Adipocyte-specific transcription factors and antioxidants are considered the best target of obesity. Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus (A. dioicus, Samnamul) is easily available owing to edible and ...inexpensive. However, the anti-adipogenic effects of the underlying mechanism of A. dioicus extract (ADE) have not yet been reported. In the present study, we evaluate anti-adipogenic pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, antioxidant activities and quantified phenolics using high-performance liquid chromatography of ADE. The results revealed ADE had reduced adipocyte differentiation (0.72-fold vs. MDI (media of differentiation) control), triglyceride (TG; 0.50-fold vs. MDI control, p < 0.001), and total cholesterol contents (0.77-fold vs. MDI control) by regulating adipocyte-specific transcription factors (C/EBPα, PPARγ, and SREBP1) and their downstream mRNA (AdipoQ, Ap2, SREBP1-c, and FAS) levels. Furthermore, ADE has higher total phenol and flavonoid contents and scavenging assay in the DPPH and ABTS+. In particularly, ADE contains chlorogenic acid (7.04 mg/kg), caffeic acid (20.14 mg/kg), ferulic acid (1.74 mg/kg), veratric acid (29.31 mg/kg), cinnamic acid (4.70 mg/kg), and quercetin (4.18 mg/kg). In conclusion, since these phenols, especially quercetin, in the ADE appear to reduce differentiation, TG and cholesterol content by regulating adipocyte-specific transcription factors in adipocytes, ADE has the potential to be developed into a new antioxidant and anti-obesity therapeutics.
Caroli's disease is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder caused by malformation of the ductal plate during embryonic development. Although it is present at birth, Caroli's disease is typically not ...diagnosed until between the second and fourth decades of life, as it was in the present patient. Here we report a rare case of Caroli's disease limited to one liver segment, which was initially misdiagnosed as an intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct. The asymptomatic patient was treated with liver segmentectomy.
The Inverse Spin Hall Effect (ISHE) voltage induced by spin-pumping was measured in Pt/nonoxidized or oxidized NiFe samples. The spectrum shape of the DC voltage signal was well-reproduced by simple ...Lorentzian functions, which were consistent with the prediction of ISHE in Pt/nonoxidized NiFe sample. On the other hand, the voltage signal from the Pt/oxidized NiFe was significantly decreased in accordance with abnormal ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) behavior. The origin of the ISHE voltage degradation was investigated by the FMR spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The spin-pumping was suppressed by the oxidation of NiFe layer and deficient Pt/NiFe interface. The well-defined ferromagnet and clear interface with a normal spin mixing conductance were experimentally demonstrated to be reasonable spin-pumping.
•The ISHE voltage is measured in Pt/nonoxidized or oxidized NiFe samples.•The ISHE voltage from the Pt/oxidized NiFe is significantly decreased.•The spin-pumping effect is suppressed by the oxidation of Pt/NiFe interface.•The well-defined Pt/NiFe interface is demonstrated to be a reasonable spin-pumping.
The electrochemical reduction of CO
to diverse value-added chemicals is a unique, environmentally friendly approach for curbing greenhouse gas emissions while addressing sluggish catalytic activity ...and low Faradaic efficiency (FE) of electrocatalysts. Here, zeolite-imidazolate-frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) containing various transition metal ions-Ni, Fe, and Cu-at varying concentrations upon doping are fabricated for the electrocatalytic CO
reduction reaction (CO
RR) to carbon monoxide (CO) without further processing. Atom coordination environments and theoretical electrocatalytic performance are scrutinized via X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Upon optimized Cu doping on ZIF-8, Cu
Zn
/ZIF-8 achieves a high partial current density of 11.57 mA cm
and maximum FE for CO of 88.5% at -1.0 V (versus RHE) with a stable catalytic activity over 6 h. Furthermore, the electron-rich sp
C atom facilitates COOH* promotion after Cu doping of ZIF-8, leading to a local effect between the zinc-nitrogen (Zn-N
) and copper-nitrogen (Cu-N
) moieties. Additionally, the advanced CO
RR pathway is illustrated from various perspectives, including the pre-H-covered state under the CO
RR. The findings expand the pool of efficient metal-organic framework (MOF)-based CO
RR catalysts, deeming them viable alternatives to conventional catalysts.
Aims. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the reference values for impulse oscillometry (IOS) and (2) to apply them to the evaluation of asthma in the general population of young Korean ...children. Methods. We performed a questionnaire survey and IOS measurements in 390 children aged 3-7 years in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, Korea, from July to August 2010. IOS measurements included respiratory resistance (Rrs) and respiratory reactance (Xrs) at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 35 Hz, respiratory impedance (Zrs), and resonance frequency (RF) before and 15 min after inhalation of 200 μg salbutamol. To determine the reference values for IOS, 161 children defined as healthy controls were assessed. Results. The IOS measurements were presented as means and standard deviations. The reference equations for IOS variables were determined by multiple linear regression analysis taking into account their height, weight, and age (R5 = 2.242 - 0.008 × height (cm) - 0.005 × age (months), coefficients of determination (R2) = 0.213). Height had the greatest correlation with IOS variables, similar to previous studies. Positive airway obstruction was defined as R5 greater than the 95th percentile of predicted R5 from the reference equation. There was a higher percentage of children with positive airway obstruction in children with asthma than in healthy controls (27.3% vs. 6.2%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that positive airway obstruction was a significant risk factor for the diagnosis of asthma (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 6.245; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.270-17.175). Conclusion. This study provided reference values for IOS in young Korean children and applied the reference values to evaluate children with asthma. We suggest the 95th percentile of predicted R5 as a cut-off value for positive airway obstruction, which may increase the risk for diagnosis of asthma.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition with diverse clinical outcomes and subgroups. Here we investigated the topographic distribution of tau in vivo using the positron emission tomography ...(PET) tracer ¹⁸FTHK5351 in MCI subgroups.
