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1.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 119(8)2022 02 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35131897

ABSTRACT

Hydropower dams produce huge impacts on renewable energy production, water resources, and economic development, particularly in the Global South, where accelerated dam construction has made it a global hotspot. We do not fully understand the multiple impacts that dams have in the nearby areas from a global perspective, including the spatial differentiations. In this study, we examined the impacts of hydropower dam construction in nearby areas. We first found that more than one-third of global gross domestic production (GDP) and almost one-third of global population fall within 50 km of the world's 7,155 hydropower dams (<10% of the global land area sans the Antarctic). We further analyzed impacts of 631 hydropower dams (≥1-megawatt capacity) constructed since 2001 and commissioned before 2015 for their effects on economy, population, and environment in nearby areas and examined the results in five regions (i.e., Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America) and by different dam sizes. We found that recently constructed dams were associated with increased GDP in North America and urban areas in Europe but with decreased GDP, urban land, and population in the Global South and greenness in Africa in nearby areas. Globally, these dams were linked with reduced economic production, population, and greenness of areas within 50 km of the dams. While large dams were related with reduced GDP and greenness significantly, small and medium dams were coupled with lowered population and urban land substantially, and large and medium dams were connected to diminished nighttime light noticeably in nearby areas.

2.
Clin Exp Nephrol ; 28(8): 803-810, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38478191

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze genotype-phenotype correlations in children with Gitelman syndrome (GS). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study included 50 Korean children diagnosed with SLC12A3 variants in one or both alleles and the typical laboratory findings of GS. Genetic testing was performed using the Sanger sequencing except for one patient. RESULTS: The median age at the diagnosis was 10.5 years (interquartile range, 6.8;14.1), and 41 patients were followed up for a median duration of 5.4 years (interquartile range, 4.1;9.6). A total of 30 different SLC12A3 variants were identified. Of the patients, 34 (68%) had biallelic variants, and 16 (32%) had monoallelic variants on examination. Among the patients with biallelic variants, those (n = 12) with the truncating variants in one or both alleles had lower serum chloride levels (92.2 ± 3.2 vs. 96.5 ± 3.8 mMol/L, P = 0.002) at onset, as well as lower serum potassium levels (3.0 ± 0.4 vs. 3.4 ± 0.3 mMol/L, P = 0.016), and lower serum chloride levels (96.1 ± 1.9 vs. 98.3 ± 3.0 mMol/L, P = 0.049) during follow-up than those without truncating variants (n = 22). Patients with monoallelic variants on examination showed similar phenotypes and treatment responsiveness to those with biallelic variants. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with GS who had truncating variants in one or both alleles had more severe electrolyte abnormalities than those without truncating variants. Patients with GS who had monoallelic SLC12A3 variants on examination had almost the same phenotypes, response to treatment, and long-term prognosis as those with biallelic variants.


Subject(s)
Genetic Association Studies , Gitelman Syndrome , Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 3 , Humans , Gitelman Syndrome/genetics , Gitelman Syndrome/diagnosis , Solute Carrier Family 12, Member 3/genetics , Child , Male , Retrospective Studies , Female , Adolescent , Phenotype , Republic of Korea , Child, Preschool , Mutation , Potassium/blood , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Chlorides/blood
3.
Sensors (Basel) ; 24(6)2024 Mar 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38544257

ABSTRACT

Dental 3D modeling plays a pivotal role in digital dentistry, offering precise tools for treatment planning, implant placement, and prosthesis customization. Traditional methods rely on physical plaster casts, which pose challenges in storage, accessibility, and accuracy, fueling interest in digitization using 3D computed tomography (CT) imaging. We introduce a method that can reduce both artifacts simultaneously. To validate the proposed method, we carried out CT scan experiments using plaster dental casts created from dental impressions. After the artifact correction, the CT image quality was greatly improved in terms of image uniformity, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and edge sharpness. We examined the correction effects on the accuracy of the 3D models generated from the CT images. As referenced to the 3D models derived from the optical scan data, the root mean square (RMS) errors were reduced by 8.8~71.7% for three dental casts of different sizes and shapes. Our method offers a solution to challenges posed by artifacts in CT scanning of plaster dental casts, leading to enhanced 3D model accuracy. This advancement holds promise for dental professionals seeking precise digital modeling for diverse applications in dentistry.


