The study aimed to compare the whitening efficacy of a strip and gel containing 2.9% hydrogen peroxide, using a tooth whitening light activator. The whitening effect was compared through in vitro and in vivo studies. In the in vitro study, we used stained hydroxyapatite (HAP) specimens as artificial teeth. HAP specimens were made using HAP powder and polyvinyl alcohol solution, and stained by modified Stookey's method. A whitening gel and whitening strip were applied to the respective specimens for 20 minutes, with a light activator. The color changes were measured using a colorimeter. In the in vivo study, one group (test 1) used the gel with a light activator and the other group (test 2) used a strip with the same activator for 15 minutes a day, for four consecutive days. An organoleptic evaluation using a Vita shade guide and instrumental evaluation using a Shade eye-NCC (Shofu Co., Japan) were performed. The color change values (ΔE*) in the in vitro study revealed the strip with the light activator to be more effective than the gel with the same activator (p<0.001). In the in vivo study, even though there was no significant difference between the groups with respect to the ΔE*, using either the Shade eye-NCC or the Vita shade guide, the change in yellowness (Δb*) was statistically significant (p=0.024). In conclusion, test 2 group that used 2.9% hydrogen peroxide strip with a light activator, showed a tendency towards increased whitening than test 1 group that used the gel with the same activator; however further studies are needed to validate the above finding.
Durapatite ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; In Vitro Techniques ; Methods ; Polyvinyl Alcohol ; Sensation ; Tooth Bleaching* ; Tooth* ; Tooth, Artificial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and the severity of their developmental disability. METHOD: MRI and M nchener Funktionelle Entwicklungs Diagnostik (MFED) were used for the evaluation of 52 children with CP. MFED quotient (MFED age/corrected age 100) was compared to the MRI findings. RESULTS: Of the 52 MRIs, no abnormalities were found in 7 cases (13%), periventricular leukomalacias (PVLs) in 37 cases (71.2%), corpus callosum abnormalities in 33 cases (63.5%), delayed myelinations in 8 cases (15.4%), congenital brain abnormalities in 6 cases (11.5%), and central sulcus abnormalities in 3 cases (5.8%). Among 27 patients who were born preterm, the major MRI finding was PVL (100%), indicative of a hypoxic brain injury. All patients with a normal MRI were born at term. There were significant correlations between the MFED quotient and the severity of PVL. The ratio of corpus callosum length/brain anteroposterior diameter was correlated with a developmental disability. CONCLUSION: MRI findings for the patients with CP are well correlated with the developmental disabilities and the timing of brain insult.
Brain ; Brain Injuries ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Child ; Corpus Callosum ; Developmental Disabilities* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myelin Sheath

Background: Branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) is characterized by a sudden, painless monocular visual loss. The condition usually has a favorable prognosis but can sometimes cause severe visual loss. Currently, no clinical guidelines are available for the treatment of BRAO.Case Report: A 38-year-old man presented with vision loss. Initial visual acuity was 0.08/1.0 and a lower-altitudinal visual field defect was detected in the right eye. Occlusion of the superior temporal branch of the retinal artery was observed using fluorescein angiography. The patient was diagnosed with BRAO, and intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) was performed 11 hours after the first abnormality. The patient demonstrated rapid improvement after IAT. Visual acuity recovered to 0.8/1.0 and only the cecocentral scotoma remained at 5-month follow-up. Conclusion For patients with BRAO and severe vision loss, IAT may be an effective treatment. However, owing to potential complications, this procedure should be reserved for selected patients.

OBJECTIVE: The features of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly associated with adult mood disorders. Some genetic factors may be common to both ADHD and mood disorders underlie the association between these two phenotypes. The present study aimed to determine whether a genetic role may be played by the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in the childhood ADHD features of adult patients with mood disorders. METHODS: The present study included 232 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 154 patients with bipolar disorder (BPD), and 1,288 normal controls. Childhood ADHD features were assessed with the Korean version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-K). The total score and the scores of three factors (impulsivity, inattention, and mood instability) from the WURS-K were analyzed to determine whether they were associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype. RESULTS: In the BPD type II group, the 5-HTTLPR genotype was significantly associated with the total score (p=0.029) and the impulsivity factor (p=0.004) on the WURS-K. However, the inattention and mood instability factors were not associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype. BPD type I, MDD and normal control groups did not exhibit any significant associations between the WURS-K scores and the 5-HTTLPR genotype. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the 5-HTTLPR genotype may play a role in the impulsivity component of childhood ADHD in patients with BPD type II. Because of a small sample size and a single candidate gene, further studies investigating other candidate genes using a larger sample are warranted to determine any common genetic links.
Adult ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Genotype* ; Humans ; Impulsive Behavior ; Mood Disorders* ; Phenotype ; Sample Size ; Serotonin ; Utah

