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Open-Source Statistical And Data Processing Tools For Wide-Field Optical Imaging Data In Mice, Lindsey M. Brier, Joseph P. Culver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SIGNIFICANCE: Wide-field optical imaging (WOI) can produce concurrent hemodynamic and cell-specific calcium recordings across the entire cerebral cortex in animal models. There have been multiple studies using WOI to image mouse models with various environmental or genetic manipulations to understand various diseases. Despite the utility of pursuing mouse WOI alongside human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and the multitude of analysis toolboxes in the fMRI literature, there is not an available open-source, user-friendly data processing and statistical analysis toolbox for WOI data.

AIM: To assemble a MATLAB toolbox for processing WOI data, as described and adapted to combine techniques from …

Examining Decisional Needs And Contextual Factors Influencing Fertility Status Assessment Among Young Female Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study Protocol, Brooke Cherven, Nataliya V. Ivankova, Jessica B. Spencer, Anne M. Fitzpatrick, Karen C. Burns, Jenna Demedis, Holly R Hoefgen, Ann C. Mertens, James L. Klosky

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Female cancer survivors who received gonadotoxic cancer treatment are at risk for profound diminished ovarian reserve and/or primary ovarian insufficiency with resulting infertility, which can be associated with distress and decreased quality of life.. Despite prioritizing future parenthood, many survivors are unsure of the impact of their treatment on their future fertility, and little is known about the perceived reproductive health needs and factors associated with receipt of a fertility status assessment (FSA). There is a lack of developmentally appropriate reproductive health decisional support interventions available for emerging adult cancer survivors. This study will explore the perceived reproductive health …

Bacterial Species And Antimicrobial Resistance Differ Between Catheter And Non-Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Data From A National Surveillance Network, Stéphanie D'Incau, Andrew Atkinson, Lorenz Leitner, Andreas Kronenberg, Thomas M Kessler, Jonas Marschall

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinically relevant microbiological characteristics of uropathogens and to compare patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) to those with non-CAUTIs.

METHODS: All urine cultures from the calendar year 2019 of the Swiss Centre for Antibiotic Resistance database were analyzed. Group differences in the proportions of bacterial species and antibiotic-resistant isolates from CAUTI and non-CAUTI samples were investigated.

RESULTS: Data from 27,158 urine cultures met the inclusion criteria.

CONCLUSION: CAUTI pathogens were more often resistant to recommended empirical antibiotics than non-CAUTI pathogens. This finding emphasizes the need for urine sampling for culturing before initiating therapy for CAUTI and …

Barriers To And Solutions For Representative Inclusion Across The Lifespan And In Life Course Research: The Need For Structural Competency Highlighted By The Covid-19 Pandemic, Madison N Lecroy, Ebony B Carter, Sarah S Farabi, Dominic N Reeds, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Exclusion of special populations (older adults; pregnant women, children, and adolescents; individuals of lower socioeconomic status and/or who live in rural communities; people from racial and ethnic minority groups; individuals from sexual or gender minority groups; and individuals with disabilities) in research is a pervasive problem, despite efforts and policy changes by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. These populations are adversely impacted by social determinants of health (SDOH) that reduce access and ability to participate in biomedical research. In March 2020, the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute hosted the "Lifespan and Life Course Research: integrating …

How Penalizing Substance Use In Pregnancy Affects Treatment And Research: A Qualitative Examination Of Researchers' Perspectives, Seema K Shah, Leishla Perez-Cardona, Khrystyna Helner, Suena H Massey, Ashish Premkumar, Renee Edwards, Elizabeth S Norton, Cynthia E Rogers, Emily S Miller, Christopher D Smyser, Matthew M Davis, Lauren S Wakschlag

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Laws regulating substance use in pregnancy are changing and may have unintended consequences on scientific efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Yet, how these laws affect care and research is poorly understood.

METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews using purposive and snowball sampling of researchers who have engaged pregnant people experiencing substance use. We explored views on laws governing substance use in pregnancy and legal reform possibilities. Interviews were double coded. Data were examined using thematic analysis.

