Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in ticks and their respective host dogs.

We identified the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in ticks and their host dogs, and assess the potential role of ticks as reservoirs for this pathogen. A total of 1,230 feeding ticks were collected from 340 dogs. The tick species identified included Haemaphysalis longicornis, H.

Death Preparation and Quality of Life amongst Family Caregivers of Terminal Cancer Patients: A Multicentre Cross-sectional Study.

Objectives: Caring for ill cancer patients imposes a considerable burden on families, significantly reducing quality of life (QoL). This study examined the association between death preparation and QoL amongst family caregivers (FCs) of terminally ill patients with cancer in South Korea.

Materials And Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was conducted in nine inpatient palliative care units in South Korea.

Electron microscopic findings predict clinical outcomes in patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Electron microscopy reveals microstructural alterations in cardiomyocyte nuclei and myofilaments in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), particularly in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nevertheless, the correlation between such observations and clinical outcomes, including prognosis and left ventricular reverse remodelling (LVRR), remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between electron microscopic findings and outcomes in patients with NICM.

Thermodynamic Hydricity of a Ruthenium CO Hydrogenation Catalyst Supported by a Rigid PNP Pincer.

Ruthenium hydride complexes supported by pincer ligands play a crucial role in the catalytic hydrogenation of CO to reduced C chemicals such as formic acid and methanol. Toward a better understanding of their hydride transfer reactivity, knowledge of the underlying thermodynamic hydricity values is deemed critical, but relevant studies remain rare. Herein, we report the experimental thermodynamic hydricity of a new ruthenium CO hydrogenation catalyst (PNP)RuH(CO)(PPh) () supported by a rigid, acridane-based PNP pincer ligand.

Recent Occurrence and Rapid Spread of Multidrug-Resistant Infantis in Broiler Flocks in Korea.

Infantis has recently been one of the most prevalent serotypes in poultry and has been identified in human salmonellosis cases worldwide. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Infantis has emerged as a significant threat to both poultry production and public health due to its increasing prevalence and global dissemination. We identified the occurrence of an MDR Infantis clone in broiler flocks in Korea, and the clone was characterized to explore potential genetic causes for its high prevalence and rapid spread in broiler production.

Development of a deep neural network model based on high throughput screening data for predicting synergistic estrogenic activity of binary mixtures for consumer products.

A paradigm of chemical risk assessment is continuously extending from focusing on 'single substances' to more comprehensive approaches that examines the combined toxicity among different components in 'mixtures.' This change aims to account for the cocktail effect arising from the toxicological interactions in mixtures, which can lead to increased risks. More than 1000 potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been reported, and they can be included in different industrial and consumer chemical products and released to the environment as pollutants of emerging environmental concern.

Strigolactone and karrikin receptors regulate phytohormone biosynthetic and catabolic processes.

Karrikin plays a more critical role in affecting the homeostasis of ABA and cytokinins, while strigolactones play a more critical role in influencing the homeostasis of jasmonic acid and gibberellins. Strigolactones (SLs) and karrikins (KARs) regulate plant growth and development through their crosstalk, and through the crosstalk between them and other phytohormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin. However, how SL and KAR signaling pathways influence the levels of other phytohormones is still unknown.

Reviving-like prosocial behavior in response to unconscious or dead conspecifics in rodents.

Whereas humans exhibit emergency responses to assist unconscious individuals, how nonhuman animals react to unresponsive conspecifics is less well understood. We report that mice exhibit stereotypic behaviors toward unconscious or dead social partners, which escalate from sniffing and grooming to more forceful actions such as mouth or tongue biting and tongue pulling. The latter intense actions, more prominent in familiar pairs, begin after prolonged immobility and unresponsiveness and cease when the partner regains activity.

Extracellular vesicles: their challenges and benefits as potential biomarkers for musculoskeletal disorders.

Early diagnosis and timely management are critical for determining disease outcomes and prognoses. To date, certain methods for developing disease-specific biomarkers have been reported; however, strategies for musculoskeletal disease-specific biomarker development have rarely been studied. Recent studies have highlighted the potential application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as disease-specific biomarkers.

