• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.312-318
• /
• 2020

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the effects of long-term and short-term embryo culture to assess whether there is a correlation between culture duration and clinical outcomes. Methods: Embryos were divided into two study groups depending on whether their post-warming culture period was long-term (20-24 hours) or short-term (2-4 hours). Embryo morphology was analyzed with a time-lapse monitoring device to estimate the appropriate timing and parameters for evaluating embryos with high implantation potency in both groups. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust the confounding factors across groups. The grades of embryos and blastocoels, morphokinetic parameters, implantation rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate were compared. Results: No significant differences were observed in the implantation rate or ongoing pregnancy rate between the two groups (long-term culture group vs. short-term culture group: 56.3% vs. 67.9%, p=0.182; 47.3% vs. 53.6%, p=0.513). After warming, there were more expanded and hatching/hatched blastocysts in the long-term culture group than in the short-term culture group, but there was no significant between-group difference in embryo grade. Regarding pregnancy outcomes, the time to complete blastocyst re-expansion after warming is shorter in women who became pregnant than in those who did not in both culture groups (long-term: 2.19±0.63 vs. 4.11±0.81 hours, p=0.003; short-term: 1.17±0.29 vs. 1.94±0.76 hours, p=0.018, respectively). Conclusion: The outcomes of short-term culture and long-term culture were not significantly different in vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer. Regardless of the post-warming culture time, the degree of blastocyst re-expansion 3-4 hours after warming is an important marker for embryo selection.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.265-272
• /
• 2022

The emergence and dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), particularly the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2 (KPC-2) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, has been rapidly increasing worldwide and is becoming a serious public health threat. Since the epidemiology and characteristics of these KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae vary according to the region and period under consideration, this study investigated the prevalence of carbapenemases and the epidemiological relationship of 78 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) isolated from a tertiary hospital in Daejeon, from March 2017 to December 2020. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests were identified using the disk-diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequencing were used to determine the carbapenemase genes. In addition, molecular epidemiology was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Among the 78 CRKP isolates, 35 isolates (44.9%) were carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (CPKP) and the major carbapenemase type was KPC-2 (30 isolates, 85.7%). The New Delhi metallo-enzyme-1 (NDM-1) and NDM-5 were identified in 4 isolates (11.4%) and 1 isolate (2.9%), respectively. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis showed 10 sequence types (STs) and the most prevalent ST was ST307 (51.4%, 18/35). All the ST307 isolates were KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae and were multidrug-resistant (MDR). In addition, ST307 has gradually emerged during a four-year period. These findings indicate that continuous monitoring and proper infection control are needed to prevent the spread of KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae ST307.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.249-255
• /
• 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major public health concern and has been identified as a research priority. Clinical research evidence supports that the core cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for AD, including amyloid-β (Aβ42), total tau (T-tau), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau), reflect key elements of AD pathophysiology. Nevertheless, advances in the clinical identification of new indicators will be critical not only for the discovery of sensitive, specific, and reliable biomarkers of preclinical AD pathology, but also for the development of tests that facilitate the early detection and differential diagnosis of dementia and disease progression monitoring. The early detection of AD in its presymptomatic stages would represent a great opportunity for earlier therapeutic intervention. The chance of successful treatment would be increased since interventions would be performed before extensive synaptic damage and neuronal loss would have occurred. In this study, the importance of developing an early diagnostic method using cognitive decline biomarkers that can discriminate between normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD preclinical stages has been emphasized.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.469-490
• /
• 2023

Survey was carried out on the acoustic outputs from 12 shock wave fields produced by the 10 extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptors whose technical documents are available, among the 33 devices approved by the Ministry of Food & Drug Safety (MFDS).The results show that the acoustic outputs (P+, P-, efd, and E), critical to the therapeutic efficacy and the patient safety, are largely different between the devices. The maximum values of P+, P-, efd, and E vary up to 2.08, 3.72, 3.89, and 15.98 times, respectively. The acoustic output parameters are not thoroughly provided in the technical documents, and some of data (eg. efd) are suspected to be abnormal outside usual ranges. The large device to device differences in the shock wave outputs are likely to undermine equivalence between the ESWL devices approved for the same indication. To verify the reliability of the data in the technical documents of the approved devices and to confirm if the acoustic outputs from the devices in clinical use are the same as those in their technical documents, an authorized test laboratory should be available. A postapproval monitoring led by the regulatory agency is suggested to maintain the acoustic outputs from the ESWL devices that suffer from degrading in performance due to aging.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.55 no.2
• /
• pp.71-81
• /
• 2023

