Occurrence, Fate, and Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Small- and Large-Scale Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facilities in the United States.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could be conduits of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants in the environment. This study investigated the fate of 40 PFAS compounds across nine municipal WWTPs with varying treatment capacity and processes. High concentrations of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) were detected in wastewater, with the ratio of their total concentrations (∑PFCAs/∑PFSAs) always greater than one.

National trends in the prevalence and recurrence of anaphylaxis across all ages: The role of neighborhood deprivation and comorbidity (2002-2019).

Background: Understanding the trends of anaphylaxis and risk factors associated with its recurrence is essential for the effective management and prevention of this condition.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence trends of anaphylaxis and identify risk factors for recurrence, with a focus on the influence of neighborhood deprivation and comorbidities, across all age groups.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective administrative cohort study on anaphylaxis utilizing the National Health Insurance-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) database in Korea (2002-2019).

Impact of lack of transportation on access to dental care.

Objectives: Access to healthcare may be influenced by the availability of transportation. Nevertheless, the impact of transportation challenges on access to dental care has not been thoroughly examined. This study investigates the influence of transportation availability on dental care visits, dental cleanings, and exams.

KTED: a comprehensive web-based database for transposable elements in the Korean genome.

Summary: Transposable elements (TEs), commonly referred to as "mobile elements," constitute DNA segments capable of relocating within a genome. Initially disregarded as "junk DNA" devoid of specific functionality, it has become evident that TEs have diverse influences on an organism's biology and health. The impact of these elements varies according to their location, classification, and their effects on specific genes or regulatory components.

Landscape and prognostic significance of oncogene drivers in metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer.

Background: Tumor suppressors are well known drivers of cancer invasion and metastasis in metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). However, oncogenes are also known to be altered in this state, however the frequency and prognosis of these alterations are unclear. Thus, we aimed to study the spectrum of oncogene mutations in mCSPC and study the significance of these alteration on outcomes.

Development of a new VMAT QA framework for Mobius3D using control-point specific EPID images.

Purpose: This study presents novel quality assurance (QA) approach for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) that leverages frame-by-frame electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images integrated into Mobius3D for accurate three-dimensional dose calculations.

Methods: Sequential EPID images for VMAT plans were acquired every 0.4-second by iView system and processed through iterative deconvolution to mitigate blurring from photon scattering.

Overview of chronic hepatitis B management.

Chronic hepatitis B remains a substantial global health challenge, impacting approximately 254 million people worldwide. A cure for this condition is yet to be discovered. Early identification and effective treatments coupled with vigilant monitoring can help alleviate associated morbidity and mortality due to potential complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Integration of point of care ultrasound into undergraduate medical education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center school of medicine: a 6 year review.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education has become an essential component of medical school curricula. Ultrasound represents a highly effective teaching modality to reinforce anatomical knowledge gained during cadaveric dissections. At Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-School of Medicine (TTUHSC-SOM), POCUS was incorporated into the pre-clerkship curriculum especially during the first year of medical school anatomy course.

DeepDoublet identifies neighboring cell-dependent gene expression.

Cells interact with each other for proper function and homeostasis. Often, co-expression of ligand-receptor pairs from the single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) has been used to identify interacting cell types. Recently, RNA sequencing of physically interacting multi-cells has been used to identify interacting cell types without relying on co-expression of ligand-receptor pairs.

Oncogene activated human breast luminal progenitors contribute basally located myoepithelial cells.

Background: Basal-like breast cancer originates in luminal progenitors, frequently with an altered PI3K pathway, and focally in close association with genetically altered myoepithelial cells at the site of tumor initiation. The exact trajectory behind this bi-lineage phenomenon remains poorly understood.

Methods And Results: Here we used a breast cancer relevant transduction protocol including hTERT, shp16, shp53, and PIK3CA to immortalize FACS isolated luminal cells, and we identified a candidate multipotent progenitor.

Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the addition of platinum and pembrolizumab in TNBC: a single-center real-world study.

Background: Immunochemotherapy with pembrolizumab has been integrated into clinical practice as part of the standard-of-care for non-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with high risk. We conducted a real-world study in TNBC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy to compare pathologic complete response (pCR) rates relative to stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTIL) across different regimens: non-carboplatin, carboplatin-, and pembrolizumab-chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 450 patients with TNBC who underwent surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy between March 2007 and February 2024.

Chromosome-level assemblies of the endemic Korean species Abeliophyllum distichum and Forsythia ovata.

Abeliophyllum distichum and Forsythia ovata are closely related species endemic to Korea and are highly valued as ornamental shrubs in the Oleaceae family. A combination of PacBio and Illumina sequencing with Hi-C scaffolding technologies was employed to develop chromosome-level genome assemblies of these species. The assembled genome sizes are 795.

Terahertz field-induced metastable magnetization near criticality in FePS.

Controlling the functional properties of quantum materials with light has emerged as a frontier of condensed-matter physics, leading to the discovery of various light-induced phases of matter, such as superconductivity, ferroelectricity, magnetism and charge density waves. However, in most cases, the photoinduced phases return to equilibrium on ultrafast timescales after the light is turned off, limiting their practical applications. Here we use intense terahertz pulses to induce a metastable magnetization with a remarkably long lifetime of more than 2.

Growth-based monolithic 3D integration of single-crystal 2D semiconductors.

