Vasodilator drugs and heart-related outcomes in systemic sclerosis: an exploratory analysis.

Background And Aims: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune connective disease characterised by excessive extracellular matrix deposition and widespread skin and internal organ fibrosis including various cardiac manifestations. Heart involvement is one of the leading causes of death among patients with SSc. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of various vasodilator treatments.

Feasibility of Utilizing a Brief Neurocognitive Battery in 3-Year-Old Patients During Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is associated with neurocognitive deficits in young children. While computerized measures have been utilized in pediatric oncology research, they exclude patients below the age of 4 years. Patients enrolled on "Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children and Adolescents" were offered participation in an optional neurocognitive study.

Ethical issues in implementation science: perspectives from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop.

Ethical issues arise in the context of implementation science that may differ from those encountered in other research settings. This report, developed out of a workshop convened by the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science within the United States National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, identifies six key themes that are important to the assessment of ethical dimensions of implementation science. First, addressing ethical challenges in implementation science does not require new ethical principles, commitments, or regulations.

Glucocorticoids versus glucocorticoids plus cyclophosphamide in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis with poor-prognosis factors.

Objectives: Current guidelines suggest treating poor-prognosis eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with a combination of glucocorticoids (GCs) plus cyclophosphamide (CYC). However, there is little data to support the need for the addition of CYC. The objective of this study was to compare GCs plus CYC to GCs alone as induction therapy in poor-prognosis EGPA.

Consensus Guidelines for Delineation of Clinical Target Volumes for Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Intact Cervical Cancer: An Update.

Purpose: Accurate target delineation is essential when using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for intact cervical cancer. In 2011, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) published a consensus guideline using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The current project expands on the previous atlas by including computed tomography (CT)-based contours, contours with MRI and positron- emission- tomography (PET) registrations, the addition of common and complex scenarios, and to incorporate information on simulation and treatment planning techniques.

Use of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cell-Regulated Gene Expression for Monitoring Immunosuppression with Extended-Release Tacrolimus after Liver Transplantation-A Proof of Concept.

Background: There is a narrow therapeutic window for immunosuppression using calcineurin inhibitors. Drug trough levels do not reflect immunosuppression and should be replaced by pharmacodynamic monitoring. This prospective cohort study was designed to evaluate the effect of an extended-release formulation of tacrolimus (LCP Tac) on the nuclear factor of activated T cell-regulated gene expression (NFAT-RGE).

Travel Distances for Interhospital Transfers of Critically Ill Children: A Geospatial Analysis.

Importance: The U.S. pediatric acute care system has become more centralized, placing increasing importance on interhospital transfers.

Blurring Boundaries: A Proposed Research Agenda for Ethical, Legal, Social, and Historical Studies at the Intersection of Infectious and Genetic Disease.

Contemporary understanding of the mechanisms of disease increasingly points to examples of "genetic diseases" with an infectious component and of "infectious diseases" with a genetic component. Such blurred boundaries generate ethical, legal, and social issues and highlight historical contexts that must be examined when incorporating host genomic information into the prevention, outbreak control, and treatment of infectious diseases.

Development and Evaluation of Pediatric Acute Care Hospital Referral Regions in Eight States.

Objective: To develop a set of pediatric acute care hospital referral regions for use in studying pediatric acute care delivery and test their utility relative to other regional systems.

Study Design: We used state-level administrative databases capturing all pediatric acute care in 8 states to construct novel referral regions. We first constructed pediatric hospital service areas (PHSAs) based on 5 837 464 pediatric emergency department encounters.

DNA Origami Incorporated into Solid-State Nanopores Enables Enhanced Sensitivity for Precise Analysis of Protein Translocations.

The rapidly advancing field of nanotechnology is driving the development of precise sensing methods at the nanoscale, with solid-state nanopores emerging as promising tools for biomolecular sensing. This study investigates the increased sensitivity of solid-state nanopores achieved by integrating DNA origami structures, leading to the improved analysis of protein translocations. Using holo human serum transferrin (holo-hSTf) as a model protein, we compared hybrid nanopores incorporating DNA origami with open solid-state nanopores.

The Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Asthma Control in California: A Microsimulation Approach.

Wildfire smoke exposure leads to poorer health among those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma. Particulate matter in wildfire smoke can worsen asthma control, cause acute exacerbations, and increase health resource utilization (HRU) and costs. Research to date has been retrospective with few opportunities to project changes in underlying asthma control and HRU given exposure to wildfire smoke.

Multilevel challenges to equitable inclusion of children in trials when parents use languages other than English: A qualitative report from Children's Oncology Group's Diversity and Health Disparities Committee Language Equity Working Group.

Background: Increasing representation in clinical trials is a priority for the National Cancer Institute and Children's Oncology Group (COG). Our survey of COG-affiliated institutions revealed that many sites have insufficient processes and resources to enroll children whose parents use languages other than English (LOE). We describe reported barriers and facilitators to enrolling children in clinical trials when parents use LOE and propose opportunities for improvement.

Racial, Ethnic, and Language Inequities in Ambulatory Pediatrics Patient Family Experience.

Objective: To determine the association of patient race, patient-provider racial congruence, patient ethnicity, and family primary language with patient family experience (PFE) survey responses.

Methods: Cross-sectional review of PFE survey responses from all ambulatory medical encounters at a large, urban children's hospital system June 1, 2020-May 31, 2022. Exposures were patient race, patient-provider racial congruence, patient ethnicity, and family primary language.

Genome-wide study identifies novel genes associated with bone toxicities in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Bone toxicities are common among paediatric patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) with potentially major negative impact on patients' quality of life. To identify the underlying genetic contributors, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) in 260 patients of European-descent from the DFCI 05-001 ALL trial, with validation in 101 patients of European-descent from the DFCI 11-001 ALL trial. We identified a significant association between rs844882 on chromosome 20 and bone toxicities in the DFCI 05-001 trial (p = 1.

When transfusion causes a splitting headache: A case report and rapid review of transfusion-associated reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a rare and understudied transfusion reaction most commonly seen in adult females after correction of chronic, severe anemia. Transfusion-associated RCVS (TA-RCVS) typically presents with thunderclap headaches and one or more systemic (hypertension, nausea/vomiting) or neurologic (seizure, stroke, visual changes) symptoms within a week after red blood cell transfusion. Treatment of RCVS is based on blood pressure control; a recent study suggested that early use of nimodipine could shorten the disease course.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation gaps within a pediatric leukemia clinical trial cohort.

Poverty-exposed children with cancer are more likely to experience adverse outcomes. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits improve food insecurity and child health outcomes, and could be used to mitigate disparities. We conducted a secondary analysis of parent-reported data collected in a frontline pediatric leukemia trial (NCT03020030) to assess SNAP eligibility (proxied by other means-tested program participation) and participation.