Effect of Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Genotype on Disease Severity, Viral Load, and Cytokines in South Korea.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by Bandavirus dabieense (SFTS virus [SFTSV]). Recently, at least 6 different genotypes of SFTSV have been identified, with genotypes A, D, and F dominant in China and B dominant in Japan and Korea. This study investigated the effect of SFTSV genotypes circulating in South Korea on disease severity, viral load, and cytokine profile. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 70 patients with SFTS from July 2015 to June 2022. Serial plasma samples were obtained during hospitalization and analyzed. Viral load was measured by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Partial sequences of the viral genome were analyzed for genotyping. Plasma concentrations of 17 cytokines were measured by multiplex-bead immunoassay. Results: Of 70 samples, 51 could be genotyped. Genotype B was predominant (80.4%) and other genotypes were uncommon. Intensive care unit admission rates (51.2% vs 50.0%) and mortality rates (26.8% vs 40.0%) did not show any significant differences between genotype B and non-B genotypes. The initial viral load did not show any significant differences (3.59 vs 3.64 log copies/µL), whereas viral load measured at hospital day 3-4 tended to be higher in genotype B than non-B genotypes (3.83 vs 1.83 log copies/µL, P = .07). Additionally, the plasma concentrations of interferon-α, interleukin 10, and interferon-γ-induced protein 10, which are closely related to mortality in cases of SFTS, did not show any significant differences. Conclusions: SFTSV genotype B was the prevalent genotype in South Korea, with no genotype-specific difference in clinical outcomes, initial viral load, or cytokine profiles.

Highly Sensitive Biosensors Based on All-PEDOT:PSS Organic Electrochemical Transistors with Laser-Induced Micropatterning.

Recent advances in numerous biological applications have increased the accuracy of monitoring the level of biologically significant analytes in the human body to manage personal nutrition and physiological conditions. However, despite promising reports about costly wearable devices with high sensing performance, there has been a growing demand for inexpensive sensors that can quickly detect biological molecules. Herein, we present highly sensitive biosensors based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), which are types of organic semiconductor-based sensors that operate consistently at low operating voltages in aqueous solutions. Instead of the gold or platinum electrode used in current electrochemical devices, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was used as both the channel and gate electrodes in the OECT. Additionally, to overcome the patterning resolution limitations of conventional solution processing, we confirmed that the irradiation of a high-power IR laser (λ = 1064 nm) onto the coated PEDOT:PSS film was able to produce spatially resolvable micropatterns in a digital-printing manner. The proposed patterning technique exhibits high suitability for the fabrication of all-PEDOT:PSS OECT devices. The device geometry was optimized by fine-tuning the gate area and the channel-to-gate distance. Consequently, the sensor for detecting ascorbic acid (vitamin C) concentrations in an electrolyte exhibited the best sensitivity of 125 µA dec-1 with a limit of detection of 1.3 µM, which is nearly 2 orders of magnitude higher than previous findings. Subsequently, an all-plastic flexible epidermal biosensor was established by transferring the patterned all-PEDOT:PSS OECT from a glass substrate to a PET substrate, taking full advantage of the flexibility of PEDOT:PSS. The prepared all-plastic sensor device is highly cost-effective and suitable for single-use applications because of its acceptable sensing performance and reliable signal for detecting vitamin C. Additionally, the epidermal sensor successfully obtained the temporal profile of vitamin C in the sweat of a human volunteer after the consumption of vitamin C drinks. We believe that the highly sensitive all-PEDOT:PSS OECT device fabricated using the accurate patterning process exhibits versatile potential as a low-cost and single-use biosensor for emerging bioelectronic applications.

Cultural values and parental psychology: A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium.

