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Oscillations Of Capillary Surfaces With Volume And Edge Effects, Dingqian Ding

All Dissertations

Capillary surfaces are defined by an interface endowed with surface tension that is partially supported by a solid substrate and are susceptible to oscillations reflecting a balance between fluid inertia and the restorative force of surface tension. The wave dynamics strongly depend upon volume change within the domain and edge effects through the boundary conditions applied at the contact-line formed at the liquid-gas-solid interface, while the spatial wave structure conforms to the geometry of the capillary surface. This dissertation develops mathematical models to address these effects for several canonical capillary surfaces, which are organized into two parts that are focused …

Design And Application Of Smart Systems To Address Analytical Problems, Lucas B. Ayres

All Dissertations

This dissertation is a multidisciplinary effort that integrates low-cost analytical instrumentation, redox chemistry, and artificial intelligence to overcome existing limitations in the fields of wearable sensing technology, Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), and antioxidant chemistry. The overall goal behind each implemented strategy is to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility of analytical processes and technologies. A general overview of the thesis, along with the research outcomes is included in Chapter One. The theoretical framework of this dissertation is presented in Chapter Two. Chapter Three describes the development of a wearable platform (sensor and instrumentation) to rapidly detect (~20 minutes) S. aureus …

Connecting Genotype And Phenotype: Investigating The Functional Morphology And Molecular Architecture That Influences Craniofacial Divergence Using Lake Malawi Cichlid Fishes, Leah Delorenzo

All Dissertations

Connecting genotype and phenotype to better understand how species evolve has been a goal of evolutionary developmental biologists over the last 50 years. This dissertation aims to connect genotype and phenotype of the craniofacial skeleton within the adaptive radiation of Lake Malawi cichlids to fortify our understanding of the functional, genetic, and epigenetic factors that contribute to craniofacial divergence. I start with a functional approach using 2D geometric morphometrics to assess craniofacial shape across the Lake Malawi cichlid radiation to bolster our knowledge of the bone phenotypes that are important to niche specialization and are functionally relevant. Next, I use …

Electrode Engineering For Enhanced Performance And Low-Cost Redox Flow Batteries, Abena Williams

All Dissertations

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Physical Activity Policies At National And Subnational Levels: A Study In Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, And Mexico, Gloria Isabel Niño Cruz, Inés Revuelta Sánchez, Gerardo Alonso Araya Vargas, Angélica María Ochoa Avilés, Raúl Francisco Pérez Tasigchana, Alejandra Jáuregui, Pedro C Hallal, Andrea Ramírez Varela

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: National physical activity (PA) policy processes are only beginning to be studied in Latin America, and little attention has focused at the subnational level. This study examined national-subnational relations in the policy process (agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation) in selected Latin American countries.

Methods: The Global Observatory for Physical Activity's (GoPA!) INTEGRATE-PA-Pol tool was applied in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Data were collected in matched pairs of the capital plus one noncapital city among national and subnational policymakers (n = 27), previously identified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. PA policy development and implementation were …

Coarctation Duration And Severity Predict Risk Of Hypertension Precursors In A Preclinical Model And Hypertensive Status Among Patients, Arash Ghorbannia, Hilda Jurkiewicz, Lith Nasif, Abdillahi Ahmed, Jennifer Co-Vu, Mehdi Maadooliat, Ronald K. Woods, John F. Ladisa Jr.

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

BACKGROUND:

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) often leads to hypertension posttreatment. Evidence is lacking for the current >20 mm Hg peak-to-peak blood pressure (BP) gradient (BPGpp) guideline, which can cause aortic thickening, stiffening, and dysfunction. This study sought to find the BPGpp severity and duration that avoid persistent dysfunction in a preclinical model and test if predictors translate to hypertension status in patients with CoA.

