Digital Commons Network^™

Peripheral Neuropathy Evaluations Of Patients With Prolonged Long Covid., Anne Louise Oaklander, Alexander J Mills, Mary Kelley, Lisa S Toran, Bryan Smith, Marinos Dalakas, Avindra Nath

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Background and objectives: Recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection appears exponential, leaving a tail of patients reporting various long COVID symptoms including unexplained fatigue/exertional intolerance and dysautonomic and sensory concerns. Indirect evidence links long COVID to incident polyneuropathy affecting the small-fiber (sensory/autonomic) axons.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional and longitudinal data from patients with World Health Organization (WHO)-defined long COVID without prior neuropathy history or risks who were referred for peripheral neuropathy evaluations. We captured standardized symptoms, examinations, objective neurodiagnostic test results, and outcomes, tracking participants for 1.4 years on average.

Results: Among 17 patients (mean age …

Wildlife Associates Of Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) Burrows In Arkansas, Brett A. Degregorio, John T. Veon, Andrhea Darleen Massey

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a widespread burrowing species with an expanding geographic range across the southeastern and midwestern United States. Armadillos dig numerous, large burrows within their home ranges and these burrows are likely used by a diverse suite of wildlife species as has been reported for other burrowing ecosystem engineers such as Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizi), and Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). We used motion-triggered game cameras at 35 armadillo burrows in 4 ecoregions of Arkansas and documented 19 species of mammals, 4 species of …

Exploring The Role Of Metabolites In Cancer And The Associated Nerve Crosstalk, Inah Gu, Emory A. Gregory, Casey Atwood, Sun-Ok Lee, Young Hye Song

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since Otto Warburg's first report on the increased uptake of glucose and lactate release by cancer cells, dysregulated metabolism has been acknowledged as a hallmark of cancer that promotes proliferation and metastasis. Over the last century, studies have shown that cancer metabolism is complex, and by-products of glucose and glutamine catabolism induce a cascade of both pro- and antitumorigenic processes. Some vitamins, which have traditionally been praised for preventing and inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, have also been proven to cause cancer progression in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, recent findings have shown that the nervous system is a key …

The Clinical Cell-Cycle Risk (Ccr) Score Is Associated With Metastasis After Radiation Therapy And Provides Guidance On When To Forgo Combined Androgen Deprivation Therapy With Dose-Escalated Radiation, Jonathan Tward, Hiram A. Gay, Jeff Michalski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: The clinical cell-cycle risk (CCR) score, which combines the University of California, San Francisco's Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) and the cell cycle progression (CCP) molecular score, has been validated to be prognostic of disease progression for men with prostate cancer. This study evaluated the ability of the CCR score to prognosticate the risk of metastasis in men receiving dose-escalated radiation therapy (RT) with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

METHODS AND MATERIALS: This retrospective, multi-institutional cohort study included men with localized National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) intermediate-, high-, and very high-risk prostate cancer (N = 741). …

Impact Of Consensus Guidelines For Breast-Conserving Surgery In Patients With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Abigail Tremelling, Rebecca L Aft, Amy E Cyr, William E Gillanders, Katherine Glover-Collins, Virginia Herrmann, Julie A Margenthaler

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Consensus guidelines published in 2016 recommended a 2 mm free margin as the standard for negative margins in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The goal of the guideline recommendation was standardization of re-excision practices.

AIMS: To evaluate the impact of this consensus guideline on our institutional practices.

METHODS: We identified all patients at our institution with pure DCIS who were initially treated with BCS from September 2014 to August 2018 using a prospectively-maintained institutional database. A retrospective chart review was performed to determine margin status and re-excision rates during the 2 years before …

Endogenous Metabolic Markers For Predicting The Activity Of Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase, Jihyun Kang, Andrew Hyoungjin Kim, Inseung Jeon, Jaeseong Oh, In-Jin Jang, Seunghwan Lee, Joo-Youn Cho

