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Urinary Tract Infections in Febrile Infants under Three Months of Age (3개월 이하 영아기 열성 요로감염증에 대한 임상적 관찰)

  • Eun, Byung Wook;Chung, Yoo Mi;Kang, Hee Gyung;Ha, Il Soo;Cheong, Hae Il;Lee, Hoan Jong;Choi, Yong
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.46 no.3
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    • pp.265-270
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    • 2003
  • Purpose : To characterize the infants under 3 months of age with urinary tract infections(UTIs), and especially patients with bacteremia or meningitis Methods : Hospital records of all the infants under 3 months of age discharged from our hospital for 69 consecutive months with the diagnosis of initial episode of UTI were reviewed. UTI was defined when patients had fever with pyuria, and had urine culture results of ${\geq}10^5$ colony forming units/mL from a bag specimen. Patients with previously known urologic abnormality or immunodeficiency were excluded. Nosocomial infections were also excluded from the study. Results : The male:female ratio was 35 : 6. Of the urine cultures, 40(97.6%) yielded single pathogen, one yielded two pathogens. Escherichia coli was the predominant isolate from the urine. Five patients(12%) also had bacteremia. Pathogens isolated from the blood cultures were E. coli(4) and Enterococcus faecalis(1). No patient had culture-positive meningitis or cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. Clinical or laboratory findings between patients with and without bacteremia were not different significantly. The rate of vesicoureteral reflux(VUR) was 44%. The sensitivity of ultrasound for detection of VUR was 38%; specificity was 50%. Conclusion : Clinical and laboratory data were not helpful for identifying patients with bacteremia at the time of presentation. Consequently, blood cultures need to be obtained from all febrile infants under 3 months of age with UTIs. A large-scale study including the indication of lumbar puncture for infants with a febrile UTI and study of evaluation and treatment of infants under 3 months of age with UTIs are required.

Long-term Oxygen Therapy for Chronic Respiratory Insufficiency: the Situation in Korea after the Health Insurance Coverage: a Multi-center Korean Survey -Study for the Development and Dissemination of the COPD Guidelines, Clinical Research Center for Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease- (가정산소치료의 보험급여 실시 이후 처방 실태: 다기관 조사 -만성기도폐쇄성질환 임상연구센터 제3세부과제 만성기도폐쇄성질환 진료지침 개발/보급 연구-)

  • Park, Myung Jae;Yoo, Jee-Hong;Choi, Cheon Woong;Kim, Young Kyoon;Yoon, Hyoung-Kyu;Kang, Kyung Ho;Lee, Sung Yong;Choi, Hye Sook;Lee, Kwan Ho;Lee, Jin Hwa;Lim, Sung-Chul;Kim, Yu-Il;Shin, Dong Ho;Kim, Tae Hyun;Jung, Ki-Suck;Park, Yong Bum
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.67 no.2
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    • pp.88-94
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    • 2009
  • Background: From November 2006, The national health insurance system in the Republic of Korea began to cover prescribed long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. This study examined the current status of LTOT after national health insurance coverage. Methods: Between November 1, 2006 and June 30, 2008, the medical records of patients who were prescribed LTOT by chest physicians were reviewed. The data was collected from 13 university hospitals. Results: 197 patients (131 male and 66 female) were prescribed LTOT. The mean age was 64.3${\pm}$13.0 years. The most common underlying disease was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=103, 52.3%). Chest physicians prescribed LTOT using arterial blood gas analysis or a pulse oxymeter (74.6%), symptoms (14%), or a pulmonary function test (11.2%). The mean oxygen flow rate was 1.56${\pm}$0.68 L/min at rest, 2.08${\pm}$0.91 L/min during exercise or 1.51${\pm}$0.75 L/min during sleep. Most patients (98.3%) used oxygen concentrators. Only 19% of patients used ambulatory oxygen supplies. The oxygen saturation before and after LTOT was 83.18${\pm}$10.48% and 91.64${\pm}$7.1%, respectively. After LTOT, dyspnea improved in 81.2% of patients. The mean duration of LTOT was 16.85${\pm}$6.71 hours/day. The rental cost for the oxygen concentrator and related electricity charges were 48,414${\pm}$15,618 won/month and 40,352${\pm}$36,815 won/month, respectively. Approximately 75% of patients had a regular visit by the company. 5.8% of patients had personal pulse oxymetry. 54.9% of patients had their oxygen saturation checked on each visit hospital. 8% of patients were current smokers. The most common complaint with LTOT was the limitation of daily activity (53%). The most common complaint with oxygen concentrators was noise (41%). Conclusion: The patients showed good compliance with LTOT. However, only a few patients used an ambulatory oxygen device or had their oxygen saturation measured.

