Minimum Requirements to Safely Establish and Sustain New Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump Programs: An International Expert Perspective.

Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) pump chemotherapy is an effective therapy for colorectal liver metastases and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In the setting of recent reports suggesting favorable outcomes in these diseases with HAI, there has been a surge in interest in this treatment worldwide, prompting the opening of many new HAI programs. While significant technical expertise is required for pump implantation, this alone is insufficient to open a safe and sustainable HAI program, and numerous other factors must be considered prior to the first pump implantation.

Concurrent preoperative eribulin and radiation for resectable retroperitoneal liposarcoma: a phase 1B study.

Background: Management of retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLPS) is challenging and recurrence rates remain high despite aggressive surgical resections. Preoperative radiation alone lacks definitive benefit, thus we sought to evaluate combined chemoradiotherapy with the potential to enhance local efficacy of radiation as well as control micrometastatic disease. We assessed the safety and tolerability of preoperative eribulin, a cytotoxic microtubule inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced liposarcoma, in combination with radiation in patients with RPLPS.

A Randomized Trial of Iloperidone for Prevention of Relapse in Schizophrenia: The REPRIEVE Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of iloperidone for the prevention of relapse in schizophrenia.

Methods: Study subjects were adults with schizophrenia who started on oral open-label iloperidone titrated to an initial target dose of 12 mg/day (6 mg twice daily) and then stabilized on a flexible-dose iloperidone regimen (range 8-24 mg/day) for up to 24 weeks. Subjects meeting stabilization criteria then entered the relapse-prevention phase and were randomized 1:1 in a double-blind fashion to continue with iloperidone or placebo withdrawal for up to 26 weeks or until meeting relapse or other withdrawal criteria.

Caenorhabditis elegans maintains highly compartmentalized cellular distribution of metals and steep concentration gradients of manganese.

Bioinorganic chemistry is critical to cellular function. Homeostasis of manganese (Mn), for example, is essential for life. A lack of methods for direct in situ visualization of Mn and other biological metals within intact multicellular eukaryotes limits our understanding of management of these metals.

Quantitative comparison of preparation methodologies for X-ray fluorescence microscopy of brain tissue.

X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) facilitates high-sensitivity quantitative imaging of trace metals at high spatial resolution over large sample areas and can be applied to a diverse range of biological samples. Accurate determination of elemental content from recorded spectra requires proper calibration of the XFM instrument under the relevant operating conditions. Here, we describe the manufacture, characterization, and utilization of multi-element thin-film reference foils for use in calibration of XFM measurements of biological and other specimens.

Fine mapping of genetic variants in BIN1, CLU, CR1 and PICALM for association with cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

Recent genome-wide association studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have identified variants in BIN1, CLU, CR1 and PICALM that show replicable association with risk for disease. We have thoroughly sampled common variation in these genes, genotyping 355 variants in over 600 individuals for whom measurements of two AD biomarkers, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 42 amino acid amyloid beta fragments (Aβ(42)) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (ptau(181)), have been obtained. Association analyses were performed to determine whether variants in BIN1, CLU, CR1 or PICALM are associated with changes in the CSF levels of these biomarkers.

Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC): a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish overweight and obesity in elementary school children.

Background: Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) was a three-year cluster randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish increases in overweight and obesity in elementary school children.

Methods: Twenty-four elementary schools were cluster randomized to the Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention or served as control. All children in grades two and three were followed to grades four and five.

Physical activity across the curriculum: year one process evaluation results.

Background: Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) is a 3-year elementary school-based intervention to determine if increased amounts of moderate intensity physical activity performed in the classroom will diminish gains in body mass index (BMI). It is a cluster-randomized, controlled trial, involving 4905 children (2505 intervention, 2400 control).

Methods: We collected both qualitative and quantitative process evaluation data from 24 schools (14 intervention and 10 control), which included tracking teacher training issues, challenges and barriers to effective implementation of PAAC lessons, initial and continual use of program specified activities, and potential competing factors, which might contaminate or lessen program effects.