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*

No abstract available.

A endodermal sinus tumer (Teilum) is a highly malignant germ cell tumor showing a selective overgrowth of yalk sac endoderm intimately associated with the extraembryonic mesoblast. Several cases of the tumor originating from the ovaries have been reported in the literature. We present a case of the tumor with a rare origin from the sacrococcygeal region.
Endoderm ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Female ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Ovary ; Sacrococcygeal Region

BACKGROUND: Importance of the participation of clinical practitioners in the development of guideline is increasingly emphasized. We studied the attitude of family physicians to the guideline for hypertension management and compared it with their reported practice patterns. METHODS:We developed a guideline for hypertension management with reference to other guidelines previously published and used by WHO and health organizations in many countries. A questionnaires asking attitude to the contents of the guideline and real practice pattern was sent to 200 Korean family physicians. Response rate to the questionnaire was 27.5%. RESULTS: The agreement rate to annual blood screening in persons aged 15 and older was 87%, while the reported practice rate in most of patients was only 42%. The agreement rates to medical history taking in hypertensives were high in all items, but reported practice rate was very low. The agreement rates to physical examination in hypertensives were relatively high in all items, while reported practice rate was high only in lung and heart examination. The reported practice rate of laboratory tests were less than 60% and that of electrolyte check was only 22%. Most of the study subjects agreed with all behavior modification methods. Although 80% of the subjects agreed that diuretics or beta blocker should be used as an initial regimen, the reported practice rate was only 36 %. CONCLUSION: There observed a big difference between attitude to the guideline and reported practice pattern in this study. It showed the need to narrow the gap between them.
Behavior Therapy ; Diuretics ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Medical History Taking ; Physical Examination ; Physicians, Family* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Current evidence indicates that ultrasonography of the breast is an important adjunct to mammography and clinical examination in the diagnosis of palpable breast abnormalities. An assessment of the value of office-based ultrasonography of a palpable breast mass performed by a breast surgeon was the aim of this work. METHODS: A 7.5 MHz linear probe was used to perform office-based ultrasonography in 109 consecutive female patients having a palpable solid breast mass between August 1998 and December 1999. Breast masses diagnosed histologically as fibroadenomas or breast cancer were included in this study. The clinical impression from the physical examination (PE), the result of officed-based ultrasonography done by a surgeon (OUSG), and comprehensive judgement engaging both PE and OUSG (PEUSG) were recorded in each patient's hospital record as benign or malignant at the first visit. The diagnostic values of PE, OUSG, PEUSG, mammography (MMG), and ultrasonography done by a radiologist (USG) were compared. RESULTS: Of 109 masses, a fibroadenoma was diagnosed in 73 patients while a carcinoma was established in 36 patients. The sensitivity, the specificity, the accuracy rate, and the kappa coefficient were 91.7%, 89.0%, 89.9%, and 0.780 for PE; 100%, 90.4%, 93.6%, and 0.862 for OUSG; 97.2%, 97.3%, 97.2%, and 0.938 for PEUSG; 90.4%, 89.4%, 90%, and 0.630 for MMG; and 88.9%, 90.9%, 90% and 0.798 for USG. The diagnostic accuracy of PEUSG was significantly higher than those of PE and MG (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that office-based ultrasonography of the breast performed by a surgeon is a useful adjunct to clinical evaluation of the breast mass and permits timely and cost-effective patient care.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mammography ; Patient Care ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Bioactive materials must have the ability to spontaneously form a bone like apatite layer on their surface and induce direct biochemical bonding to bone. A simple chemical treatment via alkali and heat has been revealed to induce bioactivity in titanium. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surface characteristics and stability of alkali and heat treated implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specimens were divided into three groups; group 1 was the control group with machined surface implants, groups 2 and 3 were treated with alkali solutions and heat treated in the atmosphere and vacuum conditions respectively. The surface characteristics were observed with FESEM, XPS, TF-XRD and AFM. Stability was evaluated with the resonance frequency analysis, periotest and removal torque values. One-way ANOVA and Duncan test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 1. Groups treated with alkali and heat showed similar characteristics. Groups 2 and 3 showed high compositions of Na ions on the surface with sub-micron sized pores compared to group 1. Group 2 showed mixed compositions of anatase and rutile with superior contents of rutile. 2. Resonance frequency analysis : The ISQ of group 2 showed significantly higher values than that of groups 1 and 3 at 12 weeks. The ISQ of groups 1 and 2 showed significant increase after 4 weeks, and the ISQ of group 3 increased significantly after 2 and 4 weeks respectively (P < .05). 3. Periotest: The PTV of groups 1 and 2 showed significant decrease after 4 weeks, and the PTV of group 3 showed significant decrease after 2 and 4 weeks respectively (P < .05). 4. Removal torque analysis: The removal torque value of group 2 was significantly higher than those of groups 1 and 3 at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. The removal torque values of groups 1 and 3 showed increase at 4 and 12 weeks, but the removal torque value of group 2 showed increase after 4 weeks (P < .05). CONCLUSION: An oxide layer with appropriate crystal structure and amorphous sodium titanate layer can be obtained on titanium implants through alkali and heat treatment in the atmosphere, and even alkali and heat treatment in vacuum conditions, provided a bioactive surface containing sodium. These surface layers can be considered to be effective for enhancement of osseointegration and reduction of healing period for implant treatment.
Alkalies ; Atmosphere ; Hot Temperature ; Ions ; Osseointegration ; Oxides ; Saturn ; Sodium ; Titanium ; Torque ; Vacuum

