Haplotype-resolved genome assembly and resequencing analysis provide insights into genome evolution and allelic imbalance in Pinus densiflora.

Haplotype-level allelic characterization facilitates research on the functional, evolutionary and breeding-related features of extremely large and complex plant genomes. We report a 21.7-Gb chromosome-level haplotype-resolved assembly in Pinus densiflora.

Electrostatic attachment of exosome onto a 3D-fabricated calcium silicate/polycaprolactone for enhanced bone regeneration.

Exosomes have garnered attention for use in bone regeneration, but their low activity, rapid degradation, and inaccurate delivery have been obstacles to their use in clinical applications. As such, there exists a need for an exosome-integrated delivery platform. Calcium silicate (Ca-Si) is considered one of the most promising bioceramics for bone regeneration because of its remarkable ability to promote hydroxyapatite formation, osteoblast proliferation, and differentiation.

Acid-degradable lipid nanoparticles enhance the delivery of mRNA.

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mRNA complexes are transforming medicine. However, the medical applications of LNPs are limited by their low endosomal disruption rates, high toxicity and long tissue persistence times. LNPs that rapidly hydrolyse in endosomes (RD-LNPs) could solve the problems limiting LNP-based therapeutics and dramatically expand their applications but have been challenging to synthesize.

A Mycobacterium bovis outbreak among exhibition animals at a zoo in the Republic of Korea: the first contact investigation of zoonotic tuberculosis.

Background: Between July 2, 2021, and September 20, 2022, a Mycobacterium bovis outbreak occurred among exhibition animals at a zoo in the Republic of Korea. This study was conducted to assess the likelihood of M. bovis transmission to human contacts through a contact investigation and to implement preventive treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Iodine intake from brown seaweed and the related nutritional risk assessment in Koreans.

Background/objectives: Although iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production and controls many metabolic processes, there are few reports on the iodine intake of the population because of the scarcity of information on the iodine content in food. This study estimated the iodine intake of Koreans from brown seaweed, the major source of iodine in nature.

Subjects/methods: The dietary intake data from the recent Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2021) and the iodine content in brown seaweed were used for the estimation.

Perimyocarditis in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis Treated with 5-Aminosalicylic Acid.

5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is recommended for managing ulcerative colitis. Common adverse effects associated with 5-ASA include gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and skin rashes. Perimyocarditis induced by 5-ASA is a rare adverse effect, with only a limited number of cases reported.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a movie theater outbreak in Incheon in the Republic of Korea, November 2021: a retrospective study.

Background: We examined factors contributing to the transmission of an acute respiratory virus within multi-use facilities, focusing on an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a movie theater in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved a descriptive analysis of 48 confirmed cases. Logistic regression was applied to a cohort of 80 theater attendees to identify risk factors for infection.

Saliva-based Proteinase K method: A rapid and reliable diagnostic tool for the detection of SARS-COV-2 in children.

Early and accurate detection of viruses in children might help prevent transmission and severe diseases. In this study, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) detection in children was evaluated using saliva specimens with a Proteinase K (PTK)-based RNA preparation, as saliva collection is a simple and noninvasive procedure, even in young children, with fewer concerns about sample contamination. The saliva-based PTK and the conventional paired nasopharyngeal aspiration (NPA)-based detection methods were compared between COVID-19-positive and -negative children.

Oomycete effector AVRblb2 targets cyclic nucleotide-gated channels through calcium sensors to suppress pattern-triggered immunity.

Transient and rapid increase in cytosolic Ca plays a crucial role in plant-pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI). Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) have been implicated in mediating this Ca influx; however, their regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we have found that AVRblb2 requires the calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin-like (CML) proteins as co-factors to interact with the NbCNGCs, resulting in the formation of AVRblb2-CaM/CML-NbCNGCs complex.

Better medical care quality in weekday daytime schedule with gastrointestinal hospitalists than conventional care teams.

Objectives: This study sought to uncover whether having a gastrointestinal (GI) hospitalist available during weekday daytime hours results in higher-quality medical care compared to care provided by a team of residents.

Methods: Our hospitalist GI team consisted of two gastroenterologists working weekday daytime hours and two physician assistants. The team of conventional care headed by thirteen professors, comprised twelve residents and eight physician assistants.

