Validity of the Original and Short Versions of the Dynamic Gait Index in Predicting Falls in Stroke Survivors.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the validity of the original version and short version of the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI-8 and DGI-4) in predicting falls in stroke survivors. DESIGN: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. METHOD: This study collected data for 57 chronic stroke survivors and evaluated the validity of the DGI-8 and DGI-4. To test functional ability, the Sit-to-Stand Test, gait subscale of the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, the 10-m Walk Test, the Fugl-Meyer assessment, and the Trunk Impairment Scale were used. FINDINGS: For the DGI-8, the cutoff value for the prediction of a fall was shown to be 16.5, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78. The cutoff value of the DGI-4 was shown to be 9.5, with an AUC of 0.77. CONCLUSIONS: The study results show that the DGI-8 and DGI-4 have discrimination in the prediction of fall in stroke survivors. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: DGI-8 and DGI-4 can be useful for predicting falls of stroke patients, allowing better quality of care.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) from Korea.

We have sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial DNA of an economically and ecologically important Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai (Haliotidae, Gastropoda). The mitogenome of the Pacific abalone is 16,886 nt total length with a 39.6% G+C composition. Thirty-seven genes were identified including 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. We compared the mitogenome of the Pacific abalone to a putative relative species, H. rubra.

Antimicrobial activity of peptides derived from olive flounder lipopolysaccharide binding protein/bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (LBP/BPI).

We describe the antimicrobial function of peptides derived from the C-terminus of the olive flounder LBP BPI precursor protein. The investigated peptides, namely, ofLBP1N, ofLBP2A, ofLBP4N, ofLBP5A, and ofLBP6A, formed α-helical structures, showing significant antimicrobial activity against several Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and the yeast Candida albicans, but very limited hemolytic activities. The biological activities of these five analogs were evaluated against biomembranes or artificial membranes for the development of candidate therapeutic agents. Gel retardation studies revealed that peptides bound to DNA and inhibited migration on an agarose gel. In addition, we demonstrated that ofLBP6A inhibited polymerase chain reaction. These results suggested that the ofLBP-derived peptide bactericidal mechanism may be related to the interaction with intracellular components such as DNA or polymerase.

A novel esterase from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 is a new member of the ß-lactamase belonging to the family VIII lipases/esterases.

Screening of a gene library from Paenibacillus sp. PBS-2 generated in Escherichia coli led to the identification of a clone with lipolytic activity. Sequence analysis showed an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 378 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 42 kDa. The esterase displayed 69% and 42% identity with the putative ß-lactamases from Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 and Clostridium sp. BNL1100, respectively. The esterase contained a Serx- x-Lys motif that is conserved among all ß-lactamases found to date. The protein PBS-2 was produced in both soluble and insoluble forms when E. coli cells harboring the gene were cultured at 18°C. The enzyme is a serine protein and was active against p-nitrophenyl esters of C2, C4, C8, and C10. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were pH 9.0 and 30°C, respectively. Relative activity of 55% remained at up to 5°C with an activation energy of 5.84 kcal/mol, which indicates that the enzyme is cold-adapted. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Cd(2+), Cu(2+), and Hg(2+) ions. As expected for a serine esterase, activity was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The enzyme was remarkably active and stable in the presence of commercial detergents and organic solvents. This cold-adapted esterase has potential as a biocatalyst and detergent additive for use at low temperatures.

[A structural model for health risk behavior of late adolescents: based on 2010 Korea Adolescent Health Survey].

PURPOSE: This study was done to construct and test a structural model to explain health risk behavior of late adolescents. METHODS: Data for this study were secondary data from the 2010 Korea Adolescent Health Survey based and 3,675 high school students who participated. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 19.0 programs. RESULTS: After 7 lines were removed, fitness statistics for the hypothetical model were appropriate (χ²=559.13, p<.001, GFI=.98, SRMR=.03, RMSEA=.04, NFI=.88, IFI=.90, CFI=.90, TLI=.86, AIC=671.13). The result showed that drinking-smoking is directly affected by 5 variables (32.5%), obesity is directly affected by 2 variables (0.7%), lack of physical activity is directly affected by 5 variables (22.2%), skipping of breakfast is directly affected by 3 variables (11.9%), improper sleep is directly affected by 3 variables (7.5%), and psychological adaptation is directly affected by 4 variables (26.8%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study, indicate that late adolescents' health risk behavior is affected by many factors with complicate correlations suggesting further study compare youth health risk behaviors in a variety of environments.

