The Sasang Constitution as an Independent Risk Factor for Metabolic Syndrome: Propensity Matching Analysis

The Sasang Constitutional Medicine is a traditional Korean customized medicine that classifies people into four types: Tae-eumin (TE), Soyangin (SY), Soeumin (SE), and Taeyangin. The aim of this study was to show whether the Sasang Constitution (SC) could be an independent risk factor for the metabolic syndrome (MS). Totally, 3,334 subjects from 24 Korean medicine clinics participated in this study. A one-way ANOVA for the continuous variables and a chi-square test for the prevalence of MS were conducted. A logistic regression was conducted to calculate the propensity score and the odds ratios (ORs). The prevalence for MS in TE, SY, and SE was 50.6%, 30.9%, and 17.7% (P<0.001) before matching, and 36.7%, 28.6% and 28.2% (P=0.042) after matching, respectively. The TE was associated with an increased OR for MS compared with the SE and SY in both crude (OR 4.773, 95% CI 3.889–5.859, and OR 2.292, 95% CI 1.942–2.704, resp.) and matched groups (OR 1.476, 95% CI 1.043–2.089, and OR 1.452, 95% CI 1.026–2.053, resp.). This study reveals that the SC, especially the TE type, could be considered as a risk element for MS even in people with otherwise similar physical characteristics

Interactive Spatiotemporal Analysis of Oil Spills Using Comap in North Dakota

The aim of the study is to analyze the oil spill pattern from various types of incidents and contaminants to determine the extent that incident data can be used as a baseline to prevent hazardous material releases and improve response activities at a state level. This study addresses the importance of collecting and sharing oil spill incidents as well as analytics using the data. Temporal, spatial and spatiotemporal analysis techniques are employed for the oil-spill related environmental incidents observed in the state of North Dakota, United States of America, from 2000 to 2014, as a result of the oil boom. Specifically, spatiotemporal methods are used to examine how the patterns of environmental incidents in North Dakota, which vary with the time of day, the day, the month, and the season. Results indicate that there were critical spatial and time variations in the distribution of environmental incidents. Application of spatiotemporal interaction visualization techniques, called comap has the potential to help planners and decision makers formulate policy to mitigate the risks associated with environmental incidents, improve safety, and allocate resources

Development and Validation of a Personality Assessment Instrument for Traditional Korean Medicine: Sasang Personality Questionnaire

Objective. Sasang typology is a traditional Korean medicine based on the biopsychosocial perspectives of Neo-Confucianism and utilizes medical herbs and acupuncture for type-specific treatment. This study was designed to develop and validate the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) for future use in the assessment of personality based on Sasang typology. Design and Methods. We selected questionnaire items using internal consistency analysis and examined construct validity with explorative factor analysis using 245 healthy participants. Test-retest reliability as well as convergent validity were examined. Results. The 14-item SPQ showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .817) and test-retest reliability (r = .837). Three extracted subscales, SPQ-behavior, SPQ-emotionality, and SPQ-cognition, were found, explaining 55.77% of the total variance. The SPQ significantly correlated with Temperament and Character Inventory novelty seeking (r = .462), harm avoidance (r = −.390), and NEO Personality Inventory extraversion (r = .629). The SPQ score of the So-Eum (24.43 ± 4.93), Tae-Eum (27.33 ± 5.88), and So-Yang (30.90 ± 5.23) types were significantly different from each other (P < .01). Conclusion. Current results demonstrated the reliability and validity of the SPQ and its subscales that can be utilized as an objective instrument for conducting personalized medicine research incorporating the biopsychosocial perspective

Three-dimensional oscillations of twenty one halo coronal mass ejections by multi-spacecraft

