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We describe the epidemiology of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in a call center in South Korea. We obtained information on demographic characteristics by using standardized epidemiologic investigation forms. We performed descriptive analyses and reported the results as frequencies and proportions for categoric variables. Of 1,143 persons who were tested for COVID-19, a total of 97 (8.5%, 95% CI 7.0%-10.3%) had confirmed cases. Of these, 94 were working in an 11th-floor call center with 216 employees, translating to an attack rate of 43.5% (95% CI 36.9%-50.4%). The household secondary attack rate among symptomatic case-patients was 16.2% (95% CI 11.6%- 22.0%). Of the 97 persons with confirmed COVID-19, only 4 (1.9%) remained asymptomatic within 14 days of quarantine, and none of their household contacts acquired secondary infections. Extensive contact tracing, testing all contacts, and early quarantine blocked further transmission and might be effective for containing rapid outbreaks in crowded work settings.

We analyzed reports for 59,073 contacts of 5,706 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) index patients reported in South Korea during January 20-March 27, 2020. Of 10,592 household contacts, 11.8% had COVID-19. Of 48,481 nonhousehold contacts, 1.9% had COVID-19. Use of personal protective measures and social distancing reduces the likelihood of transmission.

Background Geriatric depression is a societal problem, specifically in those living alone in Korea. This study aims are to investigate (1) how sociodemographic factors, health status, and health behaviors are differently associated with depressive symptoms in older Koreans living alone compared to those living with others and (2) how living arrangements attenuated or strengthened the associations between four types of health behaviors and depressive symptoms. Methods This secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. A structured survey assessing sociodemographic factors, health status, and health behaviors was conducted with people aged 65 or older who lived alone ( n  = 1359) and living with others ( n  = 2864). A multiple linear regression with interaction terms was conducted between mean-centered health behaviors and the status of living alone. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 23.0, and the two-tailed level of significance was set at 0.05. Results Those living alone reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than those living with others ( M diff  = 2.129, SE  = 0.005, p  <  0.001). The variance of depressive symptoms explained by 13 variables was 18.1% for those living alone compared to 23.7% for those living with others. Compared to health behaviors, sociodemographic factors and health status more explained depressive symptoms, specifically with psychiatric disorders, pain, and impaired functionality as risk factors. Smoking, alcohol abstinence, physical inactivity, and social inactivity were associated with more depressive symptoms. Living arrangements moderated the association between depressive symptoms and each health behavior, except for physical inactivity (all p values < 0.001). Conclusions Older Koreans living alone were exposed to different risk factors for depressive symptoms compared to those living with others. Non-modifiable sociodemographic and health status factors were highly associated with depressive symptoms relative to health behaviors; thus, it is important to conduct early assessment and classification of vulnerable subgroups regarding geriatric depression. Specific assessment instruments should be prepared in practice according to living arrangements among older Koreans. Targeted interventions are essential to addressing living arrangements and modifying health behaviors to reduce smoking, alcohol consumption, and social inactivity, specifically in those living alone.

The southwestern Korean Peninsula had experienced cumulative precipitation deficits from the early spring of 2022, causing a severe meteorological drought in March 2023. As a growing season was forthcoming, the sub-seasonal to seasonal outlook of this ongoing drought came into question. This study aims to investigate a key driver of the ongoing drought and the required precipitation for its termination, and examine the sub-seasonal and seasonal outlooks of the ongoing drought via probabilistic and climate model-based forecasts. Results show a comparable contribution of springtime and summertime precipitation deficits in 2022, indicating that six-month accumulated precipitation deficit of 2022 was a key driver of the ongoing drought. We find that at least 80, 150, and 210 mm (170, 310, and 440 mm) of accumulated precipitation are required for the recovery (full recovery) in March, April, and May 2023, respectively. These required cumulative precipitation are found from 25% and 20% of empirical and dynamic precipitation forecasts, respectively. This study highlights the importance of the collaborative effort of national and local governments and stakeholders on mitigating negative impacts of the ongoing drought.

