Search

Acacia mearnsii, among the 100 worst invasive weeds worldwide, negatively impacts native biodiversity, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. Global climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, enhances the risk of A. mearnsii invasion in Asia, making it crucial to identify high-risk areas for effective management. This study performed species distribution modeling using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm to predict the potential introduction and spread of A. mearnsii under various climate scenarios based on shared socio-economic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). Currently, only 4.35% of Asia is invaded, with a high invasion risk identified in six countries, including Bhutan, Lebanon, and Taiwan, where more than 75% of their areas are threatened. Under future climate scenarios, 21 countries face invasion risk, among which 14 countries, such as Georgia, Laos, Republic of Korea, and Turkey, are at moderate to very high risk, potentially encompassing up to 87.89% of their territories. Conversely, Northern Asian countries exhibit minimal changes in invasion risk and are considered relatively safe from invasion. These findings underscore that climate change will exacerbate invasion risks across Asia, emphasizing the urgent need for robust management strategies, including stringent quarantine measures and control efforts, to mitigate the threat of A. mearnsii expansion.

The number of alien species introduced into South Korea continues to increase over the years. In particular, several plants have been introduced as ornamentals. Ludwigia peploides, which is native to the Americas and Australia, is believed to have been planted as an ornamental aquatic plant called “water primrose” and “primrose”. It spread to natural ecosystems through rivers, and its distribution is gradually expanding in Suwon, Hwaseong, Busan, and Jeju. However, there has been no specific study on the ecological risk of L. peploides introduced into South Korea. This study, therefore, investigates the distribution status and ecological risks of L. peploides in South Korea through field surveys and allelopathic material analysis, as well as assessing abiotic risk factors. The distribution was confirmed at a total of 19 sites, with high-density mats of a single species forming along the water’s edge and on the water surface. The maximum distribution area was 13,922 m2 in Chilgok Reservoir in Anseong. Stems and plant fragments transported along waterways were continuously forming colonies through vegetative propagation. When evaluating the overall risk, it is determined that L. peploides has a high potential to cause significant damage to the ecosystem if not managed promptly. Therefore, continuous monitoring is necessary to effectively manage and prevent the habitat expansion of L. peploides. The results of this study are expected to aid in the identification of the current distribution and potential ecological risks of L. peploides in South Korea, providing essential data for ecological risk assessment and the development of effective management strategies.

Oxalis latifolia, a perennial herbaceous weed, is a highly invasive species that poses a threat to agricultural lands worldwide. East Asia is under a high risk of invasion of O. latifolia under global climate change. To evaluate this risk, we employed maximum entropy modeling considering two shared socio-economic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). Currently, a small portion (8.02%) of East Asia is within the O. latifolia distribution, with the highest coverages in Chinese Taipei, China, and Japan (95.09%, 9.8%, and 0.24%, respectively). However, our projections indicated that this invasive weed will likely be introduced to South Korea and North Korea between 2041 and 2060 and 2081 and 2100, respectively. The species is expected to cover approximately 9.79% and 23.68% (SSP2-4.5) and 11.60% and 27.41% (SSP5-8.5) of the total land surface in East Asia by these time points, respectively. South Korea and Japan will be particularly susceptible, with O. latifolia potentially invading up to 80.73% of their territory by 2081–2100. Mongolia is projected to remain unaffected. This study underscores the urgent need for effective management strategies and careful planning to prevent the introduction and limit the expansion of O. latifolia in East Asian countries.

Methyl bromide (MB) has been used in a wide range of applications, but since it was determined to be an ozone-depleting compound, it has only been used for pre-shipment and quarantine purposes in trade. Phosphine (PH3) is currently the ideal fumigant as an MB alternative worldwide. However, the development of PH3 resistance in the target insect pest and longer PH3 fumigation treatment times raise questions about the continued use of PH3. This study attempted to shorten treatment time via combination treatment with ethyl formate (EF). Planococcus citri was used as the main quarantine pest in Korea, and the acute toxicity of EF, PH3, and EF + PH3 was determined at every developmental stage. EF treatment at 4 h showed LCT99 values of 45.85~65.43 mg∙h/L, and PH3 treatment at 20 h showed that of 0.13~0.83 mg∙h/L depending on the developmental stage. The efficacy of PH3 decreased after reducing the treatment time, but synergistic effects were observed at all stages of development of P. citri when both fumigants were used simultaneously for 4 h. After combined treatment, dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase expression and the production of two phospholipids, PI(O-16:0) and PC(18:2), were significantly reduced in treated P. citri adults compared with the control. Therefore, combined treatments might be key to reducing the treatment time and resistance of PH3 in the field.

