Clinical Characterization, Natural History, and Detailed Phenotyping of NMNAT1-Associated Leber Congenital Amaurosis.

Purpose: To characterize the clinical phenotype and disease progression in patients with NMNAT1-associated Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) within the Korean population.

Design: Retrospective, observational case series.

Subjects: Fourteen patients with LCA with biallelic variants of NMNAT1 at a single tertiary referral center.

To Acquire or Not to Acquire: Evaluating Compressive Sensing for Raman Spectroscopy in Biology.

Raman spectroscopy has revolutionized the field of chemical biology by providing detailed chemical and compositional information with minimal sample preparation. Despite its advantages, the technique suffers from low throughput due to the weak Raman effect, necessitating long acquisition times and expensive equipment. This limitation is particularly acute in time-sensitive applications like bioprocess monitoring and dynamic studies.

Unintentional medication discrepancies at care transitions: prevalence and their impact on post-discharge emergency visits in critically ill older adults.

Background: Unintentional medication discrepancies during care transitions pose a significant risk for medication errors, particularly in critically ill older patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of such discrepancies during care transitions and their impact on post-discharge emergency department (ED) visits in this patient population.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients aged 65 and older who were on chronic medications and admitted to the intensive care units of emergency departments (ED-ICUs) between 2019 and 2020.

Air Pollution Measurement and Dispersion Simulation Using Remote and In Situ Monitoring Technologies in an Industrial Complex in Busan, South Korea.

Rapid industrialization and the influx of human resources have led to the establishment of industrial complexes near urban areas, exposing residents to various air pollutants. This has led to a decline in air quality, impacting neighboring residential areas adversely, which highlights the urgent need to monitor air pollution in these areas. Recent advancements in technology, such as Solar Occultation Flux (SOF) and Sky Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (SkyDOAS) used as remote sensing techniques and mobile extraction Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (MeFTIR) used as an in situ technique, now offer enhanced precision in estimating the pollutant emission flux and identifying primary sources.

Blood Transfusion Utilization in Patients with Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the Republic of Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected both supply and demand for blood transfusion. This study aimed to investigate the prescription patterns of blood products and identify the risk factors for blood transfusion in patients with severe COVID-19. : This nationwide population-based cohort study was performed in the Republic of Korea between January 2021 and December 2021.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for pulmonary metastasis from sarcoma: a retrospective comparison with metastasectomy.

Recent studies report excellent local control (LC) and favorable toxicities of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for pulmonary metastasis (PM) from sarcoma. This study compared the LC and survival of SABR and metastasectomy for sarcoma PM. We analyzed the LC rates of 54 PMs treated with SABR between 2008 and 2022.

[Experiences of Patients and Their Families Receiving Medical Services Provided by Advanced Practice Nurses at Tertiary General Hospitals].

Purpose: This study aimed to understand and describe the experiences of patients and their families who have received medical services from advanced practice nurses in tertiary general hospitals in Korea.

Methods: Data were collected through four focus group interviews with 20 patients and their families who had received medical services from advanced practice nurses for more than six months at four tertiary hospitals from November 29 to December 28, 2023. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Plant growth-promoting effects of a novel sp. JS-SCA-14 and comparative genome analysis.

Bacteria associated with plants play crucial roles in promoting plant growth and health by aiding in nutrient acquisition, including phosphorus. This study presents the isolation and genomic characterization of a potentially new bacterial strain, sp. JS-SCA-14, which exhibits significant plant growth-promoting effects through phosphorus solubilization.

High-Temperature Diffusion Enabled Epitaxy of the Ti-O System.

High temperatures promote kinetic processes that can drive crystal synthesis toward ideal thermodynamic conditions, thereby realizing samples of superior quality. While accessing very high temperatures in thin-film epitaxy is becoming increasingly accessible through laser-based heating methods, demonstrations of such utility are still emerging. The study realizes a novel self-regulated growth mode in the Ti-O system by relying on thermally activated diffusion of oxygen from an oxide substrate.

Differential behavioral engagement of inhibitory interneuron subtypes in the zebra finch brain.

