Digital Commons Network^™

Brief Report: Hepatitis B Vaccination Histories In Persons With Hiv Needing Revaccination, Minhee Kang, Triin Umbleja, Anchalee Avihingsanon, Sandra W Cardoso, Josphat Kosgei, Karen J Vigil, Ta Thi Dieu Ngan, Unoda Chakalisa, Stephanie Caruso, Kenneth E Sherman, Kristen M Marks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Past studies of hepatitis B vaccines in people with HIV (PWH) have shown mixed results about improving responses with increases in dose or dose frequency, leading to inconsistent guidelines and practice. We examined vaccine series completion and revaccinations in PWH lacking a seroprotective response.

Methods: Hepatitis B vaccination histories were evaluated as a retrospective study in 561 participants of A5379 trial (NCT04193189). Individuals in 41 sites in Africa, Asia, South America, and the United States qualified for the trial with antibody titers below the seroprotective level (< 10 mIU/mL) despite past hepatitis B vaccinations. The primary measure of interest was the number of vaccines in the past vaccination records.

Results: Of the 1098 trial candidates, 561 (51%) did not …

Quantitative Muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging Demonstrates Resolution Of Muscle Edema In Refractory Dermatomyositis: A Post Hoc Analysis Of A Proof-Of-Concept Clinical Trial Of Tofacitinib, Mona Dabiri, Anshula Nallapati, Marwin Groener, Patrick Debs, Jemima Albayda, Eleni Tiniakou, Lisa Christopher-Stine, Laura Fayad, Julie J Paik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To evaluate changes in muscle edema using short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) imaging and quantitative diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping in patients with refractory dermatomyositis (DM) treated with tofacitinib.

Methods: This post hoc imaging analysis included patients from a 12-week, open-label trial of tofacitinib 11 mg daily in refractory DM. Bilateral thigh magnetic resonance imaging was obtained at baseline and week 12 using standardized STIR, T1-weighted, and DWI sequences. Muscle edema (ME) and fascial edema were assessed qualitatively on STIR imaging. ADC values were measured in muscles demonstrating baseline STIR hyperintensity using three nonoverlapping regions of …

Race To Mitigate Aortic Dissection: Exercise, Pde5a, And The Dissecting Aorta, Siddharth K Prakash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Rapid Infusers On The Hemostatic Potential Of Cryoprecipitate Products, Connor D Purvis, Samantha Redden, Andrew Jacobson, Yao-Wei Wang, Julie Campbell, Jessica Cardenas, Jan-Michael Van Gent, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: In cases of massive transfusion, intravenous access can be limited. Additionally, delivering different products through separate lines and infusion methods adds unnecessary steps. RBC, plasma, and whole blood (WB) are delivered via rapid infusers; cryoprecipitate (CRYO) is infused through separate access and is not approved with these devices.

Study design and methods: We examined the impact of different transfusion methods on hemostatic performance and factor activity using two available CRYO products. Ten bags of CRYO, ten bags pathogen-reduced CRYO (Intercept® Fibrinogen Complex, IFC), and 20 units of WB were obtained. Each CRYO bag was infused with one unit of …

Estrogen As A Therapeutic Agent: Targeting Endotheliopathy And Coagulopathy In Trauma, Niruktha Raghavan, Mira Patel, Bryan A Cotton, Julia Coleman, Donald Jenkins

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Traumatic injury remains a leading cause of death, often due to uncontrolled hemorrhage and trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC). TIC is critically triggered by the endotheliopathy of trauma, involving endothelial cell injury and glycocalyx degradation. Despite conventional advances, the stable casualty rate underscores the urgent need for new precision resuscitation strategies that acknowledge factors like biological sex.

