Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Versus Standard Bacterial Culture in Critically Ill Children With Suspected Pneumonia.

Background: Bacterial lower respiratory tract infection, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children who require mechanical ventilation (MV). Microbiologic diagnosis has relied on bacterial culture, but reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with bacterial targets is now available for clinical use. We compared the diagnostic performance of tracheal aspirate (TA) multiplex RT-PCR to culture in children requiring MV with suspected lower respiratory tract infection.

On-TRACC Pilot Study: A Novel Intervention for Persistent Post-Concussive Cognitive Symptoms.

Objective: To present the results of a pilot study of On-TRACC (Tools for Recovery and Clinical Care), a novel intervention for individuals experiencing persistent cognitive difficulties after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). On-TRACC is a 5-session, 1:1 manualized treatment that integrates psychoeducation, cognitive rehabilitation strategies, and self-management skills to target symptoms and increase understanding of the interaction between cognitive difficulties, injury history, and comorbid medical and psychological conditions. The primary study goals were to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of On-TRACC.

A cytochrome repressed by a MarR family regulator confers resistance to metals, nitric oxide, sulfide, and cyanide in .

Unlabelled: is a ubiquitous environmental pathogen. Despite its remarkable adaptability, little is known about the mechanisms of stress resistance in this bacterium. Here, in a screen for iron-susceptible transposon mutants, we identified a cytochrome that protects against multiple stresses.

Serious Bacterial Infections and Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Syndemic or Intertwined Epidemics?

Limited research has examined the possible synergistic interrelationships between serious bacterial infections (SBIs) of the heart (i.e., endocarditis), bone, spine, brain, or joints (e.

Evaluation of Outcomes Following Arthroscopic Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Across Different Surgeons, Surgical Techniques, and Postoperative Protocols: A Multi-institutional Study.

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is frequently treated arthroscopically with osteoplasty and labral repair. Surgical preferences vary in terms of equipment, technique, and postoperative protocol. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable tools to assess outcomes across different institutions.

Assessment of upper extremity functional capacity in following osteosynthesis for upper limb fractures using a novel method for determining total reachable workspace.

Objective: This study aimed to assess reachable workspace (RWS) in patients post-osteosynthesis of shoulder, elbow, or wrist fractures and explore correlations with self-reported function and kinesiophobia.

Design: An observational case-control study compared patients with fractures to a control group, utilizing questionnaires and 3D kinematic data.

Participants: The sample included 66 individuals who had undergone osteosynthesis: 21 with shoulder fractures, 10 with elbow fractures, and 22 with wrist fractures.

Impact of Subsequent Fellowship on Urology Chief Resident Case Log Volumes.

Objective: To characterize the impact of subsequent fellowship on the case log experience of trainees throughout their residency and specifically their chief resident year.

Materials And Methods: Urology resident case logs from 2010 to 2022 were obtained from 13 institutions for total residency and chief years. Five categorized index procedures were included for analysis: General Urology; Endourology; Reconstructive Urology; Urologic Oncology; and Pediatric Urology.

Randomized clinical trial of peer integrated collaborative care intervention after physical injury.

Objectives: The goal of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of a peer integrated collaborative care intervention for postinjury outcomes.

Methods: Injury survivors ≥18 years of age were screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and severe postinjury concerns; screen-positive patients were randomized to the intervention versus enhanced usual care control conditions. The collaborative care intervention included peer support and care management.

Achieving reliable patient reported outcomes collection to measure health care improvement in a learning health network: lessons from pediatric rheumatology care and outcomes improvement network.

Introduction: Data from the Pediatric Rheumatology Care and Outcomes Improvement Network (PR-COIN) registry suggests that reliable collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) varies across sites. The objective of this study was to better understand the practices of collecting PROs at PR-COIN sites.

Methods: A REDCap survey was sent to the lead representative for each PR-COIN site.

Assessment of tuberculosis drug efficacy using preclinical animal models and in vitro predictive techniques.

Tuberculosis (TB) killed approximately 1.3 million people in 2022 and remains a leading cause of death from the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb); this number of deaths was surpassed only by COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Characterizing executive functioning and associated behaviors in individuals with dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A () syndrome.

Introduction: , a protein kinase located on human chromosome 21, plays a role in postembryonic neuronal development and degeneration. Alterations to have been consistently associated with cognitive functioning and neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g.

Racial residential segregation is associated with ambient air pollution exposure after adjustment for multilevel sociodemographic factors: Evidence from eight US-based cohorts.

Objective: We examined if racial residential segregation (RRS) - a fundamental cause of disease - is independently associated with air pollution after accounting for other neighborhood and individual-level sociodemographic factors, to better understand its potential role as a confounder of air pollution-health studies.

Methods: We compiled data from eight large cohorts, restricting to non-Hispanic Black and White urban-residing participants observed at least once between 1999 and 2005. We used 2000 decennial census data to derive a spatial RRS measure (divergence index) and neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) index for participants' residing Census tracts, in addition to participant baseline data, to examine associations between RRS and sociodemographic factors (NSES, education, race) and residential exposure to spatiotemporal model-predicted PM and NO levels.

