Targeted insertion of heterogenous DNA using Cas9-gRNA ribonucleoprotein-mediated gene editing in .

Gene editing is emerging as a powerful tool for introducing novel functionalities in mushrooms. While CRISPR/Cas9-induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) typically rely on non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) for gene disruption, precise insertion of heterologous DNA in mushrooms is less explored. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of inserting donor DNAs (8-1008 bp) with or without homologous arms at Cas9-gRNA RNP-induced DSBs.

Impact of - and -Direction External Side Chains in Y-Series Acceptors on the Molecular Packing and Charge Carrier Dynamics of Organic Photovoltaics.

The side-chain directions in nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) strongly influence the intermolecular interactions in NFAs; however, the influence of these side chains on the morphologies and charge carrier dynamics of Y6-based acceptors remains underexplored. In this study, we synthesize four distinct Y6-based acceptors, i.e.

Precise Measurement of the e^{+}e^{-}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} Cross Section at Center-of-Mass Energies from Threshold to 4.95 GeV.

Using the e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, at center-of-mass energies from the threshold to 4.95 GeV, we present precise measurements of the cross section for the process e^{+}e^{-}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} using a single-tag method. The resulting cross section line shape exhibits several new structures, thereby offering an input for a future coupled-channel analysis and model tests, which are critical to understand vector charmonium-like states with masses between 4 and 5 GeV.

Prognostic impact of one-year permanent pacemaker implantation after mitral valve surgery with the Cox-maze procedure.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation within the first year after mitral valve (MV) surgery combined with the Cox-maze procedure, focusing on long-term outcomes, including overall mortality, infective endocarditis (IE), and ischaemic stroke.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) in South Korea, identifying 10,127 patients who underwent MV surgery with the Cox-maze procedure between 2005 and 2020. Patients were classified into the PPM and non-PPM groups based on PPM implantation within one year postoperatively.

sp. nov., isolated from the faecal sample of a zoo animal, .

Strain NoAH (=KACC 23135=JCM 35999), a novel Gram-negative, motile bacterium with a rod-shaped morphology, was isolated from the zoo animal faecal samples, specifically the long-tailed goral species . The novel bacterial strain grew optimally in a nutrient broth medium under the following conditions: 1-2% (w/v) NaCl, pH 7-8 and 30 °C. The strain NoAH exhibited high tolerance to NaCl, with the ability to tolerate up to 7% (w/v) NaCl.

Racial Differences in Discrepancies Between Subjective Ratings and Objective Assessments of Hearing Impairment.

Background And Objectives: To better understand racial/ethnic disparities in hearing aid use, we examined racial differences in discrepancies between subjective hearing ratings and objective hearing tests as a potential source of this disparity.

Research Design And Methods: A cross-sectional assessment was conducted using the data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our analytic sample included 2,568 participants aged 50 and older: 1,814 non-Hispanic White Americans and 754 non-Hispanic Black Americans.

Baseline Alpha-Fetoprotein Elevation and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and its changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may influence the risk of future hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to evaluate the HCC risk in CHB patients with no overt HCC but with elevated AFP level and to explore the prognostic role of longitudinal changes in AFP and liver-related laboratory values. This multicentre cohort study included 10,639 CHB patients without a history of HCC from seven medical facilities in South Korea.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride-Supported Layered Double Hydroxides (GCN@FeMg-LDH) for Efficient Water Splitting and Energy Harvesting.

The advancement of highly efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting, along with the development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), is crucial for sustainable energy generation and harvesting. In this study, a novel hybrid composite by integrating graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) with an earth-abundant FeMg-layered double hydroxide (LDH) (GCN@FeMg-LDH) was synthesized by the hydrothermal approach. Under controlled conditions, with optimized concentrations of metal ions and GCN, the fabricated electrode, GCN@FeMg-LDH demonstrated remarkably low overpotentials of 0.

Daily Cognition in the Family Context: The Complex Associations between Memory Lapses, Family Relationships, and Affect in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Background And Objectives: The analysis of daily memory lapses is an underutilized approach to understanding daily experiences of cognitive functioning. The present study adopts this approach, with the goals of exploring how the quality of family relationships predicts the frequency of daily memory lapses and moderates the link between daily memory lapses and daily affect.

Research Design And Methods: We used longitudinal data from the third wave of Midlife in the United States and the National Study of Daily Experiences to assess our research goals.

Studying Cationic Liposomes for Quick, Simple, and Effective Nucleic Acid Preconcentration and Isolation.

To ensure high quality of food and water, the identification of traces of pathogens is mandatory. Rapid nucleic acid-based tests shorten traditional detection times while maintaining low detection limits. Challenging is the loss of nucleic acids during necessary purification processes, since elution off solid surfaces is not efficient.

Cross-cultural validation of plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 as precision biomarkers for amyloid PET positivity: An East Asian study in Taiwan and Korea.

Introduction: Plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau) biomarkers have improved Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, but data from diverse Asian populations are limited. This study evaluated plasma p-tau217 and p-tau181 levels in Korean and Taiwanese populations.

Methods: All participants (n = 270) underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and blood tests.

Neuromodulatory effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on cue reactivity and craving in young adults with internet gaming disorder: an event-related potential study.

