Publications by authors named "Bo Min Kim"
Article Synopsis
- Rising global obesity rates have led to increased interest in dietary strategies for managing obesity, prompting this study on kimchi's potential benefits.
- The research found that a 12-week kimchi intake in rats on a high-fat diet moderately reduced weight gain and significantly changed gut microbiota and metabolic profiles, despite not decreasing body fat directly.
- While more studies are needed, the findings suggest that kimchi, combined with probiotics and bioactive compounds, may play a positive role in addressing obesity and metabolic disorders.
Article Synopsis
- Phytoplasmas are harmful bacteria affecting many plants and causing major agricultural losses, making early diagnosis essential for farmers.
- A comprehensive symptom database called PhyDSDB was created by gathering data on 945 plant species linked to phytoplasma infections, enhancing early detection through symptom recognition.
- The PhyDSDB provides users with a web-based interface featuring links to symptomatic images and detailed information, facilitating better diagnosis and management of phytoplasma diseases for farmers, researchers, and educators.
Graphitic carbon exhibits distinctive characteristics that can be modulated by varying the number of carbon layers. Here, we developed a method to control the growth of graphitic carbon layers through pyrolysis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). The key is to pyrolyze hollow-structured ZIF-8 containing Co ions to simultaneously obtain an amorphous carbon source for graphitic carbons and Co metal nanoparticles for catalyzing graphitization of amorphous carbons.
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- Virginia creeper is a fast-growing deciduous vine native to eastern North America, often used for ornamental purposes due to its attractive fall foliage.
- In July 2022, two Virginia creeper vines in Lanham, MD, showed signs of yellow mottling and premature reddening of leaves, prompting an investigation that involved collecting leaf samples for DNA analysis.
- Results from a specific PCR test confirmed the presence of a phytoplasma, leading to the identification of a new strain named VC-MD1; this strain is closely related to previously known phytoplasmas that affect other plants, demonstrating a potential link to broader plant health issues.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on comparing two methods—SNaPshot assay and massively parallel sequencing (MPS)—for identifying different body fluids in forensic genetics using DNA methylation analysis.
- Both methods were tested on 112 samples (blood, saliva, vaginal fluid, menstrual blood, semen) and showed high reliability, correctly identifying 92% of samples.
- Results indicated that while MPS excelled with vaginal fluid, SNaPshot was more effective for menstrual blood, highlighting the importance of choosing the appropriate method for different sample types in forensic investigations.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers identified organ tissue-specific CpG markers from autopsy samples, leading to the development of a multiplex assay that accurately detects the origin of tissue in samples with 100% accuracy for nine organ types in 88 samples.
- * An interlaboratory study showed 92.5% accuracy in detecting eight organ types out of 80 samples, but challenges remained in accurately identifying some tissues, likely due to variations in sample handling and technical methods.
Article Synopsis
- Titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles, commonly used in sunscreen for UV protection, face challenges due to their high photochemical activity and limited absorption spectrum.
- Researchers have developed a new hybrid nanoparticle, TiO-metal-phenolic network (TiO-MPN NPs), that enhances UV and visible light absorption while reducing harmful reactive oxygen species generated during exposure.
- These TiO-MPN NPs not only improve the sunscreen's effectiveness by increasing protection factors by about four times but also offer an environmentally friendly and biocompatible alternative for sunscreen formulation.
Article Synopsis
- The study presents a new method for creating lignin-infused castor-oil-based cationic waterborne polyurethane (CWPU-LX), which significantly reduces solvent use by about 50% compared to traditional methods.
- This innovative synthesis improves mechanical and thermal properties of the material, achieving up to 250% greater tensile strength and a 4.6% increase in thermal stability.
- CWPU-LX also offers additional benefits such as UV protection and antibacterial qualities, promoting it as a versatile, environmentally friendly option for various applications.
Article Synopsis
- * In tomato plants infected by potato purple top (PPT) phytoplasmas, abnormal protein accumulation and structural disruptions in the ER were observed, indicating that the infection induces ER stress.
- * Activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) can help reduce phytoplasma levels in plants, suggesting that enhancing this response could be a potential strategy for managing phytoplasma-related diseases.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the ABCA4 transporter, which is crucial for retinal health, as genetic variants can lead to retinal dystrophy, particularly Stargardt disease in Korean patients.
- Researchers identified four specific missense variants that significantly reduced ABCA4 protein levels on the cell surface, possibly due to degradation processes.
- They found that different haplotypes in the ABCA4 promoter region influenced transcriptional activity, with certain variants enhancing or reducing this activity, regulated by transcription factors GATA-2 and HLF.
Application of a custom haplotype caller to analyze sequence-based data of 56 microhaplotypes.
Forensic Sci Int Genet
November 2022
Article Synopsis
- Microhaplotypes (microhaps) are new genetic markers designed to enhance forensic identification, addressing the limitations of traditional methods like STRs and SNPs.
- This study introduced a custom MPS panel that can simultaneously amplify 56 microhaps and includes a web-based tool called Visual Microhap for streamlined data analysis.
- Analysis of these microhaps across 286 samples from diverse populations showed their effectiveness in human identification, revealing distinct group differences and suggesting improved forensic application compared to standard STRs.
Article Synopsis
- - High salt intake, specifically from mineral-rich sea salt, can lead to several health issues; this study explored its effects on male rats compared to a normal diet.
- - Rats fed diets with 1% or 4% sea salt experienced weight loss, changes in gut salt content, and shifts in beneficial and harmful gut bacteria, which may affect gut health.
- - The study found significant alterations in female hormones and reductions in certain compounds related to kidney function due to high sea salt intake, suggesting that these physiological changes might vary by sex.
Article Synopsis
- Coralmycins, particularly coralmycin A and DH-coralmycin A, have unique structures and show strong antibacterial effects against various Gram-positive bacteria, making them promising candidates for treating infections.
- In laboratory tests, coralmycin A was significantly more effective than other antibiotics, with lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against clinical strains of methicillin-resistant and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci.
- Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that coralmycin A has a good bioavailability and notable effectiveness in mouse models, suggesting its potential as a new treatment option for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
Article Synopsis
- Supercapacitors have fast charging/discharging capabilities but suffer from stability issues, which researchers aimed to improve by combining perovskite materials with graphene nanoplatelets.
- The composite L25G70 achieved impressive performance with a capacitance retention of 95% after 5000 cycles, outperforming other composites like L75G20, which failed after 3000 cycles.
- The study found that structural distortion induced by graphene in LSMCO enhances electrochemical performance, demonstrating that integrating these materials can significantly boost supercapacitor cycling stability.
Article Synopsis
- Acute lung injury (ALI) involves damage to the lungs, which leads to inflammation and fluid buildup, and the role of the protein Gas6 in this condition is not well understood.
- Research showed that administering recombinant Gas6 (rGas6) to mice with bleomycin (BLM)-induced ALI reduced inflammation and cell death compared to those treated only with BLM.
- The study suggests that rGas6 promotes healing by lowering inflammatory cytokines, decreasing neutrophil activity, and enhancing the clearance of dead cells in the lungs, which could indicate its potential as a therapeutic agent for ALI.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the role of the STAT6 transcription factor in activating the PPARγ pathway in macrophages during acute inflammation.
- Using a mouse model of zymosan-induced peritonitis, researchers found that STAT6 activation was abnormal and that its deficiency led to increased proinflammatory cytokines and decreased proresolving molecules.
- The findings suggest that stronger STAT6 signaling is crucial for proper PPARγ activation, helping macrophages resolve inflammation effectively by promoting efferocytosis.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the use of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) in forensic investigations, shifting from traditional capillary electrophoresis (CE) methods to sequence-based large-scale multiplexing.
- Researchers analyzed 25 autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs), including the problematic SE33 marker, using a custom MPS panel on 350 samples from diverse populations.