Design: The central hypothesis is that estrogen confers a survival advantage in hormonally active females through a dual action: endothelial cell stabilization (halting glycocalyx shedding) and its inherent procoagulant effect. The analysis assesses the therapeutic potential of both exogenous estrogen and female-derived blood products …

Declaring Futility After Traumatic Injury And The Burden Of Failure On The Surgeon, Jan-Michael Van Gent, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this edition of the THOR supplement in Transfusion, there are two articles that deal with resuscitation futility and transfusion. In one article, Yazer et al. delve into the details of the studies outlined in this editorial and summarize the literature on the topic of transfusion and futility. The second article by Dr. Jay Malone discusses the ethical issues surrounding massive transfusion and resuscitation. Taken together, these articles address the clinical and ethical issues surrounding this very emotive and difficult topic.

Antidepressant-Like Effects Of Extinction Learning As An Animal Model Of Behavioral Therapy, Jing Liu, Sarah E Bulin, David A Morilak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Exposure-based behavioral therapy, the most effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also reduces depressive symptoms. However, neurobiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of exposure-based behavioral therapy on depression remain unknown. Our lab has established fear extinction as a rat model of exposure therapy to investigate the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic behavioral effects in chronically stressed rats. In this study, we demonstrated that extinction learning reduced immobility in the forced-swim test and reversed chronic stress-induced reduction in sucrose preference. Chemogenetic inactivation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) prevented these antidepressant-like effects of extinction. Extinction learning enhanced …

Creating Space For New Ideas And Advancing Gender Equity In Physical Activity And Health Research: Reflections On The Nature Portfolio Physical Activity Series, Andrea Ramírez Varela, Deborah Salvo, Pedro C Hallal, Erica Hinckson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Computational Modeling Meets 3d Bioprinting: Emerging Synergies In Cardiovascular Disease Modeling, Tanmay Mukherjee, Mehdi Salar Amoli, Sarah Rezapourdamanab, Lama Rita El Shammas, Martin L Tomov, Emilio A Mendiola, Vahid Serpooshan, Reza Avazmohammadi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, underscoring the need for improved strategies in diagnosis, treatment, and disease modeling. Traditional in vitro models often fall short in replicating human CV physiology, prompting efforts to advance cardiac tissue engineering and computational modeling. Among these, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a transformative tool, enabling the creation of biomimetic CV constructs that more faithfully replicate native tissue structure and function. However, challenges persist in achieving appropriate mechanical properties and long-term performance of engineered CV constructs. Computational modeling offers powerful solutions to assist with these challenges, providing predictive insights into …

Are Drains After Trauma Splenectomy Associated With Organ Space Surgical Site Infections?, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Seokhun Kim, William D Rieger, Renee W Green, Gabrielle E Hatton, Lillian S Kao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Left upper quadrant (LUQ) drain use after trauma splenectomy varies, with minimal existing data to guide practice. We aimed to investigate the association of LUQ drains with organ space surgical site infection (OS-SSI) after splenectomy. We hypothesized that LUQ drains after trauma splenectomy are associated with increased odds of OS-SSI.

Patients and methods: A retrospective study of adult blunt trauma patients who underwent splenectomy from 7/2018 to 6/2024 was performed. We excluded patients who survived < 5 days after operation, and those with an intraoperatively identified pancreatic injury. Demographics, surgical details, and drain information were abstracted from the medical record. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance variables between patients who did and did not receive an LUQ drain after splenectomy. Multivariable logistic regression with IPTW was performed to estimate the association of LUQ drains with OS-SSI.

Results: Of 179 patients, 68% (n = 121) were male, the median age was 38 years (interquartile range 28, 55), and 27% (n = …

An Assessment Of Green Plasma: The In Vitro Hemostatic Superiority Of A Currently Discarded Blood Product, Samantha C Redden, David J Sun, Yao-Wei W Wang, Elizabeth Hartwell, Jessica C Cardenas, Scott D Olson, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Recent studies have linked trauma patient outcomes to the plasma donor's sex, with premenopausal females associated with improved survival and lower organ failure. Currently, green-colored plasma (due to oral contraceptive use) is removed from the donor pool. We set out to evaluate the hemostatic potential of green plasma.

