β-carotene is present in carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. It suppresses many types of cancers by regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis through a variety of mechanisms. However, the effects of β -carotene on oral cancer cells have not been clearly established. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of β-carotene on cell growth and apoptosis in oral cancer cells. Our results demonstrate that treatment with β-carotene induced inhibition of cell growth, and that the effect was dependent on β-carotene treatment time and concentration in KB cells. Furthermore, treatment with β-carotene induced nuclear condensation and fragmentation in KB cells. β-carotene promoted proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8 and –9 with associated increases in the concentration of cleaved caspase-3, -7, -8 and –9. In addition, the level of cleaved PARP was increased by β-carotene treatment in KB cells. These results suggest that β-carotene can suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis in KB human oral cancer cells, and that it may have potential usefulness in anti-cancer drug discovery efforts.

The purpose of the study was to investigate effects of Low intensity cardiac rehabilitation, using a treadmill, on the myocardial structure. We identified the effects by analyzing changes in the rats' weights and the results of biopsies. Twenty Sprague-Dawley male rats, 50 weeks old, were randomly divided into the exercise group and the control group. myocardial infarction( MI) was induced by ligaturing their left anterior descending artery. After the acute MI induction, two rats of each group began to fall dead, therefore, eight of each group completed at the end of the experiment. We used treadmills for animals for the exercise group. This exercise group performed 30 minutes of exercise five times per week for six weeks, while the control group did not perform any exercise. No statistically significant differences in weight were found in within group comparison and between group comparison. Furthermore, we observed histological changes in the myocardium using Hematoxylin & Eosin and Masson's trichrome staining in both groups. Low-intensity exercise inhibited myocardial fibrosis, may serve as a reference in the cardiopulmonary field, which plays a role in rehabilitating patients with cardiac disorders, including acute MI.

A fashion social platform is a system that leverages the power of social connectivity to enable individuals to interact, accumulate information and create social values in fashion marketing. Fashion social platform participants, through their collective intelligence, give social platforms essential competence to solve economic and social issues, gather social capital, and create customer value. This study highlights the critical value of fashion social platforms and explains the relationships between knowledge sharing, social capital, and sustainable customer value. They examine (1) the effects of social network properties on knowledge sharing in fashion social platforms, (2) the effects of knowledge sharing on social capital, and (3) the effects of social capital on customer value in fashion social platforms. In the context of social platforms, this study clarifies the concept of customer value, the role of knowledge sharing, and the relationships between social capital and customer value. The study constructs a theoretical model regarding fashion social platforms and sustainable customer value that offers possible implications for fashion marketing practitioners.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a constituent of turmeric powder derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has been shown to inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, a need exists to design more effective analogs because of curcumin's poor intestinal absorption. EF-24 (diphenyl difluoroketone), the monoketone analog of curcumin, has shown good efficacy in anticancer screens. However, the effects of curcumin and EF-24 on salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells are not clearly established. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin and EF-24 on cell growth and induction of apoptosis in human salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells. Our studies showed that curcumin and EF-24 inhibited the growth of HTB-41 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the potency of EF-24 was > 34-fold that of curcumin. Treatment with curcumin or EF-24 resulted in nuclear condensation and fragmentation in HTB-41 cells, whereas the control HTB-41 cell nuclei retained their normal regular and oval shape. Curcumin and EF-24 promoted proteolytic cleavages of procaspase-3/-7/-9, resulting in an increase in the amount of cleaved caspase-3/-7/-9 in the HTB-41 cells. Caspase-3 and -7 activities were detected in viable HTB-41 cells treated with curcumin or EF-24. These results suggest that the curcumin and EF-24 inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in HTB-41 human salivary gland epidermoid carcinoma cells, and that they may have potential properties as an anti-cancer drug therapy.

The purpose of the present study is to provide exercises, together with music, that are helpful for elderly people’s balancing ability, and to determine their effects in order to provide data for the promotion of elderly persons’health. Thirty elderly persons were randomly assigned to a balance training group(BTG) of 15 subjects, or a music and balance training group (music therapy + balance training [MTBTG]) of 15 subjects; intervention was implemented three times per week for six weeks. To measure the changes in their balancing ability before and after the experiment, the limit of stability, the“Timed Up and Go”(TUG) test, and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were measured. Changes in the limit of stability before and after the experiment were shown to be significant in both the BTG and the MTBTG. Changes in the limit of stability of the right side before and after the experiment showed statistically significant differences between the BTG and the MTBTG. Changes in the TUG test and the BBS before and after the experiment were shown to be statistically significant in both the BTG and the MTBTG. The application of music during balance training thus is considered to have a positive effect on elderly persons’balancing ability.

This study aims to identify the effect of home physical therapy on patients who left the hospital after total knee arthroplasty, compared to the Daily living group, when it was applied to them, under the guidance of physical therapists. As research subjects, 20 patients that were scheduled to leave the hospital after unilateral total knee arthroplasty, were chosen, and they were randomly divided into a home physical therapy group(10 patients) and an Daily living group(10 patients) in order to conduct an experiment. During the 4-week research, home physical therapy was offered for 40 mins once for 5 days a week, and muscular strength, gait components were measured. For muscular strength, quadriceps muscle strength, hamstring muscle strength were measured, and as gait components, endurance, speed, step time, single-limb support were analysed. For this experiment, pre- and post-measurement were performed, and collected data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 18.0 statistical program. From the analysis of data, the following study results were obtained. Home physical therapy group and Daily living group both showed significant improvements in quadriceps muscle strength, hamstring muscle strength, and quadriceps muscle strength, hamstring muscle strength of home physical therapy group more significantly improved than Daily living group's. In relation to gait components, gait endurance, gait speed, step time significantly improved in both of home physical therapy group and Daily living group, whereas home physical therapy group only showed significant improvements in single-limp support. According to the comparison between two groups, gait speed, single-limp support and step time improved more significantly in the home physical therapy group than in the Daily living group. In conclusion, positive results were revealed in both home physical therapy group and Daily living group, with regard to muscular recovery of lower limbs of patients discharged from the hospital after total knee arthroplasty and walking, but considering the comparison results between two groups, it seems that applying home physical therapy is more effective than maintaining a daily life.

These days, thanks to lots of smart devices and advanced communication technologies, consumer’s recognition and relations have been changed. They, beyond relying on information and services which are produced by experts, produce information and knowledge by themselves via SNS or web that they want to know. As consumer’s recognition is changing like this, SNS is evolving into social platform. Therefore, this paper is intended to clarify overall relationship between network characteristics in social platform, knowledge sharing, social capital, social innovation and customer’s value. This paper has clarified influences between variables related to consumer’s behaviors in social platform and the results are summarized as following: First, network characteristics in social platform are found to positively affect knowledge sharing efforts of social platform. Second, knowledge sharing has been found to positively affect social capital and innovation in social platform. However, enjoyment in helping others i.e a sub variable is found to positively affect social capital and innovation through anticipated reciprocal relationships. Third, social capital and innovation in social platform have affected customer value in social platform positively. Consequently, this paper is intended to solve various problems found from overall societies and industries through social innovation and also to advance them. For these purposes, social platform is believed to prompt sharing idea and knowledge based on interactions between users and social relationship. These actions become social capitals resulting in social innovation. Moreover, these would create new businesses and marketing opportunities across various areas in the processes that innovative activities form customer values.

Low efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is attributed to incomplete reprogramming of transfered nu-clei into oocytes. Trichostatin A (TSA), histone deacetylase inhibitor and 5-aza-2’deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), DNA methy-lation inhibitor has been used to enhance nuclear reprogramming following SCNT. However, it was not known molec-ular mechanism by which TSA and 5-aza-dC improve preimplantation embryo and fetal development following SCNT. The present study investigates embryo viability and gene expression of cloned porcine preimplantation embryos in the presence and absence of TSA and 5-aza-dC as compared to embryos produced by parthenogenetic activation. Our results indicated that TSA treatment significantly improved development. However 5-aza-dC did not improve development. Presence of TSA and 5-aza-dC significantly improved total cell number, and also decreased the apoptot-ic and autophagic index. Three apoptotic-related genes, Bak, Bcl-xL, and Caspase 3 (Casp3), and three autophagic-re-lated genes, ATG6, ATG8, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), were measured by real time RT-PCR. TSA and 5-aza-dC treatment resulted in high expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-xL and low pro-apoptotic gene Bak expression compared to untreated NT embryos or parthenotes. Furthermore, LC3 protein expression was lower in NT-TSA and NT-5-aza-dC embryos than those of NT and parthenotes. In addition, TSA and 5-aza-dC treated embryos displayed a global acetylated histone H3 at lysine 9 and methylated DNA H3 at lysine 9 profile similar to the parthenogenetic blastocysts. Finally, we determined that several DNA methyltransferase genes Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b. NT blastocysts showed higher levels Dnmt1 than those of the TSA and 5-aza-dC blastocysts. Dnmt3a is lower in 5-aza-dC than NT, NTTSA and parthenotes. However, Dnmt3b is higher in 5-aza-dC than NT and NTTSA. These results suggest that TSA and 5-aza-dC positively regulates nuclear reprogramming which result in modulation of apoptosis and autophagy related gene expression and then reduce apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, TSA and 5-aza-dC affects the acetylated and methylated status of the H3K9.

Two fractions (permeate and retentate) from fiber free Aloe vera gel were prepared using an ultra-filtration (UF) system with a tubular ceramic membrane (MWCO of 50 kDa), and their dilute solution properties were investigated. The intrinsic viscosities of fiber free Aloe vera gel and the retentate and permeate fractions that were prepared by ultra-filtration were 18.48, 37.74, and 2.01 dL/g, respectively. UF aloe retentate as a polysaccharide rich fraction exhibited polyelectrolyte behavior showing a sharp decrease of intrinsic viscosity by the addition of NaCl. However, as its NaCl concentration increasing to 1 M, its intrinsic viscosity slightly increased due to conformational change caused by the high concentration of NaCl. On the one hand, the intrinsic viscosities of the dilute UF-retentate solution were exponentially decreased with increasing temperature, and the temperature dependency of its intrinsic viscosity showed a sharp discontinuity at 30oC instead of a linear Arrhenius behaviour, indicating a variation of flow mechanism or network rearrangement of a molecular chain. The chain stiffness of polysaccharide rich fraction at bellow and above 0.5 M of NaCl addition was 0.048 and 0.515, respectively, showing different stiffenings and significant conformational change. The coil overlap parameter and critical concentration of UF-retentate were 3.0 and 0.08 g/dL, respectively.

The fact that flip-flops, one of many different types of unstable shoes, are light and relatively easy to put on, accounts for their popularity among people. But because flip-flops rely heavily on the support of a single thong between your first and second toes, they impose a huge amount of pressure onto lower leg. Thus in the following experiment we tried to examine the different effects of flip-flops and running shoes in terms of their effect on muscle activity and fatigue of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius during walking. In order to measure an electromyogram we used Free EMG system. 10 men and 10 women in running shoes ran on treadmills for 15 minutes at 4.8km/h, 2 days later the same experiment was carried out, but this time, in flip-flops. p value turned out to be greater than .05 and thus there was no considerable difference between the effects of flip-flops and running shoes on muscle activity and fatigue during walking. Therefore we conclude that despite the fact that flip-flops are considered unstable, their effects on muscle activity and fatigue of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius are negligible.

The purpose of this study was to provide a practical guide to the use of various stretchers that rescue workers use by analyzing muscle fatigue degree associated with lifting a patient. The experiment was conducted with working male and female rescue crews. Having mixed groups of gender complete tasks such as lifting, moving, and unloading a patient using four different types of stretcher, we recorded each muscle fatigue degree in the shoulder and lower back regions of each subject. The data showed, in terms of muscle activity, differences within each group of genders and its combinations were significant in certain muscle groups depending on the types of stretcher used and body sizes of each subject, and, when it comes to Elerctor Spenae, the female subjects used more muscular strength than the males did. In regards to the muscle fatigue degree, there was no significant difference found within each group of the genders, body sizes, and their combinations. However, in the case of applying different models of stretcher, there were significantly differences in the fatigue degree.

This study aims to address the effect of interferential current therapy and thereby to provide basic resources to physical therapies for internal medicine by identifying symptoms for functional dyspepsia and serum gastrin level that shows gastric motility. Following results were obtained by performing interferential current therapy to 16 subjects composed of 8 for functional dyspepsia group and 8 for control group for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks. In control group, serum gastrin level was significantly( p<.01), lowered after the therapy whereas there was no significant difference observed in all questions from questionnaire for symptoms of functional dyspepsia between before and after the therapy. In functional dyspepsia group, serum gastrin level was significantly(p<.01), lowered after the therapy and there was also significant(p<.01) reduction in every question from questionnaire for symptoms of functional dyspepsia between before and after the therapy. There was more significant decrease in serum gastrin level and reduction in questionnaire for symptoms of functional dyspepsia in the functional dyspepsia group compared to the control group(p<.01). This study confirms the interferential current therapy as an effective therapeutic method for internal diseases including functional dyspepsia since it not only improves the symptoms of functional dyspepsia but also allows the gastric motility close to normal.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are about 21-25 nucleotides in length and regulate mRNA translation by base pairing to partially complementary sites, predominantly in the 3’-untranslated region (3’-UTR) of the target mRNA. In this study, the expression profile of miRNAs was compared and analyzed for the establishment of miRNA-related odontoblast differentiation using MDPC-23 cells derived from mouse dental papilla cells. To determine the expression profile of miRNAs during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells, we employed miRNA microarray analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Alizaline red-S staining. In the miRNA microarray analysis, 11 miRNAs were found to be up- or down-regulated more than 3-fold between day 0 (control) and day 5 of MDPC-23 cell differentiation among the 1,769 miRNAs examined. In qRT-PCR analysis, the expression levels of two of these molecules, miR-194 and miR-126, were increased and decreased in the control MDPC-23 cells compared with the MDPC-23 cells at day 5 of differentiation, respectively. Importantly, the overexpression of miR-194 significantly accelerated mineralization compared with the control cultures during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells. These results suggest that the miR-194 augments MDPC-23 cell differentiation, and potently accelerates the mineralization process. Moreover, these in vitro results show that different miRNAs are deregulated during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells, suggesting the involvement of these genes in the differentiation and mineralization of odontoblasts.

This study aims to examine the effect of patellar taping common to patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome on the change of knee joint location. The total number of participants is 12 patients with no pain in their knee. There are three different experiments: no-taping, placebo taping, and patellar taping. After application, they squat on their hams. As a result, both the muscle activity of vastus medialis and that of vastus lateralis increased in placebo taping compared to no-taping, which wasn't statistically significant. However, the muscle activity of vastus medialis and that of vastus lateralis decreased in patellar taping compared to no-taping, which was statistically significant. This suggests that patellar taping causing the lateral attraction of knee joint is more influential to the dynamics of knee joint than skin afferent input in placebo taping. Therefore, patellar taping is effective to change the location of knee joint, affect the muscle activity of quadriceps muscle of thigh, and thus correct the misalignments of the knee joint.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation among bone mineral density(BMD), body composition and body circumference on 20's college women in Hwaseong. A total of 86 subjects were measured with BMD and body composition and body circumference. To evaluate the correlation between BMD and body composition, bone density and body weight, body mass index(BMI), lean body mass, muscle mass, fat mass and body fat mass were compared. The results of this study, weight was considered the strong correlation with BMD than the height and BMI seems to be greater significance rather than the lumbar spine and femur BMD. In addition, the relationship between body composition and BMD, lean body mass, muscle mass, body fat mass were the most relevant factors and BMD. The relationship between BMD and body circumference that have been difficult because of not enough previous studies but somewhat the study showed that association.

This study was carried out to identify how a self-stretching exercise program affects pain for each body area, pain relief and job satisfaction for care workers. 20 of 40 care workers with musculoskeletal symptom were randomly selected and participated a self-stretching exercise program consisting of 15 motions. The intervention was done five times or more per weeks for 8 weeks and 1 session lasted within 15 minutes. 'Musculoskeletal symptom survey table' of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency(KOSHA) and JDI(Job Descriptive Index) was used for pain on the musculoskeletal symptom and job satisfaction. Survey were done twice before and after the program. The result of this study showed that self-stretching exercise program group(SSPG) relieved from pain significantly in the shoulders(p<.01) and lumbar(p<.05), comparing to the non selfstretching exercise program group(NSPG). Although no significant difference on variations in the JDI appeared in SSPG, the significant reduction appeared from the colleague relationship and organization in NSPG(p<.05). SSPG showed the significant increase on variations in JDI from the job and organization comparing to NSPG. Especially, the improvement on satisfaction for the organization was shown(p<.05). Accordingly, the self-stretching exercise program for care workers can be said to positively affect the overall pain relief and increase on the JDI.

Experiments were conducted in order to assess the healing effect of bee venom (BV) cream on full-thickness skin wounds in rabbits. BV cream was compared with silver sulfadiazine (SS) as a topical medicament against a control on experimentally created full-thickness wounds. Two wounds measuring 2 × 2 cm were created bilaterally (four wounds/rabbit) on the dorsolateral aspect of the trunk of seven New Zealand white rabbits. Wound treatments were evenly distributed on four sites, using a Latin square design. The contact layer of wounds was treated with physiological saline (control), SS cream, and BV cream over a period of 28 days. Assessment of wound healing was based on scab hardness, wound exudates, wound area, unepithelialized granulation tissue, and histopathological findings. Topical application of BV and SS creams to wounds resulted in reduced inflammation, debridement of necrotic tissue, and promoted granulation and epithelialization. Wound healing was faster, with statistical significance in BV and SS treatments, compared to the control (P<0.05). Treatment with BV evoked an anti-inflammation effect in a rabbit model. BV cream produced a wound healing effect similar to that of commercially available SS cream. Anti-inflammation effect as a topical treatment with BV cream appears to be better than that with SS cream. These results suggest that topical application of BV cream may be an alternative treatment for full-thickness skin wounds.

The aim of this is to examine the effects of SSP therapy on the internal carotid arteries blood flow of 24 tension type headache patients(study group) and non tension type headache patients(control group), and on the reduction of their headaches, when applied to the acupuncture points. It stimulated the acupuncture point of headache 6 place with the SSP. It measured VAS and the blood flow of the internal carotid arteries with TCD. When the internal carotid arteries blood flow of study group and control group were compared by period, a significant difference was found in the 4th period(p<.05). When the Visual Analog Scale of study group and control group were compared by period, a significant difference was found in the 4th period(p<.05). The comparison of each measurement result of the internal carotid arteries blood flow of the study group found significantly increased. The comparison of each measurement result of the VAS of study group found significantly decreased. With regard to the control group, the VAS significantly decreased. The silver spike point low frequency electrical stimulation treatment, when applied to the acupuncture point, can significantly influence the internal carotid arteries blood flow of headache patients and can significantly reduce their headaches.

In using both hands, everyone dominantly use one hand and it is called left-handedness or right-handedness person. Measurements of grip and pinch strength provide objective indexes to represent functional integrity of the upper extremity. This study was conducted for thirty female college students(19 right-handedness and 11 lefthandedness). For assessment of the type of handedness, questionnaire was used; for grip strength, Jamar dynamometer was used; for pinch strength, Jamar pinch gauge was used. In right handedness, the grip and pinch strength of the dominant right hand was significantly higher than those of the non-dominant hand. In addition, regular exercises were shown to give influences on reduction of strength gaps between dominant and non-dominant hands. In both groups of left and right handedness, the grip and pinch strength of the dominant hand were significantly higher than those of the non-dominant hand, and regular exercises were shown to give influences on reduction of strength gaps between dominant and non-dominant hand.