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Introduction: This study aimed to characterise neonatal paediatric emergency department (PED) visits, analyse the main paediatric illnesses and establish associations of these demographics with the readmission rates and severity of their presentation. Methods: A retrospective analysis of neonates (aged

Abstract Background The presence of intra-abdominal calcification in the pediatric population can be due to a wide range of conditions. Calcification in the abdomen can be seen in normal or abnormal anatomical structures. In some patients, abnormal calcification points towards the pathology; whereas in others, calcification itself is the pathology. After a thorough history and clinical examination, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) would complement the assessment of acute abdominal pain, based on the list of differentials generated as per the abdominal region. The main objective of this article is to review commonly encountered causes of intra-abdominal calcifications in the pediatric population and help in clinical decision-making in a Pediatric Emergency Department. Case presentation We describe a series of pediatric patients who presented to the Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain, in whom point-of-care ultrasound helped expedite the diagnosis by identifying varying types of calcification and associated sonological findings. For children who present to the Pediatric Emergency Department with significant abdominal pain, a rapid distinction between emergencies and non-emergencies is vital to decrease morbidity and mortality. Conclusions In a child presenting to the Pediatric Emergency Department with abdominal pain, POCUS and the findings of calcifications can narrow or expand the differential diagnosis when integrated with history and physical exam, to a specific anatomic structure. Integrating these findings with additional sonological findings of an underlying pathology might raise sufficient concerns in the emergency physicians to warrant further investigations for the patient in the form of a formal radiological ultrasound and assist in the patient's early disposition. The use of POCUS might also help to categorize the type of calcification to one of the four main categories of intra-abdominal calcifications, namely concretions, conduit wall calcification, cyst wall calcification, and solid mass-type calcification. POCUS used thoughtfully can give a diagnosis and expand differential diagnosis, reduce cognitive bias, and reduce physician mental load. By integrating the use of POCUS with the history and clinical findings, it will be possible to expedite the management in children who present to the Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain.

Patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) are at an increased risk of pathological rib fractures even if there is no history of trauma. Early and accurate identification of such fractures are crucial for appropriate management. We present a case of a child with OI type 3 with multiple rib fractures who presented with transient cyanosis and increased work of breathing without a history of significant trauma. The patient’s chest radiographs were reported to have a single, new right posterior fourth rib fracture and an old, healing anterior fourth rib fracture. A point-of-care ultrasound performed by the attending pediatric emergency physician revealed additional findings of refracture over the old right anterior fourth rib fracture site and a new left posterior third rib fracture. These findings of multiple and bilateral rib fractures better account for the patient’s initial presentation. This case highlights the added advantages of ultrasound over conventional chest radiographs in the evaluation and diagnosis of a tachypnoeic pediatric patient with underlying metabolic bone disease and a complex skeletal structure with multiple pathological rib fractures but no chest tenderness.

Abstract We describe a case report of an infant with intussusception who presented to a pediatric emergency department with diarrhea and increased irritability. Pneumatosis intestinalis (intra-mural air) detected on point-of-care ultrasonography (but not apparent on plain abdominal radiographs) alerted the emergency physicians towards the severity of disease process.

Idiopathic pediatric pneumoparotitis, being rare, is often misdiagnosed in acute care settings, resulting in inappropriate initial management and emergency department (ED) disposition. We report the case of a previously well 11-year-old boy who presented to our ED with acute left cheek swelling and pain. He was diagnosed with pneumoparotitis with cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema with the aid of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and radiographs. Despite appropriate initial ED and inpatient management, he developed bilateral involvement and pneumomediastinum. After 72 hours, his condition improved and he was discharged well after five days of hospitalization. This case report highlights the use of POCUS and radiographs to facilitate an early diagnosis and appropriate ED disposition.

Irreducible umbilical swelling in infants is considered a surgical emergency because a delay in surgical intervention for an incarcerated umbilical hernia can lead to bowel ischemia and necrosis. We report two patients who presented to a pediatric emergency department with history and symptoms of irreducible umbilical mass suggestive of umbilical hernia. Point-of-care ultrasound was used at the bedside to demonstrate the presence of urachal cyst remnants and accurately guided the care of these children.

