Since 2012, outbreaks of the Middle East respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported, including the Republic of Korea. To date, most of the people infected with the virus are adults. Herein we describe the clinical characteristics of cases of MERS-CoV infection among children. As of October 29, 2015, MERS-CoV has caused 34 pediatric infections, which accounts for 2.1% of all cases. The median age was 13 years (range 9 months to 17 years) and where gender has been reported (n=33), 57.6% cases were male. About half of the patients were asymptomatic and the majority of the symptomatic patients had respiratory symptoms. In general, the clinical outcome in children was favorable. Among the four patients who died of progressive pneumonia, three had documented comorbidities. MERS-CoV infection in children has a lower incidence and mortality compared to adults.
Adult ; Child* ; Comorbidity ; Coronavirus Infections* ; Coronavirus* ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Middle East* ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of 21-aminosteroid U74389G (U) on the extent of brain damage and edema formation in the newborn rats with hypoxic ischemic (HI) brain injury. METHODS: This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, experimental study. The subjects were 113 seven-days-old rats with HI injury. Pups were treated with 3, 10, or 20 mg/ kg of U intraperitoneally 30 minutes before hypoxia (Group 1, 2, 3: n=10, 13, 11), 10 mg/kg of U immediately after hypoxia (n=11) (Group 4), 10 mg/kg of U 30 minutes before and after hypoxia (n=n=13) (Group 5), or vehicle (n=12) (Group C). We expressed the degree of brain infarction and brain edema in % atrophy (Left hemisphere-Right hemisphere/Left hemispherex100) and water content % (wet weight-dry weight/wet weightx100) RESULTS: There were significant reductions in the diameters of right hemisphere compared with those of left hemisphere in vehicle and U treated animals (P<0.05). As to the cortical thickness, group 2, 3 and 5 pups showed no significant reductions in the right side compared with the left side implicating that U treatment in these groups was of benefit in attenuating HI cortical injury, while there was significant difference between the right and left side in group 1, 4 and C animals (P<0.001). There was a significant difference (P< 0.01) in % atrophy of group 2, 3, 5 versus group C, but the mean % atrophy was similar in groups 1, 4 and C. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase of water content in right hemisphere compared with left hemisphere both in U and vehicle treated groups. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment and prepost-treatment at moderate doses (10 or more mg/kg) of 21-aminosteroid U74389G reduced the extent of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damages, especially in the cortex, but do not affect the extent of brain edema.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Atrophy ; Brain Edema ; Brain Infarction ; Brain Injuries ; Brain* ; Edema* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Rats*

A 50-yr-old male presented a thyroid mass with dysphasia and hoarseness. He underwent total thyroidectomy and neck node dissection. Pathologically, the tumor had two distinct tumor components with intermingled areas: follicular variant of papillary carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma composed of columnar cells, mucocytes, and squamoid cells showing solid and cystic lesion. Several small cysts lined by benign ciliated columnar epithelia suggesting that this tumor had originated from solid cell nest were seen around the tumor. By immunohistochemistry, columnar cells and squamoid cells in mucoepidermoid carcinoma were positive for cytokeratin but negative for thyroglobulin, TTF-1 and calcitonin. Positivity of p63 was seen in squamoid cells and basal cells of cysts. Some mucocytes are CEA positive. Tumor cells of papillary carcinoma are positive for TTF-1, thyroglobulin but negative for CEA, calcitonin and p63.
Calcitonin/metabolism ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid/*diagnosis/pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins/metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Nuclear Proteins/metabolism ; Thyroglobulin/metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Transcription Factors/metabolism

Salmonella meningitis is rare yet poses causes significant neurological morbidity in children. Infants, especially those under 3 months of age, and those with immunocompromised states, such as malignancy, malaria, and human immunodeficiency virus infection, are at increased risk for developing Salmonella meningitis. Herein, we describe a case of Salmonella meningitis in a previous healthy 8-year-old girl who presented with high fever, vomiting, and altered mental status. Group D Salmonella species were isolated in cerebrospinal fluid culture, and no abnormal findings were noted in brain magnetic resonance imaging. Immunoglobulin levels and lymphocyte subset counts were within the normal ranges, and no genetic mutation responsible for primary immunodeficiency disease was detected by next-generation sequencing. The patient’s condition improved rapidly with third-generation cephalosporin, and no complications or sequalae developed. Nontyphoidal Salmonella can cause meningitis in immunocompetent children and can be successfully treated with early administration of antibiotics.

