Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Leadership Perspectives On Osteopathic Medical School Applicants To Pathology Residency Training, Melissa R George, Charles F Timmons, Kristen Johnson, Stephanie Barak, Mary P Berg, Bronwyn Bryant, John M Childs, Julie Katz Karp, Barbara E C Knollmann-Ritschel, Amanda Lofgreen, Thomas Mccarthy, Victor G Prieto, Gary W Procop, Tyler Sandersfeld, Kristie L White, Cindy B Mccloskey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The number of graduating allopathic (MD) medical students matching into pathology has declined in recent years, while the number of osteopathic (DO) medical students has increased modestly, given the rapid expansion of osteopathic medical schools. Nonscholarly publications and materials on the internet often perpetuate negative perceptions of osteopathic physicians. Anecdotally, perspectives exist that some pathology residency programs are not DO-friendly; however, the reasons and how widespread an effect this might be are unclear. Our survey queried pathology chairs and residency program directors about their perceptions of osteopathic applicants and their knowledge of osteopathic medical school/training in general. This study utilized …

Rare Genomic Copy Number Variants Implicate New Candidate Genes For Bicuspid Aortic Valve, Steven G Carlisle, Hasan Albasha, Hector I Michelena, Anna Sabate-Rotes, Lisa Bianco, Julie De Backer, Laura Muiño Mosquera, Anji T Yetman, Malenka M Bissell, Maria Grazia Andreassi, Ilenia Foffa, Dawn S Hui, Anthony Caffarelli, Yuli Y Kim, Dongchuan Guo, Rodolfo Citro, Margot De Marco, Justin T Tretter, Kim L Mcbride, Dianna M Milewicz, Simon C Body, Siddharth K Prakash, Ebav Investigators, Bavcon Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), the most common congenital heart defect, is a major cause of aortic valve disease requiring valve interventions and thoracic aortic aneurysms predisposing to acute aortic dissections. The spectrum of BAV ranges from early onset valve and aortic complications (EBAV) to sporadic late onset disease. Rare genomic copy number variants (CNVs) have previously been implicated in the development of BAV and thoracic aortic aneurysms. We determined the frequency and gene content of rare CNVs in EBAV probands (n = 272) using genome-wide SNP microarray analysis and three complementary CNV detection algorithms (cnvPartition, PennCNV, and QuantiSNP). Unselected control …

Reporting Quality Of Endoscopic Colorectal Cancer Screening Randomized Controlled Trials: Adherence To Recommendations And Interventions, Fouad Jaber, Khalid Ahmed, Osama Hamid, Willie Mohammed Johnson, Saqr Alsakarneh, Abubaker O Abdalla, Yazan Abboud, Mouhand Mohamed, Dushyant Singh Dahiya, Shifa Umar, Mohamed Abdallah, Mohammad Bilal, Aasma Shaukat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In 2013, the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) steering group published recommendations to standardize reporting quality in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We aim to assess adherence to SPIRIT reporting guidelines in RCTs on endoscopic colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and participants' adherence to trial protocols.

METHODS: We searched databases for RCTs evaluating flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy for CRC screening published in English language through September 2023. Each eligible study was evaluated using the 8 core SPIRIT statement areas, totaling 51 points. Each item received 1 point if it met the criteria and 0 points if …

Clinical Acceptability Of Automatically Generated Lymph Node Levels And Structures Of Deglutition And Mastication For Head And Neck Radiation Therapy, Sean Maroongroge, Abdallah Sr Mohamed, Callistus Nguyen, Jean Guma De La Vega, Steven J Frank, Adam S Garden, Brandon G Gunn, Anna Lee, Lauren Mayo, Amy Moreno, William H Morrison, Jack Phan, Michael T Spiotto, Laurence E Court, Clifton D Fuller, David I Rosenthal, Tucker J Netherton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Auto-contouring of complex anatomy in computed tomography (CT) scans is a highly anticipated solution to many problems in radiotherapy. In this study, artificial intelligence (AI)-based auto-contouring models were clinically validated for lymph node levels and structures of swallowing and chewing in the head and neck.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of 145 head and neck radiotherapy patients were retrospectively curated. One cohort (n = 47) was used to analyze seven lymph node levels and the other (n = 98) used to analyze 17 swallowing and chewing structures. Separate nnUnet models were trained and validated using the separate …

