Accurate predictions of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity from comprehensive analysis.

An unprecedented amount of SARS-CoV-2 data has been accumulated compared with previous infectious diseases, enabling insights into its evolutionary process and more thorough analyses. This study investigates SARS-CoV-2 features as it evolved to evaluate its infectivity. We examined viral sequences and identified the polarity of amino acids in the receptor binding motif (RBM) region.

Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat network underlies nonhost resistance of pepper against the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans.

Nonhost resistance (NHR) is a robust plant immune response against non-adapted pathogens. A number of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins that recognize non-adapted pathogens have been identified, although the underlying molecular mechanisms driving robustness of NHR are still unknown. Here, we screened 57 effectors of the potato late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans in nonhost pepper (Capsicum annuum) to identify avirulence effector candidates.

Dietary vitamin D intake in low ultraviolet irradiation seasons is associated with a better nutritional status of vitamin D in Korean adults according to the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Vitamin D deficiency poses a global public health burden; however, there are limited studies on the relationship between vitamin D intake and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration in Koreans with a special focus on seasonal variables. We hypothesized that the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and vitamin D intake levels in Korean adults would change with the seasons, and that the distribution of food sources for vitamin D would vary according to sex and age. We established a new version of the food vitamin D database, analyzed the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2014 data (n = 3257), and calculated the vitamin D intake of Koreans using a complex sample model.

Nanocomposites-based targeted oral drug delivery systems with infliximab in a murine colitis model.

Background: Infliximab (IFX), a TNF-α blocking chimeric monoclonal antibody, induces clinical response and mucosal healing in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, systemic administration of this agent causes unwanted side effects. Oral delivery of antibody therapeutics might be an effective treatment strategy for IBD compared to intravenous administration.

Plasmonic-based colorimetric and spectroscopic discrimination of acetic and butyric acids produced by different types of Escherichia coli through the different assembly structures formation of gold nanoparticles.

We present a plasmonic-based strategy for the colourimetric and spectroscopic differentiation of various organic acids produced by bacteria. The strategy is based on our discovery that particular concentrations of dl-lactic, acetic, and butyric acids induce different assembly structures, colours, and optical spectra of gold nanoparticles. We selected wild-type (K-12 W3110) and genetically-engineered (JHL61) Escherichia coli (E.