The reliability of presepsin as a biomarker of sepsis may be reduced in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT). This study analyzed the utility of plasma presepsin values in predicting mortality in patients with AKI requiring CKRT, particularly those with sepsis-associated AKI. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 57 patients who underwent CKRT, with plasma presepsin measurements, from April 2022 to March 2023; 35 had sepsis-associated AKI. The predictive values of plasma presepsin, as well as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, for 28-day mortality were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for 28-day mortality in the sepsis-associated AKI subgroup. Results: Overall, plasma presepsin showed a lower area under the curve value (0.636; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.491–0.781) than the APACHE II (0.663; 95% CI, 0.521–0.804) and SOFA (0.731; 95% CI, 0.599–0.863) scores did. However, in sepsis-associated AKI, the area under the curve increased to 0.799 (95% CI, 0.653–0.946), which was higher than that of the APACHE II (0.638; 95% CI, 0.450–0.826) and SOFA (0.697; 95% CI, 0.519–0.875) scores. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, a high presepsin level was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality in sepsis-associated AKI (hazard ratio, 3.437; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Presepsin is a potential prognostic marker in patients with sepsis-associated AKI requiring CKRT.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has dramatically altered the landscape of noninvasive glioma evaluation, offering complementary insights to those gained through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PET/CT scans enable a multifaceted analysis of glioma biology, supporting clinical applications from grading and differential diagnosis to mapping the full extent of tumors and planning subsequent treatments and evaluations. With a broad array of specialized radiotracers, researchers and clinicians can now probe various biological characteristics of gliomas, such as glucose utilization, cellular proliferation, oxygen deficiency, amino acid trafficking, and reactive astrogliosis. This review aims to provide a recent update on the application of versatile PET/CT radiotracers in glioma research and clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: In Vitro follicular maturation (IVFM) of ovarian follicles is an emerging option for fertility preservation. Many paracrine factors and two-dimensional or three-dimensional (3D) environments have been used for optimization. However, since most studies were conducted using the murine model, the physiological differences between mice and humans limit the interpretation and adaptation of the results. Marmoset monkey is a non-human primate (NHPs) with more similar reproductive physiology to humans. In this study, we attempted to establish a 3D matrix (Matrtigel)-based IVFM condition for marmoset ovarian follicles in combination with anti-apoptotic factor, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). METHODS: Marmoset follicles were isolated as individual follicles and cultured in a single drop with the addition of 0, 10, and 100 lg/mL of XIAP molecules. Matured oocytes and granulosa cells from mature follicles were collected and analyzed. The average number of isolated follicles was less than 100, and primordial and antral follicles were abundant in the ovaries. RESULTS: IVFM of marmoset follicles in 3D matrix conditions with XIAP increased the rates of survival and In Vitro follicle development. Furthermore, oocytes from the 3D cultures were successfully fertilized and developed In Vitro. The addition of XIAP increased the secretion of estradiol and aromatase. Furthermore, expression of granulosa-specific genes, such as bone morphogenetic protein 15, Oct4, and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor were upregulated in the In Vitro-matured follicles than in normal, well-grown, and atretic follicles. Apoptosis-related B-cell lymphoma-2 was highly expressed in the atretic follicles than in the XIAP-treated follicles, and higher caspase-3 was localized in the XIAP-treated follicles. CONCLUSION In this study, we attempted to establish a 3D-matrix-based marmoset IVFM condition and demonstrated the synergistic effects of XIAP. The use of a 3D matrix may be applied as an optimal culture condition for marmoset ovarian follicles.

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the nationwide emergency care-related health policies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disaster in Korea and to analyze the effects of the policies on the safety of patients who visit emergency departments (EDs) during this period. Methods: This study is a quasi-experiment study. The study population was patients who visited all 402 EDs in Korea between December 31, 2019 and May 13, 2020, using the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) database. The study period was classified into 5 phases according to the level of national crisis warning of infectious disease and the implementation of emergency care-related health policies, and all study phases were 27 days. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary outcome was length of stay (LOS) in the ED during the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: The number of ED visits during the study period was 2,636,341, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4%. The number of ED visits decreased from 803,160 in phase 1 to 496,619 in phase 5 during the study period. For in-hospital mortality, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) was 0.77 (0.74–0.79) in phase 5 compared to phase 3. Additionally, by subgroup, the ORs were 0.69 (0.57–0.83) for the patients with acute myocardial infarction and 0.76 (0.67–0.87) for severe trauma in phase 5 compared to phase 3. The ED LOS increased while the number of ED visits decreased as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed, and the ED LOS declined after policy implementation (beta coefficient: −5.3 [−6.5 to −4.2] minutes in phase 5 compared to phase 3). Conclusion Implementing appropriate emergency care policies in the COVID-19 pandemic would have contributed to improving the safety of all emergency patients and reducing inhospital mortality by preventing excessive deaths.

Background: Osteomyelitis resulting from bacterial strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are resistant to multiple drugs, brings further clinical challenges. There is currently no model of osteomyelitis induced by MRSA using rats with calvaria defects. So, We induced osteomyelitis in rat models with the calvaria bone defect. Methods: The rats were randomly divided into six groups according to inoculation dose levels, which ranged from 6 × 100 to 6 × 105 CFU/5 µl. Bone tissues were retrieved from all rats used in the study and assessed using histology, microbiology, and radiobiology 4 weeks after surgery to evaluate the relationship between inoculation dose and infectivity. Results: In Histological results, high levels of inflammatory responses, bone necrosis, and bacteria were observed in treatment groups G3 to G5. In IHC staining, high levels of cox-2 expression were observed in treatment groups G3. Microbiological observations also indicated that significantly higher numbers of CFUs were found in G3 to G5. In radiography results, the bone mineral density in G3 to G5 was significantly higher than in the control group, G1, and G2. Our results indicate that an inoculating dose of 6 × 103 CFU/5 μl is sufficient to induce the development of osteomyelitis in rat models. Conclusion This study suggests that the minimum dose (6 × 103CFU/5 µl) can induce osteomyelitis in calvaria rat model. This can offer information and ability of more accurately modeling osteomyelitis and simulating the challenge of osteomyelitis treat.