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Challenges in the Management of Childhood Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors in Middle-Income Countries: A 20-Year Retrospective Review From a Single Tertiary Center in MalaysiaA higher incidence of pediatric intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs) in Asian countries compared with Western countries has been reported. In Malaysia, the literature regarding pediatric iGCTs have been nonexistent. The aim of this study was to review the management, survival, and long-term outcomes of pediatric iGCTs at a single tertiary center in Malaysia.
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What matters for people with brain cancer? Selecting clinical quality indicators for an Australian Brain Cancer RegistryThe goal of a clinical quality registry is to deliver immediate gains in survival and quality of life by delivering timely feedback to practitioners, thereby ensuring every patient receives the best existing treatment. We are developing an Australian Brain Cancer Registry (ABCR) to identify, describe, and measure the impact of the variation and gaps in brain cancer care from the time of diagnosis to the end of life.
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Prior administration of chocolate improves the palatability of bitter drugs: The Choc-with-Med studyThe paediatric population has a low adherence and acceptance rate of unpalatable medicines. This study aimed to determine whether eating chocolate immediately prior to drug administration would help to mask the bitter taste of a drug. The difference in taste masking efficacy between white, milk and dark chocolate was a secondary measure outcome.
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Error traps in pediatric difficult airway managementDifficult airway management in children is associated with significant morbidity. This narrative review on error traps in airway management aims to highlight the common pitfalls and proposes solutions to optimize best practices for pediatric difficult airway management. We have categorized common errors of pediatric difficult airway management into three main error traps.
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Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion alters microRNA expression and glycaemic variability in children with type 1 diabetesTo determine whether continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) vs. multiple daily injections (MDI) therapy from near-diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is associated with reduced glycaemic variability (GV) and altered microRNA (miRNAs) expression.
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Type 1 diabetes in pregnancy is associated with distinct changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiomeThe gut microbiome changes in response to a range of environmental conditions, life events and disease states. Pregnancy is a natural life event that involves major physiological adaptation yet studies of the microbiome in pregnancy are limited and their findings inconsistent. Pregnancy with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with increased maternal and fetal risks but the gut microbiome in this context has not been characterized. By whole metagenome sequencing, we defined the taxonomic composition and function of the gut bacterial microbiome across 70 pregnancies, 36 in women with T1D.
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Healing Right Way: Study protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial to enhance rehabilitation services and improve quality of life in Aboriginal Australians after brain injuryDespite higher incidence of brain injury among Aboriginal compared with non-Aboriginal Australians, suboptimal engagement exists between rehabilitation services and Aboriginal brain injury survivors. Aboriginal patients often feel culturally insecure in hospital and navigation of services post discharge is complex.
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Evaluation of focus and deep learning methods for automated image grading and factors influencing image quality in adaptive optics ophthalmoscopyAdaptive optics flood illumination ophthalmoscopy (AO-FIO) is an established imaging tool in the investigation of retinal diseases. However, the clinical interpretation of AO-FIO images can be challenging due to varied image quality. Therefore, image quality assessment is essential before interpretation.
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Stability of Pentoxifylline Injection: Application to Neonatal/Pediatric Care SettingPentoxifylline (PTX) is administered as 6- or 12-hour intravenous infusions in the treatment of sepsis or necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates; however, there is a paucity of formal stability data for PTX in the end-use solution. We investigated PTX stability in the simulated clinical conditions of neonatal intensive care, where PTX injection is diluted to 5 mg/mL and administered via syringe pump.
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Temperament in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic reviewThe study of temperament in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has the potential to provide insight regarding variability in the onset, nature, and course of both core and co-morbid symptoms. The aim of this systematic review was to integrate existing findings concerning temperament in the context of ASD. Searches of Medline, PsychInfo and Scopus databases identified 64 relevant studies. As a group, children and adolescents with ASD appear to be temperamentally different from both typically developing and other clinical non-ASD groups, characterized by higher negative affectivity, lower surgency, and lower effortful control at a higher-order level.