Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze research trends and find whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of refugees could affect structural or functional changes of brains of those under MRI, focusing on volumes, functional connectivities, and metabolites. Methods: A literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, RISS, and KMBase to identify studies that matched our research purpose. A total of eight studies were identified using Prisma flow diagram by two reviewers independently. Results: Eight studies were identified. Three studies were on North Korean defectors as subjects. The number of studies that observed structural changes, functional changes, and metabolite changes in brains was 2, 5, and 2, respectively. Although each study observed various parts of the brain, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was observed commonly in three studies. The PTSD group showed reduction of ACC volume and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) metabolite in ACC compared to the non- PTSD group. When exposed to negative stimuli, the PTSD group showed higher neural activity than the non-PTSD group, but not vice versa. Conclusion ACC showed significant difference in volume, neural activity, and NAA metabolite between the PTSD and the non-PTSD group, resulting in significant differences in structural changes, functional changes, metabolite changes, respectively. This study showed the need for conducting more research using various biomarkers to clarify the relationship between PTSD of refugees and their brain changes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze research trends and find whether Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) of refugees could affect structural or functional changes of brains of those under MRI, focusing on volumes, functional connectivities, and metabolites. Methods: A literature search was done using PubMed, Embase, RISS, and KMBase to identify studies that matched our research purpose. A total of eight studies were identified using Prisma flow diagram by two reviewers independently. Results: Eight studies were identified. Three studies were on North Korean defectors as subjects. The number of studies that observed structural changes, functional changes, and metabolite changes in brains was 2, 5, and 2, respectively. Although each study observed various parts of the brain, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was observed commonly in three studies. The PTSD group showed reduction of ACC volume and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) metabolite in ACC compared to the non- PTSD group. When exposed to negative stimuli, the PTSD group showed higher neural activity than the non-PTSD group, but not vice versa. Conclusion ACC showed significant difference in volume, neural activity, and NAA metabolite between the PTSD and the non-PTSD group, resulting in significant differences in structural changes, functional changes, metabolite changes, respectively. This study showed the need for conducting more research using various biomarkers to clarify the relationship between PTSD of refugees and their brain changes.

PURPOSE: This study was to identify factors that affect breast cancer patients' intentions to participate in cancer rehabilitation therapy. Such findings could be utilized early in the rehabilitation process to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 300 breast cancer patients (> or =20 years old) receiving post-surgery outpatient care was used. A self-administrated survey was conducted from June 15 to July 25, 2012. The questionnaire included basic subject data, physical symptoms, optimism, and social support. RESULTS: A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that a short post-surgery period (<12 months), having undergone an axillary lymph node dissection, and high physical symptoms were factors that significantly affected participants' intentions to undergo rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: By accurately assessing the factors associated with each patient's decisions regarding cancer rehabilitation therapy at an early stage of treatment and then implementing such individualized rehabilitation, the quality of life for breast cancer patients can be substantially improved.
Ambulatory Care ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Intention ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Node Excision ; Quality of Life ; Rehabilitation* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) removal for patients with macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with MHRD who underwent vitrectomy with ILM removal. The incidence of retinal re-attachment and MH closure at 1 month were calculated. Factors associated with RD recurrence were investigated. Visual acuity before surgery was compared to that at the final visit. Results: Forty-two eyes were included; the mean follow-up period was 38.5 ± 19.1 months. Twenty-three eyes received gas injections and 19 silicone oil injections. Retinal re-attachment occurred in 41 (97.6%). Type 1 closure was noted in 21 eyes (51.2%) and type 2 in 20 (48.8%). Recurrent RD was noted in five eyes (14.6%) within 3 months of initial surgery. Type 2 closure was a risk factor for recurrence (p = 0.021). The logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity improved significantly from 1.79 ± 0.79 before surgery to 1.30 ± 0.75 after surgery (p < 0.001). Conclusions Retinal re-attachment was noted in most patients and the MH closed in approximately half of all patients after vitrectomy with ILM removal to treat MHRD. RD did not recur later than 3 months after initial surgery. Further efforts to increase the rate of type 1 closure are required.

