Learning, memory and exploratory similarities in genetically identical cloned dogs

Somatic cell nuclear transfer allows generation of genetically identical animals using donor cells derived from animals with particular traits. To date, few studies have investigated whether or not these cloned dogs will show identical behavior patterns. To address this question, learning, memory and exploratory patterns were examined using six cloned dogs with identical nuclear genomes. The variance of total incorrect choice number in the Y-maze test among cloned dogs was significantly lower than that of the control dogs. There was also a significant decrease in variance in the level of exploratory activity in the open fields test compared to age-matched control dogs. These results indicate that cloned dogs show similar cognitive and exploratory patterns, suggesting that these behavioral phenotypes are related to the genotypes of the individuals.

The Comparison of Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo of Childhood and Migraine Related Vertigo in Children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC) and migraine related vertigo (MRV) are most common causes of vertigo in children. Some authors suggested that BPVC may be an early manifestation of migraine. However there is few articles about relationship between BPVC and MRV. The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical characteristics, audiological and vestibular findings, treatment and prognosis of BPVC and MRV and to provide the helpful information for relationship between BPVC and MRV. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The twenty four children (less than 16 years old) with BPVC and 23 children with MRV, who visited the Dizziness Clinic in the Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University Hospital, Suwon, Korea between January 2001 and August 2003 were selected for this study. These excluded the patients with abnormal eardrums/tympanograms or those that did not perform questionnaires, audiological, or vestibular evaluations. They were retrospectively analyzed for clinical symptoms, audiograms, vestibular functions, and treatment results. RESULTS: BPVC was frequently detected in younger children than MRV. Spinning sensation was frequently associated with BPVC. Aural symptoms, headache, photophobia, phonophobia, and visual symptoms were frequently associated with MRV. Abnormalities in vestibular function tests were 14 (58%) in BPVC and 15 (62%) in MRV. BPVC & MRV had good prognosis. But medication was sometimes more needed in MRV than in BPVC. CONCLUSIONS: BPVC and MRV show some different features in the age of onset, clinical features, treatment and prognosis, but also have some features of MRV. Further studies are needed to find their relationship between them.

F-18-FDG Imaging Using Dual-Head Coincidence Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An accurate, preoperative assessment of tumor extent and lymph node involvement is necessary to plan and tailor therapy for patients with head and neck cancer. Metabolic imaging with tluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a good method to detect primary cancers in the head and neck and to assess the involvement of lymph nodes, but it is not widely available because of high cost of positron emission tomography (PET). Recently, an alternative method for using FDG was developed: the coincidence detection PET (CoDe PET) using a gamma camera. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of FDG CoDe PET using a gamma camera in patients with head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty FDG CoDe PET studies were performed in 7 patients before therapy and 19 patients after therapy with various head and neck cancers (Age : 25- 79 years, mean age : 50+/-13 years, 18 men, 8 women). All patients had fasted for 6 to 12 hours and were injected 1 1 l to 370 MRq of F-18-FDG 1 hour before imaging. With the exception of the physiological FDG uptake, all visually detectable focal FDC uptake in the primary cancer site or in the neck was considered positive. FDG CoDe PET studies were correlated with CT/MRI. The standard procedure for detecting the presence of disease was the combinations of repeated MRIs, 3 months of follow-up clinical evaluation and the result of a needle aspiration cytology or biopsy. RESULTS: FDG CoDe PET had a detcction rate that was comparable to that of CT/MRI in the pre-therapy group. However, in the post-therapy group, FDG CoDe PET could differentiate residual/recurrence of tumor from radiation change more accurately than could MRI. But, it had a less accurate detection rate for cervical metastases because of asymmetric neck muscle uptake. CONCLUSION: FDG CoDe PET is a sensitive and cost-effective method to detect primary tumor and lymph node involvement in primary head and neck cancers. It is also useful in differentiating residual tumor or tumor recurrence from post-therapy changes in patients with head and neck cancers.

New Index of Combined Systolic and Diastolic Cardiac Performance Using Echo-Dopple Methods: The Utility of Cardiac Performance Index in the Screening Test of Cardiac Dysfunction due to Acute Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Because systolic and diastolic dysfunction frequently coexist in acute myocardial infarction(AMI), we hypothesize that a combined measure of ventricular performance using Doppler echocardiography may be more sensitive and time-saving diagnostic tool for the evaluation of patients presenting with cardiogenic chest pain. METHOD AND RESULTS: Seventy-one patients with AMI (47 male, 59+/-11 years) and 45 patients with normal coronary artery (29 male, 52+/-11 years) were included in the study for measurement of cardiac performance index and established parameters of ventricular function using conventional echo-Doppler methods. a new derived index of cardiac performance: (ICT+IRT)/ET, was obtained by subtracting ejection time(ET) from the interval between cessation and onset of the mitral inflow velocity to give the sum of isovolumic contraction time(ICT) and isovolumic relaxation time(IRT). The mean value of the index was significantly different between normal and AMI(p<0.01). The degree of inter-group overlap was smaller for the index compared to other parameters. within functional groups, the value of the index did not appear to be related to heart rate, mean arterial pressure and the degree of mitral regurgitation. CONCLUSION: cardiac performance index is a conceptually new, simple and reproducible Doppler index of combined systolic and diastolic myocardial performance, and it is useful as screening test for patients with cardiac dysfunction due to AMI.

Comparative Analysis of Trauma Outcomes

As the productive activities have vastly increased following industrialization and urbanization in the modem society, the resulting high mobility of people and goods have caused a sharp increase in the accidents in the work places as well as traffic accidents. In particular, deaths caused by injuries are generally concentrated in the economically active young peoples, producing incalculable losses to the society and nation as a whole. Advanced nations with superior medical care systems have succeeded in reducing incidents of such deaths by operating trauma centers. Especially noteworthy is the case of the United States where such specialized trauma centers have greatly contributed to reducing deaths from injuries in the non-urban areas with less access to medical facilities. At present Korea has no medical centers specializing in injuries. In large cities, the injuries are being treated tertiary medical facilities while in the provinces they are referred to small and medium-sized hospitals that constitute secondary medical facilities. Currently in Korea the Trauma patients are treated at general hospitals that consist of 726 secondary medical facilities and 40 tertiary medical centers nationwide. The secondary medical facilities which tend to take most responsibility for the treatment of trauma are generally deficient in medical staff and facilities (including operating and intensive care facilities). Despite such deficiency and limitations, no regulations exist regarding treatment or transportation of trauma patients. This article reports the outcome of a comparative analysis of the results of trauma treatments among different types of medical facilities based on objective data in the hope that such study would facilitate a comparison with the treatment systems of advanced countries and thereby contribute to a precise formulation of problems that must be addressed in this area.