Accuracy of Rapid Antigen Screening Tests for SARS-CoV-2 Infection at Correctional Facilities in Korea: March - May 2022.

Background: The number of confirmed cases of individuals with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection increased rapidly due to the Omicron variant. Correctional facilities are vulnerable to infectious diseases, and they introduced rapid antigen tests (RATs) to allow for early detection and rapid response. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance and usefulness of SARS-CoV-2 RATs in newly incarcerated people.

upregulates muscle regeneration and augments function through muscle oxidative metabolism.

Skeletal muscle wasting related to aging or pathological conditions is critically associated with the increased incidence and prevalence of secondary diseases including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, and chronic inflammations. Much effort is made to develop agents to enhance muscle metabolism and function. (.

Lipid Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA to the Brain after an Intracerebral Injection.

Neurological disorders are often debilitating conditions with no cure. The majority of current therapies are palliative rather than disease-modifying; therefore, new strategies for treating neurological disorders are greatly needed. mRNA-based therapeutics have great potential for treating such neurological disorders; however, challenges with delivery have limited their clinical potential.

Protein stability governed by α1-2 helices in Pvr4 is essential for localization and cell death.

Plant nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich-repeat receptor (NLR) confers disease resistance to various pathogens by recognizing effectors derived from the pathogen. Previous studies have shown that overexpression of the CC domain in several NLRs triggers cell death, implying that the CC domain plays an important role as a signaling module. However, how CC domain transduces immune signals remains largely unknown.

Association of Early Hysterectomy With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Women.

Importance: Women who undergo surgical hysterectomy before natural menopause may have an earlier increase in hematocrit and storage iron levels than those who continue menstruation, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at ages younger than usually seen. Examining this issue may provide important implications for women's cardiovascular health to both physicians and patients.

Objective: To evaluate the association of hysterectomy with the risk of incident CVD among women before age 50 years.

HPr prevents FruR-mediated facilitation of RNA polymerase binding to the fru promoter in Vibrio cholerae.

Phosphorylation state-dependent interactions of the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP):carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) components with transcription factors play a key role in carbon catabolite repression (CCR) by glucose in bacteria. Glucose inhibits the PTS-dependent transport of fructose and is preferred over fructose in Vibrio cholerae, but the mechanism is unknown. We have recently shown that, contrary to Escherichia coli, the fructose-dependent transcriptional regulator FruR acts as an activator of the fru operon in V.

An induced annual modulation signature in COSINE-100 data by DAMA/LIBRA's analysis method.

The DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has reported the observation of an annual modulation in the event rate that has been attributed to dark matter interactions over the last two decades. However, even though tremendous efforts to detect similar dark matter interactions were pursued, no definitive evidence has been observed to corroborate the DAMA/LIBRA signal. Many studies assuming various dark matter models have attempted to reconcile DAMA/LIBRA's modulation signals and null results from other experiments, however no clear conclusion can be drawn.

Protocol for assessing phagocytosis activity in cultured primary murine microglia.

In this protocol, we describe steps to assess inflammation-induced cell response in cultured primary murine microglia through the analysis of fluorescent bead phagocytosis. We detail primary murine mixed glial cell culture preparation followed by microglia-specific isolation. Further, we describe treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce phagocytosis of fluorescent beads, followed by quantitative analysis using fluorescent imaging and Fiji - ImageJ software.

The Phytophthora capsici RxLR effector CRISIS2 triggers cell death via suppressing plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the host plant.

Pathogen effectors can suppress various plant immune responses, suggesting that they have multiple targets in the host. To understand the mechanisms underlying plasma membrane-associated and effector-mediated immunity, we screened the Phytophthora capsici RxLR cell death-inducer suppressing immune system (CRISIS). We found that the cell death induced by the CRISIS2 effector in Nicotiana benthamiana was inhibited by the irreversible plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PMA) activator fusicoccin.

Imitative and contagious behaviors in animals and their potential roles in the study of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Social learning in the forms of imitative and contagious behaviors are essential for learning abilities and social interaction. However, children with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities show impairments in these behaviors, which profoundly affect their communication skills and cognitive functions. Although these deficits are well studied in humans, pre-clinical animal model assessments of imitative and contagious behavioral deficits are limited.