Study design & methods: We obtained 90 units of plasma from our regional blood center: 30 units of visible green plasma and 60 units of standard-color plasma divided between male and female donors. We collected clinical data such as age, sex, ethnicity, and number of pregnancies. We then assessed the hemostatic …

Growth Hormone Pathway As A Prognostic And Therapeutic Biomarker In Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Radiation Therapy, Joe R Eid, Safa Kaseb, Lianchun Xiao, Ryan Sun, Mahesh Kumar Kannan, Manal Hassan, Asif Rashid, Hop S Tran Cao, Hesham M Amin, Eugene J Koay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) has emerged as an effective local therapy option for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with improved overall survival (OS). However, some patients still have poor outcomes after RT, and biomarkers are needed to stratify prognostic groups. High circulating growth hormone (GH) levels promote HCC proliferation and survival and are associated with aggressive disease. In this study, we evaluated whether pretreatment GH levels are associated with OS and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients who underwent RT for unresectable HCC.

Methods and materials: Patients undergoing RT for HCC during 2017-2023 were identified from a …

Gender Disparities Among General Surgeons: A Comprehensive Review, Julie Holihan, Devi Bavishi, Kush Brahmbhatt, Rebecca Franks, Zuhair Ali, Karla Bernardi, Christine Castillo, Mike Liang, Rachel Wong, Michele Loor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Unlike in-house call, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) does not require a postcall day for "home call" shifts. Despite this, we hypothesize that on-call residents are still in the hospital for the majority of their shift despite having the luxury of home call and, thus, are not protected by ACGME postcall duty hour regulations.

Methods: A prospective single center survey study was conducted by surveying junior and senior residents who completed overnight call shifts from January 2023 to April 2023 at one of the busiest level 1 trauma centers in the United States. Data include number …

Psychotropic Medications And Their Interactions With Subcortical Brain Volume In Bipolar Disorder: An Enigma Mega-Analysis, Sinead King, John O'Connor, Emma Corley, Giulia Tronchin, Elisa Fontana, Leila Nabulsi, Melody J Y Kang, Joaquim Radua, Brian Hallahan, Christoph Abé, Martin Alda, Dag Alnæs, Silvia Alonso-Lana, Silvia Amoretti, Jochen Bauer, Francesco Benedetti, Klaus Berger, Michael Berk, Erlend Bøen, Joscha Böhnlein, Birgitte Boye, Beatrice Bravi, Erick J Canales-Rodríguez, Udo Dannlowski, Caroline Demro, Annabella Di Giorgio, Ana M Diaz-Zuluaga, Torbjørn Elvsåshagen, Pauline Favre, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, María Florencia Forte, Janice M Fullerton, Lisa S Furlong, Susan L Rossell, David C Glahn, Benjamin I Goldstein, Ian H Gotlib, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Melissa J Green, Dominik Grotegerd, Oliver Gruber, Bartholomeus C M Haarman, Tim Hahn, Tomas Hajek, Leonie Hater, Marco Hermesdorf, Josselin Houenou, Fleur M Howells, James A Karantonis, Kody G Kennedy, Tilo Kircher, Anna Luisa Klahn, Maximilian Konowski, Bernd Krämer, Elijah Lahud, Rayus Kuplicki, Mikael Landén, Carlos López-Jaramillo, Bradley J Macintosh, Hannah Meinert, Susanne Meinert, Elisa M T Melloni, Philip B Mitchell, Benson Mwangi, Igor Nenadić, Bronwyn J Overs, Nadine Parker, Godfrey Pearlson, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, James J Prisciandaro, Yann Quidé, Gloria Roberts, Amanda Rodrigue, Elena Rodríguez-Cano, Lisa Rauer, Matthew D Sacchet, Raymond Salvador, Fabio Sambataro, Theodore D Satterthwaite, Jonathan Savitz, Freda Scheffler, Navid Schürmeyer, Chen Shen, Kang Sim, Jair C Soares, Aleix Solanes, Márcio Gerhardt Soeiro-De-Souza, Scott R Sponheim, Dan J Stein, Frederike Stein, Henk S Temmingh, Lea Teutenberg, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Snezana Urosevic, Tamsyn E Van Rheenen, Eduard Vieta, Lars T Westlye, Daniel H Wolf, Mon-Ju Wu, Lakshmi N Yatham, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Dara M Cannon, Paul M Thompson, Ole A Andreassen, Christopher R K Ching, Colm Mcdonald

