Vaccine Delays, Refusals, and Patient Dismissals: A Survey of Pediatricians.

Background: Parental noncompliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization schedule is an increasing public health concern. We examined the frequency of requests for vaccine delays and refusals and the impact on US pediatricians' behavior.

Methods: Using national American Academy of Pediatrics Periodic Surveys from 2006 and 2013, we describe pediatrician perceptions of prevalence of (1) vaccine refusals and delays, (2) parental reasons for refusals and/or delays, and (3) physician dismissals.

The disease burden of pertussis in adults 50 years old and older in the United States: a retrospective study.

Background: While the incidence of pertussis has increased in adolescents and adults in recent years in the U.S., little is known about the incidence and economic burden of pertussis in older adults.

Caregiver preferences for pediatric asthma treatment delivery systems.

This study was conducted to assess caregiver preferences for pediatric asthma treatment delivery systems. A total of 186 caregivers of children with asthma who ranged in age from 1 to 4 y completed a stated-preference questionnaire to assess the importance of specific treatment attributes in terms of caregivers' preferences, and to determine the percentages of caregivers who preferred specific treatments. Other outcomes assessed included caregivers' likelihood of adhering to pediatric asthma treatment.

Rationale for use of Tdap booster vaccines for adolescent immunization: overview of efficacy, safety, and clinical use.

Pertussis is one of the only vaccine-preventable diseases with increasing incidence in the United States. The incidence of pertussis infection in adolescents is a growing concern; it can be a severe disease that may lead to significant morbidity and mortality when transmitted to susceptible populations (eg, infants). Experts have conceded that booster vaccination of adolescents may considerably decrease the incidence of pertussis infections in previously immunized, partially immunized, and nonimmunized populations.

Functional studies on the ligand-binding domain of Ultraspiracle from Drosophila melanogaster.

The functional insect ecdysteroid receptor is comprised of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Ultraspiracle (USP). The ligand-binding domain (LBD) of USP was fused to the GAL4 DNA-binding domain (GAL4-DBD) and characterized by analyzing the effect of site-directed mutations in the LBD. Normal and mutant proteins were tested for ligand and DNA binding, dimerization, and their ability to induce gene expression.