Factors influencing fatigue among mothers with hospitalized children: A structural equation model.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the physiological, psychological, and situational factors affecting fatigue among mothers of hospitalized children.

Design And Methods: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design with a self-report questionnaire. Participants were 211 mothers with children younger than 6 years old who were admitted to general hospitals.

Overexpression of caveolin-1 attenuates brain edema by inhibiting tight junction degradation.

Cerebral edema from the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after cerebral ischemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality as well as a common event in patients with stroke. Caveolins (Cavs) are thought to regulate BBB functions. Here, we report for the first time that Cav-1 overexpression (OE) decreased brain edema from BBB disruption following ischemic insult.

Trends in endpoint selection in clinical trials of advanced breast cancer.

Purpose: The selection of appropriate endpoints is crucial for the evaluation of clinical benefits and approval of novel anticancer agents. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate endpoint selection and the shift in trends in phase II and phase III trials of advanced breast cancer treatment.

Methods: All phase II and phase III trials of advanced breast cancer registered in the ClinicalTrials.

Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mode Based Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Brassinolide and Other Plant Hormones Involved in Abiotic Stresses.

Plant hormones are the key regulators of adaptive stress response. Abiotic stresses such as drought and salt are known to affect the growth and productivity of plants. It is well known that the levels of plant hormones such as zeatin (ZA), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and brassinolide (BR) fluctuate upon abiotic stress exposure.

Regulation of Caveolin-1 Expression Determines Early Brain Edema After Experimental Focal Cerebral Ischemia.

Background And Purpose: Most patients with cerebral infarction die of brain edema because of the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in ischemic tissue. Caveolins (a group of proteins) are key modulators of vascular permeability; however, a direct role of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in the regulation of BBB permeability during ischemic injury has yet to be identified.

Methods: Cav-1 expression was measured by immunoblotting after photothrombotic ischemia.

Differences between Drug-Induced and Contrast Media-Induced Adverse Reactions Based on Spontaneously Reported Adverse Drug Reactions.

Objective: We analyzed differences between spontaneously reported drug-induced (not including contrast media) and contrast media-induced adverse reactions.

Methods: Adverse drug reactions reported by an in-hospital pharmacovigilance center (St. Mary's teaching hospital, Daejeon, Korea) from 2010-2012 were classified as drug-induced or contrast media-induced.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multi-centre phase III trial of XELIRI/FOLFIRI plus simvastatin for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: The purpose of this randomised phase III trial was to evaluate whether the addition of simvastatin, a synthetic 3-hydroxy-3methyglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, to XELIRI/FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimens confers a clinical benefit to patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods: We undertook a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial of 269 patients previously treated for metastatic colorectal cancer and enrolled in 5 centres in South Korea. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to one of the following groups: FOLFIRI/XELIRI plus simvastatin (40 mg) or FOLFIRI/XELIRI plus placebo.

Rotator cuff tears noncontrast MRI compared to MR arthrography.

Objectives: To compare the accuracy of indirect magnetic resonance arthrography and noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing rotator cuff tears.

Materials And Methods: In total, 333 patients who underwent noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging or indirect magnetic resonance arthrography were included retrospectively. Two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated the images for the presence of supraspinatus-infraspinatus and subscapularis tendon tears.

Is a high maintenance dose of clopidogrel suitable for overcoming clopidogrel resistance in patients?

Background: A double maintenance dose of clopidogrel at 150 mg daily has been suggested as an effective alternative treatment for patients who have clopidogrel resistance.

Objective: To determine if a double maintenance dose of clopidogrel can overcome the low drug response rate observed in patients who have clopidogrel resistance while on a 75 mg daily standard maintenance dose of clopidogrel.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in South Korean patients who underwent a platelet function test and received a double maintenance dose of clopidogrel at a secondary medical institution between January 2011 and June 2012.

An arthroscopic safety zone for the medial compartment of the hip joint.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety zone without any neurovascular injury to the medial compartment of hip joint through an anatomical method and describe the relationship of the extra-articular anatomic structures from the surface of the hip joint. Thirty-two fresh specimens from 17 adult Korean cadavers (8 males and 9 females, age range 54-79 years at death) were used for this study. For the measurements, the most superolateral point of the pubic symphysis (PS) and prominent point of the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) were identified before dissection.

Simultaneous determination of five naphthoylindole-based synthetic cannabinoids and metabolites and their deposition in human and rat hair.

The continuing appearance of new synthetic cannabinoids has been a major issue in the field of forensic and clinical toxicology. In response to that, analytical methods for synthetic cannabinoids have been increasingly established in a variety of biological matrices. Since most of synthetic cannabinoids with structure similarity share some enzymatic metabolites, making the interpretation of analytical results and the discovery of the parent drug actually ingested very complicated, the investigation on metabolites of the first generation of synthetic cannabinoids with their relatively short side chains in chemical structure could be more important.

Association between halitosis diagnosed by a questionnaire and halimeter and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background/aims: The relationship between halitosis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between subjective and objective halitosis and GERD.

Methods: The subjects were enrolled from participants who visited a health promotion center at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

Cardiac function and outcome in patients with cardio-embolic stroke.

