Publications by authors named "Wachtel A"

Risk and resilience assessments for critical infrastructure focus on myriad objectives, from natural hazard evaluations to optimizing investments. Although research has started to characterize externalities associated with current or possible future states, incorporation of equity priorities at project inception is increasingly being recognized as critical for planning related activities. However, there is no standard methodology that guides development of equity-informed quantitative approaches for infrastructure planning activities.

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Objective: To report the progress in Peru, since June 2019, in the implementation of the World Health Organization Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer using the Cure framework, which can be replicated in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: A mixed method was used of participatory and documentary evaluation. The participatory evaluation included stakeholders from various government institutions, nonprofit organizations, and international partners.

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We provide a rigorous definition of free-energy transduction and its efficiency in arbitrary-linear or nonlinear-open chemical reaction networks (CRNs) operating at a steady state. Our method is based on the knowledge of the stoichiometric matrix and the chemostatted species (i.e.

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Post operative ventral hernias are common following Hartmann's procedure. There is a debate whether hernia repair is safe when performed concomitantly with colostomy closure. In this study we aimed to evaluate the outcomes of synchronous Hartmann reversal (HR) with a hernia repair, compared to a staged procedure.

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Background: WAGR syndrome (Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies, and range of developmental delays) is a rare contiguous gene deletion syndrome with a 45% to 60% risk of developing Wilms tumor (WT). Currently, surveillance and treatment recommendations are based on limited evidence.

Methods: Clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed for patients with WAGR and WT/nephroblastomatosis who were identified through International Society of Pediatric Oncology Renal Tumor Study Group (SIOP-RTSG) registries and the SIOP-RTSG network (1989-2019).

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Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale.

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Background: In a previous study (Goebel et. al, Cancer Genomics Proteomics 16:229-244, 2019), we identified 33 biomarkers for an early stage (I-II) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) test with 90% accuracy, 80.3% sensitivity, and 95.

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Background/aim: In 2016 in the United States, 7 of 10 patients were estimated to die following lung cancer diagnosis. This is due to a lack of a reliable screening method that detects early-stage lung cancer. Our aim is to accurately detect early stage lung cancer using algorithms and protein biomarkers.

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Due to its elastic modulus close to bone, the high-performance material PEEK (polyetheretherketone) represents an interesting material for implant-supported dental prostheses. Besides a damping effect of masticatory forces, it might have a sealing effect against bacterial leakage of the implant-abutment interface (IAI). So far, PEEK has only been used for provisional implant crowns.

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Objectives: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, Phase II dose-ranging study investigated the efficacy and safety of GP MDI (glycopyrronium administered by metered dose inhaler formulated using co-suspension delivery technology) compared with an open-label active comparator, salmeterol dry powder inhaler (SAL DPI), in subjects with intermittent or mild-to-moderate persistent asthma.

Methods: Subjects were randomized to receive five of seven treatments (GP MDI 28.8, 14.

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Aim: To investigate across multiple cycles the efficacy and safety of palonosetron in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients receiving highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC/MEC).

Patients & Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to 10, 20 μg/kg palonosetron or 3 × 150 μg/kg ondansetron for up to four cycles of HEC/MEC.

Results: In all on-study chemotherapy cycles, complete response rates were higher in patients in the 20 μg/kg palonosetron group than the ondansetron group.

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Bacterial leakage from the implant-abutment-interface (IAI) is suspected of contributing to the development of peri-implantitis. The aim of the study was to develop a straightforward test setup to evaluate the bacterial leakage of the IAI of 2-piece implant systems under laboratory conditions. A test suspension of Enterococcus faecium was injected into 7 implants (PerioType Rapid Implants) prior to abutment fixation.

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Background: Palonosetron has shown efficacy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adults undergoing moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of palonosetron versus ondansetron in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in paediatric patients.

Methods: In this multicentre, multinational, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3 study, paediatric patients aged between 0 and younger than 17 years, who were naive or non-naive to chemotherapy, and scheduled to undergo moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant disease were randomised centrally (1:1:1) to receive up to four cycles of 10 μg/kg or 20 μg/kg palonosetron on day 1, or three 150 μg/kg doses of ondansetron on day 1, scheduled 4 h apart, according to a static central permuted block randomisation scheme by an interactive web response system.

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We study the effect of intrinsic noise on the thermodynamic balance of complex chemical networks subtending cellular metabolism and gene regulation. A topological network property called deficiency, known to determine the possibility of complex behavior such as multistability and oscillations, is shown to also characterize the entropic balance. In particular, when deficiency is zero the average stochastic dissipation rate equals that of the corresponding deterministic model, where correlations are disregarded.

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Unlike macroscopic engines, the molecular machinery of living cells is strongly affected by fluctuations. Stochastic thermodynamics uses Markovian jump processes to model the random transitions between the chemical and configurational states of these biological macromolecules. A recently developed theoretical framework [A.

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Stochastic thermodynamics uses Markovian jump processes to model random transitions between observable mesoscopic states. Physical currents are obtained from antisymmetric jump observables defined on the edges of the graph representing the network of states. The asymptotic statistics of such currents are characterized by scaled cumulants.

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Rationale: Radiographically confirmed pneumonia risk with inhaled corticosteroid use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has not been assessed to date.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of pneumonia, risk factors, and clinical attributes with inhaled fluticasone furoate (FF) in patients with COPD with an exacerbation history.

Methods: Two replicate, 1-year, double-blind clinical trials enrolled subjects with COPD with moderate to very severe airflow limitation and at least one exacerbation within the prior year.

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Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs), although rare, are responsible for about 15% of ectopic Cushing syndrome (CS). They represent a challenging entity because their preoperatory diagnosis is frequently difficult, and clear-cut morphologic criteria useful to differentiate them from other types of PanNETs have not been defined. Ectopic ACTH secretion associated with CS can also be rarely due to pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) and pancreatoblastoma, rare tumor types with morphologic features sometimes overlapping those of PanNETs and, for this reason, representing a diagnostic challenge for pathologists.

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Background: Whether the combination of a once-daily inhaled corticosteroid with a once-daily longacting β(2) agonist is more protective than a once-daily longacting β(2) agonist alone against exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown. We hypothesised that fluticasone furoate and vilanterol would prevent more exacerbations than would vilanterol alone.

Methods: We did two replicate double-blind parallel-group 1 year trials.

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Three different apheresis systems were used in our center for the collection of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs): COM.TEC (Fresenius Healthcare), COBE Spectra, and Spectra Optia (both from Caridian BCT). We compared 131 autologous and 56 allogeneic apheresis procedures to elucidate feasibility and effectiveness of the different systems.

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Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to progressive destruction of articular cartilage. This study aimed to disclose major mechanisms of antirheumatic drug action on human chondrocytes and to reveal marker and pharmacological target genes that are involved in cartilage dysfunction and regeneration.

Methods: An interactive in vitro cultivation system composed of human chondrocyte alginate cultures and conditioned supernatant of SV40 T-antigen immortalised human synovial fibroblasts was used.

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Hydroa-like cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (hydroa-like CTCL) is an unusual pediatric malignancy with a poor prognosis. An impressive cutaneous rash characterized by edema, blisters, ulcers, crusts, and scars, resembling hidroa vacciniforme, is seen mainly on the face and sometimes on the extremities. The lesion consists of lymphomatous T-cell infiltration of the skin and subcutis with variable exocytosis and angiocentricity.

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