Swd2/Cps35 determines H3K4 tri-methylation via interactions with Set1 and Rad6.

BACKGROUND: Histone H3K4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3) catalyzed by Set1/COMPASS, is a prominent epigenetic mark found in promoter-proximal regions of actively transcribed genes. H3K4me3 relies on prior monoubiquitination at the histone H2B (H2Bub) by Rad6 and Bre1. Swd2/Cps35, a Set1/COMPASS component, has been proposed as a key player in facilitating H2Bub-dependent H3K4me3. However, a more comprehensive investigation regarding the relationship among Rad6, Swd2, and Set1 is required to further understand the mechanisms and functions of the H3K4 methylation. RESULTS: We investigated the genome-wide occupancy patterns of Rad6, Swd2, and Set1 under various genetic conditions, aiming to clarify the roles of Set1 and Rad6 for occupancy of Swd2. Swd2 peaks appear on both the 5' region and 3' region of genes, which are overlapped with its tightly bound two complexes, Set1 and cleavage and polyadenylation factor (CPF), respectively. In the absence of Rad6/H2Bub, Set1 predominantly localized to the 5' region of genes, while Swd2 lost all the chromatin binding. However, in the absence of Set1, Swd2 occupancy near the 5' region was impaired and rather increased in the 3' region. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that the catalytic activity of Rad6 is essential for all the ways of Swd2's binding to the transcribed genes and Set1 redistributes the Swd2 to the 5' region for accomplishments of H3K4me3 in the genome-wide level.

VA-ECMO weaning strategy using adjusted pulse pressure by vasoactive inotropic score in AMI complicated by cardiogenic shock.

AIMS: This study evaluated how well serial pulse pressure (PP) and PP adjusted by the vasoactive inotropic score (VIS) predicted venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) weaning success and clinical outcomes in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 213 patients with AMI-CS who received VA-ECMO between January 2010 and August 2021 were enrolled in the institutional ECMO registry. Serial PP and VIS were measured immediately, 12, 24, and 48 h after VA-ECMO insertion. PP adjusted by VIS was defined as PP/√VIS. The primary outcome was successful VA-ECMO weaning. Successful weaning from VA-ECMO was observed in 151 patients (70.9%). Immediately after VA-ECMO insertion, PP [successful vs. failed weaning, 26.0 (15.5-46.0) vs. 21.0 (12.5-33.0), P = 0.386] and PP/√VIS [11.1 (5.1-25.0) vs. 6.0 (3.1-14.2), P = 0.118] did not differ between the successful and failed weaning groups. Serial PP and PP adjusted by VIS at 12, 24, and 48 h after VA-ECMO insertion were significantly higher in patients with successful weaning than those with failed weaning [successful vs. failed weaning, 24.0 (4.0-38.0) vs. 12.5 (6.0-25.5), P = 0.007 for 12 h PP, and 10.1 (5.7-22.0) vs. 2.9 (1.7-5.9), P < 0.001 for 12 h PP/√VIS]. The 12 h PP/√VIS showed better discriminative function for successful weaning than 12 h PP alone [area under the curve (AUC) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.88, P < 0.001 vs. AUC 0.67, 95% CI 0.57-0.77, P = 0.002]. Patients with a low 12 h PP/√VIS (≤7) had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (44.4% vs. 19.8%, P < 0.001) and 6 month follow-up mortality (hazard ratio 2.41, 95% CI 1.49-3.90, P < 0.001) than those with a high 12 h PP/√VIS (>7). CONCLUSIONS: PP adjusted by VIS taken 12 h following VA-ECMO initiation can predict weaning from VA-ECMO more successfully than PP alone, and its low value was associated with a higher risk of mortality in AMI-CS patients.

Characteristics of Comorbid Physical Disease in Patients With Severe Mental Illness in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study (2014-2019).

