Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms among North Korean Defectors Living in South Korea for More than One Year.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in North Korean defectors who have been living in South Korea for more than one year. METHODS: We used questionnaires developed by the authors to collect sociodemographic data in addition to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Psychosocial Well-being Index to measure stress, and a social support scale. A total of 367 subjects were included in this study. RESULTS: The results showed that 30.5% of the men and 34.7% of the women reported depressive symptoms, and 33.1% of the men and 36.1% of the women exhibited signs of severe distress. Correlates of depressive symptoms were lack of occupation [odds ratio (OR)=2.198, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.247-3.873], having escaped without family (OR=1.725, 95% CI, 1.006-2.959), and a poor subjective sense of health status (OR=3.111, 95% CI, 1.591-6.085). CONCLUSION: Continuing vocational training and career management, psychological support programs, and intensive physical health services are needed to improve the mental health of this population.

Influence of the transposition of the thermostabilizing domain of Clostridium thermocellum xylanase (XynX) on xylan binding and thermostabilization.

A xylanase gene, xynX, of Clostridium thermocellum had one thermostabilizing domain (TSD) between the signal peptide sequence and the catalytic domain (CD). The TSD of a truncated xylanase gene, xynX'(TSD-CD), was transpositioned from the N terminus to the C terminus of the CD by overlapping PCRs, and a modified product, xynX'(CD-TSD), was constructed. XynX'(TSD-CD) had a higher optimum temperature (70 degrees C versus 65 degrees C) and was more thermostable (residual activity of 68% versus 46% after a 20-min preincubation at 70 degrees C) than the one without the TSD, XynX'(CD). However, the domain-transpositioned enzyme, XynX'(CD-TSD), showed a lower optimum temperature (30 degrees C) and thermostability (20%) than XynX'(CD). Both XynX'(TSD-CD) and XynX'(CD-TSD) showed significantly higher binding capacity toward xylan than XynX'(CD), and the domain transposition did not cause any change in the binding ability. XynX'(TSD-CD) and XynX'(CD-TSD) also showed considerable binding to lichenan but not to carboxymethyl cellulose and laminarin. XynX'(TSD-CD) and XynX'(CD-TSD) had higher activities for insoluble xylan than XynX'(CD), while XynX'(CD) was more active against soluble xylan than XynX'(TSD-CD) and XynX'(CD-TSD). These results indicate that the TSD of XynX has dual functions, xylan binding and thermostabilization, and the domain should also be classified as a xylan-binding domain (XBD). The binding capacity of the XBD was not affected by domain transpositioning within the gene.