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Five-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapeutic agent that is mainly metabolized by the rate-limiting enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). The DPD enzyme activity deficiency involves a wide range of severities. Previous studies have demonstrated the effect of a DPYD single nucleotide polymorphism on 5-FU efficacy and highlighted the importance of studying such genes for cancer treatment. Common polymorphisms of DPYD in European ancestry populations are less frequently present in Koreans. DPD is also responsible for the conversion of endogenous uracil (U) into dihydrouracil (DHU). We quantified U and DHU in plasma samples of healthy male Korean subjects, and samples were classified into …

Strategies To Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections In Acute-Care Hospitals: 2022 Update, Niccolò Buetti, Jonas Marschall, Marci Drees, Mohamad G Fakih, Lynn Hadaway, Lisa L Maragakis, Elizabeth Monsees, Shannon Novosad, Naomi P O'Grady, Mark E Rupp, Joshua Wolf, Deborah Yokoe, Leonard A Mermel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Sars-Cov-2 Infection And Covid-19 Outcomes In Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Literature Review And Meta-Analysis, Richard Conway, Alfred H J Kim, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The relative risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity among people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) compared to those without RMDs is unclear. This study was undertaken to quantify the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in those with RMDs and describe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in these patients.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review using 14 databases from January 1, 2019 to February 13, 2021. We included observational studies and experimental trials in RMD patients that described comparative rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, oxygen supplementation/intensive care unit (ICU) admission/mechanical ventilation, or death attributed to COVID-19. Methodologic quality …

Applying Diagnosis Support Systems In Electronic Health Records To Identify Wild-Type Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Risk, Connor Willis, Alexandre H Watanabe, Justin Hughes, Kimberly Nolen, Jason O'Meara, Alexander Schepart, Marianna Bruno, Joseph Biskupiak, Kensaku Kawamoto, Nawar Shara, Thomas Kannampallil

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Hold That Pose: Capturing Cervical Dystonia's Head Deviation Severity From Video, Zheng Zhang, Joel S Perlmutter, Et Al

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Deviated head posture is a defining characteristic of cervical dystonia (CD). Head posture severity is typically quantified with clinical rating scales such as the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS). Because clinical rating scales are inherently subjective, they are susceptible to variability that reduces their sensitivity as outcome measures. The variability could be circumvented with methods to measure CD head posture objectively. However, previously used objective methods require specialized equipment and have been limited to studies with a small number of cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel software system-the Computational Motor Objective Rater …

Physician-Scientists In The United States At 2020: Trends And Concerns, Howard H Garrison, Timothy J Ley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Physician-scientists comprise a unique and valuable part of the biomedical workforce, but for decades there has been concern about the number of physicians actively engaged in research. Reports have outlined the challenges facing physician-scientists, and programs have been initiated to encourage and facilitate research careers for medically trained scientists. Many of these initiatives have demonstrated successful outcomes, but there has not been a recent summary of the impact of the past decade of effort. This report compiles available data from surveys of medical education and physician research participation to assess changes in the physician-scientist workforce from 2011-2020. Several trends are …

Cd19 + Cd21lo/Neg Cells Are Increased In Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease, Erin M Wilfong, Katherine N Vowell, Kaitlyn E Bunn, Elise Rizzi, Narender Annapureddy, Rosemarie B Dudenhofer, April Barnado, Rachel H Bonami, Joyce E Johnson, Leslie J Crofford, Peggy L Kendall

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The purpose of this study was to examine recirculating lymphocytes from SSc patients for potential biomarkers of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with SSc and healthy controls enrolled in the Vanderbilt University Myositis and Scleroderma Treatment Initiative Center cohort between 9/2017-6/2019. Clinical phenotyping was performed by chart abstraction. Immunophenotyping was performed using both mass cytometry and fluorescence cytometry combined with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding analysis and traditional biaxial gating. This study included 34 patients with SSc-ILD, …

Physician Perceptions And Use Of Reduced-Dose Direct Oral Anticoagulants For Extended Phase Venous Thromboembolism Treatment, Danielle Groat, Karlyn A Martin, Rachel P Rosovsky, Kristen M Sanfilippo, Manila Gaddh, Lisa Baumann Kreuziger, M Elaine Eyster, Scott C Woller, Venous Thromboembolism Network Us (Venus) Vte Treatment, Anticoagulation Management Group

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Background: The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), apixaban and rivaroxaban, have been studied for extended-phase treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Yet, scant evidence exists surrounding clinician practice and decision-making regarding dose reduction.

