Shinsung University

ObjectiveAlfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a prominent herbal treatment among Asian countries and its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects have already been generally elucidated. Excessive melanin synthesis is one of the major troubles in the cosmetics industry, thus such research has been extensively described. Here, we investigated the anti‐melanogenic effects and molecular mechanisms of two types of alfalfa extracts: alfalfa ethanol precipitate (AEP) and alfalfa ethanol supernatant (AES).MethodsThe chemical composition of AEP and AES was analysed using HPAEC‐PAD and LC–MS/MS. B16F10 cells and MNT‐1 cells were used to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of two alfalfa seed extracts on melanin synthesis. The gene expression and protein levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase‐related protein 1 (TRP1), DCT and microphthalmia‐associated factor (MITF) were confirmed using semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR, western blot and immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of these factors were elucidated in B16F10. The inhibitory effect on melanogenesis was validated using 3D artificial skin (MelanoDerm).ResultsBoth AEP and AES reduced melanin content in B16F10 cells stimulated with α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) and subsequently decreased mRNA and protein levels of the melanogenesis‐related targets, tyrosinase, TRP1 and MITF, as shown by semi‐quantitative RT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry. In addition, AEP and AES reduced protein levels of the MITF upstream regulators such as extracellular signal‐mitogen‐activated protein kinases (ERK), cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) and β‐catenin. Similar inhibition of melanin production and decreased expression of tyrosinase protein and MITF mRNA and protein were also confirmed in MNT‐1 human melanoma cells. Using artificial human skin tissue (MelanoDerm), a significant reduction in melanin content was observed.ConclusionAlfalfa seed extracts exert an inhibitory effect on the melanin production process by modulating the activity of ERK, CREB and β‐catenin, thereby suppressing MITF and reducing the levels of tyrosinase, TRP1 and DCT. Collectively, these findings suggest that alfalfa extracts may be a promising avenue for further research and development in the fields of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Visceral fat accumulation can negatively affect uric acid metabolism in healthy adults. The hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTGW) phenotype is a predictor of diabetes and cardiometabolic risk. This study aimed to investigate the association between the HTGW phenotype and asymptomatic hyperuricemia in Korean adults. The study included 23,240 adults, aged 20-80 years who underwent comprehensive health examinations at a general hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, from January 2020 to December 2022. The HTGW phenotype was defined as the simultaneous presence of elevated serum triglyceride (TG) levels and increased waist circumference (WC). The diagnostic capability of the HTGW phenotype for hyperuricemia and its association with the condition were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of hyperuricemia in the HTGW phenotype was 3.44 times higher than that in the normal TG normal waist (NTNW) phenotype. Compared with those in the NTNW group, the hazard ratios for developing hyperuricemia in the HTGW group were 2.887 (2.566-3.249, P <0.001) for men and 7.341 (5.139-10.487, P <0.001) for women, and these values remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. The stratified analysis revealed that the HTGW phenotype, coupled with diabetes, had the highest probability of developing asymptomatic hyperuricemia (2.55 times). ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve values of the WC*TG index for hyperuricemia diagnosis were 0.702, 0.627, and 0.685 for all participants, men, and women, respectively. Among Korean adults, the HTGW phenotype was closely related to hyperuricemia in both men and women and showed a particularly strong association in patients with diabetes. It may be used in combination with an indicator that can complement its accuracy for identifying individuals at high risk of hyperuricemia.

Abstract Excessive ultraviolet (UV) B irradiation induced skin photoaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-photoaging efficacy of enriched-schizandrin from Schisandra chinensis fruit in UVB-induced hairless mice. The cream containing enriched-schizandrin from S. chinensis fruit manufactured with another cosmetic ingredient. UVB-photoaged hairless mice topically applied with the cream once a day for 5 weeks. Application of the cream showed normal changes of body weight and food efficiency in the UVB-photoaged hairless mice. The cream application also was decreased interleukin (IL)-1β, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 mRNA expressions and then it inhibited MMP-2 protein expression in UVB-photoaged hairless mice. Furthermore, the cream application inhibited epidermal wrinkle formation and decreased wrinkle depth and it restored to wrinkle thickness and collagen degradation of skin in UVB-photoaged hairless mice. Therefore, the cream could recover photoaging generated by UVB irradiation via downregulation of IL-1β, MMP-2, MMP-9 mRNA expressions and suppression of expression of MMP-2 proteins.

