Evaluation of the impact of Korea's employment protection legislation on vocational training discrimination against non-regular workers.

This longitudinal study evaluated the effectiveness of Korea's 2007 employment protection legislation (EPL), aimed at mitigating labor discrimination against non-regular workers (NRW). Specifically, we use the Korean Workplace Panel Survey data from 2005 to 2013 and adopt a difference-in-difference methodology (DD) to explore whether establishment reduces the gap in training opportunities between NRW and regular workers (RW). Results show that compliance with government regulations depends on how business establishments react to the rules and the characteristics of these stakeholders. Overall, the 2007 reform partially improved the training opportunities in NRW. However, this positive outcome was mostly concentrated in companies with affluent resources or stronger bargaining power of NRW. Policymakers should consider in what context the policy works well and what factors may hinder its operation at the policy design stage.

Macakurzin C Derivatives as a Novel Pharmacophore for Pan-Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Modulator

The natural flavonoid macakurzin C (1) exhibited adiponectin biosynthesis-inducing activity during adipogenesis in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and its molecular mechanism was directly associated with a pan-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) modulator affecting all three PPAR subtypes α, γ, and δ. In this study, increases in adiponectin biosynthesisinducing activity by macakurzin C derivatives (2–7) were studied. The most potent adiponectin biosynthesis-inducing compound 6, macakurzin C 3,5-dimethylether, was elucidated as a dual PPARα/γ modulator. Compound 6 may exhibit the most potent activity because of the antagonistic relationship between PPARδ and PPARγ. Docking studies revealed that the O-methylation of macakurzin C to generate compound 6 significantly disrupted PPARδ binding. Compound 6 has therapeutic potential in hypoadiponectinemia-related metabolic diseases.

Diallyl Biphenyl-Type Neolignans Have a Pharmacophore of PPARα/γ Dual Modulators

Adiponectin secretion-promoting compounds have therapeutic potentials in human metabolic diseases. Diallyl biphenyl-type neolignan compounds, magnolol, honokiol, and 4-O-methylhonokiol, from a Magnolia officinalis extract were screened as adiponectin-secretion promoting compounds in the adipogenic differentiation model of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). In a target identification study, magnolol, honokiol, and 4-O-methylhonokiol were elucidated as PPARα and PPARγ dual modulators. Diallyl biphenyl-type neolignans affected the transcription of lipid metabolism-associated genes in a different way compared to those of specific PPAR ligands. The diallyl biphenyl-type neolignan structure provides a novel pharmacophore of PPARα/γ dual modulators, which may have unique therapeutic potentials in diverse metabolic diseases.