Background Relevant surrogates that maintain the pathological and physiological properties of patient tumors are essential for guiding triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy. The goals are to generate patient-derived organoids (PDOs), xenografts (PDXs), and PDX-derived organoids (PDXOs), evaluate the therapeutic potential of the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775, and compare their responses to 18 anti-cancer drugs in PDOs and PDXOs. Methods PDOs were produced from surgical specimens of patients with TNBC. PDXs were generated by transplanting PDOs into the mammary fat pads of NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1wjl/SzJ mice. PDXOs were derived from fresh tumor specimens of PDXs. For drug efficacy, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for 18 anti-cancer drugs on PDOs and PDXOs were calculated using the CellTiter-Glo® 3D cell viability assay in a high-throughput drug screening system. The relationship between WEE1 expression and survival in TNBC-basal-like (BL) patients was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier Plotter database. Mice were treated with AZD1775 via oral gavage (30 mg/kg). Biological mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer drug responses were evaluated by calcein-AM staining, caspase 3/7 staining, Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. Results PDOs were established through subcultures of 2-7 passages. TNBC-BL PDXs expressing CK5, vimentin, and EGFR were generated and expanded over 3-4 generations of transplantation. PDXOs were produced through subcultures of 4-5 passages. PDOs, PDXs, and PDXOs retained the immunohistological characteristics of the relevant patients with TNBC. WEE1 was associated with poor survival outcomes in TNBC-BL patients. The highest cytotoxicity and tumor growth suppression to AZD1775 therapy were observed in PDXOs and PDXs with high WEE1 expression. AZD1775 inhibited WEE1 and CDK1 phosphorylation, increased γH2AX phosphorylation, induced G2/M arrest, and activated caspase 3/7 in PDXOs and PDXs, all associated with DNA damage, mitotic catastrophe, and apoptosis. Anti-cancer drug responses were highly concordant between matched PDOs and PDXOs. The responses of PDOs and PDXOs to anti-cancer drugs were comparable to those of patients receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, according to clinical records. Conclusion PDOs, PDXOs, and PDXs, which maintained the immunological properties of TNBC patient, provide a scientific rationale for future WEE1-targeted clinical trials in TNBC. PDOs and PDXOs represent cost- and time-effective surrogates for predicting prioritized personalized therapy.

Epitranscriptomic features, such as single-base RNA editing, are sources of transcript diversity in cancer, but little is understood in terms of their spatial context in the tumour microenvironment. Here, we introduce spatial-histopathological examination-linked epitranscriptomics converged to transcriptomics with sequencing (Select-seq), which isolates regions of interest from immunofluorescence-stained tissue and obtains transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic data. With Select-seq, we analyse the cancer stem cell-like microniches in relation to the tumour microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer patients. We identify alternative splice variants, perform complementarity-determining region analysis of infiltrating T cells and B cells, and assess adenosine-to-inosine base editing in tumour tissue sections. Especially, in triple-negative breast cancer microniches, adenosine-to-inosine editome specific to different microniche groups is identified. The spatial context of epitranscriptomic features in the tumour microenvironment remains poorly understood. Here, a method for transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic analysis of immunofluorescence-stained tissue, Select-seq, is applied to stem cell-like microniches in triple negative breast cancer.

Background NAD(P)-dependent steroid dehydrogenase-like protein (NSDHL), which is involved in breast tumor growth and metastasis, has been implicated in the maintenance of cancer stem cells. However, its role in regulating breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) remains unclear. We have previously reported the clinical significance of NSDHL in patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) breast cancer. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which NSDHL regulates the capacity of BCSCs in the ER + human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Methods NSDHL knockdown suppressed tumor spheroid formation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells grown on ultralow-attachment plates. RNA sequencing revealed that NSDHL knockdown induced widespread transcriptional changes in the MCF-7 spheroids. TGF-β signaling pathway was the most significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway (fold change ≥ 2, P  ≤ 0.05) identified in NSDHL-knockdown MCF-7 spheroids compared with the control. In orthotopic tumor models injected with NSDHL-knockdown MCF-7 spheroids, tumor initiation and growth were strongly suppressed compared with those in the control. Results BCSC populations with CD44+/CD24- and CD49f+/EpCAM + phenotypes and high ALDH activity were decreased in NSDHL-knockdown MCF-7 spheroids and xenograft tumors relative to controls, along with decreased secretion of TGF-β1 and 3, phosphorylation of Smad2/3, and expression of SOX2. In RNA-sequencing data from The (TCGA) database, a positive correlation between the expression of NSDHL and SOX2 was found in luminal-type breast cancer specimens ( n  = 998). Our findings revealed that NSDHL plays an important role in maintaining the BCSC population and tumor-initiating capacity of ER-positive MCF-7 spheroids, suggesting that NSDHL is an attractive therapeutic target for eliminating BCSCs, thus preventing breast cancer initiation and progression. Conclusions Our findings suggest that NSDHL regulates the BCSC/tumor-initiating cell population in MCF-7 spheroids and xenograft tumors.

