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A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Assessing The Effect Of Visbiome Es Probiotic In People With Hiv On Antiretroviral Therapy, Rachel M. Presti, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Background: A5350, a phase II, randomized, double-blind study, evaluated the safety and tolerability of the probiotic Visbiome Extra Strength (ES) over 24 weeks and measured effects on inflammation and intestinal barrier function.

Methods: The primary outcome was change in soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels; secondary outcomes included safety and tolerability, markers of inflammation and cellular activation, and microbiome. In a substudy, gut permeability was assessed by paired colonic biopsies measuring the area of lamina propria occupied by CD4+ cells, interleukin (IL)-17+ cells, and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Changes between arms were compared with the 2-sample

Results: Overall, 93 participants enrolled: 86% male, median …

Inhibitor Of Growth Protein 3 Epigenetically Silences Endogenous Retroviral Elements And Prevents Innate Immune Activation, Yanhua Song, Gaopeng Hou, Jonathan Diep, Yaw Shin Ooi, Natalia S. Akopyants, Stephen M. Beverley, Jan E. Carette, Harry B. Greenberg, Siyuan Ding

Open Access Publications

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are subject to transcriptional repression in adult tissues, in part to prevent autoimmune responses. However, little is known about the epigenetic silencing of ERV expression. Here, we describe a new role for inhibitor of growth family member 3 (ING3), to add to an emerging group of ERV transcriptional regulators. Our results show that ING3 binds to several ERV promoters (for instance MER21C) and establishes an EZH2-mediated H3K27 trimethylation modification. Loss of ING3 leads to decreases of H3K27 trimethylation enrichment at ERVs, induction of MDA5-MAVS-interferon signaling, and functional inhibition of several virus infections. These data demonstrate an important …

Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Invasive Fungal Infection, John W. Baddley, George R. Thompson, Sharon C.-A. Chen, P. Lewis White, Melissa D. Johnson, M. Hong Nguyen, Ilan S. Schwartz, Andrej Spec, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Brendan R. Jackson, Thomas F. Patterson, Peter G. Pappas

Open Access Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can become complicated by secondary invasive fungal infections (IFIs), stemming primarily from severe lung damage and immunologic deficits associated with the virus or immunomodulatory therapy. Other risk factors include poorly controlled diabetes, structural lung disease and/or other comorbidities, and fungal colonization. Opportunistic IFI following severe respiratory viral illness has been increasingly recognized, most notably with severe influenza. There have been many reports of fungal infections associated with COVID-19, initially predominated by pulmonary aspergillosis, but with recent emergence of mucormycosis, candidiasis, and endemic mycoses. These infections can be challenging to diagnose and are associated with poor outcomes. …

Toxoplasma Bradyzoites Exhibit Physiological Plasticity Of Calcium And Energy Stores Controlling Motility And Egress, Yong Fu, Kevin M. Brown, Nathaniel G. Jones, Silvia N.J. Moreno, L. David Sibley

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Cell Death And Transcriptional Responses Induced In Larvae Of The Nematode Haemonchus Contortus By Toxins/Toxicants With Broad Phylogenetic Efficacy, Douglas P Jasmer, Bruce A Rosa, Makedonka Mitreva

Open Access Publications

Establishing methods to investigate treatments that induce cell death in parasitic nematodes will promote experimental approaches to elucidate mechanisms and to identify prospective anthelmintics capable of inducing this outcome. Here, we extended recent progress on a method to monitor cell death and to identify small molecule inhibitors in

Vaccines For Protecting Infants From Bacterial Causes Of Diarrheal Disease, Richard Walker, Robert W Kaminski, Chad Porter, Robert K M Choy, Jessica A White, James M Fleckenstein, Fred Cassels, Louis Bourgeois

Open Access Publications

The global diarrheal disease burden for

Association Between Antiviral Prophylaxis And Cytomegalovirus And Epstein-Barr Virus Dnaemia In Pediatric Recipients Of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant, Ndeye Soukeyna Diop, Pascal Roland Enok Bonong, Chantal Buteau, Michel Duval, Jacques Lacroix, Louise Laporte, Marisa Tucci, Nancy Robitaille, Philip C Spinella, Geoffrey Cuvelier, Suzanne M Vercauteren, Victor Lewis, Caroline Alfieri, Helen Trottier

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections can have serious consequences during the period of aplasia and lymphopenia following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Large pediatric cohort studies examining the effect of antiviral prophylaxis against these viruses are scarce. The present study aimed to analyse the potential effect of antiviral prophylaxis (acyclovir and famciclovir) on active post-transplant EBV and CMV infection in a pediatric cohort of allogeneic HSCT recipients.

