Digital Commons Network^™

Artificial Intelligence In Clinical And Translational Science: Successes, Challenges And Opportunities, Elmer V Bernstam, Paula K Shireman, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Meredith N Zozus, Xiaoqian Jiang, Bradley B Brimhall, Ashley K Windham, Susanne Schmidt, Shyam Visweswaran, Ye Ye, Heath Goodrum, Yaobin Ling, Seemran Barapatre, Michael J Becich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming many domains, including finance, agriculture, defense, and biomedicine. In this paper, we focus on the role of AI in clinical and translational research (CTR), including preclinical research (T1), clinical research (T2), clinical implementation (T3), and public (or population) health (T4). Given the rapid evolution of AI in CTR, we present three complementary perspectives: (1) scoping literature review, (2) survey, and (3) analysis of federally funded projects. For each CTR phase, we addressed challenges, successes, failures, and opportunities for AI. We surveyed Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs regarding AI projects at their institutions. Nineteen …

Examining Rural-Urban Differences In Fatalism And Information Overload: Data From 12 Nci-Designated Cancer Centers, Jakob D Jensen, Jackilen Shannon, Ronaldo Iachan, Yangyang Deng, Sunny Jung Kim, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Babalola Faseru, Electra D Paskett, Jinxiang Hu, Robin C Vanderpool, Deann Lazovich, Jason A Mendoza, Sanjay Shete, Linda B Robertson, Rajesh Balkrishnan, Katherine J Briant, Benjamin Haaland, David A Haggstrom, Bernard F Fuemmeler, Rural Workgroup Of The Population Health Assessment In Cancer Center Catchment Areas Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Rural populations experience a disproportionate cancer burden relative to urban populations. One possibility is that rural populations are more likely to hold counterproductive cancer beliefs such as fatalism and information overload that undermine prevention and screening behaviors.

METHODS: Between 2016 and 2020, 12 U.S. cancer centers surveyed adults in their service areas using online and in-person survey instruments. Participants (

RESULTS: Compared with urban residents, rural residents were more likely to believe that (i) everything causes cancer (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.17-1.43); (ii) prevention is not possible (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51); and (iii) there are too …

Ces2 Sustains Hnf4Α Expression To Promote Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Progression Through An Epoxide Hydrolase-Dependent Regulatory Loop, Yihui Chen, Michela Capello, Mayrim V Rios Perez, Jody V Vykoukal, David Roife, Ya'an Kang, Laura R Prakash, Hiroyuki Katayama, Ehsan Irajizad, Alia Fleury, Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, Dodge L Baluya, Jennifer B Dennison, Kim-Anh Do, Oliver Fiehn, Anirban Maitra, Huamin Wang, Paul J Chiao, Matthew H G Katz, Jason B Fleming, Samir M Hanash, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Intra-tumoral expression of the serine hydrolase carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) contributes to the activation of the pro-drug irinotecan in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Given other potential roles of CES2, we assessed its regulation, downstream effects, and contribution to tumor development in PDAC.

Methods: Association between the mRNA expression of CES2 in pancreatic tumors and overall survival was assessed using The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cell viability, clonogenic, and anchorage-independent growth assays as well as an orthotopic mouse model of PDAC were used to evaluate the biological relevance of CES2 in pancreatic cancer. CES2-driven metabolic changes were determined by untargeted and targeted …

Rapunzel Syndrome Complicated By Escherichia Coli Sepsis, Bowel Perforation, And Pancreatitis In An 11-Year-Old Malnourished Female, Rhea Daniel, Mary Arbuthnot, Srinivas Ramireddy, Supriya Nair

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The most common presenting symptoms of Rapunzel syndrome include abdominal pain (37%), nausea and vomiting (33.3%), obstruction (25.9%), and peritonitis (18.3%). Less commonly, patients may present with weight loss (7.4%) or intussusception (7.4%). Exceedingly rare complications of Rapunzel syndrome include gastric ulceration, obstructive jaundice, and acute pancreatitis as well as other malabsorptive-related complications including protein-losing enteropathy, iron deficiency, and megaloblastic anemia. This report details the case of an 11-year-old female with Rapunzel syndrome complicated by sepsis, a rare complication reported in only 2% of patients.

