No abstract available.
Pulmonary Artery*

PURPOSE: The present study was performed to assess differences of urinary risk factors for urolithiasis according to age, in men and women stone formers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprised 599 patients who presented consecutively with one or more episodes of urinary stone from September 1997 to January 2000. They were divided into 4 groups by stratified age, consisting of group 1 (104 patients) aged <30 years, group 2 (181) aged 30-39 years, group 3 (135) aged 40-49 years, and group 4 (179) aged > =50. Twenty-four hour urinary parameters including total volume, and levels/concentrations/expressions of sodium, uric acid, creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, oxalate and citrate, as well as frequencies of metabolic abnormalities, were compared among the 4 groups in each sex. RESULTS: For men, urinary sodium excretion was significantly lower in group 4 and citrate excretion was significantly lower in group 1 than in the other groups. For women, the excretion of citrate in group 2 was significantly higher than in the other groups and phosphorus excretion in group 4 was significantly lower than in the other groups. When the frequencies of metabolic abnormalities were compared, hypocitraturia of groups 1 and 2, and lower hypernatriuria and higher hypomagnesuria of group 4 were noted among men. The men in group 4 had significantly lower frequencies of metabolic abnormalities. Except for the lower frequency of hyperuricosuria in group 1, no significant differences of metabolic abnormalities were found among the female groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although multiple lithogenic factors can be responsible for urolithiasis, this study showed that hypocitraturia was the most important risk factor and could play the vital role in stone development, especially in young men and elderly women.
Aged ; Calcium ; Citric Acid ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Magnesium ; Male ; Phosphorus ; Risk Factors* ; Sodium ; Uric Acid ; Urinary Calculi ; Urolithiasis

Vestibular compensation is a recovery process from vestibular symptoms over time after unilateral loss of peripheral vestibular end organs. The aim of the present study was to observe time-dependent changes in long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in the CA1 area of the hippocampus during vestibular compensation. The input-output (I/O) relationships of fEPSP amplitudes and LTP induced by theta burst stimulation to Schaffer's collateral commissural fibers were evaluated from the CA1 area of hippocampal slices at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). The I/O relationships of fEPSPs in the CA1 area was significantly reduced within 1 week post-op and then showed a non-significant reduction at 1 month after UL. Compared with sham-operated animals, there was a significant reduction of LTP induction in the hippocampus at 1 day and 1 week after UL. However, LTP induction levels in the CA1 area of the hippocampus also returned to those of sham-operated animals 1 month following UL. These data suggest that unilateral injury of the peripheral vestibular end organs results in a transient deficit in synaptic plasticity in the CA1 hippocampal area at acute stages of vestibular compensation.
Animals ; Compensation and Redress* ; Hippocampus* ; Long-Term Potentiation* ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Rats* ; Synapses*

Translucent monolithic zirconia is widely used because it has continuously enhanced color and translucency. However, when translucent monolithic zirconia are used for esthetic zone like anterior, it has problem to be exposed to color of titanium abutment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of coloring and cementing of translucent zirconia on the color masking of titanium abutments. The CIE L*, a*, and b* values were measured using a spectrophotometer in three subgroups after coloring with A2 colorant and white opaque colorant, and the color difference and translucency of each group were analyzed. In the A2 colorant application group, the color difference (ΔE* ) between zirconia and zirconia on titanium abutments was not clinically acceptable (ΔE* > 3.3). In the white opaque group and the white opaque plus A2 colorant group, the color difference (ΔE* ) between zirconia and zirconia on titanium abutments was clinically acceptable (1<ΔE* <3.3). The translucency of zirconia was significantly affected by the coloring treatment (P<.001). The Pearson correlation between color difference and translucency parameters was high (r=0.982, R2 =0.965). The white coloring treatment to translucent zirconia affected masking of titanium abutment. The combination of A2 colorant and white opaque colorant increased the color masking effect of titanium abutments and achieved a shade similar to natural teeth. Resin cement adhesion to translucent zirconia did not affect the color masking of titanium zirconia. As the zirconia translucency increases, it had less of an effect on the titanium abutment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Altered environmental gravity, including both hypo- and hypergravity, may result in space adaptation syndrome. To explore the characteristics of this adaptive plasticity, the expression of immediate early gene c-fos mRNA in the vestibular system following an exposure to hypergravity stimulus was determined in rats. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The animals were subjected to 2 G force (two-fold earth's gravity) stimulus for 3 hours, and were examined at post-stimulus hours 0, 2, 6, 12, and 24. Real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was adopted to analyze temporal changes in the expression of c-fos mRNA. RESULTS: The hypergravity stimulation produced the expression of c-fos mRNA in the vestibular ganglion, medial vestibular nucleus, inferior vestibular nucleus, hippocampus, vestibulocerebellum, and vestibular cortex. The peak expression occurred at hour 6 in the animals hypergravity-stimulated for 3 hours. Bilateral labyrinthectomy significantly attenuated the degree of up-regulation in c-fos mRNA expression. MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, also significantly attenuated the degree of up-regulation in c-fos mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the adaptive neuroplasticity in response to an altered gravity occurs in the vestibular-related organs in the central nervous system, in which peripheral vestibular receptors and NMDA receptors play an important role.
Animals ; Central Nervous System ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Ganglion Cysts ; Genes, fos ; Gravitation ; Hippocampus ; Hypergravity* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Neuronal Plasticity* ; Plastics ; Rats ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; RNA, Messenger ; Space Motion Sickness ; Up-Regulation ; Vestibular Nuclei