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the associations of chronic physical disease between patients with severe mental illness (SMI) and the general population of South Korea. METHODS: This study was conducted with National Health Insurance Corporation data from 2014 to 2019. A total of 848,058 people were diagnosed with SMI in this period, and the same number of controls were established by matching by sex and age. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with SMI. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associations between comorbid physical disease in patients with SMI and those of the general population. SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1 (SAS Inc, Cary, NC, USA) were used to perform all statistical tests. RESULTS: The analysis revealed significant differences in medical insurance, income level, and Charlson Comorbidity Index weighted by chronic physical disease, between patients with SMI and the general population. Conditional logistic regression analysis between the two groups also revealed significant differences in eight chronic physical diseases except hypertensive disease. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the vulnerability of patients with SMI to chronic physical diseases and we were able to identify chronic physical disease that were highly related to patients with SMI.

Continuity of care between dyslipidemia patients and multiple providers: A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impacts of continuity of care (COC) between patients and multiple providers, i.e., doctors and community pharmacists, on clinical and economic outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study and analyzed Korean national claims data for ambulatory care setting between 2007 and 2018. Patients with dyslipidemia newly diagnosed in 2008 were identified. COC between providers and patients was computed using the continuity of care index (COCI). Based on COCIs, the study patients were allocated to four groups: HM/HP, HM/LP, LM/HP, and LM/LP. Each symbol represents H for high, L for low, M for doctor, and P for pharmacist. The primary study outcome was the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). RESULTS: 126,710 patients were included. Percentages of patients in the four study groups were as follows: HM/HP 35%, HM/LP 19%, LM/HP 12%, and LM/LP 34%. During the seven-year outcome period, 8,337 patients (6.6%) developed an ASCVD, and percentages in the study groups were as follows; HM/HP 6.2%, HM/LP 6.3%, LM/HP 6.8%, and LM/LP 7.1%. After adjusting for confounding covariates, only the LM/LP group had a significantly higher risk of ASCVD than the reference group, HM/HP (aHR = 1.16 [95% confidence interval = 1.10~1.22]). The risk of inappropriate medication adherence gradually increased 1.03-fold in the HM/LP group, 1.67-fold in the LM/HP, and 2.26-fold in the LM/LP group versus the HM/HP group after adjusting for covariates. Disease-related costs were lower in the HM/HP and LM/HP groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that patients with high relational care continuity with doctors and pharmacists achieved better clinical results and utilized health care less, resulting in reduced expenses. Further exploration for the group that exhibits an ongoing relationship solely with pharmacists is warranted.

Solar retinopathy related to antidepressant use in a patient with major depressive disorder: a case report.

This case report is a unique case of solar retinopathy following antidepressant-induced mydriasis and highlights the need for comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation in patients treated with medications having mydriatic effects. A 49-year-old female patient who had received long-term antidepressant therapy presented with bilateral visual impairment after prolonged sun exposure. Fundoscopy confirmed solar retinopathy, which was attributed to drug-induced mydriasis. Medication adjustments and sun protection strategies led to full visual recovery, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary awareness. This case emphasizes the challenges associated with the simultaneous management of psychiatric and ophthalmic conditions and highlights the need for routine ophthalmic evaluation of patients prescribed antidepressants with reported ocular side effects.

Epidemiology of Respiratory Viruses in Korean Children Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Study From National Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a decrease in the seasonal incidence of many respiratory viruses worldwide due to the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). However, as NPI measures were relaxed, respiratory viral infections re-emerged. We aimed to characterize the epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Korean children during post-COVID-19 pandemic years compared to that before the pandemic. METHODS: A nationwide prospective ongoing surveillance study has been conducted for detection of respiratory viruses between January 2017 and June 2023. We included data on adenovirus (AdV), human bocavirus (HBoV), human coronavirus (HCoV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human rhinovirus (HRV), influenza virus (IFV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which were detected in children and adolescents younger than 20 years. We analyzed the weekly detection frequency of individual viruses and the age distribution of the affected children. The study period was divided into prepandemic (2017-2019) and postpandemic (2021-2023) periods. RESULTS: A total of 19,589 and 14,068 samples were collected in the pre- and postpandemic periods, respectively. The overall detection rate of any virus throughout the study period was 63.1%, with the lowest occurring in the 2nd half of 2020 (50.6%) and the highest occurring in the 2nd half of 2021 (72.3%). Enveloped viruses (HCoV, HMPV, IFV, PIV, and RSV) almost disappeared, but nonenveloped viruses (AdV, HBoV, and HRV) were detected even during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The codetection rate increased from 15.0% prepandemic to 19.1% postpandemic (P < 0.001). During the postpandemic period, a large out-of-season PIV and HMPV epidemic occurred, but the usual seasonality began to be restored in 2023. The mean age of children with each virus detected in 2023 was significantly greater than that in prepandemic years (P = 0.003 and 0.007 for AdV and HCoV, respectively; P < 0.001 for others). The mean age of children with IFV increased in 2022 (11.1 ± 5.2 years) from prepandemic years (7.9 ± 4.6 years) but decreased to 8.7 ± 4.1 years in 2023. CONCLUSION: With the relaxation of NPI measures, several seasonal respiratory viruses cocirculated with unusual seasonal epidemic patterns and were associated with increasing age of infected children.

