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Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are an in vitro model system for the study of human early development and a potential source for cell-based therapies. An efficient strategy for cellular manipulation of hESCs may be highly valuable for the analysis of gene function involved in human embryogenesis and the development of cell-based therapies via induced differentiation into particular cell types. However, plasmid transfection of hESCs has low efficiency and viral transduction may not be the method of choice for cell-based therapies due to genome integration. To overcome these limitations, we applied protein transduction technology that can transfer proteins into cells via direct penetration across the lipid bilayer. Here, we show that the FITC dye fused to the TAT protein transduction domain (PTD) was efficiently transferred into hESCs. In addition, the PDX1 transcription factor, which plays a central role in pancreatic development, was transferred into hESCs as a fusion form of TAT PTD. The transduced TAT-PDX1 activated its downstream target genes and induced insulin protein production in hESCs. These results demonstrate that protein transduction could be used in the cellular manipulation of hESCs and would provide a significant breakthrough for basic and therapeutic research in hESCs.

BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a pivotal role in the development of endometriosis. This study was performed to investigate whether the VEGF gene 5’-untranslated region polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to advanced stage endometriosis. METHODS: This study comprised 215 women with advanced stage endometriosis, 219 control women without endometriosis, and 70 fertile women. Following extraction of genomic DNA, genotyping of the −460 C/T and +405 C/G polymorphisms of the VEGF gene were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. RESULTS: The distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies of the −460 C/T polymorphism in the endometriosis group did not differ from those in the control group and the fertile women group. However, genotype distribution of the +405 C/G polymorphism was significantly different between patients with and without endometriosis (P = 0.01) and between patients with endometriosis and the fertile women (P = 0.02). Patients with endometriosis showed a higher incidence of the +405 CC genotype compared with the controls and the fertile women (P = 0.007 and 0.016 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the VEGF +405 C/G polymorphism may be associated with the risk of advanced stage endometriosis in the Korean population.

Aim: To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, ganirelix (Orgalutran), treatment in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in Korean women. Methods: This was a non-comparative, open-label, single-center trial carried out on 31 infertile Korean women. A daily dose of 0.25 mg of the GnRH antagonist, ganirelix, was given, beginning on the sixth day of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment. If the ovarian response was low, ganirelix treatment was delayed until the leading follicle reached a mean diameter of 14 mm. The ganirelix treatment was continued until the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection. Descriptive statistics were recorded for all parameters. Results: The median duration of ganirelix treatment was 4 days (range: 2–6 days) and the median total recombinant FSH dose was 1350 IU (900–2350 IU). During ganirelix treatment, the incidence of luteinizing hormone (LH) rises (LH = 10 IU/L) was 3.2% (one of 31 cases). On the day ovulation was triggered by hCG, the mean number of follicles ≥11 mm in diameter was 12.4 ± 4.5, and the median of serum estradiol concentration was 4289.9 (1893.7–8268.5) pmol/L. The mean number of oocytes per retrieval was 10.9 ± 6.1. The fertilization rate was 61.5%, and the mean number of replaced embryos was 2.8 ± 0.6. The mean implantation rate was 10.0%, and the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer was 23.3% (seven of 30 cases) and the ongoing pregnancy rate per transfer was 20.0% (six of 30 cases). Conclusion: The results of the present study support ganirelix as a safe, short, convenient and effective treatment for patients undergoing COH for IVF in Korean women.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on oxidative DNA damage in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Eighty-one postmenopausal women who received HRT were recruited, and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were measured in the urine and compared with those of age-matched control (n=40). The HRT group received either conjugate estrogens or tibolone. Clinical characteristics and urinary 8-OHdG levels were correlated and compared between the two groups. Results: The urinary level of 8-OHdG was lower in the HRT group, compared to controls, with a borderline significance (7.13 ±3.58 ug/g creatinine vs. 9.32 ± 7.29 μg/g creatinine, p=0.079) (mean ± S.D.). There was no significant difference in urinary 8-OHdG levels among different HRT duration subgroups. After correcting for age, HRT showed a significant effect on the urinary level of 8-OHdG, and the HRT group showed a lower urinary level of 8-OHdG, compared to controls (p = 0.029). Conclusion: Post-menopausal women receiving HRT may have a lower level of DNA oxidative damage than those not receiving HRT. Further larger-scale, prospective controlled investigations are necessary to confirm these results.

We investigated the method of joining silicon nitride having on its surface a thin layer of active silicon metal to carbon steel. The active silicon layer is formed through the thermal dissociation of silicon nitride (Si3N4) into silicon (Si) and nitrogen gas (N2). The active silicon layer is directly joined to carbon steel via an induced eutectic melting reaction between the silicon and iron (Fe) found in carbon steel, or via brazing of two materials using general brazing metal such as Ag-Cu alloys. This joining process does not require the use of expensive active brazing alloys such as Ag-Cu-Ti alloys or a sputtering method designed to coat the active metals on surface of silicon nitride.

