Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Guiding Post-Hospital Recovery By 'What Matters:' Implementation Of Patient Priorities Identification In A Va Community Living Center, Katherine C Ritchey, Laurence M Solberg, Sandra Wolfe Citty, Lea Kiefer, Erica Martinez, Caroline Gray, Aanand D Naik

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Patient priorities care (PPC) is an effective age-friendly health systems (AFHS) approach to aligning care with goals derived from 'what matters'. The purpose of this quality improvement program was to evaluate the fidelity and feasibility of the health priorities identification (HPI) process in VA Community Living Centers (CLC).

METHODS: PPC experts worked with local CLC staff to guide the integration of HPI into the CLC and utilized a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model for this quality improvement project. PPC experts reviewed health priorities identification (HPI) encounters and interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings for fidelity to the HPI process of PPC. Qualitative interviews …

Trends And Seasonality Of Emergency Department Visits And Hospitalizations For Suicidality Among Children And Adolescents In The Us From 2016 To 2021., Youngran Kim, Trudy Millard Krause, Scott D Lane

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: The detection of seasonal patterns in suicidality should be of interest to clinicians and US public health officials, as intervention efforts can benefit by targeting periods of heightened risk.

OBJECTIVES: To examine recent trends in suicidality rates, quantify the seasonality in suicidality, and demonstrate the disrupted seasonality patterns during the spring 2020 COVID-19-related school closures among US children and adolescents.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based, descriptive cross-sectional study used administrative claims data from Optum's deidentifed Clinformatics Data Mart Database. Participants included children aged 10 to 12 years and adolescents aged 13 to 18 years who were commercially insured …

Clinical And Demographic Factors Associated With Covid-19, Severe Covid-19, And Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Adults: A Secondary Cross-Protocol Analysis Of 4 Randomized Clinical Trials, Deborah A Theodore, Angela R Branche, Lily Zhang, Daniel S Graciaa, Madhu Choudhary, Timothy J Hatlen, Raadhiya Osman, Tara M Babu, Samuel T Robinson, Peter B Gilbert, Dean Follmann, Holly Janes, James G Kublin, Lindsey R Baden, Paul Goepfert, Glenda E Gray, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Karen L Kotloff, Cynthia L Gay, Brett Leav, Jacqueline Miller, Ian Hirsch, Jerald Sadoff, Lisa M Dunkle, Kathleen M Neuzil, Lawrence Corey, Ann R Falsey, Hana M El Sahly, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Yunda Huang

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: Current data identifying COVID-19 risk factors lack standardized outcomes and insufficiently control for confounders.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary cross-protocol analysis included 4 multicenter, international, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials with harmonized protocols established by the COVID-19 Prevention Network. Individual-level data from participants randomized to receive placebo within each trial were combined and analyzed. Enrollment began July 2020 and the last data cutoff was in July 2021. Participants included adults in stable health, at risk for SARS-CoV-2, and assigned to the placebo group …

Arsenic Metabolism, Diabetes Prevalence, And Insulin Resistance Among Mexican Americans: A Mendelian Randomization Approach, Margaret C Weiss, Yu-Hsuan Shih, Molly Scannell Bryan, Brian P Jackson, David Aguilar, Eric L Brown, Goo Jun, Craig L Hanis, Maria Argos, Robert M Sargis

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Differences in arsenic metabolism capacity may influence risk for type 2 diabetes, but the mechanistic drivers are unclear. We evaluated the associations between arsenic metabolism with overall diabetes prevalence and with static and dynamic measures of insulin resistance among Mexican Americans living in Starr County, Texas.

