Publications by authors named "Hickman C"

Pareidolic faces-illusory faces in objects-offer a unique context for studying biases in the development of facial processing because they are visually diverse (e.g., color, shape) while lacking key elements of real faces (e.

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Background: In recent times, various algorithms have been developed to assist in the selection of embryos for transfer based on artificial intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, the majority of AI models employed in this context were characterized by a lack of transparency. To address these concerns, we aim to design an interpretable tool to automate human embryo evaluation by combining artificial neural networks (ANNs) and genetic algorithms (GA).

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  • * Researchers developed a new subunit vaccine using a stabilized mumps fusion glycoprotein (Pre-F) and a chimeric immunogen, which showed strong immune responses in mice against various mumps genotypes.
  • * The study identified specific antibodies against the Pre-F and hemagglutinin neuraminidase (HN), which could neutralize the virus effectively, suggesting these new immunogens could enhance existing vaccine-induced immunity or serve as improved vaccine options.
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Introduction: It remains unclear if pacing induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) may be minimized by standard pacing of the right ventricle (RV) at sites other than the RV apex. The purpose of this study is to compare the relative frequency of PICM in a population of patients paced at either the superficial RV mid septum (RVMS) or RV apex (RVA), and other outcomes that may differ between these sites.

Methods And Results: A retrospective evaluation was performed on all patients undergoing pacemaker implantation between 2011 and 2022.

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  • - The first audit of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in UK fertility care reveals significant shortcomings in clinical knowledge and cultural competence, particularly affecting transgender and gender diverse patients.
  • - Despite some efforts to improve inclusivity, systemic barriers like cisheteronormativity and discrimination persist, leaving LGBTQ+ patients under-represented in both research and practice.
  • - A checklist for enhancing LGBTQ+ inclusivity was co-developed with community members, focusing on cultural competence, clinical considerations, and online presence, highlighting the urgent need for better support and understanding in fertility care.
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  • Lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy (LRFN) is a treatment for back pain that works by targeting nerves related to joint pain but may also affect muscle innervation; little research exists on its effect on degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS).
  • This study aimed to compare the rate of spondylolisthesis progression in patients with DLS who had LRFN against the natural progression rate of 2% per year.
  • Results showed that the average progression rate in LRFN patients was 1.63% per year, which was significantly lower than the expected rate, indicating that LRFN does not seem to worsen spondylolisthesis progression in affected individuals.
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Background: Lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy (LRFN) effectively alleviates zygapophyseal joint-mediated pain by coagulating medial branch nerves to disrupt nociceptive signaling pathways. The concomitant denervation of multifidus fibers has led to concern that LRFN may increase segmental instability and accelerate degenerative changes in patients with certain pre-existing spinal pathologies. There is a paucity of literature evaluating whether LRFN increases the progression of spinal curvature in patients with adult scoliosis.

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Background: In 2017, a mumps outbreak occurred in a US military barracks. Serum collected at service entry was used to compare pre-exposure with presumptive vaccine-induced antibody levels from persons who developed mumps (cases) and potentially exposed persons who did not develop mumps (non-cases). Sufficient information to determine levels of exposure during the outbreak was not available.

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Mongolia experienced a nationwide measles outbreak during 1 March 2015-31 December 2016, with 49,077 cases reported to the WHO; many were among vaccinated young adults, suggesting a possible role of vaccine failure. Advanced laboratory methods, coupled with detailed epidemiological investigations, can help classify cases as vaccine failure, failure to vaccinate, or both. In this report, we conducted a study of cases to identify risk factors for breakthrough infection for a subset of laboratory-confirmed measles cases.

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  • The study focuses on the care and health outcomes of infants born to mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the early COVID-19 pandemic, particularly studying a cohort of 216 infants in NYC hospitals discharged between March and December 2020.
  • Researchers aimed to gather data on parental experiences related to home care, healthcare access, and the infants' health between 6 to 12 months old through phone interviews and medical records.
  • Results revealed that a significant portion of infants had emergency room visits, with a few testing positive for COVID-19, while many mothers faced challenges in fully implementing recommended infection control practices at home.
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Background: Pediatric migraine prophylaxis is indicated when headaches are frequent and/or disabling. We aimed to conduct a study to compare the efficacy of cinnarizine and amitriptyline in pediatric migraine prophylaxis.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind trial, patients aged 4-17 years with migraine who were eligible for prophylaxis enrolled.