PURPOSE: Gender differences in personality are considered to have biological bases. In an attempt to understand the gender differences of personality on neurobiological bases, we conducted correlation analyses between regional brain glucose metabolism and temperament factors of personality in males and females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six healthy right-handed volunteers (18 males, 33.8+/-17.6 y; 18 females, 36.2+/-20.4 y) underwent FDG PET at resting state. Three temperament factors of personality (novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD)) were assessed using Cloninger's 240-item Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) within 10 days of FDG PET scan. Correlation between regional glucose metabolism and each temperament factor was tested using SPM2. RESULTS: In males, a significant negative correlation between NS score and glucose metabolism was observed in the bilateral superior temporal gyri, the hippocampus and the insula, while it was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri, the right superior temporal gyrus and the left cingulate cortex and the putamen in females. A positive HA correlation was found in the right midbrain and the left cingulate gyrus in males, but in the bilateral basal ganglia in females. A negative RD correlation was observed in the right middle frontal and the left middle temporal gyri in males, while the correlation was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri and the right basal ganglia and the superior temporal gyrus in females. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate different cortical and subcortical metabolic correlates of temperament factors of personality between males and females. These results may help understand biological substrate of gender differences in personality and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Female ; Glucose ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Mesencephalon ; Metabolism ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Putamen ; Reward ; Temperament* ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: Gender differences in personality are considered to have biological bases. In an attempt to understand the gender differences of personality on neurobiological bases, we conducted correlation analyses between regional brain glucose metabolism and temperament factors of personality in males and females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six healthy right-handed volunteers (18 males, 33.8+/-17.6 y; 18 females, 36.2+/-20.4 y) underwent FDG PET at resting state. Three temperament factors of personality (novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD)) were assessed using Cloninger's 240-item Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) within 10 days of FDG PET scan. Correlation between regional glucose metabolism and each temperament factor was tested using SPM2. RESULTS: In males, a significant negative correlation between NS score and glucose metabolism was observed in the bilateral superior temporal gyri, the hippocampus and the insula, while it was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri, the right superior temporal gyrus and the left cingulate cortex and the putamen in females. A positive HA correlation was found in the right midbrain and the left cingulate gyrus in males, but in the bilateral basal ganglia in females. A negative RD correlation was observed in the right middle frontal and the left middle temporal gyri in males, while the correlation was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri and the right basal ganglia and the superior temporal gyrus in females. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate different cortical and subcortical metabolic correlates of temperament factors of personality between males and females. These results may help understand biological substrate of gender differences in personality and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric illnesses.
Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Female ; Glucose ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Mesencephalon ; Metabolism ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Putamen ; Reward ; Temperament* ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Myocarditis*

A 50-year-old man with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varix for 3 years was diagnosed with hematemesis and treated for a bleeding varix. However, bleeding recurred 11 days later, and he developed drowsiness with left hemiparesis. His left upper and lower extremity muscle strengths based on the manual muscle test at the onset were grade 2/5 and 1/5, respectively. The Babinski sign was positive. His serum ammonia level was elevated to 129.9 microg/dL (normal, 20-80 microg/dL). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed restriction on diffusion and T2-hyperintensities with decreased apparent diffusion coefficient values in the bilateral frontoparietooccipital cortex. The effect was more severe in the right hemisphere and right parietooccipital cortices, which were compatible with hepatic encephalopathy. Although the patient's mental status recovered, significant left-sided weakness and sensory deficit persisted even after 6 months. Diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) performed 3 months post-onset showed decreased volume of the right corticospinal tract. We reported a patient with hepatic encephalopathy involving the corticospinal tract by DTT.
Ammonia ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Diffusion* ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Encephalopathy* ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Strength ; Paresis ; Pyramidal Tracts* ; Reflex, Babinski ; Rehabilitation ; Sleep Stages ; Varicose Veins

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors affecting rehabilitation outcomes in children with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 347 patients who were clinically suspected as having CMT and performed neck ultrasonography to measure sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle thickness. Fifty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. Included were demographic characteristics as well as measurements of cervical range of motion (ROM), SCM muscle thickness, and the abnormal/normal (A/N) ratio, defined as the ratio of SCM muscle thickness on the affected to the unaffected side. RESULTS: Subjects were divided into three groups depending on degree of cervical ROM (group 1A: ROM>60, n=12; group 1B: 60> or =ROM>30, n=31; group 1C: ROM< or =30, n=11), the SCM muscle thickness (Th) (group 2A: Th<1.2 cm, n=23; group 2B: 1.2< or =Th<1.4 cm, n=18; group 2C: Th> or =1.4 cm, n=13), and the A/N ratio (R) (group 3A: R<2.2, n=19; group 3B: 2.2< or =R<2.8, n=20; group 3C: R> or =2.8, n=15). We found that more limited cervical ROM corresponded to longer treatment duration. The average treatment duration was 4.55 months in group 1A, 5.87 months in group 1B, and 6.50 months in group 1C. SCM muscle thickness and the A/N ratio were not correlated with treatment duration. CONCLUSION: Infants with CMT who were diagnosed earlier and had an earlier intervention had a shorter duration of rehabilitation. Initial cervical ROM is an important prognostic factor for predicting the rehabilitation outcome of patients with CMT.
Child ; Humans ; Infant ; Medical Records ; Muscles ; Neck ; Prognosis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Torticollis ; Treatment Outcome

No information is currently available on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection in wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Korea. In this study, the status of PRRS in wild boars was investigated. Blood samples were collected from 267 wild boars from eight provinces in Korea. Four of the samples tested (1.5%) were positive for PRRSV antibodies and eight (3.0%) were positive for antigens. Of the virus-positive samples, three and five samples were typed as containing European (EU, type 1) or North American (NA, type 2) viruses, respectively. Two amplicons (one from type 1 and one from type 2) were used to analyze the PRRSV open reading frame 7 (ORF7) sequence. The nucleotide sequences of type 1 PRRSV ORF7 had identities between 96.1% and 98.4% with PRRSVs from domestic pigs in Korea. The sequences of type 2 PRRSV ORF7 had identities of 100% with the PRRSV strain VR-2332, which was prototypic North American strain. These results show that PRRSVs are present in wild boars in Korea, and effective PRRSV surveillance of the wild boar population might therefore be useful for disease control.
Antibodies ; Base Sequence ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Open Reading Frames ; Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome ; Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus ; Sprains and Strains ; Sus scrofa