METHODS: We utilized data from cross-sectional studies conducted in Starr County, Texas, from 2010-2014. A Mendelian randomization approach was utilized to evaluate the associations between arsenic metabolism and type 2 diabetes prevalence using the intronic variant in the arsenic methylating gene, rs9527, as the instrumental variable for arsenic metabolism. To further assess mechanisms …

Arsenic Metabolism, Diabetes Prevalence, And Insulin Resistance Among Mexican Americans: A Mendelian Randomization Approach, Margaret C Weiss, Yu-Hsuan Shih, Molly Scannell Bryan, Brian P Jackson, David Aguilar, Eric L Brown, Goo Jun, Craig L Hanis, Maria Argos, Robert M Sargis

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Differences in arsenic metabolism capacity may influence risk for type 2 diabetes, but the mechanistic drivers are unclear. We evaluated the associations between arsenic metabolism with overall diabetes prevalence and with static and dynamic measures of insulin resistance among Mexican Americans living in Starr County, Texas.

METHODS: We utilized data from cross-sectional studies conducted in Starr County, Texas, from 2010-2014. A Mendelian randomization approach was utilized to evaluate the associations between arsenic metabolism and type 2 diabetes prevalence using the intronic variant in the arsenic methylating gene, rs9527, as the instrumental variable for arsenic metabolism. To further assess mechanisms …

A Systematic Review Of Interventions To Promote Hpv Vaccination Globally, Cam Escoffery, Courtney Petagna, Christine Agnone, Stephen Perez, Lindsay B Saber, Grace Ryan, Meena Dhir, Swathi Sekar, Katherine A Yeager, Caitlin B Biddell, Purnima Madhivanan, Stephanie Lee, Amanda S English, Lara Savas, Eliza Daly, Thuy Vu, Maria E Fernandez

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Despite the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine being a safe, effective cancer prevention method, its uptake is suboptimal in the United States (U.S.). Previous research has found a variety of intervention strategies (environmental and behavioral) to increase its uptake. The purpose of the study is to systematically review the literature on interventions that promote HPV vaccination from 2015 to 2020.

METHODS: We updated a systematic review of interventions to promote HPV vaccine uptake globally. We ran keyword searches in six bibliographic databases. Target audience, design, level of intervention, components and outcomes were abstracted from the full-text articles in Excel databases. …

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization Of Septated Chronic Subdural Hematomas, Juan Carlos Martinez-Gutierrez, Salvatore A D'Amato, Hussein A Zeineddine, Michael I Nahhas, Matthew J Kole, Hyun Woo Kim, Youngran Kim, Bryden H Dawes, Peng Roc Chen, Spiros L Blackburn, Sunil A Sheth, Gary Spiegel, Ching-Jen Chen, Ashutosh Mahapatra, Ryan S Kitagawa, Mark J Dannenbaum

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a promising new treatment for patients with chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH). Its efficacy, however, upon the subtype with a high rate of recurrence-septated cSDH-remains undetermined.

METHODS: From our prospective registry of patients with cSDH treated with MMAE, we classified patients based on the presence or absence of septations. The primary outcome was the rate of recurrence of cSDH. Secondary outcomes included a reduction in cSDH thickness, midline shift, and rate of reoperation.

RESULTS: Among 80 patients with 99 cSDHs, the median age was 68 years (IQR 59-77) with 20% females. Twenty-eight …

Partial Support In Chronic Heart Failure, Bart Meyns, Walter Droogne, Steven Jacobs

The VAD Journal

Partial left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support offers several advantages in treating chronic heart failure. It also raises concerns about insufficient support, worsening symptoms, and impediment of myocardial recovery. The clinical trial results for the CircuLite device (Medtronic) have shown that close monitoring can ensure improved outcomes for partial support. Another study on the ovine model demonstrated that partial and full support have similar effects regarding reverse remodeling. Thus, patients receiving partial LVAD support need regular follow-up care. Clinical assessment of symptoms and organ function must be used alongside objective judgment of patients’ needs to ensure support levels are appropriately …

Colocalization Of Linezolid Resistance (, Nikita V Singh, Kavindra V Singh, An Q Dinh, Cesar A Arias, William C Shropshire, Blake M Hanson, Barbara E Murray

