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Elderly people avoid eating red meat and dried meat product due to its texture and stiffness; they deprive them of rich sources of nutrients. In addition, food-related diseases are exponentially increasing due to using synthetic additives in food products. Therefore, this research aimed to develop semi-dried goat meat jerky considering geriatric preferences by using natural tenderizers and nitrate. Four treatments were formulated negative control (NC [synthetic nitrite without tenderizers]), positive control (PC [Swiss chard without tenderizers]), T1 (Swiss chard with pineapple powder), and T2 (Swiss chard with pineapple and tomato powder). T1 and T2 had higher processing yield, and rehydration capacity compared with NC and PC. The fat content of T1 and T2 was lower than the control groups. Moisture was significantly higher in T1, NC, and T2 than in PC (p < 0.05). T2 showed the lowest water activity (0.87), lowest shear force (4.82 kgf), and lowest total plate count (TPC). The lowest pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were observed in T1 and T2. T1 showed the lowest lightness and the maximum redness (p < 0.05) while PC showed the lowest yellowness. During the storage period, moisture and pH decreased, and TPC and TBARS significantly increased whereas water activity is stable regardless of the treatment. The results of the myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel revealed that T1 and T2 more effectively converted protein to polypeptides. In addition, tenderizers positively affected thrombogenicity, atherogenicity, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic indices. T2 observed the highest overall sensory acceptance by reducing goaty flavor. Overall, jerky treated with tenderizers is easily chewable and digestible for the elderly due to its tenderness and essential fatty acids that would be senior-friendly food.

This study examined the effects of different wet-aging times on the physicochemical characteristics and microbial profile of longissimus lumborum (LL) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles from Korean native black goat (KNBG) meat. The water holding capacity (WHC), pH, cooking loss, shear force, meat color, free amino acid, total bacteria, and coliform count of KNGB meat were analyzed at 0, 5, 10, and 15 days of wet-aging at 4°C under vacuum packaging. The results showed that different wet-aging times led to significant pH variations between the muscles throughout the aging period. The wet-aging time did not affect the WHC and cooking loss in meat from the LL muscle. In the BF muscle, however, meat wet-aged for five days had a significantly higher WHC and less cooking loss than meat aged for 0, 10, and 15 days. The meat from the LL muscle wet-aged for five days produced tenderer meat (low shear force value) than the unaged meat (p < 0.05). Moreover, the color was similar in the LL muscle regardless of the number of aging days. In the BF muscle, the redness (a*) was higher in the meat wet-aged for 15 days compared to that aged for 0, 5, and 10 days (p < 0.05). Regardless of the muscles, an increase in wet-aging time led to an increase in the total free amino acids contents in both muscles (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the tasty/bitter amino acid ratio was significantly higher for five days of wet-aged meat than 10 and 15 days of aging from the BF muscle. In addition, regardless of the muscles, the total bacteria and coliform counts were significantly lower for five days of wet-aged meat than 10 and 15 days of aging (p < 0.05). Therefore, chevon wet-aged for five days is an optimal aging period under vacuum packaging that fortifies meat quality with a minimal microbial negative defect.

The supplementation effects of sea tangle powders were determined for the meat quality in Korean native black goats. A total 90 castrated male black goats at 3-month age were divided into 3 dietary treatment groups: control (basal diet + mineral block), T1 (0.3% sea tangle feeding with the basal diet), T2 (0.9% sea tangle feeding with the basal diet). At 9-months feeding, 10 goats per treatment group were slaughtered, and the longissimus dorsi muscle samples were vacuum-packed, and subsequently analyzed for physicochemical evaluations. Analysis revealed decrease in the shear force and TBARS values of meat in the sea tangle dietary groups (p < 0.05). The T2 group exhibited increased levels of unsaturated fatty acids such as C16:1, C18:1, C18:2, and C20:4 (p < 0.05). The content of free amino acids with desirable taste such as aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, and serine were higher in T2, whereas alanine content was higher in both sea tangle dietary groups, as compared to control (p < 0.05). These data indicate that feeding dietary sea tangle as an alternative mineral source results in an improvement in the physicochemical profiles of goat meat.

