PURPOSE: The smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC) isoform composition has been actively researched in a partial bladder obstruction (PBO) or spinal cord injury (SCI) model. Even though rat is an ideal animal for studying bladder physiology, there were very few reports about the changes of the SMMHC isoforms in the PBO or SCI injured bladder of rat. We developed two polymerrase chain reaction (PCR) primer sets to amplify the isoforms and we applied the primers to the PBO and SCI rat models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female rats had their bladder necks surgically obstructed or they were subjected to spinal cord injury. Six weeks after the event, the bladders were excised. The expression of the C-terminal (SM1 and SM2) and N-terminal (SM-A and SM-B) isoforms of SMMHC was analyzed by performing reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The control bladder showed only the SM-B isoform in the C-terminal. However, the bladder after SCI showed an increased SM-A to SM-B ratio. In case of PBO, the ratios were variable. A decreased SM1 expression was noted in the PBO and SCI groups when compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our female rat models for PBO or SCI demonstrates changes in the expression of smooth muscle myosin heavy chain isoforms. We will apply this primer set for studying of rat muscular physiology in PBO or SCI model.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Models, Animal ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Myosin Heavy Chains* ; Myosins* ; Neck ; Physiology ; Protein Isoforms ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction ; Urinary Bladder*

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common febrile disease in East Asia. Because KD with coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) may predispose to thrombosis, children with KD-associated CAA may need anticoagulation in addition to aspirin. In this report, we describe a 6-year-old girl with KD and CAA who was found to have unexpected warfarin-induced coagulopathy caused by CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype variants, which affect warfarin metabolism.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common febrile disease in East Asia. Because KD with coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) may predispose to thrombosis, children with KD-associated CAA may need anticoagulation in addition to aspirin. In this report, we describe a 6-year-old girl with KD and CAA who was found to have unexpected warfarin-induced coagulopathy caused by CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype variants, which affect warfarin metabolism.

The purpose of this study was to examine restaurant customers' use of menu labeling and their perception of menu labeling attributes. Further, the study investigated relations of menu labeling use behavior, and perception of menu labeling attributes with behavioral intentions toward menu labeling. Using a self-administered survey conducted for 2 weeks from the 2nd week of October, 2015, data were collected from restaurant customers who were exposed to menu labeling over 3 months at the time of the survey. A total of 426 respondents completed the survey. Respondents were asked about use of menu labeling, usefulness, ease of understanding, accuracy, and demographic information. There was a difference in menu labeling use behavior according to age, whereas respondents aged 50 years or over showed significantly higher use of menu labeling than those in 20s (P<0.001). Perceptions of menu labeling attributes positively affected behavioral intentions towards menu labeling. While all three menu labeling attributes, ‘usefulness’, ‘ease of understanding’, and ‘accuracy’, were positive factors for behavioral intentions towards menu labeling, usefulness was the biggest attribute explaining behavioral intentions (P<0.001). The study findings offer implications that can be applied to academics, the foodservice industry, and government in an attempt to nurture a healthy eating environment through provision of nutritional information at restaurants.
Eating ; Intention ; Restaurants* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: We performed a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between premorbid personality and behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) in Korean patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We assessed 103 patients diagnosed with AD for the presence of BPSD over the disease course by using the caregiver-rated Korean version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (K-NPI) and for the premorbid personality by using a retrospective version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory questionnaire completed by informants. RESULTS: Premorbid neuroticism was significantly correlated with delusion, agitation, anxiety, disinhibition, total K-NPI score (p<0.05), and sleep disturbances (p<0.01). Lower premorbid conscientiousness was significantly correlated with symptoms of hallucinations and sleep disturbances in AD patients (p<0.05). However, premorbid neuroticism and low premorbid conscientiousness did not act as independent predictors for "psychosis, hyperactivity," or "moods, apathy, frontal" factors of BPSD. CONCLUSION: Premorbid personality was associated with the K-NPI score, but was not observed to be potential predictors of BPSD.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Anxiety ; Apathy ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delusions ; Dementia* ; Dihydroergotamine ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Retrospective Studies

