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Introduction: Prior work has found incongruencies in injury information reported by crash and hospital records. However, no work has focused on child passengers. The objective of this study was to compare crash scene and hospital-reported injury information for crash-involved child passengers. This study also explored injury location and severity by child age and restraint type., Methods: Utilizing linked New Jersey data from 2017 through 2019, the authors identified crash-involved child passengers <13 years old and their injuries in crash and hospital reports. Then, they characterized the congruency of injury frequency, severity, and location, as well as the frequency of injuries by child age and restraint type. Analyses were conducted from December 2023 through February 2024., Results: Of 84,060 crash-involved child passengers, crash reports documented 7,858 (9%) children with at least "possible" injuries, while 2,577 (3%) had at least one injury in hospital events. Crash report and hospital data were incongruent for both body region of injury and injury severity. The proportion of children injured increased as children's ages increased and as restraint type progressed., Conclusions: Crash reports overestimated the number of injured child passengers and misrepresented injury severity and locations. Child restraint systems mitigated a child's injury risk. Importantly, injury information documented on crash reports currently informs the allocation of traffic safety resources. These results highlight the importance of improving these reports' accuracy and underscore calls to link administrative datasets for public health efforts., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Autistic adolescents and their families may experience barriers to transportation, including independent driving, which is critical to supporting quality of life and engagement in social, educational, and employment opportunities. Healthcare providers may feel unprepared to provide guidance to autistic adolescents, although they are among the professionals families turn to for guidance. This study describes providers' experiences supporting autistic adolescents and families in the decision to pursue licensure and identifies barriers experienced in providing support. We conducted interviews with 15 healthcare providers focused on how they support autistic adolescents and their families in navigating topics related to independence, driving, and transportation. Key themes identified included: importance of understanding adolescents' perspectives and motivations, approaches to readying caregivers for children to pursue driving, and role of providers in fostering agreement between adolescents and caregivers. Results reflect healthcare providers as intermediaries between autistic adolescents and caregivers making the decision to pursue licensure and bring families to consensus. Our findings emphasize the importance of healthcare providers, in collaboration with community-based providers, in supporting autistic adolescents and their families considering licensure. Improving conversations between providers and families provides opportunity to better support quality of life among autistic adolescents and their caregivers navigating the transition to independence., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Autistic individuals who independently travel-or commute without companionship or supervision-report feeling more connected to social, education, and employment opportunities. Despite the potential for independent transportation to improve quality of life, little is known about what transportation-related resources, specifically driving focused ones, exist for autistic individuals or how they and their families find and use them. The objectives of this study were to characterize: (1) where and how families in the United States find driving-related resources for their autistic adolescents; (2) families' perceived availability and utility of identified resources; and (3) resources families believe should be developed., Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 caregivers of autistic adolescents aged 16-24 years without an intellectual disability. We used a directed-content approach to develop and implement codes; three trained coders analyzed all transcripts (inter-rater reliability ≥0.8 for all codes). Members of the research team reviewed coded data and created code summaries, which were then developed and discussed by the larger research team to determine final consensus., Results: Caregivers described a few existing resources that were helpful in guiding driving-related decisions. In addition, caregivers voiced that there were limited resources tailored to the unique needs that arise while teaching or learning how to drive, particularly ones that support their own and their adolescent's mental health. The limited resources and services identified as helpful-specifically support groups/perspectives of other families and specialized driving instructors-are seemingly difficult to find, costly, and/or perceived as having geographic- and time-related barriers., Conclusion: There is a critical need and opportunity for stakeholders of the autism community to both expand access to existing and develop novel driving-related resources for families with autistic adolescents, with a particular focus of supporting caregiver and adolescent mental health., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (Copyright 2024, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.)

