Digital Commons Network^™

A Noncoding Rna Modulator Potentiates Phenylalanine Metabolism In Mice, Yajuan Li, Zhi Tan, Yaohua Zhang, Zhao Zhang, Qingsong Hu, Ke Liang, Yao Jun, Youqiong Ye, Yi-Chuan Li, Chunlai Li, Lan Liao, Jianming Xu, Zhen Xing, Yinghong Pan, Sujash S Chatterjee, Tina K Nguyen, Heidi Hsiao, Sergey D Egranov, Nagireddy Putluri, Cristian Coarfa, David H Hawke, Preethi H Gunaratne, Kuang-Lei Tsai, Leng Han, Mien-Chie Hung, George A Calin, Fares Namour, Jean-Louis Guéant, Ania C Muntau, Nenad Blau, V Reid Sutton, Manuel Schiff, François Feillet, Shuxing Zhang, Chunru Lin, Liuqing Yang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The functional role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in inherited metabolic disorders, including phenylketonuria (PKU), is unknown. We demonstrated that the mouse lncRNA Pair and human HULC associate with phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Pair-knockout mice exhibited excessive blood phenylalanine, musty odor, hypopigmentation, growth retardation, and progressive neurological symptoms including seizures, which faithfully models human PKU. HULC depletion led to reduced PAH enzymatic activities in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-differentiated hepatocytes. Mechanistically, HULC modulated the enzymatic activities of PAH by facilitating PAH-substrate and PAH-cofactor interactions. To develop a therapeutic strategy for restoring liver lncRNAs, we designed GalNAc-tagged lncRNA mimics that …

Census Tract Patterns And Contextual Social Determinants Of Health Associated With Covid-19 In A Hispanic Population From South Texas: A Spatiotemporal Perspective, Cici Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Esmeralda Guajardo, Joseph Mccormick, Isela De La Cerda, Maria E Fernandez, Belinda Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that various social determinants of health (SDOH) may have contributed to the disparities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality among minorities and underserved populations at the county or zip code level.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis was carried out at a granular spatial resolution of census tracts to explore the spatial patterns and contextual SDOH associated with COVID-19 incidence from a Hispanic population mostly consisting of a Mexican American population living in Cameron County, Texas on the border of the United States and Mexico. We performed age-stratified analysis to identify different contributing SDOH and quantify their effects by …

Pulmonary Function Decline In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Terry D. Heiman-Patterson, Ossama Khazaal, Daohai Yu, Michael E. Sherman, Edward J. Kasarskis, Carlayne E. Jackson, Peg Niv Study Group

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background: There has been no comprehensive longitudinal study of pulmonary functions (PFTS) in ALS determining which measure is most sensitive to declines in respiratory muscle strength. Objective: To determine the longitudinal decline of PFTS in ALS and which measure supports Medicare criteria for NIV initiation first. Methods: Serial PFTs (maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV), maximum inspiratory pressure measured by mouth (MIP) or nasal sniff pressure (SNIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)) were performed over 12 months on 73 ALS subjects to determine which measure showed the sentinel decline in pulmonary function. The rate of decline for each …

Family-Based Obesity Prevention Interventions Among Hispanic Children And Families: A Scoping Review, Erica G Soltero, Armando Peña, Veronica Gonzalez, Edith Hernandez, Guisela Mackey, Chishinga Callender, Jayna M Dave, Debbe Thompson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

This scoping review examined intervention and sample characteristics of family-based obesity prevention interventions among Hispanic youth. This review also examined the degree to which existing interventions were culturally-adapted, acknowledged social determinants of health (SDoH), and collaborated with community stakeholders. A comprehensive search across Medline Ovid, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Pubmed was used to identify 13 studies primarily based in the U.S. (92.3%). Data was extracted by two independent reviewers. Most used a randomized control trial design (69.2%), a behavior change theory (84.6%), and reported moderate to high (≥70%) retention (69.2%). Studies targeted improvements in physical activity (69.2%) and fruit and …

A Machine Learning Case-Control Classifier For Schizophrenia Based On Dna Methylation In Blood, Chathura J Gunasekara, Eilis Hannon, Harry Mackay, Cristian Coarfa, Andrew Mcquillin, David St Clair, Jonathan Mill, Robert A Waterland

