Contribution of 52-week low to the momentum strategy on 52-week high

I examine whether the momentum strategy based on 52-week high price can use 52-week low price as another reference point. I find that the remoteness of current price from 52-week low price plays an incremental role in the momentum profits of the strategy based on 52-week high price. Furthermore, I find that the role depends on the level of the nearness to 52-week high price. I find that the profits of the 52-week high price momentum strategy that also uses remoteness of current price from 52-week low price increase as the level of the nearness to 52-week high price increases. I also find that the profits of this strategy based on both 52-week high price and 52-week low price come largely from small stocks as the profits of the traditional momentum strategy is known to come largely from small stocks

Korean Dermatological Association and Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology: Brief History and Future Prospects

Korean dermatology began in the late nineteenth century when American missionary doctors introduced Western medicine to Korea. Before the Second World War, the medical system in general was similar to the Japanese system; however, dermatologists and their training institutes were few in proportion to the total Korean population. In this period, there were several pioneering dermatologists, including Kung-Sun Oh.

Blood pressure and heart failure

Background Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death. It affects a substantial proportion of the population worldwide, and remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Body Long-standing high blood pressure leads to left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction that cause an increase in myocardial rigidity, which renders the myocardium less compliant to changes in the preload, afterload, and sympathetic tone. Adequate blood pressure control must be achieved in patients with hypertension to prevent progression to overt heart failure. Controlling blood pressure is also important in patients with established heart failure, especially among those with preserved ejection fractions. However, aggressive blood pressure lowering can cause adverse outcomes, because a reverse J-curve association may exist between the blood pressure and the outcomes of patients with heart failure. Little robust evidence exists regarding the optimal blood pressure target for patients with heart failure, but a value near 130/80 mmHg seems to be adequate according to the current guidelines. Conclusion Prospective studies are required to further investigate the optimal blood pressure target for patients with heart failure

Soil properties of cultivation sites for mountain-cultivated ginseng at local level

AbstractBackgroundIdentifying suitable site for growing mountain-cultivated ginseng is a concern for ginseng producers. This study was conducted to evaluate the soil properties of cultivation sites for mountain-cultivated ginseng in Hamyang-gun, which is one of the most well-known areas for mountain-cultivated ginseng in Korea.MethodsThe sampling plots from 30 sites were randomly selected on or near the center of the ginseng growing sites in July and August 2009. Soil samples for the soil properties analysis were collected from the top 20 cm at five randomly selected points.ResultsMountain-cultivated ginseng was grown in soils that varied greatly in soil properties on coniferous, mixed, and deciduous broad-leaved stand sites of elevations between > 200 m and < 1,000 m. The soil bulk density was higher in Pinus densiflora than in Larix leptolepis stand sites and higher in the < 700-m sites than in > 700-m sites. Soil pH was unaffected by the type of stand sites (pH 4.35–4.55), whereas the high-elevation sites of > 700 m were strongly acidified, with pH 4.19. The organic carbon and total nitrogen content were lower in the P. densiflora stand sites than in the deciduous broad-leaved stand sites. Available phosphorus was low in all of the stand sites. The exchangeable cation was generally higher in the mixed and low-elevation sites than in the P. densiflora and high-elevation sites, respectively.ConclusionThese results indicate that mountain-cultivated ginseng in Korea is able to grow in very acidic, nutrient-depleted forest soils

Role of Staphylococcal Superantigen in Atopic Dermatitis: Influence on Keratinocytes

Staphylococcus aureus may perform an crucial function in atopic dermatitis (AD), via the secretion of superantigens, including staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) A or B, and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). Dysregulated cytokine production by keratinocytes (KCs) upon exposure to staphylococcal superantigens (SsAgs) may be principally involved in the pathophysiology of AD. We hypothesized that lesional KCs from AD may react differently to SsAgs compared to nonlesional skin or normal skin from nonatopics. We conducted a comparison of HLA-DR or CD1a expression in lesional skin as opposed to that in nonlesional or normal skin by immunohistochemistry (IHC). We also compared, using ELISA, the levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF-α secreted by cultured KCs from lesional, nonlesional, and normal skin, after the addition of SEA, SEB and TSST-1. IHC revealed that both HLA-DR and CD1a expression increased significantly in the epidermis of lesional skin versus nonlesional or normal skin in quite a similar manner. IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF-α secretion was also significantly elevated in the cultured KCs from lesional skin after the addition of SsAgs. Our results indicated that KCs from lesional skin appear to react differently to SsAgs and increased proinflammatory cytokine production in response to SsAgs may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD

Subcutaneous Sacrococcygeal Myxopapillary Ependymoma in Asian Female:A Case Report

Subcutaneous sacrococcygeal myxopapillary ependymoma is extremely rare tumor that has a tendency to develop in children and adolescents. There have been several case reports and sporadic reports in the literature. However, no case has been reported in an Asian patient, to the best of our knowledge. We describe a 25-year-old Asian female patient with a subcutaneous sacrococcygeal myxopapillary ependymoma that had been clinically diagnosed as a pilonidal cyst. The tumor was treated successfully by surgical excision and the patient is doing well without evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis at 2 years after surgery.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Wound Healing In Vivo via Early Activation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

We investigated the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on wound healing using a three-dimensional (3D) collagen gel scaffold. Three circular full-thickness skin defects were created on the back of Sprague-Dawley rats. One site was covered with a 3D collagen gel containing 2 × 106 MSCs (MSCs+/3D collagen+). Another site was replaced with a 3D collagen gel without MSCs and the third site was left empty. The wound size was significantly reduced in the MSCs+/3D collagen+ sites. MSCs+/3D collagen+ sites exhibited the most neovascularization. FISH showed that Y-chromosome possessing cells were found within the dermis of MSCs+/3D collagen+ sites. Gelatin zymography revealed that the most intense expression of MMP-9 was detected early in the MSCs+/3D collagen+ sites. Our results indicate that MSCs upregulate the early expression of MMP-9 which induces the early mobilization of VEGF. Thus, MSCs appear to accelerate significantly wound healing via early activation of MMP-9 and VEGF