RESULTS: We interviewed 22 researchers (response rate: 71 per cent) and identified four themes: (i) harms of punitive laws, (ii) negative legal …

Regulation Of The Volume-Regulated Anion Channel Pore-Forming Subunit Lrrc8a In The Intrahippocampal Kainic Acid Model Of Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Manolia R. Ghouli, Carrie R. Jonak, Rajan Sah, Todd A. Fiacco, Devin K. Binder

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are a group of ubiquitously expressed outwardly-rectifying anion channels that sense increases in cell volume and act to return cells to baseline volume through an efflux of anions and organic osmolytes, including glutamate. Because cell swelling, increased extracellular glutamate levels, and reduction of the brain extracellular space (ECS) all occur during seizure generation, we set out to determine whether VRACs are dysregulated throughout mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), the most common form of adult epilepsy. To accomplish this, we employed the IHKA experimental model of MTLE, and probed for the expression of LRRC8A, the essential pore-forming …

Pregnancy-Induced Differential Expression Of Sars-Cov-2 And Influenza A Viral Entry Factors In The Lower Respiratory Tract, Tusar Giri, Santosh Panda, Arvind Palanisamy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Despite differences in the clinical presentation of coronavirus disease-19 and pandemic influenza in pregnancy, fundamental mechanistic insights are currently lacking because of the difficulty in recruiting critically ill pregnant subjects for research studies. Therefore, to better understand host-pathogen interaction during pregnancy, we performed a series of foundational experiments in pregnant rats at term gestation to assess the expression of host entry factors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus (IAV) and genes associated with innate immune response in the lower respiratory tract. We report that pregnancy is characterized by a decrease in host factors mediating …

Promis Physical Function And Pain Interference Scores Correlate With The Lower Extremity Toronto Extremity Salvage Score, Julie Jin, Zachery Hong, Lee Rhea, Douglas J. Mcdonald, Regis J. O'Keefe, Cara A. Cipriano

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: The Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) are both utilized to measure patient-reported outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal oncologic conditions. However, the relationship between them has not been studied. We sought to describe a link between Lower Extremity (LE) TESS and PROMIS Physical Function (PF) scores, as well as between LE TESS and Pain Interference (PI) scores, to develop a method for converting scores between TESS and PROMIS and to examine whether TESS and PROMIS captured differences in pain and function between clinically relevant subgroups in our population. …

Adherence To And Experiences Of K-12 Students In Modified And Standard Home Quarantine During The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic In Missouri, Mary Claire Worrell, Sara Malone, Patrick Dawson, Stephanie A. Fritz, Ebony Thomas, Bre Peeler, Catherine Rains, Sarah C. Tinker, John C. Neatherlin, Lisa Barrios, Jon Mooney, Katie Towns, Jason Newland, Johanna S. Salzer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: In November 2020, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Missouri allowed local public health jurisdictions the option to implement a modified quarantine policy allowing kindergarten through 12 (K-12) students with low-risk exposures to continue in-person learning. We assessed adherence to quarantine among participants in modified quarantine and standard home quarantine and the psychosocial impacts of quarantine on students and families.

METHODS: In January-March 2021, as part of an investigation of in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2, parents of 586 participating K-12 students identified as a close contact with a person with SARS-CoV-2 were sent a survey to assess their activities and psychosocial impacts …

X-Ray And Mr Contrast Bearing Nanoparticles Enhance The Therapeutic Response Of Image-Guided Radiation Therapy For Oral Cancer, Gayatri Sharma, Mir Hadi Razeghi Kondelaji, Guru P. Sharma, Christopher Hansen, Abdul K. Parchur, Shayan Shafiee, Jaidip M. Jagtap, Brian Fish, Carmen Bergom, Eric Paulson, William A. Hall, Heather A. Himburg, Amit Joshi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Radiation therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is constrained by radiotoxicity to normal tissue. We demonstrate 100 nm theranostic nanoparticles for image-guided radiation therapy planning and enhancement in rat head and neck squamous cell carcinoma models.

METHODS: PEG conjugated theranostic nanoparticles comprising of Au nanorods coated with Gadolinium oxide layers were tested for radiation therapy enhancement in 2D cultures of OSC-19-GFP-luc cells, and orthotopic tongue xenografts in male immunocompromised Salt sensitive or SS rats via both intratumoral and intravenous delivery. The radiation therapy enhancement mechanism was investigated.

