This study was done to evaluate transportation of the apical foramen after 0.5 mm overinstrumentation by ProFile, ProTaper and K3 in simulated resin root canal. Sixty simulated resin root canal with a curvature of J and S-shape were divided into two groups. Each group consisted of three subgroups with 10 blocks according to the instruments used: ProFile(R), ProTaper(TM), and K3TM. Simulated resin root canal was prepared by ProFile, ProTaper and K3 with 300 rpm by the crown-down preparation technique. Pre- and post-instrumentation apical foramen images were overlapped and recorded with Image-analyzing microscope 100X (Camcope, Sometech Inc, Korea). The amounts of difference in width and dimension on overlapped images were measured after reference points were determined by Image Analysis program (Image-Pro(R) Express, Media Cybernetic, USA). Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-test. The results suggest that ProFile showed significantly less canal transportation and maintained original apical foramen shape better than K3 and ProTaper.
Cybernetics ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Tooth Apex* ; Transportation*

PURPOSE: To compare audio-only biofeedback to conventional audiovisual biofeedback for regulating patients' respiration during four-dimensional radiotherapy, limiting damage to healthy surrounding tissues caused by organ movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six healthy volunteers were assisted by audiovisual or audio-only biofeedback systems to regulate their respirations. Volunteers breathed through a mask developed for this study by following computer-generated guiding curves displayed on a screen, combined with instructional sounds. They then performed breathing following instructional sounds only. The guiding signals and the volunteers' respiratory signals were logged at 20 samples per second. RESULTS: The standard deviations between the guiding and respiratory curves for the audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback systems were 21.55% and 23.19%, respectively; the average correlation coefficients were 0.9778 and 0.9756, respectively. The regularities between audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback for six volunteers' respirations were same statistically from the paired t-test. CONCLUSION: The difference between the audiovisual and audio-only biofeedback methods was not significant. Audio-only biofeedback has many advantages, as patients do not require a mask and can quickly adapt to this method in the clinic.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Feedback, Sensory ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Masks ; Radiotherapy* ; Respiration* ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: The authors would like to introduce two patients who presented with velopharyngeal inadequacy. We emphasize the importance of nasaopharyngeal endoscopy in evaluating the velopharyngeal function and the usefulness of biofeedback trial therapy. METHODS: Two patients visited our clinic due to velopharyngeal inadequacy. Both of the patients showed hypernasality, nasal emission and compensatory articulation such as glottal stop. During oral examination and nasopharyngeal endoscopy both showed no evidence of structural deformities. One inconsistently showed a small gap during articulation. The other showed a rather large gap during compensatory articulation. Both received a simultaneous biofeedback trial therapy using the nasopharyngeal endoscope. RESULTS: Both patients were successfully diagnosed and treated at once using biofeedback trial therapy with nasopharyngeal endoscopy. By giving direct visual feedback to the patient, they were both able to achieve complete velopharyngeal closure during production of 2~3 nonsence syllables and hypernasality was not detected in both of them. CONCLUSION: The authors were able to help patients with velopharyngeal inadequacy to have velopharyngeal closure through biofeedback trial therapy. The accurate evaluation of velopharyngeal function and the possibility of closure prevented unnecessary operations.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Endoscopy ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

PURPOSE: This study was attempted and completed in order to settle down and qualitatively improve web-based nursing education by evaluating effect and managing strategy of tutor. METHOD: The development of tutor's managing strategy was based on "The Self-regulated Learning" and "The supportive Learning", then it was applied to 79 learners in one of the cyber-learning centers. After applying the tutor's managing strategy, self-regulated learning scale, attitude for school, preference for computer and academic achievement were evaluated. The development of tutor's managing strategy for web-based nursing education are consisted of participation promotion, psychological support and motivation, recognition and promotion strategy of learning activity, management strategy of evaluating stage. RESULT: The levels of learner's self-regulated learning, recognition, behavior, attitude on the school and learning achievement were meaningfully increased in statistics after applying for the managing strategy of tutor. The motivation level and learning participation kept high scores from the beginning with no significant statistical changes. CONCLUSION: It is required to develop an educational program for cultivating well-educated tutors in order to help the effective learning process of nurses based on understanding characteristics of learners.
Cybernetics ; Education, Nursing* ; Humans ; Information Management ; Learning ; Motivation ; Nursing*

Caregiving for the children seems to be one of the most challenging tasks for the parents who should devote themselves totally despite endangering them. From the evolutionary perspective, this human behavior must have been the advantage in the survival of the species and rooted in ethological origin. John Bowlby, a child psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and great developmental researcher, had formulated the attachment theory linking psychoanalysis and ethology through evolutionary biology. His and later following researchers' outcomes have provided enormous influence on viewing parental caregiving and the insight of human relationships and interventions. This article overviews the attachment theory in terms of the goal oriented cybernetic system to gain the survival advantage of the offspring and investigates the evolutionary origin of the caregiving and attachment from the retiles of the Mesozoic era to the mammalian revolution and finally to the human being. Deeper understanding of the nurturance and adult relationships from the standpoint of evolution can provide clinical utility of awareness of clients' lives.
Adult ; Biology ; Child ; Cybernetics ; Ethology ; Humans ; Parents ; Psychiatry ; Psychoanalysis

