SHP2 regulates GluA2 tyrosine phosphorylation required for AMPA receptor endocytosis and mGluR-LTD.

Posttranslational modifications regulate the properties and abundance of synaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors that mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system. During long-term depression (LTD), protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) dephosphorylate tyrosine residues in the C-terminal tail of AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit, which is essential for GluA2 endocytosis and group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent LTD. However, as a selective downstream effector of mGluRs, the mGluR-dependent PTP responsible for GluA2 tyrosine dephosphorylation remains elusive at Schaffer collateral (SC)-CA1 synapses. In the present study, we find that mGluR5 stimulation activates Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) by increasing phospho-Y542 levels in SHP2. Under steady-state conditions, SHP2 plays a protective role in stabilizing phospho-Y869 of GluA2 by directly interacting with GluA2 phosphorylated at Y869, without affecting GluA2 phospho-Y876 levels. Upon mGluR5 stimulation, SHP2 dephosphorylates GluA2 at Y869 and Y876, resulting in GluA2 endocytosis and mGluR-LTD. Our results establish SHP2 as a downstream effector of mGluR5 and indicate a dual action of SHP2 in regulating GluA2 tyrosine phosphorylation and function. Given the implications of mGluR5 and SHP2 in synaptic pathophysiology, we propose SHP2 as a promising therapeutic target for neurodevelopmental and autism spectrum disorders.

A single mutation in the mosquito (Aedes aegypti) olfactory receptor 8 causes loss of function to 1-octen-3-ol.

The host-seeking behavior of mosquitoes have long been established to be primarily odor-mediated. In this process, olfactory receptors (Ors) play a critical role. 1-Octen-3-ol is a common volatile compound that is attractive to hematophagous arthropods such as mosquitos. The olfactory receptor 8 (AaOr8) on the tip of the stylet and maxillary palp of Aedes aegypti is tuned to 1-octen-3-ol, which is required for mosquitoes to quickly find blood vessels from a vertebrate host. However, little is known about the interaction of AaOr8 with 1-octen-3-ol which was studied in vivo and in silico in this study. The molecular binding poses and energies between ligands and the receptor were investigated. Three mutants of AaOr8 were cloned and compared with in vivo calcium imaging utilizing heterologous expression systems. As a result, our findings imply that a genetic disruption including targeted modification of Ors genes may be used to reduce mosquito bites.

Population-level call properties of endangered Dryophytes suweonensissensu lato (Anura: Amphibia) in South Korea.

Calling is one of the unique amphibian characteristics that facilitates social communication and shows individuality; however, it also makes them vulnerable to predators. Researchers use amphibian call properties to study their population status, ecology, and behavior. This research scope has recently broadened to species identification and taxonomy. Dryophytes flaviventris has been separated from the endangered anuran species, D. suweonensis, based on small variations in genetic, morphometric, and temporal call properties observed in South Korea. The Chilgap Mountain (CM) was considered as the potential geographic barrier for the speciation. However, it initiated taxonomic debates as CM has been hardly used and is considered a potential barrier for other species. The calls of populations from both sides are also apparently similar. Thus, to verify the differences in call properties among populations of D. suweonensis sensu lato (s.l.; both of the species), we sampled and analyzed call data from five localities covering its distribution range, including the southern (S) and northern (N) parts of CM. We found significant differences in many call properties among populations; however, no specific pattern was observed. Some geographically close populations, such as Iksan (S), Wanju (S), and Gunsan (S), had significant differences, whereas many distant populations, such as Pyeongtaek (N) and Wanju (S), had no significant differences. Considering the goal of this study was only to observe the call properties, we cautiously conclude that the differences are at the population level rather than the species level. Our study indicates the necessity of further investigation into the specific status of D. flaviventris using robust integrated taxonomic approaches, including genetic and morphological parameters from a broader array of localities.

eRNA co-expression network uncovers TF dependency and convergent cooperativity.

Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are non-coding RNAs produced by transcriptional enhancers that are highly correlated with their activity. Using a capped nascent RNA sequencing (PRO-cap) dataset in human lymphoblastoid cell lines across 67 individuals, we identified inter-individual variation in the expression of over 80 thousand transcribed transcriptional regulatory elements (tTREs), in both enhancers and promoters. Co-expression analysis of eRNAs from tTREs across individuals revealed how enhancers are associated with each other and with promoters. Mid- to long-range co-expression showed a distance-dependent decay that was modified by TF occupancy. In particular, we found a class of "bivalent" TFs, including Cohesin, that both facilitate and isolate the interaction between enhancers and/or promoters, depending on their topology. At short distances, we observed strand-specific correlations between nearby eRNAs in both convergent and divergent orientations. Our results support a cooperative model of convergent eRNAs, consistent with eRNAs facilitating adjacent enhancers rather than interfering with each other. Therefore, our approach to infer functional interactions from co-expression analyses provided novel insights into the principles of enhancer interactions as a function of distance, orientation, and binding landscapes of TFs.

Fabry-Perot Cavity Control for Tunable Raman Scattering.

The Fabry-Perot (FP) resonator is an intuitive and versatile optical structure owing to its uniqueness in light-matter interactions, yielding resonance with a wide range of wavelengths as it couples with photonic materials encapsulated in a dielectric cavity. Leveraging the FP resonator for molecular detection, a simple geometry of the metal-dielectric-metal structure is demonstrated to allow tuning of the enhancement factors (EFs) of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The optimum near-field EF from randomly dispersed gold nano-gaps and dynamic modulation of the far-field SERS EF by varying the optical resonance of the FP etalon are systematically investigated by performing computational and experimental analyses. The proposed strategy of combining plasmonic nanostructures with FP etalons clearly reveals wavelength matching of FP resonance to excitation and scattering wavelengths plays a key role in determining the magnitude of the SERS EF. Finally, the optimum near-field generating optical structure with controlled dielectric cavity is suggested for a tunable SERS platform, and its dynamic SERS switching performance is confirmed by demonstrating information encryption through liquid immersion.

Revealing eRNA interactions: TF dependency and convergent cooperativity.

Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are non-coding RNAs produced from transcriptional enhancers that are highly correlated with their activities. Using capped nascent RNA sequencing (PRO-cap) dataset in human lymphoblastoid cell lines across individuals, we identified inter-individual variation of expression in over 80 thousand transcribed transcriptional regulatory elements (tTREs), in both enhancers and promoters. Co-expression analysis of eRNAs from tTREs across individuals revealed how enhancers interact with each other and with promoters. Mid-to-long range interactions showed distance-dependent decay, which was modified by TF occupancy. In particular, we found a class of 'bivalent' TFs, including Cohesin, which both facilitates and insulates the interaction between enhancers and/or promoters depending on the topology. In short ranges, we observed strand specific interactions between nearby eRNAs in both convergent or divergent orientations. Our finding supports a cooperative convergent eRNA model, which is compatible with eRNA remodeling neighboring enhancers rather than interfering with each other. Therefore, our approach to infer functional interactions from co-expression analyses provided novel insights into the principles of enhancer interactions depending on the distance, orientation, and the binding landscapes of TFs.

Deneddylating enzyme SENP8 regulates neuronal development.

