Distinguishing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children from Typhus Using Artificial Intelligence: MIS-C vs. Endemic Typhus (AI-MET).

Background: The pandemic emergent disease multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) following coronavirus disease-19 infection can mimic endemic typhus. We aimed to use artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a clinical decision support system that accurately distinguishes MIS-C versus Endemic Typhus (MET).

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features rapidly available following presentation were extracted for 133 patients with MIS-C and 87 patients hospitalized due to typhus.

A Rare Case of Polymicrogyria in an Elderly Individual With Unique Polygenic Underlining.

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is the most common malformation of cortical development (MCD) and presents as an irregularly patterned cortical surface with numerous small gyri and shallow sulci leading to various neurological deficits including developmental delays, intellectual disability, epilepsy, and language and motor issues. The presentation of PMG varies and is often found in conjunction with other congenital anomalies. Histologically, PMG features an abnormal cortical structure and dyslamination, resulting in its classification as a defect of neuronal migration and organization.

Ecological Validity of Self-Perceived Voice Quality and Acoustic Measures During Voice Assessments: An Observational Study on Faculty Teachers.

Purpose: This study investigated the ecological validity of conventional voice assessments by comparing the self-perceived voice quality and acoustic characteristics of voice production during these assessments to those in a simulated environment with varying distracting conditions and noise levels.

Method: Forty-two university professors (26 women) participated in the study, where they were asked to produce loud connected speech by reading a 100-word text under four different conditions: a conventional assessment and three virtual classroom simulations created with 360° videos, each with different noise levels, played through a virtual reality headset and headphones. The first video depicted students paying attention in class (40 dB classroom noise); the second showed some students talking, generating moderate conversational noise (60 dB); and the third depicted students talking loudly and not paying attention (70 dB).

The Global Spread of Microplastics: Contamination in Mussels, Clams, and Crustaceans from World Markets.

Analysis of microplastic (MP) occurrence in commercially relevant species is a prerequisite for food risk assessment. Using a standardized methodology, we aimed to investigate MP contamination in point-of-sale clams, mussels, and Crustacea shellfish collected from various markets (Belgium, Croatia, Serbia, and South Korea). An improved digestion protocol yielded ≥ 99.