) Staffs tried to refer their patients to psychiatric department for psychiatric consultation more frequently than residents. 4) Medical physicians tried to refer their patients to psychiatric department for psychiatric consultation more frequently than surgeons. 5) Psychiatric consultation was estimated to be most frequently requested for overt psychiatric symptoms(23.0%) and past history of psychiatric treatment(20.8%). 6) The most frequent causes of not referring to department of psychiatry were found to be the patients' rejection(46.8%) and non-psychiatric physicians' dissatisfaction with the results of consultation (22.2%). 7) Medical physicians tended to explain the reasons for psychiatric consultation more adequately than surgeons. 8) Residents more specifically wrote the reasons for psychiatric consultation on the chart than staffs. The results suggest that staffs are more active in psychiatric consultation than residents, whereas medical physicians are more active than surgeons. Thus, education should be more emphasized for surgeons and residents, especially for the latter for effective consultation-liaison activity. On the other hand, psychiatrists should try to improve nonpsychiatric physicians' dissatisfactions with the results of psychiatric consultations, which will positively change their attitudes toward psychiatric consultation.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.117-120
• /
• 2005

This study was conducted to establish the optimal temperature condition before oocyte activation in B6m F1 mouse. In experiment 1, two embryo culture media (CZB vs KSOM) were evaluated for the development of activated mouse oocytes. Parthenogenetic embryos cultured in KSOM showed better blastocyst development than ones cultured in CZB $(56.2\%\;vs\;81.0\%\;p<0.01)$. Two-hour of pre-incubation before activation significantly reduced the number of hatched blastocysts in KSOM $(22.0\%\;versus\;8.8\%\;p<0.05)$. In experiment 2, recovered oocytes were pre-incubated at different temperature conditions before activation. The experimental groups were divided by 5 as follows. Group A: pre-incubation for 120 min at $37^{\circ}C$, Group B: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 90 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, Group C: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 60 min then at $25^{\circ}C$for 60 min, Group D: pre-incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ for 30 min then at $25^{\circ}C$ for 90 min, and Group E: pre-incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ for 120 min before activation. Group A $(67.6\%)$ and B $(66.7\%)$ showed better development to the blastocyst stage than other groups $(Group\;C:\;50.0\%\;Group \;D:\;49.2\%\;Group\;E:\;33.3\%,\;p<0.05)$. The present study indicates that the temperature before activation affects the development of B6D2 F1 mouse parthenogenetic oocytes and exposure to room temperature should be limited to 30-min when the oocytes are left in HEPES-buffered medium for micromanipulation.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.12 no.7
• /
• pp.297-304
• /
• 2014

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of home based exercise program on balance recovery of stroke patients. In total, 20 participants were assigned to a control group(n=10) or exercise group(n=10) between September 2013 and December 2013. In addition to existing physiotherapy, the exercise group received home based exercise program consisting of weight transfer, training endurance, mobility, sensory retraining, lower limb exercise for 30 minutes, 2 times a week, for 8 weeks, every time for 30 minutes. Balance ability was assessed by measuring foot pressure(FP), limit of stability(LOS) and velocity sway(VS) by using Biorescue and by using the functional reaching test(FRT). To compare the improvement level of each group's balance ability, examination of independent sample T was done. Significant differences between control group and exercise group in LOS, VS of affect side and FRT were observed. This study showed that home based exercise program application was effective strategy on balance recovery in a post stroke population.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.182-188
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Despite the fact that there are several reports of single-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (SPDG), no analysis of its learning curve has been described in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the favorable factors for SPDG and to analyze the learning curve of SPDG. Materials and Methods: A total of 125 cases of SPDG performed from November 2011 to December 2015 were enrolled. All operations were performed by 2 surgeons (surgeon A and surgeon B). The moving average method was used for defining the learning curve. All cases were divided into 10 cases in a sequence, and the mean operative time and estimated blood loss data were extracted from each group. Results: Surgeon A performed 68 cases (female-to-male sex ratio, 91.1%:8.82%), and surgeon B performed 57 cases (female-to-male sex ratio, 61.4%:38.5%). The operative time of surgeon B significantly decreased after 30 cases ($157.8{\pm}38.4$ minutes vs. $118.1{\pm}34.5$ minutes, P=0.003); that of surgeon A did not significantly decrease before and after around 30 cases ($160.8{\pm}51.6$ minutes vs. $173.3{\pm}35.2$ minutes, P=0.6). The subgroup analysis showed that the operative time significantly decreased in the patients with body mass index (BMI) of <$25kg/m^2$ (<$25kg/m^2$:${\geq}25kg/m^2$, $159.3{\pm}41.7$ minutes: $194.25{\pm}81.1$ minutes; P=0.001). Conclusions: Although there was no significant decrease in the operative time for surgeon A, surgeon B reached the learning curve upon conducting 30 cases of SPDG. BMI of <$25kg/m^2$ was found to be a favorable factor for SPDG.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.189-206
• /
• 2011

Amplification based on empirical relations is widely used for seismic microzonation of urban centers. Amplifications are used to represent the site effects of a particular soil column. Many empirical correlations are available to estimate the amplification of seismic waves. These correlations are based on the ratio of shear wave velocity of foundation/rock to soil velocity or 30 m equivalent shear wave velocity ($Vs^{30}$) and are developed considering deep soil data. The aim of this work is to examine the applicability of available amplification relations in the literature for shallow engineering bedrock sites by carrying out site response studies. Shear wave velocity of thirteen sites having shallow engineering bedrock have been selected for the study. In these locations, the depth of engineering bedrock (> 760 ${\pm}$ 60 m/s) is matched with the drilled bore hole. Shear wave velocity (SWV) has been measured using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave survey. These sites are classified according to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) classification system. Amplifications for an earthquake are arrived for these sites using empirical relations and measured SWV data. Site response analysis has been carried out in SHAKE using SWV and using synthetic and real earthquake data. Amplification from site response analysis and empirical relations are compared. Study shows that the amplification arrived using empirical relations does not match with the site response amplification. Site response amplification is much more than empirical values for same shear wave velocity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.174-178
• /
• 2004

