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Objective As paternal age increases, the quality of sperm decreases due to increased DNA fragmentation and aneuploidy. Higher levels of structural chromosomal aberrations in the gametes ultimately decrease both the morphologic quality of embryos and the pregnancy rate. In this study, we investigated whether paternal age affected the euploidy rate. Methods This study was performed using the medical records of patients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures with preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) from January 2016 to August 2017 at a single center. Based on their morphological grade, embryos were categorized as good- or poor-quality blastocysts. The effects of paternal age were elucidated by adjusting for maternal age. Results Among the 571 total blastocysts, 219 euploid blastocysts were analyzed by PGS (38.4%). When the study population was divided into four groups according to both maternal and paternal age, significant differences were only noted between groups that differed by maternal age (group 1 vs. 3, p=0.031; group 2 vs. 4, p=0.027). Further analysis revealed no significant differences in the euploidy rate among the groups according to the morphological grade of the embryos. Conclusion Paternal age did not have a significant impact on euploidy rates when PGS was performed. An additional study with a larger sample size is needed to clarify the effects of advanced paternal age on IVF outcomes.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Overall survival according to each treatment. Table S1. Demographics by receiving induction chemotherapy. Table S2. Univariate and multivariate analyses for progression-free survival in 445 evaluable patients with LA-HNSCC. Table S3. Univariate and multivariate analyses for overall survival 445 evaluable patients with LA-HNSCC.

본 연구는 개인요인과 지역사회요인이 건강관련 삶의 질에 미치는 영향을 알아보는데 목적이 있다. 연구방법은 2013년, 2014년 지역사회건강조사 자료와 통계청 시군구별 2차 자료를 사용하였고, EQ-5D지수와 개인요인 및 지역사회요인을 구분하여 다수준분석을 실시하였다. 연구결과 성별에 따른 건강관련 삶의 질은 남자 평균 0.94, 여자 0.90으로 남자가 여자보다 건강관련 삶의 질이 높았다. 또한 남녀 모두 나이, 세대유형, 만성질환이 있는 경우, 실업률, 교통사고발생건수가 건강관련 삶의 질에 음의 연관성이 있었고, 교육수준, 배우자가 있는 경우, 재정자립도, 범죄발생건수가 건강관련 삶의 질에 양의 연관성이 있었다. 소득수준은 일정소득을 기점으로 건강관련 삶의 질이 감소하였으며, 여자의 경우만 인구밀도가 높을수록 건강관련 삶의 질이 낮았고, 도시공원조성면적이 높을수록 건강관련 삶의 질이 높았다. 본 연구는 건강관련 삶의 질이 개인요인에 비하여 지역사회요인이 미치는 영향은 적지만 지역사회요인 또한 중요한 요인으로 작용한다는 것을 확인하였으며, 향후 건강관련 삶의 질에 영향을 미치는 여러 요인들을 반영한 다양한 접근방법이 필요하다.

Design methodology should address psychological and cognitive aspects based on human emotion and feeling as well as physical and functional aspects based on product structure. Donald Norman introduced perceived affordances as characteristics in the appearance of an object that gives clues for its proper operations. We conducted a case study in a public space - building lobby - used by many general people. User activities and behaviors were analyzed in several specific tasks given to twenty participants with similar cultural background in the lobby of a building they have never been to before. Then we identified affordances and building structure elements, called affordance features, critically related to those affordances. While performing the tasks in the same building lobby, user activities can be classified into several different groups for each task based on affordance features involved in their activities. These user activity differences are then compared with their personal cognitive characteristics derived from their perception and judgment preferences using intuitive and factual perception orientation and objective and subjective decision making inclination respectively. For user of less common activities for some tasks, personal cognitive characteristics have been identified. This study could help in affordance-based design so that alternative affordance features are designed considering diverse user cognitive characteristics.