Microassisted Fertilization of Human Oocytes with Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection in IVF-ET Patients with History of Failure in Fertilization or Extremely Low Fertilization Rate in Previous Cycles (미수정 및 저수정율의 기왕력을 지닌 체외수정시술 환자에서의 난자 세포질내 정자 주입술을 이용한 미세보조 수정술에 관한 연구)

  • Moon, Shin-Yong;Kim, Seok-Hyun;Chae, Hee-Dong;Kim, Kwang-Rye;Lee, Jae-Hoon;Kim, Hee-Sun;Ryu, Buom-Yong;Oh, Sun-Kyung;Suh, Chang-Suk;Choi, Young-Min;Kim, Jung-Gu;Lee, Jin-Yong
    • Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.83-93
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    • 1997
  • Although IVF-ET is widely applied in the treatment of couples with male factor infertility, it may fail in many infertile couples with normal semen parameters, and certain couples cannot be accepted for standard IVF-ET due to unfertilization or extremely low fertilization rate of oocytes. Recently, several procedures of microassisted fertilization (MAF) using micromanipulation have been introduced, and pregnancies and births have been obtained after partial zona dissection (PZD), subzonal insertion (SUZI), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This clinical study was performed to develop and establish ICSI as an effective procedure of MAF in infertile couples who could not undergo standard IVF-ET repetitively because of failure in fertilization or extremely low fertilization rate of oocytes with the conventional fertilization technique in the previous IVF-ET cycles. From March, 1995 to May, 1996, 27 cycles of IVF-ET with ICSI in 19 infertile patients were included in study group, and the outcomes of ICSI were analyzed according to fertilization rate, cumulative embryo score (CES), and pregnancy rate. The number of oocytes retrieved after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) was $10.50{\pm}6.13$ in 30 previous cycles, and $10.57{\pm}5.53$ in 27 ICSI cycles. In ICSI cycles, the number of oocytes optimal for ICSI procedure was $7.89{\pm}4.30$, and the fertilization rate of $67.9{\pm}20.2%$ could be obtained after ICSI. The number of embryos transferred was $1.43{\pm}2.40$ in previous cycles, and $4.36{\pm}1.77$ with the mean CES of $41.8{\pm}27.4$ in ICSI cycles. In ICSI cycles, the overall pregnancy rate was 29.6% (8/27) per cycle and 42.1% (8/19) per patient with the clinical pregnancy rate of 22.2% (6/27) per cycle and 31.6% (6/19) per patient. In conclusion, MAF of human oocytes with ICSI is a promising fertilization method for IVF-ET patients, especially with the past history of failure in fertilization or low fertilization rate of oocytes in the previous IVF-ET cycles, and ICSI using micromanipulation procedures applied to human oocytes will provide a range of novel techniques which may dramatically improve the pregnancy rate in IVF-ET program and contribute much to effective management of infertile couples.

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Ultrastructural Changes Induced by Telluric Acid in the Rat Liver (Telluric Acid가 흰쥐 간조직의 미세구조에 미치는 영향)

