Digital Commons Network^™

Clinical Classification Of Variants In The Valosin-Containing Protein Gene Associated With Multisystem Proteinopathy, Marianela Schiava, Jil Daw, Conrad Chris Weihl, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pathogenic variants in the valosin-containing protein (

METHODS: A 6-item clinical score was developed to evaluate the phenotypic level of evidence to support the pathogenicity of the novel variants. Each item is allocated a value, a score ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 points. A receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to identify a cutoff value of 3 to consider a variant as high likelihood disease associated. The scoring system results were confronted with results of in vitro ATPase activity assays and with in silico analysis.

RESULTS: All variants were missense, except for one small deletion-insertion, 18 led to …

The Effect Of Glycemic Control On Left Ventricular Function In Clinical And Experimental Diabetes, Steven J Lavine, Petar Prcevski

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Glycemic control in diabetes mellitus (DM) has not improved cardiovascular outcomes with normal left ventricular (LV) function. We assessed the effect on LV dysfunction using a canine model of LV dysfunction and DM, and in patients with DM and LV dysfunction.

METHODS: Chronic LV dysfunction was produced by coronary microsphere embolization in 34 canines (15-25 kg). Following 8 weeks of stabilization, DM was induced in 24 canines and randomized to good or poor glycemic control for 3 months. Ten canines without DM were controls. Hemodynamic and Doppler echocardiographic data were obtained prior to and following pressure loading. We reviewed …

Identifying Contributors To Disparities In Patient Access Of Online Medical Records: Examining The Role Of Clinician Encouragement, Bryan A Sisk, Sunny Lin, Joyce Joy E Balls-Berry, Argentina E Servin, Jennifer W Mack

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the influence of clinician encouragement and sociodemographic factors on whether patients access online electronic medical records (EMR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 3279 responses from the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 cycle 4 survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey administered by the National Cancer Institute. Frequencies and weighted proportions were calculated to compare clinical encouragement and access to their online EMR. Using multivariate logistic regression, we identified factors associated with online EMR use and clinician encouragement.

RESULTS: In 2020, an estimated 42% of US adults accessed their online EMR and …

Neratinib + Fulvestrant + Trastuzumab For Hr-Positive, Her2-Negative, Her2-Mutant Metastatic Breast Cancer: Outcomes And Biomarker Analysis From The Summit Trial, K Jhaveri, H Park, C Ma, R Bose, L Peterson, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: HER2 mutations are targetable alterations in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In the SUMMIT basket study, patients with HER2-mutant MBC received neratinib monotherapy, neratinib + fulvestrant, or neratinib + fulvestrant + trastuzumab (N + F + T). We report results from 71 patients with HR+, HER2-mutant MBC, including 21 (seven in each arm) from a randomized substudy of fulvestrant versus fulvestrant + trastuzumab (F + T) versus N + F + T.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with HR+ HER2-negative MBC with activating HER2 mutation(s) and prior cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) therapy received N + …

Col1a1::Pdgfb Fusion-Associated Uterine Sarcoma And Response To Imatinib: A Case Report, Udita Chapagain, Hannah R Krigman, Ian S Hagemann, Mia C Weiss, Lulu Sun

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Uterine sarcomas are rare neoplasms of the uterus, some of which are associated with distinctive gene fusions.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Improves Outcome In Myelodysplastic Syndrome Across High-Risk Genetic Subgroups: Genetic Analysis Of The Blood And Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 1102 Study, Jurjen Versluis, Peter Westervelt, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) improves overall survival (OS). We evaluated the impact of MDS genetics on the benefit of HCT in a biological assignment (donor

METHODS: We performed targeted sequencing in 309 patients age 50-75 years with International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) intermediate-2 or high-risk MDS, enrolled in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 1102 study and assessed the association of gene mutations with OS. Patients with

RESULTS: The distribution of gene mutations was similar in the donor and no donor arms, with

CONCLUSION: HCT improved OS compared with non-HCT …

Investigating Weekend Effect In The Management Of Upper And Lower Extremity Degloving Injuries, Kaamya Varagur, Janessa Sullivan, Sarah N. Chiang, Gary B. Skolnick, Justin M. Sacks, Joani M. Christensen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Weekend presentation has been associated with adverse outcomes in emergent conditions, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and critical limb ischemia. We examine whether a weekend effect exists in the management of and outcomes after extremity degloving injuries.

