Environmental Exposures Associated with Enteropathogen Infection in Six-Month-Old Children Enrolled in the ECoMiD Cohort along a Rural-Urban Gradient in Northern Ecuador†.

Enteropathogens are major contributors to mortality and morbidity, particularly in settings with limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure. To assess transmission pathways associated with enteropathogen infection, we measured household environmental conditions and assayed 22 enteropathogens using TaqMan Array Cards in stool samples from 276 six-month-old children living in communities along a rural-urban gradient in Northern Ecuador. We utilized multivariable models, risk factor importance, and distance-based statistical methods to test factors associated with infection.

Is avoidable diabetes-related hospitalization in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus associated with increased health expenditure?: A nationwide retrospective cohort study in South Korea.

Objective: With South Korea's population aging rapidly, the number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is expected to rise, leading to worsened health outcomes and potentially straining healthcare financing. This study aimed to investigate how avoidable diabetes-related hospitalizations affect short- and long-term health expenditures.

Methods: Data from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort from 2008 to 2019 in South Korea.

Bibliometric Analysis of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Research in South Korea.

Background: Current research on nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is multidisciplinary; thus, proper organization is necessary to obtain comprehensive insights. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was performed to identify NTM research characteristics in South Korea.

Methods: The Web of Science was searched for NTM articles authored by Koreans at Korean institutions until March 2023.

Tuning Hydrogen Binding on Ru Sites by Ni Alloying on MoO Enables Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

Ruthenium (Ru)-based electrocatalysts have shown promise for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) due to their ability to facilitate water dissociation in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, their performance is limited by strong hydrogen binding, which hinders hydrogen desorption and water re-adsorption. This study reports the development of RuNi nanoalloys supported on MoO, which optimize the hydrogen binding strength at Ru sites through modulation by adjacent Ni atoms.

Unseen Threats: The Long-term Impact of PET-Microplastics on Development of Male Reproductive Over a Lifetime.

The physical abrasion of plastics from simple everyday entered the food chain, with associated risks recently emphasized. Although many studies have reported the adverse effects of microplastics (MPs) on human, the reproductive implications of continuous exposure to physically abraded polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-MPs remain unexplored. Ingestion of physically abraded PET-MPs (size range: 50-100 µm) in mice from 5 to 34 weeks of age at an annual intake relevant dose of MPs (5 mg week) significantly impaired male reproductive function.

TBX3 is Essential for Zygotic Genome Activation and Embryonic Development in Pigs.

The pluripotency-related T-box family transcription factor TBX3 maintains mESC self-renewal and plays a key role in the development of several tissues, including the heart, mammary glands, limbs, and lungs. However, the role of TBX3 during porcine preimplantation embryo development remains unclear. In our research, TBX3 was knocked down by injecting dsRNA to explore the function of TBX3.

Emergence of a contrast-invariant representation of naturalistic texture in macaque visual cortex.

Unlabelled: Sensory stimuli vary across a variety of dimensions, like contrast, orientation, or texture. The brain must rely on population representations to disentangle changes in one dimension from changes in another. To understand how the visual system might extract separable stimulus representations, we recorded multiunit neuronal responses to texture images varying along two dimensions: contrast, a property represented as early as the retina, and naturalistic statistical structure, a property that modulates neuronal responses in V2 and V4, but not in V1.

Sea Hare Hydrolysate Reduces PD-L1 Levels in Cancer Cells and Mitigates Rheumatoid Arthritis Ina Collagen-Induced Arthritis Mouse Model.

Our previous study highlighted the anticancer potential of sea hare hydrolysate (SHH), particularly its role in regulating macrophage polarization and inducing pyroptotic death in lung cancer cells through the inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). These findings prompted us to investigate additional features of immune-oncology (I-O) agents or adjuvants, such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibition and their association with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk, to explore the potential of SHH as an I-O agent or adjuvant. In this study, we investigated the effects of SHH on PD-L1 levels in various cancer cell types and assessed its effectiveness in treating RA, a common side effect of I-O agents.

Tetragonia tetragonioides extract prevented high-fat diet-induced obesity and changed hepatic and adipose transcriptomic signatures in C57BL/6J male mice.

Obesity, often driven by high-fat diets (HFD), is a major global health issue, necessitating effective preventive measures. Tetragonia tetragonoides, a plant with known medicinal properties, has not been extensively studied for its effects on HFD-induced obesity and related genetic changes in mice. This study explores the impact of Tetragonia tetragonoides extract (TTE; 300 mg/kg) on obesity-related traits in C57BL/6J male mice, with a focus on transcriptomic changes in the liver and white adipose tissue (WAT).

AntiT2DMP-Pred: Leveraging feature fusion and optimization for superior machine learning prediction of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Pancreatic α-amylase breaks down starch into isomaltose and maltose, which are further hydrolyzed by α-glucosidase in the intestine into monosaccharides, rapidly raising blood sugar levels and contributing to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Synthetic inhibitors of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes are used to manage T2DM but may harm organ function over time. Bioactive peptides offer a safer alternative, avoiding such adverse effects.

Synthesis and Characterization of UV-Curable Resin with High Refractive Index for a Luminance-Enhancing Prism Film.

