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The Impact Of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Positivity On Prognosis Of Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Aimin Yang, Wilson Adrian Wijaya, Lei Yang, Yinhai He, Ying Cen, Junjie Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: There are numerous findings over the past decade have indicated that Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) may have two pathways of pathogenesis: one related to ultraviolet irradiation and the other to the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). However, the predictive and clinicopathological value of MCPyV positivity in MCC patients is still debatable. This article aims to examine the most recent data regarding this issue.

METHODS: The thorough literature searches were conducted in the Medline Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane CENTRAL Databases, and Embase Databases until December 31, 2021. The associations between overall survival (OS), Merkel cell carcinoma-specific survival (MSS), …

Enhancing Diagnosis Through Technology: Decision Support, Artificial Intelligence, And Beyond, Robert El-Kareh, Dean F Sittig

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patient care in intensive care environments is complex, time-sensitive, and data-rich, factors that make these settings particularly well-suited to clinical decision support (CDS). A wide range of CDS interventions have been used in intensive care unit environments. The field needs well-designed studies to identify the most effective CDS approaches. Evolving artificial intelligence and machine learning models may reduce information-overload and enable teams to take better advantage of the large volume of patient data available to them. It is vital to effectively integrate new CDS into clinical workflows and to align closely with the cognitive processes of frontline clinicians.

Metabolic Imaging Using Hyperpolarization For Assessment Of Premalignancy, Shivanand Pudakalakatti, Priyank Raj, Travis C Salzillo, José S Enriquez, Dontrey Bourgeois, Prasanta Dutta, Mark Titus, Shayan Shams, Priya Bhosale, Michael Kim, Florencia Mcallister, Pratip K Bhattacharya

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

There is an unmet need for noninvasive surrogate markers that can help identify premalignant lesions across different tumor types. Here we describe the methodology and technical details of protocols employed for in vivo

Advances In Non-Invasive Biosensing Measures To Monitor Wound Healing Progression, Walker D Short, Oluyinka O Olutoye, Benjamin W Padon, Umang M Parikh, Daniel Colchado, Hima Vangapandu, Shayan Shams, Taiyun Chi, Jangwook P Jung, Swathi Balaji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Impaired wound healing is a significant financial and medical burden. The synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in a new wound is a dynamic process that is constantly changing and adapting to the biochemical and biomechanical signaling from the extracellular microenvironments of the wound. This drives either a regenerative or fibrotic and scar-forming healing outcome. Disruptions in ECM deposition, structure, and composition lead to impaired healing in diseased states, such as in diabetes. Valid measures of the principal determinants of successful ECM deposition and wound healing include lack of bacterial contamination, good tissue perfusion, and reduced mechanical injury and …

Leveraging Deep Learning-Based Segmentation And Contours-Driven Deformable Registration For Dose Accumulation In Abdominal Structures, Molly M Mcculloch, Guillaume Cazoulat, Stina Svensson, Sergii Gryshkevych, Bastien Rigaud, Brian M Anderson, Ezgi Kirimli, Brian De, Ryan T Mathew, Mohamed Zaid, Dalia Elganainy, Christine B Peterson, Peter Balter, Eugene J Koay, Kristy K Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Discrepancies between planned and delivered dose to GI structures during radiation therapy (RT) of liver cancer may hamper the prediction of treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study is to develop a streamlined workflow for dose accumulation in a treatment planning system (TPS) during liver image-guided RT and to assess its accuracy when using different deformable image registration (DIR) algorithms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy guided by daily CT-on-rails (CTOR) were retrospectively analyzed. The liver, stomach and duodenum contours were auto-segmented on all planning CTs and daily CTORs …

The Potential Of Biology-Guided Radiation Therapy In Thoracic Cancer: A Preliminary Treatment Planning Study, Steven N Seyedin, Rostem Bassalow, Osama R Mawlawi, Lehendrick M Turner, Roshal R Patel, Samuel R Mazin, Oluwaseyi M Oderinde, Yevgen Voronenko, Cody A Wages, Peter D Olcott, Joe Y Chang, Peter A Balter, James W Welsh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: We investigated the feasibility of biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT), a technique that utilizes real-time positron emission imaging to minimize tumor motion uncertainties, to spare nearby organs at risk.

