No abstract available.

No abstract available.

In order to assess the efficiency of Percoll gradient centrifugation(PGC) as a method of sperm selection, we have examined morphological characteristics of spermatozoa from 40 teratozoospermic patients attending the Infertility Clinic of Inchon Gil Gerneral Hospital. Patients were divided into three groups according to percentage normal morphology in the fresh sample : group A(n=5), < 5% normal morphology : group B(n=21), 5~14% normal morphology : and group C(n=14), > 14% normal morphology. Morphology slides were perpared using Diff-Quik staining techniques and evaulated by Kruger strict criteria, under oil immersion at a magnification of X 1000, specific defects, head, neck and tail were assesed individualy. The results were as follows. 1. Following PGC, sperm samples with enhanced morphology were recovered for all groups. 2. For group A, PGC did not select a sample with significantly improved morphological characteristics. 3. Usually, sperm defects affected by PGC was head and neck. No significant difference was found for tail abnormality. In conclusion, Percoll gradient centrifugation is an efficient sperm preparation technique when the semen sample exhibits teratozoospermia, especially head or neck abnormality. However, in sample with < 5% normal form or tail abnormality, There is not significant improvement following PGC.
Centrifugation* ; Equidae ; Head ; Humans* ; Immersion ; Incheon ; Infertility ; Neck ; Semen ; Spermatozoa*

The antepartum death of one fetus in twin pregnancy is a rare obstetric complcation. If one fetus in twin pregnancy died in uterus remote from term and another fetus did not, the dead fetus will be compressed between the uterine wall and the membrane of living fetus, becomes a fetus compressus or fetus papyraceous. The primary maternal threat when the fetuses undelivered is disseminated intravascular coagulation. Concern for the surviving fetus after death of its co-twin is balanced between the risks of preterm birth and those involving exposure to events in utero that may threaten its well-being. Recently we experienced a case of twin pregnancy complicated by the death of one fe- tus, we report this case with concerned literatures.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Fetal Death* ; Fetus ; Humans ; Membranes ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Premature Birth ; Twins* ; Uterus

The increasing number of patients with depression is a serious social issue in contemporary Korean society. To fully understand the pathophysiology of depression, this paper reviewed how depression affects the decision making process of humans. Various recent studies in behavioral economics, mathematics, medicine, and neurobiology have shown how humans make decisions and how emotional disturbances, such as depressive disorder, affect this process. There has been great progress in behavioral economics during this decade, and numerous experiments have been designed to evaluate decision making process in humans. In general, economic decision making is evaluated using the Iowa Gambling Task, and social decision making is assessed using the ultimatum game. Numerous research studies have analyzed the performance and reaction of patients with depression in these games. As a result of the advancement of neurophysiology, research has successfully identified the part of the brain that causes the specific results of tests being conducted on patients with depression. Meanwhile, computational neuroscientists have established decision making models based on bayesian framework. These models also match with the neuroanatomy. Although a large part remains unclear, researchers look forward to achieving a better understanding in depression by analyzing the distinct patterns of responses that patients under depression show in the experiment of behavioral economics.
Affective Symptoms ; Brain ; Decision Making* ; Depression* ; Depressive Disorder ; Economics, Behavioral ; Gambling ; Humans ; Interdisciplinary Studies ; Iowa ; Mathematics ; Neuroanatomy ; Neurobiology ; Neurophysiology

BACKGROUND: Serological tests detecting antibodies specific to antigens of Treponema pallidum are useful tools for diagnosis and screening of syphilis. Nevertheless, conventional non-treponemal tests, which are commonly being used thanks to their low cost, have limited consistency in procedures and interpretations because of lack of automation. Moreover, they have innate lower sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, clinical use of non-treponemal tests has been significantly substituted by more reliable treponemal antibody assays. Considering such trend, diagnostic sensitivity of a recently introduced automatic chemiluminescent immunoassay, ARCHITECT Syphilis TP (Abbott Japan, Tokyo, Japan), was evaluated with comparison to existing methods to validate its clinical sensitivity. METHODS: Fifty stored sera with reactive results on a non-treponemal syphilis test done by requests from the attending physicians were collected consecutively. Diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed when two or more positive results were obtained among 3 treponemal antibody tests, a hemagglutination, an automated latex turbidimetry and ARCHITECT Syphilis TP. RESULTS: All 50 sera were confirmed as syphilis-infected. Diagnostic sensitivity of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP was estimated to 100%, whilst that of the hemagglutination and the latex turbidimetry was 94% and 98%, respectively. Correlation coefficient between S/COs of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP and quantitative results on the latex turbidimetry was caculated as 0.865. Compared to the hemagglutination titers, better quantitative correlation was observed with S/COs of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP. CONCLUSIONS: ARCHITECT Syphilis was thought to be a reliable test with good sensitivity and its automated feature was thought to be additionally beneficial. Although it is being used for a qualitative purpose, it seemed possible to expand its utility into quantitative use considering its acceptable quantitative correlation with the hemagglutination assay as well as the automated latex turbidimetric assay.
Antibodies ; Automation ; Hemagglutination ; Immunoassay ; Japan ; Latex ; Luminescence ; Mass Screening ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis ; Tokyo ; Treponema pallidum

