PURPOSE: This study was done to verify effects of a positive psychotherapy program on depression, self-esteem, and hope in patients with major depressive disorders. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pre-post design was used. Participants were 53 people (control group=27 and experimental group=26) who were diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and received psychiatric outpatient treatment. The data were collected from July 1 to December 30, 2013. The experimental group received the positive psychotherapy program 8 times over 8 weeks. Data analysis was conducted using chi2-test, Fisher's exact test and t-test. RESULTS: As the result of the intervention, depression (p<.001), self-esteem (p<.001) and hope (p<.001) improved significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the positive psychotherapy program can be widely utilized as one of the nursing intervention programs for depressive patients.
Depression* ; Depressive Disorder, Major* ; Hope* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Psychotherapy* ; Statistics as Topic

No abstract available.
Meconium* ; Peritonitis* ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Leukemia, Plasma Cell* ; Plasma Cells* ; Plasma*

Neuroinflammation—a common pathological feature of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease—is mediated by microglial activation. Thus, inhibiting microglial activation is vital for treating various neurological disorders. 7,3’,4’-Trihydroxyisoflavone (THIF)—a secondary metabolite of the soybean compound daidzein—possesses antioxidant and anticancer properties. However, the effects of 7,3’,4’-THIF on microglial activation have not been explored. In this study, antineuroinflammatory effects of 7,3’,4’-THIF in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglial cells were examined. 7,3’,4’-THIF significantly suppressed the production of the proinflammatory mediators nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as well as of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Moreover, 7,3’,4’-THIF markedly inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Western blotting revealed that 7,3’,4’-THIF diminished LPS-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Overall, 7,3’,4’-THIF exerts antineuroinflammatory effects against LPSinduced microglial activation by suppressing mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-κB signaling, ultimately reducing proinflammatory responses. Therefore, these antineuroinflammatory effects of 7,3’,4’-THIF suggest its potential as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative disorders.

BACKGROUND: The yeasts of the genus Malassezia are members of the normal flora on human skin and they are found in 75~80% of healthy adults. Since its association with various skin disorders have been known, there have been a growing number of reports that have implicated Malassezia yeast in atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to isolate the various Malassezia species from AD patients by using 26S rDNA (ribosomal Deoxyribonucleic acid) PCR-RFLP and to investigate the relationship between a positive Malassezia culture and the severity of AD. METHODS: Cultures for Malassezia yeasts were taken from the scalp, cheek, chest, arm and thigh of 60 patients with atopic dermatitis. We used a rapid and accurate molecular biological method 26S rDNA PCR-RFLP, and this method can overcome the limits of the morphological and biochemical methods. RESULTS: Positive Malassezia growth was noted on 51.7% of the patients with atopic dermatitis by 26S rDNA PCR-RFLP analysis. The overall dominant species was M. sympodialis (16.3%). M. restricta was the most common species on the scalp (30.0%) and cheek (16.7%). M. sympodialis (28.3%) was the most common species on the chest. The positive culture rate was the highest for the 11~20 age group (59.0%) and the scalp showed the highest rate at 66.7%. There was no significant relationship between the Malassezia species and SCORing for Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). CONCLUSION: The fact that the cultured species was different for the atopic dermatitis lesion skin from that of the normal skin may be due to the disrupted skin barrier function and sensitization of the organism induced by scratching in the AD lesion-skin. But there was no relationship between the Malassezia type and the severity score. The severity score is thought to depend not on the type, but also on the quantity of the yeast.
Adult ; Arm ; Cheek ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Humans ; Malassezia ; Scalp ; Skin ; Thigh ; Thorax ; Yeasts

Previous studies showed that whole body vibration could prevent bone resorption and stimulate new bone formation. The aim of this study is to detect and track effect of whole body vibration for osteoporotic bone of OVX rats. 12 Female rats were used and allocated into 5 group, CON, SHAM, WBV 17, WBV 30 and WBV 45. Rats except SHAM group were ovariectomised to induce osteoporosis. Rats in WBV groups were stimulated whole body vibration at magnitude of 1 mm(peak-peak) and frequency 17 Hz, 30 Hz and 45 Hz, repectively, for 8 weeks (20 min, 5 days/week). The 4th lumbar in rats were scanned at a resolution of 35 micrometer at baseline, before stimulation, and 8 weeks by In-vivo Micro-CT. To detect and track changes of morphological characteristics in lumbar trabecuar bone of rats, structural parameters were measured and calculated from acquiring images. In the results, changes of structural characteristics of WBV group were smaller than those of CON group. Loss of quantity of trabecular bone in WBV 45 was the least. In contrast, that in WBV 17 was the biggest. These results showed that reasonable whole body vibration beneficially affected osteoporotic bones. In addition to, whole body vibration was likely to be substituted partly for drug treatment.
Animals ; Bone Resorption ; Female ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Rats* ; Vibration*

