No abstract available.
Cochlear Implants*

Statement of problem. Titanium is the most important material for biomedical and dental implants because of their high corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility. These beneficial properties are due to a protective passive oxide film that spontaneously forms on the surface. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the responses of osteoblast-like cells on different surface treatments on Ti discs. Material and Methods. Group 1 represented the machined surface with no treatment. Group 2 surfaces were sandblasted with 50microm Al2O3 under 5 kgf/cm2 of pressure. Groups 3 and 4 were sandblasted under the same conditions. The samples were treated on a titanium oxide surface with reactive sputter depositioning and thermal oxidation at 600degree C (Group 3) and 800degree C (Group 4) for one hour in an oxygen environment. The chemical composition and microtopography were analyzed by XRD, XPS, SEM and optical interferometer. The stability of TiO2 layer was studied by potentiodynamic curve. To evaluate cell response, osteoblast extracted from femoral bone marrow of young adult rat were cultured for cell attachment, proliferation and morphology on each titanium discs. Results and Conclusion. The results were as follows : 1.Surface roughness values were, from the lowest to the highest, machined group, 800degree C thermal oxidation group, 600degree C thermal oxidation group and blasted group. The Ra value of blasted group was significantly higher than that of 800degree C thermal oxidation group (P=0.003), which was not different from that of 600degree C thermal oxidation group (P<0.05). 2. The degree of cell attachment was highest in the 600degree C thermal oxidation group after four and eight hours (P<0.05), but after 24 hours, there was no difference among the groups (P>0.05). 3. The level of cell proliferation showed no difference among the groups after one day, three days, and seven days (P>0.05). 4. The morphology and arrangement of the cells varied with surface roughness of the discs.
Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Cell Proliferation ; Corrosion ; Dental Implants ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; Oxygen ; Rats ; Titanium* ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Adenoids* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic* ; Lacrimal Apparatus*

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma is a rare variant of adenocarcinoma that can occur in the stomach. This neoplasm has a poor prognosis and it frequently presents at an advanced stage of disease; it is clinically characterized by increased serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in most cases. We experienced a case of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach with multiple liver metastases that mimicked germ cell tumor in a 43-year-old man. He had incidentally detected gastric adenocarcinoma via gastrofibroscopy and he underwent subtotal gastrectomy. The postoperative pathologic stage was II (T2N1M0). He complained of epigastric pain. The serum AFP was markedly increased (227,325 IU/mL) and abdominal CT revealed multiple liver masses. We considered these as extragonadal germ cell tumors that occurred in the liver because of the markedly elevated AFP, the short duration of follow-up and early stage of stomach cancer at the that time. To confirm the diagnosis, biopsy of liver mass was done and he was diagnosed with hepatoid adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adult ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Germ Cells* ; Humans ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Prognosis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises a cluster of risk factors for future cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Only a few recent studies have reported the trend in the prevalence of MetS in youth. This study aimed to analyze trends in the prevalence of MetS and nutrient intake in the last 10 years and investigate the changes in MetS components among Korean children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the data of 9513 children and adolescents aged 10–19 years from the 2008–2017 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Diagnosis of MetS was based on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. Results: Based on the IDF criteria, MetS prevalence increased from 1.53% in 2008 to 3.19% in 2017 (p=0.007). Based on the NCEPATP III criteria, MetS prevalence increased from 2.18% in 2008 to 3.19% in 2017; however, the increase was not statistically significant. Daily calorie and fat intakes increased significantly during the study period. Among the risk factors that MetS comprises, the prevalence rates of central obesity, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and high fasting glucose levels increased significantly. Conclusion Over the last 10 years, the prevalence of MetS has grown significantly with increasing calorie and fat intake in Korean children and adolescents. Central obesity and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting glucose levels have worsened.Therefore, active support and close monitoring are required to control MetS and prevent further increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An association between emotional or physical stressful triggers and adverse cardiovascular events, such as death and myocardial infarction, has been recognized for many years. The clinical features of transient left apical ballooning syndrome have been clearly described, but the effect of chronic stress on the myocardium is unknown. Our objective was to assess left ventricular (LV) function in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) with chronic emotional and physical stress. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We investigated 30 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age, 48+/-8 years) satisfying the criteria for FM with atypical chest pain and 20 age-matched healthy controls by means of standard and 2-dimensional strain (2DS) echocardiography. Patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes were excluded. Global and segmental longitudinal deformation parameters of LV function from 3 apical views were analyzed, and patients underwent a manual tender point survey for the number of tender points and tender point counts, and completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), which was comprised of physical and feel scores, the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: Both global and segmental longitudinal LV strains were significantly reduced in FM patients with high FIQ scores (>50) compared to FM patients with low FIQ scores (-18.98% vs. -22.72%). Various emotional and physical stress indexes were significantly correlated with global LV strain. CONCLUSION: Global and segmental LV strains were negatively associated with fatigue, tender point count, and FIQ score. However, there was no significant association between depression and LV strain. This study demonstrated that chronic emotional or physical stress in FM patients might reduce myocardial longitudinal deformation.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Disease ; Depression ; Echocardiography ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fibromyalgia ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardium ; Sprains and Strains ; Stress, Psychological ; Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy is an effective therapeutic modality in invasive bladder cancer. The development of another technique for a radical cystectomy for the early recovery and reduction of complications was attempted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1997 and June 2003, an extraperitoneal radical cystectomy was attempted in 18 patients with invasive bladder cancer (pT1-pT4). Not only standard or extended pelvic lymphadenectomy, but also re-positioning of the ureter to the opposite side, could be performed extraperitoneally. An intestinal segment could be taken out through a small window within the peritoneum and manipulated as desired. The clinical safety and complications of other surgical approaches for radical cystectomy were also investigated. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in 15 of the 18 patients (4 studer pouches, 3 ileal conduits and 8 ureterocutaneostomies). Failure to peel out the peritoneum occurred in 3 cases, 1 each due to technical difficulties, tumor invasion at the bladder dome and adhesion due to a previous radical prostatectomy. Complications occurred in 8 cases (53.1%). The intestinal obstruction progressed in 1 case (12.5%) due to a high positioned mesentery of the Studer pouch. There were no significant gastrointestinal complications in any of the 8 patients that underwent the extraperitoneal radical cystectomy with ureterocutaneostomy. CONCLUSIONS: An extraperitoneal radical cystectomy seems to reduce the gastrointestinal complications and be worthwhile in certain cases with advanced bladder cancer. Despite the visual limitation, it is an acceptable surgical technique compared to the conventional transperitoneal methods.
Cystectomy* ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Lymph Node Excision ; Mesentery ; Peritoneum ; Prostatectomy ; Ureter ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Diversion

