• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 2005

A tactile sensor employs a piezoelectric element to detect contact frequency shifts and thereby measure the stiffness or softness of material such as tissue, which allows the sensor to be used in many fields of research for urology, cardiology, gynecology, sports medicine and caner detection and especially for cosmetics and skin care. In this study, reliability of the tactile sensor system was investigated with its manual application to the muscles susceptible to temporomandibular disorders. Stiffness and elasticity of anterior temporalis, masseter and trapezius muscles were calibrated bilaterally from 5 healthy men with an average of 24.5$\pm$0.94 years. The tactile sensor used in this study had a computer-controlled and motor-driven sensor unit which automatically pressed down on the skin surface over the muscles being measured and retracted, thereby providing the hysteresis curve. The slope of the tangent of the hysteresis curve (${\Delta}f/{\Delta}x$) is defined as stiffness of the muscle being measured and the distance between the two parts of the curve as its elasticity. To determine inter-examiner reliability, all the measurements were performed by the two examiners A and B, respectively and the same examination were repeated with an interval of 2 days for intra-examiner reliability. The results from this study demonstrated high reliability in measuring stiffness and elasticity of anterior temporalis, masseter and upper trapezius muscles using a tactile sensor system. It is suggested that the tactile sensor system can be a highly reproducible and effective instrument for quantitative evaluation of the muscle in head and neck region.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.301-317
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• 2005

The number of patients with tongue carcinoma is increasing rapidly among young individuals in many parts of the world. Oral carcinoma progresses from hyperplastic lesion through dysplasia to invasive carcinoma and the concept of "field cancerization" with molecular alteration has been suggested for oral cavity carcinogenesis. Significant improvement in treatment and prognosis will depend on more detailed understanding of the multi-step process leading to cancer development. To induce tongue carcinoma in rat by 4-NQO, each drinking water was made to 10 ppm, 25 ppm, 50 ppm and control (only D.W. without 4-NQO). Specimens were classified into 4 groups such as control, I (mild & moderate dysplasia), II (severe dysplasia and carcinoma in situ), III (carcinoma). The mRNA expressions of Bcl-2 family were evaluated by RT-PCR technique. For anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family, mRNA expression of Bcl-w was down-regulated in all stages of tongue carcinogenesis model. However, mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was up-regulated. For pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family, all members were down-regulated in all stages of tongue carcinogenesis model except for Bad mRNA in group III. In terms of BH3 only protein, mRNA expressions of Bok and Mcl-1 were down regulated in all stages of specimen, but Bmf in group II and BBC3 in group III were up-regulated. Our current findings demonstrated the involvements of mRNA expression of Bcl-2 family in multi-step tongue carcinogensis. This highlights the necessity for continued efforts to discover suitable biomakers (Bcl-2 family) for early diagnosis of the disease, and to understand its pathogenesis as a first step in improving methods of treatment. The discovery of these potential biomarkers and molecular targets for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics has the potential to significantly change the clinical approach and outcome of the disease.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.287-300
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• 2005

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in head and neck show a variability in the response to chemotherapy, even when it present with similar histological tumor type, grade, and clinical stage. The purpose of present study it to identify predictive bio-marker for the sensitivity or resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and Cisplatin Oral cancer cell lines were used in present study. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the sensitivity and/or resistance to 5-FU and Cisplatin. And RT-PCR was carried out for evaluation of the mRNA expressions of various genes associated with mutation, inflammation (COX pathway), cell cycle, senescence and extracellular matrix (ECM). The molecules which are correlated with the sensitivity to 5-FU are XPA, XPC, OGG, APEX, COX-2, PPAR, Cyclin E, Cyclin B1, CDC2, hTERT, hTR, TIMP-3, TIMP-4 and HSP47. And the molecules are correlated with the sensitivity to Cisplatin are COX-1, iNOS, eNOS, PCNA, collagen 1 and MMP-9. Taken together, when choosing the appropriate chemotherpeutic agents for patients, considering the molecules which are correlated or reversely correlated is helpful to choose the resonable agents for cancer patients.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.375-381
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• 2005

