Application of a Social Vulnerability Index and Its Associations with Physical Frailty and Disability in a Cross-sectional Study of Older Kenyan Women Living with and without HIV.

Background: Social vulnerability reflects deficits in social resources that may disproportionally impact older women with HIV (WWH) in Africa.

Objective: To examine the relationship between scores on an adapted Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and measures of physical frailty and disability.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Field Surface Type and Season-Ending Lower Extremity Injury in NFL Players.

There is growing concern over the safety of artificial turf when it comes to the incidence of player injuries. The artificial surfaces can withstand more play, are cheaper to maintain, and are more predictable. However, there is concern that this beneficial durability comes at the expense of the forgiveness of the surface, leading to more injuries.

Impact of Catheter-Drawn Blood Cultures on Patient Management: A Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Nosocomial bloodstream infections associated with intravascular catheters pose significant financial burden, morbidity, and mortality. There is much debate about whether or not blood cultures should be drawn through central venous catheters, and while guidelines advocate for catheter-drawn cultures when catheter infection is suspected, there is variable practice in this regard.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study assessing episodes of positive catheter-drawn blood cultures with concomitant negative percutaneously-drawn cultures in tertiary care hospitals in the United States and Spain.

Anomalous Flexor Carpi Radialis Tendons Giving Rise to a Novel Surgical Technique in the Treatment of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Arthritis: A Case Report.

Introduction: Incidental discovery of anomalous muscles and anatomical variants within the forearm and wrist through surgical exposure and advanced imaging techniques is relatively common.

Case Report: The patient presented with pain and swelling in her hand that was refractory to rest and anti-inflammatory medications. Here, we describe the intraoperative discovery of an anatomical variant of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR), as well as an anomalous flexor carpi radialis brevis (FCRB) in a 58-year-old patient being treated for thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) arthritis.

The Effect of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients With Multiple Orthopaedic Injuries.

Introduction: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) plays a vital role in providing life support for patients with reversible cardiac or respiratory failure. Given the high rate of complications and difficulties associated with caring for ECMO patients, the goal of this study was to compare outcomes of orthopaedic surgery in polytrauma patients who received ECMO with similar patients who have not. This will help elucidate the timing and type of fixation that should be considered in patients on ECMO.

Non-enzymatic glucose sensing using a nickel hydroxide/chitosan modified screen-printed electrode incorporated into a flow injection analysis system.

This works presents a novel screen-printed carbon electrode modified with nickel hydroxide nanoparticles and chitosan (Ni(OH)/CS/SPCE) for the non-enzymatic flow injection amperometric detection of glucose. The electrode was modified by drop-casting a suspension of the synthesised nanocomposite onto the screen-printed electrode and dried for 1 hour at room temperature. EDX analysis was used to investigate the chemical composition of the electrode before and after modifying.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies in Pediatrics: Statewide Experience in Rhode Island.

Background: The pediatric population has suffered COVID-19 infections with measurable morbidity and mortality. Without oral options in those less than 12 years of age, practical treatment in this rapidly evolving disease is necessary. One treatment modality is monoclonal antibodies.

Impact of mandatory nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) testing approval on hospital-onset infection (HO-CDI) rates: A diagnostic stewardship intervention.

Misclassification of colonization as hospital-onset infection (HO-CDI) can lead to unnecessary treatment of patients and substantial financial penalties for hospitals. We successfully implemented mandatory PCR testing approval as a strategy to optimize testing, which was associated with a significant decline in the monthly incidence of HO-CDI rates and lowering of our standardized infection ratio to 0.77 (from 1.

Enhanced Monitoring of Photocatalytic Reactive Oxygen Species: Using Electrochemistry for Rapid Sensing of Hydroxyl Radicals Formed during the Degradation of Coumarin.

Many recent research studies have reported indirect methods for the detection and quantification of OH radicals generated during photocatalysis. The short lifespan and high reactivity of these radicals make indirect detection using probes such as coumarin a more viable quantification method. Hydroxyl radical production is commonly monitored using fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the concentration of the compound 7-hydroxycoumarin, which is formed from hydroxyl radical attack on coumarin.

Diabetic Retinopathy and Dementia Association, Beyond Diabetes Severity.

