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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs. More than half of the patients with SLE have kidney involvement, and up to 10% of patients with lupus nephritis develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in SLE occurs in 21% to 95% of patients. Severe neurological manifestations such as seizures, cerebrovascular disease, meningitis, and cerebrovascular accidents can develop in childhood-onset SLE, but cerebral infections, such as brain abscess and hemorrhage, are seldom reported in lupus nephritis, even in adults. Here, we report a rare case of childhood-onset SLE with ESRD, cerebral abscess, and hemorrhage. A 9-year-old girl diagnosed with lupus nephritis was administered high-dose steroids and immunosuppressant therapy to treat acute kidney injury (AKI) and massive proteinuria. The AKI deteriorated, and after 3 months, she developed ESRD. She received hemodialysis three times a week along with daily peritoneal dialysis to control edema. She developed seizures, and imaging showed a brain abscess. This was complicated by spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage, and she became unstable. She died shortly after the hemorrhage was discovered. In conclusion, CNS complications should always be considered in clinical practice because they increase mortality, especially in those with risk factors for infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To investigate the relationship between estimated mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP) and peripapillary perfusion density (PD) or vessel density (VD) as measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in young healthy eyes. Methods 132 healthy participants (264 eyes) under 45 years of age underwent optic disc OCTA scan sized 3×3 mm to acquire PD and VD in the superficial vascular complex (SVC). Optic nerve head (ONH) parameters including retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness, rim area and disc area were measured. MOPP was estimated from systemic blood pressure and intraocular pressure (IOP). A linear mixed model was used to find the systemic and ocular factors associated with PD and VD. Results The average age of the subjects was 25.8 ±6.5 years. PD and VD showed a significant correlation with RNFL thickness (r=0.224, p<0.001 and r=0.214, p<0.001, respectively), but with MOPP, the correlation was only marginally significant (r=0.105, p=0.09 and r=0.112, p=0.07, respectively). After controlling for confounding factors, including age, sex, IOP, central corneal thickness, axial length and OCTA signal strength, PD and VD were significantly associated with ONH parameters (all p<0.05) but not with estimated MOPP (all p>0.05). Conclusion PD and VD in the SVC were significantly associated with ONH parameters while showing no association with estimated MOPP. OCTA-derived VD may not represent perfusion pressure, but is rather more dependent on peripapillary structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter proposes a rotated stacked Yagi antenna with high directivity and circular polarization. The proposed antenna consists of three elements with a rotation angle and different lengths: a director, a reflector, and a driven element connected to the coaxial feeder. The coaxial feeding is connected to the driven element of the proposed antenna via a LC-balun, and the others are coupled with the driven element. Each stacked element with different lengths is equally rotated at an angle of 60° with respect to the lower element so that the dipole array antenna forms a high directive circular polarization. The size of the proposed antenna is 0.49γ0 × 0.49γ0 × 0.17γ0 at 2.45 GHz and achieved a 10 dB impedance bandwidth of 6.3%, a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 8%, and a peak gain of 4.3 dBic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a highly efficient distance-adaptive wireless power transfer system with automatic impedance tuning control at variable distances is proposed, and we compare the power transfer efficiency of wireless power transfer system at different operating conditions using the method of moments (MoM) technique. By sensing a reflected power and controlling impedance tuning networks, the proposed wireless power transfer system achieves the high and stable efficiency with regard to the variable operating distances. According to adaptive impedance matching algorithms under the minimum reflected power conditions, the proposed system achieves an improved power transfer efficiency of approximately maximum 160% within the operating distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a miniaturised multi-beam-controlled circular eight-port beamforming network for long-range ultra-highfrequency radio-frequency identification (UHF RFID) hemispheric beam-coverage systems (e.g. unmanned aircraft systems) is proposed. For multi-beam control and compact implementation, the proposed eight-port feeding network consists of an integrated