METHODS: The cohort included adults presenting with open extremity degloving injuries to a tertiary level one trauma center between June 2018 and May 2022. We collected demographics, comorbidities, injury information, interventions, and complications. Propensity score weighting was used to minimize confounding differences between those presenting on weekends (Sat-Sun) versus weekdays (Mon-Fri). Weighted regressions were used to examine differences in interventions by day of …

Factors Associated With Shorter-Interval Cervical Cancer Screening For Young Women In Three United States Healthcare Systems, Anne Marie Mccarthy, Jasmin A Tiro, Ellen Hu, Sarah Ehsan, Jessica Chubak, Aruna Kamineni, Sarah Feldman, Steven J Atlas, Michelle I Silver, Sarah Kobrin, Jennifer S Haas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Frequently changing cervical cancer screening guidelines over the past two decades have been inconsistently adopted in the United States. Current guidelines set the recommended screening interval to three years for average-risk women aged 21-29 years. Few studies have evaluated how patient and provider factors are associated with implementation of cervical cancer screening intervals among younger women. This study evaluated multilevel factors associated with screening interval length among 69,939 women aged 21-29 years with an initial negative Pap screen between 2010 and 2015 across three large health systems in the U.S. Shorter-interval screening was defined as a second screening Pap within …

Peripheral Nodular Enhancement In Adrenal And Renal Hematomas: A Report Of 3 Cases, Gentry Russell, Pooja Navale, Daniel R Ludwig, Benjamin S Strnad, Malak Itani

2020-Current year OA Pubs

There are a wide range of benign and malignant pathologies that the radiologist may encounter in the adrenal glands and kidneys, often incidentally when imaging is performed for other indications. Many imaging modalities including CT, MR, and US are often used in an attempt to characterize these lesions. A definitive radiological diagnosis, however, is not always possible. This is at times due to atypical presentations of typical lesions which may be mistaken for more aggressive or concerning pathologic conditions. Adrenal lesions that do not demonstrate characteristic benign imaging features might require surgical excision. Similarly, cystic renal lesions that demonstrate nodular …

The Impact Of Adding Cost Information To A Conversation Aid To Support Shared Decision Making About Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Treatment: Results Of A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomised Trial, Mary C Politi, Rachel C Forcino, Katelyn Parrish, Marie-Anne Durand, A James O'Malley, Rachel Moses, Krista Cooksey, Glyn Elwyn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Decision aids help patients consider the benefits and drawbacks of care options but rarely include cost information. We assessed the impact of a conversation-based decision aid containing information about low-risk prostate cancer management options and their relative costs.

METHODS: We conducted a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial in outpatient urology practices within a US-based academic medical center. We randomised five clinicians to four intervention sequences and enroled patients newly diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer. Primary patient-reported outcomes collected postvisit included the frequency of cost conversations and referrals to address costs. Other patient-reported outcomes included: decisional conflict postvisit and at 3 …

Comprehensive Mr Imaging Qa Of 0.35 T Mr-Linac Using A Multi-Purpose Large Fov Phantom: A Single-Institution Experience, Shanti Marasini, Hailei Zhang, Lara Dyke, Mike Cole, Benjamin Quinn, Austen Curcuru, Bruce Gu, Rocco Flores, Taeho Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Magnetic resonance-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) is desired for the treatment of diseases in the abdominothoracic region, which has a broad imaging area and continuous motion. To ensure accurate treatment delivery, an effective image quality assurance (QA) program, with a phantom that covers the field of view (FOV) similar to a human torso, is required. However, routine image QA for a large FOV is not readily available at many MRgRT centers. In this work, we present the clinical experience of the large FOV MRgRT Insight phantom for periodic daily and monthly comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-QA and its feasibility compared to …

