Effectiveness of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron BA.5 bivalent vaccine on symptoms in healthcare workers with BA.5 infection.

Background: The infection status of healthcare workers (HCWs) with coronavirus disease 2019 has become a major concern worldwide. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the number of vaccine doses on symptoms after BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccination in HCWs.

Overexpression of MicroRNA-138 Affects the Proliferation and Invasion of Urothelial Carcinoma Cells by Suppressing SOX9 Expression.

SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) is important for sexual differentiation, chondrogenic differentiation, and cell proliferation in cancer. It acts as a target molecule of microRNA (miR)-138 in various tumors and is associated with tumor development and growth. In this study, we analyzed the functions of miR-138 and SOX9 in urothelial carcinoma.

Association of lysophosphatidic acid molecules with liver fibrosis: different roles indicated.

Lysophosphatidic acid is composed of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) molecules with varied chemical forms. The present cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the associations of various LPA molecules with liver fibrosis. Forty-six patients affected by various types of liver disease who underwent an ultrasound-guided liver biopsy were recruited for this study.

Assessment of Neospora caninum infection in bulls using serological and molecular techniques.

Neospora caninum is a significant cause of abortion and economic losses in cattle worldwide. The main aim of the present work was to detect the prevalence of N. caninum infection in bulls in Hamedan (Iran) using serology and molecular techniques.

Utility of desflurane as an anesthetic in motor-evoked potentials in spine surgery and the facilitating effect in tetanic stimulation of bilateral median nerves.

Although desflurane is a safe and controllable inhalation anesthetic used in spinal surgery, to our knowledge, there have been no reports of successful motor-evoked potential (MEP) recordings under general anesthesia with desflurane alone. A high desflurane concentration may reduce the risk of intraoperative awareness but can also reduce the success of MEP recording. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the reliability of MEP monitoring and investigate whether tetanic stimulation can augment MEP amplitude under general anesthesia with high-concentration desflurane during spinal surgery.

Urinary lumirubin excretion in jaundiced preterm neonates during phototherapy with blue light-emitting diode vs. green fluorescent lamp.

Phototherapy converts lipophilic unconjugated bilirubin to hydrophilic bilirubin photoisomers, such as lumirubin. We comparatively used a blue light-emitting diode (LED) and a green fluorescent lamp (FL) as light sources for phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemic preterm neonates with the aim of examining potential differences in urinary lumirubin excretion between these two wavelengths. Urinary lumirubin levels were measured using a fluorescence assay with blue light exposure in the presence of the unconjugated bilirubin-inducible fluorescent protein UnaG, and denoted as urinary UnaG-bound bilirubin (UUB)/creatinine (Cr) (μg/mg Cr).

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals a systemic immune dysregulation in COVID-19-associated pediatric encephalopathy.

Unraveling the molecular mechanisms for COVID-19-associated encephalopathy and its immunopathology is crucial for developing effective treatments. Here, we utilized single-cell transcriptomic analysis and integrated clinical observations and laboratory examination to dissect the host immune responses and reveal pathological mechanisms in COVID-19-associated pediatric encephalopathy. We found that lymphopenia was a prominent characteristic of immune perturbation in COVID-19 patients with encephalopathy, especially those with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (AE).

Apocrine carcinoma with marked sebocyte-like cytological features: A report of two cases.

Apocrine carcinoma cases with sebaceous differentiation have not been reported and can be misdiagnosed as sebaceous carcinoma. We present two cases of apocrine carcinoma with marked sebocyte-like cytological features. Tumors were observed in the left axilla of a 68-year-old man (Case 1) and the right axilla of a 72-year-old man (Case 2).

Delayed blink R1 latency in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia due to a contralateral vestibular schwannoma: An illustrative case.

Background: Although the blink reflex (BR) is effective in objectively evaluating trigeminal neuropathy, few studies have demonstrated its effect on trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors report a patient with TN due to contralateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) functionally diagnosed by delayed R1 latency of the BR.

Case Description: A 36-year-old man presented with left-sided deafness and paroxysmal facial pain in the right V1-3 area.

Physical Examination as a Clue to Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Case Report.