beam-control block with a two-stage RF switch block, 12 quadrature hybrid couplers, and 12 90° phase shifters, and was designed and fabricated on a circular three-layer 1.2 mm FR-4 substrate. The diameter of the fabricated network is ~0.47 λ0 at 915 MHz. The measured maximum insertion loss, and amplitude and phase imbalances of the fabricated network at the authorised UHF RFID frequency band (902-928 MHz) are ~4.5 dB, ± 1.3 dB, and ± 17.5°, respectively. An eight-element dipole antenna array with the proposed feeding network shows feasibility of hemispheric beam coverage by generating multiple beams simultaneously regarding port controls. Beam coverages, where the simulated realised gain is higher than 3 dBi, are ~180° and 130° at ϕ = 90 and 0°, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] flowers are either white or purple, whereas nearly all wild soybean (G. soja Sieb and Zucc.) accessions have purple flowers. As a result, the soybean flower color phenotype has attracted the attention of plant breeders, biochemists and population geneticists. Here, we report genetic mapping of a novel recessive white flower gene in YWS415, a wild soybean accession collected in Korea. The W1 locus, which is the major locus determining purple (W1) or white (w1) flower color, encodes flavonoid 3'5'-hydroxylase in YWS415, which was more similar to the common W1-type sequences than w1-type sequences. Subsequent mapping results using an F2 population from a cross between the 'Hwangkeum' (purple flower) and YWS415 variants indicated that the white flower color was controlled by a recessive allele at the W4 locus that encodes dihydroflavonol-4-reductase 2 (DFR2). The w4 allele arose through insertion of a 5584-bp nonautonomous transposon member of soybean GM_CACTA_33 family into the second intron of DFR2. It was designated as GM_CACTA_33_w4. Results from this study will enhance our understanding of soybean white flower inheritance and facilitate marker-assisted selection for the antioxidative anthocyanins in soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, a smart recognition technology, has been gradually spreading to various applications and several sub-1GHz wireless technologies are being standardized and developed. As such technologies operate at a specific frequency band (902-928 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical bands), the impact of RF interference due to performance degradation of UHF RFID technology on the interference signal is emerging as a new obstacle. In this paper, we investigate the interference analysis and experimental results of passive UHF RFID systems in sub-1GHz wireless communications systems. By considering interference signal frequency and power, interference deployment, antenna polarization, RF system-level analysis and experimental verification are conducted to evaluate the impact of performance degradation in the UHF RFID system on the interference signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The UBA6-specific E2 conjugating enzyme 1 (USE1) ubiquitin enzyme cascade is a poorly characterized arm of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We investigated whether the UBA6-USE1 enzyme cascade plays a role in lung cancer tumorigenesis.Methods: USE1 expression was assessed in tumor-normal paired samples from 106 lung cancer patients by immunoblot. USE1 was stably overexpressed and knocked down in lung cancer cell lines to evaluate cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. Xenograft models were used to determine the effects of USE1 on tumor growth (n = 7). Proteomics analysis was used to identify proteins interacting with USE1. The USE1 gene was sequenced in lung cancer patients, and missense mutations of USE1 were generated to evaluate its function. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: USE1 proteins were frequently overexpressed in lung cancer patients (92.5%) Stable overexpression of USE1 increased cell proliferation ( P = .002), migration ( P < .001), and invasion ( P < .001), whereas knockdown of USE1 reduced cell proliferation ( P < .001), migration ( P = .003), and invasion in lung cancer cells and xenograft models ( P < .001). USE1 was found to have a conserved D-box domain, and the level of the protein was regulated by the anaphase-promoting complex. Several missense mutations in USE1 identified in patients prolong the stability of the protein.Conclusions: USE1 proteins are frequently overexpressed in lung cancer, and missense mutations in USE1 prolong the half-life of the protein, promoting tumor formation. Our findings reveal novel roles for USE1 in lung cancer and the possible use of USE1 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an immune-related multisystemic vasculitis that occurs in children, especially ensuing from a coronary artery abnormality. Sodium level is known to be related to vascular injury, which could affect the progress of KD. The purpose of this study was to determine the serum sodium levels that could predict the