Rationale And Design Of A Randomised Phase Iii Registration Trial Investigating Finerenone In Participants With Type 1 Diabetes And Chronic Kidney Disease: The Fine-One Trial, Hiddo J L Heerspink, Janet B Mcgill, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: Despite guideline-recommended treatments, including renin angiotensin system inhibition, up to 40 % of individuals with type 1 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease (CKD) putting them at risk of kidney failure. Finerenone is approved to reduce the risk of kidney failure in individuals with type 2 diabetes. We postulate that finerenone will demonstrate benefits on kidney outcomes in people with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS: FINE-ONE (NCT05901831) is a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase III trial of 7.5 months' duration in ∼220 adults with type 1 diabetes, urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) of ≥ 200-< 5000 mg/g (≥ 22.6-< 565 mg/mmol) and eGFR of ≥ 25-< 90 ml/min/1.73 m

RESULTS: The primary endpoint is relative change in …

Predicting Severe Disease In Patients Diagnosed With Seasonal Influenza In The Emergency Department, Michael J Pajor, Satish Munigala, Dan Reynolds, Julie Zeigler, Danaye Gebru, Phillip V Asaro, Steven J Lawrence, Stephen Y Liang, Philip A Mudd

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop an evidence-based tool to risk stratify patients diagnosed with seasonal influenza in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of all adult patients diagnosed with influenza in a large tertiary care ED between 2008 and 2018. We evaluated demographics, triage vital signs, chest x-ray and laboratory results obtained in the ED. We used univariate and multivariate statistics to examine the composite primary outcome of death or need for intubation. We validated our findings in patients diagnosed between 2018 and 2020.

RESULTS: We collected data from 3128 subjects; 2196 in the …

The Vcam1-Apoe Pathway Directs Microglial Chemotaxis And Alleviates Alzheimer's Disease Pathology, Shun-Fat Lau, Wei Wu, Hiu Yi Wong, Li Ouyang, Yi Qiao, Jiahui Xu, Jessica Hiu-Yan Lau, Carlton Wong, Yuanbing Jiang, David M Holtzman, Amy K Y Fu, Nancy Y Ip

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), sensome receptor dysfunction impairs microglial danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) clearance and exacerbates disease pathology. Although extrinsic signals, including interleukin-33 (IL-33), can restore microglial DAMP clearance, it remains largely unclear how the sensome receptor is regulated and interacts with DAMP during phagocytic clearance. Here, we show that IL-33 induces VCAM1 in microglia, which promotes microglial chemotaxis toward amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque-associated ApoE, and leads to Aβ clearance. We show that IL-33 stimulates a chemotactic state in microglia, characterized by Aβ-directed migration. Functional screening identified that VCAM1 directs microglial Aβ chemotaxis by sensing Aβ plaque-associated ApoE. Moreover, we found …

Organizational Preparedness For The Use Of Large Language Models In Pathology Informatics, Steven N Hart, Noah G Hoffman, Peter Gershkovich, Chancey Christenson, David S Mcclintock, Lauren J Miller, Ronald Jackups, Vahid Azimi, Nicholas Spies, Victor Brodsky

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In this paper, we consider the current and potential role of the latest generation of Large Language Models (LLMs) in medical informatics, particularly within the realms of clinical and anatomic pathology. We aim to provide a thorough understanding of the considerations that arise when employing LLMs in healthcare settings, such as determining appropriate use cases and evaluating the advantages and limitations of these models. Furthermore, this paper will consider the infrastructural and organizational requirements necessary for the successful implementation and utilization of LLMs in healthcare environments. We will discuss the importance of addressing education, security, bias, and privacy concerns associated …

In Silico Trial Of Simulation-Free Hippocampal-Avoidance Whole Brain Adaptive Radiotherapy, Alex T Price, Kylie H Kang, Francisco J Reynoso, Eric Laugeman, Christopher D Abraham, Jiayi Huang, Jessica Hilliard, Nels C Knutson, Lauren E Henke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) can be a time-consuming process compared to conventional whole brain techniques, thus potentially limiting widespread utilization. Therefore, we evaluated the

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients previously treated for central nervous system cancers with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging were included in this study. The CBCT was the adaptive image-of-the-day to simulate first fraction on-board imaging. Initial contours defined on the MRI were rigidly matched to the CBCT. Online ART was used to create treatment plans at first fraction. Dose-volume metrics of these simulation-free plans were compared to standard-workflow HA-WBRT plans on each …

Role Of The Peripheral Nervous System In Skeletal Development And Regeneration: Controversies And Clinical Implications, Mohamed G Hassan, Allison L Horenberg, Ariella Coler-Reilly, Warren L Grayson, Erica L Scheller

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines the diverse functional relationships that exist between the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and bone, including key advances over the past century that inform our efforts to translate these discoveries for skeletal repair.