BACKGROUND: Serological tests detecting antibodies specific to antigens of Treponema pallidum are useful tools for diagnosis and screening of syphilis. Nevertheless, conventional non-treponemal tests, which are commonly being used thanks to their low cost, have limited consistency in procedures and interpretations because of lack of automation. Moreover, they have innate lower sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, clinical use of non-treponemal tests has been significantly substituted by more reliable treponemal antibody assays. Considering such trend, diagnostic sensitivity of a recently introduced automatic chemiluminescent immunoassay, ARCHITECT Syphilis TP (Abbott Japan, Tokyo, Japan), was evaluated with comparison to existing methods to validate its clinical sensitivity. METHODS: Fifty stored sera with reactive results on a non-treponemal syphilis test done by requests from the attending physicians were collected consecutively. Diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed when two or more positive results were obtained among 3 treponemal antibody tests, a hemagglutination, an automated latex turbidimetry and ARCHITECT Syphilis TP. RESULTS: All 50 sera were confirmed as syphilis-infected. Diagnostic sensitivity of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP was estimated to 100%, whilst that of the hemagglutination and the latex turbidimetry was 94% and 98%, respectively. Correlation coefficient between S/COs of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP and quantitative results on the latex turbidimetry was caculated as 0.865. Compared to the hemagglutination titers, better quantitative correlation was observed with S/COs of ARCHITECT Syphilis TP. CONCLUSIONS: ARCHITECT Syphilis was thought to be a reliable test with good sensitivity and its automated feature was thought to be additionally beneficial. Although it is being used for a qualitative purpose, it seemed possible to expand its utility into quantitative use considering its acceptable quantitative correlation with the hemagglutination assay as well as the automated latex turbidimetric assay.
Antibodies ; Automation ; Hemagglutination ; Immunoassay ; Japan ; Latex ; Luminescence ; Mass Screening ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis ; Tokyo ; Treponema pallidum

Cleft Lip ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Palate ; Rhinoplasty

OBJECTIVE: Epidural fibrosis and adhesion are the main reasons for post-laminectomy sustained pain and functional disability. In this study, the authors investigate the effect of irradiated freeze-dried human amniotic membrane on reducing epidural adhesion after laminectomy on a rat model. METHODS: A total of 20 rats were divided into two groups. The group A did not receive human amniotic membrane implantation after laminectomy and group B underwent human amniotic membrane implantation after laminectomy. Gross and microscopic findings were evaluated and compared at postoperative 1, 3 and 8 weeks. RESULTS: The amount of scar tissue and tenacity were reduced grossly in group of rats with human amniotic membrane implantation (group B). On a microscopic evaluation, there were less inflammatory cell infiltration and fibroblast proliferation in group B. CONCLUSION: This experimental study shows that implantation of irradiated freeze-dried human amniotic membrane reduce epidural fibrosis and adhesion after spinal laminectomy in a rat model.
Amnion ; Animals ; Cicatrix ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Rats

Recently with the development of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) techniques, many reports of radiologic findings in spontaneous intracranial hypotension(SIH) have been reported. However in our review, the pachymeningeal changes within spinal canal secondary to SIH are not reported. In SIH, same mechanisms of it might act in the intraspinal space, which cause pachymeningeal changes of spinal dura and clinical features of spinal involvement. We reports four cases of SIH, in which MRI of the brain and spine reveals diffuse symmetric pachymeningeal enhancement. This is the first report of the spinal images in SIH.
Brain ; Intracranial Hypotension* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spinal Canal ; Spine