The number of healthy older adults is rapidly increasing recently owing to the increase of the elderly population. Therefore, programs for improving the cognitive functions of these healthy seniors are actively being expanded. This study aimed to prevent the decline of cognitive function due to aging by applying a program enhancing cognitive functions to healthy older adults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Korean computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program (CoTras), which is commonly used in cognitive therapy for the aging, on the memory of the elderly. The subjects had scored at least 24 points in MMSE-K. CoTras was applied once a week (30 minutes) for one month. Electronic pegboard programs were used as an evaluation tool: order memory (difficulty=low) and location memory (difficulty=medium). The order and location memories were compared before and after the intervention. The Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test was used for the study at the significance level of α=.05. The results showed that CoTras significantly improved order memory and location memory. Therefore, CoTras can be applied to the healthy elderly for improving that memory improvement training has a positive impact on healthy older adults result in the development of memory enhancement programs can be expanded in the future.
The objective of this study was to examine the changes in reaction velocity and visual perception between genders participating in driving simulator training. Driving simulator training was performed on 46 adults (male: 20, female: 26) twice a week, 20 minutes per time, 8 times for a month. The results showed that after driving simulator training was significantly more effective for males than females (p<.01). Additionally, the difference in visual perception was also larger in males than in females and it was significantly more effective in males than females (p<.01). This study is expected to contribute to the understanding of differences in reaction velocity and visual perception between adults and handicapped persons of the same gender. The results of this study will also provide a guideline for driving rehabilitation education for handicapped persons in our society and, thereby, help implement driving rehabilitation training systematically.
Anthricin (Deoxypodophyllotoxin), a naturally occurring flavolignan, has well known anti-cancer properties in several cancer cells, such as prostate cancer, cervical carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. However, the effects of Anthricin are currently unknown in oral cancer. We examined the anticancer effect and mechanism of action of Anthricin in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Our data showed that Anthricin inhibits cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner (IC50 50 nM) in the MTT assay and Live & Dead assay. In addition, Anthricin treated FaDu cells showed marked apoptosis by DAPI stain and FACS. Furthermore, Anthricin activates anti-apoptotic factors such as caspase-3, -9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), suggesting that caspase-mediated pathways are involved in Anthricin- induced apoptosis. Anthricin treatment also leads to accumulation of the pro-apoptotic factor Bax, followed by inhibition of cell growth. Taken together, these results indicate that Anthricn-induced cell death of human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells is mediated by mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. In summary, our findings provide a framework for further exploration on Anthricin as a novel chemotherapeutic drug for human oral cancer.
c-Fos is known to related to synaptic plasticity and apoptosis in damage from ischemia or external injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether needle electrode electrical stimulation(NEES) is effective in increasing the number of c-Fos response cells and c-Fos expression in striatum after global ischemia in rats. There were no treatment and occlusion in the control group, global ischemia(GI) group were no treatment after carotid artery occlusion, and needle electrode electrical stimulation(NEES) group were treated with NEES after GI induced. The number of striatum c-Fos response cells and c-Fos protein expression significantly decreased in the NEES group compared to the GI group after 12, 24, 48 hours. The results of the present study suggest that NEES is ineffective in improving global ischemia in rats and may also be ineffective in the globally ischemic human brain.
This neurological damage accelerates the infection reaction of cells and apoptosis at the time of reperfusion after ischemia occurs. BCL-2/BCL-2 allogeneic begeminum has a function of suppressing the apoptosis of cells, and thus it is inferred that the susceptibility of cells to apoptosis is determined by the amount of allogeneic begeminum present which is determined based on the amount of BAX. Ischemia was induced in SD mice by occluding the common carotid artery for 5 minutes, after which blood was re-perfused. NEES was applied to acupuncture points, at 12, 24, and 48 hours post-ischemia on the joksamri, Hapgok. Protein expression was investigated through BAX antibody immuno-reactive cells in the cerebral nerve cells and Western blotting.
The results were as follows:
In the present study as well, as a result of observation of the change in the number of the BAX reaction cells after the inducement of GI, there was the aspect of most of the BAX reaction cells being observed in the corpus striatum area of the GI group 24 hours after the inducement of ischemia. This revealed the same results as those of previous studies in which the change in the number of BAX reaction cells occurred in all areas while ischemia was in progress. The change in the expression of BAX protein after 24 hours showed that there was a very significant reduction in the NEES group compared to the GI group (p<.01). As a result, a greatest amount of change in the number of BAX immunoreactive cells related to apoptosis 24 hours after ischemia appeared in the NEES group. This study that ischemia increases the expression of BAX that induces apoptosis. Thus, it is determined that ischemia is the main cause of the apoptosis of neurons, and this study reveals that low frequency needle electrode electrical stimulation has the effect of blocking the apoptosis of neurons by reducing protein related to the apoptosis of cells that has increased after ischemia has occurred.