  • Son, Serk-Joo;Jeong, Young-Gil;Cho, Seung-Muk;Baik, Tai-Kyung;Choi, Chang-Do;Choi, Wol-Bong
    • Applied Microscopy
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    • v.25 no.4
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    • pp.83-103
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    • 1995
  • This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of telluric acid on the histological and fine structural changes in the rat liver. Fischer 344 rats($150{\sim}200gm$) were used in this study as control and experimental groups. Telluric acid(5 mg/100 gm of body weight) suspensed in olive oil was given intraperitoneally to the animals of the experimental group and only olive oil to those of the control group. At the intervals of 3, 6 and 12 hours, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 days after administration, the animals were sacrificed, and livers were obtained from the rats. For light microscopic examination of the liver, sections($5{\mu}m$) were stained with hematoxylineosin(H-E). For electron microscopic examination of the liver, sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, finally examined with Zeiss EM 109 electron microscopes. The results obtained were as follows. 1. In the control group, round nucleus. well developed mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, rough endoplasmic reticulum(RER) and numerous glycogen particles were observed in the cytoplasm of the hepatocyte. In the cytoplasmic membranes of the hepatocyte, sinusoidal surface had numerous microvilli and cellular surface is combinated adjacent hepatocyte with desmosomes. The RER cisterns were dilated and zymogen granules were fewer than those of the dark cells. Kupffer cells with irregular nuclear membrane were observed. Fat storing cell and collagenous fiber bundle were observed in the Disse space. 2. Kupffer cell, inflammatory cells in the connective tissue of hepatic triad and lysosome were increased in the 3, 6, and 12 hour experimental group comparing with that of the control group. 3. In the 1 day experimental group, infiltration of inflammatory cells in interlobular connective tissue, dilatation of sinusoidal capillary and increasing of Kupffer cell were observed. Atropic change of hepatocyte and aggregation of glycogen particles in the cytoplasm of hepatocyte were observed. In this group, desmosome near bile canaliculi and collagenous fiber bundle in the Disse space were increased comparing with that of the 12 hours experimental group. In the 2 days experimental group, desmosome, lysosome, peroxisome and collagenous fiber bundle were increased comparing with that of the 1 day experimental group. Furthermore, lamellated bodies were also seen in the cytoplasm of the hepatocyte. 4. In 3 and 5 days experimental groups, transformations of hepatic cell cord and degeneration of the hepatocyte were markedly inclosed comparing with the all experimental groups. And damaged RER and mitochondria. collagenous fiber bundle were also inclosed comparing with that of the 2 days experimental group. Autophagosome and fat storing cells with large lipid droplets were also observed comparing with that of the 2 days experimental group. Tight junction and desmosome between the hepatocytes were separated. These degenerating changes were severe through the all experimental groups. 5. In the 10 and 20 days experimental groups, arrangement of hepatic cell cords and cell organelles of hepatocytes were similar to those of the control group. However, aggregation of glycogen particles, dilatation of sinusoidal capillary and infiltration of inflammatory cells remained. 6. In the 30 days experimental group, the tissue findings were similar to those of the control grout. But lamellated bodies in some hepatocytes and lysosome were remained in the cytoplasms of the Kupffer cells. In the 60 days experimental group, these all changes were recovered as the control group. In conclusion, telluric acid would directly induce the degenerative and necrotic changes on the hepatic tissue. However, these changes were perfectly recoverd in the 60 days experimental group as the control group.

