Prognostic role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy patients treated with tafamidis.

Objectives: Tafamidis has demonstrated survival benefits in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), yet variability in therapeutic response underscores the need for reliable tools to predict outcomes. This study evaluates the prognostic utility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in this population.

Methods: This retrospective study included tafamidis treated wild-type (ATTRwt) CM patients who completed CPET.

Detection of nocturnal hypoxaemia leading to a diagnosis of COPD and PiMZ alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is underdiagnosed, with a significant gap between documented cases and estimated prevalence. Attempts to bridge this gap include published guidelines emphasising the importance of screening for AATD and educational campaigns directed to the public. Early detection has clinical ramifications for optimal management of the patient with AATD, as well as for prevention of clinical disease in affected family members through early modification of environmental factors.

Results of the RVA Breathes randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study tested a randomized controlled trial of RVA Breathes, a community asthma program, in reducing asthma-related healthcare utilization among children living in an area with a high poverty rate.

Methods: Participants included 250 caregivers (78% African American/Black; 73.3% household income<$25,000/year) and their children with asthma (5-11 years).

Wnt10b protects cardiomyocytes against doxorubicin-induced cell death via MAPK modulation.

Background: Doxorubicin, an anthracycline chemotherapeutic known to incur heart damage, decreases heart function in up to 11% of patients. Recent investigations have implicated the Wnt signaling cascade as a key modulator of cardiac tissue repair after myocardial infarction. Wnt upregulation in murine models resulted in stimulation of angiogenesis and suppression of fibrosis after ischemic insult.

Changes in caregiver mental health and pediatric asthma control during COVID-19.

Objective: This study evaluated caregivers' stress and depressive symptoms, and children's asthma control, before COVID-19 began and after its onset among families in the RVA Breathes program.

Methods: The RVA Breathes intervention, which took place in an urban city in the United States, includes asthma education delivered by a community health worker (CHW), a home assessment, and school nurse components. Participants included 125 children (5-11 years) with asthma and their caregivers (48% household income <$25,000) enrolled prior to the pandemic.

A multisite randomized controlled trial of an early palliative care intervention in children with advanced cancer: The PediQUEST Response Study Protocol.

Background: The Pediatric Quality of Life and Evaluation of Symptoms Technology Response to Pediatric Oncology Symptom Experience (PQ-Response) intervention aims to integrate specialized pediatric palliative care into the routine care of children, adolescents, and young adults (AYAs) with advanced cancer.

Aims: To evaluate whether PQ-Response, compared to usual care, improves patient's health related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptom burden (aim 1), parent psychological distress and symptom-related stress (aim 2), and family and symptom treatment activation (aim 3).

Design: Multisite, randomized (1:1), controlled, un-blinded, effectiveness trial comparing PediQUEST Response (intervention) vs usual cancer care (control).

Vitamin D3 attenuates doxorubicin-induced senescence of human aortic endothelial cells by upregulation of IL-10 via the pAMPKα/Sirt1/Foxo3a signaling pathway.

The toxicity of doxorubicin to the cardiovascular system often limits its benefits and widespread use as chemotherapy. The mechanisms involved in doxorubicin-induced cardiovascular damage and possible protective interventions are not well-explored. Using human aortic endothelial cells, we show vitamin D3 strongly attenuates doxorubicin-induced senescence and cell cycle arrest.

Alcohol Compliance Checks and Underage Alcohol-Involved Crashes: Evaluation of a Statewide Enforcement Program in South Carolina from 2006 to 2016.

Objective: This research evaluated the South Carolina Alcohol Enforcement Team impact for reducing retail alcohol access to underage persons to decrease drinking and driving crashes among that population.

Methods: The natural research experiment used interrupted time-series (ITS) analyses of drinking and driving crashes involving under 21-year-old drivers from July 2006 through December 2016 (126-month period = 4,782 Driving Under Influence [DUI] crashes for under 21-year-old drivers, µ = 38 crashes per month). Additional data analyzed included the monthly total number of retail compliance checks (total during 126-month period = 64,954 compliance checks completed, µ = 515.

MyPref: pilot study of a novel communication and decision-making tool for adolescents and young adults with advanced cancer.

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer report feeling ill-informed about their cancer treatment options. Tools are needed to inform AYAs about treatment choices and amplify the AYA's voice in medical decision-making. We developed MyPref, a conjoint-analysis based tool that quantifies AYA preferences for future cancer treatments.

Identification of adolescents and young adults' preferences and priorities for future cancer treatment using a novel decision-making tool.

Background: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer receive high-intensity care and experience significant symptoms at the end of life. As novel cancer-directed therapies increase, AYAs with advanced cancer may face multiple treatment options, each with unique risk/benefit profiles. To augment the AYAs' voice in the decision-making process, we developed MyPref, an adaptive conjoint analysis-based tool.

A community-based asthma program: Study design and methods of RVA Breathes.

Disparities in pediatric asthma morbidity and healthcare utilization exist on the basis of race, ethnicity, environment, and income; interventions are needed to address these inequities. The following protocol describes an evidence-based intervention, RVA Breathes, designed to coordinate pediatric asthma care across family, home, community, and medical sectors. Community stakeholder feedback was utilized to refine the intervention specifically for the Richmond, Virginia community.

Reconsidering early parental grief following the death of a child from cancer: a new framework for future research and bereavement support.

Purpose: Parents of children that die from cancer are at increased risk of significant long-term psychosocial and physical morbidities. Less, however, is known about the experience of parents early in the grief process. Currently used frameworks and instruments used to understand and assess outcomes in parents early in the grief experience are inadequate and may serve to pathologize the normal grief response.

Identifying and Quantifying Adolescent and Young Adult Patient Preferences in Cancer Care: Development of a Conjoint Analysis-Based Decision-Making Tool.

Compared with younger children and older adults, adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer receive more intensive end-of-life (EOL) care. We hypothesize that enhanced understanding of AYA preferences, increased engagement of these patients in decision-making, and improved communication of their preferences with family members and the medical team will lead to increased provision of goal-concordant care and decreased intensity of EOL care. In this study, we describe the development of a novel tool that quantifies the relative importance of numerous factors considered by AYA patients with cancer, their parents, and health care providers when choosing between treatment options.