BACKGROUND: Intraoperative hypothermia is common in patients undergoing general anesthesia during arthroscopic hip surgery. In the present study, we assessed the effect of heating and humidifying the airway with a heated wire humidification circuit (HHC) to attenuate the decrease of core temperature and prevent hypothermia in patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery under general anesthesia. METHODS: Fifty-six patients scheduled for arthroscopic hip surgery were randomly assigned to either a control group using a breathing circuit connected with a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) (n = 28) or an HHC group using a heated wire humidification circuit (n = 28). The decrease in core temperature was measured from anesthetic induction and every 15 minutes thereafter using an esophageal stethoscope. RESULTS: Decrease in core temperature from anesthetic induction to 120 minutes after induction was lower in the HHC group (–0.60 ± 0.27℃) compared to the control group (–0.86 ± 0.29℃) (P = 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of intraoperative hypothermia or the incidence of shivering in the postanesthetic care unit. CONCLUSIONS: The use of HHC may be considered as a method to attenuate intraoperative decrease in core temperature during arthroscopic hip surgery performed under general anesthesia and exceeding 2 hours in duration.
Anesthesia, General* ; Arthroscopy ; Body Temperature ; Heating ; Hip* ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Incidence ; Methods ; Respiration ; Shivering ; Stethoscopes

Onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the major vegetable crops in Korea that are damaged and lost by pathogenic fungal infection during storage due to a lack of proper storage conditions. The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate control measure using thymol to increase the shelf life of onions. To control fungal infections that occur during low-temperature storage, it is necessary to identify the predominant fungal pathogens that appear in low-temperature storage houses. Botrytis aclada was found to be the most predominant fungal pathogen during low-temperature storage. The antifungal activity of the plant essential oil thymol was tested and compared to that of the existing sulfur treatments. B. aclada growth was significantly inhibited up to 16 weeks with spray treatments using a thymol solution. To identify an appropriate method for treating onions in a low-temperature storage house, thymol was delivered by two fumigation treatment methods, either by heating it in the granule form or as a solution at low-temperature storage conditions (in vivo). We confirmed that the disease severity was reduced up to 96% by fumigating thymol solution compared to the untreated control. The efficacy of the fumigation of thymol solution was validated by testing onions in a low-temperature storage house in Muan, Jeollanam-do. Based on these results, the present study suggests that fumigation of the thymol solution as a natural preservative and fungicide can be used as an eco-friendly substitute for existing methods to control postharvest disease in long-term storage crops on a commercial scale.
Botrytis ; Fumigation* ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Jeollanam-do ; Korea ; Methods ; Onions* ; Plants ; Sulfur ; Thymol* ; Vegetables

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of microwave sintering on the translucency of zirconia and to compare these effect with those of conventional sintering. The relationship between the microstructure of specimens and translucency was investigated.

METHODSA total of 10 disc-shaped specimens were fabricated from 2 commercial brands of zirconia, namely, Zenostar and Lava. Each group included 5 discs. Conventional sintering was performed according to the manufacturers' specifications. The maximum temperature for Zenostar was 1,490 °C, whereas that for Lava was 1,500 °C. The dwelling time was 2 h. The sintering temperature for microwave sintering was 1,420 °C, heating rate was 15 °C · min⁻¹, and dwelling time was 30 min. After sintering, the translucency parameter (TP) of the specimens were measured with ShadeEye NCC. The sintered density of the specimens was determined by Archimedes' method. The grain size and microstructure of the specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTSDensity and translucency slightly increased by microwave sintering, but no significant difference was found between microwave and conventional sintering (P > 0.05). Small and uniform microstructure were obtained from microwave sintering. The mean TP of Lava was significantly higher than that of Zenostar (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe translucency of zirconia sintered by microwave sintering is similar to that of the zirconia sintered by conventional sintering.

Ceramics ; chemistry ; Dental Prosthesis Design ; methods ; Heating ; Materials Testing ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microwaves ; Surface Properties ; Technology, Dental ; methods ; Zirconium ; chemistry

