BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Few studies have provided evidence of the association between diet quality and dental caries. This study aimed to examine the association between diet quality and untreated dental caries in a Korean representative population. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study population included a sample of 13,815 participants, aged ≥ 19 from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 2013–2015. The explanatory variable was diet quality and the outcome variable was untreated dental caries.Untreated dental caries were defined by the number of decayed teeth recorded according to the criteria established by the World Health Organization. Diet quality was defined by using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) through the 24-h recall methods. We assessed the association between diet quality and untreated dental caries while adjusting for age, sex, education, income, smoking status, dental visits, toothbrushing frequencies, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: The mean overall KHEI scores in the untreated dental caries group were significantly lower than those in the group without untreated dental caries. Significant differences were observed in the untreated dental caries group based on the KHEI quartiles (P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the quartiles of KHEI scores showed an association with untreated dental caries, demonstrating a dose-effect trend (odds ratio [OR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35–1.84 for 1st quartile; OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.19–1.59 for 2nd quartile; OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14–1.53 for 3rd quartile; reference quartile highest]). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicated an inverse association between diet quality and untreated dental caries in Korean adults. Healthcare providers should take into account the significant role of diet quality in preventing and managing oral health.

OBJECTIVE: To localize the site of motor points within human biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping using electrophysiological method. METHOD: We recorded the compound muscle action potentials of each lattice of the biceps brachii in 40 healthy subjects. Standardized reference lines were made as the following: 1) a horizontal reference line (elbow crease) and 2) a vertical reference line connecting coracoid process and mid-point of the horizontal reference line. The Compound muscle action potentials were mapped in reference to the standardized reference lines. The locations of motor points were mapped to the skin surface, in the ratio to the length of the vertical and the half of the horizontal reference lines. RESULTS: The motor point of the short head of biceps was located at 69.0+/-4.9% distal and 19.1+/-9.5% medial to the mid-point of horizontal reference line. The location of the motor point of the long head of the biceps was 67.3+/-4.3% distal and 21.4+/-8.7% lateral. The motor point of the short head of the biceps was located more medially and distally in the male subjects compared to that in the female (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed electrophysiological motor points of the biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping. This data might improve the clinical efficacy and the feasibility of motor point targeting, when injecting botulinum neurotoxin in biceps brachii.
Action Potentials ; Botulinum Toxins ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: To localize the site of motor points within human biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping using electrophysiological method. METHOD: We recorded the compound muscle action potentials of each lattice of the biceps brachii in 40 healthy subjects. Standardized reference lines were made as the following: 1) a horizontal reference line (elbow crease) and 2) a vertical reference line connecting coracoid process and mid-point of the horizontal reference line. The Compound muscle action potentials were mapped in reference to the standardized reference lines. The locations of motor points were mapped to the skin surface, in the ratio to the length of the vertical and the half of the horizontal reference lines. RESULTS: The motor point of the short head of biceps was located at 69.0+/-4.9% distal and 19.1+/-9.5% medial to the mid-point of horizontal reference line. The location of the motor point of the long head of the biceps was 67.3+/-4.3% distal and 21.4+/-8.7% lateral. The motor point of the short head of the biceps was located more medially and distally in the male subjects compared to that in the female (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed electrophysiological motor points of the biceps brachii muscles through surface mapping. This data might improve the clinical efficacy and the feasibility of motor point targeting, when injecting botulinum neurotoxin in biceps brachii.
Action Potentials ; Botulinum Toxins ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Skin

Background: The Fourth Industrial Revolution highlights the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital literacy in dentalhygiene education. However, research on students’ attitudes toward AI and their digital literacy levels is limited. Therefore, this study investigated the attitudes of dental hygiene students toward AI and digital literacy levels. Methods: In total, 167 dental hygiene students in Baekseok University participated in the study and provided informed consent.The survey tool included general characteristics, smartphone usage patterns, attitudes toward AI, and digital literacy levels.Attitudes toward AI and digital literacy based on general characteristics and smart device usage were analyzed using t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Correlations among attitudes toward AI, digital literacy awareness, and digital literacy behaviors were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation analysis. The impact of AI attitudes and digital literacy awareness on digital literacy behavior was examined using linear regression analysis. Results: Students with higher interest in their major had more positive attitudes toward AI, and those with higher smart deviceusage showed increased AI attitudes and digital literacy (p＜0.05). Simple frequency or duration of smartphone use did not affect digital literacy, but students who perceived their smart device usage positively and believed that they used smart devices effectively in their studies exhibited higher levels of digital literacy (p＜0.05). A positive attitude toward AI is associated with higher levels of digital literacy (p＜0.05). Digital literacy awareness and attitudes toward AI influenced digital literacy behavior (p＜0.05). Conclusion These results suggest that the qualified utilization and application of digital devices in dental hygiene education areimportant. Improving the educational curriculum is necessary; as a result, digital technology can be effectively utilized, and various educational programs should be introduced to enhance digital literacy.

