Objective: The Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease–Cognition (SCOPA-Cog) was developed to assess cognition in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the SCOPACog (K-SCOPA-Cog). Methods: We enrolled 129 PD patients with movement disorders from 31 clinics in South Korea. The original version of the SCOPA-Cog was translated into Korean using the translation-retranslation method. The test–retest method with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used to assess reliability. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korean version (MOCA-K) and the Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) were used to assess concurrent validity. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.797, and the ICC was 0.887. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation with the K-MMSE and MOCA-K scores (r = 0.546 and r = 0.683, respectively). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the K-SCOPA-Cog has good reliability and validity.

Tixagevimab/cilgavimab is a monoclonal antibody used to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 among immunocompromised hosts and maintained neutralizing activity against early omicron variants. Omicron BN.1 became a dominant circulating strain in Korea early 2023, but its susceptibility to tixagevimab/cilgavimab is unclear. We conducted plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) against BN.1 in a prospective cohort (14 patients and 30 specimens). BN.1 PRNT was conducted for one- and three-months after tixagevimab/ cilgavimab administration and the average PRNT ND 50 of each point was lower than the positive cut-off value of 20 (12.9 ± 4.5 and 13.2 ± 4.2, respectively, P = 0.825). In the paired analyses, tixagevimab/cilgavimab-administered sera could not actively neutralize BN.1 (PRNT ND 50 11.5 ± 2.9, P = 0.001), compared with the reserved activity against BA.5 (ND 50 310.5 ± 180.4). Unlike virus-like particle assay, tixagevimab/cilgavimab was not active against BN.1 in neutralizing assay, and would not be effective in the present predominance of BA.2.75 sublineages.

Purpose: Mobile applications are widely used in the healthcare market. This study aimed to determine whether exercise using a machine learning-based motion-detecting mobile exercise coaching application (MDMECA) is superior to video streamingbased exercise for improving quality of life and decreasing lower back pain. Materials and Methods: The same 14-day daily workout program consisting of five exercises was performed by 104 participants using the MDMECA and another 72 participants using video streaming. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and lower back pain scores were assess as pre- and post-workout measurements. Scores for the treatment-satisfaction subscale of the visual analog scale (TS-VAS), intention to use a disease-oriented exercise program, intention to recommend the program to others, and available expenses for a disease-oriented exercise program were determined after the workout. Results: The MDMECA group showed a higher increase in SF-36 score (MDMECA, 9.10; control, 1.09; p<0.01) and a greater reduction in lower back pain score (MDMECA, -0.96; control, -0.26; p<0.01). Scores for TS-VAS, intention to use a disease-oriented exercise program, and intention to recommend the program to others were all higher (p<0.01) in the MDMECA group. However, the available expenses for a disease-oriented program were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion The MDMECA is more effective than video streaming-based exercise in increasing exercise adherence, improving QoL, and reducing lower back pain. MDMECAs could be promising tools of use to achieve better medical outcomes and higher treatment satisfaction.

The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2013 to 2017 reported that the average protein consumption of the Korean population is above the current recommended nutrient intake of protein proposed by the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. Some health professionals and the media often advise consuming diets high in protein for promoting metabolic regulation, weight control, and muscle synthesis. However, due to lack of scientific evidence, the validity and safety of high protein consumption are yet to be fully ascertained. The present review assesses recent evidence published in 2014–2020 from human studies, focusing on adequate protein intake and protein sources for the prevention of chronic diseases, particularly metabolic disorders and sarcopenia.

Purpose: Real-world experience with tocilizumab in combination with dexamethasone in patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) needs to be investigated. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of severity-adjusted dosing of dexamethasone in combination with tocilizumab for severe COVID-19 from August 2020 to August 2021. The primary endpoint was 30-day clinical recovery, which was defined as no oxygen requirement or referral after recovery. Results: A total of 66 patients were evaluated, including 33 patients in the dexamethasone (Dexa) group and 33 patients in the dexamethasone plus tocilizumab (DexaToci) group. The DexaToci group showed a statistically significant benefit in 30-day clinical recovery, compared to the Dexa group (p=0.024). In multivariable analyses, peak FiO2 within 3 days and tocilizumab combination were consistently significant for 30-day recovery (all p<0.05). The DexaToci group showed a significantly steeper decrease in FiO2 (-4.2±2.6) than the Dexa group (−2.7±2.6; p=0.021) by hospital day 15. The duration of oxygen requirement was significantly shorter in the DexaToci group than the Dexa group (median, 10.0 days vs. 17.0 days; p=0.006). Infectious complications and cellular and humoral immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the convalescence stage were not different between the two groups. Conclusion A combination of severity-adjusted dexamethasone and tocilizumab for the treatment of severe COVID-19 improved clinical recovery without increasing infectious complications or hindering the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a well-known, long-term complication of atrial septal defect (ASD) in adults, even after device closure. Left atrial (LA) strain rate applied to the analysis of chamber function has been demon‑ strated to be an important predictor of LA reverse remodeling. This study aimed to determine the changes in cham‑ ber function after device closure of ASD. Methods: This prospective study enrolled adults with secundum ASD undergoing transcatheter device closure from December 2016 to August 2017. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and LA strain rate before and six months after ASD closure. Results: A total of 11 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 42.6 ± 9.9 years, and six (54.5%) were females. There was no significant change of conventional echocardiographic parameters after ASD closure. The mean global LA res‑ ervoir strain rate before ASD closure was 1.17 ± 0.34 and 0.85 ± 0.30 after ASD closure (p = 0.030). The median global LA conduit strain rate was 0.68 (0.42–1.16) and 0.41 (0.16–0.79) before and after ASD closure (p = 0.213), respectively. The mean global LA contractile strain rate at the six-month follow-up showed significant improvement compared with pre-procedural strain rate (0.33 ± 0.65 vs. − 0.43 ± 0.38, p = 0.006). Conclusions LA functional changes occurred during the six-month follow-up, while LA and right atrial (RA) geo‑ metric changes were not significant. LA reverse remodeling was proved by restoration of LA late diastolic contractile function.

