Objective: Suicide is a huge nationwide problem that incurs a lot of socio-economic costs. Suicide also inflicts severe distress on the people left behind. The government of the Republic of Korea has been making many policy efforts to reduce suicide rate. The gatekeeper program, ‘Suicide CARE’, is one of the meaningful modalities for preventing suicide. Methods: Multidisciplinary research team collaborated to update the ‘Suicide CARE’ to version 2.0. Results: In the ‘Introductory part’, the authors have the time to think about the necessity and significance of the program before conducting full-scale gatekeeper training. In the ‘Careful observation’ part, trainees learn how to understand and recognize the various linguistic, behavioral, and situational signals that a person shows before committing suicide. In the ‘Active listening’ part, trainees learn how to ask suicide with a value-neutral attitude as well listening empathetically. In the ‘Risk evaluation and Expert referral’ part, trainees learn intervening strategies to identify a person’s suicidal intention, plan, and past suicide attempts, and connect the person to appropriate institutes or services. Conclusion Subsequent studies should be conducted to verify the efficacy of the gatekeeper program.

Objective: In 2011, “Suicide CARE” (Standardized Suicide Prevention Program for Gatekeeper Intervention in Korea) was originally developed for the early detection of warning signs of suicide completion, since there is a tendency to regard emotional suppression as a virtue of Korean traditional culture. A total of 1.2 million individuals completed the training program of “Suicide CARE” in Korea. Methods: More sophisticated suicide prevention approaches according to age, sex, and occupation have been proposed, demanding for a more detailed revision of “Suicide CARE.” Thus, during the period from August 2019 to February 2020, “Suicide CARE” has been updated to version 2.0. The assessments on domestic gatekeeper training programs for suicide prevention, international gatekeeper training programs for suicide prevention, psychological autopsy interview reports between 2015 and 2018, and the evaluation of feedback from people who completed “Suicide CARE” version 1.6 training were performed. Results: We describe the revision process of “Suicide CARE,” revealing that “Suicide CARE” version 2.0 has been developed using an evidence-based methodology. Conclusion It is expected that “Suicide CARE” version 2.0 be positioned as the basic framework for many developing gatekeeper training programs for suicide prevention in Korea in the near future.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a biologic mediator of various physiologic functions. Recent evidence suggests the clinical utility of fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) as a biomarker for assessing asthma and other respiratory diseases. FeNO methodologies have been recently standardized by international research groups and subsequently validated in several Korean population studies. Normal ranges for FeNO have been reported for various ethnic groups, and the clinical utility has been widely evaluated in asthma and various respiratory diseases. Based on current evidence including most of Korean population data, this position paper aims to introduce the methodological considerations, and provide the guidance for the proper clinical application of FeNO measurements in Korean populations.
Asthma ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide* ; Reference Values

PURPOSE: The effects of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and fibrin on fibrovascular growth into porous polyethylene orbital implants (Medpor(R) sheet) were investigated using stem cells. METHODS: EPCs were separated from human adipose fat tissue for culture. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to identify the phenotype and to analyze the purity of EPCs cultivated from human adipose tissue. Processed Medpor(R) sheets were inserted in each quadrant of the subcutaneous fat layer under the dorsal surface of 20 anesthetized athymic nude mice, using sterile methods. Medpor(R) sheets processed with endothelial progenitor cells and fibrin were inserted into the two top quadrants, a Medpor(R) sheet processed with fibrin was inserted in the lower right quadrant, and an unprocessed Medpor(R) sheet was inserted in the lower left quadrant of each mouse. The mice were sacrificed on the seventh day. The adhesiveness and blood vessel formation were quantified by weight and the number of blood cells within the Medpor(R) sheets. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and toluidine blue stains were used to analyze fibrovascular and cell growth within the Medpor(R) sheets. RESULTS: The sheets processed with EPCs and fibrin were heavier and contained more white and red blood cells (p<0.001) than the other sheets. The sheets processed with fibrin alone were heavier (p<0.01) and contained more blood cells (p<0.001) than the unprocessed sheets. The degree of vessel formation and tissue adhesiveness was greatest in the group of Medpor(R) sheets processed with EPCs and fibrin. The sheets processed with fibrin only had greater tissue adhesiveness and fibrovascular proliferation than the unprocessed Medpor(R) sheets. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial progenitor cells and fibrin applied to Medpor(R) sheets improve fibrovascular proliferation and tissue adhesiveness. When both are applied together, a synergistic effect is seen.
Adhesiveness ; Adipose Tissue ; Animals ; Blood Cells ; Blood Vessels ; Coloring Agents ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Erythrocytes ; European Continental Ancestry Group ; Fibrin ; Flow Cytometry ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hematoxylin ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Orbit ; Orbital Implants ; Phenotype ; Polyethylene ; Stem Cells ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Tolonium Chloride

