OBJECTIVES: Cadherin/catenin adhesion complex is fundamentally involved in epithelial cancer invasion and metastasis. E-cadherin and EGFR colocalize on the basolateral membrane of epithelial cell and EGF down-regulate E-cadherin expression. In the invasion and metastasis of cancer, E-cadherin expression is decreased and growth factors receptor is overexpressed. The present study was aimed to find the role of E-cadherin, beta-and gamma-catenin, growth factors and its receptors in cervical cancer cell lines. METHODS: The cervical cancer cell cultures were treated with different time duration of EGF 30 ng/ml and TGF-a 10 ng/ml(0, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 4 hr, 8 hr, 24 hr). The change in cancer cell morphology and the changes in E-cadherin, beta- and gamma-catenin, EGFR and activated EGFR expression were studied with a western blot analysis and an immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Through a western blot analysis, E-cadherin 120 kDa band and EGFR 170 kDa band were expressed in CaSki, HT-3 and ME-180 cell line, which showed epithelial contact growth. 1n these 3 cell lines, expression of E-cadherin did not decrease with time dependent manner. after the treatment of EGF and TGF- alpha. The expression of EGFR decreased and activated EGFR expression increased in 30 minutes to 1 hour but decreased subsequently. When the cells treated with EGF, there were no change in beta-and gamma-catenin expression with there dependent manner. The tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-and gamma-catenin increased in 30 minutes to 1 hour but decreased subsequently with activated EGFR. CONCLUSION: This study showed that an activated EGFR which has involved with tyrosine phosphorylation of beta- and gamma-catenin influenced by growth factors rather than expression of E-cadherin, has a role in the invasion and metastasis of the cervical cancer.
Blotting, Western ; Cadherins* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Epithelial Cells ; gamma Catenin* ; Immunoprecipitation ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Membranes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phosphorylation* ; Transforming Growth Factor alpha* ; Tyrosine* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to provide baseline data for the development of an educational program for hospice care for college students. METHODS: A survey was conducted at three universities in B city with 143 students from September 5, 2014 through September 26, 2014. The data were analyzed by the SPSS 18 program. This study was approved by IRB. RESULTS: The college students' spiritual well-being was at a medium level. Their attitudes to death were neutral, and perception of hospice care was at a medium level. Most of the participants (93.0%) had no training in hospice care. The participants' awareness of the purpose of hospice care was at a relatively high level. Their awareness of the need for hospice care was at a moderate level. The participants' spiritual well-being and their attitudes to death showed a weak but positive correlation (r=0.179, P=0.030). The relationship between their spiritual well-being and awareness of hospice care were positively correlated (r=0.203, P=0.015). CONCLUSION: The participants' perception of hospice care was low. Most of them had no experience of hospice care education. Also, the higher the spiritual stability was, the higher the participants' perception of the purpose and the necessity of hospice care was. And their perception of the hospice care varied depending on their family relationship, satisfaction with school life, and cognition of hospice care. Therefore, we need consider these variables to develop a hospice education program to enhance college students' attitudes to death and their perception of hospice care.
Attitude to Death* ; Cognition ; Education ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Family Relations ; Hospice Care* ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Spirituality

This study is to find out changes in medical practice at a university hospital before and after covering intraocular lens (IOL) from the health insurance benefit. The coverage started on March 1, 1993 and a total of 596 cases who were discharged from July 1 to December 31, 1992 and 580 cases who were discharged from July 1 to December 31, 1993 were analyzed. Since the standard reimbursement scheme was changed from March 1, 1993, the charges for 1992 were transformed into 1993 scheme. Major findings are as follows: Average length of stay was statistically significantly decreased from 8.24 days in 1992 to 6 86 days in 1993. Charges except IOL has been statistically significantly decreased from 501,000 won in 1992 to 444,000 won in 1993. Charges for drugs and injection have been reduced. However, charge per day for them was not much different. This is due to decrease in length of stay. Charges for laboratory tests and radiologic examination were quite the same. charges which are not covered by the insurance remained the same. The revenue of the hospital was reduced as expected. However, the hospital reduced the length of stay and increase the turnover rate in order to compensate the potential loss of revenue due to the difference of reimbursement between the out-of-pocket expense and the insurance coverage. By introducing the IOL benefit in the insurance, the insured pays less, hospital generates more revenue through shortening the hospital stay, and the total medical care cost becomes less nationwidely.
Health Care Costs ; Insurance ; Insurance Coverage ; Insurance, Health* ; Length of Stay ; Lenses, Intraocular*

