Comprehensive genomic landscape of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common commensal bacterium found on human skin, can cause infections in clinical settings, and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) impedes the treatment of S. epidermidis infections. However, studies characterizing the ARGs in S. epidermidis with regard to genomic and ecological diversities are limited. Thus, we performed a comprehensive and comparative analysis of 405 high-quality S. epidermidis genomes, including those of 35 environmental isolates from the Han River, to investigate the genomic diversity of antibiotic resistance in this pathogen. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the prevalence of ARGs in S. epidermidis genomes associated with multi-locus sequence types. The genes encoding dihydrofolate reductase (dfrC) and multidrug efflux pump (norA) were genome-wide core ARGs. ß-Lactam class ARGs were also highly prevalent in the S. epidermidis genomes, which was consistent with the resistance phenotype observed in river isolates. Furthermore, we identified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase genes (cat) in the plasmid-like sequences of the six river isolates, which have not been reported previously in S. epidermidis genomes. These genes were identical to those harbored by the Enterococcus faecium plasmids and associated with the insertion sequence 6 family transposases, homologous to those found in Staphylococcus aureus plasmids, suggesting the possibility of horizontal gene transfer between these Gram-positive pathogens. Comparison of the ARG and virulence factor profiles between S. epidermidis and S. aureus genomes revealed that these two species were clearly distinguished, suggesting genomic demarcation despite ecological overlap. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the genomic diversity of antibiotic resistance in S. epidermidis. IMPORTANCE: A comprehensive understanding of the antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles of the skin commensal bacterium and opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis needs to be documented from a genomic point of view. Our study encompasses a comparative analysis of entire S. epidermidis genomes from various habitats, including those of 35 environmental isolates from the Han River sequenced in this study. Our results shed light on the distribution and diversity of ARGs within different S. epidermidis multi-locus sequence types, providing valuable insights into the ecological and genetic factors associated with antibiotic resistance. A comparison between S. epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus revealed marked differences in ARG and virulence factor profiles, despite their overlapping ecological niches.

Fabrication of Yttrium Oxide Hollow Films for Efficient Passive Radiative Cooling.

In recent years, many parts of the world have researched the transition to renewable energy, reducing energy consumption and moving away from fossil fuels. Among the studies to reduce energy consumption, passive radiative cooling can reduce the energy used for building cooling, and to improve this, the optical properties of atmospheric window emissivity and solar reflectance must be increased. In this study, hollow yttrium oxide (H-Y2O3) was fabricated using melamine formaldehyde (MF) as a sacrificial template to improve the optical properties of passive radiative cooling. We then used finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to predict the optical properties of the fabricated particles. This study compares the properties of MF@Y(OH)CO3 and H-Y2O3 particles derived from the same process. H-Y2O3 was found to have a solar reflectance of 70.73% and an atmospheric window emissivity of 86.24%, and the field tests revealed that the temperature of MF@Y(OH)CO3 was relatively low during the daytime. At night, the temperature of the H-Y2O3 film was found to be 2.6 °C lower than the ambient temperature of 28.8 °C. The optical properties and actual cooling capabilities of the particles at each stage of manufacturing the hollow particles were confirmed and the cooling capabilities were quantified.

ApoE4-dependent lysosomal cholesterol accumulation impairs mitochondrial homeostasis and oxidative phosphorylation in human astrocytes.

Recent developments in genome sequencing have expanded the knowledge of genetic factors associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among them, genetic variant ε4 of the APOE gene (APOE4) confers the greatest disease risk. Dysregulated glucose metabolism is an early pathological feature of AD. Using isogenic ApoE3 and ApoE4 astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, we find that ApoE4 increases glycolytic activity but impairs mitochondrial respiration in astrocytes. Ultrastructural and autophagy flux analyses show that ApoE4-induced cholesterol accumulation impairs lysosome-dependent removal of damaged mitochondria. Acute treatment with cholesterol-depleting agents restores autophagic activity, mitochondrial dynamics, and associated proteomes, and extended treatment rescues mitochondrial respiration in ApoE4 astrocytes. Taken together, our study provides a direct link between ApoE4-induced lysosomal cholesterol accumulation and abnormal oxidative phosphorylation.

