For three years, the world has faced the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 remains the best defense. In Japan, vaccination with a booster dose started in early December, with healthcare workers receiving priority, followed by elderlies aged > 65 years. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of vaccine boosters in preventing infection in various age groups of Japanese people in Hiroshima. A pre-administered questionnaire, the J-SPEED-style COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) center version, was used to collect data from PCR centers in Hiroshima Prefecture between February 1, 2022 and March 17, 2022. The highest infection rate was observed in those aged between 10 and 19 years (6.0%), whereas the lowest infection rate was observed in those aged 45–64 years and > 65 years (3.3%). For all age groups, three doses of the vaccine provided lower infection rates than two doses. Elderlies aged > 65 years with booster doses (odds ratio [OR] = 0.499, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.400–0.622) were less infected compared to the same groups who received two doses, followed by those aged 45–64 years (OR = 0.663, 95% CI = 0.558–0.788) and 20–44 years (OR = 0.758, 95% CI = 0.655–0.877). In general, those aged > 65 years who received three doses (OR = 0.499, 95%CI = 0.400–0.622) were less likely to be infected with COVID-19 than those aged < 65 years (OR = 0.674, 95%CI = 0.604–0752). We analyzed the association between vaccination status and infection status; therefore, we recommend future research using data on the exact vaccination date and infection status.

This study aimed to compare 3-year-old children with suspected astigmatism and refractive errors in a vision screening program (VSP) and those diagnosed with epiblepharon on closer examination (CE). In a population of 1,250 children in a VSP conducted between April 2014 and March 2021, 168 children received a CE rating, and 89 patients subsequently underwent CE. The handheld refractors used in VSP were SureSight^® and Spot^®VisionScreener (Welch Allyn). In CE, a 5 m Landolt C ring angular vision test and auto-ref/keratometer TONOREF^TM II (NIDEK) was used for measurement in non-cycloplegia. Epiblepharon was diagnosed by an ophthalmologist using slit-lamp microscopy. The patients were divided into epiblepharon and non-epiblepharon groups for CE. VSP detected a cylindrical power of 1.65 ± 2.25 D and 0.86 ± 0.74 D, respectively, in the epiblepharon and without epiblepharon groups. CE detected an uncorrected visual acuity of 0.42 ± 0.46 and 0.16 ± 0.29 (logMAR), a corrected visual acuity of 0.22 ± 0.31 and 0.09 ± 0.24, a subjective cylindrical power of 0.65 ± 1.15 D and 0.23 ± 0.56 D, and corneal astigmatism of 1.97 ± 0.93 D and 1.45 ± 0.82 D in the epiblepharon and without epiblepharon groups, respectively; significant differences were observed for all parameters (p < 0.05). Among 3-year-old children with suspected amblyopia or refractive error not reaching the reference level, those with epiblepharon had more astigmatism than those without it. If a case of high astigmatism is found in the refractive test, an epiblepharon may be present.

This study aimed to evaluate high-frequency oscillations (HFOs), a potential biomarker of epileptic activity, using magnetoencephalography (MEG). We developed a new spatial filter, termed “gradient magnetic-oscillation topography” (GMOT), to visualize color-coded topographies on the brain surface using a spectrogram calculated at each sensor level. We enrolled 15 patients with lesions and intractable neocortical epilepsy who underwent focal resection surgery and preoperative MEG. We compared GMOT findings with those of the equivalent current dipole (ECD) and resected area based on intracranial video-electroencephalography (IVEEG) or intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) with respect to seizure outcomes. We also calculated the proportion of the power of each sensor relative to the entire head at each frequency band. GMOT successfully visualized the high-power gradient magnetic field at the fast ripple band (FR band, 201–330 Hz) and detected the highest power at the FR band around the lesion in 13 of the 15 patients. The resected area included both clustered ECDs and the highest power in the FR band on GMOT in 9 of the 15 patients. The resected area had a statistically higher proportion of power as the frequency band increased in the HFO group (p < 0.01). We visualized high power in the FR band of the brain surface. The areas of highest power in the FR band were correlated with epileptic focus based on IVEEG and intraoperative ECoG.

Cesarean delivery may be performed if a pregnant woman develops coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the prenatal period; however, perioperative management is controversial. Herein, we report the anesthetic management of cesarean sections in three pregnant women with COVID-19. In addition, we reviewed the literature on perioperative anesthesia management in pregnant women with COVID-19. Three pregnant women between the 37^th and 38^th weeks of gestation developed COVID-19 and were transferred to our hospital for cesarean section. Intraoperative spinal anesthesia was administered, and postoperative analgesia included intravenous morphine. Postoperatively, all patients were administered anticoagulant therapy. We used a negative pressure-controlled operating room for the cesarean sections, and the staff used Level 3 personal protective equipment with N95 masks, face shields, double gloves, full-body gowns, and shoe covers. None of the operating room staff, including the anesthesiologist, were infected with COVID-19 due to patient care. Spinal anesthesia, rather than general anesthesia, is recommended for cesarean sections in pregnant women with COVID-19. In addition to the risk of thrombosis, it is necessary to manage anesthesia in pregnant women infected with COVID-19 while considering accessibility to the ward for postoperative management and familiarity of ward staff.