Objective: This study assessed the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cue reactivity and craving for game-related cues using event-related potentials (ERPs) in internet gaming disorder (IGD) patients.

Methods: At baseline, a series of game-related and neutral pictures were shown to both IGD and healthy controls (HCs) while ERPs were recorded. Late positive potentials (LPP) were used to investigate cue reactivity.

Monitoring of ant species surrounding the ports of South Korea.

The introduction and spread of invasive insects is accelerating worldwide owing to human activities, such as trade and transportation development; in particular, ports are hubs and routes for invasive insects, including ants. We surveyed ant populations in eight ports from 2021 to 2023 using pitfall traps. A total of 316,975 ants belonging to four subfamilies, 26 genera and 44 species were identified as , , and .

Game changing electoral reforms and party system change? An analysis of the 2020 national assembly election in South Korea.

The article analyses the 2020 National Assembly election in South Korea. It was the first legislative election held after President Park Geun-hye had been successfully impeached, and removed from office, in March 2017. The 2020 election was also the first election after important changes to the electoral law were made in 2019.

Risk of all-cause mortality by various cigarette smoking indices: A longitudinal study using the Korea National Health Examination Baseline Cohort in South Korea.

Introduction: Smoking behaviors can be quantified using various indices. Previous studies have shown that these indices measure and predict health risks differently. Additionally, the choice of measure differs depending on the health outcome of interest.

Upregulation of interferon-γ response genes in monocytes and T cells identified by single-cell transcriptomics in patients with anti-citrullinated peptide antibody-positive early rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Our aim was to investigate the insufficiently understood differences in the immune system between anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)-positive (ACPA) and ACPA-negative (ACPA) early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) patients.

Methods: We performed multiple cytokine assays using sera from drug-naïve ACPA and ACPA eRA patients. Additionally, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing of CD45 cells from peripheral blood samples to analyze and compare the distribution and functional characteristics of the cell subsets based on the ACPA status.

Global and Indian Scenarios of Fatal and Non-fatal Occupational Injuries: A Secondary Data Analysis.

Introduction: Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries are one of the most important public health problems all over the world. Its number greatly varies from country to country over the years. Worldwide approximately 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) is lost due to occupational injuries.

Second-line treatment patterns and outcomes in advanced HCC after progression on atezolizumab/bevacizumab.

Background & Aims: Atezolizumab/bevacizumab (A/B) is now a standard first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the optimal second-line regimen is not known. We evaluated real-world treatment patterns and outcomes to investigate factors associated with post-progression survival (PPS).

Methods: In this multicenter, international, retrospective study, we examined clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced HCC who progressed on first-line A/B.

A preliminary study of linear accelerator-based spatially fractionated radiotherapy.

Purpose: This study aimed to provide quantitative information for implementing Lattice radiotherapy (LRT) using a medical linear accelerator equipped with the Millennium 120 multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The research systematically evaluated the impact of varying vertex diameters and separations on dose distribution, peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), and normal tissue dose.

Methods: A cylindrical Virtual Water™ phantom was used to create LRT treatments using the Eclipse version 16.

Fluctuation-induced extensive molecular transport modulation of interaction strength.

In our previous work, we studied the thermodynamics of two cases of intercompartmental transport through a carbon nanotube: one involving water molecules and the other involving nonpolar molecules. Free energy calculations indicate that transporting water molecules from one compartment to another a narrow channel is impossible, whereas for nonpolar molecules, only approximately half can be transported. Therefore, the interaction strength between transported molecules significantly affects molecular transport.

Raman Spectroscopy in Cellular and Tissue Aging Research.

The establishment of various molecular, physiological, and genetic markers for cellular senescence and aging-associated conditions has progressed the aging study. To identify such markers, a combination of optical, proteomic-, and sequencing-based tools is primarily used, often accompanying extrinsic labels. Yet, the tools for clinical detection at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels are still lacking which profoundly hinders advancements in the specific detection and timely prevention of aging-related diseases and pathologies.

Deep Learning-Based Precontrast CT Parcellation for MRI-Free Brain Amyloid PET Quantification.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a deep learning (DL) model for brain region parcellation using CT data from PET/CT scans to enable accurate amyloid quantification in 18F-FBB PET/CT without relying on high-resolution MRI.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective dataset of PET/CT and T1-weighted MRI pairs from 226 individuals (157 with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and 69 healthy controls) was used. The dataset was split into training/validation (60%) and test (40%) sets.

Efficacy of an Autologous Dermal Fibroblast Injection in Reducing the Retear Rate After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Interest in biological augmentation for improving bone-tendon interface (BTI) healing after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is growing. Dermal fibroblasts, known for collagen synthesis similar to tenocytes, have shown effectiveness in BTI healing in chronic rotator cuff tear (RCT) models in rabbits. However, no human clinical trials have been conducted.

The Associations Between Sleep Duration and Various Metabolic Health Indices Among Adults in the United States: A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2021 to 2023 Dataset.

Objective: This study explores the associations between various sleep durations and metabolic health indices, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol levels, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and waist circumference.

Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2021 to 2023, were analyzed. MANOVA and Bonferroni-adjusted ANOVAs were conducted to examine the relationships between sleep duration (sleep deprivation (≤5 h), short sleep (5-7 h), recommended sleep (7-9 h), and long sleep (>9 h)) and metabolic health indices.