Drought is a creeping phenomenon that aggravates adverse impacts over time, eventually altering emotion and social behavior. Web search engine, news media, and social media trace changes of public search behavior and online communication during the emergence of a drought. Understanding the interplay of drought characteristics with news media, social media, and public search behavior helps develop efficient drought preparedness and response plans, which are lacking. Here we assess changes of attention in web search engine and sentiment in mass/social media during the 2022–23 South Korea drought, harnessing Natural Language Processing and multiple digital tracing data. Results show that internet search activity volumes, daily news articles, tweets are highest under the nationwide drought conditions in June 2022. When the drought is intensified in March 2023, particularly in the Southwestern region, the local news outlets published news articles accompanied by increased internet search activities, but few Twitter/X posts. Our results indicate diverse social behavior patterns in web search engine, news outlets, and social media under the national and local drought conditions. Furthermore, news headlines show consistent emotion types (Expectancy, Anxiety, and Disappointment) during the 2022–23 drought. This study offers insights into how big data and AI can help design efficient drought preparedness and mitigation plans by analyzing interactions with news media, social media, and public information-seeking behavior.

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and acceptability of a new integrated behaviour therapy of contingency management and problem-solving therapy (CM-PST) in a fully remote format for young adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD).DesignA single-arm clinical trial using mixed methods.SettingBoth online and in-person recruitment in Chicagoland, USA.Participants20 young adults aged 18–24 with mild, moderate or severe AUD participated in the study.InterventionThe CM-PST intervention included 8 sessions over 12 weeks, focusing on problem-solving skills, goal setting, stress management and behaviour change to support alcohol abstinence. Participants used digital materials, tracked weekly goals, submitted two times per day breathalyser tests for incentives and completed homework assignments.Primary and secondary outcome measuresIn this study, participants were assessed before and after the intervention using mixed methods to evaluate feasibility based on recruitment rates, retention rates of 85% and high adherence to the PST sessions defined as attendance and remaining for the full duration of each session, and acceptability based on participant feedback of ≥3 on Client Counselling Satisfaction Scale.ResultsA total of 20 participants completed the study. The mean age of the study participants was 21.35 (SD=2.18), ranging from 18 to 24 and 55% of participants were women. Adherence to the PST sessions, which include attending all eight PST sessions and remaining for the full duration of each session, was 100.0%, indicating strong engagement. Participant feedback highlighted the influence of CM on behaviour and decision-making and the effectiveness of PST in addressing life challenges.ConclusionThis study’s results indicate that the CM-PST intervention is feasible and acceptable among participants, although the benchmark of 85% expected retention rate was unmet. Future studies could explore strategies to improve retention rates.Trial registration number NCT05778734.

This study aimed to identify age groups vulnerable to flood fatalities and quantify their vulnerability by means of statistical methods. First, the study obtained data of 122 victims directly resulting from five flood disasters in the Philippines over the period 2010–2013 which was used to compare the number of flood fatalities in each age group with the population numbers. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test shows that only one age group, people aged ≥70, was vulnerable to flood fatalities. Vulnerabilities of people aged ≥70 and <70, respectively, were quantified in terms of mortality, i.e., the ratio of flood fatalities and affected people. This study obtained two lognormal distribution curves moderately describing histograms built with samples on the mortality of the two age groups. Based on probabilistic parameters of the selected lognormal distribution curves, the study concludes that people aged ≥70 have more than three times the vulnerability to the risk of flood fatality than people aged <70. It is also suggested that the age dependency ratio, which is widely used to consider demographic vulnerability in flood vulnerability studies, should not be applied to the Philippines.