The authors investigated the effects of acupressure on intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal individuals in an uncontrolled trial.The IOP at 30, 60, and 90 minutes post-intervention was compared to that of baseline in 28 eyes of 14 normal individuals.Similarly, the IOP changes on the right and left eye were recorded after applying acupressure on the left foot only.The mean difference in IOP at 30, 60, 90 minutes after acupressure was 1.60, 3.16, 2.79, respectively, which was statistically significant at 60 and 90 minutes only (p=<0.01).The greatest decrease of IOP post acupressure was recorded at 60 minutes.The right eye showed a significantly greater decrease than the left at 60 and 90 minutes with a mean value of 2.58 and 1.98, respectively.
Human ; ACUPRESSURE ; ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ; GLAUCOMA ; REFLEXOLOGY

Fibronectin is an important large adhesive glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix, which is alternatively spliced in three regions, designated EIIIA, EIIIB and IIIcs respectively. IIIcs contains two binding domains for a variety of cell surface and extracellular ligands. Through this multiplicity of adhesive activities, IIIcs can fulfill key roles in a broad spectrum of physiological processes, such as cell spreading and migration, differentiation and embryogenesis, wound healing, malignant transformation and metastasis, etc. Here, we will discuss the structure, biological property, and function of IIIcs splicing variants and its forensic applications.
Alternative Splicing ; Animals ; Cattle ; Fibronectins/physiology* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Rats ; Wound Healing/physiology*

Alternative Splicing ; Fibronectins/genetics* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Protein Conformation ; Protein Isoforms/genetics* ; Wound Healing/physiology*

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which were responsible for delaying early diagnosis and optimal management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Korea. We interviewed 109 outpatients diagnosed as RA being treated by rheumatologists, and we eventually analyzed 98 patients' data. The median length of time from symptom onset to the first visit to a medical doctor, to diagnosis, and visiting a rheumatologist were 8 weeks, 23 weeks, and 42 months respectively. The subspecialist with whom the patients consulted with for the longest time before visiting a rheumatologist were an orthopaedic surgeon for 51 patients, a Chinese herbal doctor for 19 patients, and a pharmacist for 16 patients. For early diagnosis and optimal management of RA in Korea, we believe that it is necessary to reduce the use of unconventional medical services such as Chinese herbal medicine and nonprescribed medication, and to emphasize rheumatologic and rehabilitative care in the early stage.
Adult ; Alternative Medicine/utilization ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/therapy* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/rehabilitation ; Female ; Health Services/utilization* ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Age ; Rheumatology/methods

OBJECTIVE: To observe the means of fibronectin(FN) alternative splicing and the expression of EIIIA-FN variant in rat skin after bruise, for the sake of providing some help for forensic estimation of wound interval. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from wounded skin, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was conducted to amplify target segments. RESULTS: Detectable EIIIA+(526 bp) segments, lacked in normal organize, was amplified at 1 h after experimental wound, and the levels were increased within 24 h. CONCLUSION The alternative splicing EIIIA-fibronectin variant would be a satisfied criterion for research of skin injury.
Alternative Splicing ; Animals ; Epithelium/metabolism* ; Fibronectins/genetics* ; Forensic Medicine ; Integrin alpha4beta1/biosynthesis* ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin/metabolism* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validation of the test strip of colloidal gold-labeled anti-Fibronectin EIIIA(Fn-EIIIA) Splicing Variant for estimating the time of injury. METHODS: After skin tissues with variant injury times were collected from corpses, the test strip were used to detect the expression of Fn-EIIIA and its tested results were valued; The arisen autolysis which may influence the results of test were also observed by rats models. RESULTS: In no-injured skins, no Fn-EIIIA were detected by the strip, while in all the injured skins it was detected successfully as soon as injured after 1h and it showed more obvious results with the elongating of injured time; No changes made by autolysis were found in our studied time ranges. CONCLUSION The test strip which used in this study showed to be a sensitive and steady method for estimating the time of injury in forensic science.
Alternative Splicing ; Animals ; Autolysis ; Female ; Fibronectins/metabolism* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Humans ; Indicators and Reagents ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin/metabolism* ; Time Factors