The objectives of this study were to investigate the ovarian responsiveness of juvenile calves to exogenous gonadotropin treatments and to establish the oocyte retrieval technique for prepubertal heifers. Three 78-day-old calves were treated with 4 doses (40, 30, 30 and 30 mg) of FSH (Folltropin V) at 12 h interval up to 229 day-old. Surgical oocyte retrieval was performed 24 h after the last injection of FSH. Calves with good ovarian responses to FSH treatment had an average ovarian size of $5{\times}3$ cm compared to $3{\times}2$ cm in the less-responsive animals. Large variations were observed in the number of total follicles ($51{\pm}45$), aspirated follicles ($39{\pm}36$), oocytes recovered ($23{\pm}25$) and usable oocytes recovered ($11{\pm}19$) during 78 to 229 day-old. Oocytes derived from prepubertal calves had significantly lower maturation rate than those from cows (34 vs. 100%, p<0.05). Mean diameters of calf oocytes ($144{\pm}1{\mu}m$) and ooplasm ($110{\pm}1 {\mu}m$) were significantly lower than those of cows ($149{\pm}1$ and $25{\pm}1{\mu}m$, respectively). The diameter of the ooplasm also increased significantly after in vitro maturation (IVM) ($108{\pm}1$ vs. $112{\pm}1{\mu}m$). However, further studies are required to optimize the IVP system for the oocytes derived from prepubertal heifers.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.251-258
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in children, but recent evidence suggests a potential association between PPI treatment and some types of infections. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) for the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children with GERD treated with PPI (omeprazol). Methods: Children younger than 5 years with GERD were assigned by a computer-generated list to receive LGG (10⁹ colony-forming units) or placebo, twice daily, concomitantly with PPI treatment for 4-6 weeks; they were followed up for 12 weeks after therapy. The primary outcome measures were the percentage of children with a minimum of one episode of respiratory tract infection and the percentage of children with a minimum of one episode of gastrointestinal infection during the study. Results: Of 61 randomized children, 59 patients (LGG n=30; placebo n=29, mean age 11.3 months) were analyzed. There was no significant difference found between the LGG and placebo groups, either for the proportion of children with at least one respiratory tract infection (22/30 vs. 25/29, respectively; relative risk [RR] 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-1.10) or for the proportion of children with at least one gastrointestinal infection (9/30 vs. 9/29, respectively; RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.45-2.09). Conclusion: LGG was not effective in the prevention of infectious complications in children with GERD receiving PPI. Caution is needed in interpreting these results, as the study was terminated early due to slow subject recruitment.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.634-638
• /
• 2005

The effects of ingredients added (first cutting ingredients vs. both first and second cutting ingredients), and cooking method (smoking vs. boiling) on product quality and volatile compounds were examined for low-fat and regular-fat sausages. Regular-fat sausages had slightly higher pH values (6.2-6.3) than those (6.1-6.2) of low-fat counterparts. However, the pH values of the sausages were not significantly affected by the different ingredients and cooking methods (p>0.05). Approximately 30 volatile compounds were identified from these comminuted sausages. The headspace concentrations of 4-methyl-1-[1-methylethyl]-3-cyclohexen-1-ol, ${\alpha}$- terpenyl acetate, eugenol, trans-caryophyllene and myristicine were lower in low-fat and regular-fat sausages containing the first cutting ingredients alone, than in those with both cutting ingredients. The volatile compounds of the smoked comminuted sausages were mostly phenols and hetero-compounds, and a lot of volatile compounds were shown before the retention time (RT) of 30 min. However, not many volatile compounds were detected in the boiled sausages prior to the RT of 30 min.

• Laboraroty Animal Research
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.211-215
• /
• 2018

The following experiments were designed to examine the effect of serum of spayed dogs on superovulation response in mice and rats. In Experiment 1, female mice at diestrus (n=30) were divided into three equal groups and superovulated with either administration of 5 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) or recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) (reducing dose from 2.5 to 0.5 IU) and 5 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administered 48h later. Serum of spayed dogs was administered intraperitoneally at a reduced dose from 0.1 to 0.025 mL in a 48 h period. In Experiment 2, female rats (n=30) at diestrus stage were divided into three equal groups. Superovulation was induced using either 30 IU PMSG, or a dose reduced from 5 to 1 IU rFSH and 25 IU hCG administered 48h later. Serum of spayed dogs was administered in a reduced dose from 0.6 to 0.1 mL in a 48 hour period. Female mice and rats were mated 24 h following hCG administration. On day 14 after mating, animals were euthanized and ovarian sections were fixed for histopathological evaluation and corpus luteum (CL) counting. No significant difference observed in mean (${\pm}SEM$) number of CLs between the PMSG group and the mice that received serum of spayed dog ($10.4{\pm}1.3$ vs $9.2{\pm}1.0$). Mean (${\pm}SEM$) number of CLs tended to be lower in rats that received serum of spayed dog than those of rats which received either PMSG or rFSH ($15.1{\pm}1.9$ vs $23.6{\pm}3.1$ and $23.1{\pm}2.9$, P=0.06, respectively). In conclusion, serum of spayed dogs is able to induce a superovulatory response in mice and rats.