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Background: Smoking in adolescence leads to an intensified addiction to nicotine when physical and mental growth has not yet been completed. With the advent of e-cigarettes, the rate of e-cigarette use among Korean adolescents has been steadily increasing. To date, studies on e-cigarettes and oral health, especially on the relationship between smoking styles and oral health in adolescents, are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors for oral health problems caused by the repeated use of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.Methods: This explanatory research study compared the adolescents’ experiences of periodontal disease symptoms according to smoking type through a secondary analysis of the original data from the 15th Adolescent Health Behavior Survey (2019). Cross-analysis was performed to compare the smoking patterns according to the adolescents’ general characteristics. Finally, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine how smoking characteristics affect the adolescents’ experience of periodontal disease symptoms.Results: In terms of patients’ general characteristics, significant differences were observed in sex, school level, grades, household economic status, type of residence, and father’s education level between adolescents who smoked conventional cigarettes alone and those who smoked both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes (p＜0.05). After checking the factors affecting the smoking pattern and the experience of periodontal disease symptoms in adolescents, it was found that the duplicate smoking group was more likely to experience periodontal disease symptoms (odds ratio, 1.20) than the group that smoked conventional cigarettes alone (p＜0.05).Conclusion: Duplicate smokers experienced more symptoms of periodontal disease than those who smoked cigarettes alone. Based on the findings of this study, smoking cessation counseling according to the smoking type and differentiated education for oral health promotion should be provided.

Background: Owing to the increase in the aging population, the health problems of the elderly have become important social problems. Social support has a positive effect on improving the quality of life and prolonging the life of elderly people. It is one of the major factors that affects the oral health status of elderly people. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between oral health status and social support in elderly people using representative data.Methods: In this study, data from a community health survey in 2015 involving 63,929 elderly people aged over 65 years were analyzed. T-test and ANOVA analyses were performed to compare the general characteristics of and perception about social support. Additionally, a linear regression analysis was performed to confirm the relationship between perceptions about social support and subjective oral health status.Results: We found that sex, age, household income, education level, the presence of a spouse, existence of an unmet dental need, and regular oral check-up had a significant effect on subjective oral health status (p＜0.05). In addition, when controlled for all factors, social support has a significant impact on subjective oral health status.Conclusion: The findings indicate that social support is associated with the subjective oral health status of Korean elderly. This suggests that community-level or government investment is required to improve the oral health of the elderly. In particular, policy interventions such as the establishment of facilities that promote social networks, especially facilities based on friendship networks, are needed.

Bisphenol A (BPA) may be a critical risk factor for metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes. Sulforaphane is known to inhibit adipocyte differentiation and induce adipocyte lipolysis. This study sought to investigate the possible effects of sulforaphane on BPA-induced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. During the preadipocytes differentiation process, sulforaphane suppressed the expression of early adipogenic factors, PPARγ and C/EBPα, induced by BPA in 3T3-L1 cells. Based on cell cycle analysis, sulforaphane mediated the inhibition of mitotic clonal expansion via cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. The compound inhibited cell cycle progression by suppressing cell cycle regulators such as cyclin D1 and pRb and by increasing p21 and p27, cell cycle inhibitors. Moreover, sulforaphane activated phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC and decreased that of ERK1/2 and Akt. Sulforaphane exerts inhibitory effects on BPA-induced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells. Sulforaphane could be adipogenic properties for improving environmental pollutants.

The antioxidant activity and chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid contents were investigated from different parts of Acanthopanax senticosus and A. koreanum. Antioxidant activity was assessed by various in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, reducing power assays and ORAC, and the chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were validated by HPLC chromatography. Among the various extracts, the fruit extracts of A. senticosus and A. koreanum exhibited strongest antioxidant activities including ABTS, FRAP, reducing power and ORAC, however, strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed from the leaf extract of A. senticosus. In addition, the antioxidant activities of various extracts were correlated with total phenolic and proanthocyanidin contents. The major phenolic contents from various parts of these plants observed that leaf extract of A. senticosus expressed higher levels of chlorogenic acid (14.86 mg/dry weigh g) and caffeic acid (3.09 mg/dry weigh g) than other parts. Therefore, these results suggest that the leaf of A. senticosus may be an excellent natural source for functional foods and pharmaceutical agents, and the validated method was useful for the quality control of A. senticosus.

