High Prevalence and Risk Factors of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Among University Students in South Korea.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common and have high prevalence in young adults. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors of functional gastrointestinal disorders in university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 at two universities in a South Korean city and included 493 participants. The Rome IV criteria (for functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome) and the Korean gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (for gastroesophageal reflux disease) were used to define each disease. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome prevalence was 18.5%, 7.5%, and 6.5%, respectively, in university students. In multivariate analysis, school year (fourth) (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.27 [0.25, 0.78]), underlying disease (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.92 [1.42, 6.04]), physical activity less than once weekly (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 4.84 [1.04, 22.45]), very irregular meals (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 4.02 [1.54, 10.49]), overeating more than 5 times weekly (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 3.37 [1.19, 9.56]), and academic stress (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.02 [1.01, 1.03]) were risk factors for functional gastrointestinal disorders. Our findings indicate that a comprehensive management program focusing on eating habits and psychological factors is needed to reduce the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in university students.

Improving interprofessional teamwork in a community mental health team: a team building circle program based on the restorative justice paradigm.

Improving teamwork among mental health practitioners is crucial. However, there have been few intervention studies on teamwork enhancement among community mental health practitioners in South Korea. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Team Building Circle program (TBC) based on the restorative justice paradigm, which sought to promote integration and cohesion. The TBC was developed to improve conflict interpretation mind-set, interpersonal skills, and teamwork among practitioners in community mental health centers. We conducted a quasi-experimental study using a pre and posttest design with a non-equivalent control group. The participants were 44 practitioners from four community mental health centers. Data were collected before the implementation TBC (pretest), just after (posttest), and 3 months after TBC (follow-up test). A generalized estimating equation model was used for analysis. Our findings indicate that the intervention group had improved scores in the ability to cope with interpersonal stress in a constructive way, interpersonal relationship skills, and teamwork compared to the control group. To improve teamwork among community mental health practitioners, managers are encouraged to consider providing TBC intervention.

Effects of Adolescents' Lifestyle Habits and Body Composition on Bone Mineral Density.

The incidence of osteoporosis is increasing as the population ages, as is the need to manage and prevent it. Adolescence is the period when the fastest development of bone mass takes place. Increasing adolescents' maximum bone mass and avoiding the risk factors for its loss are effective for preventing osteoporosis. This study investigated the factors influencing adolescents' bone mineral density (BMD). The participants were 126 middle- and high-school students from Gangwon-do; 47.6% (n = 60) were male, with an average age of 15 (range 12-18) years of age. It was found that age, carbonated beverages, snacks, and calcium supplements were variables that showed significant differences in adolescents' BMD. Additionally, through correlation analysis, it was found that height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, and skeletal muscle mass were correlated with BMD. Multiple regression analysis identified age, calcium supplements, BMI, body fat mass, and skeletal muscle mass as BMD-associated factors. These results show that adolescents' BMD is higher with lower body fat mass, higher BMI and skeletal muscle mass, and a higher intake of calcium supplements.

TAZ couples Hippo/Wnt signalling and insulin sensitivity through Irs1 expression.

Insulin regulates blood glucose levels by binding its receptor and stimulating downstream proteins through the insulin receptor substrate (IRS). Impaired insulin signalling leads to metabolic syndrome, but the regulation of this process is not well understood. Here, we describe a novel insulin signalling regulatory pathway involving TAZ. TAZ upregulates IRS1 and stimulates Akt- and Glut4-mediated glucose uptake in muscle cells. Muscle-specific TAZ-knockout mice shows significantly decreased Irs1 expression and insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, TAZ is required for Wnt signalling-induced Irs1 expression, as observed by decreased Irs1 expression and insulin sensitivity in muscle-specific APC- and TAZ-double-knockout mice. TAZ physically interacts with c-Jun and Tead4 to induce Irs1 transcription. Finally, statin administration decreases TAZ, IRS1 level and insulin sensitivity. However, in myoblasts, the statin-mediated decrease in insulin sensitivity is counteracted by the expression of a constitutively active TAZ mutant. These results suggest that TAZ is a novel insulin signalling activator that increases insulin sensitivity and couples Hippo/Wnt signalling and insulin sensitivity.

A Diguanylate Cyclase Acts as a Cell Division Inhibitor in a Two-Step Response to Reductive and Envelope Stresses.

