Public health opportunities and challenges in the provision of partner notification services: the New England experience.

Background: Partner notification services (PNS) are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a public health intervention for addressing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Barriers and facilitators to the partner notification process from a public health perspective have not been well described.

Methods: In 2015, a coalition of New England public health STD directors and investigators formed to address the increasing STD prevalence across the region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and to promote communication between state STD programs.

Molecular Signatures of Radiation Response in Breast Cancer: Towards Personalized Decision-Making in Radiation Treatment.

Recent advances in gene expression profiling have allowed for a more sophisticated understanding of the biology of breast cancers. These advances led to the development of molecular signatures that now allow clinicians to more individually tailor recommendations regarding the utility and necessity of systemic therapies for women with breast cancer. Indeed, these molecularly based tests have been incorporated into national and international best practice guidelines and are now part of routine practice.

Recent Time Trends and Predictors of Heart Dose From Breast Radiation Therapy in a Large Quality Consortium of Radiation Oncology Practices.

Purpose: Limited data exist regarding the range of heart doses received in routine practice with radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer in the United States today and the potential effect of the continual assessment of the cardiac dose on practice patterns.

Methods And Materials: From 2012 to 2015, 4688 patients with breast cancer treated with whole breast RT at 20 sites participating in a state-wide consortium were enrolled into a registry. The importance of limiting the cardiac dose has been emphasized in the consortium since 2012, and the mean heart dose (MHD) has been reported by each institution since 2014.

Dosimetric predictors for acute esophagitis during radiation therapy for lung cancer: Results of a large statewide observational study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify dosimetric variables that best predict for acute esophagitis in patients treated for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer in a prospectively accrued statewide consortium.

Methods And Materials: Patients receiving definitive radiation therapy for stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer within the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium were included in the analysis. Dose-volume histogram data were analyzed to determine absolute volumes (cc) receiving doses from 10 to 60 Gy (V10, V20, V30, V40, V50, and V60), as well as maximum dose to 2 cc (D2cc), mean dose (MD), and generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD).

Evaluation of a Novel Hybrid Viable Bioprosthetic Mesh in a Model of Mesh Infection.

Background: The reported incidence of mesh infection in contaminated operative fields is as high as 30% regardless of material used. Our laboratory previously showed that augmenting acellular bioprosthetic mesh with allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) enhances resistance to bacterial colonization in vivo and preserves mesh integrity. This study's aim was to determine whether augmentation of non-crosslinked porcine dermis (Strattice) with commercially available, cryopreserved, viable MSC-containing human placental tissue (Stravix) similarly improves infection resistance after inoculation with () using an established mesh infection model.

Ischemic Cardiac Events Following Treatment of the Internal Mammary Nodal Region Using Contemporary Radiation Planning Techniques.

Purpose: Regional nodal irradiation, including radiation therapy (RT) to the internal mammary node (IMN) region, improves oncologic outcomes in patients with node-positive breast cancer. Concern remains, however, given the proximity of the IMNs to the heart and the association between cardiac RT exposure and toxicity. The objective of the study was to evaluate rates of ischemic cardiac events (ICEs) and associated risk with treatment of the IMN region.

Androgen receptor as a mediator and biomarker of radioresistance in triple-negative breast cancer.

Increased rates of locoregional recurrence have been observed in triple-negative breast cancer despite chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Thus, approaches that combine therapies for radiosensitization in triple-negative breast cancer are critically needed. We characterized the radiation therapy response of 21 breast cancer cell lines and paired this radiation response data with high-throughput drug screen data to identify androgen receptor as a top target for radiosensitization.

Three-dimensional structural analysis reveals a Cdk5-mediated kinase cascade regulating hepatic biliary network branching in zebrafish.

The intrahepatic biliary network is a highly branched three-dimensional network lined by biliary epithelial cells, but how its branching patterns are precisely established is not clear. We designed a new computer-based algorithm that quantitatively computes the structural differences of the three-dimensional networks. Utilizing the algorithm, we showed that inhibition of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) led to reduced branching in the intrahepatic biliary network in zebrafish.

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Novel Heterocyclic Indole-Trimethoxyphenyl Conjugates.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel heterocyclic indole derivatives is described. The consolidation of the combretastatin and bisindolylmaleimide templates towards the inclusion of a novel heterocyclic ring proffered a versatile pharmacophore with which to pursue chemical diversification. Given literature precedent, maleimide was initially investigated in this role and the bioactivity assessed by measurement of NCI-60 cell panel growth.

American Society of Clinical Oncology Strategic Plan for Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Oncology Workforce.

In December 2016, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Board of Directors approved the ASCO Strategic Plan to Increase Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Oncology Workforce. Developed through a multistakeholder effort led by the ASCO Health Disparities Committee, the purpose of the plan is to guide the formal efforts of ASCO in this area over the next three years (2017 to 2020). There are three primary goals: (1) to establish a longitudinal pathway for increasing workforce diversity, (2) to enhance ASCO leadership diversity, and (3) to integrate a focus on diversity across ASCO programs and policies.

A machine learning method for fast and accurate characterization of depth-of-interaction gamma cameras.

Measuring the depth-of-interaction (DOI) of gamma photons enables increasing the resolution of emission imaging systems. Several design variants of DOI-sensitive detectors have been recently introduced to improve the performance of scanners for positron emission tomography (PET). However, the accurate characterization of the response of DOI detectors, necessary to accurately measure the DOI, remains an unsolved problem.

NCCN Guidelines Insights: Breast Cancer, Version 1.2017.

These NCCN Guidelines Insights highlight the important updates/changes to the surgical axillary staging, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy recommendations for hormone receptor-positive disease in the 1.2017 version of the NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer. This report summarizes these updates and discusses the rationale behind them.

Estimating the Risks of Breast Cancer Radiotherapy: Evidence From Modern Radiation Doses to the Lungs and Heart and From Previous Randomized Trials.

Purpose Radiotherapy reduces the absolute risk of breast cancer mortality by a few percentage points in suitable women but can cause a second cancer or heart disease decades later. We estimated the absolute long-term risks of modern breast cancer radiotherapy. Methods First, a systematic literature review was performed of lung and heart doses in breast cancer regimens published during 2010 to 2015.

Development of a model web-based system to support a statewide quality consortium in radiation oncology.

Purpose: A database in which patient data are compiled allows analytic opportunities for continuous improvements in treatment quality and comparative effectiveness research. We describe the development of a novel, web-based system that supports the collection of complex radiation treatment planning information from centers that use diverse techniques, software, and hardware for radiation oncology care in a statewide quality collaborative, the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC).

Methods And Materials: The MROQC database seeks to enable assessment of physician- and patient-reported outcomes and quality improvement as a function of treatment planning and delivery techniques for breast and lung cancer patients.

Affinity Chart Analysis: A Method for Structured Collection, Aggregation, and Response to Customer Needs in Radiology.

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze implementation of the voice-of-the-customer method to assess the current state of image postprocessing and reporting delivered by a radiology department and to plan improvements on the basis of referring physicians' preferences.

Subjects And Methods: The voice-of-the-customer method consisted of discovery, analysis, and optimization phases. Fifty referring physicians were invited to be interviewed.

Decreased Lung Perfusion After Breast/Chest Wall Irradiation: Quantitative Results From a Prospective Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To quantify lung perfusion changes after breast/chest wall radiation therapy (RT) using pre- and post-RT single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) attenuation-corrected perfusion scans; and correlate decreased perfusion with adjuvant RT dose for breast cancer in a prospective clinical trial.

Methods And Materials: As part of an institutional review board-approved trial studying the impact of RT technique on lung function in node-positive breast cancer, patients received breast/chest wall and regional nodal irradiation including superior internal mammary node RT to 50 to 52.2 Gy with a boost to the tumor bed/mastectomy scar.

Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase (MELK) as a Novel Mediator and Biomarker of Radioresistance in Human Breast Cancer.

Purpose: While effective targeted therapies exist for estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer, no such effective therapies exist for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); thus, it is clear that additional targets for radiosensitization and treatment are critically needed.

Experimental Design: Expression microarrays, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting were used to assess MELK RNA and protein expression levels. Clonogenic survival assays were used to quantitate the radiosensitivity of cell lines at baseline and after MELK inhibition.

Deep sequencing of 10,000 human genomes.

We report on the sequencing of 10,545 human genomes at 30×-40× coverage with an emphasis on quality metrics and novel variant and sequence discovery. We find that 84% of an individual human genome can be sequenced confidently. This high-confidence region includes 91.

The lncRNA landscape of breast cancer reveals a role for DSCAM-AS1 in breast cancer progression.

Molecular classification of cancers into subtypes has resulted in an advance in our understanding of tumour biology and treatment response across multiple tumour types. However, to date, cancer profiling has largely focused on protein-coding genes, which comprise <1% of the genome. Here we leverage a compendium of 58,648 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to subtype 947 breast cancer samples.

Association between chest compression rates and clinical outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest at an academic tertiary hospital.

Aims: Recent guidelines for management of cardiac arrest recommend chest compression rates of 100-120 compressions/min. However, animal studies have found cardiac output to increase with rates up to 150 compressions/min. The objective of this study was to test the association between chest compression rates during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) and outcome.

The e-Poster Conference: An Online Nursing Research Course Learning Activity.

Background: Posters have become one of the most important types of scientific communication. This article describes an e-poster conference as an online learning activity for professional nursing students.

Method: Research and evidence-based practice (EBP) project posters from colleagues across the country were placed on a university research course Web site, along with an evaluation tool and discussion prompts.

The Impact of Environment and Occupation on the Health and Safety of Active Duty Air Force Members: Database Development and De-Identification.

Preparing data for medical research can be challenging, detail oriented, and time consuming. Transcription errors, missing or nonsensical data, and records not applicable to the study population may hamper progress and, if unaddressed, can lead to erroneous conclusions. In addition, study data may be housed in multiple disparate databases and complex formats.

Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Bacterial Clearance and Preserve Bioprosthetic Integrity in a Model of Mesh Infection.

Background: The reported incidence of mesh infection in contaminated operative fields is as high as 30% regardless of the material used. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to possess favorable immunomodulatory properties and improve tissue incorporation when seeded onto bioprosthetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether seeding noncrosslinked bovine pericardium (Veritas Collagen Matrix) with allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSCs improves infection resistance in vivo after inoculation with Escherichia coli (E.

Caregiver distress and patient health-related quality of life: psychosocial screening during pediatric cancer treatment.

Background: Reports of acceptability of psychosocial screening are limited, and the utility of screening in identifying risk factors for health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children with cancer has not been established. This study aimed to assess acceptability of screening for parents and evaluate associations between family risk factors and patient HRQL in the first year post-diagnosis.

Procedure: Sixty-seven parents of children with cancer completed the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (family risk), Distress Thermometer (caregiver distress), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian 6 (caregiver traumatic stress), PedsQL 4.