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Highlights Of Studies In Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Presented At The 2020 American College Of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session, Xiaoming Jia, Mahmoud Al Rifai, Jing Liu, Anandita Agarwala, Martha Gulati, Salim S Virani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The review highlights selected studies related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention that were presented at the American College of Cardiology 2020 Virtual Scientific Session (ACC.20)/World Cardiology Congress (WCC).

RECENT FINDINGS: The studies reviewed include clinical trials on the efficacy and safety of alirocumab (Study in Participants with Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia [ODYSSEY HoFH]) and evinacumab in the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH); Evaluating the Efficacy of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (E3); the use of renal denervation in the treatment of hypertension (SPYRAL HTN-OFF MED PIVOTAL); and the assessment of vericiguat in the treatment of heart failure (A …

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Two Novel Susceptible Regions For Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Head And Neck, Sanjay Shete, Hongliang Liu, Jian Wang, Robert Yu, Erich M Sturgis, Guojun Li, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Zhensheng Liu, Christopher I Amos, Qingyi Wei

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To identify genetic variants for risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), we conducted a two-phase genome-wide association study consisting of 7,858,089 SNPs in 2,171 cases and 4,493 controls of non-Hispanic white, of which 434,839 typed and 7,423,250 imputed SNPs as the discovery. SNPs with P <1×10–3 were further validated in the OncoArray study of oral and pharynx cancer (5,205 cases and 3,232 controls of European ancestry) from dbGaP. Meta-analysis of the discovery and replication studies identified one novel locus 6p22.1 (P = 2.96×10–9 for the leading rs259919) and two cancer susceptibility loci 6p21.32 (rs3135001, HLA-DQB1) and 6p21.33 (rs1265081, CCHCR1) associated with SCCHN risk. Further stratification by tumor site revealed four known cancer loci (5p15.33, 6p21.32, 6p21.33, and 2p23.1) associated with oral cavity cancer risk and oropharyngeal cancer risk, respectively. In addition, one novel locus 18q22.2 (P = 2.54×10–9 for the leading SNP rs142021700) was identified for hypo-pharynx and larynx cancer risk. For SNPs in those reported or novel loci, we also performed functional annotations by bioinformatics prediction and eQTL analysis. Collectively, our identification of four reported loci (2p23.1, 5p15.33, 6p21.32, and 6p21.33) and two novel loci (6p22.1 and 18q22.2) for SCCHN risk highlight the importance of HLA loci for oropharyngeal cancer risk, suggesting that immunologic mechanisms are implicated in the etiology of this subset of SCCHN.

Implications Of New Understandings Of Gliomas In Children And Adults With Nf1: Report Of A Consensus Conference, Roger J Packer, David H Gutmann, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Gliomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumors occurring in children and adults with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Over the past decade, discoveries of the molecular basis of low-grade gliomas (LGGs) have led to new approaches for diagnosis and treatments. However, these new understandings have not been fully applied to the management of NF1-associated gliomas. A consensus panel consisting of experts in NF1 and gliomas was convened to review the current molecular knowledge of NF1-associated low-grade "transformed" and high-grade gliomas; insights gained from mouse models of NF1-LGGs; challenges in diagnosing and treating older patients with NF1-associated gliomas; and …

Fri0547 The Effect Of Corrected Inflammation, Oxidative Stress And Endothelial Dysfunction On Fmd Levels In Patients With Selected Chronic Diseases: A Quasi-Experimental Study., Mahmut Ilker Yilmaz, Micol Romano, Mustafa Kemal Basarali, Abdelbaset Elzagallaai, Murat Karaman, Zeynep Demir, Muhammet Fatih Demir, Fatih Akcay, Melik Seyrek, Nuri Haksever, David Piskin, Rolando Cimaz, Michael Rieder, Erkan Demirkaya

