BACKGROUND: Impairments of language function represent patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from the early stage and as the disease progresses the damage spreads over a much broader range of cognition and communicative functions. And, performances of the naming tasks in AD patients may reveal the gradual deterioration of their naming ability. METHODS: In this study, naming ability was studied in patients with questionable AD (CDR 0.5, n=10), mild AD (CDR 1, n=10), moderate AD (CDR 2, n=10) and 10 healthy controls matched for age, gender and educational level using confrontation naming and naming by verbal definition tasks. The purpose of present study was 1) to investigate whether the confrontation naming and naming by verbal definition in Alzheimer's disease is different depending on the severity, 2) to examine the effects of the syllabic cue on the two naming ability for the errors questions. RESULTS: The results from this study are as follow: 1) The two naming performances of the all AD groups were lower than those of normal people and showed significant difference. 2) There were differences between the two naming tasks, significantly lower performance on confrontation naming task than naming by verbal definition. 3) The effects of syllabic cue decreased gradually as severity progressed. 4) The effects of syllabic cue were no significant differences between the two naming tasks. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that anomia in patients with AD is due to various impairment including to lexico-semantic system, visual processing, phonological processing and auditory comprehension.
Alzheimer Disease ; Anomia ; Cognition ; Comprehension ; Cues ; Humans

In the article, Methods of Hematoxylin and Erosin Image Information Acquisition and Optimization in Confocal Microscopy, there was a typographical error in the title.

Hypercalcemia is a common complication in CAPD patients treated with calcium-containing phosphate binders and using the standard dialysate (SCD) calcium concentration of 3.5mEq/L. We performed a retrospective study in 25 CAPD patients to determine whether a low calcium dialysate (LCD) containing 2.5mEq/L calcium would reduce the incidence of hypercalemia with adequate control of serum inorganic phosphate levels and diminish the need to use aluminum-containing phosphate binders. All patients had previously used SCD before converting to LCD. The incidence of hypercalcemia (more than 2 episodes of corrected serum calcium > or = 10.5mg/dL) tended to be lower after converting to LCDl 0.27 (0-2.76) vs. 0 (0-1.97) episodes/patient-yearl. Intact PTH level increased from 38.8 (0.1-1599.3)pg/mL to 70.6 (9.5-1540.0)pg/mL after conversion, but there was no statistical sifnificance. Serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and bicarbonate levels did not change after converting to LCD. We were able to reduce aluminum hydroxide dosagel 1.09 (0-10.88) vs. 0 (0-3.26)g/day/patientl and increase calcium carbonate dosage (1.95 0.92 vs. 2.98 2.14g/day/ patient) after conversion significantly (P<0.05). The frequency of peritonitis was similar in LCD and SCD period. In conclusion, low calcium dialysate is useful in diminishing aluminum-containing phosphate binder dosage and increasing calcium carbonate dosage to maintain a similar phosphate value. Its effects on renal osteodystrophy remain to be assessed.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Aluminum Hydroxide ; Calcium Carbonate ; Calcium* ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Incidence ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis ; Renal Osteodystrophy ; Retrospective Studies

This study aims to examine the clinical differences between objective short sleep insomniacs (OSSI) and subjective short sleep insomniacs (SSSI). Methods: We enrolled 79 patients (aged 27–74 years) with chronic insomnia disorder (CID) who underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) and completed sleep-related questionnaires as well as habitual sleep time. All of them completed actigraphy (ACT) recording for one week prior to the PSG study. Objective sleep duration for one-week average sleep was calculated by ACT, and subjective sleep duration was counted through self-reported habitual sleep time. We divided the subjects into three groups; OSSI (<6 hight), SSSI (objective sleep ≥6 hight and subjective sleep <6 h/ night), and normal sleep duration insomniacs (NSDI, subjective sleep ≥6 hight). Results: The three groups namely OSSI, SSSI, and NSDI had 25 (31.6%), 36 (45.6%), and 18 (22.8%) subjects, respectively. The SSSI were significantly older and had higher daytime sleepiness than the OSSI. According to the PSG results, the OSSI showed shorter sleep latency (11.86 min vs. 39.69 min) and N2 sleep % (59.43% vs. 67.96%), and longer rapid eye movement sleep % (20.79% vs. 15.47%) than that in the NSDI. There was no difference in treatment response between groups. Conclusions: 45.6% of CID patients underestimated their sleep relative to objective sleep. However, there were no differences in total sleep time on PSG between groups. The OSSI showed younger age and more daytime sleepiness, and the SSSI showed poorer sleep quality than the NSDI. These findings suggest that long-term ACT recording in a casual environment would be useful to monitor objective sleep in patients with CID, particularly, in subjectively short sleep insomniacs.

Objectives: Sleep issues are more prevalent in healthcare workers compared to workers in other industries. This study investigated sleep-wake pattern, sleep quality, and daytime status in hospital workers using a Galaxy Watch3 (GW3), a wrist-worn device that uses an accelerometer and heart rate sensor to distinguish sleep and wakefulness. Methods: Multiple sleep parameters including total sleep time (TST) were obtained using a GW3. The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), insomnia severity index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and bedtime procrastination scale (BPS) were used to assess participants’ status. Results: A total of 70 daytime hospital workers (male, 45.7%; mean age, 35.66±7.79 yr) participated in the monitoring of their sleep-wake patterns for 30 consecutive days. Participants had a mean ESS of 8.14±3.62, ISI of 6.13±3.83, and PSQI of 4.86±2.14. The mean TST was 5.75±0.74 hr (range: 3.42–6.88) during workdays and 5.92±0.92 hr (range: 2.87–8.25) during free days. Chronotype (mid-sleep on freedays corrected for sleep debt accumulated over the work week) was 3.60±1.03 clock hr (range: 1.84–6.69). BPS was negatively correlated with age (rho=-0.27, p=0.022), TST of workdays (rho=-0.53, p<0.001), and TST of free days (rho=-0.43, p<0.001). A higher BPS was associated with larger social jetlag (rho=0.28, p=0.018) and later chronotype (rho=0.41, p<0.001). Conclusions In this study, 91.5% of daytime hospital workers suffered from chronic sleep insufficiency (<7 hr during both workdays and free days) although their daytime sleepiness or subjective sleep were not poor. Individuals with a later chronotype had poorer sleep quality and worse sleep procrastination behavior.

Drugs are well known causes of eosinophilic lung disease. In many patients, drug-induced eosinophilic lung disease presents with transient eosinophilic infiltrates that disappear after discontinuation of the drug. Some patients, however, experience a fulminant, acute eosinophilia-like disease. Recently, we experienced a case of amitriptyline-associated acute eosinophilic pneumonia with respiratory failure in a diabetic hemodialysis patient. Eight days after treatment with amitriptyline, sudden fever, chill, dry cough and dyspnea developed. Subsequently, multiple patch consolidations appeared on the chest radiographs. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), established a diagnosis of acute eosinophilic pneumonia. After immediate discontinuation of amitriptyline, a rapid clinical and radiological improvement was observed. The present case indicates that the possibility of acute eosinophilic pneumonia should be fully considered in dialysis patients developing unexplained respiratory symptoms while on amitriptyline therapy.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Amitriptyline/*adverse effects ; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/*adverse effects ; Female ; Human ; Pulmonary Eosinophilia/*etiology ; *Renal Dialysis

