Comprehensive Analysis of the Spectrum of Osteoarticular Infections in Children.

Background: Studies of pediatric osteoarticular infections (OAIs) mostly focus on acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) and acute bacterial arthritis (ABA). A comprehensive descriptive analysis of pediatric OAIs, including subacute, chronic, and non-hematogenous types, is lacking.

Methods: A detailed analysis of all pediatric OAIs was undertaken at two academic centers, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI, and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.

Anaphylaxis post-COVID-19 vaccinations in Singapore.

Introduction: Anaphylaxis was the first serious adverse event (AE) of special interest surfaced in Singapore following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. Individuals who developed physician-diagnosed severe allergic reactions to the mRNA vaccines would be medically ineligible for mRNA vaccines and offered non-mRNA alternatives. This paper describes anaphylaxis reports received by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and presents a review of individuals who received heterologous COVID-19 vaccination.

Image plate multi-scan response to fusion protons in the range of 1-14 MeV.

Image plates (IPs) are a quickly recoverable and reusable radiation detector often used to measure proton and x-ray fluence in laser-driven experiments. Recently, IPs have been used in a proton radiography detector stack on the OMEGA laser, a diagnostic historically implemented with CR-39, or radiochromic film. The IPs used in this and other diagnostics detect charged particles, neutrons, and x-rays indiscriminately.

Characterization of the image plate multi-scan response to mono-energetic x-rays.

Image plates (IPs), or phosphor storage screens, are a technology employed frequently in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high energy density plasma (HEDP) diagnostics because of their sensitivity to many types of radiation, including, x rays, protons, alphas, beta particles, and neutrons. Prior studies characterizing IPs are predicated on the signal level remaining below the scanner saturation threshold. Since the scanning process removes some signal from the IP via photostimulated luminescence, repeatedly scanning an IP can bring the signal level below the scanner saturation threshold.

Characterization of the response of radiochromic film to quasi-monoenergetic x rays through a cross-calibration with image plates.

Radiochromic film (RCF) and image plates (IPs) are both commonly used detectors in diagnostics fielded at inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and high-energy-density physics (HEDP) research facilities. Due to the intense x-ray background in all ICF/HEDP experiments, accurately calibrating the optical density of RCF as a function of x-ray dose, and the photostimulated luminescence per photon of IPs as a function of x-ray energy, is necessary for interpreting experimental results. Various measurements of the sensitivity curve of different IPs to x rays have been performed [Izumi et al.

The role of psychologists in supporting illness-related dying and death: A systematic mixed studies review.

Psychologists remain underrepresented in end-of-life care, and there is limited understanding of their role among healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers. This systematic mixed-studies review, prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020215775), explored the role of psychologists, and the facilitators and barriers they experience, in supporting clients with illness-related dying and death. A search of six research databases was conducted in October 2023.

An updated analysis on myocarditis and pericarditis cases reported following mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Singapore.

Introduction: Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines have been associated with myocarditis/pericarditis, especially in young males. We evaluated the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines by brand, age, sex and dose number in Singapore.

Methods: Adverse event reports of myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccines received by the Health Sciences Authority from 30 December 2020 to 25 July 2022 were included, with a data lock on 30 September 2022.

The intramembrane proteases SPPL2a and SPPL2b regulate the homeostasis of selected SNARE proteins.

Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) and SPP-like (SPPL) aspartyl intramembrane proteases are known to contribute to sequential processing of type II-oriented membrane proteins referred to as regulated intramembrane proteolysis. The ER-resident family members SPP and SPPL2c were shown to also cleave tail-anchored proteins, including selected SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins facilitating membrane fusion events. Here, we analysed whether the related SPPL2a and SPPL2b proteases, which localise to the endocytic or late secretory pathway, are also able to process SNARE proteins.

Phase-sensitively amplified wavelength-division multiplexed optical transmission systems.

The throughput and reach in fiber-optic communication links are limited by in-line optical amplifier noise and the Kerr nonlinearity in the optical transmission fiber. Phase-sensitive amplifiers (PSAs) are capable of amplifying signals without adding excess noise and mitigating the impairments caused by the Kerr nonlinearity. However, the effectiveness of Kerr nonlinearity mitigation depends on the dispersion pre-compensation in each span.

Interplay between Mitochondrial Metabolism and Cellular Redox State Dictates Cancer Cell Survival.

Mitochondria are the main powerhouse of the cell, generating ATP through the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which drives myriad cellular processes. In addition to their role in maintaining bioenergetic homeostasis, changes in mitochondrial metabolism, permeability, and morphology are critical in cell fate decisions and determination. Notably, mitochondrial respiration coupled with the passage of electrons through the electron transport chain (ETC) set up a potential source of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Specialist palliative care staff's varying experiences of talking with people with intellectual disability about their dying and death: A thematic analysis of in-depth interviews.

Background: The cognitive and communication challenges experienced by people with intellectual disability present difficulties for health professionals, particularly in the face of illness and dying.

Aim: To explore the experiences of specialist palliative care staff in talking with people with intellectual disability about their dying and death, and factors that influence these conversations.

Design: An inductive thematic analysis was conducted on data from a larger qualitative semi-structured interview study.

Modulation format dependence on transmission reach in phase-sensitively amplified fiber links.

We quantify the maximum transmission reach for phase-insensitive amplifier (PIA) and phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA) links with different modulation formats and show that the maximum transmission reach increase (MTRI) when using PSAs compared to PIAs is enhanced for higher-order modulation formats. The higher-order modulation formats are more susceptible to smaller phase rotations from nonlinearities, and PSAs are efficient in mitigating these smaller phase distortions. Numerical simulations were performed for single- and multi-span PIA and PSA links with single and multiple wavelength channels.

Prediction of Adverse Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis.

Background: Clinicians cannot reliably predict complications of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO).

Methods: Consecutive cases of AHO from 2 pediatric centers in the United States were analyzed retrospectively to develop clinical tools from data obtained within 96 hours of hospitalization to predict acute and chronic complications of AHO. Two novel composite prediction scores derived from multivariable logistic regression modeling were compared with a previously published severity of illness (SOI) score, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses.

Phase-coherent lightwave communications with frequency combs.

Fiber-optical networks are a crucial telecommunication infrastructure in society. Wavelength division multiplexing allows for transmitting parallel data streams over the fiber bandwidth, and coherent detection enables the use of sophisticated modulation formats and electronic compensation of signal impairments. Optical frequency combs can replace the multiple lasers used for the different wavelength channels.

Analysis of nonlinearity mitigation using phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifiers.

Phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifiers (PSAs) can provide low-noise optical amplification while simultaneously mitigating nonlinear distortions caused by the Kerr effect. However, nonlinearity mitigation using PSAs is affected by link parameters, and imperfect link design results in residual nonlinear distortions. In this paper, we use first-order perturbation theory to describe these residual nonlinear distortions, and develop a way to mitigate them using a modified third-order Volterra nonlinear equalizer (VNLE) in the receiver.

High-throughput phenotyping of heteromeric human ether-à-go-go-related gene potassium channel variants can discriminate pathogenic from rare benign variants.

Background: KCNH2 encodes the human ether-à-go-go-related gene potassium channel, which passes the rapid delayed rectifier potassium current. Loss-of-function variants in KCNH2 cause long QT syndrome type 2, which is associated with a markedly increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias. The majority of rare KCNH2 variants, however, are likely to be benign.

Antibody Treatment against Angiopoietin-Like 4 Reduces Pulmonary Edema and Injury in Secondary Pneumococcal Pneumonia.

Secondary bacterial lung infection by () poses a serious health concern, especially in developing countries. We posit that the emergence of multiantibiotic-resistant strains will jeopardize current treatments in these regions. Deaths arising from secondary infections are more often associated with acute lung injury, a common consequence of hypercytokinemia, than with the infection Given that secondary bacterial pneumonia often has a poor prognosis, newer approaches to improve treatment outcomes are urgently needed to reduce the high levels of morbidity and mortality.

Detecting adverse drug reactions in discharge summaries of electronic medical records using Readpeer.

Background: Hospital discharge summaries offer a potentially rich resource to enhance pharmacovigilance efforts to evaluate drug safety in real-world clinical practice. However, it is infeasible for experts to read through all discharge summaries to find cases of drug-adverse event (AE) relations.

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to develop a natural language processing (NLP) framework to detect drug-AE relations from unstructured hospital discharge summaries.

Mutation-specific peripheral and ER quality control of hERG channel cell-surface expression.

Impaired functional plasma membrane (PM) expression of the hERG K-channel is associated with Long-QT syndrome type-2 (LQT2) and increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Reduced PM-expression is primarily attributed to retention and degradation of misfolded channels by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein quality control (QC) systems. However, as the molecular pathogenesis of LQT2 was defined using severely-misfolded hERG variants with limited PM-expression, the potential contribution of post-ER (peripheral) QC pathways to the disease phenotype remains poorly established.

Phase-sensitive amplifier link with distributed Raman amplification.

We demonstrate long-haul transmission using a hybrid amplifier approach combining distributed Raman amplification and lumped phase-sensitive amplification. Aside from the well-known resulting SNR improvement, distributed Raman amplification is included in an effort to improve the nonlinearity mitigation capability of the phase-sensitive amplifiers. When changing from phase-insensitive operation to phase-sensitive operation in a link employing distributed Raman amplification, the transmission reach at BER = 10 is increased from 15 to 44 spans of length 81 km while simultaneously increasing the optimal launch power by 2 dB.

Single-photodiode per polarization receiver with signal-signal beat interference suppression through heterodyne detection.

We show that a simplified, single-photodiode per polarization heterodyne receiver is able to directly suppress signal-signal beat interference (SSBI), without the need for cancellation in the digital domain. We characterize performance degradation due to SSBI, and show that a strong LO in the receiver can mitigate SSBI. Transmission of 400 Gb/s-class signals is shown over single fiber spans of up to 160 km, and over field-deployed metropolitan area fiber.

All-optical digital-to-analog converter based on cross-phase modulation with temporal integration.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an all-optical digital-to-analog converter based on cross-phase modulation with temporal integration. The scheme is robust for driving signal noise due to the low-pass filtering feature of the temporal integrator. The proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates the generation of pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) sequences up to eight levels.