Experiences of Depression in Low Income Elderly Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand the meaning of the depression in low income elderly women. METHODS: Participants were 15 elderly women, aged between 60 and 80 who were registered in two senior welfare centers in Seoul. Data were collected from June to December, 2012 after having obtained consent from participants. In-depth interviews were done with open-ended questions about their depression experiences, which were audio-taped and transcribed with verbatim. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to discover the categories considering their relationships and abstractness. RESULTS: Depressions of aged women were a part of the their life throughout their long lived hardship and was implied unhealed wounds within the relationship. Participants did not know how to manage with depression symptoms that they tried to overcome individually but due to decreased activities and interpersonal relationships, their depressions were tended to continue. They have tried to get out from depressive symptoms, but it still remains unseen shadow of mind. CONCLUSION: This results suppose that social support and aged welfare policy included reliving the economical difficulty and improving relationships will be provided to manage the depression for low income elderly women

Lived Experience of the Mother's Caring of Adult Children with Persistent Vegetative State

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding the nature of the care experience by the mothers with adult children in persistent vegetative state. METHODS: Participants were 7 mothers caring for their adult children in persistent vegetative state. Data were collected individually through in-depth interviews on their lived experiences. Also texts were included as data from literary works, novels, movies, essays, and arts containing on patients with persistent vegetative state and their mothers. Data were analyzed by van Manen's phenomenological methodology. RESULTS: The essential themes of caring experiences of the mothers were as follows. The theme in relation to lived time has shown as back to the past and caring experience related lived body has emerged as locked the body in children. The theme related lived space was getting into the swamp and the theme in lived others was derived as lonely struggle into. CONCLUSION: The nature of mothers' caring experiences for adult children in persistent vegetative state is summarized as ‘Do not off hand of hope in a locked state’. This study suggests long-term supports are necessary for mothers to care persistent vegetative state children

Salt Preference and Sodium Intake among Pregnant Women

PURPOSE: This study was to estimate salt preference and sodium intake of pregnant women, and identify the relationship between salt preference and sodium intake. METHODS: Research design was a cross sectional correlational survey with 197 pregnant women who visited outpatient clinics for antenatal care. The sodium intake levels were estimated by the amounts of sodium intake using the 24-hour recall method and sodium concentration in spot urine. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Sodium intake using 24-hour recall method was 3,504±1,359 mg. Sodium intake levels had statistically significant differences depending on income. The average amount of sodium in spot urine was 2,882±878mg/day. Sodium excretion levels had statistically significant differences depending on whether participants had preexisting hypertension in their family history and Body Mass Index (BMI) pre-conception. Salt preference was 62.61±20.96 out of 180 points. Salt preference had significant differences depending on income, parity, gestational age, BMI pre-conception and showed negative correlation with sodium quantity in spot urine. CONCLUSION: Sodium intake in pregnant women recommended by World Health Organization recommended is 175%. Salt preference was not significantly different between sodium intake levels, however it was negatively correlated with sodium quantity in spot urine among pregnant women

Uterine and placental expression of TRPV6 gene is regulated via progesterone receptor- or estrogen receptor-mediated pathways during pregnancy in rodents

Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 6 (TRPV6) is an epithelial Ca2+ channel protein expressed in calcium absorbing organs. In the present study, we investigated the expression and regulation of uterine and placental TRPV6 during gestation in rodents. Uterine TRPV6 peaked at pregnancy day (P) 0.5, P5.5 and, P13.5 and was detected in uterine epithelium and glands of rats, while placental TRPV6 mRNA levels increased in mid-gestation. Uterine and placental TRPV6 mRNA levels in rats appear to cyclically change during pregnancy, suggesting that TRPV6 may participate in the implantation process. In addition, uterine TRPV6 mRNA is only expressed in placenta-unattached areas of the uterus, and uterine TRPV6 immunoreactivity was observed in luminal and glandular epithelial cells. In the placenta, TRPV6 was detected in the labyrinth and spongy zone. These results may indicate that TRPV6 has at least two functions: implantation of the embryo and maintenance of pregnancy. To investigate the pathway(s) mediating TRPV6 expression in rodents, anti-steroid hormone antagonists were injected prior to maximal TRPV6 expression. In rats, TRPV6 expression was reduced by RU486 (an anti-progesterone) through progesterone receptors, and ICI 182,780 (an anti-estrogen) blocked TRPV6 expression via estrogen receptors in mice. The juxtaposition of uterine and placental TRPV6 expressed in these tissues supports the notion that TRPV6 participates in transferring calcium ions between the maternal and fetal compartments. Taken together, TRPV6 gene may function as a key element in controlling calcium transport in the uterus between the embryo and the placenta during pregnancy

Gender Based Health Inequality and Impacting Factors

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to identify gender-based health inequality and explore impacting factors on health inequality in one province in Korea. METHODS: This was an explanatory study using the secondary data on Chungnam province from the Fifth Community Health Survey from August 16 to Oct 31, 2012. Variables included in this analysis were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community for socio-cultural characteristics and subjective health status as an indicator of health inequality. Data were analyzed by chi2-test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: There were gender inequalities and disparities in health, and these inequalities were greater in woman than in man (chi2=161.8, p<.001). The impacting factors were education level, poverty, marital status, and residential community, which was accounted for 22.6% of variances of health inequality. Among these variables, gender showed the largest influence in health inequalities. CONCLUSION: To solve health inequalities, it should be considered gender differences based on social determinants of health. It is necessary to develop long term project based on these results and the social determinants model of World Health Organization

Anti-inflammatory effect of essential oil extracted from Pinus densiflora (Sieb. et Zucc.) wood on RBL-2H3 cells

The aim of this study is to identify the active compounds of the essential oil extracted from the Pinus densiflora (Sieb. et Zucc.) wood using the hydrodistillation method and evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity. The chemical composition of the oil was identified by GC–MS analysis, and its anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by investigating its effect on the expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-13 (IL-13), and β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment of the LPS-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells with the oil and its fractions downregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13 and further attenuated the secretion of β-hexosaminidase out of the cells to a significant level. Among the five obtained fractions, fraction E exhibited the best anti-inflammatory activity, and its main constituent, longifolene, was considered as the active compound. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of longifolene on the expression levels of IL-4 and IL-13 and the β-hexosaminidase secretion was similar to that of the P. densiflora wood oil, indicating longifolene as the active constituent of the P. densiflora wood oil with immunosuppressive effects on inflammation

Resolution of Recalcitrant Uveitic Optic Disc Edema Following Administration of Methotrexate: Two Case Reports

A 13-year-old male and a 15-year-old female presented with optic disc edema associated with chronic recurrent uveitis. While the ocular inflammation responded to high doses of oral prednisolone, the disc edema showed little improvement. After oral administration of methotrexate, the disc edema and ocular inflammation were resolved, and the dose of oral corticosteroid could be reduced