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The Research about the Classification System Improvement and Cord Development of Korean Classification of Disease on Oriental Internal Medicine (한국표준질병사인분류중 한방내과영역의 분류체계 개선 및 진단명 구성에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Won-Chul
    • The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2010
  • Objectives : It is necessary that the international classification of diseases (ICD) be examined in order to comprise the third revision of the Korean Classification of Disease on Oriental Medicine (KCD-OM) and disease classification in the oriental internal medicine field. It is essential that the selection, classification and definition of disease and pattern names of oriental concepts in internal medicine be clear. Since 2008, the fifth revision of the Korean Classification of Disease (KCD-5) has been used in Korea. It was required to use the reference classification from the Oriental medicine area based on the ICD-10. Methods : In this review, the necessity for, meaning of and content of the third revision are briefly described. The ICD system was reviewed and KCD-OM was reconstructed. How diagnosis in the oriental internal medicine area had changed is discussed. Review and Results : In 1973, the disease classification of oriental medicine was established the basis on the contents of Dongeuibogam. It was irrespective of the ICD. As to the classification system in the Oriental internal medicine field, systemic disease was comprised of wind, cold, warm, wet, dryness, heat, spirit, ki, blood, phlegm and retained fluid, consumptive disease, etc. Diseases of internal medicine comprised a system according to the five viscera and the six internal organs and followed the classification system of Dongeuibogam. The first and second revisions were of the classification system based on the curriculum in 1979 and 1995. In 1979, in the first revision, geriatric disease and idiopathic types of disease were deleted, and skin disease was included among surgery diseases. This classification was expanded to 792 small classification items and 1,535 detailed classification items to the dozen disease classes. In 1995, in the second revision, it was adjusted to 644 small classes and 1,784 detailed classification items in the dozen disease classes. KCD-OM3 did KCD from this basis. It added and comprised the oriental medical doctor's concept names of diseases considering the special conditions in Korea. KCD-OM3 examined the KCD-OMsecond revised edition (1994). It improved the duplex classification, improper classifications, etc. It is difficult for us to separate the disease names and pattern names in oriental medicine. We added to the U code and made one classification system. By considering the special conditions in Korea, 169 codes (83 disease name codes, 86 pattern name codes) became the pre-existence classification and links among 306 U codes of KCD-OM3. 137 codes were newly added in the third revision. U code added 3 domains. These are composed of the disease name (U20-U33, 97 codes), the disease pattern name (U50-U79, 191 codes) and the constitution pattern name of each disease (U95-U98, 18 codes). Conclusion : The introduction of KCD-OM3 conforms to the diagnostic system by which oriental medical doctors examine classes used with the basic structure of the reference classification of WHO and raises the clinical study and academic activity of the Korean oriental medicine and makes the production of all kinds of nation statistical indices possible. The introduction of KCD-OM3 promotes the diagnostic system by which doctors of Oriental medicine examine classes using the association with KCD-5. It will raise the smoothness and efficiency of oriental medical treatment payments in the health insurance, automobile insurance, industrial accident compensation insurance, etc. In addition, internationally, the eleventh revision work of the ICD has been initiated. It needs to consider incorporating into the International Classification of Diseases some of every country's traditional medicine.

An Analysis of Articles for International Marriage Immigrant Women Related to Health (국제결혼 이주여성 건강관련 선행연구 분석)

  • Ahn, Ok-Hee;Jeon, Mi-Soon;Hwang, Yoon-Young;Kim, Kyung-Ae;Youn, Mi-Sun
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.134-150
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    • 2010
  • Objectives: This study was for analyzing the research about international marriage immigrant women and a trial to find the right direction for future research. Methods: Sixty articles published from June, 2004 to June, 2009 were reviewed and analyzed according to the general characteristics, major of author, and theme of health domains. Results: Most of them were master's thesis(71.7%) and journals(21.7%) and doctoral dissertation(6.7%) have been published mostly after thesis. Among 83.3% for quantitative research, descriptive(33.3%) and descriptive correlation(41.7%) methods were the most used and there were some qualitative researches(16.7%). The most frequently used data gathering method was questionnaire(81.7%) and the next was interview(16.7%). The major rates of the author were 61.7% for social welfare and 2.1% for nursing. The investigated variables in social health domain were adaptation(28.3%), and communication(1.7%). In psychological health domain, marriage satisfaction(16.7%), life satisfaction(11.7%), and depression(10.0%) were most researched. Utilization of medical center(5.0%) and health promotion behavior(1.7%) were investigated in physical health domain. Conclusions: Above this, most articles were researched about the adaptation of international marriage immigrant women. But the life in foreign countries can cause physical and psychosocial unhealthy conditions, so many-sided health related researches are supposed to be conducted for adaptation and prevention health problems of international marriage immigrant women.

Effects of Air Pollution on the Pinus thunbergii Forest in the Vicinity of Sasang Industrial Complex in Korea (사상공단(沙上工團) 주변(周邊)의 대기오염(大氣汚染)이 해송림(海松林)에 미치는 영향(影響))

