Pro-oxidant properties of ascorbate have been studied with uses of brain tissues and neuronal cells. Here we address potential mechanism of ascorbate coupling with glutamate to generate oxidative stress, and the role which oxidized ascorbate (dehydroascorbate) transport plays in oxidative neuronal injury. Ascorbate in neurones can be depleted by adding glutamate in culture medium since endogenous ascorbate can be exchanged with glutamate, which enhances ascorbate/ dehydroascorbate transport by depleting ascorbate in the neurons with the glutamate-heteroexchange. However, ascorbate is known readily being oxidized to dehydroascorbate in the medium. Glutamate enhanced the dehydroascorbate uptake by cells via a glucose transporter (GLUT) from extracellular region, and cytosolic dehydroascorbate enhanced lipid peroxide production and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations. Iso-ascorbate, the epimer of ascorbate was ineffective in generating the oxidative stress. These observations support the current concept that the high rates of dehydroascorbate transport via a GLUT after the release of ascorbate by glutamate leads to peroxidation, the role of glutamate on ascorbate/ dehydroascorbate recycling being critical to induce neuronal death via an oxidative stress in the brain injury.
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Biological Transport/drug effects ; Cerebral Cortex/*drug effects/*metabolism ; Cytochalasin B/pharmacology ; Dehydroascorbic Acid/*metabolism ; Glutamic Acid/*pharmacology ; Glutathione/metabolism ; In Vitro ; Lipid Peroxidation/*drug effects ; Male ; Oxidation-Reduction/drug effects ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances/metabolism

Hepatoid thymic carcinoma is an extremely rare subtype of primary thymus tumor resembling “pure” hepatoid adenocarcinomas with hepatocyte paraffin 1 (Hep-Par-1) expression. A 53-year-old man presented with voice change and a neck mass. Multiple masses involving the thyroid, cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes, and lung were detected on computed tomography. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was confirmed by biopsy, and the patient underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. However, the anterior mediastinal mass was enlarged after the treatment whereas the multiple masses in the thyroid and neck decreased in size. Microscopically, polygonal tumor cells formed solid sheets or trabeculae resembling hepatocytes and infiltrated remnant thymus. The tumor cells showed immunopositivity for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 19, and Hep-Par-1 and negativity for α-fetoprotein. Possibilities of germ cell tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, and metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma were excluded by immunohistochemistry. This report on the new subtype of thymic carcinoma is the third in English literature thus far.

Hepatoid thymic carcinoma is an extremely rare subtype of primary thymus tumor resembling “pure” hepatoid adenocarcinomas with hepatocyte paraffin 1 (Hep-Par-1) expression. A 53-year-old man presented with voice change and a neck mass. Multiple masses involving the thyroid, cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes, and lung were detected on computed tomography. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was confirmed by biopsy, and the patient underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. However, the anterior mediastinal mass was enlarged after the treatment whereas the multiple masses in the thyroid and neck decreased in size. Microscopically, polygonal tumor cells formed solid sheets or trabeculae resembling hepatocytes and infiltrated remnant thymus. The tumor cells showed immunopositivity for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 19, and Hep-Par-1 and negativity for α-fetoprotein. Possibilities of germ cell tumor, squamous cell carcinoma, and metastasis of thyroid papillary carcinoma were excluded by immunohistochemistry. This report on the new subtype of thymic carcinoma is the third in English literature thus far.

OBJECTIVES: Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) is one of the most frequently used scales to evaluate apathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the AES (K-AES) and to apply the K-AES in examining the characteristics of apathy in the Korean patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: 129 healthy people and 29 patients with schizophrenia have been evaluated using the K-AES, Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS), Social Anhedonia Scale (SAS), and the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). Split-half reliability and internal consistency were evaluated and factor analysis and correlation analysis was conducted. Between-group comparison was conducted using independent sample t-tests. RESULTS: K-AES showed good reliability and validity. Factor analysis confirmed 3 factors, which represented interest and drive, initiative, self-awareness and self-assessment. Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher K-AES and BDI scores than the healthy group. K-AES scores in patients with schizophrenia were significantly correlated with the PAS score, but did not correlate with SAS and BDI scores. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the reliability and validity of the K-AES. Our findings also suggest that the K-AES may be a reliable instrument in assessing apathy as a negative symptom in patients with schizophrenia.
Anhedonia ; Apathy* ; Depression ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Schizophrenia* ; Self-Assessment ; Weights and Measures

