The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress distribution of the abutment and supporting tissues according tot he slopes and types of the guiding plane of distal extension removable partial dentures. The 3-dimensional finite element method was used and the finite element models were prepared as follows. Model I : Kratochvil type guiding plane with 90degree to residual ridge Model II : Kratochvil type guiding plane with 95degree to residual ridge Model III : Kratochvil type guiding plane with 100degree to residual ridge Model IV : Krol type guiding plane with 90degree to residual ridge Distal extension partial denture which right mandibular first and second molar were lost was used and the second premolar was prepared as primary abutment with RPI type retainer. Then 150N of compressive force was applied to central fossae of the first and second molars and von Mises stress and displacement were measured. The results were as follows : 1. Model I and Model IV showed a similar stress distribution pattern and the stress was concentrated on the apex of the root of the abutment. 2. The stress was increased and concentrated on mesial side of the root of the abutment in Model II. The stress was concentrated on buccal and mesiobuccal side of the root of the abutment in Model III. 3. In Model I, the root of the abutment displaced and twisted a little in clockwise. In Model IV, the root of the abutment displaced to distolingually at apical region of the root and mesiobucally at cervical region of the root. 4. In Model II, the root of the abutment displaced to mesiolingually at apical region of the root and more displaced and twisted in counterclockwise at cervical region of the root. In Model III, the root of the abutment displaced to mesiobucally at apical region of the root and more displaced and twisted in clockwise at cervical region of the root.
Bicuspid ; Denture, Partial ; Denture, Partial, Removable* ; Molar

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate how nurses who take care of terminal patients perceive fluid therapy and how this therapy is currently being used in hospitals. METHODS: This survey included 200 nurses, 87 of whom were working in the oncology units of 3 university hospitals in Seoul, Korea, and 113 were working in 18 hospice centers. The data for this study were collected by means of structured questionnaires and analyzed by using the Statistical Analysis System software. The differences in perception towards fluid therapy between nurses working in oncology units and those working in hospice centers were examined using the chi-square test and analysis of covariance. RESULTS: Fluid therapy was perceived more negatively by the nurses from hospice centers than by those from oncology units. Continuous subcutaneous infusion was used in hospice centers, but not in oncology units. In addition, the average amount of fluid infused daily differed significantly between the oncology units and hospice centers. CONCLUSION: Our results show that there were differences in the perception towards fluid therapy between nurses in different clinical settings. Nurses caring for terminal and palliative care patients should not simply provide or withhold fluid therapy, but rather develop a wider range of views on fluid therapy, focusing on effective alternative interventions.
Fluid Therapy ; Hospices ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infusions, Subcutaneous ; Korea ; Palliative Care ; Terminally Ill ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Unilateral renal agenesis associated with genito-urinary disease was found in 2 siblings of a single family. There are a few reports of familial unilateral renal agenesis. Bilateral renal agenesis is a fetal condition and unilateral renal agenesis or hypoplasia is usually asymptomatic, so investigations for renal anomalies have not been frequently undertaken in healthy members of families in which bilateral agenesis has occurred. The present report suggests that unilateral renal agenesis could occur as a manifestation of a genetic disorder.
Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; Siblings*

PURPOSE: Although acute uncomplicated cystitis in women is relatively common, there have been few studies on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) related to cystitis. The aim of this study was to assess characteristic troublesome symptoms in female patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis using a symptom questionnaire designed at our clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An routine urinalysis and urine cultures were performed in 310 women who had visited our clinic between January 2005 and June 2006. Of these patients, 172 who had pyuria(mean age, 47.4+/-15.3 years) were screened for major symptoms using the questionnaire. The questionnaire included four categories of symptoms(14 symptoms): LUTS, local symptoms, general symptoms, and pain-related symptoms. The severity of symptoms was rated on a 4-point scale from 0(no symptoms) to 3(severe symptoms). The severity of symptoms was compared with the results of the routine urinalysis and urine cultures. RESULTS: Urine cultures were positive in 107(62.2%) patients. Themost frequent and distressing symptom was dysuria, a pain-related symptom (89.0%, 1.78 points). Frequency was most common among LUTS(71.5%), and unwell was most common among the general symptoms(87.2%). In patients that were positive for urine cultures, the occurrence rate of low abdominal discomfort(81.3%, p=0.038) and irritability(72.9%, p=0.026) were significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire may be useful to assess duration and relief time of LUTS and to determine the progress and treatment outcomes of acute uncomplicated cystitis. Further studies will be required to investigate the effects of acute uncomplicated cystitis related to LUTS.
Cystitis* ; Dysuria ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Questionnaires ; Urinalysis