Neddylation is a cellular process in which the neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 8 (NEDD8) is conjugated to the lysine residue of target proteins via serial enzymatic cascades. Recently, it has been demonstrated that neddylation is required for synaptic clustering of metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu7) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), and the inhibition of neddylation impairs neurite outgrowth and excitatory synaptic maturation. Similar to the balanced role of deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) in the ubiquitination process, we hypothesized that deneddylating enzymes can regulate neuronal development by counteracting the process of neddylation. We find that the SUMO peptidase family member, NEDD8 specific (SENP8) acts as a key neuronal deneddylase targeting the global neuronal substrates in primary rat cultured neurons. We demonstrate that SENP8 expression levels are developmentally regulated, peaking around the first postnatal week and gradually diminishing in mature brain and neurons. We find that SENP8 negatively regulates neurite outgrowth through multiple pathways, including actin dynamics, Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, and autophagic processes. Alterations in neurite outgrowth by SENP8 subsequently result in the impairment of excitatory synapse maturation. Our data indicate that SENP8 plays an essential role in neuronal development and is a promising therapeutic target for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Does reverse shoulder arthroplasty improve emotional status and quality of life in patients with rotator cuff insufficiency? Prospective sequential follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate sequential changes of emotional status and quality of life after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) for rotator cuff insufficiency and to determine the predictors that can affect postoperative clinical outcomes. This study was conducted to prove the hypothesis that RSA would improve emotional status and quality of life. METHODS: Fifty patients undergoing RSA for rotator cuff insufficiency were prospectively included. Evaluation using the visual analog scale pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, subjective shoulder value, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Abbreviated scale of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) was performed before surgery and at 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean visual analog scale pain score, HADS-depression score, and HADS-anxiety score showed a significant decrease from 6.6, 13.3, and 13.9 before surgery to 1.5, 3.9, and 3.7 after 12 months after surgery, respectively (all P < .001). The mean ASES score, WHOQOL-BREF score, and subjective shoulder value showed a significant improvement from 28.5, 32.3, and 23.6% to 81.3, 79.1, and 78.4%, respectively (all P < .001). All outcome measurements showed a significant improvement from 6 weeks after RSA. In multivariate analysis, age was an independent predictor of the final ASES score and WHOQOL-BREF score (P = .037 and .004, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study showed a sequential improvement of emotional status and quality of life as well as functional recovery with pain relief from 6 weeks after RSA in patients with rotator cuff insufficiency. Especially, younger patients had better postoperative functional ability and quality of life. These findings suggest that RSA for rotator cuff insufficiency provides a rapid improvement of emotional status and quality of life.

Real-Time Underwater Nanoplastic Detection beyond the Diffusion Limit and Low Raman Scattering Cross-Section via Electro-Photonic Tweezers.

Emerging as substantial concerns in the ecosystem, submicron plastics have attracted much attention for their considerable hazards. However, their effect and even amount in the environment remain unclear. Establishing a substantive analytic platform is essential to expand the understanding of nanoplastics. However, the issues of diffusion and detection limit that arise from ultradiluted concentration and extremely small scales of nanoplastics leave significant technical hurdles to analyze the nanoplastic pollutants. In this study, we obtain effective Raman signals in real time from underwater nanoplastics with ultralow concentrations via AC electro-osmotic flows and dielectrophoretic tweezing. This enables the field-induced active collection of nanoplastics toward the optical sensing area from remote areas in a rapid manner, integrating conventional technical skills of preconcentration, separation, and identification in a single process. A step further, synergetic combination with plasmonic nanorods, accomplishes the highest on-site detection performance so far.

Bioelectronic Tongues Mimicking Insect Taste Systems for Real-Time Discrimination between Natural and Artificial Sweeteners.

A bioelectronic tongue (B-ET) mimicking insect taste systems is developed for the real-time detection and discrimination of natural and artificial sweeteners. Here, a carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNT-FET) was hybridized with nanovesicles including the honeybee sugar taste receptor, gustatory receptor 1 of Apis mellifera (AmGr1). This strategy allowed us to detect glucose, a major component of nectar, down to 100 fM in real time and identify sweet tastants from other tastants. It could also be utilized for the detection of glucose in dextrose tablet solutions. Importantly, we demonstrated the discrimination between natural and artificial sweeteners down to 10 pM even in real beverages such as decaffeinated coffee using our hybrid platform. In this respect, our B-ET mimicking insect taste systems can be a powerful tool for various applications such as food screening and basic studies on insect taste systems.

Development of semi-empirical soot emission model for a CI engine.