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Epigenetic dysregulation is thought to contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ), but the cell type-specificity of DNA methylation makes population-based epigenetic studies of SZ challenging. To train an SZ case–control classifier based on DNA methylation in blood, therefore, we focused on human genomic regions of systemic interindividual epigenetic variation (CoRSIVs), a subset of which are represented on the Illumina Human Methylation 450K (HM450) array. HM450 DNA methylation data on whole blood of 414 SZ cases and 433 non-psychiatric controls were used as training data for a classification algorithm with built-in feature selection, sparse partial least squares discriminate analysis (SPLS-DA); …

Simultaneous Ck2/Tnik/Dyrk1 Inhibition By 108600 Suppresses Triple Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells And Chemotherapy-Resistant Disease., Katsutoshi Sato, Amol A. Padgaonkar, Stacey J. Baker, Stephen C. Cosenza, Olga Rechkoblit, D.R.C. Venkata Subbaiah, Josep Domingo-Domenech, Alison Bartkowski, Elisa R. Port, Aneel K. Aggarwal, M. V. Ramana Reddy, Hanna Y. Irie, E. Premkumar Reddy

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains challenging because of heterogeneous responses to chemotherapy. Incomplete response is associated with a greater risk of metastatic progression. Therefore, treatments that target chemotherapy-resistant TNBC and enhance chemosensitivity would improve outcomes for these high-risk patients. Breast cancer stem cell-like cells (BCSCs) have been proposed to represent a chemotherapy-resistant subpopulation responsible for tumor initiation, progression and metastases. Targeting this population could lead to improved TNBC disease control. Here, we describe a novel multi-kinase inhibitor, 108600, that targets the TNBC BCSC population. 108600 treatment suppresses growth, colony and mammosphere forming capacity of BCSCs and induces G2M arrest …

Polyploid Giant Cancer Cells And Ovarian Cancer: New Insights Into Mitotic Regulators And Polyploidy†, Joanne S Richards, Nicholes R Candelaria, Rainer B Lanz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Current first-line treatment of patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) involves the use of cytotoxic drugs that frequently lead to recurrent tumors exhibiting increased resistance to the drugs and poor patient survival. Strong evidence is accumulating to show that HGSOC tumors and cell lines contain a subset of cells called polyploidy giant cancer cells (PGCCs) that act as stem-like, self-renewing cells. These PGCCs appear to play a key role in tumor progression by generating drug-resistant progeny produced, in part, as a consequence of utilizing a modified form of mitosis known as endoreplication. Thus, developing drugs to target PGCCs and …

"Friendly Reminder: Hi! It Is That Time Again ☺": Understanding Pmtct Care Text Message Design Preferences Amongst Pre- And Post-Partum Women And Their Male Partners., Natabhona M. Mabachi, Melinda Brown, Catherine Wexler, Kathy Goggin, May Maloba, Dama Olungae, Brad Gautney, Sarah Finocchario-Kessler

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services in Kenya can be strengthened through the delivery of relevant and culturally appropriate SMS messages.

METHODS: This study reports on the results of focus groups conducted with pre and postnatal women living with HIV (5 groups, n = 40) and their male partners (3 groups, n = 33) to elicit feedback and develop messages to support HIV+ women's adherence to ART medication, ANC appointments and a facility-based birth. The principles of message design informed message development.

RESULTS: Respondents wanted ART adherence messages that were low in verbal immediacy (ambiguous), came from an …

Das181 Treatment Of Severe Lower Respiratory Tract Parainfluenza Virus Infection In Immunocompromised Patients: A Phase 2 Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study, Roy F Chemaly, Francisco M Marty, Cameron R Wolfe, Steven J Lawrence, Sanjeet Dadwal, Rosemary Soave, Jason Farthing, Stephen Hawley, Paul Montanez, Jimmy Hwang, Jennifer Hui-Chun Ho, Stanley Lewis, George Wang, Michael Boeckh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: There are no antiviral therapies for parainfluenza virus (PIV) infections. DAS181, a sialidase fusion protein, has demonstrated activity in in vitro and in animal models of PIV.

