The
James Webb
Space Telescope is performing beyond our expectations. Its Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) provides versatile spectroscopic capabilities in the 0.6–5.3 µm wavelength range, where ...a new window is opening for studying Trans-Neptunian objects in particular. We propose a spectral extraction method for NIRSpec fixed slit observations, with the aim of meeting the superior performance on the instrument with the most advanced data processing. We applied this method on the fixed slit dataset of the guaranteed-time observation program 1231, which targets Plutino 2003 AZ
84
. We compared the spectra we extracted with those from the calibration pipeline.
No longitudinal analyses using national data have evaluated the increase in obesity from adolescence into early adulthood. We examined obesity incidence, persistence, and reversal in a nationally ...representative cohort of US teens followed into their early 30s, using measured height and weight data, in individuals enrolled in wave II (1996; 12–21 years), wave III (2001; 17–26 years), and wave IV (2008 early release data; 24–32 years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 8,675). Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control/National Center for Health Statistics growth charts or ≥30 kg/m2 for individuals <20 years and ≥30 kg/m2 in individuals ≥20 years. In 1996, 13.3% of adolescents were obese. By 2008, obesity prevalence increased to 36.1%, and was highest among non‐Hispanic black females (54.8%). Ninety percent of the obese adolescents remained obese in 2008. While annual obesity incidence did not decline in the total sample across the two study intervals (2.3% per year 1996–2001 vs. 2.2% per year 2001–2008), rates among white females declined (2.7 to 1.9% per year) and were highest among non‐Hispanic black and Hispanic females (3.8 and 2.7% per year, 1996–2001 vs. 3.0 and 2.6% per year, 2002–2008, respectively). Obesity prevalence doubled from adolescence to the early 20s, and doubled again from the early to late 20s or early 30s, with strong tracking from adolescence into adulthood. This trend is likely to continue owing to high rates of pediatric obesity. Effective preventive and treatment efforts are critically needed.
Introduction and hypothesis
Limited evidence exists regarding long-term outcomes following birth after prior obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI). This article set out to describe outcomes ...following birth after OASI by reviewing the grades of tear, endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) findings, subsequent delivery outcomes and long-term symptoms.
Methods
This study was conducted in two parts. The first involved a retrospective review of all OASI at a tertiary hospital in Australia over 7 years (2013–2019 inclusive) where the patient underwent a subsequent delivery. Following this, a retrospective cohort survey of this group was performed.
Results
There were 27,284 vaginal births and 828 OASIs (3.03%); 247 (29.8%) had at least one subsequent birth by January 2021. Vaginal delivery occurred in 68%; recurrence of OASI was 5.4%. There were 90 responses (36.4%) to the follow-up survey. EAUS had been performed in 87.5%; none demonstrated a defect. Vaginal birth was the preferred mode for 77.8%; this occurred in 64%. The majority had high levels of satisfaction, this related to communication rather than the mode of delivery itself. Ongoing faecal or flatal incontinence was reported by 12%. There was no statistically significant difference in St Mark’s incontinence scores between modes of birth.
Conclusions
In our unit most women who sustain OASI will have a subsequent vaginal delivery in future pregnancies. The majority remain asymptomatic at long-term follow-up with no statistically significant difference in incontinence scores regardless of mode of delivery. The rate of recurrent OASI was 5.4%.
Postoperative length of stay (LOS) and discharge dispositions following arthroplasty can be used as surrogate measurements for improvements in patients' pathways and costs. With the increasing use of ...robotic technology in arthroplasty, it is important to assess its impact on LOS. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with decreased LOS following robotic arm-assisted total hip arthroplasty (RO THA) compared with the conventional technique (CO THA).
This large-scale, single-institution study included 1,607 patients of any age who underwent 1,732 primary THAs for any indication between May 2019 and January 2023. The data which were collected included the demographics of the patients, LOS, type of anaesthetic, the need for treatment in a post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU), readmission within 30 days, and discharge disposition. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors and the characteristics of patients which were associated with delayed discharge.
The multivariate model identified that age, female sex, admission into a PACU, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade > II, and CO THA were associated with a significantly higher risk of a LOS of > two days. The median LOS was 54 hours (interquartile range (IQR) 34 to 78) in the RO THA group compared with 60 hours (IQR 51 to 100) in the CO THA group (p < 0.001). The discharge dispositions were comparable between the two groups. A higher proportion of patients undergoing CO THA required PACU admission postoperatively, although without reaching statistical significance (7.2% vs 5.2%, p = 0.238).
We found that among other baseline characteristics and comorbidities, RO THA was associated with a significantly shorter LOS, with no difference in discharge destination. With the increasing demand for THA, these findings suggest that robotic assistance in THA could reduce costs. However, randomized controlled trials are required to investigate the cost-effectiveness of this technology.