Sesame is an important oilseed crop, which has been used as a traditional health food to ameliorate the prevention of various diseases. We evaluated the changes in the anti-allergic activities of sesame by bioconversion. SDS-PAGE of non-fermented sesame proteins showed major allergen bands, while that of fermented sesame showed only a few protein bands. Additionally, we investigated the effectiveness of fermented sesame by bioconversion in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)- and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced HaCaT cells. In HaCaT cells, fermented sesame inhibited the mRNA expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), thymus and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Moreover, fermented sesame inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). Fermented sesame exerts anti-allergic effects by suppressing the expression of chemokines and cytokines via blockade of NF-κB and STAT1 activation.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation stimulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inflammatory cytokines. These signaling pathways participate in the degradation of the extracellular matrix and induce inflammatory responses that lead to photoaging. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity and the effect on MMPs and procollagen of putgyul extract in vitro. The anti-photoaging activity of putgyul extracts was estimated in vivo using hairless mice (HR-1). The putgyul extracts reduced MMP-1 production and increased the content of procollagen type I carboxy-terminal peptide in human dermal fibroblasts. Ultravilot-B (UVB)-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines and MMPs was detected in mice, and putgyul extracts suppressed the expression. These results suggest that putgyul extract inhibits photoaging by inhibiting the expression of MMPs that degrade collagen and inhibiting cytokines that induce inflammatory responses. The mouse model also demonstrated that oral administration of putgyul extracts decreased wrinkle depth, epidermal thickness, collagen degradation, and trans-epidermal water loss, and increased β-glucosidase activity on UVB exposed skin. Putgyul extract protects against UVB-induced damage of skin and could be valuable in the prevention of photoaging.

Rice bran, a by-product derived from processing rice, is a rich source of bioactive compounds. Recent studies have suggested that the fermentation can improve their biological activities. This study aimed to determined the level of γ-oryzanol, β-glucan and total phenol contents of fermented rice bran from 21 Korean varieties, as well as to evaluate their antioxidant activities. We also assessed the validation of the analytical method for determining γ-oryzanol content in fermented rice brans. Among the fermented rice brans, the Haedam rice bran contained the highest level of total phenol content (156.08 mg gallic acid equivalents/g), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity (71.30%) and ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity) value (1101.31 μM trolox equivalents/g). Furthermore, the fermented Migwang rice bran showed the highest level of γ-oryzanol content (294.77 ± 6.74 mg/100 g).

COVID-19-motivated social distancing made online concerts common practice in 2020 and 2021, with millions logging into streaming sites to see their favorite artists perform in realtime. For some fans, watching alone at home may have been enough, but concert-concurrent surges of social media activity suggest many virtual performance attendees are doing more. To understand why fans would turn their attention from these precious performance streams to social media, we explored Twitter engagement during four live streamed concerts performed by the Kpop group BTS in 2021. In public Tweets sampled by either concert hashtag or a predefined stream of users and keywords, we evaluated patterns in posting rates in relation to concert program events and investigated the content patterns in 1,200 Tweets sampled from four ranges of popularity (number of Retweets during the concert). Across concerts, short “Shout” Tweets surged at the start of songs, while the rate of retweets often fell during musical performances and shot up when BTS was off stage. Content analysis on the subsample found the materials most widely shared were informational or featured concert visuals, mimicking how fans use their phones at in-person concerts. Most original posts received few Retweets and were more personal and expressive of admiration for the performers. Comparison between the samples (concert hashtag vs. stream) also suggests users were strategic in using or omitting official concert hashtags with the strongest differences in the most widely disseminated content. Postings on Twitter during these performances seemed principally directed to fellow fans and audience members, by individuals choosing to share their own excitement and check in with others. By leveraging their existing social media networks, these concert attendees constructed a collective and interactive concert space, connecting with friends and strangers in the crowd and helping each other capture a richer experience than any broadcasting platform currently supports.

COVID-19-motivated social distancing made online concerts common practice in 2020 and 2021, with millions logging into streaming sites to see their favorite artists perform in realtime. For some fans, watching alone at home may have been enough, but concert-concurrent surges of social media activity suggest many virtual performance attendees are doing more. To understand why fans would turn their attention from these precious performance streams to social media, we explored Twitter engagement during four live streamed concerts performed by the Kpop group BTS in 2021. In public Tweets sampled by either concert hashtag or a predefined stream of users and keywords, we evaluated patterns in posting rates in relation to concert program events and investigated the content patterns in 1,200 Tweets sampled from four ranges of popularity (number of Retweets during the concert). Across concerts, short "Shout" Tweets surged at the start of songs, while the rate of retweets often fell during musical performances and shot up when BTS was off stage. Content analysis on the subsample found the materials most widely shared were informational or featured concert visuals, mimicking how fans use their phones at in-person concerts. Most original posts received fewRetweets and weremore personal and expressive of admiration for the performers. Comparison between the samples (concert hashtag vs. stream) also suggests users were strategic in using or omitting official concert hashtags with the strongest differences in the most widely disseminated content. Postings on Twitter during these performances seemed principally directed to fellow fans and audiencemembers, by individuals choosing to share their own excitement and check in with others. By leveraging their existing social media networks, these concert attendees constructed a collective and interactive concert space, connecting with friends and strangers in the crowd and helping each other capture a richer experience than any broadcasting platform currently supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]