Subcutaneous implantation of thyroid carcinoma and benign tissue after thyroidectomy: report on two cases and review of the current literature.

Background: Subcutaneous implantation of thyroid tissue after thyroidectomy is a rare occurrence involving both benign and malignant thyroid tissue. Clinically, subcutaneous implantation of thyroid tissue can be challenging to diagnose. We present two cases of subcutaneous implantation of thyroid tissue following thyroidectomy and discuss the differential diagnosis, clinicopathological characteristics, and the possible mechanism of implantation. Case Description: A 35-year-old woman (age in 2009) who underwent total thyroidectomy in 2009 whose histopathological examination revealed a nodular hyperplasia and lymphocytic thyroiditis complained of palpable mass in her neck 10 years after operation and underwent excision. Follicular adenoma was confirmed in histopathological results. A 58-year-old woman (age in 2010) who underwent lobectomy in 2010 for nodular hyperplasia had a 6 cm sized huge mass in her anterior neck 9 years after operation. Anterior neck mass excision was done and poorly differentiated carcinoma was confirmed in histopathological results. The patient showed no sign of recurrence after 3 years follow-up. Conclusions: Subcutaneous implantation of benign thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer can occur after thyroidectomy. Minimizing the likelihood of subcutaneous implantation requires careful consideration of various factors at every stage of the surgical procedure. Surgeons should be aware of this potential long-term complication that can occur in both conventional thyroidectomy and remote access surgery, effectively communicate and provide appropriate guidance to their patients, and try to avoid seeding of both malignant and benign thyroid tissue.

Flavobacterium psychrotrophum sp. nov. and Flavobacterium panacagri sp. nov., Isolated from Freshwater and Soil.

Two novel bacterial strains CJ74T and CJ75T belonging to the genus Flavobacterium were isolated from freshwater of Han River and ginseng soil, South Korea, respectively. Strain CJ74T was Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, and non-flagellated, and did not produce flexirubin-type pigments. Strain CJ75T was Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile by gliding, and non-flagellated, and produced flexirubin-type pigments. Both strains were shown to grow optimally at 30 °C in the absence of NaCl on R2A medium. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains CJ74T and CJ75T belonged to the genus Flavobacterium and were most closely related to Flavobacterium niveum TAPW14T and Flavobacterium foetidum CJ42T with 96.17% and 97.29% 16S rRNA sequence similarities, respectively. Genomic analyses including the reconstruction of phylogenomic tree, average nucleotide identity, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization suggested that they were novel species of the genus Flavobacterium. Both strains contained menaquinone 6 (MK-6) as the primary respiratory quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine as a major polar lipid. The predominant fatty acids of both strains were iso-C15:0 and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c). Based on the polyphasic taxonomic study, strains CJ74T and CJ75T represent novel species of the genus Flavobacterium, for which names Flavobacterium psychrotrophum sp. nov. and Flavobacterium panacagri sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strains are CJ74T (=KACC 19819T =JCM 32889T) and CJ75T (=KACC 23149T =JCM 36132T).

Impacts of meteorological variables and machine learning algorithms on rice yield prediction in Korea.

As crop productivity is greatly influenced by weather conditions, many attempts have been made to estimate crop yields using meteorological data and have achieved great progress with the development of machine learning. However, most yield prediction models are developed based on observational data, and the utilization of climate model output in yield prediction has been addressed in very few studies. In this study, we estimate rice yields in South Korea using the meteorological variables provided by ERA5 reanalysis data (ERA-O) and its dynamically downscaled data (ERA-DS). After ERA-O and ERA-DS are validated against observations (OBS), two different machine learning models, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), are trained with different combinations of eight meteorological variables (mean temperature, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, diurnal temperature range, solar irradiance, mean wind speed, and relative humidity) obtained from OBS, ERA-O, and ERA-DS at weekly and monthly timescales from May to September. Regardless of the model type and the source of the input data, training a model with weekly datasets leads to better yield estimates compared to monthly datasets. LSTM generally outperforms SVM, especially when the model is trained with ERA-DS data at a weekly timescale. The best yield estimates are produced by the LSTM model trained with all eight variables at a weekly timescale. Altogether this study shows the significance of high spatial and temporal resolution of input meteorological data in yield prediction, which can also serve to substantiate the added value of dynamical downscaling.

