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[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in the incidence of sleep disorders and depression in postmenopausal middle-aged females in South Korea. [Participants and Methods] This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 87 middle-aged females between the ages of 40 and 60 years were selected through convenience sampling. The data were collected with a self-reported questionnaire from May 1 to May 29, 2017. [Results] The mean menopause score of the study was 5.37. The menopause symptoms indicated significant differences in sexual life. The association between the incidence of menopausal symptoms and sleep disorders and depression scores based on a scale of 1 to 10 was analyzed. Menopausal symptoms strongly affected sleep and depression in middle-aged females. [Conclusion] The findings of this study may be useful in understanding depression and sleep disorders in middle-aged females and for developing more specific programs for depression and sleep disorders. Management strategies are also needed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of a physical activity program on the physical fitness in persons with intellectual disabilities. Methods: The study design was an equivalent control group pre-post test. The treatment group received ths physical activity program five times per week for 20 weeks. Data were collected from the treatment group at two time points: Week 1 and Week 20 following the initiation of the treatment protocol. Data were collected from the control group at the ends of week 1 and Week 20. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS v.21.0 software program. Results: The experimental group showed a significant reduction of physical fitness: basic of physical fitness (t=-2.07, p=.041), flexibility (t=2.25, p=.027), muscular strength (t=2.70, p=.009), agility (t=-3.35, p=.001), except for sense of balance (t=-0.91, p=.368), while control group showed no change in these variables. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the physical activity program has proved to be a stable and physically active intervention program for physical activity in intellectually disabled persons.

Bupleurum falcatum L. has been used traditionally as a medicinal herb in Korean medicine. The hexane fraction of BF (HFBF), which was profiled with Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS), activates the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in NCI-H716 cells significantly. We performed a microarray analysis and GLP-1 ELISA assay, as well as calcium imaging experiments with inhibitors, to investigate the mechanism of action of the HFBF. Through the microarray analysis, it was found that the ITPR2 gene that encodes the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor is up-regulated and the HFBF induces cell depolarization by inhibiting the voltage-gated channel expression in NCI-H716 cells. In addition, we found that the intracellular calcium in NCI-H716 cells, with Gallein, U73122, and 2APB as inhibitors, was decreased. These results suggest that the HFBF activates the GLP-1 secretion through the Gβγ pathways in the enteroendocrine L cells after treatment with the HFBF.