Association between harmful alcohol use and periodontal status according to gender and smoking

BACKGROUND: the aim of this study is to assess the association of harmful alcohol use based on the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) score with periodontal status according to gender and smoking in a representative sample of Korean adults. METHODS: This study analyzed 5,291 participants older than 19 years whose data of harmful alcohol use and periodontal status were available. Harmful alcohol use was defined by the WHO guidelines for the administration of AUDIT. The periodontal status was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed with adjustment for socio-demographic variables, oral and general health behavior, oral health status and systemic conditions. All analyses considered a complex sampling design, and multivariate analysis was also performed in the subgroups. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a marginal association between harmful alcohol use and higher CPI in the total sample. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of harmful alcohol use was 1.16 (0.97 to 1.38) for higher CPI. Higher CPI was significantly associated with harmful alcohol use in men (OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03-1.60) and non-smokers (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.06-1.57). CONCLUSION: Periodontal status is significantly associated with harmful alcohol use in men and non-smokers in a representative sample of Korean adults

Transparent and UV-Reflective Photonic Films and Supraballs Composed of Hollow Silica Nanospheres

For an optically transparent, UV-reflective film, hollow silica nanospheres smaller than the visible wavelength (<lambda(vis)) are prepared and assembled into colloidal glasses, of which interstices are then backfilled with a polymer. The polymer refractive index is matched with the silica shell to minimize backscattering in the visible range, and the average distance between the hollow silica particles is adjusted by tuning the shell thickness to satisfy the interference resonance condition for a UV selective reflection. The resulting composite film shows a strong UV reflection as expected, but it is translucent in visible light due to non-negligible backscattering, which may be caused by large defects or fluctuation of the particle concentration. In order to avoid such backscattering, another polymer is introduced of which the refractive index is matched with the average refractive index of the hollow nanospheres. This allows an optically transparent film that selectively reflects the UV light. Furthermore, spherical aggregates of hollow silica nanospheres called "supraballs" are prepared and their average refractive index is matched with a solvent by adjusting the mixture ratio of water and ethylene glycol, which yields an optically transparent solution, selectively reflecting UV

High-intensity walking in midlife is associated with improved memory in physically capable older adults

Background Little is known about the associations of midlife- and late life-initiated walking with Alzheimers disease (AD)-related cognitive decline in humans. We aimed to investigate whether high-intensity, prolonged, midlife-initiated walking is associated with changes in AD-related cognitive decline in physically capable older adults. Methods We studied 188 physically capable participants aged 65–90 years without dementia who underwent comprehensive clinical assessment, including of their walking modality (i.e., intensity, duration, midlife- or late life-onset), memory- or non-memory and total cognitive performance, and blood or nutritional biomarkers. Results The walking group showed better episodic memory (B = 2.852, SE = 1.214, β = 0.144, p = 0.020), but not non-memory cognition, than the non-walking group. High-intensity walking starting in midlife was significantly associated with better episodic memory (B = 9.360, SE = 3.314, β = 0.446, p = 0.005) compared to the non-walking group. In contrast, there were no differences in cognition according to walking duration, regardless of the onset time. The walking group also showed a similar association with overall cognition. Conclusions Among physically capable older adults without dementia, walking, particularly at high intensity and starting in midlife, is associated with improved episodic memory, an AD-related cognitive domain. Further attention should be paid to the role of walking in terms of AD prevention.This study was supported by grants from the Hallym University Research Fund (grant no. HURF-2020–56 and HURF-2022–13) and the Ministry of Science and ICT, Republic of Korea (grant no. NRF-2020R1G1A1099652). This study was also supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (grant no. RS-2023-00210820). The funding sources had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing of the manuscript, or decision to submit it for publication

Association between physical activity and episodic memory and the moderating effects of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele and age

