Computerized Cognitive Test Batteries for Children and Adolescents-A Scoping Review of Tools For Lab- and Web-Based Settings From 2000 to 2021.

Objective: Cognitive functioning is essential to well-being. Since cognitive difficulties are common in many disorders, their early identification is critical, notably during childhood and adolescence. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive literature overview of computerized cognitive test batteries (CCTB) that have been developed and used in children and adolescents over the past 22 years and to evaluate their psychometric properties.

Behavioral-play familiarization for non-sedated magnetic resonance imaging in young children with mild traumatic brain injury.

Background: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) sustained in early childhood affects the brain at a peak developmental period and may disrupt sensitive stages of skill acquisition, thereby compromising child functioning. However, due to the challenges of collecting non-sedated neuroimaging data in young children, the consequences of mTBI on young children's brains have not been systematically studied. In typically developing preschool children (of age 3-5years), a brief behavioral-play familiarization provides an effective alternative to sedation for acquiring awake magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a time- and resource-efficient manner.

Involvement of glutamine synthetase 2 (GS2) amplification and overexpression in Amaranthus palmeri resistance to glufosinate.

Amplification and overexpression of the target site glutamine synthetase, specifically the plastid-located isoform, confers resistance to glufosinate in Amaranthus palmeri. This mechanism is novel among glufosinate-resistant weeds. Amaranthus palmeri has recently evolved resistance to glufosinate herbicide.

What About the Little Ones? Systematic Review of Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes Following Early TBI.

There is increasing empirical focus on the effects of early traumatic brain injuries (TBI; i.e., before the age of six years) on child development, but this literature has never been synthetized comprehensively.

Pediatric Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury and Gray Matter Structural Covariance Networks: A Preliminary Longitudinal Investigation.

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is prevalent and can disrupt ongoing brain maturation. However, the long-term consequences of pediatric TBI on the brain's network architecture are poorly understood. Structural covariance networks (SCN), based on anatomical correlations between brain regions, may provide important insights into brain topology following TBI.

Social competence in early childhood: An empirical validation of the SOCIAL model.

Social skills are the basis of human interactions and functioning in society. Social competence (SC) is thought to evolve gradually during childhood and adolescence via the interplay of multiple factors. In particular, the early years of life are marked by the emergence of basic social abilities and constitute the foundation for successful social development.

Quality of life 6 and 18 months after mild traumatic brain injury in early childhood: An exploratory study of the role of genetic, environmental, injury, and child factors.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in early childhood is prevalent, and some children may be at risk for short- and long-term difficulties that could affect quality of life (QoL). Despite growing efforts to understand associations between potential risk factors and outcomes after injury, prognosis is elusive and lacks the inclusion of genetic variables which may convey additional predictive power. This study assessed which factors contribute to pediatric QoL 6 and 18 months post-recruitment in 159 participants (mTBI = 52; orthopedic injury [OI] = 43; typically developing controls [TDC] = 64) aged 18 to 60 months at the time of injury (M = 37.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism and Internalizing Behaviors after Early Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to adverse emotional, social, and behavioral consequences. However, outcome is difficult to predict due to significant individual variability, likely reflecting a complex interaction between injury- and child-related variables. Among these variables are genetically determined individual differences, which can modulate TBI outcome through their influence on neuroplasticity mechanisms.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity within the developing social brain after pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in childhood and adolescence can interrupt expected development, compromise the integrity of the social brain network (SBN) and impact social skills. Yet, no study has investigated functional alterations of the SBN following pediatric TBI. This study explored functional connectivity within the SBN following TBI in two independent adolescent samples.

Music improves social communication and auditory-motor connectivity in children with autism.

Music has been identified as a strength in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder; however, there is currently no neuroscientific evidence supporting its benefits. Given its universal appeal, intrinsic reward value and ability to modify brain and behaviour, music may be a potential therapeutic aid in autism. Here we evaluated the neurobehavioural outcomes of a music intervention, compared to a non-music control intervention, on social communication and brain connectivity in school-age children (ISRCTN26821793).

What are the Benefits and Harms of Ureteroscopy Compared with Shock-wave Lithotripsy in the Treatment of Upper Ureteral Stones? A Systematic Review.

Context: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and ureteroscopy (URS), with or without intracorporeal lithotripsy, are the most common treatments for upper ureteric stones. With advances in technology, it is unclear which treatment is most effective and/or safest.

Objective: To systematically review literature reporting benefits and harms of SWL and URS in the management of upper ureteric stones.

Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis with Staghorn Calculus, Acute Gangrenous Appendicitis and Enterocolitis: A Multidisciplinary Challenge of Kidney-Preserving Conservative Therapy.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XP) is a rare form of pyelonephritis and without treatment destructive to the kidney. We describe a 74-year-old Caucasian immunocompetent female patient with XP and multiple abscesses on the upper pole of the right kidney and several impacted obstructing renal calculi in the middle calyx that developed severe colitis and gangrenous appendicitis during therapy. Proteus mirabilis was detected as the major pathogen in the urine culture.

Regional Gray Matter Volumes Are Related to Concern About Falling in Older People: A Voxel-Based Morphometric Study.

Background: Concern about falling is common in older people. Various related psychological constructs as well as poor balance and slow gait have been associated with decreased gray matter (GM) volume in old age. The current study investigates the association between concern about falling and voxel-wise GM volumes.

Considerations for affirming gender nonconforming boys and their families: new approaches, new challenges.

The media and the public's reaction have created the impression that gender variant behaviors of many children are indicative of later transsexual identities. This has suggested to some parents that the best way to manage their sons' gender variance and perhaps gender dysphoria is to allow them to dress as girls in increasingly more situations. For some this becomes a transition to living full-time as a girl.

A comparative analysis of plant mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal RNA sequences.

The small subunit of the ribosomal RNA has long been used as a tool in determining phylogenetic relationships. This project explored a region of the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal RNA (MSrRNA) that is found only in the plant mitochondrial genome referred to as Variable Region 7 (V7). The V7 region of cauliflower and radish, both members of the Brassicaceae family, was amplified with the polymerase chain reaction, cloned into the expression vector PBSSK +, and sequenced.

RNA ligands to human nerve growth factor.

High affinity RNA ligands to human nerve growth factor (NGF) were selected from pools of random RNA using SELEX [Tuerk, C. and Gold, L. (1990) Science, 249, 505-510].

Comprehensive chemical modification interference and nucleotide substitution analysis of an RNA pseudoknot inhibitor to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

We had previously used in vitro RNA selection techniques to describe a consensus RNA pseudoknot that binds and inhibits HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-RT). In this work we constructed variants of this consensus pseudoknot in order to evaluate the contributions of individual nucleotide identities and secondary structure to affinity for HIV-RT. We have also used chemical modification of ligand RNAs to corroborate the predicted structure of the pseudoknot, to discover which modifiable groups are protected from chemical attack when bound to HIV-RT, and to find which modifications interfere with binding to HIV-RT.

Characterization of an in vitro-selected RNA ligand to the HIV-1 Rev protein.

A small RNA ligand with high affinity for the HIV-1 Rev protein, generated by the SELEX in vitro evolution method, was used in a series of chemical modification studies to aid in determining the secondary structure of the ligand, to detect which modifications interfere with the binding of the ligand to Rev, and to find those modifiable groups that are protected from attack when bound to the Rev protein. This SELEX RNA ligand, like the high-affinity binding site of the Rev-responsive element, seems to bind the Rev protein within or along the major groove. There are two major regions of the RNA that interact with the Rev protein, and these regions appear to be close in space.

In vitro evolution of functional nucleic acids: high-affinity RNA ligands of HIV-1 proteins.

SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) is a protocol for isolating, from a pool of variant nucleic acid sequences, high-affinity ligands to a target protein [Tuerk and Gold, Science 249 (1990) 505-510]. This procedure involves cycles of affinity selection by a target molecule from a heterogeneous population of nucleic acids, replication of the bound species (the ligands), and in vitro transcription to generate an enriched pool of RNA. We have used the SELEX procedure to obtain high-affinity RNA ligands against the reverse transcriptase and the Rev and Tat proteins of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1).

ESWL in situ or ureteroscopy for ureteric stones?

As documented by follow-up data on ureteric stones in 1259 ureteric units treated, ESWL in situ on advanced lithotriptors with stone location by ultrasonography and fluoroscopy was successful without any retrograde ureteric manipulation in 98% of stones in the upper, 71% in the iliac, and 84% in the distal ureter; 85% of the units were stone-free within 3 months: ancillary measures were needed in 11% and the stone-free state was reached after a median of 39 days. The results obtained with treatment after manipulation of the stone from the upper and mid-ureter by retrograde instrumentation were similar, but ancillary measures were needed in 20% of cases. Endoscopic management with rod-lens ureteroscopes was highly efficient in the distal and mid-ureter, but involved a complication rate of about 11% and required general anaesthesia.

Selection of high affinity RNA ligands to the bacteriophage R17 coat protein.

RNA ligands with high affinity for the bacteriophage R17 coat protein were isolated from a pool of random RNA molecules using SELEX. Of the 38 ligands isolated, 36 were found to contain a hairpin very similar to the naturally occurring coat protein binding site in the R17 genome. The common features of these 36 sequences provide a consensus binding site and predict components of a hairpin that promote favorable interaction with the coat protein.