Many studies have reported the frequency and distribution of haplogroups among various cattle breeds for verification of their origins and genetic diversity. In this study, 318 complete sequences of the mtDNA control region from four Korean cattle breeds were used for haplogroup classification. 71 polymorphic sites and 66 haplotypes were found in these sequences. Consistent with the genetic patterns in previous reports, four haplogroups (T1, T2, T3, and T4) were identified in Korean cattle breeds. In addition, T1a, T3a, and T3b sub-haplogroups were classified. In the phylogenetic tree, each haplogroup formed an independent cluster. The frequencies of T3, T4, T1 (containing T1a), and T2 were 66%, 16%, 10%, and 8%, respectively. Especially, the T1 haplogroup contained only one haplotype and a sample. All four haplogroups were found in Chikso, Jeju black and Hanwoo. However, only the T3 and T4 haplogroups appeared in Heugu, and most Chikso populations showed a partial of four haplogroups. These results will be useful for stable conservation and efficient management of Korean cattle breeds.

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the inhibitory effects of soy isoflavones and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on colon carcinogenesis. Sprague-Dawley male rats were injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and given experimental diets that contained 0, 3, 6, or 9 FOS with or without soy isoflavones (1,000 mg/kg of diet). After 12 weeks, colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, and fecal bile acid profiles were determined. The numbers of ACF, the numbers of ACF containing four or more crypts per focus of colonic mucosa, and the levels of COX-2 protein in the colonic epithelial tissues were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the FOS-fed, DMH-treated rats (P< .001), as compared to the DMH-treated control rats. Soy isoflavones significantly decreased the number of ACF with four or more aberrant crypts per focus (P< .001) and the amount of COX-2 protein (P< .01), independently of the effect of the oligosaccharide. The highest suppression of ACF formation was obtained with soy isoflavones combined with 6 FOS. No significant relationship was found between the dosage of FOS or soy isoflavones and the concentration of fecal secondary bile acid. We conclude that the combination of FOS and soy isoflavones inhibits colonic ACF formation and reduces COX-2 expression in DMH-treated rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-layer HTS cables are apt to experience unequal current distribution among their layers, which is a main reason of the occurrence of ac losses. In this study, the application of IPTs, which are known to control the impedance among paths of a circuit using a magnetic shield effect, were proposed to solve the problems of HTS cables. A 2 layer HTS cable conductor and IPTs were fabricated using Bi-2223/Ag tapes with a 115 A critical current. The inner layer of the FITS cable conductor was composed of 10 HTS tapes with a pitch length of 18 cm and the tapes of the outer layer were placed straightly without winding pitch. Applying various magnitudes of currents to IPTs, we investigated the current sharing performance between layers of the HTS cable conductor. The applied current was distributed uniformly into the layers successfully. In addition, the performance of IPTs was examined under various conditions for the practical application in detail. From the results, the application of IPTs to HTS cables was considered to be a useful method to reduce ac losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigated the previously unknown crystal structure of magnesium perchlorate anhydrate, determined and refined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The asymmetric unit of the title compound, produced from heating magnesium perchlorate hexahydrate and crystallizing in the monoclinic space group P21/c, contains one Mg, one chlorine and four oxygen sites.

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor, and the presence of glioma stem cells (GSCs) has been linked to its resistance to treatments and recurrence. Additionally, aberrant glycosylation has been implicated in the aggressiveness of cancers. However, the influence and underlying mechanism of N-glycosylation on the GSC phenotype and GBM malignancy remain elusive. Here, we performed an in-silico analysis approach on publicly available datasets to examine the function of N-glycosylation-related genes in GSCs and gliomas, accompanied by a qRT-PCR validation experiment. We found that high α-1,2-mannosidase MAN1C1 is associated with immunological functions and worse survival of glioma patients. Differential gene expression analysis and qRT-PCR validation revealed that MAN1C1 is highly expressed in GSCs. Furthermore, higher MAN1C1 expression predicts worse outcomes in glioma patients. Also, MAN1C1 expression is increased in the perinecrotic region of GBM and is associated with immunological and inflammatory functions, a hallmark of the GBM mesenchymal subtype. Further analysis confirmed that MAN1C1 expression is closely associated with infiltrating immune cells and disrupted immune response in the GBM microenvironment. These suggest that MAN1C1 is a potential biomarker for gliomas and may be important as an immunotherapeutic target for GBM.

