Multi-institutional evaluation of a Pareto navigation guided automated radiotherapy planning solution for prostate cancer.

Background: Current automated planning solutions are calibrated using trial and error or machine learning on historical datasets. Neither method allows for the intuitive exploration of differing trade-off options during calibration, which may aid in ensuring automated solutions align with clinical preference. Pareto navigation provides this functionality and offers a potential calibration alternative.

Perianal Injury Prevention in Patients With Leukemia.

Background: Perianal injuries in adults with hematologic malignancies can result in sepsis or death. Patients on a 36-bed acute care oncology unit experienced increased perianal injuries from 2018 to 2021 based on a chart review, which revealed that 24 patients with leukemia, all of whom had received cytarabine, developed perianal injuries.

Objectives: This study examined whether a nurse-led educational intervention would decrease perianal injuries.

Structural racism in healthcare and research: A community-led model of curriculum development and implementation.

Structural racism in the USA has roots that extend deep into healthcare and medical research, and it remains a key driver of illness and early death for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). Furthermore, the persistence of racism within academic medicine compels an interrogation of education and research within this context. In the spirit of this interrogation, this article highlights a unique model of community-engaged education that integrates cultural humility.

Simvastatin and ML141 Decrease Intracellular Streptococcus pyogenes Infection.

Background: Recurrent pharyngotonsillitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes develops regardless of whether infecting strains are resistant or susceptible to first-line antimicrobials. Causation for recurrent infection is associated with the use of first-line antimicrobials that fail to penetrate deep tissue and host cell membranes, enabling intracellular S. pyogenes to survive throughout repeated rounds of antimicrobial therapy.

Clinical implementation of a knowledge based planning tool for prostate VMAT.

Background: A knowledge based planning tool has been developed and implemented for prostate VMAT radiotherapy plans providing a target average rectum dose value based on previously achievable values for similar rectum/PTV overlap. The purpose of this planning tool is to highlight sub-optimal clinical plans and to improve plan quality and consistency.

Methods: A historical cohort of 97 VMAT prostate plans was interrogated using a RayStation script and used to develop a local model for predicting optimum average rectum dose based on individual anatomy.

The effect of using different competence frameworks to audit the content of a masters program in public health.

Objectives: (1) To quantify the effect of using different public health competence frameworks to audit the curriculum of an online distance learning MPH program, and (2) to measure variation in the outcomes of the audit depending on which competence framework is used.

Study Design: Retrospective audit.

Methods: We compared the teaching content of an online distance learning MPH program against each competence listed in different public health competence frameworks relevant to an MPH.

Small Molecule Inhibitors Limit Endothelial Cell Invasion by Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading causative agent in sepsis, endocarditis, and pneumonia. An emerging concept is that prognosis worsens when the infecting S. aureus strain has the capacity to not only colonize tissue as an extracellular pathogen, but to invade host cells and establish intracellular bacterial populations.

Immunization information systems national research and evaluation agenda.

Immunization Information Systems (IIS) are operational in most states and are useful in programmatic and clinical assessments. To ensure that IIS reach their technical and usability potential, and to promote their use, we conducted a Delphi survey to develop a national IIS research and evaluation agenda. Experts with a wide range of IIS knowledge were asked to generate research and evaluation topics that document their utility in achieving and sustaining clinical and public health goals.

Designed to expedite: immunization registry information systems.

Nationally, more and more school nurses are encountering immunization registries or Immunization Information Systems as they search for immunization records on children attending their schools. Given the rise of immunization registries, the difficulty for parents to produce complete records, and the ongoing need of school nurses to gain access to this information, this is the time to bridge the gap between school nurses and immunization registries. The following article aims to help bring more information about immunization registries to school nurses.

Utility of an immunization registry in a pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: Determine prevalence of participation and underimmunization rate in a regional immunization registry (IR) among patients presenting to a university pediatric emergency department (PED). Rate of agreement between parental report and documented immunization status was also measured.

Methods: A convenience sample of parents of patients younger than 11 years registered in the PED were approached with a short questionnaire.