Recently, various implant cylinders were supplied, especially received gold cylinders, cast cylinders produced from premade gold and plastic cylinders and plastic cylinders. This study measured and compared precise fit produced when using conventional gold and plastic cylinders. The comparative fit of lapped and non-lapped castings made from plastic pattern was examined. The implant/abutment interface fit was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) for each of four cylinders. The following results were obtained: 1. The case of plastic cylinder showed 9.67+/-1.50micrometer gap Steri-Oss fixture was connected. 2. The case oflapped casting made from plastic cylinder showed 3.01+/-2.81micrometer gap when Steri-Oss fixture was connected. 3. The case of gold/plastic cylinder showed 9.80+/-1.68micrometer gap when Steri-Oss fixture was connected. 4. The case of gold cylinder showed 5.47+/-2.43micrometer gap when Steri-Oss fixture was connected. 5. In case of each cylinder which was connected with Steri-Oss fixture, the size of gap was showed less in the order of the case of gold/plastic cylinder, the case of plastic cylinder, the case of gold cylinder and the case of lapped casting made from plastic cylinder. As results of this study, the use of premade gold cylinder offers an advantage over plastic patterns in precise fit. When plastic patterns are used, polishing of implant cylinder components should provide precise fit.
Plastics* ; Prostheses and Implants*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Carcinogenesis* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Depression*

The purpose of this study was to compare the casting problem and corrosion behavior in two types of HL Hexed abutments of the Steri-Oss system : gold/plastic coping and gold coping. The anodic Polarization behavior, the galvanic corrosion between abutments and Type III gold alloys, before and after casting were analyzed, and the crevice corrosion of casting samples was analyzed with the CPPT test and the SEM. The results are as follows ; 1. Anodic polarization behavior of samples ; Before casting, gold/plastic coping and gold coping was shown to have a similar corrosion patterns. TypeIII casting gold alloy was shown to have a lower corrosion potential and passivation film. Corrosion potential of the case of gold/plastic coping after casting was higher than that of gold coping, but the region of passivation film for gold/plastic coping was smaller than that of gold coping. 2. Galvanic corrosion behavior of samples ; Contact current density between casting gold alloys and gold/plastic before casting was higher than that between gold coping and casting gold alloy. Galvanic corrosion of samples after casting was shown to have similar contact current density. 3. Crevice corrosion behavior of samples ; Crevice corrosion resistance of casting sample using gold coping was lower than that of casting sample using gold/plastic coping, and a severe corrosion pattern was observed at the abutment-casting gold alloy interface by the SEM.
Alloys* ; Corrosion* ; Gold Alloys

OBJECTIVE: The authors conducted this study to investigate the safety and efficacy of decompressive surgery alone in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly population. METHODS: All charts and records of 323 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent lumbar spinal decompressive surgery without fusion for lumbar spinal stenosis in the period from September 2003 to August 2007 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 323 patients were identified. Mean age among patients were 72.6years. 197 patients(60.9%) underwent wide decompression, 95 patients(29.4%) had microscopic partial decompression, and 31 patients(9.5%) underwent bilateral decompression via unilateral approach. Perioperative morbidity seen was among 16 patients(4.9%). There were 5 patients(1.5%) reoperated for hematoma formation. Another 5 patients(1.5%) developed wound infection. Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) leakage were noted among 3 patients(0.9%). 2 patients(0.6%) had urinary difficulty, and Steven Johnson syndrome developed in one patient(0.3 %). Clinical outcome was evaluated using Macnab's classification. 40 patients(12.4%) had excellent results, 241 patients(74.8%) had good results, 34 patients(10.3%) had fair results and 8 patients(2.5%) had poor outcome. CONCLUSION: Decompressive laminectomy alone is a relatively safe and effective treatment option for the elderly.
Aged ; Decompression ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Spinal Stenosis ; Wound Infection

