• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2021

Purpose: This descriptive study aimed to investigate heart rate variability (HRV) according to sex and to elucidate the influence of negative emotion such as levels of stress, anxiety and depression on HRV among Korean college students based on a neurovisceral integration model. Methods: A descriptive study design was used. Eighty-six healthy college students participated in the study. Resting HRV and standing HRV on orthostatic stimulation were measured for 5 minutes during 4-6 p.m. in the afternoon. Levels of stress, anxiety and depression were assessed using the Global assessment of recent stress, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Index, respectively. Results: Out of the 86 students, 47 (54.7%) were men and 39 (45.3%) were women. Root mean square of the differences between adjacent RR intervals (RMSSD) and normalized high frequency (nHF) on standing HRV were significantly lower in men than in women (p= .005, p= .019, respectively). Male gender (β= 0.30, p= .013), higher level of stress (β= -0.36, p= .009) and lower level of depression (β = 0.30, p= .044) exerted a significant influence on decreased nHF in the multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: We suggest that men are more vulnerable to having reduced vagal activity on HRV than women. Since male gender, higher level of stress and lower level of depression level influenced decreased vagal activity, strategies are needed to improve stress and depression rather than anxiety especially for men, which contribute to promoting HRV to prevent cardiac health diseases.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2022

Background: Bus driving is a mentally demanding activity that requires prolonged attention to ensure safety. The aim of the study was to assess mental fatigue caused by driving a public bus and to find a profile of workers at higher risk. Methods: We evaluated changes of critical flicker fusion (CFF) (index of central arousal) and heart rate variability (HRV) (index of autonomic balance) in a 6-hour driving shift on a real route, in 31 professional bus drivers, and we tested the influence of personal factors such as sleep quality, BMI, and age. Paired t-test was used to test differences of CFF and HRV between both initial and final phase of driving, while multiple linear regression tested the influence of personal variables on the indexes of mental fatigue. Results: Results showed that CFF significantly decreased after 6 hours of bus driving (41.91 Hz, sd 3.31 vs. 41.15 Hz, sd 3.15; p = 0.041), and heart rate significantly decreased in the final phase of driving, with respect to the initial phase (85 vs. 78 bpm, p = 0.027). Increasing age (beta = -0.729, p = 0.022), risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (beta = -0.530, p = 0.04), and diurnal sleepiness (beta = -0.406, p = 0.017) showed a significant effect on influencing mental fatigue. Conclusion: Elderly drivers at higher risk of sleep disorders are more prone to mental fatigue, when exposed to driving activity. Monitoring indexes of central arousal and autonomic balance, coupled with the use of structured questionnaires can represent a useful strategy to detect profile of workers at higher risk of mental fatigue in such duty.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.715-723
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• 2000

Background : Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects systemic blood pressure and cardiac function. The development of cardiovascular dysfunction including the changes of systemic blood pressure and cardiac rhythm, suggests that recurrent hypoxia and arousals from sleep may increase a sympathetic nervous system activity. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been found to be an effective treatment of OSAS. However, only a few studies have investigated the cardiovascular and sympathetic effects of CPAP therapy. We evaluated influences of nasal CPAP therapy on the cardiovascular system and the sympathetic activity in patients with OSAS. Methods : Thirteen patients with OSAS underwent CPAP therapy and were monitored using polysomnography, blood pressure, heart rate, presence of arrhythmia and the concentration of plasma catecholamines, before and with CPAP therapy. Results: The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was significant1y decreased (p<0.01) and the lowest arterial oxygen saturation level was elevated significantly after applying CPAP (p<0.01). Systolic blood pressure tended to decrease after CPAP but without statistical significance. Heart rates during sleep were not significantly different after CPAP. However, the frequency and number of types of arrhythmia decreased and sinus bradytachyarrhythmia disappeared after CPAP. Although there was no significant difference in the level of plasma epinephrine concentration, plasma norepinephrine concentration significantly decreased after CPAP (p<0.05). Conclusion : CPAP therapy decreased the apnea-hypopnea index, hypoxic episodes and plasma norepinephrine concentration. In addition, it decreased the incidence of arrhythmia and tended to decrease the systemic blood pressure. These results indicate that CPAP may play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular complications in patients with OSAS.

