Deciphering the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles on erythropoiesis at single-cell resolution.

Polystyrene nanoparticles pose significant toxicological risks to aquatic ecosystems, yet their impact on zebrafish ( ) embryonic development, particularly erythropoiesis, remains underexplored. This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to comprehensively evaluate the effects of polystyrene nanoparticle exposure on erythropoiesis in zebrafish embryos. validation experiments corroborated the transcriptomic findings, revealing that polystyrene nanoparticle exposure disrupted erythrocyte differentiation, as evidenced by the decrease in mature erythrocytes and concomitant increase in immature erythrocytes.

Angular hypertrophied epiphysis of the thumb distal phalanx in radial polydactyly.

In a series of 271 consecutive duplicated thumbs, an angular, hypertrophied epiphysis was detected in 13 thumbs. We propose a revised version of the radial polydactyly classification that includes this pattern as a separate type from triphalangeal thumb.

Hematologic and clinical chemistry reference intervals for six species of wild birds frequently rescued in the Republic of Korea.

Objective: Reference intervals for hematologic and clinical chemistry values are useful when diagnosing a pathologic condition in animals. This study establishes relevant reference intervals for six species of wild birds that are frequently rescued at wildlife rescue centers in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: Forty-two Eurasian eagle owls (), 34 Oriental turtle doves (), 73 domestic pigeons (), 27 brown hawk-owls (), 76 common kestrels (), and 25 Eurasian magpies () were included in this study.

The N17 domain of huntingtin as a multifaceted player in Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is primarily caused by the aberrant aggregation of the N-terminal exon 1 fragment of mutant huntingtin protein (mHttex1) with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats in neurons. The first 17 amino acids of the N-terminus of Httex1 (N17 domain) immediately preceding the polyQ repeat domain are evolutionarily conserved across vertebrates and play multifaceted roles in the pathogenesis of HD. Due to its amphipathic helical properties, the N17 domain, both alone and when membrane-associated, promotes mHttEx1 aggregation.

Transformer-based model for predicting length of stay in intensive care unit in sepsis patients.

Introduction: Sepsis, a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate, requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The increasing hospitalization rate for patients with sepsis has escalated medical costs due to the strain on ICU resources. Efficient management of ICU resources is critical to addressing this challenge.

L. (purslane) extract ameliorates intestinal inflammation in diet-induced obese mice by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Background: L. (purslane) is a dietary plant and a botanical drug with antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effects of purslane against intestinal-inflammation-associated obesity are yet to be studied.

Identify biological Alzheimer's disease using a novel nucleic acid-linked protein immunoassay.

Blood-based biomarkers have been revolutionizing the detection, diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, phosphorylated-tau variants (p-tau, p-tau and p-tau) are promising biomarkers for identifying Alzheimer's disease pathology. Antibody-based assays such as single molecule arrays immunoassays are powerful tools to investigate pathological changes indicated by blood-based biomarkers and have been studied extensively in the Alzheimer's disease research field.

Effectiveness of mobile mindfulness training on stress, burnout, and work engagement of office workers: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Work stress has a detrimental impact on individual health and corporate efficiency and productivity. Mindfulness reduces workers' stress and burnout and increases work engagement and performance. Smartphone-based interventions could be an alternative to provide customized training without geographical or economic constraints.

Effect of Different Regional Characteristics of Spawning and Growing Sites on Growth and Taste of Pacific Oyster, .

While Pacific oysters are important commercial aquaculture species worldwide, the effect of hormonal regulation and environmental conditions on growth and taste profile have not been fully known. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) systems are known to play a major role in regulating neuroendocrine functions across various physiological processes and are particularly involved in growth. IGFs expression also is directly related to the nutritional status of vertebrates, however, full mechanism has not been clearly identified in bivalves.

A new species of the genus Heylaerts, 1885 (Lepidoptera, Psychidae) from Korea with its natural parasitoid enemy.

Roh & Lee, is described as new to science. The morphology of male adult, including genitalia, is described, and DNA barcodes for precise identification of the species are provided. A parasitoid, Townsend, 1916 (Diptera, Tachinidae) of is also reported for the first time in Korea, together with its DNA barcode sequence.

Subtilases: a major prospect to the genome editing in horticultural crops.

Plant peptides, synthesized from larger precursor proteins, often undergo proteolytic cleavage and post-translational modifications to form active peptide hormones. This process involves several proteolytic enzymes (proteases). Among these, SBTs (serine proteases) are a major class of proteolytic enzymes in plants and play key roles in various regulatory mechanisms, including plant immune response, fruit development and ripening, modulating root growth, seed development and germination, and organ abscission.

Minimizing Surgical Margins in Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Single Institution's Experience with Excision and Reconstruction Methods.

 Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the predominant nonmelanocytic skin cancer, with preservation of both function and aesthetics being essential during tumor removal. Existing surgical margin guidelines primarily target ill-defined BCCs prevalent in Western countries. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the efficacy of surgical removal, propose modified guidelines for wide excision tailored to Asian patients, and share experiences with various reconstruction methods.

