Publications by authors named "Thomas Boyce"

There are several antimicrobial options for treating urinary tract infection in children. Although cefdinir is commonly used, better options exist. We developed an intervention bundle to reduce the use of cefdinir in favor of cephalexin.

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Purpose: Vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED) is a theoretical concern with new vaccines, although trials of authorized vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have not identified markers for VAED. The purpose of this study was to detect any signals for VAED among adults vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed COVID-19 severity as a proxy for VAED among 400 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 from March through October 2021 at eight US healthcare systems.

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The immune response to inactivated influenza vaccines (IIV) is influenced by multiple factors, including hemagglutinin content and egg-based manufacturing. Only two US-licensed vaccines are manufactured without egg passage: cell culture-based inactivated vaccine (ccIIV) and recombinant vaccine (RIV). We conducted a randomized open-label trial in central Wisconsin during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons to compare immunogenicity of sequential vaccination.

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Purpose: Mpox is a rare infectious disease. Lack of knowledge among eye care professionals regarding mpox keratitis greatly reduces the likelihood of diagnosis and effective management. This report and review seek to increase the knowledge of mpox keratitis among eye care professionals.

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Importance: COVID-19 vaccination is recommended throughout pregnancy to prevent pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes associated with COVID-19 disease. To date, data on birth defects after first-trimester vaccination are limited.

Objective: To evaluate the associated risks for selected major structural birth defects among live-born infants after first-trimester receipt of a messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study aimed to assess whether getting vaccinated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy affects the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth and small-for-gestational age infants.
  • - Researchers analyzed data from over 55,000 individuals with live singleton pregnancies and found that 42.3% received one or two doses of the vaccine, with the vaccination rate varying across maternal demographics.
  • - The results indicated that vaccinated individuals had a lower risk of preterm birth compared to unvaccinated individuals, but the vaccination did not significantly impact the risks of small-for-gestational age infants, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, or preeclampsia.
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  • A study involving over 80,000 pregnant individuals found that receiving a COVID-19 mRNA booster shot did not increase the risk of serious health issues like thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, or stroke shortly after vaccination.
  • However, the booster was linked to a higher incidence of mild symptoms such as malaise or fatigue within the first week, and lymph node swelling or inflammation in the following weeks.
  • Overall, the results align with previous studies and suggest that it's safe for pregnant people to receive the COVID-19 booster.
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  • This study looked at how kindergartners' social status in the classroom and their stress hormone levels (called cortisol) affect their interest in school throughout the year.
  • Researchers observed 332 kids and collected information from teachers, parents, and the kids themselves to understand their feelings about school.
  • They found that in fall, kids with lower stress levels were more engaged in school, but by spring, kids who were very sensitive to stress showed different changes in engagement based on whether they were popular or not.
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  • Evidence shows that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in young males, can increase the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis, but the risk difference between the vaccines mRNA-1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer) is unclear.
  • A study tracked health records of individuals aged 18-39 who received either vaccine, comparing the incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis within 0-7 days after vaccination against groups vaccinated earlier.
  • Results indicated a higher incidence of myocarditis after mRNA-1273 compared to BNT162b2, with both vaccines posing significant risks, suggesting careful monitoring and consideration for young males receiving mRNA vaccines.
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Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is recommended for all adolescents age 11-12 years. HPV vaccine coverage remains suboptimal in the United States though, particularly in rural areas. We surveyed adolescent immunization providers in two Midwestern states to assess rural vs.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study found that HPV and MenACWY vaccination rates among adolescents are lower in rural areas compared to urban settings in the U.S.
  • A survey of 536 parents of teens aged 13-15 revealed that only 60% of teens received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine, with perceptions of healthcare provider importance significantly affecting vaccine uptake.
  • The research highlights that parents who trust their providers and have fewer concerns about vaccine safety are more likely to ensure their teens receive these vaccinations.
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As the science of adversity and resilience advances, and public awareness of the health consequences of stress grows, primary care providers are being increasingly asked to address the effects of adverse experiences on child wellbeing. Given limited tools for assessing these effects early in life, the authors explore how enhanced capacity to measure stress activation directly in young children could transform the role and scope of pediatric practice. When employed within a trusted relationship between caregivers and clinicians, selective use of biological measures of stress responses would help address the documented limitations of rating scales of adverse childhood experiences as a primary indicator of individual risk and strengthen the ability to focus on variation in intervention needs, assess their effectiveness, and guide ongoing management.

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A 5-week-old infant born at term was diagnosed with acute necrotizing encephalopathy associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 as evidenced by clinical presentation, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid studies. Our patient was treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone, tocilizumab, and intravenous immunoglobulin with significant short-term clinical improvement but long-term sequelae.

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COVID-19 vaccines are recommended during pregnancy to prevent severe maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes; however, vaccination coverage among pregnant women has been low (1). Concerns among pregnant women regarding vaccine safety are a persistent barrier to vaccine acceptance during pregnancy. Previous studies of maternal COVID-19 vaccination and birth outcomes have been limited by small sample size (2) or lack of an unvaccinated comparison group (3).

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The interplay of genes and environments (GxE) is a fundamental source of variation in behavioral and developmental outcomes. Although the role of developmental time (T) in the unfolding of such interactions has yet to be fully considered, GxE operates within a temporal frame of reference across multiple timescales and degrees of biological complexity. Here, we consider GxExT interactions to understand adversity-induced developmental acceleration or deceleration whereby environmental conditions hasten or hinder children's development.

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Objectives: Childhood asthma is known to be associated with risks of both respiratory and non-respiratory infections. Little is known about the relationship between asthma and the risk of Kawasaki disease (KD). We assessed associations of asthma status and asthma phenotype (e.

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X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is an inborn error of immunity caused by pathogenic variants in the BTK gene, resulting in impaired B cell differentiation and maturation. Over 900 variants have already been described in this gene, however, new pathogenic variants continue to be identified. In this report, we describe 22 novel variants in BTK, associated with B cell deficiency with hypo- or agammaglobulinemia in male patients or in asymptomatic female carriers.

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Marla Sokolowski's work and humanity has influenced the careers of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of younger scientists. Her fundamental research on the neurogenetic underpinnings of behavior in Drosophila melanogaster is remarkable not only for its scientific brilliance, but for the humility, care, and humor with which it was conducted.

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To assess the longitudinal incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) within the well-defined predominantly White population of Olmsted County, MN. This retrospective cohort study used a population-based medical record linkage system and manual chart reviews to identify children with KD in Olmsted County, MN between January 1, 1979-December 31, 2016. Age- and gender-adjusted incidence rates were calculated using the 2010 U.

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Exposures to adverse environments, both psychosocial and physicochemical, are prevalent and consequential across a broad range of childhood populations. Such adversity, especially early in life, conveys measurable risk to learning and behavior and to the foundations of both mental and physical health. Using an interactive gene-environment-time (GET) framework, we survey the independent and interactive roles of genetic variation, environmental context, and developmental timing in light of advances in the biology of adversity and resilience, as well as new discoveries in biomedical research.

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Advances in science are fundamentally changing the way we understand how inextricable interactions among genetic predispositions, physical and social environments, and developmental timing influence early childhood development and the foundations of health and how significant early adversity can lead to a lifetime of chronic health impairments. This article and companion article illustrate the extent to which differential outcomes are shaped by ongoing interactive adaptations to context that begin at or even before conception and continue throughout life, with increasing evidence pointing to the importance of the prenatal period and early infancy for the developing brain, the immune system, and metabolic regulation. Although new discoveries in the basic sciences are transforming tertiary medical care and producing breakthrough outcomes in treating disease, this knowledge is not being leveraged effectively to inform new approaches to promoting whole-child development and preventing illness.

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The development of child mental health problems has been associated with experiences of adversity and dysregulation of stress response systems; however, past research has largely focused on externalizing or internalizing problems (rather than their co-occurrence) and single physiological systems in high-risk adolescent samples. The present study examined whether cumulative family adversity, functioning in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (i.e.

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