The Recent Increase in Invasive Bacterial Infections: A Report From the National COVID Cohort Collaborative.

Background: When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mitigation efforts waned, viral respiratory infections (VRIs) surged, potentially increasing the risk of postviral invasive bacterial infections (IBIs). We sought to evaluate the change in epidemiology and relationships between specific VRIs and IBIs [complicated pneumonia, complicated sinusitis and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS)] over time using the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) dataset.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of all prospectively collected pediatric (<19 years old) and adult encounters at 58 N3C institutions, stratified by era: pre-pandemic (January 1, 2018, to February 28, 2020) versus pandemic (March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2023).

Revisiting Injectable Estrogen Dosing Recommendations for Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

Injectable estrogens are options for gender-affirming hormone therapy per guidelines, which suggest intramuscular dosages of 5-30 mg every 2 weeks or 2-10 mg weekly with estradiol cypionate or valerate interchangeably. Data among transgender and gender-diverse patients are limited due to local unavailability and concerns around laboratory assay variability and estradiol (E2) level fluctuation. We note a concerning trend where patients are prescribed high-dose injections based on the guidelines leading to serum E2 levels well above the range recommended in the same guidelines.

Racial Disparities in Clinical Trial Enrollment Among Patients Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort of Oncology Practices.

Although clinical trials should be accessible to all patients, persistent racial and ethnic disparities in clinical trial enrollment exist. Herein, we examine racial disparities in clinical trial enrollment among prostate cancer patients from a large population-based cohort of oncology practices in the United States. Using CancerLinQ Discovery, we identified men with regional (N1+) and/or metastatic (M1) prostate cancer diagnosed from 2011 to 2023.

Concomitant Uterine and Bilateral Adnexal Torsion in a Postmenopausal Woman: A Case Report.

Adnexal torsion is a well-recognized gynecologic emergency; however, uterine torsion is less well-known. The majority of uterine torsions occur in gravid uteri; torsion in postmenopausal patients is rare. We report a case of uterine and bilateral adnexal torsion in a postmenopausal woman due to a large leiomyoma.

The Effect of Fluoroquinolones on Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection.

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a widely prescribed class of antibiotics including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin. They are commonly used to treat a variety of infections worldwide. Known for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, as well as excellent pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, the use of FQs has risen significantly.

Facing the fear: a narrative review on the potential of pressure training in music.

Music performance anxiety (MPA) is one of the most reported psychological problems among musicians, posing a significant threat to the optimal performance, health, and psychological wellbeing of musicians. Most research on MPA treatment has focused on reducing symptoms of performance anxiety, but complete "cures" are uncommon. A promising addition or alternative that may help musicians enhance their performance under pressure, despite their anxiety, is pressure training (PT).

Yellow bean ( L.) germplasm with less dietary fiber have shorter cooking times and more bioavailable iron.

Some yellow-colored market classes of dry bean ( L.) are valued by consumers as an easy-to-digest, fast cooking alternative to darker colored red and black beans, which in comparison generally have longer cooking times and reduced iron bioavailability. There is evidence that the cooking time of yellow beans is linked to the dietary fiber content and may also contribute to nutrient digestibility and bioavailability.

An Abrupt Decline in Global Terrestrial Water Storage and Its Relationship with Sea Level Change.

Unlabelled: As observed by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow On (GRACE-FO) missions, global terrestrial water storage (TWS), excluding ice sheets and glaciers, declined rapidly between May 2014 and March 2016. By 2023, it had not yet recovered, with the upper end of its range remaining 1 cm equivalent height of water below the upper end of the earlier range. Beginning with a record-setting drought in northeastern South America, a series of droughts on five continents helped to prevent global TWS from rebounding.

North Atlantic Heat Transport Convergence Derived from a Regional Energy Budget Using Different Ocean Heat Content Estimates.

This study uses an oceanic energy budget to estimate the ocean heat transport convergence in the North Atlantic during 2005-2018. The horizontal convergence of the ocean heat transport is estimated using ocean heat content tendency primarily derived from satellite altimetry combined with space gravimetry. The net surface energy fluxes are inferred from mass-corrected divergence of atmospheric energy transport and tendency of the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis combined with top-of-the-atmosphere radiative fluxes from the clouds and the Earth's radiant energy system project.

Ideological religious nationalism: measurement, construct validity, and cross-cultural comparisons.

Ideological religious nationalism (IRN) is a worldview that advocates the integration of religious beliefs with national policy and laws and the religious moralization of politics. However, the psychological mechanisms, individual differences, and socio-political consequences related to IRN are unclear. Across five studies ( = 1,349), we established construct validity for a novel scale assessing IRN that is adaptable across different contexts.

The role of pediatric subspecialists in adolescent contraceptive care: knowledge, attitudes, and barriers.

Study Objective: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic medical conditions (CMC) have similar sexual behaviors to their healthy peers but are less likely to use contraception. Provision of CMC-specific sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care within pediatric subspecialty clinics may improve access for this population, although system and provider level barriers exist. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the attitudes, practices, and knowledge of SRH among providers in a variety of pediatric subspecialities.

A new type of two-dimensional carbon-based monolayers namely irida-graphene as an anode material for magnesium-ion batteries.

The DFT was employed to assess the ion-storage capability of an irida-graphene monolayer (IGM) in Mg-ion batteries (MIBs). The IGM had a mechanically stable structure. The IGM also exhibited great conductance based on the DOS calculations.

Clinical Measures Associated with Subsequent Injury after Adolescent Concussion: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: To examine associations between clinical measures (self-reported and clinician-administered) and subsequent injury rates in the year after concussion return to play (RTP) among adolescent athletes.

Methods: We performed a prospective, longitudinal study of adolescents ages 13-18 years. Each participant was initially assessed within 21 days of concussion and again within 5 days of receiving RTP clearance from their physician.

An alternative multidrug regimen for multibacillary Hansen's disease: a case report.

Background: Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is an infectious disease most common in resource-limited countries caused by the acid-fast bacilli Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis that frequently affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with multidrug therapy is crucial to reduce disease transmission and sequelae, which include nerve function impairment, ocular injury, and stigmatizing physical deformities. Traditional treatment of multibacillary leprosy consists of 12-24 months of multidrug therapy with dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine.

Chromosome-level Haploid Assembly of Cannabis sativa L. cv. Pink Pepper.

As molecular research on hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) continues to advance, there is a growing need for the accumulation of more diverse genome data and more accurate genome assemblies. In this study, we report the three-way assembly data of a cannabidiol (CBD)-rich cannabis variety, 'Pink Pepper' cultivar using sequencing technology: PacBio Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) technology, Illumina sequencing technology, and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT).

Exposure therapy consortium: Outcomes of the proof-of-principle study.

Background: This paper reports on the outcomes of a proof-of-principle study for the Exposure Therapy Consortium, a global network of researchers and clinicians who work to improve the effectiveness and uptake of exposure therapy. The study aimed to test the feasibility of the consortium's big-team science approach and test the hypothesis that adding post-exposure processing focused on enhancing threat reappraisal would enhance the efficacy of a one-session large-group interoceptive exposure therapy protocol for reducing anxiety sensitivity.

Methods: The study involved a multi-site cluster-randomized controlled trial comparing exposure with post-processing (ENHANCED), exposure without post-processing (STANDARD), and a stress management intervention (CONTROL) in students with elevated anxiety sensitivity.

Nerve dissection technique for excision of parotid tumors: Outcomes controlling for tumor size and location.

Purpose: We examined operative efficiency, rate of facial nerve paresis, and post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing retrograde (RGD) vs anterograde dissection (AGD) of the facial nerve controlling for tumor location.

Methods: Single-institution, retrospective analysis of patients with benign parotid tumors undergoing superficial parotidectomy with facial nerve dissection over a six-year period. Operative and pathology reports were reviewed to classify tumor size, location in relation to facial nerve branches, and technique for facial nerve dissection.

Updates on the MR safety guidelines - Essentials for radiologists.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a sophisticated diagnostic tool that utilizes the magnetic properties of biological tissue to generate detailed images of internal structures without the use of ionizing radiation. Despite its benefits in providing high-contrast images of soft tissues, the strong magnetic fields used in MRI present a unique safety challenge. Increasing MRI-related accidents and the prevalence of patients with metallic implants in recent years underscore the critical need for stringent MR safety protocols.

Bone Health ECHO Case Report: Significant Elevation in Bone Turnover Markers and Progression of Vertebral Fractures After Denosumab Discontinuation Followed by a PTH-Analog.

Bone Health ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a virtual community of practice, where healthcare professionals have met via videoconferencing weekly since 2015. This model of learning is focused on short didactics and the presentation of real but de-identified patient cases followed by highly interactive discussions. These are often clinical situations with diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas that are not readily addressed by randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials and clinical practice guidelines.

A descriptive examination of rurality in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort: Implications, illustrations, and future directions.

Purpose: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to not only illustrate the suitability of ECHO Cohort data for these purposes but also determine how various definitions of rural and urban populations impact the presentation of findings and their interpretation.

Rare variants in cardiomyopathy genes predispose to cardiac injury in severe COVID-19 patients of African or Hispanic ancestry.

In one of the earliest reports from China during COVID-19, it was noted that over 20% of patients hospitalized with the disease had significant elevations of troponin, a marker of myocardial tissue damage, that put them at a higher risk. In a hypothesis-independent whole exome sequencing (WES) study in hospitalized COVID-19 patients of diverse ancestry, we observed putative enrichment in pathogenic variants in genes known to be involved in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy. This observation led us to hypothesize that the observed high morbidity and mortality in these patients might be due to the presence of rare genetic factors that had previously been silent but became relevant as a consequence of the severe stress inflicted by an infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Assessment and ascertainment in psychiatric molecular genetics: challenges and opportunities for cross-disorder research.

Psychiatric disorders are highly comorbid, heritable, and genetically correlated [1-4]. The primary objective of cross-disorder psychiatric genetics research is to identify and characterize both the shared genetic factors that contribute to convergent disease etiologies and the unique genetic factors that distinguish between disorders [4, 5]. This information can illuminate the biological mechanisms underlying comorbid presentations of psychopathology, improve nosology and prediction of illness risk and trajectories, and aid the development of more effective and targeted interventions.