Late-Onset Sepsis Among Extremely Preterm Infants During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: To compare incidence of late-onset sepsis (LOS) among extremely preterm infants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Multicenter cohort study of infants with birthweight 401 to 1000 g or gestational age 22 to 28 weeks. LOS was defined as a bacterial or fungal pathogen isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture obtained after 72 hours of age.

Prefrontal 5α-reductase 2 mediates male-specific acute stress response.

A key response to acute stress is the increased brain synthesis of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (AP). Although the rate-limiting step of this reaction is catalyzed by 5α-reductase (5αR), the role of its two primary isoenzymes, 5αR1 and 5αR2, in stress reactivity remains unclear. Here, we found that acute stress led to increased levels of 5αR2, but not 5αR1, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male, but not female, rats.

Pulmonary Artery Vasa Vasorum Damage in Severe COVID-19-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background: COVID-19 patients exhibit higher incidence of thrombosis in arteries and veins, including those in lungs. Vasa vasorum, which support large blood vessels, have shown involvement in these pathologic processes.

Methods: To further explore the extent of microvascular damage caused by COVID-19 infection, we examined resected main, right, or left pulmonary artery specimens from patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation for COVID-19- or non-COVID-19-induced pulmonary fibrosis compared with organ donors by histologic and immunohistologic analyses.

Preliminary study of gunshot residues in entry holes at different angles: Feasibility of using LIBS to support trajectory estimation.

Firearm-related scenarios can be highly complex, involving multiple shooters, firearms, types of ammunition, victims, and various impact zones. Obtaining the maximum amount of information to connect each piece of the puzzle is crucial for resolving these cases. Currently, new tools are being developed in the forensic field that facilitate both fieldwork and laboratory analysis, enabling the estimation of trajectories, identification of shooters, and more.