METHODS:

Rabbits (n=75; 5–12/group) were exposed to mild, intermediate, or severe CoA (≤12, 13–19, ≥20 mm Hg BPGpp) for ≈1, 3, or 22 weeks using dissolvable and permanent sutures with thickening, stiffening, contraction, and endothelial …

Herbal And Dietary Supplement Induced Liver Injury Leading To Hepatitis-Associated Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Case Report, Ghadir Sasa, Susan Kirk, Kalyani Patel, Krupa R Mysore

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) are a common etiology of drug induced liver injury and, specifically, Herbalife® supplements have been implicated. Hepatitis associated aplastic anemia (HAAA) is a rare and potentially fatal complication after acute hepatitis characterized by pancytopenia. While there have been rare cases of HDS leading to HAAA, no cases of Herbalife® induced liver injury leading to HAAA have been reported from this specific HDS. We report a unique case of severe aplastic anemia developing after sub-fulminant liver failure associated with chronic HDS use. This case illustrates the importance of warning the public about HDS as their use …

A 5-Year Longitudinal Structural Equation Model Of Social Isolation And Probable Major Depression Among Participants With Spinal Cord Injury, Chao Li, Susan Newman Phd, Rn, Crrn, Faan, Jillian M. Clark, James S. Krause

Publications

OBJECTIVE: To develop longitudinal structural models of social isolation and probable major depression (PMD) over a 5-year interval among participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Longitudinal structural equation modeling of self-report assessments collected during two follow-ups (2013 as Time 1, 2018 as Time 2) of a 45-year multicohort longitudinal study. Participants (n = 557) were identified from a specialty hospital in the Southeastern United States and two Midwestern hospitals and were initially enrolled in 1973-1974, 1984-1985, 1993-1994, or 2003-2004. PMD symptomology was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and was defined by PHQ-9 scores ≥ 10. Social isolation …

Use Of Topical Methylene Blue To Image Nuclear Morphometry With A Low-Cost Scanning Darkfield Microendoscope, Ann M Gillenwater, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Rebecca R Richards-Kortum

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

SIGNIFICANCE: Fiber-optic microendoscopy is a promising approach to noninvasively visualize epithelial nuclear morphometry for early cancer and precancer detection. However, the broader clinical application of this approach is limited by a lack of topical contrast agents available for

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability to image nuclear morphometry in vivo with a novel fiber-optic microendoscope used together with topical application of methylene blue (MB), a dye with FDA approval for use in chromoendoscopy in the gastrointestinal tract.

APPROACH: The low-cost, high-resolution microendoscope implements scanning darkfield imaging without complex optomechanical components by leveraging programmable illumination and …

Tenapanor As Therapy For Hyperphosphatemia In Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Results From The Optimize Study, Pablo E Pergola, Steven Fishbane, Geoffrey A Block, Arnold L Silva, Stephen Z Fadem, Robert I Lynn, George Fadda, Lynae Pagliaro, Suling Zhao, Susan Edelstein, David M Spiegel, David P Rosenbaum

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

KEY POINTS: Tenapanor, a first-in-class local inhibitor of sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 3, acts as a phosphate absorption inhibitor by decreasing paracellular phosphate absorption. Tenapanor alone or with phosphate binders achieved

BACKGROUND: OPTIMIZE was a randomized, open-label study evaluating different tenapanor initiation methods. OPTIMIZE evaluated tenapanor alone and in combination with phosphate binders (PBs) to achieve target serum phosphate (P) ≤5.5 mg/dl.

METHODS: Patients with inadequately controlled P receiving maintenance dialysis from 42 US locations who were taking PBs with baseline

RESULTS: By part A end point, 34.4% (

CONCLUSIONS: Tenapanor as monotherapy or in combination with PBs effectively lowered P …

A Biophysically Constrained Brain Connectivity Model Based On Stimulation-Evoked Potentials, Joshua Adkinson, Layth Mattar, Garrett P Banks, Sameer A Sheth, Andrew J Watrous, Sarah R Heilbronner, Kelly R Bijanki, Alessandro Alabastri, Eleonora Bartoli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Single-pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) is an established technique used to map functional effective connectivity networks in treatment-refractory epilepsy patients undergoing intracranial-electroencephalography monitoring. While the connectivity path between stimulation and recording sites has been explored through the integration of structural connectivity, there are substantial gaps, such that new modeling approaches may advance our understanding of connectivity derived from SPES studies.