A Multifunctional Interlocked Binder with Synergistic In Situ Covalent and Hydrogen Bonding for High-Performance Si Anode in Li-ion Batteries.

Silicon has garnered significant attention as a promising anode material for high-energy density Li-ion batteries. However, Si can be easily pulverized during cycling, which results in the loss of electrical contact and ultimately shortens battery lifetime. Therefore, the Si anode binder is developed to dissipate the enormous mechanical stress of the Si anode with enhanced mechanical properties. However, the interfacial stability between the Si anode binder and Cu current collector should also be improved. Here, a multifunctional thiourea polymer network (TUPN) is proposed as the Si anode binder. The TUPN binder provides the structural integrity of the Si anode with excellent tensile strength and resilience due to the epoxy-amine and silanol-epoxy covalent cross-linking, while exhibiting high extensibility from the random coil chains with the hydrogen bonds of thiourea, oligoether, and isocyanurate moieties. Furthermore, the robust TUPN binder enhances the interfacial stability between the Si anode and current collector by forming a physical interaction. Finally, the facilitated Li-ion transport and improved electrolyte wettability are realized due to the polar oligoether, thiourea, and isocyanurate moieties, respectively. The concept of this work is to highlight providing directions for the design of polymer binders for next-generation batteries.

Predictive biological factors for late survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) enriched subtype of breast cancer is associated with early recurrence, mostly within 5 years. However, anti-HER2 therapies have improved outcomes and their benefits persist in the long term. This study aimed to determine predictive factors for late survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. We analyzed 20,672 patients with HER2-positive stage I-III breast cancer. The patients were divided into two groups based on a follow-up period of 60 months. The multivariate analysis of factors associated with poor overall survival included old age, advanced pathologic tumor size stage (pT), advanced pathologic regional lymph node stage (pN), high histological grade, presence of lymphatic and vascular invasion, and HR-negative status within 60 months. In the breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of the > 60 months follow-up group, the hazard ratios (HRa) based on pN-negative were 3.038, 3.722, and 4.877 in pN1 (p = 0.001), pN2 (p < 0.001), and pN3 (p < 0.001), respectively. Only pT4 level was statistically significant in the pT group (HRa, 4.528; p = 0.007). Age (HRa, 1.045, p < 0.001) and hormone receptor-positive status (HRa, 1.705, p = 0.022) were also associated to worse BCSS. Although lymphatic invasion was not significantly associated with BCSS, there was a tendency toward a relationship (p = 0.079) with worse BCSS. In HER2-positive breast cancer patients, node status had a more significant relationship with long-term prognosis than T stage. Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who have T4 or node-positive should be considered for clinical observation and education beyond 5 years.

A randomized controlled trial using surgical gloves to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy by paclitaxel in breast cancer patients (AIUR trial).

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect of taxane treatment and can significantly affect patient quality of life. Currently, there are no effective treatments to alleviate symptoms of CIPN; thus, starting with prevention steps in high-risk patients is considered advantageous. However, for these prevention steps to be applicable to all patients, their side effects or accompanying discomforts should be minimal, and the intervention cost-effective. Compression therapy can be considered a prevention intervention, and using surgical gloves is feasible and cost-effective (approximately $0.6 per pair). Although previous studies on compression therapy using surgical gloves have reported decreased incidence of PN, these studies were non-randomized, limited to nab-paclitaxel treatment, and involved the use of small gloves, which may have caused discomfort. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the preventive effects of compression therapy using normal-sized surgical gloves on CIPN in patients treated with paclitaxel. METHODS: This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the preventive effects of compression therapy using surgical gloves on CIPN in women with stage II-III breast cancer who received paclitaxel chemotherapy for at least 12 weeks. This multicenter, randomized-controlled, open-label study will be conducted in six academic hospitals. Patients with medication or a medical history related to neuropathy or hand disease will be excluded. The primary outcome will be the preventive effect of compression therapy using surgical gloves, measured based on changes in the neurotoxicity component of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Taxane questionnaire. Furthermore, we will assess the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade of CIPN after 6 months. Notably, the estimated sample size, based on a p-value < 0.025 and statistical power of 0.9, will consist of 104 patients (52 per group), accounting for a 10% sample loss. DISCUSSION: This intervention can be easily implemented in clinical practice and may serve as a preventive strategy for CIPNs with strong patient adherence. If successful, this intervention could improve the quality of life and treatment adherence in patients receiving chemotherapy that can induce PN, extending beyond paclitaxel treatment alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05771974; Registered on March 16, 2023.

