OBJECTIVE: Glutamate is a key excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and its excessive release plays a key role in the development of neuronal injury. In order to define the effect of nimodipine on glutamate release, we monitored extracellular glutamate release in real-time in a global ischemia rat model with eleven vessel occlusion. METHODS: Twelve rats were randomly divided into two groups: the ischemia group and the nimodipine treatment group. The changes of extracellular glutamate level were measured using microdialysis amperometric biosensor, in coincident with cerebral blood flow (CBF) and electroencephalogram. Nimodipine (0.025 microg/100 gm/min) was infused into lateral to the CBF probe, during the ischemic period. Also, we performed Nissl staining method to assess the neuroprotective effect of nimodipine. RESULTS: During the ischemic period, the mean maximum change in glutamate concentration was 133.22+/-2.57 microM in the ischemia group and 75.42+/-4.22 microM (p<0.001) in the group treated with nimodipine. The total amount of glutamate released was significantly different (p<0.001) between groups during the ischemic period. The %cell viability in hippocampus was 47.50+/-5.64 (p<0.005) in ischemia group, compared with sham group. But, the %cell viability in nimodipine treatment group was 95.46+/-6.60 in hippocampus (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: From the real-time monitoring and Nissl staining results, we suggest that the nimodipine treatment is responsible for the protection of the neuronal cell death through the suppression of extracellular glutamate release in the 11-VO global ischemia model of rat.
Animals ; Biosensing Techniques ; Brain ; Cell Death ; Electroencephalography ; Glutamic Acid ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hippocampus ; Ischemia ; Microdialysis ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Nimodipine ; Rats ; Salicylamides

This paper is composed with the cardiac sound measurement and analysis system for in-home use of heart abnormality monitoring. The heart sound acquiring system is composed of a traditional chest-piece, earphone, microphone, and IC recorder. The recorded data is transmitted to a computer by USB interface for analysis based on the cardiac sound characteristic waveform (CSCW) method, which is extracted from an analytical model of single degree-of-freedom (SDOF). Furthermore, the characteristic parameters [T1, T2, T11, T12] are defined by the time intervals between the crossed points of the CSCW and a threshold value (THV), which are related to the first sound and the second sound and are used for discriminating normal and abnormal heart sounds. Also, an easy-understanding graphical representation for these parameters is considered, so that, even for an inexperienced user, he or she is able to monitor his or her cardiac status easily. Finally, a case study on the abnormal/normal cardiac sounds is demonstrated to validate the usefulness and efficiency of this proposed system and the cardiac sound characteristic waveform method.
Algorithms ; Heart Auscultation ; Heart Sounds ; physiology ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Software Design ; Stethoscopes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate how to detect proximal caries using line profile and validate linear measurements of proximal caries lesions by basic digital manipulation of radiographic images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The X-ray images of control group (15) and caries teeth (15) from patients were used. For each image, the line profile at the proximal caries-susceptible zone was calculated. To evaluate the contrast as a function of line profile to detect proximal caries, a difference coefficient (D) that indicates the relative difference between caries and sound dentin or intact enamel was measured. RESULTS: Mean values of D were 0.0354+/-0.0155 in non-caries and 0.2632+/-0.0982 in caries (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The mean values of caries group were higher than non-caries group and there was correlation between proximal dental caries and D. It is demonstrated that the mean value of D from caries group was higher than that of control group. From the result, values of D possess great potentiality as a new detection parameter for proximal dental caries.
Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Dentin ; Humans ; Tooth

