Hiding in plain sight: Uncovering the hidden diversity of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the Republic of Korea using DNA barcoding data.

Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of livestock diseases, including bluetongue, Akabane, and African horse sickness. Accurate species identification is a crucial first step in effective vector management.

Biologically safe restoration of heavy metal-contaminated soils through plant-microbe synergy.

Abandoned mines have created extensive idle areas contaminated with heavy metals (HMs). Conventional remediation methods are often costly, environmentally disruptive, and pose risks to human health. As a sustainable alternative, a biological approach utilizing metal-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria (mPGPBs) was employed to remediate HM-contaminated soils and assess their biological safety.

Photodegradation of PET plastics produces persistent compounds that accumulate in sediments.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used plastics, particularly in packaging and textiles. Although PET is widely used in consumer products, only 10-28 % is recycled. Most PET waste is not properly managed.

A xanthone O-glucoside isolated from Iris setosa Pall. ex Link exhibits promising anti-amoebic activity against the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

Background: Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by Naegleria fowleri, poses a significant challenge in humans owing to its high mortality rate, exceeding 97 %. Current therapeutics have been unable to deliver satisfactory treatment outcomes, due to suboptimal efficacy and toxicity, highlighting the critical need for efficacious drug development. In this study, we identified a natural compound, 3,5-Dihydroxy-8‑methoxy-1-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl xanthone (DX), which exhibited promising anti-N.

A history-dependent approach for accurate initial condition estimation in epidemic models.

Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool for understanding and predicting complex dynamical systems, ranging from gene regulatory networks to population-level dynamics. However, model predictions are highly sensitive to initial conditions, which are often unknown. In infectious disease models, for instance, the initial number of exposed individuals (E) at the time the model simulation starts is frequently unknown.

Management of posttraumatic refractory paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity with bromocriptine: a case report.

This case report describes a unique instance of refractory paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) in a 19-year-old woman following a traumatic brain injury sustained in a motorcycle accident. The patient presented in a semicomatose state with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 (E1, VT, M2), a significant left frontotemporal subdural hematoma, and a midline shift that necessitated emergency craniectomy and hematoma evacuation. Postoperatively, she developed recurrent episodes of hyperthermia, tachycardia, hypertension, tachypnea, diaphoresis, rigidity, and eyeball deviation triggered by non-noxious stimuli.

The Clinical Impact of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients with High Thrombus Burden.

Despite the established clinical efficacy following intravascular imaging (IVI)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than angiography-guided PCI, evidence regarding prognostic benefits of IVI-guided PCI in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with high thrombus burden remains limited. Using the nationwide registries of KAMIR-NIH and KAMIR-V, we evaluated the prognostic impact of IVI-guided PCI in AMI patients with high thrombus burden. A total of 4,074 patients with AMI and TIMI thrombus grades 4 or 5 who underwent aspiration thrombectomy were selected, of whom 892 patients (21.

Characterization of formaldehyde-induced hepatotoxicity based on proteometabolomic analysis.

Formaldehyde (FA) is a well-known environmental toxicant used in various industries, including biomedical, agriculture, and textiles, but poses significant health risks. Despite extensive research, the exact hepatotoxic mechanism of FA remains unclear. This study investigated FA-induced liver toxicity through an integrative analysis of proteomics and metabolomics in rat models, identifying 84 differentially expressed proteins and 66 metabolites.

Heavy metals toxicity in plants: understanding mechanisms and developing coping strategies for remediation: a review.

Heavy metal (HM) contamination is an increasing environmental and agricultural concern due to the persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulative nature of metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As). These pollutants are primarily introduced through industrial effluents, mining, and agrochemicals, negatively impacting soil health, crop productivity, and food safety, ultimately posing serious risks to both ecosystems and human health. Conventional remediation methods can be costly, labor-intensive, and environmentally disruptive.

Cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells exhibit an immunosuppressive shift in checkpoint immunotherapy resistance in melanoma patients.

Although checkpoint immunotherapy has primarily focused on CD8⁺ T cells, emerging evidence highlights an important role for cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells in mediating therapeutic responses. However, research on the functional properties of cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells in the context of immunotherapy is still at an early stage and remains insufficiently defined. Utilizing single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets obtained from metastatic melanoma patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and/or CTLA-4, we performed transcriptomic profiling of conventional CD4⁺ T cells, excluding proliferative and regulatory (FOXP3⁺) subsets, and compared responders and non-responders as distinct groups.

Development of a prediction tool for kidney function decline in children with chronic kidney disease.

Background: A paucity of literature exists on the development of predictive tools for the decline of kidney function in pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study is to develop and internally validate a tool for the short-term prediction of a kidney function decline in pediatric patients with CKD.

Methods: A total of 539 patients participating in the KNOW-PedCKD (KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease) were evaluated for 48 variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment use.

Comparison of Patient-Specific Instrumentation, Navigation, and Mixed Reality Technologies for Accurate Glenoid Positioning in Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of glenoid implant positioning achieved using emerging technologies, including patient-specific instrumentation (PSI), surgical navigation (NAV), and mixed reality (MR) in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA).

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, utilizing the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases to identify English-language original studies. Studies meeting predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected to evaluate glenoid implant positioning in rTSA using PSI, NAV, and MR techniques.

COSINE-100 full dataset challenges the annual modulation signal of DAMA/LIBRA.

For over 25 years, the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has claimed to observe an annual modulation signal, suggesting the existence of dark matter interactions. However, no experiment using different target materials has observed a dark matter signal consistent with their result. To address this puzzle, the COSINE-100 collaboration conducted a model-independent test using sodium iodide crystal detectors, the same target material as DAMA/LIBRA.

The GRF‒GIF duo and AINTEGUMENTA act cooperatively for the meristematic competence of lateral organs in Arabidopsis.

Above-ground lateral organs, such as leaves and flowers, should grow to an optimal size and develop particular structures, which are primarily laid out on the meristematic activities of their primordia. The GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR‒GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR (GRF‒GIF) transcriptional complex and the AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) transcription factor play key roles in the establishment of the meristematic competence of lateral organ primordia with highly overlapping expression patterns, and thus functional relationships between them have long been speculated. In this study, we constructed the ant gif1 gif2 gif3 quadruple mutant, which produced much smaller and narrower leaves, sepals, and petals with far fewer cells compared with its parental lines.

Establishing consensus recommendations for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer in South Korea: A modified Delphi study.

Purpose: Consensus is lacking among South Korean urologists on the appropriate treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). A modified, Delphi-based consensus on managing mHSPC patients was developed to support clinical decision-making.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-six questions on mHSPC treatment were developed by an expert committee (five urologists).

The effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on survival outcomes subsequent to radical cystectomy in pathological T0 bladder cancer patients: A multicenter large-scale analysis.

Purpose: After radical cystectomy (RC), the pathologic complete response (pT0) among muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is considered a favorable oncological result. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) among the pT0 patients using a large-scale multicenter study.

Materials And Methods: This study included 3,972 patients who underwent RC at 11 tertiary medical centers.

Adenylate kinase gene polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism to differentiate Escherichia coli, Escherichia fergusonii, and Citrobacter freundii: a molecular diagnostic study.

Background: Escherichia coli (EC), Escherichia fergusonii (EF), and Citrobacter freundii (CF) are clinically significant Gram-negative bacteria that are difficult to differentiate because of their shared 16S rRNA gene sequences.

Methods: This study presents a novel approach utilizing adenylate kinase (adk) gene polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for the precise discrimination of EC, EF, and CF. Analysis of adk sequences revealed unique restriction sites for BtsIMutI, BtgI, and AgeI restriction enzymes at nucleotide positions 93 and 96.

3D printability and structural properties of plant-based scallop adductor muscles: Effect of amylose content and pasting properties by rice cultivars.

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Description of a New Cryptic Rhabditid, n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae), with Remarks on Two Known Species from Korea.

A new cryptic species of the genus isolated from the bark of a dead pine tree was characterized using morphological features, morphometrics, and DNA barcodes. n. sp.

Environmental and genetic effects on phytochemical and nutritional composition of onion ( L.) varieties in South Korea.

Onions ( L.) are widely recognized for their antioxidant properties, bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, organosulfur compounds (OSCs), and phenolics. This study evaluate the antioxidant activities, phytochemical composition, and nutrient variations of two onion varieties, Katamaru (KM) and Sunpower (SP), cultivated in two different locations, Muan and Changnyeong, Korea.

Non-eosinophilic esophagitis eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases are more prevalent than eosinophilic esophagitis in Korean children: from a multicenter study based on new diagnostic criteria and nomenclature.

Background: Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of pediatric EGIDs in Korea based on the newly established nomenclature and diagnostic guidelines.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric patients (0-18 years) with GI symptoms who underwent upper and lower GI endoscopy at five tertiary hospitals in Korea (2010∼2023).

How static and kinetic meditation, with or without guidance, affect autonomic nervous system activity in novice meditators.

Objective: This study explored the autonomic nervous system responses and perceived experiences of novice meditators during kinetic and static meditation.

Methods: Thirty-five participants completed both meditation types in randomized order. Each 20-min session included 10 min of guided and 10 min of unguided meditation.

Viral expansion after transfer is a primary driver of influenza A virus transmission bottlenecks.

For many viruses, narrow bottlenecks acting during transmission sharply reduce genetic diversity in a recipient host relative to the donor. Since genetic diversity represents adaptive potential, such losses of diversity are thought to limit the opportunity for viral populations to undergo antigenic change and other adaptive processes. Thus, a detailed picture of evolutionary dynamics during transmission is critical to understanding the forces driving viral evolution at an epidemiologic scale.