Objective: To prove the hypothesis that the parameters of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) during will be more deteriorated in neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) than in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the data of 69 patients (NMS=32, AIS=37) who underwent scoliosis surgery under IONM. The amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs), and the amplitude and the latency of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were examined. Demographic, preoperative, perioperative and postoperative data were analyzed to determine whether they affected the IONM parameters for each group. Results: Of the items analyzed, the bleeding amount was the only significant risk factor for SEP latency deterioration in the NMS group only. The amplitude of SEP and MEP did not correlate with the hemodynamic parameters. The NMS/AIS ratios of the bleeding-related parameters were higher in the order of bleeding amount/weight (2.62, p<0.01), bleeding amount/body mass index (2.13, p<0.01), and bleeding amount (1.56, p<0.01). This study suggests that SEP latency is more vulnerable than SEP or MEP amplitude in ischemic conditions during scoliosis surgery. Conclusion In NMS patients, it should be considered that the bleeding amount can have a critical effect on intraoperative electrophysiological deterioration.

A male mixed-breed dog of unknown age was presented with a history of bloody diarrhea and cachexia. Toxocara canis in vomitus was identified by a parasitologist. Hematology revealed low hematocrit, eosinophilia, and low albumin. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an enlarged pulmonary artery with an irregular wall, micronodules in the lung, and vicarious excretion of contrast medium to small intestine. CT scan was helpful for identifying lung lesions and the central organs of larval migration and also show vicarious excretion of contrast medium to the small intestine in T. canis infection.

Background and Objectives: The lack of known elevated biomarkers in cancer surveillance is a challenge for diagnostics. However, few studies have assessed the proportion of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) that presented with elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of 115 patients treated for MTC at Samsung Medical Center between 1995 and 2017. Serum calcitonin and CEA levels that were available at one of the following time points were included: (a) within 3 months before the initial surgery, (b) when a structural recurrence was confined to the neck, or (c) when a distant metastasis was identified during follow-up. Considering the high false-positive rate of serum CEA testing, 5 ng/mL was selected as the cut-off threshold. Results: The sensitivity of CEA at the time of diagnosis was 54%, but it significantly increased with anatomical stage, from 20% in stage I to 88% in stage IV (p for trend ＜0.001). At the time of diagnosis, larger tumor size, more frequent gross extra-thyroidal extension, more frequent N1b, and a higher number of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly observed in CEA-positive patients compared with CEA-negative patients (p＜0.05). The sensitivity of CEA at the time of recurrence was 56% for local recurrence and 80% for distant recurrence. Conclusion The CEA value was associated with anatomical stage as a biomarker for MTC and could be used to predict poor prognosis. However, serum CEA testing plays a limited role in diagnosis and follow-up of MTC because it can show normal values even in advanced disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the meaning of the nurses’experiences of patients’ safety accident. Methods: This study is qualitative research using Giorgi’s phenomenological methodology to identify themes of the nurses’experiences of patients’safety accident. The research question was “What is the essential meaning of the nurses’experiences of patients’self-extubating?” Data were collected from the individual in-depth interview from November to December 2017. Seven clinical nurses working in intensive care units were purposely selected. Results: The results showed that 6 essential themes and 13 theme clusters were derived. The essential themes of nurses’ experiences were as follows: ‘Fear of unexpected situations’, ‘Guilt for having a safety accident’, ‘Regret about the cause of the accident’, ‘The conflict between patient human rights and adherence to patient safety principles’, ‘Daunted by the blame of others and feelings of guilt’, ‘Attention is paid to accident prevention practices’. Conclusion It is necessary to manage post-processing management of incidents and nurses’trauma.