Although the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains elusive, recent studies suggest that oxidative stress contributes to the cascade leading to dopaminergic (DAergic) neurodegeneration. The Nrf2 signaling is the main pathway responsible for cellular defense system against oxidative stress. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that regulates environmental stress response by inducing expression of antioxidant enzyme genes. We have synthesized novel vinyl sulfone derivatives. They exhibited a broad range of activities in inducing HO-1, whose gene expression is under the control of Nrf2. Among them, compound 12g was confirmed to activate Nrf2 and induce expression of the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzymes NQO1, GCLC, GLCM, and HO-1, at both mRNA and protein levels in DAergic neuronal cells. This was accompanied by protection of DAergic neurons in both in vitro and MPTP-induced in vivo models of PD. In addition, compound 12g effectively resulted in attenuation of the PD-associated behavioral deficits in the mouse model.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore the use of mobile applications about pregnancy, birth, and child care among pregnant women and to review the characteristics, contents, and credibility of the applications used by these women.MethodsThis study was cross-sectional and was conducted using a survey method. One hundred and ninety-three pregnant women participated in this study. The questionnaire was developed to examine the pattern and reasons for pregnancy-related application usage. The 47 mobile apps used by participants were reviewed and categorized based on functions and developers. The credibility of the information provided by the mobile applications was evaluated using a structured measurement.ResultsFifty-five percent of the participants were using mobile apps related to pregnancy, birth, and/or child care. First-time mothers used the apps significantly more often than women who were pregnant for the second time. Women who had used a smartphone for a longer period of time were more likely to use apps related to pregnancy, birth, and/or child care. The most frequently-used information concerned signs of risk and disease during pregnancy. Experts' quick opinions and Q&A formats related to diet and medication administration during pregnancy were the women's most cited need for content in applications. Information was the most common function of the apps. In the evaluation of information credibility, the 'information source' category had the lowest score.ConclusionsThe results showed that applications related to pregnancy, birth, and child care have become an important information source for pregnant women. To fulfill the needs of users, credible applications related to pregnancy, birth, and child care should be developed and managed by qualified healthcare professionals.

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Cancer is a critical disease with a high mortality rate in the US. Although useful information exists on the Internet, many people experience difficulty finding information about cancer prevention because they have limited eHealth literacy. This study aimed to identify relationships between the level of eHealth literacy and cancer information seeking experience or prior experience with cancer screening tests. A total of 108 adults participated in this study through questionnaires. Data covering demographics, eHealth literacy, cancer information seeking experience, educational needs for cancer information searching, and previous cancer screening tests were obtained. Study findings show that the level of eHealth literacy influences cancer information seeking. Individuals with low eHealth literacy are likely to be less confident about finding cancer information. In addition, people who have a low level of eHealth literacy need more education about seeking information than do those with a higher level of eHealth literacy. However, there is no significant relationship between eHealth literacy and cancer screening tests. More people today are using the Internet for access to information to maintain good health. It is therefore critical to educate those with low eHealth literacy so they can better self-manage their health.