Estimating motor progression trajectory pursuant to temporal dynamic status of cardiac denervation in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifaceted disease that encompasses diverse clinical phenotypes. The diversity of PD could be subtyped based on the temporal dynamic status of cardiac sympathetic innervation; (1) initially, denervated myocardium (peripheral nervous system-predominant; PNS-predominant), (2) preserved myocardium (central nervous system-predominant; CNS-predominant), and (3) preserved myocardium who developed cardiac sympathetic denervation (CSD) on the subsequent imaging (Converter; delayed cardiac denervation). This study assessed how the cardiac denervation could reflect the pathobiology.

Exploring the link between essential tremor and Parkinson's disease.

Epidemiological studies have reported a link between essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies have suggested ET as a possible neurodegenerative disease whose subgroup contained Lewy bodies in the brainstem, as in PD. PD with antedated ET (PD) might exhibit traits different from those of the pure form of ET or PD.

A 3-year natural history of orthostatic blood pressure dysregulation in early Parkinson's disease.

In Parkinson's disease (PD), cardiovascular dysautonomia accumulates with disease progression, but studies are lacking on the natural history behind each subtype except orthostatic hypotension. This study investigated the early natural history of orthostatic blood pressure (BP) subtypes in PD. Two hundred sixty-seven early PD patients were included.

Characterization of an Aminopeptidase A from CY54 Isolated from Myeolchi-Jeotgal.

In this study, a gene encoding glutamyl (aspartyl)-specific aminopeptidase (PepA; E.C. 3.

Construction of a Novel Shuttle Vector for species based on a Cryptic Plasmid from .

A cryptic plasmid (pTH32) was characterized from 32, an isolate from jeotgal, Korean traditional fermented seafood. pTH32 is 3,198 bp in size with G+C content of 35.84%, and contains 4 open reading frames (ORFs).

Caudate-anchored cognitive connectivity pursuant to orthostatic hypotension in early Parkinson's disease.

F-Florbetaben is a tracer used to evaluate the metabolic activity of and amyloid accumulation in the brain when measured in early- and late-phase, respectively. The metabolism of neural substrates could be viewed as a network and might be an important factor in cognition. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) might play an indirect moderating role in cognition, and its latent influence could modify the inherent cognitive network.

Simulating the progression of brain structural alterations in Parkinson's disease.

Considering brain structural alterations as neurodegenerative consequences of Parkinson's disease (PD), we sought to infer the progression of PD via the ordering of brain structural alterations from cross-sectional MRI observations. Having measured cortical thinning in gray matter (GM) regions and disintegrity in white matter (WM) regions as MRI markers of structural alterations for 130 patients with PD (69 ± 10 years, 72 men), stochastic simulation based on the probabilistic relationship between the brain regions was conducted to infer the ordering of structural alterations across all brain regions and the staging of structural alterations according to changes in clinical status. The ordering of structural alterations represented WM disintegrity tending to occur earlier than cortical thinning.

DNA Shuffling of Genes to Increase Fibrinolytic Activity and Thermostability.

Four genes encoding alkaline serine proteases from strains were used as template genes for family gene shuffling. Shuffled genes obtained by DNase I digestion followed by consecutive primerless and regular PCR reactions were ligated with pHY300PLK, an shuttle vector. The ligation mixture was introduced into WB600 and one transformant (FSM4) showed higher fibrinolytic activity.

Characterization of a novel glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) from K285 isolated from .

A lactic acid bacteria (LAB) producing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was isolated from , a Korean vegetable food. The isolate, K285, was identified as (formly ) . The encoding glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) was cloned and an ORF encoding a protein of 451 amino acids was located.

Some Important Metabolites Produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria Originated from Kimchi.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been used for various food fermentations for thousands of years. Recently, LAB are receiving increased attention due to their great potential as probiotics for man and animals, and also as cell factories for producing enzymes, antibodies, vitamins, exopolysaccharides, and various feedstocks. LAB are safe organisms with GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status and possess relatively simple metabolic pathways easily subjected to modifications.

Enzyme-mediated biocalcification by a novel alkaliphilic Bacillus psychrodurans LC40 and its eco-friendly application as a biosealant for crack healing.

Biocalcification is a natural biochemical process, which has been regarded as a promising method for sequestering heavy metals or carbon dioxide in the environment, healing cracks in concrete structures, and stabilizing soil. One of the key factors in this process is calcium carbonate-producing bacteria. The purpose of this study was to maximize the production of calcium carbonate by alkaliphilic Bacillus psychrodurans LC40 isolated from a limestone cave, by manipulating the medium composition for fast and non-detrimental crack healing, and to investigate the mechanism of its production.