Identifying The Metabolic Signatures Of Ppard-Overexpressing Gastric Tumors, Shivanand Pudakalakatti, Mark Titus, José S Enriquez, Sumankalai Ramachandran, Niki M Zacharias, Imad Shureiqi, Yi Liu, James C Yao, Xiangsheng Zuo, Pratip K Bhattacharya

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) is a nuclear receptor known to play an essential role in regulation of cell metabolism, cell proliferation, inflammation, and tumorigenesis in normal and cancer cells. Recently, we found that a newly generated villin-PPARD mouse model, in which PPARD is overexpressed in villin-positive gastric progenitor cells, demonstrated spontaneous development of large, invasive gastric tumors as the mice aged. However, the role of PPARD in regulation of downstream metabolism in normal gastric and tumor cells is elusive. The aim of the present study was to find PPARD-regulated downstream metabolic changes and to determine the potential significance of …

(#Womeninddw) Persistent Speaker Gender Gap At The Premier Digestive Disease Event, Zubair Khan, Rabia Rukhshan, Asmeen Bhatt, Sushovan Guha, Srinivas Ramireddy, Prithvi Patil, Ricardo Badillo, Roy Tomas Davee, Nirav Thosani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades, advances have been made regarding gender equality starting from medical students to trainees, to leadership in academics. The female representation in specialty academic conferences not only reflects the existing gender disparities in that specialty but also can influence young female trainees to join that field. Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the premier digestive disease event. We aimed to calculate the proportion of female representation among speakers and moderators at the DDW meetings held from 2018 to 2020.

METHODS: The data for DDW 2018-2020 were collected via the online web-based planner. The gender of speakers …

Quantitative Estimation Of Protein In Sprouts Of Vigna Radiate (Mung Beans), Lens Culinaris (Lentils), And Cicer Arietinum (Chickpeas) By Kjeldahl And Lowry Methods, Nayab Batool Rizvi, Samina Aleem, Mohammad Rizwan Khan, Sadia Ashraf, Rosa Busquets

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Protein scarcity is the most vital cause of long-lasting diseases and even untimely deaths in some developing nations. The application of protein in food is advantageous from the point of view of non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and dietary benefits. This study aimed to determine the protein contents of the sprouts of

Common Genetic Variants Contribute To Risk Of Transposition Of The Great Arteries, Doris Škorić-Milosavljević, Rafik Tadros, Fernanda M Bosada, Federico Tessadori, Jan Hendrik Van Weerd, Odilia I Woudstra, Fleur V Y Tjong, Najim Lahrouchi, Fanny Bajolle, Heather J Cordell, A J Agopian, Gillian M Blue, Daniela Q C M Barge-Schaapveld, Marc Gewillig, Christoph Preuss, Elisabeth M Lodder, Phil Barnett, Aho Ilgun, Leander Beekman, Karel Van Duijvenboden, Regina Bokenkamp, Martina Müller-Nurasyid, Hubert W Vliegen, Thelma C Konings, Joost P Van Melle, Arie P J Van Dijk, Roland R J Van Kimmenade, Jolien W Roos-Hesselink, Gertjan T Sieswerda, Folkert Meijboom, Hashim Abdul-Khaliq, Felix Berger, Sven Dittrich, Marc-Phillip Hitz, Julia Moosmann, Frank-Thomas Riede, Stephan Schubert, Pilar Galan, Mark Lathrop, Hans M Munter, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Christopher E Shaw, Pamela J Shaw, Karen E Morrison, Jan H Veldink, Leonard H Van Den Berg, Sylvia Evans, Marcelo A Nobrega, Ivy Aneas, Milena Radivojkov-Blagojević, Thomas Meitinger, Erwin Oechslin, Tapas Mondal, Lynn Bergin, John F Smythe, Luis Altamirano-Diaz, Jane Lougheed, Berto J Bouma, Marie-A Chaix, Jennie Kline, Anne S Bassett, Gregor Andelfinger, Roel L F Van Der Palen, Patrice Bouvagnet, Sally-Ann B Clur, Jeroen Breckpot, Wilhelmina S Kerstjens-Frederikse, David S Winlaw, Ulrike M M Bauer, Seema Mital, Elizabeth Goldmuntz, Bernard Keavney, Damien Bonnet, Barbara J Mulder, Michael W T Tanck, Jeroen Bakkers, Vincent M Christoffels, Cornelis J Boogerd, Alex V Postma, Connie R Bezzina

