Corrigendum to 'Single domain antibodies derived from ancient animals as broadly neutralizing agents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses': Biomedical Engineering Advances 4 (2022) 100054.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.bea.2022.100054.].

Single domain antibodies derived from ancient animals as broadly neutralizing agents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

With severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as an emergent human virus since December 2019, the world population is susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 has higher transmissibility than the previous coronaviruses, associated by the ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus nature with high mutation rate, caused SARS-CoV-2 variants to arise while circulating worldwide. Neutralizing antibodies are identified as immediate and direct-acting therapeutic against COVID-19. Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs), as small biomolecules with non-complex structure and intrinsic stability, can acquire antigen-binding capabilities comparable to conventional antibodies, which serve as an attractive neutralizing solution. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein attaches to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on lung epithelial cells to initiate viral infection, serves as potential therapeutic target. sdAbs have shown broad neutralization towards SARS-CoV-2 with various mutations, effectively stop and prevent infection while efficiently block mutational escape. In addition, sdAbs can be developed into multivalent antibodies or inhaled biotherapeutics against COVID-19.

Outcomes and Impact of Fragility Fracture among Geriatrics Patients who Underwent Hip Surgery in Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Introduction: Fragility fractures are common in the elderly. It is associated with increased mortality, reduced mobility, and poorer quality of life. In addition, post-operative functional outcomes are limited locally. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional phone interview was conducted with elderly patients who underwent hip surgery or their caregivers between March 2019 and Feb 2020, at least six months after the operation. Results: A total of 137 cases were approached, and 77 subjects completed the interview (58.4%), among which 54/77 (70.1%) were female, and 66/77 (85.7%) were caregivers. The proportion of subjects who could ambulate independently dropped from 66/77, prior to fracture, to 17/77 post-surgery. We noted a significant deterioration in the modified Barthel Index from the median of 100 (IQR = 0) to 91 (IQR 25.5; p <0.001). There was also a significant decline in the self-perceived physical strength of 30% (IQR 30, p <0.001); and in the functionality of 35% (IQR40; p <0.001). A total of 48/77 (62.3%) returned to their original residence, while 5 cases (6.5%) were institutionalised, and 14/77 (18.2%) died prior to the survey. Thirty-six subjects reported additional costs in the care of patients, ranging from RM100 to RM6000 (USD25 to USD1450) per month. Conclusion: Decline in physical and functional status is closely related to the quality of life as the majority reported a poorer health status after the fracture. Although this study is limited by the small sample size, it provided insights into patients' experiences and household burdens. Hence, well-coordinated services and monitoring are important for better outcomes.

Sequence-based characterization of five SLA loci in Asian wild boars.

Two swine leucocyte antigen (SLA) class I (SLA-1 and SLA-2) and three class II (DRB1, DQB1 and DQA) genes were investigated for their diversity in Asian wild boars using a sequence-based typing method. A total of 15 alleles were detected at these loci, with eleven being novel. The findings provide one of the first glimpses of the SLA allelic diversity and architecture in the wild boar populations.

QTL analysis of body weight and carcass body length traits in an F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs.

Growth traits, such as body weight and carcass body length, directly affect productivity and economic efficiency in the livestock industry. We performed a genome-wide linkage analysis to detect the quantitative trait loci (QTL) that affect body weight, growth curve parameters and carcass body length in an F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs. Eight phenotypes related to growth were measured in approximately 1000 F2 progeny. All experimental animals were subjected to genotypic analysis using 173 microsatellite markers located throughout the pig genome. The least squares regression approach was used to conduct the QTL analysis. For body weight traits, we mapped 16 genome-wide significant QTL on SSC1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 12 as well as 22 suggestive QTL on SSC2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16 and 17. On SSC12, we identified a major QTL affecting body weight at 140 days of age that accounted for 4.3% of the phenotypic variance, which was the highest test statistic (F-ratio = 45.6 under the additive model, nominal P = 2.4 × 10(-11) ) observed in this study. We also showed that there were significant QTL on SSC2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 12 affecting carcass body length and growth curve parameters. Interestingly, the QTL on SSC2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 17 influencing the growth-related traits showed an obvious trend for co-localization. In conclusion, the identified QTL may play an important role in investigating the genetic structure underlying the phenotypic variation of growth in pigs.