NEW METHOD: Using intracranial electrophysiology data recorded from a single patient undergoing stereo-electroencephalography (sEEG) evaluation, we employ an automated detection method to identify early response components, C1, from pulse-evoked potentials (PEPs) induced by SPES. C1 components were utilized for a …

Patterns Of Multiple Organ Dysfunction And Renal Recovery In Critically Ill Children And Young Adults Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, Hyun Jung Park, Joseph Angelo, Poyyapakkam Srivaths, Katri Typpo, Michael J Bell, Katja M Gist, Joseph Carcillo, Ayse Akcan-Arikan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI-D) commonly occurs in the setting of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the modality of choice for AKI-D. Mid-term outcomes of pediatric AKI-D supported with CRRT are unknown. We aimed to describe the pattern and impact of organ dysfunction on renal outcomes in critically ill children and young adults with AKI-D.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort.

SETTING: Two large quarternary care pediatric hospitals.

PATIENTS: Patients 26 y old or younger who received CRRT from 2014 to 2020, excluding patients with chronic kidney disease.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Organ …

Angiogenic Gene Therapy For Refractory Angina: Results Of The Exact Phase 2 Trial, David A Latter, Nahush A Mokadam, Geoffrey A Answini, Adam R Williams, Benjamin C Sun, Christopher R Burke, Faisal G Bakaeen, Marcelo F Dicarli, Bernard R Chaitman, Mark W Peterson, Dawn G Byrnes, E Magnus Ohman, Carl J Pepine, Ronald G Crystal, Todd K Rosengart, Elaine Kowalewski, Gary G Koch, Howard C Dittrich, Thomas J Povsic, Exact Trial Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: XC001 is a novel adenoviral-5 vector designed to express multiple isoforms of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and more safely and potently induce angiogenesis. The EXACT trial (Epicardial Delivery of XC001 Gene Therapy for Refractory Angina Coronary Treatment) assessed the safety and preliminary efficacy of XC001 in patients with no option refractory angina.

Methods: In this single-arm, multicenter, open-label trial, 32 patients with no option refractory angina received a single treatment of XC001 (1×1011 viral particles) via transepicardial delivery.

Results: There were no severe adverse events attributed to the study drug. Twenty expected severe adverse events in 13 patients …

Prospects For Leveraging The Microbiota As Medicine For Hypertension, Tao Yang, Ishan Manandhar, Sachin Aryal, Rikeish R Muralitharan, Hong-Bao Li, Ying Li, Justine M Abais-Battad, Jennifer L Pluznick, Dominik N Muller, Francine Z Marques, Bina Joe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Immune Cell Pair Ratio Captured By Imaging Mass Cytometry Has Superior Predictive Value For Prognosis Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Than Cell Fraction And Density

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Exposure To 4,4′-Dde In Visceral Adipose Tissue And Weight Loss In Adolescents From The Teen-Labs Cohort, Brittney O Baumert, Hongxu Wang, Shudi Pan, Sarah Rock, Justin R Ryder, Todd Jenkins, Stephanie Sisley, Xiangping Lin, Scott Bartell, Thomas H Inge, Stavra Xanthakos, Brooklynn Mcneil, Anna R Robuck, Michele A La Merrill, Douglas I Walker, David V Conti, Rob Mcconnell, Sandrah P Eckel, Lida Chatzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), an obesogen accumulating in adipose tissue, is released into circulation with weight loss, although its impact is underexplored among adolescents. We tested the association using an integrative translational approach of epidemiological analysis among adolescents with obesity and in vitro measures exploring the impact of DDE on adipogenesis via preadipocytes.

Methods: We included 63 participants from the Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) cohort. We assessed 4,4'-DDE in visceral adipose tissue at surgery and BMI and waist circumference at surgery and 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 years after. We conducted longitudinal analysis to estimate the interaction on weight …

Total Aortic Arch Replacement Using A Frozen Elephant Trunk Device: Results Of A 1-Year Us Multicenter Trial, S Chris Malaisrie, Allan Stewart, Paul Stelzer, Hiroo Takayama, Edward P Chen, Anthony L Estrera, Thomas G Gleason, Michael P Fischbein, Leonard N Girardi, Himanshu J Patel, Joseph E Bavaria, Scott A Lemaire

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: In this prospective US investigational device exemption trial, we assessed the safety and 1-year clinical outcomes of the Thoraflex Hybrid device (Terumo Aortic) for the frozen elephant trunk technique to repair the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending thoracic aorta.

