0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was 0.922 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89–0.95]. In external validation, the discrimination was good, with an AUC value of 0.833 (95% CI 0.70–0.92) for this model. Nomogram calibration plots indicated good agreement between the predicted and observed outcomes, exhibiting close approximation between the predicted and observed probability.CONCLUSION: We constructed a scoring model for predicting massive transfusion during cesarean section in women with placenta previa. This model may help in determining the need to prepare an appropriate amount of blood products and the optimal timing of blood transfusion.]]>
Area Under Curve ; Blood Transfusion ; Calibration ; Cesarean Section ; Cohort Studies ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Maternal Age ; Nomograms ; Placenta Previa ; Placenta ; Placentation ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Pregnancy ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography

Neuroinflammation is an important process underlying a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Carvacrol (CAR) is a phenolic monoterpene commonly used as a food additive due to its antibacterial properties, but it has also been shown to exhibit strong antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Here, we sought to investigate the effects of CAR on inflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. In our study, lipopolysaccharide was injected into the lateral ventricle of rats to induce memory impairment and neuroinflammation. Daily administration of CAR (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 21 days improved recognition, discrimination, and memory impairments relative to untreated controls. CAR administration significantly attenuated expression of several inflammatory factors in the brain, including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, CAR significantly increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, and decreased expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA. Taken together, these results show that CAR can improve memory impairment caused by neuroinflammation. This cognitive enhancement is due to the anti-inflammatory effects of CAR medicated by its regulation of BDNF and TLR4. Thus, CAR has significant potential as an inhibitor of memory degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cytokines ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Food Additives ; Hippocampus ; Inflammation ; Lateral Ventricles ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Memory ; Necrosis ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Phenol ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Toll-Like Receptor 4

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to develop a serodiagnostic test for differentiation infected from vaccinated animal (DIVA) strategy accompanying the marker vaccine lacking an immunodominant epitope (IDE) of nucleoprotein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Recombinant epitope-repeat protein (rERP) gene encoding eight repeats of the IDE sequence (ETQFLDLMRAVANSMR) by tetra-glycine linker was synthesized. Recombinant baculovirus carrying the rERP gene was generated to express the rERP in insect cells. Specificity and sensitivity of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing the rERP was evaluated. RESULTS: The rERP with molecular weight of 20 kDa was successfully expressed by the recombinant baculovirus in an insect-baculovirus system. The rERP was antigenically functional as demonstrated by Western blotting. An indirect ELISA employing the rERP was developed and its specificity and sensitivity was determined. The ELISA test allowed discrimination of NDV infected sera from epitope deletion virus vaccinated sera. CONCLUSION: The preliminary results represent rERP ELISA as a promising DIVA diagnostic tool.
Animals ; Baculoviridae ; Blotting, Western ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Insects ; Molecular Weight ; Newcastle disease virus* ; Newcastle Disease* ; Nucleoproteins ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: Despite improved quality of intensive care, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) significantly contributes to mortality in critically ill children. As pre-existing definitions of ARDS were adult-oriented standards, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC) group released a new definition of pediatric ARDS. In this study, we aimed to assess the performance of PALICC definition for ARDS risk stratification. METHODS: Total 332 patients who admitted to the intensive care unit at Severance Hospital from January 2009 to December 2016 and diagnosed as having ARDS by either the PALICC definition or the Berlin definition were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics and mortality rates were compared between the individual severity groups according to both definitions. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 36.1%. The mortality rate increased across the severity classes according to both definitions (26% in mild, 37% in moderate and 68% in severe by the PALICC definition [P<0.001]; 20% in mild, 32% in moderate and 64% in severe by the Berlin definition [P<0.001]). The mortality risk increased only for severe ARDS in both definitions (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.279 [1.414–3.672], P=0.001 by the PALICC definition; 2.674 [1.518–4.712], P=0.001 by the Berlin definition). There was no significant difference in mortality discrimination between the 2 definitions (difference in integrated area under the curve: 0.017 [−0.018 to 0.049]). CONCLUSION: The PALICC definition demonstrated similar discrimination power on PARDS' severity and mortality as the Berlin definition.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Berlin ; Child ; Consensus* ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study aimed to elucidate which echocardiographic criteria at three time points, for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response, are accurate in discriminating the hierarchical clinical composite end point (HCCEP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 120 patients (age, 66.1±12.6 years; men, 54.2%) who underwent CRT implantation for heart failure (HF). Echocardiography was performed before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after CRT implantation. The 1-year HCCEP included all-cause mortality, hospitalization for HF, and New York Heart Association functional class for 12 months. CRT response criteria were decrease in left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume (LVESV) >15%, decrease in LV end-diastolic volume >15%, absolute increase in LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥5%, relative increase in LVEF ≥15%, and decrease in mitral regurgitation ≥1 grade. Temporal changes in CRT response rates, accuracy of CRT response criteria at each time and cutoff value for the discrimination of improvement in HCCEP, and agreements with improvement in HCCEP were analyzed. RESULTS: HCCEP improvement rates were 65.8% in total group. In nonischemic group, CRT response rates according to all echocardiographic criteria significantly increased with time. In ischemic group, CRT response rate did not significantly change with time. In total group, ΔLVESV at 6 months (ΔLVESV6) had the most significant accuracy for the discrimination of HCCEP (area under the curve=0.781). The optimal cutoff value of ΔLVESV6 was 13.5% (sensitivity=0.719, specificity=0.719). ΔLVESV6 had fair agreement with HCCEP (κ=0.391, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: ΔLVESV6 is the most useful echocardiographic CRT response criterion for the prediction of 1-year HCCEP.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Echocardiography ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mortality ; Stroke Volume*