BackgroundAn abundance of evidence indicates that physical activity may protect against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related cognitive decline. However, little is known about the association between physical activity and AD-related cognitive decline according to age and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele (APOE4) as major risk factors. Therefore, we examined whether age and APOE4 status modulate the effects of physical activity on episodic memory as AD-related cognition in non-demented older adults.MethodsWe enrolled 196 adults aged between 65 and 90 years, with no dementia. All participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessments including physical activity evaluation and APOE genotyping. The AD-related cognitive domain was assessed by the episodic memory, as the earliest cognitive change in AD, and non-memory cognition for comparative purposes. Overall cognition was assessed by the total score (TS) of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease neuropsychological battery.ResultsWe found significant physical activity × age and physical activity × APOE4 interaction effects on episodic memory. Subgroup analyses indicated that an association between physical activity and increased episodic memory was apparent only in subjects aged > 70 years, and in APOE4-positive subjects.ConclusionOur findings suggest that physical activity has beneficial effects on episodic memory, as an AD-related cognitive domain, in individuals aged > 70 years and in APOE4-positive individuals. Physicians should take age and APOE4 status account into when recommending physical activity to prevent AD-related cognitive decline

Ginseng intake and Alzheimer disease-specific cognition in older adults according to apolipoprotein ε4 allele status

BackgroundThe probable association among ginseng intake, Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-specific cognition, and apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) remains poorly investigated. Hence, we examined the association between ginseng intake and AD-specific cognition in older adults under the moderating effect of APOE4 status.MethodsThis study enrolled 160 adults aged 65–90 years without dementia. All participants underwent comprehensive dietary and clinical assessments including ginseng intake, AD-related cognition (i.e., delayed episodic memory, as the earliest cognitive change in AD), and non-memory cognition for comparative purposes.ResultsGinseng intake was associated with higher delayed episodic memory, but not non-memory cognition, compared to no ginseng intake. The interaction between ginseng intake and APOE4 status had a significant effect on delayed episodic memory. Subgroup analyses showed that ginseng intake was associated with higher delayed episodic memory in the APOE4-negative but not the APOE4-positive subgroup. The benefits of ginseng intake on delayed episodic memory were prominent in the high duration (≥5 years) and midlife onset (<65 years) groups.ConclusionOur study of older adults with no dementia suggests that ginseng intake (with high duration and midlife onset) had a beneficial effect on AD-specific cognitive decline, i.e., the delayed episodic memory. In addition, APOE4 status moderates the association between ginseng intake status and AD-specific cognitive decline

Reduced orbitofrontal cortical thickness in male adolescents with internet addiction

Background: The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has consistently been implicated in the pathology of both drug and behavioral addictions. However, no study to date has examined OFC thickness in internet addiction. In the current study, we investigated the existence of differences in cortical thickness of the OFC in adolescents with internet addiction. On the basis of recently proposed theoretical models of addiction, we predicted a reduction of thickness in the OFC of internet addicted individuals.Findings: Participants were 15 male adolescents diagnosed as having internet addiction and 15 male healthy comparison subjects. Brain magnetic resonance images were acquired on a 3T MRI and group differences in cortical thickness were analyzed using FreeSurfer. Our results confirmed that male adolescents with internet addiction have significantly decreased cortical thickness in the right lateral OFC (p<0.05).Conclusion: This finding supports the view that the OFC alterations in adolescents with internet addiction reflect a shared neurobiological marker of addiction-related disorders in general.This work was supported by the Seoul National University Brain Fusion Program Research Fund. SBH was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (Global Internship Program) funded by the Korean government (MEST). MY was supported by an NHMRC fellowship grant (#1021973).OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2013-01/102/0000003446/2SEQ:2PERF_CD:SNU2013-01EVAL_ITEM_CD:102USER_ID:0000003446ADJUST_YN:YEMP_ID:A072419DEPT_CD:701CITE_RATE:2.127FILENAME:첨부된 내역이 없습니다.DEPT_NM:교육학과EMAIL:[email protected]_YN:YCONFIRM:

Immunosuppression status of liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C affects biopsy-proven acute rejection

Background/Aims The relationship between patient survival and biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C remains unclear. The aims of this study were to compare the characteristics of patients with and without BPAR and to identify risk factors for BPAR. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 169 HCV-RNA-positive patients who underwent LT at three centers. Results BPAR occurred in 39 (23.1%) of the HCV-RNA-positive recipients after LT. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 92.1%, 90.3%, and 88.5%, respectively, in patients without BPAR, and 75.7%, 63.4%, and 58.9% in patients with BPAR (P<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that BPAR was associated with the non-use of basiliximab and tacrolimus and the use of cyclosporin in LT recipients with HCV RNA-positive. Conclusion The results of the present study suggest that the immunosuppression status of HCV-RNA-positive LT recipients should be carefully determined in order to prevent BPAR and to improve patient survival