This study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk factors of depression among patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study adopted a cross-sectional design, and 160 outpatients with RDs in one university hospital in South Korea were sampled using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected from May to July 2021 using a structured questionnaire. The risk factors of depression were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses. The prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, and depression were 37.5%, 20.0%, and 24.4%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses confirmed that employment status, monthly income, perceived health, PTSD, and insomnia were significant risk factors of depression. The findings highlight the urgent need to assist patients with RDs who are at risk of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially individuals who are unemployed or have low incomes and poor perceived health, individuals with high PTSD, and individuals with severe insomnia. There is a need to provide disease-specific interventions to effectively alleviate depression among these individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of complementary-alternative therapy that could reduce side effects of medical treatment by analyzing and researching the decrease of cellulite which is an element of obesity with the use of aroma therapy among complementary-alternative therapies. Methods/Statistical analysis: This study surveyed the general characteristics and lifestyle habits by using the questionnaire targeting the female university students with cellulite, conducted the experimental treatment on thighs and abdomen by using essential oil, and then measured changes before/after the treatment. Using the SPSS PC + Window ver. 25.0, this study conducted the frequency analysis, reliability analysis, and ANOVA. Findings: In the results of this study, first, the equivalence test on the general characteristics and lifestyle habits of research subjects did not show significant differences. Second, the sizes of thigh and abdomen in the experimental group using essential oil were significantly decreased, which was statistically significant. Improvements/Applications: This study verified the effects of aroma therapy on the decrease of obesity(cellulite). There should be continuous follow-up researches on the verification of various complementary-alternative therapies.

Objective: During the outbreak of COVID-19,several coping strategies were implemented including strengthened social distancing, wearing masks and hand hygiene. Thisinfection control method might have been effective for other respiratory infections; however, it had not yet been clearly revealed. Therefore,we investigatedwhetherthe incidence of infectious respiratory diseases has reduced after excluding the effect of decreased medical utilization because of COVID-19 control measures.Design or methods: We used the Korean national claims data and analyzed incidences of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and diseases except ARI. The incidence rates of winter 2019 and 2020 were compared.Results: Excluding ARI,the reduction in overall hospital visits decreased by only 2%; however,the number of visits due to ARI decreased by 13%, and the number of visits due to influenza particularly decreased by 26%.Conclusions: Using national database, this study confirmed that a significant reduction in ARI, including influenza, occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection control measures including nationally enforced social distancing may be effective in controlling the transmission of other respiratory infections. Further studies are necessary to clarify the causal relationship.

Purpose: Repeated hospitalization could be a proxy of unnecessary or preventive admission in South Korea where barriers to hospitalization are relatively low. This study aimed to estimate the current status of repeated hospitalization due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) in South Korea.Methods: Using the National Health Information Database, repeated hospitalization databases were constructed in units of episodes for patients who had been admitted more than twice between January 2017 and December 2018. The number of hospitalizations, total in-hospital days, and total medical expenditure were calculated and compared by patient characteristics in both of the entire patient group and the ACSC patient group.Results: Of total hospitalization episodes, 26.6% reported repeated admission, and 6.7% of repeated hospitalization was due to ACSC. A total of 183,110 patients with ACSC had been admitted an average of 2.9 times and spent an average of KRW5,630,118. In other words, KRW1,309 billion had been spent for repeated hospitalization due to ACSC. The scale of medical expenditure was relatively large in the highest and lowest socioeconomic status.Conclusion: Repeated hospitalization for ACSC can be considered a simple and intuitive indicator when assessing unnecessary hospitalizations or evaluating healthcare policy.

Purpose: This study was done to determine the correlations among grit, social support, career barriers, and career preparation behavior in mature age nursing students, and identify factors influencing their career preparation behavior.Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study included 106 undergraduate nursing students aged 25 years or older at the time of entering three universities in Korea. Grit, social support, career barriers, and career preparation behavior were investigated using structured questionnaires. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analysis and were performed with the SAS program (version 9.4).Results: The factors influencing career preparation behavior of mature age nursing students included: persistence of efforts (β=.35, p&lt;.001) and consistency of interests (β=-.21, p=.011) under the sub-domains of grit; informational support (β=.29, p&lt;.001) under the sub-domains of social support; lack of job information (β=-.36, p&lt;.001) and anxiety about the future(β=.28, p=.008) under the sub-domains of career barriers. These variables accounted for approximately 42% of the variance in career preparation behavior.Conclusion: The findings imply that in order to improve the career preparation behavior and lower the career barriers of mature age nursing students, their individual cognitive and psychological characteristics should be considered while providing diverse job information as part of career guidance.

Falls are caused by difficulties in maintaining stable posture or center of pressure (COP). Studies on construction-related falls and their prevention are limitedOBJECTIVE:To propose a fall prevention index (FPI) based on the working environment at height (with or without a handrail) and experience of workers on movable scaffolds. Thirty participants were enrolled, and their COP distances were measured at the time of falling in the anterior-posterior (AP), mediolateral (ML), and diagonal directions. The probability of falling in the diagonal direction is almost zero for workers with more than 20 years of experience and that in the AP direction is almost zero for workers with up to 30 years of experience. There was almost zero probability of falling in the ML direction for workers with >15 years of experience. This index can be used as a tool for predicting the risk of falls, screening workers, and implementing proactive measures to prevent falling accidents on work sites. Preventing falls from movable scaffolds (and height in general) is needed in the construction industry. We propose a fall prevention index based on the working environment (at height, with or without handrail) and experience of workers on movable scaffolds.