One-pot MCDA-CRISPR-Cas-based detection platform for point-of-care testing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Compared to quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR), CRISPR-Cas-mediated technology is more suitable for point-of-care testing (POCT) and has potential for wider application in the future. Generally, the operational procedure of CRISPR-Cas-mediated diagnostic method consists of two independent steps, the reaction of signal amplification and the CRISPR-Cas-mediated signal detection. Complex multi-step procedures can easily lead to cross-contamination.

A case of fatal disseminated infection with masticator space abscess caused by ESBL-producing K57-ST412 hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae.

A 70-year-old Japanese man with well-controlled diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease was hospitalized for an examination of acute renal failure and elevated inflammatory reactions. He had a history of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia without extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production five months earlier. The patient was found to have bacteremia due to hypermucoviscous ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, and developed septic shock, multiple cerebral infarctions, and an abscess in the left masticatory muscle space.

The Role of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Mean Platelet Volume in Diagnosing Odontogenic and Non-odontogenic Head and Neck Abscesses.

Introduction Head and neck abscesses are categorized as either odontogenic, originating from dental infections, or non-odontogenic, arising from soft tissue inflammation. This article aimed to investigate inflammatory markers, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV), and compare them against established diagnostic parameters such as white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count (Neu), lymphocyte count (Ly), platelet count (PLT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT). Material and methods Our retrospective analysis of a prospective study involved 80 patients, including 50 individuals (56% men) with an average age of 41.

Nonstandardized High-Intensity Dialysis Dose Improves Survival in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease.

Introduction One of the most important critical determinants of quality of life and adequacy of hemodialysis (HD) performed in patients is the recorded survival and mortality rates. Nowadays, as an adequately performed HD dialysis, we accept the one with reaching values for the index single pool Kt/V (spKt/V) higher than 1.2.

Does Post-Tetanic Transcranial Stimulation Augment the Wave Amplitudes of Spinal Cord Evoked Potential (Tc-SCEP)?

Study Design: Prospective within-subjects study.

Objectives: Although motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude can reportedly be increased by tetanic stimulation of the peripheral nerves before transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), no reports have described on whether tetanic transcranial stimulation augments the wave amplitudes of spinal cord-evoked potentials (Tc-SCEP). The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether tetanic stimulation induces waveform amplification of Tc-SCEP.

Real-Time Dialysis Dose: Ionic Dialysis Versus Classical Urea Kinetic Modeling Indices.

Introduction Worldwide, over 850 million people need renal replacement therapy, and over 80% of them are on hemodialysis. The term "dialysis adequacy" is most often associated with the achievement of minimally acceptable indices - single pool Kt/V (spKt/V) and urea reduction ratio (URR%) and largely does not take into account other clinical indicators in patients. In addition, it should be taken into account that in the conditions of clinical practice, their measurement is carried out according to standards controlled by the regulatory structures and is carried out with a frequency between one and three months, and not during each dialysis procedure.

Impact of Bacterial Etiology on Procalcitonin, C-reactive Protein and Hematological Parameters: Evaluating Mean Platelet Volume for Differentiating Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria in Odontogenic Versus Non-odontogenic Head and Neck Abscesses.

Introduction Head and neck abscesses, which can originate from odontogenic or non-odontogenic sources, pose significant diagnostic challenges due to their diverse bacterial etiologies. This study aims to investigate the impact of bacterial etiology on procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and various hematological parameters, and to assess the diagnostic performance of mean platelet volume (MPV) in differentiating between Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) in adults with odontogenic and non-odontogenic head and neck abscesses. Materials and methods Our retrospective analysis of a prospective study comprised 80 patients: 50 individuals (56% men, average age 41.

Regional and temporal genotype profiling of Clostridioides difficile in a multi-institutional study in Japan.

Clostridioides difficile, a cause of healthcare-associated infections, poses a significant global health threat. This multi-institutional retrospective study focuses on epidemic dynamics, emphasizing minor and toxin-negative clinical isolates through high-resolution genotyping. The genotype of the C.

Online Hemodiafiltration: A New Perspective for Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease.

Introduction Online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) is the most effective renal replacement therapy (RRT), which allows the enhanced removal of small and large uremic toxins by combining diffusion and convective transport of solutes. Although the goal of OL-HDF is to provide greater clearance of solutes with a preference for intermediate molecules responsible for many of the complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the studies reported to date and their meta-analyses are conflicting in nature and do not show a significant advantage of convective therapies on patient prognosis. Materials and methods At the Clinic of Nephrology and Dialysis, University Hospital "St.

Plasma p-tau181 and amyloid markers in Alzheimer's disease: A comparison between Lumipulse and SIMOA.