Two-step structural changes in M3 muscarinic receptor activation rely on the coupled Gq protein cycle.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate diverse intracellular signaling pathways through the activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. However, the effects of the sequential activation-deactivation cycle of G protein on the conformational changes of GPCRs remains unknown. By developing a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) tool for human M3 muscarinic receptor (hM3R), we find that a single-receptor FRET probe can display the consecutive structural conversion of a receptor by G protein cycle. Our results reveal that the G protein activation evokes a two-step change in the hM3R structure, including the fast step mediated by Gq protein binding and the subsequent slower step mediated by the physical separation of the Gαq and Gßγ subunits. We also find that the separated Gαq-GTP forms a stable complex with the ligand-activated hM3R and phospholipase Cß. In sum, the present study uncovers the real-time conformational dynamics of innate hM3R during the downstream Gq protein cycle.

Chryseobacterium paludis sp. nov. and Chryseobacterium foetidum sp. nov. Isolated from the Aquatic Environment, South Korea.

Two novel bacterial species CJ51T and CJ63T belonging to the genus Chryseobacterium were isolated from the Upo wetland and the Han River, South Korea, respectively. Cells of these strains were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, and catalase- and oxidase-positive. Both strains were shown to grow optimally at 30 °C and pH 7 in the absence of NaCl on tryptic soy agar. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains CJ51T and CJ63T belonged to the genus Chryseobacterium and were most closely related to Chryseobacterium piperi CTMT and Chryseobacterium piscicola VQ-6316sT with 98.47% and 98.46% 16S rRNA sequence similarities, respectively. The average nucleotide identity values of strains CJ51T and CJ63T with its closely related type strains Chryseobacterium piperi CTMT and Chryseobacterium piscicola VQ-6316sT were 81.9% and 82.1%, respectively. The major fatty acids of strains CJ51T and CJ63T were iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 3-OH and summed feature 9 (C16:0 10-methyl and/or iso-C17:1ω9c). Menaquinone 6 (MK-6) was identified as the primary respiratory quinone in both strains. The major polar lipids of strains CJ51T and CJ63T were phosphatidylethanolamine and several unidentified amino lipids and lipids. Based on polyphasic taxonomy data, strains CJ51T and CJ63T represent novel species of the genus Chryseobacterium, for which names Chryseobacterium paludis sp. nov. and Chryseobacterium foetidum sp. nov. are proposed respectively. The type strains are CJ51T (= KACC 22749T = JCM 35632T) and CJ63T (= KACC 22750T = JCM 35633T).

Reversibility and developmental neuropathology of linear nevus sebaceous syndrome caused by dysregulation of the RAS pathway.

Linear nevus sebaceous syndrome (LNSS) is a neurocutaneous disorder caused by somatic gain-of-function mutations in KRAS or HRAS. LNSS brains have neurodevelopmental defects, including cerebral defects and epilepsy; however, its pathological mechanism and potentials for treatment are largely unclear. We show that introduction of KRASG12V in the developing mouse cortex results in subcortical nodular heterotopia and enhanced excitability, recapitulating major pathological manifestations of LNSS. Moreover, we show that decreased firing frequency of inhibitory neurons without KRASG12V expression leads to disrupted excitation and inhibition balance. Transcriptional profiling after destabilization domain-mediated clearance of KRASG12V in human neural progenitors and differentiating neurons identifies reversible functional networks underlying LNSS. Neurons expressing KRASG12V show molecular changes associated with delayed neuronal maturation, most of which are restored by KRASG12V clearance. These findings provide insights into the molecular networks underlying the reversibility of some of the neuropathologies observed in LNSS caused by dysregulation of the RAS pathway.

Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling by Thermoplastic Polyurethane Wrapping Films with Controlled Hierarchical Porous Structures.