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MRI studies in bipolar disorder (BD) have yielded inconsistent findings, partly due to the varied use of psychotropic medications. This study utilised a mega-analysis approach, accounting for concurrent medication status (syndrome-based and Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN) classifications), in order to assess the association of medication status with subcortical brain volumes in BD. Data from 2,664 BD patients and 4,065 controls (CN) were pooled from 34 research groups as part of the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group. Standardized ENIGMA protocols were used to measure subcortical brain volumes. Linear-mixed-effects regression evaluated the association between psychotropic medications and subcortical volumes, and moderation analyses explored …

Intravenous Buprenorphine Reversed Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression Without Precipitating Withdrawal In Emergency Department Patients, Anthony Spadaro, Nicholas Imperato, Jaclyn Scalgione, Cynthia Santos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Buprenorphine is a high-affinity partial agonist that can displace full opioid agonists and could be used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression. There is scant evidence to support the use of buprenorphine in an acute opioid overdose to reverse respiratory depression in the era of high fentanyl prevalence in the drug supply. This is a case series of four patients with signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose who showed clinical improvement after receiving intravenous buprenorphine.

Method: A case series of adult emergency department patients treated at a single urban academic medical center was reviewed by the authors, who determined …

Structural Brain Differences Associated With Panic Disorder: An Enigma-Anxiety Working Group Mega-Analysis Of 4924 Individuals Worldwide, Laura K M Han, Willem B Bruin, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Nynke A Groenewold, Kevin Hilbert, Anderson M Winkler, Andre Zugman, Takeshi Asami, Jacques P Barber, Francesco Benedetti, Robert J R Blair, Joscha Böhnlein, Paolo Brambilla, Fabian Breuer, Randy L Buckner, Robin Bülow, Monica E Calkins, Natalia Chechko, Udo Dannlowski, Katharina Dohm, Katharina Domschke, Thomas Dresler, Angelika Erhardt-Lehmann, Gregory A Fonzo, Andreas J Forstner, Hans J Grabe, Dominik Grotegerd, Raquel E Gur, Ruben C Gur, Catherine Harmer, David Hofmann, Odile A Van Den Heuvel, Neda Jahanshad, Tilo T J Kircher, Katharina Koch, Max A Laansma, Till Langhammer, Sang-Hyuk Lee, Elisabeth J Leehr, Eleonora Maggioni, Claire E Marino, Susanne Meinert, Hannah Meinert, Barbara Milrod, Benson Mwangi, Jared A Nielsen, Patricia Ohrmann, Spiro P Pantazatos, Martin P Paulus, Brenda W J H Penninx, Sara Poletti, Andrea Reinecke, Isabelle C Ridderbusch, Pavel Rjabtsenkov, Philipp G Sämann, Theodore D Satterthwaite, Lianne Schmaal, Elisabeth Schrammen, Jair C Soares, Nili Solomonov, Murray B Stein, Benjamin Straube, Thomas Straube, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Jordan W Smoller, Ardesheer Talati, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Carlos E Vazquez, Henry Völzke, Katharina Wittfeld, Mon-Ju Wu, Yunbo Yang, Giovana B Zunta Soares, Ulrike Lueken, Paul M Thompson, Daniel S Pine, Dan J Stein, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Dick J Veltman, Moji Aghajani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neuroanatomical findings on panic disorder (PD) are typically difficult to replicate, with inconsistent effects. These concerns prompted a paradigm shift towards large-scale collaborations, focused on harmonized data extraction and processing for robust examination of PD brain correlates. Hence, leveraging the largest-ever multi-site neuroimaging database on PD (Age: 10–66 years; global sites: 28), compiled by the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group, we report on cortical and subcortical differences in individuals with PD (N = 1146) versus healthy controls (HC: N = 3778). The analyses revealed lower thickness and smaller cortical surface area within fronto-temporo-parietal regions in PD (Cohen’s ds: −0.08–0.13), along with lower …

