A beta-glucan synthase gene was isolated from the genomic DNA of polypore mushroom Sparassis crispa, which reportedly produces unusually high amount of soluble beta-1,3-glucan (beta-glucan). Sequencing and subsequent open reading frame analysis of the isolated gene revealed that the gene (5,502 bp) consisted of 10 exons separated by nine introns. The predicted mRNA encoded a beta-glucan synthase protein, consisting of 1,576 amino acid residues. Comparison of the predicted protein sequence with multiple fungal beta-glucan synthases estimated that the isolated gene contained a complete N-terminus but was lacking approximately 70 amino acid residues in the C-terminus. Fungal beta-glucan synthases are integral membrane proteins, containing the two catalytic and two transmembrane domains. The lacking C-terminal part of S. crispa beta-glucan synthase was estimated to include catalytically insignificant transmembrane alpha-helices and loops. Sequence analysis of 101 fungal beta-glucan synthases, obtained from public databases, revealed that the beta-glucan synthases with various fungal origins were categorized into corresponding fungal groups in the classification system. Interestingly, mushrooms belonging to the class Agaricomycetes were found to contain two distinct types (Type I and II) of beta-glucan synthases with the type-specific sequence signatures in the loop regions. S. crispa beta-glucan synthase in this study belonged to Type II family, meaning Type I beta-glucan synthase is expected to be discovered in S. crispa. The high productivity of soluble beta-glucan was not explained but detailed biochemical studies on the catalytic loop domain in the S. crispa beta-glucan synthase will provide better explanations.
Agaricales ; Cell Wall ; Classification ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; DNA ; Efficiency ; Exons ; Glycogen Synthase ; Humans ; Introns ; Membrane Proteins ; Open Reading Frames ; RNA, Messenger ; Sequence Analysis

No abstract available.
Cystadenoma*

No abstract available.
Cystadenoma*

Xanthogranulomatous cystitis is a rare, benign chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. Herein we report a case of a 41-year-old man who presented with painless hematuria and a bladder mass on imaging studies.
Adult ; Cystitis ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Urinary Bladder ; Xanthomatosis

Lymphangiomas result from a failure of lymphatic drainage into the venous system due to atresia or an insufficiency of the efferent lymphatic channels. The neck and axillary regions are most commonly affected, while the condition is rarely found in the inguinal area, scrotum, retroperitoneal space, abdominal viscera, arm, pelvis or bones. We report a case of a cystic lymphangioma of the lower abdomen, penis and scrotum in a 29-year-old man.
Abdomen* ; Adult ; Arm ; Drainage ; Humans ; Lymphangioma ; Lymphangioma, Cystic* ; Male ; Neck ; Pelvis ; Penis* ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Scrotum* ; Viscera