Invited for this month's cover is a combined work of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology together with the Chungnam National University, the University of California, Irvine, and Chung-Ang University. The cover shows the effective thermal management of a vehicle interior through the wrapping of stretchable passive radiative cooling film. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) cooler film with a hierarchical porous structure shows a dramatic cooling effect compared to commercial paint in sunny, hot weather. The Research Article itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.202201842.

Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling by Thermoplastic Polyurethane Wrapping Films with Controlled Hierarchical Porous Structures.

Current research has focused on effective solutions to mitigate global warming and the accelerating greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to most cooling methods requiring energy and resources, passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) technology offers excellent energy savings as it requires no energy consumption. However, existing PDRC materials encounter unprecedented problems such as complex structures, low flexibility, and performance degradation after stretching. Thus, this study reports a porous structured thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film with bimodal pores to produce high-efficiency PDRC with efficient solar scattering using a simple process. The TPU film exhibited an adequately high solar reflectivity of 0.93 and an emissivity of 0.90 in the atmospheric window to achieve an ambient cooling of 5.6 °C at midday under a solar intensity of 800 W m-2 . Thus, the highly elastic and flexible TPU film was extremely suitable for application on objects with complex shapes. The radiative cooling performance of 3D-printed models covered with these TPU films demonstrated their superior indoor cooling efficiency compared to commercial white paint (8.76 °C). Thus, the proposed design of high-efficiency PDRC materials is applicable in various urban infrastructural objects such as buildings and vehicles.

New insights into the occurrence and removal of 36 pesticides in pesticide wastewater treatment plants in Korea.

This study investigates the occurrence of 36 pesticides-including 33 that were monitored from 2007 to 2019 in Korean rivers-in wastewaters from pesticide manufacturing facilities (PMFs) and in 13 pesticide wastewater treatment plants (PWWTPs). Furthermore, an approach for the effective removal of these pesticides from pesticide wastewater (PW) is proposed. Among the 36 pesticides investigated, 32 were found to be present in the PMF wastewater and PWWTP influents (at concentrations ≤466.8 mg/L). In addition, 24 of the 36 pesticides were detected in PWWTP effluents, indicating that effluents are discharged without the complete removal of many pesticides. Moreover, the PWWTP effluent influences the presence of pesticides in river (confidence interval: ≥ 95%; p < 0.05). Although the chemical oxidation-activated sludge process is frequently recommended for the treatment of PWs, the findings from the current study indicate that an activated sludge-activated carbon adsorption process is more suitable for PW treatment due to its superior removal efficiency, treatment stability, and economic feasibility. Consequently, its application for the treatment of PWs can markedly decrease the levels of pesticides discharged into rivers.

Colistin-degrading proteases confer collective resistance to microbial communities during polymicrobial infections.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of resistance against the last-resort antibiotic colistin is a significant threat to global public health. Here, we discovered a novel colistin resistance mechanism via enzymatic inactivation of the drug and proposed its clinical importance in microbial communities during polymicrobial infections. RESULTS: A bacterial strain of the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia capable of degrading colistin and exhibiting a high-level colistin resistance was isolated from the soil environment. A colistin-degrading protease (Cdp) was identified in this strain, and its contribution to colistin resistance was demonstrated by growth inhibition experiments using knock-out (Δcdp) and complemented (Δcdp::cdp) mutants. Coculture and coinfection experiments revealed that S. maltophilia carrying the cdp gene could inactivate colistin and protect otherwise susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which may seriously affect the clinical efficacy of the drug for the treatment of cystic fibrosis patients with polymicrobial infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Cdp should be recognized as a colistin resistance determinant that confers collective resistance at the microbial community level. Our study will provide vital information for successful clinical outcomes during the treatment of complex polymicrobial infections, particularly including S. maltophilia and other colistin-susceptible Gram-negative pathogens such as P. aeruginosa. Video abstract.

Changes in Emergency Department Case Severity and Length of Stay before and after COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea.