PURPOSE: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is associated with localized aggressive periodontitis. It produces cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), which induces cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. The CDT holotoxin is composed of CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC. CdtB has structural homology to human DNase I and is an active component of the CDT complex acting as a DNase. In particular, the pattern homology seen in the CdtB subunit has been associated with specific DNase I residues involved in enzyme catalysis, DNA binding, and metal ion binding. So, to study the functions and regulation of recombinant CdtB, we made up a quantity of functional recombinant CdtB and tested it in relation to the metal ion effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We constructed the pET28a-cdtB plasmid from A. actinomycetemcomitans Y4 by genomic DNA PCR and expressed it in the BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli system. We obtained the functional recombinant CdtB by the refolding system using the dialysis method and then analyzed the DNase activity and investigated the metal ion effect from plasmid digestion. RESULTS: The recombinant CdtB subunit was expressed as the inclusion bodies. We were able to obtain functional recombinant CdtB subunit using refolding system. We confirmed that our refolded recombinant CdtB had DNase activity and was influenced by the metal ions Mg2+ and Ca2+. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the factors influencing recombinant CdtB may contribute to CDT associated diseases, such as periodontitis, endocarditic, meningitis, and osteomyelitis.
Aggressive Periodontitis ; Bacterial Toxins ; Catalysis ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Deoxyribonuclease I ; Deoxyribonucleases ; Dialysis ; DNA ; Edetic Acid ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; Ions ; Meningitis ; Osteomyelitis ; Periodontitis ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is an autosomal dominant craniosynostosis syndrome, usually involving unior bilateral coronal synostosis and mild limb deformities, and is induced by loss-of-function mutations of the TWIST1 gene. Other clinical features of this syndrome include ptosis, low-set ears, hearing loss, hypertelorism, broad great toes, clinodactyly, and syndactyly. The authors of the present study report 2 children with clinical features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome who showed mutations in the TWIST1 gene, and is the first molecular genetic confirmation of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome in Korea. The molecular genetic testing of the TWIST1 gene for patients with coronal synostoses is important to confirm the diagnosis and to provide adequate genetic counseling.
Acrocephalosyndactylia ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Craniosynostoses ; Ear ; Extremities ; Genetic Counseling ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Korea ; Molecular Biology ; Syndactyly ; Synostosis ; Toes

OBJECTIVE: New Zealand White Rabbits were utilized to determine whether fetal insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) expression in small intestine is altered in response to maternal enodotoxin administration. STUDY DESIGN: Six pregnant rabbits were intramuscularly injected with lipopolysaccharide of E. coli (serotype 055:B5) 30 microgram/kg, whereas normal saline 0.3 mL/kg were injected to the other six pregnant rabbits on gestational day 25 and 26. Fetuses were harvested on gestational day 27 and were identified as favored (Fav) or runt (Runt) depending on the location in the uterus. Fetal weight and small intestinal length were recorded. Three parts of small intestine (proximal, middle and distal) were collected. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure IGF-1/beta-actin mRNA densitometric band ratios. Statistical analysis was performed using paired Student's t-test and Pearson correlation test. RESULTS: The ratio of mRNA IGF-1/beta-actin was lower in endotoxin group (0.80+/-0.24, n=24) than control group (1.13+/-0.31, n=24, P<0.05). Fetal weights were decreased with endotoxin group (24.7+/-8.59 gm) compared to control group (28.5+/-4.35 gm, p<0.05). Fav fetuses (1.09+/-0.42, n=12) showed increased expression of IGF-1 mRNA in the small intestine than Runt fetuses (0.84+/-0.35, n=12) in control group. In endotoxin group, there was no statistically significant difference in expression of IGF-1 mRNA between Fav (0.82+/-0.31, n=12) and Runt (0.79+/-0.43, n=12) group. Lengths of small intestine showed no statistically significant difference between control and endotoxin group, and Fav and Runt (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study, maternal endotoxin administration suppressed IGF-1 production in small intestine of fetal rabbit. Endotoxin in maternal serum might be transferred to fetus through placenta and decreased production of mRNA of IGF-1 in small intestine. Further studies are warranted to investigate the correlation between intrauterine growth retardation and maternal gram negative bacterial infection.
Bacterial Infections ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Weight ; Fetus* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intestine, Small* ; Placenta ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rabbits ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA, Messenger ; Uterus

Diverticular disease of the colon is frequently involved in Western countries, which in korea, it is regarding as rare disease. In Western the diverticulosis is mainly affected on left side and increasing in according to age and false type is more frequent than ture type. While in oriental countries, the diverticulosis of the colon is mainly affected on right side and it is more frequent in younger patients. Cecal diverticulitis is known to a very rare disease and very difficult to be differenciated from acute scopy has purnished another useful tool in the differential diagnosis of diverticular disease. We experienced a case of cecal diverticultitis which had been diagnosed by colonofiberscopy and reviewed literatures briefly.
Colon ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulitis* ; Diverticulum ; Humans ; Korea ; Rare Diseases