Background: Sapovirus is an increasingly recognized cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE).Despite its significance, data on sapovirus epidemiology and genetic diversity in Korea are limited. Therefore, we examined sapovirus positivity rates over a 6.5-yr period and analyzed the genetic diversity of strains detected in 2022 in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 204,563 sapovirus multiplex PCR test results from suspected AGE cases collected between 2017 and 2023 at two institutions. Monthly and age-specific positive rates were evaluated. Forty sapovirus-positive samples from 2022 were genotyped using reverse transcription PCR and sequencing. The sequences were compared with those in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Virus database, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed to assess genetic relationships among sapovirus strains. Results: The overall sapovirus positivity rate from 2017 to 2023 was 2.2%, with an increasing trend in summer and autumn, except during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when sapovirus was rarely detected. Positivity markedly increased in the summer and autumn of 2022 and 2023 following the COVID-19 pandemic. The predominant genotypes in 2022 were GI.1 and GII.3. Phylogenetic analysis revealed genetic diversity among circulating strains. Conclusions This study highlights the rising incidence of sapovirus in Korea, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite focusing on genotyping data from a single year, these findings emphasize the need for ongoing surveillance to monitor sapovirus evolution and its public health impact. Additionally, our findings provide essential baseline data for future research into the epidemiology and genetics of sapovirus.

Objective To explore the correlation between the characteristics of the endometrial microbiome in patients with recurrent implantation failure(RIF)and the subsequent transplantation outcomes.Methods A total of 438 RIF patients underwent embryo transfer again in our hospital were retrospective selection.According to the pregnancy status of the patients 8 weeks after embryo transfer,patients were divided into the pregnancy group(n=85)and the non-pregnancy group(n=353).The clinical data,characteristics and composition diversity of the endometrial microbiome were compared between the two groups.Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)was employed to predict the efficacy of the influencing factors.The interaction between the above-mentioned risk factors and Shannon index in the subsequent transplantation outcomes of RIF patients was further analyzed.Results The levels of basal estradiol(E2),fasting insulin(Fins),total cholesterol(TC)and triglycerides(TG)were significantly higher in the non-pregnant group than those in the pregnant group(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,there were significant differences in the composition of endometrial microorganisms between the two groups(P＜0.05).Among them,the abundance of Fusobacterium phylum,the abundance of Bacillus genus and the α-diversity(Chao1,Shannon,Simpson)index all showed significant differences(all P＜0.05).Binary Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the abundance of Fusobacterium phylum increased(OR=1.628,95%CI:1.416-1.841),the abundance of Bacillus genus decreased(OR=0.725,95%CI:0.557-0.934)and E2 increased(OR=1.654,95%CI:1.343-1.965).The elevated insulin(OR=1.691,95%CI:1.393-1.980)and decreased Shannon index(OR=0.388,95%CI:0.075-0.697)were independent risk factors for failure after subsequent transplantation.ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the Shannon index was 0.836(95%CI:0.782-0.890),with the highest predictive efficacy.There was significant interaction among the subgroups of Fusobacteria,Bacillus genus,E2 and insulin in Shannon index on the subsequent transplantation outcomes of patients with RIF.Conclusion The independent risk factors for subsequent transplantation failure in RIF patients can be used as sensitive indicators to predict the subsequent transplantation outcomes of RIF patients,and Shannon index has a higher clinical predictive value.

The clinical diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection has long faced the challenges of insufficient standardization of diagnosis and treatment pathways,irrational use of antimicrobial drugs and high recurrence rate.How to optimize the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment pathway of urinary tract infection,standardize the use of antimicrobial drugs,and reduce the recurrence rate have always been the focus of clinical attention.There is significant heterogeneity in the existing diagnostic criteria for urinary tract infection,which seriously affects the comparability and evidence integration of clinical and research studies.In order to solve the above problems,a consensus on global multidisciplinary diagnostic criteria for urinary tract infection has been formed by international multidisciplinary experts after three rounds of Delphi method.Breaking through the traditional classification framework,the consensus innovatively established a four-dimensional quantitative scoring system including local symptoms and signs,systemic inflammatory response,quantitative analysis of pyuria and urine culture results,and established a hierarchical standard for stepwise urinary tract diagnosis according to the scoring threshold.Based on the key citations related to the consensus,this paper interprets in detail the basis for the selection of core indicators and the establishment of thresholds for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in the consensus,and focuses on the key issues and implementation paths of the consensus in localization practice.This consensus provides a unified standard for standardizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection,improving the homogeneity of clinical research through standardized diagnostic processes,and promoting the standardization of UTI drug research and development and the rational use of antibiotics and precision.

