OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to find and compare the effect of directional (DIR) processing of two different hearing aids via both subjective and objective methods, to determine the association between the results of the subjective and objective evaluations, and to find out individual predictive factors influencing the DIR benefit. METHODS: Twenty-six hearing aid users fitted unilaterally with each two different experimental hearing aid performed modified Korean Hearing in Noise Test (K-HINT) in three DIR conditions; omnidirectional (OMNI) mode, OMNI plus noise reduction feature, fixed DIR mode. In order to determine benefits from DIR benefit within a hearing aid and compare performance of the DIR processing between hearing aids, a subjective questionnaire was administrated on speech quality (SQ) and discomfort in noise (DN) domain. Correlation analysis of factors influencing DIR benefit was accomplished. RESULTS: Benefits from switching OMNI mode to DIR mode within both hearing aids in K-HINT were about 2.8 (standard deviation, 3.5) and 2.1 dB SNR (signal to ratio; SD, 2.5), but significant difference in K-HINT results between OMNI and OMNI plus noise reduction algorithm was not shown. The subjective evaluation resulted in the better SQ and DN scores in DIR mode than those in OMNI mode. However, the difference of scores on both SQ and DN between the two hearing aids with DIR mode was not statistically significant. Any individual factors did not significantly affect subjective and objective DIR benefits. CONCLUSION: DIR benefit was found not only in the objective measurement performed in the laboratory but also in the subjective questionnaires, but the subjective results was failed to have significant correlation with the DIR benefit obtained in the K-HINT. Factors influencing individual variation in perceptual DIR benefit were still hard to explain.
Hearing Aids* ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Noise ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio ; Speech Intelligibility

No abstract available.
Child* ; Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Humans ; Tendons*

Cutaneous odontogenic sinuses are the most common cause of chronic draining sinus tracts on the face and neck. These lesions present as erythematous nodules with surrounding dimples, which intermittently drain purulent fluid. Although most patients do not have dental symptoms, careful questioning of a patient's past symptoms may help the clinician identify a dental etiology. A history of toothache in the affected area that resolves without dental intervention is useful information. Clinical and radiographic examination may reveal carious teeth with radiolucent areas. Elimination of the source of infection by endodontic treatment or tooth removal results in resolution of the sinus tract, typically within 2 weeks. Early precise diagnosis and appropriate dental treatment can circumvent unnecessary and ineffective antibiotic therapy or surgical treatment. We report a case of a cutaneous odontogenic sinus in the right cheek area.
Cheek ; Humans ; Neck ; Periapical Abscess ; Tooth ; Toothache

BACKGROUND: Asthmatic patients frequently suffer cold-weather-associated respiratory symptoms. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and diagnostic value of isocapnic hyperventilation of cold air(IHCA) using a multistep method was investigated in patients suspected to have asthma. METHOD: One hundred and 29 adult patients who had an IHCA performed between july 1999 and December 2000, had an methacholine bronchoprovocation test because of a clinical suspicion of asthma. RESULTS: According to strict criteria, 50 were defined as asthmatics and 79 as symptomatic nonashmatics. There were no differences in age, sex and smoking state between the asthmatic and symptomatic nonasthmatic groups. There was a significant decrease in the percentage reduction in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1) after the IHCA between the asthmatics(-10.0±6.8%) and the symptomatic nonasthmatics(-2.3±2.5%). The factors associated with a reactivity to IHCA were FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75/FVC and FEV1(% of predicted). The accuracy was highest using a 7% fall in FEV1; the sensitivity was 76% and the specificity 96%. CONCLUSION: IHCA is a specific, although not a sensitive, test for diagnosing asthma in adult patients. Furthermore, the diagnostic cut-off value of the different methods of IHCA need to be determined.
Adult* ; Asthma* ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Hyperventilation* ; Methacholine Chloride ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Pelviscopic techniques have rapidly increased in therapeutic procedures as well as diagnostic procedures because of the many benefits associated with much smaller incisions than traditional open techniques. But the deliberate pneumoperitoneum with carbon dioxide during pelviscopic surgery may cause some problems-hypercarbia, pneumomentum, subcutaneous or mediastinal emphysema, pneumothorax, hypoxemia, hypotension, cardiovascular collapse and cardiac dysrhythmia. METHOD: We observed the changes of blood pressure (systolic, mean, diastolic), pulse rate, PaCO2, PaO2, peak inspiratory airway pressure and expired tidal volume at 10 minute after induction of general anesthesia (control value), 30 minutes and 60 minutes after insufflation of CO2 and Trendelenburg position. RESULTS: The blood pressure, PaCO2 and peak inspiratory airway pressure were increased significantly than control values (p<0.05). The changes of pulse rate and expired tidal volume were not statistically significant in comparison to control values. The PaO2 was decreased significantly (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: To minimize the risk of CO2 retension and unstability of cardiovascular system during pelviscopy under the Trendelenburg position, we must monitor the vital signs and the arterial blood gas status continuously and carefully.
Anesthesia, General* ; Anoxia ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Dioxide ; Cardiovascular System ; Head-Down Tilt* ; Heart Rate ; Hypotension ; Insufflation* ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Pneumothorax ; Tidal Volume ; Vital Signs