Paediatrics Publications

While the pathophysiology of chronic disorders varies there are three basic mechanisms - inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction - that are common in many chronic diseases. However, the failure of these mechanisms to work synchronously can lead to morbidity complicating the course of many chronic diseases. We analyzed data of 178 patients from cohorts with selected chronic diseases in this quasi-experimental study. Endothelial dysfunction was determined by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels. Serum ADMA, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum PTX3, malondialdehyde (MDA), Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels and FMD were studied in baseline …

Posterior Cortical Atrophy: Characteristics From A Clinical Data Registry., Jennifer J Olds, William L Hills, Judith Warner, Julie Falardeau, Lori Haase Alasantro, Mark L Moster, Robert A Egan, Wayne T Cornblath, Andrew G Lee, Benjamin M Frishberg, Roger E Turbin, David M Katz, John A Charley, Victoria S Pelak

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Corrected Inflammation, Oxidative Stress And Endothelial Dysfunction On Fmd Levels In Patients With Selected Chronic Diseases: A Quasi-Experimental Study., Mahmut Ilker Yilmaz, Micol Romano, Mustafa Kemal Basarali, Abdelbaset Elzagallaai, Murat Karaman, Zeynep Demir, Muhammet Fatih Demir, Fatih Akcay, Melik Seyrek, Nuri Haksever, David Piskin, Rolando Cimaz, Michael Rieder, Erkan Demirkaya

Paediatrics Publications

While the pathophysiology of chronic disorders varies there are three basic mechanisms - inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction - that are common in many chronic diseases. However, the failure of these mechanisms to work synchronously can lead to morbidity complicating the course of many chronic diseases. We analyzed data of 178 patients from cohorts with selected chronic diseases in this quasi-experimental study. Endothelial dysfunction was determined by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels. Serum ADMA, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum PTX3, malondialdehyde (MDA), Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels and FMD were studied in baseline …

Evaluation Of Mavacamten In Symptomatic Patients With Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Carolyn Y Ho, Richard G Bach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM) often experience a high burden of symptoms; however, there are no proven pharmacological therapies. By altering the contractile mechanics of the cardiomyocyte, myosin inhibitors have the potential to modify pathophysiology and improve symptoms associated with HCM.

OBJECTIVES: MAVERICK-HCM (Mavacamten in Adults With Symptomatic Non-Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) explored the safety and efficacy of mavacamten, a first-in-class reversible inhibitor of cardiac-specific myosin, in nHCM.

METHODS: The MAVERICK-HCM trial was a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging phase II study in adults with symptomatic nHCM (New York Heart Association functional class II/III), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥55%, …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Multilevel Intervention To Address Social Determinants Of Refugee Mental Health, Jessica R. Goodkind, Deborah Bybee, Julia Meredith Hess, Suha Amer, Martin Ndayisenga, R Neil Greene, Ryeora Choe, Brian Isakson, Brandon Baca, Mahbooba Pannah

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Understanding processes that support the well-being of the unprecedented numbers of forcibly displaced people throughout the world is essential. Growing evidence documents post-migration stressors related to marginalization as key social determinants of refugee mental health. The goal of this RCT was to rigorously test a social justice approach to reducing high rates of distress among refugees in the United States. The 6-month multilevel, strengths-based Refugee Well-being Project (RWP) intervention brought together university students enrolled in a 2-semester course and recently resettled refugees to engage in mutual learning and collaborative efforts to mobilize community resources and improve community and systems responsiveness …

Traumatic Injury Results In Prolonged Circulation Of Ultralarge Von Willebrand Factor And A Reduction In Adamts13 Activity, Mitchell R. Dyer, William E. Plautz, Margaret V. Ragni, Wyeth Alexander, Shannon Haldeman, Jason L. Sperry, Francis X. Guyette, Brian S. Zuckerbraun, Marian A. Rollins-Raval, Jay S. Raval, Matthew D. Neal