Various commercial assays have recently been developed for detecting glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and/or toxin A/B to diagnose Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We compared the performance of two assays for the simultaneous detection of C. difficile GDH and toxin A/B, using 150 stool samples: C. DIFF QUIK CHEK COMPLETE (QCC; TechLab, Blacksburg, VA, USA) and RIDASCREEN Clostridium difficile GDH (RC-GDH) and Toxin A/B (RC-Toxin A/B; R-Biopharm, Darmstadt, Germany). For GDH detection, QCC and RC-GDH showed satisfactory sensitivity (95.7% and 94.3%, respectively) and specificity (92.5% and 93.8%, respectively) compared with C. difficile culture. For toxin A/B detection, QCC showed higher sensitivity than RC-Toxin A/B (60.0% vs 33.3%, P < 0.001) compared with toxigenic C. difficile culture. When the results of QCC or RC-GDH+RC-Toxin A/B were used as the first step of a two-step algorithm for diagnosing CDI, QCC permitted more accurate discrimination than RC of positive or negative results for CDI (77.3% and 65.3%, respectively). QCC is useful for the simultaneous detection of C. difficile GDH and toxin A/B as a part of the two-step algorithm for diagnosing CDI.
Clostridium difficile ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Glutamate Dehydrogenase ; Glutamic Acid ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Estimating the risk of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-induced gastric cancer during endoscopic examination is important. Owing to recent advances in gastrointestinal endoscopy, the gross appearance of the background gastric mucosa has enabled discrimination of subjects with active, chronic, and past H. pylori infection from those with no history of infection. To provide subjective criteria for H. pylori infection-related endoscopic findings with increased risk of gastric cancer, the Kyoto classification of gastritis was proposed at the 85th annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in May 2013 in Kyoto. The main contents focus on determining the gastric cancer risk by scoring the endoscopic findings of the background gastric mucosa from 0 to 8. These important findings are not described in the Kyoto Global Consensus Conference proceedings published in English. To better estimate the gastric cancer risk during screening endoscopy in an H. pylori-prevalent population, knowledge of the Japanese version of the Kyoto classification is important. This new classification emphasizes the discrimination of subjects with H. pylori infection by assessing 19 endoscopic findings (presence of atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, diffuse redness, spotty redness, mucosal swelling, enlarged folds, sticky mucus, chicken skin-like nodularity, foveolar-hyperplastic polyp, xanthoma, depressed erosion, regular arrangement of collecting venules, fundic gland polyp, linear red streak, raised erosion, hematin deposit, multiple white and flat-elevated lesions, patchy redness, and map-like redness). In this review, the validity of the Kyoto classification is summarized in conjunction with several suggestions to resolve emerging H. pylori infection-related problems in Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Atrophy ; Chickens ; Classification ; Consensus ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori ; Helicobacter ; Hemin ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Metaplasia ; Mucus ; Polyps ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Venules ; Xanthomatosis