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Research Question: What can three-dimensional cell contact networks tell us about the developmental potential of cleavage-stage human embryos?

Design: This pilot study was a retrospective analysis of two Embryoscope imaging datasets from two clinics. An artificial intelligence system was used to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of embryos from 11-plane focal stacks. Networks of cell contacts were extracted from the resulting embryo three-dimensional models and each embryo's mean contacts per cell was computed.

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Background: A third dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) may be administered for various reasons, but data on long-term immunity are limited. We assessed neutralizing antibody levels against measles and rubella among adults up to 11 years after receipt of a third MMR dose.

Methods: In this longitudinal study, healthy adults who received a third MMR dose as young adults (ages 18-28 years) were recalled around 5 years and 9-11 years after the third dose.

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In late December 1973, the United States enacted what some would come to call "the pitbull of environmental laws." In the 50 years since, the formidable regulatory teeth of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have been credited with considerable successes, obliging agencies to draw upon the best available science to protect species and habitats. Yet human pressures continue to push the planet toward extinctions on a massive scale.

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Study Question: Can machine learning predict the number of oocytes retrieved from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)?

Summary Answer: Three machine-learning models were successfully trained to predict the number of oocytes retrieved from COH.

What Is Known Already: A number of previous studies have identified and built predictive models on factors that influence the number of oocytes retrieved during COH. Many of these studies are, however, limited in the fact that they only consider a small number of variables in isolation.

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  • Headaches, especially migraines, are common in kids and teens, but effective treatments for them often lack FDA approval or supporting evidence.
  • Recent studies have examined both medication-based and non-medication-based treatments, showing promising safety and efficacy for options like onabotulinumtoxinA and CGRP antagonists.
  • A combined treatment approach is recommended for managing pediatric migraines, but more clinical studies are needed to evaluate these newer therapies.
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Background: ChatGPT is a large language model that has performed well on professional examinations in the fields of medicine, law, and business. However, it is unclear how ChatGPT would perform on an examination assessing professionalism and situational judgement for doctors.

Objective: We evaluated the performance of ChatGPT on the Situational Judgement Test (SJT): a national examination taken by all final-year medical students in the United Kingdom.

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  • The article discusses the creation of booklets that encourage exploration of sensory experiences in healthcare settings, focusing on embodied engagement rather than traditional research findings.
  • The booklets are designed to be open-ended and interactive, prompting users to generate their own meanings and feelings about health environments.
  • The authors advocate for diverse, non-narrative approaches to sensory research, emphasizing the importance of creative forms and materials to effectively convey complex emotional and spatial experiences.
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Background: Measles can lead to serious complications and remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study we aimed to assess the etiological diagnosis of discarded measles cases in the context of an outbreak among a highly immunized population.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of discarded measles cases from an outbreak that occurred from October 2006 to July 2007 in Catalonia.

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  • Laboratory confirmation of measles via measles-specific IgM detection in serum using ELISA is crucial for accurate surveillance.
  • The study compared a CDC-developed IgM capture assay with five commercial ELISA kits, revealing significant variability in their sensitivity (50-83%) and specificity (86.9-98%).
  • False-positive and false-negative results were common across the commercial kits, complicating the evaluation process in settings aiming for measles elimination.
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Objective: Investigate associations between endplate and motion segment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and treatment outcomes following basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation (BVN RFA) in patients with clinically suspected vertebral endplate pain (VEP).

Design: Aggregated cohort study of 296 participants treated with BVN RFA from three prospective clinical trials.

Methods: Baseline MRI characteristics were analyzed using stepwise logistic regression to identify factors associated with treatment success.

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Background: Host-pathogen dynamics associated with HIV infection are quite distinct in children versus adults. We interrogated the functional fitness of the lymphocyte responses in two cohorts of perinatally infected HIV+ pediatric subjects with early anti-retroviral therapy (ART) initiation but divergent patterns of virologic control. We hypothesized that sub-optimal viral control would compromise immune functional fitness.

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