Digital Commons Network^™

Trends In Diagnosis Related Groups For Inpatient Admissions And Associated Changes In Payment From 2012 To 2016, Ty J. Gluckman, Kateri J. Spinelli, Mansen Wang, Amir Yazdani, Gary Grunkemeier, Steven M. Bradley, Jason H. Wasfy, Abhinav Goyal, Andrew Oseran, Karen E. Joynt Maddox

Open Access Publications

Importance: Hospitals are reimbursed based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs), which are defined, in part, by patients having 1 or more complications or comorbidities within a given DRG family. Hospitals have made substantial investment in efforts to document these complications and comorbidities.

Objective: To examine temporal trends in DRGs with a major complication or comorbidity, compare these findings with 2 alternative measures of disease severity, and estimate associated changes in payment.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the all-payer National Inpatient Sample for admissions assigned to 1 of the top 20 reimbursed DRG families at …

Impact Of Cytogenetic Abnormalities On Outcomes Of Adult Philadelphia-Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Study By The Acute Leukemia Working Committee Of The Center For International Blood And Marrow Transplant Research, Aleksandr Lazaryan, Ravi Vij, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Wikidata As A Knowledge Graph For The Life Sciences, Andra Waagmeester, Malachi Griffith, Obi L. Griffith, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Activating Immunity To Fight A Foe — A New Path, Richard S. Hotchkiss, Steven M. Opal

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Frequency And Clinical Significance Of Localized Adverse Events Following Mass Drug Administration For Lymphatic Filariasis In An Endemic Area In South India, Vijesh Sreedhar Kuttiatt, Roopali K Somani, Subramanian Swaminathan, Kaliannagounder Krishnamoorthy, Gary J Weil, Jambulingam Purushothaman

Open Access Publications

Fear of adverse events (AEs) negatively affects compliance to mass drug administration (MDA) for lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination program. Systemic AEs are believed to occur because of killing of microfilariae, whereas localized soft tissue reactions might be due to the death of adult worms following therapy. Most AEs are mild and self-limited. However, localized AEs are sometimes more significant and of concern to participants. Here, we describe localized AEs that were noted during a large community study that evaluated the safety of a triple-drug regimen (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole) for the treatment of LF in India. We have also discussed …

Tetracycline-Inactivating Enzymes From Environmental, Human Commensal, And Pathogenic Bacteria Cause Broad-Spectrum Tetracycline Resistance, Andrew J. Gasparrini, Jana L. Markley, Hirdesh Kumar, Bin Wang, Luting Fang, Sidra Irum, Chanez T. Symister, Meghan Wallace, Carey-Ann D. Burnham, Saadia Andleeb, Niraj H. Tolia, Timothy A. Wencewicz, Gautam Dantas

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Myd88-Dependent Influx Of Monocytes And Neutrophils Impairs Lymph Node B Cell Responses To Chikungunya Virus Infection Via Irf5, Nos2 And Nox2, Mary K. Mccarthy, Glennys V. Reynoso, Emma S. Winkler, Matthias Mack, Michael S. Diamond, Heather D. Hickman, Thomas E. Morrison

Open Access Publications

Humoral immune responses initiate in the lymph node draining the site of viral infection (dLN). Some viruses subvert LN B cell activation; however, our knowledge of viral hindrance of B cell responses of important human pathogens is lacking. Here, we define mechanisms whereby chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-transmitted RNA virus that causes outbreaks of acute and chronic arthritis in humans, hinders dLN antiviral B cell responses. Infection of WT mice with pathogenic, but not acutely cleared CHIKV, induced MyD88-dependent recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils to the dLN. Blocking this influx improved lymphocyte accumulation, dLN organization, and CHIKV-specific B cell responses. …

Gardnerella Vaginalis As A Cause Of Bacterial Vaginosis: Appraisal Of The Evidence From In Vivo Models, Sydney Morrill, Nicole M Gilbert, Amanda L Lewis

Open Access Publications

Koch's postulates dictate the use of experimental models to illustrate features of human disease and provide evidence for a singular organism as the cause. The underlying cause(s) of bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been debated in the literature for over half a century. In 1955, it was first reported that a bacterium now known as

Use Of Icd-10 Codes For Identification Of Injection Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis Is Nonspecific And Obscures Critical Findings On Impact Of Medications For Opioid Use Disorder, Laura R. Marks, Nathanial S. Nolan, Linda Jiang, Dharushana Muthulingam, Stephen Y. Liang, Michael J. Durkin

Open Access Publications

Background: No International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), diagnosis code exists for injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis (IDU-IE). Instead, public health researchers regularly use combinations of nonspecific ICD-10 codes to identify IDU-IE; however, the accuracy of these codes has not been evaluated.

Methods: We compared commonly used ICD-10 diagnosis codes for IDU-IE with a prospectively collected patient cohort diagnosed with IDU-IE at Barnes-Jewish Hospital to determine the accuracy of ICD-10 diagnosis codes used in IDU-IE research.

Results: ICD-10 diagnosis codes historically used to identify IDU-IE were inaccurate, missing 36.0% and misclassifying 56.4% of patients prospectively identified in this cohort. …

Neutrophil L-Plastin Controls Ocular Paucibacteriality And Susceptibility To Keratitis, Xiaoxiao Lu, Abirami Kugadas, Kirsten Smith-Page, Jeffrey Lamb, Tiffany Lin, Yusha Ru, Sharon Celeste Morley, Raina Fichorova, Sharad K Mittal, Sunil K Chauhan, Sejiro Littleton, Daniel Saban, Mihaela Gadjeva

Open Access Publications

Why ocular mucosa is paucibacterial is unknown. Many different mechanisms have been suggested but the comprehensive experimental studies are sparse. We found that a deficiency in L-plastin (LCP1), an actin bundling protein, resulted in an ocular commensal overgrowth, characterized with increased presence of conjunctival

Lipin-1 Contributes To Il-4 Mediated Macrophage Polarization, Sunitha Chandran, Robert M Schilke, Cassidy M R Blackburn, Aila Yurochko, Rusella Mirza, Rona S Scott, Brian N Finck, Matthew D Woolard

Open Access Publications

Macrophage responses contribute to a diverse array of pathologies ranging from infectious disease to sterile inflammation. Polarization of macrophages determines their cellular function within biological processes. Lipin-1 is a phosphatidic acid phosphatase in which its enzymatic activity contributes to macrophage pro-inflammatory responses. Lipin-1 also possesses transcriptional co-regulator activity and whether this activity is required for macrophage polarization is unknown. Using mice that lack only lipin-1 enzymatic activity or both enzymatic and transcriptional coregulator activities from myeloid cells, we investigated the contribution of lipin-1 transcriptional co-regulator function toward macrophage wound healing polarization. Macrophages lacking both lipin-1 activities did not elicit IL-4 …

Quantitative Definition Of Neurobehavior, Vision, Hearing And Brain Volumes In Macaques Congenitally Exposed To Zika Virus, Michelle R. Koenig, Kevin Noguchi, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

Congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure results in a spectrum of disease ranging from severe birth defects to delayed onset neurodevelopmental deficits. ZIKV-related neuropathogenesis, predictors of birth defects, and neurodevelopmental deficits are not well defined in people. Here we assess the methodological and statistical feasibility of a congenital ZIKV exposure macaque model for identifying infant neurobehavior and brain abnormalities that may underlie neurodevelopmental deficits. We inoculated five pregnant macaques with ZIKV and mock-inoculated one macaque in the first trimester. Following birth, growth, ocular structure/function, brain structure, hearing, histopathology, and neurobehavior were quantitatively assessed during the first week of life. We identified …

Mapping Of The Language Network With Deep Learning, Patrick Luckett, John J Lee, Ki Yun Park, Donna Dierker, Andy G S Daniel, Benjamin A Seitzman, Carl D Hacker, Beau M Ances, Eric C Leuthardt, Abraham Z Snyder, Joshua S Shimony

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Targeting Unconventional Host Components For Vaccination-Induced Protection Against Tb, Elisa Nemes, Shabaana A Khader, Rosemary V Swanson, Willem A Hanekom

Open Access Publications

The current tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), is effective in preventing TB in young children but was developed without a basic understanding of human immunology. Most modern TB vaccine candidates have targeted CD4

Actual Causes Of Death In Relation To Media, Policy, And Funding Attention: Examining Public Health Priorities, Meagan R Pilar, Amy A Eyler, Sarah Moreland-Russell, Ross C Brownson

Open Access Publications

Despite numerous public health advancements over the last century, we continue to under-invest in prevention and public health efforts. As a result, one of the most challenging aspects of public health is prioritizing the use of limited resources. Building on the foundation of previous researchers, the goal of this exploratory study was to provide current estimates for the actual causes of death, media attention, policy focus, and research funding in the United States. In addition, we sought to calculate and compare media attention, policy attention, and research funding trends to better assess the nation's prioritization of health issues. Using a …