A Scoping Review Of The Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Gastric Pathologies, Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Library Staff Publications

Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional …

Factors Associated With Postpartum Depression Symptoms Following Antepartum Hospitalization, Alison N Goulding, Daniel Palacios, Sukru Aras, Hu Chen, Sasidhar Pasupuleti, Marika Toscano, Nicole Cirino, Israel C Christie, Zhandong Liu, Emily S Miller, Terri L Fletcher

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: Hospitalized antepartum patients are at increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Developing approaches to identify those at highest risk for PPD would enable timely and targeted intervention.

Objective: We aimed to identify factors associated with the development of PPD symptoms in hospitalized antepartum patients and to assess their predictive utility.

Study design: This retrospective cohort study included pregnant individuals hospitalized in a regional referral center due to medical or obstetric complications between 2012 and 2025. Data were extracted from the electronic health record, including demographics, medical and obstetric history, hospitalization characteristics, and postpartum Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores …

A Scoping Review Of The Associations Between Ascariasis, Helicobacter Pylori Infection And Gastric Pathologies, Nina L Tang, Jacob J Williams, Jennifer Stockton, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Jill E Weatherhead

Library Staff Publications

Ascaris infection-ascariasis-is the most common human parasitic worm infection worldwide and induces damage and cellular changes within the stomach. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium of the stomach that also causes gastric pathologies globally. Importantly, Ascaris, H. pylori, and gastric diseases all disproportionately affect individuals in resource-limited settings. However, the associations between ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric diseases remain relatively unexplored. We synthesized the existing research associating Ascaris infection with H. pylori infection and/or gastric pathologies. Records were identified in OVID Medline, Embase and Web of Science using search terms for ascariasis, H. pylori infection, and gastric abnormalities and additional …

Optical Coherence Tomography As An Emerging Technique For Identifying Pediatric Middle Ear Effusion, Roger Neuberger, Jeffrey Carter, Adriana Dives, Ana Sofia C Ibarrola, Maritsa Ixba, Elton Lambert, Yi-Chun Liu, Anna H Messner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) rely on accurate characterization of middle ear effusion (MEE). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a potential modality for noninvasive analysis of MEE, thereby assisting with otitis media diagnosis. This study aims to compare the diagnostic performance of OCT with otoscopy and tympanometry in pediatric patients.

Methods: A prospective convenience sample of 164 pediatric patients aged 6 months to 12 years was recruited from two tertiary care pediatric otolaryngology clinics. During their visit, each child underwent otoscopy, tympanometry, and OCT evaluation. Scans were reviewed by both a fellowship-trained pediatric otolaryngologist …

Derivation And Validation Of The Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia Severity (Pedcaps) Score: A Prospective Cohort Study, Todd A Florin, Ron Reeder, Lilliam Ambroggio, Richard M Ruddy, Samir S Shah, Allison Cator, Matthew J Lipshaw, Geoffrey A Capraro, Laura F Sartori, Amy Y Cheng, Leah Tzimenatos, Patrick S Walsh, Claudia R Morris, Chris A Rees, Son H Mclaren, Tamar R Lubell, Chari D Larsen, Justin Moher, Eileen J Klein, Shubhada Hooli, Nathan Kuppermann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a frequent and costly cause of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Previous prognostic tools for CAP are limited by small samples, single-center or retrospective designs, lack of generalizability to ED settings, lack of biomarkers, or limited objective data. To overcome these limitations, we will derive and externally validate a prediction rule for pediatric CAP severity in a large, multicenter prospective cohort.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of children 3 months to 18 years old with CAP who present to EDs within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Enrollment began 8/2023 …