METHODS: Adult immunocompromised patients diagnosed with PIV lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) who required oxygen supplementation were randomized 2:1 to nebulized DAS181 (4.5 mg/day) or matching placebo for up to 10 days. Randomization was stratified by need for mechanical ventilation (MV) or supplemental oxygen (SO). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients reaching clinical stability survival (CSS) defined as returning to room air (RTRA), normalization of vital signs for at least …

The Age Presents Introduction To Geroscience Video Lecture Series., Alessandro Bitto, Mitchell B Lee, Cristal M Hill, Ron Korstanje, Matt Kaeberlein

Faculty Research 2021

The AGE Presents Introduction to Geroscience video lecture series is a collection of high-quality didactic video lectures and associated teaching materials focused on foundational topics in aging biology. The videos are made freely available on YouTube and are targeted toward an audience familiar with concepts learned in the first year of a college undergraduate biology/biomedical major. Members of the American Aging Association also receive the original lecture slides and lecture notes, with additional course materials to be developed in the future. We expect that these lectures will enhance understanding of geroscience among the general public while also providing tools that …

Digital Literacy At An Urban Cancer Center: Implications For Technology Use And Vulnerable Patients, Amy Leader, Lisa M. Capparella, L. Waldman, Ba, Rebecca Cammy, Alison Petok, Rebecca Dean, Ayako Shimada, Liana Yocavitch, Kristin L. Rising, Gregory Garber, Brooke Worster, Adam Dicker

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: eHealth literacy, or the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources, has become increasingly relevant in the era of COVID-19, when so many aspects of patient care became dependent on technology. We aimed to understand eHealth literacy among a diverse sample of patients with cancer and discuss ways for health systems and cancer centers to ensure that all patients have access to high-quality care.

METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of patients with cancer and caregivers was conducted at an NCI-designated cancer center to assess access to the Internet, smartphone ownership, use of mobile apps, willingness …

Cd44 Engagement Enhances Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Adhesion To The Bone Marrow Microenvironment By Increasing Vla-4 Avidity, Julia C. Gutjahr, Elisabeth Bayer, Xiaobing Yu, Julia M. Laufer, Jan P. Höpner, Suzana Tesanovic, Andrea Härzschel, Georg Auer, Tanja Rieß, Astrid Salmhofer, Eva Szenes, Theresa Haslauer, Valerie Durand-Onayli, Andrea Ramspacher, Sandra P. Pennisi, Marc Artinger, Nadja Zaborsky, Alexandre Chigaev, Fritz Aberger, Daniel Neureiter, Lisa Pleyer, Daniel F. Legler, Veronique Orian-Rousseau, Richard Greil, Tanja N. Hartmann

Pathology Research and Scholarship

Adhesive properties of leukemia cells shape the degree of organ infiltration and the extent of leukocytosis. CD44 and the integrin VLA-4, a CD49d/CD29 heterodimer, are important factors of progenitor cell adhesion in bone marrow (BM). Here, we report their cooperation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by a novel non-classical CD44-mediated way of inside-out VLA-4 activation. In primary AML BM samples from patients and the OCI-AML3 cell line, CD44 engagement by hyaluronan induced inside-out activation of VLA-4 resulting in enhanced leukemia cell adhesion on VCAM-1. This was independent from VLA-4 affinity regulation but based on ligand-induced integrin clustering on the cell …

Beneficial Effects Of The 30-Minute Door-To-Needle Time Standard For Alteplase Administration, Suja S Rajan, Marquita Decker-Palmer, Jessica Wise, Thanh Dao, Cindy Salem, Sean I Savitz

Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: The American Heart Association recently raised the bar on the timely treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with intravenous alteplase. Our study looks at the effectiveness of this new standard, by examining the effect of varying door-to-needle times of alteplase initiation on the clinical, quality of care, and efficiency of care outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study examined 752 AIS patients treated with intravenous alteplase in a large academic health system during 2015-2018, and compared their outcomes after treatment within 30, 45, and 60 min of arrival. The outcomes compared were: (1) clinical - discharge and 90-day modified Rankin …

Non-Motor Phenotypic Subgroups In Adult-Onset Idiopathic, Isolated, Focal Cervical Dystonia, Megan E Wadon, Joel S Perlmutter, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Non-motor symptoms are well established phenotypic components of adult-onset idiopathic, isolated, focal cervical dystonia (AOIFCD). However, improved understanding of their clinical heterogeneity is needed to better target therapeutic intervention. Here, we examine non-motor phenotypic features to identify possible AOIFCD subgroups.