During diagnostic process of the orthodontic patients, it is not unusual to find canine impaction. Generally, the chief complaint of the patients is crowding or antetior crossbite which is not related with canine impaction, but sometimes they complainted delayed eruption of the canine or deviation of the adjacent teeth caused by canine impaction. Orthodondists have to make the proper treatment plan according to final treatment goals. On the following cases, two patients were diagnosed as a malocclusion with canine impaction, and were treated by different accesses, one by extraction, and the other by non-extraction each.
Crowding ; Humans ; Malocclusion ; Tooth

This study was undertaken to compare the bond strength and the fracture site of new and recycled brackets according to the base design. 252 sound premolars extracted for orthodontic treatment were collected, and Type I, Type II, Type III brackets were divided into four groups by recycling method. Each bracket was then bonded to an extracted premolar. Instron Universal Testing Machine(model 4466) was used to measure the shear bond strength, and the surface of the recycled brackets were viewed in SEM. For the analysis of the results, one way ANOVA and Scheffe's multiple range test was executed using the SPSSWIN program. 1. The shear bond strength showed statistically significant difference according to the bracket base design(P<0.001). Type III bracket(round indentation base, micro-etched) showed the highest bond strength, Type I bracket(foil-mesh base) was second, and Type II bracket(grooved integral base, micro-etched) was last. 2. The effect of recycling on the bond strength was different according to bracket type. The shear bond strength of Type I, Type II brackets showed the smallist reduction when treated for 1 minute in Big Jane(p<0.05), but the shear bond strength of Type III brackets showed no statistically significant difference according to recycling method(p>0.05). 3. In Type I, Type II brackets, frequent fracture site was bracket-resin interface, but in Type III brackets, about half of the resin was retained on the tooth surface frequently. 4. The shear bond strength was highest when about half of the resin was retained on the tooth surface(p<0.05). 5. The resin remnant on the bracket base after recycling had no effect on the shear bond strength.
Bicuspid ; Recycling ; Tooth

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the relationships between spiritual well-being, attitude towards death and perception of hospice, and the factors influencing hospice perception of high school students. METHODS: A survey was conducted with 229 students in four high schools in B city from May 1, 2015 through May 31, 2015. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS 18.0 program. This study was approved by the internal review board. RESULTS: The factors influencing hospice perception of the high school students were previous recognition of hospice (β=0.412, P<0.001), attitude towards death preparation among sub-variables of attitude towards death (β=-0.244, P<0.001), subjective school life satisfaction (β=-0.215, P<0.001), and sex (β=0.191, P<0.001). The more positive the attitude towards my body after death and that towards death preparation was, the more positive recognition for hospice was. The total explanatory power of these factors was 34.5%. CONCLUSION: To improve high school students' perception of hospice, it is necessary to provide them with a hospice education program to help them with their attitudes towards death preparation and their understanding of hospice.
Adolescent ; Attitude to Death ; Education ; Hospice Care ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Palliative Care* ; Spirituality

PURPOSE: To evaluate Metal Artifact Reduction for Orthopedic Implants (O-MAR, Philips Healthcare) technique compared with standard filtered back projection (SFBP) technique on post-operative hip CT regarding image noise reduction and detection of post-operative complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six hip CT scans after hip replacement with SFBP technique and O-MAR application were retrospectively reviewed. Region of interests (ROIs) were drawn at levels wherein acetabular cup and femoral head were largest at anterior and posterior acetabula, gluteus maximus muscle, subcutaneous fat adjacent to gluteus maximus muscle, and in area adjacent to prosthesis stem wherein lesser trochanter is largest. Hounsfield units (HU) were measured to evaluate artifact quantitatively; mean and standard deviations (SDs) calculated and compared. Periprosthetic complications were evaluated, and visibility rated between two reconstruction techniques; 1-SFBP better, 2–SFBP same as O-MAR, 3–O-MAR better. RESULTS: Average HU was significantly lower in O-MAR at posterior acetabulum, gluteus maximus muscle, and subcutaneous fat (p < 0.05). SD for HU was significantly lower in O-MAR at all ROIs (p < 0.05). Mean visibility of periprosthetic complications was 2.0, so equivalent. CONCLUSION Reconstruction with O-MAR technique in post-operative hip CT scans after hip replacement yielded statistically significant decrease in image noise. However, visibility of periprosthetic complications was not impacted by reconstruction technique.

