OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the effect of vitrification on the survival and in vitro development of mice 1-cell zygotes. METHOD: Effects of exposure to vitrification solution and vitrification, with different concentrations of the cryoprotectant solution, were examined. The 1-cell zygotes were also subjected to a slow freezing- thawing method to compare with vitrification method. Solution composed of ethylene glycol (6.0 M, 5.0 M, 4.0 M) and sucrose (1.0 M) were used as cryopropectant. The experiments employed the method loading the embryos on electron microscope grids. RESULTS: I. The effects of exposure in vitrification solution 1-cell zygotes were non-toxic at all concentrations of the vitrification solution showing the survival rate between 88.1% and 97.5%. Development into 2-cell was more successful in the higher concentrations of the vitrification solution. Therefore, higher concentrations of the vitirification solution do not seem to cause any problems in vitrification procedure. II. The effects of vitrification method 1-cell zygotes showed the survival rate between 78.8% and 92.4%. The lowest and the highest survival rate was observed in the 6.0 M and 4.0 M vitrification solution, respectively. 2-cell development rates varied from 77.6% to 91.3%. Blastocyst development rate was shown highest in 5.0 M and the lowest in 4.0 M solution. Therefore, the highest 2-cell and blastocyst development rate was observed in 5.0 M solution. III. Comparison of vitrification and slow freezing-thawing method on 1-cell zygotes This experiment showed that 1-cell zygotes had the highest survival and development rates in 5.0 M vitrification solution. Vitrified group of 1-cell zygotes, in the 5.0 M vitrification solution, were compared with the group processed in slow freezing-thawing method. The development rate into 2-cell and blastocyst as well as the survival rate were higher in the vitrified group than in the slowly freezed group. CONCLUSION: 1. The results demonstrate that the best cryoprotectant is a 5.0 M vitrification solution for 1-cell zygotes. 2. Vitrification method significantly increases the survival rate of the 1-cell zygote and its development into 2-cell and blastocyst. Equilibration and exposure time during the vitrification was remarkerbly short in this experiment. Total time, from the exposure to vitirification solution to storage in the liquid nitrogen, was taken only 90 seconds. In contrast, the slow freezing-thawing method have taken more than four hours. Taken together, we presume that the overall time used for the procedure contributes to the results as an important parameter. 3. The loading of 1-cell zygotes on the EM grid is technically more simple and takes less time than the straw or cryo vial method.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Structures ; Ethylene Glycol ; Group Processes ; Mice ; Nitrogen ; Sucrose ; Survival Rate ; Vitrification* ; Zygote*

