Metaverse-based simulation: a scoping review of charting medical education over the last two decades in the lens of the 'marvelous medical education machine'.

Background: Over the past two decades, the use of Metaverse-enhanced simulations in medical education has witnessed significant advancement. These simulations offer immersive environments and technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence that have the potential to revolutionize medical training by providing realistic, hands-on experiences in diagnosing and treating patients, practicing surgical procedures, and enhancing clinical decision-making skills. This scoping review aimed to examine the evolution of simulation technology and the emergence of metaverse applications in medical professionals' training, guided by Friedman's three dimensions in medical education: physical space, time, and content, along with an additional dimension of assessment.

Multimodal AI/ML for discovering novel biomarkers and predicting disease using multi-omics profiles of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are complex, multifactorial conditions that require personalized assessment and treatment. Advancements in multi-omics technologies, namely RNA sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, have provided translational researchers with a comprehensive view of the human genome. The efficient synthesis and analysis of this data through integrated approach that characterizes genetic variants alongside expression patterns linked to emerging phenotypes, can reveal novel biomarkers and enable the segmentation of patient populations based on personalized risk factors.

Recent Advancements in Cell-Based Therapies in Melanoma.

Malignant melanoma outcomes have drastically changed in recent years due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, many patients still experience intolerable side effects, therapy resistance, and disease progression on ICI therapy. Therefore, there remains a need for novel therapeutics that address this gap in treatment options.

Mental health in pregnancy complicated by fetal anomaly: depression screening and referrals in a single fetal care center.

To quantify depression screening rates in a fetal care center, identify characteristics associated with screenings and identify mental health referral uptake rates STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective cohort study of 166 patients in a single fetal care center investigated patients screened during pregnancy with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale RESULTS: Patients screened positive for depression at a rate of 31.9% using 10 as the cut-off score at their first mental health consult following diagnosis. Patients with a prior mental health diagnosis and lacked insurance or had state insurance were more likely to screen positive.

Hearing Loss and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Gretta is a 3.5-year-old girl with a history of congenital cytomegalovirus, congenital bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and bilateral vestibular dysfunction, resulting in frequent falls. She underwent cochlear implantation at 12 months of age and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 2.

Where Are We Now with Oncolytic Viruses in Melanoma and Nonmelanoma Skin Malignancies?

Skin cancer prognosis has greatly improved recently due to the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, many patients with advanced skin cancer still experience immunotherapy resistance and disease progression during ICI treatment, thus calling for novel therapeutics which address this treatment gap. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) has gained popularity in recent years as a viable treatment option for patients with skin cancer.

Metaverse-powered basic sciences medical education: bridging the gaps for lower middle-income countries.

Background: Traditional medical education often lacks contextual experience, hindering students' ability to effectively apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. The integration of the metaverse into medical education holds great enormous promise for addressing educational disparities, particularly in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) accompanied by rapid technological advancements. This commentary paper aimed to address the potential of the metaverse in enhancing basic sciences education within the constraints faced by universities in LMICs.

Dendritic Cells and the Establishment of Fetomaternal Tolerance for Successful Human Pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a remarkable event where the semi-allogeneic fetus develops in the mother's uterus, despite genetic and immunological differences. The antigen handling and processing at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy appear to be crucial for the adaptation of the maternal immune system and for tolerance to the developing fetus and placenta. Maternal antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages (Mφs) and dendritic cells (DCs), are present at the maternal-fetal interface throughout pregnancy and are believed to play a crucial role in this process.

Challenging Case: New-Onset Hallucinations and Developmental Regression in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Nick is a 5-year-old boy who began displaying self-stimulating behaviors and decreased social interactions shortly before turning 3 years. At the age of 3.5 years, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by a local developmental-behavioral pediatrician.

The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations.

Background: Health inequalities in African American communities have been further exacerbated by COVID-19. Public health departments and other safety-net providers across the United States have partnered with community-based organizations to address barriers to COVID-19 testing in disproportionately impacted communities. This narrative review summarizes lessons learned from published examples of these community-based COVID-19 testing efforts.

From static web to metaverse: reinventing medical education in the post-pandemic era.