The present study aims to gain a greater understanding of the manner in which culture may impact parenting and, thus, child development by examining the relationship between cultural values, socialization goals (SGs), and parental ethnotheories (PEs). Specifically, this study examined links between cultural value dimensions (i.e., individualism/collectivism, power distance, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence/restraint, and long-term/short-term orientation; Hofstede et al., 2010) and autonomous as well as relational SGs and PEs. We examined data collected from mothers of toddlers (N = 865) between 17 and 40 months of age (M = 26.88 months, SD = 5.65 months; 52% boys) from 14 nations represented in the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium. We hypothesized that: (a) Cultural values consistent with independent cultural ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater autonomy and independence, and (b) Cultural values consistent with interdependent ideals would be positively associated with SGs and PEs representative of greater interrelatedness. Multilevel modeling was used to regress parental psychology on Hofstede's cultural values. Support for these hypotheses was somewhat mixed; higher ratings of culture-level indulgence were associated with higher autonomous PEs, as well as with higher relational and autonomous SGs. Furthermore, higher ratings of culture-level masculinity were associated with lower relational PEs and with lower autonomous SGs. The results suggest differences in the effects for cultural values associated with parenting versus cultural values associated with child outcomes and highlight considerations related to dichotomous cultural frameworks. The findings help explain both individual- and country-level variations in aspects of parental psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Thermally Induced Phase Separation of the PEDOT:PSS Layer for Highly Efficient Laminated Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes.

Among various conductive polymers, the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film has been studied as a promising material for use as a transparent electrode and a hole-injecting layer in organic optoelectronic devices. Due to the increasing demand for the low-cost fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), PEDOT:PSS has been employed as the top electrode by using the coating or lamination method. Herein, a facile method is reported for the fabrication of highly efficient polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on a laminated transparent electrode (LTE) consisting of successive PEDOT:PSS and silver-nanowire (AgNW) layers. In particular, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) of the PEDOT:PSS film is found to depend on the annealing temperature (Tanneal) during preparation of the LTE. At Tanneal close to the glass transition temperature of the PSS chains, a PSS-rich phase with a large number of PSS- molecules enhances the work function of the PEDOT:PSS on the glass-side surface relative to the air side. By using the optimized LTEs, bidirectional laminated PLEDs are obtained with a total external quantum efficiency of 2.9% and a turn-on voltage of 2.6 V, giving a comparable performance to that of the reference bottom-emitting PLED based on a costly evaporated metal electrode. In addition, an analysis of the angular characteristics, including the variation in the electroluminescence spectra and the change in luminance according to the emission angle, indicates that the laminated PLED with the LTE provides a more uniform angular distribution regardless of the direction of emission. Detailed optical and electrical analyses are also performed to evaluate the suitability of LTEs for the low-cost fabrication of efficient PLEDs.

Identification and Dynamics of Microsecond Long-Lived Charge Carriers for CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots, Featuring Ambient Long-Term Stability.

We analyze the stability and photophysical dynamics of CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs), fabricated under mild synthetic conditions and embedded in an amorphous silica (SiOx) matrix (CsPbBr3@SiOx), underscoring their sustained performance in ambient conditions for over 300 days with minimal optical degradation. However, this stability comes at the cost of a reduced photoluminescence efficiency. Time-resolved spectroscopic analyses, including flash-photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity and time-resolved photoluminescence, show that excitons in CsPbBr3@SiOx films decay within 2.5 ns, while charge carriers recombine over approximately 230 ns. This longevity of the charge carriers is due to photoinduced electron transfer to the SiOx matrix, enabling hole retention. The measured hole mobility in these PeQDs is 0.880 cm2 V-1 s-1, underscoring their potential in optoelectronic applications. This study highlights the role of the silica matrix in enhancing the durability of PeQDs in humid environments and modifying exciton dynamics and photoluminescence, providing valuable insights for developing robust optoelectronic materials.

Reactivation of Varicella-Zoster Virus in Patients with Lung Cancer Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Retrospective Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study from South Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the association between immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the risk of herpes zoster (HZ) incidence in patients with lung cancer. METHOD: We obtained national claims data of 51,021 patients from South Korea with lung cancer between August 2017 and December 2021. The study population was classified into ICI and non-ICI groups based on the prescription of ICIs at least once during the study period. To estimate the effects of ICIs treatment compared with those without ICIs treatment on HZ incidence, we used the Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for sex, age, comorbidities, and concomitant use of immunosuppressive drugs. Stratified analyses based on sex, age, and comorbidities were conducted to identify corresponding risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 51,021 study participants, 897 (1.8%) were prescribed ICIs and 2262 (4.4%) were diagnosed with HZ. Approximately 75.6% of the patients receiving ICIs were male, and the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease in the ICI group was significantly lower than that in the non-ICIs group. The Kaplan-Meier plot showed that the probability of incidence of HZ in the ICIs group was lower than that in the non-ICIs group. Additionally, treatment with ICIs was associated with a 31% lower incidence of developing HZ when compared to that seen without ICIs treatment (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-1.00). This association was stronger in females (hazard ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19-0.94) and those less than 68 years of age (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.34-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: In these real-world data from an Asian population with lung cancer, ICIs treatment might be associated with a reduced risk of HZ compared to that without ICIs treatment.