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Shared Care Networks Assisting Older Adults: New Insights From The National Health And Aging Trends Study, Mengyao Hu, Vicki A Freedman, Sarah E Patterson, Nora Lewis

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Caregiving research often assumes older adults receiving care have a primary caregiver who provides the bulk of care. Consequently, little is known about the extent to which care responsibilities are shared more evenly within a care network, the characteristics associated with sharing, or the consequences for meeting older adults' care needs.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyze a sample of U.S. older adults receiving care from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (n = 2,398). Based on variables reflecting differences in care hours, activities, and care provided by the whole network, we create network typologies …

Microbiome Alteration Via Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Effective For Refractory Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Colitis, Taylor M Halsey, Anusha S Thomas, Tomo Hayase, Weijie Ma, Hamzah Abu-Sbeih, Baohua Sun, Edwin Roger Parra, Zhi-Dong Jiang, Herbert L Dupont, Christopher Sanchez, Rawan El-Himri, Alexandria Brown, Ivonne Flores, Lauren Mcdaniel, Miriam Ortega Turrubiates, Matthew Hensel, Dung Pham, Stephanie S Watowich, Eiko Hayase, Chia-Chi Chang, Robert R Jenq, Yinghong Wang

Journal Articles

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) target advanced malignancies with high efficacy but also predispose patients to immune-related adverse events like immune-mediated colitis (IMC). Given the association between gut bacteria with response to ICI therapy and subsequent IMC, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) represents a feasible way to manipulate microbial composition in patients, with a potential benefit for IMC. Here, we present a large case series of 12 patients with refractory IMC who underwent FMT from healthy donors as salvage therapy. All 12 patients had grade 3 or 4 ICI-related diarrhea or colitis that failed to respond to standard first-line (corticosteroids) and second-line …

Highlights Of The 2022 Brano Heart Failure Forum: Part Two, Ugolino Livi, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2022 BHFF forum was held on the 6^th thru 8^th of September 2022 in Trieste, Italy. It was attended by over 94 faculty from 14 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 17 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Adverse Birth Outcomes Of Adolescent And Young Adult Women Diagnosed With Cancer During Pregnancy, Andrea C Betts, L Aubree Shay, Philip J Lupo, Sandi L Pruitt, Michael E Roth, Marlyn A Allicock, Barbara A Cohn, Caitlin C Murphy

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: We examined adverse birth outcomes among adolescent and young adult women diagnosed with cancer (AYA women, ages 15-39 years) during pregnancy.

METHODS: We linked data from the Texas Cancer Registry, vital records, and Texas Birth Defects Registry to identify all singleton births to AYA women diagnosed during pregnancy from January 1999 to December 2016. We compared prevalence of adverse live birth outcomes between AYA women and women without cancer (matched 1:4 on age, race and ethnicity, and year). Among AYA women, we used log-binomial regression to identify factors associated with these outcomes. Statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS: AYA women …

Hyperthermic Extracorporeal Applied Tumor Therapy (Heatt®) In Advanced Unresponsive Cancer, Joseph B. Zwischenberger, Peyton Skaggs, Katherine Breetz, Jan Winetz, Roger Vertrees

Journal of Shock and Hemodynamics

Hyperthermia has been utilized for cancer therapy, including metastatic cancer, for decades with isolated success. Previous research has indicated that the elevated temperature of 42°C induces cell death, apoptosis, or senescence of responsive cancers, providing a mechanism for tumor destruction and management. Veno-venous perfusion-induced systemic hyperthermia (V-V PISH) may be the key to improving advanced tumor responsiveness to previously failed chemotherapy and/or radiation as combination therapy. The most recent iteration of V-V PISH, Hyperthermic Extracorporeal Applied Tumor Therapy (HEATT®), provides homogeneous heating of all tissues with electrolyte and pH control and continues to prove safe and effective. The utilization of …