Er:YAG laser has been considered a promising alternative to dental drill and many researches indicate that adjustment to variable parameters, including water flow rate, pulse energy and pulse repetition rate, can be made to improve ablation ability and efficiency of the laser. Of these parameters, addition of water spray during irradiation has been thought to ablate dental hard tissue more rapidly and safely. The purpose of this study was to investigate tooth ablation amount by Er:YAG laser irradiation as related to varied water flow rates added and, ultimately to find the most effective water flow rate for ablation. In addition, the temperature change of pulp chamber during irradiation was also monitored on the irradiated and opposite pulpal walls, respectively. An Er:YAG laser with contact mode was employed. Extracted human molars were split into two pieces for ablation experiment. Pulse energies of 200 and 300 mJ with a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz and 5 water flow rates (1.6, 3.0, 5.0, 7.0, and 10.0 ml/min) were applied. Each irradiation was performed for 3 seconds. According to these parameters, experimental groups were divided into 10 subgroups which consisted of 5 specimens. For temperature experiment, another 5 tooth-specimens were prepared in the manner that pulp chamber was open through access cavity preparation and two temperature-measuring probes were placed respectively on the irradiated and the opposite walls of pulp chamber. From the experiment on ablation amount related to different water flow rates, it was shown that the least water flow rate of 1.6 ml/min ablated more than any other water flow rates (p<0.000). When the irradiation for 3 seconds, combined with the pulse repetition time of 20Hz and the water flow rate of 1.6 ml/min was done to tooth specimen, the temperature rise was not noticeable both on the irradiated and the opposite pulpal walls (less than 3$^{\circ}C$) and there was no significant difference in temperature rise between the two pulse energies, 200 and 300 mJ. From the results of this study, it is suggested that tooth ablation with Er:YAG laser can be done effectively and safely at a energy between 200 and 300 mJ/pulse and a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz when the lasing is conjugated with the water flow rate of 1.6ml/min.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.361-373
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• 2005

Occlusal appliance therapy has been proven to be very useful and effective in reducing signs and symptoms of patients with TMD. However, there are no reports about the masticatory efficiency of the occlusal appliance. The purpose of this study was, first, to investigate the masticatory efficiency of the conventional stabilization appliance experimentally in normal healthy subjects, by comparing it with that of their natural dentition; and, second, to develop a modified stabilization appliance as an attempt to increase masticatory efficiency. Eleven subjects (mean age 25.3 years, range from 23 to 33) participated in this study. Six were men and five were women. They were healthy and had complete or near―complete natural dentition, and did not present with signs or symptoms of TMD. Two kinds of occlusal appliances―the conventional flat maxillary stabilization appliance (i.e., FSA) and a modified maxillary stabilization appliance with additional anatomic structures on its occlusal surface (i.e., ASA)―were made for every subject. Subjects chewed peanuts that were selected as a food to test the three masticatory conditions of the natural dentition, the ASA, and the FSA. The number of chewing strokes was counted during each 1-minute chewing period. Chewed peanut boluses were recovered and their hardness was measured by texture analysis. Statistical tests were performed. The following results were obtained. 1. The masticatory efficiency of the FSA was 38.6 percent that of the natural dentition. The efficiency of the ASA was 78.2 percent that of the natural dentition. 2. The number of chewing strokes in the natural dentition condition was measured to be 1.5 strokes per second. It decreased to 90 percent in the ASA and FSA conditions. These results indicate that the ASA could serve an improved masticatory capacity as well as its therapeutic effects in TMD. A clinical application of the ASA should be considered to extend the management of TMD patients.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.411-426
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of occlusal condition and clenching level on the mandibular torque rotational movement. For this study, healthy 14 men without any symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorders were selected. Mandibular torque rotational movement was observed in each circumstance of combination of three occlusal conditions such as natural dentition, with wafer of 3.6 mm thickness, and wafer with resin stop of 14 mm thickness total during hard biting of bite stick at maximum voluntary contraction(MVC) and 50% of MVC level of surface EMG activity of masseter muscle. Electromyographic activity and mandibular torque rotational movement were observed using BioEMG and BioEGN in $BioPak^{(R)}$ system. Each biting movement in each circumstance was composed of clenching one time and hard biting of wooden stick two times. The observed items were opening distance, velocity and amount of torque rotational movement in mandibular movement, and the data were statistically processed with $SPSS^{(R)}$ windows (ver.10.0). The results of this study were as follows: 1. There were no differences in the mandibular movement distance between those value in both biting sides, and between those in both clenching forces, but the mandibular velocity showed a different results by clenching force. For the amount of torque rotational movement, there were no difference in the value of the frontal plane but some significant difference was in the value of the horizontal plane by biting side. 2. The mandibular movement distance and the mandibular velocity in both planes were higher by maximum voluntary contraction than those by half maximum voluntary contraction, and amount of torque rotational movement in the horizontal plane was also increased by maximum voluntary contraction. 3. The opening distance in both planes were decreased with the increase of vertical dimension of occlusion, namely, by the occlusal appliances, and this pattern was also showed in the mandibular velocity in case of hard biting by maximum voluntary contraction. However, the amount of torque rotational movement were not different by the increase of vertical dimension of occlusion. 4. The value of angle and distance of the torque rotational movement in the hard biting of wooden stick were generally higher than those in the clenching without wooden stick in both planes without regard to occlusal conditions and/or clenching forces.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2005