Soot is one of the main harmful emissions of diesel engines that is mainly generated in the reacting fuel jet of diesel injection. Over 99% of the engine-out soot can be filtered by a diesel particulate filter (DPF). However, when the soot load of the DPF is high, a regeneration process that oxidizes the accumulated soot reduces fuel economy. A real-time soot estimation model can contribute to real-time feedback soot control under transient conditions to minimize the engine-out soot emission and frequency of DPF regeneration. A zero-dimensional engine-out soot estimation model for a diesel engine is developed in this study. The semi-empirical soot model considers both the formation and oxidation of soot. In the model, soot formation was correlated with the cross-sectional average equivalence ratio at the lift-off length of the fuel spray. The equivalence ratio at the lift-off length is an indicator of how much air and vaporized fuel are mixed as the fuel reaches the reaction zone. The mass of the injected fuel and combustion duration were also correlated with soot formation. The Nagle and Strickland-Constable mechanism, which calculates the soot oxidation rate was correlated with the soot oxidation in this study. The results of the soot estimation showed an R2 of 0.901 and root mean square error of 10.8 mg/m3 for steady-state experimental cases. The engine-out soot model was also combined with the in-cylinder pressure model proposed by the authors, and validated through the transient Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) mode. The estimates agreed with the measured soot, with an accumulated soot error of approximately 6% during the WLTC, even without using an in-cylinder pressure sensor. The soot model developed in this study can help minimize tailpipe-out soot emissions and improve fuel economy by influencing the real-time feedback control during transient and frequent DPF regeneration.

Comparison of EI-GC-MS/MS, APCI-LC-MS/MS, and ESI-LC-MS/MS for the Simultaneous Analysis of Nine Nitrosamines Eluted from Synthetic Resins into Artificial Saliva and Health Risk Assessment.

Nitrosamines can be produced during the manufacture of rubber-type products such as pacifiers or the nipples of baby bottles. Humans can be exposed to the nitrosamines in these products when they are eluted into saliva. In this study, we compared the efficiency of electron impact ionization (EI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), and electrospray ionization (ESI) methods for the analysis of nine nitrosamines eluted into artificial saliva. In addition, nine nitrosamines eluted from 54 rubber-type products (rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, and polyurethane) marketed in Korea were monitored. Finally, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessments of oral exposure to nine nitrosamines were performed based on the monitoring results. EI-GC-MS/MS performed the best for the simultaneous analysis of these nine nitrosamines with respect to overall linearity, trace analysis limit of detection (less than 1 µg), recovery (average 108.66 ± 9.32%), and precision (less than 6%), compared with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (APCI and ESI) methods. Using the EI-GC-MS/MS method, these nine nitrosamines eluted into artificial saliva from 54 rubber-type products were monitored. Based on the monitoring data, risk assessment was performed by calculating the margin of exposure (MOE) for the respective nitrosamines detected. As a result, these nitrosamines were confirmed to be safe with regard to both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Korean Version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills for Young Adults (PEERS®-YA-K) With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study.

Evidence-based social skills interventions for young adults are limited, despite social difficulties in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) persisting after transition to adulthood. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills for Young Adults (PEERS®-YA) is an evidence-based intervention found to be effective in improving relational skills in young adults with ASD. To translate the original American version of the PEERS®-YA treatment manual into Korean, intensive interviews were performed. Based on results from interviews, several rules of dating etiquette and social activities were modified to be culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate. Next, young adults diagnosed with ASD (18-35 years of age; IQ > 70) and their social coaches were recruited for the randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were randomly assigned either to a treatment group (TG; n = 19) or a delayed treatment group (DTG; n = 18). In the analysis of group differences in the TG and DTG, social skills knowledge was improved. The within group analyses showed positive effects of improving social skills knowledge on reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. After modest cultural adaptations focusing on dating and social activities, the implementation of the PEERS®-YA-K was found feasible for the Korean community. This is one of only a few cross-cultural validation trials establishing evidence-based treatment in young adults with ASD. Clinical Trial Registration: This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03310775.

Application of Macro-Instrumented Indentation Test for Superficial Residual Stress and Mechanical Properties Measurement for HY Steel Welded T-Joints.

