Differential pairing of transmembrane domain GxxxG dimerization motifs defines two HLA-DR MHC class II conformers.

MHC class II molecules function to present exogenous antigen-derived peptides to CD4 T cells to both drive T cell activation and to provide signals back into the class II antigen-presenting cell. Previous work established the presence of multiple GxxxG dimerization motifs within the transmembrane domains of MHC class II α and β chains across a wide range of species and revealed a role for differential GxxxG motif pairing in the formation of two discrete mouse class II conformers with distinct functional properties (i.e.

Associations among enacted weight stigma, weight self-stigma, and multiple physical health outcomes, healthcare utilization, and selected health behaviors.

Background: This study examined the relationship among enacted weight stigma, weight self-stigma, and multiple health outcomes. Weight stigma, a stressor experienced across all body sizes, may contribute to poorer physical health outcomes by activating the nervous and endocrine system or by triggering counterproductive health behaviors like lower physical activity, maladaptive eating patterns, and delayed health care, as well as provider bias that may cause a medical concern to be discounted. While associations of weight stigma with mental health issues are well documented, less is known about its association with physical health.

Narcolepsy genetic marker HLA DQB1*06:02 and excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson disease patients treated with dopaminergic agents.

Objective: To determine whether narcolepsy Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) risk allele DQB1*0602 is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and inappropriate sleep in patients with Parkinson disease (PD).

Background: EDS is a common and disabling non-motor manifestation of PD, affecting quality of life and driving performance. DQB1*0602 is an HLA risk allele for narcolepsy.

Male sex, ostomy, infection, and intravenous fluids are associated with increased risk of postoperative ileus in elective colorectal surgery.

Background: Postoperative ileus is a common and costly complication after elective colorectal surgery. Effects of intravenous fluid administration remain controversial, and the effect of ostomy construction has not been fully evaluated. Various restrictive intravenous fluid protocols may adversely affect renal function.

A Mobile Phone Application for Assessing Daily Variation in Pain Location and Pain Intensity in Patients with Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: A MAPP Network Study.

Introduction: We created and tested a mobile app that facilitates the ecological momentary assessment of pain intensity and pain location and identifies heterogeneous patient pain phenotypes.

Methods: A mobile app was created with patient, clinician and researcher input. A sample of 20 participants with urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome were then asked to complete a 14-day pain assessment using the app.

Enacted weight stigma and weight self stigma prevalence among 3821 adults.

Background: Weight stigma is associated with several negative health issues such as anxiety, depression, maladaptive eating, and metabolic and cardiovascular disease, independent of weight and problematic for individuals of all ages and body sizes. To reduce harmful effects of weight stigma, it is imperative we accurately capture the prevalence of weight stigma in the population to better understand the magnitude of the problem. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of both enacted weight stigma and weight-self stigma and include important contextual factors such as demographic characteristics and the belief about personal controllability of body weight.

Development and Validation of A Male Anterior Urethral Stricture Classification System.

Objective: To develop and validate a clinical classification system for urethral stricture disease (USD) based on the retrograde urethrogram (RUG), physical exam, and stricture-specific patient history.

Materials And Methods: Three elements were chosen to be included in the classification system: 1) Length of urethral stricture (L); 2) Stricture segment/location (S); 3) Stricture Etiology (E) (LSE classification system). Each element was divided into clinically relevant sub-categories.

Circumcision, Buried Penis and Obesity in a Contemporary Cohort of Patients with Penile Cancer.

Introduction: We reviewed patient demographics and body morphology in a contemporary cohort of patients presenting to a tertiary care center for treatment of penile cancer.

Methods: The University of Iowa Oncology Registry was retrospectively reviewed for cases of penile cancer managed between 2006 and 2016. The database was queried for cancer specific details, followed by a chart review for body morphology data and comorbidity status.

Trends in Urethral Stricture Disease Etiology and Urethroplasty Technique From a Multi-institutional Surgical Outcomes Research Group.

Objective: To analyze contemporary urethroplasty trends and urethral stricture etiologies over a 7-year study period among urologists from a large multi-institutional surgical outcomes group.

Methods: Review of a multi-institutional, prospectively maintained urethroplasty database was performed on 2098 anterior urethroplasties done between 2010 and 2017 by 10 surgeons. Stricture characteristics, including etiology, length, and anatomic location were analyzed and compared to urethroplasty type over the study period using chi-squared analysis to assess for linear trends within the group and by surgeon.

Unscheduled Clinical Encounters in the Postoperative Period After Adult and Pediatric Urologic Surgery.

Objective: To qualify and quantify unscheduled clinical encounters (UCEs) in postoperative urologic patients and to identify patient and procedural risk factors for UCEs.

Materials And Methods: All UCEs, including phone calls, emails, patient portal messages, clinic visits, ER visits, and hospital readmissions, were analyzed, including the reason for the interaction (eg, pain, infection, etc) were assessed retrospectively for consecutive surgical patients over a 3-month period. Demographic and perioperative data for each patient and surgery was recorded and risk factors for UCE were determined using uni- and multivariate analyses.

Prevalence of Post-Micturition Incontinence before and after Anterior Urethroplasty.

Purpose: In this study we aimed to define the prevalence of preoperative and postoperative post-micturition incontinence or post-void dribbling after anterior urethroplasty for urethral stricture disease. We also sought to determine risk factors for its presence.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively maintained, multi-institutional urethral stricture database to evaluate post-micturition incontinence using a single question from a validated questionnaire, "How often have you had a slight wetting of your pants a few minutes after you had finished urinating and had dressed yourself?" Possible answers were never-0 to all the time-3.

