• Mood & Emotion
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2012

Suicide is a complex behavior associated with various neurobiological and psychosocial factors. It is considered that genetic polymorphism combined with environmental stress such as child-adolescent trauma make differences in neurobiological systems, which cause psychiatric disorders or pessimistic personality, impulse-aggressive behaviors, lack of judgment, and finally result in suicidal behavior. Much progress in the neurobiology of suicide has been made over the several decades. There seems to be a hereditary disposition to suicide independent of psychiatric disorder. The changes in neurotransmitters, neurohormones, neurotrophic factors, cytokines, lipid metabolisms related with their genetic polymorphism can contribute to disturbance of signal transductions and neuronal circuits vulnerable to suicide. It is likely that the main factors are dysfunctions of serotonin (5-HT) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Our understanding about the neurobiology of suicide is still limited. However, clinical practice could be assisted by neurobiological findings capable of making the detection of risk populations with higher sensitivity and the development of new treatment interventions. The settlement of biological markers in suicidal behaviors and their relationships is required.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.205-216
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• 2024

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness & Loving Beingness (M&L) psychotherapy combined with traditional Korean medicine in treating acute sleep disorders in patients hospitalized following traffic accidents. Methods: We applied traditional Korean medicine treatments in conjunction with various mindfulness meditation techniques from M&L therapy, including Resource Mindfulness and Nourishment Brief Therapy. This study was conducted on three patients who reported acute sleep disorder symptoms on the first day of hospitalization following a traffic accident. The effectiveness of these interventions was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5-K), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Results: ISI and PCL-5-K scores showed significant improvements after treatment, indicating reduced sleep disturbances and stress symptoms. Additionally, EQ-5D and PGIC scores were enhanced, reflecting an overall improvement in quality of life. Conclusions: This study suggests that integrating M&L therapy with traditional Korean medicine could significantly improve symptoms in patients with acute sleep disorders following traffic accidents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.4517-4525
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• 2016

Background: Sperm DNA damage is underlying aetiology of poor implantation and pregnancy rates but also affects health of offspring and may also result in denovo mutations in germ line and post fertilization. This may result in complex diseases, polygenic disorders and childhood cancers. Childhood cancer like retinoblastoma (RB) is more prevalent in developing countries and the incidence of RB has increased more than three fold in India in the last decade. Recent studies have documented increased incidence of cancers in children born to fathers who consume alcohol in excess and tobacco or who were conceived by assisted conception. The aetiology of childhood cancer and increased disease burden in these children is lin ked to oxidative stress (OS) and oxidative DNA damage( ODD) in sperm of their fathers. Though several antioxidants are in use to combat oxidative stress, the effect of majority of these formulations on DNA is not known. Yoga and meditation cause significant decline in OS and ODD and aid in regulating OS levels such that reactive oxygen speues meditated signal transduction, gene expression and several other physiological functions are not disrupted. Thus, this study aimed to analyze sperm ODD as a possible etiological factor in childhood cancer and role of simple life style interventions like yoga and meditation in significantly decreasing seminal oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage and thereby decreasing incidence of childhood cancers. Materials and Methods: A total of 131 fathers of children with RB (non-familial sporadic heritable) and 50 controls (fathers of healthy children) were recruited at a tertiary center in India. Sperm parameters as per WHO 2010 guidelines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA fragmentation index (DFI), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxy guanosine (8-OHdG) and telomere length were estimated at day 0, and after 3 and 6 months of intervention. We also examined the compliance with yoga and meditation practice and smoking status at each follow-up. Results: The seminal mean ROS levels (p<0.05), sperm DFI (p<0.001), 8-OHdG (p<0.01) levels were significantly higher in fathers of children with RB, as compared to controls and the relative mean telomere length in the sperm was shorter. Levels of ROS were significantly reduced in tobacco users (p<0.05) as well as in alcoholics (p<0.05) after intervention. DFI reduced significantly (p<0.05) after 6 months of yoga and meditation practice in all groups. The levels of oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG were reduced significantly after 3 months (p<0.05) and 6 months (p<0.05) of practice. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OS and ODD DNA may contribute to the development of childhood cancer. This may be due to accumulation of oxidized mutagenic base 8OHdG, and elevated MDA levels which results in MDA dimers which are also mutagenic, aberrant methylation pattern, altered gene expression which affect cell proliferation and survival through activation of transcription factors. Increased mt DNA mutations and aberrant repair of mt and nuclear DNA due to highly truncatred DNA repair mechanisms all contribute to sperm genome hypermutability and persistant oxidative DNA damage. Oxidative stress is also associated with genome wide hypomethylation, telomere shortening and mitochondrial dysfunction leading to genome hypermutability and instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report decline in OS and ODD and improvement in sperm DNA integrity following adoption of meditation and yoga based life style modification.This may reduce disease burden in next generation and reduce incidence of childhood cancers.

