Understanding which compounds comprising the complex and dynamic marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool are important in supporting heterotrophic bacterial production remains a major challenge. We eliminated sources of labile phytoplankton products, advected terrestrial material and photodegradation products to coastal microbial communities by enclosing water samples in situ for 24 h in the dark. Bacterial genes for which expression decreased between the beginning and end of the incubation and chemical formulae that were depleted over this same time frame were used as indicators of bioavailable compounds, an approach that avoids augmenting or modifying the natural DOM pool. Transport- and metabolism-related genes whose relative expression decreased implicated osmolytes, carboxylic acids, fatty acids, sugars and organic sulfur compounds as candidate bioreactive molecules. FT-ICR MS analysis of depleted molecular formulae implicated functional groups ~ 30-40 Da in size cleaved from semi-polar components of DOM as bioreactive components. Both gene expression and FT-ICR MS analyses indicated higher lability of compounds with sulfur and nitrogen heteroatoms. Untargeted methodologies able to integrate biological and chemical perspectives can be effective strategies for characterizing the labile microbial metabolites participating in carbon flux.

Background Identification of specific needs in patients with cancer is very important for the provision of patient-centered medical service. The aim of this study was to investigate the unmet needs and related factors of Korean breast cancer survivors. Methods A multicenter, cross-sectional, interview survey was performed among 332 Korean breast cancer survivors. The Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for cancer patients was administered to survivors who gave written informed consent to participate. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Results The level of unmet needs was highest in the domain ‘Information and education’ (mean ± SD; 1.70 ± 1.14) and the item with the highest level of unmet needs was ‘Needed help in coping with fear of recurrence’ (2.04 ± 1.09). Unmet needs were correlated with age, stage, multiplicity, HER2, treatment state, marital status, employment, psychosocial status, and problems in EQ-5D dimensions. In multiple regression analysis, the 50–59 age group showed a higher level of recognition for physical symptom needs and the unemployed group expressed greater needs for information and education. Survivors with multiplicity had greater needs in the domains of healthcare staff and physical symptom. The stress group showed high levels of needs in all domains except religious support. The group with thoughts of suicide showed higher levels of unmet needs for physical symptom. Conclusion Most prevalent unmet needs in Korean breast cancer survivors were found in the ‘information and education’ domain. The 50–59 age group, unemployment, multiplicity, stress and suicidal thoughts were associated with higher levels of unmet needs among Korean breast cancer survivors. Our findings revealed more vulnerable breast cancer survivors with unmet needs and physicians should take a precision approach to satisfy unmet needs of these survivors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-6064-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Aim: The effect of coumarin derivatives on melanogenesis was investigated in B16 murine melanoma cells. Methods: Melanin content and tyrosinase activity were analyzed spectrophotometrically. The expression of tyrosinase, tyrosinaserelated protein-1 (TRP-1) and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) were measured either by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or Western blot. Results: Among the coumarin derivatives studied, scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) was the most potent; the 6-or 7-methoxy group was found to be essential for the stimulation of melanogenesis. The melanin content was greatly increased by scoparone in a dose-dependent manner; there was no cytotoxicity at the effective concentrations. Scoparone increased enzyme activity as well as protein and mRNA expression of tyrosinase. In addition, mRNA of TRP-1 and TRP-2 were also increased after treatment with scoparone. H-89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA), completely inhibited the scoparone-induced increase of melanogenesis and the tyrosinase protein. Conclusion: These results suggest that scoparone-induced stimulation of melanogenesis is likely to occur at the transcriptional level of melanogenesis-related enzymes through PKA signaling.

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Protein secretion in general depends on signal sequence (also named leader sequence), a hydrophobic segment located at or close to the NH2-terminus of a secretory or membrane protein. This sequence guides the entry of nascent polypeptides into the lumen or membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for folding, assembly, and export. However, evidence accumulated in recent years has suggested the existence of a collection of unconventional protein secretion (UPS) mechanisms that are independent of the canonical vesicular trafficking route between the ER and the plasma membrane (PM). These UPS mechanisms export soluble proteins bearing no signal sequence. The list of UPS cargos is rapidly expanding, along with the implicated biological functions, but molecular mechanisms accountable for the secretion of leaderless proteins are still poorly defined. This review summarizes our current understanding of UPS mechanisms with an emphasis on the emerging role of endo-lysosomes in this process.

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a functional food and has been well known for keeping good health due to its anti-fatigue and immunomodulating activities. However, there is no data on Korean red ginseng for its preventive activity against acute respiratory illness (ARI). The study was conducted in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers (Clinical Trial Number: NCT01478009). Our primary efficacy end point was the number of ARI reported and secondary efficacy end point was severity of symptoms, number of symptoms, and duration of ARI. A total of 100 volunteers were enrolled in the study. Fewer subjects in the KRG group reported contracting at least 1 ARI than in the placebo group (12 [24.5%] vs 22 [44.9%], P = 0.034), the difference was statistically significant between the two groups. The symptom duration of the subjects who experienced the ARI, was similar between the two groups (KRG vs placebo; 5.2 ± 2.3 vs 6.3 ± 5.0, P = 0.475). The symptom scores were low tendency in KRG group (KRG vs placebo; 9.5 ± 4.5 vs 17.6 ± 23.1, P = 0.241). The study suggests that KRG may be effective in protecting subjects from contracting ARI, and may have the tendency to decrease the duration and scores of ARI symptoms.

Our results indicate that n-3 PUFAs play a crucial role in macrophage polarization and chemotaxis, and thus regulate the development of HFD-induced tissue inflammation and metabolic derangements.

Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an acute, febrile, and potentially fatal tick-borne disease caused by the SFTS Phlebovirus. Here, we evaluated the effects of steroid therapy in Korean patients with SFTS. Methods A retrospective study was performed in a multicenter SFTS clinical cohort from 13 Korean university hospitals between 2013 and 2017. We performed survival analysis using propensity score matching of 142 patients with SFTS diagnosed by genetic or antibody tests. Results Overall fatality rate was 23.2%, with 39.7% among 58 patients who underwent steroid therapy. Complications were observed in 37/58 (63.8%) and 25/83 (30.1%) patients in the steroid and non-steroid groups, respectively (P < .001). Survival analysis after propensity score matching showed a significant difference in mean 30-day survival time between the non-steroid and steroid groups in patients with a mild condition [Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score <14; 29.2 (95% CI 27.70–30.73] vs. 24.9 (95% CI 21.21–28.53], P = .022]. Survival times for the early steroid (≤5 days from the start of therapy after symptom onset), late steroid (>5 days), and non-steroid groups, were 18.4, 22.4, and 27.3 days, respectively (P = .005). Conclusions After steroid therapy, an increase in complications was observed among patients with SFTS. Steroid therapy should be used with caution, considering the possible negative effects of steroid therapy within 5 days of symptom onset or in patients with mild disease (APACHE II score <14).