Caregiving burden and healthcare utilization in family caregivers of people with dementia: Long term impact of the public family caregiver intervention.

Despite community-based interventions to decrease the caregiving burden on family caregivers of people with dementia (PwD), long-term assessment of community-based public programs is lacking. Therefore, the study aims to identify the long-term effects of community-based dementia caregiver intervention on the caregiving burden and healthcare utilization among family caregivers for PwD. Additionally, we investigated the predictors of caregiving burden and healthcare utilization. Of the participants, 32 (76%) intervention and 15 (38%) control groups responded to the one-year follow-up. We assessed caregiver burden using the short-form Zarit Burden Interview (sZBI) and collected healthcare utilization data using questionnaire at baseline and 12 months. Compared with the control group, the intervention group did not experience a reduction in caregiving burden and healthcare utilization. Predictors of caregivers' perceived burden were spouses as the primary caregiver and having multiple comorbidities. The predictors identified in this study should be considered when implementing public family support programs.

Dietary Efficacy Evaluation by Applying a Prediction Model Using Clinical Fecal Microbiome Data of Colorectal Disease to a Controlled Animal Model from an Obesity Perspective.

Obesity associated with a Western diet such as a high-fat diet (HFD) is a known risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we aimed to develop fecal microbiome data-based deep learning algorithms for the risk assessment of colorectal diseases. The effects of a HFD and a candidate food (Nypa fruticans, NF) on IBD and CRC risk reduction were also evaluated. Fecal microbiome data were obtained from 109 IBD patients, 111 CRC patients, and 395 healthy control (HC) subjects by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. IBD and CRC risk assessment prediction models were then constructed by deep learning algorithms. Dietary effects were evaluated based on fecal microbiome data from rats fed on a regular chow diet (RCD), HFD, and HFD plus ethanol extracts or water extracts of NF. There were significant differences in taxa when IBD and CRC were compared with HC. The diagnostic performance (area under curve, AUC) of the deep learning algorithm was 0.84 for IBD and 0.80 for CRC prediction. Based on the rat fecal microbiome data, IBD and CRC risks were increased in HFD-fed rats versus RCD-fed rats. Interestingly, in the HFD-induced obesity model, the IBD and CRC risk scores were significantly lowered by the administration of ethanol extracts of NF, but not by the administration of water extracts of NF. In conclusion, changes in the fecal microbiome of obesity by Western diet could be important risk factors for the development of IBD and CRC. The risk prediction model developed in this study could be used to evaluate dietary efficacy.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Community-Based Dementia Caregiver Intervention on Caregiving Burden, Depression, and Attitude Toward Dementia: A Quasi-experimental Study.

Objective: Accumulating evidence of the effects of dementia caregiving on individuals, society, and health has generated intervention studies to reduce the stress among family caregivers of people with dementia. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a family support program, community-based dementia caregiver intervention (CDCI), among family caregivers of people with dementia compared with a control group (no intervention). Patients and Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental, non-randomized controlled trial conducted in six dementia relief centers of a community healthcare center in Korea. Family caregivers of 83 patients with dementia were recruited; of these 78 were included in the final study, with 40 in the intervention group and 38 in the control group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the mean difference in the scores of the total short-form Zarit Burden Interview (SZBI), personal strain, role strain, depression, and attitude between the groups. Results: Compared with controls, in the intervention group, the adjusted mean score of personal strain (F = 4.353, t = 0.041) and attitude toward dementia (F = 10.284, t = 0.002) differed significantly after the intervention, with a small to moderate effect. There was no significant difference in the total SZBI, role strain, or depression mean score. Conclusion: The findings suggest that CDCI may be an effective intervention strategy to reduce personal strain and enhance the attitudes of family caregivers of people with dementia.

Identification of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Leaf Extract of Pepper (Capsicum spp.) through Metabolomic Analysis.

