The use of alginate impression materials today is prevalent because of its efficiency and simplicity in clinical settings. Unfortunately, the simplicity of the procedure tends to lull the dentist into a sense of well-being, and lead him into using careless or sloppy technique. Alginate impression materials are used to fabricate diagnostic and preliminary casts, and the final cast. Incorrect use of this material is known to affect the accuracy of the final prosthesis. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different mixing methods of alginate impression material and tray adhesive on the accuracy of the stone cast produced by each method. A total of 30 stone casts were produced by using 3 different types of mixing methods (10 stone cast for each mixing method, respectively) The first method utilized an automatic-mixing machine to mix alginate while the second method was carried out manually, strictly following manufacturer's instructions. The third method also involved manual mixing, but did not follow the manufacturer's instructions and was done in a random fashion. Also, 20 additional stone casts were produced by using alginate with or without tray adhesives were included in the study to evaluate effects of tray adhesives on the accuracy of alginate impression. 10 stone casts were produced by adding tray adhesives to the interior surface of the impression tray prior to taking the impression. The other 10 excluded this step. A total of 50 stone casts were analyzed by the three-dimensional measuring machine to measure and compare the dimensional changes of the impression material of each group. The results are as follows. 1. No significant difference was found between the automatic mixing group and the manually-mixing group(p>0.05). 2. For the group that followed manufacturer's instructions, less dimensional changes were recorded than the group that didn't in measuring distance d4(p<0.05) 3. The group that used tray adhesives showed less dimensional changes(p<0.05). The findings revealed that mechanical methods of mixing alginate impression materials had little influence on dimensional changes. However, it is proven that following manufacturers instructions in alginate impression taking is an important step in acquiring accurate impressions and tray adhesives may play an important role in enhancing the results.
Adhesives* ; Dentists ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants

PURPOSE: In Korea, Lung cancer is the Second most common prevailing malignancy among male population next to stomach cancer. Although CT scan and MRI is widely used in the staging of lung cancer, plain chest x-ray still plays an important role in screening and diagnosis. Our intention was to review the confusing radiographic features which result in delayed diagnosis of lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 160 patients with lung cancer evaluated by us, 62 patients(39%) with delayed diagnosis had average diagnostic duration of 5.1 months compared with 2.1 months for those without delay. We reviewed the plain chest x-ray findings of those 62 patients. RESULTS: The diagnosis of lung cancer was delayed more than half of the cases under the impression of intrathoracic tuberculosis. Upon reviewing the roentgenologic findings in patients with diagnostic delay, central type appeared as a small hilar or mediastinal mass with or without obstructive pneumonia. Peripheral type appeared as an ill-defined pulmonary nodule, a nodule hidden by overlapping structures, or as a lung cancer associated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Some cases were misinterpreted as extranodal spread of malignancy. CONCLUSION: To solve above mentioned problems, we recommend proper understanding of natural history of lung cancer, incorporation of high kVp technique in chest radiographs, routine acquisition of lateral chest radiograph to increase diagnostic accuracy, and appropriate use of CT scan in cases of difficult diagnosis.
Delayed Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Natural History ; Pneumonia ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

No abstract available.
Dental Arch* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Recently doubts have been raised regarding the diagnostic significance of some of the minor clinical features of atopic dermatitis (AD) proposed by Hanifin and Rajka. Some of them may be nonspecific and racial difference was suggested. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of 14 minor clinical features out of Hanifin and Rajka's 23 minor features of AD in the Korean pediatric population. The significance of 5 more items was evaluated as additional minor features. METHODS: The difference in frequency of the total 19 features of AD was compared between 100 patients with AD and 76 controls. RESULTS: Fourteen of these were shown to be significantly more frequent in patients than in controls including our 5 additional clues such as scalp scaling, postauricular fissure, infraauricular fissure, forehead lichenification, and infragluteal eczema. CONCLUSION: Our study about the minor features may be a valuable guideline for the diagnosis of AD in the Korean pediatric population.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Forehead ; Humans ; Scalp

