Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Non-ridged Versus Ridged Backslabs in Lower Limb Fractures.

Introduction Lower limb fractures frequently require immobilization with backslabs to promote healing. This study investigates a novel approach involving the incorporation of a single ridge to enhance backslab strength while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the mechanical performance of ridged backslabs in comparison to traditional non-ridged backslabs, specifically focusing on their load-bearing capacity and cost-effectiveness when used in lower limb fractures.

A Spatiotemporal and Multisensory Approach to Designing Wearable Clinical ICU Alarms.

In health care, auditory alarms are an important aspect of an informatics system that monitors patients and alerts clinicians attending to multiple concurrent tasks. However, the volume, design, and pervasiveness of existing Intensive Care Unit (ICU) alarms can make it difficult to quickly distinguish their meaning and importance. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of two design approaches not yet explored in a smartwatch-based alarm system designed for ICU use: (1) using audiovisual spatial colocalization and (2) adding haptic (i.

Preoperative Imaging and Surgical Findings in Pediatric Frontonasal Dermoids.

Objective: To review cases of congenital frontonasal dermoids to gain insight into the accuracy of preoperative computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting intracranial extension.

Methods: This retrospective study included all patients who underwent primary excision of frontonasal dermoids at an academic children's hospital over a 23-year period. Preoperative presentation, imaging, and operative findings were reviewed.

Hearing Instability in Children with Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Evidence and Neural Consequences.

Objective/hypothesis: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common sequela of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), potentially exacerbating neurocognitive delay. The objectives of this study were to assess: (1) age at which SNHL in children with cCMV; (2) stimulability of the auditory system in children with cCMV following cochlear implantation (CI); and (3) whether features of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) potentially are predictive of hearing outcomes.

Methods: In this retrospective study of a prospectively acquired cohort, 123 children with cCMV who were referred for hearing loss at a single tertiary referral hospital over 20 years were compared with an unmatched comparative group of 90 children with GJB2-related deafness.

Transcanal Endoscopic Ear Surgery for Congenital Cholesteatoma: A Multi-institutional Series.

Objective: To assess outcomes of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) for congenital cholesteatoma.

Study Design: Case series with chart review of children who underwent TEES for congenital cholesteatoma over a 10-year period.

Setting: Three tertiary referral centers.

Standardized Vaccine-Hesitant Patients in the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Vaccine Communication Training.

Objectives: To determine if training residents in a structured communication method elicits specific behaviors in a laboratory model of interaction with vaccine-hesitant parents.

Study Design: Standardized patients portraying vaccine-hesitant parents were used to assess the effectiveness of training in the Announce, Inquire, Mirror, Secure (AIMS) Method for Healthy Conversations. Blinded pediatric residents were pseudorandomized to receive AIMS or control training and underwent pre- and post-training encounters with blinded standardized patients.

Cochlear Implantation in Infants: Why and How.

In children with congenital deafness, cochlear implantation (CI) prior to 12 months of age offers the opportunity to foster more typical auditory development during late infancy and early childhood. Recent studies have found a positive association between early implantation and expressive and receptive language outcomes, with some children able to achieve normal language skills by the time of school entry. Universal newborn hearing screening improved early detection and diagnosis of congenital hearing loss, allowing for earlier intervention, including decision-making regarding cochlear implant (CI) candidacy.

Comparing Transcanal Endoscopic Ear Surgery to Post-Auricular Microscope-Guided Surgery in Pediatric Ossiculoplasty: Hearing Outcomes and Post-Operative Pain.

Objective: This study compares post-operative hearing outcomes and morbidity after pediatric total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) ossiculoplasty with transcanal totally endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) versus a post-auricular microscope-guided (PAM) approach.

Patients: Forty-four children who underwent ossiculoplasty with titanium TORP after previous cholesteatoma surgery.

Intervention: Ossiculoplasty using TEES or PAM approach.

Cochlear Implantation in Infants: Evidence of Safety.

The aim of this study was to investigate surgical, anesthetic, and device-related complications associated with cochlear implantation (CI) in children younger than 1 year of age. This was a multicenter, retrospective chart review of all children with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who underwent cochlear implantation with a Cochlear Nucleus Implant System before 1 year of age. Endpoints included perioperative course, major and minor surgical, anesthetic and device-related complications, and 30-day readmission rates.

A combined experimental and computational study of mechanical properties after balloon kyphoplasty.

Vertebral compression fractures rank among the most frequent injuries to the musculoskeletal system, with more than 1 million fractures per annum worldwide. The past decade has seen a considerable increase in the utilisation of surgical procedures such as balloon kyphoplasty to treat these injuries. While many kyphoplasty studies have examined the risk of damage to adjacent vertebra after treatment, recent case reports have also emerged to indicate the potential for the treated vertebra itself to re-collapse after surgery.

A Multiscale Finite Element Analysis of Balloon Kyphoplasty to Investigate the Risk of Bone-Cement Separation In Vivo.

Background: During the past decade there has been a significant increase in the number of vertebral fractures being treated with the balloon kyphoplasty procedure. Although previous investigations have found kyphoplasty to be an effective treatment for reducing patient pain and lowering cement-leakage risk, there have been reports of vertebral recollapse following the procedure. These reports have indicated evidence of in vivo bone-cement separation leading to collapse of the treated vertebra.

