• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.355-367
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors influencing the health-related quality of life among women merchants at traditional markets. Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional descriptive study included 121 women merchants. Data were collected from May 01 to June 30, 2019 using the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), psychosocial well-being index-short form (PWI-SF), subjective health status, and HRQoL. Selected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression by applying the SPSS/WIN program 22.0. Results: The HRQoL was significantly different by age (F=5.87, p=.001), education (F=2.98, p=.022), working period (F=4.70, p=.004), exercise (t=2.20, p=.030), chronic disease (t=-2.57, p=.011), BMI (F=5.04, p=.008), depression (F=4.70, p=.004), stress (F=7.82, p<.001), and subjective health status (F=7.91, p=.001). Factors influencing the HRQoL for women merchants included BMI (β=-.35, p<.001), subjective health status (β=.33, p<.001), and stress (β=-.18, p=.021). The explanation power of this regression model was 29.8% (F=5.51, p<.021). Conclusion: BMI, subjective health status, and stress affect the HRQoL of the subjects evaluated. Therefore, there is a need for health management programs that may decrease stress, control the BMI, and improve the subjective health status of women merchants at traditional markets.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.607-613
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• 2004

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infection is an important pathogen of stomach cancer after chronic gastritis and ulceration in the stomach and duodenum. However, the virulences of H. pylori strains have not been well-defined between clinical isolates. This study was designed to establish water-immersion-restraint stress (WIRS) model in mongolian gerbil for comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains. To determine an optimal duration time for WIRS model in gerbil, 5-week-old Mongolian gerbils were divided into different groups by WIRS duration time. After graded duration of WIRS, the macroscopic ulcer index (UI) was measured with the stomach and duodenum of sacrificed animal. There were no significant differences between male and female in same duration group. However, the UI increased significantly in a time-dependent fashion. The group of 6 hours-WIRS animals showed severe hemorrhage and ulceration in their stomach and duodenum. On the other hand, the very mild lesions induced in 2 hours-treated animals. Therefore, we determined an optimal duration time for WIRS model in gerbil as 4 hours. Thereafter, we evaluated whether this WIRS model in gerbil could be used as an useful tool for in vivo comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains by enhancement of pathological severity in H. pylori-infected gerbils. Mongolian gerbils were divided into H. pyloriinfected and PBS-inoculated groups. Thereafter, they were divided again into 4 hours-WIRS and no WIRS subgroups. After treatment, the severity of pathological changes was evaluated in a same manner with previous duration-determining experiment. When the animals were exposed to WIRS, the UI was significantly higher in the infected group than in the uninfected group. These results suggested that the established gerbil-WIRS model in this study enhanced effectively the severity of pathogenic changes in the H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils and could be used as an useful tool for in vivo comparison of pathogenicity of H. pylori strains.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.77-93
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• 2011

This study investigates the association between chronic health conditions (CHD) and depression with a focus on the mediating effect of financial strain. We tested if age makes any difference in the effect of CHD and financial strain on depression. The data comes from the 2006 Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) collected by the Institute of Korean Labor Research. The sample consisted of information from 8,961 individuals ages 45-79. Separate analyses were done for middle-age (45-64) and older-adult groups (65-79). There were significant financial portfolio differences among CHD patients and non-CHD, for both age groups, that may constitute the impact of a health event on financial wellbeing; in addition, the associations of CHD on depressive symptoms were different by age groups. The mediating effect of financial wellbeing on the association between CHD and depressive symptoms was verified; in addition, the role of financial wellbeing on the association was especially strong for the older-adult group. The effect of CHD on depression was contingent on the amount of net assets and annual personal income. Implications are discussed based on the findings.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

