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Abstract: Background/purpose: The stratum corneum (SC) is the most important layer for the barrier function of skin, so investigation of the SC is very important in cosmetic and medical research. Here, we calculated the SC thickness using the depth profile of the skin's water concentration based on previously described methods, and then compared the results. Methods: Seven Korean women in their 30s participated in this study. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the in vivo depth profile of skin water concentration. A total of 21 areas were measured at forearm. Microsoft Excel 2007 was used to calculate SC thickness based on the slope and intersection methods. Results: The slope method and the intersection method gave a forearm SC thickness calculated at 21.3 ± 2.6 μm and 17.6 ± 2.8 μm, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two calculation methods but the two methods showed strong correlation of SC thickness results (r = .899). Conclusion: Although there was a difference in calculated SC thickness of about 20% between the two methods, these results reveal that the two SC thickness calculation methods using Raman spectroscopy were suitable for measuring SC thickness, a finding consistent with other published results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the association between early menarche (menarche age < 12 years) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in young and middle-aged Korean women. Methods We analysed data for 4657 women aged 20-50 years from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( KNHANES IV) (2007-2009). Results The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes was 2.8%. Women with early menarche had a higher prevalence of impaired fasting glucose than did women with later menarche (age ≥ 12 years) in the 20-30 age group (7.4% vs. 3.0%), and a higher prevalence of diabetes in the 30-40 (6.3% vs. 1.7%) and 40-50 (18.5% vs. 4.4%) age groups. The odds ratio ( OR) of Type 2 diabetes in women with early menarche was 3.61 [95% confidence interval ( CI), 1.90-6.88] after adjusting for age. In multivariate regression, the OR of Type 2 diabetes decreased to 2.52 (95% CI, 1.29-4.94) after further adjusting for BMI. However, the OR decreased to 2.04 (95% CI, 0.95-4.39) without significance after adjusting for HOMA- IR. Conclusions Early menarche increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged Korean women although adulthood adiposity attenuated the relationship. Knowledge of age at menarche is important in identifying women at risk for diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel antimicrobial peptide, scolopendin 1, was identified from adult centipedes, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans using RNA sequencing. Scolopendin 1 exerted an antimicrobial activity without inducing haemolysis of human erythrocytes. In order to understand the antifungal mechanism, a reactive oxygen species ( ROS) assay was performed, which indicated that scolopendin 1 induced ROS accumulation in Candida albicans. Evaluation of fungal viability using N-acetyl cysteine, a ROS scavenger, suggested that ROS are a major factor in scolopendin 1-induced fungal cell death. Co-staining of annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate ( FITC) and propidium iodide, and TUNEL and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole ( DAPI) assays confirmed that ROS-induced fungal cell death is associated with apoptosis. To further investigate the mechanism that facilitates the progression of apoptosis, changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and mitochondrial dysfunction were examined. Ca2+, a signalling molecule in the apoptotic pathway, was increased in the cytosol and mitochondria, and ROS accumulation triggered mitochondrial depolarization and the release of cytochrome c, a pro-apoptotic factor, from the mitochondria to the cytosol. Finally, the released cytochrome c activated intracellular caspase. The present study suggests that scolopendin 1 could emerge as a model molecule that targets the apoptotic pathway and provides a novel remedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Korean hairstreak, Coreana raphaelis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). The entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule was 15 314 bp long. The C. raphaelis genes were in the same order and orientation as the completely sequenced mitogenomes of other lepidopteran species, except for the presence of an extra copy of tRNASer(AGN). High similarity in primary sequence and secondary structure between the two tandemly located copies of the tRNASer(AGN) suggest a recent duplication of an original single tRNASer(AGN). The DHU arm of the two copies of tRNASer(AGN) formed a simple loop as seen in many other metazoan mt tRNASer(AGN). The putative initiation codon for the C. raphaelis COI gene appears to be a tetranucleotide, TTAG, found commonly in the sequenced lepidopterans. ATPase8, ATPase6, ND4L and ND6 genes, which are next to another protein-coding gene at their 3′ end all had the sequences potential to form a hairpin structure, suggesting the importance of such a structure for precise cleavage of the mature protein-coding genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum levels of the glycoxylation productNε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and development of chronic diabetic complications and degree of diabetic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.The serum levels of CML were measured in 87 patients with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes mellitus (12.7 ± 4.6 years of age) and in seven patients with background retinopathy, microalbuminuria or neuropathy (18.2 ± 5.2 years of age) and compared with those in 64 normal control subjects (12.6 ± 5.2 years of age). The