Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Risk of Preterm Birth: The Role of Weight Gain during Pregnancy, Race, and Ethnicity.

Objective:  Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the leading causes of infant and neonatal mortality. Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI; kg/m) has been linked to PTB but the evidence of this association by weight gain during pregnancy, race, and ethnicity is limited. This study aimed to assess the association between maternal prepregnancy BMI and PTB stratified by weight gain during pregnancy, race, and ethnicity.

Operation CoVER Saint Louis (COVID-19 Vaccine in the Emergency Room): Impact of a Vaccination Program in the Emergency Department.

Introduction: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) inequitably impacted minority populations and regions with limited access to healthcare resources. The Barnes-Jewish Emergency Department in St. Louis, MO, serves such a population.

Diagnostic testing and antibiotic utilization among inpatients evaluated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

We evaluated diagnostic test and antibiotic utilization among 252 patients from 11 US hospitals who were evaluated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia during the severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant pandemic wave. In our cohort, antibiotic use remained high (62%) among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients and even higher among those who underwent procalcitonin testing (68%).

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist workforce: A multicenter survey.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required healthcare systems and hospitals to rapidly modify standard practice, including antimicrobial stewardship services. Our study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist.

Design: A survey was distributed nationally to all healthcare improvement company members.

Perinatal Outcomes of Asynchronous Influenza Vaccination, Ceará, Brazil, 2013-2018.

In Ceará, Brazil, seasonal influenza transmission begins before national annual vaccination campaigns commence. To assess the perinatal consequences of this misalignment, we tracked severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), influenza, and influenza immunizations during 2013-2018. Among 3,297 SARI cases, 145 (4.

Injectable Glycosaminoglycan-Based Cryogels from Well-Defined Microscale Templates for Local Growth Factor Delivery.

Glycosaminoglycan-based hydrogels hold great potential for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. By mimicking the natural extracellular matrix processes of growth factor binding and release, such hydrogels can be used as a sustained delivery device for growth factors. Since neural networks commonly follow well-defined, high-aspect-ratio paths through the central and peripheral nervous system, we sought to create a fiber-like, elongated growth factor delivery system.

Impact of cardiometabolic factors on retinal vasculature: A 3 × 3, 6 × 6 and 8 × 8-mm ocular coherence tomography angiography study.

Background: Ocular coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is available in varying size and resolution. We sought to characterise associations of cardiometabolic factors with retinal microvascular changes using 3 × 3, 6 × 6 and 8 × 8-mm OCTA scans to determine differences in detection with varying scan size.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of 247 cardiovascular patients from a single-centre tertiary-care hospital.

Focal drug administration via heparin-containing cryogel microcarriers reduces cancer growth and metastasis.

Developing drug delivery systems that release anticancer drugs in a controlled and sustained manner remains challenging. We hypothesized that highly sulfated heparin-based microcarriers would allow electrostatic drug binding and controlled release. In silico modelling showed that the anticancer drug doxorubicin has affinity for the heparin component of the microcarriers.

Static and dynamic 3D culture of neural precursor cells on macroporous cryogel microcarriers.

Neural precursor cells have been much studied to further our understanding of the far-reaching and controversial question of adult neurogenesis. Currently, differentiation of primary neural precursor cells from the mouse dentate gyrus via 2-dimentional culture yields low numbers of neurons, a major hindrance to the field of study. 3-dimentional "neurosphere" culture allows better 3D cell-cell contact, but control over cell differentiation is poor because nutrition and oxygen restrictions at the core of the sphere causes spontaneous differentiation, predominantly to glial cells, not neurons.

Macroporous heparin-based microcarriers allow long-term 3D culture and differentiation of neural precursor cells.

Adult neurogenesis and the neurogenic niche in the dentate gyrus are subjects of much research interest. Enhancing our knowledge of this niche process and the role played by this unique microenvironment would further our understanding of plasticity and its relevance for cognition in health and disease. The complex three-dimensional (3D) nature of the niche microenvironment is poorly recapitulated in current cell culture experimental procedures.

Development of an antimicrobial stewardship program in an integrated healthcare system.

Purpose: The development of an inpatient antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in an integrated healthcare system is described.

Summary: With increasing national focus on reducing inappropriate antimicrobial use, state and national regulatory mandates require hospitals to develop ASPs. In 2015, BJC HealthCare, a multihospital health system, developed a system-level, multidisciplinary ASP team to assist member hospitals with ASP implementation.

