3,191 research outputs found
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Phase 2 trial of montelukast for prevention of pain in sickle cell disease.
Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are lipid mediators of inflammation. In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), levels of CysLTs are increased compared with controls and associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for pain. We tested the hypothesis that administration of the CysLT receptor antagonist montelukast would improve SCD-related comorbidities, including pain, in adolescents and adults with SCD. In a phase 2 randomized trial, we administered montelukast or placebo for 8 weeks. The primary outcome measure was a >30% reduction in soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM), a marker of vascular injury. Secondary outcome measures were reduction in daily pain, improvement in pulmonary function, and improvement in microvascular blood flow, as measured by laser Doppler velocimetry. Forty-two participants with SCD were randomized to receive montelukast or placebo for 8 weeks. We found no difference between the montelukast and placebo groups with regard to the levels of sVCAM, reported pain, pulmonary function, or microvascular blood flow. Although montelukast is an effective treatment for asthma, we did not find benefit for SCD-related outcomes. This clinical trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01960413
End points for sickle cell disease clinical trials: Renal and cardiopulmonary, cure, and low-resource settings
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Keys to academic success for under-represented minority young investigators: recommendations from the Research in Academic Pediatrics Initiative on Diversity (RAPID) National Advisory Committee.
BackgroundAlthough Latinos, African-Americans, and American Indians/Alaska Natives comprise 34% of Americans, these under-represented minorities (URMs) account for only 7% of US medical-school faculty. Even when URMs become faculty, they face many substantial challenges to success. Little has been published, however, on keys to academic success for URM young faculty investigators.MethodsThe Research in Academic Pediatrics Initiative on Diversity (RAPID) goal is to enhance the professional advancement of URM junior faculty pursuing research careers in general academic pediatrics. One important RAPID component is the annual mentoring/career-development conference, which targets URM residents, fellows, and junior faculty, and has included 62 URM participants since its 2013 inception. A conference highlight is the panel discussion on keys to academic success for URM young investigators, conducted by the RAPID National Advisory Committee, a diverse group of leading senior researchers. The article aim was to provide a guide to academic success for URM young investigators using the 2018 RAPID Conference panel discussion. A modified Delphi technique was used to provide a systematic approach to obtaining answers to six key questions using an expert panel: the single most important key to success for URM young investigators; ensuring optimal mentorship; how to respond when patients/families say, "I don't want you to see my child because you are ____"; best strategies for maximizing funding success; how to balance serving on time-consuming committees with enough time to advance research/career objectives; and the single thing you wish someone had told you which would have substantially enhanced your success early on.Results/conclusionsThis is the first published practical guide on keys to academic success for URM young investigators. Identified keys to success included having multiple mentors, writing prolifically, being tenaciously persistent, having mentors who are invested in you, dealing with families who do not want you to care for their child because of your race/ethnicity by seeking to understand the reasons and debriefing with colleagues, seeking non-traditional funding streams, balancing committee work with having enough time to advance one's research and career by using these opportunities to generate scholarly products, and asking for all needed resources when negotiating for new jobs
NEOWISE: Observations of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn
We present thermal model fits for 11 Jovian and 3 Saturnian irregular
satellites based on measurements from the WISE/NEOWISE dataset. Our fits
confirm spacecraft-measured diameters for the objects with in situ observations
(Himalia and Phoebe) and provide diameters and albedo for 12 previously
unmeasured objects, 10 Jovian and 2 Saturnian irregular satellites. The
best-fit thermal model beaming parameters are comparable to what is observed
for other small bodies in the outer Solar System, while the visible, W1, and W2
albedos trace the taxonomic classifications previously established in the
literature. Reflectance properties for the irregular satellites measured are
similar to the Jovian Trojan and Hilda Populations, implying common origins.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical
Journa
End points for sickle cell disease clinical trials: Patient-reported outcomes, pain, and the brain
Space-Based Thermal Infrared Studies of Asteroids
Large-area surveys operating at mid-infrared wavelengths have proven to be a
valuable means of discovering and characterizing minor planets. Through the use
of radiometric models, it is possible to derive physical properties such as
diameters, albedos, and thermal inertia for large numbers of objects. Modern
detector array technology has resulted in a significant improvement in spatial
resolution and sensitivity compared with previous generations of space-based
infrared telescopes, giving rise to a commensurate increase in the number of
objects that have been observed at these wavelengths. Space-based infrared
surveys of asteroids therefore offer an effective means of rapidly gathering
information about small body populations' orbital and physical properties. The
AKARI, WISE/NEOWISE, Spitzer, and Herschel missions have significantly
increased the number of minor planets with well-determined diameters and
albedos.Comment: Chapter for Asteroids IV book (accepted for publication
Washington University Record, April 8, 1999
https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record/1825/thumbnail.jp
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