occurrence of cardiac and coronary artery events in KD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for 104 patients with KD from January 2015 to December 2015. Patients with serum Na levels of <135 mEq/L at the time of initial diagnosis were assigned to the hyponatremia group. Laboratory findings and echocardiographic data were analyzed for various aspects. Results: Among the 104 patients with KD, 91 were included in the study, of whom 48 (52.7%) had hyponatremia. The degree of fever, white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils, percentage of lymphocytes, total bilirubin level, brain natriuretic peptide level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein level were higher in the patients with hyponatremia. They also demonstrated a trend of larger coronary artery diameters based on Z scores. Conclusion: The severity of vascular inflammation in acute KD with hyponatremia might worsen the prognosis of coronary vasculature. Although no statistically significant correlation was found between the initial serum sodium levels and coronary arteriopathy in the patients with KD in this study, a long-term follow-up study with a larger number of enrolled patients should be designed in the future to elucidate the relationship between serum sodium level and coronary arteriopathy in patients with KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome is a rare disease, often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in children. We describe the case of a 12-year-old boy who presented to Severance Hospital with a 1-month history of bilateral conjunctival injection. He was first evaluated by an Ophthalmologist in another hospital and diagnosed with panuveitis. Laboratory tests indicated renal failure, and a renal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. An extensive exclusion of all possible causes allowed a diagnosis of TINU syndrome. The patient was treated with a systemic corticosteroid (initially prednisolone, 2 mg/kg and later deflazacort 1 mg/kg) and topical steroid drops for 1 month. Azathioprine was later added to the treatment regimen and the systemic steroid was slowly tapered. The final outcome of renal-ocular disease was favorable in the patient. However, long-term follow-up is necessary to properly manage frequent relapses and incomplete renal recovery. TINU should be considered as a differential diagnosis in children with uveitis or acute renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Acute pyelonephritis (APN) is a serious bacterial infection that can cause renal scarring in children. Early identification of APN is critical to improve treatment outcomes. The neutrophillymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic marker of many diseases, but it has not yet been established in urinary tract infection (UTI). The aim of this study was to determine whether NLR is a useful marker to predict APN or vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 298 pediatric patients (age≤36 months) with febrile UTI from January 2010 to December 2014. Conventional infection markers (white blood cell [WBC] count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive protein [CRP]), and NLR were measured. Results: WBC, CRP, ESR, and NLR were higher in APN than in lower UTI (P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that NLR was a predictive factor for positive dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) defects (P<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was high for NLR (P<0.001) as well as CRP (P<0.001) for prediction of DMSA defects. NLR showed the highest area under the ROC curve for diagnosis of VUR (P<0.001). Conclusion: NLR can be used as a diagnostic marker of APN with DMSA defect, showing better results than those of conventional markers for VUR prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the database management, DAS (database as service) model is one solution for outsourcing. However, we need some data protection mechanisms in order to maintain the database security Themost effective algorithm to secure databases from the security threat of third party attackers is to encrypt the sensitive data within the database. However, once we encrypt the sensitive data, we have difficulties in queries execution on the encrypted database. In this paper, we focus on the search process on the encrypted database. We proposed the selective tuple encryption method using Bloom Filter which could tell us the existence of the data. Finally, we compare the search performance between the proposed method and the other encryption methods we know. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study to investigate the relationship between serum levels of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) findings in retired coal workers. Topics discussed include measurement of serum cytokine level for the study, role of TGF-β in silicosis, and monoctye chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) produced by various inflammatory cells.

