PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the food involvement scale (FIS) of American and Japanese consumers. In addition, the effects of familiarity, likability, and expectations on willingness to use intentions for block type sauce by nationality were evaluated. METHODS: A total of 149 and 112 American and Japanese consumers, respectively, completed the survey. Consumers were asked about familiarity, likability, expectation, willing to use intention, and usage frequency of block type sauce, food involvement scale (FIS), and demographic information. RESULTS: There were differences in the using frequency of block type sauce according to nationality, with consumers in Japan showing significantly higher frequency of using block type sauce than those in the United States (US) (p < 0.001). According to the FIS, US consumers were more focused on how to provide food than food, such as cooking process, table setting, and food shopping, compared to Japanese consumers. In addition, ‘expectation’ and ‘likability’ among US consumers and ‘expectation’ and ‘familiarity’ among Japanese consumers were positive attributes for willing to use intention (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In the case of the US consumers, ‘familiarity’ was not significant because the using frequency of the block type sauce was lower than that of Japanese consumers. In the case of the Japanese consumers, ‘likability’ was not significant because they enjoy cooking itself according to the FIS. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize positive attributes as a key factor for block type sauce, as well as to search for ways to apply marketing strategies based on attributes by nationality.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cooking ; Ethnic Groups ; Humans ; Intention* ; Japan ; Marketing ; Recognition (Psychology) ; United States

Electrodiagnostic studies were carried out in 31 patients with neurological complications of AHC, who were seen at Seoul National University Hospital from August 1981 to February 1982. Age of the patients ranged from 14 to 62 years. Both velocity and distal latency of motor and sensory conduction were normal in the nerves innervating the affected muscles. During the acute phase of motor paralysis, there was an absence of electrical activity in completely paralysed muscles. In partially denervated muscles, there were polyphasic motor unit potentials of normal duration and amplitrde on weak contraction and reduced interference on maximal effort. From the third or fourth week onwards, fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves at rest were observed in paraspinal muscles in most cases. All the above findings were supporting the view that the principal site of involvement for the paralytic phenomena is at the level of the anterior horn cells or anterior roots.
Anterior Horn Cells ; Conjunctivitis, Acute Hemorrhagic* ; Humans ; Muscles ; Paralysis ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Seoul

The amplitude and latency of visual evoked potentials to pattern-reversal half-field stimulation were measured in 20 normal right-handed subjects to determine whether the individual contribution of right and left cerebral hemispheres is different as related to the generation of pattern-evoked potentials. The amplitude and latency of P1 from a lateral occipital electrode ipsilateral to the halffield stimulation were significantly greater with right half-field wtimulation. The amplitude and latency difference between both sides probably reflects asymmetries of human striate cortex.
Cerebrum ; Electrodes ; Evoked Potentials, Visual* ; Humans ; Visual Cortex

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy(JME) of Janz is a syndrome of generalized age related epilepsy with increasing incidence and probable autosomal recessive trait. We have experienced 2 female patients who had awakening myoclonus in both arms, which had started in their early 10th. The patterns of seirures and electroencephalographic findings were consistent with those of JME which had been first described as impulsive petit mal by Janz. We report these cases with brief review of literatures.
Arm ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile* ; Myoclonus

This study examined the effects of social identity (cognitive, affective, and evaluative social identity) on affective commitment and behavioral intention in premium food markets. Data were collected from customers who had visited the premium food markets within three months prior to the time of the survey. A total of 247 responses were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 for Windows. The three attributes of social identity (cognitive, affective, and evaluative social identity) had a significant positive effect on the affective commitment, while affective commitment had a positive effect on the behavioral intention in premium food markets. On the other hand, only evaluative social identity had a significant positive effect on the behavioral intention in premium food markets. These results revealed the mediating effect of affective commitment in the relationship between social identity and customers' behavioral intention. This suggests a positive affective commitment as a key factor for customers in premium food markets. The results would be applied to marketing strategies based on the attributes of premium food market customers.
Hand ; Intention ; Marketing ; Negotiating ; Social Identification

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knowledge about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intentions to practice COVID-19 preventive behaviors using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 519 restaurant customers' responses was collected in this study through an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on socio-demographic factors. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were conducted to determine differences in the constructs from the TPB according to age and sex.The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS: SEM revealed the positive effect of knowledge about COVID-19 on attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants. Attitude, subjective norm, behavior intention, and knowledge positively affected COVID-19 preventive behavior intentions in restaurants. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study confirmed that the TPB is helpful in elucidating the determinants of consumers' intention to practice COVID-19 preventive behavior in restaurants. These findings can help policy makers and professionals provide material for further public health interventions and inform them about awareness-raising, guidelines, and health education programs.

We performed 3 kinds of memory tests and cognitive evoked potential study, P300, in 13 patients with memory disturbance and 19 control free of neurologic symptoms or history of neurological impairment; to determine correlation of each memory test with P300 and possibility of clinical application of P300 as a quantitative test of cognitive function. Patients and control younger than 40 years of age were selected to minimize the aging effect on the cognitive function tests. Those who marked 30 points in Mini-mental state examination were chosen as control. 11 of 13 patients had brrain lesions including temporal lobe. Comparing with tests in control group, the declarative ant the procedural memory of patients were significantly impaired (p<0.05, p<0.025, respectively), and P300 latency was significantly prolonged (p<0.001). In control group, among declarative memory tests Rey-Osterreith complex figure test and enhanced cued recall had significant correlation with P300 latency (p<0.05, p<0.05, respectively), while the Tower of Toronto test which was known to evaluate precedural memory did not. In patient group there was no significant correlation between any kind of memory test and P300 latency. These results not only are consistent with previous studies which detected temporal lobe as the origin of P300 wave, but implicate that brain loci other than temporal lobe might originate P300 wave. To apply P300 as a quantitative test of cognitive function, further extensive studies using age and IQ matched control will be needed.
Aging ; Ants ; Brain ; Evoked Potentials* ; Humans ; Memory* ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Temporal Lobe

BACKGROUND: The clinical and economic impact of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii colonization remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate and compare the mortality rates, length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization costs in the intensive care unit (ICU) for MDR A. baumannii colonized patients and a matched population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective propensity score matched cohort study comparing the outcomes of patients with MDR A. baumannii colonization with those of uncolonized subjects matched at the time they were admitted to the ICU between January 2012 and December 2014. RESULTS: During the study period, 375 (7.5%) of the 4,779 patients were colonized with MDR A. baumannii. One hundred and twenty-two MDR A. baumannii colonized patients were compared with 122 uncolonized patients using propensity score matching. MDR A. baumannii colonized patients were likely to have a higher mortality rate compared to uncolonized patients (49.2% vs 32.0%; odds ratio [OR], 3.64). A longer ICU LOS and total admission days were observed in the MDR A. baumannii colonized patient group (4.14 and 4.67 days increase, OR 1.41 and 1.19). MDR A. baumannii colonization patients had an average extra ICU and total admission cost of $1,179 (₩1,261,334) and $1,333 (₩1,422,032) according to a multivariable regression model (OR, 1.27 and 1.17). Multivariable analysis identified the factors affecting ICU cost, which included, MDR A. baumannii colonization (OR = 1.33; P = 0.001), ICU LOS (OR = 1.97; P <0.001), valvular heart disease (OR = 1.12; P = 0.005), invasive devices (OR = 1.15; P = 0.018), and surgery (OR = 1.1; P <0.001). CONCLUSION: MDR A. baumannii colonization was associated with increased mortality, LOS, and costs in the ICU. A strict infection control program including preemptive isolation for high-risk groups would be helpful for reducing the burden of this infection.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Cohort Studies ; Colon* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis* ; Critical Care* ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Intensive Care Units* ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Amyloid beta (Aβ) is the main component of amyloid plaques, which are deposited in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Biochemical and animal studies support the central role of Aβ in AD pathogenesis. Despite several investigations focused on the pathogenic mechanisms of Aβ, it is still unclear how Aβ accumulates in the central nervous system and subsequently initiates the disease at the cellular level. In this study, we investigated the pathogenic mechanisms of Aβ using proteomics and antibody microarrays. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of Aβ on neural stem cells (NSCs), we treated primary cultured cortical NSCs with several doses of Aβ for 48 h. A 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, trypan blue staining, and bromodeoxyuridine cell proliferation assay were performed. We detected several intracellular proteins that may be associated with Aβ by proteomics and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Various viability tests showed that Aβ decreased NSCs viability and cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Aβ treatment significantly decreased lactate dehydrogenase B, high-mobility group box 1, aldolase C, Ezrin, and survival signals including phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that several factors determined by proteomics and Western blot hold the clue to Aβ pathogenesis. Further studies are required to investigate the role of these factors.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid* ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Proliferation ; Central Nervous System ; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase ; Glycogen Synthase ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Neural Stem Cells* ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Proteomics ; Trypan Blue

Autophagy regulators are often effective as potential cancer therapeutic agents. Here, we investigated paclitaxel sensitivity in cells with knockout (KO) of ATG5 gene. The ATG5 KO in multidrug resistant v-Ha-ras -transformed NIH 3T3 cells (Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr) was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The qPCR and LC3 immunoblot confirmed knockout of the gene and protein of ATG5, respectively. The ATG5 KO restored the sensitivity of Ras-NIH 3T3/Mdr cells to paclitaxel. Interestingly, ATG5 overexpression restored autophagy function in ATG5 KO cells, but failed to rescue paclitaxel resistance. These results raise the possibility that low level of resistance to paclitaxel in ATG5 KO cells may be related to other roles of ATG5 independent of its function in autophagy. The ATG5 KO significantly induced a G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression. Additionally, ATG5 KO caused necrosis of a high proportion of cells after paclitaxel treatment. These data suggest that the difference in sensitivity to paclitaxel between ATG5 KO and their parental MDR cells may result from the disparity in the proportions of necrotic cells in both populations. Thus, our results demonstrate that the ATG5 KO in paclitaxel resistant cells leads to a marked G2/M arrest and sensitizes cells to paclitaxel-induced necrosis.