Background: The relationship between whole spectrum of Ejection fraction (EF) and cardioembolic stroke (CES) outcome has not been fully described yet. Notably, it remains unclear whether borderline EF (41∼49%) is related with poor outcome after CES. We sought to evaluate whether lower ejection fraction and borderline EF could predict the outcome in patients with CES.

Biomechanical comparison of rotational activities between anterior cruciate ligament- and posterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the early functional recovery using biomechanical properties between anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)- and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-reconstructed patients and to determine the biomechanical deficit of PCL-reconstructed patients compared to ACL-reconstructed patients.

Methods: A motion analysis system was used to measure and calculate kinematic and kinetic data for 10 patients who underwent PCL-reconstructed patients [experimental group (group 1)], 10 ACL-reconstructed patients (group 2), and 10 healthy subjects (group 3) during 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180° cutting and turn running tasks. Groups 1 and 2 were assessed at 3 (return to daily activity) and 6 months (return to light sports) postoperatively.

Sex determination from the mandibular ramus flexure of Koreans by discrimination function analysis using three-dimensional mandible models.

It has been known that mandible ramus flexure is an important morphologic trait for sex determination. However, it will be unavailable when mandible is incomplete or fragmented. Therefore, the anthropometric analysis on incomplete or fragmented mandible becomes more important.

Structural and functional characterization of Arabidopsis GSK3-like kinase AtSK12.

Plant GSK3-like kinases are key regulators that modulate a broad range of physiological processes such as cell growth, stomatal and flower development, responses for abiotic and biotic stress, and carbohydrate metabolism. Arabidopsis Shaggy/GSK3-like kinases (AtSK) consist of ten members that are classified into four subfamilies (I∼IV). Only one of these Arabidopsis GSK3s, BIN2 (also named AtSK21), has been characterized by biochemical and genetic studies.

MRI findings with arthroscopic correlation for tear of discoid lateral meniscus: comparison between children and adults.

Background: Discoid lateral meniscus is more susceptible to tear than normal meniscus. A comparison study for tear types of discoid lateral meniscus between children and adults has not been reported.

Purpose: To compare tear type of surgically proven discoid lateral meniscus between adults and children, and to analyze diagnostic performance for tear type of discoid lateral meniscus using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of wrist MRI at 3.0T: comparison between isotropic 3D turbo spin echo and isotropic 3D fast field echo and 2D turbo spin echo.

Background: Isotropic three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been applied to various joints. However, comparison for image quality between isotropic 3D MRI and two-dimensional (2D) turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence of the wrist at a 3T MR system has not been investigated.

Purpose: To compare the image quality of isotropic 3D MRI including TSE intermediate-weighted (VISTA) sequence and fast field echo (FFE) sequence with 2D TSE intermediate-weighted sequence of the wrist joint at 3.

Use of step stool during resuscitation improved the quality of chest compression in simulated resuscitation.

Objectives: Resuscitation on a medical bed is difficult because of the need to match the height of the bed to the height of the rescuer, which is impossible on a fixed-height medical bed. This study investigated the effect of using a step stool on chest compressions performed on a manikin in a fixed-height medical bed.

Methods: This prospective, observational study was performed using simulated resuscitation manikins and a fixed-height (78 cm) medical bed.

Oceanobacillus locisalsi sp. nov., isolated from a marine solar saltern.

A Gram-stain-variable, motile, moderately halophilic bacterial strain, CHL-21(T), was isolated from a marine solar saltern and its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Optimal growth of strain CHL-21(T) occurred at 30-37 °C, at pH 7.0-7.

Protective efficacy and immunogenicity of an inactivated avian-origin H3N2 canine influenza vaccine in dogs challenged with the virulent virus.

Transmission of avian-origin influenza A virus (H3N2) to dogs had been reported and since then the H3N2 virus infection across South Korea has been occurred repeatedly in the country's animal clinics and kennels. Dog-to-dog transmission of the virus had also been experimentally demonstrated by direct contact. In this study, immunogenicity and protective efficacy against challenge exposure of the formalin-inactivated H3N2 influenza virus vaccine with a synthetic polymer adjuvant was investigated in dogs.

Human neural stem cells overexpressing glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in experimental cerebral hemorrhage.

Recent studies have reported that glial cell line-derived growth factor (GDNF) has neurotrophic effects on the central nervous system, and the neural stem cells (NSCs) engrafted in animal models of stroke survive and ameliorate the neurological deficits. In this study, a stable human NSC line overexpressing GDNF (F3.GDNF) was transplanted next to the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) lesion site and a possible therapeutic effect was investigated.

Fetal choledochal cyst diagnosed at 22 weeks of gestation by three-dimensional ultrasonography: a case report.

Choledochal cyst is a cystic or fusiform dilatation of the extra- or intrahepatic bile duct that has rarely been reported in prenatal cases. Here we report a fetus with choledochal cyst diagnosed prenatally by three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasonography at 22 weeks of gestation. We demonstrated an image of choledochal cyst by using a new ultrasound technique, a 3-D multislice view.