Scope
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene is suggested as risk factor of metabolic diseases in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). This study ...hypothesized that FADS1_rs174546T associates with serum triglycerides (TG) in Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). In addition, functional study of SNP genotypes in cultured cells is performed.
Methods and results
FADS1_rs174546T is associated with high level of serum TG (effect size of variant: 6.48 ± 1.84 mg dL−1) in Korean individuals (normotriglyceridemia, n = 5128; hypertriglyceridemia, n = 3714). Functional study in cells with FADS1_rs174546T, shows reduced transcriptional activity, when compared with rs174546C. MiR‐6728‐3p, which is predicted to bind with rs174546T, decreases transcriptional activity of rs174546T but not in rs174546C, and it is reversed by miR‐6728‐3p inhibitor. Formononetin is selected as binding molecule to 3′‐UTR of FADS1 and increases luciferase activity in both rs174546 (C/T). Moreover, formononetin compensates for the reduced luciferase activity by rs174546T and miR‐6728‐3p. Formononetin also increases endogenous FADS1 expression and long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC‐PUFA) ratio.
Conclusion
FADS1_rs174546T is a crucial risk factor for hypertriglyceridemia in the Koreans potentially through the interaction with miR‐6728‐3p. Formononetin can be a potent dietary intervention to prevent and improve hypertriglyceridemia in both rs174546 (C/T) populations.
The Korean Genome Epidemiology Study demonstrates that FADS1 rs174546T, minor allele, associated with high triglyceride levels. The luciferase assay after transient transfection of 3'‐UTR of FADS1 rs175446T shows reduced transcriptional activity. Moreover, FADS1 rs174546T serves a new target site for miR‐6728‐3p in hepatocytes and inhibitor of miR‐6728‐3p restores the reduced expression by rs174546T. Formononetin compensates for the adverse effects of miR‐6728‐3p on FADS1 rs174546T and possesses the potential for preventive medicine.
In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the literature on depression among Asian-Americans and explore the possible variations in depression prevalence estimates by methodological and ...demographic factors.
Six databases were used to identify studies reporting a prevalence estimate for depression in Asian-American adults in non-clinical settings. Meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled estimates of rates of depression by assessment type. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed for subgroup analyses by gender, age, ethnicity, and other participant characteristics.
A total of 58 studies met the review criteria (n = 21.731 Asian-American adults). Heterogeneity across the studies was considerably high. The prevalence of major depression assessed via standardized clinical interviews ranged between 4.5% and 11.3%. Meta-analyses revealed comparable estimated prevalence rates of depression as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (35.6%, 95% CI 27.6%-43.7%) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (33.1%, 95% CI 14.9%-51.3%). Estimates varied by Asian racial/ethnic group and other participant characteristics. Estimates of depression among special populations, which included maternity, caregivers, and homosexuals, were significantly higher than estimates obtained from other samples (58.8% vs 29.3%, p = .003). Estimates of depression among Korean and Filipino-Americans were similar (33.3%-34.4%); however, the estimates were twice as high as those for Chinese-Americans (15.7%; p = .012 for Korean, p = .049 for Filipino).
There appears to be wide variability in the prevalence rates of depression among Asian-Americans in the US. Practitioners and researchers who serve Asian-American adults need to be sensitive to the potential diversity of the expression of depression and treatment-seeking across Asian-American subgroups. Public health policies to increase Asian-American access to mental health care, including increased screening, are necessary. Further work is needed to determine whether strategies to reduce depression among specific Asian racial/ethnic groups is warranted.
Three-dimensional printing with Digital Lighting Processing (DLP) printer has come into the new wave in the tissue engineering for regenerative medicine. Especially for the clinical application, it ...needs to develop of bio-ink with biocompatibility, biodegradability and printability. Therefore, we demonstrated that Silk fibroin as a natural polymer fabricated with glycidyl-methacrylate (Silk-GMA) for DLP 3D printing. The ability of chondrogenesis with chondrocyte-laden Silk-GMA evaluated in vitro culture system and applied in vivo. DLP 3D printing system provided 3D product with even cell distribution due to rapid printing speed and photopolymerization of DLP 3D printer. Up to 4 weeks in vitro cultivation of Silk-GMA hydrogel allows to ensure of viability, proliferation and differentiation to chondrogenesis of encapsulated cells. Moreover, in vivo experiments against partially defected trachea rabbit model demonstrated that new cartilage like tissue and epithelium found surrounding transplanted Silk-GMA hydrogel. This study promises the fabricated Silk GMA hydrogel using DLP 3D printer could be applied to the fields of tissue engineering needing mechanical properties like cartilage regeneration.
