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We report the first result of a direct search for a cosmic axion background (CaB)-a relativistic background of axions that is not dark matter-performed with the axion haloscope, the Axion Dark Matter eXperiment (ADMX). Conventional haloscope analyses search for a signal with a narrow bandwidth, as predicted for dark matter, whereas the CaB will be broad. We introduce a novel analysis strategy, which searches for a CaB induced daily modulation in the power measured by the haloscope. Using this, we repurpose data collected to search for dark matter to set a limit on the axion photon coupling of a CaB originating from dark matter cascade decay via a mediator in the 800-995 MHz frequency range. We find that the present sensitivity is limited by fluctuations in the cavity readout as the instrument scans across dark matter masses. Nevertheless, we suggest that these challenges can be surmounted using superconducting qubits as single photon counters, and allow ADMX to operate as a telescope searching for axions emerging from the decay of dark matter. The daily modulation analysis technique we introduce can be deployed for various broadband rf signals, such as other forms of a CaB or even high-frequency gravitational waves.

Background: Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) are important building blocks for children's sport-participation and lifelong physical activity. In the last decade, several international studies have reported delays in the development of FMS. To get better insight into the Dutch situation and to provide future directions, this study examined the development of FMS in Dutch primary school children. Method: The main goal of this study is to compare FMS of 11-12-year-old Dutch children in 2016 with scores of similarly-aged-children in 2006. In addition, gender, age, BMI were taken into account, to see whether changes in motor performance are related to these child characteristics. FMS-test scores on seven motor competence tests (balance, swing, jump, roll, shoot, throwing and catching, and tennis) from 1939 children in 2016 were set side by side with those of 1648 children in 2006. Temporal changes in motor competence scores were analyzed using regression-analysis. Results: This cross-sectional study shows better results for the children in 2006 compared to similarly-aged-children in 2016. Lower scores were found on six out of seven tested FMS, with the largest declines on the object control skills tennis and throwing and catching. Only vaulting jump skills remained on the same level. Overall, children with a higher BMI scored lower on all tests, except for throwing and catching via the wall. On the balancing, jumping and tennis test, the gap with children with a lower BMI widened over the last decade. Girls showed a lower competence level on rolling, shooting and throwing and catching compared to boys. During the last decade, their performance on the tennis test decreased more than for boys. Conclusions: Results of this study are alarming as diminishing motor skills are related to lower sport participation and poorer health outcomes. For the future generation, new interventions are needed to help children reach a sufficient proficiency level in FMS, to prevent or overcome the negative effects of lowered motor skills. Targeting FMS components during physical education and outside of school hours may potentially be a valuable strategy in reverting the lowering FMS levels amongst children.

Objective: Pain management surrounding lumbar spine surgery is a complex topic. Though some authors suggest that preoperative opioid use is a negative prognostic factor, its association with patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction after surgery remains controversial. We aimed to uncover the effect of preoperative opioid use on long-term outcomes using a national sample., Methods: Using deidentified data from the lumbar spine surgery Quality Outcomes Database, we compared functional outcomes and satisfaction in 34,934 patients based on presence of preoperative opioid use. Outcomes included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and satisfaction indices. Regression subanalysis illustrated the effect of preoperative opioid duration and daily MME., Results: 44.1 % used opioids preoperatively. A greater percentage of patients using opioids underwent surgery with instrumentation (p < .005). They exhibited clinically comparable improvement in VAS, ODI, and satisfaction at 3- (p = .069, p < .005, p < .005, respectively) and 12-months (p < .05). Return to work was lower at 3- (74.32 % vs. 80.82 %, p < .005) and 12-months (48.99 % vs. 62.95 %, p < .005). They maintained low postoperative use although greater than opioid naïve patients at 3- (3.1 % vs. 1.2 %, p < .005) and 12-months (3.6 % vs. 0.8 %, p < .005). Preoperative daily MME had no significant effect on outcomes, although increasing duration negatively impacted VAS and ODI scores., Conclusions: Preoperative opioid use by itself should not be used in surgical decision making but rather an individual risk assessment according to chronicity of opioid burden. Longer duration of use appears to impair postoperative improvement but not satisfaction with little influence by daily MME; however, larger, granular analyses remain necessary., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Controversy exists regarding treatment of symptomatic low-grade spondylolisthesis (LGS). Both one- and two-stage fusions are commonly performed, but it is unclear if one approach is superior. We aim to compare the satisfaction rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with LGS undergoing one- versus two-stage lumbar spine surgery., Methods: The Quality Outcomes Database was queried for patients with Grades I and II spondylolisthesis who underwent one- (n = 3223) or two-stage (n = 325), 1-2 level lumbar fusion. Demographics, comorbidities, symptom burden, and PROs were extracted and compared. Outcomes included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY), and satisfaction index. Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) values for VAS back pain, VAS leg pain, ODI, and QALY were 1.6, 1.7, 14.3, and 0.2, respectively. Patients with pre-existing scoliosis or kyphosis, missing data, and revision procedures were excluded. Categorical variables were compared with a Chi-square test; continuous variables were assessed for normality with a Shapiro Wilk test and compared with a Mann-Whitney U or Student's t-test., Results: No significant differences were noted for baseline characteristics, except for a lower mean age, percentage of female patients, and prevalence of osteoporosis in the two-stage cohort (58 ± 12.4 vs 62 ± 11.6 years; 50 % vs 62 %; 3.0 % vs 7.1 %, respectively; p < 0.01). The average surgery length was longer in the two-stage cohort (p < 0.01). A significantly higher percentage of patients returned to baseline activities within 3 months postoperatively following one-stage procedures (43 % vs. 29 %, p < 0.01), irrespective of whether they had Grade 1 or Grade 2 spondylolisthesis. Comparable proportions of patients achieved the MCID for PROs, with no significant differences in satisfaction indices observed at 3, 12, and 24 months postoperatively, regardless of preoperative spondylolisthesis grade., Conclusions: Patients receiving