No abstract available.
Anencephaly* ; Humans

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The previous unilateral bite force recorder has several limitations for taking long time for measuring and causing discomfort to subjects. Because of these reasons, it could not use widely for epidemiological researches. However, "Dental Prescale System" which is new equipment for measuring bite force, is more convenient for measuring bite force than previous unilateral recorder. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare a new technique(Dental Prescale System) using pressure sensitive foils for recording of maximal jaw closing force with conventional measurement using unilateral bite force recorder. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This studies included 22 healthy dental students in college of dentistry, Yonsei university in Rep. of Korea. Mean age was 23.9 years. All subjects had continuous dental arches and no significant malocclusion or signs from the teeth and craniomandibular system. The Dental Prescale System (Fuji Film, Tokyo, Japan) consists of a horseshoe-shaped pressure sensitive sheet (50H, R type) and a computerized scanning system.(FPD705) We also used unilateral bite force recorder(Denbotics Co. Seoul, Rep.Korea) for comparing with Dental Prescale. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The total bite force recorded with Dental Prescale System (1423 N) was systematically higher than that recorded by unilateral bite force recorder.(256 N) However, the maximum bite force values measured in the two ways were significantly correlated (r=0.46, p<0.05). The Dental Prescale bite force calculated for first molar (208 N) was lower than that recorded by unilateral bite force recorder.(256 N) The two values were also very significantly correlated .(r=0.66. p<0.001) There were significantly different in bite force between two measurement methods. The reasons were first, unilateral bite force recorder measured only the bite force of a part of teeth, and Dental Prescale measured the total teeth force. Second, in measurement, a difference in muscle contraction appeared by an extent of mouth-opening. Third, unilateral bite force recorder has the reducing effect of the bite force by protective tape. Fourth, Dental Prescale has limitations during the computer scanning procedure. Therefore, Dental Prescale System is considered to be a very promising alternative to be conventional bite force recording methods.
Bite Force* ; Dental Arch ; Dentistry ; Humans ; Jaw ; Korea ; Malocclusion ; Molar ; Muscle Contraction ; Seoul ; Students, Dental ; Tooth

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The previous unilateral bite force recorder has several limitations for taking long time for measuring and causing discomfort to subjects. Because of these reasons, it could not use widely for epidemiological researches. However, "Dental Prescale System" which is new equipment for measuring bite force, is more convenient for measuring bite force than previous unilateral recorder. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare a new technique(Dental Prescale System) using pressure sensitive foils for recording of maximal jaw closing force with conventional measurement using unilateral bite force recorder. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This studies included 22 healthy dental students in college of dentistry, Yonsei university in Rep. of Korea. Mean age was 23.9 years. All subjects had continuous dental arches and no significant malocclusion or signs from the teeth and craniomandibular system. The Dental Prescale System (Fuji Film, Tokyo, Japan) consists of a horseshoe-shaped pressure sensitive sheet (50H, R type) and a computerized scanning system.(FPD705) We also used unilateral bite force recorder(Denbotics Co. Seoul, Rep.Korea) for comparing with Dental Prescale. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The total bite force recorded with Dental Prescale System (1423 N) was systematically higher than that recorded by unilateral bite force recorder.(256 N) However, the maximum bite force values measured in the two ways were significantly correlated (r=0.46, p<0.05). The Dental Prescale bite force calculated for first molar (208 N) was lower than that recorded by unilateral bite force recorder.(256 N) The two values were also very significantly correlated .(r=0.66. p<0.001) There were significantly different in bite force between two measurement methods. The reasons were first, unilateral bite force recorder measured only the bite force of a part of teeth, and Dental Prescale measured the total teeth force. Second, in measurement, a difference in muscle contraction appeared by an extent of mouth-opening. Third, unilateral bite force recorder has the reducing effect of the bite force by protective tape. Fourth, Dental Prescale has limitations during the computer scanning procedure. Therefore, Dental Prescale System is considered to be a very promising alternative to be conventional bite force recording methods.
Bite Force* ; Dental Arch ; Dentistry ; Humans ; Jaw ; Korea ; Malocclusion ; Molar ; Muscle Contraction ; Seoul ; Students, Dental ; Tooth