RESULTS: Theranostic nanoparticles demonstrated both X-ray/magnetic resonance contrast in a …

Evaluation Of A Large-Scale Health Department Naloxone Distribution Program: Per Capita Naloxone Distribution And Overdose Morality, Caroline E. Freiermuth, Rachel M. Ancona, Jennifer L. Brown, Brittany E. Punches, Shawn A. Ryan, Tim Ingram, Michael S. Lyons

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: To report per-capita distribution of take-home naloxone to lay bystanders and evaluate changes in opioid overdose mortality in the county over time.

METHODS: Hamilton County Public Health in southwestern Ohio led the program from Oct 2017-Dec 2019. Analyses included all cartons distributed within Hamilton County or in surrounding counties to people who reported a home address within Hamilton County. Per capita distribution was estimated using publicly available census data. Opioid overdose mortality was compared between the period before (Oct 2015-Sep 2017) and during (Oct 2017-Sep 2019) the program.

RESULTS: A total of 10,416 cartons were included for analyses, with …

Cognition And Education Benefits Of Increased Hemoglobin And Blood Oxygenation In Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Joanna P. Macewan, Allison A. King, Andy Nguyen, Anuj Mubayi, Irene Agodoa, Kim Smith-Whitley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), decreased hemoglobin is associated with lower oxygen saturation (SpO2) and increased risk of stroke, both of which are associated with lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Thus, increasing hemoglobin and SpO2 in individuals with SCD may increase IQ and educational attainment.

METHODS: A cohort simulation model was built to determine academic performance and educational attainment based on cognitive function (measured by IQ) of a pediatric SCD cohort randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The model contained two key stages: childhood (<10 years) and adolescence (≥10 years). In stage 1, increased hemoglobin and increased SpO2 (assigned to the treatment group) were determinants of higher IQ, prevention of IQ deterioration over time. Increased hemoglobin was also a determinant of decreased stroke risk. In stage 2, improvement in adolescent IQ as a result of treatment was a determinant of academic performance.

RESULTS: In a simulated cohort of 2000 children and adolescents with …

The Rate And Predictors Of Healing Of Repaired Lesser Tuberosity Osteotomy In Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, Benjamin Zmistowski, Sean V Cahill, J Ryan Hill, Joseph T Gibian, Ruba Sokrab, Jay D Keener, Alexander W Aleem

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Evidence is building that a functional subscapularis improves function-specifically internal rotation tasks-following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA). However, the optimal method for subscapularis repair during rTSA remains unknown with variable healing rates reported. This study aims to investigate the rate of and predictors for healing a lesser tuberosity osteotomy (LTO) following rTSA.

METHODS: Following local institutional review board approval, patients with at least one-year follow-up for rTSA managed with an LTO and subsequent repair between March, 2017 and March, 2020 were retrospectively identified. Shoulders were selected for LTO repair based upon preoperative imaging and intraoperative assessment of subscapularis quality. …

Neuroinflammation And Amyloid Deposition In The Progression Of Mixed Alzheimer And Vascular Dementia, Chunwei Ying, Peter Kang, Michael M Binkley, Andria L Ford, Yasheng Chen, Jason Hassenstab, Qing Wang, Jeremy Strain, John C Morris, Jin-Moo Lee, Tammie L S Benzinger, Hongyu An

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) pathologies coexist in patients with cognitive impairment. Abnormal amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition is the hallmark pathologic biomarker for AD. Neuroinflammation may be a pathophysiological mechanism in both AD and VCID. In this study, we aimed to understand the role of neuroinflammation and Aβ deposition in white matter hyperintensities (WMH) progression and cognitive decline over a decade in patients with mixed AD and VCID pathologies.

METHODS: Twenty-four elderly participants (median [interquartile range] age 78 [64.8, 83] years old, 14 female) were recruited from the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research …

Assessing An Online Patient Decision Aid About Upper Extremity Reconstructive Surgery For Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Pilot Testing Knowledge, Decisional Conflict, And Acceptability, William Moritz, Amanda M Westman, Mary C Politi, Dod Working Group, Ida K Fox

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED:

HIGHLIGHTS: People with cervical spinal cord injury prioritize gaining upper extremity function after injury, but few individuals receive information about treatment options.A newly created patient decision aid (PtDA) provides information about recovery after spinal cord injury and the role of traditional tendon and newer nerve transfer surgery to improve upper extremity upper extremity function.The PtDA improved knowledge and decreased decisional conflict in this pilot study.Future work should focus on studying dissemination and implementation of the ptDA into clinical practice.