  • Kim, Jeom Soo;Lee, Kang Young
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.83 no.4
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    • pp.486-497
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    • 1994
  • The objective of this study was to examine the effects of air pollution on Pinus thunbergii forests surrounding Sasang industrial complex in Korea. The injury index, contents of chlorophyll and mineral elements, and concentrations of water soluble sulfur in needles were investigated at sample plots surrounding industrial complex and compared with those of control far from industrial complex. The results obtained are as follows ; 1. Discoloration of Pinus thunbergii needles was severe in the vicinity of industrial complex, and the older needle age classes was the more severe its injury appeared. Injury index was increased in the vicinity of industrial complex. 2. Water-soluble sulfur concentration was high in the vicinity of industrial complex at all of needle age classes, and those of all plots were higher than that of control. 3. Chlorophyll a contents were lower at surrounding industrial complex than that at control. It was supposed that chlorophyll a was destroyed by air pollutants. Total chlorophyll contents and content ratio of chlorophyll a to b were influenced by decrease of chlorophyll a contents. 4. Phosphorus contents in needles were decreased even in remoted regions with the increase of needle age classes. Colcium contents in needles were decreased near industrial complex at all needle ages classes. 5. There were negative correlation, between injury index and chlorophyll contents, injury index and calcium contents, and there were positive correlation between injury index and calcium contents. 6. Cluster analysis was carried out to divide the injured regions on sample plots. As a result of the analysis, there were devided 3 regions, severe regions(1-8 plots), medium regions(9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17 plot), slight(13, 14, 16, 18, 19 plot and control). 7. The cross section of visible injured needle showed the destruction of mesophyll cell, sclerenchyma cell in the outside of resin duct and endodermis, partially.

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Growth Performances and Physiological Responses of Quercus spp. and Fraxinus rhynchophylla Subjected to Different Soil Moisture Regimes and Nutrition Levels (수분(水分) 및 양료(養料) 처리(處理)에 따른 참나무류와 물푸레나무의 생장 및 생리 반응)

  • Kwon, Ki Won;Lee, Jeoung Ho
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.83 no.2
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    • pp.164-174
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    • 1994
  • Temporal changes in growth performances, chlorophyll contents, and tissue water relations for determining their physiological responses of five economic tree species subjected to chronic water and nutrition stresses were investigated with containerized seedlings grown in different soil moisture regimes and nutrition levels. Seedlings of Quercus acutissima, Q. variabilis, Q. mongolica, Q. serrata, and Fraxinus rhynchophylla were propagated in plastic pots(I.D. $16cm{\times}Depth$ 16cm) for the experiments. The seedlings were subjected to two soil moisture regimes of dry and wet soils and two nutrition levels of fertilization with N+P+K and no fertilization through the growing season from May to September in a green house. For the purpose of analyzing their responses to the environmental stresses, seedling heights and root collar diameters, chlorophyll contents, and P-V curve parameters of the seedlings were measured in May, July, and September. The environmental stresses coming from moisture and nutrient deficits affected the growth performances of seedlings variously among species and among different growing periods, as well as between height and basal diameter growth of seedlings. The growth performances of Q. acutissima were influenced sensitively on the stresses, but those of Q. mongolica less influenced in comparison with other species. Chlorophyll contents were generally higher in Quercus spp. than F. rhynchophylla through the growing season. The chlorophyll contents changed by species and by treatment through the season within ranges of 0.14~1.96 mg/g dry wt. of chlorophyll a and within 0.16~1.79mg/g dry wt. of chlorophyll b, respectively. But the contents seemed to be decreased gradually through the chronic environmental stresses and leaf senescence. The osmotic potential at full turgor(${\Psi}{{\pi}o}$) and turgor loss point(${\Psi}{\pi}p$) had temporarily declined up to 3 to 5bars from -7.0~-12.4bars in May to -10.2~-17.5bars in September and up to 5 to 6bars from -7.6~-14.2bars in May to -12.9~-20.4bars in September, respectively, with some exceptions. The values of ${\Psi}{\pi}p$ were generally high in F. rhynchophylla in May and July, but high in Q. serrata in September. Relative water contents at turgor loss point(RWCp) were generally high in F. rhynchophylla, but the temporal changes of RWCp were quite and frequently different among species and among treatment.