Predicting the distribution of invasive weeds under climate change is important for the early identification of areas that are susceptible to invasion and for the adoption of the best preventive measures. Here, we predicted the habitat suitability of 16 invasive weeds in response to climate change and land cover changes in South Korea using a maximum entropy modeling approach. Based on the predictions of the model, climate change is likely to increase habitat suitability. Currently, the area of moderately suitable and highly suitable habitats is estimated to be 8877.46 km2, and 990.29 km2, respectively, and these areas are expected to increase up to 496.52% by 2050 and 1439.65% by 2070 under the representative concentration pathways 4.5 scenario across the country. Although habitat suitability was estimated to be highest in the southern regions (

A novel displacement ventilation system (DVS) was designed using a four-way cassette fan coil unit (FCU) and air purifiers (APs) for supplying clean air. The proposed DVS in this study involved drawing indoor air through the FCU and diffusers installed in the ceiling, controlling air temperature using the FCU, and then discharging it back into the office through the APs placed on the floor. The comparative ventilation system considered was the typical mixing ventilation system (MVS) that intakes and exhausts indoor air using diffusers installed on the ceiling. The local mean age of air was used as an index to compare indoor air quality between DVS and MVS under winter heating conditions. It was found that the DVS was more effective in improving indoor air quality in winter than the MVS. Moreover, compared to the MVS, utilizing the DVS designed in this study resulted in the advantage of a much more uniform air temperature variation in the office space. Therefore, it is anticipated that modifying the structure of an indoor space with an FCU installed in the ceiling and APs on the floor to use the DVS designed in this study would greatly assist in enhancing indoor air quality.

Brown mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) is an important oilseed crop that is mostly used to produce edible oils, industrial oils, modified lipids and biofuels in subtropical nations. Due to its higher level of commercial use, the species has a huge array of varieties/cultivars. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of visible near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy in combination with multiple chemometric approaches for distinguishing four B. juncea varieties in Korea. The spectra from the leaves of four different growth stages of four B. juncea varieties were measured in the Vis-NIR range of 325–1075 nm with a stepping of 1.5 nm in reflectance mode. For effective discrimination, the spectral data were preprocessed using three distinct approaches, and eight different chemometric analyses were utilized. After the detection of outliers, the samples were split into two groups, one serving as a calibration set and the other as a validation set. When numerous preprocessing and chemometric approaches were applied for discriminating, the combination of standard normal variate and deep learning had the highest classification accuracy in all the growth stages achieved up to 100%. Similarly, few other chemometrics also yielded 100% classification accuracy, namely, support vector machine, generalized linear model, and the random forest. Of all the chemometric preprocessing methods, Savitzky–Golay filter smoothing provided the best and most convincing discrimination. The findings imply that chemometric methods combined with handheld Vis-NIR spectroscopy can be utilized as an efficient tool for differentiating B. juncea varieties in the field in all the growth stages.

This study aimed to examine the effect of taurolidine irrigation on preventing surgical site infection by comparing the spinal infection rate after spinal fusion surgery using vancomycin powder application and taurolidine irrigation. Of 1081 participants, 369 underwent taurolidine irrigation, 221 underwent vancomycin powder application, and 491 were controls. Of the 20 surgical site infections (1.85%), 14 occurred in the control group (2.85%), 5 in the vancomycin group (2.26%), and 1 (0.27%) in the taurolidine group. Among the various variables, age at the time of surgery, smoking, surgical site, and hemovac removal time were significant in the univariate logistic regression. The final result was derived after variable selection using the stepwise method. In the univariate model, the odds ratios were 0.09 and 0.79 in each of the vancomycin and taurolidine groups compared to that of the control group. In the multivariate model, the odds ratios were 0.09 and 0.83 in each of the vancomycin and taurolidine groups compared to that of the control group. The preventive effect of vancomycin powder application was not statistically significant. However, the vancomycin group showed a less effective tendency than the taurolidine group. Taurolidine irrigation may be a good substitute for the vancomycin powder application.

Cilostazol is a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 3 (PDE3) that increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which plays a critical role in the development of the beige phenotype and the activation of its thermogenic program in white adipose tissue (WAT). We investigated the metabolic effects of PDE3B inhibition with cilostazol treatment in the adipose tissue of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to either the cilostazol or control group. The control group was divided into two groups: the chow diet and HFD. The expression of uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) and other brown adipocyte markers was compared. In the HFD-fed cilostazol group, C57BL/6J mice displayed improvements in systemic metabolism, including improved glucose tolerance and lipid profile, but only modest effects on body weight were observed. In the visceral WAT of HFD-fed cilostazol-treated mice, cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathways were activated, resulting in the “browning” phenotype, smaller fat deposits, and enhanced mRNA expression of UCP1 and other brown adipocyte markers. PDE3B appears to be an important regulator of lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and thermogenic programs in adipose tissues. An increase in intracellular cAMP via PDE3B inhibition with cilostazol treatment promoted the browning of visceral WAT.