Natural Products in the Prevention of Metabolic Diseases: Lessons Learned from the 20th KAST Frontier Scientists Workshop

The incidence of metabolic and chronic diseases including cancer, obesity, inflammation-related diseases sharply increased in the 21st century. Major underlying causes for these diseases are inflammation and oxidative stress. Accordingly, natural products and their bioactive components are obvious therapeutic agents for these diseases, given their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research in this area has been significantly expanded to include chemical identification of these compounds using advanced analytical techniques, determining their mechanism of action, food fortification and supplement development, and enhancing their bioavailability and bioactivity using nanotechnology. These timely topics were discussed at the 20th Frontier Scientists Workshop sponsored by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on 23 November 2019. Scientists from South Korea and the U.S. shared their recent research under the overarching theme of Bioactive Compounds, Nanoparticles, and Disease Prevention. This review summarizes presentations at the workshop to provide current knowledge of the role of natural products in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases

Species Distribution and Susceptibility to Azole Antifungals of Candida Bloodstream Isolates from Eight University Hospitals in Korea

PURPOSE: The incidence of Candida bloodstream infections (BSI) has increased over the past two decades. The rank order of occurrence and the susceptibility to antifungals of the various Candida species causing BSI are important factors driving the establishment of empirical treatment protocols; however, very limited multi-institutional data are available on Candida bloodstream isolates in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the susceptibility to azole antifungals and species distribution of 143 Candida bloodstream isolates recovered from eight university hospitals over a six-month period. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of fluconazole, itraconazole, and voriconazole for each isolate were determined by the broth microdilution method of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). RESULTS: The Candida species recovered most frequently from the blood cultures was C. albicans (49%), followed by C. parapsilosis (22%), C. tropicalis (14%), and C. glabrata (11%). The MIC ranges for the Candida isolates were 0.125 to 64 microg/mL for fluconazole, 0.03 to 2 microg/mL for itraconazole, and 0.03 to 1 microg/mL for voriconazole. Overall, resistance to fluconazole was found in only 2% of the Candida isolates (3/143), while the dose-dependent susceptibility was found in 6% (8/143). The resistance and dose-dependent susceptibility of itraconazole were found in 4% (6/143) and 14% (20/143) of the isolates, respectively. All bloodstream isolates were susceptible to voriconazole (MIC, < or = 1 microg/mL). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that C. albicans is the most common cause of Candida-related BSI, followed by C. parapsilosis, and that the rates of resistance to azole antifungals are still low among bloodstream isolates in Korea.ope

Comparison of first-line treatment with CHOP versus ICED in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma eligible for upfront autologous stem cell transplantation

IntroductionUpfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been recommended for patients who are newly diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), an anthracycline-based chemotherapy has been the frontline chemotherapy for PTCL. However, it is not clear whether anthracycline-based chemotherapies such as CHOP could be standard induction therapy for PTCL.MethodsWe conducted a randomized phase II study to compare CHOP with fractionated ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone (ICED) for patients eligible for ASCT. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoints included objective response rate, overall survival (OS), and safety profiles.ResultsPatients were randomized into either CHOP (n = 69) or ICED (n = 66), and the characteristics of both arms were not different. PTCL-not otherwise specified (NOS, n = 60) and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL, n = 53) were dominant. The objective response rate was not different between CHOP (59.4%) and ICED (56.1%), and the 3-year PFS was not different between CHOP (36.7%) and ICED (33.1%). In AITL patients, CHOP was favored over ICED whereas ICED was associated with more cytopenia and reduced dose intensity. Patients who received upfront ASCT after achieving complete response to CHOP or ICED showed 80% of 3-year OS.DiscussionIn summary, our study showed no therapeutic difference between CHOP and ICED in terms of response and PFS. Thus, CHOP might remain the reference regimen especially for AITL based on its better outcome in AITL, and upfront ASCT could be recommended as a consolidation of complete response in patients with PTCL