Objective To explore the correlation between the characteristics of the endometrial microbiome in patients with recurrent implantation failure(RIF)and the subsequent transplantation outcomes.Methods A total of 438 RIF patients underwent embryo transfer again in our hospital were retrospective selection.According to the pregnancy status of the patients 8 weeks after embryo transfer,patients were divided into the pregnancy group(n=85)and the non-pregnancy group(n=353).The clinical data,characteristics and composition diversity of the endometrial microbiome were compared between the two groups.Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)was employed to predict the efficacy of the influencing factors.The interaction between the above-mentioned risk factors and Shannon index in the subsequent transplantation outcomes of RIF patients was further analyzed.Results The levels of basal estradiol(E2),fasting insulin(Fins),total cholesterol(TC)and triglycerides(TG)were significantly higher in the non-pregnant group than those in the pregnant group(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,there were significant differences in the composition of endometrial microorganisms between the two groups(P＜0.05).Among them,the abundance of Fusobacterium phylum,the abundance of Bacillus genus and the α-diversity(Chao1,Shannon,Simpson)index all showed significant differences(all P＜0.05).Binary Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the abundance of Fusobacterium phylum increased(OR=1.628,95%CI:1.416-1.841),the abundance of Bacillus genus decreased(OR=0.725,95%CI:0.557-0.934)and E2 increased(OR=1.654,95%CI:1.343-1.965).The elevated insulin(OR=1.691,95%CI:1.393-1.980)and decreased Shannon index(OR=0.388,95%CI:0.075-0.697)were independent risk factors for failure after subsequent transplantation.ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the Shannon index was 0.836(95%CI:0.782-0.890),with the highest predictive efficacy.There was significant interaction among the subgroups of Fusobacteria,Bacillus genus,E2 and insulin in Shannon index on the subsequent transplantation outcomes of patients with RIF.Conclusion The independent risk factors for subsequent transplantation failure in RIF patients can be used as sensitive indicators to predict the subsequent transplantation outcomes of RIF patients,and Shannon index has a higher clinical predictive value.

