Search

Background/Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) levels and the severity of periodontitis in systemically healthy individuals. Additionally, the study examines whether non-surgical periodontal treatment can reduce FABP4 levels, establishing its potential as a biomarker linking periodontitis to systemic diseases. Methods: A total of 89 participants with stage I, II, or III periodontitis were recruited, excluding individuals with systemic diseases. Clinical parameters such as clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD), and gingival index (GI) were recorded. Serum FABP4 levels and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) antibody titers were measured before and after periodontal treatment using ELISA kits. Statistical analysis included t-tests, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression to assess changes in FABP4 levels and their association with clinical parameters. Results: FABP4 and P. gingivalis antibody titers significantly increased with the severity of periodontitis (p < 0.001). After non-surgical periodontal treatment, FABP4 levels significantly decreased across all stages of periodontitis. Moderate positive correlations were observed between FABP4 and CAL, PD, GI, and P. gingivalis antibody titers (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that FABP4 levels increased significantly with the progression of periodontitis, independent of age and sex. Conclusions: The study indicates that FABP4 is a potential biomarker for linking periodontitis to systemic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Non-surgical periodontal treatment reduced FABP4 levels, potentially contributing to the improvement of systemic conditions associated with elevated FABP4. Further research should explore the role of FABP4 in patients with periodontitis and systemic diseases to strengthen its clinical relevance.

This study investigates the efficacy of granulated collagen tripeptide (gCTP) in mitigating sarcopenia in aged mice compared to CTP. 58 weeks (male, n = 38) C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups: an aging control, 0.03 % Gly-Pro-Hyp, 0.9 % CTP, and 0.9 % gCTP-supplemented group. gCTP administration significantly increased lean mass without altering body weight, indicating potential benefits in improving body composition in aged mice. Moreover, gCTP enhanced muscle synthesis pathways, including IGF1/PI3K/mTOR axis and myogenin expression, increasing muscle mass and strength. Additionally, gCTP reduced muscle and systemic inflammation, as evidenced by decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and myokines. Notably, gCTP enhanced intestinal absorption of peptides, potentially contributing to improved protein synthesis. gCTP demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating sarcopenia and related symptoms in aged mice compared to CTP, attributed to differences in absorption. These findings provide insights into the potential of gCTP supplementation as a therapeutic strategy for sarcopenia.

Artemisiae argyi is a well-known traditional herbal medicine used in East Asia. Although the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of A. argyi have been reported, its efficacy in improving obesity has not been yet evaluated. In this study, mice were fed a normal diet (AIN-93), a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% of kcal from fat), and an HFD with 0.1% of A. argyi water extract for 16 weeks. The body weight and body fat in A. argyi-fed mice significantly decreased via upregulation of the mRNA expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes, with a simultaneous decrease in plasma lipid content and leptin levels. A. argyi water extract also ameliorated hepatic steatosis by restricting lipogenesis via lowering the activities of fatty acid synthase and phosphatidic acid phosphatase. Consistently, hepatic histological analysis indicated that A. argyi water extract decreased hepatic lipid accumulation in accordance with the hepatic H, E and Oil Red O-stained area. Additionally, A. argyi ameliorated the impaired glucose homeostasis by increasing the mRNA expression of AMP-activated kinase and glycolysis-related genes. In conclusion, our results indicate that A. argyi can be used to treat obesity-related metabolic conditions.

Despite a century of research on obesity, metabolic disorders and their complications, including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease remain a serious global health problem. Lycopus lucidus Turcz (LT) is a traditional medicine used for its anti-inflammatory properties that has not been evaluated for its efficacy in improving obesity. In this study, mice were fed a normal diet (n = 10) or obesity was induced with a high-fat diet (HFD, n = 20, 60% kcal from fat) for 4 weeks. The HFD mice were then divided into two groups, one of which received LT supplementation with water extract for 13 weeks [HFD (n = 10) or HFD with LT water extract (n = 10, 1.5%)]. LT reduced body and adipose tissue weight by elevating energy expenditure by increasing fatty oxidation in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and muscle. LT ameliorated dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis by restricting lipogenesis. Additionally, LT normalized the impaired glucose homeostasis by diet-induced obesity to improve pancreatic islet dysfunction with increasing hepatic major urinary protein expression. Moreover, LT attenuated the inflammation and collagen accumulation in the liver and eWAT. In conclusion, these results suggest that LT can treat obesity-related metabolic disorders such as adiposity, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and inflammation.