Introduction: Pharmacopuncture, which combines acupuncture with herbal medicine, is one of the newly developed acupuncture techniques that has recently been put into use. The possible mechanisms of scolopendra pharmacopuncture, as well as its potential effects on depressive symptoms, were investigated in this study by using a mouse model of chronic immobilization stress (CIS). Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned into three groups: mice not stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, mice stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, and mice stressed with restraint injected with scolopendra pharmacopuncture at a cervical site. Behavioral tests (an open field test, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test) were carried out after two weeks of CIS and injection treatments. The expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus were determined by using western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results: Mice exposed to CIS showed decreased behavioral activity, while scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment significantly protected against the depressive-like behaviors induced by CIS. Moreover, scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment increased GFAP protein levels in the hippocampi of the mice stressed by chronic immobilization. Conclusion: Scolopendra pharmacopuncture has an ameliorating effect on depressive behavior, which is partially mediated through protection against glial loss in the hippocampus.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.43-64
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Jowiseungcheongtang compared with St. John's wort in the chronic mild stress(CMS) animal model of depression. Wistar rats were used for this study. The subjects were divided into 4 groups (Naive group: without CMS procedure, CMS-vehicle: water was administered during CMS procedure, CMS-Jowiseungcheongtang: Jowiseungcheongtang was administered after 5 weeks of CMS procedure, CMS-St. John's wort: St. John's wort was administered after 5 weeks of CMS procedure) During 9 weeks of CMS procedure, The change of the consumption of sucrose and the changes of weights were measured. After CMS procedure, Morris water maze test, open field test, elevated plus maze test and Western blotting were measured. The results were as follows. 1. The consumption of sucrose solution was significantly reversed in Jowiseungcheongtang group and relatively reversed in St. John's Wort group at 7 week. 2. In open field test, Neither Jowiseungcheongtang nor St. John's wort group showed statistically significant change of exploratory activity. In EPM test, St. John's Wort group showed significant decrease of total arm entry in comparison with Naive group. And Jowiseungcheongtang group was showed no significant change. 3. In Morris water maze test, St. John's Wort group showed significant increase in escape latency of the last Morris water maze trial. And in water maze probe test, there was no significant change. 4. St. John's Wort group showed relative increase in LP1 division of 5HT1A receptor compared with Naive group. Both St. John's Wort and Jowiseungcheongtang group showed relative increase in P2 division of GluRl compared with Naive group. These results suggest that Jowiseungcheongtang is as effective as St. John's Wort in the treatment of depression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.4051-4055
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• 2012

Functional foods include antioxidant nutrients which may protect against many human chronic diseases by combating reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon tumors in rats as an in vivo experimental model. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats (4 weeks old) were randomly divided into 4 groups containing 10 rats per group, and were treated with either AOM, PPE, or PPE plus AOM or injected with 0.9% physiological saline solution as a control. At 8 weeks of age, the rats in the AOM and PPE plus AOM groups were injected with 15 mg AOM/kg body weight, once a week for two weeks. After the last AOM injection, the rats were continuously fed ad-libitum their specific diets for another 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment (i.e. at the age of 4 months), all rats were killed and the colon tissues were examined microscopically for lesions suspected of being preneoplastic lesions or tumors as well as for biochemical measurement of oxidative stress indices. The results revealed a lower incidence of aberrant crypt foci in the PPE plus AOM administered group as compared to the AOM group. In addition, PPE blocked the AOM-induced impairment of biochemical indicators of oxidative stress in the examined colonic tissue homogenates. The results suggest that PPE can partially inhibit the development of colonic premalignant lesions in an AOM-induced colorectal carcinogenesis model, by abrogating oxidative stress and improving the redox status of colonic cells.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2007

This study aims at providing some basic material to be made use of for establishing plans through which one can reduce job-related stress, through conducting a survey on the sources of stress and then distinguishing its symptoms by the sources. As the methods of the study, we conducted a questionnaire survey of some selected medium enterprises' employees in the National Capital region and analysed the results. The questionnaire was designed by using the dynamic stress model of Cooper and Eaker and consisted of 85 questions to examine the sources of stress, the characteristics of personalities, and symptoms by each type of stress. The total valid respondents were 392 persons indicating 65.3% of the response rate. For analysing the results, a rating scale was used, and the reliability and validity were tested by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. As the result of the study, those workers in medium enterprises were found to be put under much stress by responsibility, physical environment factors and career development factors and so on. As physical symptoms of job-related stress, eye fatigue, stiffness in their shoulders, headache, worry or anxiety, and waist ache presented most in the respondents. In addition, as behavioral symptoms, chronic fatigue was most indicated. In organizational symptoms, dissatisfaction about the company and lack of self-motivation for the job performance were found to show most. Moreover, the results indicated that the closer personalities to those appearing in persons mostly of type A they had, the more they were put under intensive stress by the vagueness of their roles and responsibility among all the job characteristics.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.376-386
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• 2022

