Investigating disparity in labor epidural analgesia management in black vs. white women: a retrospective case-control study (2018-2022).

Background: Disparities in labor epidural analgesia (LEA) management could reduce maternal satisfaction and increase risk. We compared times from the first administration of breakthrough pain medication (top-up) to LEA replacement to evaluate disparities across race.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study (01-01-2018 to 12-31-2022), all patients with LEA and maternal race/ethnicity of non-Hispanic White or Black were eligible.

Examining the effect of direct-from-blood bacterial testing on antibiotic administration and clinical outcomes: a protocol and statistical analysis plan for a pragmatic randomised trial.

Introduction: Patients with suspected bacterial infection frequently receive empiric, broad-spectrum antibiotics prior to pathogen identification due to the time required for bacteria to grow in culture. Direct-from-blood diagnostics identifying the presence or absence of bacteria and/or resistance genes from whole blood samples within hours of collection could enable earlier antibiotic optimisation for patients suspected to have bacterial infections. However, few randomised trials have evaluated the effect of using direct-from-blood bacterial testing on antibiotic administration and clinical outcomes.

Transvaginal Ultrasound Simulation: Educational Benefits on Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clerkship.

Background: Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is the primary imaging modality in obstetrics and gynaecology (OB/GYN); however, it is highly user dependent. TVUS education for medical students is often sporadic and inconsistent. Simulation-based training (SBT) is a well-established innovation for learners to safely develop proficiency.

Structural polymorphism and diversity of human segmental duplications.

Segmental duplications (SDs) contribute significantly to human disease, evolution and diversity but have been difficult to resolve at the sequence level. We present a population genetics survey of SDs by analyzing 170 human genome assemblies (from 85 samples representing 38 Africans and 47 non-Africans) in which the majority of autosomal SDs are fully resolved using long-read sequence assembly. Excluding the acrocentric short arms and sex chromosomes, we identify 173.

An Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Children: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of BEST-Foundations.

Background/objectives: Parent-child attachment and family relationships have been identified as risk factors for childhood internalising symptoms such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. This mixed-methods evaluation examined the feasibility of a recently developed attachment-based family intervention, Behaviour Exchange Systems Therapy-Foundations (BEST-F), delivering 16 h of therapy over 8 weeks to treat internalising symptoms in children aged between 3 and 11 years.

Methods: The quantitative outcomes of this uncontrolled study of 17 families were based on the parent-reported Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) measure, completed at four-timepoints (baseline, pre-, post-intervention, and follow-up), while qualitative data were collected from interviews with participants at follow-up.