To study the clinical characteristics and treatment results of childhood soft tissue sarcoma, the retrospective study was performed on 67 patients with soft tissue sarcoma, experienced at the Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital from January, 1982 to July, 1990. The median age of 67 soft tissue sarcoma patients was 4 years 5 months and age distribution showed that 0-4 year age group was most common (55.2%). The sex ratio of male to female was 1.2:1. There were 3 cancers among relatives of soft tissue sarcoma patients, including one cancer among first-degree relatives. As for pathological classification, rhabdomyosarcoma (67.1%) was the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma, followed by malignant Schwannoma (8.9%), extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma (6.0%), infantile fibrosarcoma (4.5%), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (3.0%), malignant hemangiopericytoma (3.0%), and there were 1 case each of angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, malignant mesenchymoma and mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. The median age of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma patients was 3 years 8 months and age distribution showed that 0-4 year age group was most common (64.5%). Twenty three patients were male and 22 were female. The histologic subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma was embryonal type in 38 patients (84.5%), alveolar type in 5 patients (11.1%) and unclassified type in 2 patients (4.4%). As for primary site of soft tissue sarcomas, the most frequent site was the head and neck region (32.8%) including parameningeal region (13.4%) and orbit (6.0%), followed by extremities (20.9%), trunk (19.4%), retroperitoneum and pelvis (11.9%), urogenital region (7.5%), perineum and perianal region (4.5%) and other region (3.0%). As for primary site of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma cases, the most frequent site was also the head and neck region (37.8%). The most common initial symptom of soft tissue sarcoma patients was mass (68.7%). As for Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study clinical grouping system of 67 soft tissue sarcoma patients, clinical group III (58.2%) was most common, followed by clinical group II(20.9%), IV (14.9%) and I (6.0%). Of 10 cases of clinical group IV with distant metastasis, lung (8 cases) was the most common metastaic region and other metastatic regions were bone, kidney, liver and bone marrow. As for IRS clinical grouping system of 45 rhabdomyosarcoma patients, clinical group III was most common (68.9%). Of 6 cases of clinical group IV, lung (5 cases) was also the most common metastatic region, followed by kidney and liver. From 1982 to 1985, chemotherapy was done with pulse VAC or pulse VAdrC-VAC regimen based on IRS-I and IRS-II. From 1986, patients in clinical group I and II received vincristine and actinomycin-D for 1 year and patients in clinical group III, IV and II with alveolar histologic subtype(unfavorable histologic group) received vincristine, actinomycin-D, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and cisplatinum based on IRS-III. Radiation therapy was administered to patients in clinical group II, III and IV. Of 67 cases of soft tissue sarcoma, 54 case were eligible for treatment analysis. The 3 year disease free survival (DFS) of all 54 cases was 54.1%, 3 year DFS of clinical group I and II was 83.9%,3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV before 1986 was 35.7% and after 1986 was 48.2%. Of 45 cases of rhabdomyosarcoma, 41 cases were eligible for treatment analysis. The 3 year DFS of all 41 cases was 49.1%,3 year DFS of clinical group I and II was 87.5%,3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV before 1986 was 27.2% and after 1986 was 45.0%. Patients in clinical group I and II who had no gross residual tumor after primary surgical excision had best prognosis with 3 year DFS approximating 90% with only 2 drugs regimen, significantly better than patients in clinical group III and IV with 3 year DFS below 50% even after intensifying chemotherapy since year 1986. This analysis suggests that total surgical removal is very important for improving prognosis and should be undertaken where possible in all patients without distant metastasis. Treatment results also showed that after year 1986 with intensification of chemotherapy, 3 year DFS of clinical group III and IV as well as early toxic deaths increased, and after lowering doses of chemotherapeutic agents of regimen 35 of IRS-III, treatment results improved much. Therfore to improve prognosis of patients with gross residual tumor after surgical excision of biopsy and patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis, intensified multiagent chemcherapeutic regimen with adequate dose modification should be done to lower early toxic deaths.
Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal ; Classification ; Cyclophosphamide ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Extremities ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma ; Head ; Hemangiopericytoma ; Hemangiosarcoma ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Mesenchymoma ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neurilemmoma ; Orbit ; Pediatrics ; Pelvis ; Perineum ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Sarcoma* ; Sarcoma, Ewing ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine

This study was performed to assess the effect of one year's of meal service for home-staying urban elderly with low incole on their nutritional status. One hundred and eighty three subjects, who had already completed the first nutritional survey, were assigned to two group : meal served(served) and non-meal served(non-served). A meal containing approximately on half of the RDA for energy, protein, calcium and iron was served as lunch everyday to served group. After on year of meal service, follow-up-nutritional survey was done and changes of parameters were analyzed with paired t-test. Served female showed signficantly increased intake of riboflavin and calcium, while non-served female showed significantly decreased intake of calcium. Serum total protein, serum albumin and serum cholesterol were significantly increased in female regardless of meal service. Served remale was observed with significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol, whereas non-served female showed singnificantly lowered HDL-cholesterol. Significantly decreased serum iron, serum transferrin saturaion and significantly increased TIBC were observed for female regardless of meal service. But the proportion of anemic elderly according to Hb or serum iron was decreased more in served group. Female showed significantly increased serum zinc and copper regardless of meal service, whereas only served male showed significantly increased serum copper.
Aged* ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Copper ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; Lunch ; Male ; Meals* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Riboflavin ; Serum Albumin ; Transferrin ; Zinc

The soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen that causes crown gall tumors by infecting the wounded dicotyledonous plants and subsequent integration of bacterial DNA into plant nuclear DNA. Virulent A. tumefaciens strains harbor a large Ti (tumor–inducing) plasmid that carries genes essential for tumorigenesis. In the present study, 13 strains (Malus pumila Mill; A₁₋₃, Populus monilifera; W₁₋₆, Populus tomentiglandlosa; P₁₋₃ and Rosa species; R₁) of Agrobacterium isolated in korean crown gall tumors and plasmids were observed in 6 strains (W₂, W₃, W₆, P₁, P₃ and A₂). The test for crown gall tumor formation was resulted only in ATCC15955 and KW2 strains inoculated into the stem of sun flower and the development was observed for 4 and 6 weeks after inoculation. Above two Ti plasmids (pTi) were purified by cesium chloride-ethidium bromide density gradient centrifugation and digested with restriction enzyme and fragments of pTiATCC15955 and pTiKW₂ observed by EcoR I ; 25&27, Hind III ; 23&21, BamH I ; each 20 and Hpa I ; 12&27. And sizes of pTiATCC15955 and and pTiKW₂ calculated as 200 and 87 kbases. Octopine was isolated from tumor tissue (W₁₋₆ and P₁₋₃) and these strains confirmed as octopine type.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens ; Agrobacterium* ; Carcinogenesis ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Cesium ; DNA ; DNA, Bacterial ; Flowers ; Korea* ; Plant Tumor-Inducing Plasmids ; Plant Tumors ; Plants ; Plasmids* ; Populus ; Rosa ; Soil ; Solar System ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Necrosis* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

Cyclic Neutropenia is a benign, unusual hematologic disorder characterized by regularly recurring episodes of severe neutropenia occurring approximately every 21 days. Beside neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, platelets and reticulocytes all cycle with strict periodicity suggest that this disease should be viewed as cyclic hematopoiesis, not merely as cyclic neutropenia. During neutropenic periods, patients regularly experience aphthous stomatitis, fever, malaise, cervical lymphadenitis, cutaneous infections and occasional pneumonia and otitis media. The exact cause of cyclic neutropenia is unknown. But it is strongly suggested that cyclic neurtopenia is due to an abnormality in the regulation of early hematopoietic precursor cells. We have documented a case of cyclic neutropenia for a period of 2.5 years in a 11 year-old boy who had suffered from recurrent fever, stomatitis, gingival swelling, cervical lymphadenitis and skin infections at 3 weeks intervals since 5 years of age. A brief review of the related literatures is presented.
Child ; Fever ; Hematopoiesis ; Humans ; Lymphadenitis ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Monocytes ; Neutropenia* ; Neutrophils ; Otitis Media ; Periodicity ; Pneumonia ; Reticulocytes ; Skin ; Stomatitis ; Stomatitis, Aphthous

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Diagnosis* ; Kidney*

Purpose: We developed a virtual reality (VR) program for use in pediatric nursing practicums to help nursing students learn to measure vital signs in children. Methods: The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model was employed between July 2021 and December 2021 at a university in South Korea. In the analysis phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with four nursing students, two nursing school graduates, and four experts. The topic and contents of the VR program were settled in the design phase. The VR program was developed and subsequently used and evaluated by 20 nursing students and four experts. Results: The contents of the VR program for pediatric nursing practicums included the measurement of vital signs in a newborn baby and a young child, as well as an evaluation system. The mean score for the nursing students' satisfaction with practice was 4.02 out of 5 points. The mean scores for overall satisfaction with the VR program were 4.15 and 4.79 out of 5 points for nursing students and experts, respectively. Conclusion The VR program developed in this study allows nursing students to practice measuring vital signs in children, thus improving the students' clinical performance in pediatric nursing.

No abstract available.
Down Syndrome* ; Leukemia*

We analyzed the clinical and laboratory features of ten children with acute megakaryoblastic lukemia (M7)and compared the findings with those reported in the literature. The diagnosis was supprted by ultrastructural examination of platelet peroxidase or immunophenotyping for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa. Of the ten children, five were girls and five were boys. The median age at diagnosis was 13 months. Two patients had prominent myelofibrosis and one patient had Down syndrome. Nine patients were treatd with low-dose cytosine arabinoside (10mg/m2)administered intravenously, or subcutaneously, or intramuscularly, twice daily in 21 day courses. Seven patients achieved hematologic response and three patients are alive without evidence of disease. The 4 year event free survival rate was30.0%. It is our impression that the prevalence of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia has been under-estimated, and low-dose cytosine arabinoside treatment may be of value in its management. This approach may be particularily useful in hospitals with scarce well-equipped facilities, since this protocol does not induce profound marrow hypoplasia and intensive supportive measures are not required as they would be with the use of more aggressive drug combination.
Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Child* ; Cytarabine ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia, Megakaryoblastic, Acute* ; Megakaryocyte Progenitor Cells ; Peroxidase ; Prevalence ; Primary Myelofibrosis