Association of Handgrip Strength and Nutritional Status in Non-Dialysis-Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Results from the KNOW-CKD Study.

Handgrip strength (HGS) is suggested as an indirect assessment of nutritional status in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, but evidence is limited for non-dialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) patients. This cross-sectional study included 404 patients from the Phase II KoreaN Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients With CKD. HGS, measured twice in each hand, was the exposure, and malnutrition status was defined by a malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) of 6 or higher.

Ketogenic diet preserves muscle mass and strength in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is often associated with reduced muscle mass and function. The ketogenic diet (KD) may improve muscle mass and function via the induction of nutritional ketosis. To test whether the KD is able to preserve muscle mass and strength in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), C57BL/6J mice were assigned to lean control, diabetes control, and KD groups.

Detection and characterization of potential virulence determinants in and strains isolated from canine otitis externa in Korea.

Background: A recent increase in the occurrence of canine skin and soft tissue infections, including otitis externa and pyoderma, caused by antimicrobial-resistant and has become a significant public and veterinary health issues.

Objective: We investigated the virulence potentials associated with the occurrence of canine otitis externa in and

Methods: In this study, the prevalence of genes encoding leukocidins, exfoliative toxins, and staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) was investigated using previously characterized (n = 26) and (n = 19) isolates derived from canine otitis externa. Susceptibility to cathelicidins (K9CATH and PMAP-36) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) was also examined in both staphylococcal species.

Species Profiles and Antimicrobial Resistance of Non- Staphylococci Isolated from Healthy Broilers, Farm Environments, and Farm Workers.

Non- staphylococci (NAS), particularly antimicrobial-resistant NAS, have a substantial impact on human and animal health. In the current study, we investigated (1) the species profiles of NAS isolates collected from healthy broilers, farm environments, and farm workers in Korea, (2) the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant NAS isolates, especially methicillin resistance, and (3) the genetic factors involved in the methicillin and fluoroquinolone resistance. In total, 216 NAS isolates of 16 different species were collected from healthy broilers (n=178), broiler farm environments (n=18), and farm workers (n=20) of 20 different broiler farms.

Antimicrobial resistance profiles and clonal diversity of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from pig farms, slaughterhouses, and retail pork.

Livestock-associated coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), such as Staphylococcus (S.) epidermidis, have emerged as a significant reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the current study, the AMR profiles and genetic diversity of S.

High Prevalence of Clonal Complex 398 Methicillin-Susceptible and -Resistant in Pig Farms: Clonal Lineages, Multiple Drug Resistance, and Occurrence of the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome IX.

High prevalence of livestock-associated methicillin-susceptible and -resistant (LA-MSSA and LA-MRSA, respectively) in livestock farms, particularly pig farms, is an increasingly serious threat to food safety and public health. In this study, 173 (84 MRSA and 89 MSSA) isolates from healthy pigs, farm environments, and farm workers in Korea were examined to determine the (1) genetic diversity of isolates (sequence type [ST], , and types), (2) staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) types of MRSA isolates, and (3) multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes of MRSA and MSSA isolates. Clonal complex 398 (CC398) genotypes of MRSA and MSSA isolates, particularly CC398- type t571- I lineages, displaying MDR phenotypes were highly prevalent in pig farms.

Occurrence of -Positive Linezolid-Susceptible and Non- Staphylococcal Isolates from Pig Farms.

The emergence and spread of -mediated resistance to linezolid in staphylococci have become a serious global concern. The acquisition of confers multidrug resistance to phenicols, lincosamides, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A (PhLOPS phenotype). However, occurrence of -positive and linezolid-susceptible staphylococci has been identified.

Effects of Dietary Habits on General and Abdominal Obesity in Community-dwelling Patients with Schizophrenia.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary habits on general and abdominal obesity in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to sex.

Methods: A total of 270 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder registered at mental health welfare centers and rehabilitation facilities were recruited. General obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m, and abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumstance ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women.

Iron Homeostasis and Energy Metabolism in Obesity.

Iron plays a role in energy metabolism as a component of vital enzymes and electron transport chains (ETCs) for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation are crucial in generating ATP in mitochondria. At the mitochondria matrix, heme and iron-sulfur clusters are synthesized.

Clonal distribution and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from broiler farms, slaughterhouses, and retail chicken meat.

Colonization of food-producing animals by antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), has become a serious public health problem worldwide. In the current study, clonal diversities of livestock-associated S.

Multilocus sequence type-dependent activity of human and animal cathelicidins against community-, hospital-, and livestock-associated methicillin-resistant isolates.

Sequence type (ST) 5 methicillin-resistant (MRSA) with staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCCmec) type II (ST5-MRSA-II) and ST72-MRSA-IV represent the most significant genotypes for healthcare- (HA) and community-associated (CA) MRSA in Korea, respectively. In addition to the human-type MRSA strains, the prevalence of livestock-associated (LA) MRSA clonal lineages, such as ST541 and ST398 LA-MRSA-V in pigs and ST692 LA-MRSA-V and ST188 LA-MRSA-IV in chickens, has recently been found. In this study, clonotype-specific resistance profiles to cathelicidins derived from humans (LL-37), pigs (PMAP-36), and chickens (CATH-2) were examined using six different ST groups of MRSA strains: ST5 HA-MRSA-II, ST72 CA-MRSA-IV, ST398 LA-MRSA-V, ST541 LA-MRSA-V, ST188 LA-MRSA-IV, and ST692 LA-MRSA-V.