Gelcasting has been expected as a promising approach to prepare near-net-shaped ceramic products. The preparation of highly concentrated gelcasting slip is one of key point in this process. The rheological behavior of concentrated silicon nitride gelcasting slip was investigated with the structure effect of polymeric dispersant and the ratio of dispersant to acrylamide monomer in order to prepare highly concentrated gelcasting slip. The slip was prepared by ball milling of silicon nitride batch composed of acrylamide monomer and polymeric dispersant after premixing them by an attritor. The slip mixed with initiator will be deaired in vacuum and cast into molds, and then polymerized. The consolidated green body will be obtained by drying the gelated slip. The polymeric dispersants with different kinds of polyelectrolyte were poly(methylmetacrylic ammonium salt), poly(acrylic ammonium salt), and poly(acrylic amine salt). Before the polymerization of gelcasting slip, the viscosity vs. shear rate was measured to evaluate the rheological behavior of the slip. In case of using the polyacrylic amine salt (PAAm), the high solid loading of silicon nitride slip was obtained up to 47vol% with a low viscosity.

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibres were synthesized using a biocatalyst (recombinant Coprinus cinereus peroxidase) instead of toxic chemical oxidants. Relatively uniform nanofibres with 50?100?nm diameter were easily obtained with this method, and the doping state of the PANI nanofibre could be controlled either with 1N camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) or with 30% NH4OH. Doped (or dedoped) PANI nanofibres were deposited on pre-patterned Au electrodes for electrical characterization. Completely dedoped PANI behaves as an insulator, while a larger current, by more than four?orders of magnitude, was observed from doped PANI nanofibres. A?weak p-type gate effect was observed for PANI nanofibre devices as well. As one could expect from the easy doping nature of PANI, PANI nanofibre devices show high sensitivity toward dedoping (NH3) gases, thereby demonstrating the possibility of using enzyme-synthesized PANI nanofibre devices as sensitive chemical sensors.

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to compare spindle locations and their developmental competencies both in vivo and in vitro in matured mouse oocytes. Spindle locations were identified using a polscope. Since meiotic spindles in living oocytes are highly birefringent, their structures can be viewed non-invasively by using a polscope. METHODS: In vivo matured metaphase II oocytes were collected from the oviducts of mice. Immature oocytes were collected from mouse ovaries, and then cultured in YS medium until the first polar body (PB) extrusion. In vitro and in vivo matured oocytes were classified into four categories according to their spindle positions relative to the first PB (0 degrees , 0-90 degrees , 90-180 degrees and without a spindle image), and rates of fertilization and blastocyst formation were assessed. In vivo matured oocytes with a 0 degrees spindle disposition relative to PB were cultured in vitro for 24 h, and then their spindle positions were re-assessed. RESULTS: Most in vivo matured oocytes (89.1%) had a 0 degrees spindle position. Only 6 and 3% of oocytes had spindle positions of 0-90 degrees and 90-180 degrees , respectively. No spindle image was observed in 2%. However, most in vitro matured oocytes (83.1%) had a 0-90 degrees spindle position and, in contrast, only 6.5% of these oocytes had a 0 degrees spindle position. The rate of fertilization and blastocyst rate were significantly higher for in vivo matured oocytes than in vitro matured oocytes (87.1 versus 64.9% and 76.1% versus 66.0%, respectively, P

Background: Present human data reveal that gonadotropin stimulation for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is detrimental to uterine receptivity. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is important in the early stage of mouse embryonic implantation since it is expressed in the murine endometrium before the attachment reaction. Gonadotropin receptors have been found on the murine endometrium. In this study, we assessed the expression of HB-EGF mRNA on the gonadotropin-stimulated murine endometrium and sought evidence of whether the gonadotropin-induced, altered uterine receptivity is associated with a change in the HB-EGF expression. Methods: Quantitative, competitive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the expression of HB-EGF mRNA on the stimulated murine endometrium from pregnant uteri of gestation day (g.d.) 5.0 after injection of saline, or pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) 5 or 10 IU. Results: The expression of HB-EGF mRNA showed no significant increase or decrease in the endometrial expression in PMSG groups, compared to the control group (natural coitus with saline injection), on g.d. 5.0. This finding was consistent with the immunostaining of HB-EGF protein, and there was no significant difference in the staining intensity among the 3 groups. Conclusion: This study reveals that ovarian stimulation by gonadotropin may not influence the expression of HB-EGF in the murine endometrium. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate whether embryonic HB-EGF receptor status relative to endometrial HB-EGF expression is affected by ovarian stimulation.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between the α 2-Heremans Schmidt glycoprotein (AHSG) gene polymorphism and endometriosis. Design Case-control study. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea. Patient(s) Seventy-nine women with endometriosis and 105 women without endometriosis. Intervention(s) Determination of AHSG gene polymorphism. Main outcome measure(s) Prevalence of AHSG genotypes or alleles. Result(s) The allele frequencies of AHSG 1 and AHSG 2 were found to be 0.69 and 0.31, respectively. The proportion of noncarriers of the AHSG 2 allele was significantly higher in women with endometriosis than in women without (55.7% vs. 39.0%). Women not carrying the AHSG 2 allele were found to have twice the risk of endometriosis than those carrying at least one copy of this allele. No significant difference was noted in the distribution of the AHSG alleles or AHSG genotypes between early stage endometriosis and late stage endometriosis. Conclusion(s) Endometriosis is associated with the AHSG gene polymorphism in Korean women.

