Association of genetic and sulcal traits with executive function in congenital heart disease.

Objective: Persons with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities, including impairments to executive function. Sulcal pattern features correlate with executive function in adolescents with single-ventricle heart disease and tetralogy of Fallot. However, the interaction of sulcal pattern features with genetic and participant factors in predicting executive dysfunction is unknown.

Anxiety symptoms and associated functional impairment in children with CHD in a neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic.

Objectives: To examine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and associated functional impairment to adaptive skills among elementary-aged children with CHD and to determine the need for anxiety screening in this high-risk population.

Study Design: In a single-centre retrospective, cohort design, caregivers reported anxiety symptoms using scales and functional impairment to adaptive skills using the . A total of 194 children were stratified across two cohorts: early elementary (ages 3-6 years) and late elementary (ages 6-14 years).

Ratings of Physician Communication by Caregivers of Hospitalized Children With and Without Autism.

Background And Objectives: To investigate caregivers' perceptions of physician communication and hospital ratings for hospitalized children with and without autism and assess associations between perceived quality of physician communication and overall ratings of the hospital.

Methods: We studied survey data from caregivers of 543 patients with autism compared with a 2:1 matched control sample of 1086 patients with similar characteristics but without autism from a single children's hospital. We analyzed survey items related to physician communication and hospital ratings from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Physicians and Systems Child Hospital Survey.

A Review: The Prospect of Inhaled Insulin Therapy via Vibrating Mesh Technology to Treat Diabetes.

: Inhaled insulin has proven to be viable and, in some aspects, a more effective alternative to subcutaneous insulin. Past and present insulin inhaler devices have not found clinical or commercial success. Insulin inhalers create a dry powder or soft mist insulin aerosol, which does not provide the required uniform particle size or aerosol volume for deep lung deposition.

Challenging Case of Parotitis: A Comprehensive Approach.

The diagnosis and management of parotitis can be challenging. Patients often present with pain and edema in the neck, jaw, head, and ear due to congestion of the gland. Parotitis is typically caused by an infection within the parotid gland and surrounding lymph nodes, and the infection can spread to nearby cervical fascial planes and cause major complications if not managed successfully.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Tests for Polyuria in Lithium-Treated Patients.

In lithium-treated patients, polyuria increases the risk of dehydration and lithium toxicity. If detected early, it is reversible. Despite its prevalence and associated morbidity in clinical practice, it remains underrecognized and therefore undertreated.

Risk factors for polyuria in a cross-section of community psychiatric lithium-treated patients.

Objectives: Polyuria increases the risk of dehydration and lithium toxicity in lithium-treated patients. Risk factors have been inconsistently described and the variance of this adverse effect remains poorly understood. This study aimed to establish independent risk factors for polyuria in a community, secondary-level lithium-treated sample of patients.

The association of foot arch posture and prior history of shoulder or elbow surgery in elite-level baseball pitchers.

Study Design: Case-control.

Objectives: The specific aim of this study was to examine the association between abnormal foot arch postures and a history of shoulder or elbow surgery in baseball pitchers.

Background: Pitching a baseball generates forces throughout the musculoskeletal structures of the upper and lower limbs.

Glenohumeral findings on magnetic resonance imaging correlate with innings pitched in asymptomatic pitchers.

Background: In recent years, there has been a documented increase in the number of professional baseball players on the disabled list and the total number of days on the disabled list. Pitchers account for the largest number of disabled list reports.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in asymptomatic professional pitchers and subsequent time on the disabled list (DL).

The diagnosis and investigation of adrenal insufficiency in adults.

There is considerable variation in the methods used to diagnose and investigate adrenal insufficiency in clinical practice. These include a range of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation and other dynamic testing protocols, serum cortisol cut-off values for diagnosis and tests used for differential diagnosis. With the introduction of modern cortisol and ACTH assays, the interpretation of tests used for diagnosis and differential diagnosis has become more complex and requires local validation.

Parenting and social functioning of children with and without cerebral palsy.

Objective: To examine the associations between parenting dimensions and the social functioning of children with and without cerebral palsy (CP). The primary hypothesis was that controlling for cognitive ability, specific parenting dimensions would be associated with higher social functioning, including larger social networks, higher-quality friendships, and healthier social adjustment in children with and without CP.

Participants: Forty-one children with cerebral palsy and 60 typically developing (TD) children, ages 6 to 12.

A study of the relationship between albuminuria, proteinuria and urinary reagent strips.

Background: The aims of this study were to examine the relationship between proteinuria and albuminuria and to assess the equivalence between the albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) and the protein to creatinine ratio (PCR) at the cut-offs recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on chronic kidney disease. The sensitivity and specificity of the reagent strips used in our laboratory for the detection of clinical proteinuria was also assessed.

Methods: Urine samples (n = 117) were screened for protein using the Bayer Multistix 10SG and read manually.

The biologic variability of B-type natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in stable heart failure patients.

Background: There are conflicting data on the usefulness of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) in the optimization of therapy for heart failure (HF). Discordant results may be explained by the intra-individual variability of these peptides. This study evaluates the intraindividual variability of BNP and NT-proBNP and the impact of the covariates of age, sex, and renal function.

Cardiovascular risk markers in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and correlation with obesity.

Background: High C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine levels are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Some, but not all, previous studies have reported increased levels of CRP and homocysteine in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). A study was undertaken to investigate the levels of these factors in carefully selected patients with OSAS and matched normal controls.

Evaluation of three different specimen types (serum, plasma lithium heparin and serum gel separator) for analysis of certain analytes: clinical significance of differences in results and efficiency in use.

Background: There is a lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate specimen type for analysis of many biochemistry analytes. The aim of this study was to compare renal and lipid analyte profiles and phenytoin values in plain serum (S), serum gel (G) and plasma (lithium heparin, P) tubes and to investigate the stability of these analytes after prolonged contact with cells or gel at room temperature (RT, 20 degrees C) and as aliquoted and stored at 4 degrees C.

Methods: Primary specimens were centrifuged once, maintained at RT and analysed within 2 h (T(0)) and after 24 h (T(24)) and 48 h (T(48)).

Differential production of adrenal steroids by purified cells of the human adrenal cortex is relative rather than absolute.

Objectives: The adrenal cortex produces aldosterone, cortisol and androgens in response to ACTH and angiotensin II. To define the differential response of morphologically distinct cells of the adrenal cortex, we examined the phenotypical and functional characteristics of human adrenocortical cells.

Results: Tumour growth factor-beta receptor-1 (TGFbeta-R1) and CYP-11 were found to be expressed predominantly in the zona fasciculata, whereas human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) and CYP-17 were localised to the zona reticularis.