Genome-wide association study identifies quantitative trait loci affecting hematological traits in an F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs.

Changes affecting the status of health and robustness can bring about physiological alterations including hematological parameters in swine. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with eight hematological traits (one leukocyte trait, six erythrocyte traits and one platelet trait), we conducted a genome-wide association study using the PorcineSNP60K BeadChip in a resource population derived from an intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs. A total of 36 740 SNPs from 816 F2 progeny were analyzed for each blood-related trait after filtering for quality control. Data were analyzed by the genome-wide rapid association using mixed model and regression (GRAMMAR) approach. A total of 257 significant SNPs (P < 1.36 × 10(-6) ) on SSC3, 6, 8, 13 and 17 were identified for blood-related traits in this study. Interestingly, the genomic region between 17.9 and 130 Mb on SSC8 was found to be significantly associated with red blood cell, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. Our results include the identification of five significant SNPs within five candidate genes (KIT, IL15, TXK, ARAP2 and ERG) for hematopoiesis. Further validation of these identified SNPs could give valuable information for understanding the variation of hematological traits in pigs.

Genome-wide association analysis identifies quantitative trait loci for growth in a Landrace purebred population.

Growth-related traits are complex and economically important in the livestock industry. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and the associated positional candidate genes affecting growth in pigs. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using the porcine single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 60K bead chip. A mixed-effects model and linear regression approach were used for the GWAS. The data used in the study included 490 purebred Landrace pigs. All experimental animals were genotyped with 39 438 SNPs located throughout the pig autosomes. We identified a strong association between a SNP marker on chromosome 16 and body weight at 71 days of age (ALGA0092396, P = 5.35 × 10(-9) , Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05). The SNP marker was located near the genomic region containing IRX4, which encodes iroquois homeobox 4. This SNP marker could be useful in the selective breeding program after validating its effect on other populations.

The Possibility of TBC1D21 as a Candidate Gene for Teat Numbers in Pigs.

Based on a quantitative traits locus (QTL) study using a F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs, a significant QTL affecting teat numbers in SSC7 was identified. The strong positional candidate gene, TBC1D21, was selected due to its biological function for epithelial mesenchymal cell development. Sequence analysis revealed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TBC1D21 gene. Among these, two SNP markers, one silent mutation (SNP01) for g.13,050A>G and one missense mutation (SNP04) for c.829A>T (S277C), were genotyped and they showed significant associations with teat number traits (p value = 6.38E-05 for SNP01 and p value = 1.06E-07 for SNP04 with total teat numbers). Further functional validation of these SNPs could give valuable information for understanding the teat number variation in pigs.

Discrimination of korean native chicken lines using fifteen selected microsatellite markers.

In order to evaluate the genetic diversity and discrimination among five Korean native chicken lines, a total of 86 individuals were genotyped using 150 microsatellite (MS) markers, and 15 highly polymorphic MS markers were selected. Based on the highest value of the number of alleles, the expected heterozygosity (He) and polymorphic information content (PIC) for the selected markers ranged from 6 to 12, 0.466 to 0.852, 0.709 to 0.882 and 0.648 to 0.865, respectively. Using these markers, the calculated genetic distance (Fst), the heterozygote deficit among chicken lines (Fit) and the heterozygote deficit within chicken line (Fis) values ranged from 0.0309 to 0.2473, 0.0013 to 0.4513 and -0.1002 to 0.271, respectively. The expected probability of identity values in random individuals (PI), random half-sib (PI half-sibs ) and random sibs (PI sibs ) were estimated at 7.98×10(-29), 2.88×10(-20) and 1.25×10(-08), respectively, indicating that these markers can be used for traceability systems in Korean native chickens. The unrooted phylogenetic neighbor-joining (NJ) tree was constructed using 15 MS markers that clearly differentiated among the five native chicken lines. Also, the structure was estimated by the individual clustering with the K value of 5. The selected 15 MS markers were found to be useful for the conservation, breeding plan, and traceability system in Korean native chickens.