METHODS: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), intensity-modulated proton (IMPT) therapy, and BgRT plans were created for a paratracheal node recurrence (case 1; 60 Gy in 10 fractions) and a primary peripheral left upper lobe adenocarcinoma (case 2; 50 Gy in four fractions).

RESULTS: For case 1, BgRT produced lower bronchus V40 values compared to VMAT and IMPT. For case 2, total lung V20 was lower in the BgRT case compared to VMAT …

A Transgenic Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Approach To Identify Regulatory Regions That Direct Amhr2 And Osterix Expression In Müllerian Duct Mesenchyme, Malcolm M Moses, Rachel D Mullen, Daniel I Idowu, Peter Maye, Soazik P Jamin, Richard R Behringer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A transgenic mouse approach using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) was used to identify regulatory regions that direct Müllerian duct expression for Amhr2 and Osterix (Osx, also known as Sp7). Amhr2 encodes the receptor that mediates anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) signaling for Müllerian duct regression in male embryos. Amhr2 is expressed in the Müllerian duct mesenchyme of both male and female embryos. A ∼147-kb BAC clone containing the Amhr2 locus was used to generate transgenic mice. The transgene was able to rescue the block in Müllerian duct regression of Amhr2-null males, suggesting that the BAC clone contains regulatory …

Genetic Variants Associated With Circulating Liver Injury Markers In Mexican Americans, A Population At Risk For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Caroline M Sabotta, Suet-Ying Kwan, Lauren E Petty, Jennifer E Below, Aron Joon, Peng Wei, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B Mccormick, Laura Beretta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Mexican Americans are disproportionally affected by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Noninvasive means to identify those in this population at high risk for these diseases are urgently needed. Approach: The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) is a population-based cohort with high rates of obesity (51%), type 2 diabetes (28%) and NAFLD (49%). In a subgroup of 564 CCHC subjects, we evaluated 339 genetic variants previously reported to be associated with liver injury markers aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in United Kingdom and Japanese cohorts. Results: Association was confirmed for 86 variants. Among …

Automated Identification Of Missing Is-A Relations In The Human Phenotype Ontology, Maryamsadat Mohtashamian, Ran Hu, Rashmie Abeysinghe, Xubing Hao, Hua Xu, Licong Cui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Auditing the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) is necessary to provide accurate terminology for its use in clinical research. We investigate an approach leveraging the lexical features of concepts in HPO to identify missing IS-A relations among HPO concepts. We first model the names of HPO concepts as sets of words in lower case. Then, we generate two types of concept-pairs which have at least a single common word: (1) Linked concept-pairs generated from concept-pairs having an IS-A relation; (2) Unlinked concept-pairs generated from concept-pairs without an IS- A relation. Concept-pairs generate Derived Term Pairs (DTPs) emphasizing unique lexical information of …

Cost Of Care For Asylum Seekers And Refugees Entering The United States: The Case Of Volunteer Medical Providers In El Paso, Texas, Rigoberto I Delgado, Manuel De La Rosa, Marlon A Picado, Lisa Ayoub-Rodriguez, Celia E Gonzalez, Leopold Gemoets

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Between October 2018, and February 2020, the United States saw an unprecedented increase in the number of asylum seekers and refugees arriving unexpectedly at international crossings along the US-Mexico Border. Many of these migrants needed proper medical attention, and consequently created significant pressure on local health systems. In El Paso, Texas, volunteer clinicians, collaborating closely with religious organizations and non-governmental organizations, provided outpatient medical care for the new arrivals; the county hospital provided in-patient care at local tax payers' expense. The objective of this study was to estimate costs of healthcare services offered by these volunteers in order to …

Magi1 Inhibits Interferon Signaling To Promote Influenza A Infection, Yin Wang, Jun-Ichi Abe, Khanh M Chau, Yongxing Wang, Hang Thi Vu, Loka Reddy Velatooru, Fahad Gulraiz, Masaki Imanishi, Venkata S K Samanthapudi, Minh T H Nguyen, Kyung Ae Ko, Ling-Ling Lee, Tamlyn N Thomas, Elizabeth A Olmsted-Davis, Sivareddy Kotla, Keigi Fujiwara, John P Cooke, Di Zhao, Scott E Evans, Nhat-Tu Le