The clinical diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection has long faced the challenges of insufficient standardization of diagnosis and treatment pathways,irrational use of antimicrobial drugs and high recurrence rate.How to optimize the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment pathway of urinary tract infection,standardize the use of antimicrobial drugs,and reduce the recurrence rate have always been the focus of clinical attention.There is significant heterogeneity in the existing diagnostic criteria for urinary tract infection,which seriously affects the comparability and evidence integration of clinical and research studies.In order to solve the above problems,a consensus on global multidisciplinary diagnostic criteria for urinary tract infection has been formed by international multidisciplinary experts after three rounds of Delphi method.Breaking through the traditional classification framework,the consensus innovatively established a four-dimensional quantitative scoring system including local symptoms and signs,systemic inflammatory response,quantitative analysis of pyuria and urine culture results,and established a hierarchical standard for stepwise urinary tract diagnosis according to the scoring threshold.Based on the key citations related to the consensus,this paper interprets in detail the basis for the selection of core indicators and the establishment of thresholds for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection in the consensus,and focuses on the key issues and implementation paths of the consensus in localization practice.This consensus provides a unified standard for standardizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infection,improving the homogeneity of clinical research through standardized diagnostic processes,and promoting the standardization of UTI drug research and development and the rational use of antibiotics and precision.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the validity of four screening questionnaires on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among community residents in Shanghai, and to provide a scientific basis for selecting suitable screening questionnaires and plans for the community use. MethodsA multi-stage random sampling method was used to select community residents aged ≥40 for COPD questionnaire screening and spirometry. The screening questionnaires included the COPD Population Screener Questionnaire (COPD-PS), the COPD Screening Questionnaire (COPD-SQ), the COPD Diagnosis Questionnaire (CDQ), and the Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ). The diagnostic gold standard for COPD was defined as a ratio of post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) less than 0.7. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the validity of each questionnaire, and DeLong’s test was used to compare the area under the curve (AUC) of different questionnaires. ResultsAmong the 1 122 residents screened, 99 (8.8%) were diagnosed with COPD based on the gold standard criteria. The AUC values for the four questionnaires ranged from 0.643 to 0.682, with no statistically significant differences in screening accuracy among them (P>0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for each questionnaire at recommended cut-off points were as follows: COPD-PS (sensitivity: 33.3%, specificity: 84.9%, PPV: 17.6%, NPV: 92.9%), COPD-SQ (34.3%, 85.8%, 19.0%, 93.1%), CDQ (73.7%, 42.4%, 11.0%, 94.4%), and LFQ (48.5%, 74.8%, 15.7%, 93.8%). Optimal cut-off values for this population differed from the recommended values. When selecting the optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity of COPD-PS (58.6%), COPD-SQ (55.6%), and LFQ (64.7%) increased, while the specificity of CDQ (75.9%) increased. The AUC of sequential lung function testing for all four screening questionnaires increased to 0.7 or above. The optimal cut-off values for the four questionnaires in this population differed from the recommended values. When applying the optimal cut-off values, the sensitivity of three questionnaires increased: COPD-PS (58.6%), COPD-SQ (55.6%), and LFQ (64.7%), while the specificity of CDQ rose to 75.9%. The AUC of each questionnaire increased to above 0.7 when followed by sequential lung function testing. ConclusionThe COPD-PS, COPD-SQ, CDQ, and LFQ have limited value for COPD screening among Shanghai community residents, indicating that further refinement of these tools is needed.

Background: Coinfections with multiple nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species have not been widely studied. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) caused by coinfection with multiple NTM species. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NTM-PD at a tertiary referral hospital in Korea between March 2012 and December 2018. Coinfection was defined as two or more species of NTM pathogens isolated from the same respiratory specimen or different specimens within three months. Results: Among 1,009 patients with NTM-PD, 147 (14.6%) NTM coinfections were observed (average age 64.7 years, 69.4% women). NTM species were identified more frequently (median 6 vs. 3 times, P < 0.001) in the coinfection group than in the single species group, and follow-up duration was also longer in the coinfection group (median 44.9 vs. 27.1 months, P < 0.001). Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and M. abscessus and M. massiliense (MAB) were the dominant combinations (n = 71, 48.3%). For patients treated for over six months in the MAC plus MAB group (n = 31), sputum culture conversion and microbiological cure were achieved in 67.7% and 41.9% of patients, respectively. We divided the MAC plus MAB coinfection group into three subgroups according to the target mycobacteria; however, no statistical differences were found in the treatment outcomes. Conclusion In NTM-PD cases, a significant number of multiple NTM species coinfections occurred. Proper identification of all cultured NTM species through follow-up is necessary to detect multispecies coinfections. Further research is needed to understand the nature of NTM-PD in such cases.

