OBJECTIVES: Rapid polymerization of overlying composite resin causes high polymerization shrinkage stress at the adhesive layer. In order to alleviate the shrinkage stress, increasing the light intensity over the first 5 seconds was suggested as an exponential curing mode by an LED light curing unit (Elipar FreeLight2, 3M ESPE). In this study, the effectiveness of the exponential curing mode on reducing stress was evaluated with measuring microtensile bond strength of three adhesives after the overlying composite resin was polymerized with either continuous or exponential curing mode. METHODS: Scotchbond Multipurpose Plus (MP, 3M ESPE), Single Bond 2 (SB, 3M ESPE), and Adper Prompt (AP, 3M ESPE) were applied onto the flat occlusal dentin of extracted human molar. The overlying hybrid composite (Denfil, Vericom, Korea) was cured under one of two exposing modes of the curing unit. At 48h from bonding, microtensile bond strength was measured at a crosshead speed of 1.0 mm/min. The fractured surfaces were observed under FE-SEM. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the microtensile bond strengths of each adhesive between curing methods (Two-way ANOVA, p > 0.05). The microtensile bond strengths of MP and SB were significantly higher than that of AP (p < 0.05). Mixed failures were observed in most of the fractured surfaces, and differences in the failure mode were not observed among groups. CONCLUSION: The exponential curing method had no beneficial effect on the microtensile dentin bond strengths of three adhesives compared to continuous curing method.
Adhesives ; Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate ; Chimera ; Dentin ; Humans ; Light ; Molar ; Polymerization ; Polymers ; Resin Cements

Campylobacter jejuni isolates from diarrhea patients and chickens in 2008 in Iksan, Korea were tested for biochemical characteristics, and for possession of genes hipO, mutated gyrA, and cdtB. Among the chickens tested 52% carried C. jejuni. All 28 patient isolates and 48 chickens isolates had typical biochemical characteristics, except for nalidixic acid resistance. All isolates from patients and chickens were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and had mutated gyrA gene indicating good correlation of the two tests. Analysis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern of SmaI-restricted DNA of 53 isolates showed 14 clusters. Twenty-eight patient isolates and two chicken isolates (57%) showed an identical pattern (cluster 9). Chicken isolates C37 and C48 (cluster 2), C31 and C33 (cluster 3), C29, C34, C35, and C36 (cluster 4), and C43, C44 (cluster 6) had identical patterns. All patient isolates, compared to 87% and 80% of chicken isolates, were susceptible to amikacin and chloramphenicol, respectively. Antibiotics with the lowest MIC90 were imipenem, gentamicin, and erythromycin, whereas, those with the highest were ampicillin and tetracycline. In conclusion, C. jejuni carriage rate of chickens in Iksan, Korea, was high, all 28 isolates from patients and two from chickens were an identical clone, whereas isolates from patients and remaining chickens were different clones with only 62% similarity, all isolates had hipO and cdtB genes, and all isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin.
Amikacin ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Toxins ; Campylobacter ; Campylobacter jejuni ; Chickens ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clone Cells ; Diarrhea ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Erythromycin ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Korea ; Nalidixic Acid ; Tetracycline

BACKGROUND: Physical disability may result in some impairment of the score for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of physical disability on IADL in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), subcortical vascular dementia (SVD), and vascular mild cognitive impairment of the subcortical type (svMCI). METHODS: Fifty-six patients with AD, 30 with SVD, 27 with aMCI, and 21 with svMCI were recruited consecutively from a memory clinic. Informants for the subjects completed a Korean version of the IADL (K-IADL). In addition, the informants were asked to choose the cause of each dependent activity of K-IADL from the following: cognitive impairment, physical disability, or both. The cause of the physical disability was defined as being focal neurologic symptoms, other physical disease, or both. RESULTS: Compared to AD patients, SVD patients had higher K-IADL scores [2.02+/-0.80 (mean+/-SD) vs. 1.45+/-0.90, p<0.01] and focal neurologic signs (FNS; 8.0+/-5.8 vs. 0.0+/-0.0, p<0.001), and lower Barthel Index scores (14.7+/-5.1 vs. 19.6+/-1.2, p<0.001). Patients with svMCI had higher FNS (3.8+/-4.5 vs. 0.0+/-0.0, p<0.001) compared to those with aMCI. The most common cause of dependency of activities in K-IADL was cognitive impairment in AD, aMCI, and svMCI patients, and the combined effect of cognitive impairment and physical disability in those with SVD. The cause of physical disability was FNS in 96% of SVD patients and in all patients with svMCI. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of FNS as well as cognitive impairment should be considered when measuring the IADL of the patients with SVD or svMCI.
Activities of Daily Living ; Alzheimer Disease ; Dementia, Vascular ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Humans ; Memory ; Mild Cognitive Impairment ; Neurologic Manifestations