Isolated, Full-Thickness Proximal Rectus Femoris Injury In Competitive Athletes: A Systematic Review Of Injury Characteristics And Return To Play, Derrick M Knapik, Thomas D Alter, Aravinda Ganapathy, Matthew V Smith, Robert H Brophy, Matthew J Matava

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Characteristics regarding mechanism of injury, management, and return-to-play (RTP) rate and timing are important when treating and counseling athletes with rectus femoris tears.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the literature to better understand the prevalence, sporting activity, injury mechanisms, and treatment of patients with rectus femoris injury and to provide prognostic information regarding the rate and timing of RTP.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS: Following the 2020 PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we queried PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, OVID, EMBASE, and Google Scholar in March 2022 for studies reporting on athletes sustaining isolated, …

Mitochondrial Reactivity Following Acute Exposure To Experimental Pain Testing In People With Hiv And Chronic Pain, Shannon R Gilstrap, Joanna M Hobson, Michael A Owens, Dyan M White, Melissa J Sammy, Scott Ballinger, Robert E Sorge, Burel R Goodin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Controversies And Progress On Standardization Of Large-Scale Brain Network Nomenclature, Lucina Q. Uddin, Evan M. Gordon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Progress in scientific disciplines is accompanied by standardization of terminology. Network neuroscience, at the level of macroscale organization of the brain, is beginning to confront the challenges associated with developing a taxonomy of its fundamental explanatory constructs. The Workgroup for HArmonized Taxonomy of NETworks (WHATNET) was formed in 2020 as an Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)-endorsed best practices committee to provide recommendations on points of consensus, identify open questions, and highlight areas of ongoing debate in the service of moving the field toward standardized reporting of network neuroscience results. The committee conducted a survey to catalog current practices in …

Unicorn, Hare, Or Tortoise? Using Machine Learning To Predict Working Memory Training Performance, Yi Feng, Anja Pahor, Aaron R Seitz, Dennis L Barbour, Susanne M Jaeggi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

People differ considerably in the extent to which they benefit from working memory (WM) training. Although there is increasing research focusing on individual differences associated with WM training outcomes, we still lack an understanding of which specific individual differences, and in what combination, contribute to inter-individual variations in training trajectories. In the current study, 568 undergraduates completed one of several N-back intervention variants over the course of two weeks. Participants' training trajectories were clustered into three distinct training patterns (high performers, intermediate performers, and low performers). We applied machine-learning algorithms to train a binary tree model to predict individuals' training …

Characterization Of Combined Endoscopies And Aerodigestive Care: An Analysis Of Utilization And Financial Feasibility, Jennifer Brinkmeier, Noor Al-Hammadi, Sumana Shashidhar, Leslie Hinyard, Dhiren Patel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Aerodigestive care is one model of multi-disciplinary care, which is a valuable tool for both providers and patients. Aerodigestive care models are associated with improved outcomes, reduced anesthesia exposure, reduction in hospital admissions, and fewer days of missed work or school. This is the first study to explore national usage and cost trends in combined endoscopy utilization to identify gaps in care and the potential for financial resource optimization.

METHODS: Data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid's Inpatient Sample (KID) was used from 2016 and 2019. Diagnoses and procedures were identified using ICD-10 codes, for patients …

Genetic Variation In Environmental Enteropathy And Stunting In Zambian Children: A Pilot Genome Wide Association Study Using The H3africa Chip, Monica N. Mweetwa, Talin Haritunians, Shishir Dube, Kanta Chandwe, Beatrice Amadi, Kanekwa Zyambo, Ta-Chiang Liu, Dermot Mcgovern, Paul Kelly

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Stunting is known to be heavily influenced by environmental factors, so the genetic contribution has received little attention. Here we report an exploration of genetic influences in stunted Zambian children with environmental enteropathy.

METHOD: Children with stunting (LAZ < -2) were enrolled and given nutritional therapy. Those that were non-responsive to therapy were designated as cases, and children with good growth (LAZ > -1) from the same community as controls. Blood and stool samples were taken to measure biomarkers of intestinal inflammation, epithelial damage, and microbial translocation. Single nucleotide polymorphism array genotyping was carried out on saliva samples using the H3Africa consortium array.

RESULTS: Genome wide associations were analysed in 117 cases and 41 controls. While no significant associations with stunting were observed at …

Glioblastoma Induces Whole-Brain Spectral Change In Resting State Fmri: Associations With Clinical Comorbidities And Overall Survival, Ki Yun Park, Abraham Z Snyder, Michael Olufawo, Gabriel Trevino, Patrick H Luckett, Bidhan Lamichhane, Tao Xie, John J Lee, Joshua S Shimony, Eric C Leuthardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain tumor, is a brain-wide disease. We evaluated the impact of tumor burden on whole brain resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) activity. Specifically, we analyzed rs-fMRI signals in the temporal frequency domain in terms of the power-law exponent and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF). We contrasted 189 patients with newly-diagnosed glioblastoma versus 189 age-matched healthy reference participants from an external dataset. The patient and reference datasets were matched for age and head motion. The principal finding was markedly flatter spectra and reduced grey matter fALFF in the patients as compared to the …

Preliminary Validation Of A Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Metric For Tracking Dementia-Related Neurodegeneration And Future Decline, Gavin T Kress, Emily S Popa, Paul M Thompson, Susan Y Bookheimer, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Christopher R K Ching, Hong Zheng, Daniel A Hirsh, David A Merrill, Stella E Panos, Cyrus A Raji, Prabha Siddarth, Jennifer E Bramen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline and atrophy in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and subsequent brain regions. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) has been widely used in research and clinical care for diagnosis and monitoring AD progression. However, atrophy patterns are complex and vary by patient. To address this issue, researchers have made efforts to develop more concise metrics that can summarize AD-specific atrophy. Many of these methods can be difficult to interpret clinically, hampering adoption. In this study, we introduce a novel index which we call an "AD-NeuroScore," that uses a modified …

Prospective In Silico Evaluation Of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography-Guided Stereotactic Adaptive Radiation Therapy (Ct-Star) For The Ablative Treatment Of Ultracentral Thoracic Disease, Joshua P Schiff, Eric Laugeman, Hayley B Stowe, Xiaodong Zhao, Jessica Hilliard, Ellie Hawk, Jesiah Watkins, Casey Hatscher, Shahed N Badiyan, Pamela P Samson, Geoffrey D Hugo, Clifford G Robinson, Alex T Price, Lauren E Henke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: We conducted a prospective, in silico study to evaluate the feasibility of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided stereotactic adaptive radiation therapy (CT-STAR) for the treatment of ultracentral thoracic cancers (NCT04008537). We hypothesized that CT-STAR would reduce dose to organs at risk (OARs) compared with nonadaptive stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) while maintaining adequate tumor coverage.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients who were already receiving radiation therapy for ultracentral thoracic malignancies underwent 5 additional daily CBCTs on the ETHOS system as part of a prospective imaging study. These were used to simulate CT-STAR, in silico

RESULTS: Seven patients were accrued, 6 with …

Phantom-Based Quality Assurance Of A Clinical Dose Accumulation Technique Used In An Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy Platform, Borna Maraghechi, Thomas Mazur, Dao Lam, Alex Price, Lauren Henke, Hyun Kim, Geoffrey D Hugo, Bin Cai

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a routine quality assurance method for a dose accumulation technique provided by a radiation therapy platform for online treatment adaptation.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Two commonly used phantoms were selected for the dose accumulation QA: Electron density and anthropomorphic pelvis. On a computed tomography (CT) scan of the electron density phantom, 1 target (gross tumor volume [GTV]; insert at 6 o'clock), a subvolume within this target, and 7 organs at risk (OARs; other inserts) were contoured in the treatment planning system (TPS). Two adaptation sessions were performed in which the GTV was recontoured, first at …

Elevated Liver Glycogenolysis Mediates Higher Blood Glucose During Acute Exercise In Barth Syndrome, George G. Schweitzer, Grace L. Ditzenberger, Curtis C. Hughey, Brian N. Finck, Michael R. Martino, Christina A. Pacak, Barry J. Byrne, William Todd Cade

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder due to mutations in the Tafazzin (TAFAZZIN) gene that lead to cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction. Previous studies in humans with BTHS demonstrate that the defects in muscle mitochondrial oxidative metabolism result in an enhanced reliance on anaerobic metabolism during exercise to meet energy demands of muscular work. During exercise, the liver normally increases glucose production via glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis to match the elevated rate of muscle glucose uptake and meet the ATP requirements of working muscle. However, the impact of Tafazzin deficiency on hepatic glucose production and the …

