Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine in Korean Subjects

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex disorder defined by a cluster of abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension; the condition is recognized as a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the effects of the Sasang constitution group (SCG) on the risk of MS in Korean subjects. We have analyzed 1,617 outpatients of Korean oriental medicine hospitals who were classified into three SCGs, So-Yang, So-Eum, and Tae-Eum. Significant differences were noted in the prevalence of MS and the frequencies of all MS risk factors among the three SCGs. The odds ratios for MS as determined via multiple logistic regression analysis were 2.004 for So-Yang and 4.521 for Tae-Eum compared with So-Eum. These results indicate that SCG may function as a significant risk factor of MS; comprehensive knowledge of Sasang constitutional medicine may prove helpful in predicting susceptibility and developing preventive care techniques for MS

Association of the Apolipoprotein A5 Gene −1131T>C Polymorphism with Serum Lipids in Korean Subjects: Impact of Sasang Constitution

Apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) was identified as a strong modulator of serum lipids. Moreover, an APOA5 gene −1131T>C polymorphism has been associated with serum lipids, but the results are inconsistent according to ethnic and racial groups. We have genotyped and analyzed 1,619 outpatients of Korean oriental medicine hospitals who were classified into three Sasang constitution groups (SCGs), So-Yang (SY), So-Eum (SE), and Tae-Eum (TE). There were no significant difference in the distribution of the APOA5 −1131T>C genotype among the three SCGs. Subjects with the C allele in SY and TE showed significantly lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and higher triglyceride (TG) levels than noncarriers of the C allele. These results show the differences in the prevalence of decreasing serum HDL-C and elevating serum TG levels along with APOA5 −1131T>C polymorphism according to SCG and suggest that SCG may act as a significant risk factor for hypo-HDL-C-emia and hypertriglyceridemia susceptibility

Insulin Secretion and Incretin Hormone Concentration in Women with Previous Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

BackgroundWe examined the change in the levels of incretin hormone and effects of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) on insulin secretion in women with previous gestational diabetes (pGDM).MethodsA 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conducted on 34 women with pGDM. In addition, 11 women with normal glucose tolerance, matched for age, height and weight, were also tested. The insulin, GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon concentrations were measured, and their anthropometric and biochemical markers were also measured.ResultsAmong 34 women with pGDM, 18 had normal glucose tolerance, 13 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 1 had diabetes. No significant differences were found in GLP-1 concentration between the pGDM and control group. However, a significantly high level of glucagon was present in the pGDM group at 30 minutes into the OGTT. The GIP concentration was elevated at 30 minutes and 60 minutes in the pGDM group. With the exception of the 30-minute timepoint, women with IGT had significantly high blood glucose from 0 to 120 minutes. However, there was no significant difference in insulin or GLP-1 concentration. The GIP level was significantly high from 0 to 90 minutes in patients diagnosed with IGT.ConclusionGLP-1 secretion does not differ between pGDM patients and normal women. GIP was elevated, but that does not seem to induce in increase in insulin secretion. Therefore, we conclude that other factors such as heredity and environment play important roles in the development of type 2 diabetes

Perovskite-polymer composite cross-linker approach for highly-stable and efficient perovskite solar cells.

Manipulation of grain boundaries in polycrystalline perovskite is an essential consideration for both the optoelectronic properties and environmental stability of solar cells as the solution-processing of perovskite films inevitably introduces many defects at grain boundaries. Though small molecule-based additives have proven to be effective defect passivating agents, their high volatility and diffusivity cannot render perovskite films robust enough against harsh environments. Here we suggest design rules for effective molecules by considering their molecular structure. From these, we introduce a strategy to form macromolecular intermediate phases using long chain polymers, which leads to the formation of a polymer-perovskite composite cross-linker. The cross-linker functions to bridge the perovskite grains, minimizing grain-to-grain electrical decoupling and yielding excellent environmental stability against moisture, light, and heat, which has not been attainable with small molecule defect passivating agents. Consequently, all photovoltaic parameters are significantly enhanced in the solar cells and the devices also show excellent stability

