Protracted Tuberculosis Outbreak in a Pasifika Diaspora in Western Sydney, Australia: The Importance of Community Engagement.

A prolonged tuberculosis outbreak, linked by whole-genome sequencing, occurred in a Pasifika extended family over 10 years (2013-2022) in Sydney, Australia. Despite Australia's low tuberculosis incidence, social and cultural complexities, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disruptions exacerbated transmission. Control required culturally sensitive, family-centered care and robust health system engagement.

Public Health.

Background: Neighborhood context includes conditions of the environment where people spend their time (e.g., work, play, seek health care) and it may affect residents' cognitive health.

Pediatric Craniofacial Injuries Involving Alcohol: An Epidemiologic Study.

Introduction: Alcohol intoxication significantly increases an individual's risk for a variety of injuries including craniofacial injuries, although this research is limited to adults. Further research is needed on pediatric craniofacial injuries related to alcohol use in children, a group inherently different in anatomy and developmental considerations from adults. This study aims to identify alcohol-related craniofacial injury patterns, injury mechanisms, and patient disposition in the pediatric population presenting to the emergency department.

Fractal cycles of sleep, a new aperiodic activity-based definition of sleep cycles.

Sleep cycles are defined as episodes of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep followed by an episode of REM sleep. Fractal or aperiodic neural activity is a well-established marker of arousal and sleep stages measured using electroencephalography. We introduce a new concept of 'fractal cycles' of sleep, defined as a time interval during which time series of fractal activity descend to their local minimum and ascend to the next local maximum.

Public Health.

Background: Observational studies have reported cognitive domain alterations in individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), affecting cognitive domains of information-processing speed, memory, attention, and executive function. Epidemiological observational studies have shown an association between higher blood pressure [HBP], low processing speed, short-term memory and learning, and delayed recall. Within the US Hispanic/Latino population, specifically Mexican Americans, cognition remains insufficiently studied.

Transcorneal Vitrectomy in Eyes with Regressed Retinoblastoma.

Purpose: Current treatments for retinoblastoma facilitate globe salvage but can result in vitreoretinal disorders that may require surgery. There is controversy on surgical approaches in eyes with retinoblastoma. Here we describe a transcorneal vitrectomy approach that avoids the use of chemotherapy or cryotherapy.

Biomarkers.

Background: The hippocampus is a key site of atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and MRI derived estimates of hippocampal volume have been shown to be a robust biomarker of AD-related neurodegeneration. However, its application at the individual level is limited by the lack of reference standards from large normative datasets that can be applied across a wide range of settings. We aimed to investigate the utility of hippocampal volume centile scores adjusted for age, sex and total intracranial volume (TIV) derived from a normative data from 101,457 participants across the life course, as a biomarker of neurodegeneration in AD.

Biomarkers.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is characterized by cognitive dysfunction not severe enough to affect one's activities of daily living (ADLs)1. Annually, approximately 15-20% adults 65 and older will present with MCI 1. MCI is considered a significant risk factor and a robust predictor for developing dementia.

Validation of Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) Scores to Predict Critical Events in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: To determine the prognostic value of the Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) to discriminate critical events, including code events and intubations, in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Methods: We performed an observational cohort study of all critical events in a quaternary care PICU between 5/2020 and 4/2023. Critical events were extracted from our hospital communications platform and from the electronic health record (EHR).

Implementation of a Checklist Tool to Improve Understanding of Rapid Response Team Protocols.

Rapid response teams (RRT) are multidisciplinary teams activated to assess patients outside of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and require a shared framework for approaching a deteriorating patient. In this project, we aimed to improve the understanding of RRT protocols through the development and implementation of the RRT Huddle Checklist. This quality improvement project took place from 2019 to 2022.

Machine Learning Approach for Sepsis Risk Assessment in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Background: Ischemic stroke is a critical neurological condition, with infection representing a significant aspect of its clinical management. Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction resulting from infection, is among the most dangerous complications in the intensive care unit (ICU). Currently, no model exists to predict the onset of sepsis in ischemic stroke patients.

Do not Forget to Measure the Head: Hydrocephalus Can Phenotypically Mimic Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition presenting with poor motor skill development and impaired coordination at a young age. To diagnose DCD, neurologic conditions explanatory for the phenotype, including structural brain abnormalities like hydrocephalus, must be first ruled out. However, these neurologic conditions may phenotypically mimic DCD, which can hamper their distinction.

cyclicpeptide: a Python package for cyclic peptide drug design.

The unique cyclic structure of cyclic peptides grants them remarkable stability and bioactivity, making them powerful candidates for treating various diseases. However, the lack of standardized tools for cyclic peptide data has hindered their potential in today's artificial intelligence-driven efficient drug design landscape. To bridge this gap, here we introduce a Python package named cyclicpeptide specifically for cyclic peptide drug design.

A Scale-Out Study of an Evidence-Based Family Meals Program Delivered in the Head Start Setting: Results, Challenges, and Opportunities.

There is need to identify evidence-based early childhood obesity prevention programs that are feasible and demonstrate cost-effectiveness for a broader health impact. This scale-out study leveraged community-engaged principles to compare the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of three delivery modes of a childhood obesity prevention family meals program (Simple Suppers) that demonstrated positive impacts on child and caregiver diet/nutritional health-related outcomes in a previous experimental trial tested among elementary-aged children. This three-arm (in-person, online, hybrid) pre-(T0) and post-(T1)-test study included families recruited from Head Start.

Approach to anaemia in gastrointestinal disease: A position paper by the ESPGHAN Gastroenterology Committee.

Anaemia is a frequent consequence of many gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in children and it can even be the initial presenting symptom of underlying chronic GI disease. The definition of anaemia is age and gender-dependent and it can be classified based on pathophysiology, red cell morphology, and clinical presentation. Although nutritional deficiencies, including GI malabsorption of nutrients and GI bleeding, play a major role, other pathophysiologic mechanisms seen in chronic GI diseases, whether inflammatory (e.

Developing Topics.

Background: A typical paper/pencil neuropsychological evaluation to assess for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is lengthy. There is a need for a brief, digitally administered/scored neuropsychological protocol that can differentiate patients who are cognitively normal versus MCI and dementia. This need is particularly acute with the advent of disease-modifying medications to treat MCI and early Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Does Palatoplasty Technique Impact Resolution of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

Objective: To determine whether palatoplasty technique affects the resolution of eustachian tube dysfunction and postoperative speech outcomes in children with cleft palate (CP).

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial clinic at a tertiary care center.

Benefit Finding in Craniofacial Conditions: A Qualitative Analysis of Patient and Parent Perspectives.

Objective: Craniofacial conditions (CFCs) can be associated with adverse effects on quality of life (QoL). However, few studies have examined perceived benefits related to CFCs. This study described perceived benefits in an international sample of children and adolescents with CFCs and their parents.

The Moderating Role of Ethnicity on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Pain Catastrophizing in Hispanic/Latinx and Non-Hispanic/Latinx White Youth with Chronic Pain.

Objectives: Chronic pain (CP) significantly impacts emotional and physical well-being and overall quality of life across diverse populations in the United States (U.S.).

Budget Impact Analysis of Integrative Medicine Practices for Pediatric Patients with Chronic Pain.

Objectives: Chronic pain is a leading cause of morbidity in children and adolescents globally but can be managed with a combination of traditional Western medicine and integrative medicine (IM) practices. This combination has improved various critical health outcomes, such as quality-of-life, sleep, pain, anxiety, and healthcare utilization. These IM practices include acupuncture, yoga, biofeedback, massage, mindfulness, or any combination of these modalities.

Impact of Heart Transplant Allocation Changes on Waitlist Mortality and Clinical Practice in Pediatric and Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease and Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The United Network of Organ Sharing made changes to the priority for allocation of hearts for transplantation (HT) in 2016 for pediatric patients and 2018 for adult patients. Although recent work has evaluated the impact of the revised allocation systems on mechanical circulatory support practices and waitlist outcomes, there are limited data that focus more specifically on the impact of the allocation changes on patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) or cardiomyopathy and how these relationships might differ in pediatric and adult patients.

Methods: The United Network of Organ Sharing database was queried for pediatric (<18 years of age) and adult (18-50 years of age) patients with a CHD or cardiomyopathy diagnosis listed for HT.

Lebrikizumab decreases type 2 inflammatory biomarker levels in patients with asthma: data from randomized phase 3 trials (LAVOLTA I and II).

Aim: Lebrikizumab is an interleukin (IL)-13 inhibitor that specifically blocks IL-13 signaling. Here, we report the effects of lebrikizumab on asthma serum biomarkers in 2 phase 3 clinical studies.

Methods: LAVOLTA I and LAVOLTA II are replicate, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with 52-week placebo-controlled treatment periods that evaluated lebrikizumab 37.

Options for pediatric heart valve replacement.

Heart valve replacement is indicated for children with irreparable heart valve disease. These replacements come in a variety of forms including mechanical, xenograft tissue, allograft tissue, and autograft tissue valves. These options each have unique benefits and risks profiles.

Associations among rearing environment and the infant gut microbiome with early-life neurodevelopment and cognitive development in a nonhuman primate model ().

Early gut microbiome development may impact brain and behavioral development. Using a nonhuman primate model (), we investigated the association between social environments and the gut microbiome on infant neurodevelopment and cognitive function. Infant rhesus monkeys ( = 33) were either mother-peer-reared (MPR) or nursery-reared (NR).

Variant Pseudocystic Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor With Heterologous Mullerian Cysts.

A desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) presented in a 13-year-old female with an acute abdomen due to torsion of a fallopian tube cyst. She was found to have an incidental 2 cm pedunculated, solid, and multicystic mass attached to the pelvic floor on laparoscopy. The neoplasm had a variably myxoid and spindle cell pattern with nests and cords of small cells, forming pseudocysts, and true cysts lined by ciliated epithelium which were PAX-8+ and ER+/PR+.