This study has been conducted for the purpose of identifying the levels of knowledge and attitude about dementia, and exploring the degrees of practice and the relationship among these variables in nursing assistants caring institutionalized demented elders. The subjects were 87 formal caregivers from 3 dementia-specialized nursing facilities, 2 dementia-specialized hospitals, 1 general psychiatric hospitals, and 3 general nursing homes. The data were gathered from July 10th to August 5th, 1998 through interviews by questionnaires. The measuring instruments of this study were developed by the researcher and proven for their reliability and validity. The collected data were analyzed using SAS program. 1) The lowest score among 6 sub-areas about practice showed on this subarea of maintenance of remained ADL function, offering stimuli and activities to demented elders was the second. 2) The third hypothesis of "the higher the attitude score they have, the higher the practice score they do" was supported (r=.370, p=.025). 3) The influencing factors significantly on knowledge were educational status, learning experience about taking care of patients, learning experience about dementia during last a year. 4) A factor of the period of taking care demented elders have significantly influenced on the attitude about dementia. 5) The influencing factors significantly on practice were age, marital status, learning experience about taking care of patients, learning experience about dementia during the last a year. 6) The most difficult situation the subjects perceived in taking care of demented elders was managing the aggressive and resistive behaviors of demented elders.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers ; Dementia* ; Educational Status ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Learning ; Marital Status ; Nursing Homes ; Nursing* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The role of the periosteum on osteointegration of Bio-Oss(R)(Geistlich, Wolhusen/Switzerland) was studied in rabbit calvarial defect. 12 New Zealand white male rabbits between 2.8 and 4 kg were included in this randomized, blinded, prospective study. Each rabbit was anesthetized with Ketamine HCl(5 mg/kg) and Xylazine HCl(1.5 ml/kg). An incision was made to the bony cranium and the periosteum was reflected. Using a 6-mm trephine bur(3i. USA), four 8-mm defects were created with copious irrigation. The defects were classified into barrier membrane(Tefgen(R), Lifecore Biomedical, Inc, U.S.A.) only group as a control, Bio-Oss(R) with barrier membrane group, Bio-Oss(R) with periosteum covering group, and Bio-Oss(R) without periosteum covering group. There were 2 rabbits in each group. The wound was closed with resorbable suture materials. Rabbits were sacrificed using phentobarbital(100 mg/kg) intravenously at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after surgery. The samples were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, and decalcified in hydrochloric acid decalcifying solution(Fisher Scientific, Tustin, CA) at 4degrees C for 2-4 weeks. It was embedded in paraffin and cut into 6 micrometer thickness. The sections were stained with H & E and observed by optical microscope. The results were as follows; 1. The periosteum played an important role in osteointegration of Bio-Oss(R) in bone defects. 2. When the periosteum remained intact and Bio-Oss(R) was placed on the defect, Bio-Oss(R) with periosteum covering has been incorporated into the newly formed bone from 2-week postoperatively. 3. When the periosteum was removed at the surgical procedure, invasion of connective tissue took place among the granules, and new bone formation was delayed compared to periosteum covering group. Therefore, when the bone grafting was performed with periosteal incision procedure to achieve tension-free suture, the integrity of the overlying periosteum should be maintained to avoid fibrous tissue ingrowth.
Bone Regeneration* ; Bone Transplantation ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Hydrochloric Acid ; Ketamine ; Male ; Membranes ; New Zealand ; Osteogenesis ; Paraffin ; Periosteum* ; Prospective Studies ; Rabbits ; Skull ; Sutures ; Wounds and Injuries ; Xylazine

BACKGROUND: Eosinophils play an important role in asthmatic airway inflammation collaborateing with other inflammatory cells. Nitric oxide (NO) may amplify and perpetuate allergic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to determine whether NO metabolites and eosinophil activation markers in sputum reflect the severity of asthma. METHODS: Sputum was obtained in 27 asthmatic patients. We processed freshly expectorated sputum separated from saliva and by a treatment with equal volume of dithiothreitol 0.1%, cytospins for cell count and special stain, we collected the supernatant for biochemical assay. We used immunocytochemical staining to detect EG2+ eosinophils, and fluoroimmunoassay to detect eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). NO metabolites were assayed by using modified Griess reaction. RESULTS: Moderate and severe asthmatic patients had a significantly higher proportion of eosinophils (37.9+/-7.8% vs 58.4+/-7.9% vs 8.9+/-2.0%, p<0.01) and lower proportion of macrophages (46.5+/-5.5% vs 18.1+/-4.6% vs 75.6+/-4.0%, p<0.01) compared to mild asthmatics. The proportion of EG2+ eosinophils, and ECP levels in the sputum were significantly higher in moderate and severe asthmatic patients than in mild asthmatic patients (p<0.01, respectively). The level of NO metabolites in the sputum was significantly increased in severe asthmatic patients compared to that in mild asthmatic patients (1372.0+/-168.5micromole/L vs 658.3+/-186.4micromole/L, p<0.05). The proportion of eosinophils in sputum was inversely correlated with FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. EG2+ eosinophils and ECP also had an inverse relationship with FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that the proportion of eosinophils, ECP, EG2+ eosinophils, and NO metabolites in the sputum of patients with asthma may be correlated with asthma severity.
Asthma* ; Cell Count ; Dithiothreitol ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Fluoroimmunoassay ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Macrophages ; Nitric Oxide* ; Saliva ; Sputum*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Hysterectomy*

No abstract available.
Infectious bursal disease virus*