METHODS: We used data from the TREASuRE cohort, consisting of 156 patients who had a first allogeneic HSCT, enrolled in four pediatric centers in Canada between July 2013 and March …

Toll-Like Receptor Signaling In The Establishment And Function Of The Immune System, Jahnavi Aluri, Megan A Cooper, Laura G Schuettpelz

Open Access Publications

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that play a central role in the development and function of the immune system. TLR signaling promotes the earliest emergence of hematopoietic cells during development, and thereafter influences the fate and function of both primitive and effector immune cell types. Aberrant TLR signaling is associated with hematopoietic and immune system dysfunction, and both loss- and gain-of- function variants in TLR signaling-associated genes have been linked to specific infection susceptibilities and immune defects. Herein, we will review the role of TLR signaling in immune system development and the growing number of heritable defects in …

Impact Of Antibiotic Heterogeneity By Periodic Antibiotic Monitoring And Supervision Strategy At Two Units With Different Prevalences Of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms, Surachai Chaononghin, Kittiya Jantarathaneewat, David J Weber, David K Warren, Anucha Apisarnthanarak

Open Access Publications

In an intensive care unit, antibiotic heterogeneity led to an increase in antibiotic heterogeneity index (P = .002) and a reduction in carbapenem-resistance Enterobacteriaceae incidence (P = .04). In a general medicine unit with low prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms, antibiotic heterogeneity index and incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms did not improve.

Isolation And Characterization Of A Novel Bacteriophage Wo From Allonemobius Socius Crickets In Missouri, Jonah Kupritz, John Martin, Kerstin Fischer, Kurt C. Curtis, Joseph R. Fauver, Yuefang Huang, Young-Jun Choi, Wandy L. Beatty, Makedonka Mitreva, Peter U. Fischer

Open Access Publications

Wolbachia are endosymbionts of numerous arthropod and some nematode species, are important for their development and if present can cause distinct phenotypes of their hosts. Prophage DNA has been frequently detected in Wolbachia, but particles of Wolbachia bacteriophages (phage WO) have been only occasionally isolated. Here, we report the characterization and isolation of a phage WO of the southern ground cricket, Allonemobius socius, and provided the first whole-genome sequence of phage WO from this arthropod family outside of Asia. We screened A. socius abdomen DNA extracts from a cricket population in eastern Missouri by quantitative PCR for Wolbachia surface protein …

Identifying The Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence In Humanitarian Settings: Using An Ecological Framework To Review 15 Years Of Evidence, Melissa Meinhart, Ilana Seff, Katrina Troy, Samantha Mcnelly, Luissa Vahedi, Catherine Poulton, Lindsay Stark

Open Access Publications

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive form of gender-based violence that exacerbates in humanitarian settings. This systematic review examined the myriad IPV impacts and the quality of existing evidence of IPV in humanitarian settings. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) procedures, a total of 51 articles were included from the 3924 screened. We identified the impact of IPV across two levels of the ecological framework: individual and microsystem. Our findings corroborated previous evidence that indicated IPV to be associated with adverse physical and mental health for survivors. Our findings also uniquely synthesized the intergenerational …

Bictegravir-Based Antiretroviral Therapy-Associated Accelerated Hyperglycemia And Diabetes Mellitus, Nathanial S. Nolan, Samantha Adamson, Dominic Reeds, Jane A. O'Halloran

Open Access Publications

Integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is first line for treatment of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). Emerging data suggest the possibility of adverse metabolic effects of these medications. We describe 3 cases in which PWH developed hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis within months of being switched to bictegravir-based ART.

Public Preferences For Social Distancing Policy Measures To Mitigate The Spread Of Covid-19 In Missouri, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson, Aaloke Mody, Virginia Mckay, Matifadza Hlatshwayo, Cory Bradley, Vetta Thompson, David V. Glidden, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

Importance: Policies to promote social distancing can minimize COVID-19 transmission but come with substantial social and economic costs. Quantifying relative preferences among the public for such practices can inform locally relevant policy prioritization and optimize uptake.