The Immunobiology Of Myelodysplastic Neoplasms: A Mini-Review, Shruthi Kannan, Rolando A Vedia, Jeffrey J Molldrem

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This mini review summarizes the immunobiology of myelodysplastic syndromes, specifically focusing on the interactions between immune cells, cytokines, and dysplastic cells within the tumor microenvironment in the bone marrow. We elucidate in detail how immune dysregulation and evasion influence the initiation and progression of myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as resistance to therapy and progression to AML. In addition, we highlight a range of therapeutic strategies, including the most recent breakthroughs and experimental therapies for treating MDS. Finally, we address the existing knowledge gaps in the understanding of the immunobiology of MDS and propose future research directions, promising advancements toward enhancing …

Nasal Bots Carry Relevant Titers Of Cwd Prions In Naturally Infected White-Tailed Deer, Paulina Soto, Francisca Bravo-Risi, Carlos Kramm, Nazaret Gamez, Rebeca Benavente, Denise L Bonilla, J Hunter Reed, Mitch Lockwood, Terry R Spraker, Tracy Nichols, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting farmed and free-ranging cervids. CWD is rapidly expanding across North America and its mechanisms of transmission are not completely understood. Considering that cervids are commonly afflicted by nasal bot flies, we tested the potential of these parasites to transmit CWD. Parasites collected from naturally infected white-tailed deer were evaluated for their prion content using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) technology and bioassays. Here, we describe PMCA seeding activity in nasal bot larvae collected from naturally infected, nonclinical deer. These parasites efficiently infect CWD-susceptible mice in ways suggestive of high infectivity …

High Resolution X-Ray Spectra Of The Time Evolution Of Emission From Metastable Electronic States Of Highly Charged Ni-Like Ions, Timothy Burke, Endre Takacs, Dipti, Adam Hosier, Galen O'Neil, Joseph Tan, Hunter Staiger, Aung Naing, Joan Marler, Yuri Ralchenko

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

ABSTRACT: Metastable levels of highly charged ions that can only decay via highly forbidden transitions can have a significant effect on the properties of high temperature plasmas. For example, the highly forbidden 3d

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: NOMAD calculated time evolution of the ratio of the Ni-like and Co-like lines in Nd at varying electron densities compared with measured ratios.

Harnessing Microrna-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles For Liquid Biopsy, Song Yi Ko, Wonjae Lee, Honami Naora

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) can be detected in body fluids and hold great potential as cancer biomarkers. Extracellular miRNAs are protected from degradation by binding various proteins and through their packaging into extracellular vesicles (EVs). There is evidence that the diagnostic performance of cancer-associated extracellular miRNAs can be improved by assaying EV-miRNA instead of total cell-free miRNA, but several challenges have hampered the advancement of EV-miRNA in liquid biopsy. Because almost all types of cells release EVs, cancer cell-derived EVs might constitute only a minor fraction of EVs in body fluids of cancer patients with low volume disease. Furthermore, a given …

Case Report: Cardiac Neuroendocrine Carcinoma And Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated With Mr-Guided Adaptive Stereotactic Radiation Therapy, Xinru Chen, Julius K Weng, Angela Sobremonte, Belinda M Lee, Neil W Hughes, Mustefa Mohammedsaid, Yao Zhao, Xiaochun Wang, Xiaodong Zhang, Joshua S Niedzielski, Sanjay S Shete, Laurence E Court, Zhongxing Liao, Percy P Lee, Jinzhong Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We present two cases of cardiac metastases adjacent to the right ventricle in a 55-year-old male and a 61-year-old female, both treated with magnetic resonance (MR)-guided adaptive stereotactic radiation therapy (SBRT). The prescribed regimen was 30Gy delivered in 3 fractions using a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR-linac). Patients exhibited favorable tolerance to the treatment, with no observed acute toxicity.

