Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P < 0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P < 0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P < 0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.
Animals ; Cattle* ; Erythrocytes ; Hematocrit ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Seasons ; Theileria* ; Tick-Borne Diseases

Metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride), derived from French lilac (Galega officinalis), is a first-line anti-diabetic drug prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the role of metformin in odontoblastic cell differentiation is still unclear. This study therefore undertook to examine the effect of metformin on regulating odontoblast differentiation in MDPC-23 mouse odontoblastic cells derived from mouse dental papilla cells. As compared to controls, metformin significantly accelerated the mineralization, significantly increased and accelerated the expressions of ALP and Col I mRNAs, and significantly increased the accelerated expressions of DSPP and DMP-1 mRNAs, during differentiation of MDPC-23 cells. There was no alteration in cell proliferation of MDPC-23 cells, on exposure to metformin. These results suggest that the effect of metformin on MDPC-23 mouse odontoblastic cells derived from mouse dental papilla cells, facilitates the odontoblast differentiation and mineralization, without altering the cell proliferation.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Dental Papilla ; Humans ; Metformin* ; Mice ; Miners ; Odontoblasts* ; RNA, Messenger

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) is known to be due to a contralateral supratentorial lesion decreasing blood flow and the metabolism in a cerebellar hemisphere. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is an imaging technique that utilizes arterial blood water as a tracer for quantifying the regional cerebral blood flow in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This case was a patient with simple partial status epilepticus (SPSE) and CCD confirmed by ASL-perfusion MRI. Controlling the SPSE resulted in improvement of CCD being observed in the follow-up ASL-perfusion MRI.
Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Metabolism ; Perfusion* ; Status Epilepticus* ; Water

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells characterized by self-renewability and differentiation potential. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are ES cell-equivalent cells derived from somatic cells by the introduction of core reprogramming factors. ES and iPS cells are important sources for understanding basic biology and for generating therapeutic cells for clinical applications. Tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2) functions as a scaffold in signaling pathways. However, the relevance of Trib2 to the pluripotency of ES and iPS cells is unknown. In the present study, we elucidated the importance of Trib2 in maintaining pluripotency in mouse ES cells and in generating iPS cells from somatic cells through the reprogramming process. Trib2 expression decreased as ES cells differentiated, and Trib2 knockdown in ES cells changed their colony morphology while reducing the activity of alkaline phosphatase and the expression of the pluripotency marker genes Oct4, Sox2, Nanog and Klf4. Trib2 directly interacted with Oct4 and elevated Oct4 promoter activity. During the generation of iPS cells, Trib2 knockdown decreased the reprogramming efficiency of mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas Trib2 overexpression significantly increased their reprogramming efficiency. In summary, our results suggest that Trib2 is important for maintaining self-renewal in ES cells and for pluripotency induction during the reprogramming process.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Biology ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Fibroblasts ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Mice

Among a myriad of pathogen-associated molecular pattern-sensing receptors, toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the principal core sensors of the host. Despite intensive studies for the expression of TLRs and their roles in the central nervous system, controversies remain regarding the expression and the function of TLR4 in human astrocytes. In order to clarify this issue, we attempted to verify functional expression of TLR4 in human astrocytes. Using Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we confirmed that the human astrocytes express the TLR4 constitutively. To determine the function of TLR4, astrocytes were treated with TLR4 ligand or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and then inflammatory cytokines expressions were checked using RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation was checked using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Treatment of astrocytes with LPS increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 expression and induced NF-κB activation. Neutralizing anti-TLR4 antibody blocked the effect of LPS on cytokine production and NF-κB activation in astrocytes. The effect of LPS on cytokine production and NF-κB activation was shown in the presence of serum but not in the absence of serum. Therefore, we investigated the sensing mechanism of LPS in human astrocytes. Human astrocytes were treated with LPS following neutralizing anti-CD14 antibody treatment in the presence of serum. Neutralizing anti-CD14 antibody treatment abolished the effect of LPS on cytokine expression and NF-κB activation. Additionally, supplement of recombinant CD14 in serum-free media induced LPS effect on cytokine production and NF-κB activation. In these results, we showed that human astrocytes constitutively express functional TLR4 and require soluble CD14 to recognize LPS.
Astrocytes* ; Central Nervous System ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Cytokines ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans* ; Interleukin-8 ; Interleukins ; Toll-Like Receptors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Choledochal cyst has only rarely been encountered in association with pregnancy. The clinical manifestations are nonspecific and variable that makes it difficult to differentiate from physiologic changes in pregnancy. Consequently, diagnosis is often delayed until patients present with life-threatening complications. During pregnancy, symptoms of choledochal cyst may be developed by hormonal changes and the enlarged uterus. Because of the risk of fetal mortality and maternal morbidity, definitive surgical treatment should be delayed and step-by-step management should be carefully implemented to avoid complication until delivery. Herein, we report a case of enlarged, symptomatic choledochal cyst that developed in a 26-year-old pregnant woman. The temporal relationship between pregnancy and symptom development, as well as the biliary sludge formation in the enlarged cyst, suggest that the choledochal cyst was influenced by pregnancy. In order to buy time for fetal maturation, endoscopic ultrasonography-guided choledochoduodenostomy was performed for biliary decompression as a bridge to surgical excision.
Adult ; Bile ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Choledochostomy* ; Decompression ; Diagnosis ; Endosonography ; Female ; Fetal Mortality ; Humans ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Uterus

