The cross-linguistic comparison of perceptual strength norms for Korean, English and L2 English.

This study aimed to establish perceptual strength norms for 1,000 words in the languages of Korean, English, and L2 English, in order to investigate the similarity and difference across languages as well as the influence of the environment on semantic processing. The perceptual strength norms, which are a collection of word profiles that summarize how a word is experienced through different sensory modalities including the five common senses and interoception, provide a valuable tool for testing embodiment cognition theory. The results of this study demonstrated that language users had parallel sensory experiences with concepts, and that L2 learners were also able to associate their sensory experiences with linguistic concepts. Additionally, the results highlighted the importance of incorporating interoception as a sensory modality in the development of perceptual strength norms, as it had a negative correlation with both vision and concreteness. This study was the first to establish norms for Korean and L2 English and directly compare languages using the identical and translation-equivalent word list.

Epibulbar osseous choristoma with dermolipoma: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: A choristoma is defined as a growth of histologically normal tissue in an abnormal location. Epibulbar osseous choristoma is the rarest type among all ocular choristoma with less than 100 cases reported. Here, we report a case of epibulbar osseous choristoma combined with dermolipoma and a literature review. METHODS: A 15-year-old female patient presented with an accidentally found subconjunctival mass in her left eye. Slit lamp examination revealed a 10 × 10 mm elevated, sigmoid-shaped mass in the supratemporal quadrant of the bulbar conjunctiva. We performed a debulking excisional biopsy of the mass. RESULTS: The pathology confirmed osseous tissue surrounded by mature adipose tissue. At 1 week after the operation, the wound was clear and the patient was satisfied with the treatment. A systematic literature review of 14 previously published cases taken from PubMed dating back to 1987 along with ours was undertaken. The average age at presentation was 11.6 years and there was a female preponderance with 10 cases being female and the other 5 cases being male. Supratemporal conjunctiva was the most common site of presentation. There was no systemic disease associated with any of the cases. Since it is a benign tumor, it can be managed by observation, but if necessary, it can be treated by surgical removal. CONCLUSION: In pediatric subconjunctival mass, particularly located in supratemporal quadrant of bulbar conjunctiva, osseous choristoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Pre-operative CT scans will helpful to not also reduce complication with surgical excision but also helpful in prediction of diagnosis and prognosis.

The Eyelid Angiosarcoma: A Systematic Review of Characteristics and Clinical Course.

A systematic search for eyelid angiosarcoma was performed from inception to December 2020 in Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases. Forty two eyelid angiosarcoma cases in 32 articles were analyzed. Eyelid angiosarcomas showed an incidence peak in the eighth decade of life, and was reported more frequently in Caucasian males. Eyelid angiosarcomas were associated with a mortality rate of 26.2%, a recurrence rate of 14.3%, and a cure rate of 45.2%. Four years event-free survival (EFS) rate was 36.0%, with median EFS of 36 months. Eyelid angiosarcomas with bilateral involvement or metastasis showed higher mortality and recurrence rates than unilateral eyelid invasion cases. In the prognosis analysis according to treatment modalities, the mortality and recurrence rates were the lowest in patients who underwent surgical excision. The 4-year EFS probability in a group with surgical excision was 60.6%, but in a group without surgical excision it was 30.3%. A total of 45.2% of the cases was misdiagnosed and 21.4% of the cases could not be correctly diagnosed with the first biopsy trial. The prognosis for eyelid angiosarcomas was better than that of angiosarcomas invading the face and scalp. Surgical excision was the most important treatment modality; thus, should be considered as the first treatment of choice.

Structural Priming and Inverse Preference Effects in L2 Grammaticality Judgment and Production of English Relative Clauses.

This study investigated inverse preference effects in L2 structural priming of English relative clauses and their potential influences on subsequent learning of target structures. One hundred fourteen Chinese learners of English at a low-to-intermediate proficiency level participated in a structural priming experiment with a pretest-posttest design. The experimental group underwent a priming task in which they orally produced syntactic structures immediately after viewing English object or passive relative clauses as primes, whereas the control group only read sentences unrelated to English relative clauses. A grammaticality judgment task and a sentence completion task were used to measure the inverse preference effect and its subsequent effects on L2 learning. The results showed the presence of structural priming and inverse preference effects in immediate production, which extended to subsequent learning of L2. In subsequent grammaticality judgments and production, L2 learners performed better with English object relative clauses than with English passive relative clauses in comparison with the pretest. The results are discussed in terms of the structural frequency in both L1 and L2 as well as the implicit learning mechanisms of structural priming.