• CELLMED
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.14.1-14.6
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• 2018

Santalum album Linn. [Family: Santalaceae] is commonly known as white sandalwood, sandal safaid and safed chandan. It is one of the most valuable trees and second costliest wood in the world. Sandalwood and its oil is extensively used in the Unani and other traditional systems of medicine as it has blood purifier, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, exhilarant, cardiotonic, antiseptic, nervine tonic and expectorant properties. It is used in skin, cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, respiratory, integument and urogenital disorders. These uses are supported and proven by many in vitro or in vivo studies. The proven pharmacological activities of S. album are antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and anti-fatigue. The research has proven that sandal oil or its constituents have anti-microbial activity. Sandalwood oil showed skin cancer preventive effect in mice and its constituent alpha santalol showed the anticancer property. The methanolic extract of wood was confirmed for antioxidant, free radical scavenging, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ santalols present in sandal oil showed sedative effects. Sandalwood tea had a significant effect on heart muscles of frog and showed increased myocardial contractility. Its oil showed significant changes in hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Sandalwood oil and its major constituents showed less acute oral and dermal toxicity in laboratory animals. Hence, the aforementioned studies justify the uses of sandalwood and its oil mentioned in the classical Unani literature. However, further clinical trials are suggested to confirm its efficacy and safety in humans.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 1994

In rat atrium the characteristics of purinergic receptors were investigated by observing the effects of some purinergic receptor agonists and antagonists on action potential and contractile force. The statistically significant effects of $ATP(10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-3}M)$ and adenosine $(10^{-6}{\sim}10^{-3}M)$ on normal action potential characteristics were a dose-dependent shortening of action potential duration $(APD_{90})$ by both agents and hyperpolarization by $ATP(10^{-4},10^{-3}M)$. $CAP(10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-4}M)$, an $A_1$ adenosine receptor agonist, shortened $(APD_{90})$ markedly in a dose-dependent manner and these effects were almost abolished by $DPCPX\;(10^{-6}\;M), an $A_1$, adenosine receptor antagonist, but not affected by $DMPX(2{\times}10^{-6}\;M)$, an $A_2$ adenosine receptor agonist. On the other hand, CGS $21680(10^{-7}{\sim}10^{-4}M)$, an $A_2$ adenosine receptor agonist, elicited a slight shortening of $(APD_{90})$ and these effects were inhibited by DPCPX but persisted in the presence of DPMX. Adenosine $(10^{-6}{\sim}10{\-4}\;M)$ decreased the basal contraction of atrial muscle in a dose-dependent manner and these effects were not inhibited by DMPX but by DPCPX. These results suggests that purinergic receptor agonists depress the cardiac activity by a short ening of action potential duration and this effect is mostly mediated by $A_1$ adenosine receptors in rat atrium.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.354-361
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• 1999

In this study, the effects of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on ischemia/ reperfusion injury were investigated on isolated heart perfusion models. Hezrts were perfused with oxygenated Krebs-henseleit solution (pH 7.4, $37^{\cire}C$) on a Langendorff apparatus. After equilibration, isolated hearts were treated with TUDCA 100 and 200 $\mu\textrm{M}$ or vehicle (0.02% DMSO) for 10 min before the onset of ischemia in single treatment group. In 7 day pretreatment group. TUDCA 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight were given orally for 7 days before operation. After global ischemia (30 min), ischemic hearts were reperfused for 30 min. The physiological (i.e. heart rate, left ventricdular developed pressure, coronary flow, double product, time to contracture formation) and biochemical (lactate dehydrogenase; LDH) parameters were evaluated. In vehicle-treated group, time to contracture formation was 810 sec during ischemia, LVDP was 34.0 mmHg at the endpoint of reperfusion and LDH activity in total reperfusion effluent was 34.3 U/L. Single treatment with TUDCA did not change the postischemic recovery of cardiac function, LDH and time to contractur compared with ischemic control group. TUDCA pretreatment showed the tendency to decrease LDH release and to increase time to contracture and coronary flow. Our findings suggest that TUDCA does not ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion-reduced myocardial damage.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 2010