METHODS: Participants diagnosed with AOIFCD were recruited via specialist neurology clinics (dystonia wales: n = 114, dystonia coalition: n = 183). Non-motor assessment included psychiatric symptoms, pain, sleep disturbance, and quality of life, assessed using self-completed questionnaires or face-to-face assessment. Both cohorts were analyzed independently using Cluster, and Bayesian multiple mixed model phenotype analyses to investigate the relationship between …

Underreporting On The Mmpi-2-Rf Extends To Extra-Test Measures Of Suicide Risk, Lauren R Khazem, Katrina A Rufino, Megan L Rogers, Austin J Gallyer, Thomas E Joiner, Joye C Anestis

Staff and Researcher Publications

Detection of under-reporting in suicide risk assessment remains a significant concern in clinical practice. The aim of this research is to examine whether under-reporting based on elevated MMPI-2-RF K-r and L-r scale scores may aid in identifying patients with suppressed scores on SUI and extra-test measures of suicide risk. We anticipated that, in voluntarily admitted psychiatric inpatients (N=1,011) and individuals receiving outpatient services in a university-affiliated psychology clinic (N=521), those indicated as under-reporting would produce lower mean scores across SUI and extra-test measures of suicide risk, and that the magnitudes of the associations between SUI and …

In Situ Chromatin Interaction Analysis Using Paired-End Tag Sequencing., Ping Wang, Yuliang Feng, Kun Zhu, Haoxi Chai, Ya-Ting Chang, Xiaofei Yang, Xiyuan Liu, Chen Shen, Eva Gega, Byoungkoo Lee, Minji Kim, Xiaoan Ruan, Yijun Ruan

Faculty Research 2021

Chromatin Interaction Analysis Using Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) is an established method to map protein-mediated chromatin interactions. A limitation, however, is that it requires a hundred million cells per experiment, which hampers its broad application in biomedical research, particularly in studies in which it is impractical to obtain a large number of cells from rare samples. To reduce the required input cell number while retaining high data quality, we developed an in situ ChIA-PET protocol, which requires as few as 1 million cells. Here, we describe detailed step-by-step procedures for performing in situ ChIA-PET from cultured cells, including both an …

Relative Risks Of Covid-19 Fatality Between The First And Second Waves Of The Pandemic In Ontario, Canada, Sylvia H Hsu, Su-Hsin Chang, Cary P Gross, Shi-Yi Wang

Open Access Publications

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether the case fatality rate (CFR) of COVID-19 decreased over time and whether the COVID-19 testing rate is a driving factor for the changes if the CFR decreased.

METHODS: Analyzing COVID-19 cases, deaths and tests in Ontario, Canada, we compared the CFR between the first wave and the second wave across 26 public health units in Ontario. We also explored whether a high testing rate was associated with a large CFR decrease.

RESULTS: The first wave CFR ranged from 0.004 to 0.146, whereas the second wave CFR ranged from 0.003 to 0.034. The pooled RR estimate of …

The Immunoregulatory Landscape Of Human Tuberculosis Granulomas, Evan Li, Antony Rodriguez, Amber U Luong, David Allen, John Morgan Knight, Farrah Kheradmand, David B Corry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The allergic airway diseases chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS), asthma, allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis/aspergillosis (ABPM/A), and cystic fibrosis (CF) share a common immunological signature marked by T H 2 and TH 17 cell predominant immune responses, the production of IgE antibody, and atypical inflammatory cell infiltrate that includes eosinophils and other innate immune effector cells. Severe forms of these disorders have long been recognized as being related to hypersensitivity reactions to environmental fungi. Increasingly however,environmental fungi are assuming a more primary role in the etiology of these disorders, with airway mycosis, a type of non-invasive airway fungal infection,recognized as …

Long-Term Evaluation Of A Course On Evidence-Based Public Health In The U.S. And Europe, Rebekah R Jacob, Carol A Brownson, Anjali D Deshpande, Amy A Eyler, Kathleen N Gillespie, Jennie Hefelfinger, Paul C Erwin, Marti Macchi, Ross C Brownson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The evidence-based public health course equips public health professionals with skills and tools for applying evidence-based frameworks and processes in public health practice. To date, training has included participants from all the 50 U.S. states, 2 U.S. territories, and multiple other countries besides the U.S. This study pooled follow-up efforts (5 surveys, with 723 course participants, 2005-2019) to explore the benefits, application, and barriers to applying the evidence-based public health course content. All analyses were completed in 2020. The most common benefits (reported by >80% of all participants) were identifying ways to apply knowledge in their work, acquiring new knowledge, …