Elderly population in Korea has been increasing dramatically, and especially elderly women living alone increase in an rural area. This study was aimed at comparing dietary intakes of elderly women living alone with elderly women living with family in a rural area located in southern region of Gyeongbuk, Korea. Almost all elderly living alone (41 subjects, 74.7 yrs) with elderly women living with family residing in neighboring houses(49 subjects, 72.8 yrs) were sampled. Their dietary intakes were assessed using the repeated 24-hr recall method, once in 2005 summer, 2006 winter and spring. Seasonal mean daily nutrient intakes were estimated using computer-aided nutritional analysis program (The Korean Nutrition Society). The elderly women living alone exhibited significantly lower intakes of protein, dietary fiber, P, Fe, Zn, vitamin B6, niacin (p<0.001) and energy, vitamin B1, B2, E, C (p<0.01) as compared with elderly women living with family in summer. Mean adequacy ratio of elderly women living alone (0.48) was lower than that of elderly women living with family (0.65, p<0.05). Levels of dietary intakes by elderly women living alone in winter and spring were better than those in summer. Diet quality was assessed using dietary diversity score (DDS), in which one point is given one of major food groups. DDS of elderly women living alone was significantly lower as compared to elderly women living with family only in summer. In conclusion, the overall quality of diet of elderly women in this study was poor, and that of elderly women living alone was worse, especially, in summer season. Therefore, nutrition programs such as food assistance program reflecting seasonal difference should be developed for elderly women of rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated whether soy isoflavones (0, 10, 50, 150, or 500 mg/kg diet) suppress DMH-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colon and whether the effect is dose-dependent. We have also investigated an effect of soy isoflavones on immunotoxicity tested by lymphocytes DNA damage. Sprague Dawley male rats were injected with 1,2-dimethylthydrazine (DMH) and given one of AIN93-based experimental diets for 12 weeks. The lymphocytes were separated and subjected to the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assays. Western blot analysis of COX-2 protein in the colonic epithelial tissues was carried out. The numbers of ACF and total AC decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in rats fed 10 or 50 mg soy isoflavone as compared with the control rats. The expression of COX-2 was also lower in rats fed 10 or 50 mg isoflavones per kg diet. However, the number of ACF and the expression of COX-2 were independent on dosage in soy isoflavone-fed groups. A significant lymphocytes DNA damage determined by SCGE assay was not observed in all the groups. But DNA migration of lymphocytes tended to be shorter with addition of soy isoflavones in diets. Therefore, the results indicate that, optimal level of soy isoflavones seemed to be most effective in suppressing ACF formation and COX-2 expression, and protecting against immunotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether dosage (0, 10, 50, 150, or 500 mg/kg diet) of soy isoflavones in the presence of 6% fructooligosaccharide (FOS) is effective in suppressing DMH-induced aberrant crypt loci (ACF) formation and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colon and the effect is dose-dependent. We also investigated an effect of soy isoflavones on immunotoxicity tested by lymphocytes DNA damage. Sprague Dawley male rats were injected with 1,2-dimethylthydrazine (DMH) and given one of experimental diets for 12 weeks. The lymphocytes were separated and subjected to the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Western blot analysis of COX-2 protein in the colonic epithelial tissues was carried out, and bands detected by chemiluminescence method. The number of ACF decreased significantly in rats fed FOS with or without soy isoflavone compared to the control rats which were not fed FOS. The number of ACF or the expression of COX-2 were lower in rats fed 10 or 50 mg soy isoflavone with FOS per kg diet than those of control-FOS group. However, the number of ACF and the expression of COX-2 were not dose-dependent in soy isoflavone-fed groups. Comet assay showed no change of lymphocytes DNA damage in all the groups. Therefore, the results indicate that, although suppressive effect of soy isoflavone with FOS on ACF was evident, neither the effect was dose-dependent nor suppressive effects of soy isoflavone on ACF formation and expression of COX-2 were related with protection against immunotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the preliminary study Saururus chinensis Baill (SCB) showed strong inhibitory activity against yeast a-glucosidase, the enzyme to digest carbohydrate in vitro. We studied the preventive effect of Saururus chinensis Baill against development of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (BW 90-100 g, n=16) were divided into two groups and offered high-fat diet containing 27% beef tallow and 7% soy oil or high-fat diet supplemented with 10% SCB powder for 8 weeks. Chronic consumption of SCB did not influence body weight and food intake significantly. The animals were injected with STZ (60 mg/kg) after an overnight fast. The rats were sacrificed one week after the injection. Chronic consumption of SCB significantly decreased plasma glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Plasma HDL-cholesterol level of the SCB group were not significantly different from those of the control group. The results suggest that chronic consumption of SCB could inhibit induction of diabetes with STZ in rats and exert hypolipidemic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Glucosidase is the enzyme to digest carbohydrate, and inhibition of α-glucosidase could suppress postprandial hyperglycemia. In the preliminary study methanol extract of Amomum xanthioides Wallich showed strong inhibitory activity against yeast α-glucosidase in vitro. The purpose of this study is to isolate the compound to elicit α-glucosidase inhibitory activity from Amomum xanthioides Wallich which could exert hypoglycemic effect. Methanol extract of Amomum xanthioides Wallich was fractionated with hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and distilled water successively. Each extract was tested for inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase using para-nitropenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside as a substrate. The ethyl acetate fraction with the strongest inhibitory activity was further purified by Sephadex LH-20 column with 50%, 75% and 100% methanol in sequence as mobile phase and semi-preparative HPLC using C18 column. The peak with the strongest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was collected for structure analysis by ¹H-NMR and 13C-NMR. We concluded that the active constituent responsible for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity is quercitrin. The inhibitory activity of the isolated quercetrin against yeast α-glucosidase was 55.7% at the concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. The inhibitory activity of acarbose, a commercial α-glucosidase inhibitor was 32.4% at the same concentration. The results suggest that Amomum xanthioides Wallich could be useful as hypoglycemic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metachronous carcinoma at the colostomy site is very rare after abdominoperineal resection. A 53-year-old male patient underwent an abdominoperineal resection 6 years earlier for rectal cancer developed metachronous carcinoma at the site of stoma. A portion of the colon, including the stoma and the surrounding skin, was resected and a new stoma was created in the transverse colon. Although the occurrence of carcinoma at the stoma site is a rare condition, careful observation for the stoma and colonoscopy for surveillance are necessary.