Bilateral Trichosporon asahii keratitis after ptosis correction: A case report.

RATIONALE: Fungal keratitis (FK) is a severe vision-threatening disease that can lead to corneal perforation or endophthalmitis despite proper treatment. It is important to diagnose the disease promptly due to its indolent nature and disproportionate disease symptoms. Trichosporon asahii is reported rarely as the causative organism of FK. We report a case of highly unusual bilateral T asahii keratitis following ptosis surgery. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 86-year-old female underwent bilateral levator resection surgery for ptosis. Postoperatively, the patient complained of gradually worsening bilateral ocular pain and a decrease in visual acuity associated with a chronic non-healing epithelial defect. DIAGNOSES: Both eyes of the patient were evaluated using best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp examination, fundus examination, and corneal culture. Multifocal deep stromal infiltrates were found in both corneas. Cultures from both corneal ulcers revealed growth of T asahii. Optical coherence tomographic examination showed bilateral macular edema. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with revisional ptosis surgery, an antifungal agent for the corneal ulcer, and intravitreal injection of steroid for macular edema. OUTCOMES: Both eyes recovered well. Her best-corrected visual acuity improved from 20/200 to 20/40 in the right eye and from 20/100 to 20/40 in the left eye. LESSONS: FK can develop in the cornea when certain risk factors are present, including recent lid surgery, chronic keratitis, and steroid eye drop use. Identification and correction of risk factors can be beneficial in the treatment of FK.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Autologous Platelet Concentrate Injection on Macular Holes with High Myopia, Large Macular Holes, or Recurrent Macular Holes: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

We aimed to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of pars-plana vitrectomy (PPV) with or without autologous platelet concentrate (APC) injection in patients with recurrent macular holes (MHs), large MHs, or MHs with high myopia. This multicenter, prospective, interventional randomized controlled trial was conducted from March 2017 to April 2020. Participants were randomly allocated to a PPV group or a PPV+APC group. All participants underwent standard 25-gauge PPV, and eyes in the PPV+APC group underwent PPV with intravitreal APC injection before air-gas exchange. A total of 117 patients were enrolled (PPV group: n = 59, PPV+APC group: n = 58). Hole closure was achieved in 47 participants (79.7%) in the PPV group and 52 participants (89.7%) in the PPV+APC group. There were no between-group differences in the anatomical closure rate or functional outcomes including best-corrected visual acuity, metamorphopsia, pattern-reversal visual evoked potential, or Visual Function Questionnaire-25 score. The use of APC injection does not improve the anatomical and functional outcomes of surgery for large MHs, recurrent MHs, or MHs with high myopia. The adjunctive use of APC can be considered in selected cases because it is not inferior to conventional MH surgery, is relatively simple to perform, and is not affected by the surgeon's skill.

Comparison of corneal thickness measurements using ultrasound pachymetry, noncontact tonopachy, Pentacam HR, and Fourier-domain OCT.

ABSTRACT: We retrospectively compared the central corneal thickness (CCT) obtained by ultrasound pachymetry (USP; SP-3000, Tomey Corp., Nagoya, Japan), non-contact tonopachy (TP) (NT-530P, Nidek Co., Ltd., Gamagori, Japan), Pentacam HR (OCULUS Inc., Wetzlar, Germany), and RTVue optical coherence tomography (OCT) (Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA, USA) in 78 eyes of 78 healthy subjects with myopia. Agreement between the measurement methods was evaluated using 95% confidence intervals for the limits of agreement (LoA). The mean CCT values were 546.9 ± 34.7, 548.1 ±â€Š33.5, 559.2 ±â€Š34.0, and 547.2 ±â€Š34.8 µm for USP, non-contact TP, Pentacam, and RTVue, respectively. The thickest and the thinnest mean CCT values corresponded to those obtained by Pentacam HR and USP, respectively. Plots of the differences against the means showed the best agreement between USP and RTVue (LoA, 10.14-10.70 µm), while the largest discrepancy was observed between RTVue and Pentacam systems (LoA, -25.47-1.44 µm). Our data showed that CCT measurements using these 4 instruments were well correlated. However, the results from Pentacam differed significantly from those of the other instruments.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Clinical Trial of 0.01% or 0.02% Cyclosporin A with 3% Trehalose in Patients with Dry Eye Disease.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of HU00701 (0.01% cyclosporin A + 3% trehalose), HU007 (0.02% cyclosporin A + 3% trehalose) (all w/v), and placebo in patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease (DED). Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, parallel, placebo-controlled phase II study. In total, 114 patients were randomly assigned to the HU00701, HU007, placebo, or reference group. There was a 2-week run-in period before the 12-week intervention. Efficacy and safety were evaluated every 4 weeks. Results: The primary endpoint, change in corneal staining score from baseline to week 12, did not differ significantly among the control, HU00701, and HU007 groups in the full analysis. Of the secondary endpoints, only the tear film breakup time differed significantly at week 12 between the placebo and HU00701 groups. Twenty adverse events were reported by 15 patients, but the rate did not differ significantly among the 4 groups. The laboratory test, vital signs, and physical examination data showed no significant changes during the study. Conclusions: HU00701 and HU007 are safe, and HU007 effectively reduces the corneal staining score in patients with moderate-to-severe DED (NCT02917512).

