No abstract available.
Occupational Health Nursing* ; Occupational Health*

This is an autopsy-verifed case of the generalized cytomegalic inclusion disease occuring in a male fetus of a weeks gestation. The fetus revealed hydrocephalus and focal necrosis of brain, focal subcapsular necrosis of liver, and the typical cytomegalic inclusion cells having large acidophilic intranuclear inclusions in the liver, brain, kidney, lung, adrenal gland, pancreas and chorionic villi. Prominent extramedullary hematopoiesis was noted in the liver and kidney. Immuohistochemical staining using anti-cytomegalovirus antibody revealed intranuclear or occasionally intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity in brain, liver, pancreas, lung, kidney, and intestine.
Male ; Humans

This is an autopsy-verifed case of the generalized cytomegalic inclusion disease occuring in a male fetus of a weeks gestation. The fetus revealed hydrocephalus and focal necrosis of brain, focal subcapsular necrosis of liver, and the typical cytomegalic inclusion cells having large acidophilic intranuclear inclusions in the liver, brain, kidney, lung, adrenal gland, pancreas and chorionic villi. Prominent extramedullary hematopoiesis was noted in the liver and kidney. Immuohistochemical staining using anti-cytomegalovirus antibody revealed intranuclear or occasionally intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity in brain, liver, pancreas, lung, kidney, and intestine.
Male ; Humans

Objective: Hypercholesterolaemia transforms macrophages into lipid-laden foam cells in circulation, which can activate the immune response. Compromised autophagy and inflammatory cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic diseases.The aim of this study was to identify the role of autophagy as a modulator of the inflammatory response and cytotoxicity in macrophages under hypercholesterolaemic conditions. Methods: High cholesterol-induced cytokine secretion and alteration of autophagyassociated molecules were confirmed by cytokine array and western blot analysis, respectively. To confirm whether autophagic regulation affects high cholesterol-induced cytokine release and cytotoxicity, protein levels of autophagic molecules, cell viability, and cytotoxicity were measured in cultured macrophages treated autophagy enhancers. Results: Cholesterol treatment increased cytokine secretion, cellular toxicity, and lactate dehydrogenase release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed macrophages. Concomitantly, altered levels of autophagy-related molecules were detected in LPS-primed macrophages under hypercholesterolaemic conditions. Treatment with autophagy enhancers reversed the secretion of cytokines, abnormally expressed autophagy-associated molecules, and cytotoxicity of LPS-primed macrophages. Conclusion Autophagy enhancers inhibit inflammatory cytokine secretion and reduce cytotoxicity under metabolic disturbances, such as hypercholesterolaemia. Modulation of autophagy may be a novel approach to control the inflammatory response observed in metabolic diseases.

A total of 30 cases of cerebral gliomas, including 6 cases of low grade astrocytomas, 6 anaplasticastrocytoomas and l8 glioblastomas multiforme, was examined immunohistochemically to demonstrate the overexpression of mutant forms of p53 protein and to evaluate their relationships with histological subtypes. A p53 monoclonal antibody was applied to the routine formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues for this study using microwave-assisted avidin-biotin method. Overexpression of p53 protein was identified in 4 out of 6 anaplastic astrocytomas (66.7%) and in l3 out of l8 glioblastomas multiforme (72.2%). No immunohistochemical positivity of p53 was found in adjacent normal brain tissue, gliosis and 6 cases of astrocytoma. These results suggest that overexpression of mutant p53 may be an important step in the development and progression of malignant astrocytoma, especially of the aggressive subtypes of glioma, including glioblastoma multiforme.
Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to describe our group counseling methods for medical students with drop-out experiences. METHODS: Group counseling was offered to 11 medical students with drop-out experiences in their previous second semester. All subjects provided written informed consent before participating and completed a 2-day group counseling program using the Gestalt approach. The self-assertiveness training group counseling program consisted of 6 sessions, each of which lasted 90 minutes. Experience reports by participants after the program and data from semi-structured qualitative interviews were qualitatively analyzed. RESULTS: Program participants reported that they were moderately satisfied with the program regarding its usefulness and helpfulness on self-awareness, understanding, and reminding them of attempts to change behavior. Most students showed heightened levels of sincerity perceptions and positive attitudes in every session. The results demonstrated significant changes in experience in self-esteem, self-recognition, and interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSION: A group counseling program using the Gestalt approach could help medical students with drop-out experiences to adjust with 1 year their juniors, enhance their self-esteem, contribute to their psychological well-being, and prevent student re-failure through effective stress management and improved interpersonal relationships.
Counseling ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Students, Medical