RECENT FINDINGS: The innervation of the bone during development, homeostasis, and regeneration is highly patterned. Consistent with this, there have been nearly 100 studies over the past century that have used denervation approaches to isolate the effects of the different branches of the PNS on the bone. Overall, a common theme of balance emerges whereby an orchestration of both local and systemic …

Interrater Reliability Of Motor Severity Scales For Hemifacial Spasm, Ha Yeon Lee, Ingyun Park, Minnie P Luu, Jerry Zhao, Jeanne P Vu, Elizabeth Cisneros, Brian D Berman, H A Jinnah, Han-Joon Kim, Catherine Y Liu, Joel S Perlmutter, Sarah Pirio Richardson, Anne Weissbach, Glenn T Stebbins, David A Peterson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To compare the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of five clinical rating scales for video-based assessment of hemifacial spasm (HFS) motor severity. We evaluated the video recordings of 45 HFS participants recruited through the Dystonia Coalition. In Round 1, six clinicians with expertise in HFS assessed the participants' motor severity with five scales used to measure motor severity of HFS: the Jankovic rating scale (JRS), Hemifacial Spasm Grading Scale (HSGS), Samsung Medical Center (SMC) grading system for severity of HFS spasms (Lee's scale), clinical grading of spasm intensity (Chen's scale), and a modified version of the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (Tunc's scale). …

Optimizing The Utility Of Anorectal Manometry For Diagnosis And Therapy: A Roundtable Review And Recommendations, Satish S C Rao, Gregory S Sayuk, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Anorectal manometry (ARM) is a comprehensive diagnostic tool for evaluating patients with constipation, fecal incontinence, or anorectal pain; however, it is not widely utilized for reasons that remain unclear. The aim of this roundtable discussion was to critically examine the current clinical practices of ARM and biofeedback therapy by physicians and surgeons in both academic and community settings.

METHODS: Leaders in medical and surgical gastroenterology and physical therapy with interest in anorectal disorders were surveyed regarding practice patterns and utilization of these technologies. Subsequently, a roundtable was held to discuss survey results, explore current diagnostic and therapeutic …

Derivation, Validation, And Clinical Relevance Of A Pediatric Sepsis Phenotype With Persistent Hypoxemia, Encephalopathy, And Shock, L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, Tellen D. Bennett, Emily K. Stroup, Yuan Luo, Mihir Atreya, Juliane Bubeck-Wardenburg, Grace Chong, Alon Geva, E. Vincent S. Faustino, Reid W. Farris, Mark W. Hall, Colin Rogerson, Sareen S. Shah, Scott L. Weiss, Robinder G. Khemani

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Untangling the heterogeneity of sepsis in children and identifying clinically relevant phenotypes could lead to the development of targeted therapies. Our aim was to analyze the organ dysfunction trajectories of children with sepsis-associated multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) to identify reproducible and clinically relevant sepsis phenotypes and determine if they are associated with heterogeneity of treatment effect (HTE) to common therapies.

DESIGN: Multicenter observational cohort study.

SETTING: Thirteen PICUs in the United States.

PATIENTS: Patients admitted with suspected infections to the PICU between 2012 and 2018.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We used subgraph-augmented nonnegative matrix factorization to …

Polygenic Risk Score Predicts Risk Of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ming-Hsi Wang, Jessica J Friton, Laura E Raffals, Jonathan A Leighton, Shabana F Pasha, Michael F Picco, Kelly Monroe, Billy D Nix, Rodney D Newberry, William A Faubion

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Forty distinct primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) genomic loci have been identified through multiancestry meta-analyses. The polygenic risk score (PRS) could serve as a promising tool to discover unique disease behaviour, like PSC, underlying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

AIM: To test whether PRS indicates PSC risk in patients with IBD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mayo Clinic and Washington University at St Louis IBD cohorts were used to test our hypothesis. PRS was modelled through the published PSC loci and weighted with their corresponding effect size. Logistic regression was applied to predict the PSC risk.