Hair Transplantation on the Baldness Region with Free Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Scalp Reconstruction: A Case Report.

Scalp reconstruction, particularly with complex defects and infection risks, often favors microvascular free flaps. However, this method can result in unavoidable alopecia and undesirable aesthetics. This report describes a novel case where hair transplantation via follicular unit extraction (FUE) was applied to a free myocutaneous flap.

"Pure Fat Flap"-Perforator-based Adiposal Layer Only Flap for Lateral Ankle Reconstruction.

Lateral ankle soft tissue defects pose challenges, especially in cases due to chronic pressure from cross-legged sitting, which usually present with a large dead space, small skin opening that often accompanies an open joint. Traditional reconstruction methods using fasciocutaneous flaps may result in donor site morbidity such as delayed wound healing or nerve injury. In this article, we present a case of diabetes-related lateral ankle defect successfully treated using adiposal layer only flap, also known as pure fat flap.

Malignant Pilomatricoma with Lung Metastases: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Malignant pilomatricoma, an extremely rare tumor arising from hair follicles, most commonly occurs on the head, neck, and back. This tumor exhibits several noteworthy characteristics. First, it frequently recurs if it is incompletely excised and can occasionally metastasize to the lungs, bones, and lymph nodes.

Enhanced production of ginsenoside compound K by synergistic conversion of fermentation with and commercial cellulase.

Fermentation of ginseng extract is limited by the low concentration of compound K (CK), a bioactive ginsenoside. In this study, a novel approach combining fermentation with cellulase conversion was used to enhance CK production from high concentrations of American ginseng extract (AGE). The reaction conditions, including the feeding rate and concentrations of carbon source, enzyme type, AGE and enzyme concentrations, temperature, pH, and timing of enzyme addition, were optimized.

A Novel Subspecies of Causing Leaf Spot in East Asian Hogweed.

During disease surveys in 2021 and 2022, outbreaks of leaf spot were observed in East Asian hogweed () plants in fields located in Pyeongchang and Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, Korea. The disease incidence in the fields ranged from 2% to 50%. Based on the morphological and cultural characteristics, four single-conidium fungal isolates from the leaf spot symptoms were identified as sp.

Effects of Blue Light on Fruiting Body Production and Ergothioneine Content During Sawdust Cultivation of Shiitake ().

The cultivation period of shiitake () is approximately 120-150 d, which is longer than that of other edible mushrooms. The development of fruiting bodies in shiitake is affected by light exposure. In this study, we investigated the effects of blue light on the production and ergothioneine contents of shiitake mushrooms.

Four Unrecorded Species of Endophytic (Sordariomycetes) in Korea.

Endophytic fungi associated with four plant species in Korea were isolated and characterized using morphological and molecular analyses. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, β-tubulin (TUB) gene, and translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α) gene revealed four previously unrecorded species of in Korea: , , , and . Detailed descriptions of colony morphology and conidial characteristics are provided for each species.

A New Species and Three New Records Belonging to and from Korea.

During an investigation of fungi of the orders and in Korea, a new species, sp. nov., and three new records, , , and , were found in soil and freshwater samples.

Descriptions of 19 Unrecorded Species Belonging to in Korea.

A survey of fungal diversity in soil and freshwater habitats in Korea isolated several species of the class . Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses showed that these species represented new records for Korea. Herein, we report the descriptions, illustrations, and molecular phylogeny of 19 species previously undescribed in Korea, including , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and

3D bio-printed proteinaceous bioactive scaffold loaded with dual growth factor enhanced chondrogenesis and in situ cartilage regeneration.

Articular cartilage has a limited self-healing capacity, leading to joint degeneration and osteoarthritis over time. Therefore, bioactive scaffolds are gaining attention as a promising approach to regenerating and repairing damaged articular cartilage through tissue engineering. In this study, we reported on a novel 3D bio-printed proteinaceous bioactive scaffolds combined with natural porcine cancellous bone dECM, tempo-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCN), and alginate carriers for TGF-β1, FGF-18, and ADSCs to repair cartilage defects.

Memory consolidation from a reinforcement learning perspective.

Memory consolidation refers to the process of converting temporary memories into long-lasting ones. It is widely accepted that new experiences are initially stored in the hippocampus as rapid associative memories, which then undergo a consolidation process to establish more permanent traces in other regions of the brain. Over the past two decades, studies in humans and animals have demonstrated that the hippocampus is crucial not only for memory but also for imagination and future planning, with the CA3 region playing a pivotal role in generating novel activity patterns.

Levamisole, as a viral vaccine adjuvant, induces robust host defense through the modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses.

Introduction: An effective vaccination policy must be implemented to prevent foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, the currently used vaccines for FMD have several limitations, including induction of humoral rather than cellular immune responses.

Methods: To overcome these shortcomings, we assessed the efficacy of levamisole, a small-molecule immunomodulator, as an adjuvant for the FMD vaccine.