• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2004

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess toxicities of cryoprotectants. Methods: Toxicities of two cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 1, 2-propanediol (PROH), were investigated using a murine embryo model. Female F-1 mice were stimulated with gonadotropin, induced ovulation with hCG and mated. Two cell embryos were collected and cultured after exposure to either DMSO or PROH. Embryo development was evaluated up to the blastocyst stage. Blastocysts were stained with bis-benzimide to evaluate the cell count and with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick labeling (TUNEL) to assess apoptosis. Results: The total cell count of blastocysts that were treated with DMSO at the 2-cell stage was significantly lower than that were treated with PROH ($75.9{\pm}27.0$) or the control ($99.0{\pm}18.3$) (p<0.001). On comparison of two cryoprotectant treated groups, the DMSO treated group showed a decreased cell count compared with the PROH treated group (p<0.05). Both DMSO ($14.2{\pm}1.5$) and PROH ($11.2{\pm}1.4$) treated groups showed higher apoptosis rates of cells in the blastocyst compared with the control ($6.2{\pm}0.9$, p<0.0001). In addition, the DMSO treated group showed more apoptotic cells than the PROH treated group (p<0.001). Conclusions: The potential toxicity of cryoprotectants was uncovered by prolonged exposure of murine embryos to either DMSO or PROH at room temperature. When comparing two cryoprotective agents, PROH appeared to be less toxic than DMSO at least in a murine embryo model.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.129-141
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• 2007

Objectives : Empathy has been conceptualized as the ability of emotional resonance and perspective-taking. Emotional awareness has been proposed as the basis of empathy. In this study we examined the relationship between empathy and mood awareness and their neural correlates in resting-state activity in normal controls and patients with schizophrenia. Methods : Empathy and mood awareness scale scores were compared between 29 patients with schizophrenia and 21 normal controls by voxel-based t-tests and voxel-based correlation analyses of resting-state $^{18}F$-FDG PET images. Results : Empathy and mood labeling scale scores were significantly decreased in schizophrenic patients. Mood monitoring was positively correlated with empathy score in normal controls, but not in schizophrenic patients. In normal controls, empathy was positively correlated with resting-state activities in the intraparietal sulcus and mood monitoring was positively correlated with the temporal pole, frontopolar cortex, inferior temporal gyrus, entorhinal cortex and the subgenual prefrontal cortex resting activities. The orbitofrontal cortex resting activity was positively correlated with mood monitoring-related subgenual prefrontal cortex activity in the normal controls. Patients with schizophrenia showed decreased orbitofrontal resting activity and loss of its correlations with mood monitoring-related regional activities. Conclusion : This study showed that alteration in the resting-state activity in schizophrenia may reflect dysfunctional empathy and distorted characteristic of emotional awareness. However, the resting-state activity may not reflect the relationship between emotional awareness and empathy.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2008

Purpose: To assess the effect of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery on hemodynamic improvement, we evaluated serial regional cerebral hemodynamic change of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in symptomatic patients with atherosclerotic occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) or MCA using $^{99m}Tc$-ECD acetazolamide stress brain perfusion SPECT (Acetazolamide SPECT). Materials and Methods: The patients who had suffered a recent stroke with atherosclerotic ICA or MCA occlusion underwent EC-IC bypass surgery and Acetazolamide SPECT at 1 week before and three to six months after surgery. For image analysis, attenuation corrected images were spatially normalized to SPECT templates with SPM2. Anatomical automated labeling was applied to calculate mean counts of each Volume-Of-Interest (VOI). Seven VOIs of bilateral frontal, parietal, temporal regions of the MCA territory and the ipsilateral cerebellum were defined. Using mean counts of 7 VOIs, cerebral perfusion index and perfusion reserve index were calculated. Results: Seventeen patients (M:F =12:5, mean age $53{\pm}2yr$) were finally included in the analysis. The cerebral blood flow of the parietal region increased at 1 week (p = 0.003) and decreased to the preoperative level at 3-6 months (p = 0.003). The cerebrovascular reserve of the frontal and parietal regions increased significantly at 1 week after surgery (p<0.01) and improved further at 3-6 months. Conclusion: Cerebrovascular reserve of the MCA territory was significantly improved at early postoperative period after EC-IC bypass and kept improved state during long-term follow-up, although cerebral blood flow did not significantly improved. Therefore, cerebrovascular reserve may be a good indicator of postoperative hemodynamic improvement resulted from bypass effect.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.589-600
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• 2007

Recently, with the rapid expansion of the franchise restaurants, ensuring food safety has become essential for restaurant growth. Consequently, the need for food safety training and related material is in increasing demand. In this study, we identified potentially hazardous risk factors for ensuring food safety in restaurants through a food safety monitoring tool, and developed training materials for restaurant employees based on the results. The surveyed restaurants, consisting of 6 Korean restaurants and 1 Japanese restaurant were located in Seoul. Their average check was 15,500 won, ranging from 9,000 to 23,000 won. The range of their total space was 297.5 to $1322.4m^2$, and the amount of kitchen space per total area ranged from 4.4 to 30 percent. The mean score for food safety management performance was 57 out of 100 points, with a range of 51 to 73 points. For risk factor analysis, the most frequently cited sanitary violations involved the handwashing methods/handwashing facilities supplies (7.5%), receiving activities (7.5%), checking and recording of frozen/refrigerated foods temperature (0%), holding foods off the floor (0%), washing of fruits and vegetables (42%), planning and supervising facility cleaning and maintaining programs of facilities (50%), pest control (13%), and toilet equipped/cleaned (13%). Base on these results, the main points that were addressed in the hygiene training of restaurant employees included 4 principles and 8 concepts. The four principles consisted of personal hygiene, prevention of food contamination, time/temperature control, and refrigerator storage. The eight concepts included: (1) personal hygiene and cleanliness with proper handwashing, (2) approved food source and receiving management (3) refrigerator and freezer control, (4) storage management, (5) labeling, (6) prevention of food contamination, (7) cooking and reheating control, and (8) cleaning, sanitation, and plumbing control. Finally, a hygiene training manual and poster leaflets were developed as a food safety training materials for restaurants employees.