BACKGROUND: Recently doubts have been raised regarding the diagnostic significance of some of the minor clinical features of atopic dermatitis (AD) proposed by Hanifin and Rajka. Some of them may be nonspecific and racial difference was suggested. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic significance of 14 minor clinical features out of Hanifin and Rajka's 23 minor features of AD in the Korean pediatric population. The significance of 5 more items was evaluated as additional minor features. METHODS: The difference in frequency of the total 19 features of AD was compared between 100 patients with AD and 76 controls. RESULTS: Fourteen of these were shown to be significantly more frequent in patients than in controls including our 5 additional clues such as scalp scaling, postauricular fissure, infraauricular fissure, forehead lichenification, and infragluteal eczema. CONCLUSION: Our study about the minor features may be a valuable guideline for the diagnosis of AD in the Korean pediatric population.
Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diagnosis ; Eczema ; Forehead ; Humans ; Scalp

Using immunohistochemical methods, the authors investigated the distribution of tubulin in normal skin and 31 skin tumors, including 11 benign skin tumors and 20 malignant skin tumors, In normal skin, tubulin was strongly expressed in basal cells of the epidermis, sebaceus celis and dermal nerves. Myoepithelial cells, ductalI cells of sveat ducts and outer root sheath cells of hair follicles stained moderat,ely. Lermal fi broblasts showed no staining. In benign tumors including keratoacanthoma, trichoepithelioma, and nevocellular nevus the strornal fibroblast.s were entirely tubulin negative as well as the turnor cells. In basal cell carcinoma, the stromal fibroblasts were negative',whereas tumor cells were weakly positive. In squarnous cell carcinoma(SCC), tumor cells weri, tubulin positive weakly, the degree of tubulin expression of its stroma1 fibroblasts tencied to be in proportional to the grade of malignanr.u. Tumor cells of malignant melanoma and nevocellular nevus were tubulin positive moderately bist the stromal fibrobla.sts were strongly positive only in the cases of malignant melanoma. These results show that the degree of the tubulin; expression in adjacent, stromal cells of epidermal tumors is in proportiona.l to that of their malignancy, These suggest that the expression of tubulin in fibroblasts surrounding tumor cells of malignant melanoma and SCC reflects a stromal alt,eration that might contribute to tumor in vasion, and play a role for cellular motility.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Epidermis ; Fibroblasts ; Hair Follicle ; Keratoacanthoma ; Melanoma ; Nevus ; Skin* ; Stromal Cells ; Tubulin*

Leydig cell tumor of the ovary is a very rare tumor which usually occurs in the postmenopausal age, and which is frequently associated with virilization. It has been classified as a lipid cell tumor due to the presence of intracytoplasmic lipids. However, since up to 25% of these tumors contain little or no lipid, the new term "steroid cell tumor" is proposed for this type of neoplasm. We report a case of Leydig cell tumor of the ovary in a 16 year old girl. The patient exhibited recently recognized hirsuitism and secondary amenorrhea. Physical examination revealed moderate obesity with moderate amounts of coarse hair over the whole body and a deepening of the voice. Testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were markedly elevated in the peripheral blood. Pelvic ultrasonography revealed a right ovarian tumor. The resected ovary showed a well demarcated, golden yellow to orange colored solid mass, measuring 7 cm on the cut surface. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of solid and diffuse sheets of tumor cells having abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, and large round nuclei with frequent crystalloids of Reinke in the cytoplasm. To our knowledge this is the first case of Leydig cell tumor of the ovary in a young girl in the Korean literature.

Creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme are considered as a specific tissus injury marker. Brain type isoenzyme of CK (CK-BB) was measured in 44 healthy and 33 asphyxiated preterm and fullterm infants. Samples were drawn from periphera blood at six to ten hours after birth. There were no difference of CK-BB and CK-BB% between preterm and fullterm infants. CK-BB and CK-BB% were well correlated to the degree of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Seventeen infants died in newborn period had higher CK-BB activity than 60 infants who survived at discharge. We conculuded that early CK-BB determination can be used as and indicator of neonatal brain damage and neonatal death. It is warranded to do long-term follow-up for evaluation of neurologic outcome.
Asphyxia* ; Brain ; Creatine Kinase ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Parturition

