Xe Image Processing Pipeline: An open-source, graphical user interface application for the analysis of hyperpolarized Xe MRI.

Purpose: Hyperpolarized Xe MRI presents opportunities to assess regional pulmonary microstructure and function. Ongoing advancements in hardware, sequences, and image processing have helped it become increasingly adopted for both research and clinical use. As the number of applications and users increase, standardization becomes crucial.

Same-Day Repeatability and 28-Day Reproducibility of Xenon MRI Ventilation in Children With Cystic Fibrosis in a Multi-Site Trial.

Background: MRI with xenon-129 gas (Xe MRI) can assess airflow obstruction and heterogeneity in lung diseases. Specifically, Xe MRI may represent a sensitive modality for future therapeutic trials of cystic fibrosis (CF) therapies. The reproducibility of Xe MRI has not yet been assessed in the context of a multi-site study.

Antibody responses in bloodstream infection: a cohort study.

Background: (Kpn) is the fourth leading cause of infection-related deaths globally, yet little is known about human antibody responses to invasive Kpn. In this study, we sought to determine whether the O-specific polysaccharide (OPS) antigen, a vaccine candidate, is immunogenic in humans with Kpn bloodstream infection (BSI). We also sought to define the cross-reactivity of human antibody responses among structurally related Kpn OPS subtypes and to assess the impact of capsule production on OPS-targeted antibody binding and function.

The effect of a night shift nap on post-night shift performance, sleepiness, mood, and first recovery sleep: A randomized crossover trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to test the effect of a 30-minute nap versus a 2-hour nap opportunity taken during a simulated night shift on performance, fatigue, sleepiness, mood, and sleep at the end of shift and during post-night shift recovery.

Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover trial of three nap conditions (30-minute, 2-hour, and no-nap) during 12-hour simulated night shifts. We tested for differences in performance, fatigue, sleepiness, mood, and sleep during in-lab and at-home recovery.

Complete genome sequences of cluster G1 and cluster K4 phages omnicritical and Barkley26.

We present the complete genome sequence of two Actinobacteriophages, OmniCritical and Barkley26, isolated in Clark County, NV. Over two semesters, The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) students isolated and purified phages and manually annotated the genomes. The courses follow the HHMI Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Sciences (SEA-PHAGES) curricula.

Improved donor lung size matching by estimation of lung volumes based on chest X-ray measurements.

Rationale: Organ size matching is an important determinant of successful allocation and outcomes in lung transplantation. While computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard, it is rarely used in an organ-donor context, and chest X-ray (CXR) may offer a practical and accurate solution in estimating lung volumes for donor and recipient size matching. We compared CXR lung measurements to CT-measured lung volumes and traditional estimates of lung volume in the same subjects.

Clinical and Genomic Characterization of a Cohort of Patients With Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Infection.

Background: The clinical and microbial factors associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections (BSIs) are not well characterized. Prior studies have focused on highly resistant or hypervirulent isolates, limiting our understanding of K. pneumoniae strains that commonly cause BSI.

Are Short Duration Naps Better than Long Duration Naps for Mitigating Sleep Inertia? Brief Report of a Randomized Crossover Trial of Simulated Night Shift Work.

Objective: We sought to test the effects of different duration naps on post-nap cognitive performance during simulated night shifts.

Methods: We used a randomized laboratory-based crossover trial design with simulated 12-hr night shifts and each participant completing three conditions of 72 hrs each (Clinicaltrials.gov; registration # NCT04469803).

Effect of Short versus Long Duration Naps on Blood Pressure during Simulated Night Shift Work: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Objective: Blunting of the sleep-related dip in blood pressure (BP) has been linked to numerous cardiovascular outcomes including myocardial infarction. Blunting of BP dipping occurs during night shift work and previous research suggest that a 60-min or longer on-shift nap is needed to restore normal/healthy BP dipping. We sought to determine the effect of different durations of napping on BP during and following simulated night shifts.

The Beginning of the AI-Enabled Preventative PAP Therapy Era: A First-in-Human Proof of Concept Interventional Study.

Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy is the most common and efficacious treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). However, it suffers from poor patient adherence due to discomfort and may not fully alleviate all adverse consequences of OSA. Identifying abnormal respiratory events before they have occurred may allow for improved management of PAP levels, leading to improved adherence and better patient outcomes.

Short-term structural and functional changes after airway clearance therapy in cystic fibrosis.

Background: Airway clearance therapy (ACT) with a high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) vest is a common but time-consuming treatment. Its benefit to quality of life for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is well established but has been questioned recently as new highly-effective modulator therapies begin to change the treatment landscape. Xe ventilation MRI has been shown to be very sensitive to lung obstruction in mild CF disease, making it an ideal tool to identify and quantify subtle, regional changes.

High Frequency-Low Amplitude Oscillometry: Continuous Unobtrusive Monitoring of Respiratory Function on PAP Machines.

Oscillometry or Forced Oscillation Technique, traditionally used in intermittent clinical measurements, has recently gained substantial attention from its application as a continuous monitoring tool for large and small airways. However, low frequency (<8 Hz) continuous oscillometry faces high breathing noise, and hence requires high oscillation amplitudes to maintain an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, PAP machines that utilize low frequency oscillometry do so intermittently to distinguish airway patency several seconds after a breathing pause has occurred.

Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI Ventilation Defect Quantification via Thresholding and Linear Binning in Multiple Pulmonary Diseases.

Rationale: There is no agreed upon method for quantifying ventilation defect percentage (VDP) with high sensitivity and specificity from hyperpolarized (HP) gas ventilation MR images in multiple pulmonary diseases for both pediatrics and adults, yet identifying such methods will be necessary for future multi-site trials. Most HP gas MRI ventilation research focuses on a specific pulmonary disease and utilizes one quantification scheme for determining VDP. Here we sought to determine the potential of different methods for quantifying VDP from HP Xe images in multiple pulmonary diseases through comparison of the most utilized quantification schemes: linear binning and thresholding.

Characterization of Secondary Bacterial Infections and Antibiotic Use in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With COVID-19 Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Background: COVID-19 has a widely variable clinical syndrome that is difficult to distinguish from bacterial sepsis, leading to high rates of antibiotic use. Early studies indicate low rates of secondary bacterial infections (SBIs) but have included heterogeneous patient populations. Here, we catalogue all SBIs and antibiotic prescription practices in a population of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The negative impact of smartphone usage on nursing students: An integrative literature review.

Background: Smartphones are ubiquitous, and for some, an indispensable companion. In nursing education curricula and clinical healthcare settings, smartphones have the potential to augment student learning. Nursing students report significant benefits to smartphone use, which extend beyond learning, to include enhanced communication, clinical decision making and evidence-based practice.

Sensitive structural and functional measurements and 1-year pulmonary outcomes in pediatric cystic fibrosis.

Background: Two functional measurements (multiple breath washout [MBW] and hyperpolarized Xe ventilation magnetic resonance imaging [Xe MRI]) have been shown to be more sensitive to cystic fibrosis (CF) lung obstruction than traditional spirometry. However, functional techniques may be sensitive to different underlying structural abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to determine relationships between these functional markers, their pathophysiology, and 1-year clinical outcomes.

Xe MRI as a measure of clinical disease severity for pediatric asthma.

Background: Measurement of regional lung ventilation with hyperpolarized Xe magnetic resonance imaging (Xe MRI) in pediatric asthma is poised to advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and pathophysiology in a disorder with diverse clinical phenotypes. Xe MRI has not been investigated in a pediatric asthma cohort.

Objective: We hypothesized that Xe MRI is feasible and can demonstrate ventilation defects that relate to and predict clinical severity in a pediatric asthma cohort.

First year nursing students' perceptions of learning interpersonal communication skills in their paid work: A multi-site Australasian study.

Nursing students are increasingly undertaking paid work while studying and most choose paid work in health care or hospitality. This paper is drawn from a larger sequential exploratory mixed-method study which examined the relationship between students working while studying nursing and the impact on academic performance. In this paper, we explored first year nursing students' perceptions of communication skills gained through paid work.

Whole Genome Sequencing of Peruvian Identifies Novel Plasmid Vectors Bearing Carbapenem Resistance Gene .

Background: is a bacterial pathogen with increasing rates of resistance to carbapenem antibiotics, but the population structure and genetic drivers of carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) remain underexplored in developing countries. Carbapenem-resistant were recently introduced into Peru but have grown rapidly in prevalence, enabling study of this pathogen as it expands into an unaffected environment.

Methods: In this study, using whole genome sequencing, we show that 3 distinct lineages encompass almost all CRKP identified in the hospital where it was first reported in Peru.

The type and amount of paid work while studying influence academic performance of first year nursing students: An inception cohort study.

Background: Working while engaging in tertiary studies can have potential benefits for students in developing their repertoire of employability skills, including teamwork, time management, customer service and interpersonal communication. Not unexpectedly engaging in excessive hours of work can have a detrimental effect on students' grades. Yet little is known about the impact of engaging in different types of paid work (nursing or non-nursing), and the amounts, on first year nursing students' academic performance across different nursing programs.

"Juggling many balls": Working and studying among first-year nursing students.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the experiences of first-year nursing students, their motivations for working and how they juggled study and other commitments while engaging in paid work.

Background: There has been a global rise in the number of students balancing full-time study, paid work and other commitments, with the main antecedent financial reasons.

Design: Qualitative exploratory study.

Structural lung abnormalities on computed tomography correlate with asthma inflammation in bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid.

: Image scoring systems have been developed to assess the severity of specific lung abnormalities in patients diagnosed with various pulmonary diseases except for asthma. A comprehensive asthma imaging scoring system may identify specific abnormalities potentially linking these to inflammatory phenotypes.: Computed tomography (CT) images of 88 children with asthma (50 M/38 F, mean age 7.

Cyst Ventilation Heterogeneity and Alveolar Airspace Dilation as Early Disease Markers in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease associated with cystic destruction of the pulmonary parenchyma and chronic respiratory failure, and there are trials underway to determine if early intervention can prevent disease progression. An imaging technique that is sensitive to early regional disease would therefore be valuable for patient care and clinical trials. We postulated that hyperpolarized Xe MRI would be sensitive to ventilation abnormalities and alveolar airspace dilation in patients with mild LAM disease and normal pulmonary function and that Xe MRI would reveal important features of cyst ventilation.