Interferon-γ receptor signaling is critical for balanced immune activation and protection against influenza after vaccination.

To better understand the contribution of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) receptor signaling to vaccine-induced immunity, we employed A129 (IFN-α/β receptor-deficient) and AG129 (IFN-α/β/γ receptor-deficient) mouse models. AG129 mice induced comparable levels of virus-specific IgG after vaccination with influenza virus H5 hemagglutinin (HA) virus-like particles (VLPs). Vaccinated AG129 mice with HA VLPs exhibited impaired Th1-immune responses, lower hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titers, increased susceptibility to virus infection, and lower survival rates following influenza virus (H5N1) challenge than vaccinated A129 mice.

Deep-Learning-Based Automated REM Sleep Detection in Patients With REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Is It Reliable?

Background And Purpose: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep without atonia makes it difficult to detect REM sleep stages using electromyography in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The objectives of this study were to propose an automated REM sleep detector that requires only electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG) data, and to evaluate its performance using real-world polysomnography (PSG) data in RBD patients.

Methods: This multicenter study used 310 PSG datasets obtained from 5 tertiary hospitals.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: Analysis of Korean National Health Insurance Claims Data.

Background And Purpose: Polypharmacy is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). This includes appropriate medications for PD-related symptoms and comorbid conditions, but also potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). We aimed to determine the prescribing trends of PIMs based on the 2019 Beers Criteria in Korean patients with PD.

Highly Reflective Organic/Inorganic Hybrid 1D Photonic Crystals Based on Silane-Functionalized TiO Nanoparticles for Colorimetric Humidity and Alcohol Vapor Sensing.

One-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) have been extensively studied as colorimetric sensors responsive to various external stimuli. Herein, we report a simple spin-coating method to fabricate highly reflective, humidity- and alcohol-responsive organic/inorganic hybrid 1DPCs using silane-functionalized TiO nanoparticles and a DMA-based hydrophilic copolymer. The resulting 1DPCs, composed of a small number of alternating layers (≤8), exhibit distinct color changes and high reflectance (∼50%) in response to humidity and alcohol vapor, addressing the limitations of all-polymeric 1DPCs that require many layers or display low reflectivity.

Transcriptomic Insights into GABA Accumulation in Tomato via CRISPR/Cas9-Based Editing of and .

Background: -Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid with key roles in plant metabolism, stress responses, and fruit nutritional quality. In tomato (), GABA levels are dynamically regulated during fruit development but decline in the late ripening stages.

Methods: To enhance GABA accumulation, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to edit the calmodulin-binding domain (CaMBD) of and , which encode glutamate decarboxylases (GADs).

ACE2 Receptor Usage across Animal Species by SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

We analyzed the receptor-binding activity and infectivity of 6 representative SARS-CoV-2 lineages in cell lines expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 proteins from 54 different animal species. All viruses demonstrated infectivity in a broad range of species. Susceptible animal species could serve as natural reservoirs or intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockout of Reveals Its Role in ABA-Associated Immune Signaling in Rice.

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors are involved in a wide range of physiological processes in plants, including hormone signaling, stress responses, and growth and development regulation. They play a key role in abscisic acid (ABA)-mediated immune regulation. However, the immune-related function of in rice remains poorly understood.

The photosensitizer DH-I-180-3 regulates intracellular bacterial growth by increasing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines via the NF-κB- and MAPK-mediated signaling pathways and promoting phagosome maturation in Salmonella-infected mouse macrophages.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a known strategy for treating cancer; in PDT, photosensitizers are activated by light stimulation and then induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production to damage cancer tissues. Recently evidence has shown that PDT can also be used as a novel treatment strategy to control pathogenic bacteria. In previous studies, the photosensitizer DH-I-180-3 was reported to effectively regulate multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth.

Impact of Age at Narcolepsy Onset on Sleep-Onset REM Periods in the Multiple Sleep Latency Test.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of age at symptom onset on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency and sleep-onset REM period (SOREMP) distribution in multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs) in patients with narcolepsy. : This was a retrospective multicenter chart review of 135 newly diagnosed drug-naïve patients with narcolepsy who underwent MSLT and fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy. The age at onset was defined as the first occurrence of excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy.

Factors associated with diagnostic delay in narcolepsy: Real-world data from a Korean multicenter study.

