Publications by authors named "Cassidy M"

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Objective: This study analyzes the epidemiology of pediatric Le Fort fractures and assesses the incidence of concomitant injuries and acute-level hospital course using the largest, national pediatric trauma database to date.

Methods: Pediatric midface and Le Fort fractures from 2016-2019 were identified in the National Trauma Data Bank.

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Background: Our objective is to evaluate the utilization fraction (UF) of surgical instruments during a commonly performed ambulatory hand surgery case as an avenue for cost reduction, increased operating room efficiency, and systems quality improvement.

Methods: The total number of instruments opened at the start of the case was recorded followed by instruments being divided into those used and not used during the procedure. Total sterile processing costs were estimated at $1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lead to chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and pain, primarily affecting joints, especially in the hands and feet.
  • A study focused on dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) from RA patients identified 128 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through RNA sequencing, indicating significant changes compared to non-arthritic controls.
  • The findings suggest that upregulated immune genes and those related to nerve growth may contribute to ongoing pain signaling and hypersensitivity in RA patients.
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Background: A deeper understanding of acute rejection in vascularized composite allotransplantation is paramount for expanding its utility and longevity. There remains a need to develop more precise and accurate tools for diagnosis and prognosis of these allografts, as well as alternatives to traditional immunosuppressive regimens.

Methods: Twenty-seven skin biopsies collected from 3 vascularized composite allotransplantation recipients, consisting of face and hand transplants, were evaluated by histology, immunohistochemistry staining, and gene expression profiling.

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We identified children who resided in the New York City shelter system during 2015-2020 by matching address histories in Medicaid insurance claims to publicly available homeless shelter addresses, permitting examination of health care use before, during, and after shelter stays. We found that 4.5% of NYC children aged 4-17 with consistent Medicaid coverage entered shelter over a three-to-five-year period.

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Sewer overflows are an environmental concern due to their potential to introduce contaminants that can adversely affect downstream aquatic ecosystems. As these overflows can occur during rainfall events, the influence of rainwater ingress from inflow and infiltration on raw untreated wastewater (influent) within the sewer is a critical factor influencing the dilution and toxicity of the contaminants. The Vineyard sewer carrier in the greater city of Sydney, Australia, was selected for an ecotoxicological investigation of a sanitary (separate from stormwater) sewerage system and a wet-weather overflow (WWO).

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  • Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) is a serious disorder where the body's cells can't break down certain substances due to a problem with a gene called SUMF1.
  • Researchers tested a new treatment using gene therapy and stem cell transplants in mice with MSD to see if it could help improve their condition.
  • The treatment showed positive results by boosting important protein levels and improving brain function and health in the affected mice.
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Background: Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) has become a viable option for restoration of devastating injuries that are not amenable to conventional reconstructive techniques. However, the relative scarcity of procedures performed worldwide, as well as the potential for iatrogenic injury with biopsies, makes studying the immunopathogenesis of acute rejection challenging. Translational VCA research focuses on developing strategies to overcome these barriers with the use of animal models can be technically challenging and difficult to replicate without highly trained microsurgeons.

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Purpose: The pediatric craniofacial trauma literature is limited to single institutions or short study periods. Herein, this study analyzes a national database over 10 years to delineate the epidemiology of pediatric craniofacial fractures and to identify risk factors for acute-level hospital course in the largest series to date.

Methods: Utilizing the National Trauma Data Bank, pediatric craniofacial fractures admitted between 2010 and 2019 were identified.

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: Postoperative management following primary cleft lip repair varies across institutions, cleft care teams, and individual surgeons. Postoperative precautions employed after cleft lip repair include dietary restrictions, pacifier limitations, and immobilization, with arm restraints long being used. Yet, restraint distress has led to the exploration of other forms of immobilization.

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Background: Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is an emerging practice that falls under the broader umbrella of gender-affirming surgery. Various approaches exist to feminize the face, yet few published articles describe in detail the techniques of each component procedure. Considering the diversity of interventions employed, the objective of this manuscript is to highlight FFS techniques utilized by the senior author and create a corresponding media gallery.

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Summary: Genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) profiling is indispensable for unveiling how DNAm regulates biological pathways and individual phenotypes. However, managing and analyzing extensive DNAm data generated from large cohort studies present computational obstacles. Apache Parquet is a data file format that allows for efficient data storage, retrieval, and manipulation, alleviating computational hurdles associated with conventional row-based formats.

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Incomplete decongestion is the main cause of readmission in the early post-discharge period of a hospitalization for acute heart failure. Recent heart failure guidelines have highlighted initiation and rapid up-titration of quadruple therapy with angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, beta adrenergic receptor blocker, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor to prevent hospitalizations for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, full decongestion remains the foremost therapeutic goal of hospitalization for heart failure.

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  • A study at New England's largest safety-net hospital assessed the treatment and education needs for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) among a diverse patient population from 2016 to 2021.
  • Out of 639 patients analyzed, 17% were diagnosed with BCRL, primarily linked to those undergoing axillary lymph node dissection; however, there were no differences based on race, insurance, or BMI.
  • The study revealed low referral and completion rates for physical and occupational therapy among those with BCRL, highlighting a significant gap in treatment and education that needs to be addressed.
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Background: The objective of this study was to review the long-term efficacy of a post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention program at our institution.

Methods: We performed a review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) data at our hospital from January 2008-December 2022. The primary outcome was risk-adjusted VTE events.

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  • * Findings reveal a prevalence of 19.9 cases of OC per 10,000 live births, with the highest rates found among Asian and Native American populations, and lower rates in Black patients.
  • * The study highlights a positive association between OC prevalence and poverty levels, while indicating that urban, suburban, and rural areas show no significant differences in OC rates, emphasizing the need for comprehensive prenatal care addressing social determinants of health.
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Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can promote states of chronic Inflammation with accompanying tissue destruction and pain. RA can cause inflammatory synovitis in peripheral joints, particularly within the hands and feet, but can also sometimes trigger temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia. To better understand the effects of ongoing Inflammation-induced pain signaling, dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) were acquired from individuals with RA for transcriptomic study.

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CRISPR therapy for hematological disease has proven effective for transplant dependent beta thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, with additional disease targets in sight. The success of these therapies relies on high rates of CRISPR-induced double strand DNA breaks in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). To achieve these levels, CRISPR complexes are typically delivered by electroporation ex vivo which is toxic to HSPCs.

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This study establishes site-specific risk-based threshold (RBT) concentrations for sewage-associated markers, including Bacteroides HF183 (HF183), Lachnospiraceae Lachno3 (Lachno3), cross-assembly phage (CrAssphage), and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), utilizing quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for recreational estuarine waters (EW). The QMRA model calculates a RBT concentration corresponding to a selected target illness risk for ingestion of EW contaminated with untreated sewage. RBT concentrations were estimated considering site-specific decay rates and concentrations of markers and reference pathogen (human norovirus; HNoV), aiding in the identification of high-risk days during the swimming season.

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Article Synopsis
  • This research explored how fast different human wastewater markers and viruses decay in two estuarine environments in Sydney, Australia, using specific assays for detection.
  • It found that decay rates varied between the two locations, with Bacteroides HF183 decaying faster than other markers and enteric viruses, especially when exposed to sunlight.
  • The study highlighted significant differences in decay rates between natural mesocosms and laboratory microcosms, suggesting that factors like sunlight and water clarity affect the persistence of these pathogens in the environment.
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The RAS-regulated RAF-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signalling pathway is activated in cancer due to mutations in RAS proteins (especially KRAS), BRAF, CRAF, MEK1 and MEK2. Whilst inhibitors of KRASG12C (lung adenocarcinoma) and BRAF and MEK1/2 (melanoma and colorectal cancer) are clinically approved, acquired resistance remains a problem. Consequently, the search for new inhibitors (especially of RAS proteins), new inhibitor modalities and regulators of this pathway, which may be new drug targets, continues and increasingly involves cell-based screens with small molecules or genetic screens such as RNAi, CRISPR or protein interference.

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Background: Little is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected screening mammography rates and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (BI-RADS) categorizations within populations facing social and economic inequities. Our study seeks to compare trends in breast cancer screening and BI-RADS assessments in an academic safety-net patient population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients And Methods: Our single-center retrospective study evaluated women ≥ 18 years old with no known breast cancer diagnosis who received breast cancer screening from March 2019-September 2020.

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  • Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) is a super rare disease caused by a problem in a gene that affects the body's ability to break down certain substances.
  • People with MSD can have serious health issues like learning difficulties, hearing loss, and problems with their organs and skin.
  • Scientists created special cells from MSD patients to study the disease better, which could help them find new ways to treat it.
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