The purpose of this study is to observe the effect of elasticity of taping on ankle muscles’activity and endurance after plyometric training that easily causes ankle injury, and provide baseline data for physical therapy intervention methods. The study subjects are 24 male students in their 20s who attend N University in Choongnam. They were divided into three groups; 8 subjects in the elastic taping group, 8 in the non-elastic taping group, and 8 in the non-taping group(control group). They had plyometric training for 6 weeks. After the training, this study measured their maximum voluntary isometric contraction(MVIC) and muscle endurance of the muscles around ankle joint. The experiment result is as follows. After the training, all three groups showed improvement in muscle strength and endurance. The elastic taping group showed insignificant improvement in muscle strength but significant increase in muscle endurance in plantarflexion. In dorsiflexion, both muscle strength and endurance increased significantly. The non-elastic taping group showed insignificant improvement in muscle strength but significant increase in muscle endurance in plantarflexion. Taping during plyometric training had a little or insignificant effect on muscle endurance and strength compared to the non-taping group.
The cerebellum is known to control balance, equilibrium, and muscle tone. If the cerebellum becomes damaged, the body is unable to retain its balancing functions or involuntary muscle movement. This is why, in stroke patients, there is a high risk of functional disability, as well as a myriad of other disabilities secondary to stroke. Ischemia was induced in SD mice by occluding the common carotid artery for 5 minutes, after which blood was reperfused. Needle electrode electrical stimulation(NEES) was applied to acupuncture points, at 12, 24, and 48 hours post-ischemia on the joksamri. Protein expression was investigated through caspase-3 antibody immuno-reactive cells in the cerebral nerve cells and Western blotting. The results were as follows: The number of caspase-3 reactive cells in the corpus cerebellum 12 and 24 hours post-ischemia was significantly (p<.05) smaller in the NEES group compared to the GI group. caspase-3 expression 12 and 24 hours post-ischemia was significantly(p<.05) smaller in the NEES group compared to the GI group. Based on these results, NEES seems to have a significant effect on Caspase-3 in the cerebellum in an ischemic state at 12 and 24 hours post ischemia, NEES delays the occurrence of early stage apoptosis-inducing Caspase-3, delaying and inhibiting apoptosis. Further systematic studies will have to be conducted in relation to the application of this study’s results on stroke patients.
Ischemia, the leading cause of strokes, is known to be deeply related to synaptic plasticity and apoptosis in tissue damage due to ischemic conditions or trauma. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of NEES(needle electrode electrical stimulation) in brain cells of ischemiainduced rat, more specifically the effects of Poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase(PARP) on the corpus striatum. Ischemia was induced in SD mice by occluding the common carotid artery for 5 minutes, after which blood was re-perfused. NEES was applied to acupuncture points, at 12, 24, and 48 hours post-ischemia on the joksamri, and at 24 hours postischemia on the hapgok. Protein expression was investigated through PARP antibody immuno-reactive cells in the cerebral nerve cells and western blotting. The number of PARP reactive cells in the corpus striatum 24 hours post-ischemia was significantly(p<.05) smaller in the NEES group compared to the global ischemia(GI) group. PARP expression 24 hours post-ischemia was very significantly smaller in the NEES group compared to the GI group. Results show that ischemia increases PARP expression and stimulates necrosis, making it a leading cause of death of nerve cells. NEES can decrease protein expression related to cell death, protecting neurons and preventing neuronal apoptosis.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of handicraft activities on hand promptness and grasp in the elderly. Subjects were comprised of 14 senior citizens between the ages of 70-85, with 7 subjects in the experiment group and 7 in the control group. Subjects in the experiment group practiced various handicrafts twice a day, while those in the control group did not participate in any special activity. The Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test was used to evaluate the results, while a dynamometer and pinch gauge were used to measure hand promptness and grasp. The 7 senior citizens in the experiment group were able to increase their hand promptness and grasping skills. Conclusively, handicrafts can help improve hand promptness and grasp in the elderly. Furthermore, the development and improvement of such skills can have a positive influence on the daily lives of senior citizens. Such skills are expected to improve the overall neuro-function in the elderly population.