We investigate the 3D structure of kinematic oscillations of full halo coronal mass ejections (FHCMEs) using multi-spacecraft coronagraph data from two non-parallel lines of sight. For this, we consider 21 FHCMEs which are simultaneously observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory A or B, from 2010 June to 2012 August when the spacecraft were roughly in quadrature. Using sequences of running difference images, we estimate the instantaneous projected speeds of the FHCMEs at 24 different azimuthal angles in the planes of the sky of those coronagraphs. We find that all these FHCMEs have experienced kinematic oscillations characterized by quasi-periodic variations of the instantaneous projected radial velocity with periods ranging from 24 to 48 min. The oscillations detected in the analyzed events are found to show distinct azimuthal wave modes. Thirteen events (about 62%) are found to oscillate with the azimuthal wave number m = 1. The oscillating directions of the nodes of the m = 1 mode for these FHCMEs are consistent with those of their position angles (or the direction of eruption), with a mean difference of about 23°. The oscillation amplitude is found to correlate well with the projected radial speed of the CME. An estimation of Lorentz accelerations shows that they are dominant over other forces, implying that the magnetic force is responsible for the kinematic oscillations of CMEs. However, we cannot rule out other possibilities: a global layer of enhanced current around the CMEs or the nonlinear nature of its driver, for example the effect of vortex shedding

Copy number variations (CNVs) identified in Korean individuals

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Copy number variations (CNVs) are deletions, insertions, duplications, and more complex variations ranging from 1 kb to sub-microscopic sizes. Recent advances in array technologies have enabled researchers to identify a number of CNVs from normal individuals. However, the identification of new CNVs has not yet reached saturation, and more CNVs from diverse populations remain to be discovered.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified 65 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) in 116 normal Korean individuals by analyzing Affymetrix 250 K Nsp whole-genome SNP data. Ten of these CNVRs were novel and not present in the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV). To increase the specificity of CNV detection, three algorithms, CNAG, dChip and GEMCA, were applied to the data set, and only those regions recognized at least by two algorithms were identified as CNVs. Most CNVRs identified in the Korean population were rare (<1%), occurring just once among the 116 individuals. When CNVs from the Korean population were compared with CNVs from the three HapMap ethnic groups, African, European, and Asian; our Korean population showed the highest degree of overlap with the Asian population, as expected. However, the overlap was less than 40%, implying that more CNVs remain to be discovered from the Asian population as well as from other populations. Genes in the novel CNVRs from the Korean population were enriched for genes involved in regulation and development processes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>CNVs are recently-recognized structural variations among individuals, and more CNVs need to be identified from diverse populations. Until now, CNVs from Asian populations have been studied less than those from European or American populations. In this regard, our study of CNVs from the Korean population will contribute to the full cataloguing of structural variation among diverse human populations.</p

Predicting Sasang Constitution Using Body-Shape Information

Objectives. Body measurement plays a pivotal role not only in the diagnosis of disease but also in the classification of typology. Sasang constitutional medicine, which is one of the forms of Traditional Korean Medicine, is considered to be strongly associated with body shape. We attempted to determine whether a Sasang constitutional analytic tool based on body shape information (SCAT-B) could predict Sasang constitution (SC). Methods. After surveying 23 Oriental medical clinics, 2,677 subjects were recruited and body shape information was collected. The SCAT-Bs for males and females were developed using multinomial logistic regression. Stepwise forward-variable selection was applied using the score statistic and Wald’s test. Results. The predictive rates of the SCAT-B for Tae-eumin (TE), Soeumin (SE), and Soyangin (SY) types in males and females were 80.2%, 56.9%, and 37.7% (males) and 69.3%, 38.9%, and 50.0% (females) in the training set and were 74%, 70.1%, and 35% (males), and 67.4%, 66.3%, and 53.7% (females) in the test set, respectively. Higher constitutional probability scores showed a trend for association with higher predictability. Conclusions. This study shows that the Sasang constitutional analytic tool, which is based on body shape information, may be relatively highly predictive of TE type but may be less predictive when used for SY type

Anti-proliferative activity of A. Oxyphylla and its bioactive constituent nootkatone in colorectal cancer cells