Transthyretin (ATTR) cardiac amyloidosis has recently received increased attention; however, the diagnosis is often delayed. We present a case of ATTR cardiac amyloidosis in which a comprehensive history-taking and focused physical examination played an important role in establishing the diagnosis. A 75-year-old man was referred to the cardiology department for left ventricular hypertrophy on electrocardiography.

Chronological Rehabilitation Treatment Varying by Stage for Constructive Disability.

Constructive disability poses significant challenges. However, such manifestations are often overlooked. To address these disabilities, customized rehabilitation is necessary across disease stages.

Bradykinesia and rigidity modulated by functional connectivity between the primary motor cortex and globus pallidus in Parkinson's disease.

The mechanisms underlying motor fluctuations in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are currently unclear. Regional brain stimulation reported the changing of motor symptoms, but the correlation with functional connectivity (FC) in the brain network is not fully understood. Hence, our study aimed to explore the relationship between motor symptom severity and FC using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) in the "on" and "off" states of PD.

Impact of Preoperative Motor Status for the Positive Predictive Value of Transcranial Motor-Evoked Potentials Alerts in Thoracic Spine Surgery: A Prospective Multicenter Study by the Monitoring Committee of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research.

Study Design: Prospective multicenter study.

Objective: To investigate the validity of transcranial motor-evoked potentials (Tc-MEP) in thoracic spine surgery and evaluate the impact of specific factors associated with positive predictive value (PPV).

Methods: One thousand hundred and fifty-six cases of thoracic spine surgeries were examined by comparing patient backgrounds, disease type, preoperative motor status, and Tc-MEP alert timing.

Increase in serum vimentin levels in patients with glioma and its correlation with prognosis of patients with glioblastoma.

Early diagnosis of glioma is of great value to improve prognosis. We focused on serum vimentin levels as a useful biomarker for preoperative diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether serum vimentin levels in patients with glioma are significantly higher than those of healthy adult volunteer and whether the serum vimentin level is associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with glioblastoma (GBM).

SARS-CoV-2 seroepidemiology in Mongolia, 2020-2021: a longitudinal national study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has global impacts but is relatively understudied in developing countries. Mongolia, a lower-middle-income country, instituted strict control measures in early 2020 and avoided widespread transmission until vaccines became available in February, 2021. Mongolia achieved its 60% vaccination coverage goal by July 2021.

FEASIBILITY STUDY ON SWALLOWING TELEREHABILITATION IN PATIENTS WITH CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019.

Objective: Direct swallowing rehabilitation assessment in patients with highly infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, is not recommended. We aimed to explore the feasibility of using telerehabilitation for managing dysphagia in patients with COVID-19 in isolated hospital rooms.

Design: Open-label trial.

Sclerosing meningioma with a large peritumoral cyst: Case report.

Meningioma morphology is diverse. Although unlisted in the WHO classification, sclerosing meningioma is a rare variation featuring an extremely low signal intensity on MRI T2-weighted imaging. About 50 cases of sclerosing meningiomas, including spinal tumors, have been reported; however, cases with an accompanying large peritumoral cyst remain unreported.

Clinicopathologic and genetic characterization of invasive melanoma with BRAF V600K mutation: A study of 16 cases.

Background: The clinicopathologic and genetic features of cutaneous melanoma with a BRAF V600K mutation are not well-known. We aimed to evaluate these characteristics in comparison with those associated with BRAF V600E.

Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or the MassARRAY® system were used to detect BRAF V600K in 16 invasive melanomas and confirm BRAF V600E in another 60 cases.

Nucleic Acid Quality Assessment is Critical to the Success of the Oncomine Dx Target Test for Lung Cancer.

Background And Objective: The Oncomine Dx Target Test (ODxTT) has been used as a companion diagnostic test for lung cancer. Here, we evaluated whether the amount of nucleic acid and the degree of RNA degradation are related to the success of the ODxTT.

Methods: This study included 223 samples from 218 patients with lung cancer.

Antibody Response to the BA.5 Bivalent Vaccine Shot: a Two-Year Follow-Up Study following Initial COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination.

Although many studies have been conducted on the increase in spike antibody levels after vaccination, there is insufficient prospective and longitudinal information on the BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine up to the fifth vaccination. In this study, we conducted a follow-up study of spike antibody levels and infection history in 46 health care workers who received up to 5 vaccinations.