Outcome prediction for late-onset sepsis after premature birth.

Background: Our aim was to develop a quantitative model for immediately estimating the risk of death and/or brain injury in late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants, based on objective and measurable data available at the time sepsis is first suspected (i.e., time of blood culture collection).

Bacterial Meningitis in Infants Under 90 Days of Age: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Background: Bacterial meningitis (BM) in infants is a serious condition that can lead to significant complications. Lumbar puncture (LP) is essential to provide diagnoses, however false negatives may result if LP is performed after the starting of antibiotic therapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of infants of any gestational age with BM within their first 90 days of life and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Modena Policlinico between 1 January 2011, and 31 December 2023.

Prenatal multidisciplinary counseling for fetal congenital anomalies: A narrative review.

Introduction: Prenatal multidisciplinary counseling for fetuses with congenital anomalies involves a collaborative approach, integrating expertise from various medical fields.

Aims And Approach: This comprehensive strategy aims to provide expectant parents with accurate information about the diagnosis, potential outcomes, and available interventions. Genetic counselors, obstetricians, neonatologists, and other specialists work together to address medical, psychological, and ethical aspects.

Abstract concepts and expertise: the case of institutional concepts.

Recent views recognize that abstract concepts encompass a variety of exemplars, each relying on different dimensions, including not only sensorimotor but also inner, linguistic, and social experiences. How these dimensions characterize types of abstract concepts, and whether their weight varies across contexts and individuals remains an open question. We investigated the role of linguistic and social situations in the processing of institutional concepts, such as justice, by individuals with different levels of expertise.

Can a Shorter Dwell Time Reduce Infective Complications Associated with the Use of Umbilical Catheters?

Background: Umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) are the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to administer fluids, parenteral nutrition and medications, although complications may occur, including central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs). However, the dwell time to reduce CLABSI risk remains an open issue.

Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective study of newborns hospitalized in the Modena NICU with at least one UVC inserted over a 6-year period (period 1: January 2011-December 2013; period 2: January 2019-December 2021).

A perspective review on the role of engine sound in speed perception and control: state of the art and methodological suggestions.

In this review we focus on the role of in-car sound, specifically the artificial engine sounds, on drivers' speed perception and control, a topic that has received little attention so far. Previous studies indicate that removing or reducing engine sound leads drivers to underestimate speed and, consequently, to drive faster. Furthermore, evidence suggests that specific sound frequencies could play a role in this process, highlighting the importance of in-car sound features.

The Motor Optimality Score-Revised Improves Early Detection of Unilateral Cerebral Palsy in Infants with Perinatal Cerebral Stroke.

Background: Neonatal cerebral stroke includes a range of focal and multifocal ischemic and hemorrhagic brain lesions, occurring in about one of 3000 live births. More than 50% of children with neonatal stroke develop adverse outcomes, mainly unilateral cerebral palsy. Asymmetries in segmental movements at three months have been proven to be an early sign of CP in infants with unilateral brain damage.

Tropical root responses to global changes: A synthesis.

Tropical ecosystems face escalating global change. These shifts can disrupt tropical forests' carbon (C) balance and impact root dynamics. Since roots perform essential functions such as resource acquisition and tissue protection, root responses can inform about the strategies and vulnerabilities of ecosystems facing present and future global changes.

Identifying skull fractures after head trauma in infants with ultrasonography: is that possible?

Management of pediatric head trauma requires a delicate balance between accuracy and safety, with a dual emphasis on prompt diagnosis while minimizing radiation exposure. Ultrasonography (US) shows promise in this regard. A case study involving a 10-month-old infant with acute right parietal swelling revealed the utility of US in detecting a corresponding hypoechoic lesion, along with an underlying suspected fracture line of the vault and subdural hematoma.

Predictability of expansion movements performed by clear aligners in mixed dentition in both arches: a retrospective study on digital casts.