mean durations of diabetes in uncomplicated and complicated patients were 5.0 ± 3.4 years (0.1–14 years), and 8.6 ± 5.0 years (3.1–18 years), respectively. The serum levels of CML were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a monoclonal anti-CML antibody (6D12).The serum levels of CML were significantly higher in the patient group than those in the control group; 0.85 ± 0.37 (0.37–1.93) U/ml vs. 0.56 ± 0.23 (0.15–1.05) U/ml (p < 0.001) and significantly higher in the patient group with chronic complications than those in patient group without chronic complications; 1.06 ± 0.39 (0.72–1.78) U/ml vs. 0.83 ± 0.36 (0.37–1.93) U/ml (p < 0.05). Weak, but statistically significant relationship between CML levels and haemoglobin A1c levels at the measurement of CML was observed (r = 0.29, p < 0.05).Our data are suggesting that higher serum levels of CML are involved in the development of chronic diabetic complications, and serum levels of CML reflect the degree of diabetic control for a long duration in type 1 diabetic children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrostatic pressures (50 to 300 MPa) were applied at 0 °C for 50 min to determine the aggregation and viscoelastic properties of tilapia ( Orechromis niloticus) myosin fragments: subfragment-1 (S-1) and rod. With pressure lower than 150-MPa treatment, S-1 underwent intermolecular interaction to increase its elastic properties. After a 200-MPa treatment, S-1 unfolded, aggregated, and decreased its solubility. A turbid solution was obtained after pressurization over 200 MPa. Further, S-1 transformed to a more elastic gel with pressure increasing. At 200 MPa, S-1 denatured entirely with no change of enthalpy detected by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). However, all properties of rod did not change during pressurization. This study reveals that S-1 contributes the initiation of gel formation in myosin, and the role of rod is not clear. Keywords: hydrostatic pressure, S-1, rod, denaturation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1991 Mathematics Subject Classification 11H50. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the three-year old girl who was diagnosed with Type one mellitus and presented with diabetic ketoacidosis and cerebra; infarction and transient visual loss. It states that an evolving infarct in the occipital lobes and cerebral oedema was revealed by cranial compute tomography scan. It mentions that an echocardiography was performed to identify the possible causes of the cerebral infarction of the girl.

Diabet. Med. 29, e102-e105 (2012) Abstract Aims Childhood obesity is associated with an increased likelihood for having impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia and diabetes. The aim of the study was to evaluate HbA1c as a screening test for impaired glucose tolerance in obese children and adolescents and identify the optimal HbA1c threshold. Methods We studied 126 obese and overweight children (BMI > 85th percentile for age and gender) 4-17 years of age referred to the endocrine clinic at Ajou University Hospital in Korea. All subjects underwent HbA1c and oral glucose tolerance test. Results Thirty-four patients (27%) out of 126 had impaired glucose tolerance. Silent diabetes was diagnosed in 10 adolescents (7.9%). Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, the optimal cut point of HbA1c related to impaired glucose tolerance diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test was 40 mmol/mol (5.8%), which was associated with a 64.7% sensitivity and 61.6% specificity, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.651 (95% CI 0.529-0.772). Conclusions Obesity is associated with an increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance. An HbA1c value of 40 mmol/mol (5.8%) should be used as a screening tool to identify children and adolescents with impaired glucose tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presented in part at the 23rd Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC), Orlando, Florida, October 2004, and in Proceedings of the IFSCC as “Enhanced Pigment Lightening Effects of N-Glycosylation Inhibitors by the CHEMS Incorporated Nano-Carrier.” Synopsis Delivery activity of pH-sensitive 1,2-dioleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE):cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS) liposomes was assessed as an in vitro intracellular carrier system to increase the bioavailability of depigmentation actives. N-glycosylation inhibitors have a glycosylation-inhibiting effect, which is useful for the skin depigmentation that operates by interfering with the maturation of tyrosinase. However, an N-glycosylation inhibitor does not easily pass through skin or even cellular membranes due to its water-soluble property. Therefore, it should be transported to target cells by an efficient delivery carrier to reduce the glycosylated tyrosinase. Glycosylation-inhibiting and depigmentation effects of Nbutyldeoxynojirimycine (NB-DNJ) and 1-deoxynojirimycine (DNJ)-loaded liposomes were evaluated using Western blotting and measurement of synthesized melanin. Interestingly, it was found that the pH-sensitive liposomes increased the glycosylation-inhibiting and thus, pigment-lightening effects of N-glycosylation inhibitors in vitro. In addition, cargo materials loaded in pH-sensitive liposomes were found to be much more efficiently delivered into the cytoplasm, as observed in fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) and confocal laser-scanning microscopic (CLSM) analysis. These results indicate that pH-sensitive DOPE: CHEMS liposomes have a strong potential as a carrier system to promote delivery efficiency and to enhance the biological effects of water-soluble actives for applications in cosmetics, personal care products, and pharmaceutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]