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A multicenter clinical study of installed US II Plus/GS II Osstem implants after bone graft (골 이식술 후 Osstem Implant (US II Plus/GS II)의 다기관 임상연구)

  • Chung, Kwang;Oh, Chul-Jung;Ha, Ji-Won;Kook, Min-Suk;Park, Hong-Ju;Oh, Hee-Kyun;Kim, Su-Gwan;Kim, Young-Kyun;Kim, Woo-Cheol
    • The Journal of the Korean dental association
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    • v.50 no.12
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    • pp.743-754
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    • 2012
  • urpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the US II plus/GS II Osstem$^{(R)}$ implants through the study for the clinical success rate during the installation of the Osstem¢Á implants after bone graft. Materials and Methods : This study was researched in the 4 medical institutions: Chonnam National University, Chosun University, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, and FM dental clinic from May, 2002 to September, 2009. Based on the total number of 60 patients whose treatment was the installation of the US II plus/GS II Osstem¢Á implants after bone graft, we evaluated success rate of implants. We analysis the distribution of patient's age and gender, edentulous area, bone type, fixture length and diameter, installation and loading time, donor site, bone graft material and method, antagonistic teeth, and survival and success rate. From these analyses we got the following results. Results : 1. In this study, the total number of patients who have been installed with US II plus implant was 27, and total of 52 implants were installed. The average age was 38.9, with 16 male, and 11 female patients. 2. The total number of patients who have been installed with GS II implant was 33, and total of 54 implants were installed. The average age was 49.7, with 24 male, and 9 female patients. 3. As for bone graft method, either autogenous bone or a mix of autogenous and heterogenous bone was used(88.4%) for US II plus. Chin, iliac, and Maxillary tuberosity were the donor sites for autogenous bone graft, and onlay method of bone graft was performed. 4. Allogenic bone or a mix of autogenous and heterogenous bone was used(77.8%) for GS II. Chin, ramus, and tibia were the donor sites for autogenous bone graft, and GBR method of bone graft was performed. 5. The duration from the installation of implants to setting of final prosthesis was average of 16 months and 10 months for US II plus and GS II respectively. Also, the final follow up period was average of 31 months and 28 months respectively. During this period, one GS II implant was removed from 1 patient due to failure of early osteointegration. 6. The survival rates were 100% and 98.1%, and success rates were 94.2% and 94.4% for US II plus and GS II implant respectively. Conclusion : On the evaluation of our clinical study, both US II plus and GS II Osstem¢Á implants showed the excellent clinical results after bone graft.

A Study on the Consumer's Service Quality Perception Based on the Types of Life-style (소비자의 라이프스타일에 따른 서비스품질 지각 차이에 관한 연구)