We have carried out the first-principle electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory on InTaO4 in various states, such as pristine, oxygen vacancy, and Ni-doped states. We have found that oxygen vacancy can induce the gap states and Ni-doping can narrow the band gap by generating additional states on the top of the valence band as well as on the top of the gap states. From our calculated results, we have shown that oxygen vacancy can do a crucial role to generate gap states which let InTaO4 absorb the visible light.

The atomic structure of amorphous Al 2 O 3 has been determined using a molecular dynamics simulation. The local electronic structures of the simulated amorphous structure and of the crystalline structure of Al 2 O 3 were investigated using first principle cluster calculations. The calculated partial densities of states for the two structures are compared with their photoelectron spectra. We find that there is a local oxygen deficiency around Al atoms in amorphous Al 2 O 3 , which results in a different local electronic structure in amorphous Al 2 O 3 . We also show with our calculations and photoelectron spectroscopy that Al 2 O 3 thin films have both crystalline and amorphous properties.

Co 1-x Ni x Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were prepared by a coprecipitation method. The effects of precipitants and Co/Ni ratio on particle shape and magnetic properties of Co 1-x Ni x Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were investigated. The physical properties such as particle size, phase, and magnetic properties of Co 1-x Ni x Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles depended largely on the Co/Ni ratio and precipitant as well as heat-treatment. In case of using NaOH as a precipitant, the synthesized nanoparticles were magnetite phase including a small part of impurity which is needle shaped and non-magnetic material. On the other hand, the nanoparticles synthesized by NH 4 OH precipitant were amorphous phase. The coercive force of the nanoparticles was increased drastically with increasing heat-treatment temperature in the range of 400-600 °C. The high coercive force of magnetic nanoparticles with the size of 20-30 nm was obtained up to 1450-1800 Oe.

This paper presents an efficient algorithm for the estimation of damage location and severity in bridge structures using Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN). Generally, the Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN)-based damage detection methods need a lot of training patterns for neural network learning process and the optimum architecture of a BPNN is selected by trial and error. In this paper, the PNN instead of the conventional BPNN is used as a pattern classifier. The modal properties of damaged structure are somewhat different from those of undamaged one. The basic idea of proposed algorithm is that the PNN classifies a test pattern which consists of the modal characteristics from damaged structure, how close it is to each training pattern which is composed of the modal characteristics from various structural damage cases. In this algorithm, two PNNs are sequentially used. The first PNN estimates the damage location using mode shape and the results of the first PNN are put into the second PNN for the damage severity estimation using natural frequency. The proposed damage assessment algorithm using the PNN is applied to a cable-stayed bridge to verify its applicability.

The bridge piers under service suffered a brittle failure due to the deterioration of lap-spliced longitudinal reinforcement without developing its flexural capacity or ductility. The earthquake induced lateral force results in tension which causes bond-slip failure at the lap-spliced region in circular bridge piers. In this case, such a brittle failure can be controlled by the seismic retrofit using FRP laminated circular tube. The retrofitted piers using FRP laminated circular tube showed significant improvement in seismic performance due to FRP's confinement effect. This paper presents the analytical results on the seismic strengthening effect of circular bridge piers with poor lap-splice details and strengthened with FRP laminated circular tube. FRP's confinement effect is predicted by the classical elasticity solution for the laminated circular tube manufactured with several layers. The FRP laminated circular tube induces the flexural failure instead of a bond-slip failure of the circular reinforced concrete piers under seismic induced lateral forces. To investigate the correctness and effectiveness of analytical solution derived in this study, the analytical results were compared with the experimental data and it was confirmed that the results were correlated well each other, The effects on the confinement of FRP laminated circular tube, such as the number of layers, the fiber orientations, and the mechanical properties, were investigated. From the parametric study, it was found that the number of layers, the fiber orientations, and the major Young's modulus (E11) of the FRP laminated circular tube were the dominant parameters affecting the confinement of reinforced concrete circular bridge piers.

Nowadays, reliability-based methods have been widely used for the safety and capacity rating of deteriorated and/or damaged bridges. This paper is intended to suggest practical reliability-based assessment models and methods for the safety assessment and capacity rating of various kinds of actual existing bridges. And the application of recently developed a new approach, called equivalent system-strength, for reliability-based capacity rating is illustrated using the data obtained from actual bridges. This paper also summarizes various approaches to reliability-based safety assessment and capacity rating, and investigates their application to various existing aged bridges. It will be systematically shown that the proposed bridge reliability models and methods could be effectively used in practice for the safety assessment and capacity rating of existing old bridges in conjunction with static and dynamic field load tests, nondestructive tests, and visual inspections.

The electronic structure of chromium aluminum oxynitride has been investigated using resonant photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) and the discrete variational (DV)-Xα method. The RPES measurement of the electronic structure around the Cr 2p3/2 absorption edges exhibited significant resonant interference behavior for Cr 3d valence electrons, whereas it exhibited small resonant interference behavior for N 2p valence electrons. Therefore this RPES method can be useful for analyzing the valence band of chromium aluminum oxynitride film. The top of the valence band predominantly consists of Cr 3d and a small amount of N 2p. The difference between the measured photoemission spectra of the valence band and the DV-Xα calculation of chromium aluminum oxynitride ranges from 0.47 to 3.62 eV. This difference is probaly caused by the Coulomb interactions between the d electrons of chromium and the structure of the amorphous film. Through the experimental and theoretical studies, the valence band structure of chromium aluminum oxynitride came to be understand in detail.