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

RATIONALE: Dextro-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) is a severe congenital heart defect which affects approximately 1 in 4,000 live births. While there are several reports of D-TGA patients with rare variants in individual genes, the majority of D-TGA cases remain genetically elusive. Familial recurrence patterns and the observation that most cases with D-TGA are sporadic suggest a polygenic inheritance for the disorder, yet this remains unexplored.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to study the role of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in risk for D-TGA.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a genome-wide association study in an international set of 1,237 patients …

Active Living After Cancer: Adaptation And Evaluation Of A Community-Based Physical Activity Program For Minority And Medically Underserved Breast Cancer Survivors, Irene M Tami-Maury, Yue Liao, Maria L Rangel, Leticia A Gatus, Eileen H Shinn, Ashley Alexander, Karen Basen-Engquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: An expanding body of research documents the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors' physical functioning and quality of life, but few successful models provide community-based physical activity programs to cancer survivors. This report presents an evaluation of Active Living After Cancer, an evidence-based physical activity program for breast cancer survivors, adapted for community delivery to minority and medically underserved survivors.

METHODS: Survivors were recruited from health care and community settings. The program consisted of 12 weekly group sessions providing training in cognitive and behavioral skills for behavior change, brief physical activity, and cancer survivorship-related content. At the baseline …

