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Facilitators And Barriers To Optimal Home Blood Pressure Management In Patients With Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In A Tertiary Care Facility In Abuja, Nigeria: A Qualitative Research Study, Zainab Mahmoud, Adaego A Orji, Chukwuebuka F Okoye, Friday O Ameh, Erica Jamro-Comer, Aliyu Isah, Bissallah Ekele, Godwin Akaba, Dike B Ojji, Mark D Huffman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has one of the highest burdens of maternal deaths globally, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the country. There is a significant implementation gap in utilizing evidence-based practices for the management of HDP in Nigeria. This study evaluated facilitators and barriers to implementing a home blood pressure monitoring program to improve management of HDP.

METHODS: From August 2022 to September 2022, we conducted 15 semi-structured, key informant interviews and 4 focus group discussions among patients, health care workers, and administrators at University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), a …

Hyperferritinemic Sepsis, Macrophage Activation Syndrome, And Mortality In A Pediatric Research Network: A Causal Inference Analysis, Zhenziang Fan, John C Lin, Allan Doctor, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: One of five global deaths are attributable to sepsis. Hyperferritinemic sepsis (> 500 ng/mL) is associated with increased mortality in single-center studies. Our pediatric research network's objective was to obtain rationale for designing anti-inflammatory clinical trials targeting hyperferritinemic sepsis.

METHODS: We assessed differences in 32 cytokines, immune depression (low whole blood ex vivo TNF response to endotoxin) and thrombotic microangiopathy (low ADAMTS13 activity) biomarkers, seven viral DNAemias, and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) defined by combined hepatobiliary dysfunction and disseminated intravascular coagulation, and mortality in 117 children with hyperferritinemic sepsis (ferritin level > 500 ng/mL) compared to 280 children with sepsis …

Single Genomic Enhancers Drive Experience-Dependent Gabaergic Plasticity To Maintain Sensory Processing In The Adult Cortex, Ori Roethler, Eran Zohar, Katayun Cohen-Kashi Malina, Lidor Bitan, Harrison Wren Gabel, Ivo Spiegel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Experience-dependent plasticity of synapses modulates information processing in neural circuits and is essential for cognitive functions. The genome, via non-coding enhancers, was proposed to control information processing and circuit plasticity by regulating experience-induced transcription of genes that modulate specific sets of synapses. To test this idea, we analyze here the cellular and circuit functions of the genomic mechanisms that control the experience-induced transcription of Igf1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) in vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons (INs) in the visual cortex of adult mice. We find that two sensory-induced enhancers selectively and cooperatively drive the activity-induced transcription of Igf1 to thereby …

An Intraoperative Telemedicine Program To Improve Perioperative Quality Measures: The Actfast-3 Randomized Clinical Trial, Christopher R King, Stephen Gregory, Bradley A Fritz, Thaddeus P Budelier, Arbi Ben Abdallah, Alex Kronzer, Daniel L Helsten, Brian Torres, Sherry Mckinnon, Shreya Goswami, Divya Mehta, Omokhaye Higo, Paul Kerby, Bernadette Henrichs, Mary C Politi, Joanna Abraham, Michael S Avidan, Thomas Kannampallil, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Telemedicine for clinical decision support has been adopted in many health care settings, but its utility in improving intraoperative care has not been assessed.

OBJECTIVE: To pilot the implementation of a real-time intraoperative telemedicine decision support program and evaluate whether it reduces postoperative hypothermia and hyperglycemia as well as other quality of care measures.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This single-center pilot randomized clinical trial (Anesthesiology Control Tower-Feedback Alerts to Supplement Treatments [ACTFAST-3]) was conducted from April 3, 2017, to June 30, 2019, at a large academic medical center in the US. A total of 26 254 adult surgical patients …

Evaluation Of The Electronic Clinical Dementia Rating For Dementia Screening, Rachel L Nosheny, Daniel Yen, Krista Moulder, Connie Mayo, Maureen Mcmillan, John C Morris, Yan Li, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) is a well-validated instrument widely used to detect and stage dementia due to Alzheimer disease. The digital Electronic Clinical Dementia Rating (eCDR) can be remotely self-administered and automatically scored, with potential to facilitate efficient dementia screening and staging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of the eCDR with the CDR and other in-clinic assessments for screening older adults for cognitive impairment.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multisite, cross-sectional study used baseline data from a longitudinal, observational study from 2020 to 2023, including up to 3 years of follow-up. Participants were enrolled from 3 Alzheimer Disease …