Pathology Research and Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Increases in plasma von Willebrand Factor (VWF) levels, accompanied by decreases in the metalloprotease ADAMTS13, have been demonstrated soon after traumatic injury while downstream effects remain unclear.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cohort of 37 injured trauma patients from a randomized control trial investigating the use of prehospital plasma transfusion were analyzed for activity and antigen levels of ADAMTS13 and VWF at 0 and 24 hours after admission. Relevant clinical data were abstracted from the medical records. Trauma patient plasma was analyzed via agarose gel electrophoresis to evaluate the effects of injury on VWF multimer composition compared to healthy …

Relationships Of P16 Immunohistochemistry And Other Biomarkers With Diagnoses Of Cervical Abnormalities: Implications For Last Terminology, Philip E. Castle, Rachael Adcock, Jack Cuzick, Nicolas Wentzensen, Norah E. Torrez-Martinez, Salina M. Torres, Mark H. Stoler, Brigitte M. Ronnett, Nancy E. Joste, Teresa M. Darragh, Patti E. Gravitt, Mark Schiffman, William C. Hunt, Walter K. Kinney, Cosette M. Wheeler

Pathology Research and Scholarship

CONTEXT.—: Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST) standardization recommended p16

OBJECTIVE.—: To describe the relationships of p16 IHC and other biomarkers associated with cervical cancer risk with biopsy diagnoses.

DESIGN.—: A statewide, stratified sample of cervical biopsies diagnosed by community pathologists (CPs), including 1512 CIN2, underwent a consensus, expert pathologist panel (EP) review (without p16 IHC results), p16 IHC interpretation by a third pathology group, and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, results of which were grouped hierarchically according to cancer risk. Antecedent cytologic interpretations were also available.

RESULTS.—: Biopsies were more likely to test p16 IHC positive with increasing severity of CP …

Bosutinib For Pretreated Patients With Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Primary Results Of The Phase 4 Byond Study, Andreas Hochhaus, Camille Abboud, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Bosutinib is approved for newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic phase (CP) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and for Ph+ CP, accelerated (AP), or blast (BP) phase CML after prior treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In the ongoing phase 4 BYOND study (NCT02228382), 163 CML patients resistant/intolerant to prior TKIs (n = 156 Ph+ CP CML, n = 4 Ph+ AP CML, n = 3 Ph-negative/BCR-ABL1+ CML) received bosutinib 500 mg once daily (starting dose). As of ≥1 year after last enrolled patient (median treatment duration 23.7 months), 56.4% of Ph+ CP CML patients remained on bosutinib. Primary endpoint of …

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: De Novo Variants And Evidence For Mutational Burden In Genes Associated With Atrial Fibrillation, Zeynep H Coban-Akdemir, Wu-Lin Charng, Mahshid Azamian, Ingrid S Paine, Jaya Punetha, Christopher M Grochowski, Tomasz Gambin, Santiago O Valdes, Bryan Cannon, Gladys Zapata, Patricia P Hernandez, Shalini Jhangiani, Harsha Doddapaneni, Jianhong Hu, Fatima Boricha, Donna M Muzny, Eric Boerwinkle, Yaping Yang, Richard A Gibbs, Jennifer E Posey, Xander H T Wehrens, John W Belmont, Jeffrey J Kim, Christina Y Miyake, James R Lupski, Seema R Lalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a relatively common arrhythmia affecting ~1-3/1,000 individuals. Mutations in PRKAG2 have been described in rare patients in association with cardiomyopathy. However, the genetic basis of WPW in individuals with a structurally normal heart remains poorly understood. Sudden death due to atrial fibrillation (AF) can also occur in these individuals. Several studies have indicated that despite ablation of an accessory pathway, the risk of AF remains high in patients compared to general population.

