OBJETIVE: To assess the effects of progesterone and acetyl-L-carnitine used after treated with IsolateR gradient before semen cryopreservation-thawing on sperm parameters and membrane integrity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2001 to July 2001, ten normal male partner of couples who were visited in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. the semens were treated with IsolateR gradient before cryopreservation, spermatozoa was incubated with progesterone (1, 5 and 10 micrometer), acetyl-L-carnitine (2.5, 5 and 10 micrometer), or both (progesterone, 1 micrometer; and acetyl-L-carnitine, 5 micrometer) for 30 min. RESULTS: There were no differences in sperm parameters and vital stain among isolate only treated group, progesterone (1, 5 and 10 micrometer), acetyl-L-carnitine (2.5, 5 and 10 micrometer) and both (progesterone, 1 micrometer; and acetyl-L-carnitine, 5 micrometer). But, in high concentration of acetyl-L-carnitine (10 micrometer) treated group, sperm parameters and vital stain were decreased. The statistical method was used ANOVA (Kruskal-Wallis test) and p value was <0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Neither progesterone nor acetyl-L-carnitine show to be protective effect on the cryodamage assessed by sperm parameters and vital stain (eosin-Y stain) in normal sperm. High concentration of acetyl-L-carnitine (10 micrometer), however, was harmful effect on cryoprevention.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Cryopreservation ; Family Characteristics ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Male ; Membranes* ; Progesterone ; Semen ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Electrons* ; Negotiating* ; Positron-Emission Tomography* ; Semantics*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a case management program on range of motion, pain, depression and self efficacy in community-dwelling older women with knee arthritis. METHODS: The research design was one-group pre and post-test design with 40 participants with knee arthritis who agreed to participate in the 12-week case management program. Data were collected four times, before and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences between before and after the service in range of motion, pain, depression and self efficacy. Significant improvements from the baseline to 4 weeks after the service were observed in the measurements of range of motion, pain, depression and self efficacy. There were no significant differences in range of motion, pain and depression between 4 and 12 weeks after the services. CONCLUSION: This study represents the first effort showing that a case management program can have positive outcomes on range of motion, pain, depression and self efficacy for older women with knee arthritis. More research using a control group pre-post test design considering time lapse is needed in order to examine more accurately the effects of case management programs for knee arthritis.
Arthritis* ; Case Management* ; Depression ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Health Services* ; House Calls* ; Humans ; Knee ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Research Design ; Self Efficacy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the platform switching concept on an implant system and peri-implant bone using three-dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two three-dimensional finite element models for wide platform and platform switching were created. In the wide platform model, a wide platform abutment was connected to a wide platform implant. In the platform switching model, the wide platform abutment of the wide platform model was replaced by a regular platform abutment. A contact condition was set between the implant components. A vertical load of 300 N was applied to the crown. The maximum von Mises stress values and displacements of the two models were compared to analyze the biomechanical behavior of the models. RESULTS: In the two models, the stress was mainly concentrated at the bottom of the abutment and the top surface of the implant in both models. However, the von Mises stress values were much higher in the platform switching model in most of the components, except for the bone. The highest von Mises values and stress distribution pattern of the bone were similar in the two models. The components of the platform switching model showed greater displacement than those of the wide platform model. CONCLUSION: Due to the stress concentration generated in the implant and the prosthodontic components of the platform switched implant, the mechanical complications might occur when platform switching concept is used.
Crowns ; Dental Implant-Abutment Design ; Dental Implants ; Finite Element Analysis*

BACKGROUNDS: Gamma band oscillatory activity is considered to be related to congnitive functions and illustrates that the concept of event-related oscillations bridges the gap between single neurons and neural assemblies. An event-related gamma oscillation is the time - locked responses of specific frequency, and can be identified by computing the amplitude frequency characteristics of the averaged event-related potentials(ERPs) after stimulation. OBJECTIVES: We purposed to present experimental paradigm to investigate @-band oscillation activities from the recording of ERPs by using auditory oddball paradigm and investigate the difference of @-band activity between schizophrenia and normal controls. METHODS: The ERPs resulting from auditory stimuli with oddball paradigm in a group of schizophrenics(n=11) and also a group of age-, sex- and handedness matched normal controls, were recorded by 128 channel EEG. The @-band oscillatory activities were calculated by using time-frequency wavelet decomposition of the signal between 20 and 80Hz. The @-band oscillatory activities of both groups were compared by t-test. RESULTS: The @-band oscillatory of the leads Fz,Gz and Pz of both groups were represented well in the time - frequency maps. Significant increases of the @-band activity in normal controls compared with schizophrenics were observed around 160 msec. 350msec. and 800 msec after stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the increment in @-band oscillatory activity during cognitive operations and decreased @-band activity in schizophrenics may be associated with the cognitive dysfunctions and the pathophyiology of the schizophrenia.
Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials* ; Functional Laterality ; Neurons ; Schizophrenia

Incompetent internal os of cervix is treated with McDonald or Shirodkar cerclage after 14 weeks of gestation. In rare case, after 20 weeks of gestation fetal membrane is bulging into vaginal cavity, but cerclage in that period is risk factor for preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of membranes. So many complications are reported in that period. So many experiences for reducing fetal membranes into uterine cavity were performed. We report a case of amnioreduction in prolapsed fetal membranes after McDonald cerclage, and delivered in 33 weeks of gestation with brief review of literature.
Cervix Uteri ; Extraembryonic Membranes ; Female ; Membranes* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Rupture

STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS: The precision of fit between the bearing surfaces of implant abutments and the prosthesis framework has been considered fundamental to implant prosthodontic protocol. PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate the effect of laboratory procedure on the dimensional accuracy of cast implant bars. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty implant bars were fabricated on a metal master model. The gap distances were measured at the right implant abutment replica-gold cylinder interface after casting procedure. The bar length data of precasting and postcasting state were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean gap distance found after casting was 106.3 micrometer for buccal side, 122.1 micrometer for distal side and 117.1 micrometer for the lingual side. The mean bar length was 17964.7 micrometer at precasting measurement, 17891.6 micrometer at postcasting measurement. The mean change of bar length was - 73.1 micrometer. CONCLUSION: Even though the techniques used in this study strictly followed the guidelines established in the literature, the 30 cast implant bars evaluated all yielded gap distances that were beyond acceptable accuracy. There was a statistically significant difference between precasting and postcasting bar length (P<0.01). There was a decreasing tendency in bar length after casting procedure. It was necessary to correct this dimensional change from laboratory procedure by some corrective methods.
Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthodontics

BACKGROUND: The current various case-finding instruments for detecting depression in Korea are too cucumbersome and time-consuming for routine use in primary care or student and soldier groups because of too many questions. We carried out this study in order to investigate the validity of the two-question case-finding instrument for detecting depression easily in the primary care or the mentioned groups. METHODS: We selected one boy high school in Seoul and 155 sophomer students answered the questionnaire by self-report. The questionnaire included two questions about depressed mood and anhedonia: (1) "During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?" (2) "During the past month, have you often been bothered by little interest or pleasure in doing things(e.g., studying, playing or talking with friends) ?". And then a resident of family medicine interviewed them and made a diagnosis for depression using the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. Simultaneously we compared the test characteristics of a two-question case-finding instrument with those of a previously validated Beck Depression Inventory as a currently world-wide used screening instrument for depression. RESULTS: The prevalence of major depression as determined by the interview was 6.6%(10 of 151). The two-question case finding instrument had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.663-internal consistency, a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 54.6%, a positive likelihood ratio of 2.20 and a negative predictive value of 1.00.(A "yes" answer to either of the two questions was considered a positive test.) And the BDI had a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 68.1%, a positive likelihood ratio of 3.63 and a negative predictive value of 0.99(cut-off point=15). Area under the ROC curves of the two-question case-finding instrument was 0.882, greater than that of the BDI, 0.834. CONCLUSIONS: The test characteristics of a two-question case-finding instrument were higher compared to those of BDI for major depression. Therefore, the two-question case-finding instrument is a useful measure for detecting depression and less time-consuming in primary care and certain groups.
Adolescent ; Anhedonia ; Depression* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Military Personnel ; Pleasure ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Excessive tooth wear causes loss of tooth structure, disharmony of occlusal plane, functional and esthetic problems. Although the decrease of occlusal vertical dimension may be compensated by growth of alveolar bone, if the length of tooth is not enough for the retention of restoration, minimum increase of occlusal vertical dimension is required without discomfort of the patient. In this case, 33-year-old woman drinks more than 1 liter of soft drinks a day and has bruxism in night time, visited in Seoul National University Dental Hospital with chief complaint of generalized tooth wear and related esthetic and functional problems. It was considered as a loss of occlusal vertical dimension based on the accelerated tooth wear caused by erosion and bruxism and facial appearance, phonetic, esthetic, functional evaluations. It was planned to raise occlusal vertical dimension by provisional restoration two times for patient's adaptation, 3 mm and 2 mm each, total 5 mm. Confirming no discomfort and clinical symptom during total 16 weeks after restoration with provisional fixed restoration, it was restored with porcelain fused to gold crown and bridge. Because the patient was young woman, anterior teeth were restored with collarless porcelain fused to gold crown. This case presents that satisfactory esthetic and functional result by full mouth rehabilitation with increase of occlusal vertical dimension.
Adult ; Bruxism ; Carbonated Beverages ; Crowns ; Dental Occlusion ; Dental Porcelain ; Female ; Humans ; Mouth ; Mouth Rehabilitation ; Retention (Psychology) ; Tooth ; Tooth Erosion ; Tooth Wear ; Vertical Dimension

Anterior cervical fusion has enjoyed an increasing acceptance and frequency of utilization in the treatment of symptomatic degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic disorders. Since the introduction of plate systems, cervical fusion with fixation has become popularized. We present our experiences of 152 cases of cervical fusion in degenerative and traumatic lesions, focusing on their surgical results and complications, along with our opinions about the various plate systems we used. Between March 1993 and May 1996, 152 patients with symptomatic degenerative and traumatic cervical lesions between C3-4 and C7-T1 levels were treated with anterior cervical fusions. These patients were retrospectively studied according to their medical records and radiological studies. A comparison between various plate systems were also done. There were 110 men and 42 women, aged from 21 to 77 years. Mean follow up period was 17 months. Mean fused segments were 1.4. Various plate systems were used: Caspar plate system in 14 patients; Top plate in 102; Orion plate in 21; and none in 15. Dislodgement of bone graft, screw loosening, and fusion failure that required reoperation were occurred in 8 cases. None of them were initially treated with unicortical type screws. Asymptomatic esophageal perforation was developed in one case among them. In conclusion, anterior cervical fusion with screw plate system can be carried out with acceptable complication rate. Although relative follow up period was short, we concluded that the locking type screw plate system was superior than the classic bicortical screw system in their procedural simplicity, unnecessary penetration of posterior cortex, and elimination of the fear for the neurological complication.
Esophageal Perforation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies* ; Transplants