Development of a Food Allergy Knowledge Test for Parents.

Objective: To create a measure of food allergy (FA) knowledge for parents of children with FA.

Methods: The food allergy knowledge test (FAKT) was developed following rigorous test-construction guidelines. The preliminary 110-item pool content was developed in consultation with FA experts.

The new kidney allocation system does not equally advantage all very high cPRA candidates - A single center analysis.

The new UNOS kidney allocation system awards very high points to candidates with cPRA 99% and 100%, and allows for national sharing for cPRA 100% candidates. We sought to determine the effect of this new kidney allocation system on candidates who are very highly sensitized (90-98% cPRA) but not eligible for very high points or national sharing by examining offers to these candidates for 5months pre-implementation and two consecutive 5month periods post-implementation and comparing them to cPRA⩾99% candidates. We found that the cPRA⩾99% candidates received significantly more offers and transplants after implementation, while offers and transplants to the 90-98% candidates decreased.

Parents of Children With Food Allergy: Gender Differences in Perceived Impact and Perceived Food Allergy Severity.

Objective: To compare fathers' and mothers' perceptions of the impact and severity of their child's food allergy and their levels of involvement in allergy-related care.

Methods: One hundred parents of children with food allergy (50 mother-father pairs) rated the severity of their child's food allergies and completed the Food Allergy Impact Scale. A subset of 52 parents reported how often they engaged in food allergy-related care.

Immunological Functions of the Membrane Proximal Region of MHC Class II Molecules.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules present exogenously derived antigen peptides to CD4 T cells, driving activation of naïve T cells and supporting CD4-driven immune functions. However, MHC class II molecules are not inert protein pedestals that simply bind and present peptides. These molecules also serve as multi-functional signaling molecules delivering activation, differentiation, or death signals (or a combination of these) to B cells, macrophages, as well as MHC class II-expressing T cells and tumor cells.

The influence of differential response and other factors on parent perceptions of child protection involvement.

As Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies examine how to produce better outcomes with the families they serve, child welfare literature has increasingly focused on the perspectives, emotional responses, and engagement of CPS-involved parents or other primary caregivers. Despite this encouraging trend, the construct of engagement is ill-defined and our understanding of precursors to and factors affecting parent engagement is limited. This article extends the literature by presenting a conceptual framework for examining engagement and associating the identified constructs with parent outcomes.

User Preferences and Design Recommendations for an mHealth App to Promote Cystic Fibrosis Self-Management.

Background: mHealth apps hold potential to provide automated, tailored support for treatment adherence among individuals with chronic medical conditions. Yet relatively little empirical research has guided app development and end users are infrequently involved in designing the app features or functions that would best suit their needs. Self-management apps may be particularly useful for people with chronic conditions like cystic fibrosis (CF) that have complex, demanding regimens.

Parenting and independent problem-solving in preschool children with food allergy.

Objective: To examine autonomy-promoting parenting and independent problem-solving in children with food allergy.

Methods: 66 children with food allergy, aged 3-6 years, and 67 age-matched healthy peers and their mothers were videotaped while completing easy and difficult puzzles. Coders recorded time to puzzle completion, children's direct and indirect requests for help, and maternal help-giving behaviors.

Acceptance of pain: associations with depression, catastrophizing, and functional disability among children and adolescents in an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation program.

Objectives: The aims of this study were: (1) investigate relations between pain acceptance, depressive symptoms, catastrophizing, and functional disability in pediatric patients in an interdisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation program, (2) examine changes in acceptance from pre- to posttreatment, and (3) test if changes in acceptance predict changes in depressive symptoms, catastrophizing, and functional disability from pre- to posttreatment.

Methods: 112 participants, ages 11-18 years, completed the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, Adolescent Version, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression-Children's Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children, and Functional Disability Inventory on admission to and completion of the program.

Results: Significant and strong relations between acceptance, depression, catastrophizing, and functional disability were demonstrated.

The effects of coping style on virtual reality enhanced videogame distraction in children undergoing cold pressor pain.

This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) enhanced interactive videogame distraction for children undergoing experimentally induced cold pressor pain and examined the role of avoidant and approach coping style as a moderator of VR distraction effectiveness. Sixty-two children (6-13 years old) underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by two cold pressor trials in which interactive videogame distraction was delivered both with and without a VR helmet in counterbalanced order. As predicted, children demonstrated significant improvement in pain tolerance during both interactive videogame distraction conditions.

Transgastric endoscopic pneumoperitoneum versus laparoscopy: effects on host systemic and peritoneal inflammatory responses in a porcine model.

Background: The host systemic and peritoneal immune responses during natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) continues to be delineated. The immune response to laparoscopy (LAP) has been favorably depicted. However, the immunologic effects of NOTES are yet to be determined, and the introduction of contaminants via the host orificium may have deleterious effects.

The calcineurin inhibitor RCAN1 is involved in cultured macrophage and in vivo immune response.

Studies on the role of regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) in immunity are limited, but have demonstrated an involvement in T-lymphocyte function. Here, we expand these studies to macrophages and in vivo infection. The treatment of RAW and primary mouse macrophages with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli strongly induced RCAN1 isoform 4 (RCAN1-4), but not isoform 1.