  • Park, Yoon-Seo;Lee, Seung-In;Choi, In
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.53-67
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    • 2009
  • For the last decades, service quality has been studied as one of the most important tools for a service company to compete with the other companies. Based on these past researches, it has been agreed that the service quality is a basic and powerful tool to create the competitive advantage. Due to similar reason, many service marketing practitioners have been also focused on the service quality to retain the existing consumers and collect the new consumers. However, service quality is subjectively perceived by individual consumers. Consumer evaluation of service quality can be different from each other. Especially consumers with one life-style may evaluate the service quality differently from the consumers with the other life-styles. Therefore we need to know whether there are differences in service quality perception on the categories of life-style. Life-style refers to a distinctive mode of living in its aggregate and broadest sense. It embodies the patterns that were developed and emerged from the dynamics of living in a society. Since the concept of life-style and its relationship to marketing was introduced in 1963 by William Lazer, methods of measuring the life-style and their application have been developed. Life-style has been usually used to segment the marketplace because it offers marketers a unique and important view of the market. When Life-style is combined with clustering methods, life-style segmentation can generate identifiable whole persons rather than isolated fragment. Life-style segmentation begins with people instead of products and classifies them into different life-style types, each characterized by a unique style of living based on a wide range of activities, interests, and opinions(Plummer, 1974). In this study we applies the life-style segmentation based on the AIO(Activities, Interests, and Opinions) to the consumers of the large discount stores. In Korea, the large discount store market has entered into maturity stage so that the market differentiation strategy is becoming a more critical issue to the marketing practitioners. One of the most important tools to differentiate from the competitors in large discount store market is continuously to provide service of better quality than competitors. This study tries to find answers about the following questions: 1) How can we categorize the consumer life-styles in the large discount store? 2) What are the characteristics of the categorized groups? 3) Are there any differences in service quality perception among the consumers with different life-styles 4) Are there any differences in consumer behavior among them in the large discount store? For the purpose, we collected survey data from consumers and analyzed the data with the SPSS package where we had $X^2$-test, factor analysis, ANOVA, MANOVA, and cluster analysis. The survey was made during one month in the April of 2008. Among the collected 306 copies of questionnaires, 281 copies were chosen as the effective samples for empirical analysis except 25 copies with wrong responses. To identify the life-style patterns, we used the measures employed by Kim and Kwon(1999), where 44 items on a seven-point scale were used to measure factors of the life-style patterns. The Principal Component Method was used for factor extraction, and the VARIMAX orthogonal factor rotation was employed. The 7 items showing low factor loading were eliminated. The results of the factor analysis suggested that nine factors of the life-style patterns were identified as follows: 1) the equality-of-sexes and pursuit-of-independence tendency 2) self-management tendency 3) sociable tendency 4) self-display tendency 5) degree of a dilettante life 6) pursuit-of-information tendency 7) bargain hunter tendency 8) TV preference tendency 9) pursuit-of-leisure tendency. Next, after the K-means cluster analysis was performed with nine factors of the life-style patterns, the life-styles of the respondents were classified into four groups which are named as the 'progressive practicality-oriented group', 'positive success-oriented group', 'sociable ostentation-oriented group', 'stable conservation-oriented group'. The analysis results for usage behavior between the market segments showed statistically significant differences in the frequency of usage, duration time in the store, consumer satisfaction, and loyalty. Also, we tried to investigate whether the large discount store consumers differently perceive the quality of service based upon the types of life-style. To measure the service quality of large discount store, we adapted several measurement models measuring the service quality such as SERVPERF, BCP, R-SERVPERF, R-BCP. MANOVA and One-Way ANOVA were performed to confirm the difference in service quality perception based on the market segments. The results have also shown significant differences between life-style types in service quality perception. These findings show that the large discount store marketers should consider consumer life-style as one of the most important market segments for marketing and understand the difference in service quality perception between life-style types. Our findings give important implications to marketers of large discount stores as well as life-style researchers. First, this study showed there were significant differences in consumer's service quality perception and usage behavior between the types of life-style. It provides evidence that the life-style approach can be a important basis in segmenting the large discount store market and will make consumers perceive the service quality high. Second, most previous researches on service quality have been in aggregate level. However, our results imply that the future research on service quality have to focus on segment level.

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A Comparative Study on the Retention of Implant Overdenture According to the Shape and the Number of Magnetic Attachment (자성 어태치먼트의 형태와 수에 따른 하악 임플란트 피개의치의 유지력에 대한 비교 연구)

  • Seo, Min-Ji;Lee, Joon-Seok;Cho, In-Ho
    • Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.169-181
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    • 2008
  • The aim of this study was to compare the retention and stability of implant overdenture according to the shape and the number of magnetic attachment. The experimental groups were designed for the number of implants(1, 2, 4) and shape of magnetic attachments(flat, cushion, dome type) resulting in 9 subgroups. 45 attachments were tested attached to $Br{\aa}nemark$ system implants which were planted on a mandibular model. Each attachment was composed of the magnet assembly embedded in a overdenture sample and the abutment keeper screwed into the implants. Dislodging tensile forces were applied to the overdenture samples using an Instron(cross-head speed 50.80mm/min) in 3 directions simulating function: vertical, oblique, and anterior-posterior. The loading was repeated 10 times in each direction for 45 samples. The values of maximum dislodging force of each subgroup were processed statistically using SPSS V. 12.0 at the 0.05 level of significance. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Flat type magnetic overdenture was the most retentive when subjected to vertically directed forces and dome type was the lest retentive when subjected to obliquely directed forces(p<0.05). 2. In case of planting one implant, flat type had a higher vertically retentive force than anterior-posteriorly retentive force. In case of planting two implants, flat type and dome type had a higher vertically retentive force and in case of planting four implants, flat type and cushion type had a higher vertically retentive force than anterior-posteriorly retentive force(p<0.05). 3. The incremental number of dental implant, without regards to the three types of magnetic attachment shapes, showed higher retention of overdenture(p<0.05). From the results, if a patient need much more retention of implant overdenture, flat type magnetic overdenture would be a good treatment. In case of the bruxism where excessive lateral forces are already present, dome type could be expected to produce better results. In case of planting one implant, flat type is more stable than the other shape of magnet and in case of two implant, flat type and dome type are more stable and in case of four implants, flat type and cushion type are more stable. Planting more than two implants and using flat type magnetic attachment would provide better retention and stability of implant overdenture