Dual Photoredox and Nickel Catalysis in Regioselective Diacylation: Exploring the Versatility of Nickel Oxidation States in Allene Activation.

We present a nickel-catalyzed regioselective radical diacylation of allenes with ketoacids to produce 1,4-dione products by dual photoredox and nickel catalysis. This integrated approach merges redox-active oxidative addition and reductive elimination steps with migratory insertion. The acyl radical generated in the photoredox cycle sequentially adds to Ni(I) and Ni(II) intermediates following a Ni(I)-Ni(II)-Ni(II)-Ni(III)-Ni(I) catalytic cycle. This methodology, supported by DFT calculations, demonstrates the potential of nickel catalysis in the creation of complex molecular architectures.

Relationship between skin greasiness and cuticular wax in harvested "Hongro" apples.

We investigated the ripening and skin greasiness of "Hongro" apples during storage at 20 °C. Postharvest treatment using 100 µLL-1 ethylene accelerated ripening and increased greasiness, whereas treatment using 1 µLL-1 1-methylcyclopropene delayed ripening and reduced greasiness. Scanning electron microscopy showed changes in cuticular wax structure linked to greasiness. Metabolic analysis identified specific metabolites related to greasiness, which varied upon postharvest treatment. Greasiness was positively associated with ethylene production and butyl-9,12-octadecadienoate content. Random forest modeling predicted greasiness levels with high accuracy, with root mean square error values of 0.322 and 0.362 for training and validation datasets, respectively. These findings illuminate the complex interplay between postharvest treatment, apple ripening, wax composition, and skin greasiness. The application of predictive models exemplifies the potential for technology-driven approaches in agriculture and aids in the development of postharvest strategies to control greasiness and maintain fruit quality.

First report of a rust disease of Lycium chinense caused by Puccinia tumidipes in Korea.

Lycium chinense Mill is a deciduous broad-leaved shrub belonging to the Solanaceae family and, is widely distributed throughout Korea. This plant is native to, or cultivated for various oriental medicinal purposes in, multiple regions of Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan (Lee 1982; Kim et al. 1994). Eleven Puccinia species have been reported to infect Lycium species (Otálora et al. 2018). In May and October 2022, symptoms of rust disease caused by Puccinia sp. were observed on almost all the leaves of about 60 sprawling stems of L. chinense plants on the seashore of Jeju island, Korea (33°14'15.0835″N, 126°30'53.40E). Brownish red (uredinium) or blackish brown (telium) pustules were observed on upper and lower surfaces of infected leaves. These symptoms were observed on about 40 L. chinense plants, barely growing between rocks on the seashore of Ulsan Metropolitan City, and on the about 20 L. chinense plants on a small home garden of Jindo-gun, Korea, in June and October 2023, respectively. Uredinia were amphigenous, individually scattered, but sometimes formed groups of two or three on leaves and sepals, ferruginous, pulverulent, and surrounded by a ruptured epidermis, often developing into blackish telia. Urediniospores were either ellipsoid or ovoid, approximately 29.3-34.9 × 17-24.3 µm, with yellowish walls, 1-2 µm thick. The germ pores were bizonate, and each band contained four pores covered by low papillae. Blackish-brown telia were observed on both leaf surfaces. Teliospores were broadly ellipsoidal, and rounded at the apex and towards the base. They were measured approximately 37.1-53.4 × 25-34.5 µm. The walls were light chestnut-brown and 2-3.7 µm thick, apically up to 5-9 µm thick. The swollen pedicel was persistent, basal, hyaline, smooth, and similar in length to the spores (Fig. 1). These morphological characteristics were similar to those of P. tumidipes, as described by Otálora et al. (2018). The representative specimens were preserved at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency Herbarium (PQK220531, -230605, and -231026). The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and cytochrome oxidase subunit 3(CO3) regions were amplified from the total DNA of the isolates, using the primer pairs ITS5, ITS4, CO3F1, and CO3R1 for phylogenetic analysis (White et al. 1990; Vialle et al. 2009). PCR products were sequenced (Celemics, Seoul, Korea), and deposited in GenBank (Accession numbers are shown in Fig. 2.). The combined ITS2 and CO3 sequences were grouped with those of other isolates of P. tumidipes in the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 2). In November 2022, three pathogenicity tests were conducted using a urediniospore suspension made with the PQK220531 isolate in sterile distilled water. The suspension was smeared onto the upper surface of healthy L. chinense leaves. The three inoculated plants were kept in the dark at saturated moisture levels for 24 hours and placed in an isolated glasshouse together with the three control plants. After two weeks, uredinia of P. tumidipes were observed on the leaves of the inoculated plants, but not on the control plants. Although no spermogonial or aecial stage has been observed in Korea, our study has proven that P. tumidipes is the causal fungus of rust disease in L. chinense. This result is also the first discovery of the New-World P. tumidipes in Asia, showing this fungus is not limitedly distributed in America and suggesting further surveys be done on its exact geographical distribution.