Aims: Report clinician practice and characteristics surrounding dose reduction of DOACs for extended-phase VTE treatment.

Methods: We conducted a 16-question REDCap survey between July 14, 2021, and September 13, 2021, among ISTH 2021 Congress attendees and on Twitter. We explored factors associated with dose reduction using logistic regression. We used k-means clustering to identify distinct groups of dose-reduction decision-making. Random forest analysis explored demographics with respect to identified groups. …

Bedside Nurses' Perceptions Of Effective Nurse-Physician Communication In General Medical Units: A Qualitative Study, Hirotaka Kato, Jessica M. Clouser, Preetham Talari, Nikita L. Vundi, Akosua K. Adu, Kishore Karri, Kathy B. Isaacs, Mark V. Williams, Romil Chadha, Jing Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Background There is a dearth of research on successful interventions to improve nurse-physician communication (NPC). An important step is identifying what matters to bedside nurses and their perceptions of effective NPC communications and actions. Methods We conducted three focus groups with a total of 19 medical unit nurses across two hospitals in one academic medical center in the United States. Using a convenience sampling strategy, five to eight nurses voluntarily participated in each focus group. The recording was transcribed verbatim and two independent coders performed coding and resolved any discrepancies in codes. Qualitative content analysis was pursued to identify themes …

Veliparib Plus Carboplatin And Paclitaxel Versus Investigator's Choice Of Standard Chemotherapy In Patients With Advanced Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Ramaswamy Govindan, Et Al

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This open-label Phase III trial (NCT02264990) evaluated the PARP inhibitor, veliparib, combined with carboplatin/paclitaxel versus chemotherapy alone for first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). A 52-gene expression classifier (LP52) previously shown to identify patients more likely to respond to veliparib was evaluated as a planned correlative analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult current or former smokers with advanced non-squamous NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to veliparib (120 mg daily for 7 days/cycle) with carboplatin and paclitaxel or to investigators' choice of platinum doublet chemotherapy (up to 6, 21-day cycles), with optional pemetrexed maintenance. Prospective analysis …

A Systematic Review Of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Patients With Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia, Philip Goodney, Samir Shah, Yiyuan David Hu, Bjoern Suckow, Scott Kinlay, David G Armstrong, Patrick Geraghty, Megan Patterson, Matthew Menard, Manesh R Patel, Michael S Conte

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) causes significant morbidity with profound negative effects on health-related quality of life. As the prevalence of peripheral artery disease and diabetes continue to rise in our aging population, the public health impact of CLTI has escalated. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have become common and important measures for clinical evaluation in both clinical care and research. PROMs are important for the measurement of clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness and for shared decision-making on treatment options. However, the PROMs used to describe the experience of patients with CLTI are heterogeneous, incomplete, and lack specific applicability to the underlying …

Functional Analysis Of A Novel De Novo Variant In Ppp5c Associated With Microcephaly, Seizures, And Developmental Delay, Sara M Fielder, Jill A Rosenfeld, Lindsay C Burrage, Lisa Emrick, Seema Lalani, Ruben Attali, Joshua N Bembenek, Hieu Hoang, Dustin Baldridge, Gary A Silverman, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Tim Schedl, Stephen C Pak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We describe a proband evaluated through the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) who presented with microcephaly, developmental delay, and refractory epilepsy with a de novo p.Ala47Thr missense variant in the protein phosphatase gene, PPP5C. This gene has not previously been associated with a Mendelian disease, and based on the population database, gnomAD, the gene has a low tolerance for loss-of-function variants (pLI = 1, o/e = 0.07). We functionally evaluated the PPP5C variant in C. elegans by knocking the variant into the orthologous gene, pph-5, at the corresponding residue, Ala48Thr. We employed assays in three different biological processes where pph-5 was …

Complexity Of Ballooned Hepatocyte Feature Recognition: Defining A Training Atlas For Artificial Intelligence-Based Imaging In Nafld, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Histologically assessed hepatocyte ballooning is a key feature discriminating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from steatosis (NAFL). Reliable identification underpins patient inclusion in clinical trials and serves as a key regulatory-approved surrogate endpoint for drug efficacy. High inter/intra-observer variation in ballooning measured using the NASH CRN semi-quantitative score has been reported yet no actionable solutions have been proposed.

