Vitamin D insufficiency is very common, and it is now a greater threat to the younger generation in Korea. Current recommendations for vitamin D intakes for Koreans are inadequate, especially for the youth.

Missense mutations (A30P and A53T) in alpha-synuclein and the overproduction of the wild-type protein cause familial forms of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Alpha-synuclein is the major component of the filamentous Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites that define these diseases at a neuropathological level. Recently, a third missense mutation (E46K) in alpha-synuclein was described in an inherited form of dementia with Lewy bodies. Here, we have investigated the functional effects of this novel mutation on phospholipid binding and filament assembly of alpha-synuclein. When compared to the wild-type protein, the E46K mutation caused a significantly increased ability of alpha-synuclein to bind to negatively charged liposomes, unlike the previously described mutations. The E46K mutation increased the rate of filament assembly to the same extent as the A53T mutation. Filaments formed from E46K alpha-synuclein often had a twisted morphology with a cross-over spacing of 43 nm. The observed effects on lipid binding and filament assembly may explain the pathogenic nature of the E46K mutation in alpha-synuclein.

Metabolic syndrome is present in more than 15% of South Koreans despite a low prevalence of obesity. Higher BMI and current smoking were identified as independent modifiable risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Weight control and smoking cessation may therefore decrease the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in South Korean adults.

A facile method has been developed to detect pathogenic bacteria using magnetic nanoparticle clusters (MNCs) and a 3D-printed helical microchannel. Antibody-functionalized MNCs were used to capture E. coli (EC) bacteria in milk, and the free MNCs and MNC-EC complexes were separated from the milk using a permanent magnet. The free MNCs and MNC-EC complexes were dispersed in a buffer solution, then the solution was injected into a helical microchannel device with or without a sheath flow. The MNC-EC complexes were separated from the free MNCs via the Dean drag force and lift force, and the separation was facilitated in the presence of a sheath flow. The concentration of the E. coli bacteria was determined using a light absorption spectrometer, and the limit of detection was found to be 10 cfu/mL in buffer solution and 100 cfu/mL in milk.

No abstract