Subject(s)
Artifacts , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/methods
4.
J Comput Chem ; 44(25): 1976-1985, 2023 09 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37352129

ABSTRACT

Understanding the molecular basis for protein stability requires a thermodynamic analysis of protein folding. Thermodynamic analysis is often performed by sampling many atomistic conformations using molecular simulations that employ either explicit or implicit water models. However, it remains unclear to what extent thermodynamic results from different solvation models are reliable at the molecular level. In this study, we quantify the influence of both solvation models on folding stability at the individual backbone and side chain resolutions. We assess the residue-specific folding free energy components of a ß-sheet protein and a helical protein using trajectories resulting from TIP3P explicit and generalized Born/surface area implicit solvent simulations of model proteins. We found that the thermodynamic discrepancy due to the implicit solvent mostly originates from charged side chains, followed by the under-stabilized hydrophobic ones. In contrast, the contributions of backbone residue in both proteins were comparable for explicit and implicit water models. Our study lays out the foundation for detailed thermodynamic assessment of solvation models in the context of protein simulation.


Subject(s)
Protein Folding , Proteins , Proteins/chemistry , Thermodynamics , Computer Simulation , Solvents/chemistry , Water/chemistry
5.
PLoS Comput Biol ; 18(10): e1010629, 2022 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36279287

ABSTRACT

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has placed a significant burden on public health systems to provide swift and accurate diagnostic testing highlighting the critical need for innovative testing approaches for future pandemics. In this study, we present a novel sample pooling procedure based on compressed sensing theory to accurately identify virally infected patients at high prevalence rates utilizing an innovative viral RNA extraction process to minimize sample dilution. At prevalence rates ranging from 0-14.3%, the number of tests required to identify the infection status of all patients was reduced by 69.26% as compared to conventional testing in primary human SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swabs and a coronavirus model system. Our method provided quantification of individual sample viral load within a pool as well as a binary positive-negative result. Additionally, our modified pooling and RNA extraction process minimized sample dilution which remained constant as pool sizes increased. Compressed sensing can be adapted to a wide variety of diagnostic testing applications to increase throughput for routine laboratory testing as well as a means to increase testing capacity to combat future pandemics.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/diagnosis , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19 Testing , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/methods , Pandemics , Sensitivity and Specificity
6.
Sensors (Basel) ; 23(3)2023 Jan 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36772330

ABSTRACT

Metal artifacts in dental computed tomography (CT) images, caused by highly X-ray absorbing objects, such as dental implants or crowns, often more severely compromise image readability than in medical CT images. Since lower tube voltages are used for dental CTs in spite of the more frequent presence of metallic objects in the patient, metal artifacts appear more severely in dental CT images, and the artifacts often persist even after metal artifact correction. The direct sinogram correction (DSC) method, which directly corrects the sinogram using the mapping function derived by minimizing the sinogram inconsistency, works well in the case of mild metal artifacts, but it often fails to correct severe metal artifacts. We propose a modified DSC method to reduce severe metal artifacts, and we have tested it on human dental images. We first segment the metallic objects in the CT image, and then we forward-project the segmented metal mask to identify the metal traces in the projection data with computing the metal path length for the rays penetrating the metal mask. In the sinogram correction with the DSC mapping function, we apply the weighting proportional to the metal path length. We have applied the proposed method to the phantom and patient images taken at the X-ray tube voltage of 90 kVp. We observed that the proposed method outperforms the original DSC method when metal artifacts were severe. However, we need further extensive studies to verify the proposed method for various CT scan conditions with many more patient images.


