PURPOSE: TGF-beta is a key regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Among the TGF-beta responses, cell migration is closely associated with the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Therefore, we determined which MMPs are regulated by TGF-beta and examined the TGF-beta signaling involved in this event, focusing on Src family tyrosine kinases (SFKs) METHODS: First we examined the expression of MMPs in rat lens explant culture treated with TGF-beta and LECs attached to the anterior capsules of patients with nuclear (N), anterior polar (AP) cataracts using RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. It was examined whether the expression of MMPs is regulated by SFKs. RESULTS: The study using RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining showed the expression of MMP-2 and -14 in explants and the expression of MMP-14 LECs of AP cataracts. The expression of MMP-2 and -14 was blocked by PP2 in explants. Furthermore, the activated form of SFKs was observed in LECs of AP cataracts by immunofluorescence staining. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest a novel role of SFKs signaling in the expression of MMP-14 induced by TGF-beta.
Animals ; Capsules ; Cataract ; Cell Movement ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Rats ; src-Family Kinases ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and prioritize educational needs for psychiatric nursing competencies among 142 non-psychiatric nurses from general hospitals. Methods: Data were collected from November 13 to 19 2022 through self-administered questionnaires consisting of measures of psychiatric nursing competencies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Borich's needs assessment model, and the Locus for Focus model to determine the priority of educational needs. Results: Non-psychiatric nurses reported that enhancing skills in psychiatric nursing were more significant than improving knowledge and attitude using Borich’s Needs Assessment Model and the Locus for Focus Model. The highest priority educational needs were ‘Skill to distinguish whether symptoms in psychiatric patients are symptoms of mental illness or side effects of psychiatric drugs’, ‘Skill to calm and supportive communication in psychiatric emergency when psychiatric patients are at risk of harm’, ‘Attitude to remain calm about the psychotic behaviors of psychiatric patients’, and ‘Knowledge of non-therapeutic communication that interferes with effective communication with psychiatric patients’. These items should be considered as priorities among the 39 items to improve psychiatric nursing competencies. Conclusion Results of this study suggest that developing intervention programs to enhance psychiatric nursing competencies are needed among non-psychiatric Nurses.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the association between blood pressure and cognitive impairment could be modified by factors such as gender, education, and Apo E genotypes. This study was aimed to investigate whether `age' could also be a modifier of the association. METHODS: The study group consisted of 489 participants aged 65 years or over who lived in Namwon, Korea. The presence of hypertension was ascertained by the measurement of their resting blood pressure. A cognitive impairment was considered to be present when a Korean Mini-Mental State Examination score was less than 19 (30th percentile). RESULTS: A higher systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with cognitive impairment, after an adjustment for age, gender, education, and occupation. However, the significance was lost in subjects aged 71 or over. CONCLUSIONS: High systolic blood pressure is a factor strongly associated with cognitive impairment in an aged population. However, in the subjects with far advanced age, the association is not significant. Further studies are required to elucidate whether blood pressure lowering strategies should be differentiated according to age in order to reduce cognitive impairment.
Adult* ; Aged* ; Apolipoproteins E ; Blood Pressure* ; Education ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea ; Occupations

A male patient aged 54 came to the neurology department complaining of weakness and tingling sensation in the left lower extremity during squatting exercises for the previous four days. A neurological examination revealed left proximal leg weakness and hypesthesia on the medial side of the left lower leg. In eight hours after onset, he took brain and lumbar MRIs at a local clinic and the results were normal. In order to identify possible causes, we performed a follow-up lumbar MRI, femoral angiography, electromyography, and nerve conduction study but failed to obtain any abnormal findings. Finally, a recent infarction of right corona radiata was observed by a follow-up brain MRI which was taken 16 days after onset of the symptom. Leg monoparesis caused by cerebral infarction is known to be rare and in particular combines motor and sensory deficits limited to one extremity.
Aged ; Angiography ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Electromyography ; Exercise ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Infarction ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Neural Conduction ; Neurologic Examination ; Neurology ; Paresis ; Porphyrins ; Sensation

Although many techniques are available to assess enamel erosion in vitro, a simple, non-destructive method with sufficient sensitivity for quantifying dental erosion is required. This study characterized the bovine dental enamel erosion induced by various acidic beverages in vitro using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Deionized water (control) and 10 acidic beverages were selected to study erosion, and the pH and neutralizable acidity were measured. Bovine anterior teeth (110) were polished with up to 1 200-grit silicon carbide paper to produce flat enamel surfaces, which were then immersed in 20 mL of the beverages for 30 min at 37 °C. The degree of erosion was evaluated using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and Vickers’ microhardness measurements. The spectra obtained were interpreted in two ways that focused on the ν1, ν3 phosphate contour: the ratio of the height amplitude of ν3 PO4 to that of ν1 PO4 (Method 1) and the shift of the ν3 PO4 peak to a higher wavenumber (Method 2). The percentage changes in microhardness after the erosion treatments were primarily affected by the pH of the immersion media. Regression analyses revealed highly significant correlations between the surface hardness change and the degree of erosion, as detected by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy (Po0.001). Method 1 was the most sensitive to these changes, followed by surface hardness change measurements and Method 2. This study suggests that ATRFTIR spectroscopy is potentially advantageous over the microhardness test as a simple, non-destructive, sensitive technique for the quantification of enamel erosion.