Severe patients visited regional emergency centers more frequently during the COVID-19 period, and disposition status warranting admission to the intensive care unit or resulting in death was more common during the COVID-19 period. This study was conducted to compare the characteristics and severity of patients, and emergency department length of stay before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Subjects were 75,409 patients who visited the regional emergency medical center from 1 February 2019 to 19 January 2020 and from 1 February 2020 to 19 January 2021. Data was analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 22.0 program. The significance level was p < 0.05. The chi-square test and t-test were used for variables, and Cramer V was used for correlation. We found that the total number of patients visiting the emergency room decreased by 37.6% after COVID-19, but emergency department length of stay among severely ill patients increased by 203.7%. Additionally, the utilization rate of 119 ambulances and relatively more severe patients increased by 9.0% and by 2.1%. More studies about emergency department designs and operational programs should be conducted for better action not only during regular periods but also during periods of pandemic.

Analysis of Genomic Alterations Associated with Recurrence in Early Stage HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

We aimed to compare gene expression in primary tumors of patients with recurrence and nonrecurrence to gain insight into the biology of high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer. Patients who underwent curative resection and received adjuvant trastuzumab for HER2-positive early breast cancer were evaluated. Gene expression analyses were performed using NanoString Technologies' nCounter Breast Cancer 360 Panel. PAM50 intrinsic subtypes and Breast Cancer Signatures including tumor inflammation signature (TIS) were evaluated. Of 247 patients, 28 (11.3%) had recurrence at a median follow-up of 54.2 months. Patients with pathological stage III, tumor size > 5 cm, axillary lymph node metastases, and hormone receptor-negativity were more frequently observed in the recurrent group compared with the nonrecurrent group. In patients with recurrence, seven genes were upregulated significantly, including WNT11, HAPLN1, FGF10, BBOX1, CXADR, NDP, and EREG, and two genes were downregulated, including CXCL9 and GNLY. TIS score was significantly lower in patients with recurrence compared with controls without recurrence. These findings suggest that activation of oncogenic signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, adhesion, cancer stemness, and noninflamed tumor microenvironment are associated with the risk of recurrence in early stage, HER2-positive breast cancer.

Regional Control of Multistimuli-Responsive Structural Color-Switching Surfaces by a Micropatterned DNA-Hydrogel Assembly.

Structural colors have advantages compared with chemical pigments or dyes, such as iridescence, tunability, and unfading. Many studies have focused on developing the ability to switch ON/OFF the structural color; however, they often suffer from a simple and single stimulus, remaining structural colors, and target selectivity. Herein, we present regionally controlled multistimuli-responsive structural color switching surfaces. The key part is the utilization of a micropatterned DNA-hydrogel assembly on a single substrate. Each hydrogel network contains a unique type of stimuli-responsive DNA motifs as an additional cross-linker to exhibit swelling/deswelling via stimuli-responsive DNA interactions. The approach enables overcoming the existing limitations and selectively programming the DNA-hydrogel to a decrypted state (ON) and an encrypted state (OFF) in response to multiple stimuli. Furthermore, the transitions are reversible, providing cyclability. We envision the potential of our method for diverse applications, such as sensors or anticounterfeiting, requiring multistimuli-responsive structural color switching surfaces.

Is Gross Extrathyroidal Extension to Strap Muscles (T3b) Only a Risk Factor for Recurrence in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma? A Propensity Score Matching Study.

The presence of extrathyroidal extension (ETE) is associated with locoregional recurrence and distant metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). This study was designed to compare the recurrence risk between minimal ETE (mETE) and gross ETE (gETE) in patients with PTC using propensity score matching. In this study, 4452 patients with PTC who underwent thyroid surgery in a single center were retrospectively analyzed, and clinicopathological characteristics were compared according to the ETE status. Disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence risk were compared between mETE and gETE after propensity score matching. The mean follow-up duration was 122.7 ± 22.5 months. In multivariate analysis, both mETE and gETE were not associated with recurrence risk before propensity score matching (p = 0.154 and p = 0.072, respectively). After propensity score matching, no significant difference in recurrence rates was observed between the two groups (p = 0.668). DFS of the gETE group did not significantly differ from that of the mETE group (log-rank p = 0.531). This study revealed that both mETE and gETE are not independent risk factors for the risk of recurrence in PTC. Our findings suggest that gETE invading strap muscles only might not be associated with worse oncological outcomes in PTC.