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of an experimental bleaching strip (Medison dental whitening strip, Samsung medical Co., Anyang, Korea) containing 2.9% hydrogen peroxide. Twenty-three volunteers used the bleaching strips for one and a half hour daily for 2 weeks. As control group, the same strips in which hydrogen peroxide was not included were used by 24 volunteers with the same protocol. The shade change (DeltaE*, color difference) of twelve anterior teeth was measured using Shade Vision (X-Rite Inc., S.W. Grandville, MI, USA), Chroma Meter (Minolta Co., Ltd. Osaka, Japan) and Vitapan classical shade guide (Vita Zahnfabrik, Germany). The shade change of overall teeth in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group (p < 0.05) and was easily perceivable. The change resulted from the increase of lightness (CIE L* value) and the decrease of redness (CIE a* value) and yellowness (CIE b* value). The shade change of individual tooth was greatest in canine, and smallest in central incisor. The safety of the bleaching strip was also confirmed.
Gyeonggi-do ; Hydrogen Peroxide* ; Hydrogen* ; Incisor ; Tooth ; Volunteers

BACKGROUND: IPAA provide nutritional benefit, at least in the short term. However, the long-term efficacy of IPAA in PD patients remains unclear. An attempt was made to evaluate long-term efficacy of IPAA and to ascertain possible factors associated with improved nutritional status after IPAA. METHODS: The 46 malnourished CAPD patients were treated with IPAA (one exchange of Nutrineal daily) for one year. Various nutritional, boichemical variables, urea kinetic study and measurement of lean body mass based on creatinine excretion (LBMCr) were carried out at baseline, and at 3- month interval thereafter. Responders was defined as those patients who had an increment of mean LBMCr more than 2.0 kg and/or an increase in mean %LBMCr (LBMCr/Body weight) more than 5% during IPAA treatment. RESULTS: After administration of IPAA, BUN, Cr, LBMCr, %LBMCr, nPNA, SGA, and exercise capacity increased significantly. But, protein and albumin level showed no significant change. Increment of IGF-1 level was significant. At baseline, responders had a significantly higher hand grip and back lift strength compared to non-responders. IPAA treatment significantly increased in BUN, PNA and nPNA in both groups, but the increment of them was pronounced in responders. IPAA resulted in a significant increase in serum creatinine (10.6+/-2.1 vs. 11.8+/-2.6 mg/dL, p<0.05) and %LBMCr (70.8+/-8.9 vs. 76.4+/-9.2%, p<0.05), hand grip strength (23.2+/-7.3 vs. 24.3+/-7.7 kg, p<0.05) and back lift strength (67.0+/-27.4 vs. 75.3+/-26.6 kg, p<0.05) only in responders. Serum albumin level remained stable after IPAA treatment in responders. CONCLUSION: IPAA treatment for 12 months provided some nutritional benefits in malnourished CAPD patients. And, our data suggest that response to IPAA is more pronounced in CAPD patients with a better preserved nutritional status, especially in those patients with higher back lift and hand grip strength at baseline.
Creatinine ; Dialysis* ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Serum Albumin ; Urea

