Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Micrornas Orchestrate Pathophysiology Of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis: Advances In Therapy, Ranjana K. Kanchan, Jawed A. Siddiqui, Sidharth Mahapatra, Surinder K. Batra, Mohd W. Nasser

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Brain metastasis (BM) predominantly occurs in triple-negative (TN) and epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) patients, and currently, there is an unmet need for the treatment of these patients. BM is a complex process that is regulated by the formation of a metastatic niche. A better understanding of the brain metastatic processes and the crosstalk between cancer cells and brain microenvironment is essential for designing a novel therapeutic approach. In this context, the aberrant expression of miRNA has been shown to be associated with BM. These non-coding RNAs/miRNAs regulate metastasis through modulating the formation of a metastatic niche …

Mechanistic And Functional Shades Of Mucins And Associated Glycans In Colon Cancer, Ramesh Pothuraju, Shiv Ram Krishn, Shailendra K. Gautam, Priya Pai, Koelina Ganguly, Sanjib Chaudhary, Satyanarayana Rachagani, Sukhwinder Kaur, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Mucus serves as the chief protective barrier against pathogenic and mechanical insults in respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital tracts. Altered mucin expression, the major component of mucus, in conjunction with differential glycosylation has been strongly associated with both benign and malignant pathologies of colon. Mucins and their associated glycans arbitrate their impact sterically as well as mechanically by altering molecular and microbial spectrum during pathogenesis. Mucin expression in normal and pathological conditions is regulated by nonspecific (dietary factors and gut microbiota) and specific (epigenetic and transcriptional) modulators. Further, recent studies highlight the impact of altering mucin glycome (cancer-associated carbohydrate antigens including …

Molecular Implications Of Muc5ac-Cd44 Axis In Colorectal Cancer Progression And Chemoresistance, Ramesh Pothuraju, Satyanarayana Rachagani, Shiv Ram Krishn, Sanjib Chaudhary, Rama Krishna Nimmakayala, Jawed A. Siddiqui, Koelina Ganguly, Imayavaramban Lakshmanan, Jesse L. Cox, Kavita Mallya, Sukhwinder Kaur, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

BACKGROUND: Differential expression of mucins has been associated with several cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). In normal physiological conditions, secretory mucin MUC5AC is not expressed in the colonic mucosa, whereas its aberrant expression is observed during development of colon cancer and its precursor lesions. To date, the molecular mechanism of MUC5AC in CRC progression and drug resistance remains obscure.

METHODS: MUC5AC expression was determined in colon tissue microarray by immunohistochemistry. A RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated system was used to knockdown/knockout the MUC5AC in CRC cell lines to delineate its role in CRC tumorigenesis using in vitro functional assays and in …

Glp-1 Mediated Diuresis And Natriuresis Are Blunted In Heart Failure And Restored By Selective Afferent Renal Denervation, Kenichi Katsurada, Shyam Sundar Nandi, Hong Zheng, Xuefei Liu, Neeru M. Sharma, Kaushik K. Patel

Journal Articles: Cellular & Integrative Physiology

BACKGROUND: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) induces diuresis and natriuresis. Previously we have shown that GLP-1 activates afferent renal nerve to increase efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity that negates the diuresis and natriuresis as a negative feedback mechanism in normal rats. However, renal effects of GLP-1 in heart failure (HF) has not been elucidated. The present study was designed to assess GLP-1-induced diuresis and natriuresis in rats with HF and its interactions with renal nerve activity.