An Epidemic Model With Time Delays Determined By The Infectivity And Disease Durations, Masoud Saade, Samiran Ghosh, Malay Banerjee, Vitaly Volpert

Journal Articles

We propose an epidemiological model with distributed recovery and death rates. It represents an integrodifferential system of equations for susceptible, exposed, infectious, recovered and dead compartments. This model can be reduced to the conventional ODE model under the assumption that recovery and death rates are uniformly distributed in time during disease duration. Another limiting case, where recovery and death rates are given by the delta-function, leads to a new point-wise delay model with two time delays corresponding to the infectivity period and disease duration. Existence and positiveness of solutions for the distributed delay model and point-wise delay model are proved. …

Heart And Timi Scores Predict Severe Coronary Atherosclerosis In Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease, Trishna B Parikh, Moez Aziz, Samuel P Mackoff, Gabriel M Aisenberg

Journal Articles

Objectives History, EKG, age, risk factors, and troponin (HEART) and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) risk calculators have been validated to predict the risk of subsequent acute coronary syndromes and in some studies, severe coronary atherosclerosis in patients with a concerning clinical history. Their performance in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a population with a high pretest probability for the condition, is unknown. We aimed to determine whether HEART and TIMI scores can predict severe coronary atherosclerosis in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods A single-center retrospective cohort of admitted patients aged 18 years or older with ESRD …

Changes In Local Tissue Microenvironment In Response To Subcutaneous Long-Acting Delivery Of Tenofovir Alafenamide In Rats And Non-Human Primates, Fernanda P Pons-Faudoa, Nicola Di Trani, Simone Capuani, Nathanael Hernandez, Anthony M Wood, Bharti Nehete, Jean Niles, Kathryn A Shelton, Sarah Kezar, Lane R Bushman, Corrine Ying Xuan Chua, Michael M Ittmann, Peter L Anderson, Pramod N Nehete, Roberto C Arduino, Joan E Nichols, Alessandro Grattoni

Journal Articles

Several implantable long-acting (LA) delivery systems have been developed for sustained subcutaneous administration of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a potent and effective nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor used for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). LA platforms aim to address the lack of adherence to oral regimens, which has impaired PrEP efficacy. Despite extensive investigations in this field, tissue response to sustained subcutaneous TAF delivery remains to be elucidated as contrasting preclinical results have been reported in the literature. To this end, here we studied the local foreign body response (FBR) to sustained subdermal delivery of three forms of TAF, namely TAF free base …

Association Of Diet Quality With Metabolic (Dysfunction) Associated Fatty Liver Disease In Veterans In Primary Care, Natalia I Heredia, Aaron P Thrift, David J Ramsey, Rohit Loomba, Hashem B El-Serag

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Diet is associated with metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), but the dietary composition associated with MAFLD risk has not been well-examined.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the association of two healthy eating indices with the presence and severity of MAFLD in a sample of Veterans in a primary care setting.

METHODS: This was a single center cross-sectional study using a random stratified sample of Veterans enrolled in primary care. Participants underwent a Fibroscan and completed an interviewer-administered Diet History Questionnaire II from which we calculated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score. …

Data To Action: Community-Based Participatory Research To Address Concerns About Metal Air Pollution In Overburdened Neighborhoods Near Metal Recycling Facilities In Houston., Elaine Symanski, Heyreoun An Han, Sheryl Mccurdy, Loren Hopkins, Juan Flores, Inkyu Han, Mary Ann Smith, James Caldwell, Cecelia Fontenot, Bobbie Wyatt, Christine Markham

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Exposures to environmental contaminants can be influenced by social determinants of health. As a result, persons living in socially disadvantaged communities may experience disproportionate health risks from environmental exposures. Mixed methods research can be used to understand community-level and individual-level exposures to chemical and nonchemical stressors contributing to environmental health disparities. Furthermore, community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches can lead to more effective interventions.

