Initial arterial pH predicts survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in South Korea.

Background: Arterial pH reflects both metabolic and respiratory distress in cardiac arrest and has prognostic implications. However, it was excluded from the 2024 update of the Utstein out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) registry template. We investigated the rationale for including arterial pH into models predicting clinical outcomes.

People with disabilities are at risk of osteoporotic fractures: a population-based study in South Korea.

Background: Osteoporotic fractures are a major public concern as a serious, fatal condition. We aimed to investigate the differences in the incidence and types of osteoporotic fractures between people with and without disabilities, including both mental and physical disabilities.

Methods: This is a serial cross-sectional study using the National Disability Registration and National Health Insurance claims data.

scICE: enhancing clustering reliability and efficiency of scRNA-seq data with multi-cluster label consistency evaluation.

Clustering analysis is a fundamental step in scRNA-seq data analysis. However, its reliability is compromised by clustering inconsistency among trials due to stochastic processes in clustering algorithms. Despite efforts to obtain reliable and consensus clustering, existing methods cannot be applied to large scRNA-seq datasets due to high computational costs.

Development and validation of a transformer model-based early warning score for real-time prediction of adverse outcomes in the emergency department.

This study aimed to develop and validate a transformer-based early warning score (TEWS) system for predicting adverse events (AEs) in the emergency department (ED). We conducted a retrospective study analyzing adult ED visits at a tertiary hospital. The TEWS was developed to predict five AEs within 24 h: vasopressor use, respiratory support, intensive care unit admission, septic shock, and cardiac arrest.

Self-modulating therapeutic platform using engineered miRNA-responsive oligonucleotides.

Due to a pivotal role in the post-transcriptional regulation of genes implicated in numerous diseases, miRNAs serve as promising disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We introduce a new oligonucleotide probe termed miRNA-trigger, which selectively downregulates newly assigned target mRNAs by hijacking specific miRNAs. By engineering the miRNA-trigger to suppress the anti-apoptotic BCL-xL gene, we induce apoptosis selectively in breast cancer cells overexpressing specific miRNAs and further validate its therapeutic efficacy in vivo, by significantly reducing the tumor volume of the xenograft mouse upon its tail-vein injection.

The comparative physiological, biochemical and whole transcriptome analysis of Ross 308 broilers under different wind conditions.

Chickens are one of the most economically and nutritionally important livestock species globally, yet they are highly vulnerable to environmental stressors which compromise their growth and physiological stability. In this study we investigated the effect of wind speed on growth performance, physiological responses, blood profiles, and transcriptomic adaptations in Ross-308 broilers under high-temperature conditions. A total of 240 broilers were divided into three groups: low wind, high temperature (LWH; 33°C, 60% RH, 0 m/s), medium wind, high temperature (MWH; 33°C, 60% RH, 1 m/s), and high wind, high temperature (HWH; 33°C, 60% RH, 2 m/s).

Heterologous prime-boost vaccination drives stromal activation and adaptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Heterologous vaccination strategies have shown superior efficacy over homologous regimens in clinical studies, but the underlying immunological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Using a mouse model, we investigated the immune responses induced by heterologous prime-boost vaccination with adenoviral and mRNA vaccines. Heterologous vaccination (adenoviral prime, mRNA boost) elicited higher neutralizing antibody titers and stronger CD8 T cell responses against Delta and Omicron-BA.

Nanosecond Laser-Induced Conversion of Leaf-Like Co-MOF to Nanoscale Co@N-gCarbon for Enhanced Multifunctional Electrocatalytic Performance.

Conversion of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into metal-nitrogen-doped carbon (M-N-C) catalysts requires a high-temperature process and longer processing time under a protective atmosphere. This study utilizes a low-energy nanosecond laser processing (LP) technique to convert aqueous synthesized 2D leaf-like Co-MOF (L-Co-MOF) into nanoscale cobalt metal encapsulated within a nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon matrix (Co@N-gC, Co-LP) in a shorter period under air atmosphere. The laser-induced process results in the formation of Co@N-gC with smaller Co particle size, uniform distribution, and better interaction with the carbon support compared to the conventional pyrolysis process (CP).

Quasi-spatial single-cell transcriptome based on physical tissue properties defines early aging associated niche in liver.

Aging is associated with the accumulation of senescent cells, which are triggered by tissue injury response and often escape clearance by the immune system. The specific traits and diversity of these cells in aged tissues, along with their effects on the tissue microenvironment, remain largely unexplored. Despite the advances in single-cell and spatial omics technologies to understand complex tissue architecture, senescent cell populations are often neglected in general analysis pipelines due to their scarcity and the technical bias in current omics toolkits.

Distinct type I and II interferon responses direct cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cell development.

Advances in genomics have redefined our understanding of thymic epithelial heterogeneity and architecture, yet signals driving thymic epithelial differentiation remain incompletely understood. Here, we elucidated pathways instructing human thymic epithelial cell development in the context of other anterior foregut-derived organs. Activation of interferon response gene regulatory networks distinguished epithelial cells of the thymus from those of other anterior foregut-derived organs.

The vision of big data recirculation for smart livestock farming in South Korea.

A smart livestock farm is a livestock farm where information and communication technology systems are used. Based on the measured data, these systems can make decisions regarding all processes, including stocking, breeding, shipping, and evaluation. The data generated from smart livestock farms have increased the complexity and diversity of phenotypes.

Particulate matter exposure induces pulmonary T2 responses and oxidative stress-mediated NRF2 activation in mice.

Introduction: Particulate matter (PM) is a harmful air pollutant associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, but its effects on adaptive immunity are poorly understood.

Objectives: This study investigates the role of NRF2 in T cells in mediating immune and pulmonary responses to long-term PM exposure, highlighting its impact on inhalation toxicity.

Methods: To establish a mouse model of lung injury induced by PM exposure, C57BL/6 mice were intranasally administered 20 μg/kg PM or PM daily for 16 weeks.

Asian diversity in human immune cells.

The relationships of human diversity with biomedical phenotypes are pervasive yet remain understudied, particularly in a single-cell genomics context. Here, we present the Asian Immune Diversity Atlas (AIDA), a multi-national single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) healthy reference atlas of human immune cells. AIDA comprises 1,265,624 circulating immune cells from 619 donors, spanning 7 population groups across 5 Asian countries, and 6 controls.

Comparison of Meat Quality, Including Fatty Acid Content and Amino Acid Profile, and Transcriptome Profile among Hanwoo, Korea Black Cattle, and Jeju Black Cattle.

This study aimed to compare the meat quality, including fatty acid content, amino acid profile, and transcriptome profile, among three Korean cattle breeds: Hanwoo, Korean black cattle (KBC), and Jeju black cattle (JBC). We analyzed fatty acid compositions, revealing that Hanwoo had higher levels of saturated fatty acids such as pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, and margaric acid than other cattle breeds. In contrast, KBC showed higher levels of linolenic acid, which is one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Differential cellular origins of the extracellular matrix of tumor and normal tissues according to colorectal cancer subtypes.

Background: Understanding the proteomic-level heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial due to its well-known heterogeneity. While heterogenous CRC has been extensively characterized at the molecular subtype level, research into the functional heterogeneity of fibroblasts, particularly their relationship with extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations, remains limited. Addressing this gap is essential for a comprehensive understanding of CRC progression and the development of targeted therapies.

Korean patients with hereditary cancer: a prospective multicentre cohort study protocol exploring psychosocial and health outcomes.

Introduction: Although genetic testing for hereditary cancers is increasing, data on health attitudes based on genetic pathogenicity are limited. This cohort study aims to establish three subcohorts based on genetic testing results to assess the health impact of genetic variations. This study evaluates changes in participant quality of life (QoL), unmet needs and mental health over time based on their genetic variant status.

Scale to predict risk for refractory septic shock based on a hybrid approach using machine learning and regression modeling.

Objective: To develop a scale to predict refractory septic shock (SS) based on clinical variables recorded during initial evaluations of patients.

Methods: Multicenter retrospective study of data for patients with suspected infection registered in the Marketplace for Medical Information in Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV). These data were used for the development and internal validation of the refractory SS scale (RSSS).

Severity of metabolic derangement predicts survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the likelihood of benefiting from extracorporeal life support.

Objective: To develop a Metabolic Derangement Score (MDS) based on parameters available after initial testing and assess the score's ability to predict survival after out-of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and the likely usefulness of extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

Methods: A total of 5100 cases in the Korean Cardiac Arrest Research Consortium registry were included. Patients' mean age was 67 years, and 69% were men.

Effects of heat stress on growth performance, physiological responses, and carcass traits in broilers.

High environmental temperatures lead to metabolic changes, body weight reduction, and high mortality in chickens, affecting poultry production worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of heat stress, assessed by the temperature-humidity index (THI), on the growth performance, physiological response, carcasses, and hematological traits of broilers. A total of 200 broilers (between 17 and 31 days old) were kept in thermoneutral conditions (21 °C; 60% relative humidity, RH) for 3 days during the adaptation period, followed by 14 days of exposure to the experimental treatments.

Single-cell analysis reveals expanded CD8 T cells in CSF and shared peripheral clones in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Despite the crucial role of aberrant immune responses in ALS pathogenesis, studies investigating immunological profiles in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with ALS have reported inconsistent findings. Herein, we explored the intrathecal adaptive immune response and features of circulating T cells between CSF and blood of patients with ALS using single-cell RNA and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing.

Single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood links cell-type-specific regulation of splicing to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Alternative splicing contributes to complex traits, but whether this differs in trait-relevant cell types across diverse genetic ancestries is unclear. Here we describe cell-type-specific, sex-biased and ancestry-biased alternative splicing in ~1 M peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 474 healthy donors from the Asian Immune Diversity Atlas. We identify widespread sex-biased and ancestry-biased differential splicing, most of which is cell-type-specific.

Flt3L enhances clonal diversification and selective expansion of intratumoral CD8 T cells while differentiating into effector-like cells.

PD-1 blockade enhances anti-tumoral CD8 T cell responses via type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s), but how cDC1s change the properties of intratumoral CD8 T cells remains to be determined. Here, we identified two populations of intratumoral CD8 T cells distinguished by their expression of asialo-ganglio-N-tetraosylceramide (asGM1). asGM1 and asGM1CD8 T cells show enriched expression of genes characteristic for precursor exhausted T (Tpex) cells and terminally exhausted T (Tex) cells, respectively.

Tobacco Use in Korea: Current Epidemiology and Public Health Issues.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation's advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use.