2023-04-11

Prediction models for neutralization activity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants: A cross-sectional study

Objective: Despite extensive vaccination campaigns to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, variants of concern, particularly the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529 or BA.1), may escape the antibodies elicited by vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate 50% neutralizing activity (NT50) against SARS-CoV-2 D614G, Delta, Omicron BA.1, and Omicron BA.2 and to develop prediction models to predict the risk of infection in a general population in Japan.
2023-04-11

Blunted humoral immune response to the fourth dose of BNT162b2 COVID‑19 vaccine in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Background We aimed to investigate the impact of a fourth dose of BNT162b2 vaccine (Comirnaty®, Pfizer-BioNTech) on anti-SARS-CoV-2 (anti-S IgG) antibody titers in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) and healthcare workers (HCWs).
2023-03-31

MORE PANICLES 3, a natural allele of OsTB1/FC1, impacts rice yield in paddy fields at elevated CO2 levels

Improving crop yield potential through an enhanced response to rising atmospheric CO2 levels is an effective strategy for sustainable crop production in the face of climate change. Large-sized panicles (containing many spikelets per panicle) have been a recent ideal plant architecture (IPA) for high-yield rice breeding.
2023-03-27

Evolutionary differentiation of androgen receptor is responsible for sexual characteristic development in a teleost fish.

Teleost fishes exhibit complex sexual characteristics in response to androgens, such as fin enlargement and courtship display. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their evolutionary acquisition remain largely unknown. To address this question, we analyse medaka (Oryzias latipes) mutants deficient in teleost-specific androgen receptor ohnologs (ara and arb).