Ionizing radiation causes various epigenetic changes, as well as a variety of DNA lesions such as strand breaks, crosslinks, oxidative damages, etc., in genomes. However, radiation-induced epigenetic changes have rarely been substantiated in plant genomes. The current study investigates whether DNA methylation of Arabidopsis thaliana genome is altered by gamma rays. We found that genomic DNA methylation decreased in wild-type plants with increasing doses of gamma rays (5, 50 and 200 Gy). Irradiation with 200 Gy significantly increased the expression of transcriptionally inactive centromeric 180-bp (CEN) and transcriptionally silent information (TSI) repeats. This increase suggested that there was a substantial release of transcriptional gene silencing by gamma rays, probably by induction of DNA hypomethylation. High expression of the DNA demethylase ROS1 and low expression of the DNA methyltransferase CMT3 supported this hypothesis. Moreover, Southern blot analysis following digestion of genomic DNA with methylation-sensitive enzymes revealed that the DNA hypomethylation occurred preferentially at CHG or CHH sites rather than CG sites, depending on the radiation dose. Unlike CEN and TSI repeats, the number of Ta3, AtSN1 and FWA repeats decreased in transcription but increased in non-CG methylation. In addition, the cmt3-11 mutant showed neither DNA hypomethylation nor transcriptional activation of silenced repeats upon gamma irradiation. Furthermore, profiles of genome-wide transcriptomes in response to gamma rays differed between the wild-type and cmt3-11 mutant. These results suggest that gamma irradiation induced DNA hypomethylation preferentially at non-CG sites of transcriptionally inactive repeats in a locus-specific manner, which depends on CMT3 activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To identify the predictive factors for ciclosporin A (CyA)-associated nephrotoxicity (CAN) in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). Methods The clinical and laboratory findings of 58 children (median age 3.2 years, range 1.1-13.1 years, male:female 48:10) with MCNS who were treated with CyA from 1992 to 2002 were analysed retrospectively. Forty-eight (83%) of them were steroid dependent and 10 (17%) were steroid resistant. The starting dose of CyA was 5 mg/kg per day, and the desired drug level was kept at 100-200 ng/ml. Serial renal biopsies were performed before and after CyA therapy. Results Twenty-two patients (38%) had CAN (group I) and 36 (62%) did not (group II). There were no differences in the age at onset, sex, initial response to steroids, duration of CyA therapy and relapse rates. However, the median CyA trough levels were significantly higher in group I than in group II (218.0±15.2 vs 171.8±6.7 ng/ml, p=0.01). Changes in creatinine clearance were more decreased in group I than in group II (-39.4±8.2 vs 2.7±4.3 ml/min per 1.73 m², p<0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analysis also revealed the median CyA trough level was an independent risk factor for the development of CAN (OR 1.025, 95% CI 1.007 to 1.044, p=0.007). Conclusions The median CyA trough level was an independent and significant risk factor for the development of CAN in children with MCNS receiving moderate-dose CyA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unlike Caucasian populations, genetic factors contributing to the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are not well studied in Asian populations. In light of this, and the fact that copy number variation (CNV) is emerging as a new way to understand human genomic variation, the objective of this study was to identify type 2 diabetes-associated CNV in a Korean cohort. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using the Illumina HumanHap300 BeadChip (317,503 markers), genome-wide genotyping was performed to obtain signal and allelic intensities from 275 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 496 nondiabetic subjects (Total n = 771). To increase the sensitivity of CNV identification, we incorporated multiple factors using PennCNV, a program that is based on the hidden Markov model (HMM). To assess the genetic effect of CNV on T2DM, a multivariate logistic regression model controlling for age and gender was used. We identified a total of 7,478 CNVs (average of 9.7 CNVs per individual) and 2,554 CNV regions (CNVRs; 164 common CNVRs for frequency>1%) in this study. Although we failed to demonstrate robust associations between CNVs and the risk of T2DM, our results revealed a putative association between several CNVRs including chr15:45994758-45999227 (P = 8.6E-04, Pcorr = 0.01) and the risk of T2DM. The identified CNVs in this study were validated using overlapping analysis with the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV; 71.7% overlap), and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The identified variations, which encompassed functional genes, were significantly enriched in the cellular part, in the membrane-bound organelle, in the development process, in cell communication, in signal transduction, and in biological regulation. Conclusion/Significance: We expect that