- The results showed a high genotype concordance of 99.88% between MPS and CE, with MPS revealing significantly more alleles, especially identifying 129 unique alleles in the SE33 marker that were previously undetected.
Article Synopsis
- Increased salt concentration in the soil leads to reduced growth and altered mineral ratios in spinach, adversely affecting its productivity.
- The study measured the impact of varying NaCl levels on the metabolite profiles of spinach, revealing significant decreases in key nutrients like sucrose and amino acids at high salt concentrations.
- Overall, NaCl irrigation disrupts nutritional quality and metabolic pathways in spinach, indicating a negative impact on its health benefits and sensory qualities.
Article Synopsis
- * During the germination process, a total of 25 metabolites, including sugars, amino acids, and lipid metabolites, were identified, indicating significant changes in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
- * The study proposes a metabolomic pathway highlighting how germination affects carbohydrate metabolism, the citric acid cycle, and lipid metabolism, suggesting further research is needed to link these changes to the nutritional quality of GBR.
Article Synopsis
- * In this study, healthy rats were given ginseng extracts for a month, which helped measure changes in metabolites, hormones, cytokines, and blood pressure factors to assess blood vessel health.
- * Results showed that ginseng reduced harmful blood components and high blood pressure factors while promoting vasodilation, suggesting it helps improve blood vessel health and reduce oxidative stress in the kidneys.
Article Synopsis
- The gut microbiome impacts health by producing metabolites, necessitating proper specimen collection and handling for research purposes.* -
- A pilot study involved testing the OMNIgene-GUT solution for collecting fecal samples from three healthy Korean adults to analyze both microbiome and metabolome data.* -
- Results showed that the microbiome profiles remained stable for 21 days in the OMNIgene-GUT solution, suggesting a single sample collection method is effective for future population-level studies on gut health.*
Article Synopsis
- Applying technology to medication safety can improve healthcare quality and help manage medication errors more effectively.
- This study explored how the perceived benefits of medication safety systems mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and the environment for managing medication errors.
- Results showed that transformational leadership positively influences both the perceived benefits of using the system and the management climate for medication errors, highlighting the importance of strong leadership in promoting effective safety systems.
Article Synopsis
- Hair shafts are frequently found at crime scenes, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis helps identify individuals from these samples, although methods can vary based on sample quality and the analytical tools available.
- This study analyzed mtDNA from hair shafts of 20 donors, both blood and buccal swabs, using advanced sequencing technology, revealing 20 unique mtGenome haplotypes and 56 point heteroplasmy (PHP) variants.
- The results showed a strong correlation between hair shaft haplotypes and corresponding reference samples, highlighting how high-resolution mtDNA sequencing can enhance forensic analysis by reducing the risk of false exclusions in cases involving PHP.
Article Synopsis
- A study analyzed microbial populations and metabolite profiles in white rice stored for 6 months in open versus closed conditions to assess how storage affects rice quality.
- Rice stored in open conditions at 25 °C showed contamination by specific molds, while rice stored in closed conditions at 5 °C had different contamination profiles, leading to significant differences in metabolite profiles.
- Increased mold populations resulted in decreased fresh rice flavor and primary energy sources, while promoting metabolites linked to lipid oxidation, suggesting that mold contamination from open storage impacts rice flavor and overall quality.
Seven new coralmycin derivatives, coralmycins C (), D (), E (), F (), G (), H (), and I (), along with three known compounds, cystobactamids 891-2 (8), 905-2 (9), and 507 (10), were isolated from a large-scale culture of the myxobacteria M23. The structures of these compounds, including their relative stereochemistries, were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic and CD data. The structure-activity relationships of their antibacterial and DNA gyrase inhibitory activities indicated that the -nitrobenzoic acid unit is critical for the inhibition of DNA gyrase and bacterial growth, while the nitro moiety of the -nitrobenzoic acid unit and the isopropyl chain at C-4 could be important for permeability into certain Gram-negative bacteria, including and , and the β-methoxyasparagine moiety could affect cellular uptake into all tested bacteria.
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