Publications by authors named "Nam Han"

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  • The study examined how the antioxidant capacities of Korean red pine bark are affected by digestion, finding significant changes in phenolic compounds during the process.
  • Gastric digestion increased key compounds like procyanidin B1 and catechin, but most were degraded in the intestines, highlighting a focus on protocatechuic acid.
  • The results suggest taxifolin as a key phenolic compound contributing to antioxidant effects, indicating potential for RPB as a natural antioxidant in dietary supplements.
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  • - The study examined how glass transition and stickiness impacted the spray drying of fermented reconstituted skim milk (RSM), finding that the process resulted in issues with wall deposits without the addition of skim milk powder (SMP).
  • - When SMP was added, the drying process improved significantly, with heightened temperatures for the glass transition and sticky point, helping the droplets transform from a sticky state to a non-sticky glassy state during drying.
  • - Despite the spray-dried powder having higher moisture sorption and lactose crystallization, the relationship between glass transition effects suggests that its shelf stability at room temperature could be comparable to that of the control group.
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Next-generation 6G communication holds the potential to revolutionize data transfer, enabling the realization of eXtended Reality (XR) with enhanced sensory experiences. To achieve this, advanced components such as high-performance intensity/phase modulators, waveguides, multiplexers, splitters, combiners, and filters operating in terahertz (THz) regime, specifically within the frequency range of 0.1-1 THz, are essential.

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  • * Researchers developed a method to convert cotton fabric into laser-induced graphene (LIG), which has excellent light absorption properties and can efficiently convert solar energy into heat.
  • * A new 3D LIG evaporator for solar-powered desalination shows impressive performance with high water evaporation rates and efficiency, offering a sustainable solution to tackle water scarcity challenges.
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Branched-chain hydroxy acids (BCHAs) as bioactive metabolites of Lactobacillaceae include 2-hydroxy isovaleric acid (HIVA), 2-hydroxy isocaproic acid (HICA), and 2-hydroxy-3-methyl isovaleric acid (HMVA). Combining targeted and untargeted metabolomics, this study elucidates differences in extracellular BCHA production in , , and alongside comparing comprehensive metabolic changes. Through targeted metabolomics, BCHA production among 38 strains exhibited strain specificity, except for , which showed significantly lower BCHA production.

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Recent advancements in translational gut microbiome research have revealed its crucial role in shaping predictive healthcare applications. Herein, we introduce the Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 (GMWI2), an enhanced version of our original GMWI prototype, designed as a standardized disease-agnostic health status indicator based on gut microbiome taxonomic profiles. Our analysis involves pooling existing 8069 stool shotgun metagenomes from 54 published studies across a global demographic landscape (spanning 26 countries and six continents) to identify gut taxonomic signals linked to disease presence or absence.

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  • - This study investigated how well the probiotic strain PMO08 survives and adapts in the human gut, finding that while 92.70% was damaged in the gastric and small intestinal environments, a small percentage still persisted.
  • - When tested in the colon, PMO08 not only increased in abundance but also promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, enhancing microbial diversity.
  • - Additionally, PMO08 significantly boosted the production of beneficial compounds like short-chain fatty acids and organic acids, showing its potential as a probiotic in the colon despite moderate viability in harsher gastrointestinal conditions.
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  • This study aimed to examine the impact of a fermented rice drink containing JSA22 on symptoms and microbiomes in overweight IBS patients.
  • Sixty patients were split into two groups, receiving either fermented or nonfermented rice drink for a month, with various health assessments conducted before and after.
  • Results showed significant improvement in IBS symptoms, particularly in abdominal bloating for the fermented group, with notable changes in beneficial microbiome levels but no significant impact on blood tests or fecal metabolites.
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Bifidobacteria are probiotic microorganisms commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract, some of which are known to utilize linear arabino-oligosaccharides (AOS) as prebiotic carbohydrates. In general, the synergistic actions of exo-type α-l-arabinofuranosidases (ABFs) and endo-α-1,5-l-arabinanases (ABNs) are required for efficient arabinan degradation. In this study, the putative gene cluster for arabinan degradation was discovered in the genome of subsp.

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This study investigates the synergistic impact of fermenting kale juice with strains on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Kale's rich nutrient profile, especially its flavonoids, offers potential health benefits. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are employed in kale fermentation to enhance nutrient bioavailability and generate bioactive compounds.

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Recent advancements in human gut microbiome research have revealed its crucial role in shaping innovative predictive healthcare applications. We introduce Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 (GMWI2), an advanced iteration of our original GMWI prototype, designed as a robust, disease-agnostic health status indicator based on gut microbiome taxonomic profiles. Our analysis involved pooling existing 8069 stool shotgun metagenome data across a global demographic landscape to effectively capture biological signals linking gut taxonomies to health.

