An analysis of the correlation between young males' personal aggression and their skin conductance levels during exposure to aggression images.

This study investigated the correlation between young males' personal aggression and their skin conductance level (SCL) when watching aggression images. SCL increased when participants viewed aggression images as compared to control images. There was a negative correlation between personal aggression score and degree of change in SCL between aggression and control images.

Prioritizing problem features in Korean patients with senile dementia for implementation of monitoring technologies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the central problem features of Korean patients with senile dementia and to prioritize the features according to risk to the patient with a view to the implementation of remote monitoring technologies. Twenty central problem features were extracted using factorial analysis. The frequency of violent language and confabulation, gathering, and repetition was significantly greater in female than in male patients with senile dementia. All central features, with the exception of abnormal sexual behavior and audiovisual deficits, differed in frequency between the normal elderly and the senile dementia patients and between patients with dementias of different severity. Judgment disorder was the greatest differentiating factor between the normal elderly and the patients with senile dementia. For dementia severity, memory disorder was the greatest differentiating factor of severe versus mild dementia. When risk to the patient was analyzed, problems of perception were identified as the problem features of highest priority.

A simple 5-DoF MR-compatible motion signal measurement system.

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple motion measurement system with magnetic resonance (MR) compatibility and safety. The motion measurement system proposed here can measure 5-DoF motion signals without deteriorating the MR images, and it has no effect on the intense and homogeneous main magnetic field, the temporal-gradient magnetic field (which varies rapidly with time), the transceiver radio frequency (RF) coil, and the RF pulse during MR data acquisition. A three-axis accelerometer and a two-axis gyroscope were used to measure 5-DoF motion signals, and Velcro was used to attach a sensor module to a finger or wrist. To minimize the interference between the MR imaging system and the motion measurement system, nonmagnetic materials were used for all electric circuit components in an MR shield room. To remove the effect of RF pulse, an amplifier, modulation circuit, and power supply were located in a shielded case, which was made of copper and aluminum. The motion signal was modulated to an optic signal using pulse width modulation, and the modulated optic signal was transmitted outside the MR shield room using a high-intensity light-emitting diode and an optic cable. The motion signal was recorded on a PC by demodulating the transmitted optic signal into an electric signal. Various kinematic variables, such as angle, acceleration, velocity, and jerk, can be measured or calculated by using the motion measurement system developed here. This system also enables motion tracking by extracting the position information from the motion signals. It was verified that MR images and motion signals could reliably be measured simultaneously.

Impact of suppression of tumorigenicity 14 (ST14)/serine protease 14 (Prss14) expression analysis on the prognosis and management of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer.

To elucidate the role of a type II transmembrane serine protease, ST14/Prss14, during breast cancer progression, we utilized publically accessible databases including TCGA, GEO, NCI-60, and CCLE. Survival of breast cancer patients with high ST14/Prss14 expression is significantly poor in estrogen receptor (ER) negative populations regardless of the ratios of ST14/Prss14 to its inhibitors, SPINT1 or SPINT2. In a clustering of 1085 selected EMT signature genes, ST14/Prss14 is located in the same cluster with CDH3, and closer to post-EMT markers, CDH2, VIM, and FN1 than to the pre-EMT marker, CDH1. Coexpression analyses of known ST14/Prss14 substrates and transcription factors revealed context dependent action. In cell lines, paradoxically, ST14/Prss14 expression is higher in the ER positive group and located closer to CDH1 in clustering. This apparent contradiction is not likely due to ST14/Prss14 expression in a cancer microenvironment, nor due to negative regulation by ER. Genes consistently coexpressed with ST14/Prss14 include transcription factors, ELF5, GRHL1, VGLL1, suggesting currently unknown mechanisms for regulation. Here, we report that ST14/Prss14 is an emerging therapeutic target for breast cancer where HER2 is not applicable. In addition we suggest that careful conclusions should be drawn not exclusively from the cell line studies for target development.

Activation of the limbic system under 30% oxygen during a visuospatial task: an fMRI study.

The purpose of this study was to observe activation of the limbic system during the performance of visuospatial tasks under 21% O(2) or 30% O(2). Eight right-handed male college students were selected as subjects for this study. A visuospatial task was presented while brain images were scanned by a 3T fMRI system. The experiment consisted of the following two runs: a visuospatial task under normal air (21% O(2)) and a visuospatial task under hyperoxia (30% O(2)). The accuracy rate on the visuospatial task was enhanced during 30% O(2) compared to 21% O(2). The neural activation areas of the limbic system were similar in the cingulate gyrus, thalamus, limbic lobe and parahippocampal gyrus. Increased neural activation was observed in the cingulate gyrus and thalamus under 30% O(2) compared to 21% O(2). Under 30% O(2), the improvement in visuospatial task performance was related to an increase in neural activation of subcortical structures, such as the thalamus and cingulate gyrus, as well as the cerebral cortex.

Difference between smokers and non-smokers in the corpus callosum volume.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of smoking on corpus callosum volume. In addition, the relationships between smoking duration, smoking frequency, and corpus callosum volume were analyzed. Magnetic resonance brain images were acquired for 58 normal Korean men (30 smokers (age 32.82±14.12 years) and 28 non-smokers (age 35.49±13.11 years)). The corpus callosum volume was measured using Brain Voyager 2000S/W and was normalized by intracranical volume, which was calculated using cerebral sizes. The corpus callosum volume for smokers was significantly smaller than that for non-smokers. Also, there was a negative correlation between corpus callosum volume and smoking duration. The change of white matter volume (e.g., corpus callosum) might be a primary factor for characterizing the effects of smoking.

A volumetric study of the corpus callosum in 20s and 40s Korean people.

The purpose of this study was to measure the average corpus callosum volume of normal Koreans (aged in their 20s or 40s) and to analyze the effects of gender, age, and body parameters, such as height and weight on corpus callosum size. Magnetic resonance brain images were recorded for 68 people in their 20s (29 men, 39 women) and 91 in their 40s (36 men, 55 women). Intracranial volume was calculated using cerebral size and corpus callosum volume was normalized by covariance method. To investigate the effect of gender and age on corpus callosum volume, two-way analysis of variance, which used gender (two levels) and age (two levels) as independent variables, was employed. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to investigate the effect of body parameters, such as height and weight, according to the age and gender on the changes in corpus callosum volume. The average corpus callosum volume of Korean men (11.09 cm(3)) was larger than that of Korean women (9.61 cm(3)). There was no significant difference in corpus callosum volume between 20s (10.43 cm(3)) and 40s (10.12 cm(3)). There was a positive relationship between body weight and corpus callosum volume for 20s, but not for 40s.