Social determinants of health as barriers to care for vasculitis: perspectives of patients and healthcare providers.

Objective: This study examined patient and healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives on the impact of unmet social needs on healthcare barriers for patients with vasculitis.

Methods: Two surveys were developed to gather perspectives from patients with vasculitis, and HCPs specializing in vasculitis care. The patient survey also included a 20-question social needs assessment.

Biomarker Changes in Response to Tofacitinib Treatment in Patients With Polyarticular-Course Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Objective: We examine levels of candidate blood-based biomarkers (CBBs) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with tofacitinib.

Methods: Patients with JIA who participated in clinical trial NCT02592434 received tofacitinib from baseline to week 18. Serial serum samples were assayed for CBBs (S100A8/9, S100A12, interleukin-18 [IL-18], serum amyloid A, resistin, vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, matrix metalloproteinase 8 [MMP8], MMP2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1, leptin, chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 9, soluble IL-2 receptor, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor, IL-6, IL-23, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, chemokine [C-C motif] ligand 18 [CCL18], and CCL20).

Adverse effects of cadmium on lymphoid organs, immune cells, and immunological responses.

Humans and animals possess robust immune systems to safeguard against foreign pathogens. However, recent reports suggest a greater incidence of immunity breakdown due to exposure to environmental pollutants, with heavy metals emerging as potential candidates in such immuno-toxicological studies. While we have extensive data on the general toxicity resulting from exposure to heavy metals, comprehensive documentation of their role as immune disruptors remains scarce.

Bioinspired Carbonized Polymer Microspheres for Full-Color Whispering Gallery Mode Emission for White Light Emission, Unclonable Anticounterfeiting, and Chemical Sensing Applications.

Light-element-based fluorescent materials, colloidal graphene quantum dots, and carbon dots (CDs) have sparked an immense amount of scientific interest in the past decade. However, a significant challenge in practical applications has emerged concerning the development of solid-state fluorescence (SSF) materials. This study addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the unexplored photonic facets of C-based solid-state microphotonic emitters.

Menstrual cup use and intrauterine device expulsion in a copper intrauterine device randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate menstrual cup use and intrauterine device (IUD) expulsion.

Study Design: We performed a secondary analysis of a 3-year contraceptive efficacy trial comparing two copper 380 mm IUDs. Investigators randomized participants approximately 1:4 to the TCu380A or NTCu380-Mini IUD.

Two- and one-photon absorption spectra of aqueous thiocyanate anion highlight the role of symmetry in the condensed phase.

We present the two-photon absorption (2PA) spectrum of aqueous thiocyanate calculated using high-level quantum-chemistry methods. The 2PA spectrum is compared to the one-photon absorption (1PA) spectrum computed using the same computational protocol. Although the two spectra probe the same set of electronic states, the intensity patterns are different, leading to an apparent red-shift of the 2PA spectrum relative to the 1PA spectrum.

High entropy alloying strategy for accomplishing quintuple-nanoparticles grafted carbon towards exceptional high-performance overall seawater splitting.

High entropy alloys (HEAs), a novel class of material, have been explored in terms of their excellent mechanical properties. Seawater electrolysis is a step towards sustainable production of carbon-neutral fuels such as H, O, and industrially demanding Cl. Herein, we report a practically viable FeCoNiMnCr HEA nanoparticles system grafted on a conductive carbon matrix for promising seawater electrolysis.

A multi-site pilot randomized clinical trial of the Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-onset Lupus (TEACH) program: study design and COVID-19 adaptations.

Background: Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (cSLE) is an autoimmune disease associated with fatigue, mood symptoms, and pain. Fortunately, these symptoms are potentially modifiable with psychological intervention such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The Treatment and Education Approach for Childhood-onset Lupus (TEACH) program is a CBT intervention developed to target these symptoms for adolescents and young adults with cSLE.

Theory, implementation, and disappointing results for two-photon absorption cross sections within the doubly electron-attached equation-of-motion coupled-cluster framework.

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles method with double electron attachment (EOM-DEA-CCSD) is capable of computing reliable energies, wave functions, and first-order properties of excited states in diradicals and polyenes that have a significant doubly excited character with respect to the ground state, without the need for including the computationally expensive triple excitations. Here, we extend the capabilities of the EOM-DEA-CCSD method to the calculations of a multiphoton property, two-photon absorption (2PA) cross sections. Closed-form expressions for the 2PA cross sections are derived within the expectation-value approach using response wave functions.

N-Nitrosamine Formation in Pharmaceutical Solid Drug Products: Experimental Observations.

The potential presence of N-nitrosamines in medicinal products has become a matter of concern for health authorities and pharmaceutical companies. However, very little information is available in published literature on N-nitrosamine formation within pharmaceutical drug products. In response, experiments were undertaken to test if secondary and tertiary amines present in solid drug products could undergo nitrosation due to the presence of nitrite in the excipients used in the manufacture of the drug product.

MIT CAACB Risk Assessment Case Study: Assessing Virus Cross-Contamination Risk between Two Simultaneous Processes in an Open Biomanufacturing Facility.

Some members of MIT's Consortium on Adventitious Agent Contamination in Biomanufacturing (CAACB) previously published content on the "Quality Risk Management in the Context of Viral Contamination", which described tools, procedures, and methodologies for assessing and managing the risk of a potential virus contamination in cell culture processes. To address the growing industry interest in moving manufacturing toward open ballrooms with functionally closed systems and to demonstrate how the ideas of risk management can be leveraged to perform a risk assessment, CAACB conducted a case study exercise of these new manufacturing modalities. In the case study exercise, a cross-functional team composed of personnel from many of CAACB's industry membership collaboratively assessed the risks of viral cross-contamination between a human and non-human host cell system in an open manufacturing facility.

Cherry-Picking Resolvents: Recovering the Valence Contribution in X-ray Two-Photon Absorption within the Core-Valence-Separated Equation-of-Motion Coupled-Cluster Response Theory.

Calculations of first-order response wave functions in the X-ray regime often diverge within correlated frameworks such as equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD), a consequence of the coupling with the valence ionization continuum. Here, we extend our strategy of introducing a hierarchy of approximations to the EOM-EE-CCSD resolvent (or, inversely, the model Hamiltonian) involved in the response equations for the calculation of X-ray two-photon absorption (X2PA) cross sections. We exploit the frozen-core core-valence separation (fc-CVS) scheme to first decouple the core and valence Fock spaces, followed by a separate approximate treatment of the valence resolvent.

The Effect of Refractive Amblyopia on the Frisby Stereotest.

Purpose: To identify the expected degree of stereoacuity measured by the Frisby Stereotest, in various degrees of unilateral refractive amblyopia.

Methods: A prospective investigation of 22 patients, with a clinical diagnosis of unilateral refractive amblyopia. All patients were aged 4-12 years and seen between February and November 2021.

Lead optimization of cathepsin K inhibitors for the treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Cathepsin K (Cat K) is a cysteine protease involved in bone remodeling. In addition to its role in bone biology, Cat K is upregulated in osteoclasts, chondrocytes and synoviocytes in osteoarthritic (OA) disease states making it a potential therapeutic target for disease-modifying OA. Starting from a prior preclinical compound, MK-1256, lead optimization efforts were carried out in the search for potent Cat K inhibitors with improved selectivity profiles with an emphasis on cathepsin F.

Continuation rates of two different-sized copper intrauterine devices among nulliparous women: Interim 12-month results of a single-blind, randomised, multicentre trial.

Background: The most widely used copper intrauterine device (IUD) in the world (the TCu380A), and the only product available in many countries, causes side effects and early removals for many users. These problems are exacerbated in nulliparous women, who have smaller uterine cavities compared to parous women. We compared first-year continuation rates and reasons/probabilities for early removal of the TCu380A versus a smaller Belgian copper IUD among nulliparous users.

Refractory systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis: current challenges and future perspectives.

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is a rare disease with distinct features not seen in other categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In recent years, advances in the understanding of disease immunopathogenesis have led to improved targeted therapies with significant improvement in patient outcomes. Despite these advances, there remain subsets of SJIA with refractory disease and severe disease-associated complications.