one and two-stage procedures for symptomatic LGS had similar rates of satisfaction and PROs. More research is necessary to define the benefits of two-stage approaches given their increased time, cost, and risk profile., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Importance: It is unclear whether daily physical activity and sports participation relate to executive function (EF) in children., Objective: To explore associations between early-life physical activity, sports participation, and executive function in primary school children., Design, Setting, and Participants: Data for this cohort study were collected from April 2006 to December 2017 from the Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity (GECKO) Drenthe birth cohort, which includes Northern Dutch children. Preschool children aged 5 to 6 years and primary school children aged 10 to 11 years with valid EF, daily physical activity, and sports participation data were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from May 2023 to February 2024., Exposures: At ages 5 to 6 years, daily physical activity was measured with accelerometry. At ages 10 to 11 years, sports participation data were collected using the Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-Enhancing Physical Activity., Main Outcomes and Measures: Executive function was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function at ages 10 to 11 years., Results: A total of 880 children (470 female [53.4%]; mean [SD] age at EF measurement, 11.1 [0.4] years) were included. Moderate to vigorous physical activity at ages 5 to 6 years did not correlate with EF at ages 10 to 11 years (eg, Global Executive Composite [GEC]: β, 0.16; 95% CI, -0.21 to 0.53). Higher levels of light physical activity at ages 5 to 6 years were associated with poorer inhibitory control (β, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.24-1.47) and self-monitoring (β, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.09-1.48) at ages 10 to 11 years, while greater sedentary time was associated with better inhibitory control (β, -0.62; 95% CI, -1.08 to -0.16) and self-monitoring (β, -0.57; 95% CI, -1.09 to -0.06). Compared with children engaged in individual sports, team sports participants exhibited better overall EF (mean difference [SE], -3.03 [0.81]), behavior regulation (mean difference [SE], -3.39 [0.77]), and metacognition (mean difference [SE], -2.55 [0.81]). Children involved in both types of sports vs only individual sports had better EF (GEC: mean difference [SE], -2.66 [0.93])., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of Dutch children, early-life moderate to vigorous physical activity was not associated with EF in middle childhood. Children participating in team sports at ages 10 to 11 years consistently exhibited superior EF compared with participants in individual sports.

Self-insertion of foreign objects into the lower urinary tract is an uncommon presentation with diverse underlying motivations, including psychiatric illness, sexual gratification, intoxication, and perceived contraception. A wide variety of objects may be inserted, leading to varied symptom presentations. We report the case of a 51-year-old male with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and prior self-mutilation, who presented to the ED following self-insertion of multiple foreign objects into the lower urinary tract. CT revealed an AAA battery lodged in his urethra alongside paper clips, with toothpaste caps found within his bladder. Cystoscopy was used to remove the paper clips and to advance the battery into the bladder, allowing the removal of all objects, including the toothpaste caps, via cystoscopy. The patient was prescribed a one-week course of ceftriaxone for a UTI, and his hospital stay was complicated by the need for physical restraint to prevent further self-harm., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Brijawi et al.)

Audience: Medical students, interns, junior resident physicians, senior resident physicians., Background: Power outages have been increasing in frequency in the past few years, therefore becoming an increased threat to healthcare delivery.1 While most studies related to the effects of power outages are focused on outpatient care, such as acute exacerbations of chronic lung conditions and the lack of chargeable equipment, with the increasing number of power outages, hospitals must be prepared for this situation as well.2,3 Although agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have provided guidelines for the response of hospitals to temporary loss of power,12,13 hospitals generally rely on institutional policies in response to the event of a power outage. Given the relative rarity but increasing frequency of power outages in hospital settings, this medical simulation was created to present a common occurrence in the emergency department (eg, cardiac arrest) in an uncommon setting of a power outage. Simulation has been shown to improve learner self-efficacy, confidence, and leadership skills among resuscitation teams.4,5 The role of simulation also helps learners identify latent safety threats, in this case a power outage.6 The goal of this simulation is to improve the skills of healthcare professionals with regards to managing cardiac arrest and to encourage these practitioners to consider their own hospital guidelines in response to a power outage., Educational Objectives: By the end of this simulation, learners will be able to (1) evaluate and treat a patient experiencing myocardial infarction and subsequent cardiac arrest during a power outage, (2) describe the local protocols for managing patient care during a power outage, (3) demonstrate the ability to coordinate a medical team during a simulated power outage in an emergency department with limited resources, (4) manage a cardiac arrest patient by following Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols for bradycardia and ventricular fibrillation, and (5) justify the urgency of transfer to a certified ST segment elevation myocardial infarction center/cardiac intensive care unit, referencing the recommended 120-minute door-to-balloon time., Educational Methods: This simulation was conducted with a high-fidelity mannequin. A total of six residents of various post-graduate year (PGY) levels participated in the simulated patient encounter as part of the simulation competition at the Western Regional meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine., Research Methods: This case was assessed for educational content and piloted by emergency medicine attendings from several institutions prior to running the case for the Western Regional meeting. The efficacy of the content was assessed by oral feedback., Results: The case was well-received by both the attending physicians who evaluated the case prior to running the scenario at the Western Regional meeting and the emergency medicine residents who participated in the case at the Western Regional meeting., Discussion: Overall, this simulation was well received by both the learners and the debriefers. General feedback was positive, with the perception of increased confidence among learners and reflection upon individual hospital policy in the event of a power outage., Topics: Simulation, acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, power outage., (© 2024 Hartman, et al.)