Objectives The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene haplotypes on bone mineral density (BMD). Study design The VDR Bsm I, Apa I, Taq I, and poly(A) polymorphisms were analyzed in 417 postmenopausal Korean women. Serum 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D 3 , osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, and CrossLaps were measured by immunoradiometric assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. BMD at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results At all skeletal sites, genotypes not carrying the baTL haplotype allele (uppercase letters signifying the absence, lowercase letters the presence, of the restriction site, and L a repeat length of more than 17) had significantly lower BMD than baTL homozygotes. The former genotypes were more prevalent in women with low bone mass than in healthy women. No significant differences in vitamin D 3 or bone markers levels were noted among the baTL haplotype genotypes. Conclusion The VDR baTL haplotype allele is related to bone mass in Korean women.

Aim: A prospective, non-comparative study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of a starting dose of 100 IU recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rhFSH, Puregon®) in women undergoing ovarian stimulation prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods: A total of 40 women were down-regulated with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (long protocol), then treated with a fixed dose of 100 IU rhFSH for the first 4 days, and the dose of gonadotropin administration was adjusted according to patient's response thereafter. A maximum number of 3 embryos were transferred in 32 patients. Results: Nine patients were treated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and 24 with conventional IVF. The duration of stimulation was 10.8 ± 1.8 days, serum estradiol concentration on human chorionic gonadotropin day was 1693.0 ± 1651.2 pg/mL, and 1480 ± 450 IU rhFSH was used. A mean number of 8.4 ± 5.7 oocytes were retrieved, 4.9 ± 4.3 embryos obtained, 2.4 ± 0.9 embryos transferred, and 3.5 ± 3.2 embryos cryopreserved. The proportion of mature oocytes was 71.6%, and the fertilization rate was 86.4%. Clinical pregnancy was achieved in 8 patients (25.0%), and all of these pregnancies are ongoing or delivered. There were 3 cases of twin gestations (37.5%). The implantation rate was 13.1% (11/84). There was one case of moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, however, the patient recovered within 7 days without any complications. Conclusion: The starting dose of 100 IU rhFSH has a good safety profile, and is adequate in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF with a small amount of gonadotropin administered.

A high-speed intra-panel interface with an enhanced reduced voltage differential signaling (eRVDS) scheme is implemented in a 0.18-μm high-voltage CMOS process for the chip-on-glass (COG) TFT-LCD applications. The proposed interface employs the zero-adjustable equalizer to enhance the maximum data rate, the early charge sharing scheme to improve the interface data transfer efficiency, and dynamic biasing technique to reduce a power consumption of the output buffers. Measured result demonstrates the maximum data rate of 1.4 Gbps from a 1.8-V supply voltage with a WQXGA 60-Hz COG TFT-LCD prototype panel.

Metallic ruthenium films were prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using a new precursor named (η6-benzene)(η4-1,3-cyclohexadiene)ruthenium (Ru(C6H6)(C6H8)) in Ar atmosphere, and the absolute composition and electrical properties were investigated. The absolute composition including hydrogen was determined by means of the elastic recoil detection time of flight (ERD-TOF). It was found that carbon contents in the films markedly decreased when tetrahydrofuran (THF) was supplied with the precursor during deposition. The variation in carbon content could be interpreted by the formation of hydrocarbon compounds as well as the formation of carbon oxide, resulting from the reaction between carbon and THF. In particular, Ru films contained hydrogen that originated in the hydrogen atoms in the precursor and was involved in the CVD process due to the catalytic effect of ruthenium on hydrocarbon and hydrogen. It was shown that grain size, among several other factors strongly affected the electrical properties of ruthenium films.

It has long been known that endometrial regeneration and proliferation is regulated by sex steroids, cytokines and various growth factors. The mechanisms responsible for such organized growth are still under investigation. Human chorionic gonadotropin/luteinizing hormone (hCG/LH) receptors have been found to be localized in human endometrium by immunocytochemistry. Gonadotropins have been widely used for hyperstimulation during in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures; however, the direct effect of gonadotropin on the endometrium has not been adequately investigated yet. This study attempted to define the effect of gonadotropins on the proliferation of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. Human endometrial stromal cells were obtained from hysterectomy specimens and cultured in serum-containing media for up to 72 h. The effects of adding 7.5, 15, 30, 150 mIU/ml of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 mIU/ml of hCG on cumulative [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation in endometrial stromal cells were assessed. This study demonstrated that FSH and hMG induced significant inhibition in [(3)H]-thymidine uptake at all concentrations, respectively (P

We use a first-principles discrete variational (DV)-Xα method to investigate the electronic structure of chromium aluminum oxynitride. When nitrogen is substituted for oxygen in the Cr–Al–O system, the N2p level appears in the energy range between O2p and Cr3d levels. Consequently, the valence band of chromium aluminum oxynitride becomes broader and the band gap becomes smaller than that of chromium aluminum oxide, which is consistent with the photoelectron spectra for the valence band using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). We expect that this valence band structure of chromium aluminum oxynitride will modify the transmittance slope which is a requirement for photomask application.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic significance of apoptosis in granulosa cells recovered from patients participating in IVF–ET. Methods: Seventy-three women underwent ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF and embryo transfer. After follicle aspiration, recovered granulosa cells were stained by BCL2 monoclonal antibody with FITC and propidium iodide (PI). Fluorescence was detected by flowcytometry, then the apoptotic index (AI) and BCL2 positivity were assessed. Results: The pregnant group showed a significantly lower apoptotic index in granulosa cells compared with the nonpregnant group (p < 0.0001). Patient's age, basal serum FSH concentration, serum E2 concentrations at hCG day, number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rates, number of embryos transferred, and BCL2 positivity were not different between the two groups. Linear regression analysis of AI to serum basal FSH showed a positive correlation. AI in granulosa cells of 6.14% or below could predict a successful pregnancy with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 73.7%. Conclusion: Our results indicate that apoptotic analysis within granulosa cells can be used as a prognostic indicator for IVF success.