Abstract Background Obesity increases the risk of metabolic dysfunction such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and fatty liver. Physcion (PY) is an anthraquinone that reportedly has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. However, few studies have addressed the effect of PY on high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of PY on obesity. Methods Male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into three groups and fed normal diet (ND, 5% fat, w/w), high-fat diet (HFD, 20% fat, 1% cholesterol, w/w), and HFD supplemented with 0.002% PY (w/w) for 16 weeks. Obesity-related biomarkers were analyzed including whole body and white adipose tissue (WAT) weight, in addition to lipid and inflammatory factors in the plasma, feces, liver and epididymal WAT. Significant differences among the groups were determined using Student’s t-test. Differences were considered statistically significant at p

Collagen peptide (CP) and collagen tripeptide (CTP) are supplementary health foods that exhibit several biological effects. However, the effects of collagen on age-associated sarcopenia and its underlying mechanisms are unclear. C57BL/6J mice (n = 24, 12 months old) were divided into three dietary groups and administered AIN93G (aging control, AC; JA BIO, Suwon, Korea), AIN93G plus 0.2% CP, and AING93G plus 0.2% CTP supplement for 12 weeks. The results indicated that the CP and CTP supplements significantly increased the weight of the quadriceps tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles and reduced body fat. A morphological analysis revealed that the spaces within the muscle cells were tight with attenuated fibrosis following CP and CTP supplementation. Immunohistochemistry was applied and a Western blot analysis was performed to determine the underlying mechanisms. The CTP supplement increased the expression of IGF-1, PI3K/AKT, and mTOR, whereas the CP supplement increased the expression of IGF-1 and AMPK in the gastrocnemius of aging mice. CP and CTP ameliorate age-associated sarcopenia through different mechanisms.

Abstract Background Phylogenetic analysis of norovirus (NoV) is efficient for tracking NoV transmission. To determine the widespread NoV strains in Seoul, we conducted an extensive phylogenetic characterization of NoV-positives from 1659 diarrheal specimens collected in 2014–2016 for the Seoul NoV-surveillance. Results When the large numbers of NoV partial VP1 genome sequences were analyzed in acute gastroenteritis patients along with the phylogenetic characterization, we could identify molecular epidemiologic patterns based on the genetic characteristics of sporadic NoV strains circulating in Seoul, which could provide a detailed description of the genome-wide and community-wide NoV evolution in each genotype. The average NoV detection rate in our study period was 16.34% that was increased by 7.44% from 13.17% in 2014 to 20.61% in 2016. Prevalence of NoV GI and GII was 4.43% and 93.36%, respectively, and the GII.4, GII.17, and GII.3 were found to be the major type among 17 genotypes of NoV. The most prevalent one was GII.4 (50.92%) that was followed by GII.17 (18.08%) and GII.3 (9.96%). According to an extensive phylogenetic analysis based on partial VP1 sequences of 1008 NoV (276 sporadic, 518 outbreak and 214 reference), pandemic strains of GII.17, GII.4 and GII.3 have emerged in succession during the 2014-2016 Seoul NoV-surveillance. GII.17 emerged as GII.17|Kawasaki323 in 2014, and became the predominant genotype in 2015 with GII.17|2014_Kawasaki lineages (CUHK-NS-616/Kawasaki308). The formerly predominant GII.4 remained high-level with GII.4|2012_Sydney in 2014 and internally replaced to GII.4|2016_Kawasaki194 lineage (NOR-2565/NOR-2558/OH16002) that caused the sporadic NoV explosion since December 2015. Sporadically prevalent GII.3|Hu/Aichio334-13/2013 failed to develop any outbreaks, whereas sporadic GII.3|Hu/3-28/2015/HNZZ/CHN caused heavy outbreaks in Seoul without preparation time since November 2016. Conclusions This is the first extensive phylogenetic study revealing the important events of NoV strains circulating in Seoul. Particularly, our study period from 2014 to 2016 was very dynamic with the emergences of the three main NoV strains (GII.17|2014_Kawasaki, GII.4|2016_Kawasaki194 and GII.3|Hu/3-28/2015/HNZZ/CHN) every year. We are sure that it is hard to detect above findings by simple conventional analysis. Our present study reports a future paradigm of the NoV molecular epidemiology, which might be highly valuable to track new strains and predict oncoming outbreaks.