Neighborhood Disadvantage And Neural Correlates Of Threat And Reward Processing In Survivors Of Recent Trauma, E Kate Webb, Stacey L House, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Differences in neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are important considerations in understanding differences in risk vs resilience in mental health. Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with alterations in the function and structure of threat neurocircuitry.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations of neighborhood disadvantage with white and gray matter and neural reactivity to positive and negative stimuli in the context of trauma exposure.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this cross-sectional study, survivors of trauma who completed sociodemographic and posttraumatic symptom assessments and neuroimaging were recruited as part of the Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study between September 2017 and June 2021. Data …

Lem2 Is Essential For Cardiac Development By Maintaining Nuclear Integrity, Jacob A Ross, Didier Hodzic, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: Nuclear envelope integrity is essential for the compartmentalization of the nucleus and cytoplasm. Importantly, mutations in genes encoding nuclear envelope (NE) and associated proteins are the second highest cause of familial dilated cardiomyopathy. One such NE protein that causes cardiomyopathy in humans and affects mouse heart development is Lem2. However, its role in the heart remains poorly understood.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We generated mice in which Lem2 was specifically ablated either in embryonic cardiomyocytes (Lem2 cKO) or in adult cardiomyocytes (Lem2 iCKO) and carried out detailed physiological, tissue, and cellular analyses. High-resolution episcopic microscopy was used for three-dimensional reconstructions …

Medication And Road Test Performance Among Cognitively Healthy Older Adults, David B Carr, Kebede Beyene, Jason Doherty, Samantha A Murphy, Ann M Johnson, Hailee Domash, Noah Riley, Alexis Walker, Ashwin Sabapathy, John C Morris, Ganesh M Babulal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Older adults are increasingly prescribed medications that have adverse effects. Prior studies have found a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes to be associated with certain medication use.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether specific medication classes were associated with performance decline as assessed by a standardized road test in a community sample of cognitively healthy older adults, to evaluate additional associations of poor road test performance with comorbid medical conditions and demographic characteristics, and to test the hypothesis that specific medication classes (ie, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, sedatives or hypnotics, anticholinergics, antihistamines, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen) would be associated with …

State Public Assistance Spending And Survival Among Adults With Cancer, Justin M Barnes, Kenton J Johnston, Kimberly J Johnson, Fumiko Chino, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Social determinants of health contribute to disparities in cancer outcomes. State public assistance spending, including Medicaid and cash assistance programs for socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, may improve access to care; address barriers, such as food and housing insecurity; and lead to improved cancer outcomes for marginalized populations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether state-level public assistance spending is associated with overall survival (OS) among individuals with cancer, overall and by race and ethnicity.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study included US adults aged at least 18 years with a new cancer diagnosis from 2007 to 2013, with follow-up through 2019. Data …

Acc/Aha Hypertension Guidelines And Cha2ds2-Vasc Up-Scoring In Patients With Atrial Fibrillation, Krishna Pundi, Kensey L Gosch, Alexander C Perino, Philip G Jones, Nihar R Desai, Thomas M Maddox, Mintu Turakhia

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Development And Replication Of Objective Measurements Of Social Visual Engagement To Aid In Early Diagnosis And Assessment Of Autism, Warren Jones, Cheryl Klaiman, Shana Richardson, Meena Lambha, Morganne Reid, Taralee Hamner, Chloe Beacham, Peter Lewis, Jose Paredes, Laura Edwards, Natasha Marrus, John N Constantino, Sarah Shultz, Ami Klin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Autism spectrum disorder is a common and early-emerging neurodevelopmental condition. While 80% of parents report having had concerns for their child's development before age 2 years, many children are not diagnosed until ages 4 to 5 years or later.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an objective performance-based tool to aid in early diagnosis and assessment of autism in children younger than 3 years.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In 2 prospective, consecutively enrolled, broad-spectrum, double-blind studies, we developed an objective eye-tracking-based index test for children aged 16 to 30 months, compared its performance with best-practice reference standard diagnosis of autism (discovery study), …

Acute Kidney Injury-Induced Circulating Tnfr1/2 Elevations Correlate With Persistent Kidney Injury And Progression To Fibrosis, Akshayakeerthi Arthanarisami, Yohei Komaru, Charikleia Katsouridi, Julian Schumacher, Deborah K Verges, Liang Ning, Mai M Abdelmageed, Andreas Herrlich, Eirini Kefaloyianni