No abstract available.
Head* ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Lymphocytes* ; Neck*

PURPOSE: A variety of postnatal therapies have been and will be evaluated for prevention or treatment of neonatal chronic lung disease. A simple method for early selection of the highest risk infants would optimize intervention trials. The purpose of this study was to develop an scoring system to predict the bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical, respiratory and radiographic variables of a 2.5-year experience was done with data of preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation admitted to Ewha Womans University Hospital from January 1998 to July 2000. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis identified four independent predictors of BPD; longer duration of assisted ventilation, lower Apgar score at 5 minute, higher PaCO2 at birth, presence of patent ductus arteriosus after 7 days. A clinical predictive scoring system (CPSS) was developed with these four predictors. CONCLUSION: We have come up with a CPSS for early identification of preterm infants with high risk of BPD. A prospective study is on going to evaluate the predictivity of this scoring system.
Apgar Score ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Female ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung Diseases ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventilation

PURPOSE: A variety of postnatal therapies have been and will be evaluated for prevention or treatment of neonatal chronic lung disease. A simple method for early selection of the highest risk infants would optimize intervention trials. The purpose of this study was to develop an scoring system to predict the bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical, respiratory and radiographic variables of a 2.5-year experience was done with data of preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation admitted to Ewha Womans University Hospital from January 1998 to July 2000. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis identified four independent predictors of BPD; longer duration of assisted ventilation, lower Apgar score at 5 minute, higher PaCO2 at birth, presence of patent ductus arteriosus after 7 days. A clinical predictive scoring system (CPSS) was developed with these four predictors. CONCLUSION: We have come up with a CPSS for early identification of preterm infants with high risk of BPD. A prospective study is on going to evaluate the predictivity of this scoring system.
Apgar Score ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia* ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Female ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung Diseases ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The temporal changes and the role of glutamate receptors in the recovery of vestibulogastrointestinal symptoms following unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) were investigated in this study. Vestibulogastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated in terms of gastric emptying and intestinal transit. MATERIALS AND METHODS Expression of the c-Fos protein was observed in the solitary tract nucleus (STN) and rostral ventrolateral medullary nucleus (RVLM). These were measured at 0.5, 2, 6 and 24 h following UL in rats. RESULTS Gastric emptying and intestinal transit were significantly decreased for 6 h post UL and recovered to control levels within 24 h. Pretreatment of UL animals with MK-801 significantly increased the gastric emptying and intestinal transit. Bilateral labyrinthectomy significantly decreased the gastric emptying and intestinal transit compared to the intact labyrinthine animals but significantly increased when compared to UL animals. The expression of c-Fos protein was significantly increased in STN and RVLM compared to the control animals for 6 h post UL and recovered to control levels within 24 h. The expression was significantly decreased in animals that were pretreated with MK-801. CONCLUSION These results suggest that UL decreases the gastrointestinal motility, which recovers to control levels within 24 h post UL. Glutamate plays an important role in the recovery of vestibulogastrointestinal symptoms following UL.
Animals ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Glutamic Acid ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Solitary Nucleus

The vestibular end-organs generate very sophisticated gravity sensory information about head movement by sensing head acceleration in three-dimensional space. Vestibular information is crucial for higher brain functions such as cognition of spatial orientation, spatial memory, and perception of self-motion. The term "vestibular cortex" represents cortical area where vestibular information is processed, converged with other sensory inputs to maintain cortical functions. The vestibular cortex gives rise to commend signals that control the vestibulosomatic reflex through the modulation of vestibular nuclear activity in the brainstem. The vestibular cortex includes such different cortical regions as the premotor region of the frontal cortex, parietal areas, temporal areas, and a central core region called parietoinsular vestibular cortex. This paper summarizes systemically animal and clinical research data concerned with the vestibular cortex in order to understand anatomy and functions of the vestibular cortex and to provide a basic literature for further study.
Acceleration ; Animals ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Cognition ; Gravitation ; Head ; Head Movements ; Memory ; Orientation ; Reflex ; Thalamic Nuclei