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Sensitivity and Self-purification Function of Forest Ecosystem to Acid Precipitation(I) - Acidification of Precipitation and Transformed Vegetation Index(TVI) - (산성우(酸性雨)에 대한 산림생태계(山林生態系)의 민감도(敏感度) 및 자정기능(自淨機能)(I) - 강우(降雨)의 산성화도(酸性化度)와 식생(植生) 활력도(活力度)(TVI)를 중심(中心)으로 -)

  • Lee, Soo Wook;Chang, Kwan Soon
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.83 no.4
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    • pp.460-472
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    • 1994
  • This study has been conducted to give some ideas for reasonable ecological management of Taejon city and its adjacent forest ecosystem against the effect of acid rain. Rain monitoring points to analyse its components represented 1 point in industrial area, 4 points in commercial area, 4 points in residential area, and 5 points in suburban area and forest survey was done in 7 forest sites adjacent to rain monitoring points. Transformed vegetation index(TVI) based on Landsat TM data was analysed for forest area. Taejon area was seriously contaminated by air pollutants and average concentration of anions in precipitation were 20.16mg/l for $SO_4{^{2-}}$, 3.65mg/l for $NO_3{^-}$, and 3.09mg/l for $Cl^-$. Anion in precipitation were $1.09mg/m^2/month$ for $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $0.23mg/m^2/month$ for $NO_3{^-}$, and $0.20mg/m^2/month$ for $Cl^-$. Cation in precipitation were $0.14mg/m^2/month$ for $Ca^{2+}$, $0.10mg/m^2/month$ for $NH_4{^+}$, $0.08mg/m^2/month$ for $Na^+$, $0.07mg/m^2/month$ for $K^+$, and $0.08mg/m^2/month$ for $Mg^{2+}$. The region with the highest concentration of $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^-}$, and $Cl^-$ in rain was industrial area. $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NO_3{^-}$, and $Cl^-$ concentrations in industrial area were 43.08, 3.88, and 3.64ppm, respectively. Forest soil showed strongly acidic ranging pH4.16-4.94. Transformed vegetation index(TVI) were 3.11 in Dangsan, 4.00 in Kyechoksan, 4.13 in Bomunsan, 4.18 in Kabhasan, 3.34 in Bongsan, 4.13 in Sikchangsan, and 4.20 in Seongchisan. Dangsan forest located near in industrial area showed the lowest TVI.

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Ultrasonographic Evaluation in Patients with Inguinal Hernia (서혜부 탈장에서의 초음파 조영술)

  • Kwon, Oh-Kyoung;Jung, Jin-Hyang;Park, Jin-Young;Chang, Soo-Il
    • Advances in pediatric surgery
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.16-22
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    • 2002
  • Between March 1999 and January 2000, 82 boys with the diagnosis of inguinal hernias (12 bilateral and 70 unilateral hernias), underwent Ultrasound (US) examination of both sides of the groin, a total of 164 inguinal imaging prior to surgery. The patients ages ranged from 3 days to 12 years with a mean of 32.6 months. Ninty four examinations were on the clinically symptomatic side and 70 were on the asymptomatic side. The US criteria for the diagnosis of an inguinal hernia were as follows: 1) visceral hernia, the presence of bowel loops, or omentum in the inguinal canal, 2) communicating hydrocele, the presence of fluid in the processus vaginalis, 3) widening of patent processus vaginalis at the level of internal inguinal ring. The width of patent processus vaginalis at the level of internal inguinal ring over 4 mm is considered an occult hernia. Among the 94 symptomatic groins, US findings showed 31 (33%) visceral hernias, 18 (19%) communicating hydroceles, and 38 (41%) widening of the internal inguinal ring, and 7 (7%) groins without abnormalities. In 70 asymptomatic groins, there were 4 (6%) visceral hernias, 5 (7%) communicating hydroceles, 11 (16%) widening of the internal inguinal ring, and 50 (70%) groins without abnormalities. Among the 70 asymptomatic groins there were US abnormalities in 20 (28%). One hundred and seven groins with positive US findings were surgically explored. Among 107 operated sites, the operative findings were compatible with the US diagnosis in 104, a sensitivity for US of 97.2%. In patients with US findings of widening of internal inguinal ring (>4 mm), there was patent processus vaginalis in 36 out of 38 symptomatic groins and 10 of 11 asymptomatic groins. The sensitivity of US to the operative findings in widening of internal inguinal ring was 93.8%. For visceral hernia and communicating hydrocele, the sensitivity of positive US findings was 100%. Ultrasonography for inguinal hernias appears to be a rapid, reliable, and noninvasive screening diagnostic tool with high positive specificity. Therefore, we recommend the use of US as a routine diagnostic tool in pediatric patients with inguinal hernias and hydroceles.

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