Objective We studied the association between sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and several clinical in vitro fertilization outcomes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 169 consecutive fresh IVF cycles. Semen was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval, and we assessed standard semen parameters and the SDF level (by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling). Poor ovarian response (POR) was defined as the collection of three or fewer mature oocytes. Oocytes were inseminated by the conventional method or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Results SDF did not affect the fertilization or pregnancy rate, but did have a significant effect on the miscarriage rate. In the miscarriage group (n=10), the SDF level was significantly higher (23.9% vs. 14.1%) and number of mature oocytes was significantly lower (4.3 vs. 7.6) than in the live birth group (n=45). Multiple regression analysis showed that SDF was an independent predictor of miscarriage (odds ratio, 1.051; 95% confidence interval, 1.001-1.104). The cutoffs for the SDF level and number of mature oocytes that could predict miscarriage were >13% and ≤3, respectively. In the low-SDF group (≤13%), the miscarriage rate was similar in POR patients and those with a normal ovarian response (NOR; 14.2% vs. 4.3%). In the high-SDF group (>13%), the miscarriage rate was significantly higher in the POR group than in the NOR group (60.0% vs. 13.3%, p=0.045). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that a high SDF level (>13%) was associated with a high miscarriage rate, and that it mainly contributed to miscarriage in the POR group. The results suggest that SDF measurements should be considered in couples with POR in order to predict the prognosis of the pregnancy.

Gallbladder (GB) cancer is asymptomatic in nature, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. The lymph node status is the strongest predictor of long-term survival for patients with GB cancer, and a complete removal of regional lymph nodes is important for patients undergoing radical resection of GB cancer. Unfortunately, lymph node metastases are common in the early stages of GB cancer. However, there have only been a few cases describing the symptoms or complications of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with GB cancer. Although hemoperitoneum caused by metastatic lymph nodes can occur with several cancers, it is very rare. To the best of our knowledge, hemoperitoneum from spontaneous ruptures of metastatic lymph nodes with GB cancer has not yet been reported. Herein, we describe such a case in a patient newly diagnosed with GB cancer.

This study evaluated the effects of combination treatment with alendronate (ALEN) and hormone therapy (HT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. This multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial enrolled 344 postmenopausal women with low BMD. The women received HT (0.625 mg/day of conjugated equine estrogen and 2.5 mg/day of medroxyprogesterone acetate) alone or in combination with ALEN (10 mg/day) for 1 year. Changes in BMD and biochemical markers of bone turnover were evaluated. Data from 203 women (HT alone, 99; combination treatment, 104) who completed this study were analyzed. BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip increased significantly in both treatment groups after 1 year. There were no significant differences between HT alone vs. the combination of ALEN and HT in mean BMD increase at the lumbar spine (6.9% vs. 7.9%) and total hip (3.7% vs. 3.8%). Combined therapy suppressed serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline to a greater extent than HT alone. In conclusion, compared to HT alone, combination treatment with ALEN and HT for 1 year did not offer a benefit in BMD in postmenopausal Korean women with low BMD., Graphical Abstract

Objective This study was designed to report the status of assisted reproductive technology (ART) therapy in South Korea between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Methods A localized online survey, originally developed by the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies, was first launched and provided to all available ART centers via email in 2015. Fresh embryo transfer (FET) cases were categorized as standard in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), or half-ICSI. Thawed embryo transfer (TET) and other related procedures, including surgical sperm retrieval, were surveyed. Results Data from 33,956 ovum pick-up procedures were provided by 75 clinics in 2012. Of the 33,088 cycles in which ovums were retrieved, a complete transfer was performed in 90.5% (29,932 cycles). In addition, 10,079 FET cycles were confirmed to have resulted in clinical pregnancy, representing a pregnancy rate of 30.5% per ovum pick-up and 33.7% per ET. The most common number of embryos transferred in FET was 2 (41.6%), followed by 3 (34.0%), and non-elective single ETs (10.0%). Of the 10,404 TET cycles in which transfer was completed, 3,760 clinical pregnancies (36.1%) were confirmed by ultrasonography. Conclusion The overall clinical pregnancy rate for FET and TET cycles in 2012 was higher than in 2011 (33.7% vs. 33.2% and 36.1% vs. 31.1%, respectively). The most common number of embryos transferred in FET cycles was 2, unlike in 2011.

The balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis is an essential part in early pregnancy. Mutations in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene lead to decreased activity of the enzyme and hyperhomocysteinemia, which then induces platelet aggregation by promoting endothelial oxidative damage, possibly resulting in adverse effect on maintenance of pregnancy. We investigated the role of MTHFR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), C677T and A1298C, in Korean patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We conducted a prospective case-control study in the Korean population. Subjects included 302 women with 2 or more consecutive, unexplained, spontaneous miscarriages before 20 weeks of gestation and 315 control women without a history of recurrent miscarriages. The genotyping for C677T and A1298C polymorphisms was performed using the TaqMan assay. Continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test, and χ2 test was used to evaluate differences in the genotype distributions between the RPL and the controls. The genotype distribution of both polymorphisms in the RPL group did not differ from those of the controls. For further analysis, if RPL patients were divided according to the numbers of pregnancy losses (≥ 2 and ≥ 3) neither group was significantly different compared with controls. MTHFR gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms are not associated with idiopathic RPL in Korean women, suggesting that those may not be susceptible allelic variants or be deficient to cause RPL., Graphical Abstract

Objective To compare the in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes between women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) after endometrioma operation and women with DOR without ovarian surgery. Methods This retrospective case-control study included 124 women aged under 40 and had DOR (serum anti-Müllerian hormone level

Objectives: Since it has been suggested that intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) might impair the early development of embryos and twin pregnancies have physiologically different aspects from singleton pregnancies, we aimed to investigate the effect of ICSI on the human chrionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in twin pregnancies. Methods: A total of 220 clinical pregnancies which underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and in vitro fertilization/ICSI were analyzed retrospectively. Results: In twin pregnancies, the mean number of retrieved oocytes and estradiol (E2) levels on hCG day were significantly higher in ICSI group in spite of lower dose of gonadotropin. The hCG levels according to insemination method did not demonstrate any difference after adjustment for age of patient and partner, BMI, treatment regimens, serum E2 on hCG day, number of oocytes retrieved and date of sampling. Conclusions: The hCG values according to fertilization methods were not significantly different both in twin pregnanc...

The objective of this study was to compare the temporal expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms, Pax7, and myogenic regulatory factors (MRF) between heavy weight (HW) and random bred control (RBC) Japanese quail lines during muscle development to better understand the mechanisms leading to increased skeletal muscle mass in the HW quail line selected for a greater BW at 4 wk of age separated from RBC quail. Expression of neonatal MyHC isoform began at 3 and 7 d posthatch in RBC and HW quail lines, respectively. In the RBC quail line, adult MyHC isoform, as a marker for muscle maturation, was expressed at 28 d posthatch with sustained expression through 75 d posthatch, whereas this protein was detected only at 75 d posthatch in the HW quail line. Moreover, Pax7 expression continued from embryonic ages to 14 d posthatch in the HW quail line and to 7 d posthatch in the RBC quail line. These expression patterns of MyHC isoforms and Pax7 in the HW quail line were accompanied by delayed muscle maturation and prolonged growth compared with the RBC quail line. Temporal expressions of the primary MRF showed that higher expression levels of MyoD and Myf-5 were observed at 9 and 11 d embryo in the HW quail line compared with the RBC quail line (P0.05). The HW quail line exhibited approximately 2 times greater average levels of myogenin expression from 7 to 75 d posthatch (P0.05) than the RBC quail line. Prolonged upregulation of these primary and secondary MRF during muscle development is associated with delayed maturation and continued muscle growth, which consequently would permit muscle hypertrophic potentials in the HW quail line compared with the RBC quail line.

Objective: To investigate: the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Korean women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and the relation ship between vitamin D status and clinical or metabolic features in this group. Methods: We recruited 38 women with PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria. A total of 109 premenopausal control women were matched with patients based on age and body mass index. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentrations less than 20 ng/mL were classified as frank vitamin D deficiency. Since vitamin D may play a significant role in metabolic disturbances in women with PCOS, correlations between clinical or meta bolic parameters and vitamin D status were analyzed separately in patients and controls. Results: Women with PCOS showed no differences in the level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (19.6 ± 6.6 ng/mL in patients vs. 20.1 ± 7.4 ng/mL in controls, respectively, p = 0.696) or prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (57.9% in patients vs. 56.5% in controls, respectively, p = 0.880). In addition, we did not find any correlations between serum vitamin D level and clinical or metabolic profiles in either PCOS patients or controls. Conclusion: Our study found no differences in the absolute level of serum vitamin D between PCOS patients and matched controls. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was equally common among both patients and controls. Additionally, we did not find any correlations between serum vitamin D level and clinical or metabolic profiles, suggesting that the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of PCOS is not yet clear.

The United States is a world leader in poultry production, which is the reason why achieving better performance and muscle growth each year is a necessity. Reducing accretion of adipose tissue is another important factor for poultry producers because this allows more nutrients to be directed toward muscle growth, but the effect of embryonic adipose growth on posthatch development has not been fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the total DNA mass, morphological characteristics, differentiation markers, and triglyceride breakdown factors of embryonic adipose tissue, and their relation to hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth within layers (Leghorn) and meat-type chickens (broilers). After embryonic day (E) 12, broiler weight was significantly higher than Leghorn, and this trend continued throughout the rest of incubation and posthatch (P < 0.05). Neck and leg fat pad weights between the 2 breeds did not differ at most of the time points. A remarkable increase in total DNA mass was observed between E12 and E14 in both Leghorn and broilers (P < 0.05), indicating a high potential for hyperplastic growth during this time. Histological analysis revealed clusters of preadipocytes at E12; however, the majority of these cells differentiated by E14 and continued to grow until the time of hatch. The adipocyte sizes between both breeds did not generally differ, even though broilers are known to have larger adipocytes posthatch. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 expression levels in Leghorn and broilers continued to rise with each time point, which paralleled the expansion of mature adipocytes. Adipose triglyceride lipase was highly expressed at E20 and d 1 posthatch to mobilize triglyceride degradation for energy during hatching. Thus, embryonic chicken adipose tissue was found to develop by hyperplastic mechanisms followed by hypertrophy. At embryonic stages and early posthatch, layer- and meat-type chicken adipose growth does not differ, which suggests breed differences occur posthatch.

