Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale Short Form (K AES-10) for people with dementia. Methods: Participants in this study were 198 patients with dementia resident in two hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The AES-10 was translated into Korean through the translation and adaptation of instruments process developed by the World Health Organization. This process was carried out by three bilingual nursing professionals. Validity and reliability, such as construct validity, convergent validity, Cronbach's ⍺, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability, were evaluated. IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 and AMOS 26.0 programs were used for the data analysis. Results: A uni-dimensional model was proposed in the explanatory factor analysis; a single factor accounted for 68.0% of total variances. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the validity of the Korean version of the AES-10. The scale had a Cronbach's ⍺ of .95, inter-rater reliability of .66 (p<.001), and a test-retest reliability of .81 (p<.001). Conclusion The findings show that the Korean version of the AES-10 is both valid and reliable for measuring apathy among people diagnosed with dementia in the Republic of Korea.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is considered a marker useful for the follow-up and diagnosis of diabetes and implies the importance of reliable assay methods that are traceable to a reference method. We evaluated analytical performance of a new high-performance liquid chromatography system for the HbA1c assay: D-100 from Bio-Rad Laboratories (USA). METHODS: We evaluated precision, linearity, and carry-over of D-100, according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's guidelines. Comparative analysis of D-100 with Integra 800 (Roche Diagnostics, Germany) and Capillarys 3 (Sebia, France) was conducted. Additionally, we evaluated the throughput of the three instruments. RESULTS: Precision of low- and high-concentration controls in D-100 showed a CV of less than 1%. The linearity was excellent (R²=0.999) in the range of 3.51-18.7%, and carry-over was not observed. HbA1c results of D-100 (n=144) showed good correlation with those of Integra 800 (r=0.993) and Capillarys 3 (r=0.996). The % bias between D-100 and Integra 800 or Capillarys 3 was within the allowable range at all 3 medical decision levels (5.7%, 6.5%, and 10.0%). Elapsed time in the analysis of the first sample by D-100 was shorter than that of Integra 800 (2.4 vs. 11.1 minutes), but subsequent samples took more time (0.8 vs. 0.3 minutes per sample). CONCLUSIONS: D-100 showed reliable analytical performance with good precision and linearity, minimal carry-over, and acceptable comparative characteristics relative to other instruments. D-100 is expected to be useful for clinical measurements of HbA1c for diabetes diagnosis and theranostics.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Methods ; Theranostic Nanomedicine

PURPOSE: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are vulnerable to invasive infection by Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp). This study was performed to evaluate immune responses after Hib and Sp vaccination in Korean pediatric HCT recipients. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled at Samsung Medical Center during 2009-2011. ELISA tests to detect anti-PRP IgG antibody and antibodies to Sp serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F were performed at the Center for Vaccine Evaluation and Study, Ewha Medical Research Institute. RESULTS: Ten patients (two allogeneic, eight autologous recipients) with median age 5.4 years (range 2.7-12.2 years) were enrolled. Before Hib vaccination, 60% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers were below 0.15 microg/mL. After vaccination, 100% of patients' anti-PRP IgG titers increased above 0.15 microg/mL (cut-off value for detection) and 1.0 microg/mL (cut-off value for seroprotection). For pneumococcus, in 2-5 year-old patients, pre-vaccination geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG for six serotypes (4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 5 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. In patients older than 5 years, pre-vaccination GMCs of IgG for four serotypes (4, 9V, 14, and 23F) were below 0.35 microg/mL and at 3 months post-vaccination GMCs of IgG for all seven serotypes increased to above 0.35 microg/mL. CONCLUSION: Most HCT recipients had low or no protective antibodies to Hib and Sp before vaccination, but showed good immune responses to protective levels after vaccination.
Academies and Institutes ; Antibodies ; Antibody Formation* ; Cell Transplantation* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Haemophilus influenzae type b* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Prospective Studies ; Streptococcus pneumoniae* ; Transplants* ; Vaccination*

BACKGROUND: Emergencies in dentistry can be classified as medical and dental. Medical emergencies occur mainly during dental treatment in patients with a systemic disease. Dental emergency departments are largely divided into dental emergency rooms located in dental college hospitals and medical emergency rooms located in medical institutions. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of and provide help to dental emergency patients in a dental hospital. METHODS: Overall, 1806 patients admitted to a dental emergency room at Yonsei University Dental Hospital for 1 year were included. The data collection period was from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. An investigator reviewed medical records from the electronic medical record (EMR) system and radiographs. RESULTS: The patients were 1,070 men and 736 women. The sex ratio was 1.45:1. The commonest age group was of 0–9 years, including 451 (25.0%) patients, followed by 20–29 years, including 353 (19.5%) patients, and 30–39 years, including 277 (15.3%) patients. Of the 108 patients transferred to the Severance emergency department, 81 had trauma, 19 were in pain, 4 were bleeding, and 4 had other complaints. Among chief complaints, 1,079 patients (60.3%) had trauma, 564 (31.5%) had pain, and 75 (4.2%) had bleeding. Twenty-three cases (1.3%) were caused by temporomandibular disorder (TMD). CONCLUSION: Dentists should be able to adequately assess patients in a dental emergency room and treat trauma, pain, and bleeding.
Data Collection ; Dentistry ; Dentists ; Electronic Health Records ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Research Personnel ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm accounting less than 1% of malignant pancreatic tumors. A 47-year-old male patient visited the emergency room with epigastric pain. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 4.7-cm heterogeneously enhanced solid and cystic mass with internal necrosis located in the head of the pancreas. Radiological diagnosis was borderline malignancy such as neuroendocrine tumor or solid pseudopapillary neoplasm. Two months later, the necrotic mass in the pancreas head had grown up to 11 cm, compressing the duodenum, superior mesenteric vein, and proximal transverse colon. Pylorus preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with segmental resection of transverse colon was performed. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor was pancreatic ACC. The patient recovered without any complication and was doing well without recurrence for 12 months after surgery.

Objective: The authors analyzed the characteristics of pediatric patients who visited trauma center due to injuries sustained while riding scooters and suggested recommendations on our concerns about pediatric scooter use. Methods: From January 2019 to June 2022, we collected data for those who visited due to accidents while riding scooters. And, the analysis was conducted by dividing it into pediatric (younger than 12 years) and adult (older than 20 years) patients. Results: There were 264 children (<12 years), and 217 adults (>19 years). We observed 170 head injuries (64.4%), in the pediatric population and 130 head injuries (60.0%) in the adult population. There were no significant differences between pediatric and adult patients for all three injured regions. Among pediatric patients, only 1 reported the use of protective headgear (0.4%). The patient suffered a cerebral concussion. However, 9 of the pediatric patients who did not wear protective headgear suffered major trauma. Among 217 adult patients, 8 (3.7%) had used headgear. 6 suffered major trauma and 2 suffered minor trauma.Of the patients who did not wear protective headgear, 41 suffered major trauma and 81 suffered minor trauma. Since there was only one patient in the pediatric group who wore headgear, no statistical inferences could be calculated. Conclusion In the pediatric population, the head injury rate is as high as in adults. We were unable to statistically support the significance of headgear in the current study. However, in our general experience, the importance of headgear is overlooked in the pediatric population compared to adults. It is necessary to encourage the use of headgear actively publicly.

