Mutated in Circulating Tumor DNA as a Risk Level Biomarker in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been suggested as a surrogate biomarker for early detection of cancer recurrence. We aimed to explore the utility of ctDNA as a noninvasive prognostic biomarker in newly diagnosed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Seventy HNSCC specimens were analysed for the detection of genetic alterations utilizing next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Single-Dose Anti-PD-L1/IL-15 Fusion Protein KD033 Generates Synergistic Antitumor Immunity with Robust Tumor-Immune Gene Signatures and Memory Responses.

Immunocytokines hold great potential as anticancer agents, as they use a specific antitumor antibody to deliver an immune-activating cytokine directly to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). We have developed a novel immunocytokine (KD033) composed of a fully human, high-affinity antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) linked to the sushi-domain of the human IL-15/IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15/IL-15Rα) complex. A murine PD-L1 cross-reactive KD033 surrogate (srKD033) and a nontargeting antibody (ntKD033) were also developed to investigate mechanism of action in murine tumor models.

ARCTIC CHANGE AND POSSIBLE INFLUENCE ON MID-LATITUDE CLIMATE AND WEATHER: A US CLIVAR White Paper.

Unlabelled: The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average since the mid 20th century, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification (AA). These profound changes to the Arctic system have coincided with a period of ostensibly more frequent events of extreme weather across the Northern Hemisphere (NH) mid-latitudes, including extreme heat and rainfall events and recent severe winters. Though winter temperatures have generally warmed since 1960 over mid-to-high latitudes, the acceleration in the rate of warming at high-latitudes, relative to the rest of the NH, started approximately in 1990.

Filling in Pediatric Acne Practice Gaps: A Prospective Multicenter Study of Case-Based Education.

Purpose: Studies have documented practice gaps in acne management between pediatricians and dermatologists. Evidence-based recommendations for acne management were published by the American Acne and Rosacea Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2013. We assess the impact of a case-based learning intervention on pediatrician knowledge and treatment of acne in accordance with published recommendations.

Epidemiologic Analysis of Onychomycosis in the San Diego Pediatric Population.

Background: Onychomycosis (OM) is thought to be a rare disease in children, although there are few epidemiologic studies.

Methods: This 3-year retrospective case series of nearly 400 children seen at Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego (RCHSD) describes the characteristics of OM found in this pediatric population.

Results: From 2011 to 2013, the Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology Clinic at RCHSD saw a total of 36,634 unique patients, of whom 433 were unique patients with OM.

Drug-induced Telogen Effluvium in a Pediatric Patient due to Error of Transcription.

"Errors of transcription" are rarely reported, but may cause significant adverse effects in patients. Here, the authors report the case of a 15-year-old Burmese girl presenting with telogen effluvium after being dispensed the wrong medication due to a pharmacy auto-complete error.

Chemical Burn from Vinegar Following an Internet-based Protocol for Self-removal of Nevi.

"Natural home remedies" for nevi removal found on the Internet can be ineffective, or worse, dangerous. Children and teens, in particular, may be more likely to attempt self-treatment in order to avoid discussing their concerns with their parents. Here, the authors report a case of an adolescent who presented with a chemical burn after following an Internet-based protocol for nevi removal using apple cider vinegar.

Successful Treatment of a Lichenoid-Like Granulomatous Reaction to Purple Tattoo Pigment With Intralesional Kenalog.

Tattoo reactions can be clinically challenging to diagnose and treat. We present a case of a biopsy-proven granulomatous reaction to purple tattoo ink that clinically mimicked lichen planus. This reaction was successfully treated with one course of intralesional kenalog (ILK), with no recurrence six months after treatment.

A review of scar assessment scales.

At our current level of understanding, scars are an unavoidable result of disruption of the integument following trauma and other sources of injury in the postnatal period. Millions of people worldwide suffer from diminished quality of life due to varying degrees of disfigurement, functional impairment, and psychosocial comorbidity. Scars also represent a significant financial burden to the healthcare system at large.

Antifungal therapy for onychomycosis in children.

Onychomycosis is a chronic infection of the nail unit, and its prevalence increases with age. Treatment options for children are similar to those for adults and include both oral and topical therapies. Oral agents, such as terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole have been reported to have good efficacy and a low rate of side effects in children.

Agminated flexural melanocytic nevi: a late sequela of Langerhans cell histiocytosis?

Agminated flexural melanocytic nevi in children with a history of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are rare and thought to be coincidental or related to systemic chemotherapy. We report on an 11-year-old boy in remission from LCH, treated with only topical steroids, who presented years later with an eruption of melanocytic nevi in the bilateral inguinal and axillary regions. Rather than coincidence, we hypothesize that agminated flexural melanocytic nevi are a late sequela of LCH, possibly resulting from immune tolerance or a reaction to local inflammation.

Can long-term alopecia occur after appropriate pulsed-dye laser therapy in hair-bearing sites? Pediatric dermatologists weigh in.

Background: The risk of long-term alopecia after pulsed-dye laser (PDL) therapy is unknown. To identify how many practitioners treat hair-bearing sites with PDL and how commonly long-term alopecia occurs, the authors queried pediatric dermatologists about their experiences using this modality.

Methods: A survey was designed to evaluate the frequency of and factors contributing to long-term alopecia after PDL treatment of port-wine stains (PWS).

Successful medical treatment of a severe reaction to red tattoo pigment.

Tattoo allergies are often eczematous skin rashes that can be complicated by ulceration and infection. These allergies are difficult to resolve, sometimes requiring surgical or laser intervention, with varying success. Here we present a case of a 29-year-old woman with a serious skin allergic reaction to red tattoo ink that ulcerated and became secondarily infected.

Successful treatment of pearly penile papules with carbon dioxide laser resurfacing after local anesthesia in an adolescent patient.

Pearly penile papules (PPP) can cause significant psychological morbidity. Herein we report the successful use of a macrofractionated carbon dioxide laser at full-field ablative density settings for the treatment of PPP in a 17-year-old boy using local anesthetic alone. Our experience leads us to believe that PPP can be successfully treated in the pediatric and adolescent populations using this novel and relatively noninvasive technique.

Beta blockers: an innovation in the treatment of infantile hemangiomas.

Infantile hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors seen in 4.5 percent of neonates and infants. While most infantile hemangiomas can be managed with active nonintervention, a subset of patients will require more aggressive management.

Itching to learn: school chair allergic contact dermatitis on the posterior thighs.

A 10-year-old girl with a history suggestive of nickel allergy presented with pruritic, eczematous plaques on her posterior thighs. Patch testing revealed sensitivities to nickel, cobalt, and chromium. The pattern of her involvement suggested an "outside job," and subsequent investigations confirmed that the exposed metal fasteners on her school chair were the likely source of her focal contact dermatitis.

Detecting ozone- and greenhouse gas-driven wind trends with observational data.

Modeling studies suggest that Antarctic ozone depletion and, to a lesser degree, greenhouse gas (GHG) increase have caused the observed poleward shift in the westerly jet during the austral summer. Similar studies have not been performed previously with observational data because of difficulties in separating the two contributions. By applying a cluster analysis to daily ERA-Interim data, we found two 7- to 11-day wind clusters, one resembling the models' responses to GHG forcing and the other resembling ozone depletion.

Myeloid cell HIF-1α regulates asthma airway resistance and eosinophil function.

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is a master regulator of inflammatory activities of myeloid cells, including neutrophils and macrophages. These studies examine the role of myeloid cell HIF-1α in regulating asthma induction and pathogenesis, and for the first time, evaluate the roles of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in the chemotactic properties of eosinophils, the myeloid cells most associated with asthma. Wild-type (WT) and myeloid cell-specific HIF-1α knockout (KO) C57BL/6 mice were studied in an ovalbumin (OVA) model of asthma.

On the Origins of Disorganized Attachment and Internal Working Models: Paper II. An Empirical Microanalysis of 4-Month Mother-Infant Interaction.

A microanalysis of 4-month mother-infant face-to-face communication predicted 12-month infant disorganized (vs. secure) attachment outcomes in an urban community sample. We documented a dyadic systems view of the roles of both partners, the roles of both self- and interactive contingency, and the importance of attention, orientation and touch, and as well as facial and vocal affect, in the co-construction of attachment disorganization.

Protein kinase C η is required for T cell activation and homeostatic proliferation.

Protein kinase C η (PKCη) is abundant in T cells and is recruited to the immunological synapse that is formed between a T cell and an antigen-presenting cell; however, its function in T cells is unknown. We showed that PKCη was required for the activation of mature CD8+ T cells through the T cell receptor. Compared with wild-type T cells, PKCη-/- T cells showed poor proliferation in response to antigen stimulation, a trait shared with T cells deficient in PKCθ, which is the most abundant PKC isoform in T cells and was thought to be the only PKC isoform with a specific role in T cell activation.

MATERNAL ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND MOTHER-INFANT SELF- AND INTERACTIVE CONTINGENCY.

Associations of maternal self-report anxiety-related symptoms with mother-infant 4-month face-to-face play were investigated in 119 pairs. Attention, affect, spatial orientation, and touch were coded from split-screen videotape on a 1-s time base. Self- and interactive contingency were assessed by time-series methods.