Scope
This study investigated the effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a bioactive component of honeybee hives, on the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome (MetS) by comparing ...the efficacy of CAPE intake at the beginning of obesity and after obesity. The functional mechanism of CAPE was also investigated.
Methods and results
C57BL/6 mice were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) containing 0.05% CAPE (HFD+C) for 12 weeks (HFD+C(Pre) group) or received HFD+C for 6 weeks after consuming the HFD for 6 weeks (HFD+C(Post) group). Both CAPE‐fed groups showed significant improvements in body weight, fatty liver, inflammation, and insulin resistance, but not serum lipid levels. Hyperlipidemia was only ameliorated in the HFD+C(Pre). Adipose tissue (AT) remodeling occurred in the CAPE‐fed groups. Specifically, CAPE induced PPAR‐γ activation, resulting in adipogenesis, a smaller and more uniform distribution of adipocytes, and decreased immune cell penetration and inflammation; CAPE also improved the disturbed pattern of adipokine secretion. Hypoxia was improved by promoting angiogenesis in AT.
Conclusion
CAPE ameliorates metabolic disease by inducing PPAR‐γ activation and AT remodeling. Additionally, this study reveals that the intake of CAPE after obesity, as well as in the early stage of obesity, helps in the prevention and treatment of MetS.
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) promotes PPAR‐γ activity, resulting in adipogenesis, a smaller and more uniform distribution of adipocytes, and decreased immune cell penetration and inflammation; CAPE also improves the disturbed secretion pattern of adipokines. Through the PPAR‐γ activation and adipose tissue (AT) remodeling, CAPE stably stores excess energy in AT, improving metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, inflammation, and insulin resistance.
Obese Asians are more susceptible to metabolic diseases than obese Caucasians of the same body mass index (BMI). We hypothesized that the genetic variants associated with obesity risk interact with ...the lifestyles of middle-aged and elderly adults, possibly allowing the development of personalized interventions based on genotype. We aimed to examine this hypothesis in a large city hospital-based cohort in Korea. The participants with cancers, thyroid diseases, chronic kidney disease, or brain-related diseases were excluded. The participants were divided into case and control according to their BMI: ≥25 kg/m
(case;
= 17,545) and <25 kg/m
(control;
= 36,283). The genetic variants that affected obesity risk were selected using a genome-wide association study, and the genetic variants that interacted with each other were identified by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis. The selected genetic variants were confirmed in the Ansan/Ansung cohort, and polygenetic risk scores (PRS)-nutrient interactions for obesity risk were determined. A high BMI was associated with a high-fat mass (odds ratio (OR) = 20.71) and a high skeletal muscle-mass index (OR = 3.38). A high BMI was positively related to metabolic syndrome and its components, including lipid profiles, whereas the initial menstruation age was inversely associated with a high BMI (OR = 0.78). The best model with 5-SNPs included
_rs543874,
_rs713586,
_rs6265,
_rs6567160, and
_rs1444988703. The high PRS with the 5-SNP model was positively associated with an obesity risk of 1.629 (1.475-1.798) after adjusting for the covariates. The 5-SNP model interacted with the initial menstruation age, fried foods, and plant-based diet for BMI risk. The participants with a high PRS also had a higher obesity risk when combined with early menarche, low plant-based diet, and a high fried-food intake than in participants with late menarche, high plant-based diet, and low fried-food intake. In conclusion, people with a high PRS and earlier menarche age are recommended to consume fewer fried foods and a more plant-based diet to decrease obesity risk. This result can be applied to personalized nutrition for preventing obesity.
Aims
To identify the variables that affect family management of childhood atopic dermatitis and establish a prediction model based on Bandura's self‐efficacy theory.
Background
Atopic dermatitis is a ...chronic recurrent skin disease and common health problem in childhood. It is necessary to use an approach that includes parental factors when considering the effective management of childhood atopic dermatitis.
Design
A cross‐sectional study design.
Methods
A convenience sample, comprising 168 Korean mothers caring for a child with atopic dermatitis under the age of 13, was recruited from the paediatric outpatient departments of two general hospitals in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected using structured self‐reported questionnaires including severity, antecedents, effort, self‐efficacy and family management of childhood atopic dermatitis from 1 November 2015–28 February 2016. Descriptive statistics about the participants and variables were examined and data were analysed using structural equation modelling.
Results
The hypothetical model had an adequate fit to the data, indicating that severity, antecedents, effort and self‐efficacy influenced family management of childhood atopic dermatitis.
