Implementation of ultrasound and fast magnetic resonance imaging pathway reduces computed tomography utilization in children with suspected appendicitis.

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) is still used in the imaging diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children at many hospitals. We implemented an ultrasound (US) and fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pathway for suspected appendicitis at our institution with the goal of reducing radiation exposure in children.

Methods: All children (< 18 years old) who underwent appendectomy between January 2011 and July 2021 were reviewed.

Normal 24-hour urine calcium concentrations after long-term daily oral intake of vitamin D in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 international units in 14 adult hospitalized psychiatric patients.

Many controversies exist regarding vitamin D supplementation. These include not only diseases that are responsive to vitamin D supplementation, but also the long-term safety of prolonged daily oral vitamin D intake above 4000-10,000 International Units (IU). In particular, supplementation levels that do not result in adverse events, and the upper limits of safe serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations.

Oral and Topical Vitamin D, Sunshine, and UVB Phototherapy Safely Control Psoriasis in Patients with Normal Pretreatment Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations: A Literature Review and Discussion of Health Implications.

Vitamin D, sunshine and UVB phototherapy were first reported in the early 1900s to control psoriasis, cure rickets and cure tuberculosis (TB). Vitamin D also controlled asthma and rheumatoid arthritis with intakes ranging from 60,000 to 600,000 International Units (IU)/day. In the 1980s, interest in treating psoriasis with vitamin D rekindled.

MRI in verrucous venous malformation: role in diagnosis and treatment.

Verrucous venous malformation (VVM), recently reclassified from verrucous hemangioma, is a rare congenital vascular anomaly that is traditionally diagnosed on histopathologic analysis of deep tissue biopsy. This case report documents the utility of magnetic resonance imaging in confirming VVM diagnosis, characterizing lesion extent and guiding therapy.

Vascular anomaly imaging mimics and differential diagnoses.

Vascular anomalies can be correctly diagnosed in the majority of instances using the combination of clinical history, physical examination and imaging. In certain cases, the clinical work-up may be inconclusive or unavailable to the radiologist, and the imaging findings can be nonspecific, yielding more than one possible diagnosis. In this pictorial essay, we discuss diagnoses that can mimic vascular anomalies and highlight key differentiating imaging features.

Visiting Black Patients: Racial Disparities in Security Standby Requests.

Background: Structural inequalities exist within healthcare. Racial disparities in hospital security standby requests (SSRs) have not been previously explored. We speculated hospital SSRs varied based upon race with black patients and their visitors negatively impacted.

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the biliary tree: A rare cause of obstructive jaundice in children which can mimic choledochal cysts.

Jaundice in children is more often due to hepatic disease than obstruction. Differential considerations for obstructive jaundice in children include choledocholithiasis, choledochal cysts and rare neoplasms. Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma in pediatric patients, typically involves the head and neck, genitourinary system and extremities.

Residents' Attitude, Knowledge, and Perceived Preparedness Toward Caring for Patients from Diverse Sociocultural Backgrounds.

Training residents to deliver care to increasingly diverse patients in the United States is an important strategy to help alleviate racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes. Cross-cultural care training of residents continues to present challenges. This study sought to explore the associations among residents' cross-cultural attitudes, preparedness, and knowledge about disparities to better elucidate possible training needs.

Dual-energy compared to single-energy CT in pediatric imaging: a phantom study for DECT clinical guidance.

Background: Dual-energy CT technology is available on scanners from several vendors and offers significant advantages over classic single-energy CT technology in multiple clinical applications. Many studies have detailed dual-energy CT applications in adults and several have evaluated the relative radiation dose performance of dual-energy CT in adult imaging. However, little has been published on dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population, and the relative dose performance of dual-energy CT imaging in the pediatric population is not well described.

The right to move: a multidisciplinary lifespan conceptual framework.

This paper addresses the health problems and opportunities that society will face in 2030. We propose a proactive model to combat the trend towards declining levels of physical activity and increasing obesity. The model emphasizes the need to increase physical activity among individuals of all ages.

Comprehensive analysis of gene-environmental interactions with temporal gene expression profiles in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

To explore gene-environment interactions, based on temporal gene expression information, we analyzed gene and treatment information intensively and inferred interaction networks accordingly. The main idea is that gene expression reflects the response of genes to environmental factors, assuming that variations of gene expression occur under different conditions. Then we classified experimental conditions into several subgroups based on the similarity of temporal gene expression profiles.