Comparison of live performance and meat quality parameter of cross bred (korean native black pig and landrace) pigs with different coat colors.

Five hundred and forty crossbred (Korean native black pig×Landrace) F2 were selected at a commercial pig farm and then divided into six different coat color groups: (A: Black, B: White, C: Red, D: White spot in black, E: Black spot in white, F: Black spot in red). Birth weight, 21st d weight, 140th d weight and carcass weight varied among the different coat color groups. D group (white spot in black coat) showed a significantly higher body weight at each weigh (birth weight, 140th d weight and carcass weight) than did the other groups, whereas the C group (red coat color) showed a significantly lower body weight at finishing stage (140th d weight and carcass weight) compared to other groups. Meat quality characteristics, shear force, cooking loss and meat color were not significantly different among the different coat color groups, whereas drip loss was significantly higher in F than in other groups. Most blood characteristics were not significantly different among the different groups, except for the red blood cells.

Assessing Graves' ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life in Korean patients.

AIM: To investigate the clinical significance of Grave's ophthalmopathy-specific quality of life (GO-QOL) in Korean patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, on 98 consecutive Grave's ophthalmopathy (GO) patients. The GO-QOL survey provided by Terwee and colleagues and suggested by the European group on Graves' orbitopathy (EUGOGO) was translated into Korean language and distributed to study participants. Clinical severity was judged by scores of the modified NOSPECS classification, and inflammatory activity was measured by a seven-point scale of clinical activity score (CAS). RESULTS: The mean GO-QOL scores were 73.7 (standard deviation (SD), 26) for visual functioning, 61.9 (SD 26) for appearance, and 67.8 for total quality of life (QOL; SD 22). The worse QOL scores for each part were significantly associated with the higher modified NOSPECS score and CAS after adjusting for confounders such as age and sex (P<0.05, respectively). In particular, decreased QOL scores for visual function were significantly correlated with a higher grade of extraocular muscle involvement (P<0.05). Lower QOL scores for appearance were associated with more severe soft-tissue involvement and proptosis (P<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: GO-QOL suggested by EUGOGO showed correlation with objective clinical parameters. GO-QOL can be a simple and effective tool in the evaluation of the clinical and psychological illness of GO patients.

Characterization of insertional variation of porcine endogenous retroviruses in six different pig breeds.

Pigs may need to be exploited as xenotransplantation donors due to the shortage of human organs, tissues and cells. Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) are a significant obstacle to xenotransplantation because they can infect human cells in vitro and have the potential for transmission of unexpected pathogens to humans. In this research, 101 pigs, including four commercial breeds (23 Berkshire, 13 Duroc, 22 Landrace and 14 Yorkshire pigs), one native breed (19 Korean native pigs) and one miniature breed (10 NIH miniature pigs) were used to investigate insertional variations for 11 PERV loci (three PERV-A, six PERV-B and two PERV-C). Over 60% of the pigs harbored one PERV-A (907F8) integration and five PERV-B (B3-3G, B3-7G, 742H1, 1155D9 and 465D1) integrations. However, two PERV-A loci (A1-6C and 1347C1) and one PERV-B locus (B3-7F) were absent in Duroc pigs. Moreover, two PERV-C loci (C2-6C and C4-2G) only existed in Korean native pigs and NIH miniature pigs. The results suggest that PERV insertional variations differ among pig breeds as well as among individuals within a breed. Also, the results presented here can be used for the selection of animals that do not have specific PERV integration for xenotransplantation research.