METHODS: We applied exome sequencing in 305 subjects, including 65 trios, 80 singletons, and 6 multiple affected families. We used de novo analysis, …

Prediction Of Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole Resistance In Community-Onset Urinary Tract Infections, Madeline Demarsh, P Brandon Bookstaver, Caroline Gordon, Juanne Lim, Nicole Griffith, Nicole K. Bookstaver, Julie Ann Justo, Joseph Kohn, Majdi N. Al-Hasan

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to predict trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT) resistance in patients with community-onset urinary tract infection (UTI) due to Enterobacteriaceae based on patient-specific risk factors. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study in Prisma Health facilities in central South Carolina, USA, including three community hospitals, affiliated emergency departments and ambulatory clinics, including adult patients with community-onset UTI due to Enterobacteriaceae (1 April 2015 to 29 February 2016). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine risk factors for SXT resistance. RESULTS: Among 351 unique patients with community-onset UTI, 71 (20.2%) had SXT-resistant Enterobacteriaceae urinary isolates. Overall, median age was 64 years …

Elagolix Treatment For Up To 12 Months In Women With Heavy Menstrual Bleeding And Uterine Leiomyomas, James A Simon, Ayman Al-Hendy, David F Archer, Kurt T Barnhart, Linda D Bradley, Bruce R Carr, Thomas Dayspring, Eve C Feinberg, Veronica Gillispie, Sandra Hurtado, Jinhee Kim, Ran Liu, Charlotte D Owens, Ozgul Muneyyirci-Delale, Alice Wang, Nelson B Watts, William Schlaff

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of elagolix, an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, with hormonal add-back therapy for up to 12 months in women with heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine leiomyomas.

Methods: Elaris UF-EXTEND was a phase 3 extension study that evaluated an additional 6 months (up to 12 months total) of elagolix 300 mg twice daily with hormonal add-back therapy (estradiol 1 mg and norethindrone acetate 0.5 mg once daily) in women who completed an initial 6 months of the same treatment in one of two preceding phase 3 studies. The primary endpoint was the percentage of …

Friend And Spouse: Does The Level Of A Close-Knit, Same Sex Friend Affect Marital Intimacy?, Caitlyn Royal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing literature in the fields of Marital Intimacy and Healthy Friendships and adding empirical research about how the two constructs correlate. Currently, there is a gap in the literature regarding the effects of adult friendships on marital intimacy. Participants had to be in an ongoing heterosexual marriage for at least three years, be at least 18 years old and live within the United States in order to take an online survey that evaluated friendship levels and marital intimacy dynamics. Data was collected via the following instruments: Personal Assessment of Intimacy …

Emergency Potassium Normalization Treatment Including Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate: A Phase Ii, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study (Energize), W Frank Peacock, Zubaid Rafique, Konstantin Vishnevskiy, Edward Michelson, Elena Vishneva, Tatiana Zvereva, Rajaa Nahra, Dao Li, Joseph Miller

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) is a novel, highly selective potassium binder currently approved in the United States and European Union for treatment of hyperkalemia. This pilot evaluation explored the efficacy of SZC with insulin and glucose as hyperkalemia treatment in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS:This exploratory, phase II, multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study (NCT03337477) enrolled adult ED patients with blood potassium ≥ 5.8 mmol/L. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive SZC 10 g or placebo, up to three times during a 10‐hour period, with insulin and glucose. The primary efficacy outcome was the mean change in serum …

Effects Of Ruxolitinib Cream On Pruritus And Quality Of Life In Atopic Dermatitis: Results From A Phase 2, Randomized, Dose-Ranging, Vehicle- And Active-Controlled Study, Brian S Kim, Kang Sun, Kim Papp, May Venturanza, Adnan Nasir, Michael E. Kuligowski

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic, highly pruritic skin disorder, impairs quality of life (QoL). Janus kinase inhibitors suppress inflammatory and pruritus-associated cytokine signaling in AD.

OBJECTIVE: To report the effects of ruxolitinib (RUX) cream on itch and QoL in AD.

METHODS: A total of 307 adult patients with an Investigator's Global Assessment (score of 2 or 3) and 3% to 20% affected body surface area were randomly assigned for 8 weeks to receive double-blind treatment with RUX (1.5% twice daily, 1.5% once daily, 0.5% once daily, or 0.15% once daily), vehicle twice daily, or triamcinolone cream (0.1% twice daily …

Dupilumab Treatment Results In Early And Sustained Improvements In Itch In Adolescents And Adults With Moderate To Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Analysis Of The Randomized Phase 3 Studies Solo 1 And Solo 2, Ad Adol, And Chronos, Jonathan I. Silverberg, Gil Yosipovitch, Eric L. Simpson, Brian S. Kim, Jashin J. Wu, Laurent Eckert, Isabelle Guillemin, Zhen Chen, Marius Ardeleanu, Ashish Bansal, Mandeep Kaur, Ana B. Rossi, Neil M. H. Graham, Naimish Patel, Abhijit Gadkari

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pruritus (itch) is a cardinal symptom in atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the timing and effect of dupilumab on itch.

METHODS: Analysis of data from 1505 patients with moderate to severe AD included in 4 randomized controlled studies, treated for up to 52 weeks. Adults received dupilumab 300 mg every 2 weeks or placebo monotherapy (SOLO 1: NCT02277743; SOLO 2: NCT02277769), with concomitant topical corticosteroids (CHRONOS: NCT02260986); adolescents (≥12 to <18 y) were treated with dupilumab monotherapy every 2 weeks (200 mg for baseline weight of <60 kg; 300 mg for baseline weight of ≥60 kg) or placebo (AD ADOL: NCT03054428).

RESULTS: Dupilumab showed significant rapid improvements from baseline in daily Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale scores versus placebo, by day 2 in adults and day 5 in adolescents. …

Phase 2 Study Of Cemiplimab In Patients With Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Primary Analysis Of Fixed-Dosing, Long-Term Outcome Of Weight-Based Dosing, Danny Rischin, Leonel Hernandez-Aya, Et Al

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cemiplimab, a high-affinity, potent human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody to programmed cell death-1 demonstrated antitumor activity in a Phase 1 advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) expansion cohort (NCT02383212) and the pivotal Phase 2 study (NCT02760498). Here we report the primary analysis of fixed dose cemiplimab 350 mg intravenously every 3 weeks (Q3W) (Group 3) and provide a longer-term update after the primary analysis of weight-based cemiplimab 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks (Q2W) (Group 1) among metastatic CSCC (mCSCC) patients in the pivotal study (NCT02760498).

METHODS: The primary objective for each group was objective response rate (ORR) per …

Maternal Viral Load Monitoring: Coverage And Clinical Action At 4 Kenyan Hospitals., Matthew Sandbulte, Melinda Brown, Catherine Wexler, May Maloba, Brad Gautney, Kathy Goggin, Elizabeth Muchoki, Shadrack Babu, Nicodemus Maosa, Sarah Finocchario-Kessler

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Kenya's guidelines for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) recommend routine viral load (VL) monitoring for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

METHOD: We assessed PMTCT VL monitoring and clinical action occurring between last menstrual period (LMP) and 6 months postpartum at 4 Kenyan government hospitals. Pregnant women enrolled in the HIV Infant Tracking System from May 2016-March 2018 were included. We computed proportions who received VL testing within recommended timeframes and who received clinical action after unsuppressed VL result.