Background A. oxyphylla extract is known to possess a wide range of pharmacological activites. However, the molecular mechanism of A. oxyphylla and its bioactive compound nootkatone in colorectal cancer is unknown. Methods Our study aims to examine the role of A. oxyphylla and its bioactive compound nootkatone, in tumor suppression using several in vitro assays. Results Both A. oxyphylla extract and nootkatone exhibited antiproliferative activity in colorectal cancer cells. A. oxyphylla displayed antioxidant activity in colorectal cancer cells, likely mediated via induction of HO-1. Furthermore, expression of pro-apoptotic protein NAG-1 and cell proliferative protein cyclin D1 were increased and decreased respectively in the presence of A. oxyphylla. When examined for anticancer activity, nootkatone treatment resulted in the reduction of colony and spheroid formation. Correspondingly, nootkatone also led to increased NAG-1 expression and decreased cyclin D1 expression. The mechanism by which nootkatone suppresses cyclin D1 involves protein level regulation, whereas nootkatone increases NAG-1 expression at the transcriptional level. In addition to having PPARγ binding activity, nootkatone also increases EGR-1 expression which ultimately results in enhanced NAG-1 promoter activity. Conclusion In summary, our findings suggest that nootkatone is an anti-tumorigenic compound harboring antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity.This work was supported by the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research Center, Seoul National University, and by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (2018R1A2B2002923) to S.J.B. This work was also partially supported by a clinical research grant (NCC1810150) provided by the National Cancer Center to J.R. and S.J.B. The Fig. 7 Nootkatone controls the NAG-1 expression at the transcriptional level. a Nootkatone increases NAG-1 promoter activity. HCT-116 cells were transfected with pNAG-1 − 1086/+ 41 luciferase and pRL-null plasmid. The cells were treated with EtOH or various concentrations of nootkatone for 24 h, and luciferase activity was measured. The y-axis refers to the ratio of firefly luciferase over renillar luciferase activity. The EtOH-treated cells were set as 1.0. Statistical significance was displayed as *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 versus EtOH-treated cells. The data represent mean ± SD from three independent experiments. b Three deletion NAG-1 promoter constructs were co-transfected with pRL-null vector into HCT-116 cells. The cells were treated with EtOH or 100 μM of nootkatone for 24 h, and luciferase activity was measured. Fold induction refers to the ratio of luciferase activity in nootkatone-treated cells versus EtOH-treated cells. Statistical significance was displayed as **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 versus EtOH-treated cells. The data represent mean ± SD from three independent experiments. c HCT-116 cells were co-transfected with wild type pNAG-1 − 133/+ 41 in the presence of empty or EGR-1 expression vector. Cells were subsequently treated with 100 μM nootkatone for 24 h. The results are presented as means ± S.D. of three independent transfections. d Western blot of EGR-1 protein in the presence of nootkatone. β-actin was used as loading control. e Luciferase activity of EGR-1 promoter-luciferase construct (pEGR-1260-LUC). The cells were treated with EtOH or nootkatone for 24 h prior to measurement of luciferase activity. Fold induction refers to the ratio of luciferase activity in nootkatone-treated cells compared to EtOH-treated cells. Statistical significance represented as *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 versus EtOH-treated cells. n.s. represents not significant. The data represent mean ± SD from four independent experiments Yoo et al. BMC Cancer (2020) 20:881 Page 10 of 12 funding agency did not have any influence in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript

Leucine-Rich Alpha-2-Glycoprotein 1 is a Systemic Biomarker of Early Brain Injury and Delayed Cerebral Ischemia After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND: After subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), early brain injury (EBI) and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) lead to poor outcomes. Discovery of biomarkers indicative of disease severity and predictive of DCI is important. We tested whether leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is a marker of severity, DCI, and functional outcomes after SAH. METHODS: We performed untargeted proteomics using mass spectrometry in plasma samples collected at \u3c 48 h of SAH in two independent discovery cohorts (n = 27 and n = 45) and identified LRG1 as a biomarker for DCI. To validate our findings, we used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed this finding in an internal validation cohort of plasma from 72 study participants with SAH (22 DCI and 50 non-DCI). Further, we investigated the relationship between LRG1 and markers of EBI, DCI, and poor functional outcomes (quantified by the modified Rankin Scale). We also measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of LRG1 and investigated its relationship to EBI, DCI, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Untargeted proteomics revealed higher plasma LRG1 levels across EBI severity and DCI in both discovery cohorts. In the validation cohort, the levels of LRG1 were higher in the DCI group compared with the non-DCI group (mean (SD): 95 [44] vs. 72 [38] pg/ml, p \u3c 0.05, Student\u27s t-test) and in study participants who proceeded to have poor functional outcomes (84 [39.3] vs. 72 [43.2] pg/ml, p \u3c 0.05). Elevated plasma LRG1 levels were also associated with markers of EBI. However, CSF levels of LRG1 were not associated with EBI severity or the occurrence of DCI. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma LRG1 is a biomarker for EBI, DCI, and functional outcomes after SAH. Further studies to elucidate the role of LRG1 in the pathophysiology of SAH are needed