The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of occasional mid-morning snacks (MMS) on dietary behaviors and school life among elementary students. The students, mothers, and teachers from two elementary schools in Seoul were selected. The schools have been provided a steamed sweet-potato or potato, or a piece of ricecake or cake with a pack of milk as MMS 3-4 times a month for more than 3 years. Most students were satisfied with the MMS. Mothers and teachers reported that their children or students were happier, more active, and more energetic in school with MMS. Furthermore, the students answered that they could drink milk better on the day when the school provided MMS. Many students felt that it was relevant to serve a simple menu at lunch time if they were served MMS. Also, students became more interested in school meals or foods with MMS. In addition, mothers who had jobs wanted more frequent MMS. The degree of satisfaction about MMS of the teachers was higher than that of students or mothers. Many teachers thought that their students drank milk better with MMS and further, that it made students to drink more milk on other days. In conclusion, MMS had positive effects on the dietary behavior and school life of elementary students. Therefore, it can be a good option for eliminating skipping breakfast because it provides more nutrition, makes students drink more milk, and allows students to enjoy school activities more.
Breakfast ; Child ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Milk ; Mothers ; Snacks ; Solanum tuberosum ; Steam

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder affecting approximately 1~3% of the general population. Ustekinumab is a recently developed human monoclonal antibody for psoriasis that binds to the p40 subunit shared by the interleukins IL-12 and IL-23. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of combination treatment with ustekinumab and topical agents in 30 Korean patients with psoriasis regarding different clinical parameters. METHODS: We retrospectively searched to identify patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis who had initiated treatment with ustekinumab between January 2012 and January 2016. Among them, our study was conducted in 30 patients with psoriasis who were treated with ustekinumab and topical agents for at least 16 weeks by analyzing their clinical charts and photographs. RESULTS: Overall, 16.7%, 93.3%, and 96.2% patients achieved PASI 75 response rates at weeks 4, 16, and 40, respectively. Furthermore, fifteen patients achieved 90% improvement in their PASI score at 100 weeks and five patients maintained their PASI score at 160 weeks. The efficacy of treatment with ustekinumab was different in sub-group analysis. Non-smokers enjoyed a higher therapeutic effect than did smokers. In addition, the therapeutic effect of ustekinumab was lower in the groups with psoriatic arthritis and nail psoriasis. However, it was not statistically significant. None of the patients experienced serious adverse events requiring the interruption of treatment. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with ustekinumab and topical agents provides effective treatment results for Korean patients with psoriasis.
Arthritis, Psoriatic ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-23 ; Interleukins ; Psoriasis* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Skin ; Ustekinumab*

Prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing significantly worldwide due to energy imbalance perhaps stemming from undesirable dietary behavior and physical activity level. The objective of the study was to examine the effects of physical activity level on nutritional status in elementary school students. The subjects were comprised of 287 elementary school students between 4th and 6th grades in Seoul, Korea. The level of physical activity was scored with a modified Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire and was categorized as active, moderately active, and sedentary. Dietary intakes were obtained using a 24-hour food recall method. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to test for global significant differences of nutrient intakes by physical activity level. Boys were more active than girls. Daily intakes of energy in moderately active boys were significantly higher than in the sedentary group, but intakes of calcium and iron in moderately active boys were lower than active boys. For girls, physical activity level did not affect nutrient density at all. Intakes of calcium, vitamin C, and folate for both boys and girls were below 50% of recommended intake. Physical activity did not affect nutrient density and our participants were exposed to nutritional imbalance. Therefore, the results suggest that nutrition education regarding balanced diet and optimum physical activity is required for children's health and growth.
Ascorbic Acid ; Calcium ; Diet ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Iron ; Korea ; Motor Activity ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in the villous explants from normal and preeclamptic (PE) placentae under hypoxic condition. METHODS: Villous explants from normal (n=5) and PE (n=4) placentae were obtained. To obtain hypoxic culture condition, villous explants were cultured in hypoxic chamber or treated with deferoxamine (DFO). ET-1 mRNA expressions in villous explants were evaluated by RT-PCR following 0, 24, and 48 h of culture in hypoxic chamber, and 0, 2, 4, 6 h following DFO treatment. ET-1 protein levels in media were measured by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: After 24 and 48 hours of incubation of villous explants from normal and PE placentae in hypoxic chamber, ET-1 mRNA and protein levels were increased in both groups, however, ET-1 production seemed to be more exaggerated in the villous explants from PE placentae. During 6 h of DFO exposure, ET-1 mRNA level was increased in the villous explants from PE placenta comparing to those from normal placentae (p<0.05). Interestingly, the increase of ET-1 mRNA expression in the villous explants from PE placentae was more exaggerated than those from normal placentae. Concordantly, increments of protein level between 0 to 2 h and 2 to 4 h were significantly higher in villous explants from PE placentae (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: ET-1 mRNA and protein were increased in villous explants from PE placentae compared to those from normal placentae under hypoxic condition. Furthermore, villous explants from PE placentae showed upregulated ET-1 expression upon hypoxic stimulation. This enhanced sensitivity to hypoxia may contribute to ET-1 overexpression in PE placenta in vivo and it needs further investigation for clarification.
Anoxia ; Deferoxamine ; Endothelin-1* ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Placenta ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy* ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Melanoma* ; Paget Disease, Extramammary*

No abstract available.
Acneiform Eruptions* ; Dasatinib* ; Drug Eruptions ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Pleural Effusion*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Myositis*

Frontotemporal dementia is a common cause of dementia and distinguished from Alzheimer's disease. Because its clinical symptoms are characterized by slow progressive social breakdown and change of personality before cognitive impairments become prominent, it may be diagosed as other psychiatric disease. We have presented three cases of frontotemporal dementia. They had typical clinical histories and symptoms which deserve to be considered frontotemporal dementia. They showed appropriate findings of frontotemporal dementia in the neuropsychological tests and brain imaging study with brain magnetic resonance imaging and 18F-FDG positron emission tomography. Their clinical histories and findings are thought to be helpful for clinician to give attention to and diagnose frontotemporal dementia.
Alzheimer Disease ; Brain ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Frontotemporal Dementia* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Positron-Emission Tomography

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Feeding in infancy is the most significant determinant of the intestinal microbiota in early life. The aim of this study was to determine the gut microbiota of Korean infants and compare the microbiota obtained between breast-fed and formula-fed Korean infants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed the microbial communities in fecal samples collected from twenty 4-week old Korean (ten samples in each breast-fed or formula-fed) infants using pyrosequencing. RESULTS: The fecal microbiota of the 4-week-old Korean infants consisted of the three phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. In addition, five species, including Bifidocbacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, Strepotococcus lactarius, Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae, and Lactobacillus gasseri were common commensal intestinal microbiota in all infants. The predominant intestinal microbiota in the breast-fed infants (BFI) included the phylum Actinobacteria (average 70.55%), family Bifidobacteriacea (70.12%), genus Bifidobacterium (70.03%) and species Bifidobacterium longum (69.96%). In the microbiota from the formula-fed infants (FFI), the proportion of the phylum Actinobacteria (40.68%) was less, whereas the proportions of Firmicutes (45.38%) and Proteobacteria (13.85%) as well as the diversity of each taxonomic level were greater, compared to those of the BFI. The probiotic species found in the 4-week-old Korean infants were Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, and Lactobacillus gasseri. These probiotic species accounted for 93.81% of the microbiota from the BFI, while only 63.80% of the microbiota from the FFI. In particular, B. longum was more abundant in BFI (69.96%) than in FFI (34.17%). CONCLUSIONS: Breast milk supports the growth of B. longum and inhibits others. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first attempt to analyze the gut microbiota of healthy Korean infants according to the feeding type using pyrosequencing. Our data can be used as a basis for further studies to investigate the development of intestinal microbiota with aging and disease status.
Actinobacteria ; Aging ; Bifidobacterium ; Humans ; Infant* ; Lactobacillus ; Microbiota* ; Milk, Human ; Probiotics ; Proteobacteria ; Streptococcus ; Sulfalene

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in order to investigate the diuretic effects of Erythritol (ET) salt on urinary electrolyte excretion in Sprague-Dawley Rats. METHODS: Animals were divided into two groups: Salt group (n = 7) and Salt + ET fed group (n = 7). Animals were provided food and water ad libitum. Supplements were administered orally to animals for one week. RESULTS: Body weights were not statistically different between groups either on Day 1 or Day 7. However, water consumption of the Salt + ET group was significantly higher than that of the Salt group on Day 1 and Day 7. Urine volume of the Salt + ET group was approximately 27% and 38% higher than that of the Salt group on Day 1 and Day 7. In addition, we found that the total amounts of urinary electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, of the Salt + ET group were significantly higher than those of the Salt group on Day 7. We also found that serum electrolyte concentrations did not differ between two groups. These results demonstrated that salt intake with ET was effective in increasing urinary electrolyte excretion, which might be caused by higher water intake and diuretic effect inhibiting reabsorption of water, sodium, and potassium in renal tubules. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that short-term supplementation of ET salt can be a potential diuretic agent by inhibiting sodium and potassium reabsorption and inducing loss of water.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Diuretics ; Drinking ; Electrolytes ; Erythritol ; Hypertension ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium ; Water