This study examined the transition process of clinical laboratory technologists' national examination and job definition in Korea and compared the differences in the national examination between Korea and neighboring countries, such as Japan and Taiwan. In Korea, the number of questions made for it was 200 (1965), 200 (1977), 300 (1982), 250 (1992), 330 (2006), and 280 (2015). The practice of clinical physiology is important for real-time monitoring, given the characteristics of physiological testing. On the other hand, there are conflicts between other occupations in the working area. Clinical molecular biology needs to be established as a new major subject considering the diagnostic importance of molecular biological tests and the speed of science and technology development. Clinical laboratory operations provide policy and guidance recommendations to technologist staff. The proposed clinical laboratory technologists' national examination comprises major subjects: clinical biochemistry, clinical hematology, clinical transfusionology, clinical immunology, clinical microbiology, clinical molecular biology, clinical histology, clinical cytology, clinical physiology, and clinical laboratory operations. In addition, this study proposes the job definition of clinical laboratory technologists, revising various chemical or physiological testing to biomedical or physiological testing required for medical practice.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2006

Early diagnosis and medical intervention are critical for the treatment of patients with metabolic disorders. A rapid analytical method was developed for simultaneous quantification of organic acids and amino acids in urine without labor-intensive pre-extraction procedure showing high sensitivity and specificity. A new method consisted of simple two-step trimethylsilyl (TMS)-trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatization using GC/MS-selective ion monitoring (SIM). Filter paper urine specimens were dried under nitrogen after being fortified with internal standard (tropate) in a mixture of distilled water and methanol. Methyl orange was added to the residue as indicator reagent. Silyl derivative of carboxylic functional group was followed by trifluoroacetyl derivative for amino functional group. N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl-trifluoroacetamide) and N-methyl-bistrifluoroacetamide were consecutively added and heated for 15-20 min at $65^{\circ}C-70^{\circ}C$, for TMS-TFA derivative, respectively. This reactant was analyzed by GC/MS-SIM. Linear dynamic range showed 0.001-50 mg with the detection limit of (S/N=3) 10-200 ng, and the quantification limit of 80-900 ng in urine. Correlation coefficient of regression line was 0.994-0.998. When the method was applied to the patients 'urine, it clearly differentiated the normal from the patient with metabolic disorder. The study showed that the developed method could be the method of choices in rapid and sensitive screening for organic aciduria and amino acidopathy.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 1995

Several studies showed that the immunological factors such as CD4+ cell number, CD4%, CD8+ cell number and CD4/CD8 ratio and the serological factors such as, ${\beta}^2$-microglobulin(${\beta}^2$-MG), neopterin, soluble CD4, and soluble CD8 are related to the risk of development of AIDS. Especially, the CD4+ cell counts have been used to monitor progresson of HIV disease, to stratify, and to follow patients in clinical trials. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDCP) in USA has made the CD4+ cell count as a part of the classification of HIV disease. It is composed of 3 categories such as 1, 2, and 3 which asr $\geq$ 500/$mm^3$, 200/$mm^{3} $\geq$ and < 500/$mm^3$, and < 200/$mm^3$, respectively. In this study, to estimate the differences of immunological factors between HIV-infected and normal human groups in Korea, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells, and the CD4/CD8 ratio were measured in 185 HIV-infected subjects and 140 healthy adult subjects. The lymphocyte subsets such as CD4+ T and CD8+ T were analysed by flow cytometer(FACStar) with two-color immunofluorescent stain using monoclonal antibodies such as anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 antibodies. The absolute numbers and percentages of CD4+ T and CD8+ T and the CD4/CD8 ratio of HIV infected persons were $462\pm{277}/mm^3$, $18.2\pm7.7%$, $1,170\pm{534}/mm^3$, $47.0\pm10.6%$ and $0,43\pm0.26 whereas those of uninfected persons were $886\pm{299}mm^3$, $32.9\pm{7.0%}, 730{\pm}259/mm^3$, $26.8\pm6.4%$ and $1.31\pm0.46$(P<0.01). In addition, estimating the reference values of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of Korean, the absolute numbers and percentages of CD4+ T and CD8+ T and the CD4/CD8 ratio of 140 healthy adults persons were measured and compared with those of foreigners. The reference ranges of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4％, CD8%, and the CD4/CD8 ratio and 1.31$\pm$0.46, respectively. The significant differences were not observed when compared with those of foreigners. However a little difference was observed in the percentages of CD4+ T and the absolute numbers of CD8+ T between the normal values of Korean and those of foreigners were $43.6\pm8.9%$, $560\pm{230}/mm^3$. This result can also be useful as a basic data for the treatment and surveillance of HIV-infected patients in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.74-81
• /
• 2016