Aim of the project was to evaluate the technical and clinical validity of plasma Lumipulse p-tau, Aβ42 and Aβ40 species and their correlation with CSF core Alzheimer's Disease (AD) markers; a method comparison with SIMOA was also performed. One-hundred-thirthy-three participants, namely 55 A+T+N+ AD, 28 Neurodegenerative disorders (NDD) and 50 controls were enrolled for the study. Lumipulse technical validity showed high stability for p-tau181, Aβ42, and Aβ40, with higher stability of p-tau to repeated freezing thaw cycles.

Flavonifractor plautii Bacteremia With Generalized Peritonitis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

is an obligate anaerobic rod bacterium that is part of the human gut microbiota. We describe a case of bacteremia caused by in a mildly immunocompromised patient with acute generalized peritonitis. The patient is an 83-year-old male, with a history of stage III hepatocellular carcinoma 11 months prior, stage I gastric cancer, and cerebral infarction three months prior.

Hidrocystoma-like tumours with RET or ALK fusion: a study of four cases.

Hidrocystoma is thought to be a benign retention cyst of sweat ductal units. The lesion is usually located in the periorbital skin; however, lesions with similar histopathological features are rarely observed in extra-facial sites. Herein, we present four cases of hidrocystoma-like tumours in extra-facial skin sites that harboured a RET or ALK rearrangement.

A deep learning-based model to estimate pulmonary function from chest x-rays: multi-institutional model development and validation study in Japan.

Background: Chest x-ray is a basic, cost-effective, and widely available imaging method that is used for static assessments of organic diseases and anatomical abnormalities, but its ability to estimate dynamic measurements such as pulmonary function is unknown. We aimed to estimate two major pulmonary functions from chest x-rays.

Methods: In this retrospective model development and validation study, we trained, validated, and externally tested a deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI) model to estimate forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) from chest x-rays.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in blood donors in a teaching institute from Western part of Maharashtra.

Introduction: COVID-19 is a disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that has appeared as a global pandemic in recent times. Currently, the transmission rate has slowed down significantly, but the definite pathological reason behind this is still unknown. Therefore, the prevalence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody must be studied to establish the relation between the rate of transmission and antibody presence.

Primary Cutaneous NUT Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic and Genetic Study of 4 Cases.

WHO Classification of Skin Tumors, fifth edition (2023) has newly described primary cutaneous NUT carcinoma; however, information on this cancer type remains scarce. Herein, we performed clinicopathologic and genetic analyses of 4 cases. Four elderly women (median age 77 y, range: 68 to 82 y) were included.

Prognostic value of electroneurography using the midline method for predicting the development of synkinesis after peripheral facial palsy.

Objective: The prognostic value of electroneurography (ENoG) for predicting the incidence of synkinesis is reportedly about 40 % using the formal standard method (ENoG-SM). However, the prognostic value of ENoG using the newly developed midline method (ENoG-MM) has not been determined. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the optimal prognostic value and advantages of ENoG-MM for predicting the incidence of synkinesis.

Changes in Viral Dynamics Following the Legal Relaxation of COVID-19 Mitigation Measures in Japan From Children to Adults: A Single Center Study, 2020-2023.

Introduction: Respiratory infections are an ongoing global health challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered global nonpharmacological measures that reshaped public health. In Japan, the shift from legal to individual discretion in pandemic management started on May 8, 2023.

Clinical usefulness of a host signature based on TRAIL, IP10, and CRP (MeMed BV) as infection biomarkers in intensive care units' patients. A retrospective observational study.

Introduction: Infection complications are common in intensive care unit patients, and early detection remains a diagnostic challenge. Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are commonly used biomarkers. A novel diagnostic approach focuses on the host immune response.

The Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Cholecalciferol Therapy in Hemodialysis Patients.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent in CKD, affecting over 80% of hemodialysis (HD) patients and requiring therapeutic intervention. Nephrological societies suggest the administration of cholecalciferol according to the guidelines for the general population. The aim of the observational study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the therapy with a high dose of cholecalciferol in HD patients with 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency to reach the target serum 25(OH)D level > 30 ng/mL.

Recurrent GATA3 P409Afs*99 Frameshift Extension Mutations in Sweat-gland Carcinoma With Neuroendocrine Differentiation.

Sweat-gland carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation (SCAND) was recently proposed as a new cutaneous adnexal neoplasm with neuroendocrine differentiation; however, its genetics are not well known. Herein, we performed clinicopathologic and genetic analyses of 13 SCAND cases and 5 control cases of endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma (EMPSGC). The SCAND group included 11 males and 2 females with a median age of 68 years (range, 50 to 80 y).