Background: Playing with others, which in school occurs mainly during recess, might be an enabling factor to improve children's motor performance, as behaviour is shaped by observing and imitating others., Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine whether children's play activities and with whom 6- to 8-year-old children play during recess are related to their motor performance., Methods: The study sample consisted of 86 Dutch participants (mean age 6.92 ± 0.62 years, 58.1% boys). A modified version of the System for Observing Children's Activity and Relationships during Play was used to observe the following play variables: sedentary or active behaviour, group size, activity type, and type of interaction. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 was used to measure three components of motor performance: Manual Dexterity, Aiming and Catching, and Balance. Associations between the play variables and the motor components were investigated using compositional data analysis and logistic regressions., Results: The results showed that children who spent more time in sedentary behaviour rather than in active behaviour were less likely to have motor difficulties in the Aiming and Catching component. None of the other play variables were related to motor performance., Conclusions: One explanation might be that these play variables in itself are not related to motor performance, but that these variables should be investigated as an integrated whole rather than in isolation. Therefore, future research should investigate whether interactions between the play variables are related to motor performance.

The average level of children's motor performance has decreased in the past decades. Therefore, it is important to identify risk- or enabling factors for motor performance. One such factor could be children's participation in leisure activities (LA). LA are non-obligatory and intrinsically motivated activities performed during free time. They include physical activities, such as individual and team sports and other types of activities, such as doing crafts, hanging out with friends, and playing musical instruments. The present study explores how participating in different combinations of LA (i.e. participation patterns) are related to children's motor performance using a person-centered approach. Ninety 6- to 8-year-old typically developing children (57.8% boys) were recruited from six Dutch primary schools. LA participation and motor performance were measured with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment questionnaire and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, respectively. Children were grouped in patterns using Cluster Analysis. Comparisons among patterns were performed with one-way multivariate analysis of variance. As hypothesized, children who participated in a greater variety of LA (i.e., higher participation diversity) and who engaged more frequently in each LA (i.e., higher participation intensity) scored better on manual dexterity, balance, and total motor performance compared to those with lower participation diversity and intensity. Based on these findings, coaches, physical educators, and parents should create opportunities for children to participate in a broad range of LA and to engage in these LA frequently.

Recent advances in mass spectrometry-based peptidomics have catalyzed the identification and quantification of thousands of endogenous peptides across diverse biological systems. However, the vast peptidomic landscape generated by proteolytic processing poses several challenges for downstream analyses and limits the comparability of clinical samples. Here, we present an algorithm that aggregates peptides into peptide clusters, reducing the dimensionality of peptidomics data, improving the definition of protease cut sites, enhancing inter-sample comparability, and enabling the implementation of large-scale data analysis methods akin to those employed in other omics fields. We showcase the algorithm by performing large-scale quantitative analysis of wound fluid peptidomes of highly defined porcine wound infections and human clinical non-healing wounds. This revealed signature phenotype-specific peptide regions and proteolytic activity at the earliest stages of bacterial colonization. We validated the method on the urinary peptidome of type 1 diabetics which revealed potential subgroups and improved classification accuracy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A rare and possibly fatal infection of the bone called emphysematous osteomyelitis (EO) is caused by the presence of intraosseous gas due to gas-forming organisms. Common gas-producing organisms are in the Enterobacteriaceae family or are anaerobes. This gas within bones is most frequently detected using computed tomography (CT) imaging, and prompt diagnosis is important due to the high mortality rate. We present a 76-year-old male who complained of altered mental status, right upper and lower extremity weakness, and lower back pain. The MRI of the lumbar spine showed moderate edema in L3 and L4, with fluid in L3-L4 and L4-L5 concerning discitis/osteomyelitis. A CT-guided biopsy of L3/L4 was then performed by interventional radiology, revealing air present in the L3 and L4 vertebral bodies. Bone cultures from the L3 and L4 vertebra were later positive for E. coli that was susceptible to all tested antibiotics, and this was consistent with a diagnosis of vertebral EO. The infectious disease team recommended a six-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone. During the patient's hospital stay, he also developed a septic right knee joint positive for E. coli, alongwith the concurrent vertebral EO., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Brijawi et al.)

