Human sting of Cephalonomia gallicola (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) in Korea.

Hymenoptera stings can cause serious injury to humans. We report the clinical findings of 6 cases of Hymenoptera stings. All patients developed painful erythematous papules at the sting sites and had a past history of parasitoid wasp sting. This is the first clinical report of the parasitoid wasp, Cephalonomia gallicola, causing human stings in Korea.

Changes in physiology and protein abundance in salt-stressed wheat chloroplasts.

Leaves are the final site of salinity perception through the roots. To better understand how wheat chloroplasts proteins respond to salt stress, the study aimed to the physiochemical and comparative proteomics analysis. Seedlings (12-days-old) were exposed to 150 mM NaCl for 1, 2, or 3 days. Na(+) ions were rapid and excessively increase in roots, stems and leaves. Photosynthesis and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content decreased whereas the level of proline increased. Statistically significant positive correlations were found among the content of hydrogen peroxide, activity of catalase, and superoxide dismutase under salt stress in wheat. Protein abundance within the chloroplasts was examined by two-dimensional electrophoresis. More than 100 protein spots were reproducibly detected on each gel, 21 protein spots were differentially expressed during salt treatment. Using linear quadruple trap-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (LTQ-FTICR) hybrid mass spectrometry, 65 unique proteins assigned in the differentially abundant spots. Most proteins were up-regulated at 2 and 3 days after being down-regulated at 1 day. Others showed only slight responses after 3 days of treatment, including Rubisco, glutamate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, photosystem I, and pyridoxal biosynthesis protein PDX1.2 and PDX1.3. The ATP synthase (α, ß, and γ) and V-type proton ATPase subunits were down-regulated resulting showed negative impact by Na(+) on the photosynthetic machinery. This ephemeral increase and subsequent decrease in protein contents may demonstrate a counterbalancing influence of identified proteins. Several proteins such as cytochrome b6-f (Cyt b6-f), germin-like-protein, the γ-subunit of ATP synthase, glutamine synthetase, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, S-adenosylmethionine synthase, carbonic anhydrase were gradually up-regulated during the period of treatment, which can be identified as marker proteins.

The influence of forest therapy camp on depression in alcoholics.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a forest experience on the levels of depression of alcoholics. METHODS: Prior to the study, 92 alcoholics were divided into treatment and control groups. During the summer of 2009, the treatment group participated in a series of forest therapy programs, while the control group followed their normal daily routines. Both groups were re-tested upon completion of the program by the treatment group and the depression levels compared. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the depression level of alcoholics who had participated in the forest camp program (treatment group). Those participants in their 40s who had severe levels of depression at the beginning of the program showed the most significant improvement during the program experience. CONCLUSION: The forest therapy camp experience can considerably reduce and ameliorate the depression levels of alcoholics.

Effects of Forest Therapy on Psychological Improvement in Middle-aged Women in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Women experience more stress in middle age than in other periods of their lives. Therefore, health management programs that enable middle-aged women to cope with and manage stress are needed. This study investigated the psychological effects of a meditation-focused forest therapy program among 53 middle-aged women living in urban areas in Korea. METHODS: Participants were divided into 2 groups: one group underwent the program for 3 days in a forest, followed by 3 days in an urban environment, and the other group underwent the program for 3 days in the urban environment, followed by 3 days in the forest. The psychological effects of the forest therapy program were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States-Brief (POMS-B). Differences in mood state before and after the program conducted in the forest (experimental group) and in the urban environment (control group) were evaluated using the paired-samples t-test. RESULTS: The program in the forest significantly reduced tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion among the domains of the POMS-B. The program in the urban area significantly reduced tension, but not depression, anger, fatigue, or confusion. CONCLUSIONS: Meditation-focused forest therapy programs are expected to contribute to promoting psychological health and enhancing the quality of life of middle-aged women.

Forest experience and psychological health benefits: the state of the art and future prospect in Korea.

The aims of this study were twofold: to examine the empirical evidence supporting the positive contribution that a forest environment can make on human psychological health and well-being and to describe the theoretical framework within which the forest environment has this effect. Our review of the literature provides empirical evidence that a forest experience can contribute to improved emotional and cognitive health.This experience can be through a forest activity program and by experiencing the social and physical conditions of the forest environment and the therapeutic elements of the forest. Visiting or viewing a forest scene has been documented to have a positive effect on psychological healing and well-being in terms of recovering from stress, improving concentration and productivity, improving the psychological state, particularly for people from urban environments. Wilderness and related studies clearly demonstrate that being in a forest environment has a positive effect on people, while results from other studies indicate that contacts with forest environments provide multiple positive physiological and psychological effects on human health that included decreasing the blood pressure and heart rate and reducing anxiety and stress. There are several theories explaining the healing effects of the forest on human beings. Most hypothesize that restorative environments are settings in which recovery is associated with the reduction of stress and that the benefits of contact with natures include a wide range of positive physiological and psychological responses. These theories are based on an evolutionary perspective and share a number of similarities and differences. This article summarizes a number of these theories of restorative environments as well as addresses the current status of forest therapy and the challenges and opportunities for therapeutic effects of the forest in Korea.

The clinical effect of smoking and environmental factors in spontaneous pneumothorax: a case-crossover study in an Inland province.

BACKGROUND: The factors that trigger spontaneous pneumothorax have not been sufficiently evaluated. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the development of spontaneous pneumothorax and meteorological parameters, including air pollutants. METHODS: This is a retrospective study using the medical records of 379 patients who were admitted for spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) over a period of 4 years. Meteorological and air pollution data were obtained from the National Meteorological Office and the Ministry of Environment. We employed a case-crossover design to evaluate the short-term association between SP and meteorological factors including air pollutants. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze bi-directional matched data. RESULTS: Increase of relative humidity (RH) and of carbon monoxide (CO) were associated with the risk of pneumothorax, with odds ratio (OR) for RH = 1.18 (1.02-1.36), CO = 1.23 (1.02-1.48). Moreover, as air pressure (AP) decreased, risk of pneumothorax increased, with OR = 1.30 (1.05-1.59) but others did not. In the stratified analysis, the effect of RH was positive in ex-smokers (OR = 3.31) and non-smokers (OR = 1.32), but negative in current smokers (OR = 0.72). The effect of AP was significant in younger patients (OR = 1.33), males (OR = 1.40), and non-smokers (OR = 1.36). CO was related only with non-smokers (OR = 1.35). CONCLUSION: The triggering factors for spontaneous pneumothorax were relative humidity, carbon monoxide, and air pressure. The effect of the trigger was prominent in patients who were younger (<45 years), non- or ex-smokers, and male.The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

Effects of Forest Therapy on Health Promotion among Middle-Aged Women: Focusing on Physiological Indicators.

Women experience more stress in middle age than in other life stages, and health in middle age is vital, because it influences the quality of life in old age. In this study, the effects of a forest therapy program on physiological changes in 53 middle-aged women (divided into two groups) who lived in the city were examined. One group participated in a three-day program in the forest, followed by three days in the city; the other group participated in a three-day program in the city, followed by three days in the forest. Forest experiments were conducted in a "healing forest," and urban experiments were conducted near a university campus. Blood tests were performed to evaluate the physiological effects of forest therapy. Differences in serotonin levels and vitamin D levels were verified before and after the forest (experimental group) and urban (control group) programs through paired t-tests. Statistically significant increases in serotonin levels were noted for participants in the forest program; vitamin D levels also increased, but not by statistically significant values. The findings of this study verify that forest therapy programs promote health among middle-aged women, and may prevent disease and improve quality of life.