Manuka honey versus saline sinus irrigation in the treatment of cystic fibrosis-associated chronic rhinosinusitis: A randomised pilot trial.

Objectives: Manuka honey attacks biofilms, which contribute to bacterial persistence in cystic fibrosis sinusitis. The primary objective was to determine feasibility of investigating manuka honey as an irrigation treatment for cystic fibrosis sinusitis and secondarily to assess the treatment's preliminary effectiveness.

Design: Prospective, single-blinded (clinician only), randomised, parallel two-arm pilot trial.

Application of Meta-Analysis and Machine Learning Methods to the Prediction of Methane Production from In Vitro Mixed Ruminal Micro-Organism Fermentation.

In vitro gas production systems are utilized to screen feed ingredients for inclusion in ruminant diets. However, not all in vitro systems are set up to measure methane (CH) production, nor do all publications report in vitro CH. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop models to predict in vitro CH production from total gas and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production data and to identify the major drivers of CH production in these systems.

Age-related variability in pediatric scalp thickness: Implications for auditory prostheses.

Objectives: Minimizing soft tissue reduction during the placement of percutaneous implants has been encouraged to improve cosmesis and perhaps decrease soft tissue complications. However, the fidelity of sound transmission and retention of transcutaneous magnet devices relates to the intervening soft tissue thickness. The objective of this study was to examine age-related variability in scalp thickness in patients receiving either percutaneously implanted or transcutaneous magnet-retained auditory prostheses.

Ectopic cervical thymus in children: Clinical and radiographic features.

Objectives: Ectopic thymus is rare and can be a diagnostic challenge. This study evaluated the management of children radiographically diagnosed with ectopic cervical thymus.

Methods: A retrospective review of 100 patients was performed.

Management of Traumatic Injury and Osseointegration Failure in Children With Percutaneous Bone Conduction Implants.

Objective: This study examines the incidence and management of traumatic loss or osseointegration failure of percutaneous bone conduction implants in children.

Study Design: Case series.

Setting: Pediatric tertiary care institution.

Unilateral Hearing Loss in Youth: Development of Candidate Items for a Condition-Specific Validated Instrument.

Objective: This study interviewed youth with unilateral hearing, utilizing their responses to generate candidate items for a condition-specific patient-reported instrument.

Study Design: Mixed methods, cross-sectional.

Setting: Tertiary care children's hospital.

Identification of oral clefts as a risk factor for hearing loss during newborn hearing screening.

Objective: This study assessed whether children with oral clefts are appropriately classified as at-risk for hearing loss at the time of newborn hearing screening and describes their screening and diagnostic results.

Design: Birth certificates were used to identify children with cleft lip and palate or isolated cleft palate born in Washington State from 2008-2013. These were cross-referenced with the state's Early Hearing Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention (EHDDI) database.

Performance of Holstein and Swedish-Red × Jersey/Holstein crossbred dairy cows within low- and medium-concentrate grassland-based systems.

This 2 × 2 factorial design experiment was conducted to compare the performance of spring-calving Holstein dairy cows (HOL, n = 34) with Swedish Red × Jersey/Holstein crossbred (SR × J/HOL, n = 34) dairy cows within low and medium concentrate input grassland-based dairy systems. The experiment commenced when cows calved and encompassed 1 full lactation. Cows were offered diets containing grass silage and concentrates [70:30 dry matter (DM) ratio, and 40:60 DM ratio, for low and medium, respectively] until turnout, grazed grass plus either 1.

Progression of Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children With and Without Ipsilateral Cochlear Nerve Canal Stenosis: A Hazard Analysis.

Objective: To investigate the risk of hearing loss progression in each ear among children with unilateral hearing loss associated with ipsilateral bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) stenosis.

Setting: Tertiary pediatric referral center.

Patients: Children diagnosed with unilateral hearing loss who had undergone temporal bone computed tomography imaging and had at least 6 months of follow-up audiometric testing were identified from a prospective audiological database.

Effects of dry period length and concentrate protein content in late lactation on body condition score change and subsequent lactation performance of thin high genetic merit dairy cows.

Improving body condition score of thin cows in late lactation is necessary, because cows that are thin at drying off exhibit decreased fertility postpartum and are at increased risk of disease and of being culled in the subsequent lactation. Offering a diet low in crude protein (CP) content in late lactation may help to improve body condition score (BCS) at drying off, whereas imposing an extended dry period (EDP) has been advocated as another way to increase BCS at calving. To test these hypotheses, 65 thin cows (mean BCS 2.

Clinically small tonsils are typically not obstructive in children during drug-induced sleep endoscopy.

Objective: To determine whether the degree of lateral pharyngeal wall (LPW) obstruction on pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) correlates with preprocedure tonsillar hypertrophy score on physical examination, and to determine if clinically small tonsils are obstructive.

Methods: Retrospective review of 154 patients who underwent DISE at a single pediatric tertiary care center over a 4-year period. Inclusion criteria were documentation of Brodsky tonsil score on preoperative physical examination.