Evolution And Implementation Of Radiographic Response Criteria In Neuro-Oncology, Divya Ramakrishnan, Marc Von Reppert, Mark Krycia, Matthew Sala, Sabine Mueller, Sanjay Aneja, Ali Nabavizadeh, Norbert Galldiks, Philipp Lohmann, Cyrus Raji, Ichiro Ikuta, Fatima Memon, Brent D Weinberg, Mariam S Aboian

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Radiographic response assessment in neuro-oncology is critical in clinical practice and trials. Conventional criteria, such as the MacDonald and response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) criteria, rely on bidimensional (2D) measurements of a single tumor cross-section. Although RANO criteria are established for response assessment in clinical trials, there is a critical need to address the complexity of brain tumor treatment response with multiple new approaches being proposed. These include volumetric analysis of tumor compartments, structured MRI reporting systems like the Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System, and standardized approaches to advanced imaging techniques to distinguish tumor response from treatment effects. In …

Genetics Of Vegetarianism: A Genome-Wide Association Study, Nabeel R. Yaseen, Catriona L. K. Barnes, Lingwei Sun, Akiko Takeda, John P. Rice

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A substantial body of evidence points to the heritability of dietary preferences. While vegetarianism has been practiced for millennia in various societies, its practitioners remain a small minority of people worldwide, and the role of genetics in choosing a vegetarian diet is not well understood. Dietary choices involve an interplay between the physiologic effects of dietary items, their metabolism, and taste perception, all of which are strongly influenced by genetics. In this study, we used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with strict vegetarianism in UK Biobank participants. Comparing 5,324 strict vegetarians to 329,455 controls, we identified …

Supplementary Feeding And Infection Control In Pregnant Adolescents-A Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Trial Among Malnourished Women In Sierra Leone, Aminata S Koroma, Mariama Ellie, Kadiatu Bangura, Per O Iversen, David T Hendrixson, Kevin Stephenson, Mark J Manary

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Undernutrition during pregnancy in adolescence confers a high risk of maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings. In a secondary analysis, we hypothesized that younger undernourished pregnant adolescents (<18 years) would benefit more than undernourished pregnant adults (>20 years) from the intervention of supplementary food and anti-infective treatments. The original trial in Sierra Leone enrolled 236 younger adolescents (<18 years), 454 older adolescents (aged 18-19 years), and 741 adults (≥20 years), all with a mid-upper arm circumference ≤23 cm. Younger adolescents had lower final fundal height as well as smaller newborns (-0.3 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.3, -0.2; p < 0.001) and shorter newborns (-1.1 cm; 95% CI, -1.5, -0.7; p < 0.001) than adults. The intervention's effect varied significantly between maternal age groups: adults benefited more than younger adolescents with respect to newborn birth weight (difference in difference, 166 g; 95% CI, 26, 306; interaction p = 0.02), birth length (difference in difference, 7.4 mm; 95% CI, 0.1, 14.8; interaction p = 0.047), and risk for low birth weight (<2.5 kg) (interaction p = 0.019). The differences in response persisted despite adjustments for maternal anthropometry, the number of prior pregnancies, and human immunodeficiency virus status. Older adolescents similarly benefited more than younger adolescents, though differences did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, newborns born to younger adolescent mothers had worse outcomes than those born to adult mothers, and adults and their newborns benefited more from the intervention than younger adolescents.

System-Dependent Image Distortion Related To Gantry Positions Of A 0.35 T Mrgrt: Characterization And The Corresponding Correction, Shanti Marasini, Benjamin Quinn, Mike Cole, Rocco Flores, Taeho Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: MR-guided radiotherapy with high accuracy treatment planning requires addressing MR imaging artifacts that originate from system imperfections. This work presents the characterization and corresponding correction of gantry-related imaging distortions including geometric distortion and isocenter shift in a 0.35 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) system using distortion vector fields (DVFs).

METHODS: Two phantoms, the magnetic resonance imaging distortion in 3D (MRID

RESULTS: Geometric distortion with "mean (± SD) distortion" of 3.2 ± 0.02, 2.9 ± 0.02, and 1.8 ± 0.01 mm and isocenter shift (±SD) of 0.49 ± 0.3, 0.05 ± 0.2, and 0.01 ± 0.03 mm were …