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Elevated levels of circulating tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 (cTNFR1/2) predict chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression; however, the mechanisms of their release remain unknown. Whether acute kidney injury (AKI) drives cTNFR1/2 elevations and whether they predict disease outcomes after AKI remain unknown. In this study, we used AKI patient serum and urine samples, mouse models of kidney injury (ischemic, obstructive, and toxic), and progression to fibrosis, nephrectomy, and related single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets to experimentally test the role of kidney injury on cTNFR1/2 levels. We show that TNFR1/2 serum and urine levels are highly elevated in all of the …

Understanding The Effects Of Universal Test And Treat On Longitudinal Hiv Care Outcomes Among South African Youth: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Lindsey M Filiatreau, Jessie K Edwards, Nkosinathi Masilela, F Xavier Gómez-Olivé, Nicole Haberland, Brian W Pence, Joanna Maselko, Kathryn E Muessig, Chodziwadziwa Whiteson Kabudula, Mi-Suk Kang Dufour, Sheri A Lippman, Kathleen Kahn, Audrey Pettifor

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about the effects of universal test and treat (UTT) policies on HIV care outcomes among youth living with HIV (YLHIV). Moreover, there is a paucity of information regarding when YLHIV are most susceptible to disengagement from care under the newest treatment guidelines. The longitudinal HIV care continuum is an underutilized tool that can provide a holistic understanding of population-level HIV care trajectories and be used to compare treatment outcomes across groups. We aimed to explore effects of the UTT policy on longitudinal outcomes among South African YLHIV and identify temporally precise opportunities for re-engaging this priority …

Are Public Health Researchers Designing For Dissemination? Findings From A National Survey In China, Yiluan Hu, Xuejun Yin, Enying Gong, Jing Liu, Xia Liu, Ruitai Shao, Juan Zhang, Ross C Brownson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Research findings are not always disseminated in ways preferred by audiences, and research dissemination is not always considered a priority by researchers. While designing for dissemination (D4D) provides an active process to facilitate effective dissemination, use of these practices in China is largely unknown. We aimed to describe the designing for dissemination activities and practices among public health researchers in China.

METHODS: In January 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in 61 sub-committees of four national academic societies which include a wide range of health disciplines. The sample mainly involved researchers at universities or research institutions, the Centers for …

Mitochondrial Pyruvate Metabolism And Glutaminolysis Toggle Steady-State And Emergency Myelopoiesis, Hannah A Pizzato, Yahui Wang, Michael J Wolfgang, Brian N Finck, Gary J Patti, Deepta Bhattacharya

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To define the metabolic requirements of hematopoiesis, we examined blood lineages in mice conditionally deficient in genes required for long-chain fatty acid oxidation (Cpt2), glutaminolysis (Gls), or mitochondrial pyruvate import (Mpc2). Genetic ablation of Cpt2 or Gls minimally impacted most blood lineages. In contrast, deletion of Mpc2 led to a sharp decline in mature myeloid cells and a slower reduction in T cells, whereas other hematopoietic lineages were unaffected. Yet MPC2-deficient monocytes and neutrophils rapidly recovered due to a transient and specific increase in myeloid progenitor proliferation. Competitive bone marrow chimera and stable isotope tracing experiments demonstrated that this proliferative …

Kv12-Encoded K+ Channels Drive The Day-Night Switch In The Repetitive Firing Rates Of Scn Neurons, Tracey O Hermanstyne, Nien-Du Yang, Daniel Granados-Fuentes, Xiaofan Li, Rebecca L Mellor, Timothy Jegla, Erik D Herzog, Jeanne M Nerbonne

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Considerable evidence suggests that day-night rhythms in the functional expression of subthreshold potassium (K+) channels regulate daily oscillations in the spontaneous firing rates of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian pacemaker in mammals. The K+ conductance(s) driving these daily rhythms in the repetitive firing rates of SCN neurons, however, have not been identified. To test the hypothesis that subthreshold Kv12.1/Kv12.2-encoded K+ channels play a role, we obtained current-clamp recordings from SCN neurons in slices prepared from adult mice harboring targeted disruptions in the Kcnh8 (Kv12.1-/-) or Kcnh3 (Kv12.2-/-) locus. We found that mean nighttime repetitive firing rates …

Determinants Of Ifgf13-Mediated Regulation Of Myocardial Voltage-Gated Sodium (Nav) Channels In Mouse, Adrien Lesage, Maxime Lorenzini, Sophie Burel, Marine Sarlandie, Floriane Bibault, Cecilia Lindskog, Daniel Maloney, Jonathan R Silva, R Reid Townsend, Jeanne M Nerbonne, Céline Marionneau

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Posttranslational regulation of cardiac NaV1.5 channels is critical in modulating channel expression and function, yet their regulation by phosphorylation of accessory proteins has gone largely unexplored. Using phosphoproteomic analysis of NaV channel complexes from adult mouse left ventricles, we identified nine phosphorylation sites on intracellular fibroblast growth factor 13 (iFGF13). To explore the potential roles of these phosphosites in regulating cardiac NaV currents, we abolished expression of iFGF13 in neonatal and adult mouse ventricular myocytes and rescued it with wild-type (WT), phosphosilent, or phosphomimetic iFGF13-VY. While the increased rate of closed-state inactivation of NaV channels induced by Fgf13 knockout in …

Autoantibodies Neutralizing Type I Ifns Underlie West Nile Virus Encephalitis In ∼40% Of Patients, Adrian Gervais, Shih-Ching Lin, Michael S Diamond, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) infection is benign in most individuals but can cause encephalitis in <1% of infected individuals. We show that ∼35% of patients hospitalized for WNV disease (WNVD) in six independent cohorts from the EU and USA carry auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or -ω. The prevalence of these antibodies is highest in patients with encephalitis (∼40%), and that in individuals with silent WNV infection is as low as that in the general population. The odds ratios for WNVD in individuals with these auto-Abs relative to those without them in the general population range from 19.0 (95% CI 15.0-24.0, P value <10-15) for auto-Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml IFN-α and/or IFN-ω to 127.4 (CI 87.1-186.4, P value <10-15) for auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-α and IFN-ω at a concentration of 10 ng/ml. These antibodies block the protective effect of IFN-α in Vero cells infected with WNV in vitro. Auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or IFN-ω underlie ∼40% of cases of WNV encephalitis.

Integrate-Circ And Integrate-Vis: Unbiased Detection And Visualization Of Fusion-Derived Circular Rna, Jace Webster, Hung Mai, Amy Ly, Christopher Maher

2020-Current year OA Pubs

MOTIVATION: Backsplicing of RNA results in circularized rather than linear transcripts, known as circular RNA (circRNA). A recently discovered and poorly understood subset of circRNAs that are composed of multiple genes, termed fusion-derived circular RNAs (fcircRNAs), represent a class of potential biomarkers shown to have oncogenic potential. Detection of fcircRNAs eludes existing analytical tools, making it difficult to more comprehensively assess their prevalence and function. Improved detection methods may lead to additional biological and clinical insights related to fcircRNAs.

RESULTS: We developed the first unbiased tool for detecting fcircRNAs (INTEGRATE-Circ) and visualizing fcircRNAs (INTEGRATE-Vis) from RNA-Seq data. We found that …

Acorn: An R Package For De Novo Variant Analysis, Tychele N Turner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The study of de novo variation is important for assessing biological characteristics of new variation and for studies related to human phenotypes. Software programs exist to call de novo variants and programs also exist to test the burden of these variants in genomic regions; however, I am unaware of a program that fits in between these two aspects of de novo variant assessment. This intermediate space is important for assessing the quality of de novo variants and to understand the characteristics of the callsets. For this reason, I developed an R package called acorn.

RESULTS: Acorn is an R …

Safety And Tolerability Of Moxidectin And Ivermectin Combination Treatments For Lymphatic Filariasis In Côte D'Ivoire: A Randomized Controlled Superiority Study, Catherine M. Bjerum, Benjamin G. Koudou, Allassane F. Ouattara, Daphne Lew, Charles W. Goss, Pascal T. Gabo, Christopher L. King, Peter U. Fischer, Gary J. Weil, Philip J. Budge

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Moxidectin is a macrocyclic lactone registered for the treatment of human onchocerciasis. The drug has a good safety profile, large volume of distribution and a long elimination half-life. This paper reports tolerability data from the first use of moxidectin in persons with Wuchereria bancrofti infection.

METHODS: In this randomized, open-label, masked-observer superiority trial, adults with Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaremia in Côte d'Ivoire were randomized to 1 of 4 treatment arms: ivermectin + albendazole (IA), moxidectin + albendazole (MoxA), ivermectin + diethylcarbamazine (DEC) + albendazole (IDA), or moxidectin + DEC + albendazole (MoxDA). As part of a larger efficacy trial, all …

The Spectrum Of Covid-19-Associated Chorioretinal Vasculopathy, Piero Carletti, Aaditya Shah, Christopher Bair, Christian Curran, Anthony Mai, Rachel Patel, Ramana Moorthy, Natalia Villate, Janet L Davis, Albert T Vitale, Akbar Shakoor, Lynn Hassman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Although conjunctivitis represents the most common ocular manifestation of COVID-19 infection, sight-threatening retinal involvement has been reported. Herein, we report and characterize with multimodal retinal imaging 5 cases of acute vision loss secondary to presumed chorioretinal vasculopathy temporally associated with COVID-19 infection with varying severity, visual morbidity, and treatment response, and review the available literature on the association between COVID-19 infection and retinal microvascular changes.

DESIGN: Observational case series and literature review.

METHODS: Multicenter case series of 5 patients who presented to academic centers and private offices with acute vision loss temporally associated with COVID-19 infection. A review of …

The Role Of Bmi In Allostatic Load And Risk Of Cancer Death, Sydney E Andrzejak, Marquita W Lewis-Thames, Marvin E Langston, Yunan Han, Saira Khan, Darryl A Nettles, Lindsay N Fuzzell, Martha S Tingen, Justin X Moore

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and proinflammatory conditions are associated with increased risks of cancer. The associations of baseline allostatic load with cancer mortality and whether this association is modified by body mass index (BMI) were examined.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in March-September 2022 using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 1988 through 2010 linked with the National Death Index through December 31, 2019. Fine and Gray Cox proportional hazard models were stratified by BMI status to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios of cancer death between high and low allostatic load status (adjusted for age, sociodemographics, and health factors).

RESULTS: In …

The Emerging Importance Of Lymphatics In Health And Disease: An Nih Workshop Report, Babak J. Mehrara, Andrea J. Radtke, Gwendalyn J. Randolph, Brianna T. Wachter, Patricia Greenwel, Ilsa I. Rovira, Zorina S. Galis, Selen C. Muratoglu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The lymphatic system (LS) is composed of lymphoid organs and a network of vessels that transport interstitial fluid, antigens, lipids, cholesterol, immune cells, and other materials in the body. Abnormal development or malfunction of the LS has been shown to play a key role in the pathophysiology of many disease states. Thus, improved understanding of the anatomical and molecular characteristics of the LS may provide approaches for disease prevention or treatment. Recent advances harnessing single-cell technologies, clinical imaging, discovery of biomarkers, and computational tools have led to the development of strategies to study the LS. This Review summarizes the outcomes …

How Well Does Neonatal Neuroimaging Correlate With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Infants With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy?, Yvonne W Wu, Sarah E Monsell, Hannah C Glass, Jessica L Wisnowski, Amit M Mathur, Robert C Mckinstry, Stefan Bluml, Fernando F Gonzalez, Bryan A Comstock, Patrick J Heagerty, Sandra E Juul

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: In newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), the correlation between neonatal neuroimaging and the degree of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) is unclear.

METHODS: Infants with HIE enrolled in a randomized controlled trial underwent neonatal MRI/MR spectroscopy (MRS) using a harmonized protocol at 4-6 days of age. The severity of brain injury was measured with a validated scoring system. Using proportional odds regression, we calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for the associations between MRI/MRS measures of injury and primary ordinal outcome (i.e., normal, mild NDI, moderate NDI, severe NDI, or death) at age 2 years.

RESULTS: Of 451 infants with MRI/MRS at …

Safety And Efficacy Of Riluzole In Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (Riscis): A Multi-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blinded Trial, Michael G Fehlings, Wilson Z Ray, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Riluzole is a sodium-glutamate antagonist that attenuates neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has shown favorable results in promoting recovery in pre-clinical models of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) and in early phase clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of riluzole in acute cervical tSCI. An international, multi-center, prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, adaptive, Phase III trial (NCT01597518) was undertaken. Patients with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A-C, cervical (C4-C8) tSCI, and <12 h from injury were randomized to receive either riluzole, at an oral dose of 100 mg twice per day (BID) for the first 24 h followed by 50 mg BID for the following 13 days, or placebo. The primary efficacy end-point was change in Upper Extremity Motor (UEM) scores at 180 days. The primary efficacy analyses were conducted on an intention to treat (ITT) and completed cases (CC) basis. The study was powered at a planned enrolment of 351 patients. The trial began in October 2013 and was halted by the sponsor on May 2020 (and terminated in April 2021) in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred ninety-three patients (54.9% of the pre-planned enrolment) were randomized with a follow-up rate of 82.7% at 180 days. At 180 days, in the CC population the riluzole-treated patients compared with placebo had a mean gain of 1.76 UEM scores (95% confidence interval: -2.54-6.06) and 2.86 total motor scores (CI: -6.79-12.52). No drug-related serious adverse events were associated with the use of riluzole. Additional pre-planned sensitivity analyses revealed that in the AIS C population, riluzole was associated with significant improvement in total motor scores (estimate: standard error [SE] 8.0; CI 1.5-14.4) and upper extremity motor scores (SE 13.8; CI 3.1-24.5) at 6 months. AIS B patients had higher reported independence, measured by the Spinal Cord Independence Measure score (45.3 vs. 27.3; d: 18.0 CI: -1.7-38.0) and change in mental health scores, measured by the Short Form 36 mental health domain (2.01 vs. -11.58; d: 13.2 CI: 1.2-24.8) at 180 days. AIS A patients who received riluzole had a higher average gain in neurological levels at 6 months compared with placebo (mean 0.50 levels gained vs. 0.12 in placebo; d: 0.38, CI: -0.2-0.9). The primary analysis did not achieve the predetermined end-point of efficacy for riluzole, likely related to insufficient power. However, on pre-planned secondary analyses, all subgroups of cervical SCI subjects (AIS grades A, B and C) treated with riluzole showed significant gains in functional recovery. The results of this trial may warrant further investigation to extend these findings. Moreover, guideline development groups may wish to assess the possible clinical relevance of the secondary outcome analyses, in light of the fact that SCI is an uncommon orphan disorder without an accepted neuroprotective treatment.

Treatment Preference And Quality Of Life Impact: Ravulizumab Vs Eculizumab For Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, Teri J Mauch, Michael R Chladek, Spero Cataland, Shruti Chaturvedi, Bradley P Dixon, Katherine Garlo, Christoph Gasteyger, Anuja Java, Jorge Leguizamo, Lucy Lloyd-Price, Tan P Pham, Tara Symonds, Ioannis Tomazos, Yan Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Geospatial Modelling Of Lymphatic Filariasis And Malaria Co-Endemicity In Nigeria, Obiora A Eneanya, Lisa J Reimer, Peter U Fischer, Gary J Weil

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic filariasis (LF) and malaria are important vector-borne diseases that are co-endemic throughout Nigeria. These infections are transmitted by the same mosquito vector species in Nigeria and their transmission is similarly influenced by climate and sociodemographic factors. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between the geospatial distribution of both infections in Nigeria to better coordinate interventions.

METHODS: We used national survey data for malaria from the Demographic and Health Survey dataset and site-level LF mapping data from the Nigeria Lymphatic Filariasis Control Programme together with a suite of predictive climate and sociodemographic factors to build …

Figo Staging Of Endometrial Cancer: 2023, Jonathan S. Berek, Xavier Matias-Guiu, Carien Creutzberg, Christina Fotopoulou, David Gaffney, Sean Kehoe, Kristina Lindemann, David Mutch, Nicole Concin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Many advances in the understanding of the pathologic and molecular features of endometrial cancer have occurred since the FIGO staging was last updated in 2009. Substantially more outcome and biological behavior data are now available regarding the several histological types. Molecular and genetic findings have accelerated since the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and provide improved clarity on the diverse biological nature of this collection of endometrial cancers and their differing prognostic outcomes. The goals of the new staging system are to better define these prognostic groups and create substages that indicate more appropriate surgical, radiation, …

The Effect Of Fibre Cell Remodelling On The Power And Optical Quality Of The Lens, J Rodriguez, Q Tan, H Šikić, L A. Taber, S Bassnett

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Vertebrate eye lenses are uniquely adapted to form a refractive index gradient (GRIN) for improved acuity, and to grow slowly in size despite constant cell proliferation. The mechanisms behind these adaptations remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that cell compaction contributes to both. To test this notion, we examined the relationship between lens size and shape, refractive characteristics and the cross-sectional areas of constituent fibre cells in mice of different ages. We developed a block-face imaging method to visualize cellular cross sections and found that the cross-sectional areas of fibre cells rose and then decreased over time, with the most significant …