PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the quality of online health information related to infants and preschoolers accessible through mobile applications and websites. METHODS: Using combinations of the terms 'infant', 'preschooler', and 'health' as the main keyword or categories, the researchers searched relevant mobile applications and websites in Korean application markets and popular search engines. Twelve mobile application and 14 websites were finally selected according to our inclusion criteria and evaluated using DISCERN instrument. RESULTS: The overall quality score of online health information available through mobile applications was 2.00 of 5 points, the reliability score was 2.15, and the quality score was 1.76. The overall quality score of online health information available through websites was 2.29, the reliability score was 2.40, and the quality score was 1.82. CONCLUSION: The quality of online health information related to young children was found to be low and to have potentially significant drawbacks according to DISCERN criteria. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a system to evaluate and regulate the quality of online health information. Additionally, factors that readers can use to judge the quality of health information, such as references and the benefit versus risks of the information, should be provided.
Child ; Consumer Health Information ; Humans ; Infant ; Internet ; Mobile Applications ; Search Engine

OBJECTIVE: The presence of the various cytokines in human peritoneal fluid has been evaluated incompletely. Changes in cytokine lefels may be related to activation of peritoneal macrophage and T-lymphocyte, development of endometriosis, and infertility. This study assesses peritoneal fluid levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in infertile women with endometriosis and normal women without endometriosis. Design : Prospective and case-control study in university hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytokine levels in peritoneal fluid obtained during laparotomy or laparoscopy from 21 patients in infertile patients in infertile patients with endometriosis and 24 controls undergoing laparotomy or laparoscopy with no evidence of pelvic endometriosis were determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean levels of interleukin-6 in infertile patients with endometriosis and controls were 72.7+/-23.7 pg/ml and 18.5+/-9.7 pg/ml respectively (p=0.02). Similarly, the mean levels of interleukin-8 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly higher than that of controls (445.0+/-89.6, vs 45.1+/-48.4, p=0.04). The mean concentration of interleukin-10 in infertile patients with endometriosis was significantly lower than that of controls (1.09+/-0.04 vs 2.19+/-0.03, p=0.03). The level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was not significantly different between the two study groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-6 and IL-8 and decreased IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid may be related to pathogenesis in the endometriosis and infertility, suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in infertili women with endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytokines ; Endometriosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukin-8 ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Prospective Studies ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Radial glia are transdifferentiated into astrocytes within the developing brain and spinal cord. The neural retina contains Muller cells, which are retinal radial glia. Some of the cells that surround the optic nerve head among Muller cells in the chicken retina are called peripapillary glial cells (PPGCs). PPGCs express different molecules compared to typical Muller cells. However, an antigenic PPGC phenotype has not yet been clearly established. In this study, we classified the antigenic PPGC phenotypes and identified the differentiation stages of these cells. At embryonic day (E)8, alphaB-crystallin-positive PPGCs had a bipolar shape with long processes that traversed entire layers of the retina. Pax2 and vimentin were expressed in alphaB-crystallin-positive PPGCs. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity was not observed in PPGCs. At E18, alphaB-crystallin immunoreactivity disappeared from the vitread processes of PPGCs. However, the PPGC cell bodies and ventricular processes contained alphaB-crystallin protein, and the PPGCs retained the same Pax2-positive/vimentin-positive/GFAP-negative profile as that seen at E8. At post-hatch day 120, alphaB-crystallin and Pax2 immunoreactivity was not observed, but vimentin and GFAP expression was clearly observed in the presumptive location of the PPGCs. Furthermore, these two proteins overlapped within that location. Considering that vimentin expression is prolonged until the post-hatching period in chicken brain, these findings suggest that Pax2-negative/vimentin-positive/GFAP-positive PPGCs are phenotypically identical to mature astrocytes in this avian species.
Astrocytes ; Brain ; Chickens ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; Neuroglia ; Optic Disk ; Phenotype ; Proteins ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde ; Spinal Cord ; Vimentin

Fisetin, a natural flavonoid found in a variety of vegetables and fruits, has been shown to possess many biological functions. The present study was undertaken to investigate the influence of fisetin on vascular smooth muscle contractility and to determine the mechanism involved. Denuded aortic rings from male rats were used and isometric contractions were recorded and combined with molecular experiments. Fisetin significantly relaxed fluoride-, thromboxane A2- or phorbol ester-induced vascular contraction suggesting as a possible anti-hypertensive on the agonist-induced vascular contraction regardless of endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. Furthermore, fisetin significantly inhibited fluoride-induced increases in pMYPT1 levels and phorbol ester-induced increases in pERK1/2 levels suggesting the mechanism involving the inhibition of Rho-kinase activity and the subsequent phosphorylation of MYPT1 and MEK activity and the subsequent phosphorylation of ERK1/2. This study provides evidence regarding the mechanism underlying the relaxation effect of fisetin on agonist-induced vascular contraction regardless of endothelial function.
Animals ; Fluorides ; Fruit ; Humans ; Isometric Contraction ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nitric Oxide ; Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Relaxation ; rho-Associated Kinases ; Vegetables