METHODS: HF was induced in rats by coronary artery ligation. The direct recording of afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) with intrapelvic injection of GLP-1 and total …

Confirmation And Identification Of Biomarkers Implicating Environmental Triggers In The Pathogenesis Of Type 1 Diabetes, Robert Z. Harms, Katie R. Ostlund, Monina S. Cabrera, Earline Edwards, Marisa Fisher, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Surgery

Multiple environmental triggers have been proposed to explain the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D). These include viral infections, microbiome disturbances, metabolic disorders, and vitamin D deficiency. Here, we used ELISA to examine blood plasma from juvenile T1D subjects and age-matched controls for the abundance of several circulating factors relevant to these hypotheses. We screened plasma for sCD14, mannose binding lectin (MBL), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), c-reactive protein (CRP), fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2), human growth hormone, leptin, total adiponectin, high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, total IgG, total IgA, total IgM, endotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAbs), 25(OH) vitamin D, …

Heightened Levels Of Antimicrobial Response Factors In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Prathapan Ayyappan, Robert Z. Harms, Jennifer A. Seifert, Elizabeth A. Bemis, Marie L. Feser, Kevin D. Deane, M Kristen Demoruelle, Ted R. Mikuls, V Michael Holers, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Surgery

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease leading to considerable disability over time. The disease can be characterized by the presence of multiple autoantibodies in the serum and synovial fluid. Microbial dysbiosis is proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. Increased systemic bacterial exposure leads to elevated levels of antimicrobial response factors (ARFs) in the circulation. In the present study, we tested whether RA patients have increased levels of ARFs by analyzing the levels of multiple ARFs in serum from RA patients and healthy age and sex-matched controls. The levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), lysozyme, …

Complexation-Induced Resolution Enhancement Of 3d-Printed Hydrogel Constructs, Jiaxing Gong, Carl C. L. Schuurmans, Anne Metje Van Genderen, Xia Cao, Wanlu Li, Feng Cheng, Jacqueline Jialu He, Arturo López, Valentin Huerta, Jennifer Manríquez, Ruiquan Li, Hongbin Li, Clément Delavaux, Shikha Sebastian, Pamela E. Capendale, Huiming Wang, Jingwei Xie, Mengfei Yu, Rosalinde Masereeuw, Tina Vermonden, Yu Shrike Zhang

Journal Articles: Surgery

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel printing enables production of volumetric architectures containing desired structures using programmed automation processes. Our study reports a unique method of resolution enhancement purely relying on post-printing treatment of hydrogel constructs. By immersing a 3D-printed patterned hydrogel consisting of a hydrophilic polyionic polymer network in a solution of polyions of the opposite net charge, shrinking can rapidly occur resulting in various degrees of reduced dimensions comparing to the original pattern. This phenomenon, caused by complex coacervation and water expulsion, enables us to reduce linear dimensions of printed constructs while maintaining cytocompatible conditions in a cell type-dependent manner. We …

Targeting The Tumor Core: Hypoxia-Responsive Nanoparticles For The Delivery Of Chemotherapy To Pancreatic Tumors, Matthew I. Confeld, Babak Mamnoon, Li Feng, Heather Jensen Smith, Priyanka Ray, James Froberg, Jiha Kim, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Mohiuddin Quadir, Yongki Choi, Sanku Mallik

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), early onset of hypoxia triggers remodeling of the extracellular matrix, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, increased cell survival, the formation of cancer stem cells, and drug resistance. Hypoxia in PDAC is also associated with the development of collagen-rich, fibrous extracellular stroma (desmoplasia), resulting in severely impaired drug penetration. To overcome these daunting challenges, we created polymer nanoparticles (polymersomes) that target and penetrate pancreatic tumors, reach the hypoxic niches, undergo rapid structural destabilization, and release the encapsulated drugs. In vitro studies indicated a high cellular uptake of the polymersomes and increased cytotoxicity of the drugs under hypoxia compared to …

Age-Related Visual Dynamics In Hiv-Infected Adults With Cognitive Impairment., Boman R. Groff, Alex I. Wiesman, Michael T. Rezich, Jennifer O'Neill, Kevin R. Robertson, Howard S. Fox, Susan Swindells, Tony W. Wilson

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether aging differentially affects neural activity serving visuospatial processing in a large functional neuroimaging study of HIV-infected participants and to determine whether such aging effects are attributable to differences in the duration of HIV infection.