In the past 15 years, from 1986 to 2000, 2,763 cases of superficial mycoses had been diagnosed and treated in Jillin Province. Other mycoses included 1,450 cases of tinea versicolor, 497 cases of candidiasis, 142 cases of sporotrichosis, 1 case of chromomycosis, and 47 cases of aspergillosis. Among the 2,763 cases of superficial mycoses, 762 cases were tinea cruris, 246 cases were tinea manus, 661 cases were tinea pedis, and 156 cases were onychomycosis. From the region, there was a high incidence of sporotrichosis in the middle and the west part of our province, and there was rather low incidence of it in the eastern mountain areas. We separated Sporothrix schenckii from the natural environment. Sporothrix schenckii was separated from the plants and the soil in both the region of high incidence and low incidence. Therefore, the reason why there's a low incidence in the eastern mountain areas is still unknown. Pathogenic fungi were separated, and we found 2,038 strains of T. rubrum, which came first in the pathogenic fungi of dermatophytoses. Coming next were T. mentagiophytes, M. canis, E. floccosum, M. gypseum and T. violaseum. Sporothrix schenckii was separated from all of the 142 cases of sporotrichosis. Candida albicans A, Candida albicans B, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis were separated from candidiasis; Exophiala jeanselmei was separated chromomycosis; A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. favus were separated from aspergillosis. The problem we should pay attention to is; In the 1980's, M. canis came third in the pathogenic fungi of dermatophytoses, first in that of tinea capitis, which took 84.2% in the pathogenic fungi of tinea capitis. But from the beginning of 1990's, the number had declined. By the end of 1990's, M. canis just took 9.6 percent in the pathogenic fungi of tinea capitis. And the separation rate of M. canis from cat had obviously declined. Whether it's getting to vanish like M. ferrugineum also needs paying attention to.
Animals ; Aspergillosis ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Candida tropicalis ; Candidiasis ; Cats ; China* ; Chromoblastomycosis ; Epidemiology ; Exophiala ; Fungi ; Incidence ; Mycoses ; Niger ; Onychomycosis ; Soil ; Sporothrix ; Sporotrichosis ; Tinea ; Tinea Capitis ; Tinea Favosa ; Tinea Pedis ; Tinea Versicolor

Gartner duct cysts are relatively common congenital cysts in the anterolateral wall of the vagina. Most are small (less than 2 cm) and asymptomatic, but larger cysts may cause problems. We report a rare case of a giant Gartner duct cyst (7 cm) originating from the right lateral portion of the uterine cervix and adjacent myometrium. It appeared as an exophytic multiseptated cystic mass containing different density fluids on CT.
Animals ; Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Vagina

Recent studies indicated that cancer cells become resistant to ionizing radiation (IR) and chemotherapy drugs by enhanced DNA repair of the lesions. Therefore, it is expected to increase the killing of cancer cells and reduce drug resistance by inhibiting DNA repair pathways that tumor cells rely on to escape chemotherapy. There are a number of key human DNA repair pathways which depend on multimeric polypeptide activities. For example, Ku heterodimer regulatory DNA binding subunits (Ku70/Ku80) on binding to double strand DNA breaks (DSBs) are able to interact with 470-kDa DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), and are essential for DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. It has been known that DNA-PK is an important factor for DNA repair and also is a sensor-transmitting damage signal to downstream targets, leading to cell cycles arrest. Our ultimate goal is to develop a treatment of breast tumors by targeting proteins involved in damage-signaling pathway and/or DNA repair. This would greatly facilitate tumor cell cytotoxic activity and programmed cell death through DNA damaging drug treatment. Therefore, we designed a domain of Ku80 mutants that binds to Ku70 but not DNA end binding activity and used the peptide in co-therapy strategy to see whether the targeted inhibition of DNA-PK activity sensitized breast cancer cells to irradiation or chemotherapy drug. We observed that the synthesized peptide (HNI-38) prevented DNA-PKcs from binding to Ku70/Ku80, thus resulting in inactivation of DNA-PK activity. Consequently, the peptide treated cells exhibited poor to no DNA repair, and became highly sensitive to IR or chemotherapy drugs, and the growth of breast cancer cells was inhibited. Additionally, the results obtained in the present study also support the physiological role of resistance of cancer cells to IR or chemotherapy.
Breast Neoplasms ; Catalytic Domain* ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Death ; DNA ; DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded ; DNA Repair ; DNA-Activated Protein Kinase* ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Therapy ; Homicide ; Humans ; Radiation, Ionizing ; United Nations

