Practical approach to quantitative liver and pancreas MRI in children.

Quantitative abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers non-invasive, objective assessment of diseases in the liver, pancreas, and other organs and is increasingly being used in the pediatric population. Certain quantitative MRI techniques, such as liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF), R2* mapping, and MR elastography, are already in wide clinical use. Other techniques, such as liver T1 mapping and pancreas quantitative imaging methods, are emerging and show promise for enhancing diagnostic sensitivity and treatment monitoring.

Growth, Body Composition, and Strength of Children With Cystic Fibrosis Treated With Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (ETI).

Objective: We prospectively monitored rates of change for growth, body mass and composition, muscle strength, and FEV1 in 6-11-year-olds initiating ETI therapy, comparing them to those of US reference children. We assessed factors potentially contributing to rate of change and report ranges of individual variation.

Methods: Body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and rates of change were analyzed using linear mixed effects regression models.

Klotho mutation does not accelerate intervertebral disc aging in mice.

Aging is a risk factor for several chronic conditions, including intervertebral disc degeneration and associated back pain. Disc pathologies include loss of reticular-shaped nucleus pulposus cells, disorganization of annulus fibrosus lamellae, reduced disc height, and increased disc bulging. Sonic hedgehog, cytokeratin 19, and extracellular matrix proteins are markers of healthy disc.

TClC effectively suppresses the growth and metastasis of NSCLC via polypharmacology.

Despite significant advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to present a global health challenge, with a modest five-year survival rate of 28 %, largely due to the emergence of treatment-resistant and metastatic tumors. In response, we synthesized a novel bioactive compound, ethyl 6-chlorocoumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TClC), which significantly inhibited NSCLC growth, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion and tumor growth and metastasis without inducing toxicity. TClC disrupts autocrine loops that promote tumor progression, particularly in stem-like CD133-positive NSCLC (CD133+ LC) cells, which are pivotal in tumor metastasis.

Propensity Score Analysis of Possible Medication Effects on Outcomes in Patients With Systemic Right Ventricles.

Background: Patients with systemic right ventricle (SRV), either d-transposition of the great arteries following an atrial switch procedure or congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, develop severe right ventricular dysfunction, prompting appropriate medical therapy. However, the efficacy of beta-blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) in SRV patients is unproven.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ACEI/ARB and beta-blockers on outcomes in SRV patients after accounting for likely cofounders affecting their use.

Virtual and In-Person Multiple Mini-interviews: A Comparison of Two Modalities in Regard to Bias.

Purpose: To examine the characteristics between virtual multiple mini-interview (vMMI) and in-person interviews (ipMMI) in regard to difference in performance between applicant-reported gender identity and racial groups.

Methods: Retrospective multiple mini-interview (MMI) data from two vMMI interview cycles (2021 and 2022) consisting of 627 applicants and four ipMMI cycles (2017-2020) consisting of 2248 applicants. Comparisons were made between applicant subgroups including reported gender (male and female) and minority status (URiM and non-URiM).

International consensus guidelines on the implementation and monitoring of vosoritide therapy in individuals with achondroplasia.

Achondroplasia is the most common genetic form of short-limbed skeletal dysplasia (dwarfism). Clinical manifestations and complications can affect individuals across the lifespan, including the need for adaptations for activities of daily living, which can affect quality of life. Current international guidelines focus on symptomatic management, with little discussion regarding potential medication, as therapeutic options were limited at the time of their publication.

Phasic dopamine release in two different rat models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) versus Lphn3 knockout rats.

We examined DA activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) in two Different Rat Models of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) Versus Lphn3 Knockout Rats. We examined baseline stimulation-evoked phasic DA release, half-life, and DA autoreceptor (DAR) functioning in the mPFC and NAcc, as well as the response to nomifensine (10 mg/kg, IP), a DA transporter (DAT) blocker, on these measures in the NAcc. Both rat models were hypodopaminergic, with notable regional and mechanistic differences.

Rhinoconjunctivitis Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Asthma: A Longitudinal Clustering Analysis.

Background: Rhinoconjunctivitis phenotypes are conventionally described based on symptom severity, duration and seasonality and aeroallergen sensitization. It is not known whether these phenotypes fully reflect the patterns of symptoms seen at a population level.

Objective: To identify phenotypes of rhinoconjunctivitis based on symptom intensity and seasonality using an unbiased approach and to compare their characteristics.

Risk of severe maternal morbidity and mortality among pregnant patients with chronic kidney disease: Renal disease and severe maternal morbidity.

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a significant cause of adverse obstetric outcomes. However, there are few studies assessing the risk of severe maternal morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease and no studies assessing the association between individual indicators of severe maternal morbidity and chronic kidney disease.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of severe maternal morbidity and mortality among pregnant patients with chronic kidney disease.

Transplacental signals involved in the programming effects of prenatal psychosocial stress on neurodevelopment.

Exposure to psychosocial stress during pregnancy has been associated with the emergence of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. The placenta is known to orchestrate various functions that are essential for normal fetal development, including the brain. It has therefore been postulated that alterations in such functions, and downstream signaling, have the potential to dramatically affect brain developmental trajectories and contribute to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Validation and safety of AmbuLatory care for transient ischemic attack from emergency department (VALID study).

Background: Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) are a common reason for Emergency Department (ED) visits and represent a significant public health issue. Patients experiencing TIAs often face significant delays in undergoing various tests due to ED overcrowding and limited availability of neurologists. Emergency physicians (EPs) and neurologists have identified several criteria for allowing outpatient management.

Impact of particle size on and fat fraction estimation for accurate assessment of hepatic iron overload and steatosis using MRI.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of iron particle size on and fat fraction (FF) estimations for coexisting hepatic iron overload and steatosis condition using Monte Carlo simulations and phantoms.

Methods: Three iron particle sizes (0.38, 0.

System vaccinology analysis of predictors and mechanisms of antibody response durability to multiple vaccines in humans.

We performed a systems vaccinology analysis to investigate immune responses in humans to an H5N1 influenza vaccine, with and without the AS03 adjuvant, to identify factors influencing antibody response magnitude and durability. Our findings revealed a platelet and adhesion-related blood transcriptional signature on day 7 that predicted the longevity of the antibody response, suggesting a potential role for platelets in modulating antibody response durability. As platelets originate from megakaryocytes, we explored the effect of thrombopoietin (TPO)-mediated megakaryocyte activation on antibody response longevity.

Systematic Review of Pain Assessment Measures Used in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Background: Pain is a prevalent, frequent, and often persistent symptom among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite its high prevalence, pain has remained understudied, and no evidence-based recommendations exist for how best to assess and treat pain in this population. Without proper assessment, clinical efforts to improve pain management in pediatric ALL will be ineffective.

An updated overview on long-acting therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a perspective of pharmaceutics.

Conventional drug formulations release active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) immediately after administration, while long-acting (LA) drug products are designed for prolonged therapeutic effects, thereby reducing administration frequency and improving patient compliance. The development of LA therapeutics for chronic disease treatment has significantly helped patients adhere to their regimens, reducing the need for daily doses and easing the burden on healthcare systems. Advances in treatment have transformed Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) into a manageable chronic disease, and efforts are underway to eliminate HIV in the future.

Engraft: A Collaborative Learning Health Network for Enhanced Transplant and Cellular Therapy Outcomes.

The Engraft Learning Health Network (LHN) aims to improve outcomes for patients undergoing transplant and cellular therapy (TCT) through a collaborative, data-driven approach. Engraft brings together diverse stakeholders, including clinicians, patients, caregivers, and institutions, to standardize best practices and accelerate the dissemination of innovations in TCT care. By establishing a multicenter, real-world clinical registry focused on rapid-cycle quality improvement (QI) and implementation research, Engraft seeks to reduce variability in clinical practice to improve TCT outcomes across centers.

A Needs Assessment of Labor and Delivery Nurses Performing NRP in the Delivery Room.

Introduction: Labor and delivery (L&D) nurses are often responsible for initiating the critical first steps of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). Identification of knowledge gaps and underlying reasons for NRP non-adherence is crucial for designing educational interventions.

Methods: A convenience sample of 37 L&D nurses from two delivery hospitals were enrolled.

User-defined virtual sensors: A new solution to the problem of temporal plus epilepsy sources.

Objective: The most common medically resistant epilepsy (MRE) involves the temporal lobe (TLE), and children designated as temporal plus epilepsy (TLE+) have a five-times increased risk of postoperative surgical failure. This retrospective, blinded, cross-sectional study aimed to correlate visual and computational analyses of magnetoencephalography (MEG) virtual sensor waveforms with surgical outcome and epilepsy classification (TLE and TLE+).

Methods: Patients with MRE who underwent MEG and iEEG monitoring and had at least 1 year of postsurgical follow-up were included in this retrospective analysis.

Identifying Factors that Influence Pediatric Echo Lab Image Quality: Development and Validation of a New Assessment Tool.

No method of evaluating transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) image quality (IQ) has been validated. Furthermore, structural echo lab elements impacting IQ are unknown. We sought to develop and validate a TTE IQ grading tool and determine patient and echo lab features associated with IQ.