HDAC6 mediates NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a major blindness cause in developed countries, is intricately linked to diabetes management and its duration. Here, we demonstrate that HDAC6 mediates NLRP3 inflammasome activation under diabetic conditions, leading to retinal inflammation and degeneration.

Methods: This study demonstrated the therapeutic effects of HDAC6 genetic ablation, pharmacological inhibition, and HDAC6-deficient bone marrow transplantation in a diabetes model induced by streptozotocin and a high-fat diet.

Dopamine-conjugated extracellular vesicles induce autophagy in Parkinson's disease.

The application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as vehicles for anti-Parkinson's agents represents a significant advance, yet their clinical translation is hampered by challenges in efficient brain delivery and complex blood-brain barrier (BBB) targeting strategies. In this study, we engineered dopamine onto the surface of adipose-derived stem cell EVs (Dopa-EVs) utilizing a facile, two-step cross-linking approach. This engineering enhanced neuronal uptake of the EVs in primary neurons and neuroblastoma cells, a process shown to be competitively inhibited by dopamine pretreatment and dopamine receptor antibodies.

Time-course characterization of whole-transcriptome dynamics of HepG2/C3A spheroids and its toxicological implications.

Physiologically relevant in vitro models are a priority in predictive toxicology to replace and/or reduce animal experiments. The compromised toxicant metabolism of many immortalized human liver cell lines grown as monolayers as compared to in vivo metabolism limits their physiological relevance. However, recent efforts to culture liver cells in a 3D environment, such as spheroids, to better mimic the in vivo conditions, may enhance the toxicant metabolism of human liver cell lines.

Engineered exosomes with a photoinducible protein delivery system enable CRISPR-Cas-based epigenome editing in Alzheimer's disease.

Effective intracellular delivery of therapeutic proteins can potentially treat a wide array of diseases. However, efficient delivery of functional proteins across the cell membrane remains challenging. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles naturally secreted by various types of cells and may serve as promising nanocarriers for therapeutic biomolecules.

CWAS-Plus: estimating category-wide association of rare noncoding variation from whole-genome sequencing data with cell-type-specific functional data.

Variants in cis-regulatory elements link the noncoding genome to human pathology; however, detailed analytic tools for understanding the association between cell-level brain pathology and noncoding variants are lacking. CWAS-Plus, adapted from a Python package for category-wide association testing (CWAS), enhances noncoding variant analysis by integrating both whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and user-provided functional data. With simplified parameter settings and an efficient multiple testing correction method, CWAS-Plus conducts the CWAS workflow 50 times faster than CWAS, making it more accessible and user-friendly for researchers.

Isolation of Phytochrome B Photobodies.

Phytochrome B (phyB), a plant photoreceptor, forms a membraneless organelle known as a photobody. Here, we present a protocol for the isolation of phyB photobodies through fluorescence-activated particle sorting from mature transgenic Arabidopsis leaves expressing phyB-GFP. This protocol involves the isolation of nuclei from frozen ground leaves using sucrose gradient centrifugation, the disruption of nuclear envelopes by sonication, and the subsequent isolation of phyB photobodies through fluorescence-activated particle sorting.

Light-Dependent High Ambient Temperature-Induced Senescence Assay Using Whole Seedlings.

High ambient temperature affects various plant developmental and physiological processes, including senescence. Here, we present a protocol for assaying light-dependent high ambient temperature-induced senescence using whole seedlings. The protocol covers all steps, from inducing senescence by darkness at high ambient temperature to determining the degree of senescence, and includes experimental tips and notes.

Phytochrome B photobody components.

Phytochrome B (phyB) is a red and far-red photoreceptor that promotes light responses. Upon photoactivation, phyB enters the nucleus and forms a molecular condensate called a photobody through liquid-liquid phase separation. Phytochrome B photobody comprises phyB, the main scaffold molecule, and at least 37 client proteins.

"Meaning in Life" Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Loneliness was found to be a commonly experienced feeling among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and is considered to be a high-risk factor for depressive symptoms. Maintaining meaning in life has been found to be a protective resource for mental health among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of an individual's meaning in life in the relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among older Korean adults.

Epigenetic Modulations for Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Shrimp Aquaculture.

Aquaculture assumes a pivotal role in meeting the escalating global food demand, and shrimp farming, in particular, holds a significant role in the global economy and food security, providing a rich source of nutrients for human consumption. Nonetheless, the industry faces formidable challenges, primarily attributed to disease outbreaks and the diminishing efficacy of conventional disease management approaches, such as antibiotic usage. Consequently, there is an urgent imperative to explore alternative strategies to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

Sources of meaning in life among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

Aim: This study aims to explore the sources of meaning in life (MIL) and its impact on South Korean older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design: This study had a qualitative descriptive study design.