• Korean Journal of Health Psychology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.277-292
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• 2009

This study investigated the responses of the autonomic nervous system of individuals with Type D personality during an acute stressful situation. Twenty-three female students of Type D personality and 23 female students with non-Type D personality. Stroop Color-Word Task was used to induce a stressful situation, heart rate variability (HRV) was used to measure the responses of the autonomic nervous system during the baseline, acute stress, recovery periods. To analyze the data, the repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the autonomic nervous system of the Type D group to that of the non-Type D group. Regression analysis is used to determine if the Type D scale and stress vulnerability predicted the activities of the autonomic nervous system during the baseline period. The results of this study demonstrated that the Type D group's normalized low frequency (LF norm) and ratio of low frequency to high frequency (LF/HF ratio) were higher than those for the non-Type D group, while its normalized high frequency (HF norm) was lower than that for the non-Type D group in all three periods. There were no statistically significant differences among the three periods in terms of LF norm, HF norm, and LF/HF ratio in the Type D group. The study demonstrated that the total scores of the Type DS-14 and scores of social inhibition and negative affect were independent predictors of LF norm and HF norm during the baseline. The Type D group showed increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system and/or decreased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. These results support the hypothesis that the Type D personality is vulnerable to the stress. Also, the highly activated sympathetic and/or lowly activated parasympathetic nervous systems, which were observed in the Type D group during the baseline, indicated that the Type D individual is susceptible to psychosomatic disorders.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.spc
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• pp.107-122
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• 2003

The object of this study is to evaluate the prevailing physical and psychosocial conditions regarding occupational low back injury. This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines are applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers are analysed. There are 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there are 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI (Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. The relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were also analysed. Specifically, some postural factors(vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2008

Gardenia jasminoides (G. jasminoides) is traditionally used to treat insomnia, jaundice, emotional disorders, hepatic disease, and inflammatory disease. Previously, we found that geniposide and the water extract of G. jasminoides increased $Cl^-$ influx in neuroblastoma. Here we examined the sychopharmacological activities of G. jasminoides and its constituents. G. jasminoides extract was orally administered at 100 and 200 mg/kg, and genipin and geniposide were intraperitoneally injected at 2, 10, and 20 mg/kg. G. jasminoides extract (200 mg/kg) significantly decreased total open field activity but increased rearing activity in the center of the open field, suggesting an increase in exploratory activity. Genipin and geniposide did not change open field activity, but geniposide (20 mg/kg) increased rearing activity in the central area. The extract (200 mg/kg) significantly decreased rotarod and wire-balancing activity, but genipin and geniposide did not. No compounds influenced thiopental-induced sleeping or electroshock-induced seizures. The extract (200 mg/kg) significantly increased staying time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and the entry ratio into the open arms, and geniposide (20 mg/kg) also increased open arm entry. Electroshock stress decreased open arm activity, but the extract and geniposide (20 mg/kg) significantly reversed that effect. This results indicate that G. jasminoides extract and geniposide alleviated anxiety with greater efficacy in stressed animals than normal animals.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.29-41
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• 1993