In 1955 Gasser and his associates describe the hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is characteristics of clinical manifestation such as microangiopathic hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, acute renal failure. The etiology of the syndrome remains unclear. Typical form of syndrome occures mainly in children in association with gastrointestinal infection or upper respiratory infection. In adults, the syndrome is seen atypically in connection with malignant tumor, pregnancy, postpartum and oral contraceptives, chemotherapeutic agent such as Mitomycin-C, immunosuppressive agent including cyclosporin. The treatment of this syndrome has remains controversial. But recently some cases were reported that plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma has favorable improvement of prognosis in atypical syndrome. Pasquale C, Noam L have reported the case of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with pregnancy or abortion but in Korea, such cases have not reported yet. Then we report a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome which developed after voluntary abortion at sixth weeks of pregnancy and was treated with plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Child ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Cyclosporine ; Hemolysis ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mitomycin ; Plasma ; Plasma Exchange ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy* ; Prognosis ; Thrombocytopenia

PURPOSE:Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a potentially life-threatening illness which has been shown to be more common and more severe in patient with chronic renal failure. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical characteristics of renal insufficiency patients with clostridium difficile-associated pseudomembranous colitis. METHODS:We reviewed charts of fifty-six patients with clostridium difficile-associated pseudomembranous colitis, who have clostridial toxin A assay in stool and a diagnosis made on histology of colonic biopsies. RESULTS:There was no difference in age, serum albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and negative incidence of clostridial toxin A between patients who had renal insufficiency with serum creatinine more than 1.5 mg/dL and those who did not. But duration of antibiotic use administered prior to development of the clostridium difficile infection was more shorter in patients with impaired renal function than in patients with normal renal function. CONCLUSION:These data suggest that it may take a short period to development of the clostridium difficile infection in patients with impaired renal function, and histologic evaluation by sigmoidoscopy should be performed to make a diagnosis in CDAD-suggested patients, who have impaired renal function and even negative clostridial toxin A.
C-Reactive Protein ; Clostridium ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon ; Creatinine ; Diarrhea ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Renal Insufficiency ; Serum Albumin ; Sigmoidoscopy

Hypereosinophilia is often associated with eosinphilic infiltration of tissue, which can lead to severe and irreversible organ damage. One of the most characteristic and critical complications is development of thrombosis in cardiac ventricles, and occasionally in deep veins. We report a rare case of hypereosinophilia, with peripheral vascular thrombosis, caused by Toxocara canis infection.
Heart Ventricles ; Thrombosis* ; Toxocara canis* ; Toxocariasis ; Veins

The 55 years old male patient, undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, was admitted on our department because of painful swelling on left knee joint. At 19th hospital day, he complained of severe dyspnea. He had a large amount of pleural effusion of the left chest that was shown to be hemothorax by thoracentesis. After closed thoracostomy, about amount of 3,000 mL of blood was drained and bleeding was sustained from pleural cavity, and then emergency thoracotomy was done. We cannot find any bleeding focus in thoracic cavity, but oozing blood was seen on entire inner thoracic cavity. He had no previous invasive procedure or history of trauma before 6 months. We think that hemothorax may be developed because of defected coagulopathy and increased bleeding tendency due to platelet dysfunction in renal failure patient. Immediately thoracotomy and cryoprecipitate were helpful for this patient. We report a rare case of spontaneous hemothorax in a maintenance hemodialysis patient with literature review.
Blood Platelets ; Dyspnea ; Emergencies ; Hemorrhage ; Hemothorax* ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Cavity ; Pleural Effusion ; Renal Dialysis* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Thoracic Cavity ; Thoracostomy ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax

PURPOSE: Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) has long been considered as a useful marker to estimate oxidative stress in the hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, it has not been clarified what clinical factors can affect the plasma level of AOPP in the HD patients. Based on these, We investigated the correlation between plasma AOPP level and clinical factor, known to be associated with oxidative stress, in the maintenance HD patients. METHODS: Two groups (50 of normal healthy persons and 105 of stable HD patients) were independently subjected in this study, and statistical correlation between plasma AOPP level and several clinical factors were analyzed. RESULTS: Plasma level of AOPP in the maintenance HD patients were higher than those in normal healthy group (52.11+/-16.08 micrometerol/L vs. 40.25+/-12.23 micrometerol/L, p<0.001). Plasma AOPP level of maintenance HD patients were significantly correlated with duration of hemodialysis, MDRD-GFR and daily urine volume. However, plasma level of AOPP in the maintenance HD patients were not affected by sex, diabetes, smoking, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, and those were not correlated with age, CRP and serum ferritin. It was demonstrated by multiple regression analysis that daily urine volume was the most important clinical factor which could affect the plasma level of AOPP (beta=-0.255, p=0.017). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that maintenance of daily urine volume is likely to be critical to reduce oxidative stress in the maintenance HD patients.
Advanced Oxidation Protein Products ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Dialysis ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Renal Dialysis ; Smoke ; Smoking

Fenoverine is a non-atropine like spasmolytic drug that inhibits calcium channel currents in the smooth muscle. It has been occassionally reported that fenoverine can cause rhabdomyolysis under the certain conditions such as hepatic dysfunction, concomitant use of HMG-CoA reductase, mitochondrial myopathy, lipid storage myopathy or malignant hyperthermia. However, there is no report of fenoverine-induced rhabdomyolysis in type 2 diabetic nephropathy patient. So we describe here a case of fenoverine-induced rhabdomyolysis in type 2 diabetic patient. A 70-year-old man had both lower legs and shoulder pain for 5 days prior to hospital admission. He was a type 2 diabetic patient and had been managed for diabetic nephropathy. He had been consumed common doses of fenoverine for 20 days due to abdominal pain and diarrhea. Results of investigations showed evidence of rhabdomyolysis. Fenoverine therapy was stopped after admission and he was treated supportive care, his condition was recovered. In this case, renal function impairment may have been a predisposing factor for fenoverine-induced rhabdomyolysis. The incidence of muscular complications of fenoverine therapy could be reduced by avoidance of prescription of the drug in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Calcium Channels ; Causality ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Malignant Hyperthermia ; Mitochondrial Myopathies ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscular Diseases ; Oxidoreductases ; Prescriptions ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Shoulder Pain