Reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) by improved identification of primary infection sites through preliminary blood culture notifications.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) pose a significant patient risk. To address incorrect classifications of infectious events as CLABSI, the surveillance process was changed from using finalized blood culture to preliminary blood culture results as trigger of timely, in-depth reviews. This improved the detection of true CLABSI events.

Stimuli-Responsive Phosphate Hydrogel: A Study on Swelling Behavior, Mechanical Properties, and Application in Expansion Microscopy.

Phosphorus-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels have potential in a wide range of applications due to their ionizable phosphorus groups, biocompatibility, and tunable swelling capacity utilizing hydrogel design parameters and external stimuli. In this study, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate) (PMOEP) hydrogels were synthesized via aqueous activators regenerated by electron transfer atomic transfer radical polymerization using ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. Swelling and deswelling behaviors of PMOEP hydrogels were examined in different salt solutions, pH conditions, and temperatures.

Single-cell detection of copy number changes reveals dynamic mechanisms of adaptation to antifungals in Candida albicans.

Genomic copy number changes are associated with antifungal drug resistance and virulence across diverse fungal pathogens, but the rate and dynamics of these genomic changes in the presence of antifungal drugs are unknown. Here we optimized a dual-fluorescent reporter system in the diploid pathogen Candida albicans to quantify haplotype-specific copy number variation (CNV) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the single-cell level with flow cytometry. We followed the frequency and dynamics of CNV and LOH at two distinct genomic locations in the presence and absence of antifungal drugs in vitro and in a murine model of candidiasis.

Attaching artificial Achilles and tibialis cranialis tendons to bone using suture anchors in a rabbit model: assessment of outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with outcomes of attaching artificial tendons to bone using suture anchors for replacement of biological tendons in rabbits.

Study Design: Metal suture anchors with braided composite sutures of varying sizes (USP #1, #2, or #5) were used to secure artificial tendons replacing both the Achilles and tibialis cranialis tendons in 12 New Zealand White rabbits. Artificial tendons were implanted either at the time of (immediate replacement, n=8), or four weeks after (delayed replacement, n=4) resection of the biological tendon.

Speech-in-Noise Testing: An Introduction for Audiologists.

Speech-in-noise testing has been proposed as a useful part of the audiometric test battery dating back to the earliest years of the field of audiology. Many speech-in-noise tests have been developed and used to varying degrees. However, multiple barriers have prevented speech-in-noise testing from being used widely in the clinic.

Replacement of tibialis cranialis tendon with polyester, silicone-coated artificial tendon preserves biomechanical function in rabbits compared to tendon excision only.

Background: Artificial tendons may be an effective alternative to autologous and allogenic tendon grafts for repairing critically sized tendon defects. The goal of this study was to quantify the in vivo hindlimb biomechanics (ground contact pressure and sagittal-plane motion) during hopping gait of rabbits having a critically sized tendon defect of the tibialis cranialis and either with or without repair using an artificial tendon.

Methods: In five rabbits, the tibialis cranialis tendon of the left hindlimb was surgically replaced with a polyester, silicone-coated artificial tendon (PET-SI); five operated control rabbits underwent complete surgical excision of the biological tibialis cranialis tendon in the left hindlimb with no replacement (TE).

Photocurable Polymer-Based 3D Printing: Advanced Flexible Strain Sensors for Human Kinematics Monitoring.

Vat photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing (AM) is critical in improving solutions for wearable sensors. The ability to add nanoparticles to increase the polymer resin's mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties creates a strong proposition for investigating custom nanocomposites for the medical field. This work uses a low-cost biocompatible polymer resin enhanced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and a digital light processing-based AM system to develop accurate strain sensors.

Hyperthyroid cats have altered pulmonary arterial hemodynamics but rarely have intermediate or high probability of pulmonary hypertension.

Objective: Apply the 3-site echocardiographic metrics utilized to assess pulmonary hypertension (PH) probability in dogs and humans to feline echocardiographic examinations to investigate the translatability of this scheme and subsequent enhancement of detection of PH in cats.

Animals: 27 client-owned cats (euthyroid [n = 11] and hyperthyroid [16]).

Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, observational case-control study.

An Experience Sampling Analysis of the Impact of Video Monitoring Technology and In-Person Sitters on Nurse Burnout: The Moderating Effect of Nurse Commitment and Mediating Effect of Emotional Labor.

Background: While it is established that video monitoring technology (compared with the use of in-person sitters) is a safe and cost-effective solution for hospitals, little is known about the impact of these approaches on nurses' stress and well-being.

Purpose: To compare the use of video monitoring technology and in-person sitters (likely a resource reallocated from nurses) for monitoring patients on nurses' emotional labor and burnout.

Method: An experience sampling method was conducted by surveying nurses twice a day for 3 weeks, resulting in 524 survey administrations provided by 74 nurses.

In Vivo Assessment of High-Strength and Corrosion-Controlled Magnesium-Based Bone Implants.

The biodegradable nature of magnesium in aqueous mediums makes it an attractive material for various biomedical applications when it is not recommended that the material stay permanently in the body. Some of the main challenges that hinder the use of magnesium for bone fracture repair are its limited mechanical strength and fast corrosion rates. To this end, we developed a novel Mg-Zn-Ca-Mn-based alloy and post-fabrication methods that can deliver high-strength and corrosion-controlled implant materials to address these challenges.

Frequency Following Responses to Tone Glides: Effects of Age and Hearing Loss.

Purpose: Speech is characterized by dynamic acoustic cues that must be encoded by the auditory periphery, auditory nerve, and brainstem before they can be represented in the auditory cortex. The fidelity of these cues in the brainstem can be assessed with the frequency-following response (FFR). Data obtained from older adults-with normal or impaired hearing-were compared with previous results obtained from normal-hearing younger adults to evaluate the effects of age and hearing loss on the fidelity of FFRs to tone glides.

Perceived Barriers to Patient Mobilization Among Therapy and Nursing Acute Care Staff: A Multi-Site Survey Study.

Objective: To identify differences in perceived barriers to patient mobilization in acute care among therapy and nursing clinicians, and among hospitals of different sizes and types.

Design: Cross-sectional survey study.

Setting: Eight hospitals of various sizes and types (teaching vs non-teaching; urban vs rural), from 2 different states in the Western region of the United States.

Effects of age on brainstem coding of speech glimpses in interrupted noise.

Difficulty understanding speech in fluctuating backgrounds is common among older adults. Whereas younger adults are adept at interpreting speech based on brief moments when the signal-to-noise ratio is favorable, older adults use these glimpses of speech less effectively. Age-related declines in auditory brainstem function may degrade the fidelity of speech cues in fluctuating noise for older adults, such that brief glimpses of speech interrupted by noise segments are not faithfully represented in the neural code that reaches the cortex.

Effect of polyester-based artificial tendons on movement biomechanics: A preliminary in vivo study.

Artificial tendons may be valuable clinical devices for replacing damaged or missing biological tendons. In this preliminary study, we quantified the effect of polyester-suture-based artificial tendons on movement biomechanics. New Zealand White rabbits underwent surgical replacement of either the Achilles (n = 2) or tibialis cranialis (TC, n = 2) biological tendons with artificial tendons.

Corrigendum: and assessment of caprine origin Staphylococcus aureus ST398 strain UTCVM1 as an osteomyelitis pathogen.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.

In vitro and in vivo assessment of caprine origin Staphylococcus aureus ST398 strain UTCVM1 as an osteomyelitis pathogen.

(SA) is a significant and well-recognized causative organism of bacterial osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory bone disease characterized by progressive bone destruction and loss. This disease causes significant morbidity and mortality to the patient and poses therapeutic challenges for clinicians.

Oddball paradigm complexity in multi-token auditory evoked potentials.

