Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment

OBJECTIVE: This article examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (K-ITSEA). METHODS: Translation and back-translation of the K-ITSEA were conducted after obtaining a permission. Two thousand two hundred thirty six Korean community infants (1,199 boys and 1,037 girls) between the ages of 12 and 36 months (M=34.23, SD=3.80) and 90 clinical infant samples (60 boys and 30 girls) between the ages of 12 and 36 months (M=26.84, SD=6.24) participated in the present study. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the Internalizing, Externalizing, Dysregulation, and Competence domains as well as the 17 individual scales that comprise the K-ITSEA. Young children's sex and age differences emerged for some problem and most competence scales. All domains showed adequate intrascale reliability and test-retest reliability. Scale intracorrelation analyses and associations between the K-ITSEA and Korean version of PSI, Korean version of CBCL1.5-5 supported the validity of the assessment. Comparisons of the K-ITSEA scores for the Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychiatric Disorders and Matched control groups supported the discriminant validity of the K-ITSEA. CONCLUSION: This preliminary results indicate that the K-ITSEA would be a useful assessment for detecting the early childhood's behavior problems and competences in Korean population.

Erratum: Identification of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-related Target Genes Induced by the Mutation of Smad3 Linker Phosphorylation

The original version of this article contained error in the URL of the SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS.

Identification of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-related Target Genes Induced by the Mutation of Smad3 Linker Phosphorylation

BACKGROUND: Smad3 linker phosphorylation plays essential roles in tumor progression and metastasis. We have previously reported that the mutation of Smad3 linker phosphorylation sites (Smad3-Erk/Pro-directed kinase site mutant constructs [EPSM]) markedly reduced the tumor progression while increasing the lung metastasis in breast cancer. METHODS: We performed high-throughput RNA-Sequencing of the human prostate cancer cell lines infected with adenoviral Smad3-EPSM to identify the genes regulated by Smad3-EPSM. RESULTS: In this study, we identified genes which are differentially regulated in the presence of Smad3-EPSM. We first confirmed that Smad3-EPSM strongly enhanced a capability of cell motility and invasiveness as well as the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition marker genes, CDH2, SNAI1, and ZEB1 in response to TGF-β1 in human pancreatic and prostate cancer cell lines. We identified GADD45B, CTGF, and JUNB genes in the expression profiles associated with cell motility and invasiveness induced by the Smad3-EPSM. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that inhibition of Smad3 linker phosphorylation may enhance cell motility and invasiveness by inducing expression of GADD45B, CTGF, and JUNB genes in various cancers.

Morphological and Microstructural Changes of the Hippocampus in Early MCI: A Study Utilizing the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Database

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: With the aim of facilitating the early detection of Alzheimer's disease, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative proposed two stages based on the memory performance: early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI) and late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI). The current study was designed to investigate structural differences in terms of surface atrophy and microstructural changes of the hippocampus in EMCI and LMCI. METHODS: Hippocampal shape modeling based on progressive template surface deformation was performed on T1-weighted MRI images obtained from 20 cognitive normal (CN) subjects, 17 EMCI patients, and 20 LMCI patients. A template surface in CN was used as a region of interest for diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. Cluster-wise group comparison was performed based on DTI indices within the hippocampus. Linear regression was performed to identify correlations between DTI metrics and clinical scores. RESULTS: The hippocampal surface analysis showed significant atrophies in bilateral CA1 regions and the right ventral subiculum in EMCI, in contrast to widespread atrophy in LMCI. DTI VBM analysis showed increased diffusivity in the CA2–CA4 regions in EMCI and additionally in the subiculum region in LMCI. Hippocampal diffusivity was significantly correlated with scores both for the Mini Mental State Examination and on the Modified Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale. However, the hippocampal diffusivity did not vary significantly with the fractional anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS: EMCI showed hippocampal surface changes mainly in the CA1 region and ventral subiculum. Diffusivity increased mainly in the CA2–CA4 regions in EMCI, while it decreased throughout the hippocampus in LMCI. Although axial diffusivity showed prominent changes in the right hippocampus in EMCI, future studies need to confirm the presence of this laterality difference. In addition, diffusivity is strongly correlated with the cognitive performance, indicating the possibility of using diffusivity as a biomarker for disease progression.