This research proposes measuring of BCG(ballistocardiogram) to monitor heart activities in a non-constrained environment, at home or work. Unlike with ECG, measuring BCG does not require the attachment of leads on the subject's body and allows signal measuring in a non-constrained state. It enables effective long-term monitoring of cardiac conditions. In this study a chair type BCG measurement system to continuous monitor the activity of the heart is implemented. The instrument consists of upper petal and ready for press of chair load cell sensor is attached to measure the change of the object's weight. In order to extract the output ballistic signal from the weight and force sensor signals. Beside the signal processing circuit for the digital conversion, the ballistic signal is detected using DAQ equipment. Signal processing algorithm including wavelet transforms for noise cancellation, template matching for normalization and peak detection in BCG is developed. ECG and BCG were concurrently measured to evaluate the performance of the system, and comparing the characteristics of the two signals verified the possibility of the system in non-constrained and nonconscious health monitoring.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 1976

It has been reported that many of the effects of digitalis glycosides could be mediated partly through the central nervous system. In this study the effects of ouabain given directly into the lateral ventricle of the brain on the renal function of the rabbit were investigated. Intraventricular ouabain elicited antidiuresis in doses ranging from 0.1 to $3\;{\mu}g$, exhibiting a rough dose-response relationship, and decreased the renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate and urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, concomitant with the decrease of urine flow. These decreases in urine flow, excretory rate of electrolytes significantly correlated with the decrease in renal plasma flow or glomerular filtration rate, suggesting that the antidiuresis might have been induced by the hemodynamic changes. Intravenous ouabain in a dose of $1\;{\mu}g$ did not affect the renal function. Systemic blood pressure as well as cardiac activity was not affected by the intraventricular ouabain. Effects of the intraventricular ouabain on renal function were abolished by the intravenous phentolamine-pretreatment but not affected by intraventricular phentolamine-pretreatment. Neither vasopressin infusion nor hydration did affect the renal effects of intraventricular ouabain. From these observations, it is suggested that the antidiuresis of intraventricular ouabain is induced by the increased sympathetic influence to the kidney.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1985

Isolated sinus node cells of the rabbit were used to assess the effects of extracellular Na, K, Ca and Mg concentrations on cardiac pacemaker activity. With intracellular glass micro-electrodes spontaneous action potentials of SA node were recorded and the effects of various ions and their blockers were analyzed in terms of the cycle length, the amplitude and the duration of action potentials, the results obtained were as follows. 1. Sodium reduction [up to 30%] decreased the amplitude of action potential and lengthened the cycle length. TTX, specific blocker of Na channel slightly lengthened the cycle length. 2. Increasing potassium ion concentration, the duration of action potential decreased and the frequency increased in 6mM, however, spontaneous action potential was stopped in 24 mM. Barium ion known to be decreasing K conductance increased the duration of action potential but no significant change in the cycle length was noticed. 3. Calcium ion has shortening effect on the duration and the cycle length of action potential but not with dose-dependent manner. Cadmium ion .[0.02mM] lengthened cycle length and the duration of action potential. 4. Increasing the concentration of magnesium ion the cycle length was lengthened, significantly.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.426-431
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• 2006

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), representing a population of undifferentiated pluripotent cells with both self-renewal and multilineage differentiation characteristics, are capable of spontaneous differentiation into cardiomyocytes. The present study sought to define the kinetic characterization of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) of ESC- and neonatal-derived cardiomyocytes. Spontaneously differentiated cardiomyocytes from embryoid bodies (EBs) derived from mouse ESC line (Royan B1) and neonatal cardiomyocytes were dispersed in a buffer solution. Enzymes were extracted by sonication and centrifugation for kinetic evaluation of LDH and CK with spectrophotometric methods. While a comparison between the kinetic properties of the LDH and CK of both groups revealed not only different Michaelis constants and optimum temperatures for LDH but also different Michaelis constants and optimum pH for CK, the pH profile of LDH and optimum temperature of CK were similar. In defining some kinetic properties of cardiac metabolic enzymes of ESC-derived cardiomyocytes, our results are expected to further facilitate the use of ESCs as an experimental model.