Metabolomics and in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory (AGI) activities of pepper leaves were used to identify bioactive compounds and select genotypes for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Targeted metabolite analysis using UPLC-DAD-QToF-MS was employed and identified compounds that belong to flavone and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives from extracts of pepper leaves. A total of 21 metabolites were detected from 155 samples and identified based on MS fragmentations, retention time, UV absorbance, and previous reports. Apigenin-O-(malonyl) hexoside, luteolin-O-(malonyl) hexoside, and chrysoeriol-O-(malonyl) hexoside were identified for the first time from pepper leaves. Pepper genotypes showed a huge variation in their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase enzyme(AGE) ranging from 17% to 79%. Genotype GP38 with inhibitory activity of 79% was found to be more potent than the positive control acarbose (70.8%.). Orthogonal partial least square (OPLS) analyses were conducted for the prediction of the AGI activities of pepper leaves based on their metabolite composition. Compounds that contributed the most to the bioactivity prediction model (VIP >1.5), showed a strong inhibitory potency. Caffeoyl-putrescine was found to show a stronger inhibitory potency (IC50 = 145 µM) compared to acarbose (IC50 = 197 µM). The chemometric procedure combined with high-throughput AGI screening was effective in selecting polyphenols of pepper leaf for T2DM management.

Heat-tolerant hot pepper exhibits constant photosynthesis via increased transpiration rate, high proline content and fast recovery in heat stress condition.

Understanding the mechanism for heat tolerance is important for the hot pepper breeding program to develop heat-tolerant cultivars in changing climate. This study was conducted to investigate physiological and biochemical parameters related to heat tolerance and to determine leaf heat damage levels critical for selecting heat-tolerant genotypes. Seedlings of two commercial cultivars, heat-tolerant 'NW Bigarim' (NB) and susceptible 'Chyung Yang' (CY), were grown in 42 °C for ten days. Photosynthesis, electrolyte conductivity, proline content were measured among seedlings during heat treatment. Photosynthetic rate was significantly reduced in 'CY' but not in 'NB' seedlings in 42 °C. Stomatal conductivity and transpiration rate was significantly higher in 'NB' than 'CY'. Proline content was also significantly higher in 'NB'. After heat treatment, leaf heat damages were determined as 0, 25, 50 and 75% and plants with different leaf heat damages were moved to a glasshouse (30-32/22-24 °C in day/night). The growth and developmental parameters were investigated until 70 days. 'NB' was significantly affected by leaf heat damages only in fruit yield while 'CY' was in fruit set, number and yield. 'NB' showed fast recovery after heat stress compared to 'CY'. These results suggest that constant photosynthetic rate via increased transpiration rate as well as high proline content in heat stress condition confer faster recovery from heat damage of heat-tolerant cultivars in seedlings stages.

Applications and Major Achievements of Genome Editing in Vegetable Crops: A Review.

The emergence of genome-editing technology has allowed manipulation of DNA sequences in genomes to precisely remove or replace specific sequences in organisms resulting in targeted mutations. In plants, genome editing is an attractive method to alter gene functions to generate improved crop varieties. Genome editing is thought to be simple to use and has a lower risk of off-target effects compared to classical mutation breeding. Furthermore, genome-editing technology tools can also be applied directly to crops that contain complex genomes and/or are not easily bred using traditional methods. Currently, highly versatile genome-editing tools for precise and predictable editing of almost any locus in the plant genome make it possible to extend the range of application, including functional genomics research and molecular crop breeding. Vegetables are essential nutrient sources for humans and provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber to diets, thereby contributing to human health. In this review, we provide an overview of the brief history of genome-editing technologies and the components of genome-editing tool boxes, and illustrate basic modes of operation in representative systems. We describe the current and potential practical application of genome editing for the development of improved nutritious vegetables and present several case studies demonstrating the potential of the technology. Finally, we highlight future directions and challenges in applying genome-editing systems to vegetable crops for research and product development.

Genotyping by Sequencing-Based Discovery of SNP Markers and Construction of Linkage Map from F5 Population of Pepper with Contrasting Powdery Mildew Resistance Trait.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a common fungal disease infecting pepper plants worldwide. Molecular breeding of pepper cultivars with powdery mildew resistance is desirable for the economic improvement of pepper cultivation. In the present study, 188 F5 population derived from AR1 (PM resistant) and TF68 (PM sensitive) parents were subjected to high-throughput genotyping by sequencing (GBS) for the identification of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Further, the identified SNP markers were utilized for the construction of genetic linkage map and QTL analysis. Overall read mapping percentage of 87.29% was achieved in this study with the total length of mapped region ranging from 2,956,730 to 25,537,525 bp. A total of 41,111 polymorphic SNPs were identified, and a final of 1,841 SNPs were filtered for the construction of a linkage map. A total of 12 linkage groups were constructed corresponding to each chromosome with 1,308 SNP markers with the map length of 2506.8 cM. Further, two QTLs such as Pm-2.1 and Pm-5.1 were identified in chromosomes 2 and 5, respectively, for the PM resistance. Overall, the outcomes of the present endeavor can be utilized for the marker-assisted selection of pepper with powdery mildew-resistant trait.