Mutational analysis of 23 autosomal short tandem repeats based on trio paternity testing in the Korean population.

This study aimed to estimate A-STR mutation rates in 2,317 Korean parent-child trios by examining 20 Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) core loci (D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, CSF1PO, FGA, TH01, TPOX, vWA, D1S1656, D2S441, D2S1338, D10S1248, D12S391, D19S433, and D22S1045) and three non-CODIS loci (Penta E, Penta D, and SE33). Locus-specific mutation rate estimates varied from 0.00 to 8.63 × 10-3 per generation, with an average mutation rate of 1.62 × 10-3 (95 % CI, 1.39-1.88 × 10-3). We also combined data from previous studies to obtain comprehensive genetic values for the Korean population, and the average mutation rate was 1.59 × 10-3 (95 % CI, 1.38-1.82 × 10-3). Single-step mutations (95.69 %) and double-step mutations (3.35 %) were observed in the mutation pattern analysis, and cases expected to have multi-step mutations (0.96 %) were also observed. Large-sized alleles exhibited more loss mutations than gain mutations, and paternal mutations (62.68 %) were more frequently observed than maternal mutations (19.62 %). The calculated values and features of the 23 A-STRs explored in this study are expected to play a crucial role in establishing criteria for forensic genetic interpretation.

Strategic combination of bacteriophages with highly susceptible cells for enhanced intestinal settlement and resistant cell killing.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes enormous economic losses and is a primary contributor to the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR)-related problems in the poultry industry. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has been successful in controlling MDR, but phage-resistant variants have rapidly emerged through the horizontal transmission of diverse phage defense systems carried on mobile genetic elements. Consequently, while multiple phage cocktails are recommended for phage therapy, there is a growing need to explore simpler and more cost-effective phage treatment alternatives. In this study, we characterized two novel O78-specific APEC phages, φWAO78-1 and φHAO78-1, in terms of their morphology, genome, physicochemical stability and growth kinetics. Additionally, we assessed the susceptibility of thirty-two O78 APEC strains to these phages. We analyzed the roles of highly susceptible cells in intestinal settlement and fecal shedding (susceptible cell-assisted intestinal settlement and shedding, SAIS) of phages in chickens via coinoculation with phages. Furthermore, we evaluated a new strategy, susceptible cell-assisted resistant cell killing (SARK), by comparing phage susceptibility between resistant cells alone and a mixture of resistant and highly susceptible cells in vitro. As expected, high proportions of O78 APEC strains had already acquired multiple phage defense systems, exhibiting considerable resistance to φWAO78-1 and φHAO78-1. Coinoculation of highly susceptible cells with phages prolonged phage shedding in feces, and the coexistence of susceptible cells markedly increased the phage susceptibility of resistant cells. Therefore, the SAIS and SARK strategies were demonstrated to be promising both in vivo and in vitro.

