Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Sars-Cov-2 In Dementia Across Latin America: A Call For An Urgent Regional Plan And Coordinated Response, Agustin Ibanez, Jorge Llibre-Guerra, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic will disproportionately impact countries with weak economies and vulnerable populations including people with dementia. Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) are burdened with unstable economic development, fragile health systems, massive economic disparities, and a high prevalence of dementia. Here, we underscore the selective impact of SARS-CoV-2 on dementia among LACs, the specific strain on health systems devoted to dementia, and the subsequent effect of increasing inequalities among those with dementia in the region. Implementation of best practices for mitigation and containment faces particularly steep challenges in LACs. Based upon our consideration of these issues, we urgently …

Using A Sociogram To Characterize Communication During An Interprofessional Team Huddle, Lisa Royse, Nathanial Nolan, Kimberly Hoffman

Open Access Publications

Purpose: The complexity of modern medicine requires high-performance teamwork to ensure quality care. Teams rely on communication patterns that are replicable and efficient. The purpose of this observational study was to characterize communication dynamics among interprofessional team members during a team huddle. The study aimed to (a) characterize communication within structured huddles on an inpatient medicine unit by evaluating who talked and to whom and what types of communication took place during each interaction and (b) explore participants' perceptions of the huddles.

Materials and Methods: We used a sociogram to diagram direct observations of the structure and patterns of group …

The Prescription Opioids And Depression Pathways Cohort Study, Jeffrey F Scherrer, Brian Ahmedani, Kirsti Autio, Lynn Debar, Patrick J Lustman, Lisa R Miller-Matero, Joanne Salas, Scott Secrest, Mark D Sullivan, Lauren Wilson, Sarah Skiold-Hanlin

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Results from studies using medical record data indicate chronic (>90 days) opioid analgesic use (OAU) is associated with new depressive episodes (NDE), worsening depression and risk for depression recurrence. This body of evidence is based on retrospective cohort studies and medical record data. Limitations of existing research are overcome in a new prospective cohort study of the opioid-depression relationship.

METHODS: Prospective cohort of 1500 adult patients recruited from two health care systems. Eligible subjects started a new period of OAU and have 30 to 90 days of OAU at baseline. Diagnostic assessments for psychiatric disorders, structured measures of …

Sexually Dimorphic Impact Of The Iron-Regulating Gene, Hfe, On Survival In Glioblastoma, Darya S Nesterova, Vishal Midya, Brad E Zacharia, Elizabeth A Proctor, Sang Y Lee, Lindsay C Stetson, Justin D Lathia, Joshua B Rubin, Kristin A Waite, Michael E Berens, Jill S Barnholtz-Sloan, James R Connor

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: The median survival for patients with glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, has remained approximately 1 year for more than 2 decades. Recent advances in the field have identified GBM as a sexually dimorphic disease. It is less prevalent in females and they have better survival compared to males. The molecular mechanism of this difference has not yet been established. Iron is essential for many biological processes supporting tumor growth and its regulation is impacted by sex. Therefore, we interrogated the expression of a key component of cellular iron regulation, the

METHODS: We analyzed …

Gliomas Display Distinct Sex-Based Differential Methylation Patterns Based On Molecular Subtype, Mette L Johansen, L C Stetson, Vachan Vadmal, Kristin Waite, Michael E Berens, James R Connor, Justin Lathia, Joshua B Rubin, Jill S Barnholtz-Sloan

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor and one of many cancers where males are diagnosed with greater frequency than females. However, little is known about the sex-based molecular differences in glioblastomas (GBMs) or lower grade glioma (non-GBM) subtypes. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involved in regulating gene transcription. In glioma and other cancers, hypermethylation of specific gene promoters downregulates transcription and may have a profound effect on patient outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine if sex-based methylation differences exist in different glioma subtypes.

METHODS: Molecular and clinical data from glioma patients …

Dopamine D3 Receptor: A Neglected Participant In Parkinson Disease Pathogenesis And Treatment?, Pengfei Yang, Joel S Perlmutter, Tammie L S Benzinger, John C Morris, Jinbin Xu

Open Access Publications

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms which relentlessly and progressively lead to substantial disability and economic burden. Pathologically, these symptoms follow the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) associated with abnormal α-synuclein (α-Syn) deposition as cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies in pigmented brainstem nuclei, and in dystrophic neurons in striatal and cortical regions (Lewy neurites). Pharmacotherapy for PD focuses on improving quality of life and primarily targets dopaminergic pathways. Dopamine acts through two families of receptors, dopamine D1-like and dopamine D2-like; dopamine D3 receptors (D3R) belong to dopamine …