the methods and findings in this study will contribute in particular to genome studies of Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AP-1 family transcription factor ATF2 is essential for development and tissue maintenance in mammals. In particular, ATF2 is highly expressed and activated in the brain and previous studies using mouse knockouts have confirmed its requirement in the cerebellum as well as in vestibular sense organs. Here we present the analysis of the requirement for ATF2 in CNS development in mouse embryos, specifically in the brainstem. We discovered that neuron-specific inactivation of ATF2 leads to significant loss of motoneurons of the hypoglossal, abducens and facial nuclei. While the generation of ATF2 mutant motoneurons appears normal during early development, they undergo caspase-dependent and independent cell death during later embryonic and foetal stages. The loss of these motoneurons correlates with increased levels of stress activated MAP kinases, JNK and p38, as well as aberrant accumulation of phosphorylated neurofilament proteins, NF-H and NF-M, known substrates for these kinases. This, together with other neuropathological phenotypes, including aberrant vacuolisation and lipid accumulation, indicates that deficiency in ATF2 leads to neurodegeneration of subsets of somatic and visceral motoneurons of the brainstem. It also confirms that ATF2 has a critical role in limiting the activities of stress kinases JNK and p38 which are potent inducers of cell death in the CNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeRh/FePt bilayers onMgO (100) substrates were fabricated by rf-magnetron sputtering, and the magnetic properties and microstructures of the bilayers were studied in terms of Ta addition to the storage layer. Compared to undoped FeRh/FePt bilayers, FeRh/FePt-Ta bilayer films showed improved magnetic properties and lower degree of interdiffusion. The FeRh/FePt-Ta bilayers clearly demonstrated the AFM-FM transition. Reduced interdiffusion by Ta segregation along grain boundaries was speculated to be a possible cause for the observed improvement in magnetic properties when fabricated at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mitochondrial disorders with respiratory chain complex defect are known to show a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes, though their contribution to renal disease has not received much attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate renal function using different markers of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in children with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex (MRC) defects. Methods: Twenty-two patients with MRC I defect confirmed by biochemical enzyme assays using muscle tissue, were evaluated for renal function with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scintigraphy, urine creatinine clearance, serum creatinine (Scr) and cystatin C (Cys C) levels. Results: All patients showed lower levels within normal range of Scr (0.4–0.7 mg/dL, mean 0.47 mg/dL), and with no significant correlation with DTPA–GFR. Cys C showed significant correlation with DTPA–GFR (p < 0.01) providing higher diagnostic accuracy than creatinine in patients with MRC defect. Conclusion: In mitochondrial disorder with MRC defect, Scr could not fully reflect renal function due to the relatively small body mass of patients. Considering the limited clinical availability of DTPA renal scintigraphy, Cys C should be taken as the first step to evaluate GFR in mitochondrial disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclosporine (CsA) treatment in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is controversial and has not been widely studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CsA on renal histology and the expression of interstitial fibrosis-associated molecules in childhood IgAN. The subjects were 18 children (age 4.2–13.9 years; male:female 13:5) who had been treated with CsA for 8 or 12 months and who had renal biopsies before and after treatment. Renal biopsies were assessed by routine histology and immunohistochemistry against osteopontin (OPN), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), CD68, and CD34. The degree of proteinuria and mesangial IgA deposits decreased or disappeared after treatment in all cases, and the percentage of patients with diffuse mesangial proliferation decreased from 44.4 to 22.2%. However, interstitial fibrosis developed or was aggravated in nine patients (50%) after treatment and was associated with an increased degree of interstitial inflammation in five patients. Tubular OPN expression (45.3 ± 23.4 vs. 37.6 ± 19.3%) and the degree of CD68-positive macrophage infiltration (136.1 ± 88.2 vs. 132 ± 86.0/mm2) were not increased after CsA treatment, but TGF-β expression was significantly increased (6.4 ± 4.2 vs. 13.3 ± 9.9%; p = 0.025). Microvascular density was increased and peritubular capillaries were of small caliber in inflamed areas. We conclude that increased levels of TGF-β and the development of interstitial fibrosis limit the long-term use of CsA in IgAN patients. Osteopontin and macrophages may be indirectly