Systematic review of rotavirus vaccination cost-effectiveness in high income settings utilising dynamic transmission modelling techniques.

Purpose: This systematic review presents cost-effectiveness studies of rotavirus vaccination in high-income settings based on dynamic transmission modelling to inform policy decisions about implementing rotavirus vaccination programmes.

Methods: We searched CEA Registry, MEDLINE, Embase, Health Technology Assessment Database, Scopus, and the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database for studies published since 2002. Full economic evaluation studies based on dynamic transmission models, focusing on high-income countries, live oral rotavirus vaccine and children ≤ 5 years of age were eligible for inclusion.

Metasurface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (mSERS) for Oriented Molecular Sensing.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a widely used sensing technique for ultrasensitivity chemical sensing, biomedical detection, and environmental analysis. Because SERS signal is proportional to the fourth power of the local electric field, several SERS applications have focused on the design of plasmonic nanogaps to take advantage of the extremely strong near-field enhancement that results from plasmonic coupling, but few designs have focused on how SERS detection is affected by molecular orientation within these nanogaps. Here, we demonstrate a nanoparticle-on-metal metasurface designed for near-perfect optical absorption as a platform for Raman detection of highly oriented molecular analytes, including two-dimensional materials and aromatic molecules.

Salivary miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot study.

Background: Improved detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is needed, as current detection methods, such as alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound, suffer from poor sensitivity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate many cellular functions and impact cancer development and progression. Notably, miRNAs are detectable in saliva and have shown potential as non-invasive biomarkers for a number of cancers including breast, oral, and lung cancers.

Salivary Metabolites are Promising Non-Invasive Biomarkers of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Chronic Liver Disease.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Improved tools are needed for detecting HCC so that treatment can begin as early as possible. Current diagnostic approaches and existing biomarkers, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) lack sensitivity, resulting in too many false negative diagnoses.

SNAP23 is essential for platelet and mast cell development and required in connective tissue mast cells for anaphylaxis.

Degranulation, a fundamental effector response from mast cells (MCs) and platelets, is an example of regulated exocytosis. This process is mediated by SNARE proteins and their regulators. We have previously shown that several of these proteins are essential for exocytosis in MCs and platelets.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Skull Base: Response to Radiation Therapy and Outcomes in a Retrospective Case Series.

 The main purpose of this article is to examine a single-center cohort of patients with nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) for pathologic features, skull base invasion, overall survival, and disease-free survival, with a focus on response to proton beam radiation therapy.  Single-center institutional cancer registry was used to retrospectively identify and analyze outcomes for 12 patients treated for ACC of the nasopharynx from 2000 to 2016.  Primary outcomes included 5-year overall survival and locoregional control.

Hepatocellular carcinoma tumour burden score to stratify prognosis after resection.

Background: Although the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system has been largely adopted in clinical practice, recent studies have emphasized the need for further refinement and subclassification of this system.

Methods: Patients who underwent hepatectomy with curative intent for BCLC-0, -A or -B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between 2000 and 2017 were identified using a multi-institutional database. The tumour burden score (TBS) was calculated, and overall survival (OS) was examined in relation to TBS and BCLC stage.

Human Papillomavirus Related Multiphenotypic Sinonasal Carcinoma: Report of a Case with Early and Progressive Metastatic Disease.

 Human papillomavirus (HPV) related multiphenotypic sinonasal carcinoma (HMSC) is a newly described entity. The prognosis of this neoplasm is not well understood, but cases often demonstrate high-grade features and paradoxically indolent behavior.  We present the case of a 65-year-old man referred with unilateral nasal congestion and epistaxis.

Syntaxin 3, but not syntaxin 4, is required for mast cell-regulated exocytosis, where it plays a primary role mediating compound exocytosis.

Mast cells (MCs) participate in allergy, inflammation, and defense against pathogens. They release multiple immune mediators via exocytosis, a process that requires SNARE proteins, including syntaxins (Stxs). The identity of the Stxs involved in MC exocytosis remains controversial.

Modeling deformation and chaining of flexible shells in a nematic solvent with finite elements on an adaptive moving mesh.

A micrometer-scale elastic shell immersed in a nematic liquid crystal may be deformed by the host if the cost of deformation is comparable to the cost of elastic deformation of the nematic. Moreover, such inclusions interact and form chains due to quadrupolar distortions induced in the host. A continuum theory model using finite elements is developed for this system, using mesh regularization and dynamic refinement to ensure quality of the numerical representation even for large deformations.

Munc18-2, but not Munc18-1 or Munc18-3, controls compound and single-vesicle-regulated exocytosis in mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) play pivotal roles in many inflammatory conditions including infections, anaphylaxis, and asthma. MCs store immunoregulatory compounds in their large cytoplasmic granules and, upon stimulation, secrete them via regulated exocytosis. Exocytosis in many cells requires the participation of Munc18 proteins (also known as syntaxin-binding proteins), and we found that mature MCs express all three mammalian isoforms: Munc18-1, -2, and -3.

Colloidal Plasmonic Nanocomposites: From Fabrication to Optical Function.