METHODS: A total of 170 participants, including 93 uninfected controls and 77 HIV-infected participants, underwent neuropsychological assessment followed by neuroimaging with magnetoencephalography (MEG). Time-frequency analysis of the MEG data followed by advanced image reconstruction of neural oscillatory activity and whole-brain statistical analyses were used to examine interactions between age, HIV infection, and cognitive status. Post hoc testing for a mediation effect of …

Myd88 Regulates A Prolonged Adaptation Response To Environmental Dust Exposure-Induced Lung Disease, Amber N. Johnson, Jack R. Harkema, Amy J. Nelson, John D. Dickinson, Julianna Kalil, Michael J. Duryee, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Balawant Kumar, Amar B. Singh, Rohit Gaurav, Sarah C. Glover, Ying Tang, Debra J. Romberger, Tammy Kielian, Jill A. Poole

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

BACKGROUND: Environmental organic dust exposures enriched in Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists can reduce allergic asthma development but are associated with occupational asthma and chronic bronchitis. The TLR adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor88 (MyD88) is fundamental in regulating acute inflammatory responses to organic dust extract (ODE), yet its role in repetitive exposures is unknown and could inform future strategies.

METHODS: Wild-type (WT) and MyD88 knockout (KO) mice were exposed intranasally to ODE or saline daily for 3 weeks (repetitive exposure). Repetitively exposed animals were also subsequently rested with no treatments for 4 weeks followed by single rechallenge with saline/ODE.

RESULTS: Repetitive …

A High Docosahexaenoic Acid Diet Alters The Lung Inflammatory Response To Acute Dust Exposure, Edward C. Dominguez, Art J. Heires, Jacqueline A. Pavlik, Tricia D. Larsen, Stephanie Guardado, Joseph H. Sisson, Michelle L. Baack, Debra J. Romberger, Tara M. Nordgren

Journal Articles: Internal Medicine

Agricultural workers are at risk for the development of acute and chronic lung diseases due to their exposure to organic agricultural dusts. A diet intervention using the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to be an effective therapeutic approach for alleviating a dust-induced inflammatory response. We thus hypothesized a high-DHA diet would alter the dust-induced inflammatory response through the increased production of specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs). Mice were pre-treated with a DHA-rich diet 4 weeks before being intranasally challenged with a single dose of an extract made from dust collected from a concentrated swine feeding operation (HDE). …

Nr2e3 Is A Genetic Modifier That Rescues Retinal Degeneration And Promotes Homeostasis In Multiple Models Of Retinitis Pigmentosa, Sujun Li, Shyamtanu Datta, Emily Brabbit, Zoe Love, Victoria Woytowicz, Kyle Flattery, Jessica Capri, Katie Yao, Siqi Wu, Michael Imboden, Arun Upadhyay, Rasappa Arumugham, Wallace B. Thoreson, Margaret M Deangelis, Neena B. Haider

Journal Articles: Ophthalmology

Recent advances in viral vector engineering, as well as an increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanism of retinal diseases, have led to the development of novel gene therapy approaches. Furthermore, ease of accessibility and ocular immune privilege makes the retina an ideal target for gene therapies. In this study, the nuclear hormone receptor gene Nr2e3 was evaluated for efficacy as broad-spectrum therapy to attenuate early to intermediate stages of retinal degeneration in five unique mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a group of heterogenic inherited retinal diseases associated with over 150 gene mutations, affecting over 1.5 …

Interaction Of Aβ42 With Membranes Triggers The Self-Assembly Into Oligomers, Siddhartha Banerjee, Mohtadin Hashemi, Karen Zagorski, Yuri L. Lyubchenko

