No abstract available.
Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary*

No abstract available.
Fibronectins* ; Osteogenesis*

To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in IFN-gamma production and apoptosis of splenocytes in genetically different strains of mice with toxoplasmosis, BALB/c (a toxoplasmosis resistant strain) and C57BL/6 (a toxoplasmosis susceptible strain) mice were infected with Toxoplasma gondii cysts orally and subsequently injected intraperitoneally with aminoguanidine, an iNOS inhibitor (AG; 35 mg/kg per mouse daily for 14 days). When BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were infected with T. gondii without AG treatment, number of brain cysts, NO and IFN-gamma production by splenocytes, and percentages of apoptotic splenocytes were increased compared to uninfected control mice without AG treatment. AG treatment increased the number of brain cysts, and reduced NO and IFN-gamma production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, in T. gondii-infected BABL/c mice, the number of brain cysts, and NO and IFN-gamma production of splenocytes was not altered by treatment with AG. However, the percentages of apoptotic splenocytes in T. gondii-infected BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were not affected by AG treatment. These results suggest that NO modulates IFN-gamma production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice, and that NO is involved in mediating a protective response in toxoplasmosis susceptible, but not resistant, mice strain during acute infection.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects/*immunology ; Comparative Study ; Female ; Guanidines/*pharmacology ; Interferon Type II/*biosynthesis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nitric Oxide/*biosynthesis ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/*antagonists & inhibitors ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Species Specificity ; Spleen/immunology ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*immunology

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to the total suspended particulates (TSP) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Korea using the YLD (years lived with disability) measurement. METHODS: Congestive heart failure(CHF) and myocardial infarction (MI) were chosen as the main cardiovascular diseases whose causes are attributable to the TSP and SO2 levels. In order to calculate the YLD (years lived with a disability), the following parameters in the formula were estimated. : the incidence rate, the case fatality rate, The expected duration of a disability and the average age of onset were estimated. The expected duration of a disability and the average age of onset were calculated using the DISMOD method, as developed by the GBD researchers. The burden of cardiovascular disease due to TSP and SO2 was estimated using the number of years that the patient lived with a disability. RESULTS: The YLD of the CHF due to the TSP and SO2 was attributed to the TSP (94.4 person-year) and SO2 levels (35.0 person-year). The YLD of the MI due to the TSP and SO2 was attributed to the TSP (148.4 person-year) and SO2 levels(27.6 person-year). CONCLUSION: The YLD method employed in this study was appropriate for quantifying the burden of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it would provide a rational basis for planning a national health policy regarding the disease burden of the risk factors in Korea.
Age of Onset ; Air Pollution ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Health Policy ; Heart ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Risk Factors ; Sulfur Dioxide* ; Sulfur*

OBJECTIVES: It is well established that primary insomnia affects the activity of autonomic nervous system. We tried to know how the activity of autonomic nervous system during night sleep changes by analyzing correlation between heart rate variability (HRV) index and the variables related with sleep structure in primary insomnia. METHODS: Thirty three subjects (mean age:36.2+/-14.2 years, male:female=15:18) who were diagnosed with primary insomnia were selected for the study. Nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) was carried out on each subject and correlation was analyzed between high frequency/low frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio), one of HRV indices and the variables related with sleep structure which were calculated from NPSG. RESULTS: When age and sex were controlled, LF/HF ratio showed negative correlations with slow wave sleep and stage 2 sleep, respectively (r(p)=-0.43, p=0.01;r(p)=-0.37, p=0.04). On the other hands LF/HF ratio showed a positive correlation with arousal index (r(p)=0.65, p<0.001). The activity of autonomic nervous system responded differentially depending on the change of sleep structure in primary insomnia. Especially the increase of arousal index and the decrease of slow wave sleep and stage 2 sleep which are the components of non-REM sleep provoked hyperactivity of sympathetic nervous system. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the typical change of sleep structure in primary insomnia can negatively impact on cardiovascular system.
Arousal ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Cardiovascular System ; Hand ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

This study was performed to examine treatment efficiency and patient discomfort rate according to used handpiece speed in clean-up technique. Brackets were bonded to extracted human premolar(50 teeth). After debonding, 50 extracted human premolar were divided into each two groups( low speed handpiece group with tungsten carbide bur and high speed handpiece group with ultra-fine diamond finishing bur ) of 25 according to used handpiece speed in clean-up technique. In clean-up procedure, teeth vibration and pulp thermal changes were measured. After clean-up procedure, the enamel surfaces of randomly selected 10 teeth from each two groups were taken by SEM and evaluated. The findings of this study were as follows ; 1. During resin removal, tooth vibrations of various amplitude in low speed handpiece group were more than those of high speed handpiece. 2. The pulpal thermal changes of high speed handpiece group were significantly higher than those of low speed handpiece group, also the resin removal time in high speed handpiece group was almost as twice as in low speed handpiece group. 3. The figures of SEM to enamel surfaces after resin removal showed that notches and resin remnants in high speed handpiece group were more than those in low speed handpiece group.
Bicuspid ; Dental Enamel ; Diamond ; Humans ; Tooth* ; Tungsten ; Vibration