The Impact Of Tracheal Intubation Attempts On Chest Compression Fraction During Pediatric Cpr: A Report From The Videography In Pediatric Resuscitation (Viper) Collaborative, Theerapon Jariyasakoolroj, Karen O'Connell, Thomas Macdonald, John Breslin, Jennifer Murphy, Crystal Macdonald, Tara Neubrand, Laura Rochford, Sage Myers, Benjamin Kerrey, Aaron Donoghue

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aim: To examine the association between tracheal intubation (TI) attempts and chest compression (CC) pauses on chest compression fraction (CCF) during pediatric CPR across a network of emergency departments.

Methods: Prospective observational cohort by the Videography in Pediatric Resuscitation (VIPER) Collaborative. Videorecorded CPR events were reviewed to measure CC pauses and characterize TI attempts. CCF was calculated as the proportion of time compressions were delivered during each event. Events were categorized based on whether TI-associated pauses occurred, and CCF was compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum testing.

Results: A total of 183 CPR events were included. The median event duration was 971 …

Immigration Enforcement In Protected Areas-Implications For Health And Equitable Access To Care, Eric A Russell, Carmelle Wallace

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Hepatopulmonary Syndrome As Presentation Of Pediatric Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis, Shruti Sakhuja, Stacey S Beer, Kalyani R Patel, Alexiss M Williams, Nhu Thao Galvan, John A Goss, Krupa R Mysore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Childhood obesity is rising and leading to serious co-morbidities, among which is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) predisposing individuals to cirrhosis. We describe a young 11-year-old Hispanic male who presented with hepatopulmonary syndrome secondary to cirrhotic portal hypertension from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), necessitating liver transplantation. Despite lifestyle modifications post-transplantation, the patient experienced persistent weight gain and recurrence of steatosis, emphasizing challenges of managing pediatric MASLD. The burden of childhood obesity is increasing and impacting children significantly earlier than previously believed. Our case is one of the few to report the severe complications of MASH in a young, pre-teen …

Exploring Bidirectionality In Global Health Partnerships: Perspectives From U.S. Pediatric Residency Programs, Anik Patel, Pauline Kamau, Justus Simba, Ashley Combs, Adelaide Barnes, Kathy Ferrer, Heather Haq, Duncan K Hau, Lee Morris, Brittany Murray, Amy Rule, Reena P Tam, Lisa Umphrey, Megan S Mchenry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction Despite growing interest, little guidance exists to re-evaluate global health partnerships (GHPs) through promoting bidirectionality. This study aims to understand the perspectives of United States (U.S.) pediatric global health (GH) faculty on institutional bidirectional practices to inform future discussions with international collaborators. Methods An internally, iteratively developed REDCap-based online survey (REDCap, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN), by our diverse author group, collected qualitative data from January 18 to February 20, 2023. Free-text responses were reviewed and coded inductively, with findings framed to generate themes for subsequent engagement with international partners. Results Of the 88 U.S. programs that identify as having …

2-Aminobutyrate Mediates The Impact Of Air Pollution On Blood Biomarkers Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Anum Saeed, Chris Mckennan, Jane E Clougherty, Peidi Zhou, Sheila Tripathy, Ellen J Kinnee, Jiaxuan Duan, Kevin Kip, Xuemei Zeng, Victor Villemagne, Tharick Pascoal, Mark Mapstone, Eric A Whitsel, Oscar I Lopez, Christie Ballantyne, Thomas K Karikari, Bing Yu, Steven Reis, Annie Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: We examined the impact of mid-life metabolites on late-life Alzheimer's disease (AD) plasma biomarkers and whether these metabolites mediate air pollution effects.

Methods: In the Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation (Heart SCORE) cohort, we applied high-dimensional regression and meditation models, adjusting for observed and latent confounders, with replication in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Exposures included mid-life fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, metals, and metabolites. Outcomes were: late-life plasma p-tau(181, 217, and 231) and amyloid beta 42/40 (Simoa assays).

