Effectiveness of written exposure therapy for Korean patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: non-randomized treatment-as-usual waitlist-controlled study.

Written exposure therapy (WET) is a five-session exposure-based protocol for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The brevity and tolerability of WET present the potential to overcome barriers in implementing evidence-based therapy for PTSD within the Korean mental healthcare system. This study investigated the effectiveness of WET in Korean patients with PTSD through a waitlist-controlled trial (KCT0008112).

Preventive effect of LMT18-32 on induced periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a severe gum infection leading to chronic inflammation in the gums, damage of tissues around teeth, and destruction of alveolar bones. is the major causative pathogen that induces periodontitis. Numerous probiotic bacteria are reported to produce antibacterial substances against pathogens especially oral pathogens, and these are proposed as preventive measures for periodontitis.

Protective Behaviors Against COVID-19 and Related Factors in Korean Adults With Depressive Symptoms: Results From an Analysis of the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey.

Objective: This study evaluated protective behaviors against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and related factors in individuals with depressive symptoms.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey. Depressive symptoms, COVID- 19 protection behaviors, and related factors were investigated in 228,485 people.

Validating a Korean Version of the Single-Item Burnout Measure for Evaluating Burnout Among Doctors.

Objective: It is essential to measure the effect of burnout on doctors because burnout can affect doctors' mental health as well as the functioning of medical practice. This study aims to validate a Korean version of the single-item burnout measure (SIBM), which was developed to quickly measure the level of burnout among doctors.

Methods: Through an online survey, a self-report questionnaire was administered to 324 public health doctors in Korea.

The effects of sociodemographic factors on help-seeking for depression: Based on the 2017-2020 Korean Community Health Survey.

When individuals face psychological difficulties that exceed their resources, consulting professionals for mental health treatment can be an effective way to overcome these difficulties. However, in general, only a few patients receive treatment for depression. The goal of the present study was to explore the help-seeking behaviors of currently employed individuals with depression and the factors influencing their help-seeking behaviors.

An Open Pilot Trial of Written Exposure Therapy for Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Korea.

Objective: Written exposure therapy (WET) is exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compared to evidencebased treatments for PTSD, WET requires only five sessions, has a shorter session time, and no between-session assignments. The current study examined the efficacy of WET among Korean patients with PTSD due to various traumatic events on PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and global functioning levels.

The Interaction of Inflammatory Markers and Alcohol-Use on Cognitive Function in Korean Male Firefighters.

Objective: Cognitive functions have been shown to become impaired due to alcoholism. Recently, neuroinflammation gained attention for playing a role in the neurotoxic effect of alcohol. However, there is limited data on the relationship between alcohol and cognitive function, based on the mechanism of inflammation.

Bereaved families are still embittered after the Sewol ferry accident in Korea: A follow-up study 18 and 30months after the disaster.

Introduction: The Sewol ferry accident that occurred in April 2014 was one of the most tragic human-made disasters in Korean history. Due to the deaths of hundreds of children, bereaved families likely feel embittered; however, there is little extant research documenting embitterment among those who experienced the disaster. Consequently, we investigated bereaved family members' embitterment and other psychiatric symptoms 18months and 30months after the disaster.

Improvement of succinate production by release of end-product inhibition in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Succinate is a renewable-based platform chemical that may be used to produce a wide range of chemicals including 1,4-butanediol, tetrahydrofurane, and γ-butyrolactone. However, industrial fermentation of organic acids is often subject to end-product inhibition, which significantly retards cell growth and limits metabolic activities and final productivity. In this study, we report the development of metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum for high production of succinate by release of end-product inhibition coupled with an increase of key metabolic flux.

Direct fermentation route for the production of acrylic acid.

There have been growing concerns regarding the limited fossil resources and global climate changes resulting from modern civilization. Currently, finding renewable alternatives to conventional petrochemical processes has become one of the major focus areas of the global chemical industry sector. Since over 4.

The Relationship between Chronotype and Sleep Quality in Korean Firefighters.

Objective: We examined the relationship between chronotype and sleep disturbance, and assessed various factors that might be associated with sleep disturbance in Korean firefighters.

Methods: Self-administered questionnaires assessing chronotype, depression, alcohol use, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress response and sleep quality were examined in 515 firefighters.

Results: Evening type firefighters more reported depression, alcohol use, PTSD, stress response and sleep disturbance.

Functional environmental proteomics: elucidating the role of a c-type cytochrome abundant during uranium bioremediation.

Studies with pure cultures of dissimilatory metal-reducing microorganisms have demonstrated that outer-surface c-type cytochromes are important electron transfer agents for the reduction of metals, but previous environmental proteomic studies have typically not recovered cytochrome sequences from subsurface environments in which metal reduction is important. Gel-separation, heme-staining and mass spectrometry of proteins in groundwater from in situ uranium bioremediation experiments identified a putative c-type cytochrome, designated Geobacter subsurface c-type cytochrome A (GscA), encoded within the genome of strain M18, a Geobacter isolate previously recovered from the site. Homologs of GscA were identified in the genomes of other Geobacter isolates in the phylogenetic cluster known as subsurface clade 1, which predominates in a diversity of Fe(III)-reducing subsurface environments.