Genetic Determinants Of Telomere Length From 109,122 Ancestrally Diverse Whole-Genome Sequences In Topmed, Margaret A Taub, Matthew P Conomos, Rebecca Keener, Kruthika R Iyer, Joshua S Weinstock, Lisa R Yanek, John Lane, Tyne W Miller-Fleming, Jennifer A Brody, Laura M Raffield, Caitlin P Mchugh, Deepti Jain, Stephanie M Gogarten, Cecelia A Laurie, Ali Keramati, Marios Arvanitis, Albert V Smith, Benjamin Heavner, Lucas Barwick, Lewis C Becker, Joshua C Bis, John Blangero, Eugene R Bleecker, Esteban G Burchard, Juan C Celedón, Yen Pei C Chang, Brian Custer, Dawood Darbar, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Dawn L Demeo, Barry I Freedman, Melanie E Garrett, Mark T Gladwin, Susan R Heckbert, Bertha A Hidalgo, Marguerite R Irvin, Talat Islam, W Craig Johnson, Stefan Kaab, Lenore Launer, Jiwon Lee, Simin Liu, Arden Moscati, Kari E North, Patricia A Peyser, Nicholas Rafaels, Christine Seidman, Daniel E Weeks, Fayun Wen, Marsha M Wheeler, L Keoki Williams, Ivana V Yang, Wei Zhao, Stella Aslibekyan, Paul L Auer, Donald W Bowden, Brian E Cade, Zhanghua Chen, Michael H Cho, L Adrienne Cupples, Joanne E Curran, Michelle Daya, Ranjan Deka, Celeste Eng, Tasha E Fingerlin, Xiuqing Guo, Lifang Hou, Shih-Jen Hwang, Jill M Johnsen, Eimear E Kenny, Albert M Levin, Chunyu Liu, Ryan L Minster, Take Naseri, Mehdi Nouraie, Muagututi'a Sefuiva Reupena, Ester C Sabino, Jennifer A Smith, Nicholas L Smith, Jessica Lasky Su, James G Taylor, Marilyn J Telen, Hemant K Tiwari, Russell P Tracy, Marquitta J White, Yingze Zhang, Kerri L Wiggins, Scott T Weiss, Ramachandran S Vasan, Kent D Taylor, Moritz F Sinner, Edwin K Silverman, M Benjamin Shoemaker, Wayne H-H Sheu, Frank Sciurba, David A Schwartz, Jerome I Rotter, Daniel Roden, Susan Redline, Benjamin A Raby, Bruce M Psaty, Juan M Peralta, Nicholette D Palmer, Sergei Nekhai, Courtney G Montgomery, Braxton D Mitchell, Deborah A Meyers, Stephen T Mcgarvey, Nhlbi Care Network, Angel Cy Mak, Ruth Jf Loos, Rajesh Kumar, Charles Kooperberg, Barbara A Konkle, Shannon Kelly, Sharon Lr Kardia, Robert Kaplan, Jiang He, Hongsheng Gui, Frank D Gilliland, Bruce D Gelb, Myriam Fornage, Patrick T Ellinor, Mariza De Andrade, Adolfo Correa, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Eric Boerwinkle, Kathleen C Barnes, Allison E Ashley-Koch, Donna K Arnett, Nhlbi Trans-Omics For Precision Medicine (Topmed) Consortium, Topmed Hematology And Hemostasis Working Group, Topmed Structural Variation Working Group, Cathy C Laurie, Goncalo Abecasis, Deborah A Nickerson, James G Wilson, Stephen S Rich, Daniel Levy, Ingo Ruczinski, Abraham Aviv, Thomas W Blackwell, Timothy Thornton, Jeff O'Connell, Nancy J Cox, James A Perry, Mary Armanios, Alexis Battle, Nathan Pankratz, Alexander P Reiner, Rasika A Mathias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genetic studies on telomere length are important for understanding age-related diseases. Prior GWAS for leukocyte TL have been limited to European and Asian populations. Here, we report the first sequencing-based association study for TL across ancestrally-diverse individuals (European, African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino) from the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. We used whole genome sequencing (WGS) of whole blood for variant genotype calling and the bioinformatic estimation of telomere length in n=109,122 individuals. We identified 59 sentinel variants (p-value <5×10-9) in 36 loci associated with telomere length, including 20 newly associated loci (13 were replicated in external datasets). There was little evidence of effect size heterogeneity across populations. Fine-mapping at OBFC1 indicated the independent signals colocalized with cell-type specific eQTLs for OBFC1 (STN1). Using a multi-variant gene-based approach, …

Differential Cd4+ T-Cell Cytokine And Cytotoxic Responses Between Reactivation And Latent Phases Of Herpes Zoster Infection, Wenjie Jin, Mike Fang, Ismail Sayin, Carson Smith, Jeffrey L Hunter, Brian Richardson, Jackelyn B Golden, Christopher Haley, Kenneth E Schmader, Michael R Betts, Stephen K Tyring, Cheryl M Cameron, Mark J Cameron, David H Canaday

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: CD4+ T cells are a critical component of effective immune responses to varicella zoster virus (VZV), but their functional properties during the reactivation acute vs latent phase of infection remain poorly defined.

METHODS: Here we assessed the functional and transcriptomic properties of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells in persons with acute herpes zoster (HZ) compared to those with a prior history of HZ infection using multicolor flow cytometry and RNA sequencing.

RESULTS: We found significant differences between the polyfunctionality of VZV-specific total memory, effector memory, and central memory CD4+ T cells in acute vs prior HZ. VZV-specific CD4+ memory …

Ahcc® Supplementation To Support Immune Function To Clear Persistent Human Papillomavirus Infections, Judith A Smith, Anjali A Gaikwad, Lata Mathew, Barbara Rech, Jonathan P Faro, Joseph A Lucci, Yu Bai, Randall J Olsen, Teresa T Byrd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy, safety, and durability of the use of AHCC supplementation for 6 months to support the host immune system to clear high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The AHCC supplement is a proprietary, standardized extract of cultured lentinula edodes mycelia (AHCC

STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (CTN: NCT02405533) in 50 women over 30 years of age with confirmed persistent high-risk HPV infections for greater than 2 years. Patients were randomized to placebo once daily for 12 months (N = 25) or AHCC 3-g supplementation by mouth once daily on empty stomach for 6 …

Complexities And Complications Of Extreme Obesity, Haval Ali, Udit Naik, Michelle Mcdonald, Mohammad Almosa, Karen Horn, Alexis Staines, Louis Maximilian Buja

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity is a common chronic disorder and has detrimental long-term consequences if left untreated. Herein, we report a case of a young lady who suffered from morbid obesity and many of its consequences, and we present a literature review of these complications. While the cause of obesity is multifactorial, the genetic component is particularly important in the pathophysiology of marked obesity. Resistance to Leptin is considered one of the main causes of obesity. There is a unique relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity, as observed in our case. Obesity is associated with cardiovascular and lung diseases such as heart …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

Evaluation Of The Kitchen Microbiome And Food Safety Behaviors Of Predominantly Low-Income Families, Christina K Carstens, Joelle K Salazar, Shreela V Sharma, Wenyaw Chan, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bacterial pathogens in the domestic environment present a risk to residents, particularly among susceptible populations. However, the impact of consumer demographic characteristics and food handling methods on kitchen microbiomes is not fully understood. The domestic kitchen bacterial communities of ten predominantly low-income families in Houston, TX, were assessed in conjunction with a cross-sectional food safety survey to evaluate differences in household and surface-specific microbiomes and bacterial foodborne pathogen presence. Three kitchen surfaces within each household, including the sink drain, the refrigerator handle, and the counter, were environmentally sampled and metataxonomically evaluated via targeted 16S rRNA sequencing. Disposable dish sponges were …

Incidence, Etiology, Sociodemographic And Clinical Characterization Of Acute Respiratory Failure In Pediatric Patients At A High-Altitude City: A Multicenter Cohort Study, Sarha M Vargas Muñoz, Sara De Vivero Haddad, Aldo M Beltran, Carolina Bonilla Gonzalez, Melisa Naranjo Vanegas, Sergio Moreno-Lopez, Paola Rueda-Guevara, Pedro Barrera, Juan Gabriel Piñeros, Luz Marina Mejía, María Lucia Mesa, Sonia Restrepo-Gualteros, Olga Lucía Baquero Castañeda, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory failure is a life-threatening medical condition, associated with a variety of conditions and risk factors, including acute respiratory diseases which are a frequent cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Colombia, the literature related to ARF is scarce.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, causes, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of ARF in three hospitals in Bogota, a high-altitude city located in Colombia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A multicenter prospective cohort study called the FARA cohort was developed between April 2020 - December 2021. Patients older than one month and younger than 18 years with respiratory …

Epidemiology Of Antibiotic Use And Drivers Of Cross-Border Procurement In A Mexican American Border Community, Heather T Essigmann, David A Aguilar, William B Perkison, Katherine G Bay, Magdalena R Deaton, Sharon A Brown, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The U.S.-Mexico Border is an area of opportunity for improved health care access; however, gaps remain as to how and where U.S. border residents, particularly those who are underinsured, obtain care. Antibiotics are one of the most common reported drivers of cross-border healthcare access and a medication of particular concern since indiscriminate or inappropriate use is associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition, many studies assessing preferences for Mexican pharmaceuticals and healthcare in U.S. border residents were done prior to 2010 when many prescription medications, including antibiotics, were available over the counter in Mexico.

METHODS: Data used in this study …

Comorbidities, Health-Related Quality Of Life, Health-Care Utilization In Older Persons With Hemophilia-Hematology Utilization Group Study Part Vii (Hugs Vii), Randall Curtis, Marilyn Manco-Johnson, Barbara A Konkle, Roshni Kulkarni, Joanne Wu, Judith R Baker, Megan Ullman, Duc Quang Tran, Michael B Nichol

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: We compare the impact of hemophilia on comorbidities, joint problems, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health-care utilization between two age groups: 40-49 years and ≥50 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The HUGS VII study recruited persons with hemophilia A or B age ≥40 years. Participants completed surveys to collect data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, hemophilia treatment regimen, pain, joint problems, comorbidities, HRQoL, depression and anxiety, at baseline and 6-months later. Clinical chart reviews documented hemophilic severity and treatment.

