• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.644-654
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• 2020

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental disorder induced by traumatic stress and often accompanied by depression and/or anxiety, may involve an imbalance in the neurotransmitters associated with the fear response. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) has long been used as a traditional medicine and is known to be involved in a variety of pharmacological activities. We used the open field test and forced swimming test to examine the effects of KRG on the depression-like response of rats after exposure to single prolonged stress (SPS), leading to activation of the serotonergic system. Methods: Male rats received KRG (30, 50, and 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) once daily for 14 days after exposure to SPS. Results: Daily KRG administration significantly improved depression-like behaviors in the forced swimming test, increased the number of lines crossed and time spent in the central zone in the open field test, and decreased freezing behavior in contextual and cued fear conditioning. KRG treatment attenuated SPS-induced decreases in serotonin (5-HT) tissue concentrations in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. The increased 5-HT concentration during KRG treatment may be partially attributable to the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-HT ratio in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. These effects may be caused by the activation of hippocampal genes encoding tryptophan hydroxylase-1 and 2 mRNA levels. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRG has an antidepressant effect in rats subjected to SPS and may represent an effective use of traditional medicine for the treatment of PTSD.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.435-443
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• 2022

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disease that develops following exposure to a traumatic event and is a stress-associated mental disorder characterized by an imbalance of neuroinflammation. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is the herbal supplement that is known to be involved in a variety of pharmacological activities. We aimed to investigate the effects of KRG on neuroinflammation as a potential mechanism involved in single prolonged stress (SPS) that negatively influences memory formation and consolidation and leads to cognitive and spatial impairment by regulating BDNF signaling, synaptic proteins, and the activation of NF-κB. Methods: We analyzed the cognitive and spatial memory, and inflammatory cytokine levels during the SPS procedure. SPS model rats were injected intraperitoneally with 20, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day KRG for 14 days. Results: KRG administration significantly attenuated the cognitive and spatial memory deficits, as well as the inflammatory reaction in the hippocampus associated with activation of NF-κB in the hippocampus induced by SPS. Moreover, the effects of KRG were equivalent to those exerted by paroxetine. In addition, KRG improved the expression of BDNF mRNA and the synaptic protein PSD-95 in the hippocampus. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that KRG exerts memory-improving actions by regulating anti-inflammatory activities and the NF-κB and neurotrophic pathway. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KRG is a potential functional ingredient for protecting against memory deficits in mental diseases, such as PTSD.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2007-2017
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• 2016

Background: Modifying lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can reduce the risk of cancer. Psychological stress (PS) might be indirectly associated with cancer because it alters lifestyle factors. However, the relationship among these variables has not been fully investigated. Thus, we examined interactions between self-reported PS (SRPS) and habitual exercise on diet. Materials and Methods: In all, 5,587 men and 2,718 women were divided into "exerciser" and :non-exerciser" groips, based on whether they exercised reguarly, and classified into three SRPS levels: low, moderate and high. Diet was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Using a general linear model, food and nutrient consumption was estimated for each SRPS level in the 2 exercise groups, and the interactions between SRPS levels and exercise were calculated. Results: In women, the intake of pork and beef, low fat milk and yogurt, natto (fermented soybean), carrots and squash, other root vegetables, mushrooms, seaweeds, and wine along with the nutrients vegetable protein, soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, daidzein, genistein, carotene, retinol equivalents, vitamin B2, pantothenic acid, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron demonstrated significant interaction with SRPS and habitual exercise (p for interaction <0.05). In men, raw and green leafy vegetable and fruit and vegetable juice significantly interacted with SRPS and habitual exercise (p for interaction <0.05). Conclusions: We suggest that certain foods and nutrients, which are thought to have a protective effect against cancer, interact with SRPS and habitual exercise, especially in women. This information is valuable for understanding and improving interventions for cancer prevention.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.464-470
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• 2008