Inhibitory interneurons are highly heterogeneous circuit elements often characterized by cell biological properties, but how these factors relate to specific roles underlying complex behavior remains poorly understood. Using chronic silicon probe recordings, we demonstrate that distinct interneuron groups perform different inhibitory roles within HVC, a song production circuit in the zebra finch forebrain. To link these functional subtypes to molecular identity, we performed two-photon targeted electrophysiological recordings of HVC interneurons followed by post hoc immunohistochemistry of subtype-specific markers.

Repeated intratracheal instillation effects of commonly used vehicles in toxicity studies with mice.

Intratracheal instillation (ITI) is considered the most pragmatic approach for investigating the potential toxicities of various respiratory exposure materials. Various respiratory exposure materials, including nanomaterials, hazardous air pollutants, fine dust, and household biocides, have raised public health concerns because of limited toxicological information and increasing consumption. Hence, toxicity studies using ITI in laboratory animals are important to accurately assess the human risks associated with these respiratory-exposed materials.

Predictors of Decisional Capacity in Alzheimer's Disease Biomarker Test Candidates.

Background: Deciding to learn one's Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker status is a high-stakes endeavor that requires comprehending and deliberating about complex and nuanced information. Assessing capacity to consent to AD biomarker testing and disclosure is further complicated when candidates have cognitive impairment and present with family care partners.

Objective: The objective of this analysis was to identify predictors of decisional capacity for an amyloid Positron Emission Tomography (PET) disclosure study among persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their family care partners.

Enhancing English Proficiency in Korean Schoolchildren with Problematic Behaviors: Efficacy of Digital Game-Based Learning.

Language learning through computer games has been suggested to enhance language abilities compared with traditional learning methods. Training in language skills may also improve self-control and reduce problematic behaviors in children and adolescents. We hypothesized that computer game-based language training could be more effective than classical language instruction.

Enterotype-Specific Effects of Red Beetroot ( L.) Powder and Betanin on Human Gut Microbiota: A Preliminary Study Based on In Vitro Fecal Fermentation Model.

Red beetroots, rich in betanin, may act as prebiotics and impact gut microbiota. Because the human gut microbiota is unique to each person, the effectiveness of prebiotics varies with the enterotype. In this study, we hypothesized that the effects of red beetroot powder (RP) and betanin pigment (BP) would differ depending on the enterotype.

An Integrated Review of Transitional Care for Families of Pre-Term Infants.

This study was conducted to identify the key elements of transitional care for families with pre-term infants in South Korea. We used an integrative review methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafle. During the problem identification step, the review question was constructed via the population, intervention, outcome, and timeframe (PIOT) format.

General and central obesity were significantly correlated with blood lead level in non-smoking, general population aged 30-50, without hypertension.

To investigate the association between obesity and blood lead level (BLL) in the general population after controlled for menopause, blood pressure, calcium, and smoking; we assessed the relationship between BMI, WC (Waist Circumference), and blood lead levels in the non-smoking middle-aged subjects without hypertension among 2018 KNHANES. All data were recategorized into S1 (BMI<25 kg/m & WC<90 cm), S2 (intermediate), and S3 (BMI>25 kg/m & WC>90 cm). We made the log transformation of blood lead levels to bring them closer to a normal distribution.

Effects of different block designs on low back and shoulders biomechanical loads and postural stability during crab pot handling.

In commercial Dungeness crab fishing vessels, the block pulls crab pots for harvesting and typically positions them to the side of vessels, rather than the sorting tables on board. Consequently, fishermen must reach outside the vessel to grab the pots, posing increased risk of musculoskeletal and fall-related injuries. To investigate the effects of block design on these risks, 25 participants in a repeated-measures laboratory study handled a pot under two block conditions: away-from-table (conventional setting) and above-table (intervention).

Angular selective broadband radiative cooling based on Berreman mode.

Conventional radiative coolers (RCs) exhibit excellent cooling performance in horizontally-installed scenarios but are mainly limited to roofing materials due to their emitting direction. To increase the availability of RC application on the area of a building facade, this article proposes an oblique radiation-angled photonic structure (ORAPS). ORAPS can facilitate thermal emission toward the outer space, evade the adjacent building, and reflect incoming radiative heat in a direction perpendicular to the panel.