HY-80 and HY-100 steels, widely used in constructing large ocean vessels and submarine hulls, contain mixed microstructures of tempered bainite and martensite and provide high tensile strength and toughness. Weld integrity in HY steels has been studied to verify and optimize welding conditions. In this study, the T-joint weld coupons, HY80 and HY100, were fabricated from HY-80 and HY-100 steel plates with a thickness of 30 mm as base metals by submerged-arc welding. Flux-cored arc welding was performed on an additional welding coupon consisting of HY-100 to evaluate the effect of repair welds (HY100RP). Microstructures in the heat-affected zones (HAZ) were thoroughly analyzed by optical observation. Instrumented indentation testing, taking advantage of local characterization, was applied to assess the yield strength and the residual stress of the HAZ and base regions. The maximum hardness over 400 HV was found in the HAZ due to the high volume fraction of untempered martensite microstructure. The yield strength of the weld coupons was evaluated by indentation testing, and the results showed good agreement with the uniaxial tensile test (within 10% range). The three coupons showed similar indentation residual stress profiles on the top and bottom surfaces. The stress distribution of the HY100 coupon was comparable to the results from X-ray diffraction. HY100RP demonstrated increased tensile residual stress compared to the as-welded coupon due to the effect of the repair weld (323 and 103 MPa on the top and bottom surfaces). This study verifies the wide applicability of indentation testing in evaluating yield strength and residual stress.

Moral Reasoning about Aggressive Behavior in Relation to Type of Aggression, Age and Gender in South Korean Pupils.

Studies of moral reasoning in relation to aggressive behaviors have paid limited attention to different types of aggression, and have mainly been conducted in Western societies. We describe findings from a study of 157 children, aged 6 or 11 years, from two schools in South Korea. Using a cartoon scenario methodology, we assessed moral reasoning about eight types of aggression: verbal, physical individual, physical group, social exclusion, rumor spreading, breaking one's belongings, sending a nasty text via mobile phone, and sending a nasty message/email via computer. Four aspects of moral reasoning were assessed: moral judgment, harmfulness, reason for judgment, and causal responsibility. Many significant differences by type of aggression were found, especially for social exclusion (seen as less wrong and harmful, and more the victim's responsibility), physical group aggression (seen as more wrong or harmful, and a matter of fairness, especially in older children and boys), and cyber aggression (seen more as the aggressor's responsibility). Older children gave more reasons based on welfare, and fewer "don't know" responses for reasons and attributions. Gender differences were relatively few, but girls did make more use of welfare in the moral reasoning domain. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research and the cultural context in South Korea.

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives on Young Children's Bullying Roles in Relation to Dominance and Peer Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Approach in South Korea.

There are several studies on young children's bullying roles in relation to dominance or peer relationships. Although those are closely related, few studies examined this from longitudinal view and the influence of bullying role change on dominance and peer relationships. This study aimed to examine (1) the relationship between bullying roles and dominance, (2) the relationship between bullying roles and peer relationships, (3) the percentage of bullying role change over time, and (4) the changes in bullying roles in relation to changes in dominance and peer relationships. Sixty-three South Korean kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires regarding bullying roles, dominance, and peer relationships about 1312 children aged 3-5. The data were collected in mid-October 2017 and January 2018. The results showed that bullies had the highest dominance. No-role children had the most positive peer relationships, followed by bullies. About 10% of all sampled children remained involved in bullying over time. Their role changes related to changes in dominance rather than to changes in peer relationships. The findings imply that dominance should be considered to prevent young children's bullying, in which peer relationships are interrelated. Intervention should be implemented as soon as possible to stop repeated victimization or bullying in early childhood.

