Developing and assessing electronic checklists for safety mindfulness,workload, and performance

Purpose

The aim of this study is to propose a set of innovative principles for the effective design of electronic checklists to enhance safety mindfulness (a specific safety mindful mindset that offers the opportunity to operate more preemptively during routine quality assurance tasks) and discuss some of our preliminary results from testing our proposed electronic checklist with dosimetrists and physicists.

Selective FcγR Co-engagement on APCs Modulates the Activity of Therapeutic Antibodies Targeting T Cell Antigens

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GATA3 germline variant is associated with CRLF2 expression and predicts outcome in pediatric B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The germline variant at rs3824662 in GATA3 is a risk locus for Philadelphia‐like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph‐like ALL), the biological subtype of B‐cell precursor (BCP)‐ALL defined by a distinct gene expression profile and the presence of specific somatic aberrations including rearrangements of CRLF2. In this study, we investigated whether rs3824662 in GATA3 associates with CRLF2 expression in leukemic cells and predicts prognosis in pediatric BCP‐ALL patients treated according to the ALL Intercontinental Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster (IC BFM) 2009 (n = 645) and the ALL IC BFM 2002 (n = 216) protocols. High expression of CRLF2 was observed at both protein and mRNA levels (fourfold higher in AA than in CA + CC) among GATA3 AA variant carriers, independent of the presence of P2RY8‐CRLF2 fusion. Additionally, the AA variant at rs3824662 was a significant factor affecting minimal residual disease level at the end of induction phase and overall survival regardless of the risk group and the protocol. The germline variant at rs3824662 in GATA3 is a prognostic factor which associates with CRLF2 expression in leukemic cells supporting the hypothesis that GATA3 may have a regulatory effect on the CRLF2 pathway in pediatric BCP‐ALL.     

RCAS1 decidual immunoreactivity in severe pre-eclampsia: immune cell presence and activity

PROBLEM: Pre-eclampsia seems to be related to the disturbance of immune tolerance regulation during pregnancy. Receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1) decidual level alterations were concomitant with changes in immune cell number and activity in decidua. As decidual immunomodulating activity participates in the development of immune tolerance during pregnancy, we aimed to evaluate the immunoreactivity level of decidual RCAS1 with respect to the presence and activity of immune cells. METHOD OF STUDY: RCAS1, CD3, CD56, CD69, and CD25 immunoreactivity was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 30 decidual samples derived from patients with severe pre-eclampsia (sPE) and from a healthy control group. RESULTS: RCAS1 immunoreactivity was statistically significantly higher in decidual tissue samples derived from patients with sPE tissue than in those derived from healthy patients in whom elective cesarean section at term was performed. A statistically significantly lower number of CD56(+) and CD3(+) cells and lower immunoreactivity level of CD69 were found in patients with sPE compared with those from the control group. CONCLUSION: The limited immune cells infiltration in decidua during sPE is associated with increase in RCAS1 decidual level.     

Diagnostic and treatment of overactive bladder

The overactive bladder (OAB) is characterized by symptoms of frequency, urgency, nocturia, and urge incontinence, substantially affecting the quality of life of millions of people throughout the world. Diagnosis of OAB made on patient history, physical examination, and clinical tests can be used as the basis for treatment in most cases. In cases where there is uncertainty regarding the diagnosis, urodynamic assessment should be carried out. Treatment of OAB includes behavioral therapy, pharmacology and, in some cases, surgery. This article reviews current findings regarding diagnostics and treatment of the overactive bladder.     

Diversity and clonotypic composition of influenza‐specific CD8+ TCR repertoires remain unaltered in the absence of Aire

TCR repertoire diversity is important for the protective efficacy of CD8⁺ T cells, limiting viral escape and cross‐reactivity between unrelated epitopes. The exact mechanism for selection of restricted versus diverse TCR repertoires is far from clear, although one thought is that the epitopes resembling self‐peptides might select a limited array of TCR due to the deletion of autoreactive TCR. The molecule Aire promotes the expression of tissue‐specific Ag on thymic medullary epithelial cells and the deletion of autoreactive cells, and in the absence of Aire autoreactive cells persist. However, the contribution of Aire‐dependent peptides to the selection of the Ag‐specific TCR repertoire remains unknown. In this study, we dissect restricted (D^bNP₃₆₆%⁺CD8⁺) and diverse (D^bPA₂₂₄%⁺CD8⁺, K^dNP₁₄₇%⁺CD8⁺) TCR repertoires responding to three influenza‐derived peptides in Aire‐deficient mice on both B6 and BALB/c backgrounds. Our study shows that the number, qualitative characteristics and TCR repertoires of all influenza‐specific, D^bNP₃₆₆%⁺CD8⁺, D^bPA₂₂₄%⁺CD8⁺ and K^dNP₁₄₇%⁺CD8⁺ T cells are not significantly altered in the absence of Aire. This provides the first demonstration that the selection of an Ag‐specific T‐cell repertoire is not significantly perturbed in the absence of Aire.     

Prospective Randomized Blinded Comparison of a Short-Wire Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography System with Traditional Long-Wire Devices

Background  

Short-wire endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) systems are perceived to carry advantage over traditional long-wire devices. To date, this potential advantage has not been well documented, and gastroenterologists are confronted in everyday practice with the dilemma of choosing a particular system without the benefit of having objective comparative data.