PURPOSE: The aims of the current study were to evaluate the effects of superficial cold and heat after spine surgery on pain, satisfaction with pain control and comfort level, and to identify subjective responses and adverse effects. METHODS: A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was utilized. The intervention group (n=36) received superficial cooling until the wound drain was removed and thereafter followed by superficial heating until discharge, while the control group (n=34) received only superficial cooling until wound drain was removed. Data were collected from August 4 to November 11 2014. RESULTS: There was significant difference in pain according to time within groups (F=71.87, p<.001). However, we found no difference in pain between groups. The intervention group reported higher patient satisfaction with pain control (4 vs 3, z=-2.83, p=.005) and higher comfort level (5 vs 4, z=-4.12, p<.001) than the control group. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that sequential application of superficial cold and heat is a useful method in clinical practice for management of pain after spine surgery.
Cryotherapy ; Heating ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Methods ; Pain, Postoperative ; Patient Satisfaction* ; Personal Satisfaction ; Prospective Studies ; Spine* ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to determine the effect of physical changes on MR temperature imaging at 7.0T and to examine proton-resonance-frequency related changes of MR phase images and T1 related changes of MR magnitude images, which are obtained for MR thermometry at various magnetic field strengths. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An MR-compatible capacitive-coupled radio-frequency hyperthermia system was implemented for heating a phantom and swine muscle tissue, which can be used for both 7.0T and 3.0T MRI. To determine the effect of flip angle correction on T1-based MR thermometry, proton resonance frequency, apparent T1, actual flip angle, and T1 images were obtained. For this purpose, three types of imaging sequences are used, namely, T1-weighted fast field echo with variable flip angle method, dual repetition time method, and variable flip angle method with radio-frequency field nonuniformity correction. RESULTS: Signal-to-noise ratio of the proton resonance frequency shift-based temperature images obtained at 7.0T was five-fold higher than that at 3.0T. The T1 value increases with increasing temperature at both 3.0T and 7.0T. However, temperature measurement using apparent T1-based MR thermometry results in bias and error because B1 varies with temperature. After correcting for the effect of B1 changes, our experimental results confirmed that the calculated T1 increases with increasing temperature both at 3.0T and 7.0T. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the temperature-induced flip angle variations need to be considered for accurate temperature measurements in T1-based MR thermometry.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Fever ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Magnetic Fields ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Protons ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Swine ; Thermometry

BACKGROUND: It is important to ensure that patients are normothermic during surgery. In total knee arthroplasty, the pneumatic tourniquet affects body temperature. We compared the ability of two warming devices to preserve core temperature in patients using a lower limb tourniquet under general anesthesia. METHODS: We included 132 patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II who were scheduled to undergo total knee arthroplasty. The patients were randomly divided into four groups (n = 33): group 1, without any heating method; group 2, with fluid warming; group 3, with forced-air warming; and group 4, with a combination of the two heating methods. After the induction of anesthesia, the esophageal and urinary bladder temperatures were monitored and recorded every 5 min before tourniquet deflation and every 1 min after tourniquet deflation. RESULTS: Before tourniquet deflation, compared with group 1, the odds ratios of groups 3 and 4 were less than 1. After tourniquet deflation, compared with group 1, the odds ratios of all groups using warming devices were less than 1. In particular, group 4 showed the largest hypothermia-preventive effect among the four groups. There was a significant correlation between esophageal temperature and bladder temperature before and after tourniquet deflation. CONCLUSIONS: After tourniquet deflation, a combination of a fluid warmer and forced-air warmer is the most effective method to prevent hypothermia, although either a fluid warmer or forced-air warmer alone could help to prevent hypothermia. Urinary bladder temperature changes correlate well with esophageal temperature changes throughout this operation.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Body Temperature ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Knee* ; Lower Extremity ; Methods* ; Odds Ratio ; Tourniquets* ; Urinary Bladder

The patient was a 34-year-old male who had the dorsum of his right foot burned with strong alkali. Subsequently, the wound changed to an ulcer 3 days after the accident, and it was resistant to conventional treatment. After seventeen days of a granulation tissue-forming period, we applied a suction blistered epidermal graft using an intrinsic heating system we had devised. Suction blistered epidermal grafting is a less painful method with minimal scarring that is applicable to various skin diseases and researches. However, currently used techniques require patients to be immobile for some time and it makes physicians and patients feel uneasy and uncomfortable. The time needed for the suction blister formation is dependent on many factors. Among them, the temperature and the suction pressure are the important factors that can be modified easily. So, we devised a suction device having the capability to heat itself and used a suction machine with a pressure meter. We applied this to the above patient. We present a case of a chemical burn wound treated with suction blistered epidermal grafting.
Adult ; Alkalies ; Blister* ; Burns ; Burns, Chemical* ; Cicatrix ; Foot ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Skin Diseases ; Suction* ; Transplants* ; Ulcer ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produced by incomplete combustion have negative effects on human health due to their carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. Indoor sources of PAHs include tobacco smoke, heating sources, and cooking. This study evaluated the relationship between human PAH exposure and residence characteristics. METHOD: This study was based on the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2012–2014). Non-smoking housewives were included in the analyses (n = 1269). The concentrations of urinary PAH metabolites (2-naphthol, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 1-hydroxypyrene) were adjusted by urine creatinine level. The geometric mean concentrations of urinary PAH metabolites by residential factors were examined. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between residential variables and PAH exposures. RESULTS: The adjusted geometric mean concentrations of urinary 2-hydroxyfluorene and 1-hydroxyphenanthrene were significantly higher in the group residing within 100 m of a major road (p < 0.05) than in those residing > 100 m from a major road. In logistic regression analyses, the odds ratio (OR) for exceeding the third quartile of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentration was significantly higher in the group using coal or wood fuel for residential heating than in the group using gas (OR = 2.745, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.295–5.819). The detached house group had a significantly higher OR for 1-hydroxyphenanthrene compared with the apartment group (OR = 1.515, 95% CI = 1.023–2.243). CONCLUSION: Our study shows the evidence of associations between some urinary PAH metabolite levels (1-hydroxyphenanthrene and 1-hydroxypyrene) and residence characteristics. Additional studies are needed to clarify these associations.
Coal ; Cooking ; Creatinine ; Environmental Health ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Methods ; Odds Ratio ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic ; Residence Characteristics ; Smoke ; Tobacco ; Wood