Validation of a new risk stratification system-based management for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: analysis of a multicentre prospective study.

PURPOSE: Distinguishing between complicated and uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is therapeutically essential. However, this distinction has limitations in reflecting the heterogeneity of SAB and encouraging targeted diagnostics. Recently, a new risk stratification system for SAB metastatic infection, involving stepwise approaches to diagnosis and treatment, has been suggested. We assessed its applicability in methicillin-resistant SAB (MRSAB) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data of a 3-year multicentre, prospective cohort of hospitalised patients with MRSAB. We classified the patients into three risk groups: low, indeterminate, and high, based on the new system and compared between-group management and outcomes. RESULTS: Of 380 patients with MRSAB, 6.3% were classified as low-, 7.6% as indeterminate-, and 86.1% as high-risk for metastatic infection. No metastatic infection occurred in the low-, 6.9% in the indeterminate-, and 19.6% in the high-risk groups (P < 0.001). After an in-depth diagnostic work-up, patients were finally diagnosed as 'without metastatic infection (6.3%)', 'with metastatic infection (17.4%)', and 'uncertain for metastatic infection (76.3%)'. 30-day mortality increased as the severity of diagnosis shifted from 'without metastatic infection' to 'uncertain for metastatic infection' and 'with metastatic infection' (P = 0.09). In multivariable analysis, independent factors associated with metastatic complications were suspicion of endocarditis in transthoracic echocardiography, clinical signs of metastatic infection, Pitt bacteraemia score ≥ 4, and persistent bacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS: The new risk stratification system shows promise in predicting metastatic complications and guiding work-up and management of MRSAB. However, reducing the number of cases labelled as 'high-risk' and 'uncertain for metastatic infection' remains an area for improvement.

Cytokine and Chemokine Profiles in Acute Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome and Scrub Typhus in South Korea.

In East Asia, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and scrub typhus, which are common endemic tick- and mite-mediated diseases sharing common clinical manifestations, are becoming public health concerns. However, there are limited data on the comparative immunopathogenesis between the two diseases. We compared the cytokine profiles of SFTS and scrub typhus to further elucidate immune responses that occur during the disease courses. We prospectively enrolled 44 patients with confirmed SFTS and 49 patients with scrub typhus from July 2015 to December 2020. In addition, 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled as healthy controls. A cytometric bead array was used to analyze plasma samples for 16 cytokines. A total of 68 plasma samples, including 31 (45.6%) from patients with SFTS and 37 (54.4%) from patients with scrub typhus, were available for cytokine measurement. There were three cytokine expression patterns: increased levels in both SFTS and scrub typhus (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-10, interferon gamma induced protein 10 [IP-10], and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]), highest levels in SFTS (interferon alpha [IFN-α], IFN-γ, granulocyte-CSF [G-CSF], monocyte chemotactic protein 1 [MCP-1], macrophage inflammatory protein 1α [MIP-1α], and IL-8), and distinct levels in scrub typhus (IL-12p40, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFα], IL-1ß, regulated on activation and normally T-cell expressed and secreted [RANTES], IL-17A, and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]). Although patients with acute SFTS and scrub typhus exhibited partly shared expression patterns of cytokines related to disease severity, the different profiles of cytokines and chemokines might contribute to higher mortality in SFTS than in scrub typhus. Discrete patterns of helper T cell-related cytokines and VEGF might reflect differences in CD4 T-cell responses and vascular damage between these diseases.

