General epidemiological data regarding herpes zoster (HZ) are necessary for treatment and prevention of this disease. In addition, epidemiological data can play an important role in evaluating the efficacy and impact of vaccination. Though several epidemiological studies of HZ in Korea have been conducted, they usually depend on hospital-based data and may not be representative of HZ characteristics all over Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and other epidemiological features of HZ in the general Korean population. We used population-based medical records from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, which includes 50,908,646 medical insurance subscribers, to calculate the incidence of HZ. Also, we analyzed an age-stratified random sample of 1,375,842 individuals to study descriptive epidemiologic characteristics of HZ in Korea in 2011. We observed that the incidence of HZ was 10.4 per 1,000 person-years and was strongly correlated with age. Sex had a major influence on HZ incidence; overall, there were 12.6 cases per 1,000 person years in women and 8.3 cases per 1,000 person years in men. There was no difference in incidence according to the locality and season.Graphical Abstract

The anatomical characteristics in the culms of the four promising Indonesian bamboo species, including Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus giganteus, Bambusa vulgaris var. vulgaris, and Bambusa vulgaris var. striata, were investigated to produce an identification key and quality indices for further effective utilization. The crystalline properties of the bamboo culm were determined using X-ray diffraction analysis. Dendrocalamus asper and Bambusa vulgaris var. striata showed vascular bundle type IV, while Dendrocalamus giganteus and Bambusa vulgaris var. vulgaris displayed vascular bundle type III. The vascular bundle density in the bamboo culms increased from the bottom to the top part and was higher in the outer part than in the inner part. The fiber portion and length in the outer part were higher than those in the inner part, opposite of those in the parenchyma portion. Dendrocalamus giganteus had the largest vessel and parenchyma diameter, while Bambusa vulgaris var. vulgaris had the smallest. Bambusa vulgaris var. vulgaris had the longest parenchyma, while Bambusa vulgaris var. striata and Dendrocalamus giganteus had the shortest. The outer part of the four bamboo culms showed higher relative crystallinity than the inner part. All anatomical parameters, except for crystallite width, showed a variation in the radial direction of the four bamboo culms but did not show a consistent tendency vertically. This study revealed that the anatomical properties were different between bamboo species and could be used for species identification and quality evaluation indices of the culms.

The anatomical features of three valuable commercial Gigantochloa bamboo species growing in Indonesia, including G. pseudoarundinacea, G. apus, and G. atroviolacea, were investigated by optical microscopy. The relative crystallinity and crystalline width of the culm of the bamboo species were examined by an X-ray diffraction method. These species contained vascular bundle of type III. Vascular bundle density was higher in the outer part of bamboo culm than in the inner. Fiber portion decreased from the outer part to the inner part and vice versa for the parenchyma and vessel portions. Fiber length of all species was higher in the outer part than the inner part of the culm. There was a significant difference in the fiber percentage between the bamboo species. Significant differences were also found in vessel diameter and parenchyma cell dimensions among the bamboo species. There was a slight difference in the crystalline properties between the outer and inner parts of the culm and among the bamboo species. All parameters showed a variation in the radial direction of the three bamboo culm but did not show a consistent tendency along the vertical direction.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using an access opening guide in teaching ideal access opening shape and preventing excessive tooth loss, with a focus on predoctoral dental students. Methods Ninety teeth that were mounted in a box just below the level of the cementoenamel junction using tray resin were randomly divided into two study groups. An access opening guide produced using a 3D printer (AOG‐3DP) was designed using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT). The AOG‐3DP was applied in the test groups, while no aid was used in the control group. Access preparations in both groups performed by predoctoral dental students were scanned using CBCT to detect overpreparation. The preparation time and access cavity volume were evaluated. Results The mean times required for achieving access opening were 327.2 and 97.4 s in the control and AOG‐3DP groups, respectively, for premolars, and 547.4 and 104.5 s for molars. The mean volumes for premolars and molars differed from the ideal cavities by 38.1 and 72.2 mm3, respectively, in the control group, and by −2.0 and −8.7 mm3 the AOG‐3DP group. Conclusions Using the AOG‐3DP significantly reduced the access opening time for premolars and molars. However, there is a limitation in that CBCT DICOM images must be converted to stereolithographic .stl files in order to be printed via 3D technology. This requires additional preclinical treatment time for imaging and subsequent printing. It could be considered that this can be a useful method in difficult cases.

A modified charcoal kiln was developed for both thermal therapy and charcoal production. The design of a modified kiln for thermal therapy focused on safety and cleanliness, plus the production of good quality charcoal. Two entrances in the kiln were designed for convenient charcoal production and thermal therapy. A barrier wall designed for noxious gases was installed between the adjoining charcoal kilns for safe thermal therapy. Additionally, a fine dust collector was installed to remove the fine dust generated during charcoal production. To verify the safety of the kiln, fine dust and harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and radon (Rn), were measured after the charring process. The quality of the charcoal produced in the thermal therapy kiln was also examined. To evaluate charcoal quality, some physical properties and results from a proximate analysis were evaluated using Korean standards. The measurements of harmful substances and fine dust in the modified charcoal kiln met the criterion of the Ministry of Environment Clean Air Conservation Act in Korea. In addition, there were no noticeable differences in the monthly charcoal characteristics prepared from the thermal therapy kiln, and the charcoal characteristics also met the reference values of the Korea Forest Service.