Purpose: To derive the optimized intraocular lens (IOL) constants from automated and manifest refraction after cataract surgery in Korean patients, and to evaluate whether there is a difference in optimized IOL constants according to the refraction method. Methods: This retrospective multicenter cohort study enrolled 4,103 eyes of 4,103 patients who underwent phacoemulsification and in-the-bag IOL implantation at 18 institutes. Optimized IOL constants for the SRK/T, Holladay, Hoffer Q, and Haigis formulas were calculated via autorefraction or manifest refraction of samples using the same biometry and IOL. The IOL constants derived from autorefraction and manifest refraction were compared. Results: Of the 4,103 eyes, the majority (62.9%) were measured with an IOLMaster 500 followed by an IOLMaster 700 (15.2%). A total of 33 types of IOLs were used, and the Tecnis ZCB00 was the most frequently used (53.0%). There was no statistically significant difference in IOL constants derived from autorefraction and manifest refraction when IOL constants were optimized with a large number of study subjects. On the other hand, optimized IOL constants derived from autorefraction were significantly smaller than those from manifest refraction when the number of subjects was small. Conclusions It became possible to use the IOL constants optimized from Koreans to calculate the IOL power. However, if the IOL constant is optimized using autorefraction in a small sample group, the IOL constant tends to be small, which may lead to refractive error after surgery.

PURPOSE: Buerger's disease (Thromboangiitis obliterans, TAO) is characterized by non- atheromatous inflammatory disease, and segmental inflammatory thrombotic occlusions of the small & middle-sized arteries and veins of the upper or lower extremities. Any epidemiological study of Buerger's disease in Korea has not been carried out until now. This study was undertaken to investigate the incidence of Buerger's disease in Korea among the patients suffering with arterial disease. METHODS: We collected and analyzed the data on 11,128 patients who were admitted to or visited the participating 22 hospitals for chronic arterial diseases throughout the major region of the South Korea from January 1986 to December 2003. The clinical diagnostic inclusion criteria for Buerger's disease were the followings: (1) a history of smoking or tobacco abuse; (2) an age of onset less than 50 years; (3) infrapopliteal, segmental arterial occlusions with sparing of the proximal vasculature; (4) frequent distal upper extremity arterial involvement (Raynaud's syndrome or digital ulceration) or-superficial phlebitis; and (5) the absence of arteriosclerotic risk factors other than smoking. RESULTS: The incidence rate of Buerger's disease among the arterial disease (11,128 patients) was 93 patients (0.83%) when the strict criteria of Shionoya was applied. 699 male-patients (6.55%) and 30 female patients (4.12%) who met the less strict criteria (the extended clinical diagnostic criteria group) were also reviewed. The 4th and 5th decades were the most common ages with-249 patients (34.2%) and 222 patients (30.5%) respectively, being found at these ages. The mean age was 40.4+/-1.6 years (age range: 16~83 years) and this was similar in both the strict criteria group and the less strict criteria group. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests there was a low incidence of Buerger's disease in Korea among the patients who visited the participating hospitals when the strict diagnostic criteria were used. The incidence was lower than expected even when the less strict criteria were used. The more accurate incidence of Buerger's disease among the general population can be obtained by performing careful prospective study that is participated in by not only vascular surgeons, but also the other medical specialists with utilizing the strict diagnostic criteria.
Age of Onset ; Arteries ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Lower Extremity ; Phlebitis ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans* ; Tobacco ; Upper Extremity ; Veins

OBJECTIVETo examinie the synergistic effects of Banxia Xiexin Decoction (, Known as Banhasasim-tang in Korean) extract (BXDE) on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in the A549 human lung cancer cell lines.

METHODSA549 cells were treated with varying concentrations (50-200 μg/mL) of cisplatin and BXDE alone or in combination for 96 h. We used 1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan assay and flow cytometry to analyze cell viability and apoptosis, respectively.

RESULTSThe exposure of cells to cisplatin and BXDE alone or in combination decreased cell viability dose- and time-dependently (P<0.05), which was found to be mediated by the apoptotic pathway as confirmed by the increase in the annexin V/propidium iodide- stained cell population and a ladder pattern of discontinuous DNA fragments. Furthermore, the apoptosis was inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe) fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-FMK).

CONCLUSIONSBXDE significantly potentiated apoptotic effects of cisplatin in A549 cells. Moreover, apoptosis induced by BXDE might be the pivotal mechanism mediating its chemopreventative action against cancer.

A549 Cells ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Caspase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; DNA Fragmentation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology