Medicine
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Accumulating evidence indicates that the autophagy process is involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Autophagy plays a fundamental role in neuronal survival and function, and autophagy-related genes have been suggested to be associated with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The Unc-51-like autophagy activating kinase 2 (ULK2) gene has been implicated in autophagy regulation; therefore, we hypothesized that ULK2 polymorphisms may be associated with schizophrenia susceptibility. ⋯ Genotype frequencies of rs55710189 were found to be significantly different between patients with schizophrenia and control subjects (odds ratio = 6.89, 95% confidence interval = 1.91-24.90, P < .001 in the dominant model [C/T + T/T vs C/C], OR = 6.50, 95% confidence interval = 1.83-23.01, P < .001 in the log-additive model (C/T vs T/T vs C/C)]. In haplotype analysis, the TT haplotype for these 2 SNPs was significantly associated with schizophrenia (P < .001, χ2 = 12.231). Our findings suggest that specific ULK2 polymorphisms may be associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Korean population.
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Multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) are used widely. However, the discovery of LS-313 MF15/30 (Oculentis B.V.) opacity during surgery has not yet been reported. This article reports 3 cases of LS-313 MF15/30 (Oculentis B.V.) IOL opacity found during cataract surgery implantation within 1 month. ⋯ There are many reasons for the opacification of the IOL. In addition to the patient's own factors, the material, production, and packaging of the IOL, as well as the influence of external environmental temperature, the influence of the IOL implant instrument should not be ignored and needs to be considered.
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Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) is an alternative treatment option for acute cholecystitis. However, the disease may recur after PTGBD catheter removal. This study aimed to evaluate the role of endoscopic sphincterotomy and other risk factors in reducing the recurrence of cholecystitis. ⋯ To reduce post-PTGBD recurrence in cholecystitis, caution must be exercised to avoid inadvertent dislodging of the PTGBD catheter. In cases of cholecystitis with cystic duct stones, cholecystectomy should be considered only after careful assessment of postoperative risks. Instead, transluminal endoscopic gallbladder drainage could represent a promising option for the prevention of recurrent cholecystitis.
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Exponential-like infection growth leading to peaks (denoted by inflection points [IP] or turning points) is usually the hallmark of infectious disease outbreaks, including coronaviruses. To determine the IPs of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we applied the item response theory model to detect phase transitions for each country/region and characterize the IP feature on the temporal bar graph (TBG). ⋯ Temporal visualization is recommended for researchers in future relevant studies (e.g., the evolution of keywords in a specific discipline) and is not merely limited to the IP search in COVID-19 pandemics as we did in this study.
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Here, we describe a series of 7 patients who presented with acute paraparesis due to anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture. This study aimed to assess the clinical and radiological factors associated with acute paraparesis syndrome caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Between June 2005 and December 2012, our institution consecutively treated 210 patients with anterior communicating aneurysm rupture within 24 hours after ictus. ⋯ The presence of acute hydrocephalus (P = .001) and GCE (P = .003) were significantly different between the groups. Acute paraparesis syndrome after SAH is transient and gradually improves if the patient does not develop severe vasospasm. The present study demonstrates that acute paraparesis after SAH is associated with acute hydrocephalus and GCE.