A National Survey of Caregiver Needs and Experiences When Attending the Emergency Department.

Objectives: Despite being a frequent entry point of care, it remains unknown if families' needs are being met across pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Study objectives were to describe caregivers' perceived overall PED experience and needs and to what extent these needs were met.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional survey with medical record review was conducted in 10 Canadian PEDs.

A national cross-sectional survey of health literacy of caregivers attending Canadian pediatric emergency departments.

Background: Health literacy assessment is key to better meeting family needs and developing informed strategies to promote positive health outcomes for children. The objective of this study was to describe the health literacy of caregivers who use Canadian pediatric emergency departments and relate it to demographic and visit-specific variables.

Methods: This study utilized a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design with medical record review.

Transcriptomics profiling of the non-small cell lung cancer microenvironment across disease stages reveals dual immune cell-type behaviors.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with poor survival despite recent therapeutic advances. A better understanding of the complexity of the tumor microenvironment is needed to improve patients' outcome.

Methods: We applied a computational immunology approach (involving immune cell proportion estimation by deconvolution, transcription factor activity inference, pathways and immune scores estimations) in order to characterize bulk transcriptomics of 62 primary lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) samples from patients across disease stages.

Multivalent inhibition of the fumigatus KDNase.

is a saprophytic fungus and opportunistic pathogen often causing fatal infections in immunocompromised patients. Recently KDNAse, an exoglycosidase hydrolyzing 3-deoxy-D-galacto-D--nonulosonic acid (KDN), a rare sugar from the sialic acid family, was identified and characterized. The principal function of KDNAse is still unclear, but a study suggests a critical role in fungal cell wall morphology and virulence.

Improving emotion perception in cochlear implant users: insights from machine learning analysis of EEG signals.

Background: Although cochlear implants can restore auditory inputs to deafferented auditory cortices, the quality of the sound signal transmitted to the brain is severely degraded, limiting functional outcomes in terms of speech perception and emotion perception. The latter deficit negatively impacts cochlear implant users' social integration and quality of life; however, emotion perception is not currently part of rehabilitation. Developing rehabilitation programs incorporating emotional cognition requires a deeper understanding of cochlear implant users' residual emotion perception abilities.

Mannose-coupled AAV2: A second-generation AAV vector for increased retinal gene therapy efficiency.

Inherited retinal diseases are a leading and untreatable cause of blindness and are therefore candidate diseases for gene therapy. Recombinant vectors derived from adeno-associated virus (rAAV) are currently the most promising vehicles for therapeutic gene delivery to the retina. However, there is a need for novel AAV-based vectors with greater efficacy for ophthalmic applications, as underscored by recent reports of dose-related inflammatory responses in clinical trials of rAAV-based ocular gene therapies.

Novel chemical tyrosine functionalization of adeno-associated virus improves gene transfer efficiency in liver and retina.

Decades of biological and clinical research have led to important advances in recombinant adeno-associated viruses rAAV-based gene therapy gene therapy. However, several challenges must be overcome to fully exploit the potential of rAAV vectors. Innovative approaches to modify viral genome and capsid elements have been used to overcome issues such as unwanted immune responses and off-targeting.

Family caregivers' emotional and communication needs in Canadian pediatric emergency departments.

Objectives: To describe the extent to which caregivers' emotional and communication needs were met during pediatric emergency department (PED) visits. Secondary objectives included describing the association of caregiver emotional needs, satisfaction with care, and comfort in caring for their child's illness at the time of discharge with demographic characteristics, caregiver experiences, and ED visit details.

Study Design: Electronic surveys with medical record review were deployed at ten Canadian PEDs from October 2018 -March 2020.

Click-electrochemistry for the rapid labeling of virus, bacteria and cell surfaces.

Methods for direct covalent ligation of microorganism surfaces remain poorly reported, and mostly based on metabolic engineering for bacteria and cells functionalization. While effective, a faster method avoiding the bio-incorporation step would be highly complementary. Here, we used N-methylluminol (NML), a fully tyrosine-selective protein anchoring group after one-electron oxidation, to label the surface of viruses, living bacteria and cells.

Significantly Longer Shedding of Norovirus Compared to Rotavirus and Adenovirus in Children with Acute Gastroenteritis.

Worldwide, acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age. Viruses, including norovirus, rotavirus, and enteric adenovirus, are the leading causes of pediatric AGE. In this prospective cohort study, we investigated the viral load and duration of shedding of norovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus in stool samples collected from 173 children (median age: 15 months) with AGE who presented to emergency departments (EDs) across Canada on Day 0 (day of enrollment), and 5 and 28 days after enrollment.

Additive Value of Intranasal Fentanyl on Ibuprofen for Pain Management of Children With Moderate to Severe Headaches: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the rapid pain improvement provided by medications for children presenting to an emergency department (ED) with headaches.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate pain reduction provided by intranasal fentanyl (INF) compared with placebo in addition to ibuprofen.

Methods: A single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary care pediatric ED.

ROMP-based Glycopolymers with High Affinity for Mannose-Binding Lectins.