Objective: This systematic literature review's purpose was to examine the social factors (e.g., social network, social support, social interaction, loneliness, and social environmental factors) associated with PA among older adults., Data Source: Electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science) were used in this study., Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Studies published in English focusing on individuals aged 65+ that assess social and intrapersonal factors influencing PA, with quantitative data on these relationships, were included, regardless of the PA measurement method., Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers extracted data using a standardized form, capturing study design, sample size, participant characteristics, social factors assessed, and their relationship to PA behavior., Data Synthesis: A descriptive summary of study characteristics and methodological quality was conducted., Results: 1560 articles were identified and 34 were included. Wider social networks, social support, social cohesion, social norms towards PA, and positive social interactions were positively associated with PA among older adults, whereas obstructive factors (e.g., loneliness and social isolation) of the social environment were negatively associated with PA., Conclusions: The findings indicate that the social environment plays a strong role in determining PA levels among older adults. Interventions targeting PA enhancement in this population should prioritize strengthening social support and networks related to PA. Future research should focus on elucidating the mechanisms through which social factors impact PA in older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The response of an oxide crystal to the atmosphere can be personified as breathing-a dynamic equilibrium between O 2 gas and O 2- anions in the solid. We characterize the analogous defect reaction in an iodide double-perovskite semiconductor, Cs 2 SnI 6 . Here, I 2 gas is released from the crystal at room temperature, forming iodine vacancies. The iodine vacancy defect is a shallow electron donor and is therefore ionized at room temperature; thus, the loss of I 2 is accompanied by spontaneous n -type self-doping. Conversely, at high I 2 pressures, I 2 gas is resorbed by the perovskite, consuming excess electrons as I 2 is converted to 2I - . Halide mobility and irreversible halide loss or exchange reactions have been studied extensively in halide perovskites. However, the reversible exchange equilibrium between iodide and iodine [2I - ( s ) ↔ I 2( g ) + 2e - ] described here has often been overlooked in prior studies, though it is likely general to halide perovskites and operative near room temperature, even in the dark. An analysis of the 2I - ( s ) /I 2( g ) equilibrium thermodynamics and related transport kinetics in single crystals of Cs 2 SnI 6 therefore provides insight toward achieving stable composition and electronic properties in the large family of iodide perovskite semiconductors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The scalable production of uniformly distributed graphene (GR)-based composite materials remains a sizable challenge. While GR-polymer nanocomposites can be manufactured at a large scale, processing limitations result in poor control over the homogeneity of hydrophobic GR sheets in the matrices. Such processes often result in difficulties controlling stability and avoiding aggregation, therefore eliminating benefits that might have otherwise arisen from the nanoscopic dimensions of GR. Here, we report an exfoliated and stabilized GR dispersion in water. Cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])-mediated host-guest chemistry was used to obtain supramolecular hydrogels consisting of uniformly distributed GR and guest-functionalized macromolecules. The obtained GR hydrogels show superior bioelectrical properties over identical systems produced without CB[8]. Utilizing such supramolecular interactions with biologically derived macromolecules is a promising approach to stabilize graphene in water and avoid oxidative chemistry.

A series of copolymers comprising a terpyridine ligand and various functional groups were synthesized toward integrating a Co-based molecular CO 2 reduction catalyst. Using porous metal oxide electrodes designed to host macromolecules, the Co-coordinated polymers were readily immobilized via phosphonate anchoring groups. Within the polymeric matrix, the outer coordination sphere of the Co terpyridine catalyst was engineered using hydrophobic functional moieties to improve CO 2 reduction selectivity in the presence of water. Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical CO 2 reduction were demonstrated with the polymer-immobilized hybrid cathodes, with a CO:H 2 product ratio of up to 6:1 compared to 2:1 for a corresponding "monomeric" Co terpyridine catalyst. This versatile platform of polymer design demonstrates promise in controlling the outer-sphere environment of synthetic molecular catalysts, analogous to CO 2 reductases., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Synthetic hydrogels are an important class of materials in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and other biomedical fields. Their mechanical and electrical properties can be tuned to match those of biological tissues. In this work, hydrogels that exhibit both mechanical and electrical biomimicry are reported. The presented dual networks consist of supramolecular networks formed from 2:1 homoternary complexes of imidazolium-based guest molecules in cucubit[8]uril and covalent networks of oligoethylene glycol-(di)methacrylate. The viscoelastic properties of human brain tissues are also investigated. The mechanical properties of the dual network gels are benchmarked against the human tissue, and it is found that they both are neuro-mimetic and exhibit cytocompatibility in a neural stem cell model., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The American Society of Neurophysiological Monitoring (ASNM) was founded in 1989 as the American Society of Evoked Potential Monitoring. From the beginning, the Society has been made up of physicians, doctoral degree holders, Technologists, and all those interested in furthering the profession. The Society changed its name to the ASNM and held its first Annual Meeting in 1990. It remains the largest worldwide organization dedicated solely to the scientifically-based advancement of intraoperative neurophysiology. The primary goal of the ASNM is to assure the quality of patient care during procedures monitoring the nervous system. This goal is accomplished primarily through programs in education, advocacy of basic and clinical research, and publication of guidelines, among other endeavors. The ASNM is committed to the development of medically sound and clinically relevant guidelines for the performance of intraoperative neurophysiology. Guidelines are formulated based on exhaustive literature review, recruitment of expert opinion, and broad consensus among ASNM membership. Input is likewise sought from sister societies and related constituencies. Adherence to a literature-based, formalized process characterizes the construction of all ASNM guidelines. The guidelines covering the Professional Practice of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring were initially published January 24th, 2013, and subsequently that document has undergone review and revision to accommodate broad inter- and intra-societal feedback. This current version of the ASNM Professional Practice Guideline was fully approved for publication according to ASNM bylaws on February 22nd, 2018, and thus overwrites and supersedes the initial guideline.