Background: Physically active learning (PAL) is a potentially valuable method to stimulate academic performance and physical activity (PA) in children with learning disorders (LD) attending special-needs schools. It is yet unknown whether PAL can be successfully implemented in special-needs schools., Aims: This study aimed to evaluate a PAL-program in special-needs schools by examining teacher's dose delivered, children's dose received, and associations of children's characteristics with dose received., Methods: Children (N = 37) from two special-needs schools participated in a six-week PAL-program. Dose delivered was evaluated based on PAL-lessons' implementation rate and duration. Dose received was assessed through time-on-task observations (n = 23) and PA (n = 37). To assess the association between dose received and children's characteristics (sex, behavioral disorders, motor skills, and physical fitness), Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman's rho correlations were used., Results: For teacher's dose delivered, the implementation rate exceeded 95%, and the PAL-lessons lasted the intended 12 minutes. For dose received, children's on-task behavior was above 79%, and children spent 43% of the time in moderate-to-vigorous PA during PAL. Motor skills were positively related to on-task behavior related to the movements, and physical fitness was positively related to moderate-to-vigorous PA., Conclusions: PAL was successfully implemented in terms of dose delivered and dose received for children with LD attending special-needs schools., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) pumps are commonly used in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and medically refractory spasticity. However, catheter malfunction and associated risk factors are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine potential risk factors for spinal catheter malfunction and characterize postoperative follow-up to understand the clinical consequences., Methods: Patients who received ITB pump replacement or revision at Boston Children's Hospital between 2010 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The spinal catheter revision cohort (SCRC) included patients whose spinal catheter was occluded requiring lumbar catheter revision. The second cohort included abdominal pump replacements only (APRC). Between-group comparisons and multivariable regression identified factors associated with catheter revision and postoperative outcomes., Results: Forty-one (33.6%) patients underwent spinal catheter revision and were compared with 81 patients (66.4%) who underwent abdominal pump replacement only. Younger age at surgery and an elevated preoperative lower-extremity modified Ashworth scale grade were associated with spinal catheter revision (p < 0.05). Catheter model type, tip location, and history of spinal fusion were not associated with obstruction. Postoperatively, SCRC patients experienced a higher rate of infection (17.1%) relative to APRC patients (0%) within 30 days from their ITB pump replacement procedure (p < 0.05) and greater likelihood of subsequent ITB system removal compared with the APRC (24.4% vs 7.4%, p < 0.05). Although not differing preoperatively, SCRC patients had lower postoperative ITB doses when compared with the APRC group (median dose 143 vs 350 µg/day, p < 0.05) at hospital discharge and remained statistically different at the 6-month and 1-year follow-ups (p < 0.05). There were no postoperative differences in baclofen overdose, withdrawal, or median number of hospital readmissions within 30 days. Overall, 31.7% of spinal catheter revisions were unanticipated by the clinical team at time of surgery., Conclusions: Younger age at surgery and increased preoperative lower-extremity tone may be risk factors for catheter obstruction, resulting in a higher rate of postoperative infection and subsequent ITB pump removal compared with pump replacement alone. Spinal catheter occlusion can complicate revision or replacement procedures, especially when unanticipated. Routine clinical assessment may be inadequate for diagnosing insidious catheter malfunction. Catheter occlusion deserves further study, and routine assessment of catheter patency may be warranted to prevent suboptimal tone therapy.

Vascular malformations are structural abnormalities that are thought to result from errors in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis during embryogenesis. Vascular malformations of the scalp present unique management challenges due to aesthetic and functional implications. This review examines the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management techniques for six common types of vascular malformations of the face and scalp : infantile hemangioma, capillary malformations, venous malformations, lymphatic malformations, arteriovenous malformations, and arteriovenous fistulas. These lesions range from common to rare, and have very different natural histories and management paradigms. There has been increasing understanding of the molecular pathways that are altered in association with these vascular lesions and these molecular targets may represent novel strategies of treating lesions that have historically been approached from a structural perspective only.

This study described intra-task fine motor skill components of the Manual Dexterity tasks (Posting Coins; PC, Threading Beads; TB, Drawing Trail; DT) of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 Test for typically developing children and investigated age- and sex-related differences. Three- to six-year-old Dutch children (n = 182, M age 4.5 ± 1.1 years, 51.1% boys) were observed with regard to intra-task fine motor skill components, and changes in intra-task components of the Manual Dexterity tasks were analyzed across age using of the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests, and differences between sexes using the Mann-Whitney U test. The following intra-task components were observed: grip type, manipulation, non-dominant or non-writing hand, grip position, posture, head, coin placement, placement of the bead on the lace tip and joint movement. Results showed that the younger children (3-year-olds) more frequently used a grasp with the full hand (PC, TB), more often put the coin on the container and sliding it in (PC), more often supported the side or top of the container (PC), used more bi-manual manipulation (transferring from hand-to-hand or hand, body or surface assist) (TB, DT), more frequently used primitive, too high grips, predominantly used their proximal joints, and did not support the paper (DT). This in comparison with more frequent use of three-point pinch, direct coin placement, grabbing the front or back of the container, in-hand-manipulation, mature grips and correct height, distal joint use and supporting the paper from the side or below by most 5- and 6-year-olds. Furthermore, most sex-related differences were found in the younger age-groups (3- and 4-year-olds) in the DT tasks with girls outperforming boys. Results from this study add to the knowledge on qualitative fine motor skill performance in a convenience sample of 3- to 6-year-old typically developing children. A limitation of the current study was the relatively small sample size of 6-year-old children. The strength of the current