The Effect Of Calcium Channel Blockers On Digital Ulcers In Systemic Sclerosis: Data From A Prospective Cohort Study, Laura Ross, Dylan Hansen, Nancy Maltez, Kathleen Morrisroe, Kimti Kumar, Jennifer Walker, Wendy Stevens, Joanne Sahhar, Gene-Siew Ngian, Lauren Host, Mandana Nikpour, Susanna Proudman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Digital ulcers (DU) are a common, severe vascular manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) with few effective treatment options. Using data from the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study (ASCS), we sought to evaluate the effect of calcium channel blockers (CCB) on the treatment and prevention of DU.Using data from 1953 participants, with a median of 4.34 years of follow-up, we used generalised estimating equations to evaluate the clinical characteristics associated with CCB use and ascertain the risk factors for the presence of DU at subsequent study visits. A time-dependent Cox-proportional hazard model was applied to evaluate the risk of future occurrence of …

Automated Hiv Case Identification From The Mimic-Iv Database, Kai Jiang, Tru Cao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Automatic HIV phenotyping is needed for HIV research based on electronic health records (EHRs). MIMIC-IV, an extension of MIMIC-III, contains more than 520,000 hospital admissions and has become a valuable EHR database for secondary medical research. However, there was no prior phenotyping algorithm to extract HIV cases from MIMIC-IV, which requires a comprehensive knowledge of the database. Moreover, previous HIV phenotyping algorithms did not consider the new HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation immunoassay tests that MIMIC-IV contains. Our work provided insight into the structure and data elements in MIMIC-IV and proposed a new HIV phenotyping algorithm to fill in these gaps. The …

Baseline Characteristics Of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Non-Responders In A Large Population-Based Sample, Ashraf Yaseen, Stacia M Desantis, Rachit Sabharwal, Yashar Talebi, Michael D Swartz, Shiming Zhang, Luis Leon Novelo, Cesar L Pinzon-Gomez, Sarah E Messiah, Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, Harold W Kohl, Jessica Ross, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen J Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Studies indicate that individuals with chronic conditions and specific baseline characteristics may not mount a robust humoral antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In this paper, we used data from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a longitudinal state-wide seroprevalence program that has enrolled more than 90,000 participants, to evaluate the role of chronic diseases as the potential risk factors of non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a large epidemiologic cohort.

METHODS: A participant needed to complete an online survey and a blood draw to test for SARS-CoV-2 circulating plasma antibodies at four-time points spaced at least three months …

Exploring The Relationship Between Vaccine Hesitancy And Mothers’ Perspectives On Covid-19 Vaccines For Children Ages 5–11 Years During The Omicron Predominant Period 2021–2022: A Qualitative Study, Tiffany A Suragh, David Adzrago, Marlyn A Allicock, Paul G Yeh, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The United States Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 years in October 2021 during the Omicron predominant period. Parental vaccine hesitancy was prevalent during this time, resulting in low childhood COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Most studies exploring factors influencing parental vaccine hesitancy have focused on racial and ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic populations; however, there is little knowledge of the drive drivers of vaccine hesitancy among White parents with higher education and socioeconomic statuses.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of 15 White mothers of children ages 5-11 years in Atlanta, GA, between …

Work As A Social Determinant Of Maternal Health: A Qualitative Exploration Of College-Educated Black Women’S Experiences At Work During Pregnancy And Postpartum, Serwaa S Omowale, Laurenia C Mangum, Andrea Joseph-Mccatty, Cherell Cottrell-Daniels, Kaiya A Farris, Rashon King, Brittany C Slatton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Black women are disproportionately impacted by higher rates of maternal mortality in the United States (US). Limited research has focused on adverse maternal health outcomes among college-educated Black women, although research has found these outcomes persistent among this population.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to fill a critical gap in current research by elucidating the nuanced experiences of college-educated Black women in the workplace during pregnancy and postpartum. By exploring this under-researched area, our study contributes to the academic discourse on Black maternal health disparities within the scope of occupational health. It offers practical insights for enhancing workplace gender equity, …

