Association between Cigarette Smoking Frequency and Health Factors among Korean Adults.

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been a trend that cigarette smoking rate in Asian and Africa adults has increased while the age group to start smoking has decreased gradually. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between lifetime smoking and hypertension, diabetes, obesity, waist measure, fasting blood pressure and food consumption, in order to look into health status depending on smoking status in Koreans. METHODS: Totally, 1075 men and 697 women with no disease participated in this study, in which one-way ANOVA was conducted by using SPSS version 18.0 for statistical process. The level of statistical significance was 0.05. RESULTS: As a result of analysis on relationship between lifetime smoking and hypertension, obesity and diabetes, statistically significant differences were revealed.Lifetime smoking was found to be significantly associated with increased waist measure, higher level of fasting blood sugar, and more ingestion of nutrients (carbohydrate, fat, and protein). CONCLUSION: Increased amount of lifetime cigarette smoking was shown to negatively influence various health factors, which might become to be a drive to cause diseases. Therefore, method to improve health factors must be sought for via education and campaign to control an amount of cigarette smoking in Korean adults.

A study on macronutrient self-selection after acute aerobic exercise in college females.

[Purpose] This study was conducted to determine whether acute aerobic exercise (climbing) is associated with changes in the dietary intake pattern. [Subjects and Methods] Food intake and physical activity data for 15 female college students were sampled for 3 days and categorized according to routine activity or high-intensity activity such as hiking. Nutrient intake based on the data was analyzed using a nutrition program. [Results] Carbohydrate and protein intake was significantly decreased after exercise compared to before acute aerobic exercise, but lipid intake showed no significant difference. Calorie intake was significantly decreased after exercise compared to before exercise; however, calorie consumption was significantly increased after exercise. [Conclusion] Aerobic exercise causes a decrease in total calories by inducing reduction in carbohydrate and protein intake. Therefore, aerobic exercise is very important for weight (body fat) control since it causes positive changes in the food intake pattern in female students.

Phenylacylphenol derivatives with anti-melanogenic activity from Stewartia pseudocamellia.

Three new phenylacylphenol derivatives, stewartianol (1), deoxystewartianol-4'-O-arabinoglucoside (2), and stewartianol-3-O-glucoside (3), along with nine known compounds, methylesculin (4), fraxoside (5), fraxetin (6), scopletin (7), (+)-dihydromyricetin (8), (+)-taxifolin-7-O-ß-D-glucose (9), (+)-taxifolin (10), (+)-dihydrokaempferol-7-O-ß-D-glucose (11), and 3-acetyl-ursolic acid (12), were isolated from the twigs of Stewartia pseudocamellia; commonly used as folk medicine in Korea. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified using spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, MS and compared with published data. The compounds were tested for their anti-melanogenic activity in cultured murine B16 melanoma cells. Stewartianol (1) and stewartianol-3-O-glucoside (3) showed an inhibitory effect significantly on melanogenesis in a concentration-dependent manner.

Electromyography comparison of normal chair-desk system and assistant chair-desk system on fatigue.

[Purpose] This study was designed to test the effects of the Assistant Chair-Desk System (ACDS), which can reduce the forward tilt of the neck and trunk and the level of fatigue during long lasting study in the sitting position. [Subjects] Fourteen middle school students and 14 college students of mixed gender participated in this study. [Methods] Fatigue level, the trapezius muscle, and the forward tilt angle of the head and trunk as well as distance factors were assessed before after using a normal chair-desk system (NCDS) and the ACDS for 120 minutes. [Results] There was an interaction effect in the angle and length of the neck from the sitting posture changes after 2 hours of studying using the NCDS and ACDS. There were also significant differences in the fatigue levels, hip joint angles and the lengths from the head according to the main effects of the chair-systems. [Conclusion] The studying position while using the ACDS was determined to prevent significant fatigue levels of the muscle and body, provide support to the head, by limiting the forward movement of the neck, and prevent forward tilt of the neck and trunk, by enabling the target point and gaze to be closer to the horizontal direction.

Triterpene glycosides with stimulatory activity on melanogenesis from the aerial parts of Weigela subsessilis.

Three new triterpene glycosides (Lonicerosides K, L and M) and 11 known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Weigela subsessilis. Among the known isolated compounds, loniceroside A, sweroside, kaempferol-3-O-glucopyranoside 6″-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate), kaempferol-3-O-acetylglucoside and grandifloroside were reported for the first time in a Weigela genus plant. Their chemical structures were identified using extensive spectroscopic analysis including two-dimensional (2D)-NMR experiments, HR-ESI-QTOF-MS and comparison with reported data. Among these compounds, lonicerosides A and L had potent melanogenesis stimulatory activity in murine B16F0 melanoma cells. The structural relationship of active compounds was discussed.

Volumetric analysis of cerebellum in short-track speed skating players.

The cerebellum is associated with balance control and coordination, which might be important for gliding on smooth ice at high speeds. A number of case studies have shown that cerebellar damage induces impaired balance and coordination. As a positive model, therefore, we investigated whether plastic changes in the volumes of cerebellar subregions occur in short-track speed skating players who must have extraordinary abilities of balance and coordination, using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging volumetry. The manual tracing was performed and the volumes of cerebellar hemisphere and vermian lobules were compared between short-track speed skating players (n=16) and matched healthy controls (n=18). We found larger right cerebellar hemisphere volume and vermian lobules VI-VII (declive, folium, and tuber) in short-track speed skating players in comparison with the matched controls. The finding suggests that the specialized abilities of balance and coordination are associated with structural plasticity of the right hemisphere of cerebellum and vermian VI-VII and these regions play an essential role in balance and coordination.