Predictive Evaluation of Septal Cartilage-bone Complex for Rhinoplasty Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

Background: Septal extension grafting (SEG) is commonly used for correcting Asian short noses. When septal cartilage is limited, septal bone can be included. This study evaluates the outcomes of SEG using a septal cartilage-septal bone complex (SCBC) and assesses preoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for predicting septal bone suitability.

Structurally engineered heat loss suppression in nanogap-aligned nanowires for power efficient heating.

Thermal management at the nanoscale offers potential advancements in power-efficient geometrical design; however, both conduction- and convection-based structural optimization have yet to be fully investigated due to dimensional limitations. In this study, we analytically designed a structured configuration within a regime comparable to the mean free path of heat-transferring carriers. The optimally designed nanowire configuration, featuring aligned nanowires with narrow gaps (∼22 nm), was designed based on the analytic calculation.

Bovine Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus).

From 2017 to 2023, 196 dead Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus), a common wildlife species in Republic of Korea, were necropsied. In one deer, bovine tuberculosis infection was confirmed through necropsy, histopathologic examination, and microbiologic diagnosis.

Stochastic Photoresponse-Driven Perovskite TRNGs for Secure Encryption Systems.

True random numbers are essential for ensuring information security and supporting simulations across various industries. With the exponential growth of data driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, robust encryption for communications has become increasingly important. While software-based deterministic random number algorithms are cost-effective and easy to use, they are vulnerable to attacks by powerful supercomputers, highlighting the need for more secure alternatives.

Microstructure and Corrosion Behaviors of Gas Tungsten Arc Welds for Borated Stainless Steel Using Various Filler Metals.

In this study, the microstructure and corrosion behavior of gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds of borated stainless steel (BSS) with a boron content of 1.62 wt.% were investigated using various filler metals.

Interfacial Interlocking of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Short Review.

The mechanical properties of the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) are dependent on the interfacial interaction and adhesion between carbon fibers (CFs) and polymer matrices. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how modifying the CFs can influence the properties of these composites. This review outlines recent research progress with a focus on the relationship between the interfacial and mechanical properties of CFRPs and provides a systematic summary of state-of-the-art surface modification techniques.

Efficacy and safety of the enhanced monofocal intraocular lens in glaucoma of varying severity.

This study evaluates the safety and visual outcomes of enhanced monofocal intraocular lenses compared to standard monofocal intraocular lenses in patients with varying severities of glaucoma. Utilizing data from surgeries performed in 2021, the study involved patients aged 40 and older with visually significant cataracts and diagnosed glaucoma or glaucoma suspects. The findings indicate that both enhanced and standard monofocal lenses lead to significant improvements in best-corrected visual acuity, visual field index, mean deviation, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness postoperatively.

Radiofrequency Ablation of Benign Thyroid Nodules: 10-Year Follow-Up Results From a Single Center.

Objective: The long-term efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy, emphasizing single-session RFA, and identify the factors associated with cases requiring additional RFA sessions to achieve a comparable volume reduction rates (VRR).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated benign thyroid nodules treated with RFA between 2008 and 2018.

Phenotypic Trajectories From Acute to Stable Phase in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Insights From the PURSUIT-HFpEF Study.

Background: Using machine learning for the phenotyping of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has emerged as a novel approach to understanding the pathophysiology and stratifying the patients. Our objective is to perform phenotyping of patients with HFpEF in stable phase and to investigate the phenotypic trajectory from acute worsening phase to stable phase.

Methods: The present study is a post hoc analysis of the PURSUIT-HFpEF (Prospective Multicenter Observational Study of Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction) study.

Patient Acceptance of Death and Symptom Control/Quality of Care Among Terminal Cancer Patients Under Inpatient Hospice Care: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Patient attitude to death is associated with outcomes in hospice care settings. This Korean study investigated the association between terminal cancer patient death acceptance and symptom control and quality of care (QoC) as perceived by family caregivers (FCs).