Identification Of Novel 3d-Genome Altering And Complex Structural Variants Underlying Retinitis Pigmentosa Type 17 Through A Multistep And High-Throughput Approach, Suzanne E De Bruijn, Daan M Panneman, Nicole Weisschuh, Elizabeth L Cadena, Erica G M Boonen, Lara K Holtes, Galuh D N Astuti, Frans P M Cremers, Nico Leijsten, Jordi Corominas, Christian Gilissen, Anna Skowronska, Jessica Woodley, Andrew D Beggs, Vasileios Toulis, Di Chen, Michael E Cheetham, Alison J Hardcastle, Terri L Mclaren, Tina M Lamey, Jennifer A Thompson, Fred K Chen, John N De Roach, Isabella R Urwin, Lori S Sullivan, Susanne Roosing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa type 17 (adRP, type RP17) is caused by complex structural variants (SVs) affecting a locus on chromosome 17 (chr17q22). The SVs disrupt the 3D regulatory landscape by altering the topologically associating domain (TAD) structure of the locus, creating novel TAD structures (neo-TADs) and ectopic enhancer-gene contacts. Currently, screening for RP17-associated SVs is not included in routine diagnostics given the complexity of the variants and a lack of cost-effective detection methods. The aim of this study was to accurately detect novel RP17-SVs by establishing a systematic and efficient workflow.

METHODS: Genetically unexplained probands diagnosed with adRP …

Randomized Pilot Study Examining An Online Diet Intervention To Increase Intake Of Fruits And Vegetables Among Healthy Adults, Diana E Kolb, Sarah E Deemer, Evaclaire Synkowski, Stephanie L Silveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is related to health outcomes. The purpose of the study was to test an online diet program promoting F&V intake among healthy adults. Twenty-three participants were randomly assigned to complete an 8-week intervention condition (#800gChallenge®) or wait-list control condition. In weeks 1-4, intervention participants were asked to interact with an application reporting (a) whether they met their daily 800g F&V goal, (b) if their 800g of F&V was from a variety of sources, and (c) reading of daily educational material. Weeks 1-4 included weekly Zoom check-in meetings. Weeks 5-8 were autonomous, wherein participants reported …

Research Progress And Perspectives On The Application Of Tyramide Signal Amplification-Based Multiplex Immunohistochemistry/Immunofluorescence: A Bibliometrics Analysis, Xiaotong Yu, Chen Huang, Yan Song, Chun Zhang, Debo You, Xuran Dong, Defu Wu, Alan Keith Meeker, Hao Feng, Yuqing Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and aims: Multiplex immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence (mIHC/IF), which uses the tyramide signal amplification (TSA) technique, enables sequential staining of multiple targets in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples without worrying about cross-reactivity. This approach has received considerable attention from researchers over the past decades. This article aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of the research progress and perspectives on the application of TSA-based mIHC/IF.

Methods: We collected all the TSA-based mIHC/IF documents published between 2007 and 2023 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R Package were used to perform the bibliometrics analysis, including details about annual …

Unraveling The Prognostic Significance Of Frgs Gene Family In Gastric Cancer And The Potential Implication Of Rgs4 In Regulating Tumor-Infiltrating Fibroblast, Yalan Yang, Siyuan Xing, Xi Luo, Lulu Guan, Yao Lu, Yiting Wang, Feng Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins are regulators of signal transduction mediated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Current studies have shown that some molecules in the RGS gene family are related to the occurrence, development and poor prognosis of malignant tumors. However, the RGS gene family has been rarely studied in gastric cancer. In this study, we explored the mutation and expression profile of RGS gene family in gastric cancer, and evaluated the prognostic value of RGS expression. Then we established a prognostic model based on RGS gene family and performed functional analysis. Further studies showed that RGS4, as an …

Circulating Sphingolipids In Relation To Cognitive Decline And Incident Dementia: The Cardiovascular Health Study, Kristine F Moseholm, Héléne T Cronjé, Manja Koch, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Oscar L Lopez, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, W T Longstreth, Andrew N Hoofnagle, Kenneth J Mukamal, Rozenn N Lemaitre, Majken K Jensen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Whether circulating levels of sphingolipids are prospectively associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk is uncertain.