Summary Following the pioneering work of C. Dreyfus-Brisac and N. Monod, research into neonatal electroencephalography (EEG) has developed tremendously in France. French neurophysiologists who had ...been trained in Paris (France) collaborated on a joint project on the introduction, development, and currently available neonatal EEG recording techniques. They assessed the analytical criteria for the different maturational stages and standardized neonatal EEG terminology on the basis of the large amount of data available in the French and the English literature. The results of their work were presented in 1999. Since the first edition, technology has moved towards the widespread use of digitized recordings. Although the data obtained with analog recordings can be applied to digitized EEG tracings, the present edition, including new published data, is illustrated with digitized recordings. Herein, the reader can find a comprehensive description of EEG features and neonatal behavioural states at different gestational ages, and also a definition of the main aspects and patterns of both pathological and normal EEGs, presented in glossary form. In both sections, numerous illustrations have been provided. This precise neonatal EEG terminology should improve homogeneity in the analysis of neonatal EEG recordings, and facilitate the setting up of multicentric studies on certain aspects of normal EEG recordings and various pathological patterns.
Objective We aimed to provide an analysis of A. baumannii complex (ABC) isolated from blood cultures in South Africa. Materials and methods ABC surveillance was conducted from 1 April 2017 to 30 ...September 2019 at 19 hospital sites from blood cultures of any age and sex. Organism identification was performed using the MALDI-TOF MS and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), MicroScan Walkaway System. We confirmed colistin resistance with Sensititre, FRCOL panel, and selected for whole-genome sequencing. Results During the study period, we identified 4822 cases of ABC, of which 2152 cases were from 19 enhanced surveillance sites were reported during the enhanced surveillance period (1 August 2018 to 30 September 2019). Males accounted for 54% (2611/4822). Of the cases with known age, 41% (1968/4822) were infants (< 1-year-old). Seventy-eight percent (1688/2152) of cases had a known hospital outcome, of which 36% (602/1688) died. HIV status was known for 69% (1168/1688) of cases, and 14% (238/1688) were positive. Eighty-two percent (1389/1688) received antimicrobial treatment in admission. Three percent (35/1389) of cases received single colistin. Four percent (75/2033) were resistant to colistin. At least 75% of the isolates (1530/2033) can be classified as extensively drug-resistant (XDR), with resistance to most antibiotics except for colistin. The majority, 83% (20/24), of the colistin-resistant isolates were of the sequence type (ST) 1. Resistance genes, both plasmid- and chromosomal- mediated were not observed. Although all isolates had, nine efflux pump genes related to antimicrobial resistance. Conclusion Our surveillance data contributed to a better understanding of the natural course of A. baumannii disease, the patient characteristics among infants, and the level of resistance. At least two-thirds of the isolates were extensively drug-resistant, and four percent of isolates were resistant to colistin.
Systemic inflammation is a key process underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) development, and CVD risk is significantly elevated in persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Youth with T1D exhibit ...increased levels of inflammation. Studies in persons without diabetes suggest that dietary quality influences inflammation, yet little is known about dietary influences on inflammation in youth with T1D.
This study evaluated the association of four distinct dietary quality indices (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI2010), modified KIDMED and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC)) with biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) in a sample of 2520 youth with T1D participating in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study.
Average diet quality was moderate to poor, with mean scores of 43 (DASH, range 0–80), 55 (HEI2010, range 0–100), 3.7 (mKIDMED, range 3–12) and 7237 (TAC). None of the four diet quality scores was associated with the selected biomarkers of inflammation in any analyses. Evaluation of a non-linear relationship or interactions with BMI or levels of glycemic control did not alter the findings. Replication of analyses using longitudinal data yielded consistent findings with our cross-sectional results.
Biomarkers of inflammation in youth with T1D may not be directly influenced by dietary intake, at least at the levels of dietary quality observed here. More work is needed to understand what physiologic mechanisms specific to persons with T1D might inhibit the generally beneficial influence of high dietary quality on systemic inflammation observed in populations without diabetes.
Tenorio syndrome (TNORS) (OMIM #616260) is a relatively recent disorder with very few cases described so far. Clinical features included macrocephaly, intellectual disability, hypotonia, enlarged ...ventricles and autoimmune diseases. Molecular underlying mechanism demonstrated missense variants and a large deletion encompassing RNF125, a gene that encodes for an U3 ubiquitin ligase protein. Since the initial description of the disorder in six patients from four families, several new patients were diagnosed, adding more evidence to the clinical spectrum. In this article, we described 14 additional cases with deep phenotyping and make an overall review of all the cases with pathogenic variants in RNF125. Not all patients presented with overgrowth, but instead, most patients showed a common pattern of neurodevelopmental disease, macrocephaly and/or large forehead. Segregation analysis showed that, though the variant was inherited in some patients from an apparently asymptomatic parent, deep phenotyping suggested a mild form of the disease in some of them. The mechanism underlying the development of this disease is not well understood yet and the report of further cases will help to a better understanding and clinical characterization of the syndrome.