Stroke Recurrence in Nigerian Children With Sickle Cell Disease: Evidence for a Secondary Stroke Prevention Trial.

Background: To improve the quality of care for children with sickle cell anemia in Kano, Nigeria, we initiated a standard care protocol in 2014 to manage children with strokes at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

Methods: The standard care protocol requires that children with acute strokes be treated with hydroxyurea at a fixed dose of 20 mg/kg/day within two months of the stroke.

Results: Twenty-nine children with sickle cell anemia and initial stroke were identified based on clinical World Health Organization criteria from 2014 to 2017.

Use of the Palliative Performance Scale to estimate survival among home hospice patients with heart failure.

Aims: Estimating survival is challenging in the terminal phase of advanced heart failure. Patients, families, and health-care organizations would benefit from more reliable prognostic tools. The Palliative Performance Scale Version 2 (PPSv2) is a reliable and validated tool used to measure functional performance; higher scores indicate higher functionality.

Durable Improvement in Patient Safety Culture Over 5 Years With Use of High-volume Incident Learning System.

Purpose: Incident learning systems (ILSs) require substantial time and effort to maintain, risking staff burnout and ILS disuse. Herein, we assess the durability of ILS-associated safety culture improvements and ILS engagement at 5 years.

Methods And Materials: A validated survey assessing safety culture was administered to all staff of an academic radiation oncology department before starting ILS and annually thereafter for 5 years.

Management of Stroke in Neonates and Children: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

Purpose- Much has transpired since the last scientific statement on pediatric stroke was published 10 years ago. Although stroke has long been recognized as an adult health problem causing substantial morbidity and mortality, it is also an important cause of acquired brain injury in young patients, occurring most commonly in the neonate and throughout childhood. This scientific statement represents a synthesis of data and a consensus of the leading experts in childhood cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ): translation and evaluation of psychometric properties of the French version of the questionnaire.

Background: The Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) is a measure of parental/caregivers' perceptions of the impact of children's oral health on quality of life. The aim of the study was evaluate the psychometric properties of the French version of the P-CPQ.

Method: The original P-CPQ was developed in English language and has 31 items divided into four sub-scales.

Incidence of Epilepsy and Associated Risk Factors in Perinatal Ischemic Stroke Survivors.

Introduction: Epilepsy is a serious and often lifelong consequence of perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS). Variable incidences and risk factors for long-term epilepsy in PAIS have been reported. To determine the incidence of epilepsy in PAIS survivors and report factors associated with the risk of developing epilepsy, a meta-analysis and systematic review of prior publications was performed.

The Association Between Multiple Abortions Within 1 Year and Previous Postabortal Desired Contraception at an Urban, Public Hospital.

To determine the proportion of women undergoing multiple abortions within 1 year at an urban, public hospital and the association with desired contraception after the index abortion. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all women undergoing abortion up to 13 weeks and 6 days gestation at Stroger Hospital from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2014. We examined the proportion of women with additional abortions up to 1 year after the index abortion and contraception desired at the index abortion.

Ocular Component Development during Infancy and Early Childhood.

Significance: The study fills an important gap by providing a longitudinal description of development of the major structural and optical components of the human eye from 3 months to nearly 7 years of age. Normative development data may provide insights into mechanisms for emmetropization and guidance on intraocular lens power calculation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of development of refractive error and the ocular components from infancy through early childhood.

Differential cerebral hemometabolic responses to blood transfusions in adults and children with sickle cell anemia.

Background: Blood transfusions are administered to children and adults with sickle cell anemia (SCA) for secondary stroke prevention, or as treatment for recurrent pain crises or acute anemia, but transfusion effects on cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism are not well-characterized.

Purpose: To compare blood transfusion-induced changes in hemometabolic parameters, including oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and cerebral blood flow (CBF), within and between adults and children with SCA.

Study Type: Prospective, longitudinal study.

In-Hospital Pediatric Stroke Alert Activation.

Background: Pediatric stroke alerts or "code strokes" allow for rapid evaluation, imaging, and treatment of children presenting with stroke-like symptoms. In a previous study of emergency department-initiated pediatric stroke alerts, 24% of children had confirmed strokes. The purpose of this study was to characterize in-hospital pediatric stroke alerts.

Alveolar Macrophage Chemokine Secretion Mediates Neutrophilic Lung Injury in Nox2-Deficient Mice.

Acute lung injury (ALI), developing as a component of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), produced in part by the neutrophil NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2), have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ALI. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated the development of pulmonary inflammation in Nox2-deficient (gp91) mice that was absent in WT mice in a murine model of SIRS.

Late breast cancer metastasis to the urinary bladder presenting with bilateral hydronephrosis.

Introduction: Since breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women, it is important to understand potential sites of metastasis, including rare sites that have not frequently been reported in the literature. As our cancer interventions improve, patients will live longer and we will potentially see unusual patterns of metastatic disease more frequently, as in our case of a woman with breast cancer metastasis to her urinary bladder.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 77-year-old female with history of breast cancer, metastatic to bone, and recently diagnosed bilateral hydronephrosis, secondary to a new urinary bladder mass.

Elevated brain oxygen extraction fraction in preterm newborns with anemia measured using noninvasive MRI.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) is elevated and inversely related to hematocrit level in anemic former very-low-birth-weight infants near term.

Study Design: Prospective study of non-sedated preterm infants (post-menstrual age = 36 ± 2 weeks) over a range of hematocrits (0.23-0.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensing on Naturally Derived Membranes: A Remyelination-Promoting Human Antibody Binds Myelin with Extraordinary Affinity.

rHIgM22 is a recombinant human monoclonal IgM designed to promote remyelination, and it is currently in Phase I clinical trials in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In animal models of demyelination, a single low dose of rHIgM22 stimulates oligodendrocyte maturation, induces remyelination, preserves axons, and slows the decline of locomotor deficits. Natural autoantibodies like rHIgM22 typically bind to multiple antigens with weak affinity.

Non-histopathological parameters associated with upgrade of breast tumours yielding a core biopsy report of histological grade 2 ductal no special type to grade 3 on excision.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify clinical, radiological and immuno-histochemical factors that may help predict upgrade of invasive ductal cancers of no special type (IDC-NST) with a core biopsy grade of 2 to grade 3 on final histology.

Methods: A prospectively maintained database of ultrasound visible solid masses was used to identify lesions yielding a core biopsy result of IDC-NST grade 2 who underwent immediate surgery yielding a grade 2 or grade 3 tumour. Associations were sought between the source of patient (screening/symptomatic), core biopsy receptor status and imaging findings and the grade of the excision specimen tumour.

Intraspinal Grafting of Serotonergic Neurons Modifies Expression of Genes Important for Functional Recovery in Paraplegic Rats.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) plays an important role in control of locomotion, partly through direct effects on motoneurons. Spinal cord complete transection (SCI) results in changes in 5-HT receptors on motoneurons that influence functional recovery. Activation of 5-HT and 5-HT receptors improves locomotor hindlimb movements in paraplegic rats.

Using the Palliative Performance Scale to Estimate Survival for Patients at the End of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: The Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) has been widely used for survival prediction among patients with cancer; however, few studies have reviewed PPS scores in heterogeneous palliative care populations across multiple care settings.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to determine how the PPS tool has been used to estimate survival at the end of life.

Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

A plug and socket approach for tightening polyelectrolyte multilayers.

A plug and socket approach for tightening polyelectrolyte multilayers is introduced based on the use pendant β-cyclodextrin groups. Prototypical multilayers derived from poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) and β-cyclodextrin-containing poly(4-vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride) are described. Evidence for tightened multilayers has been obtained from gas permeation, swelling and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) measurements.

A comparison of the imaging features of pleomorphic and classical invasive lobular carcinoma.

Purpose: Pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma (pILC) is a distinct morphological variant of ILC with a poorer prognosis than classical ILC (cILC). The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the conventional imaging appearances of the two entities differ.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review of conventional imaging was undertaken in 150 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed ILC (38 pILC; 112 cILC) between April 2010 and July 2015.