First finding of a quarantine pest,Atherigona (Acritochaeta) orientalis Schiner (Diptera: Muscidae), in Korea

The invasive quarantine pest fly, Atherigona (Acritochaeta) orientalis Schiner, is observed for the first time in tomato greenhouses in Gyeongsangbuk‐do, Korea. The genus Atherigona Rondani is also newly added to Korean fauna. Allium tuberosum is listed as a new host crop for this species. Some morphological characteristics for accurate identification and host lists are given to provide plant quarantine information for pest management.     

The impact of skin colour on human photobiological responses

Terrestrial solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exerts both beneficial and adverse effects on human skin. Epidemiological studies show a lower incidence of skin cancer in people with pigmented skins compared to fair skins. This is attributed to photoprotection by epidermal melanin, as is the poorer vitamin D status of those with darker skins. We summarize a wide range of photobiological responses across different skin colours including DNA damage and immunosuppression. Some studies show the generally modest photoprotective properties of melanin, but others show little or no effect. DNA photodamage initiates non‐melanoma skin cancer and is reduced by a factor of about 3 in pigmented skin compared with white skin. This suggests that if such a modest reduction in DNA damage can result in the significantly lower skin cancer incidence in black skin, the use of sunscreen protection might be extremely beneficial for susceptible population. Many contradictory results may be explained by protocol differences, including differences in UVR spectra and exposure protocols. We recommend that skin type comparisons be done with solar‐simulated radiation and standard erythema doses or physical doses (J/m²) rather than those based solely on clinical endpoints such as minimal erythema dose (MED).     

Novel extracellular and nuclear caspase-1 and inflammasomes propagate inflammation and regulate gene expression: a comprehensive database mining study

Background

Caspase-1 is present in the cytosol as an inactive zymogen and requires the protein complexes named “inflammasomes” for proteolytic activation. However, it remains unclear whether the proteolytic activity of caspase-1 is confined only to the cytosol where inflammasomes are assembled to convert inactive pro-caspase-1 to active caspase-1.

Methods

We conducted meticulous data analysis method?s on proteomic, protein interaction, protein intracellular localization, and gene expressions of 114 experimentally identified caspase-1 substrates and 38 caspase-1 interaction proteins in normal physiological conditions and in various pathologies.

Results

We made the following important findings: (1) Caspase-1 substrates and interaction proteins are localized in various intracellular organelles including nucleus and secreted extracellularly; (2) Caspase-1 may get activated in situ in the nucleus in response to intra-nuclear danger signals; (3) Caspase-1 cleaves its substrates in exocytotic secretory pathways including exosomes to propagate inflammation to neighboring and remote cells; (4) Most of caspase-1 substrates are upregulated in coronary artery disease regardless of their subcellular localization but the majority of metabolic diseases cause no significant expression changes in caspase-1 nuclear substrates; and (5) In coronary artery disease, majority of upregulated caspase-1 extracellular substrate-related pathways are involved in induction of inflammation; and in contrast, upregulated caspase-1 nuclear substrate-related pathways are more involved in regulating cell death and chromatin regulation.

Conclusions

Our identification of novel caspase-1 trafficking sites, nuclear and extracellular inflammasomes, and extracellular caspase-1-based inflammation propagation model provides a list of targets for the future development of new therapeutics to treat cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, and inflammatory cancers.

     

Serial Change in Cervical Length for the Prediction of Emergency Cesarean Section in Placenta Previa

Purpose

To evaluate whether serial change in cervical length (CL) over time can be a predictor for emergency cesarean section (CS) in patients with placenta previa.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with placenta previa between January 2010 and November 2014. All women were offered serial measurement of CL by transvaginal ultrasound at 19 to 23 weeks (CL1), 24 to 28 weeks (CL2), 29 to 31 weeks (CL3), and 32 to 34 weeks (CL4). We compared clinical characteristics, serial change in CL, and outcomes between the emergency CS group (case group) and elective CS group (control group). The predictive value of change in CL for emergency CS was evaluated.

Results

A total of 93 women were evaluated; 31 had emergency CS due to massive vaginal bleeding. CL tended to decrease with advancing gestational age in each group. Until 29–31 weeks, CL showed no significant differences between the two groups, but after that, CL in the emergency CS group decreased abruptly, even though CL in the elective CS group continued to gradually decrease. On multivariate analysis to determine risk factors, only admissions for bleeding (odds ratio, 34.710; 95% CI, 5.239–229.973) and change in CL (odds ratio, 3.522; 95% CI, 1.210–10.253) were significantly associated with emergency CS. Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that change in CL could be the predictor of emergency CS (area under the curve 0.734, p < 0.001), with optimal cutoff for predicting emergency cesarean delivery of 6.0 mm.

Conclusions

Previous admission for vaginal bleeding and change in CL are independent predictors of emergency CS in placenta previa. Women with change in CL more than 6 mm between the second and third trimester are at high risk of emergency CS in placenta previa. Single measurements of short CL at the second or third trimester do not seem to predict emergency CS.     

Social Welfare Centers Protect Outpatients with Mood Disorders from Risk of Hospital Admission

Background

South Korea faces difficulties in the management of mental disorders, and those difficulties are expected to gradually worsen. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between social welfare centers and hospital admission after outpatient treatment for mood disorders.