This study included 96 participants comprising 38 with amnestic MCI (aMCI), 21 with nonamnestic MCI (naMCI), and 37 with normal cognition (NC) who underwent 3.0-T MRI, ¹⁸FTHK5351 PET, and detailed neuropsychological tests. ¹⁸Fflutemetamol PET was also performed in 62 participants. The aMCI patients were further divided into three groups: 1) verbal-aMCI, only verbal memory impairment; 2) visual-aMCI, only visual memory impairment; and 3) both-aMCI, both visual and verbal memory impairment. Voxel-wise statistical analysis and region-of-interest -based analyses were performed to evaluate the retention of ¹⁸FTHK5351 in the MCI subgroups. Subgroup analysis of amyloid-positive and -negative MCI patients was also performed. Correlations between ¹⁸FTHK5351 retention and different neuropsychological tests were evaluated using statistical parametric mapping analyses.
¹⁸FTHK5351 retention in the lateral temporal, mesial temporal, parietal, frontal, posterior cingulate cortices and precuneus was significantly greater in aMCI patients than in NC subjects, whereas it did not differ significantly between naMCI and NC participants. ¹⁸F THK5351 retention was greater in the both-aMCI group than in the verbal-aMCI and visualaMCI groups, and greater in amyloid-positive than amyloid-negative MCI patients. The cognitive function scores were significantly correlated with cortical ¹⁸FTHK5351 retention.
¹⁸FTHK5351 PET might be useful for identifying distinct topographic patterns of ¹⁸FTHK5351 retention in subgroups of MCI patients who are at greater risk of the progression to Alzheimer's dementia.
Introduction
Patients with hypertension and additional cardiovascular risk factors pose a challenge by requiring more intensive blood pressure (BP) control. Single-pill combination (SPC) therapy can ...benefit these patients by improving medication adherence.
Methods
This prospective, multicenter observational study assessed the real-world safety and effectiveness of an SPC containing olmesartan, amlodipine, and hydrochlorothiazide (O/A/H) in South Korean patients with hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors. BP control rates, defined as the percentage of patients achieving systolic BP (SBP) < 130 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) < 80 mmHg for intensive BP control, and < 140 mmHg and < 90 mmHg, respectively, for standard BP control, were investigated across various cardiovascular risk groups, along with changes in SBP and DBP from baseline to week 24.
Results
The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor was age (≥ 45 years in men, ≥ 55 years in women, 86.1%), followed by cardiovascular diseases (64.4%), dyslipidemia (53.7%), body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m
2
(53.5%), and diabetes mellitus (DM) (46.3%). Switching to O/A/H showed significant BP reduction, with a mean change of − 17.8 mmHg/− 9.3 mmHg in SBP/DBP within 4 weeks. The intensive BP control rate was 41.4% (95% confidence interval CI 39.5, 43.4), and the standard BP control rate was 73.3% (95% CI 71.5, 75.1), with better control rates in the risk age group (43.1% and 74.1%, respectively) and cardiovascular disease group (42.0% and 73.8%, respectively). The DM group had relatively lower control rates (37.5% for intensive control and 69.4% for standard control). Common adverse drug reactions included dizziness (2.91%), hypotension (1.51%), and headaches (0.70%).
Conclusion
The SPC therapy of O/A/H caused a rapid and sustained reduction in SBP/DBP in patients’ hypertension and additional cardiovascular risk factors. The therapy was safe and well tolerated.
Study Registration Number
KCT0003401 (
https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do/20795
).
A novel cellulase β-1,4-endoglucanase (EGase), EC 3.2.1.4 cDNA belonging to glycoside hydrolase family (GHF) 45 was cloned from the mulberry longicorn beetle,
Apriona germari. The cDNA encoding EGase ...of
A. germari (Ag-EGase) is 711 bp long with an open reading frame of 237 amino acid residues. The Ag-EGase was closely related to another beetle,
Phaedon cochleariae, cellulase and one symbiotic protist cellulase in the hindgut of the termite
Reticulitermes speratus, those belonging to GHF 45. The catalytic sites of GHF 45 are conserved in Ag-EGase. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA suggested the presence of Ag-EGase gene as a single copy and Northern blot analysis confirmed midgut-specific expression at transcriptional level. Similarly, the Ag-EGase enzyme assay exhibited high activity only in midgut tissue, suggesting that the midgut is the prime site where large quantities of EGase are synthesized for degrading the absorbed cellulose from the diet. The cDNA encoding Ag-EGase was expressed as a 29-kDa polypeptide in baculovirus-infected insect Sf9 cells and the culture supernatants of the recombinant baculovirus-infected cells showed EGase enzyme activity of 15.25 U/ml of medium containing 0.5×10
6 cells at 5 days post-infection (p.i.). The enzyme activity of the purified recombinant Ag-EGase expressed in baculovirus-infected insect cells was approximately 992 U per mg of recombinant Ag-EGase. The purified recombinant Ag-EGase showed the highest enzymatic activity at 50 °C and pH 6.0, and was stable at 55 °C at least for 10 min.
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