Deployment Of Convalescent Plasma For The Prevention And Treatment Of Covid-19, Evan M Bloch, Brenda J Grossman, Jeffrey P Henderson, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has spurred a global health crisis. To date, there are no proven options for prophylaxis for those who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, nor therapy for those who develop COVID-19. Immune (i.e., "convalescent") plasma refers to plasma that is collected from individuals following resolution of infection and development of antibodies. Passive antibody administration through transfusion of convalescent plasma may offer the only short-term strategy for conferring immediate immunity to susceptible individuals. There are numerous examples in which convalescent plasma has been used successfully as postexposure prophylaxis …

Experiences From The Missouri Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative: A Mixed Methods Study, Sena J Sayood, Chinmayi Venkatram, Jason G Newland, Hilary M Babcock, David K Warren, George Turabelidze, Virginia R Mckay, Erin C Rachmiel, Kate Peacock, Tracey Habrock-Bach, Kevin Hsueh, Michael J Durkin

Open Access Publications

We performed a mixed-methods study to evaluate antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) uptake and to assess variability of program implementation in Missouri hospitals. Despite increasing uptake of ASPs in Missouri, there is wide variability in both the scope and sophistication of these programs.

Come Together: Protein Assemblies, Aggregates And The Sarcostat At The Heart Of Cardiac Myocyte Homeostasis, Moydul Islam, Abhinav Diwan, Kartik Mani

Open Access Publications

Homeostasis in vertebrate systems is contingent on normal cardiac function. This, in turn, depends on intricate protein-based cellular machinery, both for contractile function, as well as, durability of cardiac myocytes. The cardiac small heat shock protein (csHsp) chaperone system, highlighted by αB-crystallin (CRYAB), a small heat shock protein (sHsp) that forms ∼3-5% of total cardiac mass, plays critical roles in maintaining proteostatic function via formation of self-assembled multimeric chaperones. In this work, we review these ancient proteins, from the evolutionarily preserved role of homologs in protists, fungi and invertebrate systems, as well as, the role of sHsps and chaperones in …

Subsequent Neoplasms And Late Mortality In Children Undergoing Allogeneic Transplantation For Nonmalignant Diseases, Justine M. Kahn, Robert J. Hayashi, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Harnessing Activin A Adjuvanticity To Promote Antibody Responses To Bg505 Hiv Envelope Trimers, Diane G Carnathan, Kirti Kaushik, Ali H Ellebedy, Chiamaka A Enemuo, Etse H Gebru, Pallavi Dhadvai, Mohammed Ata Ur Rasheed, Matthias G Pauthner, Gabriel Ozorowski, Rafi Ahmed, Dennis R Burton, Andrew B Ward, Guido Silvestri, Shane Crotty, Michela Locci

Open Access Publications

T follicular helper (T

Macrophage Lc3-Associated Phagocytosis Is An Immune Defense Against Streptococcus Pneumoniae That Diminishes With Host Aging, Megumi Inomata, Shuying Xu, Pallavi Chandra, Simin N. Meydani, Genzou Takemura, Jennifer A. Philips, John M. Leong

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of The Sharing Antimicrobial Reports For Pediatric Stewardship (Sharps) Collaborative Electronic Mailing List (Listserv) By Healthcare Professionals, Christopher C Mcpherson, Zachary A Vesoulis, Talene A Metjian, Mirela Grabic, Summer Reyes, Sydney Reyes, Christina Krucylak, Cindy Terrill, Jason G Newland

Open Access Publications

Optimizing pediatric antimicrobial stewardship is challenging. In this retrospective study, we evaluated 515 original e-mails to 482 members of the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship (SHARPS) Collaborative electronic mailing list ([email protected]). The plurality of threads discussed clinical practice guidelines, and pharmacists were most likely to initiate and respond. Representation was geographically diverse within and outside the United States.

Cholesterol 25-Hydroxylase Suppresses Sars-Cov-2 Replication By Blocking Membrane Fusion, Ruochen Zang, James Brett Case, Xiucui Ma, Maria Florencia Gomez Castro, Zhuoming Liu, Qiru Zeng, Haiyan Zhao, Juhee Son, Paul W. Rothlauf, Gaopeng Hou, Michael D. Vahey, Kartik Mani, Daved H. Fremont, Abhinav Diwan, Michael S. Diamond, Sean P.J. Whelan, Siyuan Ding, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Physician Attitudes Towards-And Adoption Of-Mobile Health, Tracie Kong, Mary Morgan Scott, Yang Li, Cynthia Wichelman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Smartphone apps and mobile devices are an emerging method of healthcare data collection. This study sought to understand how physicians currently view mobile health (mHealth) technologies and use them in patient care.