Well-defined, highly reactive poly(norbornenyl azlactone)s of controlled length (number-average degree of polymerization = 10 to 1,000) were made by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of pure -norbornenyl azlactone. These were converted into glycopolymers using a facile postpolymerization modification (PPM) strategy based on click aminolysis of azlactone side groups by amino-functionalized glycosides. Pegylated mannoside, heptyl-mannoside, and pegylated glucoside were used in the PPM.

Factors Influencing Parental Decision-Making Regarding Analgesia for Children with Musculoskeletal Injury-Related Pain: A Qualitative Study.

Objectives: To explore and understand parental decision-making relating to acute pain management for their children presenting to the emergency department.

Study Design: This study employed one-on-one semistructured interviews. Parents of children with acute musculoskeletal injuries were recruited from 3 Canadian pediatric emergency departments.

Predictors of Adherence to Short-Course Probiotics Among Children with Gastroenteritis who are Enrolled in a Clinical Trial.

Background: To improve our understanding of adherence to discharge medications in the ED and within research trials, we sought to quantify medication adherence and identify predictors thereof in children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE).

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized trial of twice daily probiotic for 5 days. The population included previously healthy children aged 3-47 months with AGE.

Outpatient management of moderate cellulitis in children using high-dose oral cephalexin.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a high-dose (HD) oral cephalexin treatment guideline for children with moderate cellulitis treated as outpatients.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included children who presented to the emergency department (ED) with moderate cellulitis and treated according to the institution's HD oral cephalexin guideline over a 2-year period. All children had standardized follow-up at a medical day hospital (MDH).

How safe are paediatric emergency departments? A national prospective cohort study.

Background: Despite the high number of children treated in emergency departments, patient safety risks in this setting are not well quantified. Our objective was to estimate the risk and type of adverse events, as well as their preventability and severity, for children treated in a paediatric emergency department.

Methods: Our prospective, multicentre cohort study enrolled children presenting for care during one of 168 8-hour study shifts across nine paediatric emergency departments.

Intestinal Microbial Composition of Children in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Probiotics to Treat Acute Gastroenteritis.

Unlabelled: Compositional analysis of the intestinal microbiome in pre-schoolers is understudied. Effects of probiotics on the gut microbiota were evaluated in children under 4-years-old presenting to an emergency department with acute gastroenteritis. Included were 70 study participants (n=32 placebo, n=38 probiotics) with stool specimens at baseline (day 0), day 5, and after a washout period (day 28).

Derivation of the Pediatric Acute Gastroenteritis Risk Score to Predict Moderate-to-Severe Acute Gastroenteritis.

Objectives: Although most acute gastroenteritis (AGE) episodes in children rapidly self-resolve, some children go on to experience more significant and prolonged illness. We sought to develop a prognostic score to identify children at risk of experiencing moderate-to-severe disease after an index emergency department (ED) visit.

Methods: Data were collected from a cohort of children 3 to 48 months of age diagnosed with AGE in 16 North American pediatric EDs.

Luminol anchors improve the electrochemical-tyrosine-click labelling of proteins.

New methods for chemo-selective modifications of peptides and native proteins are important in chemical biology and for the development of therapeutic conjugates. Less abundant and uncharged amino-acid residues are interesting targets to form less heterogeneous conjugates and preserve biological functions. Phenylurazole (PhUr), -methylphenylurazole (NMePhUr) and -methylluminol (NMeLum) derivatives were described as tyrosine (Y) anchors after chemical or enzymatic oxidations.

Supporting Equity and Inclusion of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals in Professional Organizations.

Disability is an important and often overlooked component of diversity. Individuals with disabilities bring a rare perspective to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) because of their unique experiences approaching complex issues related to health and disability, navigating the healthcare system, creatively solving problems unfamiliar to many individuals without disabilities, managing time and resources that are limited by physical or mental constraints, and advocating for themselves and others in the disabled community. Yet, individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in STEMM.

Pathogen-Specific Effects of Probiotics in Children With Acute Gastroenteritis Seeking Emergency Care: A Randomized Trial.

Background: It is unknown if probiotics exert pathogen-specific effects in children with diarrhea secondary to acute gastroenteritis.

Methods: Analysis of patient-level data from 2 multicenter randomized, placebo controlled trials conducted in pediatric emergency departments in Canada and the United States. Participants were 3-48 months with >3 diarrheal episodes in the preceding 24 hours and were symptomatic for <72 hours and <7 days in the Canadian and US studies, respectively.

Oral Ondansetron Administration in Children Seeking Emergency Department Care for Acute Gastroenteritis: A Patient-Level Propensity-Matched Analysis.

Study Objective: This study aimed to explore oral ondansetron usage and impact on outcomes in clinical practice.

Methods: This observational study was a planned secondary analysis of 2 trials conducted in 10 US and 6 Canadian institutions between 2014 and 2017. Children 3 to 48 months old with gastroenteritis and ≥3 episodes of vomiting in the 24 hours preceding emergency department (ED) presentation were included.