Subject(s)
Artifacts , Spiral Cone-Beam Computed Tomography , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods , Algorithms , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Metals , Phantoms, Imaging
7.
Pediatr Nephrol ; 37(3): 625-631, 2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34448022

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We aimed to elucidate the relationship between environmental exposure to lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) which were measured in blood and the kidney function of adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2010 to 2017. Statistical procedures were performed to analyze the Korean population of adolescents aged 12-17 years. Regression analysis was performed, and covariates included age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, and other heavy metal levels. RESULTS: The median blood levels of Pb, Hg, and Cd were 1.165 µg/dL, 1.805 µg/L, and 0.304 µg/L, respectively. Adolescents with Pb levels in the highest quartile (> 1.454 µg/dL) had a 3.35 mL/min/1.73 m2-lower estimated glomerular filtration rate using creatinine (eGFRcr) (95% confidence interval (CI), -6.03 to -0.68 mL/min/1.73 m2) compared to those in the lowest quartile (< 0.856 µg/dL) in the unadjusted model. However, there was no association between the blood Pb level and eGFRcr in the adjusted model. Levels of Hg and Cd were not associated with eGFRcr in either model. High blood levels of all three heavy metals were not associated with the risk of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: There was no association between increased blood levels of Pb, Hg, and Cd; eGFRcr; and increased risk of hypertension in Korean adolescents who were exposed to relatively low levels of heavy metals.


Subject(s)
Hypertension , Mercury , Metals, Heavy , Adolescent , Cadmium/adverse effects , Cadmium/analysis , Cross-Sectional Studies , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Humans , Hypertension/epidemiology , Kidney , Lead/adverse effects , Mercury/adverse effects , Mercury/analysis , Metals, Heavy/adverse effects , Nutrition Surveys , Republic of Korea/epidemiology
8.
J Korean Med Sci ; 37(18): e146, 2022 May 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35535373

ABSTRACT

Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. The prevalence of sarcopenia was reported to be up to 29% in older persons in the community healthcare setting. Sarcopenia diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of low muscle mass plus low muscle strength or low physical performance. Sarcopenia management options include non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches. Non-pharmacological approaches include resistance exercise and adequate nutrition. Of the two, resistance exercise is the standard non-pharmacological treatment approach for sarcopenia with significant positive evidence. Some dietary approaches such as adequate intake of protein, vitamin D, antioxidant nutrients, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid have been shown to have positive effects against sarcopenia. Currently, no specific drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of sarcopenia. However, several agents, including growth hormone, anabolic or androgenic steroids, selective androgenic receptor modulators, protein anabolic agents, appetite stimulants, myostatin inhibitors, activating II receptor drugs, ß-receptor blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and troponin activators, are recommended and have been shown to have variable efficacy. Future research should focus on sarcopenia biological pathway and improved diagnostic approaches such as biomarkers for early detection, development of consistently pre-eminent treatment methods for severe sarcopenia patients, and establishing sensitive measures for predicting sarcopenia treatment response.


Subject(s)
Sarcopenia , Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Exercise , Humans , Muscle Strength/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal , Sarcopenia/diagnosis , Sarcopenia/epidemiology , Sarcopenia/therapy , Vitamins/therapeutic use
9.
Sensors (Basel) ; 22(20)2022 Oct 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36298165

ABSTRACT

The reduction in face-to-face contact and the increase in time spent at home during the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic have resulted in increasing interest and demand for smart homes. Further, the rapid increase in the number of one-person and two-person households in Korea recently has led to these becoming representative household types. This study identifies the wellness characteristics of such households and proposes a direction for smart home development to help them lead healthy, happy lives. It focuses on mapping residents' perceptions and experiences to scenarios and on identifying the functions required in smart homes and the technologies needed to provide these functions. It uses data from a survey to investigate and analyze the wellness characteristics of one- and two-person households in five dimensions and develops five scenarios of representative household types. By analyzing the developed scenarios, this study proposes smart homes that support the wellness of such households in six categories: exercise/sports, hobby/entertainment, social communications, occupation/work, self-development/education, and energy conservation. These households are exposed to digital environments from an early age and are familiar with the internet and technologies. Therefore, they are likely to adopt innovative technologies in housing. Thus, the smart home development proposed in this study is a promising strategic approach to housing planning.


