Effectiveness of mobile mindfulness training on stress, burnout, and work engagement of office workers: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Work stress has a detrimental impact on individual health and corporate efficiency and productivity. Mindfulness reduces workers' stress and burnout and increases work engagement and performance. Smartphone-based interventions could be an alternative to provide customized training without geographical or economic constraints.

Effects of MEH-PPV Molecular Ordering in the Emitting Layer on the Luminescence Efficiency of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

We investigated the effects of molecular ordering on the electro-optical characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with an emission layer (EML) of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV). The EML was fabricated by a solution process which can make molecules ordered. The performance of the OLED devices with the molecular ordering method was compared to that obtained through fabrication by a conventional spin coating method.

Gordonic Acid, a Polyketide Glycoside Derived from Bacterial Coculture of Streptomyces and Gordonia Species.

Despite numerous efforts to discover novel bioactive products from microorganisms, previously reported compounds are repetitively reisolated. A new polyketide glycoside, gordonic acid (1), isolated from the mixed culture of two Gram-positive bacteria, Gordonia sp. KMC005 and Streptomyces tendae KMC006, is reported.

The clinical characteristics of pleural effusion in scrub typhus.

Background: The aim of this study is to identify the factors associated with the occurrence of pleural effusion and to investigate the characteristics of pleural effusion in scrub typhus.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of scrub typhus patients between January 2004 and December 2011 at Chosun University Hospital in South Korea. A total of 445 scrub typhus patients were divided into the following two groups: without (n = 352) or with pleural effusion (n = 93).

Pontemazines A and B, phenazine derivatives containing a methylamine linkage from Streptomyces sp. UT1123 and their protective effect to HT-22 neuronal cells.

New phenazine derivatives with a methylamine linker, Pontemazines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. UT1123. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry.

IgG4-Related Systemic Disease Can Be Easily Mistaken as a Uroepithelial Tumor.

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a newly recognized systemic syndrome characterized by elevated serum IgG4 concentrations and tumefaction or tissue infiltration by IgG4-positive plasma cells. We experienced a case of IgG4-RD involving multiple organs in a 64-year-old female who was referred for a suspected uroepithelial tumor. A mass biopsy confirmed dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with an increased number of IgG4-positive plasma cells.

Serum specific IgG response to toluene diisocyanate-tissue transglutaminase conjugate in toluene diisocyanate-induced occupational asthmatics.

Background: Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a post-translational modifying enzyme located in airway epithelial cells. A potential contribution of serum specific IgG (sIgG) to tTG in airway inflammation of toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-induced occupational asthma (OA) has been suggested.

Objective: To prepare a TDI-tTG conjugate and detect serum specific antibodies in sera of patients with TDI-OA to understand this mechanism.

Cloning and characterization of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1 gene from chum salmon, Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum, 1792).

Here, we report the information about molecular and expression characterization of NR1 gene in chum salmon for the first time. The complete NR1 subunit showed a large open-reading frame of 2844 bp in the total length of 3193 bp, and this cDNA contained a coding region encoding 948 amino acids and a stop codon. The organization of the NR1 subunit of chum salmon were similar of most other fishes, except C' terminal.

Clinicopathologic significance and function of mammalian target of rapamycin activation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as a key regulator of cell metabolism, growth, and proliferation. Despite the increasing significance of mTOR signaling in cancer cell cycle and proliferation, the clinical significance of activated mTOR in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its role in esophageal cancer cell proliferation and invasion remain unclear. Here, we show that both high levels of phosphorylated-mTOR and an increased ratio of phosphorylated-mTOR/mTOR (ratio ≥0.

Education, reregistration, and recommendation effect of iPhone Poomsae education app in Taekwondo academy.

This paper analyzed the effect of a smartphone application in Taekwondo Academy. The iPhone app was self-developed to display Taekwondo education contents for Poomsae training. From the viewpoint of education, reregistration and recommendation effect, it showed statistically significant difference in 196 trainee sample survey.