Therapeutic Enhancement Of Blood-Brain And Blood-Tumor Barriers Permeability By Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy, Afshin Salehi, Mounica R Paturu, Bhuvic Patel, Matthew D Cain, Tatenda Mahlokozera, Alicia B Yang, Tsen-Hsuan Lin, Eric C Leuthardt, Hiroko Yano, Sheng-Kwei Song, Robyn S Klein, Robert Schmidt, Albert H Kim

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: The blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers (BBB and BTB), which restrict the entry of most drugs into the brain and tumor, respectively, are a significant challenge in the treatment of glioblastoma. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive surgical technique increasingly used clinically for tumor cell ablation. Recent evidence suggests that LITT might locally disrupt BBB integrity, creating a potential therapeutic window of opportunity to deliver otherwise brain-impermeant agents.

METHODS: We established a LITT mouse model to test if laser therapy can increase BBB/BTB permeability in vivo. Mice underwent orthotopic glioblastoma tumor implantation followed by LITT in combination …

The Global And National Burden Of Chronic Kidney Disease Attributable To Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution: A Modelling Study, Benjamin Bowe, Elena Artimovich, Yan Xie, Yan Yan, Miao Cai, Ziyad Al-Aly

Open Access Publications

Introduction: We aimed to integrate all available epidemiological evidence to characterise an exposure-response model of ambient fine particulate matter (PM

Methods: We collected data from prior studies on the association of PM

Results: The exposure-response function exhibited evidence of an increase in risk with increasing PM

Conclusion: The global burden of CKD attributable to PM

Antipsychotic Effects On Cortical Morphology In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorders, Ruiqi Feng, Fay Y Womer, Et Al

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of New Helicobacter Pylori Subpopulations In Native Americans And Mestizos From Peru, Andrés Julián Gutiérrez-Escobar, Douglas E Berg, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Region-specific

Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging Detects Axonal Loss After Transient Dexamethasone Treatment In Optic Neuritis Mice, Tsen-Hsuan Lin, Jie Zhan, Chunyu Song, Michael Wallendorf, Peng Sun, Xuan Niu, Ruimeng Yang, Anne H Cross, Sheng-Kwei Song

Open Access Publications

Optic neuritis is a frequent first symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) for which corticosteroids are a widely employed treatment option. The Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT) reported that corticosteroid treatment does not improve long-term visual acuity, although the evolution of underlying pathologies is unclear. In this study, we employed non-invasive diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI)-derived fiber volume to quantify 11% axonal loss 2 months after corticosteroid treatment (vs. baseline) in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse optic nerves affected by optic neuritis. Longitudinal DBSI was performed at baseline (before immunization), after a 2-week corticosteroid treatment period, and 1 and 2 months after …

Nab-Paclitaxel/Xarboplatin In Vulnerable Populations With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Pooled Analysis, Corey J Langer, Ajeet Gajra, Cesare Gridelli, Kartik Konduri, Daniel Morgensztern, David Spigel, Denis Talbot, Michael Thomas, Jared Weiss, Richard Pilot, Rafia Bhore, Marianne Wolfsteiner, Teng Jin Ong, Mark Socinski

Open Access Publications

Introduction: Despite improvements in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), certain patient populations remain underrepresented in clinical trials. Many patients have benefited from platinum doublets, including

Methods: To better understand outcomes in these patient populations, we performed a pooled analysis using data from the ABOUND clinical trial program (ABOUND.SQM, ABOUND.PS2, ABOUND.70+) and the key phase III trial of

Results: Median progression-free survival (PFS) ranged from 4.1 months in patients with ECOG PS 2 (95% CI, 2.04-5.09 months) to 7.7 months in patients with diabetes (95% CI, 5.88-10.12 months). PFS for elderly patients and patients with renal impairment …

Using The Zebrafish Lateral Line To Understand The Roles Of Mitochondria In Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Melanie Holmgren, Lavinia Sheets

Open Access Publications

Hair cells are the mechanosensory receptors of the inner ear and can be damaged by noise, aging, and ototoxic drugs. This damage often results in permanent sensorineural hearing loss. Hair cells have high energy demands and rely on mitochondria to produce ATP as well as contribute to intracellular calcium homeostasis. In addition to generating ATP, mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species, which can lead to oxidative stress, and regulate cell death pathways. Zebrafish lateral-line hair cells are structurally and functionally analogous to cochlear hair cells but are optically and pharmacologically accessible within an intact specimen, making the zebrafish a good model …

Acute Liver Failure Of Unclear Cause? Acetaminophen-Protein Adducts Make The Diagnosis, Michael E Mullins, Laura P James

Open Access Publications

Acetaminophen poisoning remains a leading cause of acute liver failure. Some cases may be difficult to diagnose when clinical findings are equivocal, the patient's history is misleading or incomplete, or the acetaminophen concentration is low or undetectable at arrival to care. We describe a case of a medically complicated young child whose acute liver failure had two of these features. Measurement of acetaminophen-protein adducts confirmed acetaminophen as the primary cause of her liver failure.