QTL analysis of white blood cell, platelet and red blood cell-related traits in an F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs.

Haematological traits play important roles in disease resistance and defence functions. The objective of this study was to locate quantitative trait loci (QTL) and the associated positional candidate genes influencing haematological traits in an F(2) intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs. Eight blood-related traits (six erythrocyte traits, one leucocyte trait and one platelet trait) were measured in 816 F(2) progeny. All experimental animals were genotyped with 173 informative microsatellite markers located throughout the pig genome. We report that nine chromosomes harboured QTL for the baseline blood parameters: genomic regions on SSC 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 17. Eight of twenty identified QTL reached genome-wide significance. In addition, we evaluated the KIT locus, an obvious candidate gene locus affecting variation in blood-related traits. Using dense single nucleotide polymorphism marker data on SSC 8 and the marker-assisted association test, the strong association of the KIT locus with blood phenotypes was confirmed. In conclusion, our study identified both previously reported and novel QTL affecting baseline haematological parameters in pigs. Additionally, the positional candidate genes identified here could play an important role in elucidating the genetic architecture of haematological phenotype variation in swine and in humans.

Novel alternative splicing by exon skipping in KIT associated with whole-body roan in an intercrossed population of Landrace and Korean Native pigs.

The KIT locus has been suggested to be a strong candidate region linked with whole-body roan in the F(2) population produced by intercrosses between Landrace and Korean Native pigs. In this manuscript, we report the finding of a novel alternative splicing event in the porcine KIT gene that results in the skipping of exon 5 in the I(Rn) allele. KIT mRNAs that lack exon 5 were identified in the large intestine and skin, suggesting that the mechanism responsible for the skipping of exon 5 may be tissue specific. A U(26) repeat in intron 5 showed complete linkage (LOD = 11.8) with the roan phenotype and absolute association with the black phenotype of the Korean Native pig (KNP) population samples, inferring that the repeat pattern may alter the complementary base-pairing-mediated looping-out of introns 4 and 5, which may mediate the exon 5-skipping event. Although the sample size in our study was relatively small, we speculate that the R3 allele containing the U(26) repeat is a causative element for the roan phenotype via alternative control of the exon skipping in our roan pedigree.

Socio-economic disparities in behavioural risk factors for cancer and use of cancer screening services in Korean adults aged 30 years and older: the Third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005 (KNHANES III).