Endogenous expression of interleukin-4 regulates macrophage activation and confines cavity formation after traumatic spinal cord injury.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers inflammatory reactions in which various types of cells and cytokines are involved. Several proinflammatory cytokines are up-regulated after SCI and play crucial roles in determining the extent of secondary tissue damage. However, relatively little is known about antiinflammatory cytokines and their roles in spinal cord trauma.

Newly formed cystic lesions for the development of pneumomediastinum in Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii, formerly named Pneumocystis carinii, is one of the most common opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients.

Case Presentations: We encountered two cases of spontaneous pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema in HIV-infected patients being treated for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware that cystic lesions and bronchiectasis can develop in spite of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole treatment for P.

Transplantation of human neural stem cells transduced with Olig2 transcription factor improves locomotor recovery and enhances myelination in the white matter of rat spinal cord following contusive injury.

Background: Contusive spinal cord injury is complicated by a delayed loss of oligodendrocytes, resulting in chronic progressive demyelination. Therefore, transplantation strategies to provide oligodendrocyte lineage cells and to enhance the extent of myelination appear to be justified for spinal cord repair. The present study investigated whether transplantation of human neural stem cells (NSCs) genetically modified to express Olig2 transcription factor, an essential regulator of oligodendrocyte development, can improve locomotor recovery and enhance myelination in a rat contusive spinal cord injury model.

Overexpression of Bcl-XL in human neural stem cells promotes graft survival and functional recovery following transplantation in spinal cord injury.

Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has shown promise for improving functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). The inhospitable milieu of injured spinal cord, however, does not support survival of grafted NSCs, reducing therapeutic efficacy of transplantation. The present study sought to examine whether overexpression of antiapoptotic gene Bcl-X(L) in NSCs could promote graft survival and functional recovery following transplantation in rat contusive SCI model.

Effects of esomeprazole premedication on gastric pH during laparoscopic surgery.

Background: The use of CO2 for pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery provokes a decrement in the gastric pH. Since the incidence rate of PONV increases after laparoscopic surgery, the possibility of lung aspiration of gastric juice with a low pH during a postanesthetic emergence may increase and this could be fatal for the patient. We conducted this study to determine the effects of esomeprazole premedication on inhibiting the decrement of the gastric pH during laparoscopic surgery.

Using pCIN-mIL-4 DNA vector to express mRNA and protein and to improve herpes simplex virus-induced Behcet's disease symptoms in mice.

Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory, multisystemic disorder characterized primarily by vasculitis. The etiopathogenesis of BD involves immunogenetics, infectious organisms (streptococcus, herpes simplex virus), immunoregulation and vascular dysfunctions. We previously found that immunoregulation associated with viral infection was important to the development of BD-like symptoms.

Stem cell-based cell therapy for spinal cord injury.

Traumatic injuries to the spinal cord lead to severe and permanent neurological deficits. Although no effective therapeutic option is currently available, recent animal studies have shown that cellular transplantation strategies hold promise to enhance functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). This review is to analyze the experiments where transplantation of stem/progenitor cells produced successful functional outcome in animal models of SCI.

Sequential combination of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and intra-arterial urokinase in acute ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: Combined intravenous (IV) and intra-arterial (IA) thrombolytic therapy may be faster and easier to initiate than monotherapy, and its recanalization rate may be better as well. The sequential combination of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) and urokinase (UK) has synergistic and complementary effects on clot lysis. We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness and safety of sequential combination of IV rTPA and IA UK in acute ischemic stroke.

Combined treatment with colchicine and Herba Taraxaci (Tarazacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.) attenuates Behcet's disease-like symptoms in mice and influences the expressions of cytokines.

Herbal medicine, Herba Taraxaci (Tarazacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.), was administered to mice with Behcet's disease (BD)-like symptoms induced by herpes simplex virus (HSV).