Metabolic flux from the Krebs cycle to glutamate transmission tunes a neural brake on seizure onset.

Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome (KTS) manifests as neurological dysfunctions, including early-onset seizures. Mutations in the citrate transporter SLC13A5 are associated with KTS, yet their underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that a Drosophila SLC13A5 homolog, I'm not dead yet (Indy), constitutes a neurometabolic pathway that suppresses seizure. Loss of Indy function in glutamatergic neurons caused "bang-induced" seizure-like behaviors. In fact, glutamate biosynthesis from the citric acid cycle was limiting in Indy mutants for seizure-suppressing glutamate transmission. Oral administration of the rate-limiting α-ketoglutarate in the metabolic pathway rescued low glutamate levels in Indy mutants and ameliorated their seizure-like behaviors. This metabolic control of the seizure susceptibility was mapped to a pair of glutamatergic neurons, reversible by optogenetic controls of their activity, and further relayed onto fan-shaped body neurons via the ionotropic glutamate receptors. Accordingly, our findings reveal a micro-circuit that links neural metabolism to seizure, providing important clues to KTS-associated neurodevelopmental deficits.

Placenta-derived interferon-stimulated gene 20 controls ZIKA virus infection.

Zika virus is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, which can be transmitted across the placenta and has adverse effects on fetal development during pregnancy. The severity of these complications highlights the importance of prevention and treatment. However, no vaccines or drugs are currently available. In this study, we characterize the IFNß-mediated anti-viral response in trophoblast cells in order to identify critical components that are necessary for the successful control of viral replication and determine whether components of the IFN-induced response can be used as a replacement therapy for ZIKA virus infection during pregnancy. We identify and characterize interferon-stimulated gene 20 (ISG20) as playing a central role in controlling Zika virus infection in trophoblast cells and successfully establish a recombinant ISG20-Fc protein that effectively decreases viral titers in vitro and in vivo by maintaining its exonuclease activity and displaying potential immune modulatory functions. Recombinant ISG20-Fc has thus the potential to be further developed as an anti-viral treatment against ZIKA viral infection in high-risk populations, particularly in pregnant women.

The association between meat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in Korean men using the Framingham risk score: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Research suggests that meat intake may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but most studies take place in Western countries, where the types and amount of meat products consumed differ from those in Asian countries. We aimed to identify the association between meat intake and CHD risk in Korean male adults, using the Framingham risk score. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) Health Examinees (HEXA) study, including 13,293 Korean male adults. We estimated the association of meat intake with ≥20% 10-year CHD risk using Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subjects with the highest total meat intake had a 53% (model 4: HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.05-2.21) increased 10-year CHD risk compared to those with the lowest intake. Those with the highest red meat intake had a 55% (model 3: HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.16-2.06) increased 10-year CHD risk compared to those with the lowest intake. No association was observed between poultry or processed meat intake and 10-year CHD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of total meat and red meat was associated with a higher risk of CHD in Korean male adults. Further studies are needed to provide criteria for the appropriate meat intake by meat type to reduce CHD risk.

Exploring the Behavior of Users With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Twitter: Comparative Analysis of Tweet Content and User Interactions.

BACKGROUND: With the widespread use of social media, people share their real-time thoughts and feelings via interactions on these platforms, including those revolving around mental health problems. This can provide a new opportunity for researchers to collect health-related data to study and analyze mental disorders. However, as one of the most common mental disorders, there are few studies regarding the manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on social media. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine and identify the different behavioral patterns and interactions of users with ADHD on Twitter through the text content and metadata of their posted tweets. METHODS: First, we built 2 data sets: an ADHD user data set containing 3135 users who explicitly reported having ADHD on Twitter and a control data set made up of 3223 randomly selected Twitter users without ADHD. All historical tweets of users in both data sets were collected. We applied mixed methods in this study. We performed Top2Vec topic modeling to extract topics frequently mentioned by users with ADHD and those without ADHD and used thematic analysis to further compare the differences in contents that were discussed by the 2 groups under these topics. We used a distillBERT sentiment analysis model to calculate the sentiment scores for the emotion categories and compared the sentiment intensity and frequency. Finally, we extracted users' posting time, tweet categories, and the number of followers and followings from the metadata of tweets and compared the statistical distribution of these features between ADHD and non-ADHD groups. RESULTS: In contrast to the control group of the non-ADHD data set, users with ADHD tweeted about the inability to concentrate and manage time, sleep disturbance, and drug abuse. Users with ADHD felt confusion and annoyance more frequently, while they felt less excitement, caring, and curiosity (all P<.001). Users with ADHD were more sensitive to emotions and felt more intense feelings of nervousness, sadness, confusion, anger, and amusement (all P<.001). As for the posting characteristics, compared with controls, users with ADHD were more active in posting tweets (P=.04), especially at night between midnight and 6 AM (P<.001); posting more tweets with original content (P<.001); and following fewer people on Twitter (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed how users with ADHD behave and interact differently on Twitter compared with those without ADHD. On the basis of these differences, researchers, psychiatrists, and clinicians can use Twitter as a potentially powerful platform to monitor and study people with ADHD, provide additional health care support to them, improve the diagnostic criteria of ADHD, and design complementary tools for automatic ADHD detection.