Maternal ethnicity influences on neonatal respiratory outcomes after antenatal corticosteroid use for anticipated preterm delivery.

Objective: To explore the influence of maternal ethnicity on neonatal outcomes after antenatal corticosteroid administration.

Methods: A retrospective review of ethnicity, maternal factors, and neonatal birth outcomes was performed for preterm births at a single institution. Cases were limited to women who received antenatal corticosteroids.

Ultrasonographic endometrial thickness for diagnosing endometrial pathology in postmenopausal bleeding.

We conducted this retrospective analysis of our clinical data to identify the incidence of benign endometrial abnormalities, endometrial carcinoma and to find out the endometrial thickness (ET) cut-off point using trans-vaginal ultrasonography for patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) referred to the Rapid Access Clinic in Northampton General Hospital. All women referred between April 2004 and April 2005 with PMB were included in this analysis. Final diagnostic outcome was classified into benign endometrial polyp, endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial carcinoma or normal (by excluding these pathologies).

The first 48 hours: Comparing 12-hour and 24-hour betamethasone dosing when preterm deliveries occur rapidly.

Objective: To compare neonatal outcomes when dosing betamethasone every 12 hours compared to the standard 24-hour dosing regimen when premature deliveries occur within 48 hours of presentation.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on preterm deliveries from January 1, 1996 to July 1, 2000. Deliveries that occurred less than 48 hours after initiation of antenatal steroids were analyzed for neonatal outcomes.

Neonatal outcomes with different betamethasone dosing regimens: a comparison.

Objective: To determine any differences in neonatal outcomes when dosing betamethasone every 12 hours vs. 24 hoursfor anticipated preterm delivery.

Study Design: A retrospective review of births at <36 weeks' gestation from January 1, 1996, to July 1, January 1, 1996, to July 1, 2000.

Ectopic pregnancy - laparoscopic management in a district general hospital.

A 2-year retrospective study was carried out in a district general hospital to review the outcome of laparoscopic management versus laparotomy for the management of ectopic pregnancy. Outcome measures included operating time, postoperative analgesia requirements, complications, length of hospital stay, the post-ectopic intrauterine pregnancy rates and the recurrent ectopic pregnancy rates over an observational period of 16 months. Forty-nine consecutive women were seen.

Intrathecal busulfan treatment of human neoplastic meningitis in athymic nude rats.

The current study was designed to evaluate the toxicity and activity of Spartaject Busulfan, a microcrystalline preparation of busulfan, following its intrathecal administration into a nude rat model of human neoplastic meningitis. Animals were treated through permanent indwelling subarachnoid catheters. Human glioma D-456 MG growing in the subarachnoid space was treated with 8.

A novel human stress response-related gene with a potential role in induced radioresistance.

We have isolated a novel gene, DIR1, from L132 cells that is transiently repressed after exposure to low radiation doses and has a potential role in induced radioresistance. Molecular and cellular characterization of this gene reveals that it is unique but has similarities to a family of heat-shock-related proteins known as immunophilins. These have been implicated in various cellular functions including general stress responses and control of the cell cycle.

Conducted vascular responses: communication across the capillary bed.

Conducted vasomotor responses are important for the effective distribution of blood flow, although the mechanism by which these responses are initiated is not well understood. ATP, a substance which is released from circulating red blood cells in response to low PO2 and low pH, two conditions which are associated with decreased supply relative to demand, has been shown to initiate conducted vasodilation following its intraluminal application in first and second order arterioles. Since such low PO2 and low pH conditions would most likely occur on the venous side of the vasculature, we evaluated the response of the arteriolar and capillary networks to application of ATP into venules in the Saran-covered hamster cheek pouch retractor muscle using in vivo video microscopy.

Arteriolar responses to extracellular ATP in striated muscle.

Blood flow and its distribution must be appropriately regulated to ensure that perfusion is matched to local tissue demands. We investigated the role of ATP in triggering a conducted alteration in arteriolar diameter in the Saran-covered cheek pouch retractor muscle of anesthetized hamsters (n = 60). Vascular responses were observed using in vivo video microscopy upstream from the site of micropressure application of ATP (10(-8)-10(-4) M) either into the lumen or just outside the wall of first- and second-order arterioles.