Journal Articles: Pharmaceutical Sciences

The self-assembly of amyloid β (Aβ) proteins into oligomers is the major pathogenic event leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Typical in vitro experiments require high protein concentrations, whereas the physiological concentration of Aβ is in the picomolar to low nanomolar range. This complicates the translation of results obtained in vitro to understanding the aggregation process in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that Aβ42 self-assembles into aggregates on membrane bilayers at low nanomolar concentrations - a pathway in which the membrane plays the role of a catalyst. Additionally, physiological ionic conditions (150 mM NaCl) significantly enhance on-membrane aggregation, leading to the rapid …

Real-Time Public Health Communication Of Local Sars-Cov-2 Genomic Epidemiology, Chaney C. Kalinich, Cole G. Jensen, Peter Neugebauer, Mary E. Petrone, Mario Peña-Hernández, Isabel M. Ott, Anne L. Wyllie, Tara Alpert, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Joseph R. Fauver, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Anderson F. Brito

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Genomic epidemiology can provide a unique, real-time understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. Yet the potential for genomic analyses to guide local policy and community-based behavioral decisions is limited because they are often oriented towards specially trained scientists and conducted on a national or global scale. Here, we propose a new paradigm: Phylogenetic analyses performed on a local level (municipal, county, or state), with results communicated in a clear, timely, and actionable manner to strengthen public health responses. We believe that presenting results rapidly, and tailored to a non-expert audience, can serve as a template for effective public health response to …

Long Non-Coding Rna Profiling Of Pediatric Medulloblastoma, Varun Kesherwani, Mamta Shukla, Don W. Coulter, J. Graham Sharp, Shantaram Joshi, Nagendra K. Chaturvedi

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant cancers in children. MB is primarily classified into four subgroups based on molecular and clinical characteristics as (1) WNT (2) Sonic-hedgehog (SHH) (3) Group 3 (4) Group 4. Molecular characteristics used for MB classification are based on genomic and mRNAs profiles. MB subgroups share genomic and mRNA profiles and require multiple molecular markers for differentiation from each other. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are more than 200 nucleotide long RNAs and primarily involve in gene regulation at epigenetic and post-transcriptional levels. LncRNAs have been recognized as diagnostic and prognostic markers in …

Fluorescent Sensor Arrays Can Predict And Quantify The Composition Of Multicomponent Bacterial Samples, Denis Svechkarev, Marat Sadykov, Lucas J. Houser, Kenneth W. Bayles, Aaron M. Mohs

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Fast and reliable identification of infectious disease agents is among the most important challenges for the healthcare system. The discrimination of individual components of mixed infections represents a particularly difficult task. In the current study we further expand the functionality of a ratiometric sensor array technology based on small-molecule environmentally-sensitive organic dyes, which can be successfully applied for the analysis of mixed bacterial samples. Using pattern recognition methods and data from pure bacterial species, we demonstrate that this approach can be used to quantify the composition of mixtures, as well as to predict their components with the accuracy of ~80% …

Stochastic Expression Of Sae-Dependent Virulence Genes During Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Development Is Dependent On Saes, Elizabeth A. Delmain, Derek E. Moormeier, Jennifer L. Endres, Rebecca E. Hodges, Marat R. Sadykov, Alexander R. Horswill, Kenneth W. Bayles

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

The intricate process of biofilm formation in the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus involves distinct stages during which a complex mixture of matrix molecules is produced and modified throughout the developmental cycle. Early in biofilm development, a subpopulation of cells detaches from its substrate in an event termed “exodus” that is mediated by SaePQRS-dependent stochastic expression of a secreted staphylococcal nuclease, which degrades extracellular DNA within the matrix, causing the release of cells and subsequently allowing for the formation of metabolically heterogenous microcolonies. Since the SaePQRS regulatory system is involved in the transcriptional control of multiple S. aureus virulence factors, the …