Results: In the Heart SCORE study, seven lipid- and amnio acid-pathway metabolites measured in mid-life were …

Lp(A) Has Specific Effects On Coronary Artery Disease Independent Of Ldl-C: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Moa P Lee, Sarah H Koenigsberg, Mohammad Y Anwar, Laura M Raffield, Zhaotong Lin, Anna F Ballou, John N Booth, Thibaut Davy-Mendez, Helina Kassahun, Shia T Kent, J Antonio G López, Keri L Monda, Kari E North, Rina Yarosh, Christie M Ballantyne, Misa Graff, Christy L Avery

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Mendelian randomization studies suggest a causal effect of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Noncardiovascular effects (eg, diabetes risk) are inadequately investigated.

Objectives: In this noninterventional phenome-wide association study designed to better understand the potential causal role of Lp(a), direct causal phenotypic effects of exposure to Lp(a) were estimated. Also, the association between LPA null allele rs41272114 with type 2 diabetes was assessed, and ancestry-specific Lp(a) thresholds were determined.

Methods: In the UK Biobank (n = 425,677 adults, 55% female), we studied 1,456 phenotypes spanning 18 classes using 4 ancestry-specific polygenic risk scores and false discovery rate multiple testing …

Fructose: Metabolic Signal And Modern Hazard, Richard J Johnson, Miguel A Lanaspa, Dean R Tolan, Marcus D Goncalves, Samir Softic, Kimber L Stanhope, Laura G Sánchez-Lozada, Mark A Herman, Joshua D Rabinowitz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is much interest in the role of sweeteners such as table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup in obesity and metabolic disease. Both sweeteners consist of glucose and fructose, two six-carbon isomeric sugars. Whereas glucose ingestion may promote obesity through its effects to stimulate insulin secretion, fructose has unique metabolic effects that promote triglyceride synthesis and fat accumulation. These effects arise from fructose's well-known role as a signal of metabolic plenty. Under modern conditions of overnutrition, chronic excess fructose drives features of metabolic syndrome. Emerging evidence further links fructose to cancer and dementia. Here we review the biochemical, molecular …

Plasma Metabolites After 10-Weeks Of Glucose Vs Fructose-Sweetened Beverages In Subjects With Overweight/Obesity, Mélanie Guirette, Danielle E Haslam, Jiantao Ma, Peter J Havel, Kimber L Stanhope, Olga Ilkayeva, Christopher B Newgard, Nicola M Mckeown, Mark A Herman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To identify metabolites as potential biomarkers of fructose vs glucose consumption and related metabolic changes, we conducted exploratory metabolomic profiling of fasting blood samples from participants in a double-blind, parallel-arm trial involving 31 male and female adults with overweight or obesity, both before and after supplementation with glucose- or fructose-sweetened beverages. Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminatory Analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to identify metabolites that could discriminate between the 2 intervention groups. Changes in 16 metabolites (5 of which are branched-chain amino acid catabolic pathway metabolites) and the branched chain keto acid (BCKA) composite score showed nominal (FDR adjusted P-value …

Risk Factors When Considering Heart Transplants With Donors Aged 45 Or Above: Development Of A Novel Mortality Risk Score Using Unos Data, Anh Nguyen, Abbas Rana, Alexis Shafii, Gabriel Loor, Andrew Civitello, Todd Rosengart, Kenneth Liao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Current International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines support the use of donor hearts aged ≥45 if significant coronary artery disease is excluded and ischemic time remains < 4 hours. This study aimed to identify additional risk factors affecting patient survival and develop a risk score for recipients of older donor hearts.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult heart transplants using donors aged ≥45 from January 2000 to June 2024, using United Network for Organ Sharing data. Multivariable Cox regression identified risk factors for mortality, and the most significant variables were used to construct a risk score.

Results: Of 58,859 adult heart transplants, 9,843 (16.7%) involved donors aged ≥45. Recipient median age was 58 years (interquartile range, 51-64). One-, 5-, …