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori eradication is recommended in patients with early gastric cancer. However, the possibility of spontaneous regression raises a question for clinicians about the need for “retesting” postoperative H. pylori status. METHODS: Patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and had a positive H. pylori status without eradication therapy at the time of gastric cancer diagnosis were prospectively enrolled in this study. H. pylori status and atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) histologic status were assessed pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients (mean age, 59.0 years; 60.7% male) underwent subtotal gastrectomy with B-I (65.0%), B-II (27.1%), Roux-en-Y (4.3%), jejunal interposition (0.7%), or proximal gastrectomy (4.3%). Preoperative presence of AG (62.9%) and IM (72.9%) was confirmed. The mean period between surgery and the last endoscopic follow-up was 38.0±25.6 months. Of the 140 patients, 80 (57.1%) were found to be persistently positive for H. pylori, and 60 (42.9%) showed spontaneous negative conversion at least once during follow-up. Of these 60 patients, eight (13.3%) showed more complex postoperative dynamic changes between negative and positive results. The spontaneous negative conversion group showed a trend of having more postoperative IM compared to the persistent H. pylori group. CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of spontaneous regression and complex dynamic changes in H. pylori status were observed after partial gastrectomy, especially in individuals with postoperative histological IM. It is better to consider postoperative eradication therapy after retesting for H. pylori.
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Metaplasia ; Prospective Studies ; Seoul ; Stomach Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVE: The study’s aim was to develop and standardize a Korean version of the University of California San Diego Performance-based Skills Assessment (K-UPSA), which is used to evaluate the daily living function of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Study participants were 78 patients with schizophrenia and 27 demographically matched healthy controls. We evaluated the clinical states and cognitive functions to verify K-UPSA’s reliability and validity. For clinical states, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinical Global Impression-Schizophrenia scale, and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale and Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-fourth revision were used. The Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale, Short-form of Korean-Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were used to assess cognitive function. RESULTS: The K-UPSA had statistically significant reliability and validity. The K-UPSA has high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha, 0.837) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient, 0.381–0.792; p<0.001). The K-UPSA had significant discriminant validity (p<0.001). Significant correlations between the K-UPSA’s scores and most of the scales and tests listed above demonstrated K-UPSA’s concurrent validity (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The K-UPSA is useful to evaluate the daily living function in Korean patients with schizophrenia.
Adult ; California* ; Cognition ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Schizophrenia ; Weights and Measures ; Wisconsin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that influence the clinical practice of nursing students and to identify the mediating effects of spiritual well-being in the relation between stress of clinical practice and burnout caused by clinical practice. METHODS: Data were collected by self-report questionnaires targeting 420 nursing students in three nursing colleges located in Gyeonggi and Chungnam province. RESULTS: Burnout of clinical practice according to general characteristics of the study subjects showed significant difference in religion (t=1.895, p=.049). Stress of clinical practice and burnout of clinical practice showed positive correlation (r=.42, p<.001), existential spiritual well-being showed negative correlation between stress of clinical practice (r=-.17, p<.001) and burnout of clinical practice (r=-.47, p<.001). In addition, religious spiritual well-being in spiritual well-being showed no mediating effects and existential spiritual well-being showed mediating effects between burnout in clinical practice stress. CONCLUSION: In order to alleviate the stress of clinical practice for burnout of clinical practice prevention of nursing students, solutions to improve the existential spiritual well-being will be required in the future.
Burnout, Professional ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Negotiating* ; Nursing* ; Spirituality ; Stress, Psychological ; Students, Nursing*