OBJECTIVE: A number of studies to improve in vitro culture conditions have been tried over past ten years by using co-culture system with helper somatic cells. However, the mechanism of coculture is poorly understood. This study was designed to understand the mechanism for the mode of actual action of co-culture system of ICR strain's 1-cell embryos with human oviduct epithelial cells by examining the effect of conditioned medium and contactless coculture using a cell culture insert on the embryo development and by measuring the level of superoxide anion from conditioned medium after co-culture. METHODS: ICR strain's zygote embryos were cultured in medium alone (control), coculture, conditioned medium, or contactless coculture system for 6 days. Conditioned media (CM) were prepared as following 5 groups. All CM were collected after culturing oviduct cells for 2 days. CM-1 was stored at -20degrees C until use, and CM-2 was prepared just before use as a culture medium. CM-3 was cocultured with embryos and retrieved just before use. CM-4 and CM-5 were derives from the microfilteration of CM-2 and CM-3, respectively, using Microcon-10 (10 kDa molecular weight cut-off). The percentage of the embryos developed to hatched blastocyst stage and the level of superoxide anion in supernatant from medium alone culture (control), coculture, and contactless coculture were measured. RESULTS: The rates of embryo development to the hatched blastocyst stage were significantly higher in coculture (43%) than in control (0%) (p<0.05). The CM-1 group had no embryo development since 2-cell embryonic stage, whereas the CM-2, CM-3, CM-4 and CM-5 groups had the improved development to 4 or 8 cell embryo stage, but the similar rate of development to hatched blastocyst compared to control. The effect of coculture on embryo develpment was disappeared in the contactless coculture group. The level of superoxide anion was significantly reduced in coculture group compared to control. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the present coculture system overcomes the 2-cell block in vitro and improves the embryo development. This beneficial effect may be due to the direct cell-cell contact between embryo and helper cells or the removal of deleterious components from medium rather than the embryotrophic factors.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Coculture Techniques* ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Weight ; Oviducts ; Pregnancy ; Superoxides ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Zygote

OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of mRNA expression of various members of the matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitors in uterine leiomyoma compared with unaffected myometrium. Materials & Method: 30 cases of portions of leiomyoma and myometrium were collected immediately followimg hysterectomy. Thirteen cases were from proliferative phase and seventeen were from secretory phase of menstrual cycle. The mean age was 43.7years old. The level of expression of mRNAs of interstitial collagenase, gelatinase, stromelysin, TIMP-1,-2,-3 was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and normalized to GAPDH(glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) mRNA. RESULTS: Myometrium and leiomyoma expressed all the members of above mentioned matrix metalloproteinase family and tissue inhibitors. Leiomyoma expressed a significantly higher level of stromelysin-3 during secretory phase, an extremely lower level of 92kDa gelatinase and a significantly lower level of TIMP-3. The immunohistochemical localization of TIMP-3 was smooth muscle cell and arteriole wall of myometrium and leiomyoma. CONCLUSIONS: The increased expression of stromelysin-3 in uterine leiomyoma compared with myometrium suggests that this MMP may be involved in the formation of a more fibrous extracellular matrix in leiomyoma. The extremely lower expression of 92kDa gelatinase of leiomyoma means that leiomyoma do not invade myometrium and forms a separated mass. Decreased expression of TIMP-3 of leiomyoma suggests that TIMP-3 is required for differentiation and homeostasis of extracellular matrix of normal myometrium and function as a suppressive role of tumor development
Animals ; Arterioles ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gelatinases ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 ; Menstrual Cycle ; Mice ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myometrium* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3

Microvascular ultrasound (US) techniques are advanced Doppler techniques that provide high sensitivity and spatial resolution for detailed visualization of low-flow vessels. Microvascular US imaging can be applied to breast lesion evaluation with or without US contrast agents. Microvascular US imaging without a contrast agent uses a sophisticated wall filtering system to selectively obtain low-flow Doppler signals from overlapped artifacts. Microvascular US imaging with secondgeneration contrast agents amplifies flow signals and makes them last longer, which facilitates hemodynamic evaluation of breast lesions. In this review article, we will introduce various microvascular US techniques, explain their clinical applications in breast cancer diagnosis and radiologic-histopathologic correlation, and provide a summary of a recent radiogenomic study using microvascular US.

Microvascular ultrasound (US) techniques are advanced Doppler techniques that provide high sensitivity and spatial resolution for detailed visualization of low-flow vessels. Microvascular US imaging can be applied to breast lesion evaluation with or without US contrast agents. Microvascular US imaging without a contrast agent uses a sophisticated wall filtering system to selectively obtain low-flow Doppler signals from overlapped artifacts. Microvascular US imaging with secondgeneration contrast agents amplifies flow signals and makes them last longer, which facilitates hemodynamic evaluation of breast lesions. In this review article, we will introduce various microvascular US techniques, explain their clinical applications in breast cancer diagnosis and radiologic-histopathologic correlation, and provide a summary of a recent radiogenomic study using microvascular US.

Purpose: /Objectives: To determine predictors of fall events in hospitalized patients with cancer, and identification of fall risk. Methods: An analysis of medical records was conducted together with a review of standardized fall reports of 565 patients admitted between January 1 and December 31, 2020. The collected data were analyzed with the chi-squared test, Fisher exact test, independent t-test, and logistic regression analysis using STATA 17 program. Results: There was a statistically significant increased fall risk; accompanied by a guardian (OR=10.30 CI=2.66~39.94), number of attachment devices (OR=1.30, CI=0.46~0.64), medication (OR=0.17, CI=0.04~0.84), pain (OR=4.73, CI=1.59~14.0), walking problem (OR=29.85, CI=9.31~95.74), chemotherapy (OR=5.20, CI=1.81~14.89), and fall risk score (OR=1.83, CI=1.50~2.24). Conclusion These findings can serve as academic evidence to support the role of nurses in assessing the risk of fall events/accidents with regard to cancer patients and the development of individually adjusted fall assessment tools.

BACKGROUND: Both left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and microalbuminuria (MA) are well described markers or surrogate for cardiovascular outcome. Many factors are known to be related to the two markers which are encountered together in some patients. But the epidemiological backgrounds for the two markers are not clearly demonstrated so far. METHODS: Measurements of echocardiographic left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and MA were introduced to the population survey in Yangpyeong County, Korea in 2005 and 2006 for 1,767 among 2,028 subjects. The criteria for MA were 17-250 mg/g of albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) in male and 25-355 mg/g in female. 1,636 data were analyzed. RESULTS: Age was 60.9 +/- 10.4 years and the proportion of female was 59.4% (972). Body mass index (BMI) was 24.7 +/- 3.21 kg/m2 and blood pressure were 124.1 +/- 17.3 mm Hg/80.0 +/- 10.5 mm Hg. LVMI was 45.3 +/- 11.6 g/m2.7 and ACR was 23.9 +/- 150.9 mg/g. Prevalence of LVH and MA were 23.5% and 12.2%, respectively. In male/female, odds ratios for MA were 1.035 (range, 1.010-1.061)/1.01 (range, 0.988-1.032) for age, 0.962 (range, 0.882-1.049)/0.941 (range, 0.881-1.006) for BMI, 1.754 (range, 1.097-2.804)/2.158 (range, 1.413-3.298) for hypertension (HTN), 4.87 (range, 2.883-8.226)/2.154 (range, 1.311-3.539) for diabetes, 1.005 (range, 0.999-1.012)/1.007 (range, 1.002-1.012) for cholesterol, and 1.011 (range, 0.987-1.035)/1.011 (range, 0.994-1.029) for LVH. CONCLUSIONS: In a population level, even if diabetes was strongest factor for MA, HTN is also independent factor for MA in both genders.
Albuminuria ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Korea ; Male ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed at elucidating potential temporal associations between the occurrence of Kawasaki disease (KD) and various viral infections. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We obtained monthly patterns of KD from the seventh nationwide survey and viral detection data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2011 and evaluated temporal correlations between them for each month. The respiratory viruses detected using a multiplex real-time-polymerase chain reaction kit were influenza virus (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, A/H5N1, and B), adenovirus, parainfluenza virus (type 1, 2, 3), respiratory syncytial virus (type A, B), human rhinovirus, human coronavirus (OC43/229E, NL63), human bocavirus, and enterovirus. RESULTS: We obtained data from a total of 13031 patients who were treated for acute KD from 87 hospitals with pediatric residence programs. During this survey, KD showed highest overall incidence in summer and winter seasons and lowest incidence in February and October. We received viral detection data for a total of 14267 patients. Viral detection was highest during winter and spring seasons. The most commonly detected virus was human rhinovirus (32.6%), followed by influenza virus (26.8%). The monthly incidence of KD showed significant correlation with the monthly overall viral detection (p=0.022, r=0.382). In particular, human bocavirus and enterovirus have significant correlations with monthly patterns of KD occurrence (p=0.032 and p=0.007, respectively) and influenza virus correlated with KD occurrence with borderline significance (p=0.063). CONCLUSION: The temporal association between monthly occurrence of KD and viral detection suggests the etiologic importance of precedent infection in the development of KD.
Adenoviridae ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Coronavirus ; Enterovirus ; Human bocavirus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Rhinovirus ; Seasons

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of dual-task training on the recovery of balance ability and cognitive function in patients with subacute stroke. METHODS: Twenty patients (12 males and eight females; average age, 59.70 years) with subacute stroke were enrolled in this study. All participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the dual-task group (n=10) or the control group (n=10). The dual task was simultaneous balance and cognitive training using the BioRescue. All patients were evaluated with posturographic parameters and the Berg Balance Scale for balance ability, a computerized neuropsychological test and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination for cognitive function, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for motor function, and the Korean-Modified Barthel Index for activities of daily living (ADL) function before and after 4 weeks of rehabilitation. RESULTS: The dual-task group showed significant improvements in the pressure of the weight distribution index (WDI), surface area, and length of the stability index during the eyes-open condition; surface area of the limit of stability (LOS) on the hemiparetic and intact sides, and the auditory continuous performance test and backward visual span test after rehabilitation. Although no significant difference was observed for the changes in balance ability or cognitive, motor, and ADL functions between the groups, changes in the WDI pressure during the eyes-open condition and in the area ratio of LOS (hemiparetic/intact) showed a tendency to improve in the dual-task group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that dual-task training could be as effective as conventional balance training for improving balance and cognition in subacute post-stroke patients.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cognition* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke

No abstract available.
Lasers, Gas* ; Telangiectasis* ; Yttrium*

No abstract available.
Nevus* ; Nevus, Pigmented* ; Yttrium*