UNLABELLED: Cell division arrest is a universal checkpoint in response to environmental assaults that generate cellular stress. In bacteria, the cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling network is one of several signal transduction systems that regulate key processes in response to extra-/intracellular stimuli. Here, we find that the diguanylate cyclase YfiN acts as a bifunctional protein that produces c-di-GMP in response to reductive stress and then dynamically relocates to the division site to arrest cell division in response to envelope stress in Escherichia coli YfiN localizes to the Z ring by interacting with early division proteins and stalls cell division by preventing the initiation of septal peptidoglycan synthesis. These studies reveal a new role for a diguanylate cyclase in responding to environmental change, as well as a novel mechanism for arresting cell division. IMPORTANCE: While the major role of c-di-GMP signaling is to control the decision to move freely or settle in a biofilm, recent studies show a broader range of output functions for c-di-GMP signaling. This work reports an unexpected second role for YfiN, a conserved diguanylate cyclase in Gram-negative bacteria, known to contribute to persistence in the host. We find that YfiN acts as a cell division inhibitor in response to envelope stress. Unlike known cell division inhibitors, the interaction of YfiN with cell division proteins retains the Z ring at the midcell but prevents septal invagination. The new function of YfiN not only emphasizes the versatility of c-di-GMP signaling but describes a novel mechanism for a cell division checkpoint.

Ablation of peroxiredoxin II attenuates experimental colitis by increasing FoxO1-induced Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

Peroxiredoxin (Prx) II is an intracellular antioxidant molecule that eliminates hydrogen peroxide, employing a high substrate-binding affinity. PrxII deficiency increases the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species in many types of cells, which may increase reactive oxygen species-mediated inflammation. In this study, we investigated the susceptibility of PrxII knockout (KO) mice to experimentally induced colitis and the effects of PrxII on the immune system. Wild-type mice displayed pronounced weight loss, high mortality, and colon shortening after dextran sulfate sodium administration, whereas colonic inflammation was significantly attenuated in PrxII KO mice. Although macrophages were hyperactivated in PrxII KO mice, the amount of IFN-γ and IL-17 produced by CD4(+) T cells was substantially reduced. Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells were elevated, and Foxp3 protein expression was increased in the absence of PrxII in vitro and in vivo. Restoration of PrxII into KO cells suppressed the increased Foxp3 expression. Interestingly, endogenous PrxII was inactivated through hyperoxidation during Treg cell development. Furthermore, PrxII deficiency stabilized FoxO1 expression by reducing mouse double minute 2 homolog expression and subsequently activated FoxO1-mediated Foxp3 gene transcription. PrxII overexpression, in contrast, reduced FoxO1 and Foxp3 expression. More interestingly, adoptive transfer of naive CD4(+) T cells from PrxII KO mice into immune-deficient mice attenuated T cell-induced colitis, with a reduction in mouse double minute 2 homolog expression and an increase in FoxO1 and Foxp3 expression. These results suggest that inactivation of PrxII is important for the stability of FoxO1 protein, which subsequently mediates Foxp3(+) Treg cell development, thereby attenuating colonic inflammation.

5S rRNA-assisted DnaK refolding.

Although accumulating evidence has revealed that most proteins can fold without the assistance of molecular chaperones, little attention has been paid to other types of chaperoning macromolecules. A variety of proteins interact with diverse RNA molecules in vivo, suggesting a potential role of RNAs for folding of their interacting proteins. Here we show that the in vitro refolding of a representative molecular chaperone, DnaK, an Escherichia coli homolog of Hsp70, could be assisted by its interacting 5S rRNA. The folding enhancement occurred in RNA concentration and its size dependent manner whereas neither the RNA with the reverse sequence of 5S rRNA nor the RNase pretreated 5S rRNA stimulated the folding in vitro. Based on our results, we propose that 5S rRNA could exert the chaperoning activity on DnaK during the folding process. The results suggest an interesting possibility that the folding of RNA-interacting proteins could be assisted by their cognate RNA ligands.

Protein solubility and folding enhancement by interaction with RNA.

While basic mechanisms of several major molecular chaperones are well understood, this machinery has been known to be involved in folding of only limited number of proteins inside the cells. Here, we report a chaperone type of protein folding facilitated by interaction with RNA. When an RNA-binding module is placed at the N-terminus of aggregation-prone target proteins, this module, upon binding with RNA, further promotes the solubility of passenger proteins, potentially leading to enhancement of proper protein folding. Studies on in vitro refolding in the presence of RNA, coexpression of RNA molecules in vivo and the mutants with impaired RNA binding ability suggests that RNA can exert chaperoning effect on their bound proteins. The results suggest that RNA binding could affect the overall kinetic network of protein folding pathway in favor of productive folding over off-pathway aggregation. In addition, the RNA binding-mediated solubility enhancement is extremely robust for increasing soluble yield of passenger proteins and could be usefully implemented for high-throughput protein expression for functional and structural genomic research initiatives. The RNA-mediated chaperone type presented here would give new insights into de novo folding in vivo.

Whole blood and red blood cell manganese reflected signal intensities of T1-weighted magnetic resonance images better than plasma manganese in liver cirrhotics.

