A Remotely Delivered, Personalized Music Therapy Pilot Intervention for Lonely Older Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: This study investigated a remotely delivered, therapist-facilitated, personalized music listening intervention for community-dwelling older adults experiencing loneliness during the Covid-19 pandemic. We assessed its feasibility and individuals' experiences of social connection and emotional well-being during the intervention.

Methods: Ten cognitively unimpaired older adults who endorsed loneliness completed eight weekly sessions with a board-certified music therapist via Zoom.

Association between bacterial resistance profile and the development of intra-abdominal abscesses in pediatric patients with perforated appendicitis: cohort study.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the association between the presence of a microorganism resistant to the antibiotic used in empirical therapy and the development of intra-abdominal abscesses in children with perforated appendicitis.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in patients under 18 years of age who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy between November 1, 2019, and September 30, 2020, in whom perforated appendicitis was documented intraoperatively. Peritoneal fluid samples were taken for bacteria culture purposes, and clinical and microbiological data were collected from all patients.

Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy in Three In Vitro Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi.

We describe here the application of ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) in Trypanosoma cruzi, a technique that allows increasing the spatial resolution of a cell or tissue for microscopic imaging. This is performed by physically expanding a sample with off-the-shelf chemicals and common lab equipment. Chagas disease is a widespread and pressing public health concern caused by T.

Intranasal trans-sialidase-based vaccine against Trypanosoma cruzi triggers a mixed cytokine profile in the nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue and confers local and systemic immunogenicity.

Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, can infect through conjunctive or oral mucosas. Therefore, the induction of mucosal immunity by vaccination is relevant not only to trigger local protection but also to stimulate both humoral and cell-mediated responses in systemic sites to control parasite dissemination. In a previous study, we demonstrated that a nasal vaccine based on a Trans-sialidase (TS) fragment plus the mucosal STING agonist c-di-AMP, was highly immunogenic and elicited prophylactic capacity.

Quadratus lumborum blocks for abdominal transplant surgeries at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh-A five year experience.

Background: Adequate perioperative analgesia for pediatric abdominal transplant surgery is essential for patient recovery. However, the risks of commonly used medications such as hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, bleeding concerns, and poor graft results with opioids limit pain management in this population. Thoracic epidural, continuous erector spinae plane, and type-1 quadratus lumborum blocks (QLBs) have been described and utilized in the adult population in this setting.

Cervical Dystonia Resolving After the Onset of Parkinson's Disease.

Dystonia can occur in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dystonia usually presents during the course of the disease or as a side effect of medication. The development of cervical dystonia (CD) before the onset of PD is uncommon but has been described.

Suprascapular Nerve Pulsed Radiofrequency for Chronic Shoulder Pain in a Pediatric Patient.

Pulsed radiofrequency of the suprascapular nerve has shown efficacy in adults with chronic shoulder pain, but its use in pediatrics is relatively new. We present a case of a successful use of pulsed radiofrequency to treat refractory chronic shoulder pain in an adolescent patient. .

De Novo Duplication of Chromosome 9p in a Female Infant: Phenotype and Genotype Correlation.

Trisomy 9p syndrome is the fourth most frequent chromosome aberration seen in infants. Duplication of the critical region 9p22p24 leads to mental retardation, psychomotor delay, and craniofacial and digital anomalies. We report a 2-year-old Ecuadorian girl with Trisomy 9p syndrome.

One-tailed asymptotic inferences for the difference of proportions: Analysis of 97 methods of inference.

Two-tailed asymptotic inferences for the difference d = p - p with independent proportions have been widely studied in the literature. Nevertheless, the case of one tail has received less attention, despite its great practical importance (superiority studies and noninferiority studies). This paper assesses 97 methods to make these inferences (test and confidence intervals [CIs]), although it also alludes to many others.

Ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus block in children and adolescents using a transverse lumbar paravertebral sonogram: Initial experience.

Background: The clinical reliability and reproducibility of ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus blocks is not established in pediatric populations. We present the results of a combined nerve stimulation ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus block using the vertebral body, transverse process, and psoas muscle as landmarks on a transverse lumbar paravertebral sonogram with mid-axillary transducer placement, "shamrock method," in children and adolescents.

Aims: Our primary objective was to determine the rate of achieving sensory changes in the lumbar plexus distribution.

Erector spinae plane block for inguinal hernia repair in preterm infants.