Quantitative Measurement Method for Possible Rib Fractures in Chest Radiographs / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVES: This paper proposes a measurement method to quantify the abnormal characteristics of the broken parts of ribs using local texture and shape features in chest radiographs. METHODS: Our measurement method comprises two steps: a measurement area assignment and sampling step using a spline curve and sampling lines orthogonal to the spline curve, and a fracture-ness measurement step with three measures, asymmetry and gray-level co-occurrence matrix based measures (contrast and homogeneity). They were designed to quantify the regional shape and texture features of ribs along the centerline. The discriminating ability of our method was evaluated through region of interest (ROI) analysis and rib fracture classification test using support vector machine. RESULTS: The statistically significant difference was found between the measured values from fracture and normal ROIs; asymmetry (p < 0.0001), contrast (p < 0.001), and homogeneity (p = 0.022). The rib fracture classifier, trained with the measured values in ROI analysis, detected every rib fracture from chest radiographs used for ROI analysis, but it also classified some unbroken parts of ribs as abnormal parts (8 to 17 line sets; length of each line set, 2.998 +/- 2.652 mm; length of centerlines, 131.067 +/- 29.460 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Our measurement method, which includes a flexible measurement technique for the curved shape of ribs and the proposed shape and texture measures, could discriminate the suspicious regions of ribs for possible rib fractures in chest radiographs.

Involvement of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor(MIF) in Experimental Uric Acid Nephropathy / 대한신장학회잡지

Chronic deposition of uric acid in the kidney can lead to progressive tubulointerstitial injury with granuloma formation. We hypothesized that uric acid crystal deposition may induce granuloma formation by stimulating local expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF), which is a known mediator of delayed type hypersensitivity(DTH). A model of acute uric acid nephropathy was induced in rats by the administration of oxonic acid (an inhibitor of uricase) together with uric acid supplements. Kidney tissue examined at 35 days showed widespread tubulointerstitial damage with intratubular uric acid crystals deposition and granuloma formation. Tubules within the areas of granuloma showed a six-fold increase in MIF mRNA compared to uninvolved areas by in situ hybridization. Moreover, the areas of increased MIF mRNA expression correlated with sites of dense accumulation of macrophages and T cells. Control rats fed a normal diet had no discernible evidence of renal disease by routine light microscopy and minimal tubular expression of MIF mRNA and protein. These data suggest that intrarenal granulomas in urate nephropathy may be the consequence of a crystal induced DTH-like reaction mediated by MIF.

The Effect of Hemodialysis During Break-in Period on Residual Renal Function in CAPD Patients / 대한신장학회잡지

To avoid later complication of peritoneal dialysis catheter, it is recommended to delay regular exchange of peritoneal dialysis for about 2-4weeks after insertion of catheter(break-in period). During break-in period some patients need hemodialysis(HD) or other intermittent dialysis. In such cases residual renal function(RRF) can decrease substantially compared with patients who do not need HD during break-in period since RRF is preserved better in CAPD patients than HD patients. This is prospective observational study to examine such an effect of HD during break-in period on residual renal function in CAPD patients. 20 patients who were clinically stable and had been on CAPD since March, 1999 were observed. 6 patients were treated with HD for 1month during break-in period and CAPD thereafter(group A). 14 patients were treated with CAPD without HD(group B). GFR(mean of creatinine and urea clearance of urine) and urine Kt/V urea were measured at start, and 1, 3, 6 months of renal replacement therapy. Covariables analyzed in this study were mean arterial blood pressure, serum albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, age, sex, the presence of diabetes mellitus, and peritonitis episode. There was no significant difference in initial RRF, mean arterial blood pressure, serum albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, age, sex, and the presence of diabetes mellitus between 2 groups. Initial GFR was a little smaller in group A than group B(45.0+/-10.1 L/week vs. 54.6+/-5.7L/week) which was not statistically significant. GFR after 1, 3 and 6months of dialysis(including 1month of HD in group A) were smaller in group A than B(28.6+/-5.3L/week vs. 54.4+/-5.7L/week, 32.7+/-5.2L/week vs 56.9+/-6.1L/week, 21.0+/-4.1L/week vs 53.6+/-5.4L/week at 1,3,6 months after dialysis in group A and B), which were significant. Urine Kt/V showed same pattern. The change of GFR and urine Kt/V have no correlation with serum albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and change of mean arterial blood pressure and is not affected by sex, and presence of DM or peritonitis. We concluded that HD during break-in period can decrease RRF in CAPD patients, which may not recover after 6months of dialysis. Avoiding HD during break-in period with appropriate preparation can preserve RRF in CAPD patients.