The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in bone mineral density in long-stay patients of a geriatric hospital in relation to physical therapy, thereby providing basic data for preventing the onset or deterioration of osteoporosis in inpatients of geriatric hospitals or relevant facilities. The subjects of this study were 133 elderly patients who had been in H geriatric hospital in Yongin-si for more than four years. Their bone mineral density T-scores at admission and those after four years were measured to compare and analyze the changes in bone mineral density in relation to physical therapy. According to the results, the decrease in T-score for the group without physical therapy was greater by .40 than that for the group with physical therapy, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups(p<.01). Accordingly, physical therapy proved to be effective in preventing bone mineral density loss and maintaining the current density.
We investigated the effects of trunk twist on postural stability during manually handling flat ties. Ten male subjects participated in this study. While handling 5kgf and 10kgf bundles of flat ties respectively, their centers of pressure (COPs) were measu
This study aims to reveal how EA affects BAX and NF-kB involved in cell deaths from global ischemia, and to do this, observes the changes of BAX and NF-kB caused by EA application after transient global ischemia. The experimental method is to give rise to global ischemia and apply EA to 27 SD rats with the particulars of being six-week-old, male, around-300 gram-weighing, and adapted to laboratory environment for more than a week, and divide them into three groups, that is, GV20 EA group(n=9), L14 EA group(n=9), no-treatment GI group(n=9), and then observe their changes of BAX and NF-kB at the time lapse of 6 hours, 9 hours and 12 hours after ischemia, using western blotting. The numerical decrease of BAX expression at the time lapse of 9 hours after EA application, though not statistically significant, was observed in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, and the NF-kB expression appeared statistically significant decrease in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, but the expression was higher in the group with EA application. Therefore, EA application at the early phase of global ischemia is considered to affect BAX and NF-kB and play a positive role in decreasing apoptosis and cell deaths by inflammation.
The majority of strokes are caused by ischemia and result in brain tissue damage, leading to problems of the central nervous system including hemiparesis, dysfunction of language and consciousness, and dysfunction of perception. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP) on necrosis in neuronal cells that have undergone needle electrode electrical stimulation(NEES) prior to induction of ischemia. Ischemia was induced in male SD rats(body weight 300g) by occlusion of the common carotid artery for 5 min, after which the blood was reperfused. After induction of brain ischemia, NEES was applied to Zusanli(ST 36), at 12, 24 and 48 hours. Protein expression was investigated using immuno-reactive cells, which react to PARP antibodies in cerebral nerve cells, and Western blotting. The results were as follows: In the cerebral cortex, the number of PARP reactive cells after 24 hours significantly decreased(p<.05) in the NEES group compared to the GI group. PARP expression after 24 hours significantly decreased(p<.05) in the NEES group compared to the GI group. As a result, NEES showed the greatest effect on necrosis- related PARP immuno-reactive cells 24 hours after ischemia, indicating necrosis inhibition, blocking of neural cell death, and protection of neural cells. Based on the results of this study, NEES can be an effective method of treating dysfunction and improving function of neuronal cells in brain damage caused by ischemia.
This study was performed to investigate the effects of Needle Electrode Electrical Stimulation(NEES) on ischemia-induced cere˗ brovascular accidents. After obstruction and reperfusion of arteries in white mice, the amounts of necrosis and inflammation related sub˗ stances Bax, IL-6, Caspase-3, and COX-2 were measured in neurons of the fore-brain. The following results were obtained. This study used 21 male specific pathogen free(SPF) SD rats, 8 weeks of age and approximately 300g in weight. Each exposed artery was completely occluded with non-absorbent suture thread and kept in that state for 5 minutes. The sutures were then removed to allow reperfusion of blood. Test group is control group(common carotid artery occlusion models), a GI(underwent common carotid artery occlusion), and NEES(underwent NEES after artery occlusion). The GI and NEES groups were given 12, 24, or 48 hours of reperfusion before NEES. NEES device(PG6, ITO, Japan, 9V, current, 2Hz) was used to stimulate the bilateral acupoint ST36 of the SD rats for 30 minutes while they were sedated with 3% isoflurane. An immuno-his˗ tochemistry test was done on the forebrains of the GI induced rats. Both Bax and Caspase-3 immuno-reactive cells, related to apoptosis, were greater in the GI than the NEES group. Cox-2 and IL-6 immuno-reactive cells, related to inflammation, were greater in the GI and NEES groups than the control group. We can expect that applying NEES after ischemic CVA is effective for preventing brain cells from being destroyed. And we can conclude NEES should be applyed on early stage of ischemic CVA.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of group exer˗ cise program on depression in the elders with dementia. Subjects of this research were selected from the patients of Hyoja hospital(Yong˗ in, Korea). They were elders with dementia having minor to moderate degrees of cognitive function. Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, each with 12 people; exercise group and the control group. The control group only performed general physio˗ therapy, while the exercise group performed exercise program and general physiotherapy for 8 weeks. Depression of the exercise group and the control group were measured at baseline before the study, at 4 weeks, and at 8 weeks after the study. Depression was measured by Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea Version(GDSSF-K). Firstly, when comparing the levels of depression within the same group, depression was significantly lower in the exercise group, after the group exercise program. However, depression of the control group did not show significant changes before or after the study. Secondly, when comparing the levels of depression of the control group and the exercise group, differences between the levels meas˗ ured before the study and 8 weeks after the study, was a statistically significant decrease of depression. Thirdly, effects of group exercise program according to the applied period were analyzed showing 8 weeks of group exercise to be more beneficial than 4 weeks. People who performed continuous group exercise program showed decrease in depression compared to the absence of group exercise program. This can infer beneficial effects of group exercise program. Group exercise program had desirable influence on decreasing the level of depression.
The Purpose of this study is investigated to education program and organization in Korea agricultural extension service center. In most cases, the program has steadily operated from 2014 to 2016 in metropolitan cities, specially, In Busan, the greatest education program has been set up twenty one classes during 2014~2016. This study surveyed 114 departments of 3 Agricultural Research & Extension Services and 75 Agricultural Technology Centers in 8 metropolitan cities, 9 provinces and 67 cities and counties, which implemented the consumer horticultural education programs in 2016. Twenty one agricultural extension service centers has started the consumer horticulture program undertaking for the first time in 2016. Experienced education program had been conducted to the facilities for the consumer horticulture programs in the agricultural extension service centers and training in the educational farm. Specially The Seoul Metropolitan Government had the largest educational training center in 53.136 m2, with the largest educational farm in Gangwon-do province and the most popular crops were fruit. The research suggested that the consumer horticultural of educational practice and the short & long term of improvement efforts of latent educational curriculum. Agricultural Technology Centers had lands and facilities for exiting agricultural education and the environment to use nearby farms as education farms by establishing a network. Furthermore reconsidering is needed to improve the content, a systematic study of educational practice reformation plan to improve the quality of educational practice.
Background: Salvia has been widely cultivated for use in flavoring and folk medicines in many countries, including Korea and China. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying active compounds of Salvia extract and its fractions.Methods and Results: The anti-inflammatory activity was measured by assessing the inhibition of cysteinyl leukotriene production in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 mast cells. Salvia plebeia R. Br. was found to have the most potent inhibitory activity on leukotriene production than S. japonica and S. chanroenica had. Fifty percent ethanol extracts of S. plebeia R. Br. were successively partitioned with n-hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, 1-butanol and water. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed stronger anti-inflammatory activity than other solvent fractions did. The EtOAc fraction was subjected to silica gel column chromatography elution with a chloroform and methanol gradient system (100 : 1 → 1 : 1) yielding 10 fractions. Three kinds of fractions (chloroform:methanol = 20 : 1, 10 : 1 and 5 : 1) showed high inhibitory activity on leukotriene production. We confirmed the major compounds with anti-inflammatory activity from S. plebeia R. Br.Conclusions: In this study, the major components of S. plebeia that showed leukotriene production inhibitory activity were isolated using solvent extraction and silica gel column chromatography. Rosmarinic acid, hispidulin and luteolin were identified as the major compounds with anti-inflammatory effect.
This study is a critical analysis on the 10 Years (2002-2012) of the denominational activities since the 5 Districts were merged into one national district of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea. The purpose of this study is to search for an advanced way to promote Church of the Nazarene for effective church growth in the coming era in Korea.
For this purpose it attempts to evaluate the efforts and results of the unification of the five districts into one in relation to history and church growth of the denomination. Indeed, the merging of the five districts into one was a historical event in the mist of divisions and conflicts of the churches and denominations in Korea. Also the merging event was a distinctive model for innovative cultural adaptation from the perspective of international Church of the Nazarene.
This essay discovered some positive results from the unification, that enhanced the identity of the Nazarene Church, administrative consolidation for ordination process, church planting, and unified relations with the international church as well as Korea Nazarene University.
However, still the unified church needs an innovative dimension of leadership system for effective church growth. This essay proposes that the pyramid model of the unified church needs to be transformed into an organic or post-hierarchical system. Already, the name of “International Headquarter of the Church of the Nazarene” was changed to “Global Ministry Center” to abolish the existing pyramid model of leadership toward organic model, which is the fundamental Biblical model of leadership for effective church growth. This essay insists that Nazarene Church in Korea also needs to work on having a less hierarchical system of the Church for effective church growth, that is one of the main movements of postmodern evangelical churches,