Predicting occurrence of and responses to psychological difficulties: the interplay between achievement goals, perceived ability and motivational climates among Korean athletes

The present study investigated the interrelationship of goal orientations, perceived ability, and perceived motivational climate to the experience of stress, perceived controllability, and choice of coping strategies. A total of 404 Korean intercollegiate athletes participated in the study. The results from moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that the experience of psychological difficulties was positively predicted by a perceived ego-involving climate and negatively predicted by perceived ability. The perceived controllability over stress was highest among athletes who had higher levels of task and ego orientation in a more taskinvolving atmosphere. Athletes used more approach coping as they perceived a higher level of task orientation regardless the level of perceived ability, and when they indicated higher task orientation scores in a low ego-involving environment. The avoidance/withdrawal coping strategies were positively related to an ego-involving climate. The findings implied that an examination of cultural variations in motivational factors and coping process among sport participants in a different culture may further extend theoretical applicability across diverse populations

Trends in Avoidable Death over 20 Years in Korea

To evaluate the achievement of health care services in Korea independent of other socioeconomic factors, we observed the time trend of avoidable death between 1983 and 2004. A list of avoidable causes of death was constructed based on the European Community Atlas of "Avoidable Death". We calculated sex- and age-standardized mortality rates of Korean aged 1-64 yr using data of the Korea National Statistical Office. The avoidable mortality rate (per 100,000 persons) decreased from 225 to 84 in men and from 122 to 41 in women. Accordingly, the proportion of avoidable deaths among all classifiable deaths was reduced by 8.1% in men and 6.4% in women. However, mortality rates from some preventable causes such as ischemic heart disease and malignant neoplasms of lung, breast, cervix, and colorectum have been on the rise. Mortality preventable by appropriate medical care showed the greatest reduction (by 77.8%), while the mortality preventable by primary prevention showed the least reduction (by 50.0%). These findings suggest that health care service has significantly contributed to the improvement of health in Korea. However, more effective intervention programs would be needed given the less reduction in mortality avoidable by primary or secondary prevention than expected and unexpectedly increasing mortality from several preventable causes

Genotypic Characterization of Vibrio vulnificus Clinical Isolates in Korea

AbstractObjectivesVibrio vunificus is known to cause septicemia and severe wound infections in patients with chronic liver diseases or an immuno-compromised condition. We carried out the molecular characterization of V. vulnificus isolates from human Vibrio septicemia cases based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using NotI and SfiI.Methods and ResultsPFGE was used to characterize a total of 78 strains from clinical cases after NotI or SfiI digestion. The geographical distribution of PFGE patterns for the strains from the southern part of Korea, a high-risk region for Vibrio septicemia, indicated that the isolates from southeastern Korea showed a comparatively higher degree of homology than those from southwestern Korea.ConclusionsWe report the genetic distribution of V. vulnficus isolated from Vibrio septicemia cases during 2000–2004 in Korea. This method has potential use as a subspecies-typing tool for V. vulnificus strains isolated from distant geographic regions

Traceless component of the conformal curvature tensor in Kähler manifold

summary:We investigate the traceless component of the conformal curvature tensor defined by (2.1) in Kähler manifolds of dimension $\ge 4$, and show that the traceless component is invariant under concircular change. In particular, we determine Kähler manifolds with vanishing traceless component and improve some theorems (for example, [4, pp. 313–317]) concerning the conformal curvature tensor and the spectrum of the Laplacian acting on $p$ $(0\le p\le 2)$-forms on the manifold by using the traceless component

Tai Chi for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Quality of Life in Elderly Patients with Benign Prostate Hypertrophy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tai chi exercise has been recommended as suitable for the improvement of health in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of tai chi on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs), quality of life (QoL), and sex hormone levels in patients with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). The elderly patients with BPH were randomized to receive tai chi or usual care. Fifty-six participants were randomized into either the tai chi group (n = 28) or the control group (n = 28). After 12 weeks of treatment, the tai chi group showed significant improvement in LUTS and QoL. There was a significant effect of tai chi on testosterone but no significant effect on insulin or glucose. No serious adverse events were observed during the study period. In conclusion, our results suggest that 12 weeks of tai chi may improve LUTS and QoL in elderly patients with BPH