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We have shown that membrane-associated guanylate kinase with inverted domain structure-1 (MAGI1), a scaffold protein with six PSD95/DiscLarge/ZO-1 (PDZ) domains, is involved in the regulation of endothelial cell (EC) activation and atherogenesis in mice. In addition to causing acute respiratory disease, influenza A virus (IAV) infection plays an important role in atherogenesis and triggers acute coronary syndromes and fatal myocardial infarction. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the function and regulation of MAGI1 in IAV-induced EC activation. Whereas, EC infection by IAV increases MAGI1 expression, MAGI1 depletion suppresses IAV infection, suggesting that the induction of MAGI1 may …

Regulation Of T Cell Function By Protein S-Acylation, Savannah J West, Darren Boehning, Askar M Akimzhanov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

S-acylation, the reversible lipidation of free cysteine residues with long-chain fatty acids, is a highly dynamic post-translational protein modification that has recently emerged as an important regulator of the T cell function. The reversible nature of S-acylation sets this modification apart from other forms of protein lipidation and allows it to play a unique role in intracellular signal transduction. In recent years, a significant number of T cell proteins, including receptors, enzymes, ion channels, and adaptor proteins, were identified as S-acylated. It has been shown that S-acylation critically contributes to their function by regulating protein localization, stability and protein-protein interactions. …

Morphological Description Of Laevicaulisstuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) (Pulmonata, Veronicellidae) From Egypt, Reham Fathey Ali, David G Robinson, Fabio Liberto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Terrestrial slugs and snails are increasingly becoming serious pests of agricultural, horticultural and ornamental plants in Egypt, resulting in major economic losses.

NEW INFORMATION: This paper provides a detailed morphological and anatomical description of the veronicellid slug Laevicaulisstuhlmanni (Simroth, 1895) that has been recently recorded from Egypt. This population from Egypt is compared with Laevicaulis populations recently reported and described from Libya as L.striatus (Simroth, 1896) and with available data in literature. Some notes and a distribution map of the veronicellids introduced in north-eastern Africa are provided.

Semiparametric Copula-Based Regression Modeling Of Semi-Competing Risks Data, Hong Zhu, Yu Lan, Jing Ning, Yu Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Semi-competing risks data often arise in medical studies where the terminal event (e.g., death) censors the non-terminal event (e.g., cancer recurrence), but the non-terminal event does not prevent the subsequent occurrence of the terminal event. This article considers regression modeling of semi-competing risks data to assess the covariate effects on the respective non-terminal and terminal event times. We propose a copula-based framework for semi-competing risks regression with time-varying coefficients, where the dependence between the non-terminal and terminal event times is characterized by a copula and the time-varying covariate effects are imposed on two marginal regression models. We develop a two-stage …

Impact Of Psychosocial, Behavioral And Lifestyle Factors On Subjective Cognitive Complaints And Perceived Quality Of Life In A Large Cohort Of Italian Breast Cancer Patients, Thomas West, Corrado Cavallero, Rita Ceccherini, Silva Foladore, Daniele Generali, Francesco Versace, Bruna Scaggiante

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The impact of psychosocial and behavioral factors on Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment manifestations is still under debate. Study's purpose is to determine the prevalence rate of cancer related cognitive impairment in a cohort of Italian breast cancer patients and to evaluate the implication of specific behavioral factors. For these purposes, a total of 233 women (106 breast cancer patients and 127 age-matched controls without oncological diagnosis) completed a questionnaire investigating cognitive functionality (FACT-Cog v3.0), sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, psychosocial and behavioral factors (cognitive reserve, sleep quality, dietary habits, physical activity). The results indicated a higher prevalence rate of subjective cognitive …

Single-Incision Laparoscopic Splenectomy In Children With Massive Splenomegaly: A Prospective, Monocentric Pilot Study, Congjun Wang, Cheng Su, Chao Chen, Xianming Tang, Hong Wang, Wei Li, Yanqiang Li, Qiang Liu, Peng Chen, Yong Li, Yige Luo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Single-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (SILS) remains a challenging procedure because of the technical difficulty. In this prospective study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SILS in children with massive splenomegaly.