Understanding Alkali Contamination in Colloidal Nanomaterials to Unlock Grain Boundary Impurity Engineering.

Metal nanogels combine a large surface area, a high structural stability, and a high catalytic activity toward a variety of chemical reactions. Their performance is underpinned by the atomic-level distribution of their constituents, yet analyzing their subnanoscale structure and composition to guide property optimization remains extremely challenging. Here, we synthesized Pd nanogels using a conventional wet chemistry route, and a near-atomic-scale analysis reveals that impurities from the reactants (Na and K) are integrated into the grain boundaries of the poly crystalline gel, typically loci of high catalytic activity. We demonstrate that the level of impurities is controlled by the reaction condition. Based on ab initio calculations, we provide a detailed mechanism to explain how surface-bound impurities become trapped at grain boundaries that form as the particles coalesce during synthesis, possibly facilitating their decohesion. If controlled, impurity integration into grain boundaries may offer opportunities for designing new nanogels.

Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Nonmagnetic Li/Mg Cosubstitution in the Gd5-x(Li/Mg)xGe4 (x = 1.04, 1.17, 1.53) System.

Three Li- and Mg-cosubstituted compounds in the Gd5-x(Li/Mg)xGe4 (x = 1.04(2), 1.17(2), 1.53(2)) system have been successfully prepared by conventional high-temperature reactions. According to powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, all three compounds adopt a Gd5Si4-type phase with the orthorhombic Pnma space group (Pearson code oP16, Z = 4) and six crystallographically independent atomic sites. The crystal structure can be described as a combination of two-dimensional Mo2FeB2-type ∞2[Gd2(Li/Mg)Ge2] layers and [Ge2] dimers. Interestingly, as 64% of Li and 26% of Gd at the RE3 and RE2 sites, respectively, were exclusively substituted by Mg in Gd3.47(1)Li0.36(2)Mg1.17(3)Ge4, the lattice parameter b was selectively shortened as a result of the RE3-Ge1 bond shrinkage in comparison to that in Gd4LiGe4, while lattice parameters a and c remained nearly intact. A series of theoretical calculations using the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital (TB-LMTO) method indicated that the reduction of the particular RE3-Ge1 bond distance in the title compounds could also be explained by an optimization of bonding based on the corresponding RE3-Ge1 crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) curve. Moreover, the specific site preference of Mg for the RE3 site was supported by both size-factor as well as electronic-factor criteria on the basis of the smallest atomic size and the highest electronegativity of Mg among the three cations. Therefore, the overall electronic structure was further interrogated by a density of states (DOS) analysis. The influence of nonmagnetic Li/Mg cosubstitution for the magnetic Gd atoms in the title Gd5-x(Li/Mg)xGe4 system on the magnetic characteristics was also thoroughly studied by isofield magnetization at 100 Oe and 10 kOe and isothermal magnetization measurements at 4 K using two of the title compounds: Gd3.83(1)Li0.48Mg0.69(3)Ge4 and Gd3.47(1)Li0.36(2)Mg1.17(3)Ge4.

Crystallographic Orientation Analysis of Nanocrystalline Tungsten Thin Film Using TEM Precession Electron Diffraction and SEM Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction.