Cutaneous lung tissue heterotopia is a very rare disorder where mature lung tissues develop in the skin. This is only the second known report of cutaneous lung tissue heterotopia, with the first by Singer et al. in 1998. A newborn infant had a hemangioma-like, freely movable mass connected to the anterior aspect of the sternal manubrium. Pathologic findings showed mature lung tissues with bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli through the dermis and subcutis, and it was diagnosed as cutaneous lung tissue heterotopia. Cutaneous lung tissue heterotopia is hypervascular, so grossly it looks like a hemangioma. It can be differentiated from pulmonary sequestration, teratoma, bronchogenic cyst, and branchial cleft cyst by histology and the location of the mass. We describe the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings of a cutaneous lung tissue heterotopia, the first reported in Korea.
Branchioma/pathology/surgery ; Bronchogenic Cyst/pathology/surgery ; Choristoma/*pathology/surgery ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Republic of Korea ; Skin Diseases/*pathology/surgery ; Skin Neoplasms/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of educational nurse practitioners at comprehensive nursing care service units by comparing the educational satisfaction of general nurses and the occupational stress of preceptor nurses before and after education by educational nurse practitioners. Methods: Participants were 71 general nurses and 71 preceptor nurses working at comprehensive nursing care service units of G University hospital in I City. The level of educational satisfaction of general nurses and occupational stress of preceptor nurses were measured and compared. The differences in educational satisfaction and occupational stress before and after the education program were verified by paired t-test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 27.0 statistical program. Differences before and after the education program according to the general characteristics were analyzed with repeated measure analysis of variance after Sapiro-Wilks normality test, and post-hoc analysis was conducted using Scheffé test. Results: It was inferred that there was a significant difference (t=-9.32, p <.001) in the educational satisfaction of general nurses, with an average of 3.72±0.77 before the education and 4.47±0.60 after the education. However, there was no significant difference in occupational stress in the preceptor nurses. Conclusion It could be concluded that introduction of educational nurse practitioners at comprehensive nursing care service units has a positive effect on the educational satisfaction of general nurses. This result will serve as basic data to implement educational nurse practitioners for general nurses in all medical institutions as well as comprehensive nursing care service units.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of educational nurse practitioners at comprehensive nursing care service units by comparing the educational satisfaction of general nurses and the occupational stress of preceptor nurses before and after education by educational nurse practitioners. Methods: Participants were 71 general nurses and 71 preceptor nurses working at comprehensive nursing care service units of G University hospital in I City. The level of educational satisfaction of general nurses and occupational stress of preceptor nurses were measured and compared. The differences in educational satisfaction and occupational stress before and after the education program were verified by paired t-test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 27.0 statistical program. Differences before and after the education program according to the general characteristics were analyzed with repeated measure analysis of variance after Sapiro-Wilks normality test, and post-hoc analysis was conducted using Scheffé test. Results: It was inferred that there was a significant difference (t=-9.32, p <.001) in the educational satisfaction of general nurses, with an average of 3.72±0.77 before the education and 4.47±0.60 after the education. However, there was no significant difference in occupational stress in the preceptor nurses. Conclusion It could be concluded that introduction of educational nurse practitioners at comprehensive nursing care service units has a positive effect on the educational satisfaction of general nurses. This result will serve as basic data to implement educational nurse practitioners for general nurses in all medical institutions as well as comprehensive nursing care service units.