Choi WS, et al.

This study compared critical SARS-CoV-2 infections during the Omicron period between unvaccinated individuals and those who received the bivalent mRNA vaccine. Data from the Korean COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness cohort was used to calculate the probability of critical cases. Results showed that unvaccinated older individuals had a 6.03 times higher risk of critical infection compared to those vaccinated. The study concludes that the bivalent vaccine reduces the disease burden of the Omicron variant, especially in older populations. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of booster doses.

Yu JI, et al.

This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for late intrahepatic recurrence (IHR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. It included patients with early HCC who were treated and followed up for over two years without recurrence. Among 2,304 patients, 61.9% underwent hepatectomy and 38.1% received local ablative therapy. Late IHR was detected in 35.4% of patients during a median follow-up of 82.6 months. Significant prognostic factors included age, male sex, cirrhotic liver, type of initial treatment, and modified albumin-bilirubin (mALBI) grade at baseline, three, and six months post-treatment. The mALBI grade was crucial for predicting late IHR.

Na DL, et al.

The Seoul Cognitive Status Test (SCST) is a digital neuropsychological test designed for early detection of cognitive impairment. This study aimed to verify its effectiveness in distinguishing between subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. It involved 254 participants from a dementia clinic, classified by Cognitive Dementia Rating (CDR) levels. Results showed that SCST scores decreased significantly from SCD to MCI to dementia, and differences were notable between CDR levels, especially between CDR 0.5 and CDR 1. The study confirmed SCST’s clinical utility in detecting early cognitive impairment.

Benlidayi IC, et al.

Letters to the editor serve various scholarly purposes, such as critiquing articles, engaging in discourse, commenting on journal structure, and offering insights for future publications. These letters must be meticulously composed, concise, clear, and professional. They should be constructive, supported by scientific evidence, and properly cited. A typical letter includes a title, salutation, main body, closing statement, and references. This article introduces Letter to the Editor Standards (LEdS) as a guide for authors, reviewers, and editorial boards to improve the quality and impact of this academic communication.