Methods

We used data from the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort 2002–2013, which included all medical claims filed for the 50,160 patients who were newly diagnosed with a mood disorder among the 1,025,340 individuals in a nationally representative sample. We performed a logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models to examine the relationship between social welfare centers and hospital admission after outpatient treatment for mood disorders (ICD-10: F3).

Results

There was a 3.9% admission rate among a total of 99,533 person-years. Outpatients who lived in regions with more social welfare centers were less likely to be admitted to a hospital (per increase of five social welfare centers per 100,000 people; OR: 0.958; 95% CI: 0.919–0.999). Social welfare centers had an especially strong protective effect on patients with relatively mild mood disorders and those who were vulnerable to medical expenditures.

Conclusions

Considering the protective role of social welfare centers in managing patients with mood disorders, health-policy makers need to consider strategies for activating mental healthcare.     

Synergistic Effect of Anti-Angiogenic and Radiation Therapy: Quantitative Evaluation with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MR Imaging

Purpose

We assessed the effects of anti-angiogenic therapy (AAT) on radiation therapy (RT), evaluating the tumor growth and perfusion patterns on dynamic contrast enhanced MR (DCE-MR) images.

Methods

Thirteen nude mice with heterotopic xenograft cancer of human lung cancer cell line were used. To observe the interval change of the tumor size and demonstrate the time-signal intensity enhancement curve of the tumor, the mice were subdivided into four groups: control (n = 2), AAT (n = 2), RT (n = 5), and combined therapy (AART, n = 4). DCE-MR images were taken four weeks after treatment. Perfusion parameters were obtained based on the Brix model. To compare the interval size changes in the RT group with those in the AART group, repeated measures ANOVA was used. Perfusion parameters in both the RT and AART groups were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test.

Results

Tumor growth was more suppressed in AART group than in the other groups. Control group showed the rapid wash-in and wash-out pattern on DCE-MR images. In contrast to RT group with delayed and prolonged enhancement, both AAT and AART groups showed the rapid wash-in and plateau pattern. The signal intensity in the plateau/time to peak enhancement (P<0.016) and the maximum enhancement ratio (P<0.016) of AART group were higher than those of RT group.

Conclusions

AART showed synergistic effects in anticancer treatment. The pattern of the time-intensity curve on the DCE-MR images in each group implies that AAT might help maintain the perfusion in the cancer of AART group.     

Long-Term Clinical Outcome of Internal Globus Pallidus Deep Brain Stimulation for Dystonia

Background

GPi (Internal globus pallidus) DBS (deep brain stimulation) is recognized as a safe, reliable, reversible and adjustable treatment in patients with medically refractory dystonia.

Objectives

This report describes the long-term clinical outcome of 36 patients implanted with GPi DBS at the Neurosurgery Department of Seoul National University Hospital.

Methods

Nine patients with a known genetic cause, 12 patients with acquired dystonia, and 15 patients with isolated dystonia without a known genetic cause were included. When categorized by phenomenology, 29 patients had generalized, 5 patients had segmental, and 2 patients had multifocal dystonia. Patients were assessed preoperatively and at defined follow-up examinations postoperatively, using the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale (BFMDRS) for movement and functional disability assessment. The mean follow-up duration was 47 months (range, 12–84)

Results

The mean movement scores significantly decreased from 44.88 points preoperatively to 26.45 points at 60-month follow up (N = 19, P = 0.006). The mean disability score was also decreased over time, from 11.54 points preoperatively to 8.26 points at 60-month follow up, despite no statistical significance (N = 19, P = 0.073). When analyzed the movement and disability improvement rates at 12-month follow up point, no significant difference was noted according to etiology, disease duration, age at surgery, age of onset, and phenomenology. However, the patients with DYT-1 dystonia and isolated dystonia without a known genetic cause showed marked improvement.

Conclusions

GPi DBS is a safe and efficient therapeutic method for treatment of dystonia patients to improve both movement and disability. However, this study has some limitations caused by the retrospective design with small sample size in a single-center.     

Fatty Acid‐Derived Pro‐Toxicants of the Rat Selective Toxicant Norbormide

Norbormide [5‐(α‐hydroxy‐α‐2‐pyridylbenzyl)‐7‐(α‐2‐pyridylbenzylidene)‐5‐norbornene‐2,3‐dicarboximide] (NRB), an existing but infrequently used rodenticide, is known to be uniquely toxic to rats but relatively harmless to other rodents and mammals. However, as an acute vasoactive, NRB has a rapid onset of action which makes it relatively unpalatable to rats, often leading to sublethal uptake and accompanying bait shyness. A series of NRB‐derived pro‐toxicants ( 3a  –  i , 4a  –  i , and 5a  –  i ) were prepared in an effort to ‘mask’ this acute response and improve both palatability and efficacy. Their synthesis, in vitro biological evaluation (vasocontractile response in rat vasculature, stability in selected rat media) and palatability/efficacy in Sprague–Dawley, wild Norway, and wild ship rats is described. Most notably, pro‐toxicant 3d was revealed to be free of all pre‐cleavage vasoconstrictory activity in rat caudal artery and was subsequently demonstrated to release NRB in the presence of rat blood, liver, and pancreatic enzymes. Moreover, it consistently displayed a high level of acceptance by rats in a two‐choice bait‐palatability and efficacy trial, with accompanying high mortality. On this evidence, fatty acid ester prodrugs would appear to offer a promising platform for the further development of NRB‐derived toxicants with enhanced palatability and efficacy profiles.