Nutcracker syndrome (NCS) is a disease caused by compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal aorta. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (IgAN) is characterized by the predominance of IgA deposits in the glomerular mesangial area. Hematuria and proteinuria can be present in both diseases, and some patients can be concurrently diagnosed with NCS and IgAN; however, a causal relationship between the two diseases has not yet been clarified. Here, we report two pediatric cases of NCS combined with IgAN. The first patient presenting with microscopic hematuria and proteinuria was diagnosed with NCS at the initial visit, and the second patient was later diagnosed with NCS when proteinuria worsened. Both patients were diagnosed with IgAN based on kidney biopsy findings and treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and immunosuppressants. A high index of suspicion and timely imaging or biopsy are essential for the proper management of NCS combined with glomerulopathy.

Isolated bilateral deafness is a rare but possible symptom of vertebrobasilar ischemia, primarily due to occlusion of the anterior inferior cerebellar arteries or their branch, the internal auditory artery. We reported on uncommon case of sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss without typical neurological symptoms resulting from vertebrobasilar ischemia. We performed the available examinations, including otoscopy, laboratory tests, and pure tone audiogram, however we were not able to identify the cause of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Brain magnetic resonance image showed the cerebellar infarction of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory. Brain magnetic resonance angiography showed bilateral vertebral and basilar artery occlusion. We suggest vertebrobasilar ischemia as a cause of sudden isolated deafness.
Arteries ; Audiometry ; Basilar Artery ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Deafness ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Otoscopy ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

Isolated bilateral deafness is a rare but possible symptom of vertebrobasilar ischemia, primarily due to occlusion of the anterior inferior cerebellar arteries or their branch, the internal auditory artery. We reported on uncommon case of sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss without typical neurological symptoms resulting from vertebrobasilar ischemia. We performed the available examinations, including otoscopy, laboratory tests, and pure tone audiogram, however we were not able to identify the cause of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Brain magnetic resonance image showed the cerebellar infarction of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory. Brain magnetic resonance angiography showed bilateral vertebral and basilar artery occlusion. We suggest vertebrobasilar ischemia as a cause of sudden isolated deafness.
Arteries ; Audiometry ; Basilar Artery ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction ; Deafness ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Otoscopy ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian cancer represents a relatively chemosensitive solid tumor, with responsiveness to a range of agents. Cisplatin is the mainstay of drug treatment and is one of the most active single agent. However, the overall outcome for patients remains unsatisfactory and the emergence of drug resistance is a major factor in treatment failure. Loss of DNA mismatch repair is a common finding in many types of sporadic cancer as well as in patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer. Cells that lack DNA mismatch repair are resistant to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents. Selection of cells for resistance to cisplatin, a well-recognized mutagen, could result in mutation in genes involved in DNA mismatch repair. METHODS: This study evaluated the mutation of hMLH1 and hMSH2, and its relation to the Taxol and Topotecan chemosensitivity in the clones from the ovarian cancer cell line 2008 and cisplatin-resistant cell line 2008/ C13*5.25. RESULTS: 1. Cells from 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 expressed both hMLH1 and hMSH2 when analysed with immunoblotting. 2. Twenty two out of 100 single-cell clones from 2008 and 27 of clones from 2008/C13*5.25 expressed no hMLH1. hMSH2 was expressed in all clones. 3. There was no difference of Taxol chemosensitivity between 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. In the 2008/C13*5.25 cell line, the hMLH1-deficient clones were more sensitive to Taxol than the hMLH1-proficient clones(P=0.049), but in 2008 cell lines hMLH1-proficient clones were more sesitive to Taxol(P=0.003). 4. There was no difference in Topotecan chemosensitivity between 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. In the 2008/C13*5.25 cell line, the hMLH1- deficient clones were not more sensitive to Topotecan than the hMLH1-proficient clones. In the 2008 cell lines hMLH1-deficient clones were more sesitive to Topotecan(P=0.001). Overall, hMLH1-deficient clones from both 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines were significantly more sensitive to Topotecan(P=0.001). 5. Microsatellite instability was not demonstrated in all 4 types of single-cell clones from 2008 and 2008/C13*5.25 cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that there is no relation between mutation of mismatch repair gene and cisplatin resistance. But hMLH1-deficient ovarian cancer cells are more sensitive to Taxol or Topotecan in this study. The latter finding mandates the examination to assess the mutation of hMLH1 in tumor cells before treatment or at the time clinical resistance to cisplatin develops in ovarian cancer.
Cell Line* ; Cisplatin ; Clone Cells* ; Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis ; DNA Mismatch Repair* ; DNA* ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Immunoblotting ; Microsatellite Instability ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Paclitaxel* ; Topotecan* ; Treatment Failure

Cryptococcosis is recognized as one of the most important complications in an organ transplant recipient. Cryptococcosis occurs in 2.5-39% of renal transplant recipients. This infection generally presents as symptomatic disseminated disease with an accelerated clinical course, involves multiple sites including the central nervous system, lungs, and skin. And if diagnosis or treatment is delayed, the prognosis is generally poor. The asymptomatic infection is rare and there are no case reports of asymptomatic disseminated cryptococcosis after renal transplantation in Korea. We experienced a case of asymptomatic cryptococcal multi-organ infection detected incidentally in a 51-year-old male received a living related renal transplant 35 months earlier for end-stage renal disease due to diabetic nephropathy. We treated successfully with amphotericin B and fluconazole and hereby report this case with a review of the relevant literature.
Amphotericin B ; Asymptomatic Infections ; Central Nervous System ; Cryptococcosis ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Fluconazole ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Transplants