METHODS: A focused evaluation of hepatocyte ballooning recognition was conducted. Digitized slides were evaluated by 9 internationally recognized expert liver pathologists on 2 separate occasions: each pathologist independently marked every ballooned hepatocyte and later provided an overall non-NASH NAFL/NASH assessment. Interobserver …

Cardiac Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Fibrosis And Remodeling In Heart Failure: Role Of Pdgf Signaling, Tariq Hamid, Yuanyuan Xu, Mohamed Ameen Ismahil, Gregg Rokosh, Miki Jinno, Guihua Zhou, Qiongxin Wang, Sumanth D. Prabhu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by progressive fibrosis. Both fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts. MSCs secrete and express platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and its receptors. We hypothesized that PDGF signaling in cardiac MSCs (cMSCs) promotes their myofibroblast differentiation and aggravates post-myocardial infarction left ventricular remodeling and fibrosis. We show that cMSCs from failing hearts post-myocardial infarction exhibit an altered phenotype. Inhibition of PDGF signaling in vitro inhibited cMSC-myofibroblast differentiation, whereas in vivo inhibition during established ischemic HF alleviated left ventricular remodeling and function, and decreased myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, and inflammation. Modulating cMSC PDGF receptor …

Factors Affecting Knowledge Production, Diffusion And Utilisation At The University Of Zambia School Of Medicine, Christine Wamunyima Kanyengo Ms, Gretchen J. Smith Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The aim of this paper was to explore the factors affecting knowledge production, diffusion and utilisation in a university environment taking the University of Zambia Medical School as a case of study. Methodologically, a survey of lecturers was carried out. Data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire; and analysed using MS Excel which was later presented in simple statistics of figures and graphs. The study established that knowledge production, diffusion and utilisation was affected by inadequate funding, time, interest, technology, availability of appropriate reading materials, incentives, internet research skills, heavy workload and lack of publication outlets. The study contributes …

Design And Development Of A Public Health Information Service Model For Rural Inhabitants Of Balasore District Of Odisha, Chittaranjan Nayak Research Scholar (Ph.D), Dr. Arun Kumar Chakraborty Librarian

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research paper focuses on the Public Health Information Service model for the rural inhabitants of the Balasore district, which is one of the objectives of the study. This integrated strategic model is conceptualized and is based on the suitability of health information exchange to rural people. It considers the various parameters of the public and the medical libraries; and the health information stakeholders.

The model recommends the direct involvement of libraries in providing in-house and outhouse health information services to the public in a collaborative manner. This research paper presents an Integrated Public Health Services (IPHIS) model for rural …

Strategy To Sharpen The Students’ Skills In Colon Classification, Saravanan T

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper sheds light on the strategy opted to sharpen the skills of the Library and Information Science Students in Colon Classification Scheme (6^th Ed.). A few topics, namely Notational System, Main Class, Facet Formula and Postulates & Principles have been sliced here. Understanding the need and purpose of the said topics are a must for the freshers. The freshers should make their foundation as strong in the Normative Principles. Dr.S.R.Ranganathan (1967) insisted that the Colon Classification (6^th Edition) techniques need to be taught to the students in the classroom with the help of Postulates and Principles. Students …

What Is The Prevalence Of Dirofilaria Immitis (Dog Heartworm) In Invasive Aedes Mosquitoes?, Leen Yousef, Johan Espinoza Corrales, Daniela H. Dolar, Taylor K. Trieu, Aisha Popalzai, Agamchat Dhami