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  • The study focuses on EFEL8600, a bacteriocin-producing strain isolated from Korean soy-meju, emphasizing its role in flavor enhancement and pathogen inhibition during fermentation.
  • Phenotypic analysis showed that EFEL8600 produces a peptide with inhibitory activity against certain microorganisms, along with exhibiting beneficial probiotic traits like resilience to gut conditions and antioxidant properties.
  • Genomic findings confirm the presence of genes related to probiotic and bacteriocin production, suggesting EFEL8600 as a safe and effective starter culture for soymilk fermentation, offering health benefits to consumers.
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The chemotaxonomic diversity of 20 Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains was investigated using non-targeted metabolite profiling under different culture conditions. Multivariate and metabolic pathway analyses based on GC-MS and LC-MS/MS datasets showed that amino acid metabolism, especially 2-hydroxy acids, was enriched under aerobic conditions (AE), whereas fatty acid & sugar metabolism was increased under anaerobic conditions (AN). Based on the metabolite profiles, L.

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Personal wearable devices are considered important in advanced healthcare, military, and sports applications. Among them, e-textiles are the best candidates because of their intrinsic conformability without any additional device installation. However, e-textile manufacturing to date has a high process complexity and low design flexibility.

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Background: In multilevel posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with posterior screw fixation, obtaining sufficient lumbar lordosis (LL) is difficult, especially in patients with osteoporosis. We performed intraoperative table modification (TM) using gravitational dropping of the patient's lumbar spine, to improve restoration of LL.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent three- or four-level PLIF between 2005 and 2019.

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  • The study focuses on improving the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique by developing a qPCR-based assay to measure the efficiency of the Cas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein complex (Cas9 RNP).
  • The research used the dextransucrase gene and tested two different sgRNAs, revealing specific cleavage of the target DNA into two fragments, and measured their endonuclease activities.
  • The method was validated with other target genes and assessed the effect of high electrical fields on Cas9 RNP activity, proving that the qPCR-based assay is a reliable tool for evaluating Cas9 RNP performance.
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The realization of hybrid optics could be one of the best ways to fulfill the technological requirements of compact, light-weight, and multi-functional optical systems for modern industries. Planar diffractive lens (PDL) such as diffractive lenses, photonsieves, and metasurfaces can be patterned on ultra-thin flexible and stretchable substrates and be conformally attached on top of arbitrarily shaped surfaces. In this review, we introduce recent research works addressed to the design and manufacturing of ultra-thin graphene optics, which will open new markets in compact and light-weight optics for next-generation endoscopic brain imaging, space internet, real-time surface profilometry, and multi-functional mobile phones.

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We previously proposed the Gut Microbiome Wellness Index (GMWI), a predictor of disease presence based on a gut microbiome taxonomic profile. As an application of this index for food science research, we applied GMWI as a quantitative tool for measuring the prebiotic effect of oligosaccharides. Mainly, in an in vitro anaerobic batch fermentation system, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), xylooligosaccharides (XOS), inulin (IN), and 2'-fucosyllactose (2FL), were mixed separately with fecal samples obtained from healthy adult volunteers.

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Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Ad-fructooligosaccharides (Ad-FOS), resistant maltodextrin (RMD), and maltooligosaccharides (MOS) are commercially available prebiotic oligosaccharides. In this study, the effects of prebiotics on the human gut microbial ecosystem were evaluated using an in vitro gut model. FOS and Ad-FOS showed tolerance to digestion, whereas RMD and MOS showed moderate digestion by digestive enzymes.

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Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PMO 08 has been used as a probiotic starter culture for plant-based fermented beverages, with various health-promoting effects such as cholesterol-lowering and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to analyze the genome sequence of Lp. plantarum PMO 08 and identify its safety and probiotic characteristics at the genomic level.

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  • Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) encompasses conditions like fatty liver and cirrhosis and is a significant global health issue; this study investigates the potential protective effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against ALD.
  • Mice fed an alcohol diet showed higher liver enzyme levels and fat accumulation, but those treated with LAB (from kimchi) had lower liver damage indicators and fewer fat vesicles, indicating protective effects.
  • The study concludes that ingesting LAB can help mitigate the negative impacts of alcohol on the liver, inflammation, and gut health by improving gut microbiota balance and reducing liver injury.
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Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of surface display technology in therapeutic development and enzyme immobilization. Utilization of lactic acid bacteria in non-GMO surface display applications is advantageous due to its GRAS status. This study aimed to develop a novel, non-GMO cell wall anchoring system for lactic acid bacteria using a cell-surface hydrolase (CshA) from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SK156 for potential industrial and biomedical applications.

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PLA (3-D-phenyllactic acid) is an ideal antimicrobial and immune regulatory compound present in honey and fermented foods. Sporolactobacillus inulinus is regarded as a potent D-PLA producer that reduces phenylpyruvate (PPA) with D-lactate dehydrogenases. In this study, PLA was produced by whole-cell bioconversion of S.

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Background: Probiotic starters can improve the flavor profile, texture, and health-promoting properties of fermented foods. Tetragenococcus halophilus is a halophilic lactic acid bacterium that is a candidate starter for high-salt fermented foods. However, the species is known to produce biogenic amines, which are associated with neurotoxicity.

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