An experiment to search for light sterile neutrinos is conducted at a reactor with a thermal power of 2.8 GW located at the Hanbit nuclear power complex. The search is done with a detector consisting ...of a ton of Gd-loaded liquid scintillator in a tendon gallery approximately 24 m from the reactor core. The measured antineutrino event rate is 1976 per day with a signal to background ratio of about 22. The shape of the antineutrino energy spectrum obtained from the eight-month data-taking period is compared with a hypothesis of oscillations due to active-sterile antineutrino mixing. No strong evidence of 3+1 neutrino oscillation is found. An excess around the 5 MeV prompt energy range is observed as seen in existing longer-baseline experiments. The mixing parameter sin^{2}2θ_{14} is limited up to less than 0.1 for Δm_{41}^{2} ranging from 0.2 to 2.3 eV^{2} with a 90% confidence level.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
To cite this article: Hong S-W, Kim M-R, Lee E-Y, Kim JH, Kim Y-S, Jeon SG, Yang J-M, Lee B-J, Pyun B-Y, Gho YS, Kim Y-K. Extracellular vesicles derived from Staphylococcus aureus induce atopic ...dermatitis-like skin inflammation. Allergy 2011; 66: 351-359. ABSTRACT: Background: Recently, we found that Staphylococcus aureus produces extracellular vesicles (EV) that contain pathogenic proteins. Although S. aureus infection has been linked with atopic dermatitis (AD), the identities of the causative agents from S. aureus are controversial. We evaluated whether S. aureus-derived EV are causally related to the pathogenesis of AD. Methods: Extracellular vesicles were isolated by the ultracentrifugation of S. aureus culture media. The EV were applied three times per week to tape-stripped mouse skin. Inflammation and immune dysfunction were evaluated 48 h after the final application in hairless mice. Extracellular vesicles-specific IgE levels were measured by ELISA in AD patients and healthy subjects. Results: The in vitro application of S. aureus EV increased the production of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-6, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and eotaxin) by dermal fibroblasts. The in vivo application of S. aureus EV after tape stripping caused epidermal thickening with infiltration of the dermis by mast cells and eosinophils in mice. These changes were associated with the enhanced cutaneous production of IL-4, IL-5, IFN-γ, and IL-17. Interestingly, the serum levels of S. aureus EV-specific IgE were significantly increased in AD patients relative to healthy subjects. Conclusion: These results indicate that S. aureus EV induce AD-like inflammation in the skin and that S. aureus-derived EV are a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for the control of AD.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This national survey was undertaken to propose the classification of extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (NTCL) subtypes and to clarify a clinical heterogeneity.
Two hundred and eighty ...patients newly diagnosed as NTCL were enrolled from 22 Korean medical centers. Two subsets were compared: one involving the upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) and another involving the non-upper aerodigestive tract (NUAT) region, which comprises the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and liver or soft tissues. Clinical prognostic factors, survival outcomes, and independent predictors for survival were compared between each subset.
NUAT-NTCL (59 patients) had significantly higher proportions of disseminated disease, aggressive biologic features, and unfavorable host reactions compared with UAT-NTCL (221 patients). NUAT-NTCL had shortened 5-year overall survival (OS) (22% versus 41%, P = 0.001). Ann Arbor staging, the International Prognostic Index, and the NTCL prognostic index failed to predict the OS of NUAT-NTCL, but did predict the OS in UAT-NTCL. Independent predictors for OS by multivariate analyses differed between each subset. In the NUAT subset, extranodal sites and regional nodes predicted the OS, while Ann Arbor staging, age, performance status, and lactate dehydrogenase level predicted the OS in the UAT subset.
NUAT-NTCL may represent a distinctive disease entity in terms of clinical factors, independent predictors, and survival outcomes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Manic episodes are one of the major diagnostic symptoms in a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders that include schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder (BD). Despite a ...possible association between BD and the gene encoding phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCG1), its etiological basis remains unclear. Here, we report that mice lacking phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1) in the forebrain (Plcg1
; CaMKII) exhibit hyperactivity, decreased anxiety-like behavior, reduced depressive-related behavior, hyperhedonia, hyperphagia, impaired learning and memory and exaggerated startle responses. Inhibitory transmission in hippocampal pyramidal neurons and striatal dopamine receptor D1-expressing neurons of Plcg1-deficient mice was significantly reduced. The decrease in inhibitory transmission is likely due to a reduced number of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic boutons, which may result from impaired localization and/or stabilization of postsynaptic CaMKII (Ca
/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) at inhibitory synapses. Moreover, mutant mice display impaired brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin receptor kinase B-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, which could account for deficits of spatial memory. Lithium and valproate, the drugs presently used to treat mania associated with BD, rescued the hyperactive phenotypes of Plcg1
; CaMKII mice. These findings provide evidence that PLCγ1 is critical for synaptic function and plasticity and that the loss of PLCγ1 from the forebrain results in manic-like behavior.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
In this study, we sought to identify a criterion for the intermediate-risk grouping of patients with cervical cancer who exhibit any intermediate-risk factor after radical hysterectomy.
In total, ...2158 patients with pathologically proven stage IB-IIA cervical cancer with any intermediate-risk factor after radical hysterectomy were randomly assigned to two groups, a development group and a validation group, at a ratio of 3 : 1 (1620 patients:538 patients). To predict recurrence, multivariate models were developed using the development group. The ability of the models to discriminate between groups was validated using the log-rank test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Four factors (histology, tumour size, deep stromal invasion (DSI), and lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI)) were significantly associated with disease recurrence and included in the models. Among the nine possible combinations of the four variables, models consisting of any two of the four intermediate-risk factors (tumour size ≥3 cm, DSI of the outer third of the cervix, LVSI, and adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma histology) demonstrated the best performance for predicting recurrence.