Seminal biochemical compositions are to be affected during inflammatory conditions of seminal tract such as chronic prostatitis. Especially chronic prostatitis induces changes in composition of prostatic fluid, and the chronic nature of disease also induces atrophy of prostatic secretory acini and the inflammation of seminal vesicle. We investigated the change of the seminal composition and the possible effect in sperm motility of chronic prostatitis patients. Sperm motility and seminal levels of zinc, citric acid, prostatic acid phosphatase(PAP) and fructose were measured on 12 healthy males and 21 chronic prostatitis patients. Sperm motility in chronic prostatitis patients was decreased and seminal levels of zinc, citric acid, PAP and fructose in control and chronic prostatitis patients were 143+/-10/102+/-7(ug/L), 389+/-17/293+/-25(mg/dl), 446+/-61/ 382+/-28(U/ml), 306+/-7/297+/-6(mg/dl), respectively. The change of zinc was statistically significant. In conclusion, although decrease of seminal zinc in patients with chronic prostatitis was found, there was no convincing evidence to suggest that alterations in seminal composition due to chronic prostatitis lead to decrease of sperm motility.
Atrophy ; Citric Acid ; Fructose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Prostatitis* ; Semen ; Seminal Vesicles ; Sperm Motility ; Zinc

Inflammatory white blood cells in semen is related to semen quality affecting fertility. The role of inflammatory cells on the seminal levels of various cytokines associated with inflammation and sperm motility is evaluated. Semens from 10 healthy males and 20 chronic prostatitis patients were evaluated for the levels of interleukin(IL)-1a, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-a. Motility parameters were recorded using Hamilton-Thorne computer semen analysis system. Sperm motility parameters such as including average path velocity(VAP), straight line velocity(VSL), curvilinear velocity(VCL), lateral head displacement(ALH), beat frequency(BCF), straightness(STR), linearity(LIN), elongation and area in control and chronic prostatitis patients were 44.9+/-2.5/38.8+/-1.3(um/sec), 36.4+/-2.4/30.5+/-1.1(um/sec), 64.2+/-3.9/ 58.0+/-2.4(Fm/sec), 3.3+/-0.2/4.8+/-0.3tm), 19.8+/-3.7/13.9+/-0.3(Hz), 77.7+/-5.1/78.8+/-1.2(%), 50.6+/-17.5/53.5+/-1.9(%), 66.8+/-5.4/57.8+/-1.1(9%), 2.9+/-0.3/3.8+/-0.1(um/sec), respectively. Statistical significance was noted in VAP, VSL, ALH, BCF, elongation and area. Semen levels of IL-1a, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a in control and chronic prostatitis patients are 15.1+/-1.5/52.9+/-14.2 (pg/ml), 10.5+/-2.2/38.3+/-12.2 (pg/ml), 1.60+/-0.38/ 6.02+/-0.26 (ug/L), 11.8+/-2.5 / 21.7+/-4.0(pg/ml) statistically significant in all. For combined parameters, the correlation coefficient of IL-1a and VSL, ALH, Area were 0.40, 0.41, 0.37 respectively which were significant. The correlation coefficient of IL-8 and VAP, VSL, VCL, ALH, BCF, Elongation, Area were 0.48, 0.49, 0.39, 0.41, 0.55, 0.59, 0.66 respectively which were also significant. Seminal inflammatory cytokines are present in increased quantities if inflammatory white blood cells are present in semen and this increase might be related to sperm motility.
Cytokines* ; Fertility ; Head ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Necrosis ; Prostatitis ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Motility* ; Spermatozoa*

In vivo ethane production in rats was used as an index of oxygen toxicity. The rats were allocated to four exposure conditions; hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO=5 ATA, 100% O2), normobaric oxygenation (NBO=1 ATA, 100% O2), hyperbaric aeration (HBA=5 ATA, 21% O2) and normobaric aeration (NBA=1 ATA, 21% O2). After 120 minutes of exposure, the rats exposed to high concentration and/or high pressure oxygen exhaled significantly larger amounts of ethane than those exposed to NBA, and the differences in ethane production between any two groups were statistically significant (p<0.01). This finding supports the hypothesis that hypothesis that hyperoxia increase oxygen free-radicals and the radicals produce ethane as a result of lipid peroxidation. It is notable that the ethane exhalation level of the HBA group was significantly higher than that of the NBO group. This difference could not be accounted for by the alveolar oxygen partial pressure difference between the two groups.
Animals ; Ethane* ; Exhalation* ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Hyperoxia* ; Lipid Peroxidation* ; Oxygen ; Partial Pressure ; Rats

A recent widespread concept is that ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion is a mandatory method. Some techniques have been introduced for ultrasound-guided central venous catheterization. Among them, short-axis lateral in-plane technique is considered to be the most useful technique for internal jugular vein access. Therefore, we used this technique for the insertion of a large-bore cuffed tunneled dual-lumen catheter for hemodialysis. Additionally, a lesser number of catheter angulations may lead to good flow rates and catheter function; we recommend that skin puncture site in the neck at the posterior triangle is better than the Sedillot's triangle. Using this approach, we can reduce the possible complications of pinching and kinking of the catheter.
Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Jugular Veins* ; Neck ; Punctures ; Renal Dialysis* ; Skin ; Ultrasonography