The aim of this study is to evaluate the development of the left mandibular third-molar development with modified Demirjian method and its relation to chronological age.
A total of 1653 digital panoramic radiographs of healthy individuals aged between 7 and 23 years who visited Yonsei University Dental hospital were selected. The developmental status of the left mandibular third molars was assessed using dental maturity scoring proposed by Demirjian et al. The mean age of the first appearance of mineralization, complete crown formation, and complete root formation were around 9, 14, 21 years respectively. Statistically significant differences between males and females in the development stage of D and G were revealed that crown formation and root length completion were attained earlier in males than in females. There was significant positive relationship between age and third molar development in both sexes, and new formula was presented to estimate age of children and adolescents based on their developmental stages of third molars.
In this study, the use of left mandibular third molar as a developmental marker is appropriate, and age estimation can be attained with dental maturity stage.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3 different automatic landmark identification programs on lateral cephalgrams and the clinical acceptability in pediatric dentistry.
Sixty digital cephalometric radiographs of 7 to 12 years old healthy children were randomly selected. Fourteen landmarks were chosen for assessment and the mean of 3 measurements of each landmark by a single examiner was defined as the baseline landmarks. The mean difference between an automatically identified landmark and the baseline landmark was measured for each landmark on each image.
The total mean difference of 3 automatic programs compared to the baseline landmarks were 2.53 ± 1.63 mm. Errors among 3 programs were not significantly different for 12 of 14 landmarks except Orbitale and Gonion. The automatic landmark identification programs showed significant higher mean detection errors than the manual method. The programs couldn’t be used as the 1st tool to replace human examiners. But considering short consuming time, these results indicate that all 3 programs have sufficient validity to be used in pediatric dental clinic.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop an integrated undergraduate course including a PBL based on a blended learning strategy, and evaluate learners' responses. METHODS: The learning contents of cardiovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal medical systems, and nursing diagnoses of 'activity and rest' domain (NANADA's classification II, 2005) were analyzed. Six clinical scenarios with the clients in different life cycles were developed for PBL. Classical lecture and group presentation with on-line self learning were implemented in addition to PBL. The developed course was implemented on 84 junior nursing students in a university for 7 weeks with 5 hours per day, two days per week. Students were asked to complete structured questionnaires including problem solving, critical thinking, and nursing diagnosis differentiation abilities. RESULTS: Learner's evaluation was positive in problem solving skills and in the differentiation ability of nursing diagnoses relevant to an 'activity and rest' functional health pattern. CONCLUSION: Development and implementation of integrated courses based on a blended learning method need to be continued to enhance students' thinking and self-directed learning abilities. Supporting strategies for individual learners should be added for successful blended learning such as individual on-line feedback and consideration of individual learning outcomes.
Classification ; Humans ; Learning ; Life Cycle Stages ; Nursing Diagnosis ; Problem Solving ; Problem-Based Learning ; Students, Nursing ; Thinking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: This study is to explore the frequency of basic symptoms and their relationship with current clinical variables in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients diagnosed with SCID were interviewed with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptom (BSABS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: Most frequent basic symptoms were related to abnormalities in perception, cognition and stress reactivity. After controlling age effect, number of admission was correlated negatively with cluster 3 (impaired tolerance to normal stress). Onset age was correlated positively with cluster 3 and cluster 4 (disorders of emotion and affect) and total score. Scores of cluster 1 (thought, language, perception, motor disturbances), and cluster 2 (impaired bodily sensations), and total score of BSABS were significantly lower in paranoid type than residual type of schizophrenia. Scores of cluster 1, cluster 2, and total score of BSABS were correlated positively with subscales for positive and negative symptoms and general psychopathology and total score of PANSS. Cluster 3 was correlated positively only with general psychopathology score and cluster 4 with both positive symptoms and general psychopathology score. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that certain basic symptoms aggregate significantly in schizophrenia, especially in paranoid type schizophrenia and that systemic evaluation of basic symptoms can be used for the prediction of onset and progress of schizophrenia.
Age of Onset ; Cognition ; Humans ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: This study is to explore the frequency of basic symptoms and their relationship with current clinical variables in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Eighty-eight schizophrenic patients diagnosed with SCID were interviewed with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptom (BSABS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: Most frequent basic symptoms were related to abnormalities in perception, cognition and stress reactivity. After controlling age effect, number of admission was correlated negatively with cluster 3 (impaired tolerance to normal stress). Onset age was correlated positively with cluster 3 and cluster 4 (disorders of emotion and affect) and total score. Scores of cluster 1 (thought, language, perception, motor disturbances), and cluster 2 (impaired bodily sensations), and total score of BSABS were significantly lower in paranoid type than residual type of schizophrenia. Scores of cluster 1, cluster 2, and total score of BSABS were correlated positively with subscales for positive and negative symptoms and general psychopathology and total score of PANSS. Cluster 3 was correlated positively only with general psychopathology score and cluster 4 with both positive symptoms and general psychopathology score. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that certain basic symptoms aggregate significantly in schizophrenia, especially in paranoid type schizophrenia and that systemic evaluation of basic symptoms can be used for the prediction of onset and progress of schizophrenia.
Age of Onset ; Cognition ; Humans ; Psychopathology ; Schizophrenia

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade soft tissue sarcoma that arises from mesenchymal tissue. Primary UPS of the small intestine is extremely rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Its presentation is usually nonspecific; however, it may occasionally present as intussusception with intermittent abdominal pain. It is a highly aggressive tumor with a propensity for early distant metastasis to the peritoneum, lymph nodes, other abdominal organs, lungs and brain. To our knowledge, there are no reported cases of endobronchial metastasis from small intestine UPS. We report a rare case of UPS of the small intestine with endobronchial metastasis presenting as intussusception.