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of depression by modulating synaptic structural remodeling and functional transmission. Previously, we have demonstrated that the ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) presents a novel antidepressant-like effect via BDNF-TrkB signaling in the hippocampus of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-exposed mice. However, the underlying mechanism through which Rb1 counteracts stress-induced aberrant hippocampal synaptic plasticity via BDNF-TrkB signaling remains elusive. Methods: We focused on hippocampal microRNAs (miRNAs) that could directly bind to BDNF and are regulated by Rb1 to explore the possible synaptic plasticity-dependent mechanism of Rb1, which affords protection against CUMS-induced depression-like effects. Results: Herein, we observed that brain-specific miRNA-134 (miR-134) could directly bind to BDNF 30 UTR and was markedly downregulated by Rb1 in the hippocampus of CUMS-exposed mice. Furthermore, the hippocampus-targeted miR-134 overexpression substantially blocked the antidepressant-like effects of Rb1 during behavioral tests, attenuating the effects on neuronal nuclei-immunoreactive neurons, the density of dendritic spines, synaptic ultrastructure, long-term potentiation, and expression of synapse-associated proteins and BDNF-TrkB signaling proteins in the hippocampus of CUMS-exposed mice. Conclusion: These data provide strong evidence that Rb1 rescued CUMS-induced depression-like effects by modulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity via the miR-134-mediated BDNF signaling pathway.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.739-746
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of stress symptoms, oral habits and temporomanbibular joint symptom among 20-30 ages adults. And it's also meant to investigate the direct and indirect influence of these factors by using a path model to determine their causal relationship. Methods : The subjects in this study were 287 selected 20-30 ages adults, on whom a survey was conducted from June 15 to July 10, 2014. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0(SPSS 18.0 K for window, SPSS Inc USA) and IBM SPSS Amos 18.0(SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Results : There were significant differences in oral habits, TMJ symptoms and stress according to gender. There were significant differences in oral habits, TMJ symptoms, physical and psycho-emotional symptoms according to Systemic disease. And stress, physical, psycho-emotional symptoms, oral habits and TMJ symptoms were correlated to one another. Stress exerted a direct influence on physical, psycho-emotional symptoms, and psycho-emotional symptoms had a direct impact on physical symptoms, oral habits and TMJ symptoms. Physical symptoms exercised a direct influence on oral habits and TMJ symptoms, and oral habits affected TMJ symptoms in a direct way. physical, psycho-emotional symptoms and oral habits served as parameters that produced partial mediation effects, and the two factors had an indirect impact on TMJ symptoms. Conclusions : It's found that stress exerted direct and indirect influence on oral parafunction and TMJ symptoms. Like other diseases, oral habits and TMJ symptom that stem from stress is likely to lead to chronic diseases if the two are not noticed at the right time. Therefore individual people should try to get rid of stress in a manner to be appropriate for their own characteristics in order to maintain their oral health.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.851-858
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• 2015

Disturbed blood flow with low-oscillatory shear stress (OSS) is a predominant atherogenic factor leading to dysfunctional endothelial cells (ECs). Recently, it was found that disturbed flow can directly induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ECs, thereby playing a critical role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a naturally occurring bile acid, has long been used to treat chronic cholestatic liver disease and is known to alleviate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress at the cellular level. However, its role in atherosclerosis remains unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated the anti-atherogenic activity of UDCA via inhibition of disturbed flow-induced ER stress in atherosclerosis. UDCA effectively reduced ER stress, resulting in a reduction in expression of X-box binding protein-1 (XBP-1) and CEBP-homologous protein (CHOP) in ECs. UDCA also inhibits the disturbed flow-induced inflammatory responses such as increases in adhesion molecules, monocyte adhesion to ECs, and apoptosis of ECs. In a mouse model of disturbed flow-induced atherosclerosis, UDCA inhibits atheromatous plaque formation through the alleviation of ER stress and a decrease in adhesion molecules. Taken together, our results revealed that UDCA exerts anti-atherogenic activity in disturbed flow-induced atherosclerosis by inhibiting ER stress and the inflammatory response. This study suggests that UDCA may be a therapeutic agent for prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.