Mitochondrial lipoylation integrates age-associated decline in brown fat thermogenesis.

Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) declines with age; however, what regulates this process remains poorly understood. Here, we identify mitochondria lipoylation as a previously unappreciated molecular hallmark of aged BAT in mice. Using mitochondrial proteomics, we show that mitochondrial lipoylation is disproportionally reduced in aged BAT through a post-transcriptional decrease in the iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster formation pathway. A defect in the Fe-S cluster formation by the fat-specific deletion of Bola3 significantly reduces mitochondrial lipoylation and fuel oxidation in BAT, leading to glucose intolerance and obesity. In turn, enhanced mitochondrial lipoylation by α-lipoic acid supplementation effectively restores BAT function in old mice, thereby preventing age-associated obesity and glucose intolerance. The effect of α-lipoic acids requires mitochondrial lipoylation via the Bola3 pathway and does not depend on the anti-oxidant activity of α-lipoic acid. These results open up the possibility to alleviate the age-associated decline in energy expenditure by enhancing the mitochondrial lipoylation pathway

Rethinking the Digital Divide

In discussing and planning interventions around the “digital divide” people tend to think in terms of the binary oppositions of “digital-haves” and “digital-have-nots”. Information and communications technologies (ICT) programs sponsored by governments and other agencies to address the “digital divide” also tend to be “top-down” initiatives that focus on the provision of institutional aid and the development of infrastructure. Within these approaches ICT have-nots tend to be treated as the passive receivers of aid. The agency of digital-have-nots in gaining access to ICT has been rarely examined. In this paper we report on a study that has shown that ICT use patterns amongst those with poor access and utilization of ICT is diverse and complex. Results from a survey of 495 rural-urban migrants in Beijing show that self-initiated digital transition exists among this group of people. The transition from digital-have-not to digital-have is not a one-step process but rather an incremental process with multiple stages and multiple pathways. Findings from this study will provide helpful insights for policy makers and related stakeholders when discussing and planning ICT programs and activities designed to address the issues associated with the digital divide

Exposing the dynamic nature and potential role of student attribution processes on English for academic purposes achievement in higher education

The aim of this study is to investigate the reasons that English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students in the Open Access College at the University of Southern Queensland give to explain their success in a course of study. It will examine how students' internal and external attributions change while studying EAP. The data has been gathered through a survey administered four times to EAP students. The students come from English as an Additional Language (EAL) backgrounds and intend to undertake tertiary study in English at USQ. The data foregrounds the potential role of adaptive and maladaptive attribution processes in the EAP learning experience, showing that the majority of students possess a mixture of internal and external attributions that evolve over a course of EAP study. The implications of this study are the potential to contribute to the development of more holistic approaches in EAP programs

The economic impact of COVID-19 interventions: A mathematical modeling approach

Prior to vaccination or drug treatment, non-pharmaceutical interventions were almost the only way to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. After vaccines were developed, effective vaccination strategies became important. The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous economic losses worldwide. As such, it is necessary to estimate the economic effects of control policies, including non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination strategies. We estimated the costs associated with COVID-19 according to different vaccination rollout speeds and social distancing levels and investigated effective control strategies for cost minimization. Age-structured mathematical models were developed and used to study disease transmission epidemiology. Using these models, we estimated the actual costs due to COVID-19, considering costs associated with medical care, lost wages, death, vaccination, and gross domestic product (GDP) losses due to social distancing. The lower the social distancing (SD) level, the more important the vaccination rollout speed. SD level 1 was cost-effective under fast rollout speeds, but SD level 2 was more effective for slow rollout speeds. If the vaccine rollout rate is fast enough, even implementing SD level 1 will be cost effective and can control the number of critically ill patients and deaths. If social distancing is maintained at level 2 at the beginning and then relaxed when sufficient vaccinations have been administered, economic costs can be reduced while maintaining the number of patients with severe symptoms below the intensive care unit (ICU) capacity. Korea has wellequipped medical facilities and infrastructure for rapid vaccination, and the public's desire for vaccination is high. In this case, the speed of vaccine supply is an important factor in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic. If the speed of vaccination is fast, it is possible to maintain a low level of social distancing without a significant increase in the number of deaths and hospitalized patients with severe symptoms, and the corresponding costs can be reduced

Assessment of Social Distancing for Controlling COVID-19 in Korea: An Age-Structured Modeling Approach