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to examine whether iNOS pathway is pathologically altered in experimental diabetic nephropathy and whether therapy with ACE inhibitor (imidapril: I) or angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) blocker (L-158, 809: L) ameliorates these changes. METHODS: Male SD rats were injected with diluent (control: C) or streptozotocin. Diabetic (D) rats were then randomized to receive vehicle, I (2 mg/ kg/d) or L (1 mg/kg/d) by gavage. At the end of the 12-week treatment, rats underwent either a 4 hour placebo or an intraperitoneal LPS (2 mg/kg) challenge. Inducible NOS mRNA and protein were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot in isolated glomeruli. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure and urinary protein excretion increased significantly in D rats compared with C. The basal expression of iNOS mRNA was increased in D rats compared with that of C, whereas there was no significant difference in the level of protein. Upon LPS stimulation, the iNOS mRNA and protein expression was significantly elevated in D rats. In D rats, this up-regulation of LPS-stimulated iNOS expression was equally ameliorated by both I and L in mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSION: LPS-stimulated glomerular iNOS expression was enhanced in diabetic nephropathy, and the activation of angiotensin II may play a role in this enhancement.
Angiotensin II* ; Angiotensins* ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Blotting, Western ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II* ; Rats* ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 ; RNA, Messenger ; Streptozocin ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prevalence of insomnia and its associated factors among community-dwelling Korean elderly. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey examining a person's physical and psychological health status, including sleep, was administered among 1,500 individuals aged 65 and older. All participants were community-dwelling Korean elderly. RESULTS: We found that the overall prevalence of insomnia during the preceding month was 43.1%, including difficulty initiating sleep (27%) and difficulty maintaining sleep or early morning awakening (37.9%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that chronic diseases [odds ratio (OR) 2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59-3.71], depression (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.31-2.63), female (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.27-2.10), suicidal ideation (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.05-2.45), poor perceived health (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.14-2.17), unemployment (1.51, 95% CI 1.13-2.03) were associated with an increased prevalence of insomnia. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is prevalent among community-dwelling Korean elderly, and multiple psychosocial factors are associated with insomnia.
Aged* ; Chronic Disease ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence* ; Psychology ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Suicidal Ideation ; Unemployment

The 2019 hepatitis A outbreak has become increasingly prevalent among adults in Korea and is the largest outbreak since that in 2009–2010. The incidence in the current outbreak is highest among adults aged 35–44 years, corresponding to the peak incidence among those aged 25–34 years 10 years ago. This may indicate a cohort effect in the corresponding age group. Causes of these repeated outbreaks of hepatitis A in Korea are low level of immunity among adults, Korean food culture that consumes raw seafood such as salted clam and inadequate public health system. Among countermeasures, along with general infectious disease control measures including control of the infectious agent, infection spread, and host, urgent actions are needed to review the vaccination policy and establish an adequate public health system.
Adult ; Bivalvia ; Cohort Effect ; Communicable Diseases ; Disease Outbreaks ; Epidemiology ; Hepatitis A virus ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Korea ; Public Health ; Seafood ; Vaccination

A 72-year-old man with general weakness visited the outpatient clinic of the hematology department. The patient had been treated under the diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia for 2 years. His hemoglobin level at the time of the visit was 6.3 g/dL, and a blood transfusion was requested to treat his anemia. The patient's blood type was A, RhD positive. Antibody screening and identification test showed agglutination in all reagent cells with a positive reaction to autologous red blood cells (RBCs). He had a prior transfusion history with three least incompatible RBCs. The patient returned home after receiving one unit of leukoreduced filtered RBC, which was the least incompatible blood in the crossmatching test. After approximately five hours, however, fever, chills, dyspnea, abdominal pain, and hematuria appeared and the patient returned to the emergency room next day after the transfusion. The anti-Fy(a) antibody, which was masked by the autoantibody, was identified after autoadsorption using polyethylene glycol. He was diagnosed with an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction due to anti-Fy(a) that had not been detected before the transfusion. In this setting, it is necessary to consider the identification of coexisting alloantibodies in patients with autoantibodies and to become more familiar with the method of autoantibody adsorption.
Abdominal Pain ; Adsorption ; Aged ; Agglutination ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anemia ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Transfusion ; Chills ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Erythrocytes ; Fever ; Hematology ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Masks ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Transfusion Reaction*