Even though uroplakins (UPs) are believed to serve a strong protective barrier against toxic materials, cyclophosphamide (CP) causes extensive cystitis. We investigated the expression of UPs in the urothelium in CP induced mouse cystitis. A total of 27 ICR female mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of 200 mg CP/kg. Nine CP-treated mice and 6 controls were sequentially killed at 12, 24, and 72 hr post injection. Extensive cystitis and an increased vesical weight were seen. These all peaked within 12 hr post injection and they tended to decrease thereafter. The level of all the UPs mRNA, the protein expressions of UP II and III on immunoblotting study, and the expression of UP III on immunolocalization study were maximally suppressed within 12 hr; this partially recovered at 24 hr, and this completely recovered at 72 hr post CP injection. In conclusion, CP reduced the expression of UPs. The reduction of the UPs mRNA and protein was time dependent, and this peaked within 12 hr after CP injection. However, the damage was rapidly repaired within 24 hr. This study demonstrates a dynamic process, an extensive reduction and rapid recovery, for the UPs expression of the mouse urinary bladder after CP injection.
Animals ; Cyclophosphamide/*toxicity ; Cystitis/chemically induced/*metabolism/pathology ; Female ; Immunosuppressive Agents/*toxicity ; Membrane Glycoproteins/*metabolism ; Membrane Proteins/*metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Time Factors ; Urinary Bladder/*metabolism

Purpose: The importance of laboratory screening tests for female commercial sex workers (FCSWs) has been well documented to reduce the prevalence of chlamydial complications. A rapid test has been one of the standard chlamydial tests performed in Korean health centers. Although the process of the rapid test is simple, the sensitivity is inconsistent. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of QuickVue chlamydial detection kits, which is one of the rapid tests, by comparing this assay to an in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Materials and Methods: A total of 410 endo-cervical samples were consecutively collected in one health center. A rapid test was performed by using a QuickVue kit. Genomic DNA was extracted from cotton swabs. The cryptic plasmid of C. trachomatis from the genomic DNA was amplified by the PCR method. Results: The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the rapid test were 21%, 99%, 89% and 83%, respectively, based on the PCR results. Study of the serial dilutions of reference inclusion forming units (IFU) showed that the rapid test only detected chlamydial infections that had high counts of IFUs. Conclusions: The rapid test is not good enough to detect chlamydial infection in FCSWs. Instead, a gene amplification test should be used for detecting chlamydial infections in FCSWs.
Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia* ; DNA ; Female* ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Plasmids ; Point-of-Care Systems ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Workers*

PURPOSE: Children with mitochondrial disease (MD) have clinical phenotypes that are more severe than those found in adults. In this study, we assessed cardiac function in children with MD using conventional and advanced echocardiographic measurements, explored any unique patterns present, and investigated the development of early cardiomyopathy (CMP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 33 children with MD. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography with conventional and advanced myocardial analysis. We compared all data between patients and an age-matched healthy control group. RESULTS: Conventional echocardiographic diastolic measurements of mitral E, E/A, and tissue Doppler E′ were significantly lower and E/E′ was significantly higher in children with MD, compared with the measurements from the control group. There was no significant difference in longitudinal and radial strain between the groups. Circumferential strain in the endocardium (p=0.161), middle myocardium (p=0.008), and epicardium (p=0.042) were lower in patients, compared to the values in controls. Circumferential strain was correlated with E′ (p < 0.01, r>0.60). CONCLUSION: In children with MD, myocardial circumferential strain may develop early in all three layers, even with normally preserved longitudinal and radial strain. This may be an early diagnostic indicator with which to predict CMP in this patient population.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Child ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mitochondrial Diseases/diagnostic imaging ; Mitochondrial Diseases/pathology ; Mitochondrial Diseases/physiopathology ; Myocardium/pathology

This retrospective study reviewed clinical and electromyographic (EMG) findings in 106 patients with cervical pain syndrome. The purpose of this study was to test the validity of clinical tests (neck compression test, manual muscle test, sensory test, deep tendon reflex) in the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. Electromyographic studies were interpretated as positive finding with the presence of abnormal spontaneous activities of limb and paravertebral muscles and the clinical tests were interpretated by the presence or absence of abnormalities. The results showed that the neck compression and manual muscle tests correlated well with the EMG findings but the sensory test and deep tendon reflex were not. It is suggested that the neck compression and manual muscle tests may be helpful in the diagnosis of radiculopathy.
Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Muscles ; Neck ; Neck Pain* ; Radiculopathy ; Reflex, Stretch ; Retrospective Studies ; Tendons

While arthroscopic shoulder surgery is considered relatively safe, complications have been reported.Though rare, pneumothorax has been reported in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery.Tension pneumothorax must be immediately recognized and treated due to its potentially life threatening consequences.The authors present a case of a patient who developed tension pneumothorax after arthroscopic shoulder surgery, and its anesthetic managements.
Humans ; Pneumothorax ; Shoulder