A Lesson from a Measles Outbreak among Healthcare Workers in a Single Hospital in South Korea: The Importance of Knowing the Prevalence of Susceptibility.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high vaccination coverage rate, in-hospital transmission of measles continues to occur in South Korea. We present a measles outbreak in which two healthcare workers (HCWs) with presumptive evidence of measles immunity were infected by a patient with typical measles at a single hospital in South Korea. This facilitated the evaluation of measles seroprevalence in all HCWs. METHODS: In 2018, suspected patients and contacts exposed during a measles outbreak were investigated based on their medical histories and vaccination status. Cases were confirmed by the detection of measles-specific immunoglobulin M or RNA. After the measles outbreak in 2018, measles IgG testing was conducted on a total of 972 HCWs for point-prevalence, including those exposed to the measles. In addition, we have routinely performed measles IgG tests on newly employed HCWs within one week of their hire date since 2019. The measles vaccine was administered to HCWs who tested negative or equivocally negative for IgG antibodies. RESULTS: An index patient who returned from China with fever and rash was diagnosed with measles at a hospital in Korea. Two additional HCWs were revealed as measles cases: one was vaccinated with the two-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the other, who was born in 1967, was presumed to have immunity from natural infection in South Korea. All three patients harbored the same D8 genotype. No additional measles cases were identified among the 964 contacts of secondary patients. A total of 2310 HCWs, including those tested during the 2018 outbreak, underwent measles IgG tests. The average age at the time of the test was 32.6 years, and 74.3% were female. The overall seropositivity of measles was 88.9% (95% confidence interval, 87.5-90.1). Although the birth cohorts between 1985 and 1994 were presumed to have received the measles-rubella (MR) catch-up vaccination in 2001, 175 (89.3%) HCWs were born after 1985 among the 195 seronegative cases. CONCLUSION: Despite high population immunity, imported measles transmission occurred among HCWs with presumed immunity. This report underscores the importance of understanding the prevalence of measles susceptibility among newly employed HCWs. This is important for policymaking regarding hospital-wide vaccinations to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Reducing Bonding Temperature and Energy Consumption in Electronic Packaging Using Flash Electro-Thermal Carbon Fiber Heating Elements.

Semiconductor packaging based on an epoxy molding compound (EMC) currently has several disadvantages including warpage, limited processing area, and variability that all negatively affect cost and production yield. We propose a facile EMC molding process method using a flash electro-thermal carbon fiber heating (FE-CH) device based on carbon fiber-based papers to manufacture an EMC molded to a copper substrate (EMC/Cu bi-layer package) via Joule heating, and using this device, a modified cure cycle that combines the conventional cure cycle (CCC) with rapid cooling was performed using FE-CH to reduce the curvature of the EMC/Cu bi-layer package. Compared to the conventional hot press process, which uses 3.17 MW of power, the FE-CH process only uses 32.87 kW, resulting in a power consumption reduction of over 100 times when following the CCC. Furthermore, the FE-CH-cured EMC/Cu bi-layer package exhibits mechanical properties equivalent to those of a hot press-cured specimen, including the degree of cure, elastic modulus, curvature, bonding temperature, residual strain, and peel strength. The modified cure cycle using the FE-CH results in a 31% reduction in residual strain, a 32% reduction in curvature, and a 47% increase in peel strength compared to the CCC, indicating that this new process method is very promising for reducing a semiconductor package's price by reducing the process cost and warpage.

Diagnostic Usefulness of Varicella Zoster Virus-Specific Immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG in Patients With Herpes Zoster.

BACKGROUND: Whether varicella zoster virus (VZV) antibody titer could discriminate patients with herpes zoster (HZ) from healthy controls (HCs) is unclear. We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness of VZV-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in patients with confirmed HZ. METHODS: Study subjects comprised patients with confirmed HZ by salivary VZV DNA positivity and control age- and sex-matched HCs. Saliva was collected and concurrent blood samples were obtained on the first visit day (acute phase) and after 4 weeks (convalescent phase) from 44 HZ patients. All 44 healthy volunteers provided blood and saliva samples once. RESULTS: The median VZV IgA titers in acute-phase (5.2 mIU/mL, P < 0.001) and convalescent-phase (15.8 mIU/mL, P < 0.001) serum samples from HZ patients were significantly higher than those in HCs (1.35 mIU/mL). VZV IgA positivity was detected in about 20% of acute phase serum and convalescent-phase serum of HZ patients. The median VZV IgG antibody titers of HZ patients during acute (1,471.0 mIU/mL, P < 0.001) and convalescent (4,934.7 mIU/mL, P < 0.001) phases were significantly higher than the median titer reported for HCs (591.6 mIU/mL). A four-fold or higher increase in VZV IgG antibody titer was observed in 36.4% of HZ patients. CONCLUSION: VZV IgA positivity or four-fold or higher increase in VZV IgG antibody titers were not detected in a satisfactory proportion of HZ-infected patients. However, the titer of VZV IgA or IgG antibody particularly in convalescent-phase sera may discriminate HZ patients from HCs.

