Corticosteroids to prevent kidney scarring in children with a febrile urinary tract infection: a randomized trial.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant systemic corticosteroids in reducing kidney scarring. A previous study suggested that use of adjuvant systemic corticosteroids reduces kidney scarring in children radiologically confirmed to have extensive pyelonephritis. Efficacy of corticosteroids for children with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) has not been studied.

Pathogen-Negative Sepsis-An Opportunity for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

Sepsis is a common reason for empiric antibiotics among hospitalized patients. We found that the median duration of empiric antibiotics (interquartile range) was 6 (4-9) days among 1047 survivivors with pathogen-negative sepsis. These findings suggest that patients with pathogen-negative sepsis could represent an important opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship.

Chronic health conditions and adolescent friendship: perspectives from social network analysis.

Objective: The current study uses methods from social network analysis to examine the relationship between chronic health conditions (CHCs) and adolescent friendships. Particular attention is given to the processes of peer marginalization, peer withdrawal and homophily related to CHCs.

Methods: Exponential random graph models were used to investigate the extent to which a CHC is associated with patterns in adolescent friendship connections, while controlling for important social network properties and covariates.

Empirical Sample Size Guidelines for Use of Latent Difference Score Mediation.

Mediation models are commonly used to identify the mechanisms through which one variable influences another. Among longitudinal mediation methods, latent difference score mediation stands out due to its unique ability to capture non-linear change over time. However, there is limited information regarding sample size demands to achieve adequate power with this method, resulting in few applications of latent difference score mediation.

The importance of face-to-face contact and reciprocal relationships and their associations with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.

Objective: The current study aimed to examine how patterns of interpersonal relational contexts (e.g., face-to-face or technology-based) and processes (e.