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This article describes development and implementation of a school-based vaccination program that targeted Asian-American adolescents. The program was implemented by the Chinatown Health Clinic in New York City in two high schools and a junior high school in Lower Manhattan. The article examines strategies effective in vaccinating this varied group of adolescents. Rates of completion for the three-dose hepatitis B vaccine are compared between schools. Optional serology testing for hepatitis B infection was conducted as part. of the school program and rates of infection in this population are presented The article discusses the importance and effectiveness of school-based programs in providing essential health services to this group of adolescents. (J Sch Health. 1997;67(7):277-279), In the United States, hepatitis B is a virus that infects 200,000 to 300,000 persons each year.[1] Hepatitis B infection can lead to serious health problems including liver cirrhosis and [...]

Background: Due to advances in early cancer detection and treatment, more adults are surviving cancer and living long past the end of treatment. The growing population of cancer survivors exceeds the number of cancer specialists or oncologists required to maintain their health, and cancer survivors need a healthcare system with primary care providers (PCPs) who can address the symptoms associated with a history of cancer treatment, monitor patients for recurrent or secondary malignancies, and help survivors maintain a high quality of life. Objective: This case report aims to discuss the obstacles in our current healthcare system for healthcare delivery to cancer survivors and presents possible guidelines to improve quality of care for this group. This case report also proposes a protocol for a clinical site to educate providers about the resources and guidelines to optimize healthcare for cancer survivors in a primary care setting. Discussion: Barriers to survivorship care such as lack of communication between oncologists and PCPs, lack of cancer survivorship education for PCPs, and lack of adequate financial compensation for survivorship services may prevent PCPs from adapting to cancer survivorship guidelines. Models of care, such as shared care plans, that encourage communication between oncologists and PCPs can be paired with survivorship plans that detail individualized screening and tests needed for maintaining the health of cancer survivors. Conclusion: With our proposed guideline emphasizing educating PCPs and providing survivorship plans, cancer survivors will receive better and more individualized healthcare that meets their needs of health maintenance and prevention of recurrent cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caries remains the most common chronic disease affecting both children and adults in the United States. High rates of primary and secondary caries in at-risk populations result in significant lifetime costs. Dental providers should be skilled in assessing an individual patient's risk for dental caries so that effective and minimally invasive preventive strategies can be employed to address the etiology of dental caries. Validated assessment strategies, such as the caries risk assessment model, allow dental providers to implement a systematic and evidence-based approach to astutely assess and record changes in the caries risk status of patients in an effort to prevent disease.

Whole animal testing is an essential part in evaluating the toxicological and pharmacological profiles of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, but these experiments are expensive and cumbersome. A cell culture analog (CCA) system, when used in conjunction with a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, provides an in vitro supplement to animal studies and the possibility of a human surrogate for predicting human response in clinical trials. A PBPK model mathematically simulates animal metabolism by modeling the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination kinetics of a chemical in interconnected tissue compartments. A CCA uses mammalian cells cultured in interconnected chambers to physically represent the corresponding PBPK. These compartments are connected by recirculating tissue culture medium that acts as a blood surrogate. The purpose of this article is to describe the design and basic operation of the microscale manifestation of such a system. Microscale CCAs offer the potential for inexpensive, relatively high throughput evaluation of chemicals while minimizing demand for reagents and cells. Using microfabrication technology, a three-chamber ("lung"-"liver"-"other") microscale cell culture analog (microCCA) device was fabricated on a 1 in. (2.54 cm) square silicon chip. With a design flow rate of 1.76 microL/min, this microCCA device achieves approximate physiological liquid-to-cell ratio and hydrodynamic shear stress while replicating the liquid residence time parameters in the PBPK model. A dissolved oxygen sensor based on collision quenching of a fluorescent ruthenium complex by oxygen molecules was integrated into the system, demonstrating the potential to integrate real-time sensors into such devices.