Exploring the Structure of Human Defensive Responses from Judgments of Threat Scenarios

How humans react to threats is a topic of broad theoretical importance, and also relevant for understanding anxiety disorders. Many animal threat reactions exhibit a common structure, a finding supported by human evaluations of written threat scenarios that parallel patterns of rodent defensive behavior to actual threats. Yet the factors that underlie these shared behavioral patterns remain unclear. Dimensional accounts rooted in Darwin’s conception of antithesis explain many defensive behaviors. Across species, it is also clear that defensive reactions depend on specific situational factors, a feature long emphasized by psychological appraisal theories. Our study sought to extend prior investigations of human judgments of threat to a broader set of threats, including natural disasters, threats from animals, and psychological (as opposed to physical) threats. Our goal was to test whether dimensional and specific patterns of threat evaluation replicate across different threat classes. 85 healthy adult subjects selected descriptions of defensive behaviors that indicated how they would react to 29 threatening scenarios. Scenarios differed with respect to ten factors, e.g., perceived dangerousness or escapability. Across scenarios, we correlated these factor ratings with the pattern of defensive behaviors subjects endorsed. A decision tree hierarchically organized these correlation patterns to successfully predict each scenario’s most common reaction, both for the original sample of subjects and a separate replication group (n = 22). At the top of the decision tree, degree of dangerousness interacted with threat type (physical or psychological) to predict dimensional approach/avoidance behavior. Subordinate nodes represented specific defensive responses evoked by particular contexts. Our ecological approach emphasizes the interplay of situational factors in evoking a broad range of threat reactions. Future studies could test predictions made by our results to help understand pathological threat processing, such as seen in anxiety disorders, and could begin to test underlying neural mechanisms

A Systematic Review of Pica and Geophagy in Japan and Korea

Pica, the craved and purposive consumption of non-food substances, is a globally widespread behavior that has critical connections to public health. Although there is a rich literature describing these behaviors from nearly every culture around the world, there is a dearth of English language literature reporting these behaviors in Japan and Korea. Here, we systematically reviewed the medical evidence of pica in Korean and Japanese language journals to confirm their presence in these cultures and to characterize culturally-specific factors associated with these behaviors. We used Ichusi-Web and KoreaMed with a broad variety of recombined search terms including “pica,” “geophagy,” “amylophagy,” and “trichobezoar” in Korean and Japanese characters. Our results confirm that pica is present in both of these cultures, with particularly frequent reports of trichobezoar (the consumption of human hair)

Sex disparity in dialysis and kidney transplantation over 20 years in Korea

Background Sex disparity is prevalent in organ transplantations worldwide. This study aimed to understand sex disparities in dialysis and kidney transplantation in Korea over the last 20 years. Methods Data for incident dialysis, waiting list registration, and donors and recipients were retrospectively collected between January 2000 and December 2020 from the Korean Society of Nephrology end-stage renal disease registry and the database of the Korean Network for Organ Sharing. Data regarding the proportion of females for dialysis, waiting list, and kidney transplantation donors or recipients were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Results The average proportion of females on dialysis over the past 20 years was 40.5%. The proportion of females on dialysis was 42.8% in 2000, and decreased to 38.2% in 2020, showing a decreasing trend. The average proportion of women on the waiting list was 38.4%, which was lower than that for dialysis. The average proportion of female recipients in living donor kidney transplantation and female living donors were 40.1% and 53.2%, respectively. The overall proportion of female donors in living donor kidney transplantation showed an increasing trend. However, there was no change in the proportion of female recipients in living donor kidney transplantation. Conclusion Sex disparities in organ transplantation exist, including an increasing trend of female donors in living donor kidney transplantation. Further studies are needed to identify the biological and socioeconomic factors involved to resolve these disparities

Calpain-mediated proteolysis of polycystin-1 C-terminus induces JAK2 and ERK signal alterations

AbstractAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a hereditary renal disease caused by mutations in PKD1 (85%) or PKD2 (15%), is characterized by the development of gradually enlarging multiple renal cysts and progressive renal failure. Polycystin-1 (PC1), PKD1 gene product, is an integral membrane glycoprotein which regulates a number of different biological processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell polarity, and tubulogenesis. PC1 is a target of various proteolytic cleavages and proteosomal degradations, but its role in intracellular signaling pathways remains poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrated that PC1 is a novel substrate for μ- and m-calpains, which are calcium-dependent cysteine proteases. Overexpression of PC1 altered both Janus-activated kinase 2 (JAK2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals, which were independently regulated by calpain-mediated PC1 degradation. They suggest that the PC1 function on JAK2 and ERK signaling pathways might be regulated by calpains in response to the changes in intracellular calcium concentration

ALBACORE OBS recovery cruise report

The primary goal of the 2011 ALBACORE (Asthenosphere and Lithosphere Broadband Architecture from the California Offshore Region Experiment) cruise was to recover 34 ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs) in a 150 km (north-south) by 400 km (east-west) region off the coast of Southern California (Fig. 1). The cruise took place on R/V New Horizon, departing out of San Diego on Sept 7, 2011 and arriving back in San Diego on Sept 16, 2011 with no port stops in between

Association between vitamin D level and hematuria from a dipstick test in a large scale population based study: Korean National Health and nutrition examination survey

