No abstract available.
Animals ; Finasteride* ; Rats* ; Spermatogenesis*

No abstract available.
Neuropeptide Y* ; Neuropeptides*

We analyzed the MR findings of spinal epidural mass in 23 patients retrospectively. MR images were performed at 1.5T unit. The lesions were confirmed as metastasis(12 cases), lymphoma (2 cases), leukemia(1 cases), multiple myeloma(2 cases), meningioma(3 cases), neurofibroma(1 case), dysraphism with lipoma(1 case) and lipomatosis(4 cases), Most MRI examinations consisted of T1, proton density and T2 weighted sagittal imaging of the spine, with additional pulse sequences or image planes as needed for clarification. The level of the spinal epidural mass was cervical spine level in 2 cases, thoracic in 15 cases, lumbar in 7 cases, and sacral in 2 cases. The location of epidural mass within the spinal canal was eccentric in 20 cases, multiple in 2 cases, and encircled in 4 cases. Paraspinal mass was seen in 11 cases. Signal intensity of epidural mass was variable. The marrow of spine revealed low signal intensity(SI) on TIWI and high SI on T2WI in 14 cases. In conclusion, MRI is a useful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of spinal epidural mass.
Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Protons ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Canal ; Spine

To ensure the microbiological safety of food items prepared after cooking process, this study was aimed to identify the hazards related with cooked foods donated to foodbanks through quantitative microbial analysis. Five foodbanks located in Incheon and Gyeonggi area among government-dominant foodbanks were surveyed from February to June, 2007. Manager, recipient, donator, type and quantity of donated food, and facility and equipment were examined for the general characteristics of foodbank. The time and temperature of food and environment were measured at steps from after-production to before-distribution, and the microbial analysis was performed mainly with indicator organism and major pathogens. The amount of cooked foods donated to each foodbank was about 20 to 30 servings and consisted of 80% of total donated foods. Only three foodbanks had separate offices for foodbank operation and four institutions had at least one temperature-controlled vehicle. The flow of donated foods was gone through the steps; production, meal service and holding at donator, collection by foodbank, transport (or holding after transport) and distribution to recipients. It took about 3.8 to 6.5 hours at room temperature from after-production to beforedistribution. Only aerobic plate counts (APC) and coliforms were found in microbial analysis. The APC after production were relatively high in 8.2 x 10(5), 7.4 x 10(5), 6.9 x 10(5) and 4.2 x 10(5) CFU/g while 2.8 x 10(6), 9.4 x 10(5), 1.0 x 10(6) and 5.4 x 10(5) CFU/g before distribution in mixed Pimpinella brachycarpa, mixed chard, mixed amaranth and mixed spinach, respectively. The levels of coliforms in mixed chard and mixed spinach were complied with the standards of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Management. The level of APC in boiled pork was increased from < 1.0 x 10 CFU/g to 4.0 x 10(2) CFU/g. One of delivery vessels was shown 6.2 x 10(3)CFU/100 cm2 in APC, which was over the standards for environment. One of serving tables also showed the high level of 1.2 x 10(3) CFU/100 cm2 in APC and 6.6 x 10(2) CFU/100 cm2 in coliforms. These results suggest the sanitary management of holding at donator and the time-temperature control are key factors to ensure the safety of cooked foods donated to foodbank.
Beta vulgaris ; Cooking ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Incheon ; Meals ; Pimpinella ; Spinacia oleracea

To evaluate the typical appearance and the influence in the image interpretation of the metallic artifact which is known as one of the patient-related field artifacts, we analysed the magnetic resonance (MR) images of 40 patients (the total number of metallic materials were 45) acquired at MR 1.5T unit. All patients were screened for the presence of metal. The metallic implants were surgical wires and clips, orthopedic devices, and the other miscellaneous materials. The artifacts produced by metallic objects can be seen on MRI as the focal loss of signal and/or the local distortion of the image. Regardless of their ferromagnetic properties, metallic implants created regional artifacts in their images. Ferromagnetic materials, such as a lead fragment, showed severe artifacts and nonferromagnetic metals showed mild to moderate artifacts. The conspicuity of artifact was related tot he composition, mass, shape, orientation, and the location of the metallic objects in the body. Under high magnetic field strength, there were no significant differences between the various pulse sequences. Artifacts are particularly prominent on gradient-echo images. Our findings indicate that MR imaging of patients with standard nonferromagnetic metallic materials can be successfully performed and usefully interpretated.
Artifacts* ; Humans ; Magnetic Fields ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Magnets ; Metals ; Orthopedics

