Synergistic lipid-lowering effects of and extracts.

The effects of a mixture of (HR) and (ZM) extract (ZH) on intracellular lipid accumulation were investigated and the anti-obesity effects of ZH evaluated in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity. The results revealed that ZH inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and Huh-7 cells by suppressing adipogenic and lipogenic gene and protein expression. To evaluate the anti-obesity effects of ZH, mice fed a high-fat diet were orally administered low and high doses of ZH (low, ZM 400 mg/kg + HR 100 mg/kg; high, ZM 800 mg/kg + HR 200 mg/kg) for 9 weeks.

Autophagy Functions to Prevent Methylglyoxal-Induced Apoptosis in HK-2 Cells.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive carbonyl species, causes cellular damage and is closely related to kidney disease, particularly diabetic nephropathy. Although MGO has been reported to induce autophagy and apoptosis, the relationships between the two pathways are unclear. Here, we evaluated whether autophagy may be the underlying mechanism inhibiting MGO-induced apoptosis.

Antiobesity effects of the combination of Patrinia scabiosaefolia root and Hippophae rhamnoides leaf extracts.

Patrinia scabiosaefolia (PS) and Hippophae rhamnoides (HR) are traditionally used functional foods. Extracts from the root of PS are known for their anti-inflammatory effects, whereas those from the leaf of HR are effective at both preventing and treating obesity. This study investigated whether the extract combination of PS and HR (PHE) affected weight loss in obese mice.

The unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1-autophagy related 13 complex has distinct functions in tunicamycin-treated cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy are regulated by shared signaling pathways, and their dysfunction is directly related to pathological conditions. This study investigated the function of the unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1)-autophagy related 13 (ATG13) complex in ER stress conditions through a knockout (KO) approach. Unlike other autophagy genes, KO of ULK1 or ATG13 attenuated ER stress and promoted mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation.

Assessment of Aggregation Frameworks for Composite Indicators in Measuring Flood Vulnerability to Climate Change.

The IPCC Third Assessment Report presents a conceptual framework for vulnerability to climate change with the three attribute components of exposure, sensitivity, and coping. Since the vulnerability assessments have been conducted mainly by the composite indicators aggregated from the IPCC's components, it is necessary to assess aggregation frameworks for constructing the composite indicators that have an influence on vulnerability assessment outcomes. This study therefore investigates the robustness of assessment outcomes for flood vulnerability to climate change through a comparative analysis of the six vulnerability indicators aggregated from the IPCC's components by the conventional aggregation frameworks.

Considering the effect of groundwater on bioretention using the Storm Water Management Model.

The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), with its recently released low impact development (LID) module, is among several models used for the performance evaluation of LID facilities in reducing runoff and pollutants. Modeling is often difficult because of the variety of factors affecting the LID system. Among these factors, the effect of groundwater can be important in the LID modeling results due to the possibility of its interaction with LID.

Lactobacillus plantarum-derived Extracellular Vesicles Protect Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Staphylococcus aureus-derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Purpose: The microbial environment is an important factor that contributes to the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Recently, it was revealed that not only bacteria itself but also extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from bacteria affect the allergic inflammation process. However, almost all research carried out so far was related to local microorganisms, not the systemic microbial distribution.

A Metagenomic Analysis Provides a Culture-Independent Pathogen Detection for Atopic Dermatitis.

Purpose: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease, significantly affecting the quality of life. Using AD as a model system, we tested a successive identification of AD-associated microbes, followed by a culture-independent serum detection of the identified microbe.

Methods: A total of 43 genomic DNA preparations from washing fluid of the cubital fossa of 6 healthy controls, skin lesions of 27 AD patients, 10 of which later received treatment (post-treatment), were subjected to high-throughput pyrosequencing on a Roche 454 GS-FLX platform.

Overexpression of MicA induces production of OmpC-enriched outer membrane vesicles that protect against Salmonella challenge.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from bacteria are promising candidates for subunit vaccines. Stresses that modulate the composition of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are important for OMV synthesis. Small RNAs (sRNAs) expressed in response to stress regulate OMPs, although the mechanism underlying sRNA-mediated OMV biogenesis and its utility for developing vaccine platforms remains to be elucidated.

Helicobacter pylori-derived extracellular vesicles increased in the gastric juices of gastric adenocarcinoma patients and induced inflammation mainly via specific targeting of gastric epithelial cells.

Evidence indicates that Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent of chronic gastritis and perhaps gastric malignancy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in the evolutional process of malignancy due to their genetic material cargo. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance and biological mechanism of H.

