OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this present study was to compare mouse embryo development in 3 commercial media and hatching competence of mouse embryo with or without enzymatic treatment. METHODS: Collected 375 mouse embryos were divided into three groups, and then cultured in IVF-20 (G2), Medicult IVF (M3), P-1 (blastocyst M), respectively. Three day mouse morulae were cultured in G2 media treated with pronase. The results were analyzed using Chi-square test, and considered statistically significant when p<0.01. RESULTS: The developmental rate of 2 cell mouse embryo after 72 hours was highest in IVF-20 (G2) among conventional 3 media. The hatching rate of mouse morulae was low when clultured in G2 media without pronase during 48 hours. However, it was higher when cultured in media treated with l mg/ml, 2.5 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml pronase, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using good media and digestion of zona pellucida with enzymatic treatment improve development and hatching rate of embryo. Therefore, implantation and pregnancy rate could be improved.
Animals ; Digestion ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Mental Competency ; Mice* ; Morula ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pronase* ; Zona Pellucida

No abstract available.
Infertility* ; Laparoscopy*

No abstract available.

We have reported general principles of low vision aid prescription. But, we have not reported near vision aid prescription only. So, we analyse prescriptions of near low vision aid(diagnosis, type, magnification, etc) and present new near low vision aids that patients feels comfortable. We reviewed the clinical records of 100 patients who visited our low vision clinic more than twice and was prescribed near low vision aid for low vision. According to the data analysed, optic nerve atrophy was the most common etiology for low vision. Illuminated hand held magnifier(31.3%), telemicroscope with plus cap(27.7%), aspheric doublet sens(Clear Image II)(24.1%) were low vision aids most commonly used for near vision, but we knew new trend that newly prescribed aids(telemicroscope with plus cap, aspheric doublet lens) were prescribed more than illuminated hand held magnifier. After prescription of the low vision aid, visual acuity improved significantly (p<0.05). We examined contrast sensitivity test to measure the functional acuity and predict the visual prognosis after prescription of low visio aid.In addition,we studied the relationship between reading speed and the degree of contrast sensitivity and we knew that the relationship between degree of contrast sensitivity and reading speed was associated(p<0.05). Majority of patients(89%) were benefited from prescribed low vision aids.
Atrophy ; Audiovisual Aids ; Contrast Sensitivity ; Hand ; Humans ; Optic Nerve ; Prescriptions* ; Prognosis ; Vision, Low*

We conducted a retrospective study of 20 penetrating keratoplasty (19patients) for corneal opacity due to herpes simplex keratitis from January 1992 to February 1997 at National Medical Center. We exaniined f requeuey of graft rejection and recurrence of herpetic keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty. The patients were grouped into control & treatinent, group according to the use of antivirial drug after penetrating keratoplasty and we examined the difference in rate of recurrence between two groups. The follow-up period was from 8 months to 68 months, mean follow-up period being 29.6 months. Graft rejection was seen in 3 eyes out of 20 eyes (15.0%) and recurrence was developed 3 eyes out of 20 eyes (15.0%). Recurrent herpetic keratitis developed in 15.4%(2 of 13) of the eyes in control group and 14.3% (1 of 7) of the eyes in treatment group. There was no statistically significant difference in recurrence rate between two groups (p)0.05). Postoperative prophylactic antiviral treatment is not associated with decreased rate of herpes simplex keratitis recurrence.
Corneal Opacity ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graft Rejection ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Keratitis, Herpetic* ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