METHODS: Pediatric patients with massive splenomegaly were recruited for SILS in a university-affiliated hospital. The data on patient demographics, clinical features, operative variables, and perioperative outcomes were collected prospectively and analyzed. According to the different surgical instruments, the patients were randomly assigned into two groups: the SILS with straight surgical instrument (SILS-S) group and the SILS with curved surgical instrument (SILS-C) group. A two-group comparative analysis was …

Cancer Treatment-Induced Nad+ Depletion In Premature Senescence And Late Cardiovascular Complications, Priyanka Banerjee, Elizabeth A Olmsted-Davis, Anita Deswal, Minh Th Nguyen, Efstratios Koutroumpakis, Nicholas L Palaskas, Steven H Lin, Sivareddy Kotla, Cielito Reyes-Gibby, Sai-Ching J Yeung, Syed Wamique Yusuf, Momoko Yoshimoto, Michihiro Kobayashi, Bing Yu, Keri Schadler, Joerg Herrmann, John P Cooke, Abhishek Jain, Eduardo Chini, Nhat-Tu Le, Jun-Ichi Abe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Numerous studies have revealed the critical role of premature senescence induced by various cancer treatment modalities in the pathogenesis of aging-related diseases. Senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) can be induced by telomere dysfunction. Telomeric DNA damage response induced by some cancer treatments can persist for months, possibly accounting for long-term sequelae of cancer treatments. Telomeric DNA damage-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and increased reactive oxygen species production are hallmarks of premature senescence. Recently, we reported that the nucleus-mitochondria positive feedback loop formed by p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) and phosphorylation of S496 on ERK5 (a unique member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family …

Evolutionary Action Score Of Tp53 Analysis In Pathologically High-Risk Human Papillomavirus-Negative Head And Neck Cancer From A Phase 2 Clinical Trial: Nrg Oncology Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0234, Chieko Michikawa, Pedro A Torres-Saavedra, Natalie L Silver, Paul M Harari, Merrill S Kies, David I Rosenthal, Quynh-Thu Le, Richard C Jordan, Dzifa Y Duose, Saradhi Mallampati, Sanchit Trivedi, Rajyalakshmi Luthra, Ignacio I Wistuba, Abdullah A Osman, Olivier Lichtarge, Robert L Foote, Upendra Parvathaneni, D Neil Hayes, Curtis R Pickering, Jeffrey N Myers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: An evolutionary action scoring algorithm (EAp53) based on phylogenetic sequence variations stratifies patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) bearing

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty-one resection samples from patients treated surgically for stage III or IV human papillomavirus-negative HNSCC with high-risk pathologic features, who received either radiation therapy + cetuximab + cisplatin (cisplatin) or radiation therapy + cetuximab + docetaxel (docetaxel) as adjuvant treatment in a phase 2 study were subjected to

RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 9.8 years, there was a significant interaction between EAp53 group and treatment for overall survival (

CONCLUSIONS: The docetaxel arm …

Kidney Disease After Heart And Lung Transplantation, Carlos M Zapata, Hassan N Ibrahim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not only common after lung and heart transplantation but also is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to multiple pre-, peri- and post-transplant factors. While the exact incidence of CKD in this population is not well-defined, it seems to have gradually increased over the years as older recipients are more frequently considered. The increasing success of the procedure and expanding transplant candidate pool has allowed many with comorbid conditions to receive a transplant, which was considered prohibitive in the past. This review presents risk factors that have been linked to CKD as well as …

Multi-Center, Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy To Conventional Therapy In Incomplete Tetraplegia, Kim D Anderson, Radha Korupolu, Kristin E Musselman, Jacqueline Pierce, James R Wilson, Nuray Yozbatiran, Naaz Desai, Milos R Popovic, Lehana Thabane

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Loss of upper extremity function after tetraplegia results in significant disability. Emerging evidence from pilot studies suggests that functional electrical stimulation (FES) therapy may enhance recovery of upper extremity function after tetraplegia. The aim of this trial was to determine the effectiveness of FES therapy delivered by the Myndmove stimulator in people with tetraplegia.