Standardizing Definitions Of Hematopoietic Recovery, Graft Rejection, Graft Failure, Poor Graft Function, And Donor Chimerism In Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Report On Behalf Of The American Society For Transplantation And Cellular Therapy, Mohamed A Kharfan-Dabaja, Iskra Pusic, Shalini Shenoy, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is potentially curative for certain hematologic malignancies and nonmalignant diseases. The field of allo-HCT has witnessed significant advances, including broadening indications for transplantation, availability of alternative donor sources, less toxic preparative regimens, new cell manipulation techniques, and novel GVHD prevention methods, all of which have expanded the applicability of the procedure. These advances have led to clinical practice conundrums when applying traditional definitions of hematopoietic recovery, graft rejection, graft failure, poor graft function, and donor chimerism, because these may vary based on donor type, cell source, cell dose, primary disease, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, and …

Effective Recruitment Strategies For A Sickle Cell Patient Registry Across Sites From The Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (Scdic), Rita V Masese, Taniya Varughese, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder predominantly affecting people of African descent and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To improve SCD outcomes, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute funded eight centers to participate in the SCD Implementation Consortium. Sites were required to each recruit 300 individuals with SCD, over 20 months. We aim to describe recruitment strategies and challenges encountered. Participants aged 15-45 years with confirmed diagnosis of SCD were eligible. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the effectiveness of each recruitment strategy. A total of 2432 participants were recruited. Majority (95.3%) were African American. …

Variants In Prkar1b Cause A Neurodevelopmental Disorder With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Apraxia, And Insensitivity To Pain, Felix Marbach, Marisa V Andrews, Dorothy K Grange, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: We characterize the clinical and molecular phenotypes of six unrelated individuals with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder who carry heterozygous missense variants of the PRKAR1B gene, which encodes the R1β subunit of the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA).

METHODS: Variants of PRKAR1B were identified by single- or trio-exome analysis. We contacted the families and physicians of the six individuals to collect phenotypic information, performed in vitro analyses of the identified PRKAR1B-variants, and investigated PRKAR1B expression during embryonic development.

RESULTS: Recent studies of large patient cohorts with neurodevelopmental disorders found significant enrichment of de novo missense variants in …

Changes In The Gut Microbiome Influence The Hypoglycemic Effect Of Metformin Through The Altered Metabolism Of Branched-Chain And Nonessential Amino Acids, Yujin Lee, Andrew Hyoungjin Kim, Eunwoo Kim, Seunghwan Lee, Kyung-Sang Yu, In-Jin Jang, Jae-Yong Chung, Joo-Youn Cho

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS: Although metformin has been reported to affect the gut microbiome, the mechanism has not been fully determined. We explained the potential underlying mechanisms of metformin through a multiomics approach.

METHODS: An open-label and single-arm clinical trial involving 20 healthy Korean was conducted. Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were measured, and stool samples were collected to analyze the microbiome. Untargeted metabolomic profiling of plasma, urine, and stool samples was performed by GC-TOF-MS. Network analysis was applied to infer the mechanism of the hypoglycemic effect of metformin.

RESULTS: The relative abundances of Escherichia, Romboutsia, Intestinibacter, and Clostridium were changed by metformin …

Race And Ethnicity Representation In Clinical Trials: Findings From A Literature Review Of Phase I Oncology Trials, D Ross Camidge, Haeseong Park, Karen E Smoyer, Ira Jacobs, Lauren J Lee, Zemfira Askerova, Justin Mcginnis, Yousef Zakharia

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Use Of Convalescent Plasma In Covid-19 Patients With Immunosuppression, Jonathon W Senefeld, Jeffrey P Henderson, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In the absence of effective countermeasures, human convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causative agent of novel coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), including among patients with innate or acquired immunosuppression. However, the association between COVID-19-associated mortality in patients with immunosuppression and therapeutic use of convalescent plasma is unknown. We review 75 reports, including one large matched-control registry study of 143 COVID-19 patients with hematological malignancies, and 51 case reports and 23 case series representing 238 COVID-19 patients with immunosuppression. We review clinical features and treatment protocols of COVID-19 patients with immunosuppression after …

Tumor-On-Chip Modeling Of Organ-Specific Cancer And Metastasis, Nuala Del Piccolo, Venktesh S Shirure, Ye Bi, S Peter Goedegebuure, Sepideh Gholami, Christopher C W Hughes, Ryan C Fields, Steven C George

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Every year, cancer claims millions of lives around the globe. Unfortunately, model systems that accurately mimic human oncology - a requirement for the development of more effective therapies for these patients - remain elusive. Tumor development is an organ-specific process that involves modification of existing tissue features, recruitment of other cell types, and eventual metastasis to distant organs. Recently, tissue engineered microfluidic devices have emerged as a powerful in vitro tool to model human physiology and pathology with organ-specificity. These organ-on-chip platforms consist of cells cultured in 3D hydrogels and offer precise control over geometry, biological components, and physiochemical properties. …

Comparative Effectiveness Of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Vs Sulfonylureas In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Yan Xie, Benjamin Bowe, Andrew K Gibson, Janet B Mcgill, Geetha Maddukuri, Ziyad Al-Aly

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: In the treatment of type 2 diabetes, evidence of the comparative effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors vs sulfonylureas-the second most widely used antihyperglycemic class after metformin-is lacking.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors and sulfonylureas associated with the risk of all-cause mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes using metformin.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cohort study used data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs compared the use of SGLT2 inhibitors vs sulfonylureas in individuals receiving metformin for treatment of type 2 diabetes. A total of 23 870 individuals with new use of …

Association Of Low Center Performance Evaluations And Pediatric Heart Transplant Center Behavior In The United States, Shahnawaz Amdani, Gerard Boyle, Joseph Rossano, Janet Scheel, Marc Richmond, Susana Arrigain, Jesse D Schold

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: To date, no study has evaluated the effects of low center performance evaluations (CPE) on pediatric heart transplant center behavior. We sought to assess the impact of low CPE flags on pediatric heart transplant center listing and transplant volumes and center recipient and donor characteristics.

METHODS: We included centers performing at least 10 pediatric (age <18 years) transplants during the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients reporting period January 2009-June 2011 and evaluated consecutive biannual program specific reports until the last reporting period January 2016-June 2018. We evaluated changes in center behavior at following time points: a year before flagging, a year and two years after the flag; and at last reporting period.

RESULTS: During our study period, 24 pediatric centers were non-flagged and 6 were flagged. Compared to non-flagged centers, there was a decline in candidate listings in flagged centers at the last reporting period (mean increase of 5.5 ± 12.4 listings vs"?> mean decrease of …

Extracorporeal Photopheresis To Attenuate Decline In Lung Function Due To Refractory Obstructive Allograft Dysfunction, Epi Study Group, Chadi A Hage, Suresh Vedantham, Mary Clare Derfler, Paul Commean, Ed Spitznagel, Jeff Atkinson, George Despotis, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) to attenuate the rate of decline of FEV

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Subjects from 10 lung transplant centres were assigned to ECP treatment or to observation based on spirometric criteria, with potential crossover for those under observation. The primary endpoint of this study was to assess response to ECP (i.e., greater than a 50% decrease in the rate of FEV

RESULTS: Of 44 enrolled subjects, 31 were assigned to ECP treatment while 13 were initially assigned to observation on a non-random basis using specific spirometric inclusion …

De-Identification Procedures For Magnetic Resonance Images And The Impact On Structural Brain Measures At Different Ages, Elizabeth E L Buimer, Hugo G Schnack, Yaron Caspi, Neeltje E M Van Haren, Mikhail Milchenko, Pascal Pas, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol, Rachel M Brouwer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Surface rendering of MRI brain scans may lead to identification of the participant through facial characteristics. In this study, we evaluate three methods that overwrite voxels containing privacy-sensitive information: Face Masking, FreeSurfer defacing, and FSL defacing. We included structural T1-weighted MRI scans of children, young adults and older adults. For the young adults, test-retest data were included with a 1-week interval. The effects of the de-identification methods were quantified using different statistics to capture random variation and systematic noise in measures obtained through the FreeSurfer processing pipeline. Face Masking and FSL defacing impacted brain voxels in some scans especially in …