List Arsenault (suedechalk59)
Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vascular disease of unknown cause that affects the whole body. KD typically occurs in infants under the age of five and is found mainly in East Asian countries. Few studies have reported on the relationship between the pollutant PM2.5 and KD, and the evidence remains irrelevant or insufficient. Objectives We investigated the relationship between short-term exposure to PM2.5 and KD hospitalizations using data from Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, 2006 to 2016. Methods We obtained data from the hospital EMR (electronic medical records) system. We evaluated the relationship between short-term exposure to PM2.5 and KD hospitalizations using a case-crossover design. We considered exposures to PM2.5 two weeks before the date of KD hospitalization. We analyzed the data using a conditional logistic regression adjusted for temperature and humidity. The effect size was calculated as a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration. We performed a subgroup analysis by sex, season, age group, and region. In the two-pollutants model, we adjusted SO2, NO2, CO, and O3, but the effect size did not change. Results A total of 771 KD cases were included in this study. We did not find any statistically significant relationship between PM2.5 and children's KD hospitalization (two-day moving average odds ratio (OR) = 1.01, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.95, 1.06; seven-day moving average OR = 0.98, CI = 0.91, 1.06; 14-day moving average OR = 0.93, CI = 0.82, 1.05). A subgroup analysis and two pollutant analysis also found no significant results. Conclusion We did not find a statistically significant relationship between PM2.5 and children's KD hospitalizations. More research is needed to clarify the association between air pollution, including PM2.5, and KD.Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based cancer risk screening with multigene panels has become the most successful method for programming cancer prevention strategies. ATM germ-line heterozygosity has been described to increase tumor susceptibility. In particular, families carrying heterozygous germ-line variants of ATM gene have a 5- to 9-fold risk of developing breast cancer. Recent studies identified ATM as the second most mutated gene after CHEK2 in BRCA-negative patients. Nowadays, more than 170 missense variants and several truncating mutations have been identified in ATM gene. Here, we present the molecular characterization of a new ATM deletion, identified thanks to the CNV algorithm implemented in the NGS analysis pipeline. An automated workflow implementing the SOPHiA Genetics' Hereditary Cancer Solution (HCS) protocol was used to generate NGS libraries that were sequenced on Illumina MiSeq Platform. NGS data analysis allowed us to identify a new inactivating deletion of exons 19-27 of ATM gene. The deletion was characterized both at the DNA and RNA level.Micromixers are essential components in lab-on-a-chip devices, of which the low efficiency can limit many bio-application studies. Effective mixing with automation capabilities is still a crucial requirement. In this paper, we present a method to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fluidic mixer by combining computer-aided design (CAD), micromilling technology, and experimental application via manipulating fluids and nanoparticles. The entire platform consists of three microfabricated layers with a bottom reservoir-shaped microchannel, a central serpentine channel, and a through-hole for interconnection and an upper layer containing inlets and outlet. PD-0332991 clinical trial The sealing process of the three layers and the high-precision and customizable methods used for fabrication ensure the realization of the monolithic 3D architecture. This provides buried running channels able to perform passive chaotic mixing and dilution functions, thanks to a portion of the pathway in common between the reservoir and serpentine layers. The possibility