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of mitomycin C on the scleral collagen surfaces using atomic force microscopy (AFM). METHODS: Two non-contact mode AFM machines were used to observe changes in the morphological characteristics of human scleral surfaces before and after one, three, and five minutes of 0.02% mitomycin C application. Based on AFM topography and deflection images of the collagen fibril, the morphological characteristics of scleral fibrils including the fibril diameter and D-period were measured using the line profile. RESULTS: The sclera collagen fibril treated with 0.02% mitomycin C for one minute did not show any significant increases in mean fibril diameter (155.04 +/- 17.46 nm) or mean D-periodicity (70.02 +/- 3.33 nm), compared to those of the control group. However, the scleral collagen fibrils treated with 0.02% mitomycin C for three and five minutes showed significant increases in mean fibril diameter (182.33 +/- 16.33 nm, 199.20 +/- 12.40 nm, respectively) and mean D-periodicity (70.27 +/- 13.66 nm, 72.75 +/- 19.32 nm, respectively), compared to those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The present study examined the structural changes in the scleral collagen fibrils before and after mitomycin C application according to atomic force microscopy. The results indirectly suggest that three or more minutes of 0.02% mitomycin C application affects the morphology of scleral collagen.
Collagen ; Humans ; Microscopy, Atomic Force ; Mitomycin ; Sclera

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the surface composition, roughness, and relative friction of metal clips from various ceramic self-ligating brackets. METHODS: Six kinds of brackets were examined. The control group (mC) consisted of interactive metal self-ligating brackets while the experimental group (CC, EC, MA, QK, and WA) consisted of interactive ceramic self-ligating brackets. Atomic force microscopy-lateral force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to analyze the surface of each bracket clip. RESULTS: All the clips in the experimental groups were coated with rhodium except for the QK clip. The results showed that the QK clip had the lowest average roughness on the outer surface, followed by the MA, EC, WA, and CC clips. However, the CC clip had the lowest average roughness on the inner surface, followed by the QK, WA, MA, and EC clips. The QK clip also had the lowest relative friction on the outer surface, followed by the MA, EC, CC, and WA clips. Likewise, the CC clip had the lowest relative friction on the inner surface, followed by the QK, WA, MA, and EC clips. CONCLUSIONS: The surface roughness and relative friction of the rhodium-coated clips were generally higher than those of the uncoated clips.
Ceramics* ; Friction ; Microscopy, Atomic Force ; Rhodium ; Spectrum Analysis

PURPOSE: The purpose of the experiment was to evaluating the diagnostic ability of dental caries detection using digital subtraction in the artificial caries activity model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Digital radiographies of five teeth with 8 proximal surfaces were obtained by CCD sensor (Kodak RVG 6100 using a size #2). The digital radiographic images and subtraction images from artificial proximal caries were examined and interpreted. In this study, we proposed novel caries detection method which could diagnose the dental proximal caries from single digital radiographic image. RESULTS: In artificial caries activity model, the range of lesional depth was 572-1,374 micrometer and the range of lesional area was 36.95-138.52mm2. The lesional depth and the area were significantly increased with demineralization time (p<0.001). Furthermore, the proximal caries detection using digital subtraction radiography showed high detection rate compared to the proximal caries examination using simple digital radiograph. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the digital subtraction radiography from single radiographic image of artificial caries was highly efficient in the detection of dental caries compared to the data from simple digital radiograph.
Dental Caries ; Tooth

During operations, neurosurgeons usually perform multiple temporary occlusions of parental artery, possibly resulting in the neuronal damage. It is generally thought that neuronal damage by cerebral ischemia is associated with extracellular concentrations of the excitatory amino acids. In this study, we measured the dynamics of extracellular glutamate release in 11 vessel occlusion (VO) model to compare between single occlusion and repeated transient occlusions within short interval. Changes in cerebral blood flow were monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry simultaneously with cortical glutamate level measured by amperometric biosensor. From real time monitoring of glutamate release in 11 VO model, the change of extracellular glutamate level in repeated transient occlusion group was smaller than that of single occlusion group, and the onset time of glutamate release in the second ischemic episode of repeated occlusion group was delayed compared to the first ischemic episode which was similar to that of single 10 min ischemic episode. These results suggested that repeated transient occlusion induces less glutamate release from neuronal cell than single occlusion, and the delayed onset time of glutamate release is attributed to endogeneous protective mechanism of ischemic tolerance.
Arteries ; Biosensing Techniques ; Brain Ischemia ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; Glutamic Acid ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry ; Neurons ; Parents