Evaluating a Sepsis Screening Tool in the Outpatient Setting.

Background: Sepsis, a condition requiring prompt intervention, is challenging to identify early in adult patients with cancer because of varied symptoms and disease status. To address this, a best practice advisory (BPA) using criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome was implemented at a large urban cancer center.

Objectives: This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the BPA in identifying sepsis among adult patients with cancer in an outpatient setting.

Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Properties of Zwitterionic Dendrimers with a Reactive Focal Functionality for Biomedical Applications.

As novel, well-defined, highly branched macromolecules with numerous superhydrophilic terminal groups, zwitterionic dendrimers (ZDs) are expected to possess charge-neutral outer layers, which can be highly hydrated to exhibit superior antifouling properties and minimized undesirable interactions within biological systems. The incorporation of ZDs with degradable structures and reactive functionality can further expand their applicability. Here, we present the design, synthesis, characterization, and in vitro properties of such ZDs carrying quantitatively one reactive group at the focal point.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase-65 Antibody-Associated Pure Cerebellar Ataxia and Stiff Person Syndrome Spectrum Disorders: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

Background: Cerebellar ataxia is associated with greater disability in glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) antibody-associated neurological disorders and can occur in isolation or as part of stiff person syndrome (SPS) spectrum disorders (SPSD). We sought to phenotypically characterize this subpopulation with cerebellar dysfunction.

Methods: Observational study of GAD65 antibody-seropositive individuals with cerebellar involvement seen at Johns Hopkins (1997-2024).

Evaluating nurse preferences for a novel on-body delivery system vs. manual syringes for large-volume subcutaneous drug administration: a survey study.

While nurses report challenges with the manual administration of large-volume subcutaneous drugs, these challenges and potential solutions are not captured in the literature. In this cross-sectional study, 45 nurses with experience administering large-volume subcutaneous biologics completed an 18-item survey about preferences for syringes vs. on-body delivery systems.

COVID-19 risk factors and outcomes in individuals with stiff person syndrome spectrum disorders before and after omicron.

Background: Stiff person syndrome spectrum disorders (SPSD) are rare, disabling disorders of the nervous system that are associated with risk factors for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, limited data exist on the overall impact of COVID-19 on SPSD.

Methods: Patients with SPSD and COVID-19 who are followed at Johns Hopkins SPS Center were included.

Epilepsy surgery in stroke-related epilepsy.

Purpose: To provide a descriptive analysis on the presurgical evaluation and surgical management of a cohort of patients with stroke related epilepsy (SRE).

Methods: We retrospectively examined the clinical characteristics, results of non-invasive and invasive presurgical evaluation, surgical management and outcome of consecutive patients with drug-resistant SRE in our institution from January 1, 2013 to January 1, 2020.

Results: Twenty-one of 420 patients (5%) who underwent intracranial EEG (iEEG), resective epilepsy surgery and/or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) placement, had SRE.

Kinetics and isotype assessment of antibodies targeting the spike protein receptor-binding domain of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 in COVID-19 patients as a function of age, biological sex and disease severity.

Objectives: There is an incomplete understanding of the host humoral immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus (CoV)-2, which underlies COVID-19, during acute infection. Host factors such as age and sex as well as the kinetics and functionality of antibody responses are important factors to consider as vaccine development proceeds. The receptor-binding domain of the CoV spike (RBD-S) protein mediates host cell binding and infection and is a major target for vaccine design to elicit neutralising antibodies.

Baseline Susceptibility of a Laboratory Strain of Northern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica barberi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis Traits in Seedling, Single Plant, and Diet-Toxicity Assays.

The northern corn rootworm (NCR), Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, is an economic pest of maize in the U.S. Corn Belt.

Kinetics and Isotype Assessment of Antibodies Targeting the Spike Protein Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 In COVID-19 Patients as a function of Age and Biological Sex.

SARS-CoV-2 is the newly emerged virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is an incomplete understanding of the host humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 during acute infection. Host factors such as age and sex as well the kinetics and functionality of antibody responses are important factors to consider as vaccine development proceeds.

Taurine activates glycine and GABA receptor currents in anoxia-tolerant painted turtle pyramidal neurons.

Unlike anoxia-intolerant mammals, painted turtles can survive extended periods without oxygen. This is partly accomplished by an anoxia-mediated increase in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release, which activates GABA receptors and mediates spike arrest in turtle neurons via shunting inhibition. Extracellular taurine levels also increase during anoxia; why this occurs is unknown but it is speculated that glycine and/or GABA receptors are involved.

Feasibility of Group Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia Delivered by Clinical Video Telehealth.

Background: Clinical video telehealth provides a means for increasing access to psychotherapy. Insomnia is prevalent, is associated with a number of negative sequelae, and can be effectively managed with cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia (CBT-I). Telehealth technologies can provide a means for increasing access to CBT-I.

Phosphorylation of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel occurs independently of PKCε in turtle brain.