Evaluation of the forAge Age-at-Death Estimation Program Using Pubic Symphyseal Surface in a Korean Population.

The forAge program estimates the age-at-death of human pubic symphysis using 3-dimensional scans. It was developed by Dennis E. Slice and Bridget F. B. Algee-Hewitt, and utilizes three distinct scores: the Slice and Algee-Hewitt (SAH) score, bending energy (BE), and ventral curvature (VC). However, these scores and age estimation regression equation were obtained through European American pubic symphysis. Changes in the pubic symphysis surface are evaluated as one of the most reliable indicators for estimating age, but in connection with this, using Korean materials, changes in the pubic symphysis surface and the actual changes are evaluated. There is no bar where the relationship between ages is grasped, and there are cases where a methodology developed for a specific group is applied to a Korean group. Changing the pubic symphysis surface by aging was evaluated as one of the most reliable indicators for estimating age. However, there is no study conducted on the relationship between changes in the pubic symphysis and actual age and applied the age estimation method for a specific population among Korean population. The purpose of this study is to compare the difference between the actual age and the estimated age in Korean to see if the forAge program is applicable to other population of different ancestral origin. One hundred and four modern Korean pubic symphyseal surfaces (47 to 96 years old) were used in this study. Through the pubic symphyseal surface 3-dimensional images, age-at-death was estimated via prediction equation and new regression lines using SAH, VC, and BE scores. Firstly, the estimated age via prediction equation using the first version of SAH score was lower than the actual age according to all pubic symphyseal surfaces for those older than 56. With aging, the difference between the actual age and estimated age became markedly larger. Secondly, the estimated ages via the new regression lines using VC, the second version of SAH score, and BE were shown a similar pattern to the previous prediction equation. The current study explored the applicability of a quantitative method using pubic symphyseal surface for age estimation in a modern Korean population. This study showed the forAge program cannot be applied to a modern Korean population, as they present relatively low correlations with the actual age-at-death.

Minimum Information Variability in Linear Langevin Systems via Model Predictive Control.

Controlling the time evolution of a probability distribution that describes the dynamics of a given complex system is a challenging problem. Achieving success in this endeavour will benefit multiple practical scenarios, e.g., controlling mesoscopic systems. Here, we propose a control approach blending the model predictive control technique with insights from information geometry theory. Focusing on linear Langevin systems, we use model predictive control online optimisation capabilities to determine the system inputs that minimise deviations from the geodesic of the information length over time, ensuring dynamics with minimum "geometric information variability". We validate our methodology through numerical experimentation on the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and Kramers equation, demonstrating its feasibility. Furthermore, in the context of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, we analyse the impact on the entropy production and entropy rate, providing a physical understanding of the effects of minimum information variability control.

First report of Puccinia xanthii causing rust disease on Xanthium orientale in Korea.