Profiles of Non- Staphylococci in Retail Pork and Slaughterhouse Carcasses: Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Genetic Determinant of Fusidic Acid Resistance.

As commensal colonizers in livestock, there has been little attention on staphylococci, especially non- staphylococci (NAS), contaminating meat production chain. To assess prevalence of staphylococci in retail pork and slaughterhouse carcass samples in Korea, we collected 578 samples from Korean slaughterhouses (n=311) and retail markets (n=267) for isolation of staphylococci and determined antimicrobial resistance phenotypes in all the isolates. The presence of and prevalence of -family genes (, , , and ) and mutations in genes were examined in fusidic acid resistant isolates.

Co-occurrence of cfr-mediated linezolid-resistance in ST398 LA-MRSA and non-aureus staphylococci isolated from a pig farm.

Linezolid resistance, mediated by the cfr gene, which confers resistant phenotypes to phenicols, lincosamides, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A antimicrobials, has emerged in S. aureus and non-aureus staphylococci (NAS). Moreover, due to the transferable potential via plasmids, the spread of cfr among staphylococci is of great concern.

Type I Interferons Are Involved in the Intracellular Growth Control of by Mediating NOD2-Induced Production of Nitric Oxide in Macrophages.

(MAB) is one of the rapidly growing, multidrug-resistant non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) causing various diseases including pulmonary disorder. Although it has been known that type I interferons (IFNs) contribute to host defense against bacterial infections, the role of type I IFNs against MAB infection is still unclear. In the present study, we show that rIFN-β treatment reduced the intracellular growth of MAB in macrophages.

Greater adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension dietary pattern is associated with preserved muscle strength in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a single-center cross-sectional study.

The present study aimed to determine whether certain diets lower the risk of low muscle strength in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In this cross-sectional study, outpatient ADPKD patients were enrolled from a tertiary care hospital. Muscle strength was assessed on the basis of handgrip strength (HGS), and dietary pattern indices were calculated using dietary intake data.

Role of the Staphylococcus aureus Extracellular Loop of GraS in Resistance to Distinct Human Defense Peptides in PMN and Invasive Cardiovascular infections.

GraS is a membrane sensor in Staphylococcus aureus that induces and expression to alter the surface positive charge upon exposure to cationic human defense peptides (HDPs). The sensing domain of GraS likely resides in the 9-residue extracellular loop (EL). In this study, we assessed a hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant S.

Higher Dietary Inflammation in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study in Korea.

Inflammation is a risk factor for the onset and progression of schizophrenia, and dietary factors are related to chronic inflammation. We investigated whether the dietary inflammatory index (DII) is associated with schizophrenia in the Korean population. Of the 256 subjects who responded to the questionnaire, 184 subjects (117 controls; 67 individuals with schizophrenia) were included in this case-control study.

Rapid Weight Change Over Time Is a Risk Factor for Adverse Outcomes in Patients With Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Both obesity and being underweight are risk factors for adverse outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, the effects of longitudinal weight changes on patients with predialysis CKD have not yet been studied. In this study, we analyzed the effects of weight change over time on the adverse outcomes in predialysis CKD population.

Profiles of coagulase-positive and -negative staphylococci in retail pork: prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, enterotoxigenicity, and virulence factors.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and species of coagulasepositive staphylococci (CoPS) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) in retail pork meat samples collected during nationwide monitoring. The staphylococcal isolates were characterized for antimicrobial and zinc chloride resistance and enterotoxigenic potential.

Methods: A total of 260 pre-packaged pork meat samples were collected from 35 retail markets in 8 provinces in Korea for isolation of staphylococci.

Genomic Information on Linezolid-Resistant Sequence-Type 398 Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Isolated from a Pig.

The frequent occurrence of sequence-type 398 (ST398) livestock-associated methicillin-resistant (LA-MRSA) in pigs has become a major public health concern owing to the increased zoonotic potential of the pathogen. Recently, a novel oxazolidinone resistance gene, chloramphenicol-florfenicol resistant (), conferring multiresistance phenotypes to phenicols, lincosamides, oxazolidinones, pleuromutilins, and streptogramin A (PhLOPS), has been found among ST398 LA-MRSA strains isolated from pigs. In this study, we report the first genome analysis of a linezolid-resistant ST398 LA-MRSA strain, designated PJFA-521M, recovered from a pig in Korea.

Anti-Inflammatory Diets and Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms (emotional flatness, apathy, and lack of speech). It causes social and economic burdens to patients and their family. Although etiology of schizophrenia is still uncertain, dopamine dysregulation is traditionally considered as a main etiological factor of schizophrenia, which has been utilized to develop drugs for treating schizophrenia.

Species Distribution, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Enterotoxigenicity of Non- Staphylococci in Retail Chicken Meat.

Non- staphylococci (NAS), including coagulase-negative staphylococci, have emerged as important causes of opportunistic infections in humans and animals and a potential cause of staphylococcal food poisoning. In this study, we investigated (i) the staphylococcal species profiles of NAS in in retail chicken meat, (ii) the phenotypic and genotypic factors associated with antimicrobial resistance in the NAS isolates, and (iii) the prevalence of classical and newer staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes. A total of 58 NAS of nine different species were isolated from retail raw chicken meat samples.