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap and ILM insertion in idiopathic macular hole (MH) and to compare the outcomes between the two techniques. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 17 eyes that underwent an inverted ILM flap procedure (flap group, n = 9) or ILM insertion procedure (insertion group, n = 8) for idiopathic MH. Within each group, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before surgery was compared with that at the final follow-up. The BCVA at the final follow-up was compared between the two groups. In addition, the incidence of restoration of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone was evaluated. Results: The mean follow-up period was 25.1 ± 13.7 months after surgery. All MHs were closed after the surgery. In all 17 eyes, the logarithm of minimal angle of resolution BCVA had improved significantly from a mean value of 0.88 ± 0.23 before surgery to 0.42 ± 0.23 at the final follow-up (p < 0.001). The BCVA was significantly improved in both the flap group (from 0.92 ± 0.25 to 0.37 ± 0.29, p = 0.007) and the insertion group (from 0.83 ± 0.19 to 0.48 ± 0.15, p = 0.018). There was no significant difference in BCVA at the final follow-up between the two groups (p = 0.075). The incidence of restoration of the ELM and ellipsoid zone was significantly higher in the flap group (seven eyes, 77.8%) than in the insertion group (one eye, 12.5%). Conclusions Both inverted ILM flap and ILM insertion are effective in MH treatment. The restoration of retinal outer layers was better in the flap group. Further studies with a larger study population are needed to evaluate the long-term visual outcomes of the two methods.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap and ILM insertion in idiopathic macular hole (MH) and to compare the outcomes between the two techniques. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 17 eyes that underwent an inverted ILM flap procedure (flap group, n = 9) or ILM insertion procedure (insertion group, n = 8) for idiopathic MH. Within each group, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before surgery was compared with that at the final follow-up. The BCVA at the final follow-up was compared between the two groups. In addition, the incidence of restoration of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone was evaluated. Results: The mean follow-up period was 25.1 ± 13.7 months after surgery. All MHs were closed after the surgery. In all 17 eyes, the logarithm of minimal angle of resolution BCVA had improved significantly from a mean value of 0.88 ± 0.23 before surgery to 0.42 ± 0.23 at the final follow-up (p < 0.001). The BCVA was significantly improved in both the flap group (from 0.92 ± 0.25 to 0.37 ± 0.29, p = 0.007) and the insertion group (from 0.83 ± 0.19 to 0.48 ± 0.15, p = 0.018). There was no significant difference in BCVA at the final follow-up between the two groups (p = 0.075). The incidence of restoration of the ELM and ellipsoid zone was significantly higher in the flap group (seven eyes, 77.8%) than in the insertion group (one eye, 12.5%). Conclusions Both inverted ILM flap and ILM insertion are effective in MH treatment. The restoration of retinal outer layers was better in the flap group. Further studies with a larger study population are needed to evaluate the long-term visual outcomes of the two methods.

A 49-year-old woman visited the clinic because of acute hepatitis and acute kidney injury with decreased urine output presenting microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. An abdominal computed tomography revealed a localized, hypoattenuated lesion in a hepatic lateral segment, and kidney biopsy showed oxalate crystal deposition with tubular necrosis. In addition, the patient's 24-hour urinary excretion of oxalate was increased. Her kidney and liver injury improved after sessions of hemodialysis, and urinary oxalate excretion was normalized. Major mutations in primary hyperoxaluria have not been proven. A full sequencing of target genes may be helpful to diagnose a rare form of primary hyperoxaluria.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Biopsy ; Female ; Hematuria ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hyperoxaluria* ; Hyperoxaluria, Primary ; Kidney* ; Liver* ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Proteinuria ; Renal Dialysis