Neutrophils Are Mediators Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Progression In Bone, Diane L. Costanzo-Garvey, Tyler Keeley, Adam J. Case, Gabrielle F. Watson, Massar Alsamraae, Yangsheng Yu, Kaihong Su, Cortney E. Heim, Tammy Kielian, Colm Morrissey, Jeremy S Frieling, Leah M. Cook

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Bone metastatic prostate cancer (BM-PCa) significantly reduces overall patient survival and is currently incurable. Current standard immunotherapy showed promising results for PCa patients with metastatic, but less advanced, disease (i.e., fewer than 20 bone lesions) suggesting that PCa growth in bone contributes to response to immunotherapy. We found that: (1) PCa stimulates recruitment of neutrophils, the most abundant immune cell in bone, and (2) that neutrophils heavily infiltrate regions of prostate tumor in bone of BM-PCa patients. Based on these findings, we examined the impact of direct neutrophil-prostate cancer interactions on prostate cancer growth. Bone marrow neutrophils directly induced apoptosis …

Tlr2 And Caspase-1 Signaling Are Critical For Bacterial Containment But Not Clearance During Craniotomy-Associated Biofilm Infection, Amy L. Aldrich, Cortney E. Heim, Wen Shi, Rachel W. Fallet, Bin Duan, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

BACKGROUND: A craniotomy is required to access the brain for tumor resection or epilepsy treatment, and despite precautionary measures, infectious complications occur at a frequency of 1-3%. Approximately half of craniotomy infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) that forms a biofilm on the bone flap, which is recalcitrant to antibiotics. Our prior work in a mouse model of S. aureus craniotomy infection revealed a critical role for myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in bacterial containment and pro-inflammatory mediator production. Since numerous receptors utilize MyD88 as a signaling adaptor, the current study examined the importance of Toll-like receptor 2 …

An Integrated Computational And Experimental Study To Investigate Staphylococcus Aureus Metabolism, Mohammad Mazharul Islam, Vinai Chittezham Thomas, Matthew Van Beek, Jong-Sam Ahn, Abdulelah A. Alqarzaee, Chunyi Zhou, Paul D. Fey, Kenneth W. Bayles, Rajib Saha

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Staphylococcus aureus is a metabolically versatile pathogen that colonizes nearly all organs of the human body. A detailed and comprehensive knowledge of staphylococcal metabolism is essential to understand its pathogenesis. To this end, we have reconstructed and experimentally validated an updated and enhanced genome-scale metabolic model of S. aureus USA300_FPR3757. The model combined genome annotation data, reaction stoichiometry, and regulation information from biochemical databases and previous strain-specific models. Reactions in the model were checked and fixed to ensure chemical balance and thermodynamic consistency. To further refine the model, growth assessment of 1920 nonessential mutants from the Nebraska Transposon Mutant Library …

Identification And Evaluation Of Epidemic Prediction And Forecasting Reporting Guidelines: A Systematic Review And A Call For Action, Simon Pollett, Michael Johansson, Matthew Biggerstaff, Lindsay C. Morton, Sara L. Bazaco, David Brett-Major, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Julie A. Pavlin, Suzanne Mate, Rachel Sippy, Laurie J. Hartman, Nicholas G. Reich, Irina Maljkovic Berry, Jean-Paul Chretien, Benjamin M. Althouse, Diane Myer, Cecile Viboud, Caitlin Rivers

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: High quality epidemic forecasting and prediction are critical to support response to local, regional and global infectious disease threats. Other fields of biomedical research use consensus reporting guidelines to ensure standardization and quality of research practice among researchers, and to provide a framework for end-users to interpret the validity of study results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether guidelines exist specifically for epidemic forecast and prediction publications.

METHODS: We undertook a formal systematic review to identify and evaluate any published infectious disease epidemic forecasting and prediction reporting guidelines. This review leveraged a team of 18 investigators …

Thirty-Day Unplanned Readmission And Its Effect On 90-Day Mortality In Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Partial Hepatectomy, Yongyue Qi, Tricia Levan, Gleb Haynatzki, Chandrakanth Are, Evi A. Farazi

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Background: Despite advances of surgical techniques, hepatectomy continues to be potentially dangerous and is associated with postoperative mortality, morbidity and readmission. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of 30-day unplanned readmission on ‘conditional’ 90-day mortality among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent partial hepatectomy.

Methods: National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried from 2004 to 2012 for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent partial hepatectomy. Thirty-day unplanned readmission rate, and associated risk factors, was determined for 7,696 patients. The association between 30-day unplanned readmission and conditional 90-day mortality was further addressed.

Results: The 30-day unplanned readmission …

Acute Encephalopathy With Elevated Csf Inflammatory Markers As The Initial Presentation Of Covid-19, Shelli Farhadian, Laura R. Glick, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Jared Thomas, Jennifer Chiarella, Arnau Casanovas-Massana, Jing Zhou, Camila Odio, Pavithra Vijayakumar, Bertie Geng, John Fournier, Santos Bermejo, Joseph R. Fauver, Tara Alpert, Anne L. Wyllie, Cynthia Turcotte, Matthew Steinle, Patrick Paczkowski, Charles Dela Cruz, Craig Wilen, Albert I. Ko, Sean Mackay, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Serena Spudich, Lydia Aoun Barakat

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus SARS-CoV-2. It is widely recognized as a respiratory pathogen, but neurologic complications can be the presenting manifestation in a subset of infected patients.

CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a 78-year old immunocompromised woman who presented with altered mental status after witnessed seizure-like activity at home. She was found to have SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated neuroinflammation. In this case, we undertake the first detailed analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines during COVID-19 infection and find a unique pattern of inflammation in CSF, but no evidence of viral neuroinvasion.

CONCLUSION: Our findings …

The Covid-19 Response In Nebraska: How Students Answered The Call, Sabrine Chengane, Anlan Cheney, Sierra Garth, Sharon J. Medcalf

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Student Response Team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center answered the statewide call to assist local health departments during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a voluntary student-led effort, the SRT assisted health departments to conduct contact tracing, monitor social media, and educate the public. Their experience demonstrates how students can increase the public health surge capacity of local health departments while gaining applied experience during public health emergencies. This call-to-action commentary proposes that SRTs should be formed, trained, and deployed through academic institutions across the nation and the globe, during and beyond the current pandemic.

Structural Equation Modeling To Detect Correlates Of Childhood Vaccination: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Abraham Degarege, Karl Krupp, Vijaya Srinivas, Boubakari Ibrahimou, Purnima Madhivanan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: This study used a health belief theory derived framework and structural equation model to examine moderators, mediators, and direct and indirect predictors of childhood vaccination.

METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted using data collected from a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 1599 parents living in urban and rural areas of Mysore district, India. Applying two-stage probability proportionate-to-size sampling, adolescent girls attending 7th through 10th grades in 23 schools were selected to take home a questionnaire to be answered by their parents to primarily assess HPV vaccine intentions. Parents were also asked whether their children had received one …

Motor Vehicle Fatalities During Memorial Day Weekends, 1981-2016, Yuni Tang, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Henry Xiang, Motao Zhu

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury death in the United States, and Memorial Day weekend is one of six holiday periods with an increased number of motor vehicle fatalities in the United States. However, few motor vehicle fatality comparisons were made between Memorial Day weekend and non-holiday periods. Our aims were to determine which day(s) during the holiday had highest motor vehicle fatality risk compared to non-holiday travel and to identify potential risk factors.

RESULTS: Of 43,457 traffic fatalities studied, 15,292 (35%) occurred during the holiday, with Saturday being deadliest but Monday having highest odds of …

Increased Motor Vehicle Fatalities Tuesday Through Thursday During The Us Thanksgiving Holiday (1980-2018), Kendra Ratnapradipa, Motao Zhu

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death in the United States; holidays are known to have increased travel and traffic fatalities. Our purpose was to determine which days during Thanksgiving had the highest crash fatality risk compared to non-holiday periods. Using time series and binomial approximations, we analyzed Fatality Analysis Reporting System data (1980-2018) with a Monday-Sunday holiday and matching comparisons the weeks before and after. Fatalities included 31,263 during the holiday, 30,361 the previous week, and 29,399 the following week. Deadliest days during the holiday were Saturday (16.7% of fatalities) and Wednesday (16.0%), but odds of a traffic …

Advanced Preparation Makes Research In Emergencies And Isolation Care Possible: The Case Of Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), David Brett-Major, Elizabeth R. Schnaubelt, Hannah M. Creager, Abigail Lowe, Theodore J. Cieslak, Jacob M. Dahlke, Daniel W. Johnson, Paul D. Fey, Keith F. Hansen, Angela L. Hewlett, Bruce G. Gordon, Andre C. Kalil, Ali S. Khan, Mark G. Kortepeter, Christopher J. Kratochvil, Luann Larson, Deborah A. Levy, James Linder, Sharon J. Medcalf, Mark E. Rupp, Michelle M. Schwedhelm, James N. Sullivan Md, Angela M. Vasa, Michael C. Wadman, Rachel E. Lookadoo, John-Martin J. Lowe, James V. Lawler, M. Jana Broadhurst

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The optimal time to initiate research on emergencies is before they occur. However, timely initiation of high-quality research may launch during an emergency under the right conditions. These include an appropriate context, clarity in scientific aims, preexisting resources, strong operational and research structures that are facile, and good governance. Here, Nebraskan rapid research efforts early during the 2020 coronavirus disease pandemic, while participating in the first use of U.S. federal quarantine in 50 years, are described from these aspects, as the global experience with this severe emerging infection grew apace. The experience has lessons in purpose, structure, function, and performance …

Deployment And Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, And Outcomes Study (Kapos): Malaria Chemoprophylaxis Prescription Patterns In The Military Health System, Patrick W. Hickey, Indrani Mitra, Jamie Fraser, David Brett-Major, Mark S. Riddle, David R. Tribble

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

The Deployment and Travel Medicine Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Outcomes Study (KAPOS) examines the integrated relationship between provider and patient inputs and health outcomes associated with travel and deployments. This study describes malaria chemoprophylaxis prescribing patterns by medical providers within the U.S. Department of Defense's Military Health System and its network of civilian healthcare providers during a 5-year period. Chemoprophylaxis varied by practice setting, beneficiary status, and providers' travel medicine expertise. Whereas both civilian and military facilities prescribe an increasing proportion of atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline remains the most prevalent antimalarial at military facility based practices. Civilian providers dispense higher rates of …

Hepatitis B Seroprevalence In The U.S. Military And Its Impact On Potential Screening Strategies, Paul T. Scott, Robert L. Cohen, David Brett-Major, Shilpa Hakre, Jennifer A. Malia, Jason F. Okulicz, Charmagne G. Beckett, Jason M. Blaylock, Michael A. Forgione, Stephen A. Harrison, Clinton K. Murray, Francisco J. Rentas, Roland L. Fahie, Adam W. Armstrong, Aatif M. Hayat, Laura A. Pacha, Peter Dawson, Beth Blackwell, Angelia A. Eick-Cost, Hala H. Maktabi, Nelson L. Michael, Linda L. Jagodzinski, Steven B. Cersovsky, Sheila A. Peel

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of the contemporary epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among military personnel can inform potential Department of Defense (DoD) screening policy and infection and disease control strategies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: HBV infection status at accession and following deployment was determined by evaluating reposed serum from 10,000 service members recently deployed to combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the period from 2007 to 2010. A cost model was developed from the perspective of the Department of Defense for a program to integrate HBV infection screening of applicants for military service into the existing screening program of screening …