Identification of QTLs Controlling α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Leaf and Fruit Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing Analysis.

Diabetes mellitus, a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, is one of the most serious and common diseases around the world and is associated with major complications such as diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular diseases. A widely used treatment for non-insulin-dependent diabetes is α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) such as acarbose, which hinders hydrolytic cleavage of disaccharides and retard glucose absorption. The ability to inhibit α-glucosidase activity has been reported in leaf and fruit of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). In this study, we aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (AGI activity) in pepper leaf and fruit using enzyme assay and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. The AGI activity at three stages of leaf and one stage of fruit development was analyzed by 96 F2 individuals. GBS analysis identified 17,427 SNPs that were subjected to pepper genetic linkage map construction. The map, consisting of 763 SNPs, contained 12 linkage groups with a total genetic distance of 2379 cM. QTL analysis revealed seven QTLs (qAGI1.1, qAGI11.1, qAGI5.1, qAGI9.1, qAGI12.1, qAGI5.2, and qAGI12.2) controlling AGI activity in pepper leaf and fruit. The QTLs for AGI activity varied by plant age and organ. This QTL information is expected to provide a significant contribution to developing pepper varieties with high AGI activity.

[Development and Validation of the Self-Care for Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention Scale in the Community Dwelling Elderly with Risk of Dysphasia].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a Korean version of the Self-Care for Aspiration Pneumonia Prevention (SCAPP-K) scale in older adults at risk of dysphasia. METHODS: The Hertz and Baas model of scale development and validation was used. In the development stage, items were generated via literature review and interviews with medical experts, older adults, and caregivers. Ten experts assessed the items for content validity. Subsequently, 12 older adults participated in a pilot test to determine the comprehensibility and appropriateness of the SCAPP-K scale. The validation stage involved a cross-sectional survey with 203 older adults for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 200 older adults for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and to determine convergent and discriminant validity. To test the validity and reliability of the scale, EFA using principal component analysis with varimax rotation and CFA were conducted, and convergent and discriminant validity as well as internal consistency reliability were determined. RESULTS: As a result of EFA, three self-care factors (knowledge, resources, behaviors) with 21 items were validated. The CFA and convergent and discriminant validity indicated the applicability of the three-factor self-care scale. The reliability of the SCAPP-K scale was acceptable, with Cronbach's α=.87~.91. CONCLUSION: The SCAPP-K scale has acceptable validity and reliability and can contribute to clinical practice, research, and education to improve self-care for the prevention of aspiration pneumonia in older adults at risk of dysphasia.

Adaptation and validation of the health belief model scale for colorectal cancer screening.

Korea has the second highest incidence of colorectal cancer in the world. Instruments that are culturally and contextually sensitive, as well as valid and reliable, for determining health beliefs regarding colorectal cancer screening are essential for obtaining accurate information. The purpose of this study was to adapt and validate the health belief model scale for Koreans regarding colorectal cancer and fecal occult blood test utilization. Individual and cognitive interviews (also known as cognitive debriefing) with 33 Koreans, expert reviews with seven nursing practitioners and professors, and a pilot test with 18 Koreans were conducted to make the existing health belief model scale culturally and contextually sensitive. Subsequently, a cross-sectional survey with 728 Koreans aged >50 years was conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the construct validity and internal consistency reliability supported the adapted health belief model scale. The adapted and validated health belief model scale in this study could contribute to the assessment of health beliefs regarding the fecal occult blood test among Koreans with a greater degree of accuracy with respect to Korean culture and context.

Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Plants with Focus on Common Vegetables.