Predicting the regions at risk of invasion from IIAPS is an integral horizon-scanning activity that plays a crucial role in preventing, controlling, and eradicating invasive species. Here, we quantify the spatial distribution area and invasion risk of IIAPS using a species distribution model under different levels of environmental change in South Korea. From the model predictions, the current average spatial extent of the 10 IIAPS is 33,948 km2, and the individual spatial extents are estimated to change by −7% to 150% by 2050 and by −9% to 156% by 2070. The spatial invasion risk assessment shows that, currently, moderate-to-high invasion risk is limited to coastal areas and densely populated metropolitan cities (e.g., Seoul, Busan, and Gwangju), but that the area with this level of risk is expected to spread toward the central and northern regions of the country in the future, covering 86.21% of the total area of the country by 2070. These results demonstrate that the risk of invasion by IIAPS is estimated to enlarge across the whole country under future environmental changes. The modeling system provided in this study may contribute to the initial control and strategic management of IIAPS to maintain the dynamic ecosystems of South Korea.

The feasibility of rapid and non-destructive classification of six different Amaranthus species was investigated using visible-near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra coupled with chemometric approaches. The focus of this research would be to use a handheld spectrometer in the field to classify six Amaranthus sp. in different geographical regions of South Korea. Spectra were obtained from the adaxial side of the leaves at 1.5 nm intervals in the Vis-NIR spectral range between 400 and 1075 nm. The obtained spectra were assessed with four different preprocessing methods in order to detect the optimum preprocessing method with high classification accuracy. Preprocessed spectra of six Amaranthus sp. were used as input for the machine learning-based chemometric analysis. All the classification results were validated using cross-validation to produce robust estimates of classification accuracies. The different combinations of preprocessing and modeling were shown to have a classification accuracy of between 71% and 99.7% after the cross-validation. The combination of Savitzky-Golay preprocessing and Support vector machine showed a maximum mean classification accuracy of 99.7% for the discrimination of Amaranthus sp. Considering the high number of spectra involved in this study, the growth stage of the plants, varying measurement locations, and the scanning position of leaves on the plant are all important. We conclude that Vis-NIR spectroscopy, in combination with appropriate preprocessing and machine learning methods, may be used in the field to effectively classify Amaranthus sp. for the effective management of the weedy species and/or for monitoring their food applications.

The objective of this study was to investigate fibromodulin (FMOD) and myostatin (MSTN) gene expressions during skeletal muscle aging and to understand their involvements in this process. The expressions of genes related to muscle aging (Atrogin 1 and Glb1), diabetes (RAGE and CD163), and lipid accumulation (CD36 and PPARγ) and those of FMOD and MSTN were examined in CTX-injected, aged, MSTN−/−, and high-fat diet (HFD) mice and in C2C12 myoblasts treated with ceramide or grown under adipogenic conditions. Results from CTX-injected mice and gene knockdown experiments in C2C12 cells suggested the involvement of FMOD during muscle regeneration and myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Downregulation of the FMOD gene in MSTN−/− mice, and MSTN upregulation and FMOD downregulation in FMOD and MSTN knockdown C2C12 cells, respectively, during their differentiation, suggested FMOD negatively regulates MSTN gene expression, and MSTN positively regulates FMOD gene expression. The results of our in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate FMOD inhibits muscle aging by negatively regulating MSTN gene expression or by suppressing the action of MSTN protein, and that MSTN promotes muscle aging by positively regulating the expressions of Atrogin1, CD36, and PPARγ genes in muscle.

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue and constitutes about 40% of total body mass. Herein, we report that crude water extract (CWE) of G. uralensis enhanced myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Pretreatment of mice with the CWE of G. uralensis prior to cardiotoxin-induced muscle injury was found to enhance muscle regeneration by inducing myogenic gene expression and downregulating myostatin expression. Furthermore, this extract reduced nitrotyrosine protein levels and atrophy-related gene expression. Of the five different fractions of the CWE of G. uralensis obtained, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction more significantly enhanced myoblast proliferation and differentiation than the other fractions. Ten bioactive compounds were isolated from the EtOAc fraction and characterized by GC-MS and NMR. Of these compounds (4-hydroxybenzoic acid, liquiritigenin, (R)-(-)-vestitol, isoliquiritigenin, medicarpin, tetrahydroxymethoxychalcone, licochalcone B, liquiritin, liquiritinapioside, and ononin), liquiritigenin, tetrahydroxymethoxychalcone, and licochalcone B were found to enhance myoblast proliferation and differentiation, and myofiber diameters in injured muscles were wider with the liquiritigenin than the non-treated one. Computational analysis showed these compounds are non-toxic and possess good drug-likeness properties. These findings suggest that G. uralensis-extracted components might be useful therapeutic agents for the management of muscle-associated diseases.