Although many studies on the cytotoxicity of the dental cast metal alloys and their components have been carried out, the results are rather conflicting because of the different type of cells used and the various experimental procedures taken. Recently, a number of scientists have claimed that it would be preferable to focus on the use of cells from relevant specific location of the human bodies. Consequently, the primary cultured oral keratinocyte derived from oral mucous along with nickel chloride and several of widely used dental cast base metal alloys(two-Ni-Cr alloys and one Co-Cr alloy)in domestic were selected for this study, from which 1) The amounts of released metal ions were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry, 2) The cytotoxicity of nickel chloride and dental cast base metal alloys was evaluated via MTT assay, and finally, 3) The amounts of released metal ions and the cytotoxicity of nickel chloride were correlated with the cytotoxicity of dental cast base metal alloys And, the results were summarized as follows ; 1. Nickel ion from Ni-Cr alloys and Cobalt ion from Co-Cr alloys resulted in maximum releasing rate during first 24 hours, followed by a decrease in releasing rate with time. Chromium ion were found to be minimal in all alloys. 2. In cytotoxic test, with 40muM, 80muM of nickel chloride, there were observed an increase in the relative cell number compared to control samples after 24 hours. With 160muM, there was found to be no difference in the relative cell number with control, except that 48 hour showed a increase in relative cell number. With 320muM, the relative cell number remained constant and decreased after 48 hours, and with 640muM, a continuing decrease in relative cell number was observed throughout test period. 3. The sensitivity of primary cultured oral epithelium to nickel was lower compared to the cells used in other studies. 4. CB-80 Soft and Regalloy showed no cytotoxicity to primary cultured oral epithelium and New crown resulted in a slight cytotoxicity. In conclusion, it was shown that the primary cultured oral keratinocytes could be applied successfully as testing cells in cytotoxicity test. Futhermore, the dental cast base metal alloys used in this study were found to be biocompatible.
Absorption ; Alloys* ; Cell Count ; Chromium ; Cobalt ; Crowns ; Epithelium ; Human Body ; Humans* ; Ions ; Keratinocytes* ; Nickel ; Spectrum Analysis

Irradiation which acts directly and produces the reactive oxygen radicals by ionizing water molecules, causes significant morbidity and mortality. The muscle is damaged by direct action, oxygen radicals and the alterations of microcirculation and metabolism after irradiation. The changes of SOD immunoreactivities in muscles of the rats after irradiation were observed. The ultrastructural changes of the irradiated muscles with the pretreatment of SOD (superoxide dismutase) or without were also investigated. A total of 60 healthy Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing from 200g to 250g were used as experimental animals. Under urethane (1.15g/kg. IP.2 times) anesthesia,30 Gy irradiation to lower extremities by PICKER-C9 Cobalt-60 teletherapy unit was done. 15,000 unit/kg of SOD was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour before irradiation. The experimental animals were sacrificed 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after irradiation. The superficial portions of the mid-belly of the rectus femoris muscles were obtained and sliced into portions, 2 mm in length, 1 mm in width and in thickness. The specimens were prepared by routine methods for the electron microscopic observation. All preparations were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and observed with a Hitachi-600 electron microscope. The other parts of mid-belly of the rictus femoris muscles were sectioned in 14 micrometer thickness with cryostat at -20 degrees C. The immunoreactivities of SOD by use of antihuman Cu, Zn-and Mn-SOD antibodies were observed. The results were obtained as follows . 1. After irradiation, the immunoreactivities of SOD in the rictus femoris muscle were decreased. 2 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Cu, Zn-SOD were trace, which was lowest.4 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities were trace or weak. 1 day after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Mn-SOD were trace, which was lowest. The immunoreactivities of Mn-SOD were increased gradually 4 weeks after irradiation, the immunoreactivities of Mn- SOD were moderate or weak. 2. The ultrastructural changes in the rectus femoris muscles of the rats were getting severer and severer after irradiation. 2 weeks after irradiation, unclear A band and I band, myofibrillolysis, increased and dilated cistemae of sarcoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria with dilated cristae and electron lucent matrix were seen. 4 weeks after irradiation, lysis of sarcomere and increased cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum were seen. 3. The ultrastructural changes in the rectus femoris muscles of the rats were getting worse and worse after 3 days of irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD. 2 weeks after irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD, myofibrillolysis, increased and dilated cisternae of sarcoplasmic reticulum and damaged mitochondria were seen. 4 weeks after irradiation with the pretreatment of SOD, the ultrastructures of rectus femoris muscles were recovered to normal. Consequently, after irradiation of 30 Gy, the immunoreactivities of SOD are decreased and SOD attenuates the reversible changes of ultrastructures in muscles.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Citric Acid ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Metabolism ; Microcirculation ; Mitochondria ; Mortality ; Muscles ; Quadriceps Muscle* ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Sarcomeres ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Urethane