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in nine inpatient hospice care units, and the data of 108 dyads (terminal cancer patients who responded to the revised Death Attitude Profile and their primary FCs) were analyzed.

In vitro and in vivo efficacy studies of an engineered endolysin targeting Gram-negative pathogens.

Endolysins have drawn considerable attention as viable modalities for antibiotic use. The most significant obstacle for Gram-negative targeting endolysins is the presence of the outer membrane barrier. A heterologously expressed endolysin encoded by bacteriophage PBPA90 infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited intrinsic antibacterial activity against P.

Spatiotemporal distribution of marine aerosols and gaseous species over the North Pacific Ocean.

Observational studies of marine aerosols are essential for understanding the global aerosol budget and its environmental impacts. This study presents simultaneous in-situ measurements of major ionic components (Cl, NO, SO, NH, K, Ca, Na, and Mg) in aerosols and gaseous species (HCl, HNO, HONO, SO, and NH) over the North Pacific Ocean from July 4 to 15 and September 19 to October 3, 2022. Using high temporal resolution instruments aboard the Republic of Korea's icebreaker research vessel Araon, this study aimed to (1) report the spatial and temporal distributions of aerosols and gaseous species, (2) estimate the source contributions of continental anthropogenic pollutants, and (3) assess the influence of aerosol chemical composition and gaseous species on aerosol acidity and water content.

Immortalization of epidural fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells: characterization and adipocyte differentiation potential.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for regenerative therapy due to their self-renewal capability, multilineage differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory effects. The molecular characteristics of MSCs are influenced by their location. Recently, epidural fat (EF) and EF-derived MSCs (EF-MSCs) have garnered attention due to their potential benefits to the spinal microenvironment and their high expression of neural SC markers.

Proposal of staging system and treatment guideline for diagnostically challenging primary intra-osseous carcinoma: A retrospective single-center case series and literature review.

The objective of this retrospective study is to examine the clinical, imaging and pathologic features of 10 patients diagnosed with 'primary intraosseous carcinoma (PIOC)' at a single institution and to identify factors affecting the prognosis of PIOC patients. By proposing a new staging system based on tumor size, cortical bone deformation, neck metastasis and histologic grade, the study aims to address the lack of a distinct staging system, which has led to the mixed use of the classification for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Furthermore, the study intends to suggest a treatment guideline based on the newly proposed staging system.

Eco-friendly decolorization of synthetic dyes using radiation-induced whole cell biocatalyst with enhanced copper resistance.

Toxic and carcinogenic compounds, such as synthetic dyes and polyphenols, were widely employed and released as pollutants in a variety of industries, including textiles, food, and cosmetics. Biological oxidation process that used oxidizing enzymes to breakdown pollutant compounds were environmentally favorable. However, due to the cell toxicity of metal ions supplements used for the biosynthesis of oxidizing enzymes like laccase, their efficient application for biological degradation is limited.

Synthesis, Structure, and Redox Reactivity of Ni Complexes Bearing a Redox and Acid-Base Non-innocent Ligand with Ni, Ni, and Ni Formal Oxidation States.

A series of Ni complexes bearing a redox and acid-base noninnocent tetraamido macrocyclic ligand, H-(TAML-4) {H-(TAML-4) = 15,15-dimethyl-5,8,13,17-tetrahydro-5,8,13,17-tetraaza-dibenzo[]cyclotridecene-6,7,14,16-tetraone}, with formal oxidation states of Ni, Ni, and Ni were synthesized and characterized structurally and spectroscopically. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Ni complexes revealed a square planar geometry, and the [Ni(TAML-4)] complex with the formal oxidation state of Ni was characterized to be [Ni(TAML-4)] with the oxidation state of the Ni ion and the one-electron oxidized TAML-4 ligand, TAML-4. The Ni oxidation state and the TAML-4 radical cation ligand, TAML-4, were supported by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations.