Global Curriculum in Research Literacy for the Surgical Oncologist.

Background: The ability to provide optimal care to cancer patients depends on awareness of current evidence-based practices emanating from research or involvement in research where circumstances permit. The significant global variations in cancer-related research activity and its correlation to cancer-specific outcomes may have an influence on the care provided to cancer patients and their outcomes. The aim of this project is to develop a global curriculum in research literacy for the surgical oncologist.

Update: Influenza Activity - United States, October 1-November 25, 2017.

Influenza activity in the United States was low during October 2017, but has been increasing since the beginning of November. Influenza A viruses have been most commonly identified, with influenza A(H3N2) viruses predominating. Several influenza activity indicators were higher than is typically seen for this time of year.

Phase Separation Behavior of Supercharged Proteins and Polyelectrolytes.

Membraneless organelles, like membrane-bound organelles, are essential to cell homeostasis and provide discrete cellular subcompartments. Unlike classical organelles, membraneless organelles possess no physical barrier but rather arise by phase separation of the organelle components from the surrounding cytoplasm or nucleoplasm. Complex coacervation, the liquid-liquid phase separation of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, is one of several phenomena that are hypothesized to drive the formation and regulation of some membraneless organelles.

Prevalence and Overtesting of True Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in a 591-Bed Tertiary Care, Teaching Hospital.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II (HIT) is a rare but potentially fatal antibody-mediated reaction to all forms of heparin (unfractionated heparin, low-molecular weight heparin, heparin flushes, and heparin-coated catheters), which can lead to HIT with thrombosis. Two tests commonly used to screen for HIT include the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and serotonin release assay (SRA). This is a retrospective chart review study conducted from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014, to estimate the rate of true HIT in critical care patients at Winthrop-University Hospital, located in Mineola, New York.

Building collagen IV smart scaffolds on the outside of cells.

Collagen IV scaffolds assemble through an intricate pathway that begins intracellularly and is completed extracellularly. Multiple intracellular enzymes act in concert to assemble collagen IV protomers, the building blocks of collagen IV scaffolds. After being secreted from cells, protomers are activated to initiate oligomerization, forming insoluble networks that are structurally reinforced with covalent crosslinks.

β-Blockade in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Does Heart Rate Control Influence Readmissions?

Background: Raised resting heart rate (HR), >70 beats per minute (bpm), has been shown to be a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes and hospital readmissions, specifically in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF rEF). Given their mortality benefit, β-blockers are recommended in HF rEF, with a goal to titrate to a maximum tolerated dose rather than a specific HR target.

Objective: To determine the impact of optimal HR control achievement prior to hospital discharge on hospital readmissions in patients with HF rEF receiving β-blockade.

Raw milk consumption and other early-life farm exposures and adult pulmonary function in the Agricultural Lung Health Study.

Literature suggests that early exposure to the farming environment protects against atopy and asthma; few studies have examined pulmonary function. We evaluated associations between early-life farming exposures and pulmonary function in 3061 adults (mean age=63) from a US farming population using linear regression. Childhood raw milk consumption was associated with higher FEV (β=49.

Update: Influenza Activity in the United States During the 2016-17 Season and Composition of the 2017-18 Influenza Vaccine.

During the 2016-17 influenza season (October 2, 2016-May 20, 2017) in the United States, influenza activity* was moderate. Activity remained low through November, increased during December, and peaked in February nationally, although there were regional differences in the timing of influenza activity. Influenza A(H3N2) viruses predominated through mid-March and were predominant overall for the season, but influenza B viruses were most commonly reported from late March through May.

Sexual misconduct in prison: What factors affect whether incarcerated women will report abuses committed by prison staff?

More than 80,000 prisoners each year are sexually victimized during incarceration, but only about 8% report victimization to correctional authorities. Complicating reporting is the fact that half of the perpetrators are staff members. Given the restrictive and highly regulated prison environment, studies that examine reporting behaviors are difficult to conduct and to date information available relied on those who have reported or hypothetical victimization studies.

ATRP-grown protein-polymer conjugates containing phenylpiperazine selectively enhance transepithelial protein transport.

Despite its patient-friendliness, the oral route is not yet a viable strategy for the delivery of biomacromolecular therapeutics. This is, in part, due to the large size of proteins, which greatly limits their absorption across the intestinal epithelium. Although chemical permeation enhancers can improve macromolecular transport, their positive impact is often accompanied by toxicity.