This study was intended to investigate the sodium-related perception, dietary behavior, and practicability of methods for reducing sodium intake(RSI) according to the stage of change in consumers. The survey was conducted to 770 housewives, among them 553 subjects who answered the key questions for the stage of change were categorized into ''aintenance (M)' stage (maintaining reduced salt intake for more than 6 months; n = 287, 51.90%), 'Action (A)' stage (maintaining reduced salt intake for less than 6 months; n=139, 25.14%), and 'Pre-Action (P)'stage (not starting reduced salt intake; n = 127, 22.97%). The subjects in M and A were significantly older than those in P (p < 0.01). The scores of desirable dietary habit and dietary balance were the highest in M followed by A and P. When eating out, the subjects in P considered 'price' more and 'healthiness of food' less than those in M and A did. Among the guidelines for RSI, 'Avoid Processed Foods', 'Eat enough vegetables and fruits' and 'Add little amount of dipping sauce for fried food' were selected as the three easiest items to perform. With regard to the sodium-related perception, the subjects in M considered eating-out food to be more salty than homemade dishes, read nutrition labels more, avoided table salt or dipping sauce for fried food more, and had 'own low-sodium recipe' than those in P (p < 0.001). It is suggested that practicability of actions for RSI and the stage of change should be considered to develop effective personalized education program and nutrition guidance.
Eating ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Sodium ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary ; Vegetables

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preoperative diagnosis of peritoneal metastasis is extremely important to select the appropriate treatment strategy and predict the prognosis for patients with gastrointestinal cancer. However, imaging techniques have a limited capacity for detecting peritoneal metastasis. We therefore evaluated the feasibility of percutaneous ultrathin flexible peritoneoscopy in an animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Percutanous ultrathin flexible peritoneoscopy was performed on two mini-pigs under general anesthesia. We punctured the abdominal wall at the anti-Mcburney and umbilical regions using a 16-gauge angiocatheter. Guidewire was inserted through the angiocatheter and we then enlarged the puncture using a biliary dilation catheter and a 6- to 8-mm balloon dilator catheter. After track formation, we inserted a 4.9-mm ultrathin endoscope into the abdominal cavity. The peritoneal cavity was examined, and peritoneal and liver biopsy was performed. The puncture was closed with a single suture. After the procedure, we monitored the general condition of the pigs for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Percutaneous ultrathin flexible peritoneoscopy was successfully performed regardless of the puncture site location. Peritoneal and liver biopsy was also successfully executed. The mean procedure time was 20 minutes. Formation of the abdominal track was not easily accomplished with standard endoscopic equipment. Nevertheless, none of the abdominal organs were injured. The post-procedure course was uneventful. Minor scarring was observed at the incision site 2 weeks after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Percutanous ultrathin flexible peritoneoscopy is a relatively simple and technically feasible method. However, dedicated accessories for fascial dilation should be developed to ensure the safety of human patients undergoing this procedure.
Abdominal Cavity ; Abdominal Wall ; Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Biopsy ; Catheters ; Cicatrix ; Endoscopes ; Feasibility Studies ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Laparoscopy ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Peritoneum ; Prognosis ; Punctures ; Sutures ; Swine