Frequency correlation property of Ultra Wideband Channel in Office environments

본 논문은 사무실 환경에서 측정된 초광대역 통신채널의 주파수 응답 사이의 상관관계를 모델링하고 있다. 측정은 주파수 영역에서 회로망 분석기를 바탕으로 한 측정시스템을 통해 이루어졌으며 3개의 서로 다른 사무실 환경의 46개 송, 수신지점에서 총 23,000개의 채널응답이 얻어졌다. 주파수에 따른 채널 이득사이의 상관관계를 나타내는 변수로는 상관계수 (Correlation Coefficient)가 사용되어, 주파수 이격에 따른 상관계수 값의 변화를 가시경로의 존재 유무에 따라 선형 모델로 모델링하였다. 아울러 역푸리에 변환 (Inverse Fast Fourier Transform, IFFT)을 통해 얻어낸 시간영역의 채널응답을 바탕으로 지연함수 값을 얻어내고 그에 따른 연관대역폭 (Coherence bandwidth)을 산출하여 그 결과값을 주파수 영역에서의 결과 값과 비교하였다

Impact of frailty on early rhythm control outcomes in older adults with atrial fibrillation: A nationwide cohort study

PurposeRhythm-control therapy administered early following the initial diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) has superior cardiovascular outcomes compared to rate-control therapy. Frailty is a key factor in identifying older patients’ potential for improvement after rhythm-control therapy. This study evaluated whether frailty affects the outcome of early rhythm-control therapy in older patients with AF.MethodsFrom the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (2005–2015), we collected 20,611 populations aged ≥65 years undergoing rhythm- or rate-control therapy initiated within 1 year of AF diagnosis. Participants were emulated by the EAST-AFNET4 trial, and stratified into non-frail, moderately frail, and highly frail groups based on the hospital frailty risk score (HFRS). A composite outcome of cardiovascular-related mortality, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for heart failure, and ischemic stroke was compared between rhythm- and rate-control.ResultsEarly rhythm-control strategy showed a 14% lower risk of the primary composite outcome in the non-frail group [weighted incidence 7.3 vs. 8.6 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio (HR) 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79–0.93, p < 0.001] than rate-control strategy. A consistent trend toward a lower risk of early rhythm-control was observed in the moderately frail (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.81–1.02, p = 0.09) and highly frail (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.75–1.17, p = 0.55) groups.ConclusionAlthough the degree attenuated with increasing frailty, the superiority of cardiovascular outcomes of early rhythm-control in AF treatment was maintained without increased risk for safety outcomes. An individualized approach is required on the benefits of early rhythm-control therapy in older patients with AF, regardless of their frailty status

Indoor formaldehyde removal over CMK-3

The removal of formaldehyde at low concentrations is important in indoor air pollution research. In this study, mesoporous carbon with a large specific surface area was used for the adsorption of low-concentration indoor formaldehyde. A mesoporous carbon material, CMK-3, was synthesized using the nano-replication method. SBA-15 was used as a mesoporous template. The surface of CMK-3 was activated using a 2N H2SO4 solution and NH3 gas to prepare CMK-3-H2SO4 and CMK-3-NH3, respectively. The activated samples were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The formaldehyde adsorption performance of the mesoporous carbons was in the order of CMK-3-NH3 > CMK-3-H2SO4 > CMK-3. The difference in the adsorption performance was explained by oxygen and nitrogen functional groups formed during the activation process and by the specific surface area and pore structure of mesoporous carbon

Methodological Considerations of Electron Spin Resonance Spin Trapping Techniques for Measuring Reactive Oxygen Species generated from metal oxide nanomaterials

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated on the surfaces of nanomaterials are important for understanding their toxicity and toxic mechanisms, which are in turn beneficial for manufacturing more biocompatible nanomaterials in many industrial fields. Electron spin resonance (ESR) is a useful tool for detecting ROS formation. However, using this technique without first considering the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials and proper conditions of the spin trapping agent (such as incubation time) may lead to misinterpretation of the resulting data. In this report, we suggest methodological considerations for ESR as pertains to magnetism, sample preparation and proper incubation time with spin trapping agents. Based on our results, each spin trapping agent should be given the proper incubation time. For nanomaterials having magnetic properties, it is useful to remove these nanomaterials via centrifugation after reacting with spin trapping agents. Sonication for the purpose of sample dispersion and sample light exposure should be controlled during ESR in order to enhance the obtained ROS signal. This report will allow researchers to better design ESR spin trapping applications involving nanomaterials