Publications by authors named "Charlotte Ferguson"

Although variation in effect sizes and predicted values among studies of similar phenomena is inevitable, such variation far exceeds what might be produced by sampling error alone. One possible explanation for variation among results is differences among researchers in the decisions they make regarding statistical analyses. A growing array of studies has explored this analytical variability in different fields and has found substantial variability among results despite analysts having the same data and research question.

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Maternity protection policies are designed to preserve the health of working women and their infants, support optimal infant and young child nutrition through breastfeeding and prevent workplace discrimination against women. The aim of this study was to identify how advocates may be able to effectively advance maternal leave and workplace lactation policies, two key maternity protection policies, and does so through an exploration of advocacy efforts in Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Vietnam. A desk review of programme and policy documents and 20 key informant interviews with diverse stakeholders explored advocacy efforts in each of the four countries.

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  • - Complex decongestive therapy is the primary non-surgical treatment for lymphedema, involving manual therapy, compression exercise, skincare, and education, divided into two phases: intensive volume reduction (Phase I) and a long-term maintenance phase (Phase II).
  • - The maintenance phase focuses on lifelong control of lymphedema through self-management strategies and ongoing therapies, with compression being the key element for effective self-care.
  • - Poor adherence to self-management can worsen lymphedema, highlighting the need for education and monitoring; the editorial outlines essential components for the maintenance phase, such as skin care, infection management, and regular check-ups.
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Objectives: Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often experience a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms but have complex medical and behavioral comorbidities that make diagnosis and treatment difficult. A multi-stakeholder conference was convened to (a) determine patient and family experiences related to GI symptoms in NDDs, (b) review the clinicians' and researchers' perspectives, and (c) determine actionable steps for future research.

Methods: The Consortium for Autism, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Digestive Diseases (CANDID; www.

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  • - The study explores how the introduction of tocilizumab for COVID-19 treatment impacted patient outcomes by using data from electronic health records (EHRs) before and after a new formulary policy was implemented in a large medical center.
  • - Researchers evaluated the drug's effect on 28-day mortality using various statistical methods, concluding that tocilizumab was linked to reduced mortality rates among patients, with 69% of eligible patients receiving the medication.
  • - The findings showed a significant 3.1% reduction in mortality risk directly attributed to the new guidelines and an additional 8.6% reduction tied to actual tocilizumab administration, aligning with results from existing clinical research.
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  • OB-GYN has seen a significant female workforce over the last decade, but the relationship between this demographic and issues like gender bias and sexual harassment remains unclear.
  • The study systematically reviews the prevalence of harassment and discrimination faced by OB-GYN clinicians and trainees, along with interventions designed to address these issues in OB-GYN and other surgical fields.
  • Findings reveal high rates of sexual harassment (up to 70.9% among female gynecologic oncologists), workplace discrimination (up to 67.2% among female gynecologic oncologists), and bullying (52.8% among female gynecologic oncologists), indicating a troubling issue within the specialty.
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Background: Children with relapsed central nervous system (CNS tumors), neuroblastoma, sarcomas, and other rare solid tumors face poor outcomes. This prospective clinical trial examined the feasibility of combining genomic and transcriptomic profiling of tumor samples with a molecular tumor board (MTB) approach to make real‑time treatment decisions for children with relapsed/refractory solid tumors.

Methods: Subjects were divided into three strata: stratum 1-relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma; stratum 2-relapsed/refractory CNS tumors; and stratum 3-relapsed/refractory rare solid tumors.

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Purpose: Long-term survival in high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) is approximately 50%, with mortality primarily driven by relapse. Eflornithine (DFMO) to reduce risk of relapse after completion of immunotherapy was investigated previously in a single-arm, phase II study (NMTRC003B; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02395666) that suggested improved event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with historical rates in a phase III trial (Children Oncology Group ANBL0032; ClinicalTrials.

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Children with relapsed/refractory (R/R) neuroblastoma (NB) and medulloblastoma (MB) have poor outcomes. We evaluated the efficacy of nifurtimox (Nfx) in a clinical trial for children with R/R NB and MB. Subjects were divided into three strata: first relapse NB, multiply R/R NB, and R/R MB.

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Background: In vitro studies using nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are commonly used to investigate disc cell biology and pathogenesis, or to aid in the development of new therapies. However, lab-to-lab variability jeopardizes the much-needed progress in the field. Here, an international group of spine scientists collaborated to standardize extraction and expansion techniques for NP cells to reduce variability, improve comparability between labs and improve utilization of funding and resources.

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Objective: The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial found that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy compared to open radical hysterectomy compromised oncologic outcomes and was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in early-stage cervical carcinoma. We sought to assess oncologic outcomes at multiple centers between minimally invasive (MIS) radical hysterectomy and OPEN radical hysterectomy.

Methods: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study of patients with 2009 FIGO stage IA1 (with lymphovascular space invasion) to IB1 cervical carcinoma from 1/2007-12/2016.

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Purpose: Placental growth factor (PlGF) and its receptor neuropilin 1 are elevated in malignant embryonal tumors and mediate tumor progression by promoting cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis. TB-403 is a blocking monoclonal antibody against PlGF that inhibits tumor growth and increases survival in orthotopic medulloblastoma models.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a phase I, open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study of TB-403 in pediatric subjects with relapsed or refractory cancers.

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Background: Survival for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) remains poor despite aggressive multimodal therapies.