RESULTS: Of 424 participants, any VL testing was documented for 305 (72%) women and repeat VL testing was documented for …

Decomposing Loss Aversion From Gaze Allocation And Pupil Dilation, Feng Sheng, Arjun Ramakrishnan, Darsol Seok, Wenjia Joyce Zhao, Samuel Thelaus, Puti Cen, Michael Louis Platt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Loss-averse decisions, in which one avoids losses at the expense of gains, are highly prevalent. However, the underlying mechanisms remain controversial. The prevailing account highlights a valuation bias that overweighs losses relative to gains, but an alternative view stresses a response bias to avoid choices involving potential losses. Here we couple a computational process model with eye-tracking and pupillometry to develop a physiologically grounded framework for the decision process leading to accepting or rejecting gambles with equal odds of winning and losing money. Overall, loss-averse decisions were accompanied by preferential gaze toward losses and increased pupil dilation for accepting gambles. …

Characteristics Of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections At A Midwestern Tertiary Hospital: A Retrospective Study Of 365 Patients., Claire E Hannah, Bradley A Ford, Jina Chung, Dilek Ince, Karolyn A Wanat

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

Background: The prevalence of infections due to nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is increasing worldwide, yet little is known about the epidemiology and pathophysiology of these ubiquitous environmental organisms. Pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium avium complex is most prevalent, but many other NTM species can cause disease in virtually any organ system. As NTM becomes an increasingly common cause of morbidity and mortality, more information is needed about the epidemiology of NTM disease.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients with cultures that grew NTM at a Midwestern tertiary hospital from 1996 to 2017. Information on demographics, medical history, …

Vascular Risk Reduction In Obesity Through Reduced Granulocyte Burden And Improved Angiogenic Monocyte Content Following Bariatric Surgery., David A Hess, Justin Z Trac, Stephen A Glazer, Daniella C Terenzi, Adrian Quan, Hwee Teoh, Mohammed Al-Omran, Deepak L Bhatt, C David Mazer, Ori D Rotstein, Subodh Verma

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Bariatric surgery, in addition to the benefit of sustained weight loss, can also reduce cardiometabolic risk and mortality. Lifelong vessel maintenance is integral to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Using aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, an intracellular detoxifying enzyme present at high levels within pro-vascular progenitor cells, we observed an association between chronic obesity and "regenerative cell exhaustion" (RCE), a pathology whereby chronic assault on circulating regenerative cell types can result in adverse inflammation and diminished vessel repair. We also describe that, at 3 months following bariatric surgery, systemic inflammatory burden was reduced and pro-angiogenic macrophage precursor content was improved in subjects …

Teaching With Empathy In The Adult Esl Classroom: A Training Guide, Maureen Carapia

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many view empathy as a necessary skill for relating to different groups of people and successfully communicating across cultures. Research supports empathy’s importance in the education field for promoting positive outcomes in the classroom and fomenting a culturally sensitive class environment. Teaching with empathy is particularly important in the context of adult ESL (English as a Second Language) instruction, given the culturally diverse classroom environment and instructors who likely possess different cultural norms than their students. Regarding effective strategies to teach these students with empathy, however, the research falls short. The mere notion of defining empathy breeds disagreement, as many …

Coronary Heart Disease And Mortality Following A Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Aixia Guo, Kathleen W Zhang, Kristi Reynolds, Randi E Foraker

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for breast cancer survivors, yet the joint effect of adverse cardiovascular health (CVH) and cardiotoxic cancer treatments on post-treatment CHD and death has not been quantified.

METHODS: We conducted statistical and machine learning approaches to evaluate 10-year risk of these outcomes among 1934 women diagnosed with breast cancer during 2006 and 2007. Overall CVH scores were classified as poor, intermediate, or ideal for 5 factors, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, glucose/hemoglobin A1c, and cholesterol from clinical data within 5 years prior to the breast cancer diagnosis. …

Transcriptional Analyses Of Adult And Pediatric Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma Reveals Similar Expression Signatures Regarding Potential Therapeutic Targets, Eric Prince, Chibueze Agwu, David D Limbrick, Et Al

Open Access Publications

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is a biologically benign but clinically aggressive lesion that has a significant impact on quality of life. The incidence of the disease has a bimodal distribution, with peaks occurring in children and older adults. Our group previously published the results of a transcriptome analysis of pediatric ACPs that identified several genes that were consistently overexpressed relative to other pediatric brain tumors and normal tissue. We now present the results of a transcriptome analysis comparing pediatric to adult ACP to identify biological differences between these groups that may provide novel therapeutic insights or support the assertion that potential …

Demographic And Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Canadian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study., Rishad Khan, Tavis Apramian, Joel Hosung Kang, Jeffrey Gustafson, Shannon Sibbald

Health Studies Publications

BACKGROUND: While the importance of medical students' demographic characteristics in influencing the scope and location of their future practice is recognized, these data are not systematically collected in Canada. This study aimed to characterize and compare the demographics of Canadian medical students with the Canadian population.