Herpes simplex virus linear endotheliitis in a post-keratoplasty patient: A case report.

RATIONALE: To report a case of herpes simplex virus (HSV) linear endotheliitis in a 57-year-old male who had underwent keratoplasty 10 years ago. The characteristic linear keratic precipitates (KPs) resembled the Khodadoust line in graft rejection. The differential diagnosis is essential, because the treatment regimen is different between HSV linear endotheliitis and graft rejection. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient developed a sudden onset of ocular pain and a decrease in visual acuity in his right eye. The patient had received penetrating keratoplasty in the eye 10 years ago. DIAGNOSES: The ocular disease was evaluated using several ocular examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination, fundus examination, and aqueous humor tap. Characteristic linear endothelial KPs were found both in the host cornea and graft cornea. Stromal edema was evident in both the donor and recipient corneas. The aqueous humor was sampled for viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The sample was investigated for the possible presence of HSV I, HSV II, cytomegalovirus, and varicella zoster virus. The PCR was positive for HSV I and negative for HSV II, cytomegalovirus, and varicella zoster virus. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with both antiviral and steroid treatments for 1 month. Thereafter, prophylactic antiviral treatment was continued. OUTCOMES: The subjective symptoms had improved and the cornea edema and the linear endothelial KPs had disappeared. The BCVA improved from 20/200 to 20/80. LESSONS: HSV linear endotheliitis is the most severe form of HSV endotheliitis. This case showed characteristic endothelial KPs, which were different from the Khodadoust line of graft rejection.

A comparative study of the effects of a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitor and sulfonylurea on glucose variability in patients with type 2 diabetes with inadequate glycemic control on metformin.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the effects of sitagliptin on glycemic change and 24-h blood glucose variability with those of the sulfonylurea glimepiride. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 4-week randomized double blind-labeled prospective design was used. We recruited 33 patients who had been treated with metformin for at least 2 months. Each participant prescribed with metformin was randomly assigned to either the sitagliptin (100 mg) or the glimepiride (2 mg) group. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was used to monitor glycemic changes for 3 successive days in both groups at baseline and at the 4-week follow-up. Glycemic changes and glucose variability were obtained using CGM, and these data were averaged over all subjects. RESULTS: The comparison of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) between baseline and the 4-week follow-up showed that HbA1c was significantly reduced in the sitagliptin group (7.0 ± 0.5% to 6.6 ± 0.4%, P<0.001) and the glimepiride group (7.3 ± 0.4% to 6.9 ± 0.4%, P<0.001). The sitagliptin and glimepiride groups had similar HbA1c levels after 4 weeks, and there were no significant differences between the two groups. The mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) decreased significantly in the sitagliptin group (4.9 ± 1.0 to 3.7 ± 0.9 mmol/L, P<0.001), but no significant difference was observed in the glimepiride group (5.7 ± 1.5 to 5.0 ± 1.4 mmol/L, P=0.175). The SD and oxidative stress markers did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: When sitagliptin was combined with metformin, the patients showed much more efficient blood glucose controlling effects, not only the three indexes of fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin, but also MAGE.

Predictive clinical parameters and glycemic efficacy of vildagliptin treatment in korean subjects with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study are to investigate the glycemic efficacy and predictive parameters of vildagliptin therapy in Korean subjects with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we retrieved data for subjects who were on twice-daily 50 mg vildagliptin for at least 6 months, and classified the subjects into five treatment groups. In three of the groups, we added vildagliptin to their existing medication regimen; in the other two groups, we replaced one of their existing medications with vildagliptin. We then analyzed the changes in glucose parameters and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Ultimately, 327 subjects were analyzed in this study. Vildagliptin significantly improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels over 6 months. The changes in HbA1c levels (ΔHbA1c) at month 6 were -2.24% (P=0.000), -0.77% (P=0.000), -0.80% (P=0.001), -0.61% (P=0.000), and -0.34% (P=0.025) for groups 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, with significance. We also found significant decrements in fasting plasma glucose levels in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 (P<0.05). Of the variables, initial HbA1c levels (P=0.032) and history of sulfonylurea use (P=0.026) were independently associated with responsiveness to vildagliptin treatment. CONCLUSION: Vildagliptin was effective when it was used in subjects with poor glycemic control. It controlled fasting plasma glucose levels as well as sulfonylurea treatment in Korean type 2 diabetic subjects.

Metabolic syndrome as a predictor of type 2 diabetes, and its clinical interpretations and usefulness.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as a cluster of glucose intolerance, hypertension, dyslipidemia and central obesity with insulin resistance as the source of pathogenesis. Although several different combinations of criteria have been used to define metabolic syndrome, a recently published consensus recommends the use of ethnic-specific criteria, including waist circumference as an indicator of central obesity, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol as indicators of dyslipidemia, and blood pressure greater than 130/85 mmHg. The definition of dysglycemia, and whether central obesity and insulin resistance are essential components remain controversial. Regardless of the definition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in Western and Asian countries, particularly in developing areas undergoing rapid socioenvironmental changes. Numerous clinical trials have shown that metabolic syndrome is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus and all-cause mortality. Therefore, metabolic syndrome might be useful as a practical tool to predict these two major metabolic disorders. Comprehensive management of risk factors is very important to the improvement of personal and public health. However, recent studies have focused on the role metabolic syndrome plays as a risk factor for CVD; its importance in the prediction of incident diabetes is frequently overlooked. In the present review, we summarize the known evidence supporting metabolic syndrome as a predictor for type 2 diabetes mellitus and CVD. Additionally, we suggest how metabolic syndrome might be useful in clinical practice, especially for the prediction of diabetes.

Continuous glucose monitoring: current clinical use.

Four kinds of subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) machines have been currently introduced in clinical practice. These machines exhibit real-time glucose on the monitor every 5 minutes and have alarms to indicate hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. However, thus far, there is no clear consensus about the clinical indications for CGM in actual clinical practice. CGM should be an ideal and powerful tool for monitoring glucose variability. Glycaemic variability has become a major concern over the years with growing evidence on its detrimental impact with respect to the risk of diabetic complications. Although the HbA1c level is ubiquitously measures in clinical practice, this level does not adequately represent glycaemic variability. Currently available evidence indicates that CGM aids in lowering the HbA1c level without increasing the incidence of severe hypoglycaemic episodes in patients with type 1 diabetes. Thus far, CGM has not been indicated for preventing severe hypoglycaemia or for treating type 2 diabetes because sufficient supporting evidence has not been obtained. Promising results have been obtained for the use of CGM for pregnant women with diabetes and for patients with hospital hyperglycaemia. Predictions regarding the feasibility of the closed-loop system have proven to be optimistic. CGM-integrated communication systems using information technology such as smart phone help controlling blood glucose more easily and effectively.

Prevention of diabetes: a strategic approach for individual patients.

The 'diabetes epidemic' is an important health and socioeconomic problem worldwide. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease with gradual deterioration in glucose metabolism which causes multiple systemic complications. Therefore, early intervention in the prediabetic stage is a valuable approach to reduce diabetes development and related complications. Many clinical trials have suggested that lifestyle intervention, including moderate-intensity exercise and diet control, and pharmacologic intervention using metformin, α-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, anti-obesity drugs and incretin mimics, are effective in preventing diabetes development. However, an individualized approach with careful consideration of the patient's risk status and health economics is needed to perform a successful intervention programmes. In this review, we will summarize the known evidence on treatment- and cost-effectiveness of drug and lifestyle treatment. Additionally, we will propose a strategic approach algorithm that is applicable to clinical practice.

Chorea-ballism associated with nonketotic hyperglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis: characteristics of 25 patients in Korea.

Chorea-ballism is a rare form of movement disorder complicated by severe hyperglycaemia and in association with a contralateral basal ganglia lesion. We analysed the clinical characteristics of 25 Korean patients with chorea-ballism associated with nonketotic hyperglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis. Possible mechanisms of disease are also discussed.

Incretin secretion is not restored by short-term strict glycaemic control in Korean hyperglycaemic patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS: To determine whether short-term strict glycaemic control could restore incretin secretion in type 2 diabetic patients. The factors associated with incretin levels were also investigated. METHODS: A meal tolerance test (MTT) was performed in eighteen poorly controlled (pDM) and fifteen well controlled (wDM) diabetic patients. Fourteen patients in the pDM group underwent follow-up MTT after strict glycaemic control. The secretions of intact glucagon-like peptide-1 (iGLP-1) and total glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (tGIP) during MTT were calculated by total and incremental area under the curve (TAUC and IAUC) values. RESULTS: Posttreatment HbA1c level was significantly improved in the pDM group (11.2±0.9 to 7.9±0.9%). However, the secretion of incretin hormones was not increased in the posttreatment pDM group (TAUCiGLP-1, 3612±587 to 2916±405 pmol/L min; TAUCtGIP, 9417±1099 to 8338±903 pmol/L min). IAUCiGLP-1 was negatively correlated (r=-0.446, P=0.011) and independently associated (ß=-137.2, P=0.027) with insulin resistance assessed by homeostasis model assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Incretin secretion is not restored by short-term strict glycaemic control. Decreased incretin secretion seems to develop early in the course of type 2 diabetes with increasing insulin resistance, but not to be influenced by glycaemic status.

Transforming growth factor-ß induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition and suppresses the proliferation and transdifferentiation of cultured human pancreatic duct cells.

Pancreatic duct cells are considered a potential source of ß-cell regeneration, and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) has been suggested to perform an important role in these processes, but the underlying mechanism of the signal pathways, especially in humans, remains poorly understood. To evaluate the role of TGF-ß1, pancreatic duct cells were isolated from three brain-dead organ donors. Pancreatic cell clusters harvested after islet isolation were dispersed to single cells and cultured in monolayers, then treated with TGF-ß1. We analyzed the characteristics of the cultured cells, the TGF-ß1 intracellular signaling pathway, the proliferation, and transdifferentiation rates of the duct cells. We also evaluated the genes and protein expression patterns after TGF-ß1 treatment. After TGF-ß1 treatment, typical morphologic changes representative of EMT were observed and Erk1/2, JNK, and AKT phosphorylation, Ras downstream effectors, were increased. ß cell-specific transcription factors including PDX-1, Beta2/NeuroD, Ist-1, and NGN3 were markedly suppressed and the rate of transdifferentiation into ß cells was also suppressed. Genomic and proteomic analyses suggested that TGF-ß1 induces marked changes in a variety of structural genes and proteins associated with EMT. In conclusion, TGF-ß1 induces EMT in cultured human pancreatic duct cells, but suppresses its proliferation and transdifferentiation into ß cells. Our results are the first report of TGF-ß1 effects for EMT and ductal cell transdifferentiation and proliferation at the protein level in human pancreatic duct cells.

ß-cell mass in people with type 2 diabetes.

The early occurrence of ß-cell dysfunction has been broadly recognized as a critical determinant of the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. ß-cell dysfunction might be induced by insufficient ß-cell mass, by a dysfunction of the ß-cells, or both. Whether or not ß-cell dysfunction constitutes a cause of reduced ß-cells or vice-versa currently remains unclear. The results of some studies have measured the loss of ß-cells in type 2 diabetic patients at between 22 and 63% by planimetric measurements. Because ß-cell hypertrophy has been noted in type 2 diabetic patients, the loss of ß-cell number should prove more profound than what has thus far been reported. Furthermore, ß-cell volumes are reduced even in patients with impaired fasting glucose. Such defects in ß-cell mass are associated with increased apoptosis rather than insufficient replication or neogenesis of ß-cells. With these results, although they still require clarification, the peak ß-cell mass might be determined at quite an early stage of life, and then might decline progressively over time as the result of exposure to harmful environmental influences over one's lifetime. In this review, we have summarized the relevant studies regarding ß-cell mass in patients with type 2 diabetes, and then presented a review of the various causes of ß-cell loss in adults. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2010.00072.x, 2010).