No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Case-Control Studies* ; Placenta Previa* ; Placenta* ; Risk Factors*

Neomorphogenesis of cartilage using chondrocyte-polymer constructs is a potential source for development of cartilage reconstruction. Current tissue engineering techniques of neocartilage rely on in vivo implantation of polymer-chondrocyte constructs. The purpose of this study was to find a way to bioengineer cartilage in vitro by entrapping chondrocytes in a molded autologous fibrin glue. Chondrocytes isolated from the cartilage of rabbit joints were combined with fibrinogen extracted by a single cryoprecipitation of autologous plasma, and they were then polymerized with thrombin to create a fibrin glue with a final cell density of 2.5x10(6) cells/ml. The collagen for a control study was used as a polymer. The polymer-chondrocyte constructs were cultured for 4 weeks and the fibrin-chondrocyte constructs molded in the shape of a human ear were cultured for 6 weeks in vitro. Morphometric, histochemical, and histomorphometric analysis including glycosaminoglycan quantitation confirmed the following results: 1) Highly-concentrated autologous fibrinogen was easily extracted by a single cryoprecipition of autologous olasma. 2) The fibrin-chondrocyte constructs demonstrated the presence of actively proliferating chondrocytes with the production of cartilaginous matrix(collagen and glycosaminoglycan) at 1 week after culture, as well as gross and histologic evidence similar to those of normal cartilage at 3-4 weeks after culture. 3) The collagen-chondrocyte constructs demonstrated lower degrees of hardness and transparency, as well as a lower density of cells and glycosaminoglycan during the culture period. 4) Neocartilage generated from fibrin-chondrocyte constructs in the shape of a human ear nearly retained their original configuration and size without degeneration for 6 weeks of culture in vitro. This study demonstrated a novel method for bioengineering the molded cartilage in vitro using autologous fibrin glue as a matrix scaffold. The generated cartilage showed gross and histologic evidence similar to those of normal cartilage, retaining the original gross dimension. With further refinement, this may be a new application of tissue engineering for the reconstruction of cartilage.
Bioengineering ; Cartilage* ; Cell Count ; Chondrocytes* ; Collagen ; Ear ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Fibrinogen ; Fungi ; Hardness ; Humans ; Joints ; Plasma ; Polymers ; Thrombin ; Tissue Engineering*

OBJECTIVE: Human cerebral hemisphere is known to function asymmetrically with daytime left hemisphere superiority in most right-handed persons. It may have relevance to the localization of specific function of the brain. This study attempted to reveal whether the functional cerebral asymmetry in the wakeful state is still maintained throughout the sleep onset period. METHODS: Thirty-channel EEG was recorded in 61 healthy subjects. The EEG power spectra of each of the seven frequencies were compared between the two kinds of 30-second states; the wakeful stage and the late-sleep stage 1. RESULTS: The asymmetrical indices of sleep stage 1 at several fronto-central leads were decreased in the delta, theta, alpha-2, and all beta bands. Conversely, at parts of parieto-occipital leads showed an increase in the indices of the theta, alphas, beta-1, and beta-2 bands. Any fronto-central leads did not show an increase in the index, and no parieto-occipital leads showed a decrease. CONCLUSION: During the sleep onset period, power spectral asymmetry of the brain showed a different pattern from the wakeful stage. This asymmetrical pattern of EEG powers may suggest a reversal of the left hemispheric dominance during sleep.
Brain* ; Cerebrum ; Electroencephalography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans* ; Sleep Stages

No abstract available.
Child* ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome* ; Humans

As modern society becomes increasingly complex, there has been a steady increase in violence, as well as in automobile and industrial accidents. This has resulted in an increased incidence of facial injuries, including mandibular fractures. Many methods have been advocated to achieve reestablishment of normal feature and function. The choice generally depends upon such factors as location of the fractures, displacements, status of the dentition and favorability of the fracture line. Many cases of mandibular fracture are treated by intermaxillay fixation using an arch bar or bite block(acrylic splint)for rapid bone union and minimal displacement. However, there had been some problems, such as discomfort to patients, limitation to eating and weight loss, poor oral hygiene, and temporomandibular joint ankylosis. As a consequence, we have modified the shape of the acrylic splint and method of fixation for circum-mandibular fixation instead of intermaxillary fixation. Acrylic splints are rigid, strong, easily adjusted and repaired, translucent, lightweight and well tolerated by the oral mucosa. The splints are properly secured to each tooth and bind all the teeth together as a single unit. Authors have used modified acrylic splints as tools of circum-mandibular fixation in 12 cases of mandibular symphysis and body fracture from May 1997 to August 1998, achieving the results of very good occlusal relationship, oral hygiene and comfort to patients.
Accidents, Occupational ; Ankylosis ; Automobiles ; Dentition ; Eating ; Facial Injuries ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mandibular Fractures* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Oral Hygiene ; Splints* ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Tooth ; Violence ; Weight Loss