Background: This study examined the role of neutrophilc oxidative stress in an $O_2-induced$ acute lung injury (ALI). Methods: For 48 h, experimental rats were exposed to pure oxygen (normobaric hyperoxia) in a plastic cage. Forty-eight hours after $O_2$ breathing, the rats were sacrificed and the parameters for ALI associated with neutrophilic oxidative stress were assessed Results: Normobaric pure oxygen induced ALI, which was quite similar to ARDS. The $O_2-induced$ neutrophilic oxidative stress was identified by confirming of the increase in lung myeloperoxidase, BAL neutrophils, malondialdehyde (MDA), cytosolic phospholipase $A_2$ ($cPLA_2$) activity in the lung, histological changes and BAL cytospin morphology. Conclusion: In part, ALI-caused by oxygen is affected by neutrophils especially by the generation of free radicals.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.325-332
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• 2016

Background: Workplace violence was recognized to be social problems that might impact the health status and the job satisfaction of employee in hospitals. This study investigated the current status of violence and job stress among hospital employees working at administration and discharging department. Methods: The study subjects were 213 administrative employees working at 20 general hospitals. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire that included information such as demographics, job-related characteristics, experience of violence, and job stress. The violence was classified as verbal violence, physical threat, and physical violence occurred by patients and caregivers. Analysis of variance, t-tests, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to examine the associated factors with job stress. Results: The levels of verbal violence, physical threat, and physical violence were $1.64{\pm}1.08$, $0.54{\pm}0.67$, and $0.04{\pm}0.17$, respectively. The score of job stress was $2.74{\pm}0.50$ and it was associated with age, existence of spouse, drinking frequency, subjective health status, disease history, night-time treatment, and public health administration career in simple analysis. In multiple linear regression analysis, the level of verbal violence experience was significantly associated with job stress (B=0.09, p=0.001). Also physical threats (B=0.18, p<0.001) and physical violence (B=0.48, p=0.008) showed positive association with job stress. Conclusion: This study attempted to examine the association between experience of violence and job stress in administrative employees at medical institutions. Levels of violence showed positive correlation with the job stress. Environment improvement to protect employee from violence and management of employees who experienced workplace violence are needed to reduce the job stress.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2017

Background: Job stress and job satisfaction are important factors affecting workforce productivity. This study was carried out to investigate the job stress, job satisfaction, and workforce productivity levels, to examine the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on workforce productivity, and to identify factors associated with productivity decrement among employees of an Iranian petrochemical industry. Methods: In this study, 125 randomly selected employees of an Iranian petrochemical company participated. The data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, Osipow occupational stress questionnaire to investigate the level of job stress, Job Descriptive Index to examine job satisfaction, and Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire to investigate productivity in the study population. Results: The levels of employees' perceived job stress and job satisfaction were moderate-high and moderate, respectively. Also, their productivity was evaluated as moderate. Although the relationship between job stress and productivity indices was not statistically significant, the positive correlation between job satisfaction and productivity indices was statistically significant. The regression modeling demonstrated that productivity was significantly associated with shift schedule, the second and the third dimensions of job stress (role insufficiency and role ambiguity), and the second dimension of job satisfaction (supervision). Conclusion: Corrective measures are necessary to improve the shift work system. "Role insufficiency" and "role ambiguity" should be improved and supervisor support must be increased to reduce job stress and increase job satisfaction and productivity.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.439-451
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• 2018

The stress path characteristics of surrounding rock in the formation of gob were analysed and the unloading was solved. Taking Chengchao Iron Mine as the engineering background, the model for analysing the instability of deep gob was established based on the mechanism of stress relief in deep mining. The energy evolution law was investigated by introducing the local energy release rate index (LERR), and the energy criterion of instability of surrounding rock was established based on the cusp catastrophe theory. The results showed that the evolution equation of the local energy release energy of the surrounding rock was quartic function with one unknown and the release rate increased gradually during the mining. The calculation results showed that the gob was stable. The LERR per unit volume of the bottom structure was relatively smaller, which mean the stability was better. The LERR distribution showed that there was main energy release in the horizontal direction and energy concentration in the vertical direction which meet the characteristics of deep mining. In summary, this model could effectively calculate the stability of surrounding rock in the formation of gob. The LERR could reflect the dynamic process of energy release, transfer and dissipation which provided an important reference for the study of the stability of deep mined out area.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.269-282
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• 2019

