Systematic review of psychosocial interventions for adult cancer patients and their family caregivers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cancer is becoming a public health issue in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This systematic review aims to synthesise psychosocial interventions and their effects on the health outcomes of adult cancer patients and their family caregivers in SSA. We identified eligible publications in English language from PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus with Full Text, Embase, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases. We included psychosocial interventions targeted adult cancer patients/survivors or their family caregivers in SSA. This review identified five psychosocial interventions from six studies that support adult cancer patients and their family caregivers in SSA. The interventions focused on providing informational, psycho-cognitive, and social support. Three interventions significantly improved quality of life outcomes for cancer patients and their caregivers. Significant gaps exist between the rapidly increasing cancer burdens and the limited psychosocial educational interventions supporting adult cancer patients and their families in SSA. The reviewed studies provide preliminary evidence on development and testing interventions that aim to improve patients' and caregivers' quality of life.

Safety and feasibility of the paediatric post-cardiac catheterisation Wrap: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The paediatric post-cardiac catheterisation Wrap (Wrap), an innovative medical safety device, swaddles young paediatric patients in a supine position aiding in immobilisation post-cardiac catheterisation. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and safety of using the Wrap on young paediatric patients during their bed rest period following cardiac catheterisation with femoral access. SETTING: Boston Children's Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Lab. PARTICIPANTS: 20 patients, ages 1-5 years and weighing 3-25 kg. METHODS: Investigator-developed tools used to collect data included the Demographic and Outcome Measures Data Tool, the Parent/Caregiver Satisfaction, and Provider Ease of Use tools. They measured:1.The feasibility of using the Wrap2.Wrap ease of use from the nurse providers' perspective3.Parent satisfaction related to the Wrap4.Frequency of Wrap non-bleeding-related adverse events5.Frequency of rebleeding at femoral groin access sites. RESULTS: The Wrap was feasible and safe; increased nurse provider satisfaction by allowing visualisation of the groin access sites while minimising the need for hands-on care; and increased parent satisfaction by allowing parents to hold and provide comfort while their child was on bed rest. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: The Wrap is a safe alternative to the current practice of swaddling with a bath blanket. Further studies are warranted to assess the Wrap's effectiveness in reducing the incidence of rebleeding events in the post-cardiac catheterisation period and explore clinical use outside of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

Quality of life among patients with cancer and their family caregivers in the Sub-Saharan region: A systematic review of quantitative studies.

Guided by the World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL) framework, this systematic review aimed to examine evidence about the prevalence and severity of QOL-related health problems and their influencing factors in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We identified eligible publications in English language from PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus with Full Text, Embase, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases. We included quantitative descriptive studies that measured overall and subdomains of QOL as the outcome in adult patients/survivors with cancer in SSA. Twenty-six descriptive cross-sectional studies (27 papers) that were conducted since 1988 in different SSA countries among patients with various types of cancer met our inclusion criteria. We found inconsistencies in how the prevalence and severity of QOL-related health problems have been researched and reported across studies, which complicated comparing findings and drawing conclusions. The most common factors that influenced the overall and subdomains of QOL included coping; internal and external locus of control; symptoms and symptom management; and religious beliefs and religious care. Demographics (e.g., age and marital status), cancer-related factors (cancer stage and type of treatment), and social determinants of health (e.g., education, access to information and resources, financial distress, and urban vs rural residency) also impacted QOL and its subdomains. Our findings indicate the significant need for recognizing and managing QOL-related problems for cancer patients and caregivers in SSA. Research needs to use culturally adapted, standardized assessment tools and analysis approaches to better understand the QOL challenges this population faces. Comprehensive supportive care is needed to address the complex QOL issues in resource-limited SSA.

IsoTag™AAV: an innovative, scalable & non-chromatographic method for streamlined AAV manufacturing.

Demand for gene therapies capable of treating previously inaccessible targets has risen precipitously in the past decade. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are the preferred vector for gene delivery because of their favorable safety profile and tissue tropism, but they have significant manufacturing challenges, with end-to-end yields as low as 10-30%. To combat these low yields, we developed IsoTag™AAV, a novel purification technology for AAV that is a departure from the chromatographic paradigm in downstream processing. This proprietary technology uses a self-scaffolding recombinant protein reagent that can improve manufacturing yields. It enables purification by cost-effective and scalable filtration processes and improves product quality with minimal optimization. Herein, we describe the development of IsoTag™AAV, provide a head-to-head comparison to industry-leading affinity chromatography (evaluation carried out through a joint research project with Capsida Biotherapeutics), and demonstrate how it can reduce cost of goods for a clinical AAV program by 25%.

Standardization of Education of Patients With Cancer in a Low- and Middle-Income Country: A Quality Improvement Project Using the Cancer and You Booklet.

PURPOSE: The Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence is the first comprehensive referral cancer center in Rwanda and at its inception did not have a standardized patient education program. Partners in Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima and the Rwandan Ministry of Health conducted a quality improvement project to increase patient knowledge by implementing a standardized oncology education program using picture-based and culturally appropriate materials designed for patients with cancer in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Four Rwandan nurses were trained to provide patient education using the Cancer and You education booklet created by Global Oncology. A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate patients' knowledge of cancer, treatment, and management of adverse effects. Nurses administered a posteducation questionnaire in Kinyarwanda to determine patients' level of satisfaction with the education session and booklet. The four nurses were interviewed at the completion of the project for their feedback. A total of 40 oncology patients were included in the pilot project, of which 85% reported completing primary school or less. RESULTS: On average, participants improved 19% (95% CI, 13.9% to 24.1%; standard deviation, 16%) from pre- to postevaluation, demonstrating a significant increase in knowledge (P ≤ .001). Nearly all patients (97.5%) reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the education program. Oncology nurses gave positive feedback, highlighting that it was helpful to have a standard tool for education with descriptive illustrations for those patients with low literacy. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a standardized patient education program demonstrated a statistically significant increase in patient knowledge and a high level of satisfaction among patients and nurses. The project serves as an example for other low- and middle-income countries looking to standardize oncology patient education.

Medicaid/CHIP Participation Reached 93.7 Percent Among Eligible Children In 2016.

Children's participation in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) rose by 5 percentage points between 2013 and 2016. As a result, 1.7 million fewer Medicaid/CHIP-eligible children were uninsured in 2016. Participation was lower among adults than among children, and nearly 6 million Medicaid-eligible adults were uninsured in 2016.

Children Eligible for Medicaid or CHIP: Who Remains Uninsured, and Why?

OBJECTIVE: To assess how many uninsured children are eligible for coverage through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but not participating and examine the reasons low-income uninsured children are unenrolled. METHODS: Medicaid/CHIP eligibility and participation are estimated for a sample of over 1.4 million children in the 2008 and 2012 American Community Survey. Medicaid/CHIP experience and enrollment barriers are examined for 2300 uninsured children in families with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level in the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. RESULTS: Despite increases in the number eligible for Medicaid or CHIP between 2008 and 2012, participation rose nationwide by 6 percentage points; by 2012, 21 states and the District of Columbia had participation rates for children of 90% or higher. The number of eligible but uninsured declined from 4.9 to 3.7 million, but 68% of uninsured children in 2012 qualified for Medicaid or CHIP. Interest in enrolling uninsured children in Medicaid or CHIP is high (more than 90% of parents say they would enroll their child), but despite the high rates of prior enrollment, many families had knowledge gaps and perceived difficulties with enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing enrollment/retention barriers and raising Medicaid/CHIP participation in low-performing states hold promise for reducing the number of eligible but uninsured children given the diverse set of states with high participation and the high expressed interest in enrolling children.

Detection by hyperspectral imaging of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 on rainbow agar.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service has determined that six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are adulterants in raw beef. Isolate and phenotypic discrimination of non-O157 STEC is problematic due to the lack of suitable agar media. The lack of distinct phenotypic color variation among non-O157serogroups cultured on chromogenic agar poses a challenge in selecting colonies for confirmation. In this study, visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and chemometrics were used to detect and classify non-O157 STEC serogroups grown on Rainbow agar O157. The method was first developed by building spectral libraries for each serogroup obtained from ground-truth regions of interest representing the true identity of each pixel and thus each pure culture colony in the hyperspectral agar-plate image. The spectral library for the pure-culture non-O157 STEC consisted of 2,171 colonies, with spectra derived from 124,347 of pixels. The classification models for each serogroup were developed with a k nearest-neighbor classifier. The overall classification training accuracy at the colony level was 99%. The classifier was validated with ground beef enrichments artificially inoculated with 10, 50, and 100 CFU/ml STEC. The validation ground-truth regions of interest of the STEC target colonies consisted of 606 colonies, with 3,030 pixels of spectra. The overall classification accuracy was 98%. The average specificity of the method was 98% due to the low false-positive rate of 1.2%. The sensitivity ranged from 78 to 100% due to the false-negative rates of 22, 7, and 8% for O145, O45, and O26, respectively. This study showed the potential of visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for detecting and classifying colonies of the six non-O157 STEC serogroups. The technique needs to be validated with bacterial cultures directly extracted from meat products and positive identification of colonies by using confirmatory tests such as latex agglutination tests or PCR.

Variation in Medicaid eligibility and participation among adults: implications for the Affordable Care Act.

Steep declines in the uninsured population under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will depend on high enrollment among newly Medicaid-eligible adults. We use the 2009 American Community Survey to model pre-ACA eligibility for comprehensive Medicaid coverage among nonelderly adults. We identify 4.5 million eligible but uninsured adults. We find a Medicaid participation rate of 67% for adults; the rate is 17 percentage points lower than the national Medicaid participation rate for children, and it varies substantially across socioeconomic and demographic subgroups and across states. Achieving substantial increases in coverage under the ACA will require sharp increases in Medicaid participation among adults in some states.

Granuloma annulare in a zoster scar of a patient with multiple myeloma.

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a common benign inflammatory skin disorder with an unknown pathogenesis. Granuloma annulare occurring in prior sites of herpes zoster (HZ) infection is rarely reported; however, it is the most common granulomatous reaction described at these sites. We report a case of localized GA on scars of prior HZ infection in a patient with multiple myeloma who had received an autologous peripheral stem cell transplant (PSCT). This patient's GA was successfully treated with intralesional corticosteroid injections.

Role of DNA in condensation and combinative self-assembly.

We reveal the vital role of DNA topology and conformation in directing the combinative self-assembly and condensation pathway and morphology.

Erythema multiforme during anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment for plaque psoriasis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors constitute a class of biologic treatments utilized in the management of psoriasis. We report a case of a patient treated for chronic plaque psoriasis with the anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody adalimumab, who developed erythema multiforme (EM). The patient had previously developed EM on two occasions while taking the TNF-alpha inhibitor etanercept. EM has previously been reported in connection with other TNF-alpha inhibitors, including etanercept and infliximab. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature documenting EM occurring subsequent to adalimumab treatment for psoriasis. The recurrent development of EM in our patient while being treated with distinct TNF-alpha inhibitors may suggest that EM is the consequence of a class effect with TNF-alpha inhibitors.

Effect of clustered peptide binding on DNA condensation.

DNA condensation in-vitro has been studied as a model system to reveal common principles underlying gene packaging in biology, and as the critical first step towards the development of non-viral gene delivery vectors. In this study, we use a bio-inspired approach, where small DNA-binding peptides are controllably clustered by an amphiphilic block copolymer scaffold, to reveal the effect of clustered peptide binding on the energetics, size, shape and physical properties of DNA condensation in-vitro. This provides insights into the general architectural effect of gene-binding proteins on DNA condensation process. Moreover, the versatility afforded by regulating the clustering density and composition of peptides may provide a novel design platform for gene delivery applications in the future.

Gnatophyma and otophyma.

BACKGROUND: Phymas are slowly progressive, disfiguring disorders of the face and ears that represent the end stage of rosacea. The most common phyma is rhinophyma, yet similar swellings may occur on the chin (gnatophyma), forehead (metophyma), one or both ears (otophyma), and eyelids (blepharophyma). OBJECTIVE: Unlike rhinophyma, otophyma is rarely seen. We report two rare phymas: a case of gnatophyma and a case of otophyma. METHODS: A 56-year-old African American man presented with a history of bumps on his chin that had begun about 7 years earlier. Physical examination was remarkable for lobulated plaques on the chin, coalescing into hypertrophic nodules and dilated pores. A 73-year-old African American male presented with bilateral cauliflower-like earlobe growths for the past 17 years. RESULTS: A skin biopsy was performed for each patient demonstrating cystic follicular dilatation with keratin plugging, dermal scarring, psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia, and chronic inflammation of some of the follicles. CONCLUSION: This case report describes a relatively rare gnatophyma and otophyma. Surgical management is well accepted as the best mode of therapy to treat rhinophyma and is becoming a first-line treatment for all phymas.

Nanoscale organization of beta2-adrenergic receptor-Venus fusion protein domains on the surface of mammalian cells.

Adrenergic receptors are a key component of nanoscale multiprotein complexes that are responsible for controlling the beat rate in a mammalian heart. We demonstrate the ability of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) to visualize beta(2)-adrenergic receptors (beta(2)AR) fused to the GFP analogue Venus at the nanoscale on HEK293 cells. The expression of the beta(2)AR-Venus fusion protein was tightly controlled using a tetracycline-induced promoter. Both the size and density of the observed nanoscale domains are dependent on the level of induction and thus the level of protein expression. At concentrations between 100 and 700 ng/ml of inducer doxycycline, the size of domains containing the beta(2)AR-Venus fusion protein appears to remain roughly constant, but the number of domains per cell increase. At 700 ng/ml doxycycline the functional receptors are organized into domains with an average diameter of 150 nm with a density similar to that observed for the native protein on primary murine cells. By contrast, larger micron-sized domains of beta(2)AR are observed in the membrane of the HEK293 cells that stably overexpress beta(2)AR-GFP and beta(2)AR-eYFP. We conclude that precise chemical control of gene expression is highly advantageous for the use beta(2)AR-Venus fusion proteins as models for beta(2)AR function. These observations are critical for designing future cell models and assays based on beta(2)AR, since the receptor biology is consistent with a relatively low density of nanoscale receptor domains.

DNA packaging via combinative self-assembly.

A novel and versatile DNA packaging approach was developed by grafting DNA-binding oligopeptides onto a polymer scaffold to combinatively self-assemble with DNA into compact nanostructures.

Facial porokeratosis.

A 34-year-old man from El Salvador was referred to our clinic with a 10-year history of a pruritic erythematous facial eruption. He reported increased pruritus and scaling of lesions when exposed to the sun. He worked as a construction worker and admitted to frequent sun exposure. Physical examination revealed well-circumscribed erythematous to violaceous papules with raised borders and atrophic centers localized to the nose (Figure 1). He did not have lesions on the arms or legs. He did not report a family history of similar lesions. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the edge of a lesion on the right ala. Histologic examination of the biopsy specimen showed acanthosis of the epidermis with focal invagination of the corneal layer and a homogeneous column of parakeratosis in the center of that layer consistent with a cornoid lamella (Figure 2). Furthermore, the granular layer was absent at the cornoid lamella base. The superficial dermis contained a sparse, perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate. No evidence of dysplasia or malignancy was seen. These findings supported a diagnosis of porokeratosis. The patient underwent a trial of cryotherapy with moderate improvement of the facial lesions.

Acquired perforating dermatosis associated with primary biliary cirrhosis and hashimoto thyroiditis.

Acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) is an uncommon skin eruption of unclear etiology that most often is associated with diabetes mellitus or chronic renal insufficiency. There are rare reports of APD in association with liver disease or thyroid disease. We report a case of APD in a patient with both primary biliary cirrhosis and Hashimoto thyroiditis in the absence of diabetes mellitus and chronic renal insufficiency. The patient had a partial response to narrowband UVB phototherapy.

Low-income uninsured children with special health care needs: why aren't they enrolled in public health insurance programs?

OBJECTIVE: We examined potential barriers to enrollment in public programs among low-income children with special health care needs who are uninsured. Barriers considered include parents not knowing about the Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance programs, not believing that their child is eligible for public coverage, not perceiving the enrollment processes as easy, and not wanting to enroll their child in a public program. METHODOLOGY: The source of data is the 2001 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. A series of 5 questions about the child's health needs, known as the Children With Special Health Care Needs Screener, was used to identify children with special health care needs. Uninsurance is defined as having no insurance coverage at the time of the survey. Low-income families are defined as those with household incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. The analytic sample consists of 968 low-income uninsured children with special health care needs. We examined the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the sample, the reasons the children lack coverage, and the awareness and perception measures, both individually and combined as a summary measure. RESULTS: Many low-income parents with uninsured children with special health care needs do not have full information about Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance programs or do not have positive perceptions of the application processes. Although 93.5% had heard of at least 1 of the 2 programs, only 54.6% believed that their child was eligible for public coverage, and just 48.1% believed that the application processes were easy. Almost all said that they would enroll their child if told he or she was eligible for public coverage. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding why uninsured children with special health care needs do not participate in public programs is important, because these programs have the potential to cover almost all of this population. Initiatives to increase enrollment should yield real dividends given that the vast majority of low-income uninsured children with special health care needs have parents who say they would enroll their children in public coverage.