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prognostic role of the categorized hemodynamic stage (HS) based on the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in patients with portal hypertension. METHODS: Of 1,025 cirrhotic patients who underwent HVPG measurement, data on 572 non-critically-ill patients were collected retrospectively between 2008 and 2013. The following two HS categorizations were used: HS-1 (6–9, 10–12, 13–16, 17–20, and > 20 mmHg; designated as groups 1–5, respectively) and HS-2 (6–12, 13–20, and > 20 mmHg). Clinical characteristics, mortality rates, and prognostic predictors were analyzed according to the categorized HS. RESULTS: During the mean follow-up period of 25 months, 86 (15.0%) patients died. The numbers of deaths in HS-1 groups were 7 (6.3%), 7 (6.9%), 30 (18.0%), 20 (15.6%), and 22 (34.4%), respectively (P < 0.001). However, the traditional HVPG cutoffs of 10 and 16 mmHg did not improve the discrimination of mortality. In contrast, the mortality rates did differ significantly between the three HS-2 groups (P < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, all models revealed that HS-2 was a common prognostic factor in predicting mortality. The mortality rates increased significantly according to HS-2 in patients with hypoalbuminemia (HVPG, 13–20 mmHg; hazard ratio [HR], 2.54 and HVPG > 20 mmHg; HR, 5.45) and intermediate model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (HVPG, 13–20 mmHg; HR, 3.86 and HVPG > 20 mmHg; HR, 8.77; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Categorizing HVPG values according to HS-2 is a useful prognostic modality in patients with portal hypertension and can play an independent role in predicting the prognosis in patients with hypoalbuminemia and an intermediate MELD score.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Liver Diseases ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Venous Pressure

On September 12, 2018, President Jae-In Moon announced the Comprehensive Plan for Lifelong Care for People with Developmental Disabilities, with representatives from the associated government branches (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Employment and Labor) in attendance. The goals of this plan are to provide health, medical, rehabilitative, special education, and social welfare services according to the life-stages of the affected individuals; to reduce parental pressure; to promote social interventions; and to enhance community-level participation in order to create a ‘welfare society in harmony.’ However, in order for the plan to succeed, additional efforts must be made in the following areas. First, an epidemiological survey is needed to understand the scale, prevalence, and incidence of developmental disabilities and to establish an evidence base to support policy development. Second, accurate definitions of developmental disabilities must be established in order to avoid policy discrimination based on impairment type and age. Third, personal evaluations to assess disabled individuals' unmet needs and customized service designs to deliver those needs are required. Fourth, the plan must fulfill the goals of accessibility and fairness that the government intends to provide. Fifth, the government should consider an integrated financial support system and to propose a detailed plan for monetary distributions. Finally, an integrated system that links health, medical, employment, educational, and welfare services must be constructed.
Comprehensive Health Care ; Developmental Disabilities ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Education ; Education, Special ; Employment ; Financial Support ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intellectual Disability ; Moon ; Parents ; Policy Making ; Prevalence ; Social Welfare

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Prediction of intracranial aneurysm growth risk can assist physicians in planning of follow-up imaging of conservatively managed unruptured intracranial aneurysms. We therefore aimed to externally validate the ELAPSS (Earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage, aneurysm Location, Age, Population, aneurysm Size and Shape) score for prediction of the risk of unruptured intracranial aneurysm growth. METHODS: From 11 international cohorts of patients ≥18 years with ≥1 unruptured intracranial aneurysm and ≥6 months of radiological follow-up, we collected data on the predictors of the ELAPSS score, and calculated 3- and 5-year absolute growth risks according to the score. Model performance was assessed in terms of calibration (predicted versus observed risk) and discrimination (c-statistic). RESULTS: We included 1,072 patients with a total of 1,452 aneurysms. During 4,268 aneurysm-years of follow-up, 199 (14%) aneurysms enlarged. Calibration was comparable to that of the development cohort with the overall observed risks within the range of the expected risks. The c-statistic was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.73) at 3 years, compared to 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.76) in the development cohort. At 5 years, the c-statistic was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.72), compared to 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.75) in the development cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The ELAPSS score showed accurate calibration for 3- and 5-year risks of aneurysm growth and modest discrimination in our external validation cohort. This indicates that the score is externally valid and could assist patients and physicians in predicting growth of unruptured intracranial aneurysms and plan follow-up imaging accordingly.
Aneurysm ; Calibration ; Cohort Studies ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Risk Factors ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage