EPISeg: Automated segmentation of the spinal cord on echo planar images using open-access multi-center data.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the spinal cord is relevant for studying sensation, movement, and autonomic function. Preprocessing of spinal cord fMRI data involves segmentation of the spinal cord on gradient-echo echo planar imaging (EPI) images. Current automated segmentation methods do not work well on these data, due to the low spatial resolution, susceptibility artifacts causing distortions and signal drop-out, ghosting, and motion-related artifacts.

Appendicectomy versus antibiotics for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children: an open-label, international, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

Background: Support for the treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis with non-operative management rather than surgery has been increasing in the literature. We aimed to investigate whether treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis with antibiotics in children is inferior to appendicectomy by comparing failure rates for the two treatments.

Methods: In this pragmatic, multicentre, parallel-group, unmasked, randomised, non-inferiority trial, children aged 5-16 years with suspected non-perforated appendicitis (based on clinical diagnosis with or without radiological diagnosis) were recruited from 11 children's hospitals in Canada, the USA, Finland, Sweden, and Singapore.

Outcomes following resective and disconnective strategies in the treatment of epileptic spasms: a systematic review of the literature and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Epileptic spasms (ES) are a unique seizure type typically presenting in the form of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) with characteristic hypsarrhythmia on scalp EEG and a preponderance with developmental delay or regression. While pharmacotherapy is the mainstay of treatment, surgical options, including disconnective or resective procedures, are increasingly recognized as viable therapeutic options for recurrent or persistent ES. However, limited data on safety, effectiveness, and prognostic factors hinder informed decision-making regarding surgery indications, timing, and intervention type.

Perspectives on Conducting Behavioral Intervention With Adolescents Using a Virtual Platform-A Thematic Analysis From the Viewpoint of Study Coordinators.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread adoption of virtual communication platforms. Virtual study visits were implemented in the pilot cluster randomized trial (CRT) stage of Teen Adherence in KidnEy transplant Improving Tracking To Optimize Outcomes (TAKE-IT TOO). The present study aimed to understand study coordinators' perspectives on conducting a behavioral intervention with adolescent kidney transplant recipients using virtual conferencing platforms.

The Impact of HIV on B Cell Compartment and Its Implications for COVID-19 Vaccinations in People with HIV.

HIV causes intense polyclonal activation of B cells, resulting in increased numbers of spontaneously antibody-secreting cells in the circulation and hypergammaglobulinemia. It is accompanied by significant perturbations in various B cell subsets, such as increased frequencies of immature/transitional B cells, activated memory B cells, atypical memory B cells, short-lived plasmablasts and regulatory B cells, as well as by decreased frequencies of resting memory and resting naïve B cells. Furthermore, both memory and antigen-inexperienced naïve B cells show exhausted and immune-senescent phenotypes.

Sexual dimorphism in pathogenic variant-harbouring individuals.

Background: Individuals harbouring pathogenic variants are at risk for aneurysms/dissections throughout the arterial tree. Based on prior reports of sex differences in thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection, we investigated the sexual dimorphism for vascular events in variant-harbouring patients.

Methods: We analysed two large pedigrees comprising 84 individuals segregating pathogenic missense variants affecting the same p.

Anti-migraine medications safety during pregnancy in the US.

Background: Specific antimigraine medications (dihydroergotamine (DHE), triptans) have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in individual studies but lack of consensus remains.

Objectives: Quantify the risk of prematurity, low birth weight (LBW), major congenital malformations (MCM), and spontaneous abortions (SA) associated with gestational use of DHE or triptans in a privately insured cohort of pregnant women in the US.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study within the US Merative MarketScan Research Database (2011-2021), composed of a nationally representative sample of patients with employer-provided health insurance.

Impact of Vanessa's Law on the Reporting of Serious Adverse Events: A Retrospective Study Among Antiplatelet Users in a Tertiary-Care Cardiology Centre.

Background: Antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel, ticagrelor, prasugrel, and acetylsalicylic acid, may be associated with a risk of adverse events (AEs). Vanessa's Law was enacted to strengthen regulations to protect Canadians from drug-related side effects (with mandatory reporting of serious adverse events [SAEs]).

Objective: To determine whether Vanessa's Law has led to an increase in SAE reporting among antiplatelet users.

A multimodal neuroimaging study of youth at risk for substance use disorders: Functional magnetic resonance imaging and [F]fallypride positron emission tomography.

Background: Adolescent alcohol use is the norm, but only some develop a substance use disorder. The increased risk might reflect heightened mesocorticolimbic responses to reward-related cues but results published to date have been inconsistent.

Methods: Young social drinkers (age 18.

Do school-based prevention programs impact co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress during adolescence?

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for preventing substance use and mental health concerns, often targeted through separate school-based programs. However, co-occurrence is common and is related to worse outcomes. This study explores prevention effects of leading school-based prevention programs on co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress.

Use of the moving epidemic method to guide the launch of palivizumab immunization campaigns for respiratory syncytial virus in Québec, Canada.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the seasonal transmission pattern of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), challenging the launch of palivizumab immunization campaigns. This study explored the performance of the moving epidemic method (MEM) to guide the launch of such campaigns.

Methods: Data were collected through a continuous RSV surveillance system (07/2013‒03/2022) in Québec, Canada.

Corticosteroids reduce pathological angiogenesis yet compromise reparative vascular remodeling in a model of retinopathy.

Tissue inflammation is often broadly associated with cellular damage, yet sterile inflammation also plays critical roles in beneficial tissue remodeling. In the central nervous system, this is observed through a predominantly innate immune response in retinal vascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity. Here, we set out to elucidate the dynamics of the immune response during progression and regression of pathological neovascularization in retinopathy.

Machine and Deep Learning Models for Hypoxemia Severity Triage in CBRNE Emergencies.

Background/objectives: This study develops machine learning (ML) models to predict hypoxemia severity during emergency triage, particularly in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) scenarios, using physiological data from medical-grade sensors.

Methods: Tree-based models (TBMs) such as XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost, Random Forests (RFs), Voting Classifier ensembles, and sequential models (LSTM, GRU) were trained on the MIMIC-III and IV datasets. A preprocessing pipeline addressed missing data, class imbalances, and synthetic data flagged with masks.

Women with Complex Vascular Anomalies: Impact on Contraception, Pregnancy and Reproductive Health.

Background: Literature is scarce regarding contraceptive and reproductive health in women with complex vascular anomalies (VA).

Objectives: To assess obstetrical, gynecological and reproductive health in this population.

Methods: Female adult patients of childbearing age from the VA clinic of a single tertiary care centre in Canada have been recruited by retrospective chart review, and administered phone interviews.

Long-Acting Growth Hormone Therapy in Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Consensus Statement.

Context: Several long-acting growth hormone (LAGH) therapies have recently become available, but guidance on their usage in children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency is limited.

Methods: International experts in pediatric endocrinology were invited to join a consensus group based on their expertise in treating children with daily GH and LAGH. The group comprised 11 experts from 10 countries across the world.

Seasons of Kawasaki Disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incidence of Kawasaki Disease has a peak in the winter months with a trough in late summer/early fall. Environmental/exposure factors have been associated with a time-varying incidence. These factors were altered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three-dimensional spatial distribution of lumbar paraspinal intramuscular fat revealed by spatial parametric mapping.

Purpose: Lumbar paraspinal intramuscular fat (IMF) has emerged as a biological factor in low back pain (LBP). Traditional assessments measure IMF across the entire muscle or at specific levels and may miss key information on the role of IMF in LBP. Despite known variations across the lumbar spine, the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of IMF has not been characterized across people.

Specific inhibition and disinhibition in the higher-order structure of a cortical connectome.

Neurons are thought to act as parts of assemblies with strong internal excitatory connectivity. Conversely, inhibition is often reduced to blanket inhibition with no targeting specificity. We analyzed the structure of excitation and inhibition in the MICrONS $mm^{3}$ dataset, an electron microscopic reconstruction of a piece of cortical tissue.

External evaluation of intravenous vancomycin population pharmacokinetic models in adults receiving high-flux intermittent haemodialysis.

Aims: Patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) are at greater risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections requiring intravenous vancomycin. Close vancomycin therapeutic drug monitoring is warranted in HD patients as renal clearance is the primary elimination pathway. Clinically, population pharmacokinetics (popPK) model-informed dosing is commonly used.

Stress and Quality of Life of Parents of Children With POLR3-Related Leukodystrophy: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

RNA polymerase III (POLR3)-related leukodystrophy is a rare, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by hypomyelination, hypodontia, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Despite the challenges of caring for a child with POLR3-related leukodystrophy, few studies have examined parents' disease burden. We sought to investigate quality of life and stress levels amongst parents of children with POLR3-related leukodystrophy.

Combining Hypnosis and Virtual Reality: A Qualitative Investigation of User Experience During an Experimental Pain Study.

Virtual reality (VR) and hypnosis (H) are useful pain management tools, but the potential benefit of their combination (VRH) has yet to be studied. This study examines the user experience of VRH, compared to H and VR alone, using interviews following an experimental study examining the effect of the three interventions on pain perception. Following a within-subjects repeated measures experimental design, 16 participants received the three interventions during which they received painful electrical stimuli.