Genetic organization of two types of flounder warm-temperature acclimation-associated 65-kDa protein and their gene expression profiles.

We isolated and characterized two cDNA clone encoding warm-temperature acclimation-associated 65-kDa proteins (PoWap65-1 and PoWap65-2) from the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. The deduced amino acid sequences of PoWap65s showed overall identities of 33-73% with other fish Wap65 and mammalian hemopexin-like proteins. The 5'-flanking regions of both PoWap65-encoding genes contained various putative transcriptional elements. While PoWap65-1 and PoWap65-2 were structurally similar, they exhibited highly differential patterns of expression. PoWap65-1 was expressed only in the liver, whereas PoWap65-2 transcripts were detected in a wide range of tissues. The accumulation of PoWap65s mRNA was expressed differentially during development. Expression of them in warm temperatures also differed in flounder embryonic cells. PoWap65-1 was upregulated by temperature stimulation whereas PoWap65-2 was not detected. PoWap65s were highly regulated by Edwardsiella tarda infection and hypoxia. Pathogen challenge induced PoWap65-2 expression in the liver whereas PoWap65-1 was downregulated. Hypoxia induced the expression of both PoWap65s in the liver of juvenile fish.

Tenacibaculum halocynthiae sp. nov., a member of the family Flavobacteriaceae isolated from sea squirt Halocynthia roretzi.

A Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, aerobic, non-flagellated, non-gliding and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated P-R2A1-2(T), was isolated from sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi) collected from the South Sea, Korea. It grew optimally at 25-28 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. Neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain fell within the clade comprising Tenacibaculum species. Strain P-R2A1-2(T) exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values of 97.6, 97.2 and 97.0 % to Tenacibaculum aestuarii SMK-4(T), T. lutimaris TF-26(T) and T. aiptasiae a4(T), respectively, and of 94.5-96.8 % to the type strains of the other Tenacibaculum species. Strain P-R2A1-2(T) contained MK-6 as the predominant menaquinone and C16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH, iso-C15:0 3-OH and iso-C15:0 as the major fatty acids. The DNA G + C content of strain P-R2A1-2(T) was 30.7 mol % and its DNA-DNA relatedness values with the type strains of T. aestuarii, T. lutimaris and T. aiptasiae were 17 ± 4.2, 21 ± 6.1 and 16 ± 5.2 %, respectively. Differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that the novel strain is separate from other Tenacibaculum species. On the basis of the data presented, strain P-R2A1-2(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Tenacibaculum, for which the name Tenacibaculum halocynthiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is P-R2A1-2(T) (=KCTC 32262(T )= CCUG 63681(T)).

Structural and functional characterization of pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)/PACAP-related peptide (PRP) and its receptor in olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

We identified full-length cDNAs encoding pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), PACAP-related peptide (PRP), and PACAP-specific receptor (PAC1R) from olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Two variant mRNA forms were created by alternative splicing. Comparison of genomic and cDNA sequences of the PRP-PACAP precursor revealed that skipping of exon 4 within PRP resulted in two variant transcripts: a long form encoding both PRP and PACAP and a short form encoding PACAP only. Both transcripts were constitutively observed only in the brain, whereas the short form appeared in gut tissues, such as the intestine and pyloric cecum in fish challenged with a pathogen, but not in healthy fish. Furthermore, expression of the long PRP/PACAP transcript gradually increased in the intestine of flounder challenged with bacteria, suggesting that PRP and/or PACAP may serve as a regulator(s) of the immune system, especially in the gastrointestinal tract of olive flounder. The biological functions of PACAP and PRP were investigated by exogenous treatment of flounder embryogenic cells (hirame natural embryonic cells, HINAE cells) with synthetic peptides of fPACAP-38 and/or fPRP-45. Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production in PAC1R-overexpressing HINAE cells was regulated by fPACAP-38 in a concentration-dependent manner, but was not regulated by fPRP-45. Results from real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that PAC1R mRNA was specifically induced by fPACAP-38 but not by fPRP-45; PACAP significantly increased TNF-α mRNA but not growth hormone (GH) mRNA in HINAE cells; however, PRP affected GH but not TNF-α mRNA expression. These results suggest that the expression ratio of PRP and PACAP is regulated at the transcriptional level depending on the tissues and conditions, and that the unique biological roles of PRP and PACAP differ from that of mammalian PRP.

