Demographic, medical, and neighborhood barriers to clinical neuropsychological services in pediatric medulloblastoma patients treated in the United States.

Background: Medulloblastoma is the most commonly occurring malignant brain tumor of childhood. Treatment includes a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, all of which are associated with cognitive impairments. Despite appreciation of the value of neuropsychological evaluations to assess for cognitive impairments, there are barriers to these evaluations.

Quality Differences in Frozen Mackerel According to Thawing Method: Potential Classification via Hyperspectral Imaging.

Seafood quality preservation remains a critical focus in the food industry, particularly as the freeze-thaw process significantly impacts the freshness and safety of aquatic products. This study investigated quality changes in frozen mackerel subjected to two thawing methods, room temperature (RT) and running water (WT), and assessed the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for classifying these methods. After thawing, mackerel samples were stored at 5 °C for 21 days, with physicochemical, textural, and spectroscopic analyses tracking quality changes and supporting the development of a spectroscopic classification model.

Beyond the Nest: The Role of Financial Independence in Young Adult Health.

Background: This study aimed to examine the impact of neighborhood conditions and household material hardship experiences on young adult health outcomes, while also considering financial autonomy as a critical determinant of health.

Method: We employed a cross-sectional observational design with a diverse sample of young adults from a large urban university. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between neighborhood conditions and material hardship with health outcomes by financial autonomy.

Solid-state self carbo-passivation for refurbishing colloidal dispersity of catalytic silica nanoreactors.

Silica-based nanostructures are among the most utilized materials. However, a persistent challenge is their irreversible agglomeration upon drying and heat treatments, restricting their homogeneous colloidal re-dispersion - a mandatory requirement for diverse bio-applications. We address this bottleneck by developing a self carbo-passivation (SCP) strategy: silica nanoparticles (NPs), pre-included with the catalytic metal precursors and organosilanes undergo thermochemical conversion with highly controlled interior-to-surface segregation of nanometer-scale "carbonaceous skin patches".

Seasonal dynamics of tick species as SFTSV vectors in South Korea.

Unlabelled: Ticks pose a significant public health threat due to their ability to transmit various pathogens, including emerging tick-borne diseases. This study conducted a comprehensive surveillance of tick species and their severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection rates in South Korea throughout the year 2023, from January to December. To ensure accurate and rapid identification of the prevalent tick species in South Korea, we designed PCR primer sets targeting the ITS1 gene, specifically distinguishing from .

Comparative H NMR-Based Metabolomics of Traditional Landrace and Disease-Resistant Chili Peppers ( L.).

Chili peppers ( L.) are economically valuable crops belonging to the Solanaceae family and are popular worldwide because of their unique spiciness and flavor. In this study, differences in the metabolomes of landrace (Subicho) and disease-resistant pepper cultivars (Bulkala and Kaltanbaksa) widely grown in Korea are investigated using a H NMR-based metabolomics approach.

Evolutional dynamics of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 genotypes in wintering bird habitats: Insights from South Korea's 2020-2021 season.

The winter of 2020-2021 in South Korea witnessed severe outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses, specifically multiple genotypes of the H5N8 subtype. These outbreaks prompted an extensive investigation into the genetic characteristics and evolutionary dynamics of these viruses. Under the auspices of the National Institute of Wildlife Disease Control and Prevention (NIWDC), we conducted a nationwide surveillance program, collecting 7588 specimens from diverse wild bird habitats.

Performance Evaluation of the STANDARD i-Q COVID-19 Ag Test with Nasal and Oral Swab Specimens from Symptomatic Patients.

We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the STANDARD i-Q COVID-19 Ag Test, which was developed to detect viral antigens, using nasal and oral swabs. Sixty positive and 100 negative samples were analyzed. We determined the distribution of the Ct values according to the day of sample collection after symptom onset, the diagnostic performance of the total samples and subgroups separated by Ct value or time of sample collection, and the Ct value at which maximal accuracy was expected.

HA N193D substitution in the HPAI H5N1 virus alters receptor binding affinity and enhances virulence in mammalian hosts.

During the 2021/2022 winter season, we isolated highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses harbouring an amino acid substitution from Asparagine(N) to Aspartic acid (D) at residue 193 of the hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding domain (RBD) from migratory birds in South Korea. Herein, we investigated the characteristics of the N193D HA-RBD substitution in the A/CommonTeal/Korea/W811/2021[CT/W811] virus by using recombinant viruses engineered via reverse genetics (RG). A receptor affinity assay revealed that the N193D HA-RBD substitution in CT/W811 increases α2,6 sialic acid receptor binding affinity.

Emotion regulation strategies and psychological health across cultures.

Emotion regulation is important for psychological health and can be achieved by implementing various strategies. How one regulates emotions is critical for maximizing psychological health. Few studies, however, tested the psychological correlates of different emotion regulation strategies across multiple cultures.