Methods: The study participants included 18 older adults.

Removal of evolutionarily conserved functional MYC domains in a tilapia cell line using a vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system.

MYC transcription factors have critical roles in facilitating a variety of cellular functions that have been highly conserved among species during evolution. However, despite circumstantial evidence for an involvement of MYC in animal osmoregulation, mechanistic links between MYC function and osmoregulation are missing. Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) represents an excellent model system to study these links because it is highly euryhaline and highly tolerant to osmotic (salinity) stress at both the whole organism and cellular levels of biological organization.

Direct indicators of social distancing effectiveness in COVID-19 outbreak stages: a correlational analysis of case contacts and population mobility in Korea.

Objectives: The effectiveness of social distancing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been evaluated using the magnitude of changes in population mobility. This study aimed to investigate a direct indicator-namely, the number of close contacts per patient with confirmed COVID-19.

Methods: From week 7, 2020 to week 43, 2021, population movement changes were calculated from the data of two Korean telecommunication companies and Google in accordance with social distancing stringency levels.

Phytochrome B photobodies are comprised of phytochrome B and its primary and secondary interacting proteins.

Phytochrome B (phyB) is a plant photoreceptor that forms a membraneless organelle called a photobody. However, its constituents are not fully known. Here, we isolated phyB photobodies from Arabidopsis leaves using fluorescence-activated particle sorting and analyzed their components.

Mixture and individual effects of benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde in zebrafish (Danio rerio) development: Metabolomics, epigenetics, and behavioral approaches.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential hazards of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the development of zebrafish. To this end, zebrafish embryos were exposed in two different windows, either alone or in a mixture with VOCs (benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde) [EW1: 4 ± 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 24 hpf and EW2: 24 ± 2 hpf to 48 hpf]. Alterations in global DNA methylation and related gene expression, behavioral responses, and stress-related gene expression were observed.

Prediction and Experimental Validation of a New Salinity-Responsive Cis-Regulatory Element (CRE) in a Tilapia Cell Line.

Transcriptional regulation is a major mechanism by which organisms integrate gene x environment interactions. It can be achieved by coordinated interplay between cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and transcription factors (TFs). Euryhaline tilapia () tolerate a wide range of salinity and thus are an appropriate model to examine transcriptional regulatory mechanisms during salinity stress in fish.

Improving Active Collaborative Clinical Learning Through a Mobile Application for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

Innovative teaching and learning strategies in pediatric clinical education are needed to ensure that learning outcomes are achieved efficiently and to improve students' satisfaction with the learning process. We developed a mobile application to enhance the clinical learning of nursing students during pediatric clinical practice and explored the participants' perceptions of the learning method. A mixed-method design and an online survey were used to assess participants' perceived achievement of learning objectives and satisfaction with the clinical practicum.

COVID-19 outbreak response at a nursing hospital in South Korea in the post-vaccination era, including an estimation of the effectiveness of the first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S).

Objectives: We descriptively reviewed a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak at a nursing hospital in Gyeonggi Province (South Korea) and assessed the effectiveness of the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in a real-world population.

Methods: The general process of the epidemiological investigation included a public health intervention. The relative risk (RR) of vaccinated and unvaccinated groups was calculated and compared to confirm the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) infection, and vaccine effectiveness was evaluated based on the calculated RR.

Effectiveness of Lifestyle Modification in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients with Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility and endocrine disorders among women of reproductive age. Previous studies have employed lifestyle interventions to manage anovulatory infertility and endocrine disorders. However, the effect of lifestyle interventions on the metabolic index remains ambiguous; (2) Methods: Data were obtained through a systematic search of the Ovid-Medline, Ovid-EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases.

Experience of a COVID-19 outbreak response in a general hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Korea.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in general hospitals are particularly risky because they not only overburden the regional healthcare delivery system, but also increase the possibility of community transmission. This study shares an experience of a COVID-19 outbreak response in a general hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Korea.

Methods: Since the first COVID-19 confirmed case was recognized in Hospital A on March 29, 2020, the Immediate Response Team of Gyeonggi Province and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency devised a plan to conduct an epidemiological investigation and minimize the paralysis of hospital functions.

Hepatitis A Outbreak in a Facility for the Disabled, Gyeonggi Province, Korea: An Epidemiological Investigation.

Objectives: The number of cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections has sharply increased in Korea, especially among young adults. In this study, an HAV outbreak in a facility for disabled people was investigated, and we found epidemiological differences both between 2 different generations and between generally abled and disabled groups.

Methods: We analyzed the incubation period and attack rate of an HAV outbreak and investigated the prevalence of HAV antibodies among the staff and residents of a facility for the disabled.