This study identified a 'four-factor model' in which the presence of any two factors may be useful for predicting recurrence in patients with cervical cancer treated with radical hysterectomy.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
SETTING: Multicentre study.OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical characteristics of patients with tuberculosis (TB) destroyed lung due to past TB.DESIGN: We reviewed patients with TB-destroyed lung ...between May 2005 and June 2011.RESULTS: A total of 595 patients from 21 hospitals
were enrolled. The mean age was 65.63 ± 0.47 (mean ± standard error); 60.5% were male. The mean number of lobes involved was 2.59 ± 0.05. Pleural thickening was observed in 54.1% of the patients. Mean forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1),
FEV1/FVC, bronchodilator response and number of exacerbations per year were respectively 2.06 ± 0.03 l (61.26% ± 0.79), 1.16 ± 0.02 l (49.05% ± 0.84), 58.03% ± 0.70, 5.70% ± 0.34, and 0.40 ± 0.04. The number of lobes involved was
significantly correlated with FVC and FEV1, and with the number of exacerbations per year. Use of long-acting muscarinic antagonists or long-acting beta-2 agonists plus inhaled corticosteroids resulted in bronchodilatory effects. Multivariable regression analysis showed that age,
initial FEV1 (%) and number of exacerbations during follow-up were independent factors affecting change in FEV1.CONCLUSION: Decreased lung function with exacerbation, and progressive decline of FEV1 were observed in patients with TB-destroyed lung.
Summary
Background
Little is known about factors affecting the quality of life (QoL) of patients with vitiligo, and previous studies have shown conflicting results.
Objectives
To explore the QoL of ...patients with vitiligo and to identify factors affecting QoL.
Methods
A nationwide questionnaire‐based study was conducted with 1123 patients with vitiligo recruited from 21 hospitals in Korea from July 2015 to June 2016. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire for demographic information and the Skindex‐29 instrument. Mild or severely impaired QoL in patients with vitiligo was assessed according to each domain (symptoms, functioning and emotions) of Skindex‐29. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with QoL.
Results
Of the enrolled participants, 609 were male and 514 female, with a mean age of 49·8 years (range 20–84). The median duration of disease was 3·0 years (range 0–60). Using multivariate logistic regression modelling, the involvement of visible body parts and a larger affected body surface area were consistently associated with QoL impairment in all three domains of Skindex‐29. Additionally, the QoL of patients aged 20–59 years, who potentially had a more active social life than older patients, was associated with functional impairment. Furthermore, a higher educational background was associated with emotional impairment.
Conclusions
A multitude of factors significantly influence the QoL of patients with vitiligo. A better appreciation of these factors would help the management of these patients.
What's already known about this topic?
Quality of life is highly impaired in patients with vitiligo.
What does this study add?
The involvement of visible body parts and a larger affected body surface area were consistently associated with impaired symptoms, functioning and emotions.
Vitiligo with nonvisible lesions also considerably compromises quality of life; vitiligo should not be regarded as a cosmetic problem.
Patients aged 20–59 years experienced significant functional impairment, and those with a higher educational background had more impairment in their emotions.
Linked Comment: Ezzedine and Eleftheriadou. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:28–29.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Peanut (PN) and tree nuts (TNs) are common causes of anaphylaxis in Western countries, but no information is available in Korea. To feature clinical characteristics of anaphylaxis caused by PN, TNs, ...and seeds, a retrospective medical record review was performed in 14 university hospitals in Korea (2009–2013). One hundred and twenty‐six cases were identified, with the mean age of 4.9 years. PN, walnut (WN), and pine nut accounted for 32.5%, 41.3%, and 7.1%, respectively. The median values of specific IgE (sIgE) to PN, WN, and pine nut were 10.50, 8.74, and 4.61 kUA/l, respectively. Among 50 cases managed in the emergency department, 52.0% were treated with epinephrine, 66.0% with steroid, 94.0% with antihistamines, 36.0% with oxygen, and 48.0% with bronchodilator. In conclusion, WN, PN, and pine nut were the three most common triggers of anaphylaxis in Korean children, and anaphylaxis could occur at remarkably low levels of sIgE.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT
Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Salmonella serotypes isolated from 7 chicken meat brands produced by different integrated broiler operations in Korea were determined. In ...total, 210 samples were collected from retail supermarkets in Seoul, South Korea, and analyzed for the presence of Salmonella. Of 210 chicken meat samples, overall Salmonella prevalence was 22.4%. Salmonella Enteritidis was the dominant serovar, with an isolation rate of 57.4% from the Salmonella-positive chickens, followed by Salmonella Montevideo. Salmonella isolates frequently were resistant to various antibiotics, including 100% to erythromycin, 87% to cephalothin, 85% to nalidixic acid, and 70% to streptomycin. Of the 47 isolates, 41 (87.2%) isolates were resistant to 3 or more antibiotics. Moreover, the Salmonella profiles of each chicken meat brand were different by broiler operation. Brand A showed the highest prevalence of Salmonella (18 isolates, 60%), whereas brand G showed the lowest prevalence (one isolate, 3.3%). Eight among the 18 isolates of brand A were resistant to 11 antibiotics, whereas 5 of the 6 brand C isolates were resistant to only 2 antibiotics. This study demonstrates that a high proportion of chicken meat in Korea is contaminated with Salmonella and the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella of chicken meat differ significantly according to the integrated broiler operation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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