Remifentanil and nitrous oxide (N2O) are 2 commonly used anesthetic agents. Both these agents are known risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, remifentanil and N2O have not been directly compared in a published study. Remifentanil can induce acute tolerance or hyperalgesia, thus affecting postoperative pain. The objective of this retrospective study is to compare the effects of remifentanil and N2O on PONV and pain in patients receiving intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) after thyroidectomy. We analyzed the electronic medical records of 992 patients receiving fentanyl-based IV-PCA after thyroidectomy at Chung-Ang University Hospital from January 1, 2010 to April 30, 2016. We categorized the patients according to anesthetic agents used: group N2O (n = 745) and group remifentanil (n = 247). The propensity score matching method was used to match patients in the 2 groups based on their covariates. Finally, 128 matched subjects were selected from each group. There were no differences between groups for all covariates after propensity score matching. The numeric rating scale for nausea (0.55 ± 0.88 vs 0.27 ± 0.76, P = 0.01) was higher and complete response (88 [68.8%] vs 106 [82.8%], P = 0.001) was lower in group N2O compared with group remifentanil on postoperative day 0. However, the visual analog scale score for pain (3.47 ± 2.02 vs 3.97 ± 1.48, P = 0.025) was higher in group remifentanil than group N2O on postoperative day 0. In patients receiving IV-PCA after thyroidectomy, postoperative nausea was lower but postoperative pain was higher in group remifentanil.

The study was undertaken to examine the effect of two synthetic auxins on somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from mature embryo explants of 16 onion cultivars. Cotyledons were removed from the embryos and remaining portions were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D and 5.0 mg/L picloram alone or in combination (1.0 mg/L 2,4-D + 2.5 mg/L picloram) to produce embryogenic callus. MS medium supplemented with 5.0 mg/L picloram was found to be the best one for both embryogenic callus induction (85%) and callus diameter (3.8 mm). Of the 16 cultivars studied, Yeoeuijuhwang exhibited the lowest frequency of embryogenic callus induction (50.5%), whereas all the other 15 cultivars showed more than 60% embryogenic callus induction. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) analysis of embryogenic callus showed all stages of somatic embryos such as globular, scuetellar and coleoptilar. Plant regeneration was significantly affected by the composition of embryogenic callus induction medium. The greatest frequency of somatic embryo conversion was obtained from embryogenic callus developed in MS medium with 2,4-D (70.1%) followed by picloram (38.9%) and 2,4-D + picloram (34.5%). The germinated plantlets were further developed on the half-strength MS medium containing 3% sucrose and were acclimatized in the culture room with 98% survival rate. RESUMO: O estudo foi realizado para examinar o efeito de duas auxinas sintéticas na embriogênese somática e na regeneração de plantas a partir de explantes de embriões maduros de 16 cultivares de cebola. Os cotilédones foram removidos a partir dos embriões e as porções restantes foram cultivadas em meio MS suplementado com 1,0 mg/L de 2,4-D e 5,0 mg/L de picloram sozinho ou em combinação (1,0 mg/L de 2,4-D + 2,5 mg/L de picloram) para produzir calos embriogênicos. Verificou-se que o meio MS suplementado com 5,0 mg/L de picloram foi o melhor tanto para a indução de calo embriogênico (85%) quanto para o diâmetro do calo (3,8 mm). Das 16 cultivares estudadas, Yeoeuijuhwang exibiu a menor freqüência de formação de calos embriogênicos (50,5%), ao passo que todas as outras 15 cultivares apresentaram mais de 60% de indução de calos embriogênicos. A análise dos calos por micrografia eletrônica de varredura (SEM) mostrou todas as fases dos embriões somáticos, tais como as fases globular, escutelar e coleoptilar. A regeneração de plantas foi significativamente afetada pela composição do meio de indução de calos embriogênicos. A maior frequência de conversão de embriões somáticos foi obtida a partir do calo embriogênico desenvolvido em meio MS com 2,4-D (70,1%) seguido por picloram (38,9%) e 2,4-D + picloram (34,5%). As plântulas germinadas foram desenvolvidas no meio contendo metade da dose de MS, com 3% de sacarose e foram aclimatizadas em ambiente de cultura com 98% de taxa de sobrevivência.

The development and complexity of mobile and smart technologies continues to evolve with a greater speed, attention needs to be turned to the possibility of continuous development. It has become important to monitor users’ post-purchase behavior in order to understand their continued use of smartphones and other smart devices. This study posits interactivity as a key variable to describe customer satisfaction and continuance intention in using smartphones. We classify interactivity into five sub-dimensions: system quality, network quality, contents quality, customer support, and compatibility. The established model in this study was empirically examined through survey research. Structural equation modeling demonstrated several key findings: contents quality is the most influential factor in shaping satisfaction, followed by compatibility, system quality, and customer support. The results also showed that satisfaction has a positive effect on the continuance intention. In addition, network quality had a positive direct effect on the continuance intention. Users also exhibit significant differences in post-purchase behavior, depending on their operating systems. These results will be helpful for the practitioners to further deliver appropriate service strategies for strengthening ongoing relationship with their customers.