RESULTS: The sample includes 69 males, 65.2% aged ≥50 years, 75.4% with hemophilia A. Individuals ≥50 years were more likely …

Blood Metabolites Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment In The Study Of Latinos-Investigation Of Neurocognitive Aging (Hchs/So), Shan He, Einat Granot-Hershkovitz, Ying Zhang, Jan Bressler, Wassim Tarraf, Bing Yu, Tianyi Huang, Donglin Zeng, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Melissa Lamar, Martha Daviglus, Maria J Marquine, Jianwen Cai, Thomas Mosley, Robert Kaplan, Eric Boerwinkle, Myriam Fornage, Charles Decarli, Bruce Kristal, Hector M Gonzalez, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Blood metabolomics-based biomarkers may be useful to predict measures of neurocognitive aging.

METHODS: We tested the association between 707 blood metabolites measured in 1451 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and global cognitive change assessed 7 years later. We further used Lasso penalized regression to construct a metabolomics risk score (MRS) that predicts MCI, potentially identifying a different set of metabolites than those discovered in individual-metabolite analysis.

RESULTS: We identified 20 metabolites predicting prevalent MCI and/or global cognitive change. Six of them were novel and 14 were previously reported as …

Incidence Of Readmission Following Pediatric Hand Surgery: An Analysis Of 6600 Patients, Christopher J Goodenough, Cassie A Hartline, Shuyan Wei, Joseph K Moffitt, Alfredo Cepeda, Phuong D Nguyen, Matthew R Greives

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Quality in surgical outcomes is frequently assessed by the 30-day readmission rate. There are limited data available in the published literature regarding readmission rates following pediatric hand surgery. This study aims to identify factors associated with an increased risk of readmission following hand surgery in a pediatric population.

METHODS: The 2012-2017 National Surgical Quality Improvement Project - Pediatric (NSQIP-P) databases were queried for pediatric patients who underwent procedures with hand-specific current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. The primary outcome was readmission.

RESULTS: A total of 6600 pediatric patients were identified and included in the analysis. There were 45 patients who …

Renal Disease And The Heart, Hassan N Ibrahim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Serglycin Is Involved In Tgf-Β Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Is Highly Expressed By Immune Cells In Breast Cancer Tissue, Marta Tellez-Gabriel, Xavier Tekpli, Trine M Reine, Beate Hegge, Stephanie R Nielsen, Meng Chen, Line Moi, Lisa Svartdal Normann, Lill-Tove R Busund, George A Calin, Gunhild M Mælandsmo, Maria Perander, Achilleas D Theocharis, Svein O Kolset, Erik Knutsen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Serglycin is a proteoglycan highly expressed by immune cells, in which its functions are linked to storage, secretion, transport, and protection of chemokines, proteases, histamine, growth factors, and other bioactive molecules. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that serglycin is also expressed by several other cell types, such as endothelial cells, muscle cells, and multiple types of cancer cells. Here, we show that serglycin expression is upregulated in transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Functional studies provide evidence that serglycin plays an important role in the regulation of the transition between the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, …

Cancer Prevention Behaviors In Workers Of A Referral Cancer Center In Mexico City: A Pilot Study On Early Detection Awareness For Cancer, Nancy Reynoso-Noverón, Shine Chang, Luis Alonso Herrera-Montalvo, Abelardo Meneses-García

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Prevention strategies for cancer are necessary. Health workers who often serve as role models bear responsibility for prevention counseling and programs. However, whether their habits and behaviors reflect prevention goals are unknown. We describe the prevalence of cancer risk factors and prevention behaviors in health workers of a referral cancer center in Mexico City.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in which workers of the National Cancer Institute were invited to participate in a prevention program, risk factor survey, and nutrition, psychological, and genetic counseling were included. The likelihood of cancer was calculated based on the presence of risk factors. Factors associated …