Objective: To evaluate relative utilities (ie, preferences) for COVID-19 pandemic social distancing strategies against the hypothetical risk of acquiring COVID-19 and anticipated income loss.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This survey study recruited individuals living in the Missouri area from May to June 2020 via randomly distributed unincentivized social media advertisements and local recruitment platforms for members of minority racial and ethnic groups. Participants answered …

Strategies For Disseminating And Implementing Covid-19 Vaccines In Rural Areas, Beth Prusaczyk

Open Access Publications

The United States has well-documented rural-urban health disparities, and it is imperative that these are not exacerbated by an inefficient rollout of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines to rural areas. In addition to the preexisting barriers to delivering and receiving health care in rural areas, such as high patient:provider ratios and long geographic distances between patients and providers, rural residents are significantly more likely to say they have no intention of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with urban residents. To overcome these barriers and ensure that rural residents receive the vaccine, officials and communities should look to previous research on …

Promoting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Vaccination Among Healthcare Personnel: A Multifaceted Intervention At A Tertiary-Care Center In Japan, Akane Takamatsu, Hitoshi Honda, Tomoya Kojima, Kengo Murata, Hilary M Babcock

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine may hold the key to ending the pandemic, but vaccine hesitancy is hindering the vaccination of healthcare personnel (HCP). We examined their perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine and implemented an intervention to increase vaccination uptake.

DESIGN: Before-and-after trial.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Healthcare personnel at a 790-bed tertiary-care center in Tokyo, Japan.

INTERVENTIONS: A prevaccination questionnaire was administered to HCP to examine their perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine. A multifaceted intervention was then implemented involving (1) distribution of informational leaflets to all HCP, (2) hospital-wide announcements encouraging vaccination, (3) a mandatory lecture, (4) an …

Effectiveness Of A Vancomycin Dosing Protocol Guided By Area Under The Concentration-Time Curve To Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (Auc/Mic) With Multidisciplinary Team Support To Improve Hospital-Wide Adherence To A Vancomycin Dosing Protocol: A Pilot Study, Panipak Katawethiwong, Anucha Apisarnthanarak, Kittiya Jantarathaneewat, David J Weber, David K Warren, Nuntra Suwantarat

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available on the implementation of an area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)-based dosing protocol with multidisciplinary team (MT) support to improve adherence with vancomycin dosing protocol.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of an AUC-based dosing protocol with MT support intervention with adherence to a hospital-wide vancomycin dosing protocol at Thammasat University Hospital.

METHOD: We conducted a quasi-experimental study in patients who were prescribed intravenous vancomycin. The study was divided into 2 periods; (1) the preintervention period when the vancomycin dosing protocol was already applied in routine practice and (2) the post-intervention period when the implementation of …

The Top 100 Cited Papers In The Field Of Iron Deficiency In Humans: A Bibliometric Study, John L. Frater

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Clinical Isolate Or Cleavage Site Mutations In The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein On Protein Stability, Cleavage, And Cell–Cell Fusion, Chelsea T. Barrett, Hadley E. Neal, Kearstin Edmonds, Carole L. Moncman, Rachel Thompson, Jean M. Branttie, Kerri Beth Boggs, Cheng-Yu Wu, Daisy W. Leung, Rebecca E. Dutch

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Taxonomic Changes In The Gut Microbiota Are Associated With Cartilage Damage Independent Of Adiposity, High Fat Diet, And Joint Injury, Kelsey H. Collins, Drew J. Schwartz, Kristin L. Lenz, Charles A. Harris, Farshid Guilak

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sulfur Microbial Diet And Risk Of Colorectal Cancer By Molecular Subtypes And Intratumoral Microbial Species In Adult Men, Daniel R. Sikavi, Yin Cao, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Practices At Discharge: A National Survey, Marie E Wang, Kimberly Felder, Jason G Newland, Adam L Hersh, Nipunie S Rajapakse, Zachary I Willis, Ritu Banerjee, Jeffrey S Gerber, Hayden T Schwenk, Louise E Vaz

Open Access Publications

We surveyed pediatric antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) site leaders within the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship collaborative regarding discharge stewardship practices. Among 67 sites, 13 (19%) reported ASP review of discharge antimicrobial prescriptions. These findings highlight discharge stewardship as a potential opportunity for improvement during the hospital-to-home transition.

