Noise exposure in pediatric otolaryngology clinic: A sound survey of a single-institution tertiary care facility.

Background: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) considers acoustic exposure of 90 decibels (dB) an occupational risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Pediatric healthcare clinicians are exposed to considerable noise especially during invasive procedures, predisposing them to noise-induced hearing loss, increased work-related stress, and increased complications associated with intense noise exposure. While there has been extensive research in noise exposure in dentistry, to date there has been no research on noise exposure in the pediatric otolaryngology clinic setting.

Invasive Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Sinusitis in an Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Patient.

A patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome presented with findings concerning for acute invasive fungal sinusitis, which is typically associated with Mucorales. However, debridement and pathological analysis revealed Cytomegalovirus, a pathology rarely encountered. Laryngoscope, 134:92-96, 2024.

Synthesis and Properties of Stable Amino Metal Halide Molecular Clusters in the Solid State.

Nanosized molecular clusters (MCs) composed of PbBr and neutral ligand butylamine (BTYA) with unique optical properties in solution and solid states have been synthesized using ligand-assisted reprecipitation and spin-coating, separately. The studies of their optical properties using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) show the first electronic absorption and PL band of the MCs at 401 and 411 nm, respectively, for the solution and solid state samples that exhibit good stability under ambient conditions. Low-temperature PL spectra below 30 K show vibronic peaks indicative of a single size or a very narrow size distribution of the MCs.

Otolaryngology consultations for COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study of indications, interventions, and considerations.

Objective: To identify differences in inpatient otolaryngology consultations and interventions for patients based on COVID-19.

Methods: Records were reviewed for all patients for whom otolaryngology was consulted at a high-volume tertiary care hospital from April 30, 2020 to October 1, 2020. Demographic information, length of stay, COVID-19 status, indication for consultation, and otolaryngology interventions were recorded.

Evaluation of Susceptibility Testing Methods for Aztreonam and Ceftazidime-Avibactam Combination Therapy on Extensively Drug-Resistant Gram-Negative Organisms.

Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CR-PA) producing metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) cause severe nosocomial infections with no defined treatment. The combination of aztreonam (ATM) with ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) is a potential therapeutic option, but there is no approved, feasible testing method for use in clinical laboratories to assess the activity of two antimicrobials in combination. Here, we evaluate the performance of four ATM-CZA combination testing methods, as follows: broth disk elution (DE), disk stacking (DS), strip stacking (SS), and strip crossing (SX).

CRISPR-Cas Activators for Engineering Gene Expression in Higher Eukaryotes.

CRISPR-Cas-based transcriptional activators allow genetic engineers to specifically induce expression of one or many target genes . Here we review the many design variations of these versatile tools and compare their effectiveness in different eukaryotic systems. Lastly, we highlight several applications of programmable transcriptional activation to interrogate and engineer complex biological processes.

Medical Students' Participation in Longitudinal Community Service During Preclerkship Years: A Qualitative Study on Experiences and Perceived Outcomes.

The aim of this study was to qualitatively evaluate medical students perspectives of the benefits of a longitudinal volunteering experience compared with a 1-day community service experience. Fifteen medical students participated in 2 types of community service: (1) longitudinal, weekly volunteering from February to April of 2019 and (2) a single day of community service in March of 2019. Semistructured interviews were conducted to identify medical students perspectives of the impact of volunteering.

Cd(II)- and Pb(II)-Induced Self-Assembly of Peripheral Membrane Domains from Protein Kinase C.

Cd and Pb are xenobiotic heavy metal ions that use ionic mimicry to interfere with the cellular function of biomacromolecules. Using a combination of SAXS, electron microscopy, FRET, and solution NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that treatment with Cd and Pb causes self-assembly of protein kinase C regulatory domains that peripherally associate with membranes. The self-assembly process successfully competes with ionic mimicry and is mediated by conserved protein regions that are distinct from the canonical Ca-binding motifs of protein kinase C.

Complete Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae Siphophage Sugarland.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium associated with the gastrointestinal tract and is a significant nosocomial pathogen due to its antibiotic resistance. Phage therapy against K. pneumoniae may prove useful in treating infections caused by this bacterium.