Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell line (CRICKi021-A) from a patient with Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy carrying a pathogenic mutation in the COL6A1 gene.

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) represents the most severe subtype of collagen VI-related dystrophies (COL6-RDs), a spectrum of rare extracellular matrix disorders affecting skeletal muscle and connective tissue. Here, we generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (CRICKi021-A) from a UCMD patient with de novo dominant-negative mutation in COL6A1 gene by reprogramming dermal fibroblasts using a non-integrating mRNA-based protocol. The resulting human iPSCs displayed normal morphology, expressed pluripotency-associated markers and differentiated into the three germ layers.

Generation of TWO iPSC lines (CRICKi009-A; CRICKi010-A) from patients with type 1 von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) and histopathologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

VHL disease is an inherited and autosomal dominant disorder affecting 1 in 36,0000 individuals worldwide. It is caused by von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene mutations and can affect both genders and all ethnic backgrounds (Nordstrom-O'Brien et al., 2009; Maher, 2004).

Rapid Access Diagnostics for Asthma (RADicA): protocol for a prospective cohort study to determine the optimum series of investigations to diagnose asthma using conventional and novel tests.

Introduction: The diagnosis of asthma is often based on characteristic patterns of symptoms in the absence of an alternative explanation, resulting in over and under diagnosis. Therefore, diagnostic guidelines usually recommend including confirmation of variable airflow obstruction. Some recommend using a sequence of objective tests; however the tests used, the specific cut-off values and the specified order are yet to be validated.

Exploring the Factors That Impact Recruitment and Retention of Pediatricians in Irish Community Hospitals Through the Attitudes of Trainees and Physicians-in-Practice.

Background: Difficulty attracting physicians to work in rural and remote areas is a worldwide problem. Specific to pediatrics, barriers to recruitment include burdensome on-call rosters, a lack of career opportunities for partners and professional isolation.

Methods: To examine attitudes to working in a community hospital in Ireland, a mixed-methods sequential analysis approach was undertaken.