A Cluster of Cefepime-induced Neutropenia During Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy.

A cluster of cefepime-induced neutropenia (CIN) was identified from June 2017 to May 2018 in a regional outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy population. Our data suggest prolonged courses of cefepime (≥2 weeks), administered by rapid intravenous push, were associated with a higher risk of CIN.

Oxygen producing microscale spheres affect cell survival in conditions of oxygen-glucose deprivation in a cell specific manner: implications for cell transplantation.

This study outlines the synthesis of microscale oxygen producing spheres, which, when used in conjunction with catalase, can raise the dissolved oxygen content of cell culture media for 16-20 hours. In conditions of oxygen and glucose deprivation, designed to mimic the graft environment in vivo, the spheres rescue SH-SY5Y cells and meschymal stem cells, showing that oxygen producing biomaterials may hold potential to improve the survival of cells post-transplantation.

Visual outcomes following vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Importance: Visual outcomes following diabetic vitrectomy have not previously been studied in an Australian population.

Background: This analysis aimed to determine the rate of, and factors associated with visual success following diabetic vitrectomy performed for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and investigate factors predisposing to early progression to diabetic retinopathy (DR) requiring vitrectomy.

Design: Retrospective, population-based audit.

Oxygen-Producing Gellan Gum Hydrogels for Dual Delivery of Either Oxygen or Peroxide with Doxorubicin.

Hypoxic environments in the core of tumors can give rise to resistance against anticancer therapeutics. Oxygen-producing biomaterials may be able to improve chemotherapeutic efficiency by locally disrupting the hypoxic environment. We hypothesized that gellan gum hydrogels could be loaded with both a solid peroxide and the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin, to release both oxygen and doxorubicin simultaneously.

Biochemical analysis of the living human vitreous.

Background: To date, our understanding of the biochemical composition of the living human vitreous relies on extrapolations from animal or human post-mortem studies.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of vitreous samples from 27 individuals scheduled for retinal surgery within a tertiary hospital. From each vitreous sample, the concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, glucose, lactate, β- hydroxybutyrate, copper, zinc, selenium, iron, ferritin and transferrin and osmolality were measured.

Antemortem vitreous potassium may strengthen postmortem interval estimates.

The purpose of this letter is to highlight that postmortem interval estimates using vitreous potassium concentrations may be further optimised by calibration against antemortem vitreous samples.

Tackling Cell Transplantation Anoikis: An Injectable, Shape Memory Cryogel Microcarrier Platform Material for Stem Cell and Neuronal Cell Growth.

Highly macroporous semisynthetic cryogel microcarriers can be synthesized for culturing stem cells and neuronal type cells. Growth factors loaded to heparin-containing microcarriers show near zero-order release kinetics and cell-loaded microcarriers can be injected through a fine gauge cannula without negative effect on the cells. These carriers can be applied for cell transplantation applications.

Glucose-induced temporary visual recovery in primary open-angle glaucoma: a double-blind, randomized study.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of topical glucose on visual parameters in individuals with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Design: Double-blind, randomized, crossover study.

Participants: Nondiabetic pseudophakic patients with definite POAG were recruited; 29 eyes of 16 individuals participated in study 1.

Perspective on ophthalmic support in countries of the developing world.

There are over 300 million people living in the world today who are visually impaired and a further 45 million who are blind. The large majority (90%) of these people live in developing countries, and up to 75% of blindness are avoidable. With cataracts being the major cause of blindness and visual impairment, many ophthalmic aid programmes are aimed at alleviating the enormous burden caused by this readily treatable disease.

Pilot randomized trial of a nanopulse retinal laser versus conventional photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema.

Background:   To assess the efficacy of a new nanopulse laser, retinal regeneration therapy for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema.

Design:   Randomized, non-inferiority, trial.

Participants:   20 eyes of 17 subjects in the retinal regeneration therapy group and 18 eyes of 14 subjects in the conventional group were analysed.

Killing two birds with one stone: the potential effect of cataract surgery on the incidence of primary angle-closure glaucoma in a high-risk population.

Background: To estimate the proportion of cataract surgery performed at various visual acuity and lens opacity thresholds that would coincidentally treat early angle-closure disease, and to estimate the effect of this surgery on the incidence of primary angle-closure glaucoma.

Design: Cross-sectional, population-based survey in Meiktila, Myanmar.

Participants: Total of 2076 inhabitants, 40 years of age and over were included.