Xerostomia is defined as a subjective complaint of dry mouth that may be perceived when there is insufficient mucosal wetting. However, the diagnosis and treatment of xerostomia is not that simple because of the fact that the subjective awareness of dry mouth is not always correlated with a diminution in the flow of saliva and there is always a difference between individuals in salivary flow rates needed for normal oral function. In the present study, the aim was to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the dry mouth symptoms and to analyze its reliability and usability as a diagnostic and analytic tool for xerostomia. The questionnaire which consists of 6 Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) type questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness and 4 questions to evaluate behavior to avoid oral dryness was developed and administered twice with 1 week's interval to the healthy 88 young adults without dry mouth symptoms(44 males and 44 females; mean age was $25.6{\pm}3.1$ years in male and $24.3{\pm}2.1$ years in female). The results were as follows. 1 The intraclass correlation coefficients of 6 questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness were as significantly high as 0.767 for the degree of oral dryness at other times of the day, 0.850 for the amount of saliva in the mouth, and 0.791 for the degree of effect on daily life due to oral dryness and as high as 0.563 for the degree of oral dryness at night or on awakening, 0.674 for the degree of oral dryness during eating, and 0.641 for the degree of difficulty in swallowing foods. 2. Cronbach's alpha value of 6 questions was 0.982. It can be concluded that the series of questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness has high internal consistency. 3. Cohen's kappa values of 4 questions to evaluate behavior to relieve oral dryness were as significantly high as 0.850 for the frequency of keeping a glass of water at the bedside and as high as 0.506 the frequency of awakening during sleeping due to oral dryness, 0.419 for the frequency of sipping liquids to aid in eating dry foods, and 0.407 for the frequency of using a candy or chewing gum due to oral dryness. From the results, it can be concluded that the questionnaire consisting of 6 VAS type questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness and 4 questions to evaluate behavior to relieve oral dryness has reliability of good to excellent level, and that the series of 6 VAS type questions has significantly high internal consistency to evaluate the subjective oral dryness.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.457-464
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• 2005

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the intrapulpal temperature during cavity preparation of enamel or dentin with Er:YAG laser still remained in range of safety for dental pulp protection when combined with appropriate water flow rate. The effect of different pulse repetition rates at the same pulse energy during ablation was evaluated as well. Caries-free, restoration-free extracted human molar teeth were prepared for the specimen and divided two experimental groups of enamel and dentin. Each group comprised 5 specimens and each of tooth specimens were embedded into a resin block each and measuring probe was placed on the irradiated pulpal walls. For experiments of dentin ablation, enamel layers were prepared to produce dentin specimen with a same dentin thickness of 2 mm. A pulse energy of Er:YAG laser was set to 300 mJ and three different pulse repetition rates of 20 Hz, 15 Hz and 10 Hz were employed. Laser beam was delivered with 3 seconds and less per application over enamel and dentin surfaces constant sized by $3\;mm{\times}2\;mm$ and water spray added during irradiation was a rate of 1.6 ml/min. Temperature change induced by Er:YAG laser irradiation was monitored and recorded While enamel was ablated, there was no significant difference of temperature related to pulse repetition rates(p=0.358) and temperature change at any pulse repetition rate was negligible. Significant statistical difference in temperature changes during cavity preparation in dentin existed among three different pulse groups(p=0.001). While temperature rise was noticeable when the dentinal wall was perforated, actual change of temperature due to Er:YAG laser irradiation was not enough to compromise safety of dental pulp when irradiation was conjugated with appropriate water spray. Conclusively, it can be said that cavity preparation on enamel or dentin with an Er:YAG laser is performed safely without pulp damage if appropriate volume of water is sprayed properly over the irradiated site.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.211-222
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• 1974