No abstract available.
Laryngectomy* ; Lung*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: In order to recognize predictive factors of the recurrent seizure attacks with benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spike(BECCT), we have studied the factors such as age of seizure onset, sex of the patient, frequency and duration of seizure Prior to therapy, initial antiepileptic drug, which are presumed to influence the recurrence of seizure attack. METHODS: Among the children with BECCT, who visited the department of pediatrics, Chuncheon Sacred Heart hospital, Hallym University from Jan. 1985 to Dec. 1997, 52 patients who were followed up for more than 12 months after disappearance of the seizure, have been studied. The patients were divided into three groups, (group I; seizure duration is less than 3 months, groups II; seizure duration less than 12 months, group III; seizure duration more than 12 months) by duration of seizure recurrence, and compared with difference of seizure recurrence by predicting factor in each group. Data were analysed by using DBSTAT version 1.0 by ANOVA. RESULTS: 1) Age onset of seizure The age onset of seizure in group I is 8.6+/-2.0 years and 7.9 +/-3.5 years in group II, 6.2+/-1.7 years in group III. The younger the seizure standted, the more seizures recurred(p<0.05). Our study revealed no age differences of the seizure remission in 3 groups. 2) Sex : Among the 52 patients, 30 patients were male, 22 patients were female. The ratio of the male to female was 1:1(12/12) in group I, 1:1.5(2/3) in group II, 2.3: 1(16/7) in group III. The recurrence rate was higher in male than in female. But no statistically difference in recurrence rate by the sex was revealed. 3) Seizure duration and seizure frequency prior to therapy : In group I, pretreatment duration was 1.6+/-3.5 months, frequency of the attacks was 2.0+/-1.0. In group II, duration 1.3+/-1.2 months, frequency 3.2+/-0.5. In group III, duration 3.5+/-6.9 months, frequency 3.5+/-1.8. Our study revered statistically significant differences in values of frequencies and durations in each groups(p<0.05). 4) Initial anticonvulsant and seizure recurrence : Seizure recurred in 36% of patients treated by carbamazepine, and 55.6% of valproate, 66.7% of phenobarbital, 37.5% of diphenylhydantion. There was no significant relation between initial anticonvulsant and seizure recurrence in each group. CONCLUSION: Our data support that age onset and seizure frequency were predictive factor fort seizure recurrence. BECCT Is a age dependent genetic disorder with variable penetrance, having longer duration of seizure with earlier onset. Clinical seizures and abnormal EEG trait tend to remit at certain age, regardless of onset age and treatment.
Age of Onset ; Carbamazepine ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Rolandic* ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Penetrance ; Phenobarbital ; Recurrence* ; Seizures* ; Valproic Acid

OBJECTIVES: Much is still unknown about the neurophysiological mechanisms or dynamics of the sleep onset process. Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is a new tool for the analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) that may give us additional information about electrophysiological changes. The purpose of this study is to analyze long-range correlations of electroencephalographic signals by DFA and their changes in the sleep onset process. METHODS: Thirty channel EEG was recorded in 61 healthy subjects (male : female = 34 : 27, age = 27.2 +/- 3.0 years). The scaling exponents, alpha, were calculated by DFA and compared between four kinds of 30s sleep-wakefulness states such as wakefulness, transition period, early sleep, and late sleep (stage 1). These four states were selected by the distribution of alpha and theta waves in O1 and O2 electrodes. RESULTS: The scaling exponents, alpha, were significantly different in the four states during sleep onset periods, and also varied with the thirty leads. The interaction between the sleep states and the leads was significant. The means (+/- standard deviation) of alphas for the states were 0.94 (+/- 0.12), 0.98 (+/- 0.12), 1.10 (+/- 0.10), 1.07 (+/- 0.07) in the wakefulness, transitional period, early sleep and late sleep state respectively. The mean alpha of anterior fifteen leads was greater than that of posterior fifteen leads, and the two regions showed the different pattern of changes of the alpha during the sleep onset periods. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristic findings in the sleep onset period were the increasing pattern of scaling exponent of DFA, and the pattern was slightly but significantly different between fronto-temporal and parieto-occipital regions. It suggests that the long-range correlations of EEG have a tendency of increasing from wakefulness to early sleep, but anterior and posterior brain regions have different dynamical process. DFA, one of the nonlinear analytical methods for time series, may be a useful tool for the investigation of the sleep onset period.
Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Wakefulness