Migration study of caprolactam from polyamide 6 sheets into food simulants.

Caprolactam, used in manufacturing polyamide (PA) 6, may threaten human health. Here, PA 6 sheets were produced by using a twin-screw extruder to evaluate its safety. Caprolactam migration concentrations from the PA 6 sheets into food simulants were evaluated according to the standard migration test conditions under the Korean Food Standards Codex (KFSC).

Healing kinetics of oral soft tissue wounds treated with recombinant epidermal growth factor: Translation from a canine model.

Objective: To test whether or not topically administered recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) accelerates the early healing phase of oral soft tissue wounds.

Methods: One day following the creation of palatal defects (n = 6/animal), 14 dogs were allocated to one of the following five groups: spontaneous healing (SH), vehicle ointment (V), vehicle ointment + rhEGF at concentrations of 1 μg/g (EGF1), 10 μg/g (EGF10) or 50 μg/g (EGF50). Topical administration of ointments was repeated twice per day until sacrifice at days 8 and 16.

Conducting Nanomaterial Sensor Using Natural Receptors.

One of the recently emerging topics in biotechnology is natural receptors including G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, enzyme-linked receptors, and intracellular receptors, due to their molecular specificity. These receptors, other than intracellular receptors, which are membrane proteins expressed on the cell membrane, can detect extracellular stimuli. Many researchers have utilized cells with natural receptors embedded in the cellular membrane for human sense-mimicking platforms based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalances, surface plasmon resonance, and surface acoustic waves.

Trends in the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its putative eradication rate over 18 years in Korea: A cross-sectional nationwide multicenter study.

The aims of this study were to demonstrate the trends in seropositivity and the eradication therapy rate for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) over an 18-year period in an asymptomatic Korean population and to explore the factors associated with H. pylori seropositivity and its eradication therapy.

pH-dependent regulation of SQSTM1/p62 during autophagy.

During macroautophagy/autophagy, SQSTM1/p62 plays dual roles as a key mediator of cargo selection and as an autophagic substrate. SQSTM1 links N-degrons and/or ubiquitinated cargoes to the autophagosome by forming homo- or hetero-oligomers, although its N-degron recognition and oligomerization mechanisms are not well characterized. We recently found that SQSTM1 is a novel type of N-recognin whose ZZ domain provides a negatively-charged binding pocket for Arg-charged N-degron (Nt-Arg), a prototype type-1 substrate.

The etiology of potential small-bowel bleeding depending on patient's age and gender.

Background: Whether the etiology of potential small-bowel bleeding depends on the age and gender of the patient is not yet fully understood.

Methods: A total of 1953 patients who underwent video capsule endoscopy (VCE) to evaluate potential small-bowel bleeding and were registered in the Capsule Endoscopy Nationwide Database Registry from 2003 to 2014 were eligible for this study. VCE findings and the etiology of small-bowel bleeding were analyzed by age and gender.

Intracorneal injection of a detachable hybrid microneedle for sustained drug delivery.

There are increasing demands for long-term and controlled corneal drug delivery to treat various ocular diseases. Although biodegradable ocular inserts or contact lenses have been developed, the invasiveness and inefficiency of the approaches still need to be improved. Microneedle (MN) technology can deliver therapeutic molecules to the eye in a minimally invasive manner.

Evaluation of willingness to pay per quality-adjusted life year for a cure: A contingent valuation method using a scenario-based survey.

Cost-effectiveness is 1 of the most important factors in medicine reimbursement, and social willingness to pay (WTP) can provide evidence for the threshold of cost-effectiveness analysis. Recently, the concept of curative medicines has been introduced, so it is necessary to study their cost-effectiveness. This study aimed to estimate WTP per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for a cure in the Korean general population.

Effects of quorum-sensing inhibition on experimental periodontitis induced by mixed infection in mice.

This study aimed to verify, in in vivo settings, whether quorum-sensing inhibition molecules could attenuate alveolar bone loss induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis/Fusobacterium nucleatum co-infection and reduce the bacterial colonization of periodontal tissues. In BALB/c mice, periodontitis was induced through oral inoculation with P. gingivalis and F.

Prevalence and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal diseases in health check-up subjects: a nationwide multicenter study in Korea.

Objectives: The prevalence of upper gastrointestinal disease is expected to change following advances in socioeconomic status and improved hygiene in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the recent trends in upper gastrointestinal diseases based on endoscopic findings and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) seroprevalence in subjects undergoing health check-up at tertiary centers in Korea.

Electronic, mobile and telehealth tools for vulnerable patients with chronic disease: a systematic review and realist synthesis.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to assess the benefit of using electronic, mobile and telehealth tools for vulnerable patients with chronic disease and explore the mechanisms by which these impact patient self-efficacy and self-management.

Design: We searched MEDLINE, all evidence-based medicine, CINAHL, Embase and PsychINFO covering the period 2009 to 2018 for electronic, mobile or telehealth interventions. Quality was assessed according to rigour and relevance.

Insights into degradation mechanism of N-end rule substrates by p62/SQSTM1 autophagy adapter.

p62/SQSTM1 is the key autophagy adapter protein and the hub of multi-cellular signaling. It was recently reported that autophagy and N-end rule pathways are linked via p62. However, the exact recognition mode of degrading substrates and regulation of p62 in the autophagic pathway remain unknown.