Electronic Packaging Enhancement Engineered by Reducing the Bonding Temperature via Modified Cure Cycles.

Semiconductor packaging continues to reduce in thickness following the overall thinning of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. As the package becomes thinner, the warpage of the semiconductor package becomes more important due to the reduced bending stiffness and driven by thermal residual stresses and thermal expansion mismatch during the epoxy molding compound (EMC) curing to create the package. To address this packaging reliability issue, in this study, we developed a modified cure cycle that adds a rapid cooling step to the conventional cure cycle (CCC) to enhance the reliability of the EMC molded to a copper substrate (EMC/Cu bi-layer package) by lowering the bonding temperature of the EMC/Cu bi-layer package. Modeling of the package via Timoshenko theory including effective cure shrinkage allowed the rapid cooling step to be quantified and confirmed via experiments. The modified cure cycle resulted in a 26% reduction in residual strain, a 27% reduction in curvature, and a 40% increase in peel strength compared to the CCC, suggesting that this is an effective new method for managing warping effects in such packaged structures.

Relations between bedtime parenting behaviors and temperament across 14 cultures.

Objectives: The present study examined parental sleep-supporting practices during toddlerhood in relation to temperament across 14 cultures. We hypothesized that passive sleep-supporting techniques (e.g., talking, cuddling), but not active techniques (e.g., walking, doing an activity together), would be associated with less challenging temperament profiles: higher Surgency (SUR) and Effortful Control (EC) and lower Negative Emotionality (NE), with fine-grained dimensions exhibiting relationships consistent with their overarching factors (e.g., parallel passive sleep-supporting approach effects for dimensions of NE). Methods: Caregivers (N = 841) across 14 cultures (M = 61 families per site) reported toddler (between 17 and 40 months of age; 52% male) temperament and sleep-supporting activities. Utilizing linear multilevel regression models and group-mean centering procedures, we assessed the role of between- and within-cultural variance in sleep-supporting practices in relation to temperament. Results: Both within-and between-culture differences in passive sleep-supporting techniques were associated with temperament attributes, (e.g., lower NE at the between-culture level; higher within-culture EC). For active techniques only within-culture effects were significant (e.g., demonstrating a positive association with NE). Adding sleep-supporting behaviors to the regression models accounted for significantly more between-culture temperament variance than child age and gender alone. Conclusion: Hypotheses were largely supported. Findings suggest parental sleep practices could be potential targets for interventions to mitigate risk posed by challenging temperament profiles (e.g., reducing active techniques that are associated with greater distress proneness and NE).

Association between CYP2D6 phenotype and recurrence of Plasmodium vivax infection in south Korean patients.

BACKGROUND: Primaquine is activated by CYP2D6 in the hepatocytes. In Korea, primaquine is the only hypnozoitocidal agent used for patients with vivax malaria. Thus, patients with poor CYP2D6 activity could have an increased risk of primaquine failure and subsequent relapse. The study sought to identify the association between CYP2D6 phenotype and recurrence of malaria in Korean patients. METHODS: A total of 102 patients with vivax malaria were prospectively enrolled from eight institutions in Korea. An additional 38 blood samples from patients with recurred vivax malaria were provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Malaria recurrence was defined as more than one episode of vivax malaria in the same or consecutive years. CYP2D6 star alleles, phenotypes, and activity scores were examined. RESULTS: Genotyping for CYP2D6 was successful in 101 of the prospectively enrolled patients and 38 samples from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, of which 91 were included in the no-recurrence group and 48 were included in the recurrence group. Reduced CYP2D6 activity (intermediate metabolizer) phenotype was more common in the recurrence group than in the no-recurrence group (OR, 2.33 (95% CI, 1.14-4.77); p = 0.02). Patients with lower CYP2D6 activity had a higher probability of recurrence (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that CYP2D6 polymorphism may affect primaquine efficacy and thus Plasmodium vivax recurrence in Korea.