The survey was carried out on 1,031 primary school children for about 1 month, from June 1, to June 30, 1974, for the purose of understanding indirectly scio-medical status of a remote rural area, reflecting health status of primary school children. The summarized results were as follows: 1) The average age of surveyed children according to school year by sex was older in girls than in boys. The entrance in school at suitable age was peaked as 80.9% in boys of 5th school year and 72.4% in girls of 3rd school year, and also sunk 68.8% in boys of 2nd school year and 58.7% in girls of 1st school year. 2) Prevalence rate according to W.H.O. diseases classification during last a month and a year. a) During last month: The diseases of respiratory system remarked the highest 101.1 in boys and 116.6 in girls. The next were diseases of digestive system (24.2 in boys and 32.1 in girls), The girls were higher than boys in prevalence rate. b) During last year: The diseases of diegestive system ranked the highest 133.0 in boys and next, the diseases of respiratory system (108.6 in boys). c) Present illness: Number of code III ranked the highest 129.2 and next XII(127.3) in boys but inverted in girls such as XII(144.9) and III(116.7) and also, Number of code XVII was prevalenced twice in boys than in girls. d) Chief complaints by sex: Abdominal pain ranked the highest 71.2 per 1,000 population and next headache (34.7) in boys but headache ranked the heighest 88.5 and next abdominal pain (63.3) in girls. e) Water drinking habit: Number of code IX was higher in habit of raw water drinker than in habit of boiled water drinker and healthy children were higher in boiled water habit group than in raw water habit group. The diseases of respiratory system were the highest 124.74 in girls and next, the diseases of digestive system (52.3 in girls). According to school year, healthy children were increased to higher grades. 3) Average sick day per total surveyed children and patient during last month and last year. a) Per surveyed 1,031 children was 0.28 days during last month and 0.98 days during last year. And also per patient was 1.78 days during last month and 3.22 days during last year. b) Average sick day was higher in girls than in boys during last month, but inverted during last year. 4) Average absented day per total surveyed children and patient during last month and last year. a) Per surveyed 1,031 children were 0.43 days during last month and 3.81 days during last year (omitted 1st school year). b) Per absented children were 2.0 days during last month and 7.10 days during last year. c) Per absented children were 8.16 days in boys and 3.17 days in girls. 5) Utilization of medical facilities: The drug-store was consulted 91.2% of the total utilized boys and girls. The strengthening of medical facilities and medical care activities in health subcenter is urgently required 6) Medical Expenses by period and sex: a) Average medical expenses per surveyed 1,031 children were 35.95 won, per patient were 298.04 won during last month. b) Average medical expenses per survey children (omitted 1st school year) were 80.56 won, per patient were 243.98 won and per treated patient were 318.87 won during last year. c) Medical expenses were higher in boys than in girls. 7) Rohrer index by sex, present illness and school year. a) Average Rohrer index was 129.8 in boys and 126.2 in girls. b) Average Rohrer index was increased for 1st school year to 2nd school year and thereafter falling down step by step by school year. c) Under 151-160 Rohrer index number of code III was the highest and above 151-160 Rohrer index of code XII was peaked.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.31 no.1 s.57
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• pp.11-15
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• 1995

Serotonergic neurons in medulla oblongata play an important role in the endogenous descending pain inhibitory system. To illucidate the factors involved in the regulation of medullary serotonergic neurons, we studied the effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) and agents acting on various second messenger systems on 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release from cultured neurons of rat fetal (gestational age 14th day) medulla oblongata. Cultured cells maintained for 10 days in vitro were stimulated for 48 hours with CCK or other neuropeptides at 10 micromolar concentration. CCK ($10{\mu}M$) and substance P ($10{\mu}M$) significantly increased. 5-HT release. However, somatostatin, proctolin, thyrotropin releasing hormone, and interleukin-6 did not have any effects on 5-HT release. Nimodipine ($1{\mu}M$), a calcium channel blocker, almost completely, and calmidazolium ($1{\mu}M$), a calmodulin antagonist, significantly inhibited the CCK-induced 5-HT release. The total 5-HT content (intracellular 5-HT plus released 5-HT) was significantly increased by CCK. However, the intracellular 5-HT content was not significantly changed by CCK. Forskolin ($5{\mu}M$), an adenylate cyclase activiator, but not $2{\mu}M$ phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C activator, significantly enhanced 5-HT release. The total 5-HT content (intracellular 5-HT plus released 5-HT) was significantly increased by forskolin. However, the intracellular 5-HT content was not significantly changed by forskolin. PMA had no effect on intracellular 5-HT levels. These results suggest that CCK regulates serotonergic neurons in the medulla oblongata by enhancing 5-HT secretion through calcium influx and caimodulin, and that cyclic AMP system but not protein kinase C system is involved in 5-HT release.