Association of caregiver attitudes with adolescent HPV vaccination in 13 southern US states.

Background And Objectives:  HPV vaccination coverage is lower than that of other adolescent vaccines in the southern US. This study sought to characterize caregiver attitudes associated with adolescent HPV vaccination in the southern US and to inform interventions to promote HPV vaccination.

Methods: From December 2019 - January 2020, caregivers of adolescents (ages 9-17 years) living in thirteen southern US states were recruited from a nationally-representative online survey panel.

An Exploratory Analysis of Biomarkers of Perihematomal Edema in the CN-105 in Participants with Acute Supratentorial Intracerebral Hemorrhage (CATCH) Trial.

Objective: To identify biomarkers with potential to indicate severity of perihematomal edema and secondary tissue injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and which could be used as surrogate markers in future clinical trials for novel ICH therapeutics.

Materials And Methods: This exploratory cohort study compared trends in neuroinflammatory biomarker levels in 18 consecutively enrolled patients with acute supratentorial ICH and 16 patients treated with the investigational neuroprotective therapy CN-105 to identify a panel of 10 biomarkers. Biomarker levels over five days post-hemorrhage were then compared with edema volumes in a larger sample of patients treated with CN-105.

Utility of an obstacle-crossing test to classify future fallers and non-fallers at hospital discharge after stroke: A pilot study.

Background: Existing clinical assessments of balance and functional mobility have poor predictive accuracy for prospectively identifying post-stroke fallers, which may be due to a lack of ecological complexity that is typical of community-based fall incidents.

Research Question: Does an obstacle-crossing test at hospital discharge predict fall status of ambulatory stroke survivors 3 months after discharge?

Methods: Ambulatory stroke survivors being discharged home completed an obstacle-crossing test at hospital discharge. Falls were tracked prospectively for 3 months after discharge.

Normal aging in mice is associated with a global reduction in cortical spectral power and network-specific declines in functional connectivity.

Normal aging is associated with a variety of neurologic changes including declines in cognition, memory, and motor activity. These declines correlate with neuronal changes in synaptic structure and function. Degradation of brain network activity and connectivity represents a likely mediator of age-related functional deterioration resulting from these neuronal changes.

Longitudinal medical needs for periviable NICU survivors.

Objective: To evaluate the technologies required, medications needed, and early intervention services utilized from discharge to 12 months post-discharge for periviable infants (22 0/7 to 24 6/7 weeks gestational age) followed in a comprehensive NICU follow-up clinic.

Study Design: Information regarding medication use, technology requirement, and early intervention services was collected prospectively at one, six, and twelve months after discharge. Neurodevelopmental assessment was completed at 12 months corrected age.

Clinical Predictors of a Positive Ct Angiogram Study Used for the Evaluation of Acute Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage.

Background: Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is one of the leading causes of emergency department visits and hospital admissions. CT angiography (CTA) has had an expanding role in the evaluation of acute GI bleeding because it is rapidly performed, widely available, reasonably sensitive and provides precise localization when positive. We attempted to identify patient and clinical characteristics that predict CTA results in order to help guide the utilization of this modality in patients with acute GI bleeding.

Design and validation of a semi-automatic bone segmentation algorithm from MRI to improve research efficiency.

Segmentation of medical images into different tissue types is essential for many advancements in orthopaedic research; however, manual segmentation techniques can be time- and cost-prohibitive. The purpose of this work was to develop a semi-automatic segmentation algorithm that leverages gradients in spatial intensity to isolate the patella bone from magnetic resonance (MR) images of the knee that does not require a training set. The developed algorithm was validated in a sample of four human participants (in vivo) and three porcine stifle joints (ex vivo) using both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).

Health Disparities in the Treatment of Supraventricular Tachycardia in Pediatric Patients.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common pediatric arrhythmia. The objective of this investigation was to investigate the existence and degree of the health disparities in the treatment of pediatric patients with supraventricular tachycardia based on sociodemographic factors. This was retrospective cohort study at a large academic medical center including children ages 5-18 years old diagnosed with SVT.

Infants' diminished response to DTaP vaccine is associated with exposure to organophosphate esters.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are commonly applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. Toxicological studies suggest exposure effects on immune endpoints, raising concerns as infants' OPE exposures are elevated compared to older children and adults due to hand-to-mouth behavior and breastfeeding. Here, we sought to evaluate the immune responsiveness of infants to a neoantigen (e.

Lung Retransplantation.

Lung retransplantation remains the standard treatment of irreversible lung allograft failure. The most common indications for lung retransplantation are acute graft failure, chronic lung allograft dysfunction, and postoperative airway complications. Careful patient selection with regards to indications, anatomy, extrapulmonary organ dysfunction (specifically renal dysfunction), and immunologic consideration are of utmost importance.

Patient-Predicted Outcomes Are Associated with Quality of Life in Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive liver disease, and many patients ultimately require liver transplantation (LT). PSC also confers an increased risk of malignancies, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and colorectal cancer.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate patient-perceived outcomes and the extent to which these impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Acculturation Stress, Age at Immigration, and Employment Status as Predictors of Sleep Among Latinx Immigrants.

Sleep is important for physical and mental health. Latinx individuals are thought to experience worse sleep and associated health outcomes, resulting in health disparities. There is a dearth of research on the factors (e.

Building a More Diverse and Inclusive Science: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Latinx Individuals.

Objectives: This article represents a call to action for the mindfulness field to be more diverse and inclusive of Latinx individuals. Building a diverse and inclusive science around mindfulness-based approaches (MBAs) that considers important group-level cultural and contextual information is an important public health challenge in need of innovative solutions.

Methods: We describe ways that the Latinx population is poised to benefit from MBAs.

Participant Outcomes of a Student-Run, Intensive, Short-Term, Task-Specific Rehabilitation Program for Individuals Post-Stroke.

Stroke survivors continue to face chronic disability and limited access to early, continuous, and long-term rehabilitation. This pilot study examined the impact of a 6-day, intensive, short-term, task-specific rehabilitation program (ISTRP) on outcomes post-stroke as part of a service-learning experience (SLE) for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. Participants (n=19) post-stroke completed a 6-day, student-led ISTRP.

Effects of Smoking Reduction and Cessation on Birth Outcomes in a Scheduled Gradual Reduction Cessation Trial.

Introduction: Smoking during pregnancy can affect infant birthweight. We tested whether an intervention that promoted scheduled gradual reduction improved birth outcomes among pregnant women who smoked. We also examined race differences in birth outcomes.

Documentation Status and Self-Rated Physical Health Among Latinx Young Adult Immigrants: the Mediating Roles of Immigration and Healthcare Stress.

Previous research has demonstrated that undocumented Latinx immigrants in the USA report worse physical health outcomes than documented immigrants. Some studies suggest that immigration-related stress and healthcare related-stress may explain this relationship, but none have tested it empirically. The purpose of this study was to determine if immigration-related stress and healthcare-related stress in the USA explain the relationship between documentation status and physical health among Latinx immigrants in North Carolina.

SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Incidence at a North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten-12 School During In-Person Education: August 2020 to January 2021.

Background: School closures were initially believed to mitigate SARS-CoV-2, but instead may have had a limited role in reducing community SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We describe a single school's experience with in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: From August 17, 2020 through January 23, 2021, we conducted a prospective study at a private pre-kindergarten through 12th grade (PreK-12) school in North Carolina.

A Case of Congenital Syphilis-Focus on Histopathology and Literature Review.

Although a rare disease, the incidence of congenital syphilis is on the rise in the US. We report a case of early congenital syphilis in a 1-day-old premature boy with positive Rapid plasma reagin titer, respiratory insufficiency, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and encephalopathy, born to a mother with known syphilis infection. Skin examination showed diffuse truncal petechiae, desquamation of the distal extremities, and violaceous, retiform plaques on the buttocks and lower extremities.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 modulates mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation through sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor regulation.

Background: The bone marrow niche supports hematopoietic cell development through intimate contact with multipotent stromal mesenchymal stem cells; however, the intracellular signaling, function, and regulation of such supportive niche cells are still being defined. Our study was designed to understand how G protein receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) affects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell function by examining primary cells from GRK3-deficient mice, which we have previously published to have a hypercellular bone marrow and leukocytosis through negative regulation of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling.

Methods: Murine GRK3-deficient bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells were harvested and cultured to differentiate into three lineages (adipocyte, chondrocyte, and osteoblast) to confirm multipotency and compared to wild type cells.

Intratumoral delivery of brachytherapy and immunotherapy by a thermally triggered polypeptide depot.

Biomaterial-based approaches for a combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy can improve outcomes in metastatic cancer through local delivery of both therapeutic modalities to the primary tumor to control local tumor growth and distant metastases. This study describes an injectable depot for sustained intratumoral (i.t.

Lumbar intervertebral disc diurnal deformations and T2 and T1rho relaxation times vary by spinal level and disc region.

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely used to evaluate spine pathology; however, standard imaging findings weakly correlate to low back pain. Abnormal disc mechanical function is implicated as a cause of back pain but is not assessed using standard clinical MRI. Our objective was to utilize our established MRI protocol for measuring disc function to quantify disc mechanical function in a healthy cohort.

Acceleration of opioid-related EMS runs in the spring of 2020: The National Emergency Medical Services Information System data for 2018-2020.

Background: State- and county-level reports suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the opioid crisis. We examined US national trends of nonfatal opioid overdose in 2020 in comparison to pre-COVID years 2018-2019.

Methods: We used National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) data to conduct a temporal analysis from 2018 to 2020.

Distress screening in endometrial cancer leads to disparity in referral to support services.

Objectives: Racial disparities in survival from endometrial cancer (EC) are well known. Cancer distress has also been associated with worse clinical outcomes. We characterized the association between race/ethnicity, patient distress reported on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Problem List (NCCN DT & PL), referral to support services, time to surgery, and acceptance of adjuvant therapy in patients with EC.