Type-2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent metabolic diseases in the world, and is characterized by hyperglycemia (i.e., high levels of glucose in the blood). Alpha-glucosidases are enzymes in the digestive tract that hydrolyze carbohydrates into glucose. One strategy that has been developed to treat type-2 diabetes is inhibition of the activity of alpha-glucosidases using synthetic drugs. However, these inhibitors are usually associated with gastrointestinal side effects. Therefore, the development of inhibitors from natural products offers an alternative option for the control of hyperglycemia. In recent years, various studies have been conducted to identify alpha-glucosidases inhibitors from natural sources such as plants, and many candidates have transpired to be secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, and terpenoids. In this review, we focus on the alpha-glucosidases inhibitors found in common vegetable crops and the major classes of phytochemicals responsible for the inhibitory activity, and also as potential/natural drug candidates for the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, possible breeding strategies for production of improved vegetable crops with higher content of the inhibitors are also described.

Whole Genome Resequencing of Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum annuum to Discover Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Related to Powdery Mildew Resistance.

The present study deals with genome wide identification of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers related to powdery mildew (PM) resistance in two pepper varieties. Capsicum baccatum (PRH1- a PM resistant line) and Capsicum annuum (Saengryeg- a PM susceptible line), were resequenced to develop SNP markers. A total of 6,213,009 and 6,840,889 SNPs for PRH1 and Saengryeg respectively have been discovered. Among the SNPs, majority were classified as homozygous type SNPs, particularly in the resistant line. Moreover, the SNPs were differentially distributed among the chromosomes in both the resistant and susceptible lines. In total, 4,887,031 polymorphic SNP loci were identified between the two lines and 306,871 high-resolution melting (HRM) marker primer sets were designed. In order to understand the SNPs associated with the vital genes involved in diseases resistance and stress associated processes, chromosome-wise gene ontology analysis was performed. The results revealed the occurrence that SNPs related to diseases resistance genes were predominantly distributed in chromosome 4. In addition, 6281 SNPs associated with 46 resistance genes were identified. Among the lines, PRH1 consisted of maximum number of polymorphic SNPs related to NBS-LRR genes. The SNP markers were validated using HRM assay in 45 F4 populations and correlated with the phenotypic disease index.

Next-Generation Sequencing Approaches in Genome-Wide Discovery of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers Associated with Pungency and Disease Resistance in Pepper.

Pepper is an economically important horticultural plant that has been widely used for its pungency and spicy taste in worldwide cuisines. Therefore, the domestication of pepper has been carried out since antiquity. Owing to meet the growing demand for pepper with high quality, organoleptic property, nutraceutical contents, and disease tolerance, genomics assisted breeding techniques can be incorporated to develop novel pepper varieties with desired traits. The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches has reformed the plant breeding technology especially in the area of molecular marker assisted breeding. The availability of genomic information aids in the deeper understanding of several molecular mechanisms behind the vital physiological processes. In addition, the NGS methods facilitate the genome-wide discovery of DNA based markers linked to key genes involved in important biological phenomenon. Among the molecular markers, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) indulges various benefits in comparison with other existing DNA based markers. The present review concentrates on the impact of NGS approaches in the discovery of useful SNP markers associated with pungency and disease resistance in pepper. The information provided in the current endeavor can be utilized for the betterment of pepper breeding in future.

Effects of Laughter Therapy on Immune Responses in Postpartum Women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of laughter therapy on secretory IgA (sIgA) in postpartum women. METHODS: The study used a nonequivalent control group with nonsynchronized design. The participants were 76 postpartum women who agreed to participate in this study and were selected by convenience sampling (experimental group, n = 38; control group, n = 38). The data were collected from December 15, 2009, to April 8, 2010. The experimental group participated in a postpartum laughter program from a laughter therapy expert for 60 minutes per session, twice a week for 2 weeks, for a total of four sessions. To evaluate the effects of the postpartum laughter program, sIgA levels in breast milk were measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 20.0 software. RESULTS: Immune response (sIgA) significantly differed between the experimental and control groups. CONCLUSION: A postpartum laughter program can be applied as a complementary and alternative intervention to postpartum women in a transitional mother-infant care center.

Trace level determinations of carbamate pesticides in surface water by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after derivatization with 9-xanthydrol.

A sensitive and selective gas chromatographic mass spectrometric method, based on derivatization with 9-xanthydrol, has been established for the simultaneous determination of five carbamate pesticides (carbaryl, carbofuran, metolcarb, isoprocarb and ethiofencarb) in surface water. 4-Bromo-3,5-dimethylphenyl-N-methylcarbamate was chosen as the internal standard for analyzing water samples. The derivatization of carbamates was performed directly in water and the reaction conditions (9-xanthydrol of 50.0mM, HCl concentration of 0.05M, reaction for 60min at 60°C) were established through the optimization of various parameters. Under the established conditions, the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.007-0.028µg/L, and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation were each less than 15% at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0 and 10µg/L. None of the carbamate pesticides were detected in any of the sixteen surface waters analyzed.