RESULTS: In total, 63 (5.6%) among 1130 …

Difelikefalin Suppresses Itch And Reduces Scratching Independent Of Inflammation In A Murine Model Of Atopic Dermatitis, Masato Tamari, Lydia Zamidar, Aaron M Ver Heul, Kristine Nograles, Joana Goncalves, Emma Guttman-Yassky, Mark Lebwohl, Brian S Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Therapies specifically targeting nonhistaminergic pruritus are largely lacking. Difelikefalin (DFK) has been found to reduce itch in various chronic pruritic conditions, including atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the ability of DFK to impact scratching behavior, inflammatory mediators, and neuronal signaling in a murine model of AD.

METHODS: The ears of C57BL/6 mice were topically treated with MC903 for 12 consecutive days to induce AD-like inflammation and itch. Before MC903 treatment, mice were treated with either DFK (0.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection twice daily) or vehicle (saline). Skin ear thickness, histological analysis, flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, and differential gene …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Screening From Three U.S. Healthcare Settings, Jennifer C Spencer, Jane J Kim, Jasmin A Tiro, Sarah J Feldman, Sarah C Kobrin, Celette Sugg Skinner, Lei Wang, Anne Marie Mccarthy, Steve J Atlas, Sandi L Pruitt, Michelle I Silver, Jennifer S Haas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This study sought to characterize racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer screening and follow-up of abnormal findings across 3 U.S. healthcare settings.

METHODS: Data were from 2016 to 2019 and were analyzed in 2022, reflecting sites within the Multi-level Optimization of the Cervical Cancer Screening Process in Diverse Settings & Populations Research Center, part of the Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process consortium, including a safety-net system in the southwestern U.S., a northwestern mixed-model system, and a northeastern integrated healthcare system. Screening uptake was evaluated among average-risk patients (i.e., no previous abnormalities) by race and ethnicity as …

Leveraging Cd4 Cell Count At Entry Into Care To Monitor Success Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention, Treatment, And Public Health Programming In The Greater St Louis Area Between 2017 And 2020, Lindsey M Filiatreau, Aaloke Mody, Daniel Vo, Cory Bradley, Aditi Ramakrishnan, Julia López, Jane O'Halloran, Anne Trolard, William G Powderly, Elvin H Geng

2020-Current year OA Pubs

CD4 cell count at entry into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care is a useful indicator of success of multiple steps in HIV public health programming. We demonstrate that CD4 cell count at care initiation was stable in St Louis between 2017 and 2019 but declined in 2020. Missouri efforts in the Ending the HIV Epidemic plan should focus on rapidly identifying individuals with undiagnosed HIV infection.

New Devices In Glaucoma, Lilian Chan, Marlene R Moster, Amanda K Bicket, Arsham Sheybani, Steven R Sarkisian, Thomas W Samuelson, Iqbal Ike K Ahmed, Eydie Miller-Ellis, Oluwatosin U Smith, Qi N Cui

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glaucoma remains a leading cause of blindness globally. Minimally invasive treatment techniques are rapidly expanding the availability of therapeutic options for glaucoma. These include devices aimed at enhancing outflow through the subconjunctival space, Schlemm's canal, and suprachoroidal space, sustained-release drug delivery devices, and extraocular devices aiming to reduce glaucomatous progression through other novel means. In this review, we provide an overview of several novel devices either newly available or in development for the medical and surgical management of glaucoma. Further studies are required to determine the long-term efficacy of these devices and how they will integrate into the current landscape …

Blocking The Functional Domain Of Tip1 By Antibodies Sensitizes Cancer To Radiation Therapy, Abhay K Singh, David Ya Dadey, Michael J Rau, James Fitzpatrick, Harendra K Shah, Minakshi Saikia, Reid Townsend, Dinesh Thotala, Dennis E Hallahan, Vaishali Kapoor

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and glioblastoma (GB) have poor prognoses. Discovery of new molecular targets is needed to improve therapy. Tax interacting protein 1 (TIP1), which plays a role in cancer progression, is overexpressed and radiation-inducible in NSCLC and GB. We evaluated the effect of an anti-TIP1 antibody alone and in combination with ionizing radiation (XRT) on NSCLC and GB in vitro and in vivo. NSCLC and GB cells were treated with anti-TIP1 antibodies and evaluated for proliferation, colony formation, endocytosis, and cell death. The efficacy of anti-TIP1 antibodies in combination with XRT on tumor growth was measured in mouse …