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred all over the world between 2019 and 2020. The first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since then, there have been more than 21 million incidences and 761 thousand casualties worldwide as of 16 August 2020. One of the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 is that its symptoms and fatality rates vary with the ages of the infected individuals. This study aims at assessing the impact of social distancing on the reduction of COVID-19 infected cases by constructing a mathematical model and using epidemiological data of incidences in Korea. We developed an age-structured mathematical model for describing the age-dependent dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 in Korea. We estimated the model parameters and computed the reproduction number using the actual epidemiological data reported from 1 February to 15 June 2020. We then divided the data into seven distinct periods depending on the intensity of social distancing implemented by the Korean government. By using a contact matrix to describe the contact patterns between ages, we investigated the potential effect of social distancing under various scenarios. We discovered that when the intensity of social distancing is reduced, the number of COVID-19 cases increases; the number of incidences among the age groups of people 60 and above increases significantly more than that of the age groups below the age of 60. This significant increase among the elderly groups poses a severe threat to public health because the incidence of severe cases and fatality rates of the elderly group are much higher than those of the younger groups. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain strict social distancing rules to reduce infected cases

Vaccination Prioritization Strategies for COVID-19 in Korea: A Mathematical Modeling Approach

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has recently started worldwide. As the vaccine supply will be limited for a considerable period of time in many countries, it is important to devise the effective vaccination strategies that reduce the number of deaths and incidence of infection. One of the characteristics of COVID-19 is that the symptom, severity, and mortality of the disease differ by age. Thus, when the vaccination supply is limited, age-dependent vaccination priority strategy should be implemented to minimize the incidences and mortalities. In this study, we developed an age-structured model for describing the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, including vaccination. Using the model and actual epidemiological data in Korea, we estimated the infection probability for each age group under different levels of social distancing implemented in Korea and investigated the effective age-dependent vaccination strategies to reduce the confirmed cases and fatalities of COVID-19. We found that, in a lower level of social distancing, vaccination priority for the age groups with the highest transmission rates will reduce the incidence mostly, but, in higher levels of social distancing, prioritizing vaccination for the elderly age group reduces the infection incidences more effectively. To reduce mortalities, vaccination priority for the elderly age group is the best strategy in all scenarios of levels of social distancing. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of vaccine supply and efficacy on the reduction in incidence and mortality

Dietary intakes of branched-chain amino acids and plasma lipid profiles among filipino women in Korea: the Filipino Womens Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL)

Abstract Background The potential role of dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in metabolic health, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is evolving, and it is yet to be understood if dietary BCAA intakes are associated with plasma lipid profiles or dyslipidaemia. This study tested the association of dietary BCAA intakes with plasma lipid profiles and dyslipidaemia among Filipino women in Korea. Methods Energy-adjusted dietary BCAA intakes (isoleucine, leucine, valine, and total BCAA) and fasting blood profiles of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-C) were determined in a sample of 423 women enrolled in the Filipino Womens Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL). The generalized linear model was applied to estimate least-square (LS) means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and compare plasma TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C across tertile distribution of energy-adjusted dietary BCAA intakes at P<0.05. Results Mean of energy-adjusted dietary total BCAA intake was 8.3±3.9 g/d. Average plasma lipid profiles were 88.5±47.4 mg/dl for TG, 179.7±34.5 mg/dl for TC, 58.0±13.7 mg/dl for HDL-C, and 104.0±30.5 mg/dl for LDL-C. LS means, and 95% CIs across tertiles of energy-adjusted total BCAA intakes were 89.9 mg/dl, 88.8 mg/dl and 85.8 mg/ dl (P-trend=0.45) for TG, 179.1 mg/dl, 183.6 mg/dl and 176.5 mg/dl (P-trend=0.48) for TC, 57.5 mg/dl, 59.6 mg/dl and 57.1 mg/dl (P-trend=0.75) for HDL-C and 103.6 mg/dl, 106.2 mg/dl and 102.3 mg/dl (P-trend=0.68) for LDL-C. Furthermore, the multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for dyslipidaemia across increasing tertile distribution of energy-adjusted total BCAA intake were; 1.00, 0.67 (0.40, 1.13) and 0.45 (0.16, 1.27; P-trend=0.03) for the first, second and third tertile, respectively. Conclusions Higher dietary intakes of BCAA presented a statistically significant inverse trend with the prevalence of dyslipidaemia among Filipino women in this study and testing these associations in longitudinal studies may be necessary to confirm these findings.This research work was supported by the Brain Pool Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2020H1D3A1A04081265), Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (No. 201300000001270), Chong Kun Dang Pharm., Seoul, Korea (No. 201600000000225), Handok Inc., Seoul, Korea and the Research Grants from Asian Studies funded by Seoul National University Asia Center (0448 A-2021077). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Associations of Dietary Intakes of Total and Specific Types of Fat with Blood Lipid Levels in the Filipino Women’s Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL)

Background: Limited evidence exists on the association between dietary fat intake and lipid profiles in Southeast Asian populations. Objectives: We aimed to examine the cross-sectional associations of dietary intake of total and specific types of fat with dyslipidemia in Filipino immigrant women in Korea. Methods: We included 406 Filipino women married to Korean in the Filipino Women’s Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL). Dietary fat intake was assessed using 24-hour recalls. Impaired blood lipid profiles were defined as high total cholesterol (TC) (≥200 mg/dL), high triglyceride (TG) (≥150 mg/dL), high LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C) (≥ 130 mg/dL), or low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) (<50 mg/dL). The genomic DNA samples were genotyped using DNA chip. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Substituting carbohydrates with dietary saturated fat (SFA) intake was associated with increased prevalence of dyslipidemia; ORs (95% CIs) for subsequent tertiles compared to the first tertile were 2.28 (1.19–4.35), and 2.88 (1.29–6.39) (P for trend = 0.02). When we examined individual markers, ORs (95% CIs, P for trend) comparing the third to the first tertile were 3.62 (1.53–8.55, 0.01) for high TC, 1.46 (0.42–5.10, 0.72) for high TG, 4.00 (1.48–10.79, 0.02) for high LDL-C, and 0.69 (0.30–1.59, 0.36) for low HDL-C. When we examined the interaction by LDL-C-related polymorphisms, the association with dyslipidemia was more pronounced among participants with CC alleles than among those with T alleles of rs6102059 (P for interaction = 0.01). Conclusions: High dietary SFA intake was significantly associated with a high prevalence of dyslipidemia in Filipino women in Korea. Further prospective cohort studies are warranted to determine risk factors for CVD in Southeast Asian populations

Comparison of cardiovascular disease risk factors among FiLWHEL (2014–2016), NNS (2013) and KNHANES (2013–2015) women

Objectives This study assessed the CVD risk factors among Filipino women (FW) in Korea and compared them with FW in the Philippines and women in Korea (KW). Methods A cohort of 504 women from the Filipino Women's Health and Diet Study (FiLWHEL) aged 20–57years old were age-matched (1:1 ratio) with women from the 2013 National Nutrition Survey in the Philippines and the 2013–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Anthropometric data, blood pressure (BP), lipid and glucose levels were compared across the four populations by calculating the odds ratio (OR)s and 95% confidence interval (CI)s using conditional logistic regression models. Results Compared to KW, FW in Korea and FW in the Philippines were more than 2 and 3 times higher odds of having obesity for BMI ≥ 30kg/m2 and waist circumference ≥ 88cm, respectively. However, FW in Korea had the highest odds (OR 5.51, 95% CI 3.18–9.56) of having hypertension compared to KW. FW in the Philippines had the highest odds of having dyslipidemia (compared to KW,total cholesterol ≥ 200mg/dL: OR 8.83, 95% CI 5.30–14.71; LDL-C ≥ 130mg/dL: OR 3.25, 95% CI 2.13–4.98; and triglyceride ≥ 150mg/dL: OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.59–4.22), but FW in Korea and KW had similar prevalence of dyslipidemia. Conclusions FW in Korea had higher prevalence of obesity and hypertension, with similar prevalence of dyslipidemia compared to KW in this sample. FW in the Philippines had higher prevalence of dyslipidemia compared to FW in Korea. Further prospective studies are warranted to examine the CVD risk factors among continental and native-born Filipino women.Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., (No. 201300000001270), Chong Kun Dang Pharm, Seoul, Korea, (No. 201600000000225) and Yuhan Corporation supported the study. APO is supported by the Brain Pool Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (2020H1D3A1A04081265). The funding agencies played no role in the study design and data collection, data analyses, and interpretations, or in preparing and submitting this manuscript for publication

Active pulmonary tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection among homeless people in Seoul, South Korea: a cross-sectional study

Background : The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of latent TB infection (LTBI) and active TB among homeless in Seoul metropolitan city, South Korea, and to compare the TB burden among homeless people with that of a control group. Methods : The homeless participants were recruited from five sites between October 30, 2009 and April 12, 2010. LTBI was diagnosed through the QuantiFERON(R) TB Gold In-Tube(QFT-GIT) assay and a tuberculin skin test(TST) and, and active PTB was diagnosed based on chest radiography. Results : Among 313 participants, the prevalence of LTBI was 75.9% (95% CI, 71.1-80.8%) and 79.8% (95% CI, 74.9-84.7%) based on a QFT-GIT assay and the TST, respectively, and that of active PTB was 5.8% (95% CI, 3.2-8.3%). The prevalence of LTBI among homeless participants was about five times higher than controls. Also, the age-specific prevalence rate ratio of active PTB was as high as 24.86. Conclusions : The prevalence rate of LTBI as well as active PTB among homeless people was much higher than that of the general population in South Korea. Thus, adequate strategies to reduce the TB burden among homeless people are needed.Peer Reviewe