Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The potential application of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to state-mandated standard newborn screening (NBS) challenges the traditional public health approach to NBS and raises ethical, policy, and clinical practice issues. This article examines the perspectives and values of diverse healthy pregnant women and parents of children diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency disorder about traditional NBS and expanded NBS with the use of WGS. METHODS: We conducted 4 focus groups (3 in English and 1 in Spanish) with socioeconomically and ethnically diverse pregnant women (n = 26), and a comparison group with parents of children diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency disorder (n = 5). RESULTS: Pediatric policy-relevant themes that emerged from our analysis of the focus group data are presented within 4 categories: (1) perspectives on traditional NBS, (2) informed consent, (3) return of results, and (4) storage and retrieval of results. Analyses indicate that study participants desired greater inclusion in the NBS process. Despite an optimistic orientation to the potential benefits and limited harms likely to result from genomic applications of NBS, parents voiced concerns about privacy and control over test results. Limited trust in the medical system and the state-run NBS program informed these concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Expanded NBS with WGS for pediatricians may require management of more genetic conditions, including mutations that convey risk to both the child and parents for adult-onset disorders, and an informed-consent process to manage the genomic data and storage of blood spots. Attention to how these technologies are understood in diverse populations is needed for effective implementation.

© 2014 The Author(s) Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with substantial morbidity, including impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Despite the prominent role of occupational factors in the aetiology of COPD, the

Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Drug users are at high risk of viral Hepatitis A, B, and C. The prevalence of Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C, associated factors, and vaccine seroconversion among drug treatment program participants in a randomized controlled trial of hepatitis care coordination were examined. Of 489 participants, 44 and 47% required Hepatitis A/Hepatitis B vaccinations, respectively; 59% were Hepatitis C positive requiring linkage to care. Factors associated with serologic statuses, and vaccine seroconversion are reported; implications for strategies in drug treatment settings are discussed. Results suggest generalizable strategies for drug treatment programs to expand viral hepatitis screening, prevention, vaccination, and linkage to care.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational method of providing viral hepatitis education for methadone maintenance patients. Four hundred forty participants were randomly assigned to either a control or a motivationally-enhanced viral hepatitis education and counseling intervention. Viral hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV) knowledge tests were administered at baseline, following each of two education sessions (post-education), and at a 3-month follow-up assessment. Results indicated a significant increase in knowledge of HAV, HBV, and HCV over time. No differences were found in knowledge between the intervention groups in knowledge acquisition regarding any of the hepatitis viruses suggesting that a motivational interviewing style may not augment hepatitis knowledge beyond standard counseling. A two-session viral hepatitis education intervention effectively promotes hepatitis knowledge and can be integrated in methadone treatment settings. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

Objectives. We evaluated the efficacy of a hepatitis care coordination intervention to improve linkage to hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination and clinical evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among methadone maintenance patients. Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 489 participants from methadone maintenance treatment programs in San Francisco, California, and New York City from February 2008 through June 2011. We randomized participants to a control arm (n = 245) and an intervention arm (n = 244), which included on-site screening, motivational-enhanced education and counseling, on-site vaccination, and case management services. Results. Compared with the control group, intervention group participants were significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 41.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.4, 90.0) to receive their first vaccine dose within 30 days and to receive an HCV evaluation within 6 months (OR = 4.10; 95% CI = 2.35, 7.17). A combined intervention adherence outcome that measured adherence to HAV-HBV vaccination, HCV evaluation, or both strongly favored the intervention group (OR = 8.70; 95% CI = 5.56, 13.61). Conclusions. Hepatitis care coordination was efficacious in increasing adherence to HAV-HBV vaccination and HCV clinical evaluation among methadone patients.

Background: CT scan measures of emphysema and airway disease have been correlated with lung function in cohorts of subjects with a range of COPD severity. The contribution of CT scan-assessed airway disease to objective measures of lung function and respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea in severe emphysema is less clear. Methods: Using data from 338 subjects in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) Genetics Ancillary Study, densitometric measures of emphysema using a threshold of -950 Hounsfield units (%LAA-950) and airway wall phenotypes of the wall thickness (WT) and the square root of wall area (SRWA) of a 10-mm luminal perimeter airway were calculated for each subject. Linear regression analysis was performed for outcome variables FEV1and percent predicted value of FEV1with CT scan measures of emphysema and airway disease. Results: In univariate analysis, there were significant negative correlations between %LAA-950 and both the WT (r = -0.28, p = 0.0001) and SRWA (r = -0.19, p = 0.0008). Airway wall thickness was weakly but significantly correlated with postbronchodilator FEV1% predicted (R = -0.12, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed significant associations between either WT or SRWA (β = -5.2, p = 0.009; β = -2.6, p = 0.008, respectively) and %LAA-950 (β = -10.6, p = 0.03) with the postbronchodilator FEV1% predicted. Male subjects exhibited significantly thicker airway wall phenotypes (p = 0.007 for WT and p = 0.0006 for SRWA). Conclusions: Airway disease and emphysema detected by CT scanning are inversely related in patients with severe COPD. Airway wall phenotypes were influenced by gender and associated with lung function in subjects with severe emphysema. © 2009 American College of Chest Physicians.

We study the decays B- → D*0π - and B-→ D*0K-, where the D*0 decays into D0π0, with the D0 reconstructed in the CP-even (CP+) eigenstates K-K + and π-π+ and in the (non-CP) channels K-π+, K -π+π+π-, and K -π+π0. Using a sample of about 123 × 106 BB̄ pairs, we measure the ratios of decay rates R*non-CP ≡ B(B- → D* non-CP 0K-)/B(B- → D*non-CP 0π-) = 0.086 ± 0.0040(stat)-0.0031 +0.0042(syst), and provide the first measurements of R*CP+ ≡ B(B- → D*CP+ 0K-)/B(B- → D*CP+ 0π-) = 0.0086 ± 0.021(stat) ± 0.007(syst), and of the CP asymmetry A*CP+ ≡ B(B- → D*CP+ 0K -)-B(B+ → D*CP+ 0K +)/B(B- → D*CP+ 0K -)+B(B+ → D*CP+ 0K +) = 0.10 ± 0.23(stat)-0.04 +0.03(syst). © 2005 The American Physical Society.

We search for a charged partner of the X(3872) in the decay B → X - K, X- → J/ψπ-π0, using 234 × 106 BB events collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- asymmetric-energy storage ring. The resulting product branching fraction upper limits are B(B 0 → X- K+, X- → J/ψπ-π0) < 5.4 × 10-6 and B(B- → X-K̄0, X- → J/ψπ-π0) < 22 × 10-6 at the 90% confidence level. © 2005 The American Physical Society.