Background: Bile duct ligation (BDL) has been used for experimental research on hepatic encephalopathy (HE) caused by chronic liver disease. However, little research has been done on a BDL model in C57BL/6 mouse. Therefore, we evaluated the suitability of a BDL model in C57BL/6 mouse for the study of HE and determined which behavioral tests are appropriate for the identification of HE in this model. Methods: Twelve to fourteen-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either sham group or BDL group. Histological changes in liver were confirmed by hematoxylin/ eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Liver function alterations were detected by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and ammonia levels. To identify behavioral changes, open field, elevated plus maze, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance tests were performed. Results: Inflammatory liver injury and fibrosis were observed 14 days after BDL. ALT and ammonia levels were significantly higher in BDL group than in sham group. There were no differences in general locomotor activity or anxiety between the groups. No difference was observed between these two groups in the novel object recognition test, but BDL group showed significant learning/memory impairment in the passive avoidance test compared to sham group. Conclusions Fourteen days of BDL in 12–14-week-old male C57BL/6 mice is a clinically relevant model for HE, as these mice have liver fibrosis with impaired liver function, hyperammonemia, and learning/memory impairment. Passive avoidance can be used as the major behavioral test in this model of HE.

The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) is a potential stroke treatment candidate. Intranasal delivery is a novel method thereby a therapeutic protein can be penetrated into the brain parenchyma by bypassing the blood-brain barrier. Thus, this study tested whether intranasal IL-1RA can provide neuroprotection and brain penetration in transient cerebral ischemia. In male Sprague-Dawley rats, focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 h. The rats simultaneously received 50 mg/kg human IL-1RA through the intranasal (IN group) or intraperitoneal route (IP group). The other rats were given 0.5 mL/kg normal saline (EC group). Neurobehavioral function, infarct size, and the concentration of the administered human IL-1RA in the brain tissue were assessed. In addition, the cellular distribution of intranasal IL-1RA in the brain and its effect on proinflammatory cytokines expression were evaluated. Intranasal IL-1RA improved neurological deficit and reduced infarct size until 7 days after MCAO (p<0.05). The concentrations of the human IL-1RA in the brain tissue 24 h after MCAO were significantly greater in the IN group than in the IP group (p<0.05). The human IL-1RA was confirmed to be co-localized with neuron and microglia. Furthermore, the IN group had lower expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α at 6 h after MCAO than the EC group (p<0.05). These results suggest that intranasal IL-1RA can reach the brain parenchyma more efficiently and provide superior neuroprotection in the transient focal cerebral ischemia.
Administration, Intranasal* ; Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia* ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; Interleukin-1* ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Male ; Methods ; Microglia ; Models, Animal* ; Necrosis ; Neurons ; Neuroprotection ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Investigation of the factors affecting blood donation practice is essential to develop the ways of making blood donation campaign, as well as efficient and facilitating blood donation practice. A few studies has been made concerning the factors affecting blood donation in Korea. METHODS: 637 participants were examined using self-administered questionnaires including demographic variables, experience, knowledge and attitude for blood donation and others. RESULTS: 51.5% of participants had experienced the blood donation. Students who donated blood in high school days showed tendency to donate blood more than those who didn t donate blood in high school days. Students who had more knowledge and desirable attitude about blood donation experienced more blood donations. CONCLUSION: It is necessary for adolescents to take the opportunity of blood donation. It is important to clarify factors affecting blood donation practice and to encourage the public education and campaign which enable public has accurate knowledge and positive attitude about blood donation.
Adolescent ; Blood Donors* ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: DNA repair plays a crucial role in protection from cancer-causing agents. Therefore, a reduced DNA repair capacity can increase the susceptibility to lung cancer. The XPC gene contains 15 exons and encodes a 940 amino acid protein that plays a central role in DNA damage recognition of the nucleotide excision repair pathway, which is a major DNA repair mechanism removing the bulky-helix distorting DNA lesions caused by smoking. Recently several polymorphisms in the XPC gene were identified. In addition, it is possible that these polymorphisms may affect the DNA repair capacity, which modulate cancer susceptibility. The relationship between codon 499 and 939 polymorphisms, and a poly(AT) insertion/deletion polymorphism in the XPC gene, and the lung cancer risk were investigated. METHOD: The genotypes were determined using either PCR or PCR-RFLP analysis in 219 male lung cancer patients and 150 healthy males controls. RESULTS: The frequencies of the genotypes (Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln) among the cases were not significantly different from those of the controls. There was no significant associantion between these polymorphism and the lung cancer risk when the analyses were stratified according to age, smoking status and the pack-years of smoking. Moreover, the genotypes had no apparent relationship with any of the histological types of lung cancer. There was a linkage disequilibrium among the Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln polymorphisms. The PAT polymorphism had a strong linkage disequilibrium with the Lys939Gln polymorphism (kappa value=0.87). The XPC haplotypes showed no significant association with the lung cancer risk. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that XPC Val499Ala, PAT and Lys939Gln polymorphisms are not major contributors to the individual lung cancer susceptibility in Koreans.
Male ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms