This study examined psychological attitudes towards Japan’s food safety image when subjects were evaluated on their reactions to potential radioactive contamination of foods. Using a self-reporting questionnaire and functional MRI experiment we were able to verify that people demonstrated increased anxiety in the insular cortex of the brain.

Insects are among the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, representing more than half of all known living organisms. These insects are found in nearly every environment. Although humans regard certain insects as pests and attempt to control them using insecticides, most insects perform complex ecological functions, and provide either direct or indirect economic benefits to humans. Recently, the importance of insects used as food sources or as pets has increased in many countries, including Korea. In addition, several insects have a strong influence on people's emotion. Insect-mediated mental healthcare program is designed to help people who have disorders with physical, behavior and development. Children who have mental disorder, the experimental group that was provided with an insect-mediated mental healthcare program over a total of 8 sections, one section per week, 60 minutes per section, followed by pre-test and post-test. They responded to therapeutic effect after the completion of the program. Further research on the basis of this study is expected to help children with emotional therapy in other areas.

We carried out near-IR photometric and optical spectroscopic observations of V582 Aur, which is a FU Orionis type object, to investigate any periodic and/or aperiodic variations. We obtained light curves on the scale of a night and a year, in J, H and Ks bands with KASINICS (KASI Near Infrared Camera System) attached to the BOAO (Bohyun-san Optical Astronomy Observatory) 1.8-m reflector in Youngcheon, South Korea and examined photometric variations on the two time scales. So far we have not found any periodic brightness variations on the scale of a night. On the other hand, we have found that there seems to be a periodic brightness variation with a period of approximately 45 days. In addition, high-resolution optical spectroscopic observations of V582 Aur were performed from February 2013 to May 2014 with the high-resolution echelle spectrograph BOES attached to the BOAO 1.8-m re ector. We analyzed several spectral lines to understand the physical state of V582 Aur. The P Cyg profiles are clearly shown in the Hα line and Na I D line.

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.

Cordyceps species (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) were previously mentioned under dominant genera such as basidiomycetous Clavaria Vaill. ex L. and ascomycetous Sphaeria Haller. Cordyceps Fr. was coined by Fries (1818) from a combination of a Greek word cordyle, meaning a club, and a Latin word caput, meaning a head. Cordyceps was, however, ranked at tribal level under Sphaeria by Fries (1823). Link (1833) later re-elevated Cordyceps to genus level. As a result, there was variation on author citation of Cordyceps in different botanical codes such as Cordyceps (E. M. Fries) Link (1833), Cordyceps E. M. Fries (1818) and Cordyceps Fr. (1824). In 19th and 20th centuries, more and more species were described, with necessity to divide Cordyceps into subgenera, sections and subsections based on morphological similarities. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies, however, showed that Cordyceps is polyphyletic and its members are dispersed in various clades within Hypocreales. As a consequence, Cordyceps was amended in strict sense by Sung et al. (2007) and distantly related clades were named under separate genera. Here, we review recent nomenclatural changes of Cordyceps-related fungi in light of recent changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN).

This study investigated the effects of changes to the pulsation factor of pulsed direct currents on wound healing. Patients with a pressure ulcer at a care hospital for the elderly were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1 involved the application of 100㎲ in pulse duration, 10 ㎳ in pulse period, 100 pps in a pulsation factor, 15 ㎃ in pulse amplitude, and polarity red+ by using pulsed direct currents; Group 2 involved a change of pulse period to 8 ms; and Group 3 received general wound management. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the changing stages of pressure ulcers among the groups, all the groups dropped in numerical stages. In the two groups to which pulsed direct currents were applied, there was a statistically significant reduction in the stages of pressure ulcers from the initial assessment to the 12-week assessment (p<.05). Even though there were no statistically significant differences in changes to the area of pressure ulcers among the groups, a statistically significant decrease was found in pulsed direct current group 2 whose pulse period was shortened (p<.05). There was no difference in the healing rate of pressure ulcers among the groups, but it made a numerical increase in pulsed direct current group 1 and group 2 and a numerical decrease in group 3. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of those who had a full recovery among the groups. Those findings indicate that pulsed direct currents have positive effects on the wound healing of patients with a pressure ulcer and that a treatment with pulsed direct currents whose pulsation factor is raised by reducing the pulse duration is especially effective.