PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify the prevalence, risk factors and clinical meanings of geriatric foot problems and to suggest implications for the future. METHODS: One hundred eighty nine elderly aged 60 and over from institution as well as community were investigated for their foot conditions by means of a questionnaire including general characteristics, self care capacity, risk factors, foot problem checklist, X-ray, podoscopy and foot scan. Descriptive statistics and chi-square-test was performed as appropriate utilizing SPSS version 14. Less than .05 of p-value was adopted as statistical significance level. RESULTS: All subjects had at least one kind of foot problem and the most prevalent ones were nail problems, foot deformities in order. Prevalence of foot pain and edema was relatively low. CONCLUSION: Foot problem in elderly is prevalent and geriatric foot is expected to emerge as one of the most important problems in the geriatric field. Therefore strategies to deal with geriatric foot should be developed and practiced for better quality of life in later life.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Foot Deformities/epidemiology ; Foot Diseases/*epidemiology/etiology ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nails, Malformed/epidemiology ; Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Self Care

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of a mobile app-based program to reduce the dietary sugar intake according to the stages of the behavioral change in dietary sugar reduction in female college students. METHODS: The program used in this study can monitor the dietary sugar intake after recording the dietary intake and provide education message for the reduction of dietary sugar intake. In an eight-week pre-post intervention study, 68 female college students were instructed to record all the food they consumed daily and received weekly education information. At pre-post intervention, the subjects were asked to answer the questionnaire about sugar-related nutrition knowledge, sugar-intake behavior, and sugar-intake frequency. For statistical analysis, ANOVA and a paired t-test were used for comparative analysis according Precontemplation (PC), Contemplation ·Preparation (C ·P), and A ·M (Action ·Maintenance) stage. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the frequency of snacking, experience of nutrition education, and preference for sweetness according to the stages of behavior change in dietary sugar reduction. After finishing an intervention, the sugar-related nutrition knowledge score was increased significantly in the stages of Precontemplation (PC) and Contemplation ·Preparation (C ·P). The score of the sugar intake behavior increased significantly in all stages. The intake frequency of chocolate, muffins or cakes, and drinking yogurt decreased significantly in the PC stage and the intake frequency of biscuits, carbonated beverages, and fruit juice decreased significantly in the C ·P stage. Subjects in the PC and C ·P stages had an undesirable propensity in nutrition knowledge, sugar-intake behavior, and sugar-intake frequency compared to the A ·M stage, but this intervention improved significantly their nutrition knowledge, sugar-intake behavior, and sugar-intake frequency. CONCLUSION: This program can be an effective educational tool in the stages of PC and C ·P, and is expected to further increase the usability and sustainability of mobile application if supplemented appropriately to a health platform program.
Cacao ; Carbonated Beverages ; Drinking ; Education ; Female ; Fruit and Vegetable Juices ; Humans ; Mobile Applications ; Snacks ; Yogurt

Purpose: Ovalbumin, a major protein derived from egg white, has significant functional properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, ovalbumin has potential use in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries. This study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of ovalbumin water extract (OAW) and ethanol extract (OAE) on splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages in Balb/c mice, focusing on their potential to regulate the Th1/Th2 balance and enhance immune functions. Methods: The effects of OAW and OAE on T and B-cell proliferation, cytokines, immunoglobulins, phagocytic activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production were examined using mitogen (ConA or LPS)-treated mouse splenocytes and macrophages from Balb/c mice.OAW and OAE were applied at concentrations ranging from 50 to 500 μg/mL. T and B-cell proliferation, cytokine production, including Th1 (interleukin [IL]-2, interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) profiles, and immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) production were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.NO production and phagocytic activity were evaluated using a Griess assay and substratebased assays, respectively. Results: OAW and OAE modulated T and B-cell proliferation and inhibited the production of Th1 (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) cytokines, restoring the Th1/ Th2 balance. Moreover, at 500 μg/mL, the OAW extracts exhibited comparable effects to the zymosan-stimulated controls. The production of immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) and NO levels were reduced, while the macrophage phagocytic activity was enhanced in a dosedependent manner. Conclusion Ovalbumin extracts can modulate the systemic immune system by influencing immunoglobulin production and regulating the Th1/Th2 balance.

Purpose: Ovalbumin, a major protein derived from egg white, has significant functional properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, ovalbumin has potential use in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries. This study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of ovalbumin water extract (OAW) and ethanol extract (OAE) on splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages in Balb/c mice, focusing on their potential to regulate the Th1/Th2 balance and enhance immune functions. Methods: The effects of OAW and OAE on T and B-cell proliferation, cytokines, immunoglobulins, phagocytic activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production were examined using mitogen (ConA or LPS)-treated mouse splenocytes and macrophages from Balb/c mice.OAW and OAE were applied at concentrations ranging from 50 to 500 μg/mL. T and B-cell proliferation, cytokine production, including Th1 (interleukin [IL]-2, interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) profiles, and immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) production were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.NO production and phagocytic activity were evaluated using a Griess assay and substratebased assays, respectively. Results: OAW and OAE modulated T and B-cell proliferation and inhibited the production of Th1 (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) cytokines, restoring the Th1/ Th2 balance. Moreover, at 500 μg/mL, the OAW extracts exhibited comparable effects to the zymosan-stimulated controls. The production of immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) and NO levels were reduced, while the macrophage phagocytic activity was enhanced in a dosedependent manner. Conclusion Ovalbumin extracts can modulate the systemic immune system by influencing immunoglobulin production and regulating the Th1/Th2 balance.

Purpose: Ovalbumin, a major protein derived from egg white, has significant functional properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, ovalbumin has potential use in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical industries. This study evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of ovalbumin water extract (OAW) and ethanol extract (OAE) on splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages in Balb/c mice, focusing on their potential to regulate the Th1/Th2 balance and enhance immune functions. Methods: The effects of OAW and OAE on T and B-cell proliferation, cytokines, immunoglobulins, phagocytic activity, and nitric oxide (NO) production were examined using mitogen (ConA or LPS)-treated mouse splenocytes and macrophages from Balb/c mice.OAW and OAE were applied at concentrations ranging from 50 to 500 μg/mL. T and B-cell proliferation, cytokine production, including Th1 (interleukin [IL]-2, interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) profiles, and immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) production were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.NO production and phagocytic activity were evaluated using a Griess assay and substratebased assays, respectively. Results: OAW and OAE modulated T and B-cell proliferation and inhibited the production of Th1 (IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10) cytokines, restoring the Th1/ Th2 balance. Moreover, at 500 μg/mL, the OAW extracts exhibited comparable effects to the zymosan-stimulated controls. The production of immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgE) and NO levels were reduced, while the macrophage phagocytic activity was enhanced in a dosedependent manner. Conclusion Ovalbumin extracts can modulate the systemic immune system by influencing immunoglobulin production and regulating the Th1/Th2 balance.

Background: Genetic neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions that primarily affect the peripheral nerves, muscles, and neuromuscular junctions. This study was performed to identify pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PLPVs), calculate carrier frequencies, and predict the genetic prevalence of autosomal recessive-NMDs (AR-NMDs) in a Korean population. Methods: In total, 267 genes were associated with AR-NMDs. We analyzed genetic variants from 984 Korean whole genomes and identified PLPVs to assess the carrier frequency and genetic prevalence of the variants. Results: We identified 165 PLPVs, including 75 literature verified and 90 manually verified variants. Most PLPVs in AR-NMD genes were frameshifts (61, 37.0%), followed by nonsense (36, 21.8%), missense (35, 21.2%), and splice variants (28, 17.0%). The carrier frequency of the AR-NMDs was 27.1%. DYSF exhibited the highest carrier frequency (1.63%), followed by GAA (1.55%), HEXB (1.53%), PREPL (0.76%), NEB (0.66%), ADSS1 (0.65%), ALPK3 (0.65%), and CHRNG (0.65%). The predicted genetic prevalence of AR-NMDs in the Korean population was 38.0 cases per 100,000 individuals. DYSF (6.7 cases per 100,000 individuals) showed the highest genetic prevalence. The variant with the highest allele frequency was c.1250C>T in HEXB at 0.00764, followed by c.[752T>C; c.761C>T] in GAA at 0.00505, and c.2055+2T>G in DYSF at 0.00437. Conclusion Our study suggests that 27.1% of the Korean population are healthy carriers of at least one AR-NMD causing PLPV, revealing the genetic prevalence of NMDs in the Korean population.

Background: Genetic neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions that primarily affect the peripheral nerves, muscles, and neuromuscular junctions. This study was performed to identify pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PLPVs), calculate carrier frequencies, and predict the genetic prevalence of autosomal recessive-NMDs (AR-NMDs) in a Korean population. Methods: In total, 267 genes were associated with AR-NMDs. We analyzed genetic variants from 984 Korean whole genomes and identified PLPVs to assess the carrier frequency and genetic prevalence of the variants. Results: We identified 165 PLPVs, including 75 literature verified and 90 manually verified variants. Most PLPVs in AR-NMD genes were frameshifts (61, 37.0%), followed by nonsense (36, 21.8%), missense (35, 21.2%), and splice variants (28, 17.0%). The carrier frequency of the AR-NMDs was 27.1%. DYSF exhibited the highest carrier frequency (1.63%), followed by GAA (1.55%), HEXB (1.53%), PREPL (0.76%), NEB (0.66%), ADSS1 (0.65%), ALPK3 (0.65%), and CHRNG (0.65%). The predicted genetic prevalence of AR-NMDs in the Korean population was 38.0 cases per 100,000 individuals. DYSF (6.7 cases per 100,000 individuals) showed the highest genetic prevalence. The variant with the highest allele frequency was c.1250C>T in HEXB at 0.00764, followed by c.[752T>C; c.761C>T] in GAA at 0.00505, and c.2055+2T>G in DYSF at 0.00437. Conclusion Our study suggests that 27.1% of the Korean population are healthy carriers of at least one AR-NMD causing PLPV, revealing the genetic prevalence of NMDs in the Korean population.