study is its novelty in providing qualitative descriptions of intra-task fine motor skill components in typically developing 3- to 6-year-old children., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Our patient is a female in her 70s who initially presented following an episode of bowel and bladder incontinence, as well as unresponsiveness. Her family denied any preceding illness or sick symptoms. During her workup, it was noted that she was wearing a medical bracelet, which listed prednisone as one of her daily medications, raising concern for an acute adrenal crisis (AC). Ultimately, our patient's condition improved with high-dose intravenous steroids before being tapered to her home regimen. Current literature highlights the pathophysiological complexity of an AC but fails to identify clear risk factors that trigger such events, especially in asymptomatic patients. Accordingly, our case highlights this gap, arguing the importance of appropriate patient education and timely intervention for such clinically ambiguous yet life-threatening presentations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Using participatory approaches or methods are often positioned as a strategy to tackle power hierarchies in research. Despite momentum on decolonising aid, humanitarian actors have struggled to describe what 'participation' of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) means in practice. Efforts to promote refugee and IDP participation can be tokenistic. However, it is not clear if and how these critiques apply to gender-based violence (GBV) and gender equality-topics that often innately include power analysis and seek to tackle inequalities. This scoping review sought to explore how refugee and IDP participation is conceptualised within research on GBV and gender equality. We found that participatory methods and approaches are not always clearly described. We suggest that future research should articulate more clearly what constitutes participation, consider incorporating feminist research methods which have been used outside humanitarian settings, take more intentional steps to engage refugees and IDPs, ensure compensation for their participation, and include more explicit reflection and strategies to address power imbalances., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Atherosclerotic plaque onset and progression are known to be affected by local biomechanical factors. While the role of wall shear stress (WSS) has been studied, the impact of another biomechanical factor, namely mechanical wall stress (MWS), remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the association of MWS, independently and combined with WSS, towards atherosclerosis in coronary arteries., Methods: Thirty-four human coronary arteries were analyzed using near-infrared spectroscopy intravascular ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at baseline and after 12 months. Baseline WSS and MWS were calculated using computational models, and wall thickness (ΔWT) and lipid-rich necrotic core size (ΔLRNC) change were measured in non-calcified coronary segments. The arteries were further divided into 1.5 mm/45° sectors and categorized as plaque-free or plaque sectors. For each category, associations between biomechanical factors (WSS & MWS) and changes in coronary wall (ΔWT & ΔLRNC) were studied using linear mixed models., Results: In plaque-free sectors, higher MWS (p < 0.001) was associated with greater vessel wall growth. Plaque sectors demonstrated wall thickness reduction over time, likely due to medical therapy, where higher levels of WSS and WMS, individually and combined, (p < 0.05) were associated with a greater reduction. Sectors with low MWS combined with high WSS demonstrated the highest LRNC increase (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: In this study, we investigated the association of the (largely-overlooked) biomechanical factor MWS with coronary atherosclerosis, individually and combined with WSS. Our results demonstrated that both MWS and WSS significantly correlate with atherosclerotic plaque initiation and development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Joost Daemen received institutional grant/research support from Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, ACIST Medical, Medtronic, Microport, Pie Medical, and ReCor medical, and consultancy and speaker fees from Abbott Vascular, Abiomed, ACIST Medical, Boston Scientific, Cardialysis BV, CardiacBooster, Kaminari Medical, ReCor Medical, PulseCath, Pie Medical, Sanofi, Siemens Health Care and Medtronic. The other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Surgical site infections (SSI) are a clinical and economic burden. Suture-associated SSI may develop when bacteria colonize the suture surface and form biofilms that are resistant to antibiotics. Thrombin-derived C-terminal peptide (TCP)-25 is a host defense peptide with a unique dual mode of action that can target both bacteria and the excessive inflammation induced by bacterial products. The peptide demonstrates therapeutic potential in preclinical in vivo wound infection models. In this study, the authors set out to explore whether TCP-25 can provide a new bioactive innate immune feature to hydrophilic polyglactin sutures (Vicryl). Using a combination of biochemical, biophysical, antibacterial, biofilm, and anti-inflammatory assays in vitro, in silico molecular modeling studies, along with experimental infection and inflammation models in mice, a proof-of-concept that TCP-25 can provide Vicryl sutures with a previously undisclosed host defense capacity, that enables targeting of bacteria, biofilms, and the accompanying inflammatory response, is shown., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Mental health problems in young people have become a global health burden. The positive effects of physical activity on mental health in adults are well known but still not clear in children. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent physical activity in early childhood would affect mental health in middle childhood., Methods: From the Dutch GECKO Drenthe birth cohort, 850 children (51.5% boys) were enrolled in this analysis. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured at age 5-6 using ActiGraph GT3X. Mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at age 5-6 and age 10-11. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between physical activity, sedentary time and SDQ subscales, stratified by gender, adjusting for age, BMI, maternal education level, family size, accelerometer wear time and season, and additionally adjusting for SDQ scores at age 5-6 to take tracking of mental health over time into account., Results: Greater physical activity volume at age 5-6 was associated with lower peer problems scores at age 10-11 in boys and girls. An increase in MVPA was associated with lower peer problems scores in boys (b = -0.445, -0.713 to -0.176) and girls (b = -0.354, -0.601 to -0.107), however, increased sedentary time was linked to higher peer problems scores in boys (b = 1.18, 0.455 to 1.906) and girls (b = 0.870, 0.191 to 1.550). For hyperactivity, higher levels of physical activity volume and MVPA were associated with higher hyperactivity scores in boys. Increased sedentary time was related to lower hyperactivity scores in boys. Further adjustment for SDQ scores at age 5-6 attenuated associations between physical activity and hyperactivity in boys but hardly changed the relationships with peer problems. No significant associations between physical activity and other SDQ subscales or total difficulties scores were observed, neither in boys nor in girls., Conclusions: Children who are more physically active at age 5-6 have fewer peer problems at age 10-11, and for boys, greater activity levels at age 5-6 could be an indicator of hyperactivity at age 10-11., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces rapid protein aggregation in human wound fluid. We aimed to characterize these LPS-induced aggregates and their functional implications using a combination of mass spectrometry analyses, biochemical assays, biological imaging, cell experiments, and animal models. The wound-fluid aggregates encompass diverse protein classes, including sequences from coagulation factors, annexins, histones, antimicrobial proteins/peptides, and apolipoproteins. We identified proteins and peptides with a high aggregation propensity and verified selected components through Western blot analysis. Thioflavin T and Amytracker staining revealed amyloid-like aggregates formed after exposure to LPS in vitro in human wound fluid and in vivo in porcine wound models. Using NF-κB-reporter mice and IVIS bioimaging, we demonstrate that such wound-fluid LPS aggregates induce a significant reduction in local inflammation compared with LPS in plasma. The results show that protein/peptide aggregation is a mechanism for confining LPS and reducing inflammation, further emphasizing the connection between host defense and amyloidogenesis., Competing Interests: A.S. is a founder of in2cure AB, a parent company of Xinnate AB, companies that are developing therapies based on thrombin-derived peptides and variants. G.P. is employed part-time (20%) by Xinnate AB. TCP-25 and variants are patent protected., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

The incorporation of machine learning methods into proteomics workflows improves the identification of disease-relevant biomarkers and biological pathways. However, machine learning models, such as deep neural networks, typically suffer from lack of interpretability. Here, we present a deep learning approach to combine biological pathway analysis and biomarker identification to increase the interpretability of proteomics experiments. Our approach integrates a priori knowledge of the relationships between proteins and biological pathways and biological processes into sparse neural networks to create biologically informed neural networks. We employ these networks to differentiate between clinical subphenotypes of septic acute kidney injury and COVID-19, as well as acute respiratory distress syndrome of different aetiologies. To gain biological insight into the complex syndromes, we utilize feature attribution-methods to introspect the networks for the identification of proteins and pathways important for distinguishing between subtypes. The algorithms are implemented in a freely available open source Python-package ( https://github.com/InfectionMedicineProteomics/BINN )., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to improve the consistency of verbal and written discharge instructions for women of childbearing age (13-55 years) taking hormonal contraceptives who receive aprepitant perioperatively, to address the need to use a secondary form of birth control for 28 days, as well as to increase the knowledge and confidence of Registered Nurses when providing discharge instructions., Design: This quality improvement project used a pre-/postdesign to evaluate two separate groups of patients and registered nurses., Methods: The patient sample consisted of 30 total women of childbearing age who received aprepitant during the perioperative period (15 pre and 15 post). The PACU nurse sample included 15 ambulatory surgery center nurses and 58 main hospital nurses for a combined sample of 73 PACU nurses. The PACU nurses were provided with educational in-service regarding information about aprepitant and its drug interactions. PACU nurses were additionally instructed to provide patient discharge instructions using both a written and verbal format. Patients were called postoperatively before and after both the written after visit summary (AVS) changes and the PACU nurse in-services, PACU nurses were evaluated on their knowledge, confidence, and frequency of discharge teaching before and after their educational in-service. The PACU nurses were surveyed 90 days after the intervention to assess their long-term knowledge retention., Findings: There was a significant increase in nurse knowledge about aprepitant from preimplementation to postimplementation (61.39% vs 81.95%, P < .001). Nursing knowledge showed a nonsignificant decline at 90-days postimplementation (81.95% vs 73.68%, P = .096) although remained significantly higher than preimplementation scores (73.68% vs 61.39%, P = .003). There was an overall 33.3% increase in the percentage of patients who were able to recall receiving aprepitant and the need to use a secondary form of birth control when comparing the preintervention group to the postintervention group (26.7% vs 60%, P = .123)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that providing a standardized presentation about aprepitant may improve the PACU nurses' ability to verbalize key information about aprepitant, including the need for patients to use a secondary form of birth control. This increase in nursing knowledge and confidence, along with improved written discharge instructions, may have led to improved patient comprehension of aprepitant discharge education. Additionally, there was an increase in the percentage of patients who were able to recall the need to use a secondary form birth control for 28 days, to reduce the likelihood of an unintentional pregnancy., (Copyright © 2022 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Data independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) has recently emerged as an important method for the identification of blood-based biomarkers. However, the large search space required to identify novel biomarkers from the plasma proteome can introduce a high rate of false positives that compromise the accuracy of false discovery rates (FDR) using existing validation methods. We developed a generalized precursor scoring (GPS) method trained on 2.75 million precursors that can confidently control FDR while increasing the number of identified proteins in DIA-MS independent of the search space. We demonstrate how GPS can generalize to new data, increase protein identification rates, and increase the overall quantitative accuracy. Finally, we apply GPS to the identification of blood-based biomarkers and identify a panel of proteins that are highly accurate in discriminating between subphenotypes of septic acute kidney injury from undepleted plasma to showcase the utility of GPS in discovery DIA-MS proteomics., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Previous studies into associations between physical, neurocognitive and academic skills have reported inconsistent results. This study aimed to get more insight into these relations by examining all three domains simultaneously, testing a complete mediational model including measures of physical competencies (cardiovascular fitness and motor skills), neurocognitive skills (attention, information processing, and core executive functions), and academic achievement (reading, mathematics, and spelling). Dutch primary school students (n = 891, 440 boys, mean age 9.17 years) were assessed on the Shuttle Run Test (cardiovascular fitness), items of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test-II (fundamental motor skills), computerized neurocognitive tests, and standardized academic achievement tests. A multilevel structural equation model showed that physical competencies were only indirectly related to academic achievement, via specific neurocognitive functions depending on the academic domain involved. Results provide important implications, highlighting the importance of well-developed physical competencies in children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To report demyelinating neuropathies after COVID-19 vaccination., Methods: Case report., Results: Four cases of demyelinating neuropathies after COVID-19 vaccination were identified at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from May to September 2021. Three were male and 1 was a female, ages 26-64 years. Three cases received Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 1 Johnson & Johnson. Symptom onset ranged from 2 to 21 days after vaccination. Two cases had progressive limb weakness, 3 had facial diplegia, and all had sensory symptoms and areflexia. The diagnosis was acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 1 case and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy in 3. All cases received treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, with significant improvement in 3 of 4 who had a long-term outpatient follow-up., Conclusions: Continued identification and reporting of cases of demyelinating neuropathies after COVID-19 vaccination is essential to determine whether a causative association is present., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pilonidal disease may present as acute abscesses or chronic draining sinuses. There is no standardized treatment and recurrence rates can be as high as 30%. Within our five-hospital network we have established a standardized treatment protocol including minimally invasive surgical trephination and aggressive epilation. We hypothesize that such a treatment protocol can be established across different hospital settings and lead to low overall recurrence., Methods: Patients with pilonidal disease were enrolled in the study on presentation to our hospital network. Those that underwent initial surgery outside our hospital system or were noncompliant with our treatment protocol were excluded. Patients were grouped based on surgeon and treating facility. Frequency of recurrence per surgeon and per hospital was calculated and compared., Results: Out of 132 patients, 80 patients were included (45 female, 35 male) while 52 were excluded because of initial surgery at a non-network hospital or for protocol noncompliance. Median age was 17 (16-19) years and median length of follow-up was 352 (261-496) days. There were 6 patients who experienced at least one recurrence. There was an overall 8% recurrence rate with no significant difference noted between surgeons or hospitals (p = 0.15, p = 0.64, respectively)., Conclusions: We have successfully implemented a standardized treatment protocol for pilonidal disease across different hospital settings and by different surgeons, with an overall low recurrence rate. Our findings suggest that adoption of a standardized protocol for treatment of pilonidal disease can lead to low recurrence., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: Declarations of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising scaffolds for biomaterials as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, there are some key challenges to be solved, such as the ability to engineer alternate sizes for varied use cases. To this end, we created a library of MS2 VLP variants at two key residues in the coat protein which have been implicated as important to controlling VLP size and geometry. By adapting a method for systematic mutagenesis coupled with size-based selections and high-throughput sequencing as a readout, we developed a quantitative assessment of two residues in MS2 coat protein that govern the size shift in MS2 VLPs. We then applied the strategy to the equivalent residues in Qβ VLPs, an MS2 homolog, and demonstrate that the analogous pair of residues are also able to impact Qβ VLP size and shape. These results underscore the power of fitness landscapes in identifying critical features for assembly., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper introduces a set of numerical methods for Riemannian shape analysis of 3D surfaces within the setting of invariant (elastic) second-order Sobolev metrics. More specifically, we address the computation of geodesics and geodesic distances between parametrized or unparametrized immersed surfaces represented as 3D meshes. Building on this, we develop tools for the statistical shape analysis of sets of surfaces, including methods for estimating Karcher means and performing tangent PCA on shape populations, and for computing parallel transport along paths of surfaces. Our proposed approach fundamentally relies on a relaxed variational formulation for the geodesic matching problem via the use of varifold fidelity terms, which enable us to enforce reparametrization independence when computing geodesics between unparametrized surfaces, while also yielding versatile algorithms that allow us to compare surfaces with varying sampling or mesh structures. Importantly, we demonstrate how our relaxed variational framework can be extended to tackle partially observed data. The different benefits of our numerical pipeline are illustrated over various examples, synthetic and real., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11263-022-01743-0., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Background: The division of care responsibilities between parents and children with type 1 diabetes, and an optimal transfer of responsibilities from parent to child over time are assumed to be key for optimal diabetes outcomes during childhood and adolescence. However, an overview of instruments assessing this division as well as their psychometric qualities is currently lacking., Objective: The study aims to 1) identify all existing instruments, 2) evaluate their psychometric properties, and 3) provide an overview of scoring methods., Methods: Pubmed and PsycINFO were searched using a priori-defined search string. Peerreviewed studies in English using an instrument assessing the division of diabetes care responsibilities between children (6-18 years) and parents were included. In total, 84 of 725 articles qualified, covering 62 unique samples., Results: Thirteen questionnaires were identified. The Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire (DFRQ) was most frequently used across studies. Instructions, content and number of tasks, response options, and scoring methods varied across questionnaires. Recent studies often adapted questionnaires, contributing to the heterogeneity across measures. Overall, reporting