Two advanced, automated crystal orientation mapping techniques suited for nanocrystalline materials­precession electron diffraction (PED) in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and on-axis transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) in scanning electron microscopy (SEM)­are evaluated by comparing the orientation maps obtained from the identical location on a 30 nm-thick nanocrystalline tungsten (W) thin film. A side-by-side comparison of the orientation maps directly showed that the large-scale orientation features are almost identical. However, there are differences in the fine details, which arise from the fundamentally different nature of the spot pattern and Kikuchi line pattern in terms of the excitation volume and the angular resolution. While TEM-PED is more reliable to characterize grains oriented along low-index zone axes, the high angular resolution of SEM-TKD allows the detection of small misorientation between grains and thus yields better quantification and statistical analysis of grain orientation. Given that both TEM-PED and SEM-TKD orientation mapping techniques are complementary tools for nanocrystalline materials, one can be favorably selected depending on the requirements of the analysis, as they have competitive performance in terms of angular resolution and texture quantification.

Spermidine Attenuates Oxidative Stress-Induced Apoptosis via Blocking Ca2+ Overload in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Independently of ROS.

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells occupy the outer layer of the retina and perform various biological functions. Oxidative damage to RPE cells is a major risk factor for retinal degeneration that ultimately leads to vision loss. In this study, we investigated the role of spermidine in a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress model using human RPE cells. Our findings showed that 300 µM H2O2 increased cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, whereas these effects were markedly suppressed by 10 µM spermidine. Furthermore, spermidine significantly reduced H2O2-induced mitochondrial dysfunction including mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial activity. Although spermidine displays antioxidant properties, the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon H2O2 insult was not regulated by spermidine. Spermidine did suppress the increase in cytosolic Ca2+ levels resulting from endoplasmic reticulum stress in H2O2-stimulated human RPE cells. Treatment with a cytosolic Ca2+ chelator markedly reversed H2O2-induced cellular dysfunction. Overall, spermidine protected against H2O2-induced cellular damage by blocking the increase of intracellular Ca2+ independently of ROS. These results suggest that spermidine protects RPE cells from oxidative stress, which could be a useful treatment for retinal diseases.

Bet hedging and cold-temperature termination of diapause in the life history of the Atlantic salmon ectoparasite Argulus canadensis.

Argulus canadensis is a crustacean ectoparasite observed increasingly on wild migrating adult Atlantic salmon. We investigated temperature and salinity tolerance regarding development, survival and hatch of A. canadensis eggs to help understand spatiotemporal features of transmission. Argulus canadensis eggs differentiate to pharate embryos by 35 days buttheir hatch is protracted to ~7 months. Cold treatment ⩾75 days mimics overwintering and terminates egg diapause, with 84.6% (72.1-100%) metanauplius hatch induced ⩾13 °C and synchronized to 3-4 weeks. Inter- and intra-clutch variability and protracted hatch in the absence of cold-temperature termination of diapause is compatible with bet hedging. Whereas diapause likely promotes phenological synchrony for host colocalization, bet hedging could afford temporal plasticity to promote host encounter during environmental change. Our egg storage and hatch induction/synchronization methodologies can be exploited for empirical investigations. Salinity tolerance reveals both significantly higher embryonic development (94.4 ± 3.5% vs 61.7 ± 24.6%) and metanauplius hatch (53.3 ± 7.5% vs 10.1 ± 8.2%) for eggs in freshwater than at 17 ppt. Unhatched embryos were alive in freshwater by the end of the trial (213 days) but were dead/dying at 17 ppt. Eggs did not develop at 34 ppt. Salinity tolerance of A. canadensis eggs supports riverine transmission to adult Atlantic salmon during return to freshwater for mating each year.

A 13-Week Repeated Oral Dose Toxicity Study of ChondroT in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

BACKGROUND: ChondroT, a new herbal medication, consists of Angelica grosseserrata Maxim., Lonicera japonica Thunb., Angelica gigas Nakai, Clematis terniflora var. manshurica (Rupr.) Ohwi, and Phellodendron amurense Rupr. (6:4:4:4:3). Our previous studies have shown that ChondroT exhibits significant anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we aimed to assess the toxicological safety assessment of ChondroT. METHODS: This study was designed to assess the safety of ChondroT after repeated oral administration. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with ChondroT at oral doses of 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, food consumption, ophthalmological findings, urinalysis, hematological and blood-chemical parameters, necropsy findings, organ weights, and histological markers were recorded throughout the study period. Rats were also monitored for an additional 4 weeks to determine the recovery time. RESULTS: No death occurred and no significant changes in food consumption, ophthalmologic findings, and urinalysis were found. Although there were alterations in clinical signs, body weights, hematological parameters, blood-chemical parameters, necropsy findings, organ weights, and histological markers, they were not considered to be toxicologically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the no-observed adverse effects level (NOAEL) was 2000 mg/kg/day for the test substance. ChondroT, a new complex herbal medication composed of five plants, can therefore be used safely at the NOAEL.