Animal models facilitate evaluation of vaccine efficacy at relatively low cost. This study was a comparative evaluation of the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a new 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) with a control vaccine in a mouse model. After vaccination, anti-capsular antibody levels were evaluated by pneumococcal polysaccharide (PnP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and opsonophagocytic killing assay (OPA). Also, mice were challenged intraperitoneally with 100-fold of the 50% lethal dose of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The anti-capsular IgG levels against serotypes 1, 4, 7F, 14, 18C, 19A, and 19F were high (quartile 2 >1,600), while those against the other serotypes were low (Q2 ≤ 800). Also, the OPA titres were similar to those determined by PnP ELISA. Comparative analysis between new PCV13 and control vaccination group in a mouse model exhibited significant differences in serological immunity of a few serotypes and the range of anti-capsular IgG in the population. Challenge of wild-type or neutropenic mice with serotypes 3, 5, 6A, 6B, and 9V showed protective immunity despite of induced relatively low levels of anti-capsular antibodies. With comparison analysis, a mouse model should be adequate for evaluating serological efficacy and difference in the population level as preclinical trial.

The effects of scopoletin on non-alcoholic fatty liver in obese mice were investigated. Mice were fed high-fat diet (HF) with or without two doses of scopoletin (0.01 and 0.05%, w/w) for 16 weeks. Both doses of scopoletin led to similar reductions in body weight, visceral fat, serum levels of leptin, lipid, TNFα, IL-6, IFNγ and MCP-1, insulin resistance and hepatic lipid accumulation, whereas they increased serum adiponectin and faecal lipid levels. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that hepatic gene networks related to lipid concentrations, inflammation of organs, quantity of adipose tissue, proliferation of cell and necrosis were down-regulated in the scopoletin group. The top up- or down-regulated genes were Cidea, Apoa4, Cyp7a1, Errfi1, Col1a1, Mmp13, Cdkn1a, Gdf15 and Saa1, which emerged as associated genes related to hepatic steatosis and inflammation. These results indicate that scopoletin may ameliorate HF-induced hepatic dysfunction via regulation of lipid metabolic and inflammatory genes.

d-allulose is an uncommon sugar that provides almost no calories when consumed. Its sweetness is 70% that of sucrose. d-allulose is a metabolic regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, few reports concerning its effect on diabetes and related metabolic disturbances in db/db mice are available. In this study, we evaluated d-allulose’s effect on hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, diabetes and inflammatory responses in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice. Mice were divided into normal diet, erythritol supplemented (5% w/w), and d-allulose supplemented (5% w/w) groups. Blood glucose and plasma glucagon levels and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) were significantly lower in the d-allulose group than in the normal diet group, and plasma insulin level was significantly increased. Further, d-allulose supplement significantly increased hepatic glucokinase activity and decreased hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Expression of glucose transporter 4, insulin receptor substrate 1, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha and AKT serine/threonine kinase 2 were also upregulated by d-allulose supplement in adipocyte and muscle. Finally, d-allulose effectively lowered plasma and hepatic triglyceride and free fatty acid levels, and simultaneously reduced hepatic fatty acid oxidation and carnitine palmitoyl transferase activity. These changes are likely attributable to suppression of hepatic fatty acid synthase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. Notably, d-allulose also reduced pro-inflammatory adipokine and cytokine levels in plasma. Our results indicate that d-allulose is an effective sugar substitute for improving lipid and glucose metabolism.

D-allulose, which has 70% of the sweet taste of sucrose but nearly no calories, has been reported to inhibit the absorption of lipids and suppress body weight gain in obese mice. Fats in non-dairy creamer consist of highly saturated fatty acids, which can cause various lipid disorders when consumed over a long period. We investigated whether D-allulose supplementation alleviates the effects of a non-dairy creamer-enriched high-fat diet on lipid metabolism. High-fat diets enriched with non-dairy creamer were administered to C57BL/6J mice with or without D-allulose supplementation for eight weeks by the pair-feeding design. Lipid metabolic markers were compared between the non-dairy creamer control group (NDC) and non-dairy creamer allulose group (NDCA). Body, adipose tissue, and liver weights, and fasting blood glucose levels, were significantly lower in the NDCA group than in the NDC group. Fecal fatty acid and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the NDCA group than in the NDC group. Supplementing a non-dairy creamer-enriched high-fat diet with D-allulose improved overall lipid metabolism, including the plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, hepatic and adipose tissue morphology, and plasma inflammatory adipokine levels in mice. These results suggest that D-allulose can be used as a functional food component for preventing body fat accumulation from a high-fat diet that includes hydrogenated plant fats.

Extant research on learners who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing with disabilities who come from Asian immigrant families is extremely sparse. The authors conducted an intrinsic case study of a deaf student with autism who comes from a Korean immigrant family. To acquire a comprehensive understanding of language and communication characteristics, they analyzed (a) interview data of three administrators who worked with the student and family and (b) school documents/reports issued to the parents. Themes are reported across the three components of the tri-focus framework (Siegel-Causey & Bashinski, 1997): the learner, partner, and environment. Implications for practitioners who work with these learners and their families are discussed, including (a) compiling an individualized language and communication profile that encompasses the framework; (b) utilizing culturally and linguistically responsive practices with the family; (c) practicing interprofessional collaboration; and (d) modifying physical and social environments to increase accessibility.

Obesity is a continuous chronic metabolic disorder and has adverse effects on health, such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. This study evaluated whether Rumex japonicus Houtt. ethanol extract (RU) and its active component nepodin (NE) affect obesity and its related complications, such as dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice. The NE and RU supplements did not produce significant differences in body weight and adipose tissue weight compared to HFD group, while plasma lipid profiles were only improved by the RU supplement. However, both the NE and RU supplement had beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance through reduction of plasma free fatty acid (FFA) (p < 0.05), insulin (p < 0.05), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (p < 0.05), and C-peptide (p < 0.05) levels. In particular, the RU supplement decreased the area under the curve (AUC) of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) (p < 0.05), and improved glucose intolerance. Taken together, NE and RU supplements can contribute to improvements in HFD-induced hyperglycemia, while dyslipidemia was only improved by the RU supplement.

Over the last decade, many analytical methods and tools have been developed for microarray data. The detection of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among different treatment groups is often a primary purpose of microarray data analysis. In addition, association studies investigating the relationship between genes and a phenotype of interest such as survival time are also popular in microarray data analysis. Phenotype association analysis provides a list of phenotype-associated genes (PAGs). However, it is sometimes necessary to identify genes that are both DEGs and PAGs. We consider the joint identification of DEGs and PAGs in microarray data analyses. The first approach we used was a naïve approach that detects DEGs and PAGs separately and then identifies the genes in an intersection of the list of PAGs and DEGs. The second approach we considered was a hierarchical approach that detects DEGs first and then chooses PAGs from among the DEGs or vice versa. In this study, we propose a new model-based approach for the joint identification of DEGs and PAGs. Unlike the previous two-step approaches, the proposed method identifies genes simultaneously that are DEGs and PAGs. This method uses standard regression models but adopts different null hypothesis from ordinary regression models, which allows us to perform joint identification in one-step. The proposed model-based methods were evaluated using experimental data and simulation studies. The proposed methods were used to analyze a microarray experiment in which the main interest lies in detecting genes that are both DEGs and PAGs, where DEGs are identified between two diet groups and PAGs are associated with four phenotypes reflecting the expression of leptin, adiponectin, insulin-like growth factor 1, and insulin. Model-based approaches provided a larger number of genes, which are both DEGs and PAGs, than other methods. Simulation studies showed that they have more power than other methods. Through analysis of data from experimental microarrays and simulation studies, the proposed model-based approach was shown to provide a more powerful result than the naïve approach and the hierarchical approach. Since our approach is model-based, it is very flexible and can easily handle different types of covariates.