OBJECTIVES: We applied mixed methods to identify environmental health perceptions and needs among metal recyclers and residents living in disadvantaged neighborhoods near metal recycling facilities in Houston, Texas, in a CBPR study, Metal Air Pollution Partnership …

Evolving Landscape Of Carbapenem-Resistant, Aki Sakurai, An Q Dinh, Blake M Hanson, William C Shropshire, Samie A Rizvi, Kirsten Rydell, Truc T Tran, Audrey Wanger, Cesar A Arias, William R Miller

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: The increased identification of carbapenem-resistant

METHODS: A total of 169 CR-PA isolated from clinical specimens at a single centre in Houston, TX, USA were studied. Among them, 61 isolates collected between 1999 and 2005 were defined as historical strains, and 108 collected between 2017 and 2018 were defined as contemporary strains. Antimicrobial susceptibilities against selected β-lactams was determined. WGS data were used for the identification of antimicrobial resistance determinants and phylogenetic analysis.

RESULTS: Non-susceptibility to ceftolozane/tazobactam and ceftazidime/avibactam increased from 2% (1/59) to 17% (18/108) and from 7% (4/59) to 17% (18/108) from the historical to the contemporary collection, …

An Integrated Cell Atlas Of The Lung In Health And Disease, Lisa Sikkema, Ciro Ramírez-Suástegui, Daniel C Strobl, Tessa E Gillett, Luke Zappia, Elo Madissoon, Nikolay S Markov, Laure-Emmanuelle Zaragosi, Yuge Ji, Meshal Ansari, Marie-Jeanne Arguel, Leonie Apperloo, Martin Banchero, Christophe Bécavin, Marijn Berg, Evgeny Chichelnitskiy, Mei-I Chung, Antoine Collin, Aurore C A Gay, Janine Gote-Schniering, Baharak Hooshiar Kashani, Kemal Inecik, Manu Jain, Theodore S Kapellos, Tessa M Kole, Sylvie Leroy, Christoph H Mayr, Amanda J Oliver, Michael Von Papen, Lance Peter, Chase J Taylor, Thomas Walzthoeni, Chuan Xu, Linh T Bui, Carlo De Donno, Leander Dony, Alen Faiz, Minzhe Guo, Austin J Gutierrez, Lukas Heumos, Ni Huang, Ignacio L Ibarra, Nathan D Jackson, Preetish Kadur Lakshminarasimha Murthy, Mohammad Lotfollahi, Tracy Tabib, Carlos Talavera-López, Kyle J Travaglini, Anna Wilbrey-Clark, Kaylee B Worlock, Masahiro Yoshida, Maarten Van Den Berge, Yohan Bossé, Tushar J Desai, Oliver Eickelberg, Naftali Kaminski, Mark A Krasnow, Robert Lafyatis, Marko Z Nikolic, Joseph E Powell, Jayaraj Rajagopal, Mauricio Rojas, Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen, Max A Seibold, Dean Sheppard, Douglas P Shepherd, Don D Sin, Wim Timens, Alexander M Tsankov, Jeffrey Whitsett, Yan Xu, Nicholas E Banovich, Pascal Barbry, Thu Elizabeth Duong, Christine S Falk, Kerstin B Meyer, Jonathan A Kropski, Dana Pe'er, Herbert B Schiller, Purushothama Rao Tata, Joachim L Schultze, Sara A Teichmann, Alexander V Misharin, Martijn C Nawijn, Malte D Luecken, Fabian J Theis

Journal Articles

Single-cell technologies have transformed our understanding of human tissues. Yet, studies typically capture only a limited number of donors and disagree on cell type definitions. Integrating many single-cell datasets can address these limitations of individual studies and capture the variability present in the population. Here we present the integrated Human Lung Cell Atlas (HLCA), combining 49 datasets of the human respiratory system into a single atlas spanning over 2.4 million cells from 486 individuals. The HLCA presents a consensus cell type re-annotation with matching marker genes, including annotations of rare and previously undescribed cell types. Leveraging the number and diversity …