Simultaneous determination of methylcarbamate and ethylcarbamate in fermented foods and beverages by derivatization and GC-MS analysis.

BACKGROUND: Methylcarbamate (MC) and ethylcarbamate (EC) are toxic compounds that commonly exist in fermented food and beverages. In order to estimate the risk for their exposure, a sensitive simultaneous analytical method is required RESULTS: A simultaneous determination of MC and EC was described based on derivatization with 9-xanthydrol and consecutive detection using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The derivatization of MC and EC was performed directly in food or beverages and the reaction conditions were established through changing various parameters. The detection and the quantification limits were 0.01-0.03 µg/kg and 0.03-0.1 µg/kg, respectively, and the interday relative standard deviation was less than 12% at concentrations of 2.0 and 50 µg/kg. MC and EC were measured from 0.4 µg/kg to 85.8 µg/kg in sixteen Korean fermented foods and eleven beverages. CONCLUSION: A simple, sensitive method to detect MC and EC in several solid foods and liquid foods was developed based on derivatization with 9-xanthydrol for 10 min at an ambient temperature. The method may useful for routine analysis of MC and EC in numerous food samples.

Antidiabetic stilbene and anthraquinone derivatives from Rheum undulatum.

The antidiabetic-activity-guided fractionation and isolation of the 80% EtOH extracts obtained from cultivated Korean Rhubarb rhizomes (Rheum undulatum, Polygonaceae) led to the isolation and characterization of one stilbene, desoxyrhapontigenin (1) and two anthraquinones, emodin (2) and chrysophanol (3). Their structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 inhibited postprandial hyperglycemia by 35.8, 29.5, 42.3%, respectively.

Generation of reversible Rb-knockdown mice.

This study describes the generation of reversible Rb-knockdown mice using Tet-off system coupled with Rb-deficient mice currently available. Mice expressing pRB conditionally in Rb-/- background were generated by crossings P(hCMV)-tTA/TRE-Rb transgenic mice with conventional Rb+/- mice. Transgenic Rb was tightly controlled with reversibility and biologically effective as exemplified by cyclin E expression in a doxycycline-dependent manner in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. However, its ectopic expression was not sufficient to rescue the phenotypes of Rb-/- embryos at organismal level, suggesting the requirement of more sophisticated regulation of pRB. With all, these results demonstrate that our experimental strategy can be an alternative way to convert classical gene-disrupted mice into reversible conditional ones.

Hematopoietic malignancies associated with increased Stat5 and Bcl-x(L) expressions in Ink4a/Arf-deficient mice.

The INK4a/ARF locus, which encodes the two distinct proteins p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF), is frequently altered in various hematological malignancies as well as in other types of cancers in humans. In this study, we surveyed tumors that had spontaneously developed in Ink4a/Arf-deficient mice with an inbred FVB/NJ genetic background. We found that an Ink4a/Arf-deficiency exerted more severe effects on the induction of hematopoietic malignancies in mice with an inbred FVB/NJ genetic background than in mice with a mixed genetic background. We also provided the evidence that this prevalence of hematopoietic malignancies in Ink4a/Arf-deficient mice is associated with the upregulated expressions of Stat5 and its transcriptional target, Bcl-x(L), both of which are involved in the regulation of hematopoiesis. These results suggest a possible implication of the Ink4a/Arf locus in the control of hematopoietic pathways by negatively regulating the Stat5-signalling pathways.

Antidiabetic coumarin and cyclitol compounds from Peucedanum japonicum.

The antidiabetic activity-guided fractionation and isolation of the 80% EtOH extracts from Peucedani Radix (Peucedanum japonicum, Umbelliferae) led to the isolation and characterization of a coumarin and a cyclitol as active principles, that is, peucedanol 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and myo-inositol (2). Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 showed 39% inhibition of postprandial hyperglycemia at 5.8 mg/kg dose, and compound 2 also significantly inhibited postprandial hyperglycemia by 34% (P<0.05).