Protective effect of diphlorethohydroxycarmalol against oxidative stress-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Purpose: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the onset and progression of disease pathogenesis in a variety of organs, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Diphlorethohydroxycarmalol (DPHC), a phlorotannin compound, is one of the major components of the brown alga Ishige okamurae Yendo, and has been shown to have strong antioxidant capacity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of DPHC against oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide, H2O2)-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in cultured ARPE19 retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Materials and methods: Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Intracellular ROS generation was measured by flow cytometer using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate. The magnitude of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry using the annexin V/propidium iodide double staining. DNA damage was evaluated by DNA fragmentation assay, comet assay and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) analysis. To observe the mitochondrial membrane potential, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide staining was performed. In order to identify the underling mechanism of DPHC against H2O2-induced cellular alteration, we performed immune blotting. Results: The results of this study showed that the decreased survival rate brought about by H2O2 could be attributed to the induction of DNA damage and apoptosis accompanied by the increased production of ROS, which was remarkably reversed by DPHC. In addition, the loss of H2O2-induced mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly attenuated in the presence of DPHC. The inhibitory effect of DPHC on H2O2-induced apoptosis was associated with a reduced Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, the protection of the activation of caspase-9 and -3 and the inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, which was associated with the blockage of cytochrome c release to the cytoplasm. Conclusions: Our data proved that DPHC protects ARPE19 cells against H2O2-induced DNA damage and apoptosis by scavenging ROS and thus suppressing the mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway. Therefore, this study suggests that DPHC has the therapeutic potential to prevent AMD by inhibiting oxidative stress-induced injury in RPE cells.

Anti-osteoarthritic effects of ChondroT in a rat model of collagenase-induced osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Previously, we reported that ChondorT showed significant anti-arthritis and anti-inflammatory effects. ChondroT, a new herbal medication, consists of the water extracts of Osterici Radix, Lonicerae Folium, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Clematidis Radix, and Phellodendri Cortex (6:4:4:4:3). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ChondroT in collagenase-induced osteoarthritis rat model. METHODS: Osteoarthritis was induced by the injection of collagenase into the right knee joint cavity of rats. The samples were divided into seven groups [intact (n = 6), control (n = 6), indomethacin (n = 6), Joins tab (n = 6), ChondroT50 (n = 6), ChondroT100 (n = 6), and ChondroT200 (n = 6)]. The control group was administered normal saline, indomethacin group was administered indomethacin (2 mg/kg), and Joins tab group was administered Joins Tab (20 mg/kg). The ChondroT50, ChondroT100, and ChondroT200 groups were administered 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of ChondroT, respectively. All oral administrations were initiated 7 days after the induction of arthritis and were continued for a total of 12 days. At the end of the experiment, serum aminotransferase, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, leukocyte, and inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6] were analyzed. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and safranin O-fast green staining of the articular structures of the knee joint were performed. RESULTS: TNF-α and IL-1ß decreased in the ChondroT100 and ChondroT200 groups compared with those in the control group. IL-6 and aspartate aminotransferase decreased in the ChondroT50, ChondroT100, and ChondroT200 groups compared with that in the control group. Albumin, WBC and lymphocytes decreased in the ChondroT100 and ChondroT200 groups compared with those in the control group. In H&E stain, synoviocytes, cartilage lacunae, and chondrocytes were well preserved in the ChondroT100 and ChondroT200 groups, and safranin O-fast staining showed a clear reaction of proteoglycans in the ChondroT100 and ChondroT200 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, it can be proposed that ChondroT has anti-osteoarthritic effects on collagenase-induced rat model.

E-p-Methoxycinnamoyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl Ester, a Phenylpropanoid Isolated from Scrophularia buergeriana, Increases Nuclear Factor Erythroid-Derived 2-Related Factor 2 Stability by Inhibiting Ubiquitination in Human Keratinocytes.

The nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key regulator of gene expression during oxidative stress and drug detoxification. Thus, identifying Nrf2 activators to protect from possible cell damage is necessary. In this study, we investigated whether E-p-methoxycinnamoyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl ester (MCR), a phenylpropanoid isolated from Scrophularia buergeriana, can activate Nrf2 signaling in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). First, we determined the dose- and time-dependent effects of MCR on the expression and activity of Nrf2. The antioxidant response element-luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis results showed that MCR markedly induced Nrf2 activity and its protein expression, respectively. Further, MCR increased both the mRNA and protein levels of heme-oxygenase-1, one of the Nrf2 target genes, in the cells. Interestingly, we found that Nrf2 stability was remarkably enhanced by MCR. Furthermore, ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of Nrf2 was significantly reduced by MCR. Thus, MCR might afford skin protection by enhancing Nrf2 stability or by blocking its proteasomal degradation.

Unexpected angular or rotational deformity after corrective osteotomy.

BACKGROUND: Codman's paradox reveals a misunderstanding of geometry in orthopedic practice. Physicians often encounter situations that cannot be understood intuitively during orthopedic interventions such as corrective osteotomy. Occasionally, unexpected angular or rotational deformity occurs during surgery.This study aimed to draw the attention of orthopedic surgeons toward the concepts of orientation and rotation and demonstrate the potential for unexpected deformity after orthopedic interventions. This study focused on three situations: shoulder arthrodesis, femoral varization derotational osteotomy, and femoral derotation osteotomy. METHODS: First, a shoulder model was generated to calculate unexpected rotational deformity to demonstrate Codman's paradox. Second, femoral varization derotational osteotomy was simulated using a cylinder model. Third, a reconstructed femoral model was used to calculate unexpected angular or rotational deformity during femoral derotation osteotomy. RESULTS: Unexpected external rotation was found after forward elevation and abduction of the shoulder joint. In the varization and derotation model, closed-wedge osteotomy and additional derotation resulted in an unexpected extension and valgus deformity, namely, under-correction of coxa valga. After femoral derotational osteotomy, varization and extension of the distal fragment occurred, although the extension was negligible. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons should be aware of unexpected angular deformity after surgical procedure involving bony areas. The degree of deformity differs depending on the context of the surgical procedure. However, this study reveals that notable deformities can be expected during orthopedic procedures such as femoral varization derotational osteotomy.

Effect of alcohol consumption on risk of hypertension based on alcohol-related facial flushing response: From the health examinees study.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern in Korea, with many individuals engaging in risky drinking behaviors. This study aims to analyze the association between facial flushing responses and the progression of hypertension in Korean adults, stratified by gender, using a large-scale prospective cohort study. METHODS: This study included 39,868 participants (males 10,868 and females 29,000) from the health examinees cohort. Participants were divided into two groups according to their weekly drinking patterns (moderate and heavy) and facial flushing responses (non-flusher and flusher) for statistical analysis. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals between flushing response after alcohol consumption and hypertension risk. RESULTS: In males, the flusher group with a moderate alcohol intake pattern had a decreased risk of incident hypertension compared with non-flushers. In females, the flusher group had relatively higher risk of pre-hypertension and hypertension compared to the non-flusher group. CONCLUSION: The association between facial flushing and hypertension varies depending on the level of alcohol consumption and should be considered in relation to gender differences. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between facial flushing response and the risk of hypertension based on alcohol consumption levels.

Dual polarity open circuit voltage in triboelectric nanogenerators originated from two states series impedance.

Experimental and simulation studies demonstrated that the initial voltage setting significantly influences the open-circuit voltage (VOC) in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Utilizing diode configurations, we consistently observed two distinct VOCs independent of the initial settings. A lower VOC corresponded to the surface voltage (VSurface), while a higher VOC was amplified by the product of the VSurface and the TENG's characteristic impedance ratio. Notably, a lower measurement system capacitance provided a more precise representation of the inherent characteristics of the TENG. Conversely, an increase in system impedance led to a convergence of the two VOCs and a reduction in their magnitudes relative to VSurface. These findings suggest that optimizing the initial/repeated charge balancing and minimizing capacitive loads are crucial for maximizing TENG output power in practical applications.