Objective: To investigate whether reader training improves the performance and agreement of radiologists in interpreting unenhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Materials and Methods: A study of 96 breasts (35 cancers, 24 benign, and 37 negative) in 48 asymptomatic women was performed between June 2019 and October 2020. High-resolution DWI with b-values of 0, 800, and 1200 sec/mm 2 was performed using a 3.0-T system. Sixteen breast radiologists independently reviewed the DWI, apparent diffusion coefficient maps, and T1-weighted MRI scans and recorded the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category for each breast. After a 2-h training session and a 5-month washout period, they re-evaluated the BI-RADS categories. A BI-RADS category of 4 (lesions with at least two suspicious criteria) or 5 (more than two suspicious criteria) was considered positive.The per-breast diagnostic performance of each reader was compared between the first and second reviews. Inter-reader agreement was evaluated using a multi-rater κ analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Before training, the mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the 16 readers were 70.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59.4–79.9), 90.8% (95% CI: 85.6–94.2), and 83.5% (95% CI: 78.6–87.4), respectively. After training, significant improvements in specificity (95.2%; 95% CI: 90.8–97.5; P = 0.001) and accuracy (85.9%; 95% CI: 80.9–89.8; P = 0.01) were observed, but no difference in sensitivity (69.8%; 95% CI: 58.1–79.4; P = 0.58) was observed. Regarding inter-reader agreement, the κ values were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.52–0.63) before training and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.62–0.74) after training, with a difference of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.02–0.18; P = 0.01). The ICC was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.69–0.74) before training and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76–0.80) after training (P = 0.002). Conclusion Brief reader training improved the performance and agreement of interpretations by breast radiologists using unenhanced MRI with DWI.

Objective: To prospectively investigate the influence of the menstrual cycle on the background parenchymal signal (BPS) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the breast on diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in healthy premenopausal women. Materials and Methods: Seven healthy premenopausal women (median age, 37 years; range, 33–49 years) with regular menstrual cycles participated in this study. DW-MRI was performed during each of the four phases of the menstrual cycle (four examinations in total). Three radiologists independently assessed the BPS visual grade on images with b-values of 800 sec/mm2 (b800), 1200 sec/mm2 (b1200), and a synthetic 1500 sec/mm2 (sb1500). Additionally, one radiologist conducted a quantitative analysis to measure the BPS volume (%) and ADC values of the BPS (ADCBPS) and fibroglandular tissue (ADCFGT). Changes in the visual grade, BPS volume (%), ADCBPS, and ADCFGT during the menstrual cycle were descriptively analyzed. Results: The visual grade of BPS in seven women varied from mild to marked on b800 and from minimal to moderate on b1200 and sb1500. As the b-value increased, the visual grade of BPS decreased. On b800 and sb1500, two of the seven volunteers showed the highest visual grade in the early follicular phase (EFP). On b1200, three of the seven volunteers showed the highest visual grades in EFP. The BPS volume (%) on b800 and b1200 showed the highest value in three of the six volunteers with dense breasts in EFP. Three of the seven volunteers showed the lowest ADCBPS in the EFP. Four of the seven volunteers showed the highest ADCBPS in the early luteal phase (ELP) and the lowest ADCFGT in the late follicular phase (LFP). Conclusion Most volunteers did not exhibit specific BPS patterns during their menstrual cycles. However, the highest BPS and lowest ADCBPS were more frequently observed in EFP than in the other menstrual cycle phases, whereas the highest ADCBPS was more common in ELP. The lowest ADCFGT was more frequent in LFP.

Purpose: Robotic single-site plus one-port myomectomy (RSOM) was designed to reduce the number of incision sites for greater cosmetic satisfaction of patients while retaining the benefits of conventional robotic multi-site myomectomy (CRM). Robotic single-site plus two-port myomectomy (RSTM) eliminated one port relative to conventional CRM, and RSOM achieved the same advantage with respect to RSTM. This study aimed to compare RSOM with RSTM in terms of their respective methodologies and surgical outcomes. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 230 patients who had undergone RSOM and 146 patients who had undergone RSTM were reviewed. The groups’ surgical outcomes were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Results: In the total data, RSOM had a shorter operative time (135.1±57.4 min vs. 149.9±46.2 min, p=0.009) and a shorter hospital stay (5.2±0.5 days vs. 5.4±0.7 days, p=0.033) relative to RSTM. The PSM analysis showed that there were no statistically significant intergroup differences in the patients’ baseline characteristics. Regarding the surgical outcomes, the RSOM group showed shorter operative time (129.2±49.3 min vs. 148.7±46.3 min, p=0.001) compared to the RSTM group. Conclusion Compared with RSTM, RSOM was associated with shorter operative time. Additionally, more detailed comparative and prospective studies are needed to evaluate RSOM relative to RSTM.