Polymer-Based Protein Engineering: Synthesis and Characterization of Armored, High Graft Density Polymer-Protein Conjugates.

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from the surface of a protein can generate remarkably dense polymer shells that serve as armor and rationally tune protein function. Using straightforward chemistry, it is possible to covalently couple or display multiple small molecule initiators onto a protein surface. The chemistry is fine-tuned to be sequence specific (if one desires a single targeted site) at controlled density.

Learning from Latino voices: Focus Groups' Insights on Participation in Genetic Research.

Background And Objectives: There is a paucity of genetics research examining alcohol use among Latinos. The purpose of this study is to examine Latino perceptions of participation in alcohol studies that collect biological samples, an important precursor to increasing their participation in genetics research.

Methods: A synthesis of the literature addressing participation of racial/ethnic minorities in alcohol genetics research was undertaken.

Update: Influenza Activity - United States, October 2, 2016-February 4, 2017.

This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity* during October 2, 2016-February 4, 2017, and updates the previous summary (1).

Review: Environmental influences on alcohol use: Informing research on the joint effects of genes and the environment in diverse U.S. populations.

Background And Objectives: This review aimed to inform the current state of alcohol research on the joint effects of genes and the environment conducted in U.S. racial/ethnic minority populations, focusing on African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians.

Design of Stomach Acid-Stable and Mucin-Binding Enzyme Polymer Conjugates.

The reduced immunogenicity and increased stability of protein-polymer conjugates has made their use in therapeutic applications particularly attractive. However, the physicochemical interactions between polymer and protein, as well as the effect of this interaction on protein activity and stability, are still not fully understood. In this work, polymer-based protein engineering was used to examine the role of polymer physicochemical properties on the activity and stability of the chymotrypsin-polymer conjugates and their degree of binding to intestinal mucin.

Societal Risk Evaluation Scheme (SRES): Scenario-Based Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Synthetic Biology Applications.

Synthetic biology (SB) applies engineering principles to biology for the construction of novel biological systems designed for useful purposes. From an oversight perspective, SB products come with significant uncertainty. Yet there is a need to anticipate and prepare for SB applications before deployment.

Update: Influenza Activity - United States, October 2-December 17, 2016.

This report summarizes U.S. influenza activity during October 2-December 17, 2016.

Should Neonatologists Give Opinions Withdrawing Life-sustaining Treatment?

An infant has a massive intracranial hemorrhage. She is neurologically devastated and ventilator-dependent. The prognosis for pulmonary or neurologic recovery is bleak.

A preclinical microbeam facility with a conventional x-ray tube.

Purpose: Microbeam radiation therapy is an innovative treatment approach in radiation therapy that uses arrays of a few tens of micrometer wide and a few hundreds of micrometer spaced planar x-ray beams as treatment fields. In preclinical studies these fields efficiently eradicated tumors while normal tissue could effectively be spared. However, development and clinical application of microbeam radiation therapy is impeded by a lack of suitable small scale sources.

Speech and language interventions for infants aged 0 to 2 years at high risk for cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

Aim: We evaluated the level of evidence of speech, language, and communication interventions for infants at high-risk for, or with a diagnosis of, cerebral palsy (CP) from 0 to 2 years old.

Method: We performed a systematic review of relevant terms. Articles were evaluated based on the level of methodological quality and evidence according to A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines.

Effects of methylphenidate on sensitivity to reinforcement delay and to reinforcement amount in pigeons: Implications for impulsive choice.

Methylphenidate has been shown to decrease impulsive choice (increase choices of a larger more delayed reinforcer). The purpose of this study was to investigate 2 potential behavioral mechanisms of this effect: a drug-induced change in control by reinforcement delay (Experiment 1) and/or by reinforcement amount (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, pigeons responded under a rapid-acquisition, concurrent-chains choice procedure involving delay to reinforcement; the option with the shorter delay varied unpredictably across sessions.

On Being Fired: When Patients or Their Parents Fire Their Physician.

Wait, what? I've been fired?" I repeated, in the middle of morning rounds in the neonatal intensive care unit. Finally, the nurse who was taking care of our patient, Angela, responded, "Her parents fired you last night. They've already called Patient Relations.