Comparison of ELISA and Urine Microscopy for Diagnosis of Infection.

Background: which causes urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS) is highly prevalent in African countries. Urine microscopy (UM) is the first-line diagnostic method of UGS. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a common method for screening many parasite infections primarily or alternatively.

The C-terminal region of ATG101 bridges ULK1 and PtdIns3K complex in autophagy initiation.

The initiation of macroautophagy/autophagy is tightly regulated by the upstream ULK1 kinase complex, which affects many downstream factors including the PtdIns3K complex. The phosphorylation of the right position at the right time on downstream molecules is governed by proper complex formation. One component of the ULK1 complex, ATG101, known as an accessory protein, is a stabilizer of ATG13 in cells.

High-performance bioelectronic tongue using ligand binding domain T1R1 VFT for umami taste detection.

Numerous efforts have been made to measure tastes for various purposes. However, most taste information is still obtained by human sensory evaluation. It is difficult to quantify a degree of taste or establish taste standard.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Functional Dyspepsia in Health Check-up Population: A Nationwide Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background/aims: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, and FD imposes social and economic burden worldwide. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of FD in health check-up population in tertiary centers in Korea.

Methods: A nationwide multicenter prospective study was performed at 9 tertiary healthcare centers in Korea between September 2016 and June 2017.

PELI1 Selectively Targets Kinase-Active RIP3 for Ubiquitylation-Dependent Proteasomal Degradation.

Receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIP3 or RIPK3) is a central protein in necroptosis, but posttranslational processes that regulate RIP3 activity and stability remain poorly understood. Here, we identify pellino E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (PELI1) as an E3 ligase that targets RIP3 for proteasome-dependent degradation. Phosphorylation of RIP3 on T182 leads to interaction with the forkhead-associated (FHA) domain of PELI1 and PELI1-mediated K48-linked polyubiquitylation of RIP3 on K363.

Structural and Biochemical Study of the Mono-ADP-Ribosyltransferase Domain of SdeA, a Ubiquitylating/Deubiquitylating Enzyme from Legionella pneumophila.

Conventional ubiquitylation occurs through an ATP-dependent three-enzyme cascade (E1, E2, and E3) that mediates the covalent conjugation of the C-terminus of ubiquitin to a lysine on the substrate. SdeA, which belongs to the SidE effector family of Legionella pneumophila, can transfer ubiquitin to endoplasmic reticulum-associated Rab-family GTPases in a manner independent of E1 and E2 enzymes. The novel ubiquitin-modifying enzyme SdeA utilizes NAD as a cofactor to attach ubiquitin to a serine residue of the substrate.

Investigation of tissue cysts in the retina in a mouse model of ocular toxoplasmosis: distribution and interaction with glial cells.

The conversion of tachyzoites into bradyzoites is a way for Toxoplasma gondii to establish a chronic and asymptomatic infection and achieve lifelong persistence in the host. The bradyzoites form tissue cysts in the retina, but not much is known about the horizontal distribution of the cysts or their interactions with glial cells in the retina. A chronic ocular toxoplasmosis model was induced by per oral administration of T.

Histological Changes in Biceps Muscle after Tenotomizing the Biceps Long Head in a Rat Model.

Background: Popeye deformity is common after rupture of the biceps muscle's long head tendon. Herein, we report on histological changes in biceps brachii muscles following tenotomy of the long head biceps tendon.

Methods: Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats (12-week-old) underwent tenotomy of the long head biceps tendon in the right shoulder.

The Utility of 5 Hypothetical Health States in Heart Failure Using Time Trade-Off (TTO) and EQ-5D-5L in Korea.

Background And Objective: Utility provides a preference for specific health state in economic evaluation, and they obtained from general population could be useful in respect of societal resource allocation. We aimed to investigate the utilities of health states for heart failure (HF), a major and growing public health problem, related to hospitalization and adverse drug effects by interrogating the general Korean population.

Methods: Five health states for patients with HF were developed based on literature reviews: stable chronic heart failure (SCHF), hospitalization, SCHF + cough, SCHF + hypotension, and SCHF + hyperkalemia.

Artificial Rod and Cone Photoreceptors with Human-Like Spectral Sensitivities.

Photosensitive materials contain biologically engineered elements and are constructed using delicate techniques, with special attention devoted to efficiency, stability, and biocompatibility. However, to date, no photosensitive material has been developed to replace damaged visual-systems to detect light and transmit the signal to a neuron in the human body. In the current study, artificial nanovesicle-based photosensitive materials are observed to possess the characteristics of photoreceptors similar to the human eye.

The impact of obesity and overweight on medical expenditures and disease incidence in Korea from 2002 to 2013.

Objectives: Few studies have assessed the long-term medical costs and incidence of obesity and overweight in Asia. We evaluated the impact of body mass index (BMI) on medical expenditures and disease incidence and prevalence over more than 10 years in South Korea.

Methods: Using 2002-2013 data from the Korean National Claims Database, we analysed two population sets (initial BMI in 2002-2003; consistent BMI in 2002-2003 and 2012-2013).