Background And Objective: Narcolepsy is a rare chronic neurological disorder characterized by a pentad of symptoms: excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucination, sleep paralysis, and disturbed nighttime sleep. Narcolepsy begins in children and adolescents, yet most patients experience a diagnostic delay. We investigated this diagnostic delay and the factors contributing to it in Korean narcolepsy patients.

Can oxygen desaturation during gastrointestinal endoscopy under conscious sedation predict obstructive sleep apnea?

Objective: This study explored whether oxygen desaturation during gastrointestinal endoscopy under conscious sedation could serve as a predictive marker for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: In this retrospective chart review, adults who underwent both polysomnography (PSG) and gastrointestinal endoscopy under conscious sedation were divided into two groups based on the lowest oxygen saturation: desaturation group (≤90 %) and non-desaturation group (>90 %). PSG metrics were compared, and associations between procedural desaturation and OSA severity were analyzed using linear-by-linear association and Pearson correlation tests.

Development of a well-dying awareness scale for middle-aged adults in Korea: a mixed-methods study.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable tool to measure awareness of well-dying among middle-aged adults.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was adopted, consisting of a qualitative phase to identify the characteristics of well-dying and a quantitative phase to validate the instrument with middle-aged participants. Initially, 76 items were generated through a literature review and in-depth interviews, and these were reduced to 35 items through expert validation.

A Knockout of the Gene Encoding a Cytosolic Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Reacts Sensitively to Abiotic Stress in Rice.

Background/objectives: The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) enzyme, encoded by , plays a crucial role in glycolysis while participating in various physiological and stress response pathways.

Methods: In this study, the expression levels of the and genes were investigated over time by treating various abiotic stresses (ABA, PEG, NaCl, heat, and cold) in rice seedlings.

Results: As a result, the expression levels of both genes in the ABA-treated group increased continuously for 0-6 h and then de-creased sharply from 12 h onwards.

ABA and Pre-Harvest Sprouting Differences in Knockout Lines of OsPHS3 Encoding Carotenoid Isomerase via CRISPR/Cas9 in Rice.

We generated and characterized knockout mutant lines of the gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The knockout lines of the gene showed that 1 bp and 7 bp deletion, early termination codons were used for protein production. Agronomic characteristics of knock-out lines were reduced in plant height, culm diameter, panicle length, seed size and weight, except for the number of tillers.

Genetic Research and Plant Breeding 2.0.

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have significantly reduced sequencing costs, resulting in the creation of large-scale genomic data that can be utilized for plant breeding [...

Knockout of Gene Encoding Cytosolic Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Affects Energy Metabolism in Rice Seeds.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a major glycolytic enzyme that plays an important role in several cellular processes, including plant hormone signaling, plant development, and transcriptional regulation. In this study, we divided it into four groups through structural analysis of eight genes identified in the rice genome. Among them, the expression level of five genes of cytosolic was shown to be different for each organ.

Effects of Positive Airway Pressure on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Patients with Concomitant Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in cardiovascular disease (CVD), although positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment has not been demonstrated to improve the cardiovascular outcome. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of adherence to PAP therapy on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) performance in patients with concomitant OSA and CVD. This preliminary study involved symptomatic OSA patients requiring PAP treatment who had CVD.

3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) enhances human Kv1.3 channel currents and alters cytokine production.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were once used throughout various industries; however, because of their persistence in the environment, exposure remains a global threat to the environment and human health. The Kv1.3 and Kv1.

Trends and Prospects of Genetic and Molecular Research in Plants.

With the exponential advancements in biotechnology research, various studies are being conducted to overcome productivity limitations in crop breeding [...

Early- and late-onset candidemia in very low birth weight infants in the Korean neonatal network, 2013-2017.

Background: Candidiasis is a critical infection that is associated with very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g). This study investigated the characteristics and clinical presentation of candidiasis in Korean VLBW infants according to the onset of candidemia.

Methods: All VLBW infants with candidemia, defined as blood culture-positive candidiasis and registered in a multicenter database with data from 70 neonatal units of the Korean Neonatal Network between 2013 and 2017, were included in this study.

Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of CRISPR/Cas9-Edited Tomato Knockout (KO) Line.

Tomatoes contain many secondary metabolites such as -carotene, lycopene, phenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C, which are responsible for antioxidant activity. encodes a STAY-GREEN protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of chlorophyll degradation in tomato leaves and fruits. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the null lines based on their physicochemical characteristics, the content of secondary metabolites, and the -Aminobutyric acid (GABA) content.