Aims: To study the feasibility and safety of incorporating a genomic-based targeted agent to induction therapy for HRNB as well as the feasibility and safety of adding difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) to anti-GD2 immunotherapy.

Methods: Twenty newly diagnosed HRNB patients were treated on this multicenter pilot trial.

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Objectives: To determine whether youth with white coat hypertension on initial ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) continue to demonstrate the same pattern on repeat ABPM.

Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study of patients referred for high blood pressure (BP) and diagnosed with white coat hypertension by ABPM who had follow-up ABPM 0.5-4.

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Background: For hallux rigidus, dorsal cheilectomy remains a treatment option even with advances in interposition techniques and devices. Cheilectomy aims to alleviate dorsal impingement and improve pain and function as well as range of motion. Cryopreserved umbilical cord allograft, with properties to mitigate inflammation and scar formation, has theoretical benefit for improving outcomes following cheilectomy.

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Anti-fog sprays and solutions are used on eyeglasses to minimize the condensation of water vapor, particularly while wearing a mask. Given their water-repellent properties, we sought to characterize per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substance (PFAS) compounds in four anti-fog spray products, five anti-fog cloth products, and two commercial fluorosurfactant formulations suspected to be used in preparing anti-fog products. Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and fluorotelomer ethoxylates (FTEOs) were detected in all products and formulations.

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Medication administration errors that take place in the home are common, especially when liquid preparations are used and complex medication schedules with multiple medications are involved; children with chronic conditions are disproportionately affected. Parents and other caregivers with low health literacy and/or limited English proficiency are at higher risk for making errors in administering medications to children in their care. Recommended strategies to reduce home medication errors relate to provider prescribing practices; health literacy-informed verbal counseling strategies (eg, teachback and showback) and written patient education materials (eg, pictographic information) for patients and/or caregivers across settings (inpatient, outpatient, emergency care, pharmacy); dosing-tool provision for liquid medication measurement; review of medication lists with patients and/or caregivers (medication reconciliation) that includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as vitamins and supplements; leveraging the medical home; engaging adolescents and their adult caregivers; training of providers; safe disposal of medications; regulations related to medication dosing tools, labeling, packaging, and informational materials; use of electronic health records and other technologies; and research to identify novel ways to support safe home medication administration.

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  • Children with treatment-refractory or relapsed tumors often have poor outcomes, and the genetic factors contributing to these conditions are not fully understood.
  • A study of 202 patients revealed that relapsed tumors had higher mutational burdens than untreated ones, with over 40% displaying mutations linked to previous chemotherapy treatments.
  • Analysis showed variations in neoantigens and immune cell presence, hinting at tumor evolution and resistance mechanisms that complicate treatment strategies.
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Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of opioid analgesics for the treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions, and for some patients, these medications may be the only effective treatment available. Unfortunately, opioid analgesics are also associated with major risks (eg, opioid use disorder) and adverse outcomes (eg, respiratory depression and falls). The risks and adverse outcomes associated with opioid analgesics have prompted efforts to reduce their use in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain.

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  • In 2008, guidelines were established for researching autophagy, which has since gained significant interest and new technologies, necessitating regular updates to monitoring methods across various organisms.
  • The new guidelines emphasize selecting appropriate techniques to evaluate autophagy while noting that no single method suits all situations; thus, a combination of methods is encouraged.
  • The document highlights that key proteins involved in autophagy also impact other cellular processes, suggesting genetic studies should focus on multiple autophagy-related genes to fully understand these pathways.
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The routine use of antibiotics for prevention of disease in neonatal lambs has been highlighted as inappropriate, yet research suggests that many farmers in the UK still carry out this practice. The aim of the study was to understand farmers' naturalistic decision-making around prophylactic antibiotic use in lambs. Data from 431 posts by 133 different users of an online discussion forum were analysed quantitatively using natural language processing and qualitatively using a grounded theory approach.

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Background: Simulation-based training is a valuable component of cardiothoracic surgical education. Effective curriculum development requires consensus on procedural components and focused attention on specific learning objectives. Through use of a Delphi process, we established consensus on the steps of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) left upper lobectomy and identified targets for simulation.

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  • An estimated 59,000 people die from rabies each year, primarily due to bites from domestic dogs, particularly affecting rural populations in Africa; mass dog vaccinations are essential but resource-intensive.
  • The Laikipia Rabies Vaccination Campaign in Kenya (2015-2017) successfully vaccinated over 13,000 dogs, increasing vaccination coverage from 2% to 24%, although only a few communities met the 70% target needed for effective rabies control.
  • The campaign highlighted both achievements in dog vaccination and challenges such as inadequate post-vaccination monitoring, financial constraints, and the diversity of communities involved, which complicated efforts to reach the target coverage levels.
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Neuroblastoma is a sympathetic nervous system tumor, primarily presenting in children under 6 years of age. The long-term prognosis for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) remains poor despite aggressive multimodal therapy. This report provides an update to a phase II trial evaluating DFMO as maintenance therapy in HRNB.

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BACKGROUNDUndifferentiated systemic autoinflammatory diseases (USAIDs) present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Chronic interferon (IFN) signaling and cytokine dysregulation may identify diseases with available targeted treatments.METHODSSixty-six consecutively referred USAID patients underwent underwent screening for the presence of an interferon signature using a standardized type-I IFN-response-gene score (IRG-S), cytokine profiling, and genetic evaluation by next-generation sequencing.

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