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes in protein expression induced by botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection and to characterize the molecular and cellular action of mechanisms of BoNT-A injection on skeletal muscles using proteomic elements as biomarkers. METHODS: BoNT-A was injected into left gastrocnemius muscles of 12 Sprague-Dawley rats (2 months of age) at a dosage of 5 units/kg body weight. For the controls same volume of normal saline was injected to right gastrocnemius muscle of each rat. Muscle samples were obtained at 4 time points (3 rats per time point): 3, 7, 14, and 56 day post-injection. To reveal the alterations in muscle protein, we performed 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and compared Botox group and normal saline group at each time point. Altered protein spots in 2DE were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS) proteomics analysis. RESULTS: Compared with normal saline group, 46 protein spots showed changed protein expression. Twelve protein spots demonstrated increased volume and 34 protein spots demonstrated decreased volume. Among spots of decreased volume, 17 spots showed statistically significant differences. Thirty-eight identified proteins were associated with alterations in energy metabolism, muscle contractile function, transcription, translation, cell proliferation, and cellular stress response. CONCLUSION: BoNT-A gives influences on muscle contractile function and energy metabolism directly or indirectly besides neurotoxic effects. Proteomic expression provides better understanding about the effect of BoNT-A on skeletal muscle.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Botulinum Toxins ; Botulinum Toxins, Type A ; Cell Proliferation ; Electrophoresis ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Energy Metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Proteins ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVES: Deficit schizophrenia (DS) constitutes a disease separate from non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS). The aim of the current study was to compare the quantitative EEG and low resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) imaging between DS and NDS. METHODS: This study was performed by 32 channels EEG for 42 schizophrenia patients who we categorized into DS and NDS using proxy instrument deficit syndrome (PDS). We performed the absolute power spectral analyses for delta, theta, alpha, low beta and high beta activities. We compared power spectrum between two groups using Independent t-test. Partial correlation test was performed with clinical parameters. Standardized LORETA (sLORETA) was used for comparison of cortical activity, and statistical nonparametric mapping (SnPM) was applied for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: DS showed significantly increased delta and theta absolute power in fontal and parietal region compared with NDS (p<0.05). Power spectrum showed significant correlation with 'anergia' and 'hostility/suspiciousness' subscale of brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS)(p<0.05). sLORETA found out the source region (anterior cingulate cortex/limbic part) that delta activity was significantly increased in DS (p=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: DS showed different cortical activity compared with NDS. Our results may suggest QEEG and LORETA could be the marker in differentiating between DS and NDS.
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Magnets ; Naphthalenesulfonates ; Proxy ; Schizophrenia

PURPOSE: The release of histamine from human basophils is controlled by an intrinsic, as yet unidentified, cellular property termed "releasability." We carried out this study to ascertain whether there was any difference in the releasability of basophils from asthmatic children compared to those from normal children. We intended also to clarify the correlation between the releasability and the atopic status of asthma. METHODS: We selected nineteen atopic asthmatic, eighteen nonatopic asthmatic and fourteen normal children for this study. Suspensions of leukocytes were isolated and stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, anti-IgE and D. pteronyssinus antigen. After incubation, the supernatant was assayed for histamine with an automated fluorometric technique. RESULTS: Basophil histamine release with anti-IgE was different in three groups. Anti-IgE caused significantly more basophil histamine release in asthmatic children than in nomal children. Atopic asthmatic group showed greater basophil histamine release with anti-IgE than nonatopic asthmatic group. D. pteronyssinus antigen caused the significant amount of histamine release only in atopic asthmatic group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that basophils from asthmatic children are characterized by a specific increase in IgE mediated histamine releasability. The difference of histamine releasability with anti-IgE between atopic and nonatopic asthmatic children may be due to the heterogeneity of IgE bound to cell surface, or may be due to the degree of the basophil activation by cytokines such as IL3. The specific release of histamine with D. pteronyssinus antigen in atopic asthmatic group suggests that the basophil histamine release test can be used to diagnose the causing antigen.
Asthma ; Basophils* ; Calcimycin ; Calcium ; Child* ; Cytokines ; Histamine Release ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Leukocytes ; Population Characteristics ; Suspensions