involved in renal fibrosis by prolonging interstitial inflammation rather than by directly increasing TGF-β expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Akt/PKB family of kinases is frequently activated in human cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Akt-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involves downregulation of E-cadherin, which appears to result from upregulation of the transcription repressor Snail. Recently, it was proposed that carcinoma cells, especially in metastatic sites, could acquire the mesenchymal-to-epithelial reverting transition (MErT) in order to adapt the microenvironments and re-expression of E-cadherin be a critical indicator of MErT. However, the precise mechanism and biologic or clinical importance of the MErT in cancers have been little known. This study aimed to investigate whether Akt inhibition would restore the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin, reduce that of Vimentin, and induce the MErT in OSCC cells with low or negative expression of E-cadherin. We also investigate whether inhibition of Akt activity would affect the E-cadherin repressors and signaling molecules like NF-κB, ERK, and p38. Methods: We screened several OSCC cell lines in order to select suitable cell line models for inducing MErT, using immunoblotting and methylation specific-PCR. We examined whether Akt inhibitor phosphatidylinositol ether lipid analogues (PIA) treatment would restore the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin, reduce that of Vimentin, and induce the MErT in KB and KOSCC-25B cells using RT-PCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence analysis, and in vitro migration assay. We also investigated whether inhibition of Akt activity would affect the E-cadherin repressors, including Snail, Twist, and SIP-1/ZEB-2 and signaling molecules like NF-κB, ERK, JNK, and p38 using RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence analysis. Results: Of the 7 OSCC cell lines, KB and KOSCC-25B showed constitutively activated phosphorylated Akt and low or negative expression of E-cadherin. Inhibition of Akt activity by PIA decreased NF-κB signaling, but did not affect phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 in KB and KOSCC-25B cells. Akt inhibition led to downregulation of Snail and Twist expression. In contrast, inhibition of Akt activity by PIA did not induce any changes in SIP-1/ZEB-2 expression. PIA treatment induced the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin, reduce that of Vimentin, restored their epithelial morphology of a polygonal shape, and reduced tumor cell migration in KB and KOSCC-25B cells, which was the corresponding feature of MErT. Conclusion: All of these findings suggest that Akt inhibition could induce the MErT through decreased NF-κB signaling and downregulation of Snail and Twist in OSCC cells. A strategy involving Akt inhibition might be a useful therapeutic tool in controlling cancer dissemination and metastasis in oral cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains the responses of the Korean economy to expected or unexpected risks and opportunities of rapid economic development and examines the implications for the African economy. The industrial transformation and increases in income levels in Korea were attributed to intensive learning processes where technological capability building and human resource development has played a role. The article discusses the history of the interaction of Korea with the international economy and the policies associated with the international environment including trade, financial markets, and commodity markets.

Background: School urinary mass screening tests are performed to make early diagnosis and provide proper treatment for chronic renal diseases. However, very few systemic analyses or studies have been reported regarding final diagnosis made on children with abnormal urinary screening results. Aim: To study the cases of renal biopsy in children detected in urinary screening. Methods: We retrospectively analysed 461 cases of renal biopsy performed on children referred to us with abnormal school urinary mass screening results who satisfied indications for renal biopsy. Results: Pathologically abnormal findings were observed in 285 (61.8%) patients. Thin glomerular basement membrane disease was detected in 127 (27.5%) cases and IgA nephropathy in 121 (26.2%) cases. Among those 461 children, microscopic haematuria was observed in 289 (62.7%) patients, proteinuria in nine (2.0%), and both in 163 (35.4%). In addition, a statistically higher rate of pathological abnormalities on renal biopsy was noted in the group with microscopic haematuria combined with proteinuria and also in cases with more severe haematuria. Conclusion: School urinary mass screening has greatly contributed to diagnosing chronic renal diseases. Continuous medical observation is required when abnormal urinalysis is observed, and a more aggressive medical approach such as renal biopsy should also be performed if necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To determine the frequencies of the variant alleles and the