This study was conducted to estimate the safety level of non-cooking and cooking processed foods to propose the sanitary management of foods donated to foodbanks. The time and temperature were measured and the microbial levels of aerobic plate counts (APC), coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella spp., S. aureus, B. cereus, and E. coli O157:H7 were analyzed on ten food items donated to seven foodbanks. The amount of cooked foods donated to each foodbank was about 10 to 40 servings. All foodbanks hired a supervisor and had at least one refrigerator/freezer and one temperature-controlled vehicle, but only four foodbanks had the separate offices to manage the foodbank operation. The flow of donated foods was gone through the steps; production, meal service and holding at donator, collection by foodbank, transport (or holding after transport) and distribution to recipients. After production, the levels of APC of both non-cooking and cooking processed foods were complied with the standards by Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development, and were not increased till distribution. Only the level of coliforms in dried squid & cucumber salad (1.5x10(3) CFU/g) was not met the standards. E. coli and other pathogens were not detected in all tested samples. The microbial levels of delivery vessels and work tables were satisfactory, but the APC levels of two of four tested serving tables (6.9x10(3) and 5.3x10(3) CFU/100cm2) and the coliforms level of one (1.1x10(3) CFU/100cm2) were over the standards. The air-borne microflora level in serving room was estimated as satisfactory. It took about 3.0 to 6.5 hours from after-production to distribution and the temperatures of donated foods were exposed mostly to temperature danger zone, which had a high potential of microbial growth. These results imply that a checklist to monitor time and temperature in each step should be provided and the employees involving foodbank operation should be properly educated to ensure the safety of donated foods.
Checklist ; Cooking ; Decapodiformes ; Education ; Meals ; Salmonella ; Staff Development

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*

Spinal epidural abscesses were evaluated using Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 19 surgically and clinically confirmed cases, including 13 with tuberculous spondylitis and 6 with pyogenic spondylitis. We observed rim enhancement patterns in 10 patients and diffuse enhancement patterns in 9 patients. The spread patterns were localized to ventral or dorsal epidural space and encircled entire epidural space. We conclude that rim enhancement indicates abscess and diffuse enhancement indicates granulation tissue and fibrosis. Tuberculous epidural abscess spreads to ventral epidural space and pyogenic epidural abscess encircles entire epidural space.
Abscess ; Epidural Abscess* ; Epidural Space ; Fibrosis ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spondylitis

The magnetic resonance images (MRI) of 30 patients with surgically or biochemically confirmed pituitary adenomas (20 macroadenomas, 10 microadenomas) were retrospectively evaluated. Ten patients had hyperprolactinemia, another eight had acromegaly, another eight had nonfunctioning adenoma and four had Cashing disease. The examination were performed at a 1.5-T superconducting MR system using a multisection spin-echo technique with 3mm-thick sections and a 256×224 matrix. TI weighted sagittal and coronal images were obtained before and within 30 minutes after the administration of Gd-DTPA (0.1mmol/kg). Analysis of the MRI was focused on the signal intensity and enhamcement patterns of the pituitary adenoma before and after Gd-DTPA administration. Compared with endocrinologic diagnosis, macroadenoma showed heterogeneous enhacement in 55%, rim enhancement in 35% and homogeneous enhancement in 10%, Conclusively, the enhancement patterns of the pituitary adenoma did not correlate with the subtypes made according to hormone production.
Acromegaly ; Adenoma ; Diagnosis ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*