Neuro-axial anesthesia has been the preferred technique for inguinal hernia repair when attempting to avoid general anesthesia in neonates and preterm infants. We present a case where an erector spinae plane block was used successfully for this surgery. Hemodynamic stability, minimal anesthetic requirements, and excellent pain control were documented.

Erector Spinae Plane Block for Surgery of the Posterior Thoracic Wall in a Pediatric Patient.

Objective: Historically, regional anesthesia for surgery on the posterior thoracic wall has been limited to neuraxial and paravertebral nerve blocks. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a novel technique that anesthetizes the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves innervating the posterior thoracic wall. We report the use of the ESP block for this clinical application in a pediatric patient.

Technical success of the ultrasound-guided supra-inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block in older children and adolescents for hip arthroscopy.

Background: Hip arthroscopic surgery is performed on older pediatric patients. Fascia iliaca compartment block has proven efficacy in providing analgesia following hip surgery and can be performed with target location of local anesthetic below or above the inguinal ligament. The reported success of ultrasound-guided infra-inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block is lower when compared to traditional landmark technique, while the reliability of supra-inguinal fascia iliaca compartment block is unreported.

Use of platelet-rich fibrin in regenerative dentistry: a systematic review.

Objectives: Research across many fields of medicine now points towards the clinical advantages of combining regenerative procedures with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF). This systematic review aimed to gather the extensive number of articles published to date on PRF in the dental field to better understand the clinical procedures where PRF may be utilized to enhance tissue/bone formation.

Materials And Methods: Manuscripts were searched systematically until May 2016 and separated into the following categories: intrabony and furcation defect regeneration, extraction socket management, sinus lifting procedures, gingival recession treatment, and guided bone regeneration (GBR) including horizontal/vertical bone augmentation procedures.

Dermatomal spread following posterior transversus abdominis plane block in pediatric patients: our initial experience.

Introduction: Several techniques for the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block have been described. The extent of sensory changes using an ultrasound-guided posterior TAP block (pTAP) remains unclear in pediatric patients. The primary aim of this study was to report the extent of sensory changes achieved with pTAP; specifically the highest thoracic dermatome anesthetized.

Chloroprocaine: local anesthetic systemic toxicity in a 9-month infant with paravertebral catheter.

Regional anesthesia use in pediatric patients has a good safety profile. 2-Chloroprocaine is used frequently in infants due to rapid onset, lack of accumulation, and rapid plasma degradation. We present a case of local anesthetic systemic toxicity following the administration of 3% 2-chloroprocaine through a paravertebral catheter in an infant.

Regulation of BRAF protein stability by a negative feedback loop involving the MEK-ERK pathway but not the FBXW7 tumour suppressor.

The (V600E)BRAF oncogenic mutation is detected in a wide range of human cancers and induces hyperactivation of the downstream MEK-ERK signalling cascade. Although output of the BRAF-MEK-ERK pathway is regulated by feed-forward RAF activity, feedback control also plays an important role. One such feedback pathway has been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans and involves ERK-mediated phosphorylation of BRAF within a CDC4 phosphodegron (CPD), targeting BRAF for degradation via CDC4 (also known as FBXW7), a component of the SKP1/CUL1/F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex.

Universal chiral-triggered magnetization switching in confined nanodots.

Spin orbit interactions are rapidly emerging as the key for enabling efficient current-controlled spintronic devices. Much work has focused on the role of spin-orbit coupling at heavy metal/ferromagnet interfaces in generating current-induced spin-orbit torques. However, the strong influence of the spin-orbit-derived Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) on spin textures in these materials is now becoming apparent.

Effectiveness of disinfection therapies and promotion of osteoblast growth on osseotite and nanotite implant surfaces.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of 4 procedures to disinfect implant surfaces intentionally inoculated with bacteria and afterward to evaluate osteoblast viability to the disinfected implant surfaces.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-eight commercially pure Osseotite and Nanotite titanium implant discs were inoculated with Porphyromonas gingivalis. The implant surfaces were disinfected with EDTA, tetracycline, citric acid, or neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser.

Antibiotic resistance patterns of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex species from Colombian hospitals.

Introduction: Only automated phenotypic methods are currently used in Colombian hospitals for identifying isolates of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex (ACB). The phenotypical similarities in these species mean that they cannot be differentiated by manual or automated methods, thereby leading to their identification as A.