Evaluation of the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, presumptive diagnosis, medical care use, and sick leave among female school meal service workers.

Background: Most of the school meal service workers in Korea are middle-aged individuals. They have high workload, which increases their incidence of musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of subjective musculoskeletal symptoms, presumptive diagnosis, medical care use, and sick leave among female school meal workers.

Evaluation of mercury exposure level, clinical diagnosis and treatment for mercury intoxication.

Mercury occurs in various chemical forms, and it is different to health effects according to chemical forms. In consideration of the point, the evaluation of the mercury exposure to human distinguished from occupational and environmental exposure. With strict to manage occupational exposure in factory, it is declined mercury intoxication cases by metallic and inorganic mercury inhalation to occupational exposure.

Evaluation and management of lead exposure.

Lead, which is widely used in industry, is a common element found in low concentrations in the Earth's crust. Implementations to reduce environmental lead concentrations have resulted in a considerable reduction of lead levels in the environment (air) and a sustained reduction in the blood lead levels of the average citizen. However, people are still being exposed to lead through a variety of routes in everyday commodities.

1-Hydroxypyrene and oxidative stress marker levels among painting workers and office workers at shipyard.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the association between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxidative stress among shipyard workers.

Methods: We recruited 82 painting workers in a shipyard and age/sex matched 137 office workers from the same shipyard company. Urine samples were used to assess for 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) as an exposure biomarker for PAHs and to assess for 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (iPF) as a biomarker for oxidative stress.

Color vision impairments among shipyard workers exposed to mixed organic solvents, especially xylene.

Objectives: We evaluated color vision impairment in workers exposed to organic solvents, especially xylene.

Methods: Three groups of subjects, comprising 63 workers occupationally exposed to organic solvents, 122 non-exposed workers in the same industry, and 185 subjects from the general population as controls, were evaluated for color vision. Exposure to solvents was indirectly evaluated by measuring the concentration of a urinary metabolite.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test for precocious puberty.

Background: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test is the gold standard to identify central precocious puberty (CPP). This test requires multiple blood samples at different time points to measure gonadotropin levels, and is therefore expensive, time-consuming, and uncomfortable for patients. We aimed to simplify the GnRH stimulation test to require fewer blood samples.

The correlation and prognostic significance of MGMT promoter methylation and MGMT protein in glioblastomas.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation and prognostic significance of MGMT promoter methylation and protein expression in patients with glioblastoma.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with glioblastoma underwent surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy between October 2000 and June 2008. To investigate the correlation between MGMT methylation and MGMT expression, methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and immunohistochemical staining was performed.

[Usefulness of color vision test for early detection of neurological damages by neurotoxic substances].

This paper reviews the published literature that is concerned with color vision impairment from industrial and environmental exposure to neurotoxic substances, and we evaluated whether testing for color vision impairment could be an affordable procedure for assessing these neurotoxic effects. In general, most cases of congenital color vision impairment are red-green, and blue-yellow impairment is extremely rare. However, most of the acquired color vision impairment that is related to age, alcohol or environmental factors is blue-yellow impairment.

Therapeutic effect of intracameral amphotericin B injection in the treatment of fungal keratitis.

Purpose: To study the therapeutic efficacy of intracameral amphotericin B (ICAMB) injection in the treatment of fungal keratitis.

Methods: Fourteen patients with fungal keratitis received ICAMB, 10 microg/0.1 mL (group A), and 17 patients received conventional treatment only (group B).

Effect of green tea consumption on endothelial function and circulating endothelial progenitor cells in chronic smokers.

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the effect and relationship of endothelial function and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) by green tea consumption in chronic smokers. The numbers of circulating EPCs have an inverse correlation with chronic smoking and endothelial dysfunction. Green tea catechin improved endothelial dysfunction in chronic smokers.