Ginsenosides have offered a wide array of beneficial roles in the pharmacological regulation of hepatic metabolic syndromes, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and obesity. Of the numerous ginsenosides, Rg3 has been widely investigated, but there have been few studies of gypenosides (Gyp). Particularly, no study on Gyp LXXV has been reported to date. Here, to firstly explore the pharmacological effects of Gyp LXXV against NASH and the related mechanism, methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH mice and hepatic cells (stellate cells, hepatic macrophages, and hepatocytes) were selected. Gyp LXXV exhibited markedly alleviated MCD diet-induced hepatic injury, inflammation, and fibrosis by down-regulating hepatic fibrosis markers such as α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), collagen1, transforming growth factors-β (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), MCP-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, nuclear factor κB (NFκB), and GRP78. Remarkably, histopathological studies confirmed that 15 mg/kg of Gyp LXXV administration to MCD diet-induced mice led to effective prevention of liver injury, lipid accumulation, and activation of hepatic macrophages, indicating that Gyp LXXV might be a potential anti-NASH drug.

Skeletal muscle is an essential tissue that attaches to bones and facilitates body movements. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a hormone found in blood that plays an important role in skeletal myogenesis and is importantly associated with muscle mass entity, strength development, and degeneration and increases the proliferative capacity of muscle satellite cells (MSCs). IGF-1R is an IGF-1 receptor with a transmembrane location that activates PI3K/Akt signaling and possesses tyrosine kinase activity, and its expression is significant in terms of myoblast proliferation and normal muscle mass maintenance. IGF-1 synthesis is elevated in MSCs of injured muscles and stimulates MSCs proliferation and myogenic differentiation. Mechanical loading also affects skeletal muscle production by IGF-1, and low IGF-1 levels are associated with low handgrip strength and poor physical performance. IGF-1 is potentially useful in the management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, muscle atrophy, and promotes neurite development. This review highlights the role of IGF-1 in skeletal muscle, its importance during myogenesis, and its involvement in different disease conditions.

Caspase 8 is a central player in the apoptotic cell death pathway and is also essential for cytokine processing. The critical role of this protease in cell death pathways has generated research interest because its activation has also been linked with neural cell death. Thus, blocking the activity of caspase 8 is considered a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. To extend the repertoire of caspase 8 inhibitors, we employed several computational approaches to identify potential caspase 8 inhibitors. Based on the structural information of reported inhibitors, we designed several individual and consensus pharmacophore models and then screened the ZINC database, which contains 105,480 compounds. Screening generated 5332 candidates, but after applying stringent criteria only two candidate compounds, ZINC19370490 and ZINC04534268, were evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations and subjected to Molecular Mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) analysis. These compounds were stable throughout simulations and interacted with targeted protein by forming hydrogen and van der Waal bonds. MM-PBSA analysis showed that these compounds were comparable or better than reported caspase 8 inhibitors. Furthermore, their physical properties were found to be acceptable, and they are non-toxic according to the ADMET online server. We suggest that the inhibitory efficacies of ZINC19370490 and ZINC04534268 be subjected to experimental validation.

Metformin is known to alleviate hepatosteatosis by inducing 5’ adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-kinase-independent, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-mediated autophagy. Dysfunctional mitophagy in response to glucolipotoxicities might play an important role in hepatosteatosis. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which metformin induces mitophagy through restoration of the suppressed Parkin-mediated mitophagy. To this end, our ob/ob mice were divided into three groups: (1) ad libitum feeding of a standard chow diet; (2) intraperitoneal injections of metformin 300 mg/kg; and (3) 3 g/day caloric restriction (CR). HepG2 cells were treated with palmitate (PA) plus high glucose in the absence or presence of metformin. We detected enhanced mitophagy in ob/ob mice treated with metformin or CR, whereas mitochondrial spheroids were observed in mice fed ad libitum. Metabolically stressed ob/ob mice and PA-treated HepG2 cells showed an increase in expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers and cytosolic p53. Cytosolic p53 inhibited mitophagy by disturbing the mitochondrial translocation of Parkin, as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation. However, metformin decreased ER stress and p53 expression, resulting in induction of Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Furthermore, pifithrin-α, a specific inhibitor of p53, increased mitochondrial incorporation into autophagosomes. Taken together, these results indicate that metformin treatment facilitates Parkin-mediated mitophagy rather than mitochondrial spheroid formation by decreasing the inhibitory interaction with cytosolic p53 and increasing degradation of mitofusins.