No abstract available.
Nevus*

PURPOSE: A colorectal adenoma (CRA) is a well-defined precursor to colorectal cancer (CRC). Additionally, smoking is a potent risk factor for developing a CRA, as well as CRC. However, the association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the risk for developing a CRA has not yet been fully evaluated in epidemiologic studies. We performed a cross-sectional analysis on the association between exposure to ETS at the workplace and the risk for developing a CRA. METHODS: The study was conducted on subjects who had undergone a colonoscopy at a health promotion center from January 2012 to December 2012. After descriptive analyses, overall and subgroup analyses by smoking status were performed by using a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the 1,129 participants, 300 (26.6%) were diagnosed as having CRAs. Exposure to ETS was found to be associated with CRAs in all subjects (fully adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-2.44; P = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, exposure to ETS in former smokers increased the risk for developing a CRA (fully adjusted OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 2.07-9.51; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Exposure to occupational ETS at the workplace, independent of the other factors, was associated with increased risk for developing a CRA in all subjects and in former smokers. Further retrospective studies with large sample sizes may be necessary to clarify the causal effect of this relationship.
Adenoma* ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cross-Sectional Studies* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Health Promotion ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sample Size ; Smoke* ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; Tobacco*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the types of attitudes of nursing students in Korea toward bucket lists. METHODS: The Q-methodology, which provides a method for analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. From each of the 37 subjects, 34 selected Q-statements were classified into the shape of a normal distribution, using a 9-point scale. The collected data were analyzed using a QUANL PC program. RESULTS: Four types of attitudes toward the bucket list of subjects were identified in Korean nursing students. Typeis a pursuit of money type, Type II is a pursuit of relationship type, Type III is a pursuit of self-centered type, and Type is a pursuit of others-centered type. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that different approaches toward educational programs for students in the human service area are recommended based on the four types of nursing students' attitudes toward the bucket list.
Humans ; Korea ; Nursing ; Students, Nursing*

No abstract available.
Erythrocyte Membrane* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hydroxyl Radical* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Mineral Fibers*

Intranasal corticosteroid injection has been used for the control of allergic rhinitis or polypoid inflammation of the nasal cavity. Transient or permanent visual loss after therapeutic intranasal injection of corticosteroid is an extremely rare but well-known disease. In this report, we present a 54-year-old male patient with chronic sinusitis with nasal polyposis who had right visual loss after bilateral intranasal triamcinolone injection. Clinical examination and fluorescent angiography revealed vascular occlusions, which involved multiple small branches of right retinal circulations. Full recovery of vision occurred 3 months after the onset of the symptom. Extreme care should be exercised to avoid visiual complication when intranasal corticosteroid injection is performed.
Angiography ; Blindness* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; Retinaldehyde ; Rhinitis ; Sinusitis ; Triamcinolone