The Effect of the BEPC22 and BELP53 Combination (BN-202M) on Body Fat Percentage Loss in Overweight Individuals: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

BN-202M is derived from humans and consists of two strains, BEPC22 and BELP53. Body fat reduction effect and safety of BN-202M were assessed in overweight participants. A total of 150 participants were randomly assigned to the BN-202M and placebo groups at a 1:1 ratio.

Kinetics-based inference of environment-dependent microbial interactions and their dynamic variation.

Microbial communities in nature are dynamically evolving as member species change their interactions subject to environmental variations. Accounting for such context-dependent dynamic variations in interspecies interactions is critical for predictive ecological modeling. In the absence of generalizable theoretical foundations, we lack a fundamental understanding of how microbial interactions are driven by environmental factors, significantly limiting our capability to predict and engineer community dynamics and function.

Antibiotic resistance in livestock, environment and humans: One Health perspective.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a complex, multifaceted global health issue that poses a serious threat to livestock, humans, and the surrounding environment. It entails several elements and numerous potential transmission routes and vehicles that contribute to its development and spread, making it a challenging issue to address. AR is regarded as an One Health issue, as it has been found that livestock, human, and environmental components, all three domains are interconnected, opening up channels for transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB).

Qualitative and Quantitative Metabolite Comparison of Korean Traditional Alcoholic Beverages: , , and .

With increasing interest in Korean foods and beverages, Korean traditional alcoholic beverages need to be studied. To characterize Korean traditional alcoholic beverages, we analyzed the metabolites of , , and using 48 commercial products. We performed non-targeted metabolite profiling using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and identified 33 significantly discriminant metabolites, including nine organic acids, three amino acids, and seven fatty acids, in the three types of alcoholic beverage.

Metabolomics Reveals the Effects of Nitrogen/Phosphorus/Potassium (NPK) Fertilizer Levels on Cucumber Fruit Raised in Different Nutrient Soils.

Fertilizers are widely used to improve the quality of fruits and vegetables. However, the overuse of fertilizers has become an issue because it causes environmental problems and negatively affects productivity and fruit quality. In this study, we examined the effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer levels on the metabolism of cucumber fruit in low- and high-nutrient soils using mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics approaches.

Association between receiving work communications outside of work hours via telecommunication devices and work-related headaches and eyestrain: a cross-sectional analysis of the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey.

Background: The rise in telecommuting or non-face-to-face work owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has fueled conversations regarding the "right to disconnect." Although evidence suggests that receiving work-related communications through telecommunication devices outside of work hours may lead to various symptoms and illnesses, limited research has been undertaken on these symptoms. This study therefore aims to investigate the correlation between receiving work communications through telecommunication devices after work hours and the occurrence of work-related headaches and eyestrain in full-time, non-shift white-collar workers.

Group I pharmaceuticals of IARC and associated cancer risks: systematic review and meta-analysis.

We aimed to summarize the cancer risk among patients with indication of group I pharmaceuticals as stated in monographs presented by the International Agency for Research on Cancer working groups. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed database. Pharmaceuticals with few studies on cancer risk were identified in systematic reviews; those with two or more studies were subjected to meta-analysis.

Combination of BEPC22 and BELP53 attenuates fat accumulation and alters the metabolome and gut microbiota in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity.

This study evaluated the effects of formulations with BEPC22 and BELP53 on adiposity, the alteration of microbiota, and the metabolome in high-fat diet-fed mice. The strains were selected based on their fat and glucose absorption inhibitory activities and potential metabolic interactions. The optimal ratio of the two strains in the probiotic formulation was determined based on their adipocyte differentiation inhibitory activities.

Who Hurt You at Work? Results From a Nationwide Survey of Association Between Absenteeism and Workplace Violence, Stratified by Perpetrator.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between workplace violence and sickness absenteeism.

Methods: We analyzed the data from the fifth and sixth waves of the Korean Working Conditions Surveys. Individuals younger than 18 years and self-employed or unpaid family workers were excluded.

Chemical Knockdown of Phosphorylated p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) as a Novel Approach for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) provides unique advantages over gene knockdown in that it can induce selective degradation of disease-associated proteins attributed to pathological mutations or aberrant post-translational modifications (PTMs). Herein, we report a protein degrader, PRZ-18002, that selectively binds to an active form of p38 MAPK. PRZ-18002 induces degradation of phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38) and a phosphomimetic mutant of p38 MAPK in a proteasome-dependent manner.

Risk factors and clinical outcomes of extubation failure in very early preterm infants: a single-center cohort study.

Background: Early extubation success (ES) in preterm infants may reduce various mechanical ventilation-associated complications; however, extubation failure (EF) can cause adverse short- and long-term outcomes. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify differences in risk factors and clinical outcomes between ES and EF in very early preterm infants.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2017 and December 2021.

Comprehensive Metabolite Profiling of Four Different Beans Fermented by .

Fermented bean products are used worldwide; most of the products are made using only a few kinds of beans. However, the metabolite changes and contents in the beans generally used during fermentation are unrevealed. Therefore, we selected four different beans (soybean, , GM; wild soybean, , GS; common bean, , PV; and hyacinth bean, , LP) that are the most widely consumed and fermented with .

Epidemiologic outlook of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms and selection of high-risk patients: A Korean nationwide study.

Background: Although a considerable proportion of patients with cancer receive chemotherapy (CT) or radiotherapy (RT), only a very few patients eventually develop therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs).

Methods: To identify subsets of cancer patients who have substantially elevated risk of developing t-MNs. Incidences and risks of t-MNs after contemporary CT or RT in patients newly diagnosed major cancers during 2009-2013 were analyzed.

Comparing risk of depression between day and night/shift workers using the PHQ-9: a study utilizing the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

Background: In today's work scenario, the number of shift workers, including those in night shifts, is increasing. Shift work can adversely affect workers' health in the long run, but studies on the relationship between shift work and depression have shown inconsistent results. This study aimed to determine whether the number of night/shift workers at risk of depression, as predicted by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), is higher than that of day workers.

Changes in the Prosthesis Types Used for Aortic Valve Replacement after the Introduction of Sutureless and Rapid Deployment Valves in Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Sutureless and rapid deployment valves for aortic valve replacement (AVR) were introduced in Korea in December 2016. This study evaluated changing trends in the prosthetic valves used for AVR in Korea after the introduction of sutureless and rapid deployment valves.

Methods: From December 2016 to December 2018, 4,899 patients underwent AVR in Korea.

Metabolomic-Based Comparison of Traditional and Industrial Samples with Antioxidative Activities.

Numerous varieties of are manufactured by many food companies using different ingredients and fermentation processes, and thus, the qualities such as taste and flavor are very different. Therefore, in this study, we compared many products, specifically, 19 traditional (TD) and 17 industrial (ID). Subsequently, we performed non-targeted metabolite profiling, and multivariate statistical analysis to discover distinct metabolites in two types of .

Three-Year Follow-Up of Laser In Situ Keratomileusis Treatments for Myopia: Multi-Center Cohort Study in Korean Population.

This multi-center cohort study included 3401 myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) procedures conducted in 1756 myopia patients between 2002 and 2005. Pre- and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and manifest refraction spherical equivalent (SE) were recorded. Factors predicting low postoperative efficacy (defined as a postoperative UCVA < 0.

Chemical Degradation of Androgen Receptor (AR) Using Bicalutamide Analog-Thalidomide PROTACs.

A series of PROTACs (PROteolysis-TArgeting Chimeras) consisting of bicalutamide analogs and thalidomides were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated as novel androgen receptor (AR) degraders. In particular, we found that PROTAC compound could successfully demonstrate a targeted degradation of AR in AR-positive cancer cells and might be a useful chemical probe for the investigation of AR-dependent cancer cells, as well as a potential therapeutic candidate for prostate cancers.

Comparing Metabolites and Functional Properties of Various Tomatoes Using Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Approach.

Tomato is one of the world's most consumed vegetables, and thus, various cultivars have been developed. Therefore, metabolic differences and nutrient contents of various tomatoes need to be discovered. To do so, we performed metabolite profiling along with evaluation of morphological and physicochemical properties of five representative tomato types.

Early and Two-year Outcomes after Sutureless and Conventional Aortic Valve Replacement: a Nationwide Population-based Study.

Background: We compared early and 2-year clinical outcomes of sutureless aortic valve replacement (SAVR) with conventional aortic valve replacement (CAVR) in a nationwide study based on claims data.

Methods: From December 2016 to November 2018, 3,173 patients underwent bioprosthetic aortic valve replacements. SAVR and CAVR were performed in 641 and 2,532 patients, respectively.

Molecular characterization of ligand selectivity of the sex peptide receptors of Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes aegypti.

Drosophila melanogaster sex peptide receptor (DrmSPR) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with 'dual ligand selectivity' towards sex peptide (SP) and myoinhibitory peptides (MIPs), which are only remotely related to one another. SPR is conserved in almost all the sequenced lophotrochozoan and ecdysozoan genomes. SPRs from non-drosophilid taxa, such as those from the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (AeaSPR), Anopheles gambiae (AngSPR), and the sea slug Aplysia californica (ApcSPR), are highly sensitive to MIP, but not to SP.