Stool-Based Tests Mitigate Impacts Of Covid-19 On Colorectal Cancer Screening, Po-Hong Liu, Amit G Singal, Caitlin C Murphy

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study To Examine Covariates And Effects Of Concurrent And Simultaneous Use Of Electronic Cigarettes And Marijuana Among College Students, Anne Buu, James J Yang, Tzung-Shiang Ou, Joon Kyung Nam, Ganghui Suh, Hsien-Chang Lin

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of concurrent and simultaneous use of e-cigarette and marijuana among college students is high. Yet, the literature was mainly based on cross-sectional surveys with emphasis on the smoking route. This is the first ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study that examined the vaping route of nicotine-marijuana co-use and the associated short-term psychological effects.

METHODS: This study recruited 686 college student e-cigarette users to participate in an on-line survey and 7-day EMA. Frequent marijuana users (247) - using marijuana weekly or daily - were compared with infrequent/non-users (439) on academic performance, e-cigarette use patterns, and dependence and respiratory symptoms. …

Bovine Lactoferrin For The Prevention Of Covid-19 Infection In Health Care Personnel: A Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial (Lf-Covid), Rafaella Navarro, Jose Luis Paredes, Lourdes Tucto, Carlos Medina, Eddie Angles-Yanqui, Juan Carlos Nario, Jorge Ruiz-Cabrejos, Juan Luis Quintana, Kevin Turpo-Espinoza, Fernando Mejia-Cordero, Meylin Aphang-Lam, Jorge Florez, Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar, Theresa Jean Ochoa

Journal Articles

Lactoferrin (LF) has in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to determine the effect of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care personnel. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in two tertiary hospitals that provide care to patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Lima, Peru. Daily supplementation with 600 mg of enteral bLF versus placebo for 90 days was compared. Participants were weekly screened for symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular testing was performed on suspected episodes. A serological test was obtained from all participants …

The Effects Of Gender And Country Of Origin On Acculturation, Psychological Factors, Lifestyle Factors, And Diabetes-Related Physiological Outcomes Among Mexican Americans: The Starr County Diabetes Prevention Initiative, Sharon A Brown, Heather A Becker, Alexandra A García, Mary M Velasquez, Hirofumi Tanaka, Mary A Winter, William B Perkison, Eric L Brown, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: Examine acculturation and psychological, lifestyle, and physiological factors based on gender and country of origin (U.S. vs. Mexico).

METHODS: Baseline data from the Starr County diabetes prevention study (

RESULTS: Participants were: predominantly female (73%); 51 years of age, on average; born in Mexico (71%); and Spanish-speaking. Individuals spent 11 of their waking hours (range = 0-18 h) in sedentary activities. Compared to females, more males spoke English and reported fewer hours in sedentary activities. Compared to participants born in Mexico, those born in the U.S. were more likely to: speak English; report depressive symptoms; and exhibit elevated BMI …

Highlights Of The 2022 Brano Heart Failure Forum: Part One, Ugo Livi, Rajko Radovancevic, Bojan Vrtovec, Igor D. Gregoric

The VAD Journal

Since 2007, the Branislav “Brano” Radovancevic Heart Failure Forum (BHFF) has been held annually to provide a venue for experts to present and discuss “Innovations and New Treatment Strategies in Heart Failure.” Clinicians and researchers gather yearly in a different Eastern European city to discuss the latest in heart failure diagnostics and therapeutics. The 2022 BHHF forum was held on the 6^th thru 8^th of September 2022 in Trieste, Italy. It was attended by over 94 faculty from 14 countries. In addition, participation through online streaming was available. Throughout the forum, 17 sessions focused on challenges and solutions …

Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis Of Human Metabolome In Multi-Ethnic Populations, Elena V Feofanova, Michael R Brown, Taryn Alkis, Astrid M Manuel, Xihao Li, Usman A Tahir, Zilin Li, Kevin M Mendez, Rachel S Kelly, Qibin Qi, Han Chen, Martin G Larson, Rozenn N Lemaitre, Alanna C Morrison, Charles Grieser, Kari E Wong, Robert E Gerszten, Zhongming Zhao, Jessica Lasky-Su, Bing Yu

Journal Articles

Circulating metabolite levels may reflect the state of the human organism in health and disease, however, the genetic architecture of metabolites is not fully understood. We have performed a whole-genome sequencing association analysis of both common and rare variants in up to 11,840 multi-ethnic participants from five studies with up to 1666 circulating metabolites. We have discovered 1985 novel variant-metabolite associations, and validated 761 locus-metabolite associations reported previously. Seventy-nine novel variant-metabolite associations have been replicated, including three genetic loci located on the X chromosome that have demonstrated its involvement in metabolic regulation. Gene-based analysis have provided further support for seven …

Hiv-1 Transmission Among Injecting Drug Users Is Principally Derived From Local Circulating Strains In Guangxi, China, Ping Cen, Hua Yue Liang, Yuan Yang, Fei Zhang, Shi Xiong Yang, Ju Cong Mo, Yi Feng, Jie Gang Huang, Chuan Yi Ning, Chun Yuan Huang, Yao Yang, Na Liang, Bing Yu Liang, Li Ye, Hao Liang

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: The mode of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission

METHODS: We performed a molecular epidemiological investigation of infections across Guangxi from 2009 to 2019. Phylogenetic and Bayesian time-geographic analyses of HIV-1 sequences were performed to confirm the characteristics of transmission between IDUs in combination with epidemiological data.

RESULTS: Among the 535 subjects, CRF08_BC (57.4%), CRF01_AE (28.4%), and CRF07_BC (10.7%) were the top 3 HIV strains; 72.6% of infections were linked to other provinces in the transmission network; 93.6% of sequence-transmitted strains were locally endemic, with the rest coming from other provinces, predominantly Guangdong and Yunnan; 92.1% of the HIV transmission …

Co-Delivery Of Therapeutics And Bioactive Gas Using A Novel Liposomal Platform For Enhanced Treatment Of Acute Arterial Injury, Shao-Ling Huang, Melanie R Moody, Xing Yin, David D Mcpherson, Hyunggun Kim

Journal Articles

Atherosclerosis is a complex, multi-stage disease characterized by pathological changes across the vascular wall. Endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, hypoxia, and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation contribute to its progression. An effective strategy capable of delivering pleiotropic treatment to the vascular wall is essential to limit neointimal formation. Echogenic liposomes (ELIP), which can encapsulate bioactive gases and therapeutic agents, have the potential to deliver enhanced penetration and treatment efficacy for atherosclerosis. In this study, liposomes loaded with nitric oxide (NO) and rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist, were prepared using hydration, sonication, freeze-thawing, and pressurization. The efficacy of this delivery system was …

How Does Facilitation In Healthcare Work? Using Mechanism Mapping To Illuminate The Black Box Of A Meta-Implementation Strategy, Amy M Kilbourne, Elvin Geng, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson, Shannon Sweeney, Donna Shelley, Deborah J Cohen, Joann E Kirchner, Maria E Fernandez, Michael L Parchman

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Healthcare facilitation, an implementation strategy designed to improve the uptake of effective clinical innovations in routine practice, has produced promising yet mixed results in randomized implementation trials and has not been fully researched across different contexts.

OBJECTIVE: Using mechanism mapping, which applies directed acyclic graphs that decompose an effect of interest into hypothesized causal steps and mechanisms, we propose a more concrete description of how healthcare facilitation works to inform its further study as a meta-implementation strategy.

METHODS: Using a modified Delphi consensus process, co-authors developed the mechanistic map based on a three-step process. First, they developed an initial …