Due to top-coal and immediate roof as cushion layer connecting with support and overlying strata, it can make significant influence on strata behaviors in fully mechanical top-coal caving working face (TCCWF). Taking Qingdong 828 working face as engineering background, $FLAC^{3D}$ and $UDEC^{2D}$ were adopted to explore the influence of top-coal thickness (TCT), immediate roof thickness (IRT), top-coal elastic modulus (TCEM) and immediate roof elastic modulus (IREM) on the vertical stress and vertical subsidence of roof, caving distance, and support resistance. The results show that the maximum roof subsidence increases with the increase of TCT and IRT as well as the decrease of TCEM and IREM, which is totally opposite to vertical stress in roof-control distance. Moreover, although the increase of TCEM and IREM leading to the increase of peak value of abutment pressure, the position and distribution range have no significant change. Under the condition of initial weighting occurrence, support resistance has negative and positive relationship with physical parameters (e.g., TCT and IRT) and mechanical properties (e.g., TCEM and IREM), respectively.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2016

Background: Oxidative stress occurs during the aging process and other conditions such as bone fracture, bone diseases, and osteoporosis, but the role of oxidative stress in bone remodeling is unknown. Propofol exerts antioxidant effects, but the mechanisms of propofol preconditioning on oxidative stress have not been fully explained. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of propofol against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress on a human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) cell line via activation of autophagy. Methods: Cells were randomly divided into the following groups: control cells were incubated in normoxia (5% $CO_2$, 21% $O_2$, and 74% $N_2$) without propofol. Hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) group cells were exposed to $H_2O_2\;(200{\mu}M)$ for 2 h, propofol preconditioning (PPC)/$H_2O_2$ group cells were pretreated with propofol then exposed to $H_2O_2$, 3-methyladenine (3-MA)/PPC/$H_2O_2$ cells were pretreated with 3-MA (1 mM) and propofol, then were exposed to $H_2O_2$. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated. Osteoblast maturation was determined by assaying bone nodular mineralization. Expression levels of bone related proteins were determined by western blot. Results: Cell viability and bone nodular mineralization were decreased significantly by $H_2O_2$, and this effect was rescued by propofol preconditioning. Propofol preconditioning effectively decreased $H_2O_2$-induced hFOB cell apoptosis. However, pretreatment with 3-MA inhibited the protective effect of propofol. In western blot analysis, propofol preconditioning increased protein levels of collagen type I, BMP-2, osterix, and TGF-${\beta}1$. Conclusions: This study suggests that propofol preconditioning has a protective effect on $H_2O_2$-induced hFOB cell death, which is mediated by autophagy activation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8397-8403
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common malignancy in Mexican women. A set of histopathological markers has been established to guide BCa diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Nevertheless, in only a few Mexican health services, such as that of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA for its acronym in Spanish), are these markers commonly employed for assessing BCa. The aim of this study was to explore the association of Ki67, TP53, HER2/neu, estrogenic receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs) with BCa risk factors. Materials and Methods: Clinical histories provided background patient information. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was conducted on 48 tissue samples from women diagnosed with BCa and treated with radical mastectomy. The Chi square test or Fisher exact test together with the Pearson and Spearman correlation were applied. Results: On average, patients were $58{\pm}10.4$ years old. It was most common to find invasive ductal carcinoma (95.8%), histological grade 3 (45.8%), with a poor Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI; 80.4%). ERs and PRs were associated with smoking and alcohol consumption, metastasis at diagnosis and Ki67 expression (p<0.05). PR+ was also related to urea and ER+ (p<0.05). Ki67 was associated with TP53 and elevated triglycerides (p<0.05), and HER2/neu with ER+, the number of pregnancies and tumor size (p<0.05). TP53 was also associated with a poor NPI (p<0.05) and CD34 with smoking (p<0.05). The triple negative status (ER-/PR-/HER2/neu-) was related to smoking, alcohol consumption, exposure to biomass, number of pregnancies, metastasis and a poor NPI (p<0.05). Moreover, the luminal B subty was associated with histological type (p=0.007), tumor size (p=0.03) and high cholesterol (p=0.02). Conclusions: Ki67, TP53, HER2/neu, ER and PR proved to be related to several clinical and pathological factors. Hence, it is crucial to determine this IHC profile in women at risk for BCa. Certain associations require further study to understand physiological/biochemical/molecular processes.