Separation of glycine-rich proteins from sea hare eggs and their anti-cancer activity against U937 leukemia cell line

The present study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Sea hare eggs (SE) in U937 cells and its major active components. The aqueous extract of SE (ASE), which contained the highest protein content, dosedependently inhibited the cancer cell’s growth (IC50 value, 10.42 ± 0.5 μg/mL). Additionally, ASE markedly caused DNA damage by inducing apoptotic body formation, DNA fragmentation, and accumulation of sub-G1 DNA contents. ASE induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and 9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by regulating the expression of Bcl-2/Bax. Moreover, among its molecular weight fractions, the > 30 kDa fraction showed the highest cell-growth-inhibitory effects, which was inhibited by heat treatment. Furthermore, the > 30 kDa fraction had markedly higher glycine content than the ASE. The presence of two protein bands at around 16 and 32 kDa was identified. In addition, two fractions, F1 and F2, were obtained using anion-exchange chromatography, with the F1 having an improved cell-growth-inhibitory effect than the > 30 kDa fraction. Taken together, these results suggest that the ASE contains glycine-rich proteins, including the active 16 and 32 kDa proteins, which account for its anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis via regulation of the mitochondrial pathway

Urge to Gamble in Problem Gamblers Exposed to a Casino Environment

Cue-reactivity has received increased attention in addiction research, though not for gambling in particular. We examined cue reactivity in 18 problem gamblers by accompanying them to a gaming casino and measuring their subjective urge to gamble over a 1-h period. Half of the sample was additionally exposed to a gambling-specific negative mood induction (NMI) manipulation via guided imagery. Overall, about two-thirds of the sample reported moderate to high-gambling urges during the casino exposure. Additionally, the NMI reduced cue-reactivity. Finally, gambling urges in both groups decreased over the course of the exposure sessions. These findings suggest that a majority of problem gamblers experience the urge to gamble when exposed to gambling cues and that the intensity of these urges decrease with time, especially in the presence of a gambling-relevant NMI. Cue exposure should be studied further as a potential tool in the treatment of problem gambling

Fabrication and evaluation of bilateral Helmholtz radiofrequency coil for thermo-stable breast image with reduced artifacts

PURPOSE: The positron emission tomography (PET)-magnetic resonance (MR) system is a newly emerging technique that yields hybrid images with high-resolution anatomical and metabolic information. With PET-MR imaging, a definitive diagnosis of breast abnormalities will be possible with high spatial accuracy and images will be acquired for the optimal fusion of anatomic locations. Therefore, we propose a PET-compatible two-channel breast MR coil with minimal disturbance to image acquisition which can be used for simultaneous PET-MR imaging in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For coil design and construction, the conductor loops of the Helmholtz coil were tuned, matched, and subdivided with nonmagnetic components. Element values were optimized with an electromagnetic field simulation. Images were acquired on a GE 600 PET-computed tomography (CT) and GE 3.0 T MR system. For this study, we used the T1-weighted image (volunteer; repetition time (TR), 694 ms; echo time (TE), 9.6 ms) and T2-weighted image (phantom; TR, 8742 ms; TE, 104 ms) with the fast spin-echo sequence. RESULTS: The results of measuring image factors with the proposed radiofrequency (RF) coil and standard conventional RF coil were as follows: signal-to-noise ratio (breast; 207.7 vs. 175.2), percent image uniformity (phantom; 89.22%-91.27% vs. 94.63%-94.77%), and Hounsfield units (phantom; -4.51 vs. 2.38). CONCLUSIONS: Our study focused on the feasibility of proposed two-channel Helmholtz loops (by minimizing metallic components and soldering) for PET-MR imaging and found the comparable image quality to the standard conventional coil. We believe our work will help significantly to improve image quality with the development of a less metallic breast MR coil

An Unusual Case of Carcinoma Erysipelatoides Originating from Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Carcinoma erysipelatoides, also known as inflammatory metastatic carcinoma, is a rare form of cutaneous metastasis. It is most commonly caused by breast carcinoma, but rarely associated with gastric adenocarcinoma. Herein, we report an unusual case of carcinoma erysipelatoides in a 55 year-old female who had been diagnosed with signet ring cell carcinoma of the stomach metastasizing to ovaries

Treatment-Seeking Behaviors and Related Epidemiological Features in Korean Acne Patients

Little is known about the treatment-seeking behaviors of acne patients, especially Asian acne patients. This study was performed to obtain detailed information about the treatment-seeking behaviors in Korean acne patients. Patients who visited the dermatology departments at 17 university hospitals completed a self-administered questionnaire. Most patients obtained information about acne from doctors or the Internet. The most important criteria for selecting a treatment method or choosing a particular clinic were effectiveness and accessibility. Patients used traditional medicine, visited beauty clinics, drank more water, and used over-the-counter topical agents more frequently than they sought doctors during the worsening period. The degree of satisfaction in treatment was found to depend on the total cost of treatment, number of places visited, site affected by acne, and emotional stress. Those who had experienced a side effect tended to have been treated for longer, to have paid more for treatment, and to have an associated skin disease. Treatments prescribed by dermatology clinics had the lowest aggravating rate, although improvement rates for family medicine clinics were also fairly high. This is the first study to investigate in detail the demographic features and characteristics of the treatment-seeking behaviors of acne patients in Asia