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly effective therapy for refractory and recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Despite its excellent efficacy and recent widespread use, FMT has not been widely used in South Korea thus far. We describe our experience with FMT to treat refractory/recurrent CDI. METHODS: We conducted a chart review of patients who underwent FMT for refractory/recurrent CDI at Inha University Hospital, between March 2014 and June 2016. The demographic information, treatment data, and adverse events were reviewed. FMT was administered via colonoscopy and/or duodenoscopy. All stool donors were rigorously screened to prevent infectious disease transmission. RESULTS: FMT was performed in nine patients with refractory/recurrent CDI. All patients were dramatically cured. Bowel movement was normalized within one week after FMT. There were no procedure-related adverse events, except aspiration pneumonia in one patient. During the follow-up period (mean 11.4 months), recurrence of CDI was observed in one patient at one month after FMT due to antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: FMT is a safe, well-tolerated and highly effective treatment for refractory/recurrent CDI. Although there are many barriers to using FMT, we expect that FMT will be widely used to treat refractory/recurrent CDI in South Korea.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Colonoscopy ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Duodenoscopy ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Korea ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Recurrence ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study is to assess the usefulness of immediate-cytospin Wright stain cytology with bladder tumor markers such as BTA and NMP22 in the screening and monitoring of bladder cancer. METHODS: We evaluated immediate-cytospin (cytospin 3, Shandon, UK) Wright stain and Papanicolau stain urinary cytology with the BTA stat (Bion Diagnostic Sciences, Inc., Redmond, WA, USA) and the NMP22 (Matritech, Newton, MA, USA) in 143 urine specimens for screening and monitoring of bladder cancer from September 2001 to May 2002. The cut-off decision level of NMP22 was determined by the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve and those above the cut-off were classified as positive. The Wright and PAP stained urinary cytology results were reviewed by two experts. Negative and atypia cytology results were classified as negative, and suspicions of malignancy and malignancy results were classified as positive. RESULTS: The ROC curve analysis for NMP22 demonstrated optimal sensitivity and specificity (81.8% and 83.8%, respectively) with the cut-off decision level 11.0 IU/mL. Sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, and false negative rate for the BTA stat were 62.5%, 92.9%, 47.4%, and 4.8%, respectively, and 81.8%, 83.8%, 55.0%, and 3.4%, respectively for the NMP22. Whereas, those values for immediate-cytospin Wright stain cytology were 90.9%, 98.4%, 16.7%, and 0.8%, respectively, showing a 100% concordance rate with Papanicolau stained cytology. The area under the ROC curve of the BTA stat, the NMP, and the immediate-cytospin Wright stain cytology was 0.78, 0.81, and 0.95, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate-cytospin Wright stain cytology was useful for the decrease in false positivity and false negativity for tumor markers such as the BTA stat and the NMP22 in screening and monitoring for bladder cancer.
Mass Screening* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective treatment currently available for asthma, but their beneficial effect against airway remodeling is limited. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib has inhibitory activity against c-kit and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. We compared the effects of fluticasone and nilotinib on airway remodeling in a chronic asthma model. We also examined whether co-treatment with nilotinib and fluticasone had any synergistic effect in preventing airway remodeling. METHODS: We developed a mouse model of airway remodeling, including smooth muscle thickening, in which ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized female BALB/c-mice were repeatedly exposed to intranasal OVA administration twice per week for 3 months. Mice were treated with fluticasone and/or nilotinib intranasally during the OVA challenge. RESULTS: Mice chronically exposed to OVA developed eosinophilic airway inflammation and showed features of airway remodeling, including thickening of the peribronchial smooth muscle layer. Both fluticasone and nilotinib attenuated airway smooth muscle thickening. However, only nilotinib suppressed fibrotic changes, demonstrating inhibition of collagen deposition. Fluticasone reduced pro-inflammatory cells, such as eosinophils, and several cytokines, such as interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5, and IL-13, induced by repeated OVA challenges. On the other hand, nilotinib reduced transforming growth factor β1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and inhibited fibroblast proliferation significantly. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that fluticasone and nilotinib suppressed airway remodeling in this chronic asthma model through anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic pathways, respectively.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Airway Remodeling ; Animals ; Asthma* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Collagen ; Cytokines ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fluticasone* ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Mice ; Muscle, Smooth ; Ovalbumin ; Ovum ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Transforming Growth Factors

PURPOSE: In clinical practice, some patients with asthma show incompletely reversible airflow obstruction, resembling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to analyze this overlap phenotype of asthma with COPD feature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 256 patients, over the age of 40 years or more with a diagnosis of asthma, based on either 1) positive response to bronchodilator: >200 mL forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and >12% baseline or 2) positive methacholine or mannitol provocation test, were enrolled. Among the asthma patients, we defined the overlap group with incompletely reversible airflow obstruction [postbronchodilator FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) <70] at the initial time of admission and continuing airflow obstruction after at least 3 months follow up. We evaluated clinical features, serum eosinophil counts, serum total immunoglobulin (Ig) E with allergy skin prick test, spirometry, methacholine or mannitol provocation challenges and bronchodilator responses, based on their retrospective medical record data. All of the tests mentioned above were performed within one week. RESULTS: The study population was divided into two groups: asthma only (62%, n=159, postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC > or =70) and overlap group (38%, n=97, postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <70). The overlap group was older, and contained more males and a higher percentage of current or ex-smokers than the asthma only group. Significantly lower FEV1 and higher total lung capacity, functional residual capacity, and residual volume were observed in the overlap group. Finally, significantly lower serum eosinophil count and higher IgE were seen in the overlap group. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the overlap phenotype was older, male asthmatic patients who have a higher lifetime smoking intensity, more atopy and generally worse lung function.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Asthma/epidemiology/*physiopathology ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume/physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology/*physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to design a new scoring system for differentiation between benign and malignant ovarian masses and to assess effectiveness of new scoring system comparing other scoring systems. METHODS: This study was based on 199 women who visited Soonchunhyang Hospital for surgery of ovarian mass. Ultrasonography and scoring system based on De Priest, Sassone, Ferrazi and Alcazar was performed the day before operation. Pathologic diagnosis after operation was directly compared with diagnosis of scoring system. The cut-off level of the new index is 11 points. This study was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Parameters of new scoring system were wall thickness, number of septum, volume of mass, irregularity, vascularity and echogenicity. The new scoring system had sensitivity 73.9%, specificity 97.7% and negative and positive predictive values of 96.6% and 80.9% respectively. CONCLUSION: Sensitivity of new scoring system was similar to previous ones but specificity of that is higher. Our new scoring system shows better to differentiate benign from malignant ovarian mass than four other scoring systems.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography