Virtual reality (VR) technology is being used in an increasing number of applications, but we sometimes perceive surface properties differently in real and virtual environments. To evaluate how well virtual platforms support realistic lightness perception, we measured lightness constancy for 12 observers in three conditions - in a physical scene, in VR, and on a 2D flat-panel display. Observers performed a lightness matching task where they adjusted the match patch until it appeared to be the same shade of gray color as a reference patch. We found significantly greater Thouless ratios in the physical condition (mean±95% confidence interval: 0.87±0.04) than in the flat-panel condition (0.79±0.08). However, lightness constancy levels were not significantly different in the VR condition (0.83±0.08) than in the physical condition or the flat-panel condition. Our results suggest that VR can be a flexible alternative to flat panel displays and a reasonable proxy for real environments.

INTRODUCTION: We described patients and care partners experiences with Alzheimers disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker testing and result disclosure in routine care. METHODS: IMPACT-AD BC is an observational study of clinic patients who underwent AD CSF biomarker testing as part of their routine medical care (n = 142). In the personal utility arm of the study, semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with a subset of patients (n = 34), and separately with their care partners (n = 31). Post-disclosure interviews were conducted ∼1 month and ∼6 months after biomarker result disclosure and investigated the patients decision-making process around testing, impact of receiving results, wellness and lifestyle changes, and future planning. RESULTS: A majority of patients (90%) rated their decision to undergo testing as easy. Post-disclosure, the majority (82%) reported overall positive feelings from having greater certainty and the ability to plan ahead, and results spurred them to adopt/continue healthy behaviors such as exercise (84%) and cognitive activities (54%). Care partners expressed relief from having more diagnostic certainty, increased appreciation of future caregiving responsibilities, and a desire to connect with support resources. DISCUSSION: Perspectives of persons with lived experience in dementia provide new insight into the value of biomarker testing and should be included as part of evidence-guided considerations for pre-test counseling and result disclosure. Moreover, study findings identify an interval when patients and care partners are highly receptive to positive lifestyle and medical interventions.

INTRODUCTION: In the Investigating the Impact of Alzheimers Disease Diagnostics in British Columbia (IMPACT-AD BC) study, we aimed to understand how Alzheimers disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker testing-used in medical care-impacted medical decision-making (medical utility), personal decision-making (personal utility), and health system economics. METHODS: The study was designed as an observational, longitudinal cohort study. A total of 149 patients were enrolled between February 2019 and July 2021. Patients referred to memory clinics were approached to participate if their dementia specialist ordered AD CSF biomarker testing as part of their routine medical care, and the clinical scenario met the appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture and AD CSF biomarker testing. For the medical utility pillar, detailed clinical management plans were collected via physician questionnaires pre- and post-biomarker disclosure. RESULTS: Patients with completed management questionnaires (n = 142) had a median age of 64 (interquartile range: 59-69) years, 48% were female, and 60% had CSF biomarker profiles on the AD continuum. Clinical management changed in 89.4% of cases. AD biomarker testing was associated with decreased need for other diagnostic procedures, including brain imaging (-52.0%) and detailed neuropsychological assessments (-63.2%), increased referrals and counseling (57.0%), and guided AD-related drug prescriptions (+88.4% and -50.0% in biomarker-positive and -negative cases, respectively). DISCUSSION: AD biomarker testing was associated with significant and positive changes in clinical management, including decreased health care resource use, therapy optimization, and increased patient and family member counseling. While certain changes in management were linked to the AD biomarker profile (e.g., referral to clinical trials), the majority of changes were independent of baseline clinical presentation and level of cognitive impairment, demonstrating a broad value for AD biomarker testing in individuals meeting the appropriate use criteria for testing.

Understanding the aberrant transcriptional landscape of neuroblastoma is necessary to provide insight to the underlying influences of the initiation, progression and persistence of this developmental cancer. Here, we present chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data for the oncogenic transcription factors, MYCN and MYC, as well as regulatory histone marks H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27Ac, and H3K27me3 in ten commonly used human neuroblastoma-derived cell line models. In addition, for all of the profiled cell lines we provide ATAC-Seq as a measure of open chromatin. We validate specificity of global MYCN occupancy in MYCN amplified cell lines and functional redundancy of MYC occupancy in MYCN non-amplified cell lines. Finally, we show with H3K27Ac ChIP-Seq that these cell lines retain expression of key neuroblastoma super-enhancers (SE). We anticipate this dataset, coupled with available transcriptomic profiling on the same cell lines, will enable the discovery of novel gene regulatory mechanisms in neuroblastoma.

Pediatric burn injuries can alter the trajectory of the survivor's entire life. Patient-centered outcome measures are helpful to assess unique physical and psychosocial needs and long-term recovery. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework to measure pediatric burn outcomes in survivors aged 5 to 12 years as a part of the School-Aged Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation Computer Adaptive Test (SA-LIBRE5-12 CAT) development. This study conducted a systematic literature review guided by the WHO International Classification of Functioning-Child and Youth and domains in the American Burn Association/Shriners Hospitals for Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire5-18. Interviews with eight parents and seven clinicians were conducted to identify important domains in child recovery. One clinician focus group with four clinicians was completed to identify gaps in the preliminary framework, and semiweekly expert consensus meetings were conducted with three experts to solidify the framework. Qualitative data were analyzed by grounded theory methodology. Three major thematic outcome domains emerged: 1) Physical Functioning: fine motor and upper extremity, gross motor and lower extremity, pain, skin symptoms, sleep and fatigue, and physical resilience; 2) Psychological Functioning: cognitive, behavioral, emotional, resilience, and body image; and 3) Family and Social Functioning: family relationships, and parental satisfaction, school, peer relations, and community participation. The framework will be used to develop item banks for a CAT-based assessment of school-aged children's health and developmental outcomes, which will be designed for clinical and research use to optimize interventions, personalize care, and improve long-term health outcomes for burned children.

Modern, reliable, and valid outcome measures are essential to understanding the health needs of young children with burn injuries. Burn-specific and age-appropriate legacy assessment tools exist for this population but are hindered by the limitations of existing paper-based instruments. The purpose of this study was to develop item pools comprised of questions appropriate for children aged 1-5 with burn injuries. Item development was based on a framework provided by previous work to develop the Preschool Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE) Conceptual Model. The Preschool LIBRE Conceptual Model work established four sub-domains of functioning for children with burns aged 1-5. Item development involved a systematic literature review, a qualitative item review process with clinical experts, and parent cognitive interviews. Four item pools were established: (1) communication and language development; (2) physical functioning; (3) psychological functioning and (4) social functioning for preschool-aged children with burn injuries. We selected and refined candidate items, recall periods, survey instructions, and response option choices through clinical and parental feedback during the qualitative review and cognitive interview processes. Item pools are currently being field-tested as part of the process to calibrate and validate the Preschool_1-5 LIBRE Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) Profile.

Accelerating cures for children with cancer remains an immediate challenge as a result of extensive oncogenic heterogeneity between and within histologies, distinct molecular mechanisms evolving between diagnosis and relapsed disease, and limited therapeutic options. To systematically prioritize and rationally test novel agents in preclinical murine models, researchers within the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium are continuously developing patient-derived xenografts (PDXs)-many of which are refractory to current standard-of-care treatments-from high-risk childhood cancers. Here, we genomically characterize 261 PDX models from 37 unique pediatric cancers; demonstrate faithful recapitulation of histologies and subtypes; and refine our understanding of relapsed disease. In addition, we use expression signatures to classify tumors for TP53 and NF1 pathway inactivation. We anticipate that these data will serve as a resource for pediatric oncology drug development and will guide rational clinical trial design for children with cancer.