Intra-Individual Variability Adaptively Increases Following Inhibition Training During Middle Childhood, Roser Cañigueral, Keertana Ganesan, Claire R Smid, Abigail Thompson, Nico U F Dosenbach, Nikolaus Steinbeis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

There is ongoing debate on the relationship between intra-individual variability (IIV) of cognitive processes and task performance. While psychological research has traditionally assumed that lower intra-individual variability (IIV) aids consistent task performance, some studies suggest that greater IIV can also be adaptive, especially when flexible responding is required. Here we selectively manipulate inhibitory control (Stopping) and response speed (Going) by means of a training paradigm to 1) assess how this manipulation impacts Stopping IIV and its relationship to task performance, and 2) replicate previous findings showing that reductions in Going IIV are adaptive. A group of 208 6-13-year-old children were …

Pancreatic Tail Cancer In The Setting Of Pancreatitis With A Review Of The Literature: A Case Report, Shinji Rho, Sooyoung Martin, Zack Nigogosyan, Vladimir Kushnir, Aaron J Mintz, Zishuo Ian Hu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Environmental risk factors for pancreatic cancer include acute and chronic pancreatitis, obesity, and tobacco use. Differentiating a pancreatic neoplasm in a patient with pancreatitis can be challenging due to their similar presentations. A 57-year-old African American man with a history of congestive heart failure, pancreatitis, and incomplete pancreas divisum presented with an epigastric abdominal pain that radiated to his back. Imaging showed necrotizing pancreatitis, a developing splenic infarct, and a mass at the pancreas tail. The patient was discharged with pain medications and was recommended follow-up imaging after resolution of his pancreatitis. He was readmitted to the emergency department 2 …

Knowledge, Beliefs, And Practices Related To Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Infection And Vaccination In Healthcare Personnel Working At Nonacute Care Facilities, Armaghan-E-Rehman Mansoor, Caroline A O'Neil, David Mcdonald, Victoria J Fraser, Hilary M Babcock, Jennie H Kwon, Cdc Prevention Epicenters Program

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: To characterize experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of risk related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), infection prevention practices, and COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare personnel (HCP) at nonacute care facilities.

DESIGN: Anonymous survey.

SETTING: Three non-acute-care facilities in St. Louis, Missouri.

PARTICIPANTS: In total, 156 HCP responded to the survey, for a 25.6% participation rate). Among them, 32% had direct patient-care roles.

METHODS: Anonymous surveys were distributed between April-May 2021. Data were collected on demographics, work experience, COVID-19 exposure, knowledge, and beliefs about infection prevention, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, COVID-19 vaccination, and the impact of COVID-19.

RESULTS: Nearly all respondents …

First-In-Human Phase I/Ib Study Of Niz985, A Recombinant Heterodimer Of Il-15 And Il-15rα, As A Single Agent And In Combination With Spartalizumab In Patients With Advanced And Metastatic Solid Tumors, Rom Leidner, Kevin Conlon, Douglas G Mcneel, Andrea Wang-Gillam, Sumati Gupta, Robert Wesolowski, Monica Chaudhari, Nadia Hassounah, Jong Bong Lee, Lang Ho Lee, Jessica A O'Keeffe, Nancy Lewis, George N Pavlakis, John A Thompson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Preclinically, interleukin-15 (IL-15) monotherapy promotes antitumor immune responses, which are enhanced when IL-15 is used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This first-in-human study investigated NIZ985, a recombinant heterodimer comprising physiologically active IL-15 and IL-15 receptor α, as monotherapy and in combination with spartalizumab, an anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (anti-PD-1) monoclonal antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

METHODS: This phase I/Ib study had two dose-escalation arms: single-agent NIZ985 administered subcutaneously thrice weekly (TIW, 2 weeks on/2 weeks off) or once weekly (QW, 3 weeks on/1 week off), and NIZ985 TIW or QW administered subcutaneously plus spartalizumab (400 …