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The U.S. education system often functions as an adverse developmental context for Black students. Discriminatory policies and racist ideologies contribute to a series of cascading inequities in students' learning experiences. For example, years of data indicate an overrepresentation of Black students suspended and/or expelled from school. Moreover, Black Americans' experiences and contributions to U.S. society are often left out of curricula, compounding the physical exclusion of Black students from classrooms with the exclusion of their experiences. While such contexts inhibit learning and growth at critical developmental stages, the out-of-school time (OST) context can amplify the voices of Black students and support their learning and development in ways that address these exclusionary practices. Specifically, youth participatory action research (YPAR) during OST is an important critical pedagogical approach that provides a safe context for Black students to engage in challenging oppressive policies and practices within schools. The current study engages four Black/African American youth (aged 15–18 years old) in YPAR and positions youth as active learners and experts in their learning and developmental growth. Findings suggest an equitable OST context can contribute to our understanding of Black students' experiences in school and the co-creation of solutions for a more just learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical care, specifically in the field of cardiovascular imaging. The authors highlight the challenges of identifying AI applications with real-world impact and emphasize the importance of evidence-based research for clinical implementation. They present a study by Pieszko et al. that developed an AI model to predict the likelihood of left atrial appendage thrombus in patients undergoing cardioversion. The model showed promising results, outperforming traditional diagnostic methods. The authors suggest that further research, including randomized controlled trials, is needed to assess the true value and impact of AI models in clinical practice. [Extracted from the article]

Resistance to traditional synthetic compounds by Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman and shortcomings of the organic acid class of acaracides commonly used in varroa management requires continual development of new controls. V. destructor , however, are difficult to obtain for use in control bioassays because they are obligate parasites that cannot be easily reared outside of a honey bee colony. We conducted bioassays using other, more easily obtainable species to find organisms that could be used as surrogates for V. destructor when testing new potential controls. We compared the toxicities of acetic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, and oxalic acid at 0.005%, 0.05%, 0.5%, 5%, and 50% (20% oxalic acid only) concentrations based on natural volatility (nonheated) for the control of two beetle species, Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. and Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer, greater wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella L. and V. destructor. The assay results were consistent across all species with formic acid and acetic acid showing 100% mortality of all four test species at 50% concentration. The assays also provided insight into the method of application (vaporization or contact) needed to cause mortality. Our results show that other organisms can be used in place of V. destructor for initial testing of acids and possibly other chemicals for control of the ectoparasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory tract infections, which may require hospitalization especially in early infancy. Transplacental transfer of RSV antibodies could confer protection to infants in their first months of life.Methods: In this first-in-human, placebo-controlled study, 502 healthy nonpregnant women were randomized 1:1:1:1 to receive a single dose of unadjuvanted vaccine containing 30/60/120 µg of RSV fusion (F) protein stabilized in the prefusion conformation (RSVPreF3) or placebo.Results: Solicited local adverse events (AEs) were more frequently reported in the RSVPreF3 groups (4%-53.2%) versus placebo (0%-15.9%); most were mild/moderate. Unsolicited AEs were comparably reported among groups. Three serious AEs were reported; none was vaccination-related. Compared with prevaccination values, anti-RSV A neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers and anti-RSVPreF3 immunoglobulin G geometric mean concentrations increased 8- to 14-fold and 12- to 21-fold at day 8 and persisted 5- to 6-fold and 6- to 8-fold higher until day 91 in the RSVPreF3 groups versus 1-fold in placebo. Comparisons at day 8 and day 31 showed that the higher dose levels were significantly more immunogenic than the lowest one.Conclusions: The RSVPreF3 vaccine was well tolerated and immunogenic. The 60 and 120 µg dose levels were selected for further investigation in pregnant women.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT03674177. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia in neonates and infants. RSV vaccination during pregnancy could boost preexisting neutralizing antibody titers, providing passive protection to newborns. Methods. Two observer-blinded, controlled studies (RSV F-020 [clinical trials registration NCT02360475] and RSV F-024 [NCT02753413]) evaluated immunogenicity and safety of an investigational RSV vaccine in healthy, nonpregnant 18-45-year-old women. Both studies used a licensed adult formulation of combined tetanus toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine as a control. RSV F-020 evaluated immunogenicity and safety: participants were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive 1 dose of RSV- prefusion F protein (PreF) vaccine containing 30 μg or 60 μg of nonadjuvanted RSV-PreF, 60 μg of aluminum-adjuvanted RSV-PreF, or Tdap. RSV F-024 evaluated safety: participants were randomized 1:1 to receive 1 dose of 60 μg of nonadjuvanted RSV-PreF or Tdap. Results. Both studies showed similar reactogenicity profiles for RSV-PreF and Tdap. No serious adverse events were considered vaccine related. In RSV F-020, geometric mean ratios of RSV-A neutralizing antibody levels at day 30 versus prevaccination were 3.1-3.9 in RSV-PreF recipients and 0.9 in controls. Palivizumab-competing antibody concentrations increased >14-fold in RSV-PreF recipients on day 30. RSV antibody titers waned after day 30 but remained well above baseline through day 90. Conclusions. All formulations of RSV-PreF boosted preexisting immune responses in 18-45-year old women with comparable immunogenicity. The RSV-PreF safety profile was similar to that of Tdap vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A/H3N2 variant (H3N2v) influenza may sustain human-to-human transmission, and an available candidate vaccine would be important.Methods: In this phase I, randomized, observer-blind, dose-ranging study, 627 healthy subjects ≥ 3 years of age were randomized to receive 2 vaccinations with H3N2c cell-culture-derived vaccine doses containing 3.75 µg, 7.5 µg, or 15 µg hemagglutinin antigen of H3N2v with or without MF59 (registered trademark of Novartis AG) adjuvant (an oil-in-water emulsion). This paper reports Day 43 planned interim data.Results: Single MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c doses elicited immune responses in almost all subjects regardless of antigen and adjuvant dose; the Center for Biologics Evaluation Research and Review (CBER) licensure criteria were met for all groups. Subjects with prevaccination hemagglutination inhibition titers <10 and children 3-<9 years achieve CBER criteria only after receiving 2 doses of nonadjuvanted H3N2c vaccine. Highest antibody titers were observed in the 7.5 µg + 0.25 mL MF59 groups in all age cohorts. MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c vaccines showed the highest rates of solicited local and systemic events, predominately mild or moderate.Conclusions: A single dose of H3N2c vaccine may be immunogenic and supports further development of MF59-adjuvanted H3N2c vaccines, especially for pediatric populations.Clinical Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01855945 (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01855945). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The tocopherol-based oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant system family (AS03) improves antigen sparing with split-virion H5N1 influenza vaccines, representing an important development for pandemic preparedness. In this phase 1/2 randomized, controlled, observer-blinded study in 680 adults, we assessed the immunogenicity and safety of A/Indonesia/5/05 H5N1 (IBCDC-RG2, clade 2.1) prepandemic candidate vaccines produced at 2 separate manufacturing sites. Methods. Two doses, each of which contained 3.75 μg of hemagglutinin antigen, were given 21 days apart either without adjuvant or with an adjuvant system containing 11.86 mg or 5.93 mg of tocopherol (AS03). Results. The AS03-adjuvanted A/Indonesia/05/2005 (NIBRG-14) vaccines were significantly more immunogenic than nonadjuvanted vaccine in homologous assays. Neutralizing cross-clade immunogenicity against clades 1, 2.2, and 2.3 was demonstrated at day 42 with all vaccines; at 6 months, seroconversion rates were highest for clade 2.2 (60.7%) and for clade 1 (38.3%). Adjuvantation was associated with increased short-term injection-site reactions (pain) in 80% of participants, with such reactions assessed as being of grade 3 severity for ≤4.0% of doses. No other safety or reactogenicity concerns were identified over 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions. Humoral responses against the adjuvanted 3.75-μg hemagglutinin antigen vaccines from both manufacturing sites fulfilled European and US licensure criteria for immunogenicity for influenza vaccines. Clinical trial registration. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00510874. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChimeriVax-JE is a live, attenuated vaccine against Japanese encephalitis, using yellow fever (YF) 17D vaccine as a vector. In a double-blind phase 2 trial, 99 adults received vaccine, placebo, or YF 17D vaccine (YF-VAX). ChimeriVax-JE was well tolerated, with no differences in adverse events between treatment groups. Viremias resulting from administration of ChimeriVax-JE and YF-VAX were of short duration and low titer; 82 (94%) of 87 subjects administered graded doses (1.8-5.8 log[SUB10]) of ChimeriVax-JE developed neutralizing antibodies. A second dose, administered 30 days later, had no booster effect. Previous inoculation with YF did not interfere with ChimeriVax-JE, but there was a suggestion (not statistically significant) that ChimeriVax-JE interfered with YF-VAX administered 30 days later. A separate study explored immunological memory both in subjects who had received ChimeriVax-JE 9 months before and in ChimeriVax-JE-naive subjects challenged with inactivated mouse-brain vaccine (JE-VAX). Anamnestic responses were observed in preimmune individuals. ChimeriVax-JE appears to be a safe vaccine that provides protective levels of neutralizing antibody after a single dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article develops a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of urban low-income, multicultural communities. Many urban neighborhoods are in trouble, as are the youths and families who reside in them. Most vulnerable are neighborhoods affected by high levels of poverty and racial segregation. Changes in employment patterns such as the decline in manufacturing jobs, increasing sub-urbanization, globalization of jobs, and racial discrimination in hiring have undermined already frail economies. The result has been the unraveling of social ties and community life. Community development can help overcome disorganization and fragmentation of services and funding sources. The approach suggested in this article starts with a comprehensive, generalist process that builds networks and communication at the neighborhood level rather than focusing on individual client treatment. Greater balance between prevention development and remediation is called for in class and field education. Primary prevention and promoting resiliency and increasing the competence of youths are typically accomplished through community efforts that are sensitive to normal developmental needs.