Methods: For the trial, which involved 12 US sites, 65 patients without rupture were recruited into the primary study group, and 9 patients were recruited into the rupture group. All patients underwent open surgical repair of the ascending aorta, aortic arch, and descending thoracic aorta in cases of aneurysm and/or dissection. The primary end point was freedom from major …

Improving Adherence To Clinical Practice Guidelines For Managing Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Among Gastroenterologists At A Us Academic Institution, Ruben Hernaez, Gyanprakash A Ketwaroo, Avegail G Flores, Jason K Hou, Maria E Jarbrink-Sehgal, Natalia I Khalaf, Daniel G Rosen, Hashem B El-Serag, Mimi C Tan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Clinical guidelines reserve endoscopic surveillance after a gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) diagnosis for high-risk patients. However, it is unclear how closely guidelines are followed in clinical practice. We examined the effectiveness of a standardized protocol for the management of GIM among gastroenterologists at a US hospital.

METHODS: This was a preintervention and postintervention study, which included developing a protocol and education of gastroenterologists on GIM management. For the preintervention study, 50 patients with GIM were randomly selected from a histopathology database at the Houston VA Hospital between January 2016 and December 2019. For the postintervention study, we assessed change …

Natural History Of Cancer-Associated Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis, Francisco Novoa, Raka Bandyo, Shengling Ma, Ang Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: There is uncertainty in the management of cancer-associated isolated splanchnic vein thrombosis (SpVT).

Objectives: To describe the natural history of SpVT by cancer type and thrombus composition and to review anticoagulation (AC) practices and associated rates of usual-site venous thromboembolism (VTE), major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (MB/CRNMB), recanalization/progression, and mortality.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in patients with SpVT at 2 cancer care centers in Houston, Texas. We estimated the incidence of usual-site VTE and MB/CRNMB at 6 months using competing risk methods and examined venous patency in a subset of patients with repeat imaging. We …

Special Anatomy Series Imaging Inner Ear Structures With High-Frequency Ultrasound: Application To Physical Rehabilitation Space Medicine, Faye Y Chiou-Tan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to document the feasibility of image acquisition, image optimization, and sonographic appearance of the exposed anatomic windows of cadaveric inner ear dissection for purposes of potential future clinical evaluation as part of the developing area of physical and rehabilitation space medicine.

METHODS: Cadaveric dissection of the inner ear was conducted with the goal of exposing areas relevant to vestibular balance. Middle and inner ear structures of 3 human cadavers were imaged with multiple broadband transducers, including emphasis with higher frequency transducers.

RESULTS: The images were best optimized with 17 MHz and 22 MHz …

Longitudinal Natural History Studies Based On Real-World Data In Rare Diseases: Opportunity And A Novel Approach, Jamie L Fraser, Joshua L Bonkowsky, Francesco Gavazzi, Russel D'Aiello, Nicholson B Modesti, Emily Yu, Sylvia Mutua, Emma Kotes, Justine Shults, Ariel Vincent, Lisa T Emrick, Stephanie Keller, Keith P Van Haren, Sarah Woidill, Isabella Barcelos, Amy Pizzino, Johanna L Schmidt, Florian Eichler, Ali Fatemi, Adeline Vanderver

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Growing interest in therapeutic development for rare diseases necessitate a systematic approach to the collection and curation of natural history data that can be applied consistently across this group of heterogenous rare diseases. In this study, we discuss the challenges facing natural history studies for leukodystrophies and detail a novel standardized approach to creating a longitudinal natural history study using existing medical records.

Prospective studies are uniquely challenging for rare diseases. Delays in diagnosis and overall rarity limit the timely collection of natural history data. When feasible, prospective studies are often cross-sectional rather than longitudinal and are unlikely to capture …

Fatigue Impacts Quality Of Life In People With Spinocerebellar Ataxias, Chi-Ying R Lin, Tiffany X Chen, Susan Perlman, George Wilmot, Christopher M Gomez, Jeremy D Schmahmann, Henry Paulson, Sarah H Ying, Chiadi U Onyike, Theresa A Zesiewicz, Khalaf O Bushara, Michael D Geschwind, Karla P Figueroa, Stefan M Pulst, Sub H Subramony, Matthew R Burns, Puneet Opal, Antoine Duquette, Tetsuo Ashizawa, Ali G Hamedani, Marie Y Davis, Sharan R Srinivasan, Lauren R Moore, Vikram G Shakkottai, Liana S Rosenthal, Sheng-Han Kuo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Fatigue is a prevalent and debilitating symptom in neurological disorders, including spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). However, the risk factors of fatigue in the SCAs as well as its impact have not been well investigated.

Objectives: To study the prevalence of fatigue in SCAs, the factors contributing to fatigue, and the influence of fatigue on quality of life.

Methods: Fatigue was assessed in 418 participants with SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 from the Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia using the Fatigue Severity Scale. We conducted multi-variable linear regression models to examine the factors contributing to fatigue as …

Proteomic Biomarkers Of Quantitative Interstitial Abnormalities In Copdgene And Cardia Lung Study, Kaushik Amancherla, Andrew Perry, Xiaoning Huang, Ruben San José Estépar, Samuel Y Ash, Weihua Guan, David R Jacobs, Fernando J Martinez, Ivan O Rosas, Russell P Bowler, Jonathan A Kropski, Nicholas E Banovich, Sadiya S Khan, Raúl San José Estépar, Ravi Shah, Bharat Thyagarajan, Ravi Kalhan, George R Washko

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Quantitative interstitial abnormalities (QIAs) are early measures of lung injury automatically detected on chest computed tomography scans. QIAs are associated with impaired respiratory health and share features with advanced lung diseases, but their biological underpinnings are not well understood. Objectives: To identify novel protein biomarkers of QIAs using high-throughput plasma proteomic panels within two multicenter cohorts.

Methods: We measured the plasma proteomics of 4,383 participants in an older, ever-smoker cohort (COPDGene [Genetic Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease]) and 2,925 participants in a younger population cohort (CARDIA [Coronary Artery Disease Risk in Young Adults]) using the SomaLogic SomaScan assays. …

Cardiac Conduction Diseases: Understanding The Molecular Mechanisms To Uncover Targets For Future Treatments, Na Li, Mihail G Chelu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The cardiac conduction system (CCS) is crucial for maintaining adequate cardiac frequency at rest and modulation during exercise. Furthermore, the atrioventricular node and His-Purkinje system are essential for maintaining atrioventricular and interventricular synchrony and consequently maintaining an adequate cardiac output.

Areas covered: In this review article, we examine the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the CCS. We then discuss in detail the most common genetic mutations and the molecular mechanisms of cardiac conduction disease (CCD) and provide our perspectives on future research and therapeutic opportunities in this field.

Expert opinion: Significant advancement has been made in understanding the molecular …

Targeting C-Myc Transactivation By Lmna Inhibits Trna Processing Essential For Malate-Aspartate Shuttle And Tumour Progression, Xiaojing Wang, Dan Li, Guo Chen, Banghe Bao, Jiyu Song, Xinyi Du, Chunhui Yang, Liduan Zheng, Qiangsong Tong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: A series of studies have demonstrated the emerging involvement of transfer RNA (tRNA) processing during the progression of tumours. Nevertheless, the roles and regulating mechanisms of tRNA processing genes in neuroblastoma (NB), the prevalent malignant tumour outside the brain in children, are yet unknown.

