Background: Gingivitis and periodontal disease are common conditions requiring early management. Regular scaling prevents periodontal disease but is often avoided due to pain and discomfort, leading to worsened conditions. Dental fear, particularly related to scaling, is a significant barrier; however, few studies have explored it. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence scaling fear in adults. Understanding these factors will enable dental professionals to mitigate these fears and promote regular scaling. Methods: An online survey was conducted, targeting adults aged 19 years and older with prior scaling experience. Using convenience sampling, 270 responses were analyzed. The survey included 30 items measuring general characteristics, periodontal disease knowledge, scaling awareness, and scaling fear. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) with multiple regression to identify factors affecting scaling fear. Results: The mean scores were 4.76±1.35 for periodontal disease knowledge, 3.82±0.55 for scaling awareness, and 2.87±0.63 for scaling fear. Scaling awareness (β=–0.236, p＜0.001), periodontal disease knowledge (β=–0.157, p=0.01), and the number of scaling sessions in the past two years (β=–0.147, p＜0.05) significantly influenced scaling fear. Conclusion Scaling awareness and periodontal disease knowledge are key to reducing fear of scaling. Dental professionals should educate patients and provide clear explanations to build trust and create positive experiences. Oral health education programs should be expanded to improve awareness, reduce fear, and foster regular scaling attendance.

Background: Gingivitis and periodontal disease are common conditions requiring early management. Regular scaling prevents periodontal disease but is often avoided due to pain and discomfort, leading to worsened conditions. Dental fear, particularly related to scaling, is a significant barrier; however, few studies have explored it. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence scaling fear in adults. Understanding these factors will enable dental professionals to mitigate these fears and promote regular scaling. Methods: An online survey was conducted, targeting adults aged 19 years and older with prior scaling experience. Using convenience sampling, 270 responses were analyzed. The survey included 30 items measuring general characteristics, periodontal disease knowledge, scaling awareness, and scaling fear. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) with multiple regression to identify factors affecting scaling fear. Results: The mean scores were 4.76±1.35 for periodontal disease knowledge, 3.82±0.55 for scaling awareness, and 2.87±0.63 for scaling fear. Scaling awareness (β=–0.236, p＜0.001), periodontal disease knowledge (β=–0.157, p=0.01), and the number of scaling sessions in the past two years (β=–0.147, p＜0.05) significantly influenced scaling fear. Conclusion Scaling awareness and periodontal disease knowledge are key to reducing fear of scaling. Dental professionals should educate patients and provide clear explanations to build trust and create positive experiences. Oral health education programs should be expanded to improve awareness, reduce fear, and foster regular scaling attendance.

Background: Gingivitis and periodontal disease are common conditions requiring early management. Regular scaling prevents periodontal disease but is often avoided due to pain and discomfort, leading to worsened conditions. Dental fear, particularly related to scaling, is a significant barrier; however, few studies have explored it. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence scaling fear in adults. Understanding these factors will enable dental professionals to mitigate these fears and promote regular scaling. Methods: An online survey was conducted, targeting adults aged 19 years and older with prior scaling experience. Using convenience sampling, 270 responses were analyzed. The survey included 30 items measuring general characteristics, periodontal disease knowledge, scaling awareness, and scaling fear. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) with multiple regression to identify factors affecting scaling fear. Results: The mean scores were 4.76±1.35 for periodontal disease knowledge, 3.82±0.55 for scaling awareness, and 2.87±0.63 for scaling fear. Scaling awareness (β=–0.236, p＜0.001), periodontal disease knowledge (β=–0.157, p=0.01), and the number of scaling sessions in the past two years (β=–0.147, p＜0.05) significantly influenced scaling fear. Conclusion Scaling awareness and periodontal disease knowledge are key to reducing fear of scaling. Dental professionals should educate patients and provide clear explanations to build trust and create positive experiences. Oral health education programs should be expanded to improve awareness, reduce fear, and foster regular scaling attendance.

PURPOSE: Although the DTaP and Tdap vaccines used to prevent pertussis have been used for a long time, there is no standard method for measuring pertussis antigens. Therefore, this preliminary study was conducted to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method using an animal model for measuring antibodies against pertussis toxin, the most important pertussis pathogenic antigen, in the sera of vaccinated mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bordetella pertussis Tohama phase I was cultured for 24–30 hours, and then pertussis toxin was purified from the culture medium by chromatography. Purified pertussis toxin was diluted in phosphate-buffered saline-coating buffer, and 100 µL of diluted pertussis toxin was added to each well and reacted at room temperature for 4 hours. Positive serum was diluted to 1/1,250–1/80,000 and negative serum was diluted to 1/50 to determine the coating concentration with the optimal signal/noise ratio. Optimal test conditions were confirmed from the dilution factors of the secondary antibody and streptavidin horseradish peroxidase (SA-HRP). RESULTS: Optimal conditions were as follows: 4 µg/mL for coating antigen; 1/40,000 for secondary antibody; and 1/1,000 for the SA-HRP dilution factor. Comparison of the sera obtained from mice treated with a developing vaccine and commercial vaccine with National Institute for Biological Standard and Control standard serum under the established conditions showed the following results: 1,300.62, 534.94, and 34.85, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method developed in this study is suitable for measuring anti-pertussis toxin antibodies and may be applicable for clinical sample analysis or indirect diagnosis of pertussis.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Bordetella pertussis ; Chromatography ; Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Horseradish Peroxidase ; Methods ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Pertussis Toxin ; Streptavidin ; Vaccines ; Whooping Cough

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate whether transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) can improve cognition in stroke patients. METHODS: Forty-five stroke patients (20 males and 25 females, average age: 62.7 years) with cognitive dysfunction were included in this prospective, double-blinded, randomized case-control study. All patients were right-handed and the mean elapsed time after stroke was 39.3 days. Three different treatments groups were used: (1) anodal stimulation of the left anterior temporal lobe, (2) anodal stimulation of the right anterior temporal lobe, and (3) sham stimulation. tDCS was delivered for 30 minutes at 2 mA with 25 cm2 electrodes, five times/week, for a total of 3 weeks, using a Phoresor II Auto Model PM 850 (IOMED(R)). The evaluation of cognitive impairment was based on a Computerized Neuropsychological Test (CNT), Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). The Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) was used to assess activities of daily living functionality. These evaluations were conducted in all patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: Each group included 15 patients. Pre-treatment evaluation showed no significant differences between the three groups for any of the parameters. There was significant improvement in the verbal learning test on the CNT in the left anodal stimulation group (P < 0.05). There were, however, no significant differences in the K-MMSE or K-MBI scores among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated the beneficial effects of anodal tDCS on memory function. Thus, tDCS can successfully be used as a treatment modality for patients with cognitive dysfunction after stroke.
Activities of Daily Living ; Case-Control Studies ; Cognition* ; Electrodes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke* ; Temporal Lobe ; Verbal Learning

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the number of leiomyoma patients-exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) and to observe whether the serum concentration of BPA is related to leiomyoma growth. METHODS: A total of 158 patients were recruited for this study. Leiomyoma patients were divided into three groups, mild (n = 48), moderate (n = 32) and severe (n = 28), according to the size of leiomyomas. The control (n = 30) group was defined as having no leiomyomas. Transvaginal ultrasonography was used to identify and measure the leiomyomas. Serum BPA concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: BPA was detected in 87.0% out of a total of 158 samples, and in 86.0% out of 108 leiomyoma patients. In detail, the detection rates of serum BPA were 88.0% in the control group, 77.2% in the mild group, 90.0% in the moderate group and 96.0% in the severe group. The mean BPA concentration in the control group was 0.558 +/- 0.097 ng/mL, the leiomyoma groups, the mean BPA concentrations were 0.274 +/- 0.063 ng/mL (mild), 0.346 +/- 0.064 ng/mL (moderate) and 0.647 +/- 0.039 ng/mL (severe) (P = 0.0003). Values represent the mean +/- standard error. CONCLUSION: The detection rates of serum BPA in the control and leiomyoma groups were 88.0% and 86.0%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference in the serum BPA concentrations between the control and leiomyoma groups. To verify the effect of BPA on leiomyoma growth, a close and sequential monitoring is recommended for people who are at risk for uterine leiomyoma.
Endocrine Disruptors ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the long term effects of estrogen-progestogen therapy (EPT) on uterine myomas volume in postmenopausal women. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on postmenopausal women with asymptomatic uterine myoma during the period between April, 2008 and September, 2012. Postmenopause was defined as amenorrhea for longer than a year or serum follicle stimulating hormone levels higher than 40 IU/L. The volume of the myoma was assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography for every 6 months after administration of EPT. RESULTS: Thirty-eight women were included in the study, with 32 in the EPT group and 6 in the control group. Overall, uterine myoma volume (mean +/- standard deviation, cm3) in the EPT group was 19.5 +/- 24.6 at baseline, and those at 6 and 12 months were 24.7 +/- 35.1 and 28.5 +/- 56.4, respectively. Myoma volume did not change significantly with EPT, and these changes were not significantly different from the control group. Myoma volume changes were not significantly different in the subgroups according to the route of estrogen administrations and the method of progestogen administrations. Clinically significant volume increases during one year of EPT was noted in 28.1% (9/32), however, only one showed transient increases. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that treating postmenopausal woman with EPT on a long-term basis does not increase the volume of uterine myomas.
Amenorrhea ; Estrogens ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Methods ; Myoma ; Postmenopause ; Progesterone ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Uterus

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the synergic effects of mirror therapy and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for hand function in stroke patients. METHOD: Sixty patients with hemiparesis after stroke were included (41 males and 19 females, average age 63.3 years). Twenty patients had NMES applied and simultaneously underwent mirror therapy. Twenty patients had NMES applied only, and twenty patients underwent mirror therapy only. Each treatment was done five days per week, 30 minutes per day, for three weeks. NMES was applied on the surface of the extensor digitorum communis and extensor pollicis brevis for open-hand motion. Muscle tone, Fugl-Meyer assessment, and power of wrist and hand were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in the Fugl-Meyer assessment score in the wrist, hand and coordination, as well as power of wrist and hand in all groups after treatment. The mirror and NMES group showed significant improvements in the Fugl-Meyer scores of hand, wrist, coordination and power of hand extension compared to the other groups. However, the power of hand flexion, wrist flexion, and wrist extension showed no significant differences among the three groups. Muscle tone also showed no significant differences in the three groups. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that there is a synergic effect of mirror therapy and NMES on hand function. Therefore, a hand rehabilitation strategy combined with NMES and mirror therapy may be more helpful for improving hand function in stroke patients than NMES or mirror therapy only.
Electric Stimulation ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Paresis ; Stroke ; Wrist

Adenomyoma is a benign tumor composed of smooth muscle and benign endometrium. These tumors typically originate within the uterus. An extrauterine adenomyoma is a rare entity. Cystic degeneration of adenomyoma is also very rare case. We report a case of huge extrauterine endometrioid-type adenomyoma with cystic change with brief review of literature.
Adenomyoma ; Endometrium ; Female ; Muscle, Smooth ; Uterus

Granulosa cell tumors of ovary are rare neoplasms, which account for 2~5% of all ovarian malignancies. Ovarian granulosa cell tumors are often associated with endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma. The endometrial carcinoma is thought to occur under the influence of the estrogen receptor pathway and is typically a low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma. We present a case of granulosa cell tumor of the ovary and synchronous endometrial carcinoma that were managed with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with brief review of literature.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Female ; Granulosa Cell Tumor ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Laparoscopy ; Ovary