Exodisc for Rapid, Size-Selective, and Efficient Isolation and Analysis of Nanoscale Extracellular Vesicles from Biological Samples.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived, nanoscale vesicles that carry nucleic acids and proteins from their cells of origin and show great potential as biomarkers for many diseases, including cancer. Efficient isolation and detection methods are prerequisites for exploiting their use in clinical settings and understanding their physiological functions. Here, we presented a rapid, label-free, and highly sensitive method for EV isolation and quantification using a lab-on-a-disc integrated with two nanofilters (Exodisc).

House Dust Mite-Derived Chitin Enhances Th2 Cell Response to Inhaled Allergens, Mainly via a TNF-α-Dependent Pathway.

Purpose: Chitin is a potent adjuvant in the development of immune response to inhaled allergens in the airways. According to other studies, chitin is known as multi-faced adjuvants which can induce Th2 responses. Recently, we found that TNF-α is a key mediator in the development of Th2 cell response to inhaled allergens.

Vaccination with Klebsiella pneumoniae-derived extracellular vesicles protects against bacteria-induced lethality via both humoral and cellular immunity.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae highlights the need to develop preventive measures to ameliorate Klebsiella infections. Bacteria-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are spherical nanometer-sized proteolipids enriched with outer membrane proteins. Gram-negative bacteria-derived EVs have gained interest for use as nonliving complex vaccines.

Acetyl salicylic acid inhibits Th17 airway inflammation via blockade of IL-6 and IL-17 positive feedback.

T-helper (Th)17 cell responses are important for the development of neutrophilic inflammatory disease. Recently, we found that acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) inhibited Th17 airway inflammation in an asthma mouse model induced by sensitization with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-containing allergens. To investigate the mechanism(s) of the inhibitory effect of ASA on the development of Th17 airway inflammation, a neutrophilic asthma mouse model was generated by intranasal sensitization with LPS plus ovalbumin (OVA) and then challenged with OVA alone.

Estimation of the relative severity of floods in small ungauged catchments for preliminary observations on flash flood preparedness: a case study in Korea.

An increase in the occurrence of sudden local flooding of great volume and short duration has caused significant danger and loss of life and property in Korea as well as many other parts of the World. Since such floods usually accompanied by rapid runoff and debris flow rise quite quickly with little or no advance warning to prevent flood damage, this study presents a new flash flood indexing methodology to promptly provide preliminary observations regarding emergency preparedness and response to flash flood disasters in small ungauged catchments. Flood runoff hydrographs are generated from a rainfall-runoff model for the annual maximum rainfall series of long-term observed data in the two selected small ungauged catchments.

Use of sensor imagery data for surface boundary conditions in regional climate modeling.

Mesoscale climate and hydrology modeling studies have increased in sophistication and are being run at increasingly higher resolutions. Data resolution sufficiently finer than that of the computational model is required not only to support sophisticated linkages and process interactions at small scales but to assess their cumulative impact at larger scales. The global distributions at fine spatial and temporal scales can be described by means of various sensor imagery data collected through remote sensing techniques, sensor image and photo programs, scanning and digitizing skills for existing maps, etc.

Assessment of vulnerability to extreme flash floods in design storms.

There has been an increase in the occurrence of sudden local flooding of great volume and short duration caused by heavy or excessive rainfall intensity over a small area, which presents the greatest potential danger threat to the natural environment, human life, public health and property, etc. Such flash floods have rapid runoff and debris flow that rises quickly with little or no advance warning to prevent flood damage. This study develops a flash flood index through the average of the same scale relative severity factors quantifying characteristics of hydrographs generated from a rainfall-runoff model for the long-term observed rainfall data in a small ungauged study basin, and presents regression equations between rainfall characteristics and the flash flood index.

Effects of cytokines on VEGF expression and secretion by human first trimester trophoblast cell line.

Problem: The mechanism through which vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulation occurs at the feto-maternal interface is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various cytokines on VEGF expression and secretion by trophoblast cells.

Method Of Study: We investigated the effects of cytokines on VEGF expression in human first trimester trophoblast cell line by analyzing VEGF messenger RNA (mRNA) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and VEGF protein secretion by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor in Stage IB carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Purpose: To clarify the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression as an independent prognostic factor in Stage IB cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: A total of 117 patients with Stage IB cervical cancer who had undergone radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection with complete histopathologic examination were included. Eighty-eight (75.

Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis in chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells: possible involvement of p38 MAP kinase.

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) was recently demonstrated to be an effective inducer of apoptosis in patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) as well as in patients with APL in whom all-trans-retinoic acid and conventional chemotherapy failed. Chronic myelogenous leukemia cells are highly resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs. To determine if As(2)O(3) might be useful for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, we examined the ability of As(2)O(3) to induce apoptosis in K562 cells.