The Effect of Infliximab on Patients with Ulcerative Colitis in Korea

Background/AimsInfliximab was introduced recently as a rescue therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients refractory to conventional treatments such as therapy with 5-amiono salicylic acids (5-ASA), immune modulators, and corticosteroids. However, there is insufficient data about its efficacy and safety in Korea.MethodsFrom 7 tertiary referral hospitals, 33 patients who were treated with infliximab for moderate to severe (Mayo score 6-12) UC refractory to conventional treatment were recruited to this study. Clinical remission was defined as a total Mayo score of 2 or lower and every subscore less than 2. Partial response was defined as a decrease of Mayo score at least 3 points from baseline.ResultsTwenty-three patients (69.7%) showed clinical remission and 29 patients (87.8%) showed partial response in the observation period. When the remission and non-remission groups were compared in univariate analysis, only a higher total Mayo score at base line (11.0±0.9 vs. 9.9±1.5; P=0.04) was related to remission. The remission maintenance rate decreased with time in the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Two patients experienced re-remission after the first remission followed by aggravation during infliximab treatment. Three patients stopped infliximab treatment owing to adverse events including rhabdomyolysis, pneumonia, and fever of unknown origin.ConclusionsIf there is no choice except surgery for UC patients refractory to conventional treatment, infliximab is an effective and relatively safe treatment option for these patients in Korea

Hematopoietic Differentiation of Embryoid Bodies Derived from the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line SNUhES3 in Co-culture with Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Human embryonic stem (ES) cells can be induced to differentiate into hematopoietic precursor cells via two methods: the formation of embryoid bodies (EBs) and co-culture with mouse bone marrow (BM) stromal cells. In this study, the above two methods have been combined by co-culture of human ES-cell-derived EBs with human BM stromal cells. The efficacy of this method was compared with that using EB formation alone. The undifferentiated human ES cell line SNUhES3 was allowed to form EBs for two days, then EBs were induced to differentiate in the presence of a different serum concentration (EB and EB/high FBS group), or co-cultured with human BM stromal cells (EB/BM co-culture group). Flow cytometry and hematopoietic colony-forming assays were used to assess hematopoietic differentiation in the three groups. While no significant increase of CD34+/CD45- or CD34+/CD38- cells was noted in the three groups on days 3 and 5, the percentage of CD34+/CD45- cells and CD34+/CD38- cells was significantly higher in the EB/BM co-culture group than in the EB and EB/high FBS groups on day 10. The number of colony-forming cells (CFCs) was increased in the EB/BM co-culture group on days 7 and 10, implying a possible role for human BM stromal cells in supporting hematopoietic differentiation from human ES cell-derived EBs. These results demonstrate that co-culture of human ES-cell-derived EBs with human BM stromal cells might lead to more efficient hematopoietic differentiation from human ES cells cultured alone. Further study is warranted to evaluate the underlying mechanism

Sequential breast and nipple-areolar complex reconstruction after soft tissue necrosis following augmentation mastopexy: a case report

Breast augmentation mastopexy is a common procedure in cosmetic plastic surgery. Augmentation mastopexy has proven to be a relatively safe operation, but surgeons should be aware of and able to cope with disastrous complications such as soft tissue necrosis and nipple loss. The most important consideration in breast reconstruction is the recovery of breast shape and symmetry, as well as the maintenance of the shape of the nipple-areolar complex without any complications. We experienced a case of sequential breast and nipple-areolar complex reconstruction, in which the purse-string suture technique was used to repair medium-sized circular defects accompanied by nipple loss in the central area of both breasts and to preserve the shape of both breast mounds. Modified CV flaps were performed for left nipple reconstruction, and the Elsahy method and the purse-string suture technique were used to reconstruct the right nipple. Tattooing was performed on both breasts for areolar reconstruction. Through sequential reconstruction, the patient achieved satisfactory aesthetic results. In medium-sized, round defects on the central breast accompanied by nipple loss, the pursestring technique is a simple and effective reconstructive option that enables maintenance of the breast mound shape without requiring additional incision or distortion of surrounding structures

Effect of Population Reduction on mtDNA Diversity and Demographic History of Korean Cattle Populations

The population sizes of three Korean indigenous cattle populations have been drastically reduced over the past decades. In this study, we examined the extent to which reduction in populations influenced genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history using complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences. The complete mtDNA control region was sequenced in 56 individuals from Korean Black (KB), Jeju Black (JEB) and Korean Brindle (BRI) cattle populations. We included 27 mtDNA sequences of Korean Brown (BRO) from the GenBank database. Haplotype diversity estimate for the total population was high (0.870) while nucleotide diversity was low (0.004). The KB showed considerably low nucleotide (π = 0.001) and haplotype (h = 0.368) diversities. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a low level of genetic differentiation but this was highly significant (p<0.001) among the cattle populations. Of the total genetic diversity, 7.6% was attributable to among cattle populations diversity and the rest (92.4%) to differences within populations. The mismatch distribution analysis and neutrality tests revealed that KB population was in genetic equilibrium or decline. Indeed, unless an appropriate breeding management practice is developed, inbreeding and genetic drift will further impoverish genetic diversity of these cattle populations. Rational breed development and conservation strategy is needed to safeguard these cattle population