Challenges with sirolimus experimental data to inform QSP model of post-transplantation cyclophosphamide regimens.

Dose optimization of sirolimus may further improve outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients receiving post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Sirolimus exposure-response association studies in HCT patients (i.e.

Precision sirolimus dosing in children: The potential for model-informed dosing and novel drug monitoring.

The mTOR inhibitor sirolimus is prescribed to treat children with varying diseases, ranging from vascular anomalies to sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis to transplantation (solid organ or hematopoietic cell). Precision dosing of sirolimus using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of sirolimus concentrations in whole blood drawn at the trough (before the next dose) time-point is the current standard of care. For sirolimus, trough concentrations are only modestly correlated with the area under the curve, with values ranging from 0.

Investigating the electronic structure of high explosives with X-ray Raman spectroscopy.

We investigate the sensitivity and potential of a synergistic experiment-theory X-ray Raman spectroscopy (XRS) methodology on revealing and following the static and dynamic electronic structure of high explosive molecular materials. We show that advanced ab-initio theoretical calculations accounting for the core-hole effect based on the Bethe-Salpeter Equation (BSE) approximation are critical for accurately predicting the shape and the energy position of the spectral features of C and N core-level spectra. Moreover, the incident X-ray dose typical XRS experiments require can induce, in certain unstable structures, a prominent radiation damage at room temperature.

Auditory motion tracking ability of adults with normal hearing and with bilateral cochlear implants.

Adults with bilateral cochlear implants (BiCIs) receive benefits in localizing stationary sounds when listening with two implants compared with one; however, sound localization ability is significantly poorer when compared to normal hearing (NH) listeners. Little is known about localizing sound sources in motion, which occurs in typical everyday listening situations. The authors considered the possibility that sound motion may improve sound localization in BiCI users by providing multiple places of information.

Restoration of spatial hearing in adult cochlear implant users with single-sided deafness.

In recent years, cochlear implants (CIs) have been provided in growing numbers to people with not only bilateral deafness but also to people with unilateral hearing loss, at times in order to alleviate tinnitus. This study presents audiological data from 15 adult participants (ages 48 ± 12 years) with single sided deafness. Results are presented from 9/15 adults, who received a CI (SSD-CI) in the deaf ear and were tested in Acoustic or Acoustic + CI hearing modes, and 6/15 adults who are planning to receive a CI, and were tested in the unilateral condition only.

Impact of three Illumina library construction methods on GC bias and HLA genotype calling.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly recognized for its ability to overcome allele ambiguity and deliver high-resolution typing in the HLA system. Using this technology, non-uniform read distribution can impede the reliability of variant detection, which renders high-confidence genotype calling particularly difficult to achieve in the polymorphic HLA complex. Recently, library construction has been implicated as the dominant factor in instigating coverage bias.

Understanding Hmong women's beliefs, feelings, norms, and external conditions about breast and cervical cancer screening.

Objectives: To describe the beliefs, feelings, norms, and external conditions regarding breast and cervical cancer screening in a sample of Hmong women.

Design And Sample: In a descriptive design, female Hmong researchers recruited 16 Hmong women (ages 24-73) at a community center. Guided by the Theory of Care Seeking Behavior (TCSB), researchers asked participants semi-structured questions about their beliefs, feelings, norms, and external conditions in a group setting.

The impact of context processing deficits on task-switching performance in schizophrenia.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been described as important for maintaining and implementing contextual information in the service of goal-oriented behavior. Accordingly, impairments in context processing are thought to underlie cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia, a clinical disorder that has been linked to PFC dysfunction (Servan-Schreiber et al., 1996).

Hmong/medicine interactions: improving cross-cultural health care.

Background And Objectives: There are now more than 100,000 Hmong (Southeast Asian) refugees in the United States. This study examined interactions between Hmong patients and their health care providers and identified specific factors that either enable or obstruct health care delivery.

Methods: We used semistructured interview techniques to investigate patients' and providers' experiences, looking for attitudes, ideas, or behaviors that could be modified to improve health care delivery.