The color change of maxillofacial silicone has been attributed to certain environmental factors such as exposure to the UV component of natural sunlight, wetting and drying of the elastomer, and surface abrasion resulting from the application and removal of cosmetics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the color change of maxillofacial silicone (Silastic MDX4-4210) according to type of pigment (cadmium yellow, titanium white, cosmetic red), and UV absorber application method after 200, 400, and 600 hours of 350nm UV light irradiation. The results were as follows. 1. According to type of pigments, after 200 hours cosmetic red showed significantly larger color change than cadmium yellow and titanium white, and after 400 and 600 hours color change significantly decreased in the order of cosmetic red, cadmium yellow, and titanium white (p<0.05). 2. In the cadmium yellow group, after 200 hours, the non-treatment group showed significantly larger color change, but after 400 and 600hours, color change significantly decreased in the order of non-treatment, surface application and mixed group (p<0.05). 3. In the titanium white group, there was no significant color change difference between the three groups after 200 and 400 hours, but after 600 hours, the mixed group showed significantly smaller color change than the non-treatment and surface application groups (p<0.05). 4. In the cosmetic red group, there was significant decrease in color change in the order non-treatment, surface application and mixed group (p<0.05). From the results above, the effect of UV light absorber differed according to the type of pigment, but mixing UV light aborber with maxillofacial silicone is thought to give superior resistance against UV light irradiation in the long run.
Cadmium ; Elastomers ; Silicones* ; Sunlight ; Titanium ; Ultraviolet Rays*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of CT and MR imagings in the diagnosis aortic dissection and differentiation between the true and false lumen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied forty patients with aortic dissection(AD) diagnosed imagings or surgery. Of the forty patients, 19 were examined with only CT, 14 with CT and MR, and 7 with MI~: Our points of view were(1) the classification of AD according to configuration of intimal flap by cross-sectional imaging, (2) differentiation between the true and false lumens, (3) the course of the false lumen, and (4)! detectability of the origin of major branch vessels of the abdominal aorta. RESULTS: The classification by corss-sectional imaging were crescentic(65%), circumferential(15%), flat(12%), and irregular(8%) type, in which false negative diagnosis was made in 1 case of crescentic and circumferential type, respectively. In 2 case of flat type and 1 case of irregular type, the differentiation between the true and false lumen was impossible with CT. The course of the false lumen in descending thoracic aorta revealed countrclock wise rotation(66%), clockwise rotation(5%) or fixed(29%) apperance. MR imaging was superior to CT in the detection of the origin of major branch vessels of the abdominal aorta. The determination of the origin of major branches of abdominal aorta arising from the true and false lumen were impossible in 2 cases in which only CT was done. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of crescentic and circumferential types of AD with narrow and thrombosed false lumen was problematic in both CT and MR with no difference of diagnostic accuracy between the two modalities. The differentiation between the true and false lumen was difficult in flat and irregular types with only CT. Therefore, when surgical treatment is considered as in type B aortic dissection, MR imaging is recommended in order to determine the origin of major branch vessels.
Aorta, Abdominal ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Classification ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies

We have experienced a case of pericardial tuberculoma, a very rare disease, with massive pericardial effusion in a 63-year-old veteran. He wdimensional echocardiography. Computed tomographic scans confirmed the presence of a pericardial mass and clinically unsuspected "lung mass". The presence of the lung mass led us a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Surgery confirmed the pericardial mass which revealed tuberculosis by patholohy and loculated pleural effusion at the major fissure, so-called "phantom tumor", not a lung mass.
Echocardiography ; Humans ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pleural Effusion ; Rare Diseases ; Tuberculoma* ; Tuberculosis ; Veterans

STUDY DESIGN: The authors reviewed 14 patients with neurologic deficits caused by ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) of thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and roentgenographic characteristics and suggest the treatment method of the OLF in the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The reported OLF mainly developed at the thoracolumbar area. It compressed the spinal cord and resulted to the symptoms of thoracic myelopathy. The methods of treatment were posterior decompression including laminectomy or laminoplasty, and sometimes anterior and posterior decompression, with or without fusion. The OLF was not common disease yet and many surgeons have met a problem in making the decision of the extent of posterior decompression multiple or selective. METHODS: The authors reviewed 14 patients with the OLF using clinical reports and roentgenographic studies. We checked the plain roentgenograms, computed tomograms, and magnetic resonance imagings. We performed the posterior decompression using total laminectomy without fusion. We divided three groups according to the operative methods. Group I included the patients with one or two levels of OLF treated with posterior extensive laminectomy. Group II included the patients with OLF in three or more levels, or combined other cord-compressing diseases. They had been treated with multiple posterior or anterior decompression for the entire cord-compressing levels. Group III included the patients with same conditions as group II but they had been treated with selective decompression for the mainly symptomatic levels of OLF. RESULTS: We found the OLF at 54 segments of 14 patients. The involvement of OLF was 29 segments(53.7%) in thoracolumbar and 25 segments(46.3%) in thoracic area. The most commonly involved segment was T10-11(16.7%) and the second was T11-12(14.8%). Clinically the most common neurologic deficit was motor weakness and sensory deficit. The most symptomatic level of OLF was T10-11 and T12-Ll segment(28.6% at each) and the next was T11-12 segment(21.4%). We got the favorable results in group I and group III. But the final results of group II were not good. CONCLUSION: The OLF was most common at the thoracolumbar area and the symptoms and signs were revealed same as those of the thoracic myelopathy. We obtained favorable clinical results after posterior laminectomy without fusion in cases with the OLF in 1-2 segments. In the cases with multiple OLF in three or more segments, or the cases with other cord-compressing diseases, we could get more favorable results in the patients with the selective decompression than the patients with multiple decompression for the entire cord-compressing diseases.
Decompression ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Ligamentum Flavum* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine*