Subject(s)
Health Status , Housing , Humans , Technology , Longitudinal Studies , Republic of Korea
10.
Sensors (Basel) ; 22(3)2022 Feb 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35162003

ABSTRACT

Cone-beam dental CT can provide high-precision 3D images of the teeth and surrounding bones. From the 3D CT images, 3D models, also called digital impressions, can be computed for CAD/CAM-based fabrication of dental restorations or orthodontic devices. However, the cone-beam angle-dependent artifacts, mostly caused by the incompleteness of the projection data acquired in the circular cone-beam scan geometry, can induce significant errors in the 3D models. Using a micro-CT, we acquired CT projection data of plaster cast models at several different cone-beam angles, and we investigated the dependency of the model errors on the cone-beam angle in comparison with the reference models obtained from the optical scanning of the plaster models. For the 3D CT image reconstruction, we used the conventional Feldkamp algorithm and the combined half-scan image reconstruction algorithm to investigate the dependency of the model errors on the image reconstruction algorithm. We analyzed the mean of positive deviations and the mean of negative deviations of the surface points on the CT-image-derived 3D models from the reference model, and we compared them between the two image reconstruction algorithms. It has been found that the model error increases as the cone-beam angle increases in both algorithms. However, the model errors are smaller in the combined half-scan image reconstruction when the cone-beam angle is as large as 10 degrees.


Subject(s)
Artifacts , Cone-Beam Computed Tomography , Algorithms , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Phantoms, Imaging
11.
Sensors (Basel) ; 22(14)2022 Jul 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35890859

ABSTRACT

A highly polarizable moisture sensor with multimodal sensing capabilities has great advantages for healthcare applications such as human respiration monitoring. We introduce an ionically polarizable moisture sensor based on NaCl/BaTiO3 composite films fabricated using a facile aerosol deposition (AD) process. The proposed sensing model operates based on an enormous NaCl ionization effect in addition to natural moisture polarization, whereas all previous sensors are based only on the latter. We obtained an optimal sensing performance in a 0.5 µm-thick layer containing NaCl-37.5 wt% by manipulating the sensing layer thickness and weight fraction of NaCl. The NaCl/BaTiO3 sensing layer exhibits outstanding sensitivity over a wide humidity range and a fast response/recovery time of 2/2 s; these results were obtained by performing the one-step AD process at room temperature without using any auxiliary methods. Further, we present a human respiration monitoring system using a sensing device that provides favorable and stable electrical signals under diverse respiratory scenarios.


Subject(s)
Respiratory Rate , Sodium Chloride , Aerosols , Humans , Humidity , Monitoring, Physiologic
12.
Nano Lett ; 21(5): 2339-2346, 2021 03 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33472003

ABSTRACT

While the neuropathological characteristics of Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) result in a fatal diagnosis, the development of clinically available therapeutic agent remains a challenge. Here we propose graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as a potential candidate for the impaired functions in NPC in vivo. In addition to the previous findings that GQDs exhibit negligible long-term toxicity and are capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier, GQD treatment reduces the aggregation of cholesterol in the lysosome through expressed physical interactions. GQDs also promote autophagy and restore defective autophagic flux, which, in turn, decreases the atypical accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. More importantly, the injection of GQDs inhibits the loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum while also demonstrating reduced activation of microglia. The ability of GQDs to alleviate impaired functions in NPC proves the promise and potential of the use of GQDs toward resolving NPC and other related disorders.


Subject(s)
Graphite , Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C , Quantum Dots , Autophagy , Humans , Lysosomes , Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C/drug therapy
13.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(14)2022 Jul 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35887140

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have shown that early therapeutic events of neural precursor cells (NPCs) transplantation to animals with acute ischemic stroke readily protected neuronal cell damage and improved behavioral recovery through paracrine mechanisms. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that administration of conditioned medium from NPCs (NPC-CMs) could recapitulate the beneficial effects of cell transplantation. Rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: PBS control, Vehicle (medium) controls, single (NPC-CM(S)) or multiple injections of NPC-CM(NPC-CM(M)) groups. A single intravenous injection of NPC-CM exhibited strong neuroregenerative potential to induce behavioral recovery, and multiple injections enhanced this activity further by suppressing inflammatory damage and inducing endogenous neurogenesis leading to histopathological and functional recovery. Proteome analysis of NPC-CM identified a number of proteins that are known to be associated with nervous system development, neurogenesis, and angiogenesis. In addition, transcriptome analysis revealed the importance of the inflammatory response during stroke recovery and some of the key hub genes in the interaction network were validated. Thus, our findings demonstrated that NPC-CM promoted functional recovery and reduced cerebral infarct and inflammation with enhanced endogenous neurogenesis, and the results highlighted the potency of NPC-CM in stroke therapy.


Subject(s)
Ischemic Stroke , Neural Stem Cells , Pluripotent Stem Cells , Stroke , Animals , Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology , Disease Models, Animal , Humans , Neurogenesis , Neurons , Pluripotent Stem Cells/pathology , Rats , Recovery of Function , Stroke/pathology , Stroke/therapy
14.
Appl Nurs Res ; 65: 151584, 2022 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35577484

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study explored to develop a situation-specific theory explaining the healthy life of Korean patients with chronic kidney failure undergoing hemodialysis. BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney failure (CKF) patients have to reorganize their lives around their hemodialysis sessions for their survival. Nursing interventions based on specific theories may promote their health-related behaviors and outcomes. However, few theoretical frameworks or theories are available to guide hemodialysis patients on how to construct their lives under various constraints, while considering their experiences and sociocultural contexts. METHODS: An integrated approach was used to develop the situation-specific theory based on the network episode model (NEM), a review of related literature, and four of the authors' studies on hemodialysis patients' lives. RESULTS: The major concepts in the proposed theory include sociocultural context, social networks, individual-level factors, illness experiences, health-related behaviors, and health outcomes. Each major concept includes several relevant subconcepts. CONCLUSIONS: We used this theory to identify factors involved in shaping the illness experiences, health-related behaviors, and outcomes of Korean CKF patients undergoing hemodialysis. By exploring the links between these factors, we explained the healthy life that considers the uniqueness of Korean patients' sociocultural context, social network, and individual-level factors. Nurse and other healthcare professionals could integrate the proposed situation-specific theory into the development of nursing interventions based on this theory to promote health-related behaviors and outcomes of Korean CKF patients undergoing hemodialysis.


Subject(s)
Kidney Failure, Chronic , Nursing Theory , Health Promotion , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy , Renal Dialysis , Republic of Korea
15.
Int J Psychol ; 57(5): 634-643, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35576099

ABSTRACT

Previous research demonstrates that self-distancing helps in regulating negative emotions. Furthermore, adopting a distanced perspective when referring to the self has been shown to be a simple and effective way to regulate emotion. Moreover, previous research has demonstrated several mechanisms whereby the distanced perspective eventually leads to the decrease in negative emotions. Building on this literature, the present research proposed that a rational point of view induced by adopting a distanced perspective would play a critical role in this process. The results from two studies supported the proposition. Specifically, in recalling (Study 1) and writing (Study 2) about anger-provoking events, those who adopted a distanced perspective were more likely to take a rational point of view when reflecting on the event than did those who adopted a self-immersed perspective. Furthermore, such differences in the rational perspective were associated with the corresponding differences in negative affect.


Subject(s)
Anger , Emotions , Emotions/physiology , Humans , Mental Recall , Writing
16.
Mol Vis ; 27: 288-299, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34012231

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To describe the derivation of photoreceptor precursor cells from human embryonic stem cells by coculture with RPE cells. Methods: Human embryonic stem cells were induced to differentiate into neural precursor cells and then cocultured with RPE cells to obtain cells showing retinal photoreceptor features. Immunofluorescent staining, reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), and microarray analysis were performed to identify photoreceptor markers, and a cGMP assay was used for in vitro functional analysis. After subretinal injection in rat animal models, retinal function was determined with electroretinography and optokinetic response detection, and immunofluorescent staining was performed to assess the survival of the injected cells. Results: Cocultured cells were positive for rhodopsin, red and blue opsin, recoverin, and phosphodiesterase 6 beta on immunofluorescent staining and RT-PCR. Serial detection of stem cell-, neural precursor-, and photoreceptor-specific markers was noted in each stage of differentiation with microarray analysis. Increased cGMP hydrolysis in light-exposed conditions compared to that in dark conditions was observed. After the subretinal injection in the rats, preservation of optokinetic responses was noted up to 20 weeks, while electroretinographic response decreased. Survival of the injected cells was confirmed with positive immunofluorescence staining of human markers at 8 weeks. Conclusions: Cells showed photoreceptor-specific features when stem cell-derived neurogenic precursors were cocultured with RPE cells.


Subject(s)
Human Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology , Photoreceptor Cells/cytology , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/cytology , Stem Cells/cytology , Biomarkers/metabolism , Cell Differentiation/physiology , Coculture Techniques , Electroretinography , Eye Proteins/metabolism , Human Embryonic Stem Cells/metabolism , Humans , Nystagmus, Optokinetic/physiology , Photoreceptor Cells/metabolism , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism , Stem Cells/metabolism
17.
Pediatr Nephrol ; 36(3): 701-709, 2021 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32888043

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are at an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) and the incidence of AKI in this population is reportedly increasing. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, clinical profiles, and risk factors of AKI in hospitalized children with NS through a nationwide study. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study included 14 pediatric nephrology centers in Korea. From 2013 to 2017, a total of 814 patients with idiopathic NS were cared for at participating centers. Among them, 363 patients were hospitalized for NS and investigated in this study. RESULTS: A total of 363 children with NS were hospitalized 574 times. AKI occurred in 93 admissions (16.2%) of 89 patients: 30 (32.3%) stage 1; 24 (25.8%) stage 2; and 39 (41.9%) stage 3. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that longer disease duration, lower albumin level, and methylprednisolone pulse treatment were significantly associated with AKI development in hospitalized children with NS. AKI was associated with a longer hospital stay than non-AKI (median 10 vs. 7 days, P = 0.001). Among 93 admissions, 85 (91.4%) episodes recovered from AKI without complication, whereas 6 (6.5%) progressed to advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). CONCLUSIONS: AKI is not uncommon in hospitalized children with NS, and its incidence in this nationwide study was 16.2%. Risk factors for AKI in hospitalized children with NS include longer disease duration, lower albumin level, and methylprednisolone pulse therapy. Pediatric NS patients with these characteristics should be under more strict scrutiny for the occurrence of AKI. Graphical abstract.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury , Nephrotic Syndrome , Acute Kidney Injury/epidemiology , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Albumins , Child , Child, Hospitalized , Humans , Incidence , Methylprednisolone , Nephrotic Syndrome/complications , Nephrotic Syndrome/drug therapy , Nephrotic Syndrome/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors
18.
J Korean Med Sci ; 36(12): e84, 2021 Mar 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33783146

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the incidence of breast milk-acquired cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in preterm infants born to CMV-seropositive mothers. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using the terms: ("breast feeding" or "breast milk" or "human milk" or "breast") and ("HCMV" or "cytomegalovirus") and ("infant, extremely premature" or "premature birth" or "newborn" or "neonate" or "low birth weight" or "very low birth weight" or "premature" or "preterm infant"). Studies that had information on CMV status and breast feeding were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2,502 newborns from 19 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The rate of postnatally acquired CMV infection among breastfed infants with CMV-seropositive mothers was 16.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.26; P < 0.001). The infection rate was 26% with fresh breast milk, 8% with a combined diet of fresh and freeze-thawed breast milk, and 11% with freeze-thawed breast milk. Among cases where the CMV status of breast milk was determined, CMV shedding into breast milk occurred in 80.5% (95% CI, 0.71-0.87; P < 0.001) of CMV seropositive mothers. The breast milk-acquired CMV infection rate among infants fed CMV-positive breast milk was 20.7% (95% CI, 0.14-0.30; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis examined the rate of breast milk-acquired CMV infections in preterm infants with CMV-seropositive mothers; the CMV infection rate was higher in preterm infants fed fresh breast milk. Until further data are available, we cautiously suggest the use of freeze-thawed breast milk, rather than fresh breast milk, for preterm infants or very low birth weight infants.


Subject(s)
Cytomegalovirus Infections/transmission , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical/statistics & numerical data , Breast Feeding , Cytomegalovirus/isolation & purification , Cytomegalovirus Infections/diagnosis , Cytomegalovirus Infections/virology , Freezing , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Premature , Milk, Human/chemistry , Milk, Human/virology
19.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun ; 528(3): 478-484, 2020 07 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32507602

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cell division is regulated by protein kinase B (PKB)-mediated FCH domain only 1 (FCHO1) phosphorylation. METHODS: FCHO1560-571, a synthetic water-soluble peptide, was generated from the PKB substrate motif 560PPRRLRSRKVSC571 found in the human FCHO1 protein. RESULTS: In this study, we found that in vitro FCHO1560-571 inhibits cell proliferation via PKB/ERK/SMAD4 pathways in KRAS-mutated A549 lung cancer cells. In addition, FCHO1560-571, at effective doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg, significantly suppressed tumor growth and decreased the size and weight of tumors in A549-xenograft mice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the FCHO1560-571 peptide could be a potential therapy for lung cancer.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Membrane Proteins/pharmacology , A549 Cells , Amino Acid Motifs , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , CDC2 Protein Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Disease Progression , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/metabolism , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Membrane Proteins/chemistry , Membrane Proteins/genetics , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Nude , Peptide Fragments/chemistry , Peptide Fragments/genetics , Peptide Fragments/pharmacology , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/antagonists & inhibitors , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Smad4 Protein/metabolism , Substrate Specificity , Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
20.
Pediatr Nephrol ; 35(11): 2183-2189, 2020 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32561994

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Typical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) causes acute kidney injury (AKI) and serious sequelae of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in some. Hyperuricemia is a common finding in typical HUS that may contribute to kidney damage. We explored whether aggressive management of hyperuricemia with rasburicase could improve outcomes in AKI patients with typical HUS. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of children with typical HUS admitted to a tertiary center between 2005 and 2017. We compared clinical outcomes of hospitalization and 1-year post-discharge between those with rasburicase treatment (n = 13) and those without (controls, n = 29). RESULTS: With rasburicase treatment, hyperuricemia corrected more rapidly (median 36 vs. 120 h, p < 0.001), and hospital stays were shorter (median 9 vs. 12 days, p = 0.003) than in the controls. There was no difference in dialysis requirement. At 1-year post-discharge, the proportion of patients with impaired kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2) was lower in the rasburicase group (7.7% vs. 41.4%, p = 0.036) than in the controls. Hypertension and proteinuria tended to be more common in the controls than in the rasburicase group. Collectively, long-term renal sequelae of impaired kidney function, proteinuria, or hypertension at a 1-year follow-up was less common in the rasburicase group than in the controls (7.7% vs. 62.1%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Children with typical HUS treated with rasburicase had shorter hospital stays and less long-term sequelae at 1-year post-discharge than those who were not treated with rasburicase. These results support the use of rasburicase to prevent CKD in pediatric patients with typical HUS-associated AKI. Graphical Abstract.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury/prevention & control , Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome/drug therapy , Hyperuricemia/drug therapy , Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Case-Control Studies , Child , Glomerular Filtration Rate/drug effects , Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome/complications , Humans , Hyperuricemia/complications , Length of Stay , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/etiology , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/prevention & control , Retrospective Studies , Urate Oxidase
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