Development of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in response to recombinant and live-attenuated herpes zoster vaccines.

Zoster vaccines generate antibody responses against varicella-zoster virus (VZV). We compared antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) elicited by zoster vaccine live (ZVL) and recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV). ADCC mediated by antibodies against VZV lysate (VZV-ADCC) and recombinant glycoprotein E (gE-ADCC) was measured using plasma from 20 RZV- and 20 ZVL-recipients, including half 50-60-years-old and half ≥70-years-old. Solid phase-bound anti-VZV antibodies stimulated TNFα in NK cells as measured by flow cytometry or ELISA. VZV-ADCC pre- and post-immunization was higher in younger vaccinees. ZVL did not appreciably increase VZV-ADCC, whereas RZV increased VZV-ADCC in older vaccinees. ELISA-measured gE-ADCC was similar across groups pre-immunization; significantly increased after ZVL; and RZV and was higher in younger RZV than ZVL recipients. IgG3 antibodies increased after RZV and ZVL, with greater anti-gE than anti-VZV responses. Moreover, gE-ADCC strongly correlated with anti-gE antibody avidity, but there were no appreciable correlations between VZV-ADCC and avidity. NK cells stimulated by anti-gE antibodies showed increased IFNγ and CD107a expression, which was not observed with anti-VZV antibodies. In conclusion, anti-gE antibodies generated more robust ADCC than anti-VZV antibodies. RZV induced higher ADCC antibodies than ZVL depending on the antigen and age of vaccinees. Older adults had lower ADCC antibodies before and after vaccination than younger adults.

Development of a Cranial Suture Traction Therapy Program for Facial Asymmetry Correction Using the New Delphi Technique.

Background and Objectives: We aimed to develop a cranial suture traction therapy program, a non-surgical therapeutic method for facial asymmetry correction. Materials and Methods: Six experts, including rehabilitation medicine specialists, oriental medical doctors, dentistry specialists, five experts, including Master's or doctoral degree holders in skin care and cosmetology with more than 10 years of experience in the field, 4 experts including educators in the field of skin care, a total of 15 people participated in the validation of the development of the cranial suture traction therapy program in stages 1 to 3. Open questions were used in the primary survey. In the second survey, the results of the first survey were summarized and the degree of agreement regarding the questions in each category was presented. In the third survey, the degree of agreement for each item in the questionnaire was analyzed statistically. Results: Most of the questions attained a certain level of consensus by the experts (average of ≥ 4.0). The difference between the mean values was the highest for the third survey at 0.33 and was the lowest between the second and third surveys at 0.47. The results regarding the perceived degree of importance for each point of the evaluation in both the second and third stages of the cranial suture traction therapy program were verified using the content validity ratio. The ratio for the 13 evaluation points was within the range of 0.40-1.00; thus, the Delphi program for cranial suture traction therapy verified that the content was valid. Conclusions: As most questions attained a certain level of consensus by the experts, it can be concluded that these questions are suitable, relevant, and important. The commercialization of the cranial suture traction treatment program will contribute to the correction and prevention of facial dislocations or asymmetry, and the developed treatment will be referred to as cranial suture traction therapy (CSTT).

Four Times of Relapse of Plasmodium vivax Malaria Despite Primaquine Treatment in a Patient with Impaired Cytochrome P450 2D6 Function.