Problem Thrombophilia has been postulated to be a contributor to the pathophysiology of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). We investigated the role of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) I/D polymorphisms in Korean patients with RPL. Method of study Genotyping was performed using the TaqMan assay in 227 RPL patients and 304 controls. Results The genotype distributions of both polymorphisms in the RPL group did not differ from those of controls. Because the frequency of being homozygous for ACE D/D and the PAI-I 4G/4G combination has been reported to be significantly higher in RPL patients, this was also analyzed. However, no significant difference was noted; 3.1% of RPL patients had both ACE D/D and PAI-I 4G/4G, as did 4.9% of controls (P = 0.791). Conclusion The current study suggests that both polymorphisms, either alone or in combination, are not major determinants of the development of RPL in Korean women.

Objective To investigate whether specific genetic polymorphisms in the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense RNA (CDKN2B-AS) gene and near the wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 4 (WNT4) gene are associated with endometriosis in a Korean population. Design Case-control genetic association study. Setting University. Patient(s) Surgically or histologically diagnosed cases of endometriosis (n = 673) and controls (n = 500) among a population of ethnic Koreans. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Genotype distribution and synergistic interaction. Result(s) Significant differences were found in the allele distributions of the CC genotype of the rs10965235 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the CDKN2B-AS gene and the GG genotype of the rs16826658 SNP on chromosome 1p36 between the endometriosis cases and the controls (rs10965235: 69.7% CC, 26.9% CA, and 3.4% AA vs. 59.2% CC, 35.2% CA, and 5.6% AA; rs16826658: 33.7% GG, 48.4% GT, and 17.8% TT vs. 25.6% GG, 49.8% GT, and 24.6% TT, respectively). A significant interaction was not found between the CC genotype of the rs10965235 SNP and the GG genotype of the rs16826658 SNP after Bonferroni correction (32.8% of CC + GG and 67.2% of CC + non-GG in the endometriosis cases vs. 25.0% of CC + GG and 75.0% of CC + non-GG in the controls). Conclusion(s) Our results suggest that the rs10965235 SNP in the CDKN2B-AS gene and the rs16826658 SNP near the WNT4 gene were significantly associated with endometriosis in this Korean population.

In cellular systems, the interference has been the most critical issue that practically limits the performance of overall networks. Furthermore, the distribution of the inter-cell interference (ICI) in conventional cellular networks employing orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) with quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) tends to approach a Gaussian distribution, which is known to be the worst-case distribution of the ICI as additive noise resulting in poor channel capacity. Thus, a dramatic enhancement of the channel capacity for the cellular network is expected when the ICI could be designed properly so that it has a non-Gaussian distribution. In this context, a cellular OFDMA system with a novel modulation scheme, frequency and quadrature-amplitude modulation (FQAM), is proposed in this paper. The statistical distribution of the ICI is shown to deviate far from the Gaussian distribution for the proposed FQAM-based system. Accordingly, it is shown that the non-Gaussian distribution of the ICI incurred with FQAM results in significantly improved transmission rates for the cell-edge users. Also, from the measurement results using practically implemented FQAM-based OFDMA systems, it is verified that the transmission rate for the cell-edge users could be increased significantly over the conventional QAM-based OFDMA system.

The purpose of the present study was to first examine whether childhood abuse predicts symptom complexity, as indicated by the number of clinically elevated scales on the MMPI-2 in an adult clinical sample. Secondly, we investigated whether emotion regulation difficulties mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and symptom complexity. A total of 162 adult outpatients not presenting with psychotic symptoms completed the Korean Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (K-CTQ), Life Events Checklist (LEC), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Korean Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Partial correlation analysis results indicated that after controlling for the presence of adulthood trauma, childhood abuse was associated with more symptom complexity, or more clinically elevated scales on the MMPI-2. Furthermore, structural equation modeling results showed that emotion regulation difficulties partially mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and symptom complexity. These findings indicate that individuals who had experienced childhood abuse evidence simultaneous presentation of diverse clinical symptoms.

In this paper, an improved MQRD(Multiple model based on QR Decomposition)-ILS(Iterative Least-Squares) method is proposed to estimate the structural parameters at the element level using response data alone, without using any information on excitation measurements for the assessment of local damages and deterioration in structural systems. The proposed method uses a multiple model least-squares method based on the MQRD for estimating the least-squares parameters. A MQRD-ILS technique that utilizes the assumed structural parameters estimated on the basis of the engineering drawings, visual inspection, field measurements, and/or Nondestructive Test(NDT) is proposed to identify local damages of structural members using measured responses only. In example applications, it has been shown that the improved MQRD-ILS method can precisely identify the structural parameters with high precision in most cases.