METHODS: A total of 186 physicians affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, USA completed a survey in 2016 regarding their current implementation of mHealth technologies for patient care and support for further development.

RESULTS: More than half of respondents were willing to discuss health apps and mobile devices with patients. However, most were not currently recommending them to patients. Apps/devices that encouraged …

Aging And Efficacy Of Disease-Modifying Therapies In Multiple Sclerosis: A Meta-Analysis Of Clinical Trials, Yinan Zhang, Natalia Gonzalez Caldito, Afsaneh Shirani, Amber Salter, Gary Cutter, William Culpepper, Mitchell Wallin, Peter Kosa, Bibiana Bielekova, Fred Lublin, Olaf Stuve

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Background: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) are approved for the treatment of disease activity and are effective in reducing relapses and new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions. However, disease activity generally subsides with time, and age-dependent changes in DMT efficacy are not well-established. We aimed to investigate whether age impacts the efficacy of DMTs in treating disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Methods: DMT efficacy related to age was assessed through a meta-analysis of clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy of DMTs in RRMS patients as measured by reductions in the annualized relapse rate (ARR), new …

Clearance Of Chikungunya Virus Infection In Lymphoid Tissues Is Promoted By Treatment With An Agonistic Anti-Cd137 Antibody, Jun P Hong, Mary K Mccarthy, Bennett J Davenport, Thomas E Morrison, Michael S Diamond

Open Access Publications

CD137, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily of cell surface proteins, acts as a costimulatory receptor on T cells, natural killer cells, B cell subsets, and some dendritic cells. Agonistic anti-CD137 monoclonal antibody (MAb) therapy has been combined with other chemotherapeutic agents in human cancer trials. Based on its ability to promote tumor clearance, we hypothesized that anti-CD137 MAb might activate immune responses and resolve chronic viral infections. We evaluated anti-CD137 MAb therapy in a mouse infection model of chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus that causes chronic polyarthritis in humans and is associated with reservoirs of CHIKV …

Distinct Roles Of Interferon Alpha And Beta In Controlling Chikungunya Virus Replication And Modulating Neutrophil-Mediated Inflammation, Lindsey E Cook, Marissa C Locke, Alissa R Young, Kristen Monte, Matthew L Hedberg, Raeann M Shimak, Kathleen C F Sheehan, Deborah J Veis, Michael S Diamond, Deborah J Lenschow

Open Access Publications

Type I interferons (IFNs) are key mediators of the innate immune response. Although members of this family of cytokines signal through a single shared receptor, biochemical and functional variation exists in response to different IFN subtypes. While previous work has demonstrated that type I IFNs are essential to control infection by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a globally emerging alphavirus, the contributions of individual IFN subtypes remain undefined. To address this question, we evaluated CHIKV pathogenesis in mice lacking IFN-β (IFN-β knockout [IFN-β-KO] mice or mice treated with an IFN-β-blocking antibody) or IFN-α (IFN regulatory factor 7 knockout [IRF7-KO] mice or mice …

Bjc Today

BJC Today

No abstract provided.

Association Of Aspirin Use With Mortality Risk Among Older Adult Participants In The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, And Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, Holli A. Loomans-Kropp, Paul Pinsky, Yin Cao, Andrew T. Chan, Asad Umar

Open Access Publications

Importance: Aspirin use has been associated with reduced risk of cancer mortality, particularly of the colorectum. However, aspirin efficacy may be influenced by biological characteristics, such as obesity and age. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and conflicting data regarding the effect of aspirin in older adults, understanding the potential association of aspirin use with cancer mortality according to body mass index (BMI) and age is imperative.

Objectives: To investigate the association of aspirin use with risk of all-cause, any cancer, gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, and colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality among older adults and to perform an exploratory analysis of the …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Linezolid-Resistant Enterococcus Faecium From The Usa And Pakistan, Kate E Wardenburg, Robert F Potter, Alaric W D'Souza, Tahir Hussain, Meghan A Wallace, Saadia Andleeb, Carey-Ann D Burnham, Gautam Dantas

2010-2019 OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Linezolid is an important therapeutic option for the treatment of infections caused by VRE. Linezolid is a synthetic antimicrobial and resistance to this antimicrobial agent remains relatively rare. As a result, data on the comparative genomics of linezolid resistance determinants in Enterococcus faecium are relatively sparse.

METHODS: To address this knowledge gap in E. faecium, we deployed phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing and Illumina WGS on hospital surface (environmental) and clinical isolates from the USA and Pakistan.

RESULTS: We found complete concordance between isolate source country and mechanism of linezolid resistance, with all the US isolates possessing a 23S rRNA …