Predictors of Early ART Initiation Among HIV + Infants in Kenya: A Retrospective Review of HITSystem Data from 2013 to 2017

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART, before 12 weeks of age) among infants living with HIV reduces infant mortality and slows disease...     

Immune responses following experimental infection with Ascaridia galli and necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens

Broilers commonly suffer from necrotic enteritis (NE). Other gastrointestinal infectious diseases affect poultry, including nematode infections which are considered a re-emerging disease in barn and free-range systems. The aim of this study was to characterize the immune response of broilers after artificial infection with NE and contrast these with responses to the nematode Ascaridia galli and determine whether immune parameters measured during the course of infection can be used to distinguish infected from uninfected birds.

A total of 96 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were used in this study. At 10 days of age, broilers were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups: control birds (n?=?32), A. galli infected birds (n?=?32), or NE infected birds (n?=?32) and inoculated with the appropriate infective agents. The immune response of birds was monitored through evaluation of haematology parameters, acute phase protein production, and intraepithelial intestinal lymphocyte population changes at 11, 16, 20, and 32 days of age.

T-helper cells (CD4⁺CD8^?) increased significantly over time, and were significantly higher in A. galli and NE compared to day 10 controls. In conclusion, α-1 glycoprotein levels can distinguish birds with NE from other birds, including those infected with A. galli; also T-helper cell numbers can distinguish both NE and A. galli from uninfected birds and thirdly, 10 days post infection is the best time point to evaluate the bird’s immune response for A. galli infections.     

Self-Portraits of Families with Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Using Photovoice

Photovoice is a participatory research methodology in which individuals photograph their everyday realities. The present study used photovoice to understand the impact of cancer on a sample of six young adult survivors of childhood cancer (YACS) and their family members. The themes of the YACS group included, in their own words, “lost childhood,” “my culture,” “health,” “what keeps me going/sacrifices,” and “who am I?” Those of the family group included “how cancer affected survivors' hopes and dreams?,” “positive impact of cancer,” “importance of information,” “barriers to self-care,” and “what we learned and what we can do.” The family-based and participants-driven framework and photovoice produced some novel findings that call for YACS-targeted guidance and training on social relationships, independence, and career; support for the families from family-oriented cultures; and facilitation of family dialogue.     

Poor efficacy of oral tacrolimus in the treatment of severe generalized atopic eczema in adults: A small retrospective case series

We report a small, but novel case series of four adults with severe generalized atopic eczema (AE) not responsive to several other immunomodulatory therapies, who were treated with oral tacrolimus (5 mg twice‐daily). Three of the four patients failed therapy with systemic tacrolimus, despite two of these showing an initial clinical response; the fourth patient remains on tacrolimus monotherapy with good control of skin disease. Although oral tacrolimus was well‐tolerated in this small group of adults, the clinical efficacy in this series for severe AE was poor. Tacrolimus may yet have a role in less severe disease, but larger prospective studies are required to qualify its place as a treatment option in AE.     

Third-party Assessments/Independent Medical Evaluations

A position paper developed by the Canadian Psychiatric Association’s (CPA) Professional Standards and Practice Committee and approved by the CPA Board of Directors on May 25, 2020.     

Hip dislocations—Epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes

Traumatic dislocations of the hip appear to be on the rise in North America. Multidetector CT, hip arthroscopy, and high field MRI have further defined the pathoanatomy of hip dislocations. They can be divided into simple and complex dislocations. At the University of Louisville, an algorithm has been developed to facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of simple hip dislocations. In contrast to the treatment of simple hip dislocations, the treatment of complex hip dislocations (fracture-dislocations) is generally predicated on specific treatments of the associated fracture (e.g., femoral head fracture, femoral neck fracture, acetabular fracture, etc.). This review includes the mechanism of injury, epidemiology, associated injuries, evaluation, treatment, and functional outcomes of simple hip dislocations.