Conclusion
These results suggest that strategies to support children with atopic dermatitis and their family should consider the influence of such variables.
Although the health care industry has strived to address racial/ethnic disparities in health communication, several gaps remain. Previous findings suggest that communication technology might help ...narrow the gaps; however, they do not provide a comprehensive picture of how or why. To answer these questions, we examined the potential role of communication technology in mitigating the racial/ethnic disparities in patient-provider communication. Data analysis of the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (N= 3,504) revealed that the levels of perceived quality of communication with health care providers were lower among Asians and Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites while no difference emerged between Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites. Although the adoption of communication technology was relatively high across minority groups, its use appeared to play different roles in different racial/ethnic populations. The Internet and patient portals showed no particular associations with patient-provider communication except for Black Internet users, who reported poorer experiences with patient-provider communication than non-users. Among Asians and Hispanics, social media and mobile communication appeared to play different roles in impacting communication experiences with health care providers. The findings suggest that communication technologies need to be strategically utilized and tailored to better meet the communication needs of racial/ethnic minorities.
Daily life has changed due to COVID-19. This has affected nursing education and caused a shift in online learning. This study examined the effects of online learning on nursing students’ knowledge, ...self-regulation, and learning flow. We used a quasi-experimental design on a sample comprising 164 senior nursing students. We compared pre- and post-test scores to examine the educational effects. The pre-test was conducted a week before the educational intervention, and the post-test was conducted a week after it. We found a significant increase in knowledge (t = −14.85, p < 0.001) and learning flow (t = −2.15, p = 0.033) in the post-test. We also found an increase in self-regulation (t = −1.57, p = 0.119) from the pre- to the post-test that was not statistically significant. The results could help instructors to provide additional information in online learning. They highlight the need to assess learners’ readiness for online learning and to prepare the learning environment with systematic educational planning, design, development, and evaluation for improving the effectiveness of online learning outcomes.
•We provide the molecular mechanism by which capsaicin increases glucose uptake.•Capsaicin increases glucose uptake directly by activating AMPK in C2C12 muscle cells.•Capsaicin treatment generates ...ROS and subsequently activates AMPK and p38 MAPK.•Glucose uptake by capsaicin is independent of insulin signaling.
Capsaicin has been reported to regulate blood glucose levels and to ameliorate insulin resistance in obese mice. This study demonstrates that capsaicin increases glucose uptake directly by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in C2C12 muscle cells, which manifested as an attenuation of glucose uptake when compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, was co-administered with capsaicin. However, the insulin signaling molecules insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and Akt were not affected by capsaicin. Additional results showed that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is also involved in capsaicin-induced glucose transport downstream of AMPK because capsaicin increased p38 MAPK phosphorylation significantly and its specific inhibitor SB203580 inhibited capsaicin-mediated glucose uptake. Treatment with an AMPK inhibitor reduced p38 MAPK phosphorylation, but the p38 MAPK inhibitor had no effect on AMPK. Capsaicin stimulated ROS generation in C2C12 muscle cells, and when ROS were captured using the nonspecific antioxidant NAC, the increase in both capsaicin-induced AMPK phosphorylation and capsaicin-induced glucose uptake was attenuated, suggesting that ROS function as an upstream activator of AMPK. Taken together, these results suggest that capsaicin, independent of insulin, increases glucose uptake via ROS generation and consequent AMPK and p38 MAPK activations.
Background
Chronic pain is one of the most common health problems for older adults worldwide and is likely to result in lower quality of life. Living in a different culture may also influence chronic ...pain and quality of life in older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore how multifaceted elements affect chronic pain and quality of life in older Koreans living in Korea and in older Korean–Americans (KAs) living in the USA.
Methods
We conducted a secondary data analysis of data from 270 adults aged 65 years or over (138 Koreans and 132 KAs). We compared the effects of multifaceted elements on pain and quality of life by testing structural equation models (SEMs) for each group, using a maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping.
Results
SEMs for both Korean and KAs showed that age and depressive symptoms directly affected quality of life. The number of comorbidities and depressive symptoms had mediating effects on quality of life through chronic pain in both groups. In older Koreans only, perceived financial status directly affected quality of life. In older KAs only, sleep quality indirectly affected quality of life through chronic pain.
Conclusion
The data showed that multimorbidity and depressive symptoms play critical roles for explaining chronic pain in older Koreans and KAs and ultimately negatively influence quality of life. Future intervention program to improve quality of life in older adults with chronic pain should consider the different cultural aspects affecting quality of life for Koreans and KAs.
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