In this letter, we propose an efficient low complexity receiver for the preamble detection in single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems with an antenna array. The proposed low complexity receiver is derived using a digital mixer and a multistage decimation filter. The signals for each receive antenna are non-coherently combined. Simulations performed in various channel environments validate that the proposed receiver attains a high detection performance equivalent to the full frequency domain approach which provides the optimal performance, while being quite low in computational complexity.

BACKGROUND: Hyperandrogenism (HA) has been linked with several components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Few studies in Asian women have evaluated the important risk factors for and prevalence of MetS according to PCOS subtype. In this study, we investigated differences in metabolic parameters and the prevalence of MetS in two major phenotypic subgroups of PCOS in Korea. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between HA-associated parameters and MetS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May 2010 to December 2011 in Korea. A total of 837 females with PCOS, aged 15-40, were recruited from Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology at 13 hospitals. Of those, 700 subjects with either polycystic ovaries (PCO)+HA+oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea (O) or PCO+O were eligible for this study. MetS was diagnosed according to the modified National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. RESULTS: MetS was more prevalent in the PCO+HA+O group (19.7%) than in the PCO+O (11.9%) group. There were statistically significant trends for an increased risk of MetS in the PCO+HA+O group compared to the PCO+O group. After adjustment for age, the odds ratio of MetS was 2.192 in non-obese subjects with PCO+HA+O compared to those with PCO+O, whereas the risk of MetS was not different in obese patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high free androgen index and low sex hormone-binding globulin were significantly associated with MetS in non-obese women with PCOS, with odds ratios of 4.234 (95% CI, 1.893-9.474) and 4.612 (95% CI, 1.978-10.750), respectively. However, no associations were detected between MetS and SHBG and FAI in obese PCOS subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that HA and its associated parameters (FAI and SHBG) are significantly associated with MetS in non-obese PCOS subjects, whereas this association was not observed in obese subjects.

Objective To examine the association between fat mass and obesity-associated ( FTO ) polymorphisms and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Korean women. Design Case-control study. Setting University department of obstetrics and gynecology. Patient(s) Women with (n = 552) or without (n = 559) PCOS. Intervention(s) Genotyping was performed. Main Outcome Measure(s) FTO rs9939609 genotype distribution and correlation between variants in this gene and PCOS phenotypes. Result(s) The mean body mass index (BMI) of the patients was significantly higher than that of the control subjects (22.0 ± 4.1 kg/m 2 vs. 20.1 ± 2.5 kg/m 2 ), but most (81.3%) of the patients were not obese. FTO rs9939609 was not significantly associated with PCOS itself. However, a positive correlation was observed between the number of variant alleles and BMI in women with PCOS: Each additional copy of the variant allele increased BMI by a mean (95% confidence interval) of 4.8% (1.4%–8.3%) or 1.11 kg/m 2 (1.03–1.20 kg/m 2 ) after adjusting for age. This correlation was not observed in the control subjects. Conclusion(s) FTO rs9939609 was not a major determinant of PCOS. However, in the women with PCOS who were primarily nonobese, a gene dose effect was observed for BMI. The FTO gene may play an influential role in predisposition to PCOS via an association with obesity.

We undertook this study in order to examine the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and a polymorphism at the first of two potential translation initiation codons in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. This polymorphism was detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the restriction endonuclease FokI. The f allele indicates the presence of the FokI site, and the F allele its absence. The FokI genotype was determined in 174 postmenopausal Korean women, aged 43-71 years. The distribution of FokI genotypes in Koreans was found not to differ significantly from those found in Caucasians and Japanese, although it does differ significantly from that found in the black American population. We observed a significant association between the FokI polymorphism and lumbar BMD; P = 0.048, analysis of covariance [ANCOVA], but no association with femoral neck BMD (P = 0.505, ANCOVA). Those with the ff genotype had a 13.3% lower BMD in the lumbar spine than the FF subjects. In addition, a significantly higher prevalence of the ff genotype was observed in osteoporotic compared with osteopenic or normal women (P = 0.036, chi2 test). These data suggest that the ff genotype of the VDR gene correlates with decreased BMD in the lumbar spine in postmenopausal Korean women.

We have undertaken this study to identify the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based analysis of DNA polymorphisms in the BclI/intron 18 and St14 variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) loci for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia A in the Korean population. We have analyzed these polymorphisms in members of 105 unrelated Korean families with severe hemophilia A. The observed heterozygosity rates for the BclI/intron 18 and St14 VNTR polymorphisms were 21.0% and 71.3%, respectively. The BclI/intron 18 polymorphism was less informative in Koreans when compared with Caucasians and Japanese. The allele frequencies for St14 VNTR in Koreans were different from those in Caucasians. Compared with Caucasians, there was a markedly higher occurrence of low molecular weight alleles in Koreans. The observed heterozygosity for the St14 VNTR polymorphism in combination with the BclI/intron 18 polymorphism was 81.9%. These two polymorphisms were applied to determine the carrier status of 107 women from 65 unrelated families, and to assess fetal status in 37 pregnancies. So far, we have experienced one case of misdiagnosis of carriership. Our study demonstrated that the PCR-based analysis of the BclI/intron 18 and St14 VNTR polymorphisms was useful in the carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia A in the Korean population.