Introduction: Examining crash reports with linked community-level indicators may optimize efforts aimed at improving traffic safety behaviors, like seat belt use. To examine this, quasi-induced exposure (QIE) methods and linked data were used to (a) estimate trip-level seat belt non-use of New Jersey (NJ) drivers and (b) determine the degree to which seat belt non-use is associated with community-level indicators of vulnerability., Method: Driver-specific characteristics were identified from crash reports (age, sex, number of passengers, vehicle type) and licensing data (license status at the time of the crash). Geocoded residential addresses were leveraged within the NJ Safety and Health Outcomes warehouse to create quintiles of community-level vulnerability. QIE methods were applied to estimate trip-level prevalence of seat belt non-use in non-responsible, crash-involved drivers between 2010-2017 (n = 986,837). Generalized linear mixed models were then conducted to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios and 95 % confidence intervals for being unbelted for driver-specific variables and community-level indicators of vulnerability., Results: Drivers were unbelted during 1.2 % of trips. Males, those with suspended licenses, and those without passengers had higher rates of being unbelted than their counterparts. An increase was observed in traveling unbelted with increasing quintiles of vulnerability, such that drivers in the most vulnerable communities were 121 % more likely to be unbelted than those in the least vulnerable communities., Conclusions: Prevalence of driver seat belt non-use may be lower than previously estimated. Additionally, communities with the highest amount of the population living with three or more indicators of vulnerability have higher rates of seat belt non-use; this may be a particularly useful metric to inform future translational efforts improving seat belt use., Practical Applications: As evidenced by the findings that risk of being unbelted increased as drivers' community vulnerability increased, novel communication efforts tailored to drivers from vulnerable neighborhoods may optimize efforts., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To characterize healthcare and behavioral service providers' transportation-related discussions with their autistic and non-autistic patients., Method: 78 providers completed a cross-sectional survey assessing their transportation discussions with patients. We used Mann-Whitney U tests and chi-square tests to compare differences in provider reports by patient diagnosis., Results: Compared with one in two providers who reported they discuss transportation with non-autistic patients, only one in five have these conversations with their autistic patients. Few (8%) providers felt prepared to assess driving readiness in autistic patients, yet only a quarter refer patients elsewhere., Conclusion: There is a critical need to develop resources for use in medical settings to effectively support autistic adolescents' independence and mobility as they transition into adulthood., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Ensuring that mental health professionals are appropriately trained to provide affirming and sensitive care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults is one mechanism that may reduce the marginalization sometimes experienced by TGD adults in mental health contexts. In this study, mental health professionals (n=142) completed an online survey documenting the sources and types of training received to provide TGD-sensitive care; and, shared a self-assessment of their comfort, competence, and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care. Findings revealed that the majority of the mental health professionals in the study (approximately 81%) received specific training to work with TGD clients from a variety of sources. These mental health professionals also self-reported high levels of comfort, competence, and ability to offer TGD-sensitive care which were statistically significantly associated with the number of hours of TGD-specific training they had received., Competing Interests: Disclosure Statement No competing financial interests exist.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare demographic characteristics, medical care, and outcomes among patients with assault-related concussion (ARC) versus sports and recreation-related concussion (SRC)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 124 patients (62 ARC, 62 SRC) aged 8 to 17 years presenting to the care network of a large tertiary care pediatric hospital between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2014 with a concussion diagnosis at time of presentation. We abstracted patient demographics, initial medical care visit characteristics, and outcome data, and compared proportions using χ2 testing and Fisher exact test and medians using Wilcoxon rank sum test., Results: Patients with ARC were more likely to be Black, publicly insured, and present first for care to the emergency department. Significantly fewer patients with ARC received visio-vestibular testing at initial visit (27% vs 74%, P < 0.001). During recovery, the total number of reported physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep symptoms did not differ between groups; however, more than twice as many patients with ARC reported decline in grades postinjury compared with patients with SRC (47% vs 20%, P = 0.012). There were trends toward prolonged symptom recovery and time to physician clearance for full return to activities among patients with ARC compared with SRC., Conclusions: This study highlights potential disparities in the initial evaluation and outcomes of pediatric concussion patients based on mechanism of injury. Patients with ARC were less likely to receive a concussion-specific diagnostic evaluation and reported a greater impact on educational outcomes, suggesting differences in concussion diagnosis and management among assault-injured patients. Further examination in larger populations with prospective studies is needed to address potential inequities in concussion care and outcomes among patients with ARC., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The author declares no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We surveyed healthcare providers to determine the extent to which they discuss transition-to-adulthood topics with autistic patients without intellectual disabilities., Methods: Seventy-four healthcare providers in the Philadelphia area reported on the patient age at which they begin transition conversations, topics covered, and provider comfort. We calculated the proportion of providers who endorsed each transition topic, overall and by clinical setting., Results: Providers initiated transition-related conversations at a median age of 16 years (IQR: 14, 18), with over half reporting they were "somewhat" or "a little" comfortable with discussions. Nearly all providers discussed at least one healthcare, well-being, and mental health topic, while basic need-related discussions were limited., Discussion: Results suggest providers may delay and feel poorly prepared to provide anticipatory guidance to autistic patients for transition to adulthood. Future efforts to enhance the available resources and preparation available to providers are essential to meet autistic patients' needs., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The availability of complete and accurate crash injury data is critical to prevention and intervention efforts. Relying solely on hospital discharge data or police crash reports may result in a biased undercount of injuries. Linking hospital data with crash reports may allow for a more robust identification of injuries and an understanding of which populations may be missed in an analysis of one source. We used the New Jersey Safety and Health Outcomes (NJ-SHO) data warehouse to examine the share of the entire crash-injured population identified in each of the two data sources, overall and by age, race/ethnicity, sex, injury severity, and road user type., Methods: We utilized 2016-2017 data from the NJ-SHO warehouse. We identified crash-involved individuals in hospital discharge data by applying the ICD-10-CM external cause of injury matrix. Among crash-involved individuals, we identified those with injury- or pain-related diagnosis codes as being injured. We also identified crash-involved individuals via crash report data and identified injuries using the KABCO scale. We jointly examined the two sources; injuries in the hospital discharge data were documented as being related to the same crash as injuries found in the crash report data if the date of the crash report preceded the date of hospital admission by no more than two days., Results: In total, there were 262,338 crash-involved individuals with a documented injury in the hospital discharge data or on the crash report during the study period; 168,874 had an injury according to hospital discharge data, and 164,158 had an injury in crash report data. Only 70,694 (26.9%) had an injury in both sources. We observed differences by age, race/ethnicity, injury severity, and road user type: hospital discharge data captured a larger share of those ages 65+, those who were Black or Hispanic, those with higher severity injuries, and those who were bicyclists or motorcyclists., Conclusions: Each data source in isolation captures approximately two-thirds of the entire crash-injured population; one source alone misses approximately one-third of injured individuals. Each source undercounts people in certain groups, so relying on one source alone may not allow for tailored prevention and intervention efforts.

Objective: Our objective was to describe child passenger restraint use in police reported crashes by key child and driver characteristics., Methods: We used data from 2017-2019 police reported crashes in New Jersey to identify child passengers who: (1) were less than 13 years of age, (2) were in an identified seating location in the first, second, or third vehicle row, and (3) had a known restraint status at the time of the crash. We described prevalence of child restraint use by key child and driver characteristics (child: age, sex, seating position, and crash-reported injury status; driver: age, sex, restraint use, evidenced alcohol use, and crash fault). We included 108,780 crash-involved child passengers in our analytic sample., Results: A small proportion of child passengers were unrestrained at the time of the crash. Most child passengers <2 years were restrained in a rear-facing restraint (59.7%). However, a sizeable proportion were either forward-facing (26.7%) or belted (11.3%). Use of booster seats among passengers age 5 to 8 years was limited. We observed few fatalities, with most children noted to have no apparent injury (89.8%). Among children with serious, minor, and possible injuries, the greatest proportion of injured children were restrained by the vehicle belt. Regarding driver characteristics, slightly more than half of child passengers riding in vehicles driven by drivers aged 21-34 years were restrained in either rear- or forward-facing restraints (53.0%), whereas the majority of children riding with younger (<21 years) or older (>34 years) drivers were restrained with the vehicle belt. Among unrestrained drivers, drivers with evidence of alcohol use, and drivers at fault for the crash, a larger proportion of children were unrestrained compared to drivers who were restrained, had no evidence of alcohol use, and were not at fault., Conclusions: While most child passengers were restrained at the time a crash, optimal age-based restraint use was inconsistent, particularly for the youngest child passengers. A sizeable proportion of drivers in this study failed to adhere to best practice recommendations for child restraint use and New Jersey child passenger restraint laws. This was particularly true for drivers who engaged in unsafe driving behaviors, for whom a larger proportion child passengers were unrestrained at the time of the crash. Across all injury categories, the greatest proportion of injured children were restrained by the vehicle belt rather than a child restraint system, suggesting a continued need to understand specific patterns of injuries to inform possible mitigation efforts. Future work to identify intervention opportunities for optimal child restraint practices for drivers is essential to enhancing child passenger safety.

Previous work links witnessing adult violence in the home during childhood ("witnessing") and adolescent relationship violence, but studies are limited to recent experiences with one or two outcomes, missing the holistic viewpoint describing lifetime experiences across multiple types of violence. We measured associations between witnessing and victimization (being harmed by violence) and perpetration (causing harm by violence) among males and females for the three most common types of adolescent relationship violence (physical, sexual, and emotional), and we assessed whether students experienced multiple outcomes ("polyvictimization/ polyperpetration"). We also compared sex-specific differences to assess for additive effect modification. We used an anonymous, cross-sectional survey with 907 undergraduates attending randomly selected classes at three urban East Coast colleges. Multiple logistic regression and marginal standardization were used to estimate predicted probabilities for each outcome among witnesses and non-witnesses; additive interaction by sex was assessed using quantifiable measures. 214 (24%) students reported witnessing and 403 (44%) students experienced adolescent relationship violence, with 162 (17.9%) and 37 (4.1%) experiencing polyvictimization and polyperpetration, respectively. Witnesses had higher risk than non-witnesses for physical, sexual, and emotional victimization and perpetration. Notably, witnesses also had higher risk for polyvictimization and polyperpetration. Additive effect modification by sex was insignificant at 95% confidence bounds, but distinct patterns emerged for males and females. Except for sexual victimization, female witnesses were more likely than female non-witnesses to experience all forms of victimization, including polyvictimization; they also had higher risk for perpetration, particularly physical perpetration. In contrast, victimization outcomes did not differ for male witnesses, but male witnesses were more likely than male non-witnesses to perpetrate all forms of violence, including polyperpetration.

Importance: In the transition to adulthood, driving supports independence. For autistic adolescents, training provided by specialized driving instructors, including occupational therapists, may establish fitness to drive and continued independence., Objective: To examine specialized driving instructors' experiences providing behind-the-wheel instruction to autistic adolescents., Design: We recruited participants through purposive and snowball sampling of members of ADED, the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. Interviews investigated experiences providing instruction, autistic students' strengths and challenges, strategies used, and recommendations to improve the learning-to-drive process. We coded transcripts using a directed content analysis approach., Setting: Telephone interviews., Participants: Specialized driving instructors (N = 17) trained as occupational therapists, driver rehabilitation specialists, or licensed driving instructors with recent experience providing behind-the-wheel training for autistic adolescents participated., Results: Behind-the-wheel challenges included mental inflexibility, distractibility, and difficulties with social cues and motor coordination. Instructors acknowledged students' strengths, including adherence to rules of the road, limited risk taking, and careful observations. Instructors scaffolded learning to help students develop skills. Although licensure and driving outcomes were sometimes unknown to instructors, students who became licensed frequently drove with supervision or restrictions., Conclusions and Relevance: Licensure is possible for autistic adolescents, although developing fitness to drive requires individualization and rigorous specialized instruction, which may culminate in delayed or restricted driving. What This Article Adds: This article highlights challenges and strengths encountered by specialized driving instructors teaching autistic adolescents. Despite requiring prolonged training, autistic adolescents can achieve licensure when supported by specialized instruction that is individualized to their needs and strengths., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)

Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) engage individuals who have experienced violent victimization in postmedical care programming, with the goal of reducing the incidence and impact of future injuries. Although there is some empirical support for HVIPs' impact on violence and crime-related outcomes, proper impact assessment is limited by a lack of systematized research on outcomes that relate to the proximal goals and activities of the programs themselves. To address this critical gap, we conducted a two-stage Delphi method to elicit and prioritize these outcomes using the wisdom and experience of those who are engaged in service delivery (i.e., HVIP community-based practitioners, program coordinators, and embedded researchers; N = 79). Through this process, respondents prioritized outcomes related to posttraumatic stress symptoms, beliefs about aggression, coping strategies, and emotional regulation, which have not been consistently measured using validated or standardized tools. Results suggest that, rather than limiting program outcomes to those related to repeat violent injury or criminality, hospital- and community-based violence prevention programs seek to improve and measure mental health and socioemotional outcomes as a benchmark for healing and recovery after a violent injury. Prioritization of these outcomes broadens the definition of recovery to include psychosocial health and well-being. In addition, inclusion of these outcomes in effectiveness studies will serve to bolster the relevance of findings, and provide support for continued development and refinement of HVIP practice.

Objective: Racial and ethnic disparities and/or inequities have been documented in traffic safety research. However, race/ethnicity data are often not captured in population-level traffic safety databases, limiting the field's ability to comprehensively study racial/ethnic differences in transportation outcomes, as well as our ability to mitigate them. To overcome this limitation, we explored the utility of estimating race and ethnicity for drivers in the New Jersey Safety and Health Outcomes (NJ-SHO) data warehouse using the Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding (BISG) algorithm. In addition, we summarize important recommendations established to guide researchers developing and implementing racial and ethnic disparity research., Methods: We applied BISG to estimate population-level race/ethnicity for New Jersey drivers in 2017 and evaluated the concordance between reported values available in integrated administrative sources (e.g., hospital records) and BISG probability distributions using an area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) within each race/ethnicity category. Overall AUC was calculated by weighting each AUC value by the population count in each reported category. In an exemplar analysis using 2017 crash data, we conducted an analysis of average monthly police-reported crash rates in 2017 by race/ethnicity using the NJ-SHO and BISG sets of race/ethnicity values to compare their outputs., Results: We found excellent or outstanding concordance (AUC ≥0.86) between reported race/ethnicity and BISG probabilities for White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander drivers. We found poor concordance for American Indian/Alaskan Native drivers (AUC= 0.65), and concordance was no better than random assignment for Multiracial drivers (AUC = 0.52). Among White, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan native drivers, monthly crash rates calculated using both NJ-SHO reported race/ethnicity values and BISG probabilities were similar. Monthly crash rates differed by 11% for Black drivers, and by more than 200% for Multiracial drivers., Conclusion: Findings of excellent or outstanding concordance between and mostly similar crash rates derived from reported race/ethnicity and BISG probabilities for White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander drivers (98.9% of all drivers in this sample) demonstrate the potential utility of BISG in enabling research on transportation disparities and inequities. Concordance between race/ethnicity values were not acceptable for American Indian/Alaskan Native and Multiracial drivers, which is similar to previous applications and evaluations of BISG. Future work is needed to determine the extent to which BISG may be applied to traffic safety contexts.

To further the understanding of long-term sequelae as a result of repetitive head impacts in sports, in vivo head impact exposure data are critical to expand on existing evidence from animal model and laboratory studies. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of head impact sensors to estimate the head impact exposure of human subjects in vivo. Previous research has identified the limitations of filtering algorithms to process sensor data. In addition, observer and/or video confirmation of sensor-recorded events is crucial to remove false positives. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review to determine the proportion of published head impact sensor data studies that used filtering algorithms, observer confirmation and/or video confirmation of sensor-recorded events to remove false positives. Articles were eligible for inclusion if collection of head impact sensor data during live sport was reported in the methods section. Descriptive data, confirmation methods and algorithm use for included articles were coded. The primary objective of each study was reviewed to identify the primary measure of exposure, primary outcome and any additional covariates. A total of 168 articles met the inclusion criteria, the publication of which has increased in recent years. The majority used filtering algorithms (74%). The majority did not use observer and/or video confirmation for all sensor-recorded events (64%), which suggests estimates of head impact exposure from these studies may be imprecise.

Background: Limited transportation access may curtail education, occupational training, social, and community engagement opportunities for autistic adolescents. Nearly one-third of autistic adolescents obtain a driver's license by age 21 years, which may increase mobility and improve autistic adolescents' transition to independent adulthood. This study examined driving instructors' perspectives and experiences of teaching autistic adolescents to drive to facilitate a safe learning-to-drive process. Methods: We conducted interviews with driving instructors with specialized training to teach autistic adolescents to drive. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Semistructured interviews investigated family engagement; instructor observations; instructors' teaching strategies; and recommendations for improving the learning-to-drive process. A directed content analysis approach informed the development of a coding scheme. Coded transcripts were reviewed to identify themes. Results: We interviewed 17 driving instructors who primarily identified as occupational therapists. Key themes included importance of parent engagement; fostering independence; individualization of instructional strategies; and enhancements to the learning-to-drive process. Parent engagement prepared autistic students to undertake on-road instruction and supported skill development. While some families paradoxically limited adolescents' independence (e.g., heavy supervision while cooking, limiting participation in bicycling or lawn mowing) despite wanting them to pursue licensure, instructors believed that demonstrating independence in such life skills was necessary for safely undertaking on-road instruction. Instructors shared how they individualized assessments and tailored lessons over a prolonged period of time to promote safety and skill acquisition. Specific recommendations for enhancing the learning-to-drive process included standardizing instructional approaches and refining clinical assessment tools to determine driver readiness. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for parental engagement to support the learning-to-drive process and to foster the independence necessary to undertake highly individualized driving instruction. Efforts to increase families' access to tools to promote driving readiness and establishing best practices for instructors may enhance the efficiency and standardization of the learning-to-drive process., Lay Summary: Why was this study done? Becoming licensed to drive increases the independence and mobility of adolescents, potentially improving access to educational, occupational training, social, and community engagement opportunities. Driving instructors are a critical resource for families, particularly for autistic adolescents who may receive training from specialized instructors, such as occupational therapists (OTs). However, little is known about the process and experience of teaching autistic adolescents to drive, which limits the ability to provide adolescents and families with guidance to prepare for and support the learning-to-drive process. What was the purpose of this study? The goal of this study was to examine the experiences and perspectives of driving instructors who provide behind-the-wheel training for autistic adolescents and young adults. What did the researchers do? We conducted semistructured interviews with specialized driving instructors who had experience working with autistic youth. Team members transcribed the interviews, coded them, and summarized common themes. What were the results of the study? We interviewed 17 driving instructors who primarily identified as OTs. Key themes included the importance of parents as partners, the need to encourage independence in daily living skills before driving, and the individualized approach used when working with autistic adolescents. Instructors provided suggestions for enhancing the learning-to-drive process and supporting nonspecialized instructors who also provide training to adolescents. Suggestions included enhancing the use of state-level Vocational Rehabilitation Services to provide financial support for instruction, use of a life skills checklist to identify and promote prerequisite driving skills, parent-supervised practice driving (including commentary driving where adolescents narrate driving instructions to a driver), and individualization of instruction tailored to adolescents' particular needs. What do these findings add to what was already known? These results inform efforts to prepare parents, nonspecialized instructors, and autistic adolescents themselves for undertaking on-road instruction and licensure. Instructors recommended that parents help adolescents develop independence, including skills to use alternative forms of transportation and practice predriving skills, such as navigation. Furthermore, these results highlight the need to establish best practices for instruction and refinement of tools and strategies used by both specialized and general driving instructors. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Our recruitment approach may have led instructors with similar training or opinions to participate, so important aspects of teaching autistic drivers may have not been elicited. We did not interview general driving instructors who may have different perspectives and needs that were not discussed. We were unable to determine how characteristics such as work location, race/ethnicity, or years in practice may have influenced participants' responses. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? Results from this study identify tools, such as a life skills checklist, and practice activities, such as commentary driving, that can be used by families to support autistic adolescents who are learning to drive. This study highlights the need to examine experiences with the learning-to-drive process from autistic adolescents and parents themselves to understand their needs and recommendations for enhancing the process of safely learning to drive., Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing financial interests exist., (Copyright 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.)

Childhood witnesses of adult violence at home are at risk for future violence. It is unclear how gender of the child and adult perpetrator are related to adolescent relationship violence. We explore how childhood witnessing of same-gender, opposite-gender, and bidirectional violence perpetrated by adults is associated with adolescent relationship violence victimization only, perpetration only, and combined victimization/perpetration for male and female undergraduates. We gathered cross-sectional data from 907 undergraduates attending 67 randomly-selected classes at three distinct East-Coast colleges using pencil-and-paper surveys administered at the end of class time. Multiple imputation with chained equations was used to impute missing data. Multinomial regression models controlling for gender, age, race, school, and community violence predicted adolescent outcomes for each witnessing exposure; relative risk ratios and average adjusted probabilities with 95% confidence intervals are presented. Adolescent relationship violence outcomes vary based on gender of the child witness and adult perpetrator. Witnessing adult males perpetrate is associated with higher perpetration for boys and higher combined victimization/perpetration for girls. Witnessing adult females perpetrate - either as the sole perpetrator or in a mutually violent relationship with an adult male - increases risk for combined victimization/perpetration for boys and girls during adolescence., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study describes characteristics of students with acquired brain injury enrolled in a statewide educational consultation program and the program's support activities. Utilizing deidentified data from a statewide brain injury school consultation program, descriptive analyses of demographic and injury characteristics, including medical diagnosis (concussion/mild traumatic brain injury [TBI], moderate-severe TBI, and non-TBI), referral characteristics, educational placement, and the types of program activities were undertaken. 70% of students were referred for concussions/mild TBI and students were infrequently referred by medical professionals. Most students with concussion/mild TBI experienced recreational injuries (59%), while students with moderate/severe TBI commonly experienced road traffic injuries (48%). The greatest proportion of program team members' time was spent in consultation with school personnel (24%), communication with families (20%), and communication with school personnel (16%). Results suggest that the program addresses important communication and coordination needs among families, medical professionals, and educators and identifies opportunities to enhance program utilization.

Purpose: We examined the self-identified, postassault psychosocial needs of male adolescents to guide recovery and healing after being seen in an emergency department (ED) for a violence-related injury., Methods: We analyzed deidentified data from 49 adolescent male adolescents who participated in a postdischarge case management program following a violence-related injury. Descriptive statistics summarized youths' demographic characteristics and self-identified needs and goals for postassault recovery., Results: Most participants (80%) were treated for nonpenetrating injuries and discharged from the ED (76%). Nearly two thirds of youth reported clinically significant traumatic stress symptoms and 89% self-identified mental health needs following injury. Legal and educational needs were also commonly identified., Conclusions: Despite experiencing minor physical injuries, assault-injured youth report clinically significant traumatic stress symptoms and recognize postinjury mental health needs. Results suggest that youth-focused early intervention services, particularly related to mental health, are acceptable and desired by youth soon after a violent injury., (Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Injury is a leading cause of emergency department visits, disability, and death in children. This study examined the sensitivity and specificity of parental report of children's specific injuries., Methods: A prospective validation study was conducted in 3 urban pediatric emergency departments from August 2010 to July 2011. Parents of injured children completed a survey at 2-weeks following the emergency department visit, and their responses were compared to injury data that were abstracted from medical records., Results: Parent surveys were completed for 516 injured children. Sensitivities were ≥0.75 for all fractures and ≥0.88 for extremity and skull fractures. Internal organ injuries were generally less accurately reported by parents than fractures. Specificity estimates all exceeded 0.95., Conclusions: This telephone-administered and mailed self-administered survey enabled parents to accurately report specific head and extremity injuries., Practical Applications: This survey may be a useful tool for pediatric injury surveillance activities., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Objectives: Current information on the safety of rear row occupants of all ages is needed to inform further advances in rear seat restraint system design and testing. The objectives of this study were to describe characteristics of occupants in the front and rear rows of model year 2000 and newer vehicles involved in crashes and determine the risk of serious injury for restrained crash-involved rear row occupants and the relative risk of fatal injury for restrained rear row vs. front passenger seat occupants by age group, impact direction, and vehicle model year., Method: Data from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) were queried for all crashes during 2007-2012 involving model year 2000 and newer passenger vehicles. Data from NASS-CDS were used to describe characteristics of occupants in the front and rear rows and to determine the risk of serious injury (AIS 3+) for restrained rear row occupants by occupant age, vehicle model year, and impact direction. Using a combined data set containing data on fatalities from FARS and estimates of the total population of occupants in crashes from NASS-CDS, logistic regression modeling was used to compute the relative risk (RR) of death for restrained occupants in the rear vs. front passenger seat by occupant age, impact direction, and vehicle model year., Results: Among all vehicle occupants in tow-away crashes during 2007-2012, 12.3% were in the rear row where the overall risk of serious injury was 1.3%. Among restrained rear row occupants, the risk of serious injury varied by occupant age, with older adults at the highest risk of serious injury (2.9%); by impact direction, with rollover crashes associated with the highest risk (1.5%); and by vehicle model year, with model year 2007 and newer vehicles having the lowest risk of serious injury (0.3%). Relative risk of death was lower for restrained children up to age 8 in the rear compared with passengers in the right front seat (RR=0.27, 95% CI 0.12-0.58 for 0-3 years, RR=0.55, 95% CI 0.30-0.98 for 4-8 years) but was higher for restrained 9-12-year-old children (RR=1.83, 95% CI 1.18-2.84). There was no evidence for a difference in risk of death in the rear vs. front seat for occupants ages 13-54, but there was some evidence for an increased relative risk of death for adults age 55 and older in the rear vs. passengers in the right front seat (RR=1.41, 95% CI 0.94-2.13), though we could not exclude the possibility of no difference. After controlling for occupant age and gender, the relative risk of death for restrained rear row occupants was significantly higher than that of front seat occupants in model year 2007 and newer vehicles and significantly higher in rear and right side impact crashes., Conclusions: Results of this study extend prior research on the relative safety of the rear seat compared with the front by examining a more contemporary fleet of vehicles. The rear row is primarily occupied by children and adolescents, but the variable relative risk of death in the rear compared with the front seat for occupants of different age groups highlights the challenges in providing optimal protection to a wide range of rear seat occupants. Findings of an elevated risk of death for rear row occupants, as compared with front row passengers, in the newest model year vehicles provides further evidence that rear seat safety is not keeping pace with advances in the front seat., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Police crash reports have been used to advance motor vehicle safety research, though their value is limited by their focus on the crash event rather than outcomes of the crash., Objective: To develop and evaluate the effect of enhanced recruitment methods, including a monetary incentive, on response rates of drivers identified on police reports in a national MVC surveillance system., Methods: The National Automotive Sampling System-General Estimates System (NASS-GES) was used to identify passenger vehicle crashes between 1 July and 30 October 2012 involving drivers ≥16 years old with at least one child occupant ≤17 years old. We collected data from the driver via self-administered hardcopy or interviewer-administered telephone surveys. Within each survey mode, half the drivers were randomly assigned to receive a small monetary incentive. Response rates were calculated overall, and by mode of survey administration and incentive condition., Results: 495 drivers were eligible, and 127 completed the survey, yielding an overall response rate of 25.7% (95% CI 21.8% to 29.5%). The response rate across the two modes was higher for those who received an incentive than for those who did not (35.6% vs 15.7%, p<0.01). The highest response rate (45.9%) was for drivers allocated to the telephone survey who received an incentive., Conclusions: The NASS-GES provides a surveillance system from which cases of interest can be identified and supplemental data collected via surveys of drivers identified on police reports. We adapted procedures commonly used in public health surveillance systems, including monetary incentives and branded recruitment materials, to improve driver response rates., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Traditional methods for determining crash responsibility - most commonly moving violation citations - may not accurately characterize at-fault status among crash-involved drivers given that: (1) issuance may vary by factors that are independent of fault (e.g., driver age, gender), and (2) these methods do not capture driver behaviors that are not illegal but still indicative of fault. We examined the statistical implications of using moving violations to determine crash responsibility in young driver crashes by comparing it with a method based on crash-contributing driver actions. We selected all drivers in police-reported passenger-vehicle crashes (2010-2011) that involved a New Jersey driver <21 years old (79,485 drivers

Objective: To evaluate the validity of a parent-reported survey to identify children's moderate and serious injuries in seven specific body regions using medical records as the 'gold standard'., Methods: A prospective validation study was conducted in three urban paediatric emergency departments (EDs). 798 parents of 859 children treated for injuries at participating EDs between August 2010 and July 2011 completed either a telephone interview or self-administered paper survey at 2 weeks post-ED visit. Parents were asked to report child injuries to seven body regions: head, face, neck/spine/back, thorax, abdomen, upper extremities and lower extremities. Injury data were abstracted from medical records using a standardised protocol. Body region injury severity levels of none/minor, moderate or serious were assigned to each subject based on the Abbreviated Injury Scale., Results: The overall sensitivity, reflecting parents' ability to identify a documented moderate or greater severity injury, was 0.95 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.97). Sensitivities were >0.90 for the face, upper extremity and lower extremity regions; 0.80-0.90 for head, abdomen and neck/back/spine regions; and <0.60 for the thorax region. The overall sensitivity for identification of a serious injury was 0.71 (0.60 to 0.80)., Conclusions: This survey enables parents to accurately identify moderate and greater severity injuries to body regions, though it does not accurately identify serious injuries in most body regions except the extremities. The survey could serve as a screening tool to identify moderate and greater severity injuries in population-based surveillance systems, or as the primary outcome of interest in injury prevention studies.

An 11-year-old Oldenburg mare presented following three episodes of acute, transient blindness, ataxia, and disorientation within the preceding 7 months. Clinical improvement, including return of vision, occurred within 1 week of initiating corticosteroid therapy for each of the three episodes. However, mild right-sided miosis was a consistent finding on ophthalmic examinations. Routine clinicopathologic testing revealed no significant abnormalities, and testing of cerebral spinal fluid for selected infectious diseases was unrewarding. Computed tomography of the brain demonstrated a hyperattenuating mass with peripheral mineralization in the rostroventral aspect of each lateral ventricle. The mare was euthanized due to a guarded to poor prognosis. On histopathology, the masses consisted of clusters of cholesterol clefts admixed with leukocytes, mineral deposits, and connective tissue. Cholesterinic granulomas of the lateral ventricles and hydrocephaly were diagnosed. Cholesterinic granulomas should be considered a differential diagnosis in horses presenting for intermittent blindness., (© 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.)

Two cases of feline thymoma with amyloid deposition were encountered between 1982 and 2010. Neoplastic cells were separated by abundant, pale eosinophilic, homogeneous material that was congophilic and birefringent. Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells were connected by desmosomes, and the extracellular deposits were composed of nonbranching, hollow-cored fibrils, 8-10 nm in diameter. In the case with sufficient archived tissue for additional sections, the amyloid remained congophilic following potassium permanganate incubation, and the neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for pancytokeratin. The histologic, histochemical, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical features of both neoplasms are consistent with epithelial-predominant thymoma with the unusual feature of intratumoral amyloid deposition. The affinity of the amyloid for Congo red following potassium permanganate incubation is consistent with non-AA amyloid. The ultrastructural findings were consistent with amyloid production by the neoplastic epithelial cells.

Serious adverse events in research involving healthy volunteers are rare, but their impact on other volunteers is unknown. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 healthy volunteers at an institution where a healthy research volunteer died. Most volunteers (85%) had heard of the event, but few said it changed their thoughts about joining research (17%), approach to studies or questions asked (25%), or future participation (4%). Despite knowing few facts, respondents created narratives about the case that served to distance them from the event and justify their continued participation in research. Downward social comparison theory, optimistic bias, and feelings of responsibility and control may help explain these narratives. Findings underscore the importance of communication and understanding of research risks and protections.

Respiratory neoplasms are rare in birds. This report describes carcinoma of the bronchial epithelium in a red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) that presented with weakness and lethargy lasting 4 days that progressed to seizures. Grossly, the caudal air sac and coelomic cavity contained approximately 15 ml of dark brown cloudy fluid that displaced the intestines cranially. Nodular plaques were present on the viscera and air sacs. Microscopic examination of tissues revealed a mass that expanded the bronchial lumen and was composed of papillary proliferations of rows of small cuboidal epithelial cells that were small and uniform in size with a low mitotic index. Metastases were present on the surfaces of caudal air sac, kidney, and multifocal peritoneal surfaces of the coelomic cavity. Clinical signs were most likely the result of West Nile virus infection, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry of brain tissue.

Current motor vehicle crash (MVC) surveillance systems, in particular the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS), either do not contain sufficient numbers of children, or do not contain child-specific data needed to support policy and prevention efforts. The objective of this pilot study was to develop and evaluate methods that could be utilized for supplemental child-specific data collection on a sample of cases identified through the NASS-GES program. Procedures were developed to identify a sample of police accident reports (PARs) involving child occupants for supplemental collection of child-specific data via three survey modes: phone, web-based and hard-copy self administered. Contact was initiated with 650 eligible parent drivers and surveys were completed by 156 (24.0%). Response rates were highest for telephone-based surveys (41.0% of those initially contacted by phone). Surveys were completed via the web by only 6.1% of those invited to do so. Overall agreement between survey and PAR data was good to excellent. Results of this pilot study indicate that creating procedures to identify cases for supplemental child-specific data collection based on the NASS-GES system is feasible. In order to sustain a supplemental child-focused data collection system that relies on identification of cases from NASS-GES, efforts must be made to enhance contact procedures in order to optimize response rates.

Pregnancy is a well established protective factor against breast cancer. One explanation for protection is the increased differentiation status of the parous epithelium. However, this does not explain the association of parity with increased aggressiveness of breast cancers, particularly cancers that occur soon after pregnancy. Because tumor aggressiveness can be influenced by the cell population that surrounds the mammary epithelium, we examined the potential role of the immune system in establishing a long-term difference between the mammary glands of primiparous and virgin animals. Specific mRNA levels, enzyme activities and antigen expressing cells were quantified in primiparous and virgin mammary glands from Sprague-Dawley rats in diestrous. Our results show that macrophages, but not neutrophils or B-cells, are specifically increased in fully involuted glands compared with age-matched virgin mammary glands. Macrophages play a dual role in tumor progression, both opposing and supporting the process. Our finding of an increased macrophage population in the primiparous mammary gland could explain the dichotomy of the reported association of parity with decreased breast cancer incidence and increased breast cancer aggressiveness.

The present report describes a spontaneously developing, highly infiltrative, and expansile neoplasm in the mandible of a 9-month-old female Sprague Dawley rat. The lesion consisted of abundant odontogenic epithelium with induction of osteodentin in the adjacent mesenchyme and was classified therefore as an odontoameloblastoma. Odontoameloblastomas are reported uncommonly in domestic animals, and the histologic and histochemical features of this neoplasm are reported herein along with a review of the veterinary literature.

Background: School-based violence prevention programs have shown promise for reducing aggression and increasing children's prosocial behaviors. Prevention interventions within the context of urban after-school programs provide a unique opportunity for academic researchers and community stakeholders to collaborate in the creation of meaningful and sustainable violence prevention initiatives., Objectives: This paper describes the development of a collaborative between academic researchers and community leaders to design a youth violence prevention/leadership promotion program (PARTNERS Program) for urban adolescents. Employing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model, this project addresses the needs of urban youth, their families, and their community., Methods: Multiple strategies were used to engage community members in the development and implementation of the PARTNERS Program. These included focus groups, pilot testing the program in an after-school venue, and conducting organizational assessments of after-school sites as potential locations for the intervention., Results: Community members and academic researchers successfully worked together in all stages of the project development. Community feedback helped the PARTNERS team redesign the proposed implementation and evaluation of the PARTNERS Program such that the revised study design allows for all sites to obtain the intervention over time and increases the possibility of building community capacity and sustainability of programs., Conclusion: Despite several challenges inherent to CBPR, the current study provides a number of lessons learned for the continued development of relationships and trust among researchers and community members, with particular attention to balancing the demand for systematic implementation of community-based interventions while being responsive to the immediate needs of the community.

The filamentous basidiomycetous fungus, Oxyporus corticola, has not previously been reported in the human or veterinary medical literature. Identification of this organism as the etiologic agent of fungal osteomyelitis and multiorgan dissemination in a German shepherd dog was confirmed by comparison of ITS and D1/D2 sequences with known isolates.

A 7-year-old-spayed female standard poodle dog presented to the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with an 8-day history of lethargy, left hind limb lameness, ptyalism and peripheral lymphadenomegaly. On physical examination, the dog was lethargic, febrile (40.5 degrees C) and had multifocal to coalescing erythematous papular to pustular eruptions on the skin of all four limbs, periocularly and on the ventral and lateral thorax and abdomen. Histopathological findings from skin biopsies of the papules revealed a severe diffuse neutrophilic dermatitis with sub- and intra-epithelial pustules. Four days after being admitted the dog died from cardiac and respiratory failure. At necropsy, in addition to the multifocal to coalescing erythematous papules, the skin contained scattered pustules. Additionally, the subcutaneous tissue surrounding the right stifle was diffusely oedematous, and the peripheral and visceral lymph nodes were enlarged. The predominant histologic lesion was neutrophilic inflammation, in the absence of detectable bacteria in the skin, heart, lungs, oesophagus and left tarsus. In the absence of neoplasia or bacteraemia, a syndrome similar to Sweet's Syndrome should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs with cutaneous and extracutaneous neutrophilic infiltrates.

In spring of 2005, the authors implemented and evaluated a process at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in which third-year students evaluated fourth-year students' performances on an advanced case-analysis assignment. This assignment, called the case correlation assignment, required a thorough integration and explanation of all ante- and post-mortem data for a specific hospital patient. Using a 21-point rubric, the necropsy course instructor and third-year students rated these assignments. Fourth-year students' performances on this assignment were used as an indicator of the success of the pathology curriculum. The authors evaluated the assessment process for feasibility, reliability, and validity. Many-facet Rasch analysis was used to determine item, case, and rater agreement. The assessment process produced good agreement among items and cases (VM4 student competence). Furthermore, most third-year students were able to reliably rate the case correlation assignments with no special training. The evaluation process was cost effective and occurred in the context of regular course assignments, thereby making it feasible. A case can be made that the overall process provides a valid measure of the pathology program's success in preparing students in the area of veterinary pathology.

Objectives: To assess prevalence of victimization and perpetration of relationship violence before and during college, to explore variations by gender, and to examine differences by relationship type., Design: Anonymously surveyed students in 67 randomly chosen classes., Setting: Three urban college campuses., Participants: Nine hundred ten undergraduate college students aged 17 to 22 years., Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported victimization and perpetration of physical, emotional, and sexual violence; relationship to the victim or perpetrator., Results: Most (57.1%) students were female, and 58.7% were white, 16.4% black, and 15.1% Asian. Of 910 participants, 407 (44.7%) experienced partner or nonpartner violence: 383 (42.1%) reported victimization and 156 (17.1%) reported perpetration. All victimization and perpetration rates were highest before college. Emotional violence was most common before college (21.1%); during college, sexual and emotional violence were equally common (12.0% and 11.8%, respectively). Women reported more victimization than men, but male victimization was considerable (27.2%). More men perpetrated sexual violence; more women perpetrated physical violence. More than half (130 of 227) of the violence experienced during college was partner related. Students experiencing partner violence during college were more likely to experience physical and emotional violence and were less likely to experience sexual violence., Conclusions: Relationship violence is prevalent among college students and frequently occurs before college. Emotional violence was most frequent before college; sexual and emotional violence were equally common during college. Women reported more victimization than men, but male victimization was common. Men perpetrated more sexual violence; women perpetrated more physical violence. Physical violence and emotional violence were most often committed by partners, while sexual violence was less likely to be partner related.

Case Description: 5 horses were evaluated because of decreased appetite, weight loss, fever, cough, tachypnea, and respiratory distress., Clinical Findings: Tachycardia, tachypnea, increased respiratory effort, lethargy, fever, poor body condition, and nasal discharge were detected in various combinations on initial physical examination. Evaluation of the lower portion of the respiratory tract via radiography and ultrasonography revealed a severe nodular interstitial pattern. Histologic examination of lung tissue revealed interstitial expansion of alveolar parenchyma with collagen, intraluminal accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages within the alveoli, and occasional intranuclear inclusion bodies within alveolar macrophages. Equine herpesvirus type 5 was detected in samples of lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, or both via polymerase chain reaction assay in all cases. A diagnosis of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) was established., Treatment and Outcome: Horses were provided supportive treatment and were administered a variety of medications including corticosteroids and acyclovir. Two horses survived and returned to their previous level of activity. Three horses were euthanized because of either deterioration of clinical condition (n=2) or failure to improve within 4 weeks of initiation of treatment (1)., Clinical Relevance: EMPF should be considered as a differential diagnosis for adult horses with interstitial pneumonia and should be suspected on the basis of characteristic radiographic, ultrasonographic, and histopathologic findings. Equine herpesvirus type 5 is found in association with EMPF; although the exact pathogenic role this virus plays in EMPF is unknown, equine herpesvirus type 5 may be an etiologic agent or cofactor in the development of EMPF.

Orbital infection with Aspergillus fumigatus was diagnosed in a Persian cat that was presented with chronic third eyelid protrusion and exophthalmos. Evidence of nasal, sinus, or disseminated aspergillosis was not detected in this cat. Complete surgical excision of diseased tissues was not possible during orbital exenteration, and infection subsequently extended into the tissues of the oral cavity. Oral therapy with itraconazole and parenteral therapy with amphotericin B were ineffective in resolving the infection. Oral therapy with a novel triazole, posaconazole, was curative.

Case Description: A 7-year-old Siberian Husky-type dog with heterochromia irides was evaluated because of signs of pain associated with the right eye., Clinical Findings: Unilateral panuveitis, iris bombé, and secondary glaucoma were detected in the right eye. Tear production was low bilaterally. Facial and truncal poliosis and vitiligo were also evident; skin biopsy specimens were obtained from the nasal planum. Uveodermatologic syndrome was diagnosed on the basis of histopathologic findings of a lichenoid interface dermatitis and pigmentary incontinence within the dermis. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on skin samples retrospectively, and findings were inconclusive., Treatment and Outcome: Treatment involved topical (ocular) and oral administration of corticosteroids, oral administration of azathioprine, and topical (ocular) administration of a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and a lacrimostimulant. The secondary glaucoma was refractory to treatment, and the right eye was enucleated. Uveodermatologic syndrome was confirmed via histologic examination of ocular tissues. The left eye remained free of inflammation 16 months after the initial diagnosis. The periocular skin and skin of the nose partially regained pigment, but the hair did not., Clinical Relevance: Some breeds in which uveodermatologic syndrome has been reported (eg, Siberian Huskies, Old English Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, and Shetland Sheepdogs) often have heterochromia irides. This case highlights the fact that dogs with asymmetric uveal pigmentation may have unilateral ocular changes; therefore, uveodermatologic syndrome should not be excluded as a differential diagnosis on the basis of unilateral clinical signs.

A 10-year-old terrier crossbreed presented with a change in bark intonation of 3-4 month's duration and pronounced panting. Four variably sized masses were observed within the oral cavity. The largest mass was located within the parenchyma at the caudal region of the tongue. Others were located on the left arytenoid, within the soft palate, and in the oropharynx above the soft palate. Histopathologic specimens consisted of large round to polygonal cells occasionally containing multiple nuclei and rare faint cytoplasmic cross striations. Staining was weakly positive with periodic acid-Schiff. Immunocytochemistry was strongly diffusely positive for muscle-specific actin, myoglobin, and desmin and scattered positive for S-100 and vimentin. Phosphotungstic acid-hematoxylin staining enhanced cytoplasmic cross striations. The cytoplasm of all neoplastic cells was filled with mitochondria on electron microscopy. The final diagnosis was multifocal/metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma.

The efficacy of all-trans-retinoic acid (tRA) and all-trans-retinoyl beta-glucuronide (RAG), a water-soluble metabolite of vitamin A, in the topical treatment of acne is comparable. However, whereas 3.3 mM tRA shows side effects, 3.3 mM RAG does not. To assess the relative toxic and histologic effects (dermal and epidermal changes) of long-term (24-week) daily applications of tRA and RAG on the skin, separate skin patches were measured and marked dorsally on the skin of six 21-day-old, castrated male pigs. Each skin patch area was treated daily with a cream formulation containing either 3.3 mM RAG, 16.5 mM RAG, 33 mM RAG, 3.3 mM tRA, 16.5 mM tRA or blank cream. To serve as controls, one patch received no treatment, one patch received blank cream only and for 5.3 weeks one 'washed' patch was given daily application of 33 mM RAG with routine cleansing using a mild soap typical of skin care. The amount of cream used per square centimeter remained the same during the course of the study. Biopsy tissue was collected at -1, 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks from 7 test patches. The 'washed' patch was biopsied once at the 5.3-week mark. Topically applied RAG cream (3.3 mM) resulted in significantly lower histologic scores when compared with scores from tissue treated with an equimolar concentration of tRA. The highest concentration of RAG tested (33.3 mM) resulted in a response comparable to that observed in the lowest tRA (3.3 mM) treated patch area. Daily cleansing of the test area receiving 33.3 mM RAG completely eliminated any clinical signs or negative histologic changes. In conclusion, long-term topical tRA treatment in young pigs, as in humans, showed dose-dependent adverse effects on the skin, whereas RAG treatment had significantly lower histologic changes and less irritation and/or inflammation., (Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel)

The purpose of the study was to determine if neovascularization, a measure of angiogenesis, is correlated with metastasis of mammary tumors in dogs. Forty-six paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of benign and malignant canine mammary tumors obtained from 42 clinical cases at the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Veterinary Pathology. Of the dogs with malignant tumors, cases with and without lymph node metastasis were chosen. Neovascularization was quantified by light microscopy on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of canine mammary tumors using an avidin biotin immunoperoxidase assay for factor VIII-related antigen. Mean microvessel counts for each group were statistically evaluated using analysis of variance. The mean number of microvessels was highest in the malignant tumors of dogs with lymph node metastasis (44). This number was significantly different from the mean number of microvessels in the benign tumors (28; P = .03) and a trend occurred toward higher microvessel counts in malignant tumors with lymph node metastasis versus malignant tumors of dogs without metastasis (32; P = .1). No significant difference was found between the number of microvessels found in malignant tumors without metastasis versus benign tumors. The trend toward higher microvessel counts in mammary tumors that have metastasized supports the premise that angiogenesis may be an independent and significant prognostic indicator in dogs with malignant mammary tumors, as it is in women with breast cancer.

Increased endotracheal tube cuff pressure causes mucosal ischemia that can lead to necrosis, infection, and, eventually, tracheomalacia or tracheal stenosis. Endotracheally intubated patients frequently undergo portable chest radiography. In this study we explored the relationship of endotracheal tube cuff pressure and the appearance on the tracheal air columns on the portable chest radiograph. We measured the endotracheal tube cuff pressure of intensive care unit patients 124 times immediately before portable chest radiography. On 64 of these radiographs we measured the width of the tracheal air column below the tip of the endotracheal tube and at the maximal diameter of the endotracheal tube balloon. We then analyzed the relationship of cuff pressure to tracheal dilation. The results of ANOVA of tracheal dilation for three groups (safe, borderline, and unsafe cuff pressures) were significant. Large overlapping ranges existed in each group. Regression analysis confirmed a linear relationship between cuff pressure and tracheal dilation (r = 0.435, p < 0.001). Predicted tracheal expansion at 20 mm Hg was a poor screen for endotracheal tube cuff inflation safety; the sensitivity was only 56% and specificity only 71%. The differences in the capacity for tracheal distension between patients make these findings not unexpected. The portable chest radiograph is a poor screening tool for unsafe endotracheal tube cuff pressure.

A 14-year-old spayed female shepherd/collie crossbred dog had a 6 x 4-cm mass excised from below the right ear. The partially encapsulated, neoplastic mass had a necrotic core and was embedded in the mandibular salivary gland. Histologically, the mass was composed of numerous multinucleate giant cells and large, oval, pleomorphic cells that produced osteoid. Neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for vimentin and actin but not for keratin, desmin, or S-100 protein. At postmortem examination 1 month later, an 11-cm spherical mass had recurred at the surgical site, and there were metastatic nodules in the lungs, ipsilateral mandibular lymph nodes, and kidney. The tumor was diagnosed as an osteosarcoma of the mandibular salivary gland with pulmonary, lymphatic, and renal metastasis. In addition, a 17-year survey of canine salivary-gland neoplasms revealed that most were adenocarcinomas or carcinomas.

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1) evokes an intense fever, independent of a prostaglandin mechanism, and is now thought to play an important role in the defence response to bacterial pyrogens. The purpose of this study was 2-fold: (i) to determine whether the potent doublet of this cytokine, MIP-1beta, is actually produced in the brain in response to a pyrogenic dose of a lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli and (ii) to determine the anatomical site of synthesis of this cytokine in the brain. Following the intense fever produced by intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide in the unrestrained rat, MIP-1beta immunoreactivity was identified post mortem in two regions of the brain implicated in fever: the organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (OVLT) and the anterior hypothalamic, preoptic area (AH/POA). Microinjection of goat anti-mouse MIP-1beta antibody (anti-MIP-1beta) directly int the AH/POA markedly suppressed fever in rats in response to lipopolysaccharide. Further anti-MIP-1beta administered 180 min after the injection of lipopolysaccharide acted as an antipyretic and reversed the fever induced by the endotoxin. anti-MIP-1beta or control immunoglobulin G antibody microinjected into the hypothalamus immediately before the intraperitoneal injection of the control saline did not alter the temperature of the rats. Taken together, the present results demonstrate that MIP-1beta is produced in the brain in response to a bacterial endotoxin. These observations, in the light of earlier data on fever induced by MIP-1beta, further support the hypothesis that endogenously synthesized MIP-1beta acts as an intermediary factor in the evocation of fever by acting on the thermosensitive cells of the brain.