METHODS: A multi-center

RESULTS: Between June 2019 to August 2021, 51 participants were randomized to FES (

CONCLUSION: Forty sessions of FES therapy delivered by the MyndMove stimulator are as effective as conventional therapy in producing meaningful functional improvements that persist after therapy is completed. …

Review Of Evidence For Environmental Causes Of Uveal Coloboma, Evan B Selzer, Delphine Blain, Robert B Hufnagel, Philip J Lupo, Laura E Mitchell, Brian P Brooks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Uveal coloboma is a condition defined by missing ocular tissues and is a significant cause of childhood blindness. It occurs from a failure of the optic fissure to close during embryonic development and may lead to missing parts of the iris, ciliary body, retina, choroid, and optic nerve. Because there is no treatment for coloboma, efforts have focused on prevention. While several genetic causes of coloboma have been identified, little definitive research exists regarding the environmental causes of this condition. We review the current literature on environmental factors associated with coloboma in an effort to guide future research and preventative …

Covid-19 Mortality May Be Reduced Among Fully Vaccinated Solid Organ Transplant Recipients, Micaela Sandoval, Duc T Nguyen, Howard J Huang, Stephanie G Yi, R Mark Ghobrial, A Osama Gaber, Edward A Graviss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 due to their immunosuppressed state and reduced immunogenicity from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. This investigation examined the association between COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status and mortality among SOT recipients diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS & FINDINGS: A retrospective, registry-based chart review was conducted investigating COVID-19 mortality among immunosuppressed solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in a large metropolitan healthcare system in Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic health record data was collected from consecutive SOT recipients who received a diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 test between March 1, 2020, and October 1, 2021. …

Desired Resources For Changing Diet Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Qualitative Inquiry Informing Future Dietary Interventions, Stephanie L Silveira, Emma V Richardson, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: There are approximately 1 million adults in the United States with multiple sclerosis (MS). Persons with MS are interested in diet as a second-line therapy for improving MS symptoms and disease progression. Examination of desired resources regarding diet among persons with MS is necessary for supporting behavior change.

METHODS: Twenty-five adults with MS completed 1-on-1, online semistructured interviews. An inductive, 6-phase, semantic thematic analysis was applied to identify themes associated with participant preferences for dietary behavior change.

RESULTS: The research team crafted 4 key themes from the data that encompassed participants' desired resources for dietary behavior change. Theme 1, …

The Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox: Using Implementation Mapping To Adapt An Online Decision Support System To Promote Culturally-Relevant Sexual Health Education For American Indian And Alaska Native Youth, Christine M Markham, Stephanie Craig Rushing, Jane Manthei, Michelle Singer, Cornelia Jessen, Gwenda Gorman, Melissa F Peskin, Belinda F Hernandez, Lea Sacca, Gabrielle S Evans, Claudia Luna-Meza, Zoe Merritt, Ross Shegog

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth experience serious disparities in sexual and reproductive health, including the highest teen birth rate among racial/ethnic groups, and disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV. A growing number of evidence-based programs (EBPs) that integrate the strengths and cultural teachings of Native communities exist. Yet, multiple factors, including lack of trained personnel, limited resources, and geographic isolation, may hinder their adoption and implementation. Innovative implementation strategies that facilitate the adoption and implementation of sexual health EBPs in Native communities may help reduce these disparities.

METHODS: We applied Implementation Mapping, a systematic …

Perceptions Of Physical Activity Guidelines Among Wheelchair Users With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Gary Cutter, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Physical activity guidelines provide prescriptive resources for population-level promotion of behavior change to improve health outcomes. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) recently created and disseminated physical activity guidelines for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) across the disease spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess perceptions of the updated NMSS Physical Activity Guidelines among wheelchair users with MS.

