BACKGROUND: We studied how periodic and complex heart rate dynamic changes as pulmonary artery pressure increases in 32 infants with ventricular septal defet. In addition, we tested the possibility that the dynamical changes can be used to noninvasively predict the pulmonary artery pressure. METHODS: During cardiac catherterization, mean pulmonary artery pressure was measured and, at the same time, 5minute segments of continous electrocardiographic recording was stored. High-(>0.15 hertz) and low-(0.03-0.15 hertz) frequency components of heart rate variability were computed using spectral analysis. Yhe overall complexity of heart rate time series was quantified by its approximate entropy. RESULT: Pulmonary hypertensive infants(mean pulmonary artery pressure>20mmHg, n=17) had significantly lower low-(p<0.05)and high-(p<0.05) frequency power and lower approximate entropy(p<0.0001) than pulmonary normotensive infants(mean pulmonary artery pressure20mmHg, n=15). The mean pulmonary artery pressure was significantly correlated not with the spectral powers but with approximate entropy(=-0.51, P=0.0001). Conclusion: It can be concluded that, in infants, pulmonary hypertension induced by left-to-right shunt lesions suppress both periodic and complex heart rate oscillation and that mean pulmonary artety pressure can be predicted by calculating approximate entropy of heart trate variability.
Electrocardiography ; Entropy ; Heart Rate* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Infant* ; Pulmonary Artery*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing health promotion behavior of fire officers in Korea. METHODS: It was a descriptive study. The subjects were comprised of 104 fire officers by self-reported questionnaires from January to February 2012. The instruments used for this study were a health belief, self-efficacy and health promotion lifestyle profile II. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 14.0. RESULTS: The scores of health promotion behavior of fire officers were 2.76 (on a 4-point scale) and of health belief were 2.98 (on a 4-point scale), followed by perceived benefits at 3.45, perceived seriousness at 3.02, perceived sensitiveness at 2.82, perceived barriers at 2.23, and self-efficacy at 3.04 (on a 4-point scale). The health promotion behavior was very closely correlated with the health belief (r=0.49, p<.001). In the sub region, perceived benefit was correlated (r=0.28 p=.005) and the perceived seriousness (r=0.38, p<.001), the perceived sensitiveness (r=0.36, p<.001), and self-efficacy (r=0.55, p<.001) were correlated. Two significant variables influencing health promotion behavior of fire officer were self-efficacy and perceived seriousness (explained 41.0%). CONCLUSION: It suggested that self-efficacy and perceived seriousness should be considered when developing a fire officers's health promoting program.
Fires ; Health Promotion ; Life Style ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: This research is to investigate factors that affect dental aesthetics and analyze whether individual perception affects and difference of genders affects the esthetic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy dental students of Chonnam University aged from 25 to 35 years old without periodontal problems were included. Maxillary dental cast for participants were made, and standardized photo was taken with a digital camera. Maximum visual width and the position of gingival zenith of maxillary anterior teeth and maximum height of the maxillary central incisors were measured by a measurement program and the shape of central incisor was categorized. Questionnaire was conducted to evaluate esthetic perception. SPSS program was used to perform statistical analysis. RESULTS: The average visual width ratio of right maxillary anteriors was 1.38:1:0.78 and 1.41:1:0.81 for the left which differ from the golden ratio. The width to height ratio for right and left central incisor was 0.84 and 0.83 respectively. The gingival zenith position was determined to be: mostly, central incisors and canines were located in the distal side, lateral incisors were located in the center. The visual width ratio of right maxillary anterior teeth, ratio of width to height of central incisor, gingival zenith position, crown morphology and amounts of gingival exposure upon smiling were not significantly different between genders, and facial patterns and these dental esthetic factors were not related to aesthetic perception. CONCLUSION: Even though participants had the visual width ratio of maxillary anteriors or ideal width to ideal height of central incisors that did not agree with the golden ratio, they had high satisfaction for dental esthetics. Esthetic perception depends more on subjective judgements of participants than objective indices.
Crowns ; Esthetics ; Esthetics, Dental ; Humans ; Incisor ; Jeollanam-do ; Smiling ; Students, Dental ; Tooth

PURPOSE: This study compared the total antioxidant status (TAS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the saliva of periodontally compromised patients before and after scaling and root planing (SRP) to assess their diagnostic utility. METHODS: Severe chronic periodontitis patient (test group) and subjects with no attachment loss, sites showing a 3 mm or more probing depth and a sulcus bleeding index < 10% (control group) were enrolled in this study. Saliva sampling and clinical examination were performed at one week, one month and 3 months after SRP. The TAS and SOD activity in each patient's saliva was measured for the comparative analysis between the groups. RESULTS: In the test group, the TAS decreased directly after SRP. With time, it increased slightly and was relatively unchanged compared to the baseline. In the control group, the TAS also decreased immediately after SRP but increased gradually with time until 3 months. The SOD activity in the test and control subjects decreased immediately after SRP until 1 month. At 3 months, the SOD activity had increased. Both groups had a similar profile of SOD activity. However, the SOD activity of the control group was significantly higher than that of the test group at each point in time (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant difference in the total salivary antioxidant level between the periodontitis and healthy or gingivitis (control) group during the experiment period. The total antioxidant level in the saliva was higher in the patients with severe chronic periodontitis than the healthy or gingivitis control before SRP. The SOD activity of the periodontitis patients was lower than the control at each time point. These findings conclusively reveal the possible use of saliva as a diagnostic tool for periodontal health.
Antioxidants ; Chronic Periodontitis ; Gingivitis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontitis ; Root Planing ; Saliva ; Superoxide Dismutase

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chitosan coating on the attachment, proliferation, functional and morphological change of human gingival fibroblasts. Primary culture of human gingival fibroblasts were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics. In experimental group, cells were inoculated in the multiwell plates coated with chitosan in concentration of 0.02, 0.2, and 2 mg/ml. Cell counting and MTT assay were done after 0.5, 1.5, 3, 6 and 24 hours of incubation to evaluate the cell attachment, and then after 2 and 7 days of culture to evaluate the cell proliferation. The alkaline phosphatase activity was measured after 4 and 7 days of culture and the ability to produce mineralized nodules was evaluated after 21 days of culture. The results were as follows : The morphology of cells on the chitosan-coated well was round or spheric. Round cells were aggregated since 6 hours of culture and showed nodule-like appearance after 24 hours of culture and did not achieved confluency at 7 days. The attachment of gingival fibroblasts was inhibited by chitosan coating with a tendency of dose dependent pattern. But, cellular activity of unit cell was higher than control. The proliferation of gingival fibroblasts was inhibited by chitosan coating at 2 mg/ml(P<0.01), while the cell proliferation at 0.02, 0.2 mg/ml was comparable to the control well. Total alkaline phosphatase activity was inhibited by chitosan coating and decreased in the course of time. While ALP activity of unit cell was the highest at 2mg/ml after 4 days of culture. Finally, gingival fibroblasts produced the mineralized nodule at 2 mg/ml. In summary, the attachment, proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase activity of gingival fibroblasts were influenced differently by the concentration of coated chitosan. From this study, it could be used as the matrix of tissue engineering for gingiva without inhibition on proliferation of gingival fibroblasts using chitosan at the optimal concentration (0.02mg/ml).
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Chitosan* ; Fibroblasts* ; Gingiva ; Humans* ; Tissue Engineering

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness in diagnosing the gallbladder perforation MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of surgically proved 11 cases of gallbladder perforation were retrospectively reviewed. CT findings analyzed were iuminal diameter of GB, GB wall thickness and configuration, presence or absence of fluid collection in the pericholecystic or intraperitoneal space, and observation of pericholecystic anatomic structures. All patients underwent cholecystectomy, and surgical findings were also compared. RESULTS: The GB was distended in 6 cases(55% with a range of 4.0-7.5cm, mean :5.2cm). GB wall was thickened in most cases(9/11,82%) with homogeneous(n=7) or inhomogeneous(n=2) enhancement. At the sites of perforation, focal defect or contour bulging was seen in the GB wall in 3 cases. in 2 cases with gangrene, GB wall showed loss of normal contour with mottled contrast enhancement. Pericholecystic or intraperitoneal fluid co11ection was noted in 9 cases(82%), especially in the region of perforation. In all cases, there was evidence of diffuse infiltration in the pericholecystic space, omenturn or mesentery. Other findings included cholecy-stoenteric fistula in 1 case, and intrahepatic or intraperitoneal abscess formation in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: CT is useful in correct diagnosis of gallbladder perforation.
Abscess ; Cholecystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Fistula ; Gallbladder* ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Mesentery ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study was to explore the predictors of subjective well-being of Korean older adults. METHOD: Data were collected through the structured interview using questionnaire with 199 older adults over 60 years. To identify the most effective predictor of the SWB, a stepwise regression analysis was conducted on each subscale of SWB measure. RESULTS: The results showed that receiving support from family was the effective factor of life satisfaction. Receiving support from family, health, optimism, economy, positive reappraisal, and giving support to family were the effective factors of emotional well-being. CONCLUSION: This study found that family support was the most important predictor on SWB among Korean older adults.
Adult* ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.