Postharvest Quality Improvement of Bell Pepper ( L. cv Nagano) with Forced-Air Precooling and Modified Atmosphere Packaging.

Optimum postharvest storage conditions increase the postharvest quality and shelf life of horticultural crops. The effects of forced-air precooling (FAP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on shelf life, physicochemical quality, and health-promoting properties of bell pepper ( L. cv.

SARS-CoV-2 variants with NSP12 P323L/G671S mutations display enhanced virus replication in ferret upper airways and higher transmissibility.

With the emergence of multiple predominant SARS-CoV-2 variants, it becomes important to have a comprehensive assessment of their viral fitness and transmissibility. Here, we demonstrate that natural temperature differences between the upper (33°C) and lower (37°C) respiratory tract have profound effects on SARS-CoV-2 replication and transmissibility. Specifically, SARS-CoV-2 variants containing the NSP12 mutations P323L or P323L/G671S exhibit enhanced RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity at 33°C compared with 37°C and high transmissibility.

Stratum-Confined Solid-State Reaction (SC-SSR) toward Colloidal Silicon-Based Hollow Nanostructures for Bioapplications.

Silicon nanostructures (SiNSs) can provide multifaceted bioapplications; but preserving their subhundred nm size during high-temperature silica-to-silicon conversion is the major bottleneck. The SC-SSR utilizes an interior metal-silicide stratum space at a predetermined radial distance inside silica nanosphere to guide the magnesiothermic reduction reaction (MTR)-mediated synthesis of hollow and porous SiNSs. In depth mechanistic study explores solid-to-hollow transformation encompassing predefined radial boundary through the participation of metal-silicide species directing the in-situ formed Si-phase accumulation within the narrow stratum.

Transcriptomic analysis of effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and ethylene treatment on kiwifruit () ripening.

Ethylene (ET) is a gaseous phytohormone with a crucial role in the ripening of many fruits, including kiwifruit ( spp.). Meanwhile, treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an artificial ET inhibitor delays the ripening of kiwifruit.

Effect of Moisture Content Difference on the Analysis of Quality Attributes of Red Pepper ( L.) Powder Using a Hyperspectral System.

The variety of characteristics of red pepper makes it difficult to analyze at the production field through hyperspectral imaging. The importance of pretreatment to adjust the moisture content (MC) in the process of predicting the quality attributes of red pepper powder through hyperspectral imaging was investigated. Hyperspectral images of four types of red pepper powder with different pungency levels and MC were acquired in the visible near-infrared (VIS-NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) regions.

Seroprevalence of Varicella-Zoster Virus and Measles among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Medical Center in Korea.

Measles and varicella still occur in the general population despite the widespread vaccination against them, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are still at risk of exposure to these diseases. Here, we evaluated the seroprevalence of measles and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in HCWs and the trend of seroprevalence according to age, birth year, and occupational group. The serostatuses of measles and VZV of HCWs during new employee medical examinations between October 2015 and October 2021 were included.

Micropattern-based nerve guidance conduit with hundreds of microchannels and stem cell recruitment for nerve regeneration.

Guiding the regrowth of thousands of nerve fibers within a regeneration-friendly environment enhances the regeneration capacity in the case of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Although clinical treatments are available and several studies have been conducted, the development of nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) with desirable properties, including controllable size, hundreds of nerve bundle-sized microchannels, and host stem-cell recruitment, remains challenging. In this study, the micropattern-based fabrication method was combined with stem-cell recruitment factor (substance P, SP) immobilization onto the main material to produce a size-tunable NGC with hundreds of microchannels with stem-cell recruitment capability.

Changes in Volatile Compounds in Short-Term High CO-Treated 'Seolhyang' Strawberry () Fruit during Cold Storage.

'Seolhyang' strawberry is harvested before it is fully ripened and treated with CO to extend the shelf-life. However, the volatile changes in the 'Seolhyang' strawberry after short-term CO treatment have not been investigated, although the volatile profile is an important quality attribute. Herein, we investigated the effect of short-term high CO treatment on the changes in the composition of volatile compounds in 'Seolhyang' strawberries at two ripening stages (i.

SARS-CoV-2 variants show temperature-dependent enhanced polymerase activity in the upper respiratory tract and high transmissibility.

With the convergent global emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC), a precise comparison study of viral fitness and transmission characteristics is necessary for the prediction of dominant VOCs and the development of suitable countermeasures. While airway temperature plays important roles in the fitness and transmissibility of respiratory tract viruses, it has not been well studied with SARS-CoV-2. Here we demonstrate that natural temperature differences between the upper (33°C) and lower (37°C) respiratory tract have profound effects on SARS-CoV-2 replication and transmission.

Evidence of Greater Competitive Fitness of Erwinia amylovora over E. pyrifoliae in Korean Isolates.

Erwinia amylovora and E. pyrifoliae are the causative agents of destructive diseases in both apple and pear trees viz. fire blight and black shoot blight, respectively.