This paper presents a 26-month longitudinal study of a child who began learning English while developing her native Korean, conducted in order to investigate the role of language transfer in child SLA. The study examined the subject’s first language (L1) and second language (L2) negation, and plural and possessive markings. It looked for evidence of language transfer (LT) using comparisons to English L2 data from speakers with similar and dissimilar L1s, as well as comparisons between the subject’s L2 speech and her L1 system (Jarvis, 2000). The data showed evidence of LT for all features studied, with a predominance of Korean to English transfer early in the study period, and English to Korean toward the end. Results are interpreted using Foster-Cohen’s (2001) Sliding Window approach, which states that rather than neatly distinguishing L1 from L2 acquisition or early from late SLA, individual development along a variety of axes should be considered, including age, cognitive maturity, and native-like performance in L1. From this standpoint, the subject’s waxing and waning L2 performance across the study period appears to reflect changes in her L1 and in intensity of exposure to both languages.

The paper discusses the history and implications of the so-called “morpheme” studies. A brief overview of L1 research in this regard is followed by a more detailed discussion of L2 research. Thereafter, the paper explores the impact of three putative determinants of acquisition order: semantic complexity, input frequency, and native language transfer. The possible role of these determinants in accounting for perceived differences in L1 and L2 acquisition orders is also discussed, along with their implications for various theoretical perspectives on language acquisition. The paper concludes with both practical applications and criticism of existing natural (morpheme) order studies as well as suggestions for future work in this field, such as investigating target languages other than English and developing a multi-determinant approach to acquisition order.

If asked to name a place that typifies issues in multicultural and multilingual pedagogy, few educators worldwide would think first of New Zealand. Yet in a world of increasing globalization, where many of us are forced to put English first while striving to preserve and respect the cultural and linguistic distinctiveness of our own or our students’ ethnicities, New Zealand presents an instructive case study. Long submerged under the dominant Englishspeaking Pakeha (euro-New Zealand) culture, the indigenous language of the Maori people foundered until a recent movement for cultural recognition brought it into the foreground of national consciousness. During roughly the same period, since a 1987 change in the immigration law, New Zealand has experienced dramatic changes in its cultural and linguistic landscape. Most notably, a significant influx of Pacific islanders and Asians of various nationalities has led to the presence of a range of new cultural communities and to a major challenge for New Zealand’s schools.

Ever since the introduction of the “independent grammars assumption,” whereby a child is said to have its own grammar and not just an imitation of adult language, first language (L1) acquisition researchers such as Martin Braine (1963) and others have constructed grammars for children’s languages rather than treat them as defective adult grammars. This is based on the view that language learners create grammars of their own, rather than master the target grammar imperfectly. Thus, at any moment, a child’s grammar is an independent system. In second language acquisition (SLA) research this notion has led to several slightly variant conclusions. On the one hand, second language (L2) learners should be treated as already having a language of their own, not just as poor beginning learners of the target language, and should be encouraged to create a system from experience and internal resources rather than have the target language thrust down their throats by teachers (Johnson & Johnson, 1998). In reality, however, as Cook (1999) asserts, “SLA research has often fallen into the comparative fallacy (Bley-Vroman, 1983) of relating the L2 learner to the native speaker” (p. 189).