Plasmodium vivax exhibits dormant liver-stage parasites, called hypnozoites, which can cause relapse of malaria. The only drug currently used for eliminating hypnozoites is primaquine. The antimalarial properties of primaquine are dependent on the production of oxidized metabolites by the cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 2D6 (CYP2D6). Reduced primaquine metabolism may be related to P. vivax relapses. We describe a case of 4 episodes of recurrence of vivax malaria in a patient with decreased CYP2D6 function. The patient was 52-year-old male with body weight of 52 kg. He received total gastrectomy and splenectomy 7 months before the first episode and was under chemotherapy for the gastric cancer. The first episode occurred in March 2019 and each episode had intervals of 34, 41, and 97 days, respectively. At the first and second episodes, primaquine was administered as 15 mg for 14 days. The primaquine dose was increased with 30 mg for 14 days at the third and fourth episodes. Seven gene sequences of P. vivax were analyzed and revealed totally identical for all the 4 samples. The CYP2D6 genotype was analyzed and intermediate metabolizer phenotype with decreased function was identified.

Adult-onset Still's Disease after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is being overcome by widespread inoculation with various COVID-19 vaccines, but concerns about the safety of the vaccines are a major hurdle to widespread vaccination. We report the first case of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) developing in a 36-year-old, previously healthy woman after the first dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer). She visited our hospital due to high spiking fever and sore throat that developed 10 days after vaccination. Based on thorough investigations and changes in symptoms and signs after admission, she was diagnosed with AOSD and treated with high dose steroids and tocilizumab. This report suggests the possibility that AOSD could be triggered by COVID-19 vaccines through activation of the innate immune system.

Viral and Immunologic Factors Associated with Fatal Outcome of Patients with Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Korea.

Significant progress has been made on the molecular biology of the severe fever with thrombopenia virus (SFTSV); however, many parts of the pathophysiological mechanisms of mortality in SFTS remain unclear. In this study, we investigated virologic and immunologic factors for fatal outcomes of patients with SFTS. We prospectively enrolled SFTS patients admitted from July 2015 to October 2020. Plasma samples were subjected to SFTSV RNA RT-PCR, multiplex microbead immunoassay for 17 cytokines, and IFA assay. A total of 44 SFTS patients were enrolled, including 37 (84.1%) survivors and 7 (15.9%) non-survivors. Non-survivors had a 2.5 times higher plasma SFTSV load than survivors at admission (p < 0.001), and the viral load in non-survivors increased progressively during hospitalization. In addition, non-survivors did not develop adequate anti-SFTSV IgG, whereas survivors exhibited anti-SFTSV IgG during hospitalization. IFN-α, IL-10, IP-10, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and G-CSF were significantly elevated in non-survivors compared to survivors and did not revert to normal ranges during hospitalization (p < 0.05). Severe signs of inflammation such as a high plasma concentration of IFN-α, IL-10, IP-10, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and G-CSF, poor viral control, and inadequate antibody response during the disease course were associated with mortality in SFTS patients.

Prospective observational study of the impact of plasma colistin levels in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: Colistin, an important drug to treat carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections, has a narrow therapeutic window with nephrotoxicity. This study was conducted to determine the importance of colistin concentrations in predicting nephrotoxicity when treating CRAB pneumonia with colistin. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed in one teaching hospital from May 2015 to January 2018. Patients with CRAB pneumonia were treated with intravenous colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) at 2.5-5.0 mg/kg/day. On Days 3 and 4, plasma colistin and CMS concentrations were determined by six serial blood samples (immediately prior to dosing and 1 h and 4 h after the end of infusion). RESULTS: The 25 patients included in the analysis had hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by CRAB. Nephrotoxicity occurred in five patients (20%) on Day 7. There was no difference in clinical characteristics of patients with or without nephrotoxicity. The maximum plasma CMS concentration (mean ± standard deviation) was significantly higher in patients with nephrotoxicity on Day 7 than those without nephrotoxicity (15.3 ± 4.2 mg/L vs. 8.3 ± 3.8 mg/L; P = 0.014). The maximum plasma colistin concentration (Cmax,col) was significantly higher in the nephrotoxicity group on Day 7 (4.8 ± 2.0 mg/L vs. 2.1 ± 1.0 mg/L; P = 0.002). Cmax,col was lower in patients with microbiological failure than those without microbiological failure (1.92 mg/L vs. 3.01 mg/L; P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that plasma levels of CMS and colistin, especially maximum levels, are important for predicting nephrotoxicity in patients with CRAB pneumonia. [ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02482961].