Whistle deformity is deficiency of vermilion of the upper lip. It is a common sequelae of primary lip repair. Many methods have been devised to correct this deformity, most using neighbouring normal tissue of the upper lip. Methods such as Z-plasty, Double rotation, V-Y advancement flap, etc., have been commonly used for the correction of unilateral whistle deformity. We found that the V-Y advancement flap with transposition of deepithelialized tissue was more effective for the correction of whistle deformity than the original V-Y advancement flap. We named this new method 'Modified V-Y advancement flap'. The technique has been performed in 5 patients, 9 to 23 years of age, each with a whistle deformity. One years and six months was the longest follow-up period. Satisfactory results have been obtained and here the authors reported along with a review of the current literature.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip

The one hundred ninty three patients of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) were treated with recombinant human alpha interferon (Re-Hu-INF-a eyedrop, 30,000IU/Vial, Cheil Foods and Chemicals Inc.) at kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, Chungang University Hospital, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University and Kims's Eye Clinic and the following results were obtained after at least 21 days follow-up. 1. The total patients of EKC were 266; 193 of patients were treated with INF and another 73 patients were treated with antibiotic eye drop only as a control group. The age ranged from 3 to 79 year-old and the average age were 29.6 in interferon group and 36.3 in control group. 2. There was no significant difference between two groups in number of eyes involved. The frequencey of infection route was family, swimming pool, and eye clinic order. Adenovirus was the most common causative agent according to the cytopathic effect of HeLa cell inoculation. 3. In most of cases, there was little symptomatic manifestation, if ever, malaise was the most common systemic symptom in both groups. 4. The symptomatic improvement after INF treatment Was began at 3.8 days in INF group comparing to 10.8 days in control group. In INF treated group, the subjective symptom was disappeared in 70.5% of patients within 4 days. But in control gorup, disappearance of subjective symptom was noted in only 17.8% of patients and the results were statistically significant. 5. The eariler INF treatment, the better improvement of EKC and the sign improved first was foreign body sensation. 6. There was little side effect of INF treatment, but ocular pain was occurred in 8% From these results, we suggest that recombinant human alpha interferon eyedrop in EKC treatment is effective and the earlier application is more effective especially.
Adenoviridae ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Heart ; HeLa Cells ; Humans* ; Interferon-alpha ; Interferons ; Keratoconjunctivitis* ; Sensation ; Swimming Pools

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical risk factors associated with the mode of delivery decision and to compare cesarean section rates after adjusting for risk factors identified among Korean hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected from 9 general hospitals in two provincial regions by medical record abstraction during February 2000. A total of 3,467 cases were enrolled and analyzed by stepwise logistic regression. Performance of the risk-adjustment model (discrimination and calibration) was evaluated by the C statistic and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Crude rates, predicted rates with 95% confidence intervals, and adjusted rates of cesarean section were calculated and compared among the hospitals. RESULTS: The average crude cesarean section rate was 53.2%, ranging from 39.4% to 65.7%. Several risk factors such as maternal age, previous history of cesarean section, placenta previa, placental abruption, malpresentation, amniotic fluid abnormality, gestational anemia, infant body weight, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and chorioamnionitis were found to have statistically significant effects on the mode of delivery. It was confirmed that information about most of these risk factors was able to be collected through the national health insurance claims database in Korea. Performance of the risk-adjustment model was good (c statistic=0.815, Hosmer-Lemeshow test=0.0621). Risk factor adjustment did lead to some change in the rank of hospital cesarean section rates. The crude rates of three hospitals were beyond 95% confidence intervals of the predicted rates. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that cesarean section rates in Korean hospitals are too high, it is apparent that some policy interventions need to be introduced. The concept and methodology of risk adjustment should be used in the process of health policy development to lower the cesarean section rate in Korea.
Abruptio Placentae ; Amniotic Fluid ; Anemia ; Body Weight ; Cesarean Section* ; Chorioamnionitis ; Female ; Health Policy ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Infant ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Maternal Age ; Medical Records ; National Health Programs ; Placenta Previa ; Pregnancy ; Risk Adjustment* ; Risk Factors