The World Wide Web and the advancement of computer technology in the 1960s and 1990s respectively set the ground for a substantial and simultaneous change in many facets of our life, including medicine, health care, and medical education. The traditional didactic approach has shifted towards more dynamic and interactive methods, leveraging technologies such as simulation tools, virtual reality, and online platforms. At the forefront is the remarkable evolution that has revolutionized how medical knowledge is accessed, disseminated, and integrated into pedagogical practices.

Developmental Delay and Behavior Challenges in an Internationally Adopted Child.

Jay is a 6-year-old boy who was referred to a multidisciplinary developmental clinic for evaluation because of speech/language delays and challenging behaviors. He attends kindergarten with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) supporting developmental challenges with speech/language, motor, and academic skills.Jay was reportedly born full-term after an uneventful pregnancy and lived with his biological family for several months before transitioning to institutional care.

Trophoblast-Targeted Liposomes for Placenta-Specific Drug Delivery.

A major challenge in developing potential treatments for pregnancy complications is minimizing adverse effects to the fetus and mother. Placenta-targeted drug delivery could reduce the risks of drug treatments in pregnancy by targeting tissue where most pregnancy complications originate and decreasing dosages. We previously developed a tool for the targeted delivery of drug-carrying nanoparticles to the placenta using a synthetic placental chondroitin sulfate A-binding peptide (plCSA-BP) derived from the malarial protein VAR2CSA, which binds a distinct type of chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) exclusively expressed by placental trophoblasts.

Host immunity associated with spontaneous suppression of viremia in therapy-naïve young rhesus macaques following neonatal SHIV infection.

Despite the advent of highly active anti-retroviral therapy, people are still dying from HIV-related causes, many of whom are children, and a protective vaccine or cure is needed to end the HIV pandemic. Understanding the nature and activation states of immune cell subsets during infection will provide insights into the immunologic milieu associated with viremia suppression that can be harnessed via therapeutic strategies to achieve a functional cure, but these are understudied in pediatric subjects. We evaluated humoral and adaptive host immunity associated with suppression of viremia in rhesus macaques infected soon after birth with a pathogenic SHIV.

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Milestones: A Step in the Right Direction to Evaluate Subspecialty Learners.

We share the work of the ACGME Pediatric Infectious Diseases Working Group in creating the Pediatric Infectious Diseases-Specific Milestones and discuss key considerations that lead to the reformation of competencies to better assess learners in Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics of /HIV Co-Infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection continues to pose a significant healthcare burden. HIV co-infection during TB predisposes the host to the reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI), worsening disease conditions and mortality. There is a lack of biomarkers of LTBI reactivation and/or immune-related transcriptional signatures to distinguish active TB from LTBI and predict TB reactivation upon HIV co-infection.

Complex Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a Bilingual Child with Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability.

Maria is an 8-year-old girl with Down syndrome, described by her mother as an affectionate and social child, who was referred to developmental-behavioral pediatrics by her pediatrician because of increasing aggressive behaviors and inattention.Maria was 5 pounds at birth, delivered full-term by cesarean section, and hospitalized for 1 month after delivery because of feeding issues that required a nasogastric (NG) tube. Maternal age was 24 years, pregnancy was uncomplicated, and there were no reported prenatal exposures to substances.

Expanding a laboratory model for evaluating relapse of caregiver nonadherence.

Caregiver adherence to treatment plans is likely maintained by negative reinforcement and can contact extinction when child responding relapses. When caregiver adherence contacts extinction, caregiver nonadherence, such as reinforcing their child's challenging behavior, relapses, threatening treatment efficacy. Previous laboratory models demonstrating the relapse of caregiver nonadherence only evaluated treatment for behavior maintained by social-positive reinforcement, not that maintained by social-negative reinforcement.

Longitudinal changes of health-related quality of life in childhood chronic kidney disease.

Background: Few longitudinal studies have evaluated the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) duration on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The study's aim was to determine how HRQOL changes over time in childhood CKD.

Methods: Study participants were children in the chronic kidney disease in children (CKiD) cohort who completed the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) on three or more occasions over the course of two or more years.