Ureaplasma species can normally colonize in the bodies of healthy individuals. Their colonization is associated with various diseases including non-gonococcal urethritis, chorioamnionitis, neonatal meningitis, and prematurity. In 2012, the sum of the resistant and intermediate resistant rates of Ureaplasma spp. to ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin was 66.08% and 92.69%, respectively. DNA point mutations in the genes encoding DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II) and topoisomerase IV are commonly responsible for fluoroquinolone resistance. Each enzyme is composed of two subunits encoded by gyrA and gyrB genes for DNA gyrase and parC and parE genes for topoisomerase IV. In the current study, these genes were sequenced in order to determine the role of amino acid substitutions in Ureaplasma spp. clinical isolates. From December 2012 to May 2013, we examined mutation patterns of the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) in Ureaplasma spp. DNA sequences in the QRDR region of Ureaplasma clinical isolates were compared with those of reference strains including U. urealyticum serovar 8 (ATCC 27618) and U. parvum serovar 3 (ATCC 27815). Mutations were detected in all ofloxacin- and ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates, however no mutations were detected in drug-susceptible isolates. Most of the mutations related to fluoroquinolone resistance occurred in the parC gene, causing amino acid substitutions. Newly found amino acid substitutions in this study were Asn481Ser in GyrB; Phe149Leu, Asp150Met, Asp151Ile, and Ser152Val in ParC; and Pro446Ser and Arg448Lys in ParE. Continuous monitoring and accumulation of mutation data in fluoroquinolone-resistant Ureaplasma clinical isolates are essential to determining the tendency and to understanding the mechanisms underlying antimicrobial resistance.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.144-149
• /
• 2018

The eggs are incubated for 18 days through the generator and incubated in the developing incubator. During the developmental period, the weight loss of the fetus is correlated with the ventricular formation, and the proper ventricular formation is also associated with the healthy embryonic hatching and the egg hatching rate. However, in the incubator period of the domestic hatchery, it is a reality to acquire the resultant side by the Iranian standard weight measurement with the experience of the hatchery and the person concerned and the development period without the apparatus for measuring the present weight. As a result, prevalence of early mortality, hunger and illness during hatching are frequent. Monitoring the reduction of weaning weight is crucial to obtaining chick quality and hatching performance with weight changes within the development machine. Water loss is different depending on the size of eggs, egg shell, and elder group. We can expect to increase the hatching rate by measuring the weight change in real time and optimizing the ventilation change accordingly. There is a need to develop a real-time measurement system that can control 10 to 13% reduction of the total weight during hatching. The system through this study is a way to check the one - time directly when moving the existing egg, and it is impossible to control the measurement of the fetal water evaporation within the development period. Unlike systems that do not affect the hatching rate, four load cells are connected in parallel on the Arduino sketch board and the AT-command command is used to connect the mobile phone and computer in real time. The communication speed of Bluetooth was set to 15200 to match the communication speed of Arduino and Hyper-terminal program. The real - time monitoring system was designed to visually check the change of the weight of the fetus in the artificial incubator. In this way, we aimed to improve the hatching rate and health condition of the hatching eggs.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.259-267
• /
• 2003

In vivo $^1$H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 4.7 T was applied to investigate the cerebral metabolite changes of mice brain before and after experimental brain trauma. In vivo $^1$H MR spectra were acquired from a voxel covering right parietal cortex in normal brain, used as control subjects. After experimental brain trauma using the fluid percussion injury (FPI) method, $^1$H MR spectra were acquired from the same lesion three days after trauma. Metabolite ratios of the injured lesion were compared to those of controls. After trauma, N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) ratio, as a neuronal marker was decreased significantly versus controls, indicating neuronal loss. The ratio of NAA/Cr in traumatic brain contusion was 0.90$\pm$0.11, while that in normal control subjects was 1.13$\pm$0.12 (P=0.001). Choline (Cho)/Cr ratio had a tendency to rise in experimental brain contusion (P=0.02). Cho/Cr ratio after trauma was 0.91$\pm$0.17 while that before traumas was 0.76$\pm$0.15. Cho/Cr ratio was increased and this might indicate a inflammatory activity. However, no significant difference of [(glutamate＋glutamine) (Glx)]/Cr was established between experimental traumatic brain injury models and normal controls. Lactate (Lac)/Cr ratio was appeared as a sign of shifted posttraumatic energy metabolism and increased versus controls. These findings strongly suggest that in vivo $^1$H MRS may be a useful modality for clinical evaluation of traumatic contusion and could aid in better understanding the neuropathologic process of traumatic contusion induced by FPI. In the present study, in vivo $^1$H MRS was proved to be a useful non-invasive method for in vivo diagnosis and monitoring of posttraumatic metabolism in models of brain contusion.