Neurons from the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) are remarkably resilient to anoxia. This is partly due to a reduction in the permeability of excitatory glutamatergic ion channels, initiated by mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K(+) (mK(+)ATP) channel activation. The aim of this study was to determine if: 1) PKCε, a kinase associated with hypoxic stress tolerance, is more highly expressed in turtle brain than the anoxia-intolerant rat brain; 2) PKCε translocates to the mitochondrial membrane during anoxia; 3) PKCε modulates mK(+)ATP channels at the Thr-224 phosphorylation site on the Kir6.

Community outcome in cognitively normal schizophrenia patients.

Recent reports suggest that cognition is relatively preserved in some schizophrenia patients. However, little is known about the functional advantage these patients may demonstrate. The purpose of this study was to identify cognitively normal patients with a recently developed test battery and to determine the functional benefit of this normality relative to cognitively impaired patients.

Preserved, deteriorated, and premorbidly impaired patterns of intellectual ability in schizophrenia.

Objective: The main purpose of this investigation was to identify patterns of intellectual performance in schizophrenia patients suggesting preserved, deteriorated, and premorbidly impaired ability, and to determine clinical, cognitive, and functional correlates of these patterns.

Method: We assessed 101 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 80 non-psychiatric control participants. The "preserved" performance pattern was defined by average-range estimated premorbid and current IQ with no evidence of decline (premorbid-current IQ difference <10 points).

Stability and change in symptoms, cognition, and community outcome in schizophrenia.

It has been well established that neurocognitive deficits are a core feature in schizophrenia and predict difficulties in functional independence. However, few studies have assessed the longitudinal stability of cognition and key aspects of functional outcome concurrently. Even less attention has been directed at the contingency of cognitive change on real world outcome changes.

WAIS-IV profile of cognition in schizophrenia.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) has been used extensively to study impairment across a range of cognitive domains in schizophrenia. However, cognitive performance among those with the illness has yet to be examined using the newest edition of this measure. Hence, the current study aims first, to provide WAIS-IV normative data for Canadian individuals with schizophrenia of low average intelligence; second, to examine schizophrenia performance on all WAIS-IV subtest, index and general intelligence scores relative to healthy comparison subjects; and third, to revalidate the pattern of impairment identified in this clinical group using the WAIS-III, where processing speed (PS) was most affected, followed by working memory (WM), perceptual reasoning (PR) and verbal comprehension (VC).

The Canadian Objective Assessment of Life Skills (COALS): a new measure of functional competence in schizophrenia.

This study examined the reliability and validity of a new performance-based measure of functional competence for individuals with serious mental illness, the Canadian Objective Assessment of Life Skills (COALS). The COALS assesses both routinized procedural knowledge routines (PKR) and executive operations (EXO) in order to capture functional outcome variance. The COALS was administered to 101 outpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and 80 non-psychiatric controls.

"Real world" functioning in schizophrenia patients and healthy adults: assessing validity of the Multidimensional Scale of Independent Functioning.

As treatment efforts to enhance cognitive abilities in schizophrenia increase, so too does the need for a critical appraisal of instruments that measure functionality and adjustment to community living. The Multidimensional Scale of Independent Functioning (MSIF; Jaeger et al., 2003) is a promising instrument that assesses functionality in relation to different life settings, performance levels, responsibilities and environmental supports.

An investigation of 3 neurocognitive subtypes in schizophrenia.

The purpose of this investigation was to identify patients with cognitively impaired, cognitively normal and verbal memory-impaired subtypes of schizophrenia and to examine their clinical and functional validity as distinct forms of the disorder. These subtypes occurred in 73 of 154 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. A control group comprised of 18 healthy participants was also analyzed.

Psychopathology and cognition in divergent functional outcomes in schizophrenia.

Cognitive performance rather than symptoms, especially positive symptoms, is regarded as the primary predictor of functional outcome in schizophrenia. However, contradictory evidence exists and many studies fail to sample from the extremes of outcome measures. This study tested whether the differential importance assigned to symptoms and cognitive impairment is supportable in patients with high and low levels of community independence.

Cognitive performance and functional competence as predictors of community independence in schizophrenia.

Measures of functional competence have been introduced to supplement standard cognitive and neuropsychological evaluations in schizophrenia research and practice. Functional competence comprises skills and abilities that are more relevant to daily life and community adjustment. However, it is unclear whether relevance translates into significantly enhanced prediction of real-world outcomes.

Cognitive, clinical, and functional characteristics of verbally superior schizophrenia patients.

The existence of small numbers of schizophrenia patients with superior ability in specific cognitive domains is implied by meta-analytic evidence as well as by occasional empirical reports. The authors identified 25 patients with superior (i.e.

Are schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder neuropsychologically distinguishable?

This study sought to objectify the distinction between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in terms of standard tasks measuring verbal and non-verbal cognitive ability, auditory working memory, verbal declarative memory and visual processing speed. Research participants included 103 outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 48 with schizoaffective disorder, and 72 non-patients from the community. Schizophrenia patients were impaired on all cognitive measures relative to schizoaffective patients and non-psychiatric participants.