and quality of psychometric properties was suboptimal., Conclusion: The division of diabetes care responsibilities can be operationalized with various instruments, each having its strengths and weaknesses but all with limited psychometric support. To measure the division of diabetes care responsibilities more adequately, an updated version of the popular DFRQ or a new scale needs to be developed and evaluated., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The optimal approach to managing postnatal cytomegalovirus disease (pCMV) among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants remains unknown. Methods to facilitate screening are needed., Objective: Determine whether mother's milk and infant saliva can be used to reliably identify maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) serostatus and detect infant pCMV acquisition., Methods: This was a single-center, prospective cohort study of VLBW infants, and their mothers, born between 2017 and 2020. Maternal milk samples were tested for CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) using a CMV glycoprotein B binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the results were compared with maternal serum CMV IgG results. Biweekly paired saliva and urine samples were collected from infants born to mothers with positive or unknown CMV serostatus. Saliva samples were tested for CMV DNA by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and compared with urine CMV qualitative PCR results obtained from a clinical laboratory., Results: Among 108 infants without congenital CMV included in the study, 10 (9%) acquired pCMV. Both milk and blood CMV serology results were available for 70 mothers. Maternal milk antibody testing had a sensitivity of 97.2% (95% CI: 85.5-99.9%) and specificity of 91.2% (95% CI: 76.3-98.1%) in establishing CMV serostatus. Paired serially collected saliva and urine samples (n = 203) were available for 66 infants. Saliva PCR had a sensitivity of 30.0% (95% CI: 6.7-65.2%) and specificity of 92.7% (95% CI: 88.1-96.0%) in detecting pCMV acquisition., Conclusions: Maternal breast milk is a reliable alternative sample to determine CMV serostatus. Serial testing of infant saliva was not adequately sensitive for identifying pCMV acquisition in preterm infants., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Pilonidal Disease (PD) affects adolescents in different aspects. We hypothesized that patients with different gender, ethnicity, and age have different quality of life (QOL) measurements which could improve with minimally invasive treatment (MIT)., Methods: 131 PD patients underwent MIT (laser epilation ± trephination) from 2019 to 2021. Patients' demographics were recorded. Before and after MIT, patients received QOL questionnaire consisting of four categories: daily activities, sports participation, school/work attendance, and socializing. Data were analyzed using Student and multivariate t test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: 101 (51 male, 50 female) patients were included. 30 patients with incomplete data were excluded. 54% of patients were < 18 years old. 47.5% were Hispanic. Median symptom duration prior to presentation was 5.4 (1.3-15) months. Prior to MIT, patients' ability to perform daily activities, participate in sports, attend school/work, and socialize was moderately or severely impacted in 66%, 57%, 45%, and 23% of respondents, respectively; after MIT, only 7%, 8%, 2%, and 4% were affected (p < 0.01). Recurrence rate was 6%. Pre-MIT, older patients and non-Hispanics reported worse impact on their QOL. Symptom duration or PD recurrence did not correlate with patient's pre- or post-MIT QOL., Conclusion: Patients' ethnicity and age impacted QOL in PD. All patients' QOL significantly improved with MIT. Considering the importance of socializing, playing sports, and school/work attendance in adolescents, our study highlights importance of early treatment of PD., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Autoantibodies against nodal and paranodal proteins, specifically anti-neurofascin antibodies (ANFAs), have been recently described in central and peripheral nervous system demyelinating disorders. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of six individuals evaluated at our Multiple Sclerosis Program who tested positive for serum ANFAs on Western blot. We describe these patients' clinical and diagnostic findings and attempt to identify features that might guide clinicians in checking for ANFAs. In our series, the women-to-men ratio was 2:1. At presentation, the median age was 60 years (range 30-70). The clinical presentation was pleiotropic and included incomplete transverse myelitis (n = 3), progressive myelopathy ( n = 1), recurrent symmetric polyneuropathy ( n = 1), and nonspecific neurological symptoms ( n = 1). Atypical features prompting further workup included coexisting upper and lower motor neuron features, older age at presentation with active disease, atypical spinal cord MRI features, and unusual cerebrospinal fluid findings. The serum ANFAs panel was positive for the NF-155 isoform in five patients (IgM n = 2; IgG n = 2; both n = 1) and the NF-140 isoform in two (IgG n = 2). Larger studies are needed to assess the relevance of ANFAs in demyelinating nervous system diseases, their impact on long-term clinical outcomes, and associated therapeutic implications.

The beneficial effects of physical activity on neurocognitive functioning in children are considered to be facilitated by physical activity-induced changes in brain structure and functioning. In this study, we examined the effects of two 14-week school-based exercise interventions in healthy children on white matter microstructure and brain activity in resting-state networks (RSNs) and whether changes in white matter microstructure and RSN activity mediate the effects of the exercise interventions on neurocognitive functioning. A total of 93 children were included in this study (51% girls, mean age 9.13 years). The exercise interventions consisted of four physical education lessons per week, focusing on either aerobic or cognitively demanding exercise and were compared with a control group that followed their regular physical education program of two lessons per week. White matter microstructure was assessed using diffusion tensor imaging in combination with tract-based spatial statistics. Independent component analysis was performed on resting-state data to identify RSNs. Furthermore, neurocognitive functioning (information processing and attention, working memory, motor response inhibition, interference control) was assessed by a set of computerized tasks. Results indicated no Group × Time effects on white matter microstructure or RSN activity, indicating no effects of the exercise interventions on these aspects of brain structure and function. Likewise, no Group × Time effects were found for neurocognitive performance. This study indicated that 14-week school-based interventions regarding neither aerobic exercise nor cognitive-demanding exercise interventions influence brain structure and brain function in healthy children. This study was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR5341)., (© 2022 The Authors. Psychophysiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Psychophysiological Research.)