Asymmetric voltage amplification using a capacitive load energy management circuit in a triboelectric nanogenerator.

We investigated the polarity dependence of a capacitive energy management circuit in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) power system. In a half-wave rectifying circuit, the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis and analytical models show that the charge dump to the load varied depending on the polarity of the rectifying circuit even with the same charge output from TENG. Depending on the polarity of the rectifying circuit, a fast saturation of the direct current (DC) output voltage or a high DC output voltage was obtained. Experiments with a half-wave rectifier and Bennet doubler confirmed our simulation and theoretical results. The charge dump from the minimum capacitance of the separated TENG to the load capacitance and the charge dump from the maximum capacitance of the contacted TENG to the load resulted in asymmetric charging behavior. We concluded that it is necessary to analyze the TENG and the capacitive energy management circuit as a single system rather than considering them as independent units in the rectifying circuit of the TENG. This work can provide insights for the design of triboelectric energy harvesting systems.

Association of hypertension with noodle consumption among Korean adults based on the Health Examinees (HEXA) study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of hypertension is increasing, and noodles have a high sodium content, so noodle consumption might be associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension. This study aimed to analyze the association between total and types of noodle intake and the risk of hypertension among Korean adults. Subjects aged 40-69 years were selected for this study. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study included 56,580 participants (18,246 men and 38,334 women) aged 40-69 years old from the Health Examinees study. Noodle and nutrient intakes were assessed using the food frequency questionnaire. Hypertension was diagnosed as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication use. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for hypertension. RESULTS: Higher noodle consumption was associated with increased hypertension among men (HR, 1.273; 95% CI, 1.166-1.390) and women (HR, 1.116; 95% CI, 1.038-1.199). CONCLUSION: We recommended reducing noodle intake and consuming vegetables and fruits to increase potassium intake, which can prevent vascular diseases.

Sural nerve grafts in subacute facial nerve injuries: a report of two cases.

Because facial nerve injuries affect the quality of life, leaving them untreated can have devastating effects. The number of patients with traumatic and iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis is considerably high. Early detection and prompt treatment during the acute injury phase are crucial, and immediate surgical treatment should be considered when complete facial nerve injury is suspected. Symptom underestimation by patients and clinical misdiagnosis may delay surgical intervention, which may negatively affect outcomes and in some cases, impair the recovery of the injured facial nerve. Here, we report two cases of facial nerve injury that were treated with nerve grafts during the subacute phase. In both cases, subacute facial nerve grafting achieved significant improvements. These cases highlight surgical intervention in the subacute phase using nerve grafts as an appropriate treatment for facial nerve injuries.

NK cell-activating receptor NKp46 does not participate in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance.

Recent evidence establishes a pivotal role for obesity-induced inflammation in precipitating insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Central to this process is the proinflammatory M1 adipose-tissue macrophages (ATMs) in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Notably, natural killer (NK) cells are a crucial regulator of ATMs since their cytokines induce ATM recruitment and M1 polarization. The importance of NK cells is shown by the strong increase in NK-cell numbers in eWAT, and by studies showing that removing and expanding NK cells respectively improve and worsen obesity-induced insulin resistance. It has been suggested that NK cells are activated by unknown ligands on obesity-stressed adipocytes that bind to NKp46 (encoded by Ncr1), which is an activating NK-cell receptor. This was supported by a study showing that NKp46-knockout mice have improved obesity-induced inflammation/insulin resistance. We therefore planned to use the NKp46-knockout mice to further elucidate the molecular mechanism by which NKp46 mediates eWAT NK-cell activation in obesity. We confirmed that obesity increased eWAT NKp46+ NK-cell numbers and NKp46 expression in wild-type mice and that NKp46-knockout ablated these responses. Unexpectedly, however, NKp46-knockout mice demonstrated insulin resistance similar to wild-type mice, as shown by fasting blood glucose/insulin levels and glucose/insulin tolerance tests. Obesity-induced increases in eWAT ATM numbers and proinflammatory gene expression were also similar. Thus, contrary to previously published results, NKp46 does not regulate obesity-induced insulin resistance. It is therefore unclear whether NKp46 participates in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. This should be considered when elucidating the obesity-mediated molecular mechanisms that activate NK cells.