A prevalence study was carried out on 847 CMD patients who had visited the Department of Oral Medicine in Pusan National University from 1990 to 1993. To obtain the same type of information, all subjects were interviewed and examined clinically using a standardized examination form, The ratio of women to men was about 3:1 and all subjects were divided into acute and chronic groups on the basis of 6 months of duration. Diagnostic groups consisted of muscle disorder, joint disorder and muscle-joint disorder. As related to gender, duration and diagnosis subjective and objective symptoms in CMD were studied. The obtained results were as follows : 1. Muscle-joint disorder had the highest percent, followed by muscle disorder and joint disorder. 2. The most common reasons for CMD treatment were pain, joint noise and limited opening, while headache and neckache were relatively often reported as associated symptoms and dizziness, ringing in the ears also reported as secondary CNS excitatory effects. 3. Pain was more ofter seen in women, acute group and muscle-related disorder groups (p<0.05, p<0.01). Noise was significantly frequent in chronic group and joint-related groups (p<0.01). 4. Analysis of contributing factors presented that macrotrauma was found frequently in men (p<0.05), and that muscle-related groups were more related to stress than joint disorder grop (p<0.05). 5. Hard end feel was seen significantly often in joint-related disorder group (p<0.05). On the other hand, soft end feel was frequent in muscle disorder. 6. Reciprocal clicks and crepitation increased with chronicity. Subjects with joint-related disorder groups significantly often reported all kinds of noises (p<0.01). 7. Tender muscles and joints were more often reported in women and chronic group. Whereas muscle-related disorder groups revealed significantly more tender muscles (p<0.01). joint-related disorder groups presented significantly more tender joints (p<0.01).

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2012

Psychosomatic medicine is a part of medicine which is to find the effect of psychological, behavioral, and medical factors on the human body and disease. In the early $20^{th}$ century, the idea of psychogenesis had been developed and resulted in the concept of psychosomatic disease which was believed to be caused by psychological factors. However a multifactorial model of illness developed and it allowed illness to be viewed as a result of biopsychosocial interactions. The following have been highlighted by consultation-liaison psychiatry. Psychosomatic medicine has addressed stress and psychiatric factors which affect the etiology, course, and treatment of medical disorders. Moreover it contributes the growth of other related disciplines such as psychoneuroendocrinology, psychoimmunology, behavioral medicine, health psychology and quality of life research. Nowadays, psychosomatic field becomes enlarged because medical and surgical departments have been developed rapidly, and research methods and tools have brought forth rapid progress and advance in medical science. Therefore the author reviews the past and present psychosomatic researches and suggests the future of psychosomatic research in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.120-127
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• 2016

Several problems including respiratory and skin disorders due to the problems for sick house syndrome have occurred, there appears echo friendly materials to solve the problems. The research is lacking in quality management techniques ocher concrete using nondestructive tests. In this research, the experimental works were conducted to study the initial quality control for the compressive strength of Ocher concrete(21 MPa). The purpose of this study is the implementation platform for quality management of ocher concrete using nondestructive tests. It uses the relationship between the compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity of the ocher concrete to estimate the compressive strength of the ocher concrete. And using the impact echo method to estimate the thickness of the ocher concrete. The platform is based on a Java script, so that the user can obtain the data through the platform.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.20-31
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• 2005

Objectives:This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of personality changes and emotional distress using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI), divided into mild (MTBI) and severe (STBI) groups according to the severity of injury. Methods:The subjects were consisted of 25 patients with MTBI, 25 patients with STBI, and 25 normal controls. They were interviewed with the PAI. The data were analyzed by ${\chi}^2$ test, analysis of variance and Tukey test. Results:The results were the followings. First, Negative Impression in validity scales was elevated above cutoff point(T score 70) in both MTBI and STBI groups. Second, the clinical scales of which scores elevated above the cutoff point were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Anxiety-Related Disorders, Depression, and Schizophrenia in the MTBI, and Somatic Complaints and Depression in the STBI. Third, the clinical subscales above the cutoff point were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Traumatic Stress, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, Physiological Depression, Thought Disorder, and Affective Instability in the MTBI, and Health Concerns, Cognitive Depression, Affective Depression, and Physiological Depression in the STBI. Fourth, Suicide Ideation in treatment scales was the only scale above the cutoff point in the MTBI and the others of the treatment and interpersonal scales in the MTBI and all of these scales of the STBI were not elevated above the cutoff point. Fifth, the scales of which scores showed significant difference between the MTBI and the STBI were Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide Ideation, the subscales were Conversion, Somatization, Health Concerns, Affective Anxiety, Physiological Anxiety, Physiological Depression, and Psychotic Experiences. Conclusion:These results suggest that the patients with MTBI had more somatic and anxiety symptoms, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation than the patients with STBI. These characteristics are generally consistent with clinical observation and findings from previous studies of the patients with TBI, and the PAI seems to be a beneficial adjunctive assessment tool for the evaluation of patients with traumatic brain injury.