Methods: Analysis of multi-omics results was conducted to identify crucial regulators of downstream tRNA processing genes. Co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry methods were utilised to measure interaction between proteins. The impact of transcriptional regulators on expression of downstream genes was measured by dual-luciferase reporter, chromatin immunoprecipitation, western blotting and real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) …

Association Of Cardiovascular Health With Subclinical Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression Among Five Racial And Ethnic Groups: The Masala And Mesa Studies, Nilay S Shah, Sameera A Talegawkar, Salim S Virani, Erin D Michos, Roger S Blumenthal, Jaideep Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and aims: South Asian adults (SA) are at higher risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Life's Simple 7 (LS7) is a guideline-recommended, cardiovascular health (CVH) construct to guide optimization of cardiovascular risk factors. We sought to assess if the LS7 metrics predict coronary artery calcium (CAC) incidence and progression in asymptomatic SA compared with four other racial/ethnic groups.

Methods: We assessed the distribution of CVH metrics (inadequate: score 0-8, average: 9-10, optimal: 11-14, and per 1-unit higher score) and its association with incidence and progression of CAC among South Asians in the Mediators of …

Clofarabine Monotherapy In Aggressive, Relapsed And Refractory Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Erin Peckham-Gregory, Vivekanudeep Karri, Whitney Stanton, Brooks Scull, Ryan Fleishmann, Nader El-Mallawany, Olive S Eckstein, Zachary D Prudowsky, Nitya Gulati, Jennifer E Agrusa, Asra Z Ahmed, Roland Chu, Matthew S Dietz, Stanton C Goldman, Michael D Hogarty, Hamayun Imran, Stefanos Intzes, Jenny M Kim, Lisa M Kopp, Carolyn Fein Levy, Philip Neff, Pallavi M Pillai, Bryan A Sisk, Deborah E Schiff, Angela D Trobaugh-Lotrario, Kelly Walkovich, Kenneth L Mcclain, Carl E Allen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Over 50% of patients with systemic LCH are not cured with front-line therapies and data to guide salvage options are limited. We describe 58 patients with LCH who were treated with clofarabine. Clofarabine monotherapy was active against LCH in this cohort including heavily pretreated patients with systemic objective response rate of 92.6%, higher in children (93.8%) than adults (83.3%). BRAFV600E+ variant allele frequency in peripheral blood correlated with positive clinical responses. Prospective multi-center trials are warranted to determine optimal dosing, long-term efficacy, late toxicities, relative cost and patient reported outcomes of clofarabine compared to alternative LCH salvage therapy strategies.

Breaking Barriers: An Innovative Tool To Assess The National And City-Level Physical Activity Policy Development To Practice Disconnect, Josef Mitáš, Michael Pratt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Population-level physical activity increases are improbable without intersectoral collaboration across government levels and sectors to develop and implement physical activity promotion policies. This study aims to provide information about the development of the Interaction between National and Local Government Levels in Development and Implementation of Physical Activity Policies Tool (INTEGRATE PA-Pol). A framework was created to examine the development and implementation of national and subnational physical activity policies and the (mis)alignment between government levels.

Methods: The work was conducted in 3 phases: (1) a scoping review was carried out to identify local government physical activity promotion policies and instruments …

Immunotherapy Withdrawal By Step-Down To Mesalamine In Pediatric Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Parents and pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who progressed to systemic immunotherapy are concerned about lifelong risks from such treatments. There is limited knowledge about withdrawal of such agents and step-down (SD) to enteral 5-aminosalicylic acid (mesalamine) before transitioning to adult care.

METHODS: We studied nine pediatric cases with moderate to severe UC who after a median of 2.18 years of clinical remission on systemic immunotherapy stepped down to oral mesalamine treatment.

RESULTS: Average follow-up time from SD was 3.49 years. Five patients (55.5%) had sustained remission (without any flare noted) after SD during follow-up. Sustained clinical remission …

Type 2 Airway Inflammation In Copd

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Globally, nearly 400 million persons have COPD, and COPD is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation and mortality across the world. While it has been long-recognised that COPD is an inflammatory lung disease, dissimilar to asthma, type 2 inflammation was thought to play a minor role. However, recent studies suggest that in approximately one third of patients with COPD, type 2 inflammation may be an important driver of disease and a potential therapeutic target. Importantly, the immune cells and molecules involved in COPD-related type 2 immunity may be significantly different from those observed in severe asthma. Here, we identify …