Contaminated liver fluke egg in the environment has led to the high prevalence of human opisthorchiasis associated with cholangiocarcinoma in Southeast Asia. To find the effective lessening methods of Opisthorchis viverrini eggs in the contaminated environment, we investigated the temperature conditions for killing of these trematode eggs in vitro. Numerous O. viverrini eggs were obtained in the proximal part of uteri of adult worms from experimental hamsters. Mature eggs with miracidium were allocated by experimental groups (2 control: positive and negative and 4 treatment: 50, 60, 70, and 80°C) with 0.85% saline, and treated by the experimental plan. Eggs in each experimental groups were observed under the confocal microscope after stain with Propidium Iodide (PI) to evaluate the effect of temperatures. Eggs in 70 and 80°C groups were all killed after over 10 min heated. Majority of eggs in 60°C (10, 15, and 30 min heated), 70 and 80°C (5 min heated) groups were inactivated. However in 50°C group, below half of eggs were to be killed in all time lapse (10, 15 and 30 min). In order to prevent O. viverrini infection and cholangiocarcinoma, direct treatment of sewage by heating at 70 or 80°C at least 10 min is essential. Therefore, treatment of O. viverrini eggs at a high temperature is a potential method for controlling egg contamination in sewage.
Adult ; Animals ; Asia, Southeastern ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cricetinae ; Eggs ; Fasciola hepatica ; Heating ; Homicide ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Methods ; Opisthorchiasis ; Opisthorchis ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Propidium ; Sewage ; Uterus

Objective: To analyze the status and distribution characteristics of household polluting fuel use in China. Methods: The data were collected from the adults aged ≥40 years who were recruited through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling in 2014-2015 COPD surveillance conducted in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China. A total of 75 107 adults aged ≥40 years in 125 surveillance points were surveyed in face to face interview. Polluting fuels included biomass fuels (wood, dung, crop residues and charcoal), coal (including coal dust and lignite) and kerosene. The weighted percentage of family using polluting fuels, combustion method for cooking or heating and ventilation installation with 95%CI were estimated by complex sampling design. Results: According to the survey results from 75 075 adults, the percentage of family using polluting fuels for cooking or heating was 59.9% (95%CI: 54.2%-65.7%), the percentage in rural areas was significantly higher than that in urban areas (P<0.001). As for different polluting fuels, the percentage of using only biomass fuels for cooking or heating was 25.9% (95%CI:20.5%-31.3%), the percentage of using only coal (including kerosene) was 18.9% (95%CI: 13.2%-24.7%), and the percentage of using both biomass fuels and coal was 15.1% (95%CI: 10.8%-19.4%). Among seven geographic areas in China, the percentages of using biomass fuels ranged from 53.8% in southern China to 23.0% in northern China (P=0.039), the percentages of using coal (including kerosene) ranged from 59.5% in northwestern China to 22.3% in southern China (P=0.001). Among the families using polluting fuels, the percentages of mainly using traditional open fires and stoves were 21.3% (95%CI: 16.9%-25.8%) and 31.5% (95%CI: 25.8%-37.2%), respectively; the percentage of having ventilation installation was72.7% (95%CI: 66.9%-78.5%). Conclusions: Household polluting fuel use is common in China, but differs with area, traditional fuel combustion method is widely used, the coverage of ventilation installation need to be improved. In order to promote COPD prevention and control, it is necessary to develop strategies on fuels and fuel combustion method improvement to reduce indoor air pollution resulted from household fuel combustion.
Adult ; Aged ; Air Pollution, Indoor/prevention & control* ; Biomass ; China/epidemiology* ; Coal/adverse effects* ; Cooking ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Heating/methods* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Wood