No abstract available.
Decompression* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Spine* ; Titanium*

OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia patients have deficits of prediction and learning related to dopaminergic dysfunction. It is hypothesized that there would be different characteristics in associative learning of reward approach and loss aversion between controls and patients. METHODS: Participants were 23 healthy participants and 20 out-patients fulfilling criteria for schizophrenia according DSM-IV-TR. Using a monetary incentive contingency reversal task, successful learning rates, numbers of trials and errors till learning, numbers of trials of maintaining learning, response times were measured. Characteristics of learning were compared between controls and patients. RESULTS: Physical anhedonia and PANSS negative symptom scores correlated with the number of trials while loss aversion was maintained. Overall correct response rates were decreased in patient group, particularly during reward approach learning. Patients required more trials and errors to learn reward approach than controls. There were no significant differences in learning performance and reaction times between groups during loss avoidance learning. CONCLUSION: These results support previous reports of deficits in reward-driven learning in schizophrenia. However, anhedonia and negative symptoms were associated with the preserved function of loss avoidance learning.
Anhedonia ; Avoidance Learning ; Humans ; Learning ; Motivation ; Outpatients ; Reaction Time ; Reinforcement (Psychology) ; Reward ; Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF) was discovered in 1960s as a T-cell cytokine which inhibited random migration of macrophages. MIF is a multifunctional protein acting as cytokine, hormone, or enzyme. It plays a pivotal role in innate and adaptive immune responses and early phase of inflammatory response, as well as cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumor progression. Many inflammatory diseases and cancers show increased activity and serum concentration. The purpose of this study was to measure the normal serum MIF concentration of Korean people to be utilized as base data for future MIF research. METHODS: Sera of 20 healthy adults from each groups of 20's to 60's(total 100 persons) who visited the Health Promotion center of Inha university Hospital were collected. The MIF concentration in each serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). RESULTS: The average serum MIF concentration was 1.49 ng/ml(ranging from 0 to 3.33), and there was no significant difference between age groups. CONCLUSION: The normal serum MIF concentration of Korean people is 1.49 ng/ml, and seems to be unchanged with aging.
Adult ; Aging ; Cell Proliferation ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Macrophages* ; T-Lymphocytes

As the inaccuracy which was made in implant impression prevented passive fit,it needed to solder the sectioned framework at several locations to correct the inaccuracy. Many clinicians have suggested impression techniques which could make passive fit between implant and superstructure. The purpose of this research was to measure and compare the accuracy of three methods of taking impression with the strain amplifier. The experimental groups were classified as follows : Group I; splinted the two parts with Futar D Occlusion. Group II; splinted the two parts with DuraLay. Group III; didn't splint the two parts. The results were as follows ; 1.The values of strain in the vertical and horizontal surfaces were increased in the order of groupI,group II and group III. 2.Group I showed higher accuracy of the duplicated casts in the vertical and horizontal surfaces than group IIand group III(p<0.05). 3.There were no significant differences in the accuracy of the duplicated casts between group IIand groupIII. From the above results,it is considered that the splinting method of impression copings could make an influence on the accuracy of the master casts.To improve the accuracy of the master casts, splinting the squared impression copings with the additional silicone occlusion materials is recommendable.
Silicones ; Splints

PURPOSE: To compare the surgical outcomes between modified bilateral lateral rectus muscle (BLR) recession and augmented unilateral recession-resection (R&R) for the convergence insufficiency intermittent exotropia (IXT). METHODS: 37 patients with convergence insufficiency IXT were divided into two groups: 13 patients (underwent BLR recession) and 24 patients (underwent unilateral R&R). Success was defined as within 10 prism diopters (PD) at distance and near, and within 10 PD of the difference between them at postoperative 12 months. RESULTS: After the patch test, the preoperative distance deviation angle in the BLR group was 29.9 ± 8.4 PD, and the near deviation angle was 42.3 ± 9.7 PD; the difference between them was 12.5 ± 3.2 PD. In the R&R group, the preoperative distance deviation angle was 26.7 ± 5.8 PD, and the near deviation angle was 41.5 ± 7.4 PD; the difference between them was 14.8 ± 4.3 PD (p = 0.235, p = 0.987, and p = 0.123). At the 12-month follow-up in the BLR group, the distance angle was 3.8 ± 5.1 PD, and the near deviation angle was 4.9 ± 6.1 PD; the difference between them was 2.9 ± 5.9 PD. In the R&R group, the postoperative distance deviation angle was 4.7 ± 6.1 PD, and the near deviation angle was 7.9 ± 6.6 PD; the difference between them was 3.65 ± 5.1 PD (p = 0.708, p = 0.162, and p = 0.632, respectively). The surgical success rate did not differ significantly between groups at 12 months postoperatively (76.9%: BLR group and 70.8%: R&R group; p = 0.690). CONCLUSIONS: Modified BLR recession showed a similar surgical success rate to augmented unilateral R&R, and was effective in reducing both distance and near exodeviation, and in decreasing the difference between distance and near deviation in convergence insufficiency IXT.
Exotropia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Patch Tests