We examined whole blood (MnB), red blood cell (MnRBC), plasma (MnP) and urinary Mn (MnU) concentrations in 22 liver cirrhotics and 10 healthy controls to evaluate Mn concentration in which a fraction of biological samples best reflects pallidal signal intensities (pallidal index; PI) on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) in liver cirrhotics. Increased signal intensity in the globus pallidus was observed in 18 (81.8%) of the 22 patients with liver cirrhosis. In a transplanted patient, increased pallidal signals also resolved as his liver function tests normalized after liver transplantation. There were significant correlations between MnB/MnRBC and PI (rho=0.529, rho=0.573, respectively) in liver cirrhotics, although no significant correlation was observed between MnP/MnU and PI. According to a multiple linear regression, MnB and MnRBC reflected the signal intensities of T1-weighted MRI better than MnP or MnU.

Occupations and Parkinson's disease: a multi-center case-control study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a hospital based case-control study in South Korea (1) to clarify the role of occupational exposure, and especially manganese (Mn) exposure in the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and (2) to discover the association between any occupations and PD. METHODS: We selected two groups, PD patient group (N1) and controls (N2). Three hundred sixty-seven consecutive outpatients with PD (177 men, 190 women) and 309 controls were interviewed about life style, past history, family history, education level, and occupational history etc. We employed a range of industrial categories as defined by section (the most broad category) and division (sub-category) of the Korea Standard Industry Code (KSIC) Manual. Along with KSIC, we also used the Korea Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO) as proxies of occupational exposure. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, and education level are presented. RESULTS: As regarding the exposure to hazardous materials, especially Mn, more subjects in the control group than the PD patient group have worked in the occupations with potential exposure to Mn (P < 0.001). Ever having worked in 'agriculture, hunting, and forestry' section of industry was positively associated with PD (OR 1.88), and 'agriculture production crops (OR 1.96)' division of industry was positively associated with PD. On the other hand, ever having worked in the 'manufacturing (OR 0.56)', 'transportation (OR 0.28)' section of industry, and 'transporting (OR 0.20)' division of industry were negatively associated with PD. 'Drivers (OR 0.13)' division of occupation also was negatively associated with PD. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first case-control studies to find an inverse relationship between 'transporting' or 'technicians like machinery engineers' as his/her longest job and PD risk. Because of this unexpected finding, our work should be replicated in various populations.

Cephamycin C production is regulated by relA and rsh genes in Streptomyces clavuligerus ATCC27064.

The effects of growth rate and nutrient uptake rate on the production of cephamycin C were determined in the parental strain, deltarelA mutant, and deltarsh null mutant of S. clavuligerus. Production of cephamycin C was inversely related to mycelium growth and the phosphate feed rate was more critical for the production of cephamycin C. On the contrary, the production of cephamycin C was completely abolished in the deltarelA mutant, but not in deltarsh mutant. The changes in the cephamycin C production by disruption of the relA and rsh genes are presumably associated with the consequent ability of the mutants to accumulate (p)ppGpp under nutrient starvation. Therefore, it is concluded that the stringent response of S. clavuligerus to starvation for nutrients is governed mainly by RelA rather than Rsh and that the response is more apparently regulated by the limitation of phosphate.

Purification and characterization of a 33 kDa serine protease from Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/E2 isolated from a Korean keratitis patient.

In order to evaluate the possible roles of secretory proteases in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, we purified and characterized a serine protease secreted by Acanthamoeba lugdunensis KA/E2, isolated from a Korean keratitis patient. The ammonium sulfate-precipitated culture supernatant of the isolate was purified by sequential chromatography on CM-Sepharose, Sephacryl S-200, and mono Q-anion exchange column. The purified 33 kDa protease had a pH optimum of 8.5 and a temperature optimum of 55 degrees C. Phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and 4-(2- Aminoethyl)-benzenesulfonyl-fluoride, both serine protease specific inhibitors, inhibited almost completely the activity of the 33 kDa protease whereas other classes of inhibitors did not affect its activity. The 33 kDa enzyme degraded various extracellular matrix proteins and serum proteins. Our results strongly suggest that the 33 kDa serine protease secreted from this keratopathogenic Acanthamoeba play important roles in the pathogenesis of amoebic keratitis, such as in corneal tissue invasion, immune evasion and nutrient uptake.

Whole blood manganese correlates with high signal intensities on T1-weighted MRI in patients with liver cirrhosis.

We examined whole blood (MnB), plasma (MnP) and urinary Mn (MnU) concentrations in 33 cirrhotics and 11 healthy controls to clarify: (1) whether, in chronic liver diseases, MnB or MnP reflects pallidal signal intensities in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); and (2) which factors in chronic liver diseases correlate with pallidal signal intensities in T1-weighted MRI. Increased signal intensity in the pallidum was observed in 27 (81.8%) of 33 patients with liver cirrhosis in T1-weighted MRI. There was a significant correlation between MnB and pallidal index (PI) (gamma = 0.559, P < 0.01) in the patients. However, no significant correlation was observed between MnP and PI (gamma = 0.353, P > 0.05). According to a multiple linear regression, MnB reflected the signal intensities of T1-weighted MRI better than MnP or MnU. Child/Pugh score and total bilirubin level also correlated with PI. However, the hemoglobin level did not correlate with PI significantly.