In situ hybridization (ISH) using single-stranded DNA probe (ssDNA probe) is a useful method for observing the specific transcripts in cells, since it is convenient to prepare probe which is specific and sensitive. In this study, ssDNA probe for detection of alphaB-crystallin (aBC) mRNA, transcript of a heat shock protein, was prepared and aBC mRNA-expressed cells were spatiotemporally observed in the retina of the developing chick embryos. Single-stranded antisense probe produced by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction was identified as a specific probe for aBC mRNA in comparison to negative control using sense probe and immunohistochemistry for aBC protein. In the ISH experiment, aBC mRNA was expressed only in the peripapillary glial cells which are a specific cell type located in the avian retina adjacent to the optic nerve at E12 and E14 retinas. At E16, a small number of aBC mRNA-expressed cells were identified in the nerve fiber layer (NFL) of the retina. At E18, aBC mRNA-expressed cells were observed in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) as well as the NFL. At E20, the number of aBC mRNA-expressed cells was increased in the GCL and the NFL. Based on the same localization of nkx2.2 immunoreactive cells and aBC mRNA-expressed cells, aBC mRNA-expressed cells were identified as oligodendrocytes. These results indicate that ssDNA probe for aBC mRNA detection is very useful tool for oligodendrocyte research such as distribution, migration and differentiation of the cells.
DNA, Single-Stranded ; Ganglion Cysts ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Nerve Fibers ; Neuroglia ; Oligodendroglia ; Optic Nerve ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retina ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger

It is well known that small heat shock proteins play a role as molecular chaperone. However, during normal development of the cerebellum, expression and distribution of HSP27 and alphaB-crystallin (alphaBC) which are small heat shock proteins have not been reported. To verify the protective role of HSP27 and alphaBC in neurons and glial cells, we examined the expression and distribution of HSP27 and alphaBC in the developing chick cerebellum using immunoblot, immunohistochemical and double immunofluorescence staining. Expression of both HSP27 and alphaBC was first identified in the cerebellum of the embryonic day 14 (E14) embryo, and was increased at E18. Double immunofluorescence analysis with myelin-basic protein (MBP) demonstrated that alphaBC positive (+) cells were mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. alphaBC+ cells were observed in the white matter of the E14 cerebellum. At E18, there were a number of alphaBC+ cells in the white matter and a few cells in the granular layer of the gray matter. On the other hand, HSP27+ cells were observed in the white matter and the Purkinje cell layer at E14. At E18, HSP27+ signals were observed in Purkinje cells and neurons of cerebellar nucleus as well as oligodendrocytes in the white matter and the granular layer. The results that HSP27 and alphaBC were expressed in specific neurons and glial cells in the developing cerebellum suggest that HSP27 and alphaBC may be involved in the protective mechanism for the apoptosis of neurons and the physiological stress occurred in oligodendrocyts during cell maturation.
Apoptosis ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; Cerebellum* ; Embryonic Structures ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Hand ; Heat-Shock Proteins, Small ; Molecular Chaperones ; Myelin Sheath ; Neuroglia ; Neurons ; Oligodendroglia ; Purkinje Cells ; Stress, Physiological

Fingerprints have been used for personal identification, for revealing physical anthropological characteristics, and for diagnosing genetic disorders. Morphology of fingerprints has been analyzed in various tribes. However, in Korean, the analytical methods of fingerprints and the numbers of subjects were not sufficient to find standard values for Korean fingerprints. In this study, fingerprints of 3216 Koreans (2095 males and 1121 females) were analyzed using the various methods and compared with those of other tribes to contribute in revealing physical anthropological characteristics of Korean and also in diagnosing genetic disorders of Korean. The results were as follows. 1. The incidence of ulnar loop type, whorl type, radial loop type, and arch type was 50.4%, 42.9%, 3.8%, and 2.9%, respectively. Data from the comparison of the incidences of fingerprint types in Korean with those in various tribes lead us to conclude that Korean belongs to the Asians and becomes closer to the Whites and Blacks in which loop type is frequent and whorl type is not frequent. 2. Fingerprint type seems to be related to the strength of finger since whorl type was frequent in male and in right hand, and arch type was frequent in female and in left hand. In addition, loop of fingerprint appears to have the tendency to open to the side bearing more physical contact since radial loop type was frequent in second finger, and ulnar loop type was frequent in fifth finger. 3. Among the subtypes of fingerprint, morphologically simple types were common. Among the subtypes of arch types, simple arch type with the same number of radial dermal ridges as ulnar ones was the most common. Among the subtypes of loop types, ulnar loop type without concentric circles or spirals was the most common. Among the subtypes of whorl types, concentric whorl type without loops was the most common. 4. Finger ridge counts were 16.9, 13.9, 11.9, 11.3, and 11.2 in first, fourth, third, second, and fifth finger, respectively; and were greater in male than in female. Finger ridge counts are greater in fingers which shows whorl type. However, there would be other factors to determine finger ridge counts; for examples, the size and behavioral habit of finger.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Dermatoglyphics* ; Female ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Population Groups

German cockroaches are major household allergens that can trigger allergic airway inflammatory diseases with sensitive T-cell responses. Although the use of immune modulatory biologics, such as antibodies, to mediate allergic responses has recently been examined, only systemic administration is available because of the size limitations on intranasal administration. Here we utilized a cell-permeable peptide, dNP2, to deliver the cytoplasmic domain of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (ctCTLA-4) through the airway epithelium to modulate Th2 responses in a German cockroach extract (GCE)-induced allergic airway inflammation model. The intranasal delivery efficiency of the dNP2-dTomato protein to the lungs was higher in GCE-induced asthmatic lung parenchymal cells compared to the sham cells. Intranasal administration of the dNP2-ctCTLA-4 protein inhibited airway hyper-responsiveness and reduced airway inflammation and remodeling, including goblet cell metaplasia and collagen deposition around the bronchi. The number of infiltrated cells, including eosinophils, and the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IFN-γ in the lungs were significantly reduced, presumably owing to inhibition of Th2 differentiation. However, intranasal administration of CTLA4-Ig did not inhibit airway inflammation. These results collectively suggest that dNP2-ctCTLA-4 is an efficient intranasally applicable candidate biologic for treating allergic asthma.
Abatacept ; Administration, Intranasal ; Allergens ; Antibodies ; Asthma ; Biological Products ; Blattellidae* ; Bronchi ; Collagen ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Epithelium ; Family Characteristics ; Goblet Cells ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-13 ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-5 ; Lung ; Metaplasia ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; T-Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic

It is generally known that moyamoya disease is a disease showing typical angiographic findings such as bilateral stenosis or occlusion of the distal internal carotid arteries and the major branches with extensive parenchymal, leptomeningeal or transdural anastomosis. However, its etiology is still unknown. Chief clinical manifestations are transient ischemic attack, motor paresis, headache, altered mentality and seizure. Twelve angiographically proven cases of moyamoya disease in chonnam National University Hospital from 1983 to 1990 were analyzed with respect to clinical manifestations, findings of brain computed tomography, cerebral angiographic findings and outcomes. The results were as follows: 1) Sex ratio was 1:2 as 4 males to 8 females. 2) They were 2 juvenile form(aged 8-13 yrs) and 10 adult form(aged l9-59 yrs). 3) Transient ischemic attack(2 cases), hemiparesis (5 cases), headache(6 cases), altered mentality(4 cases), facial palsy(2 cases), aphasia(1 case) and neck stiffness(1 case) were shown as clinical anifestations. 4) In brain computed tomography, intraventricular hemorrhage(5 cases), intracerebral emorrhage(2 cases), subarachnoid hemorrhage(1 case), infarction(4 cases including 2 old infarction combined with hemorrhage), contrast enhanced tortuous moyamoya vessels only in brain base(1 case) and suprasellar tumor(1 case) were noted. 5) Brain magnetic resonance imaging was perfomed in 1 case. It revealed characteristic collateral vessels in brain base. 6) All cases showed the characteristic angiographic findings of moyamoya disease with different stage of the progression, In addition to moyamoya vessels, 2 cases of aneurysm and 1 case of diffuse internal carotid artery hypoplasia were found. 7) Some neurologic sequales were noted in two cases. One case expired due to recurret intraventricular hemorrhage.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infarction ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; Jeollanam-do ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Neck ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Sex Ratio

PURPOSE: We performed this study in order to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of urolithiasis in patients with malignant hematologic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine hundred one patients who underwent medical treatment for malignant hematologic disease and 40,543 patients who visited the emergency room and without malignant hematologic diseases were included in our study. The patients with malignant hematologic diseases were divided into two groups depending on their primary treatment. Group I included patients with acute and chronic leukemia (AML, ALL, CML, CLL) for which chemotherapy and steroid therapy was necessary, and group II included patients with anaplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome and who had undergone repeated transfusion for treatment. Comparisons were made between the two groups in respect to the incidence of urolithiasis and the stones' radiopacity. RESULTS: Twenty nine patients (3.2%) of the 901 malignant hematologic patients were diagnosed with urolithiasis, compared to 575 patients (1.4%) of 40,543 emergency room patients. There was a significant increase of the incidence of urolithiasis in the malignant hematologic group. Compared to the general patients, the patients with malignant hematologic diseases had a higher rate of radiolucent stones (46.6% versus 16.3%, respectively), and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION: The incidence of urolithiasis for malignant hematologic patients was significantly higher than that for the control group.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hematologic Diseases/*complications/epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia/complications/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/complications/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Urolithiasis/*epidemiology/*etiology ; Young Adult