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most prevalent fungal diseases in the general population. However, treatment is of limited effectiveness and must be administered for long periods of time. Systemic antifungal agents are associated with adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of a 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with amorolfine nail lacquer to treat onychomycosis. METHODS: The 128 patients were randomly divided to 2 groups: 64 in the experimental group were treated with 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser therapy and amorolfine nail lacquer; the other 64 were in a control group treated with topical amorolfine lacquer monotherapy. The laser treatment was 4 sessions at 4-week intervals and amorolfine lacquer was applied once a week for 16 weeks. Efficacy was assessed as response rate from standardized photographs with ImagePro®Plus (Media Cybernetics, Inc., USA) analysis, microscopic examination, and subjective evaluation. RESULTS: At 16 weeks, the experimental group showed a significantly higher cumulative cure rate than the control group (71.88% vs. 20.31%, p<0.0001). Clinical therapeutic effects were linked to patient satisfaction. The percent of “very satisfied” or “satisfied” responses was higher in the test group than the control group (81.25% vs. 23.44%). The treatment regimen was well tolerated, with transient discomfort observed in the test group. CONCLUSION: The 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser with amorolfine nail lacquer was effective and safe for treating onychomycosis. This therapy should be considered an alternative treatment, especially for patients with contraindications to systemic antifungal agents.
Antifungal Agents ; Cybernetics ; Humans ; Lacquer* ; Laser Therapy ; Onychomycosis* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Therapeutic Uses ; Treatment Outcome ; Yttrium*

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to examine the methylation status of the p16 and MGMT promoters in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to evaluate the relationship between the loss of gene expression, the promoter methylation status and hepatocarcinogenesis. METHODS: We included 24 HCC tissues and their adjacent non-tumorous tissues and 5 normal liver tissues in our study, and all the specimens were obtained by hepatectomy. The methylation status of the p16 and MGMT promoter regions were evaluated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and quantitative analysis by using a Gel-pro analyzer (Media Cybernetics, CA, USA). We also analyzed the p16 and MGMT gene expressions by performing immunohistochemical staining of the HCC tissues. RESULTS: Methylation of the p16 promoter was detected in HCC (100%, 24/24) and the adjacent non-tumorous tissues (79.2%, 19/24), but not in the normal liver tissues. Methylation of the MGMT promoter was detected in the HCC (8.3%, 2/24) and the adjacent non-tumorous tissues (4.2%, 1/24), but not in the normal liver tissues. Methylation positive HCC samples showed the loss of p16 expression in 58.3% (14/24). The loss of the p16 expression in the HCC tissues was well correlated with the increased rate of p16 promoter methylation (p=0.009). When the p16 promoter methylation status of the HCC tissues was higher than that of the adjacent non-tumorous tissues, 77.8% of the cases showed the loss of the p16 expression (p=0.002). No correlation was observed between MGMT promoter methylation and the loss of the gene expression in the HCC tissues. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that methylation of the p16 promoter and the resulting loss of p16 protein expression are significant events in hepatocarcinogenesis, and further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the methylation of the MGMT promoter and HCC carcinogenesis.
Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cybernetics ; Gene Expression ; Hepatectomy ; Liver ; Methylation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

The stable and controllable quality of decoction pieces is an important factor to ensure the efficacy of clinical medicine. Considering the dilemma that the existing standardization of processing mode cannot effectively eliminate the variability of quality raw ingredients, and ensure the stability between different batches, we first propose a new strategy for Chinese medicine processing technologies that coupled with individuation processed and cybernetics. In order to explain this thinking, an individual study case about different grades aconite is provided. We hope this strategy could better serve for clinical medicine, and promote the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine processing skills and theories.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; standards ; Cybernetics ; standards ; Drug Therapy ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; toxicity ; Humans ; Quality Control

The cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator(CUSA) has been used for the surgical removal of 26 cases of spinal intradural tumors. In 26 patients, total removal was possible in 77% and there was no neurological deterioration due to surgical removal using CUSA. 21 of 26 patients(84%) showed neurological improvement at long term follow-up examination. The cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator had advantages in the surgical removal of spinal intradural tumors, as follows:1) precise removal of tumor without excessive meahcnical manipulation of normal tissue;2) rapidity of action relative to the consistency of the tissue;3) direct visualization of the tissue being removed and good proprioceptive feedback for the surgeon;4) preservation of large vessel and very little bleeding;5) lack of thermal injury. The limitation of CUSA was obscuring of operation field by large and straight hand piece.
Feedback, Sensory ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Ultrasonics*

There is limited evidence regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) and interactive video gaming for improving arm function because there are few such commercial devices and little relevant research. However, evidence of the greater effectiveness of upper extremity VR training over that of conventional therapy after stroke has recently grown due to the adoption of various therapeutic devices. VR applications are novel and potent technologies for upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke because the interface technologies, augmented reality technologies, and various sensorimotor feedback techniques are rapidly advancing. Going forward, VR technology should be designed to provide the possibility of intense functional repetitive practice for patients. The combination of VR with robotic devices, neuromodulation, mirror therapy, and telerehabilitation may synergistically improve upper extremity function after stroke. In severely injured patients, robotic interfaces should be considered, the level of difficulty should be fitted appropriately to the severity of the deficits, and the fact that it is difficult to train patients repeatedly and effectively in a real-world environment should be considered. Further research should be conducted on the application of VR programs in larger populations, VR involving various training paradigms, VR at different exercise levels, and the long-term sustained effects of VR. In addition, synergistically enhanced effects of combining other treatments and feedback paradigms with well-designed interfaces should be investigated.
Arm ; Feedback, Sensory ; Humans ; Rehabilitation* ; Stroke* ; Upper Extremity*