Adverse effects of hypertension, supine hypertension, and perivascular space on cognition and motor function in PD.

Dilated perivascular space (dPVS) has recently been reported as a biomarker for cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, comprehensive interrelationships between various clinical risk factors, dPVS, white-matter hyperintensities (WMH), cognition, and motor function in PD have not been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to test whether dPVS might mediate the effect of clinical risk factors on WMH, cognition, and motor symptoms in PD patients.

Characterization of a salt-resistant fibrinolytic protease of Bacillus licheniformis HJ4 isolated from Hwangseokae jeotgal, a traditional Korean fermented seafood.

Bacillus licheniformis HJ4 showing strong fibrinolytic activity was isolated from Hwangseokae jeotgal. aprEHJ4, a major fibrinolytic gene, was cloned by PCR, and an ORF consisting of 379 amino acids was located. The mature enzyme was expected to be 27 kDa in size after processing, but a 24-kDa protein was observed by SDS-PAGE and fibrin zymography, indicating additional processing.

Paradoxical Cerebral Perfusion in Parkinson's Disease Patients with Orthostatic Hypotension: A Dual-Phase 18F-Florbetaben Positron Emission Tomography Study.

Background: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) may antedate Parkinson's disease (PD) or be found in early stages of the disease. OH may induce a PD brain to chronic hypotensive insults. 18F-Florbetaben (18F-FBB) tracer has a high first-pass influx rate and can be used with positron emission tomography (PET) as a surrogate marker for early- and late-phase evaluation of cerebral perfusion and cerebral amyloidosis, respectively.

Increase of a Fibrinolytic Enzyme Production through Promoter Replacement of from CH3-5.

CH3-5 isolated from cheonggukjang secretes a 28 kDa protease with a strong fibrinolytic activity. Its gene, , was cloned and expressed in a heterologous host (Jeong ., 2007).

Delayed orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson's disease.

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is relatively common in the early stage of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is divided into delayed OH and classical OH. Classical OH in PD has been investigated widely, however, the clinical implications of delayed OH in PD have seldom been studied.

The Association of β-Amyloid with Cognition and Striatal Dopamine in Early, Non-Demented Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Co-occurrence of β-amyloid (Aβ) pathology has been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD), and Aβ deposition in the brain may contribute to cognitive decline in patients with PD. Whether striatal dopamine uptake and cognitive status differ with amyloid deposition has been reported in only a few studies.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among striatal dopaminergic availability, Aβ-positivity, and motor and cognitive status in early and non-demented PD.

Blood pressure lability is associated with subcortical atrophy in early Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Increased cerebral white matter intensities associated with blood pressure (BP) lability were reported in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, this type of cardiovascular dysautonomia has seldom been associated with disruptions in deep gray matter structures in Parkinson's disease. In the present study, the associations between BP lability and subcortical deep gray matter structures in early Parkinson's disease were evaluated.

Cloning of a Novel Gene Encoding a Minor Fibrinolytic Enzyme from SJ4 and the Properties of Vpr.

We have previously characterized AprESJ4, the major fibrinolytic enzyme from SJ4 (Yao ., 2019). During that study, we observed a 68 kDa protein with fibrinolytic activity.

Relationship between Psychological Correlates and Empathy in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Empathy is important in the education of medical students. Many psychosocial variables are related to empathy. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between empathy and psychosocial factors such as burnout, personality, self-esteem, and resilience.

Intervening Effects of Orthostatic Blood Pressure Change on Subcortical Atrophy and Cognition in De Novo and Drug-Naïve Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Cognitive impairment and cardiovascular dysautonomia are two major non-motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). They have been investigated separately and extensively, but their interactive outcomes have rarely been studied.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between central atrophy and cognition and to assess the influence of cardiovascular lability on this association in PD patients.

Bacterial indoleacetic acid-induced synthesis of colloidal AgO nanocrystals and their biological activities.

The biosynthesis and biological activity of colloidal AgO nanocrystals have not been well studied, although they have potential applications in many fields. For the first time, we developed a reducing agent free, cost-effective technique for AgO biosynthesis using Xanthomonas sp. P5.

A Case Report of Recurrent Metastatic Sebaceous Carcinoma Which Showed Favorable Response Tt Non-Fluorouracil Based Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND Sebaceous carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of the skin adnexa. While surgical resection is a treatment of choice in localized disease, frequent recurrence and distant metastasis make treatment difficult. Moreover, due to its rarity, optimal systemic treatment has not been determined.