BACKGROUND: Medication adherence is important for hypertension management but still stay low level. It is reasonable method to classify medication nonadherence into intentional nonadherence and unintentional nonadherence and manage it according to this categories. This study aimed to explore medication adherence and its predictors in community patients with hypertension, especially dividing into intentional nonadherence and unintentional nonadherence. METHODS: Study subjects included 1,988 patients who were prescribed hypertension drugs among 2012 community health survey subjects of 10 cities in Gyeongsangnamdo and we analyzed medication adherence with hypertension and its predictors. We conducted chi-square test for nominal variable and ANOVA test for continuous variable and use multinominal regression to analyze independent predictors of intentional nonadherence and unintentional nonadherence in contrast to medication adherence. RESULTS: Of the 1,988 patients, 49.7% were adherent, 26.1% were unintentionally nonadherent and 24.2% intentionally nonadherent. Independent predictors of unintentional nonadherence were depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]=1.696, P=0.047) and arthritis (OR=1.319, P=0.030) and independent predictors of intentional nonadherence were cardiocerebrovascular disease (OR=1.464, P=0.044), self-efficacy (OR=0.984, P=0.007), beliefs about medications questionnaire (necessity [OR=0.834, P<0.001] and concern [OR=1.236, P<0.001]). CONCLUSIONS: In order to manage hypertension in community, improvement in medication adherence is needed. Depressive symptom and self-efficacy need to be managed, but especially patients'beliefs about their medication need to be considered to improve intentional nonadherence.
Aged* ; Arthritis ; Depression ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Intention ; Medication Adherence*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the radiologic features of fibrothecoma of the ovary, which is a rare solid tumor originating from the ovarian sex cord-stroma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The radiologic findings of 29 patients with pathologically-proven fibrothecoma of the ovary were retrospectively evaluated for bilaterality, size, shape, margin, echogenecity, CT attenuation, signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging, calcification, and amount of ascites. RESULTS: All fibrothecomas were unilateral, and had well defined margins. The diameter of the mass was 4-18(mean, 9.6)cms. Elghteen of 29 tumors were round or oval with a smooth margin, and eleven were lobulated. The internal architecture of the tumor was purely solid in 21 patients, predominantly solid in six, and pre-dominantly cystic in two. A broad spectrum of sonographic features was apparent, including a homogeneously hypoechoic mass (with posterior shadowing in four cases, and without posterior shadowing in ten), a homoge-neously hyperechoic mass in seven cases, an anechoic mass with septatations in two, and a mixed echoic mass in six. On precontrast CT scans, the mass was isodense to the uterine myometrium in eight of nine cases, while on postcontrast scans the lesion was slightly hypodense to the myometrium in seven cases and isodense in one. On T1-weighted MR images, nine of ten cases showed a relatively homogeneous low signal intensity, while on T2-weighted images, signal intensity was homogeneously low in two patients and predominantly low with focal high intensity in seven of the other eight. On gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images, most tu-mors showed slight heterogeneous enhancement. Calcifications were present in two cases, and in two others there was a large amount of ascites. CONCLUSION: The characteristic finding of ovarian fibrothecomas is a well-defined, oval or lobulated homoge-neously solid mass, which on CT scans enhances less than uterine myometrium and demonstrates a predomi-nantly low signal intensity on both T1- and T2-weighted images. However, a predominantly solid mass with cystic components or a predominantly cystic mass may also be presented.
Animals ; Ascites ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Ovary ; Retrospective Studies ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: inhaled nitric oxide(iNO) is an excellent method for the postoperative pulmonary hypertension in congenital heart disease. But more detailed care is needed because of the development of rebound pulmonary hypertension after NO Withdrawal. We performed this study in order to discontinue the iNO successfully by way of presenting the adequate weaning and supplying methods. METHODS: Between January, 1998 and August, 1999 we sudied 10 patients who had rebound pulmonary hypertension(RPH) after iNO withdrawal. We completed the iNO in these patween the first the second trial of the weaning process. We tried to discover the differences between the first and second weaning process. We measured NO concentration at the start and just before NO withdrawal and during the period of weaning process. Moreover, to identify the iNO effects during the weaning of the iNO, we counted the degree of the change of PaO2/FiO2and mean PAP/SAP beween initial and at half of the initial NO concentration. RESULTS: Second weaning had a longer duration weaning process(11+/-0 cersus 5+/- hours, P<0.05), lower NO concentration just before NO withdrawal(2+/-.6 versus 4+/-ppm, P<0.05). In the change of the mean PAP/SAP and PaO2/FiO2as iNO was weaning from the initial iNO concentration to a half of the initial iNO concentration, the degree of increase in mean PAP/SAP(0.026+/-.07 versus 0.054+/-.07, P<0.05) and the degree of decrease in PaO2/FiO2(49+/-4 versus 65+/-2, P<0.05) were smaller in the second in the second weaning process than the first weaning process. CONCLUSION: A successful weaning of iNO can be performed with a low iNO concentration at the start and just before withdrawal and with the long duration iNO weaning process. Moreover, We speculate that the degree of change in the mean PAP/SAP and PaO2/FiO2at the half of the iNO weaning process are an indicator for the development of RPH.
Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Nitric Oxide* ; Weaning*

Objective: Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is one of the treatment modalities in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), however, there was a lack of evidence for optimal craniectomy size. The authors aimed to investigate optimal DC size and analyze clinical outcome according to craniectomy size. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical data of 87 patients with a space occupying lesion following TBI who underwent unilateral DC. Craniectomy size was measured by anterior-posterior (AP) diameter and surface estimate (SE). Mortality, clinical outcome, and complications were collected and analyzed according to craniectomy size. Results: Nineteen patients (21.8%) died and 35 patients (40.2%) had a favorable outcome at last follow-up (a mean duration, 30.3±39.4 months; range, 0.2–132.6 months). Receiver operating curve analyses identified AP diameter more than 12.5 cm (area under the curve [AUC]=0.740; p=0.002) and SE more than 98.0 cm2 (AUC=0.752;p=0.001) as cut-off values for survival, and AP diameter more than 13.4 cm (AUC=0.650; p=0.018) and SE more than 107.3 cm2 (AUC=0.685; p=0.003) for favorable outcome. Large craniectomy resulted in a significantly lower mortality rate and a higher rate of favorable outcome than small craniectomy (p=0.005 and p=0.014, respectively). However, procedure related bleeding occurred more frequently in the large craniectomy group (p=0.044). Conclusion Unilateral DC size is associated with clinical outcome of patients with a space occupying lesion following severe TBI. Large craniectomy is needed for survival and favorable outcome.

Purpose: : The COVID-19 pandemic has had a far-reaching impact on society. Understanding the changes perceived by medical students is meaningful in that it can suggest the direction of future changes in medical education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 social distancing on psychosocial changes in medical students. Methods: : Anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19, changes in fatigue caused by social distancing, areas where significant changes occurred, and changes in social activity participation and media use behavior among medical students who have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years by an online survey. Two hundred twenty-one who are 1st and 2nd-year medical students responded, and we analyzed the results by frequency analysis, independent t-test, paired-sample t-test, and ANOVA. Also, we analyzed Post hoc tests with Tamhane T2, which does not assume equal variance. Results: : The second year of medical school showed higher anxiety and depression than the first. The students who experienced COVID-19 showed lower anxiety, and the more severe the degree of corona blue experience, the higher the anxiety and depression. And the fatigue felt by medical students is higher now than during COVID-19. Areas where the changes due to COVID-19 were seen a lot, were lifestyle attitudes, learning methods, and human relationships. And also, social activities and media medical students use increased after social distancing. Conclusion : Before and After COVID-19 Social Distancing, medical students have experienced many psychosocial changes.