A novel monomer, 9-bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]fluorene di(mercaptopropionate), with a highly refractive index, purity, and excellent UV-curable properties, is synthesized through an optimized Fischer esterification process, reacting 9,9-bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]fluorene with 3-mercaptopropionic acid. The structural characterization of this monomer is performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The synthesis conditions are optimized using a design-of-experiments approach.

Characteristics of successful expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from colorectal cancer liver metastasis.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) utilizing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has emerged as a successful treatment modality for various malignancies. However, TILs cultured from colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis remain underexplored. Fifteen CRC liver metastasis tissues underwent initial expansion (IE) of TILs and rapid expansion (REP).

Treatment of rapid recurrence of severe steatosis with combined GLP-1 agonist and growth hormone therapy in a pediatric patient transplanted for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis cirrhosis in the setting of hypopituitarism.

The association between hypopituitarism and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasingly recognized, although data about therapies targeting recurrence post-transplant is limited. An 8-year-old with hypopituitarism-associated MASLD underwent a liver transplant due to rapid progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Hepatosteatosis recurred within weeks.

Chitin and chitosan from North Pacific krill (Euphausia Pacifica): Comparative study of conventional and microwave-assisted extraction methods and the potential use in chitosan film production.

The characteristics and prospective applications of North Pacific krill chitin and chitosan are currently unexplored, and their conventional isolation method is time- and energy-consuming. In this study, chitin and chitosan were extracted from North Pacific krill using conventional and microwave-assisted methods, followed by comprehensive characterisation and evaluation of chitosan film potential. The extracted chitin was identified as an α-polymorph, and chitosan exhibited a remarkable degree of deacetylation (90 %) in both methods.

Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis suspected of malignancy: A case report.

Rationale: Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis (TB), a rare form of tuberculosis outside the lungs, can affect any organ or tissue in the body. It is difficult to diagnose because of nonspecific symptoms, often leading to delayed confirmation after the initial patient visit. Clinical manifestations such as cervical lymphadenopathy and irregular mucosal surfaces can be challenging to distinguish from nasopharyngeal cancer or malignant lymphoma.

A portable optical detection system for rapid quantification of two rheumatoid arthritis biomarkers.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint damage and progressive destruction of adjacent cartilage and bones. Quick and accurate detection of rheumatoid factors (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) in serum is effective in diagnosing RA and preventing its progression. However, current methods for detecting these two biomarkers are costly, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require specialized equipment.

Preclinical evaluation of a surgical assistant robot for use in minimally invasive abdominal surgeries.

In recent years, robotic assistance has become increasingly used and applied in minimally invasive surgeries. A new cooperative surgical robot system that includes a joystick-guided robotic scope holder was developed in this study, and its feasibility for use in minimally invasive abdominal surgery was evaluated in a preclinical setting. The cooperative surgical robot consists of a six-degree-of-freedom collaborative robot arm and a one-degree-of-freedom bidirectional telescopic end-effector specializing in surgical assistance.

Role of factors controlling diurnal variation of cold-season formaldehyde during Satellite Integrated Joint Monitoring of Air Quality 2021 campaign.

Formaldehyde (HCHO), a major carbonyl compound in urban air, poses health risks due to its carcinogenic properties. However, the role of FT-PBL exchange in HCHO and the importance of vertical exchange on diurnal variations in HCHO remain unclear. This study investigated the diurnal variability of HCHO in Seoul's planetary boundary layer (PBL) during cold.

Direct Observation of Anisotropic Coulomb Interaction in a Topological Nodal Line Semimetal.

The fundamental characteristics of collective interactions in topological band structures can be revealed by the exploration of charge screening in topological materials. In particular, distinct anisotropic screening behaviors are predicted to occur in Dirac nodal line semimetals (DNLSMs) due to their peculiar anisotropic low-energy dispersion. Despite the recent extensive theoretical research, experimental observations of exotic charge screening in DNLSMs remain elusive, which is partly attributed to the coexisting trivial bands near the Fermi energy.

Single-molecule analysis reveals that IPMK enhances the DNA-binding activity of the transcription factor SRF.

Serum response factor (SRF) is a master transcription factor that regulates immediate early genes and cytoskeletal remodeling genes. Despite its importance, the mechanisms through which SRF stably associates with its cognate promoter remain unknown. Our biochemical and protein-induced fluorescence enhancement analyses showed that the binding of SRF to serum response element was significantly increased by inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK), an SRF cofactor.

Evaluation of Glutathione T in the Human Brain Using J-Difference MRS at 3 T: Multicenter Multivendor Study.

The need to quantify brain glutathione (GSH) accurately by J-difference spectroscopy has stimulated assessment of the TE effects on GSH edited signals at the popular field strength 3 T. We performed multiple-TE J-difference MRS at two sites to evaluate the GSH T relaxation and TE dependence of the GSH signal resolution. Two 10-ms spectrally selective Gaussian editing RF pulses were implemented in 3 T MEGA-PRESS sequences at two sites having different vendors.

Therapeutic Potential of Suaeda japonica Makino Leaf Extract Against Obesity in 3T3-L1 Preadipocytes and HFD-Induced C57BL/6 J Mice.

The worldwide obesity prevalence is increasing, affecting around 4 million individuals annually. This research critically evaluated the anti-obesity efficacy of the Korean mudflat halophyte herb Suaeda japonica (Suaeda japonica Makino). In the obese mice model, the administration of 200 mg/kg b.