OBJECTIVE: The adrenal gland is small and located in difficult area to approach, anatomically. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is considered as a best approach for the treatment for adrenal tumors. However, its role in removal of larger tumor (>5 cm) is still questioned due to concerns of complexity of procedure. We evaluate technical feasibility and analyze the outcome of LA for large adrenal masses. METHODS: The data of 36 patients who underwent LA for adrenal mass were analyzed for this study. Group 1 (n=27, mean diameter=2.43 cm) consisted of tumors smaller than 5 cm and group 2 (n=9, mean diameter=5.64 cm) consisted of larger than 5 cm. The length of operation time, estimated blood loss, analgesics usage, length of hospital stay, histopathology, tumor size, and perioperative complications were compared. RESULTS: All operation was completed safely and no one required conversion to open surgery. Group 1 (146.48 minutes) had a significantly shorter mean operative time compared to group 2 (181.00 minutes) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the postoperative hospital stay, time to remove the drainage, estimated blood loss, and the number of analgesics usage. No major complication was occurred during and after operation but one case of pulmonary congestion was occurred in group 2. Histopathologic findings were 20 cortical adenomas (55.6%), 3 cystic lesions (8.3%), and 3 malignant lesions (8.3%). CONCLUSION: LA is safe and feasible for large adrenal tumors without local invasion. The size of an adrenal tumor should not be the primary factor in determining whether a LA should be performed.
Adenoma ; Adrenal Glands ; Adrenalectomy* ; Analgesics ; Conversion to Open Surgery ; Drainage ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time

PURPOSE: To better understand the performance of four commercially available neurovascular stents in intracranial aneurysm embolization, the stents were compared in terms of their basic morphological and mechanical properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different types of stents that are currently being used for cerebral aneurysm embolization were prepared (two stents per type). Two were laser-cut stents (Neuroform and Enterprise) and two were braided from a single nitinol wire (LEO and LVIS stents). All were subjected to quantitative measurements of stent size, pore density, metal coverage, the force needed to load, push, and deploy the stent, radial force on deployment, surface roughness, and corrosion resistance. RESULTS: Compared to their nominal diameters, all stents had greater diameters after deployment. The length generally decreased after deployment. This was particularly marked in the braided stents. The braided stents also had higher pore densities than the laser-cut stents. Metal coverage was highest in the LEO stent (14%) and lowest in the Enterprise stent (5%). The LIVS stent had the highest microcatheter loading force (81.5 gf). The LEO stent had the highest passage force (55.0 gf) and deployment force (78.9 gf). The LVIS and LEO stents had the highest perpendicular (37.1 gf) and circumferential (178.4 gf) radial forces, respectively. The Enterprise stent had the roughest stent wire, followed by the LVIS, LEO, and Neuroform stents. CONCLUSION: The four neurovascular stent types differed in terms of morphological and physical characteristics. An understanding of this diversity may help to decide which stent is most suitable for specific clinical situations.
Corrosion ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Stents*

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Cryptococcosis* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of growth hormone (GH) following lateral fluid percussion brain injury. METHOD: Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200~250 g were subjected to moderate lateral fluid percussion brain injury and evaluated at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days post-injury. Rats were divided into control and GH pretreatment groups. GH (10 microgram/10microliter) or normal saline (10microgram/10microliter) was administered by intracerebro-ventricular injection 30 min before brain injury. We measured histopathological changes with TUNEL and toluidine blue Nissl stain and conducted motor function tests and an 8-arm radial maze test to identify neurobehavioral deficits and cognitive deficits, respectively, at one day to 4 weeks post-injury. RESULTS: In the pretreated GH group, a significant reduction in TUNEL-positive cells was found compared with the control group at 1 day and 1 week post-injury (p<0.05). The pretreated GH group showed significantly greater improvement than controls motor function tests at 1 day post-injury (p<0.05) and in an 8-arm radial maze test at 2 and 4 weeks post-injury (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that GH had a neuroprotective effect in neuronal cell death, motor function and cognitive deficits following experimental brain injury.
Animals ; Brain Injuries ; Brain* ; Cell Death ; Growth Hormone* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Percussion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tolonium Chloride

Sonography with a high-frequency transducer is the modality of choice for imaging the scrotum. Most intratesticular lesions are hypoechoic. Differentiation of intratesticular hypoechoic lesions as either malignant or benign is important because the treatment of these lesions vary. In this paper, we review the sonographic features of different types of intratesticular hypoechoic lesions, such as testicular cysts, testicular tumors, testicular inflammatory lesions, segmental testicular infarction, and testicular trauma.