• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.229-240
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• 2022

Purpose : In this study, using Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy for metabolic diseases, we analyzed the effect of immune and inflammation-related variables and respiratory health-related variables of test subjects to verify the effect of improving respiratory health. Methods : In this study, 26 patients with metabolic diseases were divided into an experimental group (N=13) and a control group (N=13). After Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy (four weeks/three times a week/1 hour per time), metabolic disease-related variables and immune and respiratory health-related variables were measured and compared between the two groups. The conclusion of this study is as follows: Results : After the four-week Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy, in terms of changes in the metabolic disease-related variables, the control group exhibited a higher increase in TC and LDL-C levels than the experimental group. In the case of glucose, the experimental group showed a decrease after the experiment (p<.05). After the four-week thermotherapy, a statistically significant interactive effect occurred in natural killer (NK) cells among the immune-related variables. According to the results of a post-experimental analysis, the control group showed a higher decrease in NK cells than the experimental group (p<.05). After the 4-weeks thermotherapy, the experimental group showed a greater increase in maximum oxygen intake of the respiratory health-related variables than the control group. Conclusion : Based on a comprehensive review of the study results, the subjects who underwent the four-week Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy exhibited positive physical changes in metabolic disease-related variables as well as immune and respiratory health-related variables, which demonstrates the effectiveness of Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy on immune and respiratory health. Accordingly, it is recommended to conduct long-term Oyster Shell Thermal Therapy with various models in terms of the size and shape.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2023

Research on walking assistance exoskeletons that provide optimized torque to individuals has been conducted steadily, and these studies aim to help users feel stable when walking and get help that suits their intentions. Because exoskeleton auxiliary efficiency evaluation is based on metabolic cost savings, experiments on real people are needed to evaluate continuously evolving control algorithms. However, experiments with real people always require risks and high costs. Therefore, in this study, we intend to actively utilize human musculoskeletal simulation. First, to improve the accuracy of musculoskeletal models, we propose a body segment mass distribution algorithm using body composition analysis data that reflects body characteristics. Secondly, the efficiency of most exoskeleton torque control algorithms is evaluated as the reduction rate of Metabolic Cost. In this study, we assume that the torque minimizing the Metabolic Cost is the optimal torque and propose a method for obtaining the torque.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.213-222
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• 2016

Purpose: Coffee is the most frequently consumed food item in South Korea after rice and cabbage. Coffee contains various substances, including caffeine, cafestol, kahweol, chlorogenic acid, and many other known and unknown ingredients with some health benefits. Especially, cumulative evidence has shown that regular coffee use is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, although limited and inconsistent data are available regarding metabolic syndrome. Methods: This study reviewed all available scientific and epidemiologic evidence on coffee consumption, metabolic syndrome, and the association between them. Most epidemiologic research regarding this association was of a cross-sectional design, and a few case-control and cohort studies were available. We conducted meta-analysis with 11 observational studies investigated in Europe, America, and Asia. Summary odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a random-effects model. Results: The overall OR of metabolic syndrome was 0.90 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 0.81-0.99) for the highest category of coffee intake compared with the lowest intake category. These associations were stronger in populations of US and Europe (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.94), whereas no association was observed in the Asian population (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.81-1.23). Conclusion: The review results indicate that frequent coffee consumption may be beneficial to metabolic syndrome, but the association between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome may differ by nations or continents.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2010

Osteoporosis is a disease that increases the fracture rates and a major cause of increased mortality and morbidity in the elderly people. This study is to determine which components of body composition and metabolic syndrome risk factors are important to bone health, we analysed the relationship among bone mineral density (BMD), body composition and metabolic syndrome risk factors in females. Totally 630 females participated in a medical check-up program (mean age 47 years) were selected for this study. Body composition analysis was performed by segmental bioelectrical impedance method, muscle mass, and percent body fat were measured. We also measured metabolic syndrome risk factors including abdominal obesity, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure and fasting glucose level. Metabolic syndrome was defined by NCEP-ATP III criteria. The lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured using the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were observed in 180 and 51 persons, respectively. Muscle mass and HDL-cholesterol decreased in osteopenia and osteoporosis groups compared to the control group, and the grade was shown progressively by the symptoms. Significant positive correlation between BMD and muscle mass was observed. Multi variable regression analyses showed that % body fat and muscle mass were independent predictors of BMD after adjustment of age, height and weight. In conclusion, the BMD showed negative correlation with the metabolic and body composition was associated with BMD.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.20-32
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• 2019

Objectives: This study identified biopsychosocial factors associated with metabolic syndrome among Korean men and women aged over 40 years. Methods: Secondary data from the 2010-2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for this study. Based on the biopsychosocial model, psychosocial factors (stress, depression, smoking, binge alcohol consumption, physical activity) were assessed with control of biomedical (age, body mass index, family history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease) and biosocial factors (educational level and economic status). Data from 8,624 men and 7,321 women were analyzed by logistic regression analysis using a complex sample procedure. Results: Among men, current or past smoking habits (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 1.349; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.155-1.575, p<.001) and binge alcohol consumption (AOR: 1.570, CI: 1.389-1.774, p<.001) were associated with metabolic syndrome. In addition, moderate (AOR: 1.205, CI: 1.038-1.400, p=.014) and low levels of physical activity (AOR: 1.296, CI: 1.109-1.514, p=.001) were associated with metabolic syndrome. Among women, low level of physical activity (AOR: 1.276, CI: 1.017-1.602, p=.036) was associated with metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Gender specific interventions such as encouraging physical activity and prevention of smoking and excessive alcohol drinking are important to prevention of metabolic syndrome.

• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.628-647
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• 2018

Purpose: Obesity is associated with metabolic dysregulation, but the underlying metabolic signatures involving clinical and inflammatory profiles of obese asthma are largely unexplored. We aimed at identifying the metabolic signatures of obese asthma. Methods: Eligible subjects with obese (n = 11) and lean (n = 22) asthma underwent body composition and clinical assessment, sputum induction, and blood sampling. Sputum supernatant was assessed for interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, -4, -5, -6, -13, and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and serum was detected for leptin, adiponectin and C-reactive protein. Untargeted gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS)-based metabolic profiles in sputum, serum and peripheral blood monocular cells (PBMCs) were analyzed by orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) and pathway topology enrichment analysis. The differential metabolites were further validated by correlation analysis with body composition, and clinical and inflammatory profiles. Results: Body composition, asthma control, and the levels of $IL-1{\beta}$, -4, -13, leptin and adiponectin in obese asthmatics were significantly different from those in lean asthmatics. OPLS-DA analysis revealed 28 differential metabolites that distinguished obese from lean asthmatic subjects. The validation analysis identified 18 potential metabolic signatures (11 in sputum, 4 in serum and 2 in PBMCs) of obese asthmatics. Pathway topology enrichment analysis revealed that cyanoamino acid metabolism, caffeine metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, pentose phosphate pathway in sputum, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway in serum are suggested to be significant pathways related to obese asthma. Conclusions: GC-TOF-MS-based metabolomics indicates obese asthma is characterized by a metabolic profile different from lean asthma. The potential metabolic signatures indicated novel immune-metabolic mechanisms in obese asthma with providing more phenotypic and therapeutic implications, which needs further replication and validation.

• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1028-1036
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• 2018

Study Design: Single-center, observational, case-control study. Purpose: Comparison and analysis of the metabolic and coagulative profiles in patients with idiopathic scoliosis, patients with congenital scoliosis, and healthy controls. Overview of Literature: Serum melatonin deficiency has been a controversial topic in the etiopathogenesis of scoliosis. Low bone mineral density, low vitamin D3 levels, and high parathyroid hormone levels are common metabolic abnormalities associated with scoliosis that may be responsible for its pathogenesis. In addition to metabolic defects, several studies have shown coagulation defects that either persist from the preoperative period or occur during surgery and usually lead to more than the expected amount of blood loss in patients undergoing deformity correction for scoliosis. Methods: The study population (n=73) was classified into those having congenital scoliosis (n=31), those with idiopathic scoliosis (n=30), and healthy controls (n=12). After detailed clinicoradiological evaluation of all the subjects, 10-mL blood samples were collected, measured, and analyzed for various metabolic and coagulation parameters. Results: The mean serum melatonin levels in patients with idiopathic scoliosis were significantly lower than those in the healthy controls. Although the mean serum melatonin level in the congenital group was also low, the difference was not statistically significant. Serum alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone levels were higher in the scoliosis groups, whereas the vitamin D level was lower. No differences were observed in the coagulation profiles of the different groups. Conclusions: Low serum melatonin levels associated with scoliosis can be a cause or an effect of scoliosis. Moreover, low bone mineral density, high bone turn over, and negative calcium balance appear to play an important role in the progression, if not the onset, of the deformity.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.186-193
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• 2008

Objectives : The authors tried to investigate the characteristics of Heart Rate Variability(HRV) among the subjects with metabolic syndrome for testing the possibility of clinical application of HRV in evaluating metabolic syndrome. Methods : We examined the difference of the means of HRV between 122 subjects of metabolic syndrome and 1057 healthy controls using T-test, and the change of means in HRV according to increasing risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Using multiple regression analysis, we examined the association of HRV with the risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Results : The HRV indices including SDNN(Standard Deviation of all normal NN intervals), RMSSD(the square Root of the Mean Squared Differences of successive all normal NN interval), TP(Total Power), LF(Low Freuency), and HF(High Frequency) were significantly lower in the metabolic syndrome group than in the normal control group, and the means of all HRV indices except LF/HF were decreased consistently according to increasing risk factors of metabolic syndrome. The fasting glucose, triglyceride, and waist circumference were dependent factors that contributed significantly to the change of HRV. Conclusion : These findings suggest metabolic syndrome adversely affects cardiac autonomic system and HRV could be a useful method for evaluating metabolic syndrome.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.252-255
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• 2004

A pfl ldhA double mutant Escherichia coli strain NZN 111 was used to produce succinic acid by overexpressing the E. coli malic enzyme gene (sfcA). This strain, however, produced a large amount of malic acid as well as succinic acid. After the analyses of the metabolic pathways, the fumB gene encoding the anaerobic fumarase of E. coli was co-amplified to solve the problem of malic acid accumulation. A plasmid, pTrcMLFu, was constructed, which contains an artificial operon (sfcA-fumB) under the control of the inducible trc promoter. From the batch culture of recombinant E. coli NZN 111 harboring pTrcMLFu, 7 g/L of succinic acid was produced from 20 g/L of glucose, with no accumulation of malic acid. From the metabolic flux analysis the strain was found under reducing power limiting conditions by severe reorientation of metabolic fluxes.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.843-850
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• 2005

FBA(flux balance analysis) with Boolean rules for representing regulatory events has correctly predicted cellular behaviors, such as optimal flux distribution, maximal growth rate, metabolic by-product, and substrate concentration changes, with various environmental conditions. However, until now, since FBA has not taken into account a hierarchical regulatory network, it has limited the representation of the whole transcriptional regulation mechanism and interactions between specific regulatory proteins and genes. In this paper, in order to solve these problems, we describe the construction of hierarchical regulatory network with defined symbols and the introduction of a weight for representing interactions between symbols. Finally, the whole cellular behaviors with time were simulated through the linkage of a hierarchical regulatory network module and dynamic simulation module including FBA. The central metabolic network of E. coli was chosen as the basic model to identify our suggested modeling method.