Plasmonic nanostructures are extensively used building blocks for engineering optical materials and device architectures. Plasmonic nanocomposites (pNCs) are an emerging class of materials that integrate these nanostructures into hierarchical and often multifunctional systems. These pNCs can be highly customizable by modifying both the plasmonic and matrix components, as well as by controlling the nano- to macroscale morphology of the composite as a whole.

Munc13 proteins control regulated exocytosis in mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) are involved in host defenses against pathogens and inflammation. Stimulated MCs release substances stored in their granules via regulated exocytosis. In other cell types, Munc13 (mammalian homolog of uncoordinated gene 13) proteins play essential roles in regulated exocytosis.

Magnetic field induced quantum dot brightening in liquid crystal synergized magnetic and semiconducting nanoparticle composite assemblies.

The design and development of multifunctional composite materials from artificial nano-constituents is one of the most compelling current research areas. This drive to improve over nature and produce 'meta-materials' has met with some success, but results have proven limited with regards to both the demonstration of synergistic functionalities and in the ability to manipulate the material properties post-fabrication and in situ. Here, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) are co-assembled in a nematic liquid crystalline (LC) matrix, forming composite structures in which the emission intensity of the quantum dots is systematically and reversibly controlled with a small applied magnetic field (<100 mT).

Tuning quantum-dot organization in liquid crystals for robust photonic applications.

Mesogenic ligands have the potential to provide control over the dispersion and stabilization of nanoparticles in liquid crystal (LC) phases. The creation of such hybrid materials is an important goal for the creation of soft tunable photonic devices, such as the LC laser. Herein, we present a comparison of isotropic and mesogenic ligands attached to the surface of CdSe (core-only) and CdSe/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dots (QDs).

Intergenerational relations of attachment: a research synthesis of urban/rural Mexican samples.

Intergenerational relations of attachment, including adult state of mind, adult care giving quality, and infant behavior, were examined in urban and rural samples. The sample included 66 dyads of contrasting populations, 35 middle-high urban Spanish speaking families and 31 rural Indian peasant families. Measures included the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985 /1996), home observations of mother-infant, and the Strange Situation attachment assessment (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978 ).

The PlantLIBRA project: how we intend to innovate the science of botanicals.

The main aim of the EC-financed R&D project PlantLIBRA (PLANT food supplements: Levels of Intake, Benefit and Risk Assessment) is to foster the safe use of food supplements containing plants or botanical preparations, by enabling science-based decision making by regulators and stakeholders. To make informed decisions, competent authorities and industry need more accessible and quality-assured information, as well as better tools (e.g.

B-type natriuretic peptide: perioperative patterns in congenital heart disease.

Objective: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic roles in adults with heart failure. BNP levels in children undergoing surgical repair of congenital heart disease (CHD) were characterized broadly, and distinguishable subgroup patterns delineated.

Design: Prospective, blinded, observational case series.

Pharmacokinetics of dexmedetomidine in postsurgical pediatric intensive care unit patients: preliminary study.

Objective: To characterize the pharmacokinetics of dexmedetomidine and monitor any dexmedetomidine-related adverse events in postoperative pediatric patients requiring short-term mechanical ventilation, analgesia, and sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Design: Prospective, case series.

Setting: Operating room and PICU in a large, urban children's hospital.

Blunt bowel and mesenteric injuries in children: Do nonspecific computed tomography findings reliably identify these injuries?

Objective: Abdominal computed tomography has proven accurate for the detection of pediatric solid organ injuries following blunt abdominal trauma but is less reliable in detecting blunt bowel and mesenteric injuries (BBMI). The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of nonspecific findings on abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan in children at risk for BBMI.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Antipyretic efficacy and tolerability of a single intravenous dose of the acetaminophen prodrug propacetamol in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Propacetamol is an acetaminophen prodrug that was available in Europe as an IV formu lation for the treatment of pain and fever for some time. One gram of propacetamol is hydrolyzed in blood to release 0.5 g of acetaminophen and pharmacologically inactive N,N-diethylglycine.

Loss of consciousness: when to perform computed tomography?

Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of physical examination (including neurologic exam) for positive computed tomography scan findings in children with closed head injury, Glasgow Coma Scale score 13-15 in the emergency department, and loss of consciousness or amnesia.

Design: Prospective descriptive study.

Setting: A large, tertiary, pediatric trauma center in San Diego County.

The self-inflating bulb as an esophageal detector device in children weighing more than twenty kilograms: a comparison of two techniques.

Study Objectives: We confirm the ability of the self-inflating bulb to indicate endotracheal tube position in children and determine which method of bulb compression is more accurate.

Methods: This single-blind, prospective, single cohort, repeated measures comparison of the on-deflate and the off-deflate methods of bulb compression was conducted in the operating room of a children's hospital. Seventy-five patients weighing more than 20 kg were enrolled.

The self-inflating bulb as an airway adjunct: is it reliable in children weighing less than 20 kilograms?

Objectives: To confirm the ability of the self-inflating bulb to indicate endotracheal tube (ETT) position in children weighing less than 20 kilograms, and to determine whether the presence of air in the stomach affects the bulb's accuracy.

Methods: This single-blind, prospective, single-cohort, repeated-measures, equivalence study was conducted in the operating room of a children's hospital. Seventy patients weighing less than 20 kilograms were enrolled.