Puccinia xanthii Schw. is a microcyclic rust fungus, first found on Xanthium strumarium Lour in North Carolina, the United States. This rust fungus is native to the continental United States, Hawaii, Mexico, and the West Indies (Arthur 1934). It has become notoriously invasive and is now distributed in the Europe (Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Spain, and the former Yugoslavia), India, Indonesia, Australia, and South Africa (Parmelee 1969; Alcorn 1976; Wahyuno 2012). In East Asia, the fungus has been reported in Japan (Hiratsuka et al. 1992) and China (Zhao et al. 2014) but not in Korea. It has been reported mainly on the invasive weeds Xanthium and Ambrosia species. In addition, it rarely occurs on sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) in Australia (Alcorn 1976), South Africa (Pretorius et al. 2000), and North America (Gulya and Charlet 2002). In Korea, rust disease symptoms caused by a Puccinia fungus were first found on X. orientale L. at the roadside of Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do (36 27'95.428"N 127 66'26.378"E) in October 2021 and were repeatedly observed in the same site in 2022. The similar symptom was additionally found on X. orientale in Yesan-gun, Oct. 2022. The symptoms were brown spots on round chlorotic haloes on the adaxial leaf surface and dark brown pustules on the abaxial leaf surface. Telia were brown to dark brown, round, mostly grouped, 0.28-0.61 mm in diameter, and mainly formed on the abaxial leaf surface but sometimes on the adaxial leaf surface. Teliospores were two-celled, pedicellate, and measured 37.6-110 × 12.4-21.5 µm in size; the wall was yellowish or almost colorless, smooth, 1.2-2.6 µm thick at the sides, and up to 7.4 µm thick at the apex. The morphological characteristics of the teliospores were identical to those of P. xanthii described by Arthur (1934) and Parmelee (1969). Based on phylogenetic analyses (e-Xtra 2) of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and partial large subunit (LSU) rDNA extracted from the teliospores, they were identified as P. xanthii. BLAST analysis showed that the sequences had high homologies (over 99.82%) with the reference strains of P. xanthii (EF635903 and KX999896). The representative specimens were preserved at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency Herbarium (PQK211005 for Okcheon-gun isolate and PQK220913 for Yesan-gun) and the sequences were deposited in GenBank (OR958716 and OR958692). A pathogenicity test was performed by dropping a suspension of germinating teliospores and basidiospores onto the adaxial leaf surfaces of apparently healthy X. orientale plants in Oct. 2022, using the isolate PQK220913 (OR958692). The three inoculated plants were placed together with three controls treated with only distilled water, in the dark at saturated humidity for 24 hours in an isolated greenhouse. After two weeks, typical rust symptoms were observed in the three infected plants, whereas no symptoms appeared in the control plants (e-Xtra 1). The causal fungus was identified as P. xanthii based on host relationships, successful experimental inoculation, morphological characteristics, and sequence similarity of partial DNA fragments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. xanthii on X. orientale in Korea. P. xanthii was additionally confirmed on X. orientale in Gumi-si, Boeun-gun, Seongju-gun, Naju-si, and Gunsan-si in 2023, indicating its wide distribution in Korea. It is expected that P. xanthii could be a candidate as a biological agent for controlling the invasive weed, X. orientale.

Information Geometry Theoretic Measures for Characterizing Neural Information Processing from Simulated EEG Signals.

In this work, we explore information geometry theoretic measures for characterizing neural information processing from EEG signals simulated by stochastic nonlinear coupled oscillator models for both healthy subjects and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with both eyes-closed and eyes-open conditions. In particular, we employ information rates to quantify the time evolution of probability density functions of simulated EEG signals, and employ causal information rates to quantify one signal's instantaneous influence on another signal's information rate. These two measures help us find significant and interesting distinctions between healthy subjects and AD patients when they open or close their eyes. These distinctions may be further related to differences in neural information processing activities of the corresponding brain regions, and to differences in connectivities among these brain regions. Our results show that information rate and causal information rate are superior to their more traditional or established information-theoretic counterparts, i.e., differential entropy and transfer entropy, respectively. Since these novel, information geometry theoretic measures can be applied to experimental EEG signals in a model-free manner, and they are capable of quantifying non-stationary time-varying effects, nonlinearity, and non-Gaussian stochasticity presented in real-world EEG signals, we believe that they can form an important and powerful tool-set for both understanding neural information processing in the brain and the diagnosis of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease as presented in this work.

Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a movie theater outbreak in Incheon in the Republic of Korea, November 2021: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: We examined factors contributing to the transmission of an acute respiratory virus within multi-use facilities, focusing on an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a movie theater in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved a descriptive analysis of 48 confirmed cases. Logistic regression was applied to a cohort of 80 theater attendees to identify risk factors for infection. The infection source and transmission route were determined through gene sequencing data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 48 confirmed cases, 35 were theater attendees (72.9%), 10 were family members of attendees (20.8%), 2 were friends (4.2%), and 1 was an employee (2.1%). Among the 80 individuals who attended the 3rd to 5th screenings of the day, 35 became infected, representing a 43.8% attack rate. Specifically, 28 of the 33 third-screening attendees developed confirmed SARSCoV-2, constituting an 84.8% attack rate. Furthermore, 11 of the 12 cases epidemiologically linked to the theater outbreak were clustered monophyletically within the AY.69 lineage. At the time of the screening, 35 individuals (72.9%) had received 2 vaccine doses. However, vaccination status did not significantly influence infection risk. Multivariate analysis revealed that close contacts had a 15.9-fold higher risk of infection (95% confidence interval, 4.37-78.39) than casual contacts. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurred within the theater, and extended into the community, via a moviegoer who attended the 3rd screening during the viral incubation period after contracting the virus from a family member. This study emphasizes the importance of adequate ventilation in theaters.

Identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period using an administrative database in Korea: an application to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: This study developed an algorithm for identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period (LMP) in an administrative claims database and applied it to investigate the use of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: An algorithm was developed and applied to a nationwide claims database in Korea. Pregnancy episodes were identified using a hierarchy of pregnancy outcomes and clinically plausible periods for subsequent episodes. The LMP was estimated using preterm delivery, sonography, and abortion procedure codes. Otherwise, outcome-specific estimates were applied, assigning a fixed gestational age to the corresponding pregnancy outcome. The algorithm was used to examine the prevalence of pregnancies and utilization of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants (cyclophosphamide [CYC]/mycophenolate mofetil [MMF]/methotrexate [MTX]) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy in SLE patients. RESULTS: The pregnancy outcomes identified in SLE patients included live births (67%), stillbirths (2%), and abortions (31%). The LMP was mostly estimated with outcome-specific estimates for full-term births (92.3%) and using sonography procedure codes (54.7%) and preterm delivery diagnosis codes (37.9%) for preterm births. The use of CYC/MMF/MTX decreased from 7.6% during preconception to 0.2% at the end of pregnancy. CYC/MMF/MTX use was observed in 3.6% of women within 3 months preconception and 2.5% during 0-7 weeks of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents the first pregnancy algorithm using a Korean administrative claims database. Although further validation is necessary, this study provides a foundation for evaluating the safety of medications during pregnancy using secondary databases in Korea, especially for rare diseases.

Feasibility and usefulness of cognitive monitoring using a new home-based cognitive test in mild cognitive impairment: a prospective single arm study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of dementia is increased in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Despite the plethora of in-person cognitive tests, those that can be administered over the phone are lacking. We hypothesized that a home-based cognitive test (HCT) using phone calls would be feasible and useful in non-demented elderly. We aimed to assess feasibility and validity of a new HCT as an optional cognitive monitoring tool without visiting hospitals. METHODS: Our study was conducted in a prospective design during 24 weeks. We developed a new HCT consisting of 20 questions (score range 0-30). Participants with MCI (n = 38) were consecutively enrolled and underwent regular HCTs during 24 weeks. Associations between HCT scores and in-person cognitive scores and Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers were evaluated. In addition, HCT scores in MCI participants were cross-sectionally compared with age-matched cognitively normal (n = 30) and mild AD dementia (n = 17) participants for discriminative ability of the HCT. RESULTS: HCT had good intra-class reliability (test-retest Cronbach's alpha 0.839). HCT scores were correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), verbal memory delayed recall, and Stroop test scores but not associated with AD biomarkers. HCT scores significantly differed among cognitively normal, MCI, and mild dementia participants, indicating its discriminative ability. Finally, 32 MCI participants completed follow-up evaluations, and 8 progressed to dementia. Baseline HCT scores in dementia progressors were lower than those in non-progressors (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The feasibility and usefulness of the HCT were demonstrated in elderly subjects with MCI. HCT could be an alternative option to monitor cognitive decline in early stages without dementia.

Development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells targeting A56 viral protein implanted by oncolytic virus.

To address the challenge of solid tumor targeting in CAR-T therapy, we utilized the A56 antigen, which is uniquely expressed on a diverse range of cancer cells following the systemic administration of an oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV). Immunohistochemical assays precisely confirmed exclusive localization of A56 to tumor tissues. In vitro studies demonstrated a distinct superiority of A56-dependent CAR-T cytotoxicity across multiple cancer cell lines. Building on these in vitro observations, we strategically administered A56 CAR-T cells, OVV, and hydroxyurea (HU) combination in HCT-116 tumor-bearing non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice, leading to a significant reduction in tumor size and an extended time to progression. Consequently, A56-targeting combinatorial immunotherapy provides the benefit of reducing inadvertent CAR-T effects on normal cells while preserving its effectiveness against cancer cells. Furthermore, our approach of implanting A56 via OVV on tumors facilitates a wide therapeutic application of CAR-T cells across various solid tumors.