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Medial Edge Chondrification Of The Vocal Folds Of E. Pustulosus And Its Function In Sexual Selection, Helena Soon Czochanski

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Workers Perceptions Regarding Antibiotic Use During Covid-19 Pandemic In Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sara Mina, Bilal Azakir

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, empirical antibiotics prescription has increased globally in patients with COVID-19 for suspected or confirmed bacterial infection. Hence, concerns have been raised about potential rise in antibiotic resistance that will create further challenges for antimicrobial stewardship. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess healthcare workers attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics prescription during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon. The survey was distributed online using GOOGLE forms and included questions addressing socio-demographic characteristics, trainings in antibiotics use and healthcare workers attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics prescription during the pandemic. In total, 399 healthcare workers responded …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Nurses Regarding Antibiotic Stewardship In North Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study, Mariam El Baida, Sara Mina

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

ABSTRACT: Background: Antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global issue. Several associations are supporting the implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs in all hospitals. This program is multidisciplinary in its nature however, nurses are often not included in the antibiotic stewardship team. The role of nurses in antibiotic stewardship needs further development, and additional information is needed regarding gaps in nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic stewardship. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nursing staff regarding antibiotic stewardship in North Lebanon and identify the barriers that prevent their participation. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was …

Interleukin-16 Rs4778889 Polymorphism And Its Interaction With Interleukin-10 Rs1800896 Polymorphism Increase The Risk For Knee Osteoarthritis In The Lebanese Population, Zeina El-Ali, Fouad Ziade, Hassan Zmerly, Nisrine Bissar

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

To investigate the effect Interleukin-16 (IL-16) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) polymorphisms, and their interaction, on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) risk in the Lebanese population. Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping assay was performed to determine IL-16 rs4778889, rs11556218, and rs4072111 and IL-10 rs1800896 polymorphisms in 118 patients diagnosed with KOA ( ≥ 2 points on Kellgren-Lawrence (K&L) radiological classification scale) and 70 controls matched for age and gender (K&L score ≤ 1). After adjusting for age, gender, presence of metabolic disorders, smoking and drinking status, our findings suggest that rs4778889 TT genotype increases the risk for KOA compared to the combined CC …

Covid-19 In Lebanon: Demographics And Distribution, Mahdi Fadlallah, Fadi Hobeiche, Marie Therese Jamal, Elie Salem-Sokhn

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

COVID-19 pandemic has emerged over more than 200 countries leading to more than 117 million infection cases and more than 2.6 million deaths. Lebanon is one of the countries affected by this disease especially in the second half of 2020 reaching its peak early this year. In this study, we studied the impact of multiple factors on this surge and analyzed the positive tests among different age groups over a period of one year (from March 2020 to February 2021). Data was collected from one medical center in Beirut where more than 20,000 PCR tests were done using RT-PCR method …

Food Safety Practices Among Food Carts In -North Lebanon, Hanin Hassan, Nada El Darra, Alissar Al Khatib

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Street food carts serve different types of popular and traditional foods; it is a common economic sector worldwide. In North Lebanon, food carts are mobile or centered in specific places serving common and well known RTE meals. In addition, the increasing incidence of foodborne illnesses associated with street foods sheds light on the importance of inspecting the practices of street vendors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the food safety in 30 food carts using an observational checklist and to perform microbiological analysis for the detection of foodborne pathogens namely; yeast, mold, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Enterohemorrhagic E.coli, …

Knowledge Of The Effect Of Synthetic Proteins On The Overall Health In Lebanese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Zeina Al Shoufi, Alaa Al Bardan, Ahmad Shishnieh, Rami Asaad, Hiba Deek

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge of gym attendees on the effects of protein shakes on their health. A descriptive cross-sectional study involving a self-administered questionnaire was undertaken. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire in two ways. First method was googled form links which was sent out to acquaintances on social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in both English and Arabic language. In addition, questionnaire was printed and distributed to four different gyms in Beirut. The coaches of the gyms took charge of distributing and completing the questionnaire. Reminders were issued every 2 days …