Should anticoagulants be administered for portal vein thrombosis associated with acute pancreatitis?

Venous complications in patients with acute pancreatitis typically occur as a form of splenic, portal, or superior mesenteric vein thrombosis and have been detected more frequently in recent reports. Although a well-organized protocol for the treatment of venous thrombosis has not been established, anticoagulation therapy is commonly recommended. A 73-year-old man was diagnosed with acute progressive portal vein thrombosis associated with acute pancreatitis. After one month of anticoagulation therapy, the patient developed severe hematemesis. With endoscopy and an abdominal computed tomography scan, hemorrhages in the pancreatic pseudocyst, which was ruptured into the duodenal bulb, were confirmed. After conservative treatment, the patient was stabilized. While the rupture of a pseudocyst into the surrounding viscera is a well-known phenomenon, spontaneous rupture into the duodenum is rare. Moreover, no reports of upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by pseudocyst rupture in patients under anticoagulation therapy for venous thrombosis associated with acute pancreatitis have been published. Herein, we report a unique case of massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to pancreatic pseudocyst rupture into the duodenum, which developed during anticoagulation therapy for portal vein thrombosis associated with acute pancreatitis.     

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) in domestic poultry and relationship with migratory birds, South Korea

During the 2006-2007 winter season in South Korea, several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) were confirmed among domestic poultry and in migratory bird habitats. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates were closely related and that all belong to the A/bar-headed goose/Qinghai/5/2005-like lineage rather than the A/chicken/Korea/ES/2003-like lineage.     

Fermentation filtrates of Rubus coreanus relax the corpus cavernosum and increase sperm count and motility

We investigated the effects of fermentation filtrates from Rubus coreanus on the function of the male reproductive system. We performed an ex vivo study to determine if the candidate compounds relax isolated New Zealand white rabbit corpus cavernosum, which were precontracted by phenylephrine (5 x 10(-5) M). The results reveal that the filtrates of the reddish-purple (FRRC) and green (FGRC) R. coreanus exerted concentration-dependent relaxing effects, leading to median effective concentrations of 4.53 mg/mL and >10 mg/mL, respectively. For the in vivo study, male ICR mice were orally administered FRRC or FGRC (100 or 500 mg/kg) for 28 days, and the reproductive organ weights, serum testosterone level, cauda epididymal sperm counts, and motility were analyzed. Both the FRRC and FGRC had no significant effect on the reproductive organ weights; however, FRRC (100 or 500 mg/kg) enhanced testosterone levels and especially sperm counts at the higher dose (500 mg/kg). In comparison, FGRC increased hormone levels and sperm counts at a relatively low dose (100 mg/kg). In summary, it is proposed that the crude fermentation filtrates of ripe R. coreanus have positive effects on the function of the male reproductive system by triggering a penile erection, enhancing serum testosterone levels, and increasing epididymal sperm counts.     

The application of client-centred occupational therapy for Korean children with developmental disabilities

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effectiveness of client-centred occupational therapy using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS). Eight girls and 23 boys from Korea, with developmental disabilities and from 3 to 10 years of age participated in this study. Each child participated in 20 to 24 sessions of client-centred occupational therapy. Both the COPM and the AMPS change scores demonstrated statistically significant improvement (p < 0.01) in occupational performance. Significant correlations were found between COPM - Performance and AMPS - Motor skills (r(s) = 0.64, p < 0.05), and COPM - Satisfaction and AMPS - Process skills (r(s) = 0.62, p < 0.05) in a group positive towards client-centred occupational therapy. The COPM was a valuable tool in guiding and measuring the client-centred occupational therapy for children with developmental disabilities. The small sample size of 31 children limits the generalizability of the study's results. Future research needs to use a larger and more diverse sample of children to further validate the effectiveness of client-centred occupational therapy.     

Comparison of postoperative optical quality according to the degree of decentering of V4c implantable collamer lens

AIM: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of V4c implantable collamer lens (Hole ICL) implantation with regard to the optical quality assessed according to different degrees of decentering. METHODS: This included 49 eyes that received conventional ICL and 94 eyes that received Hole ICL. The eyes that received Hole ICL were divided into three groups according to the degree of decentering: group 1, central hole within 1 hole diameter (HD) from the pupil center; group 2, central hole within 1 HD to 2 HD; and group 3, central hole within 2 HD to 3 HD. Visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and spherical equivalent (SE) values were assessed at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after surgery. The ocular modulation transfer function, Strehl ratio, objective scattering index, and higher order aberrations (HOAs) were measured for 4-mm pupils at 3mo after surgery. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in VA, IOP, and SE among the conventional and Hole ICL groups. With regard to HOAs, values for coma and spherical aberrations showed no differences. The total HOA and trefoil values were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (P=0.02, 0.03, respectively). There were no significant differences among groups with regard to other optical quality parameter at 3mo after surgery. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Hole ICL implantation provides satisfactory visual quality that is equivalent to that provided by conventional ICL, regardless of the presence of central hole and degree of decentering.     

Evaluation of sclerotherapy for the treatment of infected postoperative lymphocele

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sclerotherapy as the treatment of infected postoperative lymphocele in gynecologic malignancy patients.

Proteomic analysis of the dorsal spinal cord in the mouse model of spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain

Peripheral nerve injury often causes neuropathic pain and is associated with changes in the expression of numerous proteins in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. To date, proteomic analysis method has been used to simultaneously analyze hundreds or thousands of proteins differentially expressed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in rats or dorsal root ganglion of rats with certain type of peripheral nerve injury. However, a proteomic study using a mouse model of neuropathic pain could be attempted because of abundant protein database and the availability of transgenic mice. In this study, whole proteins were extracted from the ipsilateral dorsal half of the 4th–6th lumbar spinal cord in a mouse model of spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain. In-gel digests of the proteins size-separated on a polyacrylamide gel were subjected to reverse-phase liquid-chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). After identifying proteins, the data were analyzed with subtractive proteomics using ProtAn, an in-house analytic program. Consequently, 15 downregulated and 35 upregulated proteins were identified in SNI mice. The identified proteins may contribute to the maintenance of neuropathic pain, and may provide new or valuable information in the discovery of new therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain.