OBJECTIVE: Identification of the regulatory mechanism for arrest and initiation of primordial follicular growth is crucial for female fertility. Previously, we found 15 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that were specifically abundant in the day-5-subtracted cDNA library and that the B357 clone was novel. The present study was conducted to obtain the whole sequence of the novel gene including B357 and to characterize its mRNA and protein expression in mouse ovary and testis. METHODS: The extended sequence of the 2,965-bp cDNA fragment for the clone B357 was named 5-day-ovary-specific gene-1 (5DOS1) and submitted to GenBank (accession number AY751521). Expression of 5DOS1 was characterized in both female and male gonads at various developmental stages by Northern blotting, real-time RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The 5DOS1 transcript was highly expressed in the adult testis, brain, and muscle as compared to the other tissues. In the ovary, the 5DOS1 transcript was detected in all oocytes from primordial to antral follicles, and highly expressed at day 5 after birth and decreased thereafter. In contrast, expression of 5DOS1 showed a gradual increase during testicular development and its expression was limited to various stages of male germ cells except spermatogonia. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the expression and characterization of the 5DOS1 gene in the mouse gonads. Further functional analysis of the 5DOS1 protein will be required to predict its role in gametogenesis.
Adult ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Clone Cells ; Cluster Analysis* ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; DNA, Complementary ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Female ; Fertility ; Gametogenesis ; Gene Library ; Germ Cells ; Gonads ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Mice* ; Oocytes ; Ovary* ; Parturition ; RNA, Messenger ; Spermatogonia ; Testis*

OBJECTIVE: Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF. METHODS: Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123). RESULTS: There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates. CONCLUSION: We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.
Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; Reproductive Techniques ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen ; Spermatozoa

PURPOSE: This descriptive study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge of stroke symptoms and risk factors among older adults. METHODS: A total of 200 older adults over 65 years of age were conveniently recruited from out patient departments of two hospitals and a health care center from October to November 2008. The level of knowledge was assessed using both open-ended questions and a structured questionnaire based on semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by t-tests and ANOVA using the SPSS program. RESULTS: 52.5% of the sample had hypertension and 30% had diabetes. The mean knowledge scores for symptoms and risk factors were 8.4 +/- 3.1(out of 15) and 9.5 +/- 3.9 (out of 16), respectively. The older adults who had lower education, lower family income, and who lived in rural areas were more likely to have less knowledge of stroke symptom and risk factors(p < .05). There was no significant knowledge difference between the older adults who had at least one risk factor and those who had no risk factor for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Educational intervention should be focused on informing older adults who are at risk for stroke about the early symptoms and management of risk factors, especially those who have low education and low social status.
Adult ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This paper presents the corrective surgical methods of lop ear deformities based on the degree of helical constriction. The deformities were corrected by antihelical tubing procedure and/or cartilage graft. The additional skin coverage, if required, was obtained by postauricular V-Y advancement flap or Grotting flap. Total 22 lop ear deformities were corrected including nine tubing procedures, three cartilage grafts and ten cartilage grafts combined with tubing procedure. All patients were followed up more than one year and most of them maintained natural auricular appearances.
Cartilage* ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Constriction ; Ear* ; Humans ; Skin ; Transplants*

The reconstruction of defects after the resection of oropharyngeal tumors must not only cover the defect area but also be able to recover its functional structure enabling speech and mastication. To achieve a functional reconstruction, the volume and the length of the pedicle must be suitably designed and a donor site fit for the location and size of the defect must be chosen. However, in reality, the structures in oropharyngeal tumor patients who underwent resection to classify the different defect shapes according to the resection site. Bases on the classification of oropharyngeal defects, we tried to standardize a flap design method for the different defects. We investigated 44 patients who underwent tumor resection and reconstruction surgery for oropharyngeal tumor during the past 3 years at Severance hospital. The defects were divided into 6 zones and 4 types of design methods of radial forearm free flap were standardized. Surgery was performed on 25 patients during September of 1998 to September of 1999 with modified design methods based on the standardized ones. A faster and more efficient flap design was possible due to the standardized method. It was also possible to enable a functional reconstruction in cases where the soft palate was involved without any nasal escape.
Classification ; Forearm* ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Humans ; Mastication ; Palate, Soft ; Tissue Donors ; Tongue Neoplasms ; United Nations

Human papilloma virus 16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins are well known to change cell functions, especially through p53 and pRb expression, so we studied their effects on molecular mechanisms and on the cell death associated with hypoxia and ionizing radiation. These treatments both caused cell death and increased p53 protein expression in HepG2 cells. This increased p53 expression by gamma-irradiation under hypoxia induced G1 cell cycle arrest and led to apoptosis even though HepG2 cells have a relatively reduced ability to induce p21 and pRb expression levels. Ablation of p53 expression by the HPV 16 E6 gene induced E2F-1 expression, which plays a role in cellular survival, especially under hypoxia or gamma-irradiation. The steady-state level of p53 action produced by HPV 16 E7 did not induce apoptotic cell death or the production of the apoptotic regulators, the bcl-2 family and caspase-3, so it did not appear to participate in apoptotic signaling in response to hypoxia and ionizing radiation. Thus, the HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein did not increase the rate of cell death induced by p53, although p53 might play a role in apoptosis in HepG2 cells.
Anoxia* ; Apoptosis* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Hep G2 Cells* ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Humans* ; Oncogene Proteins ; Papilloma* ; Radiation, Ionizing

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) of Crohn disease (CD) in Korean pediatric patients. METHODS: The medical records of 73 children diagnosed with CD were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, including CD phenotype at diagnosis based on the Montreal classification, and clinical features and course of EIMs were investigated. RESULTS: Fifty-two (71.2%) of the patients were males. The mean age of the patients was 12.5 years. The mean follow-up period was 3.4 years. The disease location was ileal in 3 (4.1%) of the patients, colonic in 13 (17.8%), ileocolonic in 56 (76.7%). The clinical behavior was inflammatory in 62 (84.9%) of the patients, stricturing in 8 (11.0%), and penetrating in 3 (4.1%). Perianal abscesses or fistulas were found in 37 (50.7%) of the patients. EIMs observed during the study period were anal skin tag in 25 patients (34.2%), hypertransaminasemia in 20 (27.4%), peripheral arthritis in 2 (2.7%), erythema nodosum in 2 (2.7%), vulvitis in 1 (1.4%), uveitis in 1 (1.4%), and pulmonary thromboembolism in 1 (1.4%). CONCLUSION: Perianal diseases and manifestations were present in more than half of Korean pediatric CD patients at diagnosis. Inspection of the anus should be mandatory in Korean children with suspicious CD, as perianal fistulas, abscesses, and anal skin tags may be the first clue to the diagnosis of CD.
Abscess ; Anal Canal ; Arthritis ; Child* ; Classification ; Colon ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Erythema Nodosum ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Phenotype ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Uveitis ; Vulvitis

PURPOSE: Recently have there been a few reports that raised the question that Benign Rolandic Epilepsy (BRE) could be a spectrum. This study was conducted to identify whether or not the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of typical Rolandic Spikes (RS) are different from those of concomitantly additional frontal or occipital spikes with RS. METHODS: The consecutive 39 patients who showed centro-temporal spikes were divided into typical RS and RS+ groups. We defined RS+ groups as having concomitantly additional frontal or occipital spikes with RS. The independent variables included clinical data 0(age of onset, a significant antecedent event as part of their etiology of epilepsy, nocturnal seizure, abnormal development, abnormal neurologic examination, pattern of seizure, response to medication for at least 1 year and epilepsy syndrome) and electrophysiological data (dipoles, spikes accentuated during sleep). RESULTS: Eighty two percents (32/39) of patients were RS, whereas 18% (7/39) were RS+. The median age of onset was 7 years old and only 10% showed significant antecedent events. Eighty six percents (34/39) of patients had BRE as epilepsy syndrome. Neither clinical factors nor electrophysiological characteristics were different between both groups. CONCLUSION: Although RS+ showed additional spikes more than centro-temporal area, the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of RS+ were not different from those of RS. Centro-temporal with or without additional spikes could be a homogeneous condition rather than a spectrum.
Age of Onset ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Rolandic ; Humans ; Neurologic Examination ; Seizures

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is a life-threatening disorder with apnea and cyanosis during sleep requiring immediate endotracheal intubation during the first day of life. The PHOX2B gene has been identified as the major gene involved in CCHS. This is the first report of a Korean neonate with CCHS confirmed to have a PHOX2B mutation with expanded alleles containing 20 polyalanine repeats that is a relatively small number compared to previous cases. The patient required intermittent ventilator support during sleep only and did not suffer from any other disorders of the autonomic nerve system. He consistently needs ventilator support during sleep and remains alive. Analysis of PHOX2B gene is useful for diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic intervention of CCHS patients.
Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Genotype ; Homeodomain Proteins/*genetics ; Humans ; Hypoventilation/congenital/*genetics ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mutation ; Peptides/genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Transcription Factors/*genetics ; Ventilators, Mechanical

A 56-year-old male presented with severe exertional dyspnea and pitting edema in the lower extremities. The pre-operative evaluation demonstrated biventricular dysfunction associated with severe tricuspid valve regurgitation and a persistent left superior vena cava. He was registered as a transplantation candidate, and orthotopic heart transplantation was performed using the standard bicaval technique. The left superior vena cava was connected to the right atrial appendage after the construction of a conduit using the recipient's autologous coronary sinus tissue. One-month postoperatively, computed tomography imagery demonstrated a patent conduit between the left superior vena cava and right atrial appendage.
Atrial Appendage ; Coronary Sinus ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Heart Transplantation* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tricuspid Valve ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; Vena Cava, Superior*