Perceived benefits and risks of participation in a clinical trial for Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia.

Introduction: Understanding factors that affect the decisions of caregivers of African children to enroll their children in clinical trials would lead to more fully informed consent.

Methods: During the NOHARM study (NCT01976416), a placebo-controlled clinical trial of hydroxyurea for Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia (SCA), 206 caregivers were given a semistructured questionnaire about factors that influenced participation in the study and their perceptions of study benefits and risks. Factors were further assessed with focus group discussions.

The Benjamin H. Kean Travel Fellowship in Tropical Medicine: Assessment of Impact at 15 Years.

The Benjamin H. Kean Fellowship in Tropical Medicine is an American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene initiative that provides medical students with funding for international clinical or research experiences lasting at least 1 month. Of the 175 Kean fellows from 1998 to 2013, 140 had current available e-mails, and 70 of the 140 (50%) responded to a survey about their fellowship experience.

Perceptions of personal belief vaccine exemption policy: a survey of Arizona vaccine providers.

Background: As exemptions to school-entry requirements rise, vaccination rates in Arizona school children are approaching levels that may threaten public health. Understanding the interactions physicians have with vaccine-hesitant parents, as well as the opinions physicians hold regarding vaccination, exemption, and exemption policies, are critical to our understanding of, and ability to affect, vaccination exemption rates among children.

Methods: Survey responses were elicited from practitioners listed in The Arizona Partnership for Immunization and the Arizona Medical Association databases using a multi-pronged recruitment approach.

Molecular Characterization of Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infection in Central New York Children: Importance of Two Clonal Groups and Inconsistent Presence of Selected Virulence Determinants.

Background: The genetic makeup of circulating Staphylococcus aureus (SA) populations varies by region. The extent to which SA virulence determinants contribute to the severity of pediatric infections is poorly understood. The study objective was to describe the genetic population of invasive SA (ISA) isolates from children in the Central New York (CNY) area and the prevalence of selected virulence genes.