PURPOSE: Few studies have examined periodontal pathogens from saliva samples in periodontally healthy young adults. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of periodontopathic bacteria and to quantify periodontal pathogens in saliva samples using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in periodontally healthy Korean young adults under 35 years of age. METHODS: Nine major periodontal pathogens were analyzed by real-time PCR in saliva from 94 periodontally healthy young adults. Quantification of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Campylobacter rectus, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, and Eikenella corrodens was performed by DNA copy number measurement. RESULTS: F. nucleatum and E. corrodens were detected in all subjects; the numbers of positive samples were 87 (92.6%), 91 (96.8%), and 90 (95.7%) for P. gingivalis, P. anaerobius, and C. rectus, respectively. Other pathogens were also detected in periodontally healthy subjects. Analysis of DNA copy numbers revealed that the most abundant periodontal pathogen was F. nucleatum, which was significantly more prevalent than all other bacteria (P < 0.001), followed by P. anaerobius, P. gingivalis, E. corrodens, C. rectus, and T. denticola. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of each bacterium between men and women. The DNA copy number of total bacteria was significantly higher in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS: Major periodontal pathogens were prevalent in the saliva of periodontally healthy Korean young adults. Therefore, we suggest that the development of periodontal disease should not be overlooked in periodontally healthy young people, as it can arise due to periodontal pathogen imbalance and host susceptibility.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Load ; Campylobacter rectus ; Chronic Periodontitis ; DNA ; Eikenella corrodens ; Female ; Forsythia ; Fusobacterium nucleatum ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Peptostreptococcus ; Periodontal Diseases ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Prevalence ; Prevotella intermedia ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saliva ; Treponema denticola ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) frequently occurs following bimaxillary orthognathic surgeries. Compared to opioids, Nefopam is associated with lower incidences of PONV, and does not induce gastrointestinal tract injury, coagulopathy, nephrotoxicity, or fracture healing dysfunction, which are common side effects of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We compared nefopam- and fentanyl-induced incidence of PONV in patients with access to patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following bimaxillary orthognathic surgeries. METHODS: Patients undergoing bimaxillary orthognathic surgeries were randomly divided into nefopam and fentanyl groups. Nefopam 120 mg or fentanyl 700 µg was mixed with normal saline to a final volume of 120 mL. Patients were given access to nefopam or fentanyl via PCA. Postoperative pain intensity and PONV were measured at 30 minutes and 1 hour after surgery in the recovery room and at 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery in the ward. The frequency of bolus delivery was compared at each time point. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients were enrolled in this study, with 48 in the nefopam (N) group and 41 in the fentanyl (F) group. PONV occurred in 13 patients (27.7%) in the N group and 7 patients (17.1%) in the F group at 8 hours post-surgery (P = 0.568), and there were no significant differences between the two groups at any of the time points. VAS scores were 4.4 ± 2.0 and 3.7 ± 1.9 in the N and F groups, respectively, at 8 hours after surgery (P = 0.122), and cumulative bolus delivery was 10.7 ± 13.7 and 8.6 ± 8.5, respectively (P = 0.408). There were no significant differences in pain or bolus delivery at any of the remaining time points. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery and were given nefopam via PCA did not experience a lower rate of PONV compared to those that received fentanyl via PCA. Furthermore, nefopam and fentanyl did not provide significantly different postoperative pain control.
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Fentanyl ; Fracture Healing ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nefopam ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Prospective Studies ; Recovery Room

PURPOSE: We strove to evaluate in-stent restenosis of the coronary artery by measuring the in-stent CT attenuation with using 16-multislice CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the coronary CT angiography, with using 16-slice CT, in 45 stents of 30 patients. The CT attenuation was measured in the lumen of the stented segments and in the lumen of the segment proximal to the stents, and this attenuation was compared with each other. The CT attenuation difference between them was analyzed in relation to the presence of significant in-stent restenosis. Conventional coronary angiography was used as a standard of reference for in-stent restenosis. RESULTS: 12 stents in 12 patients revealed significant restenosis on the conventional coronary angiography. In 6 (50%) of them, the CT attenuation value of the in-stent lumen was lower than that of the proximal segments (373.8 HU vs. 497.1 HU, respectively, p=0.77). In the other 6 stents, a small stent diameter (n=3) and adjacent severe calcification (n=2) accounted for the higher CT attenuation value of the in-stent lumen. In all the stents without significant restenosis, the CT attenuation values of the in-stent lumens were higher than those of their proximal segments. CONCLUSION: The measurement of CT attenuation with using 16-slice CT at the in-stent lumen as compared to the attenuation of the proximal segment provides an objective, confident method for the diagnosis of in-stent restenosis.
Angiography ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Stents

Aluminum nanoparticles (Al-NPs) are one of the most widely used nanomaterial in cosmetics and medical materials. For this reason, Al-NP exposure is very likely to occur via inhalation in the environment and the workplace. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanism of Al-NP neurotoxicity via inhalation exposure. In this study, we investigated the effect AL-NPs on the brain. Rats were exposed to Al-NPs by nasal instillation at 1 mg/kg body weight (low exposure group), 20 mg/kg body weight (moderate exposure group), and 40 mg/kg body weight (high exposure group), for a total of 3 times, with a 24-hr interval after each exposure. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis indicated that the presence of aluminum was increased in a dose-dependent manner in the olfactory bulb (OFB) and the brain. In microarray analysis, the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) activity (GO: 0043405), including Ptprc, P2rx7, Map2k4, Trib3, Trib1, and Fgd4 was significantly over-expressed in the treated mice than in the controls (p = 0.0027). Moreover, Al-NPs induced the activation of ERK1 and p38 MAPK protein expression in the brain, but did not alter the protein expression of JNK, when compared to the control. These data demonstrate that the nasal exposure of Al-NPs can permeate the brain via the olfactory bulb and modulate the gene and protein expression of MAPK and its activity.
Aluminum* ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Brain* ; Inhalation ; Inhalation Exposure ; Mass Spectrometry ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Nanoparticles* ; Nanostructures ; Olfactory Bulb ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Plasma ; Rats*