Multisociety Statement On Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Vaccination As A Condition Of Employment For Healthcare Personnel, David J Weber, Hilary M Babcock, Et Al

Open Access Publications

This consensus statement by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA), the Association for Professionals in Epidemiology and Infection Control (APIC), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) recommends that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination should be a condition of employment for all healthcare personnel in facilities in the United States. Exemptions from this policy apply to those with medical contraindications to all COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States …

Weight And Body Mass Index Change After Switching To Integrase Inhibitors Or Tenofovir Alafenamide Among Women Living With Hiv, Cecile D. Lahiri, Jane O'Halloran, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

A Mouse Model Displays Host And Bacterial Strain Differences In Aerococcus Urinae Urinary Tract Infection, Nicole M Gilbert, Brian Choi, Jingjie Du, Christina Collins, Amanda L Lewis, Catherine Putonti, Alan J Wolfe

Open Access Publications

In recent years, the clinical significance of Aerococcus urinae has been increasingly recognized. A. urinae has been implicated in cases of urinary tract infection (UTI; acute cystitis and pyelonephritis) in both male and female patients, ranging from children to older adults. Aerococcus urinae can also be invasive, causing urosepsis, endocarditis, and musculoskeletal infections. Mechanisms of pathogenesis in A. urinae infections are poorly understood, largely due to the lack of an animal model system. In response to this gap, we developed a model of A. urinae urinary tract infection in mice. We compared A. urinae UTI in female C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 …

Doctor As Street-Level Bureaucrat, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Rv3160c Is Atetr‑Like Transcriptional Repressor That Regulates Expression Of The Putative Oxygenase Rv3161c, Hasan Tükenmez, Souvik Sarkar, Saber Anoosheh, Anastasiia Kruchanova, Isabel Edström, Gregory A. Harrison, Christina L. Stallings, Fredrik Almqvist, Christer Larsson

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Using Lorenz Curves To Measure Racial Inequities In Covid-19 Testing, Aaloke Mody, Kristin Pfeifauf, Elvin H. Geng

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Association Of Immunosuppression And Viral Load With Subcortical Brain Volume In An International Sample Of People Living With Hiv, Talia M. Nir, Beau M. Ances, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Importance: Despite more widely accessible combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV-1 infection remains a global public health challenge. Even in treated patients with chronic HIV infection, neurocognitive impairment often persists, affecting quality of life. Identifying the neuroanatomical pathways associated with infection in vivo may delineate the neuropathologic processes underlying these deficits. However, published neuroimaging findings from relatively small, heterogeneous cohorts are inconsistent, limiting the generalizability of the conclusions drawn to date.

Objective: To examine structural brain associations with the most commonly collected clinical assessments of HIV burden (CD4+ T-cell count and viral load), which are generalizable across demographically and clinically diverse …

Assessment Of Suicide In Japan During The Covid-19 Pandemic Vs Previous Years, Haruka Sakamoto, Masahiro Ishikane, Cyrus Ghaznavi, Peter Ueda

Open Access Publications

Importance: There are concerns that suicide rates may have increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objective: To assess whether suicide rates in Japan increased in April through November 2020 compared with previous years.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used national data obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare from 2016 to 2020 on the monthly number of individuals who died of suicide in Japan from January to November of 2016 to 2020.

Exposure: 2020 vs previous years.

Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was monthly suicide rates, calculated as the number of individuals …

Preliminary, Real-World, Multicenter Experience With Omadacycline For Mycobacterium Abscessus Infections, Taylor Morrisette, Sara Alosaimy, Julie V. Philley, Carly Wadle, Catessa Howard, Andrew J. Webb, Michael P. Veve, Melissa L. Barger, Jeannette Bouchard, Tristan W. Gore, Abdalhamid M. Lagnf, Iman Ansari, Carlos Mejia-Chew, Keira A. Cohen, Michael J. Rybak

Open Access Publications

Twelve patients were treated with omadacycline (OMC) as part of a multidrug regimen for