The Liability of Participants in Commercial Space Ventures and Space Insurance (상업우주사업(商業宇宙事業) 참가기업(參加企業)의 책임(責任)과 우주보험(宇宙保險))

  • Lee, Kang-Bin
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.5
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    • pp.101-118
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    • 1993
  • Generally there is no law and liability system which applies particulary to commercial space ventures. There are several international treaties and national statutes which deal with space ventures, but their impact on the liability of commercial space ventures has not been significant. Every state law in the United States will impose both tort and contract liability on those responsible for injuries or losses caused by defective products or by services performed negligently. As with the providers of other products and services, those who participate in commercial space ventures have exposure to liability in both tort and contract which is limited to the extent of the resulting damage The manufacturer of a small and cheap component which caused a satellite to fail to reach orbit or to operate nominally has the same exposure to liability as the provider of launch vehicle or the manufacturer of satellite into which the component was incorporaded. Considering the enormity of losses which may result from launch failure or satellite failure, those participated in commercial space ventures will do their best to limit their exposure to liability by contract to the extent permitted by law. In most states of the United States, contracts which limit or disclaim the liability are enforceable with respect to claims for losses or damage to property if they are drafted in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law. In California an attempt to disclaim the liability for one's own negligence will be enforceable only if the contract states explicitly that the parties intend to have the disclaimer apply to negligence claims. Most state laws of the United States will refuse to enforce contracts which attempt to disclaim the liability for gross negligence on public policy grounds. However, the public policy which favoured disclaiming the liability as to gross negligence for providers of launch services was pronounced by the United States Congress in the 1988 Amendments to the 1984 Commercial Space Launch Act. To extend the disclaimer of liability to remote purchasers, the contract of resale should state expressly that the disclaimer applies for the benefit of all contractors and subcontractors who participated in producing the product. This situation may occur when the purchaser of a satellite which has failed to reach orbit has not contracted directly with the provider of launch services. Contracts for launch services usually contain cross-waiver of liability clauses by which each participant in the launch agrees to be responsible for it's own loss and to waive any claims which it may have against other participants. The crosswaiver of liability clause may apply to the participants in the launch who are parties to the launch services agreement, but not apply to their subcontractors. The role of insurance in responding to many risks has been critical in assisting commercial space ventures grow. Today traditional property and liability insurance, such as pre-launch, launch and in-orbit insurance and third party liability insurance, have become mandatory parts of most space projects. The manufacture and pre-launch insurance covers direct physical loss or damage to the satellite, its apogee kick moter and including its related launch equipment from commencement of loading operations at the manufacture's plant until lift off. The launch and early orbit insurance covers the satellite for physical loss or damage from attachment of risk through to commissioning and for some period of initial operation between 180 days and 12 months after launch. The in-orbit insurance covers physical loss of or damage to the satellite occuring during or caused by an event during the policy period. The third party liability insurance covers the satellite owner' s liability exposure at the launch site and liability arising out of the launch and operation in orbit. In conclusion, the liability in commercial space ventures extends to any organization which participates in providing products and services used in the venture. Accordingly, it is essential for any organization participating in commercial space ventures to contractually disclaim its liability to the extent permitted by law. To achieve the effective disclaimers, it is necessary to determine the applicable law and to understand the requirements of the law which will govern the terms of the contract. A great deal of funds have been used in R&D for commercial space ventures to increase reliability, safety and success. However, the historical reliability of launches and success for commercial space ventures have proved to be slightly lower than we would have wished for. Space insurance has played an important role in reducing the high risks present in commercial space ventures.