A Ventrolateral Medulla-Midline Thalamic Circuit For Hypoglycemic Feeding, B. Sofia Beas, Xinglong Gu, Yan Leng, Omar Koita, Shakira Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Morgan Kindel, Bridget A. Matikainen-Ankney, Rylan S. Larsen, Alexxai V. Kravitz, Mark A. Hoon, Mario A. Penzo

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Dendritic And Parallel Processing Of Visual Threats In The Retina Control Defensive Responses, T Kim, N Shen, J-C Hsiang, K P Johnson, D Kerschensteiner

Open Access Publications

Approaching predators cast expanding shadows (i.e., looming) that elicit innate defensive responses in most animals. Where looming is first detected and how critical parameters of predatory approaches are extracted are unclear. In mice, we identify a retinal interneuron (the VG3 amacrine cell) that responds robustly to looming, but not to related forms of motion. Looming-sensitive calcium transients are restricted to a specific layer of the VG3 dendrite arbor, which provides glutamatergic input to two ganglion cells (W3 and OFFα). These projection neurons combine shared excitation with dissimilar inhibition to signal approach onset and speed, respectively. Removal of VG3 amacrine cells …

Indian Medicinal Herbs And Formulations For Alzheimer's Disease, From Traditional Knowledge To Scientific Assessment, Jogender Mehla, Pooja Gupta, Monika Pahuja, Deepti Diwan, Diksha Diksha

Open Access Publications

Cognitive impairment, associated with ageing, stress, hypertension and various neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, is a major health issue. The present review focuses on Alzheimer's disease (AD), since it is the most important cause of cognitive impairment. It is characterized by progressive memory loss, language deficits, depression, agitation, mood disturbances and psychosis. Although the hallmarks of AD are cholinergic dysfunction, β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangle formation, it is also associated with derangement of other neurotransmitters, elevated levels of advanced glycation end products, oxidative damage, neuroinflammation, genetic and environmental factors. On one hand, this complex etiopathology makes a response …

Robot Assisted Mri-Guided Litt Of The Anterior, Lateral, And Medial Temporal Lobe For Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Kunal Gupta, Adam S Dickey, Ranliang Hu, Edward Faught, Jon T Willie

Open Access Publications

Robotic systems have fundamentally altered the landscape of functional neurosurgery. These allow automated stereotaxy with high accuracy and reliability, and are rapidly becoming a mainstay in stereotactic surgeries such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), and stereotactic laser ablation/MRI guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT). Robotic systems have been effectively applied to create a minimally invasive approach for diagnostics and therapeutics in the treatment of epilepsy, utilizing robots for expeditious and accurate stereotaxy for SEEG and MRgLITT. MRgLITT has been shown to approach open surgical techniques in efficacy of seizure control while minimizing collateral injury. We describe the use …

Novel Multimodal Molecular Imaging Of Vitamin H (Biotin) Transporter Activity In The Murine Placenta, Ben Eliezer Noam, Lysenko Marina, Biton E. Inbal, Golani Ofra, Bartels L. Jennifer, Fernandez R. Solana, Aweda A. Tolulope, Clanton A. Nicholas, Beacham Rebecca, Lapi E. Suzanne, Garbow R. Joel, Neeman Michal

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Clinical Implications Of Restrictions In Criteria For Defining Surgical Site Infections After Mastectomy, Antoinette A A Bediako-Bowan, David K Warren, Katelin B Nickel, Victoria J Fraser, Margaret A Olsen

Open Access Publications

More than 50% of women with clinically apparent infection after mastectomy did not meet the 2020 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definition for surgical site infection (SSI). Implant loss was similar whether the 2020 NHSN SSI definition was met or not, suggesting equivalent adverse outcomes regardless of restriction to the surveillance definition.

Pediatric Research Priorities In Healthcare-Associated Infections And Antimicrobial Stewardship, Susan E Coffin, Stephanie Fritz, Jason Newland, Et Al

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVE: To develop a pediatric research agenda focused on pediatric healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial stewardship topics that will yield the highest impact on child health.

PARTICIPANTS: The study included 26 geographically diverse adult and pediatric infectious diseases clinicians with expertise in healthcare-associated infection prevention and/or antimicrobial stewardship (topic identification and ranking of priorities), as well as members of the Division of Healthcare Quality and Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (topic identification).