genotypes of CYP2C9 in a Korean population. Methods Three hundred and fifty-eight healthy Korean subjects were studied. CYP2C9 alleles were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assays and direct sequencing assays. Results The allele frequencies were 0.934 for CYP2C9* 1, 0.060 for CYP2C9* 3 and 0.006 for CYP2C9* 13. The CYP2C9*2,* 4,* 5 and * 11 alleles were not detected. The frequencies of the CYP2C9* 1/* 1, * 1/* 3 and * 1/* 13 genotypes were 0.869, 0.120 and 0.011, respectively. Conclusion The frequency of the CYP2C9* 3 allele in the Korean population studied was significantly higher than reported elsewhere, and a novel allele, CYP2C9* 13, was found at a frequency of 0.006 (95% confidence interval 0, 0.012). Only three genotypes of CYP2C9, CYP2C9* 1/* 1,* 1/* 3 and * 1/* 13 were observed in this Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of azathioprine with steroids on the clinical course and histologic parameters of severe Henoch-Schönlein nephritis (HSN), 20 patients with a median age of 9.3 years (range 4.4–17 years) and a follow-up period of 4.8 years (range 1–14 years) were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups. Ten patients received azathioprine with steroids for 8 months (group A), and the other ten received steroids alone (group B). All patients underwent renal biopsy at presentation, and ten of them who were treated with azathioprine underwent follow-up biopsy after therapy. Six patients in group A achieved clinical remission, and the remaining four showed minor urinary abnormalities at the latest observation. The histological grades of the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children (ISKDC) improved in four of the ten patients, and the activity index decreased significantly from 6.8±2.0 to 4.3±2.3 ( p=0.016). In group B, however, four patients had normal urine and renal function; two had minor urinary abnormalities; one had active renal disease, and three had chronic renal insufficiency, at the latest observation. The combination treatment of azathioprine and steroids may be beneficial in ameliorating histopathological features and improving the clinical course of severe HSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the efficacy of cyclosporin A (CyA) for treating severe Henoch-Schönlein nephritis (HSN), seven patients with nephrotic syndrome, aged 3.9–13.8 years (mean 6.5 years), were analyzed retrospectively. Mean follow-up times were 5.5 years (range 2–9 years). All underwent renal biopsy before treatment, and follow-up renal biopsy was performed in six of the seven patients. All patients improved, with 24-h protein declining from a mean of 9.2 g/m2/day (range 1.5–16 g/m2/day) to 0.3 g/m2/day (range 0.03–1.2 g/m2/day) ( p=0.016) and serum albumin increasing from a mean of 2.1 g/dl (range 1.5–2.4 g/dl) to 4.6 g/dl (range 3.5–5.3 g/dl) ( p=0.016) after CyA therapy. The activity index decreased significantly at the second renal biopsies obtained at a mean interval of 11.7 months after the first (6.4±3.3 vs 3.5±1.2, p=0.042, respectively), while the chronicity index and the tubulointerstitial scores did not change. On the immunofluorescent findings at the second biopsies, the degree of deposits of immunoglobulins such as IgA, IgM, C3, and fibrinogen decreased in five of the six patients. Although this case series is without controls, our study suggests that CyA may be beneficial to a subset of HSN patients with nephrotic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the protective effect of desferrioxamine (DF) on lipid peroxidation of cell membrane and fibrosis by crystalline silica using in vitro model systems. Therapeutic effect of DF in experimental silicosis of rats; Production of inflammatory cytokines; Fenton activity of silica; Total cell count with differential percentage in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; Amount of hydroxyproline in lung.

Sinonasal type hemangiopericytomas are very rare tumors, and are often called glomangiopericytoma. They are believed to be derived from perivascular modified smooth muscle cells. Their origin is similar to glomus tumors but some distinct differences exist. Glomangiopericytomas are indolent tumors and overall survival rates are higher after complete surgical excision. Recurrence rates are as high as 30%. We present a case of glomangiopericytoma which involves the orbital wall, noteworthy because such bone-dissolving glomangiopericytomas are extremely rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the case of a five-year-old boy who has nephrotic syndrome complicated with acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC). According to the author, nephrotic syndrome is described by generalized edema, proteinuria, and hypoalbuminemia. The patient experienced acute abdominal pain and vomiting and was diagnosed with AAC on ultrasonography.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article by Muscal et al. about the development of systemic autoimmunity in children with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Is There an Association Between Intradialytic Hypotension and Serum Magnesium Changes?" in the October 2010 issue.