Abstract The noninvasive early detection of biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is essential for the development of specific treatment strategies. This paper proposes an advanced method for fabricating highly ordered and flexible nanopillar-based electrochemical biosensors by the combination of soft/photolithography and metal evaporation. The nanopillar array (NPA) exhibits high surface area containing 1500 nm height and 500 nm diameter with 3:1 ratio. In regard with physical properties of polyurethane (PU) substrate, the developed NPA is sustainable and durable to external pressure such as bending and twisting. To manipulate the NPA surface to biocompatible, the gold was uniformly deposited on the PU substrate. The thiol chemistry which is stably modified on the gold surface as a form of self-assembled monolayer was employed for fabricating the NPA as a biocompatible chip by covalently immobilize the antibodies. The proposed nanopillar-based immunoelectrochemical biosensor exhibited good and stable electrochemical performance in β-amyloid (Aβ) detection. Moreover, we successfully confirmed the performance of the as-developed sensor using the artificial injection of Aβ in human tear, with sensitivity of 0.14 ng/mL and high reproducibility (as a standard deviation below 10%). Our findings show that the developed nanopillar-based sensor exhibits reliable electrochemical characteristics and prove its potential for application as a biosensor platform for testing at the point of care.

This study compared the catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates resulting from the use of four perineal care agents (soap-and-water, skin cleansing foam, 10% povidone-iodine, and normal saline) among patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: This four-group experimental study was done with 97 adult patients who had urinary catheters over 2 days in three ICUs between April and July 2008. The patients received one of the four types of perineal care. Data collected included the incidence of CAUTI at baseline (prior to perineal care) and 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after beginning perineal care. Patients were divided into UTI and non-UTI groups based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Healthcare Safety Network UTI definition to calculate incidence rates. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by Cox's proportional hazard analysis. Results: The cumulative incidence of CAUTIs per 100 urinary catheter days were 3.18 episodes during 1 week with urinary catheter, 3.31 during 2 weeks, and 3.04 during 4 weeks. No statistically significant difference in hazard ratios of CAUTIs for each perineal care agent was evident with reference to soap-and-water at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after beginning perineal care after controlling for age, use of antibiotics, fecal incontinence, consciousness level, fever, and diabetes. Conclusions: The type of perineal care does not influence the incidence of CAUTIs. Further confirmatory studies with a larger patient population should be conducted, as well as determining perineal agent preference.