We report a case in which mucinous adenocarcinoma arose in a duplication cyst at the distal ileum with in-traperitoneal seeding. A thirty-three-year-old male patient presented with abdominal distension. Ultrasonography, CT and MR imaging revealed a dumbbell-shaped cystic mass adherent to the small intestine. The wall of the mass was thickened in two areas and contained inhomogeneous materials. A large amount of ascites with irregular masses along the greater omentum were seen present. Surgery revealed a duplication cyst adherent to the ileum. Pathologic examination proved that the thickened portions of the wall of the mass were mucinous adenocarcinoma, and that the nodules on the greater omentum were metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Ascites ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; Intestine, Small ; Intestines ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Omentum ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: Protein-calorie malnutrition has been shown to be prevalent among patients on chronic dialysis, And assessment of nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) patients has assumed greater importance because of the association of protein-calorie malnutrition with increasing morbidity and mortality. So we observed the incidence and clinical effect of protein-calorie malnutrition, and we compared the indices of nutrition with dialysis adequacy utilizing urea kinetic modeling and cretinine clearance in CAPD patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in which eight parameters, based on anthropometry, blood chemistry and subjective symptoms, were scored according to the degree of abnormalities in 82CAPD patients. A malnutrition index was derived from these scores. We also performed comparative analysis to identify significant correlations of the indices of urea kinetic modeling and creatinine clearance with the other parameters of nutritional status. RESULTS: The malnutrition index classified 47(57%) patients as normal, 30(37%) intermediately malnourished, and 5(6%) as severely malnourished. Malnutrition index showed a significant correlation with the body mass index(BMI), triceps skinfold thickness(TSF), mid-arm circumference(MAC), mid-arm muscle area (MAMA), duration of CAPD, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, and triglyceride. The malnutrition index also showed a significant correlation with residual renal function(RRF), and standardized creatinine clearance(SCCr). The TWR-Kt/V(total Kt/Vurea per week with consideration of residual renal urea clearance) was significantly lower in the severely malnourished group than in the normal group. Serum alkaline phosphatase and BUN levels were higher in the severely malnourished group than in the normal and inter-mediate groups. CONCLUSION: In assessing the nutrition status of CAPD patients, body weight, TSF, MAC, MAMA, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase were considered useful parameters. There was a trend of increased BUN and decreased TWR-Kt/V in severely malnourished patients, and the value of SCCr was significantly lower in malnourished patients. However, no meaningful relationships between TW-Kt/V and malnutrition index or between NPCR(normalized protein catabolic rate) and malnutrition index were found m this cross-sectional study. As the number of patients with longer duration of CAPD or negligible RRF has increased in the malnourished patients, regular monitoring of these parameters, especially TWR-Kt/V and SCCr, may be helpful to assess dialysis adequacy to keep good nutritional status of each CAPD patient.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anthropometry ; Body Weight ; Chemistry ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malnutrition ; Mortality ; Nitrogen ; Nutritional Status ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Protein-Energy Malnutrition ; Serum Albumin ; Transferrin ; Triglycerides ; Urea*

To develop an advanced non-linear curve fitting (NLCF) algorithm for performing dynamic susceptibility contrast study of the brain. The first pass effects give rise to spuriously high estimates of Ktrans for the voxels that represent the large vascular components. An explicit threshold value was used to reject voxels. The blood perfusion and volume estimation were accurately evaluated in the T2*-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MR images. From each of the recalculated parameters, a perfusion weighted image was outlined by using the modified non-linear curve fitting algorithm. The present study demonstrated an improvement of an estimation of the kinetic parameters from the DCE T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data with using contrast agents.
Brain* ; Contrast Media ; Gadolinium DTPA* ; Humans* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Perfusion