Hybrid palladium oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PdO x /PEDOT) films were prepared through a spontaneous reaction between aqueous PdCl 4 2- ions and a nanostructured film of electropolymerized PEDOT. Spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization indicate the presence of mixed-valence Pd species as-deposited (19 ± 7 at% Pd 0 , 64 ± 3 at% Pd 2+ , and 18 ± 4 at% Pd 4+ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and the formation of stable, electrochemically reversible Pd 0 /α-PdO x active species in alkaline electrolyte and furthermore in the presence of oxygen. The elucidation of the Pd speciation as-deposited and in solution provides insight into the mechanism of electroless deposition in neutral aqueous conditions and the electrocatalytically active species during oxygen reduction in alkaline electrolyte. The PdO x /PEDOT film catalyses 4e - oxygen reduction ( n = 3.97) in alkaline electrolyte at low overpotential (0.98 V vs. RHE, onset potential), with mass- and surface area-based specific activities competitive with, or superior to, commercial 20% Pt/C and state-of-the-art Pd- and PEDOT-based nanostructured catalysts. The high activity of the nanostructured hybrid PdO x /PEDOT film is attributed to effective dispersion of accessible, stable Pd active sites in the PEDOT matrix., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Carbon-coated α-MnO 2 nanowires (C-MnO 2 NWs) were prepared from α-MnO 2 NWs by a two-step sucrose coating and pyrolysis method. This method resulted in the formation of a thin, porous, low mass-percentage amorphous carbon coating (<5 nm, ≤1.2 wt % C) on the nanowire with an increase in single-nanowire electronic conductivity of roughly 5 orders of magnitude (α-MnO 2 , 3.2 × 10 -6 S cm -1 ; C-MnO 2 , 0.52 S cm -1 ) and an increase in surface Mn 3+ (average oxidation state: α-MnO 2 , 3.88; C-MnO 2 , 3.66) while suppressing a phase change to Mn 3 O 4 at high temperature. The enhanced physical and electronic properties of the C-MnO 2 NWs-enriched surface Mn 3+ and high conductivity-are manifested in the electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), where a 13-fold increase in specific activity (α-MnO 2 , 0.13 A m -2 ; C-MnO 2 , 1.70 A m -2 ) and 6-fold decrease in charge transfer resistance (α-MnO 2 , 6.2 kΩ; C-MnO 2 , 0.9 kΩ) were observed relative to the precursor α-MnO 2 NWs. The C-MnO 2 NWs, composed of ∼99 wt % MnO 2 and ∼1 wt % carbon coating, also demonstrated an ORR onset potential within 20 mV of commercial 20% Pt/C and a chronoamperometric current/stability equal to or greater than 20% Pt/C at high overpotential (0.4 V vs RHE) and high temperature (60 °C) with no additional conductive carbon.

Manganese oxide (MnOx) was anodically coelectrodeposited with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) from an aqueous solution of Mn(OAc)2, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, LiClO4 and sodium dodecyl sulfate to yield a MnOx/PEDOT composite thin film. The MnOx/PEDOT film showed significant improvement over the MnOx only and PEDOT only films for the oxygen reduction reaction, with a >0.2 V decrease in onset and half-wave overpotential and >1.5 times increase in current density. Furthermore, the MnOx/PEDOT films were competitive with commercial benchmark 20% Pt/C, outperforming it in the half-wave ORR region and exhibiting better electrocatalytic selectivity for the oxygen reduction reaction upon methanol exposure. The high activity of the MnOx/PEDOT composite is attributed to synergistic charge transfer capabilities, attained by coelectrodepositing MnOx with a conductive polymer while simultaneously achieving intimate substrate contact.

Nanostructured Ni(x)Co(3-x)O4 films serve as effective electrocatalysts for both the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in alkaline electrolyte.