ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore potential relationships between sperm DNA integrity and both semen parameters and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Semen analysis of 498 samples was performed according to the 2010 criteria of the World Health Organization. The sperm DNA fragmentation Index (DFI) of the semen samples was assessed using a neutral comet assay. RESULTS: Sperm DFI showed a significant correlation with semen parameters, including the patient's age, sperm viability, motility, morphology, and number of leukocytes (p or =14% group (44 cycles, 55.3%), but there was no difference in the other clinical outcomes between the two groups. In the > or =14% group, the pregnancy rates of the ICSI cycles (40.0%) and half-ICSI (44.0%) were higher than conventional IVF cycles (30.7%), but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Along with the conventional semen analysis, the sperm DFI assessed using the comet assay was shown to improve the quality of the semen evaluation. To evaluate the precise effect of ICSI on pregnancy rates in the patients who demonstrate high sperm DFI values, further study is necessary.
Subject(s)
Humans , Comet Assay , DNA , DNA Fragmentation , Fertilization , Leukocytes , Pregnancy Rate , Semen , Semen Analysis , Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic , Spermatozoa , World Health OrganizationABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This research used quantitative research to identify differences in death consciousness between pre and post education. The study was also designed to further understanding of the effects of nursing education by using a qualitative analysis to examine hospice education experience. METHOD: This study a one group pre-post test design. RESULTS: 1. The mean score for the students' death consciousness before the hospice education averaged 2.15+/- .33, a medium level for death consciousness. The score after education was 2.25+/- .36, that is, there was higher score for death consciousness after education. 2. The result of classification, giving their names and categorizing the experience of being in a coffin shown to be self-reflection, regret, recognition to death, death as discontinuation of life, the last closing from everything, death as a sad and cruel event, death as another world, specialist intuition of nursing. CONCLUSION: This research provided an opportunity for nursing students to consider death earnestly and realistically through hospice nursing education. We also discovered affirmative changes in the students' viewpoint of death, students who in future clinical practice may work with elders. We also found increases in motives to develop ability to present effective aid to dying patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Classification , Consciousness , Education , Education, Nursing , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing , Hospices , Intuition , Nursing , Specialization , Students, NursingABSTRACT
Ethanol treatment method was attempted for the selective isolation of ethanol-tolerant fungi from two sites of rice paddy fields around Seoul area. The vertical and seasonal fluctuation of the fungal population were also investigated. The ethanoltolerant fungi were Talaromyces stipitatus, T. flavus var. flavus, T. helicus var. major, Eupenicillium javanicum, Emericellopsis terricolor, Pseudourotium zonatum, Aspergillus flavus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium frequentans, P. janthinellum, and P. verruculosum. The most dominant species isolated by this method was T. stipitatus. It was found that the numbers of fungal species and colony forming units (CFUs) of ethanol-tolerant fungi were higher in Ascomycota than in Deuteromycota. A particular tendency appeared the highest CFUs in autumn, but lower in spring and winter. T. stipitatus was the dominant species of ethanol tolerant microfungi. This result would suggest that membrane lipid composition of ethanoltolerant fungi isolated from the soils may play on important role in the ethanol tolerance.