Joseon mummies before mummy studies began in Korea

Mummy studies in Korea are instrumental in reconstructing the health and disease status of pre-modern Joseon peoples using firm scientific evidence. However, this scientific approach to such investigations in Korea is a relatively new discipline which began only within the last decade. Previous studies on Joseon tombs and their contents were performed exclusively by dress historians because most of the artefacts recoverable from Joseon tombs were textiles. In this report, we examine some of the excavation records left by dress historians in order to elucidate the approximate number and preservation status of Korean mummies discovered prior to the advent of their scientific investigation

Aptamers and Their Biological Applications

Recently, aptamers have attracted the attention of many scientists, because they not only have all of the advantages of antibodies, but also have unique merits, such as thermal stability, low cost, and unlimited applications. In this review, we present the reasons why aptamers are known as alternatives to antibodies. Furthermore, several types of in vitro selection processes, including nitrocellulose membrane filtration, affinity chromatography, magnetic bead, and capillary electrophoresis-based selection methods, are explained in detail. We also introduce various applications of aptamers for the diagnosis of diseases and detection of small molecules. Numerous analytical techniques, such as electrochemical, colorimetric, optical, and mass-sensitive methods, can be utilized to detect targets, due to convenient modifications and the stability of aptamers. Finally, several medical and analytical applications of aptamers are presented. In summary, aptamers are promising materials for diverse areas, not just as alternatives to antibodies, but as the core components of medical and analytical equipment

Genome-wide analysis to predict protein sequence variations that change phosphorylation sites or their corresponding kinases

We define phosphovariants as genetic variations that change phosphorylation sites or their interacting kinases. Considering the essential role of phosphorylation in protein functions, it is highly likely that phosphovariants change protein functions and may constitute a proportion of the mechanisms by which genetic variations cause individual differences or diseases. We categorized phosphovariants into three subtypes and developed a system that predicts them. Our method can be used to screen important polymorphisms and help to identify the mechanisms of genetic diseases

Textile Relics Conservation and Effective Cleaning Methods - Conservation of the Korean Youth Baseball Tournament Championship Flag

This study analyzes the effectiveness of the cleaning methods applied to the Korean Youth Baseball Tournament championship flag, Korean cultural asset no. 498, which is currently owned by the Korean Sports Council. This championship flag was first given to the winning baseball team during the Chosun National Athletic Meet in July, 1920 and therefore carries importance in Korean sports history. The conservation process began with the following goals: to understand the current condition of the relic, to reduce the soils, to repair and reinforce the deteriorated areas, and to prevent further major damages to the relic

Disconnect between emergency contacts and surrogate decision-makers in the absence of advance directives

The role played by emergency contacts can be extensive particularly for chronically seriously ill patients. If the patient's condition suddenly deteriorates, the emergency contact may be asked to make decisions that should instead fall to a designated surrogate decision-maker

Assessment Effects in Educational and Psychosocial Intervention Trials: An Important but Often-Overlooked Problem: ASSESSMENT EFFECTS IN INTERVENTION TRIALS

Baseline assessments and repeated measures are an essential part of educational and psychosocial intervention trials, but merely measuring an outcome of interest can modify that outcome, either by the measurement process alone or by interacting with the intervention to strengthen or weaken the intervention effects. Assessment effects can result in biased estimates of intervention effects and may not be controlled by the usual two-group randomized controlled trial design. In this paper, we review the concept of assessment effects and other related phenomena, briefly describe study designs that estimate assessment effects separately from intervention effects and discuss their strengths and limitations, review evidence regarding the strength of assessment effects in intervention trials targeting behavior change, and discuss implications for intervention research

Relationships Between Psychosocial-Spiritual Well-Being and End-of-Life Preferences and Values in African American Dialysis Patients

The purpose of the study was to examine whether psychosocial and spiritual well-being is associated with African-American dialysis patients' end-of-life treatment preferences and acceptance of potential outcomes of life sustaining treatment. Fifty-one African Americans with end stage renal disease (ESRD) completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and interview with measures of symptom distress, health-related quality of life, psychosocial and spiritual well-being, and preferences and values related to life sustaining treatment choices. The subjects were stratified by end-of-life treatment preferences and by acceptance of life sustaining treatment outcomes and compared for psychosocial and spiritual well-being as well as socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Individuals who desired continued use of life sustaining treatment in terminal illness or advanced dementia had significantly lower spiritual well-being (p = .012). Individuals who valued four potential outcomes of life sustaining treatment as unacceptable showed a more positive, adaptive well-being score in the spiritual dimension compared to the group who valued at least one outcome as acceptable (p = .028). Religious involvement and importance of spirituality were not associated with end-of-life treatment preferences and acceptance of treatment outcomes. African Americans with ESRD expressed varied levels of psychosocial and spiritual well-being, and this characteristic was associated with life sustaining treatment preferences. In future research, the assessment of spirituality should not be limited to its intensity or degree but extended to other dimensions

The extent of informed decision-making about starting dialysis: does patients’ age matter?

A growing number of elderly patients with end-stage renal disease start dialysis. We examined elderly (≥ 65 years) patients’ views about their decision-making experience after starting dialysis in comparison with patients aged 50-64 years, and patients ≤ 49 years

Determining Consistency of Surrogate Decisions and End-of-Life Care Received with Patient Goals-of-Care Preferences

Background: Care consistent with preferences is the goal of advance care planning (ACP). However, comparing written preferences to actual end-of-life care may not capture consistency of care with preferences

DNA methylome signatures as epigenetic biomarkers of hexanal associated with lung toxicity

Background Numerous studies have investigated the relationship of environmental exposure, epigenetic effects, and human diseases. These linkages may contribute to the potential toxicity mechanisms of environmental chemicals. Here, we investigated the epigenetic pulmonary response of hexanal, a major indoor irritant, following inhalation exposure in F-344 rats. Methods Based on DNA methylation profiling in gene promoter regions, we identified hexanal-characterized methylated sites and target genes using an unpaired t-test with a fold-change cutoff of ≥ 3.0 and a p-value < 0.05. We also conducted an integrated analysis of DNA methylation and mRNA expression data to identify core anti-correlated target genes of hexanal exposure. To further investigate the potential key biological processes and pathways of core DNA methylated target genes, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Results Thirty-six dose-dependent methylated genes and anti-correlated target genes of DNA methylation and mRNA in lung tissue of hexanal exposed F-344 rats were identified. These genes were involved in diverse biological processes such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, protein kinase cascade, and intracellular signaling cascade associated with pulmonary toxicity. These results suggest that novel DNA methylation-based epigenetic biomarkers of exposure to hexanal and elucidate the potential pulmonary toxicological mechanisms of action of hexanal