The authors have evaluated the effect of topically applied 1% cyclosporine A for four weeks after limbal allograft transplantation for ocular surface stability in severely ocular surface damaged rabbits. A total eleven severely damaged rabbits were subdivided into three groups of four limbal autograft (AUTO), three limbal allograft (ALLO), four limbal allograft with topical application of 1% cyclosporine A five times daily for four weeks (ALLO-C). We examined ocular surface smoothness, clarity, corneal vascularization before surgery and three months after surgery, and classified three grade (success, partial success, failure) according to result. In AUTO, three eyes were success, one eye was failure. In ALLO, one eye showed inferior graft detachment and one eye was success, two eyes were failire. In ALLO-C, no graft detachment detected and one eye was success, two eyes were partial success, one eye was failure. We knew that. ALLO-C show more effective ocular surface stability than ALLO. These result suggest ALLO-C can be used as alternative treatment of AUTO in ocular surface reconstruction. But, rnore study for duration and concentration of cyclosporin A will be need.
Allografts ; Autografts ; Cornea* ; Cyclosporine* ; Rabbits ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis(DKA) is serious acute metabolic complication and the most important cause of high morbidity and mortality of diabetes. The object of this study is to examine the clinical characteristics of patients with DKA who had a prior history of diabetes or not. METHOD: Authors reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 49 cases adimitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 1991 to June 1997 with a diagnosis of DKA and classified cases as type I, type II and newly diagnosed diabetics according to prior history of diabetes. RESULTS: 1. Of 49 cases of DKA, 24(49%) were classified as type I, 17(35%) as type II from data available in the medical records, and 8(16%) had DKA as the initial manifestation of the disease. 2. The male to female ratio was 0.5 : 1 in type I, 1.1 : 1 in type II and 1.7 : 1 in newly diagnosed diabetics, and the mean age was 24.4 in type I, 57.9 in type II and 23.9 years old in newly diagnosed diabetics. 3. The mean duration between initial diagnosis of diabetes and the occurrence of DKA was 2.6 in type I and 6.9 years in type II diabetes. The occurrence of DKA within 2 years of initial diagnosis of diabetes was 54% in type I and 18% in type II diabetes, but the occurrence of DKA after 5 years of initial diagnosis of diabetes was 17% in type I and 47% in type II diabetes. 4. The precipitating factors of DKA were identified in 88% in type I, 76% in type II and 38% in newly diagnosed diabetics, and the most common precipitating factor was omission of treatment in both type I and type II(type I: 56%, type II: 35%). 5. The altered mental status was correlated with increased osmolality (p<0.05), but not with other laboratory values such as pH, bicabonate, glucose, anion gap and dehydration status(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to conduct early aggressive evaluation for early diagnosis and proper treatment of DKA, because DKA occurs in patients with prior history of type II diabetes and without prior diabetic history as well as patients with prior history of type I diabetes.
Acid-Base Equilibrium ; Dehydration ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Glucose ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Osmolar Concentration ; Precipitating Factors ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to determine the relationship between osteopontin(OPN) and osteoclast, especially focused on whether ostecolast could produce osteopontin or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteoclasts were isolated from the giant cell tumor of proximal tibia and seeded on the 13 mm round cover slip resided in 24 multi-well plates for culture. After 2 days, osteclasts on the cover slip were fixed with cold acetone for 3 minutes and immunocytochemistry was done with rabbit osteopontin antibody. For in situ RT-PCR, osteoclasts on the cover-slips were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 4 hours and were treated to pepsin. PR-PCR was done and the PCR producst were stained with anti-digoxigenin-AP. RESULTS: Osteopontins were found on the surface of the osteoclast by immunocytochemistry, and intense osteopontin mRNAs were found by in situ RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: We have identified that osteoclast could synthesize the osteopontin, and confirmed that in situ RT-PCR was a very useful method in expressing small amount of mRNA in case of mixed cell culture. Further study was needed to identify the action of the osteopontin produced by the osteoclast.
Acetone ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Giant Cell Tumors ; Immunohistochemistry ; Osteoclasts* ; Osteopontin* ; Pepsin A ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Tibia

The present study reports two cases of femoral component fracture using Whiteside Ortholoc prosthesis(Dow Corning Wright, Arlington, Tennessee) with cement. The causes of the fracture were investigated by radiological findings, prosthetic design and metallurgical study using scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). Respectively, the findings from this study are summarized as follows. In X-ray study, one case had valgus 3 mechanical axis(normal: valgus 7 axis) while the other case had 10 tibial anterior slope(normal: 10 posterior slope). The medial side of femoral component fractured in both cases. The fracture site was in the junction between the posterior bevel and distal surface of the medial side of femoral component. The analysis of the prosthetic design showed that the Whiteside Ortholoc femoral stem was thinner, and shorter at the site of posterior bevel surface of the femoral stem than other TKA(Total Knee Arthroplasty) system. The metallurgical study by SEM showed that the crack was developed initially near the inner surface of fractured femoral component and was extended to the outer surface. Carbon particles were detected in the fractured femoral component by EDS. The findings imply that operating technique is very important especially during bone cutting and soft tissue balance in TKA. It is also proposed from this study that a minor design modification such as a thicker and longer Whiteside Ortholoc femoral component would be better and that the cast-iron ware of TKA system has to he produced by careful metallurgical process, that precludes the incorporation of any foreign material such as carbon particles.
Arthroplasty* ; Carbon ; Knee* ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Zea mays

No abstract available.
Humans*