We developed and tested a series of novel and increasingly complex multi-token electrophysiology paradigms for evoking the auditory P3 response. The primary goal was to evaluate the degree to which more complex discrimination tasks and listening environments - which are more likely to engage the types of neural processing used in real-world speech-in-noise situations - could still evoke a robust P3 response. If so, this opens the possibility of such a paradigm making up part of the toolkit for a brain-behavioral approach to improve understanding of speech processing.

Feasibility of Implanting a Foot-Ankle Endoprosthesis within Skin in a Rabbit Model of Transtibial Amputation.

Prosthetic limbs that are completely implanted within skin (i.e., endoprostheses) could permit direct, physical muscle-prosthesis attachment to restore more natural sensorimotor function to people with amputation.

Effects on Tissue Integration of Collagen Scaffolds Used for Local Delivery of Gentamicin in a Rat Mandible Defect Model.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common complication following orthopedic surgery. SSIs may occur secondary to traumatic or contaminated wounds or may result from invasive procedures. The development of biofilms is often associated with implanted materials used to stabilize injuries and to facilitate healing.

Role of Animal Models to Advance Research of Bacterial Osteomyelitis.

Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory bone disease typically caused by infectious microorganisms, often bacteria, which causes progressive bone destruction and loss. The most common bacteria associated with chronic osteomyelitis is . The incidence of osteomyelitis in the United States is estimated to be upwards of 50,000 cases annually and places a significant burden upon the healthcare system.

Role of Implantable Drug Delivery Devices with Dual Platform Capabilities in the Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Osteomyelitis.

As medicine advances and physicians are able to provide patients with innovative solutions, including placement of temporary or permanent medical devices that drastically improve quality of life of the patient, there is the persistent, recurring problem of chronic bacterial infection, including osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis can manifest as a result of traumatic or contaminated wounds or implant-associated infections. This bacterial infection can persist as a result of inadequate treatment regimens or the presence of biofilm on implanted medical devices.

Utilization of Antibacterial Nanoparticles in Photocurable Additive Manufacturing of Advanced Composites for Improved Public Health.

This paper presents the additive manufacturing and characterization of nanoparticle-reinforced photocurable resin-based nanocomposites with a potential antimicrobial function for improved public health applications. Two types of photocurable resins are reinforced by titanium dioxide (TiO) or zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with average diameters in the 10-30 nm range to provide antimicrobial properties. The developed nanocomposites can be additively manufactured using the digital light processing method with an outstanding surface quality and precise geometrical accuracy.

Magnetic Particle Imaging: Current and Future Applications, Magnetic Nanoparticle Synthesis Methods and Safety Measures.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have a wide range of applications; an area of particular interest is magnetic particle imaging (MPI). MPI is an imaging modality that utilizes superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIONs) as tracer particles to produce highly sensitive and specific images in a broad range of applications, including cardiovascular, neuroimaging, tumor imaging, magnetic hyperthermia and cellular tracking. While there are hurdles to overcome, including accessibility of products, and an understanding of safety and toxicity profiles, MPI has the potential to revolutionize research and clinical biomedical imaging.

Critical care outcomes in patients with pre-existing pulmonary hypertension: insights from the ASPIRE registry.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-shortening condition characterised by episodes of decompensation precipitated by factors such as disease progression, arrhythmias and sepsis. Surgery and pregnancy also place additional strain on the right ventricle. Data on critical care management in patients with pre-existing PH are scarce.

Age-Related Deficits in Electrophysiological and Behavioral Measures of Binaural Temporal Processing.

Binaural processing, particularly the processing of interaural phase differences, is important for sound localization and speech understanding in background noise. Age has been shown to impact the neural encoding and perception of these binaural temporal cues even in individuals with clinically normal hearing sensitivity. This work used a new electrophysiological response, called the interaural phase modulation-following response (IPM-FR), to examine the effects of age on the neural encoding of interaural phase difference cues.