Background: to evaluate the predictability of expansion achieved in patients in early mixed dentition treated with Clear Aligners (CA), analyzing the efficiency of the expansion at the end of the first set of aligners and at the end of the therapy in the upper and lower arch.

Methods: 36 patients (20 F, 16 M; mean age 8.3 ± 1.

Cranial ultrasound in preterm infants ≤ 32 weeks gestation-novel insights from the use of very high-frequency (18-5 MHz) transducers: a case series.

The quality of cranial ultrasound has improved over time, with advancing technology leading to higher resolution, faster image processing, digital display, and back-up. However, some brain lesions may remain difficult to characterize: since higher frequencies result in greater spatial resolution, the use of additional transducers may overcome some of these limitations. The very high-frequency transducers (18-5 MHz) are currently employed for small parts and lung ultrasound.

Ultrasound-Guided Centrally Inserted Central Catheter (CICC) Placement in Newborns: A Safe Clinical Training Program in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Centrally inserted central catheters (CICCs) are increasingly used in neonatal care. CICCs have garnered attention and adoption owing to their advantageous features. Therefore, achieving clinical competence in ultrasound-guided CICC insertion in term and preterm infants is of paramount importance for neonatologists.

Sustaining the Continued Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Preterm Infants.

Background: There are wide variations in antibiotic use in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Limited data are available on antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs and long-term maintenance of AS interventions in preterm very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: We extended a single-centre observational study carried out in an Italian NICU.

Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro-biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models.

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest-climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome after Culture-Proven or So-Called Culture-Negative Sepsis in Preterm Infants.

(1) Background: Prematurity is a serious condition associated with long-term neurological disability. This study aimed to compare the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm neonates with or without sepsis. (2) Methods: This single-center retrospective case-control study included infants with birth weight < 1500 g and/or gestational age ≤ 30 weeks.

In situ short-term responses of Amazonian understory plants to elevated CO.

The response of plants to increasing atmospheric CO depends on the ecological context where the plants are found. Several experiments with elevated CO (eCO) have been done worldwide, but the Amazonian forest understory has been neglected. As the central Amazon is limited by light and phosphorus, understanding how understory responds to eCO is important for foreseeing how the forest will function in the future.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of neonatal seizures: A longitudinal study.

Introduction: Neonatal seizures (NS) are the most common neurological emergency in the neonatal period. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) proposed a new classification of NS based on semiology and highlighted the correlation between semiology and aetiology. However, neurodevelopmental outcomes have not been comprehensively evaluated based on this new classification.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome and Neuroimaging of Very Low Birth Weight Infants from an Italian NICU Adopting the Family-Centered Care Model.

Background: Improvements in perinatal care have substantially decreased mortality rates among preterm infants, yet their neurodevelopmental outcomes and quality of life persist as a pertinent public health concern. Family-centered care has emerged as a holistic philosophy that promotes effective alliances among patients, families, and healthcare providers to improve the quality of care.

Aims: This longitudinal prospective study aims to evaluate the neurodevelopmental outcomes and brain MRI findings in a cohort of preterm newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) adopting a family-centered care model.

Fetal hepatic calcification in severe KAT6A (Arboleda-Tham) syndrome.

Arboleda-Tham syndrome (ARTHS, MIM 616268) is a rare genetic disease, due to a pathogenic variant of Lysine (K) Acetyltransferase 6A (KAT6A) with autosomal dominant inheritance. Firstly described in 2015, ARTHS is one of the more common causes of undiagnosed syndromic intellectual disability. Due to extreme phenotypic variability, ARTHS clinical diagnosis is challenging, mostly at early stage of the disease.

Continuous Fentanyl Infusion in Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia: Background, Aims, and Study Protocol for Time-Concentration Profiles.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the standard of care for newborns with moderate to severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Discomfort and pain during treatment are common and may affect the therapeutic efficacy of TH. Opioid sedation and analgesia (SA) are generally used in clinical practice, and fentanyl is one of the most frequently administered drugs.