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To develop a novel treatment method for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we aimed to make a human monoclonal antibody inhibiting reverse transcriptase (RT) activity of P protein which was important in HBV replication by using phage display technique. Therefore, we analysed the usability of human monoclonal antibody as a protein based gene therapy. METHODS: Reverse transcriptase/polymerase (RT/POL) functional motif of P protein of HBV was cloned in pMAL-c vector and expressed as maltose binding fusion protein form. The RT/POL recombinant protein (pMRT/POL) was purified by amylose resin column. Using human single chain Fv phage antibody library with 1.1x10(10) size, human antibody against pMRT/POL was selected with BIAcore panning. Selected antibody fragments were analyzed for the activity of RT inhibition. Finally, they were analyzed for the affinity with BIAcore and the complementarity determining regions with nucleotide sequencing. RESULTS: pMRT/POL recombinant protein expressed in E. coli showed RT activity, 1microgram of recombinant protein had an activity equivalent to 5 unit of MMLV RT. By BIAcore panning, we could select 3 clones; POL-A5, POL-B8 and POL-B12. Each clone's RT inhibiting activity were 52-82%, affinity against antigen were 8.15x10(-8) M to 1.75x10(-6) M. CONCLUSIONS: Human monoclonal antibodies produced in this study showed low affinity, but efficiently inhibited the activity of RT in vitro. If POL-A5, POL-B8, and POL-B12 can be converted to intracellular antibody form, it can be used for protein-based gene therapy by inhibiting the replication through the neutralization of polymerase protein of HBV.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis/genetics/*pharmacology ; Complementarity Determining Regions/chemistry ; Gene Products, pol/*antagonists & inhibitors/genetics/immunology ; Genetic Vectors ; Hepatitis B virus/enzymology/genetics ; Humans ; Peptide Library ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/genetics/*immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/chemistry/metabolism/*pharmacology

Colletotrichum is mainly a fungal pathogen of plants, but sporadic cases of human infection have been reported recently. Most of them are fungal keratitis and only a few cases have been reported worldwide. A 63-year-old female farmer developed foreign body sensation and watering in her left eye following trauma by rice leaves. At presentation, her visual acuity decreased and corneal ulcer and inflammation in anterior chamber were observed on a slit lamp examination. Numerous hyphae were found on Gram stain and a rapidly growing mold with cup-shaped acervuli and falcate and nonseptate conidia was observed on fungal culture. As morphological findings did not lead to definite differentiation of the organism, sequencing of the D1-D2 domain of 28S rDNA was performed. It proved to be Colletotrichum species and the patient was treated with amphotericin and natamycin eye drop, but complicated by acute glaucoma. This is the first report of Colletotrichum keratitis in Korea and suggests that its infection should be considered in patients with fungal keratitis.
Amphotericin B ; Anterior Chamber ; Colletotrichum* ; Corneal Ulcer ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Fungi ; Glaucoma ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Inflammation ; Keratitis* ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Natamycin ; Sensation ; Spores, Fungal ; Visual Acuity ; Water

No abstract available.
Cryopreservation* ; Embryonic Stem Cells* ; Humans* ; Vitrification

BACKGROUND: To develop a novel treatment strategy for hepatitis B virus infection, a major cause of liver chirosis and cancer, we aimed to make human monoclonal antibodies inhibiting RNase H activity of P protein playing in important role in HBV replication. In this regard, phage display technology was employed and demonstrated as an efficient cloning method for human monoclonal antibody. So this study analysed the usability of human monoclonal antibody as protein based gene therapy. METHODS: RNase H of HBV was expressed as fusion protein with maltose binding protein and purified with amylose resin column. Single chain Fv (scFv) phage antibody library was constructed by PCR cloning using total RNAs of PBMC from 50 healthy volunteers. Binders to RNase H were selected with BIAcore 2000 from the constructed library, and purified as soluble antibody fragment. The affinity and sequences of selected antibody fragments were analyzed with BIAcore and ABI automatic sequencer, respectively. And finally RNase H activity inhibiting assay was carried out. RESULTS: Recombinant RNase H expressed in E. coli exhibited an proper enzyme activity. Naive library of 4.46 X 10(9) cfu was screened by BIAcore 2000. Two clones, RN41 and RN56, showed affinity of 4.5 X 10(-7) M and 1.9 X 10(-7) M, respectively. But RNase H inhibiting activity of RN41 was higher than that of RN56. CONCLUSION: We cloned human monoclonal antibodies inhibiting RNase H activity of P protein of HBV. These antibodies can be expected to be a good candidate for protein-based antiviral therapy by preventing a replication of HBV if they can be expressed intracellularly in HBV-infected hepatocytes.
Amylose ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Bacteriophages* ; Cell Surface Display Techniques* ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Genetic Therapy ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatocytes ; Humans* ; Immunoglobulin Fragments ; Liver ; Maltose-Binding Proteins ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonuclease H* ; Ribonucleases* ; RNA ; Single-Chain Antibodies

OBJECTIVES: Children with post-injury attention deficit disorder (ADD) exhibit deficiencies in academic functioning, social skills, and self-control, that are comparable to developmental attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The similarities and differences of the two conditions have to be studied because some children with traumatic brain injury have shown premorbid ADD and seem to be less responsive to psychostimulants. METHODS: Characteristics of cognition and attention of post-injury ADD (n=12) and developmental ADHD (n=12) boys were investigated by administering KEDI-WISC and Visual and Auditory TOVA. RESULTS: No differences in KEDI-WISC subtests were found between two diagnostic groups. Post-injury ADD boys show lower commission error (lower impulsivity) in visual and auditory TOVA, and lower variability of reaction time (higher information-processing consistency) in auditory TOVA than developmental ADHD boys (p<0.05, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Post-injury ADD and developmental ADHD are different in their attention components suggestively, which warrants further study for differential diagnosis and proper treatment.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Brain Injuries ; Child* ; Cognition ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Reaction Time

A complete cDNA sequence encoding a pore-forming subunit (Kir6.2) of ATP-senstive potassium channel in the adult worm, Clonorchis sinensis, termed CsKir6.2, was isolated from an adult cDNA library. The cDNA contained a single open-reading frame of 333 amino acids, which has a structural motif (a GFG-motif) of the putative pore-forming loop of the Kir6.2. Peculiarly, the CsKir6.2 shows a lack-sequence structure, which deleted 57 amino acids were deleted from its N-terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence revealed a highly conserved sequence as other known other Kir6.2 subunits. The mRNA was weekly expressed in the adult worm.
Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Clonorchis sinensis/*genetics/metabolism ; Helminth Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Human ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying/*genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't