Factors Influencing Depression among Elderly Patients in Geriatric Hospitals.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression among elderly patients and identify the factors influencing depression in a geriatric hospital in Korea. [Subjects] A self-report questionnaire was administered to the patients in community geriatric hospitals. Participants were 195 elderly patients. [Methods] The instruments utilized in this study were the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form Korea (GDSSF-K), an activity of daily living scale, a self-esteem scale, a social support scale, and a life satisfaction scale. Data were collected from April 20 to June 20, 2011. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS 15.0 and Stata 11.0. [Results] The average GDSSF-K score of the participants was 8.94, indicating a moderate level of depression. About 78.4% of the elderly patients in this study were classified as predisposed toward depression. Significant predictors for depression included the patients' perceived health status and life satisfaction. [Conclusion] The results indicate that elderly patients face a high risk of developing depression and that efforts should be made to address it wherever possible. Regular depression screening will be beneficial for early detection of depression in patients at community geriatric hospitals.

Gene cloning and characterization of a cold-adapted esterase from Acinetobacter venetianus V28.

Acinetobacter venetians V28 was isolated from the intestine of righteye flounder, Poecilopsetta plinthus caught in Vietnam seawater, and the esterase gene was cloned using a shotgun method. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence (1,017 bp) corresponded to a protein of 338 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 37,186. The esterase had 87% and 72% identities with the lipases of A. junii SH205 and A. calcoaceticus RUH2202, respectively. The esterase contained a putative leader sequence, as well as the conserved catalytic triad (Ser, His, Asp), consensus pentapeptide GXSXG, and oxyanion hole sequence (HG). The protein from the strain V28 was produced in both a soluble and an insoluble form when the Escherichia coli cells harboring the gene were cultured at 18 degrees C. The maximal activity of the purified enzyme was observed at a temperature of 40 degrees C and pH 9.0 using p-NP-caprylate as substrate; however, relative activity still reached to 70% even at 5 degrees C with an activation energy of 3.36 kcal/mol, which indicated that it was a cold-adapted enzyme. The enzyme was a nonmetalloprotein and was active against p-nitrophenyl esters of C4, C8, and C14. Remarkably, this enzyme retained much of its activity in the presence of commercial detergents and organic solvents. This cold-adapted esterase will be applicable as catalysts for reaction in the presence of organic solvents and detergents.

[Factors influencing depression among middle-school girls].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depression among school girls in Korea and identify factors influencing the tendency to depression. METHODS: A self-report survey was conducted with South Korean middle schoolgirls who were in the 8th and 9th grades. Four hundred and one schoolgirls were included in the study. The instruments utilized in this study were the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale and Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple logistic regression with SPSS WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: The average depression score of the participants was 20.68, which indicates moderate levels of depression. About 35% of the schoolgirls in this study reported a tendency to depression. Significant predictors for depression were 'decreased problem-solving abilities', 'no family members with whom they can discuss their concern', 'decreased satisfaction in relationship with friends', and 'increased negative self-perception of body-image'. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that schoolgirls require special concern regarding the risk of developing depression. Regular depression screening could be beneficial for early detection of depression in schoolgirls and enhancing problem-solving ability could be considered as an effective strategy to reduce the risk of depression among schoolgirls.

Cloning and expression analysis of a small HSP26 gene of Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai).

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are evolutionally conserved from micro organism to mammals and play important roles in many biological processes including thermal tolerance. We isolated a homologue of small HSP26 (sHSP26) from a subtracted cDNA library of heat shock-treated abalone (Haliotis discus hannai). The abalone sHSP26 encompossed 793 nt, including a coding region of 501 nt. The deduced amino acid sequence of the abalone sHSP26 contained well conserved alpha-crystallin domain and showed overall identities of 27-31% with the other species' sHSP proteins. The abalone sHSP26 transcript was induced by heat shock treatment, but not by cold shock treatment.

Phylogenetic analysis of six species of pacific abalone (Haliotidae) based on DNA sequences of 16s rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial genes.

Six species of abalones (Haliotidae) are found on the Korean coasts. Identification and characterization of these abalones are usually based on morphologic characters. In this research we compared the partial sequences of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes to identify species using molecular data and to determine their phylogenetic relationships. Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 6 species fell into 2 distinct groups which were genetically distant from each other and exhibited little internal phylogenetic resolution. One group included Haliotis discus hannai, H. discus discus, H. madaka, and H. gigantea, while the other group contained H. diversicolor supertexta and H. diversicolor diversicolor. The 16S rRNA sequences were relatively more conserved than to the COI sequences, but both gene sequences provided sufficient phylogenetic information to distinguish among the 6 species of Pacific abalone, and thus could be valuable molecular characters for species identification.