Purpose: To investigate whether associations between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain significant after controlling for several measures of diabetes severity.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) is a prospective cohort study of adults aged ≥65 years, randomly selected and recruited from the membership rolls of Kaiser Permanente Washington, who are dementia free at enrollment and followed biennially until incident dementia.

An unprecedented function for a tungsten-containing oxidoreductase.

Five tungstopterin-containing oxidoreductases were characterized from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus. Each enzyme catalyzes the reversible conversion of one or more aldehydes to the corresponding carboxylic acid, but they have different specificities. The physiological functions of only two of these enzymes are known: one, termed GAPOR, is a glycolytic enzyme that oxidizes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, while the other, termed AOR, oxidizes multiple aldehydes generated during peptide fermentation.

Retropharyngeal involvement in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: Case report and review of literature.

A diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children should be made in the appropriate context and after ruling out other infectious causes. At the same time, clinicians should be diligent as the initial presentation can be unusual and the clinical picture can evolve over time. We report a case that was initially diagnosed as a retropharyngeal infection that did not improve on appropriate antimicrobial coverage.

Lung Findings in a Patient with a History of Nicotine Vaping and Cannabis Smoking.

We report a collection of lung findings in a patient with a remote history of cigarette smoking, but now engaged in heavy nicotine vaping with daily edible and combustible cannabis use. Computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated numerous, small, and bilateral nodules with ground-glass appearance. The largest nodule is demonstrated in the right upper lung lobe.

Multiple ways to evade the bacteriostatic action of glyphosate in rhizobia include the mutation of the conserved serine 90 of the nitrogenase subunit NifH to alanine.

The genome resequencing of spontaneous glyphosate-resistant mutants derived from the soybean inoculant E109 allowed identifying genes most likely associated with the uptake (gltL and cya) and metabolism (zigA and betA) of glyphosate, as well as with nitrogen fixation (nifH). Mutations in these genes reduce the lag phase and improve nodulation under glyphosate stress. In addition to providing glyphosate resistance, the amino acid exchange Ser90Ala in NifH increased the citrate synthase activity, growth rate and plant growth-promoting efficiency of E109 in the absence of glyphosate stress, suggesting roles for this site during both the free-living and symbiotic growth stages.

Statewide Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Diagnoses and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Objective: Understanding and identifying disparities in COVID-19 testing outcomes can help allocate resources to where they are most needed. The objective of this study was to estimate the association between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) identity and SARS-CoV-2 test positivity.

Methods: Data were from the Rhode Island SARS-CoV-2 surveillance database and included tests scheduled from June 8, 2020, through January 15, 2021.

Pasteurella Multocida Urinary Tract Infection in a Susceptible Patient with Non-Traumatic Feline Contact.

Pasteurella multocida is a part of the normal oral flora of domestic animals. Humans can develop skin and soft tissue infections from P. multocida after traumatic animal contact, usually through bites and scratches from domestic animals.

Adaptation of a social vulnerability index for measuring social frailty among East African women.

Background: The number of older women living with HIV in Africa is growing, and their health outcomes may be adversely impacted by social frailty, which reflects deficits in social resources that accumulate over the lifespan. Our objective was to adapt a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) originally developed in Canada for use in a study of older women living with or without HIV infection in Mombasa, Kenya.

Methods: We adapted the SVI using a five-step process: formative qualitative work, translation into Kiswahili, a Delphi procedure, exploration of potential SVI items in qualitative work, and a rating and ranking exercise.

Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia.

Importance: Visual function is important for older adults. Interventions to preserve vision, such as cataract extraction, may modify dementia risk.

Objective: To determine whether cataract extraction is associated with reduced risk of dementia among older adults.

Trends in Waste Production at a Community Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: As of September 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to 42,500,000 cases and 680,000 deaths in the United States. In Rhode Island, there have been 170,000 cases and 2,820 deaths. Investigating resource utilization and waste production during disease outbreaks can inform efforts at disaster preparedness.

Association of Performance on Dichotic Auditory Tests With Risk for Incident Dementia and Alzheimer Dementia.

Importance: Age-related hearing difficulties can include problems with signal audibility and central auditory processing. Studies have demonstrated associations between audibility and dementia risk. To our knowledge, limited data exist to determine whether audibility, central processing, or both drive these associations.