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the current status of cancer-related health disparities in cancer risk factors and the use of cancer screening services by Korean adults. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey study. METHODS: The disparities of behavioural cancer risk factors and use of cancer screening services according to equivalent monthly household income were evaluated, using multivariate logistic regression analysis, among 6466 subjects aged ≥30 years and who completed the health promotion knowledge, attitude and practice survey, which is part of the Third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: In men, smoking (P for trend = 0.05) and physical inactivity (P for trend = 0.05) were more common in the lower-income group, while high-risk drinking (P for trend <0.01) was more common in the higher-income group. In women, physical inactivity (P for trend <0.01) was more common in the lower-income group, while smoking and high-risk drinking showed no income disparities. Income disparities were also found in the degree of participation in cancer screening programmes. Men in the highest income quintile underwent more screening for both colorectal and gastric cancer than men in the lowest income quintile and men in the second to fourth income quintiles (P for trend <0.01 for both). Women in the highest income quintile underwent more screening for cervical (P for trend <0.01) and gastric (P for trend = 0.04) cancer, while income disparities were not seen for participation in colorectal or breast cancer screening. CONCLUSIONS: In order to decrease behavioural risk factors and promote participation in cancer screening programmes, more targeted efforts are needed for cancer prevention among lower-income Koreans.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gogu valley) protein as an antimicrobial agent in the diets of broilers.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate potato protein (PP, experiment 1) and refined PP (RPP, experiment 2) obtained from Gogu valley tubers as an antimicrobial agent in broiler diets. In both the experiments, 1-d-old male Ross 308 chicks were allotted to 5 treatments and performance, nutrient retention, and microbial populations in excreta and cecum were studied. Dietary treatments were as follows: basal diet (negative control, NC), basal diet with antibiotic (positive control, PC, 10 mg/kg of avilamycin), and low, medium, or high levels of PP (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75%, respectively, in experiment 1) or RPP (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg, respectively, in experiment 2). The overall gain and retention of DM (d 20 to 21) and CP (d 20 to 21 and d 41 to 42) were greater in birds fed PC and high PP diets than birds fed the NC diet. Population of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms was lowest in the cecum and excreta of birds fed the PC diet and highest in birds fed the NC diet. An increase in dietary PP linearly improved BW gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio during starter phase and overall BW gain. Also, there was linear improvement in retention of DM (d 20 to 21) and CP (d 20 to 21 and d 41 to 42) and reduced populations of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms in the cecum (d 42) and excreta (d 28 and 42) due to an increase in dietary PP. In the second experiment, the PC diet and diets with increasing levels of RPP had no effect on performance and nutrient retention. Birds fed the PC diet had the lowest microbial population in excreta and cecum, whereas the population of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms in excreta and cecum decreased (linear, P < 0.05) as the level of RPP was increased in the diet. These results suggest that both PP and RPP obtained from Gogu valley potato tubers have in vivo antimicrobial activity.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gogu valley) protein as a novel antimicrobial agent in weanling pigs.

A total of 280 weaned pigs (Landrace x Yorkshire x Duroc) were used in a 28-d growth study to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of potato proteins on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune response, small intestinal morphology, and bacterial populations in feces and large intestine. Pigs (initially 6.42 +/- 0.74 kg of BW and 23 +/- 3 d of age) were randomly allotted to 5 treatments on the basis of BW, each treatment composed of 4 pens, each pen having 14 pigs. Dietary treatments included positive control (PC; basal diet + 150 mg/kg apramycin and 10 mg/ kg colistin sulfate); and potato protein (PP), consisting of the basal diet with 0, 0.25, 0.50, or 0.75% of potato protein. Diets were fed in 2 phases: phase I (d 0 to 14 postweaning) and phase 2 (d 14 to 28 postweaning). Potato protein was extracted from a value-added type of the new potato variety, Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Gogu valley, and was shown to have a minimum inhibitory concentration of 300 to 500 mug/mL. Performance of PC was compared with 0.25 to 0.75% PP, whereas linear and quadratic trends of increasing PP (0 to 0.75% PP) were tested. Over the 28-d trial, pigs fed the PC diets showed improved overall ADG (P < 0.05) and G:F (P = 0.090) compared with pigs fed PP, whereas increasing levels of PP linearly improved ADG (P < 0.05), ADFI (P = 0.052), and G:F (P = 0.098). The digestibility of DM and CP in both the phases was greater in PC than PP, and feeding of PP linearly improved the DM digestibility (P < 0.05) in phase II. The bacterial populations in the feces of pigs fed PC and PP were comparable, except for total bacteria and coliform bacteria in the feces at d 14 and 28, which were decreased in PC; and feeding of PP was effective in linearly reducing the populations of microbes in feces and contents of cecum, colon, and rectum. There was linear increase (P < 0.10) in skin-fold thickness in response to phytohemagglutinin with an increase in PP levels. Haemagglutinin titers on d 21 were greater (P = 0.054) in PC, and at d 28 the haemagglutinin titers were quadratically affected in pigs fed PP (P = 0.070). There was a trend toward a decrease in crypt depth (P = 0.068) and a greater villus height:crypt depth ratio (P = 0.082) of ileum in PC compared with PP. These results suggest that PP may be an alternative to medicated feed with antibiotics because it showed antimicrobial activity by effectively reducing the population of coliform bacteria and also improved the performance of weanling pigs.