Trade, Foreign Direct Investment and International Flow of Labor: OECD Countries

This paper examines the effect of trade on the international movement of labor using migration data into 28 OECD countries. The effect of foreign direct investment on the flow of labor is also considered. The results show that the increased exports of a country lower the migration outflow, whereas increased imports work in the opposite direction. But the rise of bilateral trade raises migration flow into the partner country. Total foreign direct investment into a country does not affect the outflow of labor. But increased bilateral investment raises the movement of people into the investing country

Examination of the psychometric properties of the spanish version of the Approach to Coping in Sport questionaire

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Approach to Coping in Sport Questionnaire and potential cultural differences in coping strategies between Spanish, Korean and US athletes. A total of 190 Spanish athletes (Male, N =152, Female, N = 38, M age = 21.2 + 4.4 years) from various sports participated in the study. After specifying the frequency of the experience of psychological difficulties during competition, the athletes indicated how often they used each of the coping strategies targeted in the ACSQ-Spanish and they also completed the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28. The results of CFA provided support for the factorial validity of the ACSQ-Spanish and preliminary evidence regarding concurrent and convergent validity was garnered. Differences in the use of different coping strategies between the Spanish, Korean, and US athlete groups emerged.En este estudio se analizan las propiedades psicométricas de la versión Española del ACSP (Approach to Coping in Sport Questionnaire) y las potenciales diferencias culturales existentes entre los deportistas españoles, coreanos y americanos en las estrategias de afrontamiento. 190 deportistas españoles (Hombres, N = 152; Mujeres, N = 38; M edad = 21.2 + 4.4 años) de varios deportes participaron en este estudio. Después de especificar la frecuencia de dificultades psicológicas que tenían durante la competición, los deportistas indicaban con que frecuencia utilizaban cada una de las estrategias de afrontamiento que figuraban en ACSP-Español y también rellenaron el Athletic Coping Skills Inventory 28. Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio ofrecieron apoyo para la validez factorial del ACSQ-español. También se obtuvo evidencia preliminar sobre la validez concurrente y convergente del cuestionario. Se obtuvieron diferencias en las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas entre los deportistas españoles, coreanos y americanos

KIOM-79, an Inhibitor of AGEs–Protein Cross-linking, Prevents Progression of Nephropathy in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in the development of diabetic complications, including diabetic nephropathy. KIOM-79, an 80% ethanolic extract obtained from parched Puerariae Radix, gingered Magnolia Cortex, Glycyrrhiza Radix and Euphorbia Radix, was investigated for its effects on the development of renal disease in Zucker diabetic fatty rats, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. In vitro inhibitory effect of KIOM-79 on AGEs cross-linking was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). KIOM-79 (50 mg/kg/day) was given to Zucker diabetic fatty rats for 13 weeks. Body and kidney weight, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, urinary albumin and creatinine excretions were monitored. Kidney histopathology, collagen accumulation, fibrinogen and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) expression were also examined. KIOM-79 reduced blood glucose, kidney weight, histologic renal damage and albuminuria in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. KIOM-79 prevented glomerulosclerosis, tubular degeneration, collagen deposition and podocyte apoptosis. In the renal cortex, TGF-β1, fibronectin mRNA and protein were significantly reduced by KIOM-79 treatment. KIOM-79 reduces AGEs accumulation in vivo, AGE–protein cross-linking and protein oxidation. KIOM-79 could be beneficial in preventing the progression of diabetic glomerularsclerosis in type 2 diabetic rats by attenuating AGEs deposition in the glomeruli