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A study on air related multimodal transport and operator's legal liabilities (항공연계 복합운송의 현황과 손해배상책임 - 대법원 2014.11.27. 선고 2012다14562 판결을 중심으로 -)

  • Lee, Chang-Jae
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.3-36
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    • 2016
  • Recently, the Supreme Court of Korea delivered a milestone judgment about air related multimodal transport. At there, the mattered cargo, some expensive jewellery, was transported from Qingdao, China to downtown office of consignee at Seoul via Incheon airport in Korea. As an air waybill was issued in this case, there was an air transport agreement between consignor and air courier operator. After arriving at Incheon airport, the shipment was transport by land arranged by the air courier operator, who was a defendant in this case. Upon arriving at the final destination, it was found that the jewellery was lost partly and based on circumstantial evidence, the damage presumed to be occurred during the land transport. As a subrogee, the insurance company who paid for consignee filed an action against the air courier operator for damage compensation. Defendant contended that Montreal convention should be applicable in this case mainly for limited liability. The lower court of this case confirmed that applying the limited liability clause under Montreal Convention is improper under the reason that the damage in this case was or presumed to be occurred during surface transport. It was focused on the Montreal Convention article 18 which says that the period of the carriage by air does not extend to any carriage by land, by sea or by inland waterway performed outside an airport. However, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court's decision. The delivered opinion is that the terms of condition on the air waybill including limited liability clause should be prevailed in this case. It seems that the final judgment was considered the fact that the only contract made in this case was about air transport. This article is for analysis the above decisions from the perspective that it is distinguishable between a pure multimodal transport and an expanded air transport. The main idea of this article is that under the expanded air transport, any carriage by land, sea or inland waterway only for the performance of a contract for carriage by air, for the purpose of loading, delivery or transhipment is still within the scop of air transport.

The Variation of Leaf Form of Natural Populations of Quercus variabilis in Korea (굴참나무 천연집단(天然集團)의 엽형(葉型) 변이(變異))

  • Song, Jeong-Ho;Park, Mun-Han;Moon, Heung-Kyu;Han, Sang-Urk;Yi, Jae-Seon
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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    • v.89 no.5
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    • pp.666-676
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    • 2000
  • For the study of morphological variation of Q. variabilis natural population in Korea, 19 populations were selected through the country in considering latitude, longitude, and geographical characters. Thirty trees were randomly selected from each population and 60 mature leaves were sampled from each tree. Four characters (leaf blade length, maximum blade width, petiole length, and vein number) were measured, and their ratios (the ratio of blade length to maximum blade width, the ratio of blade length to petiole length, the ratio of petiole length to vein number, upper 1/3 blade width to maximum blade width, and upper 1/3 blade width to lower 1/3 blade width) were calculated. 1. Analysis of variance for all leaf characters were significantly different among populations and among individuals within population. Contributions of variance among individuals within population in all the characters were higher than those among populations. Therefore, selection of plus trees may be preferable to desirable populations for breeding program of Q. variabilis. 2. Among principal component analysis for leaf characters, primary 2 principal components appeared to be major variables for leaf form of Q. variabilis because of the loading contribution of 80.5%. The first contribution component was petiole length/vein number and petiole length ; the second one was upper 1/3 blade width/maximum blade width, upper blade width/lower 1/3 blade width and vein number, respectively. 3. Latitude was positively correlated with blade length/maximum blade width and blade length/petiole length, but negatively correlated with petiole length/vein number, upper 1/3 blade width/maximum blade width, upper 1/3 blade width/lower 1/3 blade width, petiole length, and vein number. But, for longitude and altitude the former two traits and the later five traits exhibited the negative and positive correlation, respectively. 4. Cluster analysis using complete linkage method for leaf characters showed two groups to Euclidean distance 1.6. They were group I of population 1. 4, 5, and 13 and group II of population 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. However, group II was divided again to Euclidean distance 1.3, that is a group including population 3, 7, 10, 14, 15, and 17(group II-1) and the other group comprising population 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, and 19(group II-2). This cluster could be mainly observed due to difference among population in aspect (group I : NE, group II-1 : SE, and group II-2 : SW).