METHODS: Using a modified Delphi approach, expert recommendations were generated through an iterative process for identifying pediatric research priorities in healthcare associated infection prevention and …

Positron Emission Tomography Objective Parameters For Assessment Of Left Ventricular Assist Device Infection Using 18f-Fdg Pet/Ct, Saul N Friedman, Maryam Mahmood, Jennifer R Geske, Muhammad Rizwan Sohail, Geoffrey B Johnson, John M Stulak, Ayse Tuba Kendi

Open Access Publications

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a life-saving therapy, but it poses a substantial infection risk. Current evaluation of LVAD infection with

In Patients With Hip Fracture, Accelerated Surgery Within 6 Hours Did Not Differ From Standard Care For Mortality Or Major Complications, Anna N Miller

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Biomarkers May Predict Unfavorable Neurological Outcome After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Lawrence M. Lewis, Linda Papa, Jeffrey J. Bazarian, Art Weber, Rob Howard, Robert D. Welch

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Loss-Of-Function Genomic Variants Highlight Potential Therapeutic Targets For Cardiovascular Disease, Jonas B. Nielsen, Karen Schwander, Et Al.

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Differences In Electronic Personal Health Information Tool Use Between Rural And Urban Cancer Patients In The United States: Secondary Data Analysis, Alexandra Greenberg-Worisek, Liaa Ferede, Joyce Balls-Berry, Ian Marigi, Emily Valentin Mendez, Numra Bajwa, Melody Ouk, Minerva Orellana, Felicity Enders

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies have previously shown that rural cancer patients are diagnosed at later stages of disease. This delay is felt throughout treatment and follow-up, reflected in the fact that rural patients often have poorer clinical outcomes compared with their urban counterparts.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have explored whether there is a difference in cancer patients' current use of health information technology tools by residential location.

METHODS: Data from 7 cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS, 2003-2017) were merged and analyzed to examine whether differences exist in managing electronic personal health information (ePHI) and emailing health care providers among …

Reduced Expression Of Cerebral Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Subtype 5 In Men With Fragile X Syndrome, James R Brašić, Ayon Nandi, David S Russell, Danna Jennings, Olivier Barret, Anil Mathur, Keith Slifer, Thomas Sedlak, Samuel D Martin, Zabecca Brinson, Pankhuri Vyas, John P Seibyl, Elizabeth M Berry-Kravis, Dean F Wong, Dejan B Budimirovic

Open Access Publications

Glutamatergic receptor expression is mostly unknown in adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Favorable behavioral effects of negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR

Endothelial Cell Cd36 Deficiency Prevents Normal Angiogenesis And Vascular Repair, Lara Bou Khzam, Ni-Huiping Son, Adam E Mullick, Nada A Abumrad, Ira J Goldberg

Open Access Publications

Endothelial cells (ECs) maintain vascular integrity and mediate vascular repair and angiogenesis, by which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing blood vessels. Hyperglycemia has been shown to increase EC angiogenic potential. However, few studies have investigated effects of fatty acids (FAs) on EC angiogenesis. Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a FA transporter expressed by ECs, but its role in EC proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis is unknown. We sought to determine if circulating FAs regulate angiogenic function in a CD36-dependent manner. CD36-dependent effects of FAs on EC proliferation and migration of mouse heart ECs (MHECs) and lung ECs (MLECs) …

Food Addiction And Psychosocial Adversity: Biological Embedding, Contextual Factors, And Public Health Implications, David A Wiss, Nicole Avena, Mark Gold

Open Access Publications

The role of stress, trauma, and adversity particularly early in life has been identified as a contributing factor in both drug and food addictions. While links between traumatic stress and substance use disorders are well documented, the pathways to food addiction and obesity are less established. This review focuses on psychosocial and neurobiological factors that may increase risk for addiction-like behaviors and ultimately increase BMI over the lifespan. Early childhood and adolescent adversity can induce long-lasting alterations in the glucocorticoid and dopamine systems that lead to increased addiction vulnerability later in life. Allostatic load, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and emerging data …

A Multi-Mrna Host-Response Molecular Blood Test For The Diagnosis And Prognosis Of Acute Infections And Sepsis: Proceedings From A Clinical Advisory Panel, James Ducharme, Wesley H Self, Tiffany M Osborn, Nathan A Ledeboer, Jonathan Romanowsky, Timothy E Sweeney, Oliver Liesenfeld, Richard E Rothman

Open Access Publications

Current diagnostics are insufficient for diagnosis and prognosis of acute infections and sepsis. Clinical decisions including prescription and timing of antibiotics, ordering of additional diagnostics and level-of-care decisions rely on understanding etiology and implications of a clinical presentation. Host mRNA signatures can differentiate infectious from noninfectious etiologies, bacterial from viral infections, and predict 30-day mortality. The 29-host-mRNA blood-based InSep