Human papilloma virus 16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins are well known to change cell functions, especially through p53 and pRb expression, so we studied their effects on molecular mechanisms and on the cell death associated with hypoxia and ionizing radiation. These treatments both caused cell death and increased p53 protein expression in HepG2 cells. This increased p53 expression by gamma-irradiation under hypoxia induced G1 cell cycle arrest and led to apoptosis even though HepG2 cells have a relatively reduced ability to induce p21 and pRb expression levels. Ablation of p53 expression by the HPV 16 E6 gene induced E2F-1 expression, which plays a role in cellular survival, especially under hypoxia or gamma-irradiation. The steady-state level of p53 action produced by HPV 16 E7 did not induce apoptotic cell death or the production of the apoptotic regulators, the bcl-2 family and caspase-3, so it did not appear to participate in apoptotic signaling in response to hypoxia and ionizing radiation. Thus, the HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein did not increase the rate of cell death induced by p53, although p53 might play a role in apoptosis in HepG2 cells.
Anoxia* ; Apoptosis* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Hep G2 Cells* ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans* ; Oncogene Proteins ; Papilloma* ; Radiation, Ionizing

We report a patient with traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation who presented with dysphagia as the chief complaint. A 59-year-old man complained of swallowing difficulty for 2 months after trauma to the neck. On physical examination, there was atrophy of the right sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius muscles, and the tongue was deviated to the right. In a videofluoroscopic swallowing study, penetration and aspiration were not seen, food residue remained in the right vallecula and pyriform sinus, and there was decreased motion of the soft palate, pharynx and larynx. Electromyography confirmed a right spinal accessory nerve lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed atlanto-occipital dislocation. Dysphagia in atlanto-occipital dislocation is induced by medullary compression and lower cranial nerve injury. Therefore, in survivors who are diagnosed with atlanto-occipital dislocation, any neurological symptoms should be carefully evaluated.
Accessory Nerve ; Atlanto-Occipital Joint ; Atrophy ; Cranial Nerve Injuries ; Cranial Nerves ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dislocations ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Larynx ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscles ; Neck ; Palate, Soft ; Pharynx ; Physical Examination ; Pyriform Sinus ; Survivors ; Tongue

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe the patterns of enhancement of the herniated lumbar disc with Gd-DTPA enhanced MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of 65 patients, 103 lumbar discs diagnosed to be herniated by MR image were retrospectively analyzed. The MR imaging was performed with 1.5 T MR unit, using T1- and T2- weighted sagittal and axial spin echo techniques. Contrast- enhanced T1 weighted sagittal and axial images were performed after intravenous injection of Gadopentetate-dimeglumine(Magnevist, Shering) (0.1 mmol/kg). RESULTS: Contrast enhancement was seen in 66 cases(64%). Thirteen cases of bulging disc were not enhanced. Twenty-eight cases of protruded disc showed intraannular enhancement in 23 cases, peripheral linear and irregular enhancement in each of one case, and nonenhancement in three cases. Fifty-seven cases of extruded disc showed irregular enhancement in 14 cases, peripheral linear enhancement in 12 cases, peripheral ring enhancement in five cases and intraannular enhancement in five cases. All five cases of sequestered disc showed peripheral ring enhancement. CONCLUSION: Protruded discs show intraannular enhancement frequently and sequestered discs usually show peripheral ring enhancement. Enhanced MR imaging may be helpful to evaluate the type of herniated lumbar disc and relationship among disc material, nerve root and thecal sac.
Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies