An evaluation of enrichment material to accompany the teaching of two and three figure multipliers in the fourth grade.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Annihilator Banach ∗-algebras and the Peter-Weyl theorem

The QUO VADIS (the effects of QUinapril On Vascular Ace and Determinants of ISchemia) study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on angiotensin II formation in human vasculature. Patients (n <187) scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery used study medication 27 +/- 1 days before surgery. Segments of internal mammary arteries were exposed to increasing doses (0.1 nM-1 mu M) of angiotensin I and II in organ baths. The rate of local angiotensin II formation is a function of the reciprocal of the difference between the pEC(50)'s of the dose response curves to angiotensin I and II (-log/mol) and of the area between the curves (units). Quinapril (40 mg) and captopril (3x50 mg) similarly and significantly reduced mean blood pressure compared with placebo (p = 0.04). Difference between pEC(50)'s was 0.90 +/- 0.08 in quinapril patients compared with 0.60 +/- 0.08 for placebo (p <5 0.01); the area between curves was 91 +/- 8 for quinapril patients compared with 67 +/- 8 for placebo (p = 0.03). Angiotensin II formation was decreased to a lesser extent with captopril and was not statistically different from placebo (p = 0.3); the difference between pEC(50)'s was 0.83 +/- 0.15; the area between curves was 84 +/- 12. This is the first randomized study to demonstrate that long-term oral treatment with an ACE inhibitor reduces vascular angiotensin II formation in humans

Racial disparities in treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Data characterizing demographics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in black patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are limited. registHER is a large, observational cohort study of patients (n = 1,001) with HER2-positive MBC diagnosed ≤6 months of enrollment and followed until death, disenrollment, or June 2009 (median follow-up of 27 months). Demographics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes were described for black (n = 126) and white patients (n = 793). Progression-free survival (PFS) following first-line therapy and overall survival (OS) were examined. Multivariate analyses adjusted for baseline and treatment factors. Black patients were more likely than white patients to be obese (body mass index ≥30), to have diabetes, and to have a history of cardiovascular disease; they were also less likely to have estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor positive disease. In patients treated with trastuzumab, the incidence of cardiac safety events (grade ≥3) was higher in black patients (10.9 %) than in white patients (7.9 %). Unadjusted median OS and PFS (months) were significantly lower in black patients than in white patients (OS: black: 27.1, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 21.3-32.1; white: 37.3, 95 % CI 34.6-41.1; PFS: black: 7.0, 95 % CI 5.7-8.2; white: 10.2, 95 % CI 9.3-11.2). The adjusted OS hazard ratio (HR) for black patients compared with white patients was 1.29 (95 % CI 1.00-1.65); adjusted PFS HR was 1.29 (95 % CI 1.05-1.59). This real-world evaluation of a large cohort of patients with HER2-positive MBC shows poorer prognostic factors and independently worse clinical outcomes in black versus white patients. Further research is needed to identify potential biologic differences that could have predictive impact for black patients or that could explain these differences

Effect of pegloticase on renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease: a post hoc subgroup analysis of 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trials

BACKGROUND: Pegloticase is approved in the US for treatment of refractory chronic gout. Since chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in these patients, we conducted a post-hoc analysis of 2 replicate phase 3 trials and the subsequent open-label extension study to determine the effects of pegloticase on renal function in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4, as well as the effects of renal dysfunction on pegloticase efficacy and safety. FINDINGS: Patients with renal insufficiency were randomized to pegloticase 8 mg every 2 weeks (n = 42), pegloticase 8 mg every 4 weeks (n = 41), or placebo (n = 20) for 6 months as defined by the study protocols. Renal function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). All patients completing the randomized trials could participate in an open-label extension study for a further 2.5 years. Uric acid response, the primary end point in the trials, was plasma uric acid \u3c 6.0 mg/dl for 80% of months 3 and 6.Mean eGFR in both pegloticase dosing cohorts remained constant over the randomized treatment phase and long-term open-label extension study. The number of patients achieving uric acid response was similar across CKD stages (32% stage 1, 23% stage 2, 35% stage 3, and 39% stage 4, respectively, P = 0.3). There was no difference in the pegloticase safety profile based on CKD stage. CONCLUSIONS: Pegloticase treatment does not impact eGFR in CKD patients and response to pegloticase is independent of CKD stage. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial identifier: NCT00325195

Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer from the registHER observational study.

Limited data exist regarding treatment patterns and outcomes in elderly patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). registHER is an observational study of patients (N = 1,001) with HER2-positive MBC diagnosed within 6 months of enrollment and followed until death, disenrollment, or June 2009 (median follow-up 27 months). Outcomes were analyzed by age at MBC diagnosis: younger (&lt;65 years), older (65-74 years), elderly (≥75 years). For progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analyses of first-line trastuzumab versus nontrastuzumab, older and elderly patients were combined. Cox regression analyses were adjusted for baseline characteristics and treatments. Estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor status was similar across age groups. Underlying cardiovascular disease was most common in elderly patients. In patients receiving trastuzumab-based first-line treatment, elderly patients were less likely to receive chemotherapy. In trastuzumab-treated patients, incidence of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) (grades ≥ 3) were highest in elderly patients (LVD: elderly 4.8 %, younger 2.8 %, older 1.5 %; CHF: elderly 3.2 %, younger 1.9 %, older 1.5 %). Unadjusted median PFS (months) was significantly higher in patients treated with first-line trastuzumab than those who were not (&lt;65 years: 11.0 vs. 3.4, respectively; ≥65 years: 11.7 vs. 4.8, respectively). In patients &lt;65 years, unadjusted median OS (months) was significantly higher in trastuzumab-treated patients; in patients ≥65 years, median OS was similar (&lt;65 years: 40.4 vs. 25.9; ≥65 years: 31.2 vs. 28.5). In multivariate analyses, first-line trastuzumab use was associated with significant improvement in PFS across age. For OS, significant improvement was observed for patients &lt;65 years and nonsignificant improvement for patients ≥65 years. Elderly patients with HER2-positive MBC had higher rates of underlying cardiovascular disease than their younger counterparts and received less aggressive treatment, including less first-line trastuzumab. These real-world data suggest improved PFS across all age groups and similar trends for OS

A multi-modal intervention for Activating Patients at Risk for Osteoporosis (APROPOS): Rationale, design, and uptake of online study intervention material

OBJECTIVE: To develop an innovative and effective educational intervention to inform patients about the need for osteoporosis treatment and to determine factors associated with its online uptake. METHODS: Postmenopausal women with a prior fracture and not currently using osteoporosis therapy were eligible to be included in the Activating Patients at Risk for OsteoPOroSis (APROPOS). Four nominal groups with a total of 18 racially/ethnically diverse women identified osteoporosis treatment barriers. We used the Information, Motivation, Behavior Skills conceptual model to develop a direct-to-patient intervention to mitigate potentially modifiable barriers to osteoporosis therapy. The intervention included videos tailored by participants\u27 race/ethnicity and their survey responses: ranked barriers to osteoporosis treatment, deduced barriers to treatment, readiness to behavior change, and osteoporosis treatment history. Videos consisted of storytelling narratives, based on osteoporosis patient experiences and portrayed by actresses of patient-identified race/ethnicity. We also delivered personalized brief phone calls followed by an interactive voice-response phone messages aimed to promote uptake of the videos. RESULTS: To address the factors associated with online intervention uptake, we focused on participants assigned to the intervention arm (n = 1342). These participants were 92.9% Caucasian, with a mean (SD) age 74.9 (8.0) years and the majority (77.7%) had some college education. Preference for natural treatments was the barrier ranked #1 by most (n = 130; 27%), while concern about osteonecrosis of the jaw was the most frequently reported barrier (at any level; n = 322; 67%). Overall, 28.1% (n = 377) of participants in the intervention group accessed the videos online. After adjusting for relevant covariates, the participants who provided an email address had 6.07 (95% CI 4.53-8.14) higher adjusted odds of accessing their online videos compared to those who did not. CONCLUSION: We developed and implemented a novel tailored multi-modal intervention to improve initiation of osteoporosis therapy. An email address provided on the survey was the most important factor independently associated with accessing the intervention online. The design and uptake of this intervention may have implications for future studies in osteoporosis or other chronic diseases

Gout Knowledge, Beliefs and Treatment Practices in a National Sample of US Primary Care Providers

Objectives: We sought to examine primary care providers’ gout knowledge and reported treatment patterns in comparison to current treatment recommendations. Methods: We conducted a national survey of a random sample of primary care physicians (internists and family practitioners) to assess their treatment of acute, intercritical, and tophaceous gout in comparison to published European and American gout treatment recommendations and guidelines. Results: There were 838 respondents (response rate of 41%) most of whom worked in private practice (63%) with \u3e16 years experience (52%). For acute podagra, 16% reported care consistent with the recommendations including avoidance of anti-inflammatory drugs in the setting of renal insufficiency, use of colchicine at a dose of ≤ 1.8mg a day, and no initiation of a urate-lowering drug (ULD) during an acute attack (internists 21% vs. family practitioners 11%, p Conclusion: While internists were more likely than family practitioners to suggest recommended care, the majority of physicians did not report optimal treatment practices, suggesting further education is needed

Infusion-related reactions with pegloticase, a recombinant uricase for the treatment of chronic gout refractory to conventional therapy

BACKGROUND: In clinical trials of pegloticase, a PEGylated uricase developed for treatment of gout refractory to conventional therapy, infusion-related reactions (IRs) were the second most frequent adverse event reported. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide a detailed account of IRs with pegloticase therapy. METHODS: Data from 2 replicate, 6-month randomized trials and an open-label extension study were pooled. Infusions of pegloticase (8 mg) were administered biweekly or monthly; all patients received prophylaxis (antihistamine, acetaminophen, and corticosteroid) and were tested for urate levels prior to each infusion. An IR was defined by protocol as any otherwise unexplained adverse event or cluster of temporally related events occurring during or within 2 hours of infusion. RESULTS: Infusion-related reactions occurred in 94 (45%) of 208 patients receiving pegloticase; 10 patients reported IRs at first infusion and 84 during subsequent infusions. Chest discomfort (15%), flushing (12%), and dyspnea (11%) were the most common symptoms. Most IRs were rated mild or moderate; 7% were rated severe. All IRs resolved with slowing, interrupting, or stopping the infusion. No patient required blood pressure or ventilatory support. Infusion-related reactions were associated with loss of pegloticase urate-lowering efficacy: 91% of all IRs occurred in patients with preinfusion serum uric acid concentrations (sUA) greater than 6 mg/dL. For patients sustaining preinfusion sUA of less than 6 mg/dL, IRs occurred in fewer than 1 per 100 infusions. CONCLUSIONS: Phase 3 trial data combined with post hoc analyses demonstrated that knowledge of sUA preceding each pegloticase infusion and cessation of therapy when urate-lowering efficacy is lost provide a means to optimize the safety of pegloticase in clinical practice

Patients\u27 knowledge and beliefs concerning gout and its treatment: a population based study

BACKGROUND: For patients to effectively manage gout, they need to be aware of the impact of diet, alcohol use, and medications on their condition. We sought to examine patients\u27 knowledge and beliefs concerning gout and its treatment in order to identify barriers to optimal patient self-management. METHODS: We identified patients (\u3e/=18 years of age) cared for in the setting of a multispecialty group practice with documentation of at least one health care encounter associated with a gout diagnosis during the period 2008-2009 (n = 1346). Patients were sent a questionnaire assessing knowledge with regard to gout, beliefs about prescription medications used to treat gout, and trust in the physician. Administrative electronic health records were used to identify prescription drug use and health care utilization. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty patients returned surveys out of the 500 contacted for participation. Most were male (80%), white (94%), and aged 65 and older (66%). Only 14 (6%) patients were treated by a rheumatologist. Only a minority of patients were aware of common foods known to trigger gout (e.g., seafood [23%], beef [22%], pork [7%], and beer [43%]). Of those receiving a urate-lowering medication, only 12% were aware of the short-term risks of worsening gout with initiation. These deficits were more common in those with active as compared to inactive gout. CONCLUSION: Knowledge deficits about dietary triggers and chronic medications were common, but worse in those with active gout. More attention is needed on patient education on gout and self-management training