OBJECTIVES: Although the coating of surface sealants to dental composite resin may potentially reduce bacterial adhesion, there seems to be little information regarding this issue. This preliminary in vitro study investigated the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) on the dental composite resins coated with three commercial surface sealants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Composite resin (Filtek Z250) discs (8 mm in diameter, 1 mm in thickness) were fabricated in a mold covered with a Mylar strip (control). In group PoGo, the surfaces were polished with PoGo. In groups PS, OG, and FP, the surfaces polished with PoGo were coated with the corresponding surface sealants (PermaSeal, PS; OptiGuard, OG; Fortify Plus, FP). The surfaces of the materials and S. mutans cells were characterized by various methods. S. mutans adhesion to the surfaces was quantitatively evaluated using flow cytometry (n = 9). RESULTS: Group OG achieved the lowest water contact angle among all groups tested (p < 0.001). The cell surface of S. mutans tested showed hydrophobic characteristics. Group PoGo exhibited the greatest bacterial adhesion among all groups tested (p < 0.001). The sealant-coated groups showed statistically similar (groups PS and FP, p > 0.05) or significantly lower (group OG, p < 0.001) bacterial adhesion when compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the surface sealants significantly reduced S. mutans adhesion to the composite resin polished with the PoGo.
Bacterial Adhesion ; Composite Resins ; Flow Cytometry ; Fungi ; In Vitro Techniques* ; Streptococcus mutans* ; Streptococcus* ; Surface Properties ; Water

Purpose: To verify the anti-microbiotic activity and to develop eco-friendly surface disinfectants using the Opuntia ficus-indica extract. Methods: The stem and fruits of the Opuntia cultivated in Jeju Island were extracted with hot water, 70% EtOH and 100% MeOH, respectively. To examine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts, gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium), yeast (Candida albicans), mold (Aspergillus flavus) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus) were measured to form a clear zone. Results: The antibacterial activity of the fruit extract was higher than that of the stem extract, and the antibacterial activity of the 100% MeOH (FM) extract and the 70% EtOH (FE) extract of the palm cactus fruit was suitable for the surface disinfectant overall, and clear-zone formed even at relatively low concentrations (250 mg/mL). The FM and FE have antibacterial activity against various bacteria, therefore they can be used as disinfectants. Conclusion The antimicrobial activity of Opuntia ficus-indica extract from Jeju Island by stem and fruit was determined at relatively low concentrations (250 mg/mL). The Opuntia ficus-indica extract will be useful for surface disinfectants dissolving the patients’ bath, oral gargling, and powdered powder in water or ethanol in appropriate concentrations.

PURPOSE: Increasing number of older adults are receiving cancer surgeries especially for gastrointestinal cancers, which brings forth attention to age-related postoperative complication prevention. Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common complication that rises after surgical procedures involving general anesthesia, largely in the elderly population. Due to its sudden onset and fluctuating symptoms, POD often goes underdiagnosed and undertreated even though it may lead to various adverse outcomes. POD in GI cancer surgical elderly patients is poorly understood in terms of prevalence, pathophysiology, assessment, treatment and nursing management. We aimed to identify available literature and investigate study results to broaden our understanding of geriatric GI cancer POD. METHODS: The search process involved six databases to identify relevant studies abided by inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Eleven studies were selected for this review. Geriatric POD is closely related to frailty and surgical complications. Frailty increases vulnerability to surgical stress and causes cerebral changes that affect stress-regulating neurotransmitter proportions, brain blood flow, vascular density, neuron cell life and intracellular signal transductions. These conditions of frailty result in increased risks of surgical complications such as blood loss, cardiovascular events and inflammation, which all may lead to the POD. Mini Metal State Examination (MMSE), Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Delirium Rating Scale-revised-98 (DRS-R-98) are recommended for POD assessment to identify high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: The POD prevalence ranged from 8.2% to 51.0%. The multifactorial causative mechanism suggests nurses to identify highrisk elderly GI-cancer surgical patients by reviewing patient-specific factors and surgery-specific factors.
Adult ; Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Brain ; Delirium ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Methods ; Neurons ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nursing ; Postoperative Complications ; Prevalence ; Signal Transduction

No abstract available.
Dermoscopy ; Hair Diseases ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Pruritus

Hypomelanosis of Ito (HI) is a neurocutaneous disorder, also known as incontinentia pigmenti achromians. HI has been associated with chromosomal abnormalities, especially mosaicism. Herein, we report a case of HI with multiple congenital anomalies. A 2-month-old girl presented with multiple linear and whorling hypopigmentation on the face, trunk, and both extremities and patch alopecia on the scalp. Moreover, she had conical teeth, aniridia of the both eyes, and multiple musculoskeletal problems, including syndactyly and coccyx deviation. Cytogenetic analysis on peripheral blood was normal 46, XX, and no mutation was found in IKBKG gene test.
Alopecia ; Aniridia ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Coccyx ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Hypopigmentation ; Infant ; Karyotype ; Mosaicism ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Pigmentation Disorders ; Scalp ; Syndactyly ; Tooth

Background: Lichen striatus (LS) is a linear, inflammatory dermatosis that mainly affects children. To date, there are limited data comparing treatment outcomes between topical agents for pediatric LS. Objective: To investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes associated with the use of topical agents for pediatric LS. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and clinical photographs of 60 pediatric patients classified into three groups according to the topical agent used. Treatment response was evaluated by comparing subjective symptoms and clinical photographs obtained at each visit. Results: A good response (＞75% clinical improvement from baseline) was achieved in 55%, 46.2%, and 42.9% of patients from the calcipotriol, corticosteroid, and calcineurin inhibitor groups, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in treatment duration among groups. However, when compared to other drugs, calcipotriol showed a trend towards shortening the disease course duration. Conclusion Topical use of calcipotriol, as well as corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, may represent useful treatment options for pediatric LS, although further studies are required to confirm their efficacy and long-term safety.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings to improve the diagnostic accuracy for transverse process fractures and sacral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The lumbosacral MRI scans of 214 patients (mean age, 60 years; male-to-female ratio, 85:129), who had spine trauma between January and November 2015 were included. Two radiologists evaluated the presence, number, level, and anatomic site of the fractures on MRI with computed tomography as reference standard. Imaging findings were described as cortical disruption, marrow edema, or soft tissue edema on T1-, T2-, and fat-suppressed T2-weighted images. A statistical analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the MRI pulse sequences for the transverse process and sacral fractures. RESULTS: Of 168 fractures, 26 (15.5%) and 13 (4.9%) were in the transverse processes and sacra, respectively. A paravertebral soft tissue edema occurred in the transverse process fractures (80.8%) and presacral soft tissue and marrow edemas occurred in the sacral fractures (46.1%). The sensitivity for the transverse process fractures was 88% on the T2-weighted image. It was 92% on fat-suppressed T2- and T1-weighted images for sacral fractures. CONCLUSION Bone marrow and soft tissue edemas on the MRI could potentially improve the diagnostic accuracy of an MRI for fractures in the transverse process and sacrum.

PURPOSE: To report the results of switching treatment to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Trap-Eye (aflibercept) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) refractory to anti-VEGF (ranibizumab and bevacizumab). METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving 32 eyes from 29 patients; 18 were cases of neovascular AMD and 14 were cases of PCV. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were evaluated. RESULTS: BCVA and CMT improved from 0.58 to 0.55 (p = 0.005) and from 404 to 321 microm (p < 0.001), respectively, after switching to aflibercept. The 14 eyes that received 6 or more aflibercept injections remained stable at 0.81 to 0.81 and 321 to 327 microm (p = 1.0, 0.29), respectively, after 3 aflibercept injections. The 10 eyes that received 3 or more bevacizumab injections after 3 or more aflibercept injections worsened, from 0.44 to 0.47 and from 332 to 346 microm (p = 0.06, 0.05), respectively. The results showed similar improvement of BCVA and CMT in neovascular AMD and PCV. CONCLUSIONS: Aflibercept seems to be effective for improvement and maintenance of BCVA and CMT for neovascular AMD and PCV refractory to anti-VEGF. Switching from aflibercept back to bevacizumab treatment may not be a proper strategy.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors/administration & dosage ; Bevacizumab/administration & dosage ; Choroid/*blood supply ; Choroid Diseases/complications/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Ranibizumab/administration & dosage ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/*administration & dosage ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/*administration & dosage ; Retinal Neovascularization/complications/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*antagonists & inhibitors ; *Visual Acuity ; Wet Macular Degeneration/diagnosis/*drug therapy/etiology

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF-1) shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with complete penetrance and variable expression. Vascular abnormalities are frequently associated with NF-1. Pheochromocytoma occurs in 0.1-5.7% of patients with NF-1. Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with NF-1-related pheochromocytoma is very rare. Herein, we report a case of subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by multiple ruptured cerebral aneurysms in a patient with concurrent NF-1 and pheochromocytoma. Coil embolization of the aneurysms and subsequent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma were successfully performed, and the patient remained normotensive thereafter. This case demonstrates the importance of a careful search for a remediable cause of episodic hypertension in patients with NF-1, who are predisposed to cerebral hemorrhage from fluctuating blood pressure.
Adrenalectomy ; Aneurysm ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Penetrance ; Pheochromocytoma* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Wills

OBJECTIVES: People at ultra-high risk for psychosis have heterogenous character and different long-term outcomes. We divided ultra-high risk subjects into two subgroups by presence of familial history and tried to find different pattern of functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) between the two groups in order to examine the effects familial loading. METHODS: Eleven subjects at clinical-high risk (CHR) group with familial history of psychiatric illness and nineteen subjects of CHR group without familial history were recruited. All the subjects were scanned using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. A posterior cingulate cortex was the seed region of the analysis, and the DMN of the both high risk group were analyzed with voxel-wise two sample T test. RESULTS: The CHR group with familial history showed greater functional connectivity in the precuneus area in contrast with the other high risk subjects (peak-level t=5.49, p<0.001). There were no significant differences in total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Scales of Psychosis-risk Syndrome between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that the abnormalities of functional connectivity between precuneus and posterior cingulate area may be associated with the genetic vulnerability of high risk trait.
Gyrus Cinguli ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pilot Projects ; Psychotic Disorders ; Seeds ; Weights and Measures