METHODS: One hundred thirty-four wheelchair users with MS participated in a cross-sectional study examining health behaviors. Outcomes were measured using an online questionnaire that included items related to demographic and clinical characteristics and a battery of questions regarding perceptions of the …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning For Hiv Prevention Interventions, Yang Xiang, Jingcheng Du, Kayo Fujimoto, Fang Li, John Schneider, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In 2019, the US Government announced its goal to end the HIV epidemic within 10 years, mirroring the initiatives set forth by UNAIDS. Public health prevention interventions are a crucial part of this ambitious goal. However, numerous challenges to this goal exist, including improving HIV awareness, increasing early HIV infection detection, ensuring rapid treatment, optimising resource distribution, and providing efficient prevention services for vulnerable populations. Artificial intelligence has had a pivotal role in revolutionising health care and has shown great potential in developing effective HIV prevention intervention strategies. Although artificial intelligence has been used in a few HIV prevention intervention …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Organizational Challenges And Facilitators To Screening Individuals Experiencing Homelessness For Hepatitis C Virus (Hcv) In Houston, Texas, Alane Celeste-Villalvir, J Michael Wilkerson, Christine Markham, Lourdes Rodriguez, Vanessa Schick

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Individuals experiencing homelessness may be at a disproportionately high risk for hepatitis C (HCV) because they may be more likely to engage in HCV risk behaviors. Community organizations that provide services to these vulnerable individuals can effectively screen, diagnose, and navigate them into HCV care. However, screening people experiencing homelessness for HCV at such organizations is limited by various challenges that remain understudied, including budgetary considerations and strategies to improve teamwork and communication. Accordingly, this study investigated the organizational challenges and facilitators to HCV screening of individuals experiencing homelessness as reported by homeless services providers.

METHODS: Staff (N = …

The Neighborhood Environment And Hispanic/Latino Health, Natalia I Heredia, Tianlin Xu, Minjae Lee, Lorna H Mcneill, Belinda M Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Hispanic/Latino adults on the Texas-Mexico border have high rates of chronic disease. Neighborhoods can influence health, though there is a limited research on neighborhood environment and health in Hispanics/Latinos. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation of neighborhood environment with health variables in Hispanic/Latino adults, including physical activity [PA], depression, anxiety, and lab-assessed conditions (type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation).

METHODS: Participants were randomly-selected from a Hispanic/Latino cohort on the Texas-Mexico border. Neighborhood environment, self-reported PA, anxiety, and depression were assessed through questionnaires. Laboratory values determined Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and C-reactive protein …

Maternal Occupational Exposures And Fetal Growth In A Spanish Birth Cohort, Jennifer Ish, David Gimeno Ruiz De Porras, Elaine Symanski, Ferran Ballester, Maribel Casas, George L Delclos, Mònica Guxens, Jesús Ibarluzea, Carmen Iñiguez, Loreto Santa-Marina, Michael D Swartz, Kristina W Whitworth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While the epidemiologic literature suggests certain maternal occupational exposures may be associated with reduced measures of size at birth, the occupational literature employing fetal biometry data to assess fetal growth is sparse. The present study examines associations between maternal occupational exposures and ultrasound-measured fetal growth. We included 1,739 singleton pregnancies from the INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) project (2003-2008). At 32 weeks of pregnancy, interviewers ascertained mothers' employment status and assessed job-related physical loads, work schedules, and job strain during pregnancy. Job titles were linked to a job-exposure matrix to estimate exposure to 10 endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) groups. We …

Covid-19 Outcomes In Myasthenia Gravis Patients: Analysis From Electronic Health Records In The United States, Youngran Kim, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Minseon Kim, Aziz Shaibani, Kazim Sheikh, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Thy Phuong Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune, neuromuscular condition and patients with MG are vulnerable due to immunosuppressant use and disease manifestations of dyspnea and dysphagia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Optum® de-identified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record (EHR) dataset. Primary outcomes, such as hospitalization, ventilator use, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death in COVID-19 patients with MG, were compared with those of COVID-19 patients without MG: the subgroups of non-MG included those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus (SLE), and multiple sclerosis (MS). We further analyzed factors affecting …