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Dietary fiber intake has been suggested to decrease the risks of colorectal cancer (CRC) and adenoma. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between total dietary fiber intake and colorectal adenoma among asymptomatic Korean adults. Individuals who received a screening colonoscopy between May and December of 2011 were recruited. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was used to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of colorectal adenoma. 558 of the 1,716 study participants were diagnosed with colorectal adenoma. No significant association between total dietary fiber intake and colorectal adenoma was found; ORs (95% CIs) for subsequent quintiles compared to the bottom quintile were 1.00 (0.69–1.46), 1.11 (0.73–1.71), 0.97 (0.57–1.65), and 0.88 (0.46–1.71; P for trend = 0.65). Dietary fiber intakes from cereal, fruit, vegetable, or legume weren't associated with colorectal adenoma. When we compared >30 g/d to ≤10 g/d of total dietary fiber intake, OR (95% CI) was 0.32 (0.10–1.02; P for trend = 0.23). In the analyses of advanced or high-risk state and location of adenoma, we didn't observe significant associations. In conclusion, dietary fiber intake was not associated with colorectal adenoma in Korean adults. However, the association for low intake of dietary fiber warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the age of industrial parks may affect their tenants’ performance, to find ways to enhance the positive effects of industrial parks and the efficiency of their regeneration. We identify a relationship between the parks’ age and tenants’ performance. Further, we estimate changes in tenant performance against the age of the park. The analysis is based on firm-level data of 1812 small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms with only one factory in any given industrial park in 2016. The important findings that can be drawn from our study are as follows. First, the relationship between the park’s age and patent applications filed by tenants (the proxy of firm performance) follows a U-shape. Firms located in very new or longer established parks have more patents. Second, the relationship between the age of the park and tenants’ sales follows an inverted U-shape. Firms in middle-aged parks show higher sales per worker. Finally, firms that have just moved into the park or young firms moving into the park perform better. We suggest that a government body should create different approaches for improving innovation and management performance to regenerate industrial parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of reflux esophagitis increases in world, affecting approximately 20% of Western populations and its consequent lesion, Barrett’s esophagus (BE), established as the primary precursor lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) or Barrett associated adenocarcinoma (BAA), is also increasing in incidence in Asian countries as well as Western countries. The fact that surveillance strategies have not had a major benefit in decreasing the incidence of EAC increased attention to arrest or delay the progression of BE to EAC. Since sustained inflammation and consequent oxidative stress plays core pathogenic role in reflux esophagitis, BE, and BAA, attention paid to anti-inflammatory and antioxidative agents in the treatment of reflux esophagitis. Since the risk of esophagitis is associated with hiatal hernia, body mass index, and duodenogastric reflux, and acid exposure, lifestyle modification and agents to control gastric acidity might be mainstay for treatment, but several studies consistently showed the implication of robust oxidative stress in reflux associated esophageal diseases. In this review article, the pathogenic implication of oxidative stress will be introduced in the development of reflux esophagitis, BE, and EAC. Also, since there is great interest in complete healing of reflux esophagitis and chemoprevention to prevent or slow malignant transformation, the contribution of antioxidants or antioxidative agents, which was delivered during SFRR-Asia 2015 (Chiangmai, Thailand), will be described. Also, the molecular mechanisms how the antioxidative drugs, rebamipide, ecabet sodium, and pantoprazole exerted significant protection from acids or bile acids-associated esophagitis are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Various factors including age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and history of operation have been linked to the colonoscopic intubation time. The aims of this study were to identify the factors predicting cecal intubation time (CIT) and to evaluate the effect of the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area on CIT. Material and methods. A total of 1386 consecutive subjects who underwent colonoscopy and abdominal CT on the same day for a health checkup at a single health care center in Korea from August to December 2011 were studied prospectively. Age, sex, BMI, height, waist circumference, history of operation, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, bowel preparation status, experience of colonoscopists, VAT amount on abdominal CT and time required to reach the cecum were analyzed. Results. The mean age of the subjects was 53.0 ± 9.6 years, and 63.5% were male. The median CIT was 271 s. Univariate analyses showed that female gender, old age, shorter height, lower BMI, prior history of surgery and lower VAT were associated with longer CIT. To adjust for confounding effects of the gender, we investigated the genders separately in multivariate analysis. Older age and lower VAT were associated with prolonged CIT. However, the significance of association of VAT on prolonged CIT disappeared in women. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that CIT is prolonged by lower VAT area in men. This is the first study to demonstrate a direct association between VAT area and CIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is not only a non-histone nuclear protein but also a pro-inflammatory cytokine. Previously, it has been shown that HMGB1 box A domain (HMGB1A) is an antagonist of HMGB1. HMGB1A can deliver plasmid DNA (pDNA) into cells due to its positive charge and ability to form complexes with pDNA. In this study, TAT-linked HMGB1A (TAT-HMGB1A) was produced using recombinant DNA technology. The pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 ternary complex was then prepared for efficient delivery of pDNA by coating the pDNA/HMGB1A complex with the R3V6 amphiphilic peptide. The particle size of the pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 complex was approximately 120 nm and had the highest delivery efficiency at a 1:5:15 weight ratio. The pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 complex had a higher transfection efficiency than the pDNA/poly- l-lysine (PLL), pDNA/R3V6, and pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A complexes. In the RAW 264.7 cells activated by lipopolysaccharides, the TNF-α and IL-6 levels were decreased by the addition of the pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 complex, suggesting that TAT-HMGB1A maintained the anti-inflammatory effect of HMGB1A. Delivery of the heme oxygenease-1 (HO-1) gene using TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 further decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines, due to the anti-inflammatory effect of HO-1. The results suggest that the pDNA/TAT-HMGB1A/R3V6 complex may be a useful gene carrier for gene therapy of inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tacrobell® (TB) is a generic tacrolimus which showed the comparable efficacy to original product, Prograf® (PG) in renal transplantation, but toxicity between two drugs is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the toxicity between these two formulations. TB and PG (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg/day) was administered to rats for 4 weeks. The rat survival rate, kidney, liver and pancreas injury was investigated. The survival rate was similar between TB- and PG-treated rats. TB and PG induced renal dysfunction in a dose-dependent manner. Compared to PG treatment in equal dose, TB treatment reduced urinary creatinine clearance in a less degree and renal interstitial fibrosis was comparable between two regimens. The r-glutamyl transpeptidase was aggravated by tacrolimus treatment, and this was not different between TB and PG treatment. In the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, a significant diabetogenic effect was observed in all tacrolimus treated-rats. The glucose tolerance of TB-treated rats was similar to those of PG-treated rats in each dose. The decrement in pancreatic β-cell mass by tacrolimus showed the dose-dependent response and it was comparable between TB and PG treatment. In conclusion, TB is similar to PG in terms of nephrotoxicity, hepatoxicity and diabetogenic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]