The demand for the three-dimensional (3D) integration of electronic components is steadily increasing. Despite substantial processing challenges, the through-silicon-via (TSV) technique emerges as the only viable method for integrating single-crystalline device components in a 3D format. Although monolithic 3D (M3D) integration schemes show promise, the seamless connection of single-crystalline semiconductors without intervening wafers has yet to be demonstrated.

Microbial profiling of the East Siberian Sea sediments using 16S rRNA gene and metagenome sequencing.

The Arctic Ocean is experiencing significant global warming, leading to reduced sea-ice cover, submarine permafrost thawing, and increased river discharge. The East Siberian Sea (ESS) undergoes more significant terrestrial inflow from coastal erosion and river runoff than other Arctic seas. Despite extensive research on environmental changes, microbial communities and their functions in the ESS, which are closely related to environmental conditions, remain largely unexplored.

NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections 30 Arcseconds CMIP6.

We describe the latest version of the NASA Earth eXchange Downscaled Climate Projections 30 arcseconds (NEX-DCP30-CMIP6). The archive contains downscaled historical and future projections for 1950-2100 based on output from Phase 6 of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The downscaled products were produced using a daily variant of the monthly bias correction/spatial disaggregation (BCSD) method and are at 30-arcsecond horizontal resolution.

The microbial metabolite imidazole propionate dysregulates bone homeostasis by inhibiting AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling.

Microbial metabolites provide numerous benefits to the human body but can also contribute to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and bone disorders. However, the role of imidazole propionate (ImP), a histidine-derived metabolite produced by the intestinal microbiome, in bone metabolism and the development of osteoporosis is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of ImP and its underlying mechanisms in regulating bone homeostasis.

USP21-EGFR signaling axis is functionally implicated in metastatic colorectal cancer.

The emerging role of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 21 (USP21) in stabilizing Fra-1 (FOSL1) highlights its involvement in promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis. Additionally, a reciprocal link between EGFR signaling and Fra-1 activation has been identified, mediated through matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). However, the functional implications of the USP21-EGFR signaling axis in metastatic CRC (mCRC) are not fully understood.

Inhibition of glutaminase elicits senolysis in therapy-induced senescent melanoma cells.

The cyclin D1-Cyclin-Dependent Kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) complex is crucial for the development of melanoma. We previously demonstrated that targeting CDK4/6 using small molecule inhibitors (CDK4/6i) suppresses Braf melanoma growth in vitro and in vivo through induction of cellular senescence. However, clinical trials investigating CDK4/6i in melanoma have not yielded successful outcomes, underscoring the necessity to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of CDK4/6i.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid fermentation and its fermented extracts on α-glucosidase inhibition and anti-obesity effect.

Levilactobacillus brevis KCL010 was fermented in a simple medium containing 8% (w/v) of rice bran extract. We modified the carbon, nitrogen, and initial pH conditions using 10 g/L of sucrose, 10 g/L of yeast extract, and 5.0 of pH, respectively.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals three important carbohydrate-active enzymes contributing to starch degradation of oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi.

The oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi has a high capacity for starch assimilation, but the genes involved and specific mechanisms in starch degradation remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the critical carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes contributing to starch degradation in L. starkeyi.

Piezostrain-Driven Bidirectional Enhancement of Optical Synaptic Plasticity in Wafer-Scale Co-Phased Tin Selenide Layers.

Tin (Sn)-based two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit intriguing mechanical and optoelectrical properties owing to their non-centrosymmetric crystallinity and tunable band structures. A judicious integration of these individually decoupled properties is projected to introduce unparalleled functionalities into them, which remain largely unexplored. Herein, we develop wafer-scale tin selenide (SnSe, 0 < < 1) 2D layers composed of thermodynamically stable coexisting phases of SnSe and SnSe with distinct functionalities and identify a strong interplay between their mechanical and optoelectrical characteristics.

Incidence and Clinical Course of Post-infectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Patients Admitted to University Hospitals: 1-year Prospective Follow-up Study.

Background/aims: Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) is characterized by chronic gastrointestinal symptoms that arise following an episode of infectious enteritis. The incidence rates vary, ranging from 5% to 32% and the risk factors are not well known. We aim to investigate the incidence and risk factors of PI-IBS in enteritis patients admitted to university hospitals in Korea.

Effects of total microbiota-containing backslop from 450-day-fermented kimchi on microbe and metabolite dynamics.

This study examines the impact of the complex microbiota from long-term fermented kimchi, used as a backslop, on fermentation dynamics. The fermentation was conducted with autoclaved (group A) and non-autoclaved (NA) starter cultures. Bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene V4 and ITS2 region, respectively, and metabolites were profiled using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Allelic and haplotype diversity of 12 X-chromosomal short tandem repeats in Koreans, with an analysis of anomalous profiles.

Owing to the unique inheritance pattern of the X chromosome, X-chromosomal short tandem repeat (X-STR) analysis represents a valuable tool in forensic DNA examination-particularly in complex kinship cases, missing person investigations, and disaster victim identification. We analyzed buccal swabs from 429 unrelated Korean males for forensic statistical parameters of 12 X-STRs. Among the 427 individuals analyzed (2 were excluded), DXS10135 was the most informative marker (polymorphism information content [PIC] = 0.