METHODS: Through an online survey, delivered in 2018, medical students at 14 English-speaking Canadian medical schools provided their age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, educational background, and rurality of the area they grew up in. Respondents also provided information on parental income, occupation, and education as markers of socioeconomic status. Data were compared to the …

Dna Methylation Signature For Ezh2 Functionally Classifies Sequence Variants In Three Prc2 Complex Genes, Sanaa Choufani, William T. Gibson, Andrei L. Turinsky, Brian H Y Chung, Tianren Wang, Kopal Garg, Alessandro Vitriolo, Ana S A Cohen, Sharri Cyrus, Sarah Goodman, Eric Chater-Diehl, Jack Brzezinski, Michael Brudno, Luk Ho Ming, Susan M. White, Sally Ann Lynch, Carol Clericuzio, I Karen Temple, Frances Flinter, Vivienne Mcconnell, Tom Cushing, Lynne M. Bird, Miranda Splitt, Bronwyn Kerr, Stephen W. Scherer, Jerry Machado, Eri Imagawa, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Naomichi Matsumoto, Guiseppe Testa, Maria Iascone, Romano Tenconi, Oana Caluseriu, Roberto Mendoza-Londono, David Chitayat, Cheryl Cytrynbaum, Katrina Tatton-Brown, Rosanna Weksberg

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Weaver syndrome (WS), an overgrowth/intellectual disability syndrome (OGID), is caused by pathogenic variants in the histone methyltransferase EZH2, which encodes a core component of the Polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2). Using genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) data for 187 individuals with OGID and 969 control subjects, we show that pathogenic variants in EZH2 generate a highly specific and sensitive DNAm signature reflecting the phenotype of WS. This signature can be used to distinguish loss-of-function from gain-of-function missense variants and to detect somatic mosaicism. We also show that the signature can accurately classify sequence variants in EED and SUZ12, which encode two other …

Switching To Lurasidone Following 12 Months Of Treatment With Risperidone: Results Of A 6-Month, Open-Label Study, Greg W Mattingly, Peter M Haddad, Michael Tocco, Jane Xu, Debra Phillips, Andrei Pikalov, Antony Loebel

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia are at an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, which is associated with greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Treatment with some commonly used antipsychotic medications may increase the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of lurasidone in patients who continued lurasidone or switched from risperidone to lurasidone. A secondary aim was assessment of the effect of long-term lurasidone on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

METHODS: The treatment sample in the current study consisted of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia (N = 223) …

Why Do Graduates Choose To Work In A Less Attractive Specialty? A Cross-Sectional Study On The Role Of Personal Values And Expectations, Van Anh Nguyen, Karen D. Könings, E Pamela Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Giang Bao Kim, Hoat Ngoc Luu, Albert J. Scherpbier, Jeroen J. Van Merriënboer

Publications

BACKGROUND: Primary health care (PHC), of which preventive medicine (PM) is a subspecialty, will have to cope with a deficiency of staff in the future, which makes the retention of graduates urgent. This study was conducted in Vietnam, where PM is an undergraduate degree in parallel to medical training. It aims to identify facilitating and hindering factors that impact recruitment and retention of PM graduates in the specialty. METHODS: A cross-sectional study enrolled 167 graduates who qualified as PM doctors from a Vietnamese medical school, between 2012 and 2018. Data were collected via an online questionnaire that asked participants about …