Navigating Limited Resources-Outpatient Pediatric Cholecystectomies at Rural Hospitals.

Background: Rural facilities that provide pediatric surgical services are a critical resource to local communities. Our aim was to characterize differences in outpatient pediatric cholecystectomy outcomes performed at rural and urban hospitals with the hypothesis that rural hospitals would have similar outcomes.

Methods: The Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample (NASS), which contains ambulatory surgery encounters at hospital-owned facilities, was used to perform a retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric patients age 18-years and younger who had a cholecystectomy (n = 15,449) between 2016 and 2018.

The use of premedication for intubating very low birth weight infants in the neonatal intensive care unit: Results of a national survey.

Objective: To explore barriers and perspectives of premedication use for non-emergent intubations of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (less than 1,500 g).

Study Design: A cross-sectional, online survey was distributed from January to April 2023 to members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.

Barriers to the Management of Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Due to 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency.

Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency is a rare genetic condition that requires lifelong management from birth. Individuals with CAH and their families often face structural barriers to obtaining comprehensive care and treatment, including limited access to appropriate newborn screening, comprehensive care centers, and medications. Social and cultural barriers to care may include stigmatization, discrimination, and adverse medical experiences.

Evaluating the Effect of Various Pure Tone Averages on Cochlear Implant Candidacy Screening.

Objective: To provide evidence to use an extended frequency pure tone average to screen for cochlear implant evaluation candidates as recommended by the American Cochlear Implant Alliance. Additionally, to determine whether traditional low frequency, high or low frequency, high frequency, or extended frequency pure tone average most accurately predicts cochlear implant candidates based on speech perception scores from aided AzBio sentence testing or aided consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) testing.

Method: Adults from a tertiary care center who completed aided sentence testing during cochlear implant evaluation between 2014 and 2024 were assessed.

Targeted detection of sequence variants in cell-free DNA from cerebrospinal fluid in pediatric central nervous system tumors.

The emergence of liquid biopsy technologies holds great promise in the cancer setting, including in pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors. In contrast to broad lower-depth sequencing, commonly referred to as low pass whole genome sequencing (WGS), targeted platforms with a higher depth of coverage have also been established. Here, we review targeted liquid biopsy techniques with applicability to pediatric CNS tumors.

Single- versus two-test criteria for cognitive impairment: associations with CSF and imaging markers in former American football players.

 Cognitive impairment is a core feature of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the putative clinical syndrome of chronic traumatic encephalopathy-a neuropathological disease associated with repetitive head impacts (RHI). Careful operationalization of cognitive impairment is essential to improving the diagnostic specificity and accuracy of TES criteria. We compared single- versus two-test criteria for cognitive impairment in their associations with CSF and imaging biomarkers in male former American football players.

Current availability of radiotherapy devices in Peru and artificial intelligence-based analysis for constructing a nationwide implementation plan.

Purpose: We provide for the first time a comprehensive situational diagnosis and propose an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted nationwide plan of implementation, attending the most urgent needs.

Methods: Baseline information was collected from open-source databases of the Peruvian Government. Data on cancer incidence from the Health Authorities and GLOBOCAN were collected and compared.

Histopathologic Progression and Metastatic Relapse Outcomes in Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Urinary Tract.

Introduction: Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary tract (SCNEC-URO) has an inferior prognosis compared to conventional urothelial carcinoma (UC). Here, we evaluate the predictors and patterns of relapse after surgery.

Materials And Methods: We identified a definitive-surgery cohort (n = 224) from an institutional database of patients with cT1-T4NxM0 SCNEC-URO treated in 1985-2021.

Antibiotic treatment versus appendicectomy for acute appendicitis in adults: an individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have found antibiotics to be a feasible and safe alternative to appendicectomy in adults with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis. However, patient inclusion criteria and outcome definitions vary greatly between RCTs. We aimed to compare antibiotics with appendicectomy for the treatment of acute appendicitis using individual patient data and uniform outcome definitions.

Quantification and prediction of human fetal (-)-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol/(±)-11-OH-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during pregnancy to inform fetal cannabis toxicity.

Prenatal cannabis use is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits, likely due to exposure to the psychoactive cannabinoid, (-)-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol, and its active metabolite, (±)-11-OH-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol. To determine causality, preclinical studies mimicking human fetal cannabinoid exposure must be conducted. Here we show cannabinoid concentrations across gestation in maternal plasma and paired fetal tissues in trimester 1 and 2 and maternal plasma and fetal umbilical venous plasma in trimester 3.

Optical imaging guidance in oncologic surgery and interventional oncology.

Over recent decades, optical imaging (OI) has become an integral part of medical imaging, offering significant advantages over other modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). OI is distinguished by its real-time imaging capability, cost-effectiveness, portability, absence of ionizing radiation, and high patient acceptability. The introduction of advanced optical dyes (including FDA-approved agents like indocyanine green, Cytalux, and Gleolan) has greatly enhanced its clinical utility.