Quantitative EEG predicts outcomes in children after cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether quantitative EEG (QEEG) features predict neurologic outcomes in children after cardiac arrest. METHODS: We performed a single-center prospective observational study of 87 consecutive children resuscitated and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after cardiac arrest. Full-array conventional EEG data were obtained as part of clinical management. We computed 8 QEEG features from 5-minute epochs every hour after return of circulation. We developed predictive models utilizing random forest classifiers trained on patient age and 8 QEEG features to predict outcome. The features included SD of each EEG channel, normalized band power in alpha, beta, theta, delta, and gamma wave frequencies, line length, and regularity function scores. We measured outcomes using Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scores. We evaluated the models using 5-fold cross-validation and 1,000 bootstrap samples. RESULTS: The best performing model had a 5-fold cross-validation accuracy of 0.8 (0.88 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve). It had a positive predictive value of 0.79 and a sensitivity of 0.84 in predicting patients with favorable outcomes (PCPC score of 1-3). It had a negative predictive value of 0.8 and a specificity of 0.75 in predicting patients with unfavorable outcomes (PCPC score of 4-6). The model also identified the relative importance of each feature. Analyses using only frontal electrodes did not differ in prediction performance compared to analyses using all electrodes. CONCLUSIONS: QEEG features can standardize EEG interpretation and predict neurologic outcomes in children after cardiac arrest.

Mothers' Difficulties and Expectations for Intervention of Bullying among Young Children in South Korea.

This study investigated the difficulties of mothers in coping with the bullying of their children and their expectations concerning bullying intervention for young children in South Korea. Twenty mothers with young children were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed in Korean. Nvivo 12 software was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged: "mothers' coping strategies", "problems of interventions", "expectations of interventions", and "developmentally appropriate interventions for young children". Each theme was divided into categories and further into subcategories. Mothers used diverse strategies to intervene when their children were bullied and showed dissatisfaction with the current intervention system. Their expectations for interventions for young children were explained in terms of familial, school, and local/governmental levels. These results emphasized that intervention policies for bullying among young children should be urgently established, and intervention programs need to consider the developmental characteristics of young children.

Development of a Multiplex PCR System for the Simultaneous Detection of the Shrimp Species Fenneropenaeus chinensis, Litopenaeus vannamei, and Penaeus monodon.

Due to mixed use of shrimp in foodstuffs, it is important to distinguish Fenneropenaeus chinensis from other shrimp species, such as Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon. For this purpose, we have developed a multiplex PCR method to detect the simultaneous presence of all three species. Universal primers specific to the 16S ribosomal RNA subunit were used to sequence and ascertain the species in the samples. In this study, specific primers were designed to result in a unique PCR product size (143, 260, and 348 bp for L. vannamei, F. chinensis and P. monodon, respectively). In addition, duplex and triplex PCR protocols were developed to concurrently and rapidly detect these three shrimp species without nonspecific gene amplification. This multiplex PCR system is expected to be widely used to distinguish shrimp species that should be monitored to prevent their mixed use in food.

Differential diagnosis of breast masses in South Korean premenopausal women using diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging.

Young patients with dense breasts have a relatively low-positive biopsy rate for breast cancer (∼1 in 7). South Korean women have higher breast density than Westerners. We investigated the benefit of using a functional and metabolic imaging technique, diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI), to help the standard of care imaging tools to distinguish benign from malignant lesions in premenopausal Korean women. DOSI uses near-infrared light to measure breast tissue composition by quantifying tissue concentrations of water (ctH2O), bulk lipid (ctLipid), deoxygenated (ctHHb), and oxygenated (ctHbO2) hemoglobin. DOSI spectral signatures specific to abnormal tissue and absent in healthy tissue were also used to form a malignancy index. This study included 19 premenopausal subjects (average age 41±9), corresponding to 11 benign and 10 malignant lesions. Elevated lesion to normal ratio of ctH2O, ctHHb, ctHbO2, total hemoglobin (THb=ctHHb+ctHbO2), and tissue optical index (ctHHb×ctH2O/ctLipid) were observed in the malignant lesions compared to the benign lesions (p<0.02). THb and malignancy index were the two best single predictors of malignancy, with >90% sensitivity and specificity. Malignant lesions showed significantly higher metabolism and perfusion than benign lesions. DOSI spectral features showed high discriminatory power for distinguishing malignant and benign lesions in dense breasts of the Korean population.