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Relationships between Fatty Acids and Tocopherols of Conventional and Genetically Modified Peanut Cultivars Grown in the United States (미국산 전통품종과 유전자 재조합 땅콩품종의 지방산과 토코페롤의 상관관계)

  • Shin, Eui-Cheol
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.42 no.10
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    • pp.1618-1628
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    • 2013
  • Relationships between fatty acids and tocopherols in conventional and genetically modified peanut cultivars were studied by gas chromatography with flame ion detector and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Eight fatty acids and four tocopherol isomers in the sample set were identified and quantified. Oleic acid and linoleic acid are major fatty acids and the ratio of oleic and linoleic acids ranged from 1.11 to 16.26. Tocopherols contents were 6.76 to 12.24 for ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (T), 0.08 to 0.39 for ${\beta}$-T, 5.28 to 15.02 for ${\gamma}$-T, and 0.17 to 1.17 mg/100 g for ${\delta}$-T. Correlation coefficient (r) for fatty acids and tocopherols indicated a strong inverse relationship between oleic & linoleic acids (r=-0.97, P<0.05) and positive relationships between palmitic & linoleic acids (r=0.95, P<0.05) and ${\gamma}$-T & ${\delta}$-T (r=0.83, P<0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) of fatty acids and tocopherols gave four significant principal components (PCs, with eigenvalues>1), which together account for 85.49% of the total variance in the data set with PC1 and PC2 contributing 45.27% and 21.33% of the total variability, respectively. Eigen analysis of the correlation matrix loadings of the four significant PCs revealed that PC1 was mainly contributed by palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and gondoic acids, while PC2 was by behenic acid, ${\beta}$-T, and ${\gamma}$-T. The score plot generated by PC1-PC2 identified sample clusters in the two spatial planes based on the oleic and linoleic acids. The score plot PC3-PC4 didn't separate sample groups.

The Family Relationship Scale : Re-validation ("가족관계척도" 활용을 위한 타당도 연구)

  • Yang, Ok-Kyung;Lee, Min-Young
    • Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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    • v.54
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    • pp.5-33
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    • 2003
  • This study is about the re-validation evaluation of the family Relationship Scale (FRS), developed to measure the family relationship in the social work practice. This study aims at re-validating the FRS, developed and validated in by Yang in 2001 for more general utilization. The sample was married mates and females residing in Seoul. For Face Validity, the content analysis was performed, and the FRS was re-validated in the dimensions of Love & Caring, Acceptance, and Recognition, positive affection, empathy, and autonomy and flexibility for each area. Internal reliability was .93, and internal consistency among three dimensions was 93%. For Empirical Validity, the Construct validity, the Criterion validity, and the Discriminant validity were performed. Construct Validity was validated through factor analyses. Commonalities for the factor analysis was 54%, and the factor loading for each factor was over .45. The confirmative factor analysis also confirmed the fitness of the scale. For Predictive Validity of Criterion Validity, regression analysis showed that the family stress scores became lower as the scores of the family relationship became higher; the discriminant analysis revealed that the family stress turned low ill tile group of high scores of family relationship. The Correlation analysis for Concurrent Validity was performed and the results showed the positive and significant relationship with a couple communication level (r=54) and a parent-child communication level (r=64). Life satisfaction and mental health level also revealed significantly positive correlation to prove Convergent Validity. Physical health level revealed a weak relationship with family relationship providing the evidence of Discriminant Validity. Discriminance was also proved by the analysis of variance with demographics. Thus, Cross Validation was confirmed the validation of the FRS through the various analyses with the married population. This study result improved the validity generalization of the Scale and verify the generalized usage of this sociometric scale in the field of social work practice.

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The Effects of Aminophylline on the Superoxide Anion Generation of Neutrophils from Established Human Sepsis Caused by Acute Pneumonia (급성 폐렴에 의한 패혈증 환자에서 Aminophylline이 혈중 호중구의 과산화물 음이온 유리에 미치는 영향)

  • Kim, Yong-Hoon;Park, Jun-Young;Cha, Mi-Kyong;Lee, Sang-Moo;Kim, Hyeon-Tae;Uh, Soo-Taek;Chung, Yeon-Tae;Park, Choon-Sik
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.16-22
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    • 1993
  • Background: The Microbicidal and cytotoxic activities of neutrophils are to a large extent dependent on a burst of oxidative metabolism which generates superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and other reactive products of oxygen. The respiratory burst of PMN is initiated by intracellular calcium mobilization that follows immune or particular stimulation and is very sensitive to modulation by c-AMP or adenosine. Despite its antagonism against adenosine, earlier study has demonstrated potent theophylline inhibition of the PMN respiratory burst at variable ranges of blood concentrations of theophylline in the healthy normal volunteers and in the septic animals pretreated or early post-treated with aminophylline (AMPH) or pentoxifylline. However it is unclear whether theophylline inhibits the superoxide generation or not in the established human sepsis caused by acute pneumonia, as taking into consideration of the fact that full activation of neutrophils have occurred within minutes after the septic insult in the animal experiments. Methods: We measured the $O_2$ generation of peripheral arterial neutrophils obtained from 11 human septic subjects caused by acute pneumonia before and 1 hour after completion of continuous AMPH infusion. Patients were identified and studied within 48 hour of admission. All subjects were administered an intravenous loading and maintenance dose of AMPH. The generation of $O_2$ was measured at a discrete time point (60 min) by the reduction of ferricytochrome c.PMA (10 ${\mu}g/ml$) was used as a stimulating agent. PMNs were isolated at a concentration of $2{\times}10^6$ cells/ml. The arterial oxygen tension, blood pressure and heart rates were also checked to evaluate the systemic effects of AMPH in the acute pneumonia. Results: The mean serum concentration of AMPH at 60 minutes was $8.8{\pm}0.6{\mu}g/ml$. Sixty minutes after AMPH infusion the generatition of $O_2$ was decreased from $0.076{\pm}0.034$ to $0.013{\pm}0.004$(OD) (p<0.05) and from $0.177{\pm}0.044$ to $0.095{\pm}0.042$(OD) (p<0.01) in the resting and stimulated PMNs respectively. $PaO_2$ was not changed after AMPH infusion. Conclusion: AMPH may compromise host defense by significant inhibition of neutrophil release of superoxide anion and it had no effect on improving $PaO_2$ in the acute pneumonia.

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Efficacy of Low-dose Hydrocortisone Infusion for Patients with Severe Community-acquired Pneumonia Who Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (기계 환기가 요구된 중증 지역사회 획득 폐렴에서 저용량 하이드로코르티손 주입의 효과)

  • Kim, Ho Cheol;Lee, Seung Jun;Ham, Hyoun Seok;Cho, Yu Ji;Jeong, Yi Yeong;Lee, Jong Deok;Hwang, Young Sil
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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    • v.60 no.4
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    • pp.419-425
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    • 2006
  • Background : Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) can develop into respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation (MV), which is associated with a higher rate of mortality. It was recently reported that a hydrocortisone infusion in severe CAP patients was associated with a significant reduction in the length of the hospital stay and mortality. This study evaluated efficacy of a hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring MV. Methods : From February 2005 to July 2005, 13 patients (M : F = 10 : 3, mean age: $68.6{\pm}14.1years$), who were diagnosed with severe CAP and required MV, were enrolled in this study. Hydrocortisone was administered as an intravenous 200mg loading bolus, which was followed by an infusion at a rate of 10mg/hour for 7 days. The control group was comprised of patients with severe CAP requiring MV but in whom corticosteroid was not used before study period. The clinical and physiologic parameters on or by day 8 and the outcome in the hydrocortisone infusion group were compared with those in the control group. Results : 1) There was no significant difference in age, gender ratio, SAPS II, SOFA score, temperature, leukocyte count, PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio, the number of patients with P/F ratio < 200, chest radiograph score, lung injury score and catecholamine-dependent septic shock between the hydrocortisone infusion group and control group at day 1. 2) At day 8, the proportion of patients with an improvement in the P/F ratio ${\geq}100$ and the chest radiograph score was significantly higher in the hydrocortisone infusion group than in the control group (61.5% vs. 15.4%, 76.9% vs. 23.1%, p< 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the other clinical and physiologic parameters. 3). There was no significant difference in the duration of the MV, ICU stay, hospital stay and 10th and 30th day mortality between the two groups. Conclusion : Hydrocortisone infusion for patients with severe CAP requiring invasive mechanical ventilation may be effective in improving the level of oxygenation and the chest radiograph score.