Characterization and genomic analysis of two Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages isolated from poultry/livestock farms.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important pathogens, causing various diseases in humans and animals. As methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has become increasingly prevalent, controlling this pathogen with standard antibiotic treatment has become challenging.

Characterization of an endolysin, LysBPS13, from a Bacillus cereus bacteriophage.

Use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents is a promising tool for controlling pathogenic bacteria including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Not only bacteriophages but also endolysins, the peptidoglycan hydrolyzing enzymes encoded by bacteriophages, have high potential for applications as biocontrol agents against food-borne pathogens. In this study, a putative endolysin gene was identified in the genome of the bacteriophage BPS13, which infects Bacillus cereus.

Characterization of LysB4, an endolysin from the Bacillus cereus-infecting bacteriophage B4.

Background: Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that causes emetic or diarrheal types of food poisoning. The incidence of B. cereus food poisoning has been gradually increasing over the past few years, therefore, biocontrol agents effective against B.

Roles of RpoN in the resistance of Campylobacter jejuni under various stress conditions.

Background: Campylobacter jejuni is a leading foodborne pathogen worldwide. Despite the fastidious nature of C. jejuni growth, increasing numbers of human campylobacteriosis suggest that C.

Monitoring the metabolic status of geobacter species in contaminated groundwater by quantifying key metabolic proteins with Geobacter-specific antibodies.

Simple and inexpensive methods for assessing the metabolic status and bioremediation activities of subsurface microorganisms are required before bioremediation practitioners will adopt molecular diagnosis of the bioremediation community as a routine practice for guiding the development of bioremediation strategies. Quantifying gene transcripts can diagnose important aspects of microbial physiology during bioremediation but is technically challenging and does not account for the impact of translational modifications on protein abundance. An alternative strategy is to directly quantify the abundance of key proteins that might be diagnostic of physiological state.

ppGpp-mediated stationary phase induction of the genes encoded by horizontally acquired pathogenicity islands and cob/pdu locus in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Salmonella enterica is highly diverse in terms of genome structure, which is at least partly due to the horizontal transfer of genetic elements from various sources. In this study, we examined the expression profiles of such genes in Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPIs) and the cob/pdu locus, horizontally acquired large DNA segments, during growth under standard growth conditions. Transcripts from exponentially growing and early stationary phase Salmonellae were compared using various methods including cDNA microarray analysis.

Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages specific for Campylobacter jejuni.

Human infection by Campylobacter jejuni is mainly through the consumption of contaminated poultry products, which results in gastroenteritis and, rarely, bacteremia and polyneuropathies. In this study, six C. jejuni-specific bacteriophages (CPS1-6) were isolated by the spot-on-the-lawn technique from chicken samples in Korea and characterized for potential use as biocontrol agents.

RstA-promoted expression of the ferrous iron transporter FeoB under iron-replete conditions enhances Fur activity in Salmonella enterica.

The Fur protein is a primary regulator that monitors and controls cytoplasmic iron levels. We now report the identification of a regulatory pathway mediated by the Salmonella response regulator RstA that promotes Fur activity. Genome-wide expression experiments revealed that under iron-replete conditions, expression of the RstA protein from a plasmid lowered transcription levels of various genes involved in iron acquisition.

Role of the DksA-like protein in the pathogenesis and diverse metabolic activity of Campylobacter jejuni.

DksA is well known for its regulatory role in the transcription of rRNA and genes involved in amino acid synthesis in many bacteria. DksA has also been reported to control expression of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria. Here, we elucidated the roles of a DksA-like protein (CJJ81176_0160, Cj0125c) in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter jejuni.

Development of a novel vector system for programmed cell lysis in Escherichia coli.

Although widely used as a host for recombinant protein production, Escherichia coli is unsuitable for massive screening of recombinant clones, owing to its poor secretion of proteins. A vector system containing T4 holin and T7 lysozyme genes under the control of the ptsG promoter derivative that is inducible in the absence of glucose was developed for programmed cell lysis of E. coli.

Mlc regulation of Salmonella pathogenicity island I gene expression via hilE repression.

The global regulator Mlc is a repressor of several genes and operons that are involved in sugar uptake and metabolism. A Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium mlc mutant showed reduced levels of invasion and cytotoxicity compared to the wild-type, and exhibited reduced expression levels of hilD, hilA and invF, which are regulatory genes in the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1). However, the effects of Mlc on hilD expression and bacterial invasiveness were not seen in the hilE mutant, and hilE expression was increased in the mlc mutant, which suggests that Mlc exerts positive effects on the expression of SPI1 genes by reducing the expression of HilE, which is known to down-regulate the expression of SPI1 genes through direct interaction with HilD.