Background Vitamin D deficiency is an important health concern because it is related to several comorbidities and mortality. However, its relationship with the risk of hematuria remains undetermined in the general population. In this study, we analyzed the association between vitamin D deficiency and hematuria. Methods We conducted cross-sectional analysis using data of participants from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010–2014. A total of 20,240 participants, aged ≥18 years old, were analyzed. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured in a central laboratory and hematuria was defined as ≥1+ on a dipstick test. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of hematuria risk according to serum 25(OH)D quartiles, after adjusting several covariates. Results A total 3144 (15.5%) participants had hematuria. The mean 25(OH)D level was 17.4 ± 6.2 ng/mL (median, 16.6 ng/mL (interquartile range, 13.1–20.8 ng/mL)). The 3rd and 4th quartiles had a higher risk of hematuria than the 1st quartile, with adjusted ORs 1.26 (1.114–1.415) and 1.40 (1.240–1.572) in the 3rd and 4th quartiles, respectively. However, this relationship was only significant in women, not in men. When stratified analyses were conducted according to menopausal status, there was a significant increase of hematuria risk according to quartiles in postmenopausal but not in premenopausal women. Conclusion We found that vitamin D deficiency is correlated with hematuria in women, particularly after menopause. Further interventional studies are warranted to address whether correcting vitamin D deficiency can lower the risk of hematuria

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of IgA Nephropathy with Steroid-responsive Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is an unusual manifestation of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN). Some cases respond to steroid treatment. Here we describe a case-series of IgAN patients with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome. Twelve patients with IgAN with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome were evaluated and followed up. All patients presented with generalized edema. Renal insufficiency was found in two patients. The renal biopsy of eight patients revealed wide foot process effacement in addition to the typical features of IgAN. They showed complete remission after steroid therapy. Seven relapses were reported in five patients; six of the relapsed cases responded to steroid therapy. Compared with steroid-non-responsive patients, the patients with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome had shorter symptom duration, more weight gain, more proteinuria, and lower histologic grade than did those that had steroid-non-responsive nephrotic syndrome at presentation. None of the responders progressed to end stage renal disease, whereas five (38%) non-responders required dialysis or renal transplantation. Patients with IgAN who have steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome likely have both minimal change disease and IgAN. The clinical features of sudden onset of generalized edema, initial heavy proteinuria and initial severe hypoalbuminemia might help identify the subset of patients, especially in low grade IgAN

Cardiovascular Diseases after Kidney Transplantation in Korea

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in renal allograft recipients with functioning graft. Our study aimed to determine the incidence and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease after renal transplantation in Korea. We retrospectively analyzed 430 adult recipients who underwent kidney transplantation between January 1997 and February 2007. CVD was defined as a composite outcome of ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular accident and peripheral vascular disease. Mean age of recipients was 40.0±11.8 yr. Mean duration of follow-up was 72±39 months. The cumulative incidence of CVD after renal transplantation was 2.4% at 5 yr, 5.4% at 10 yr and 11.4% at 12 yr. Multivariate analysis revealed that recipient's age, diabetes mellitus and duration of dialysis before transplantation were associated with post-transplant CVD (hazard ratio 1.843 [95% CI, 1.005-3.381], 3.846 [95% CI, 1.025-14.432] and 3.394 [95% CI, 1.728-6.665] respectively). In conclusion, old age, duration of dialysis and diabetes mellitus are important risk factors for post-transplant CVD, although the incidence of post-renal transplant CVD is lower in Korea than that in western countries

Detection of Hantaan Viral Antigens in Renal Tissues from a Patient with Korean Hemorrhagic Fever in Convalescent Phase

A case of a patient with Korean hemorrhagic fever (KHF) who showed typical clinical manifestations is described for the purpose of reporting the detection of Hantaan viral antigens in renal tissues. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of renal damage are not well known, and several mechanisms including direct renal injury by the virus itself have been proposed to explain the renal lesions and the clinical manifestations. We detected Hantaan viral antigens in renal tissues from a KHF patient in the convalescent phase by the immunohistochemical method using the monoclonal antibodies to Hantaan viral envelope glycoproteins (G1, G2). The immunostainings demonstrated Hantaan viral antigens in the renal tubular epithelial cells, the intraluminal desquamated tubular cells, the infiltrated cells in the interstitium, and the capillary endothelial cells in the interstitium and glomeruli. The presence of viral antigens in renal tissues may support the hypothesis that direct renal injury by the virus is one of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of renal damage in KH

State-of-the-Art Meeting on Sex and Gender in Transplantation: The Female Perspective

Sex- and gender-based inequities in organ transplantation represent a critically relevant, yet under-appreciated aspect that impacts upon patient and graft outcomes. Biologic factors (sex), as well as psychological-, social-, and economic factors (gender) all contribute to these disparities. While such disparities are observed consistently worldwide, access to care and differences in allograft and patient outcomes by sex and gender differ between countries, emphasizing the necessity to engage the global community. Moreover, as in many other professional areas, gender disparities exist among professionals in transplantation science and medicine. To address the need for global recognition of the interplay between sex and gender in transplantation, and to define unmet needs, Anette Melk (Hannover Medical School), Bethany Foster (McGill University), Germaine Wong (University of Sydney), and Louise Lerminiaux (patient representative) initiated the international hybrid symposium “Sex and Gender in Transplantation: The Female Perspective”, which took place October 5th-7th 2022, in Hannover, Germany. The interdisciplinary symposium connected clinicians, researchers, and patients from around the globe. Instead of taking the traditional male perspective, efforts were made to ensure a female perspective and approach to both the content and organization of the symposium. The symposium had three aims. Firstly, we aimed to identify areas pertaining to sex and gender where more research is needed, with an emphasis on creating evidence to inform guidelines and policies. Second, we integrated patients’ perspectives and experience in the execution of patient-centred research. Finally, the symposium focused on achieving equity in access to careers in transplantation, defining metrics of success and strategies to accelerate progress in this area