Methods: We measured 14 sphingolipid species in plasma samples from 4488 participants (mean age 76.2 years; 40% male; and 25% apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele carriers). Cognitive decline was assessed annually across 6 years using modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE) and Digital Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Additionally, a subset of 3050 participants were followed for clinically adjudicated dementia.

Results: Higher plasma levels of sphingomyelin-d18:1/16:0 (SM-16) were associated with a faster cognitive decline measured with 3MSE, in contrast, higher levels of sphingomyelin-d18:1/22:0 (SM-22) …

Impact Of Mobile Stroke Units On Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Prespecified Best-Msu Substudy, Alexandra L Czap, Anne W Alexandrov, May Nour, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Mengxi Wang, Asha P Jacob, Stephanie A Parker, Muhammad Bilal Tariq, Suja S Rajan, Andrei V Alexandrov, William J Jones, Babak B Navi, Ilana Spokoyny, Jason Mackey, Mackenzie P Lerario, Michael O Gonzalez, Noopur Singh, Ritvij Bowry, James C Grotta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The impact of mobile stroke units (MSUs) on outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusions eligible for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has yet to be characterized.

Methods: We completed a prespecified substudy of patients with EVT-eligible stroke with anterior and posterior circulation large vessel occlusions on computed tomography and/or computed tomography angiography who were enrolled in BEST-MSU (Benefits of Stroke Treatment using a Mobile Stroke Unit). Primary outcome was 90-day utility-weighted modified Rankin scale. Groups were compared using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables, and 2-sample t-tests for continuous variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess …

Impaired Health-Related Quality Of Life In Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Covad-2 E-Survey, Akira Yoshida, Yuan Li, Vahed Maroufy, Masataka Kuwana, Syahrul Sazliyana Shaharir, Ashima Makol, Parikshit Sen, James B Lilleker, Vishwesh Agarwal, Esha Kadam, Phonpen Akawatcharangura Goo, Jessica Day, Marcin Milchert, Yi-Ming Chen, Dzifa Dey, Tsvetelina Velikova, Sreoshy Saha, Abraham Edgar Gracia-Ramos, Ioannis Parodis, Elena Nikiphorou, Ai Lyn Tan, Arvind Nune, Lorenzo Cavagna, Carlos Enrique Toro Gutiérrez, Carlo Vinicio Caballero-Uribe, Miguel A Saavedra, Samuel Katsuyuki Shinjo, Nelly Ziade, Lina El Kibbi, Johannes Knitza, Oliver Distler, Hector Chinoy, Vikas Agarwal, Rohit Aggarwal, Latika Gupta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: to investigate health-related quality of life in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) compared with those with non-IIM autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases (nrAIDs) and without autoimmune diseases (controls) using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instrument data obtained from the second COVID-19 vaccination in autoimmune disease (COVAD-2) e-survey database.

METHODS: Demographics, diagnosis, comorbidities, disease activity, treatments and PROMIS instrument data were analysed. Primary outcomes were PROMIS Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) scores. Factors affecting GPH and GMH scores in IIMs were identified using multivariable regression analysis.

RESULTS: We analysed responses from 1582 …

A Service-Oriented Approach To Clinical Trial Recruitment For Dementia And Brain Health: Methods And Case Examples Of Myalliance For Brain Health, Eric D Vidoni, Emma Swinford, Kelli Barton, Jaime Perales-Puchalt, C Michelle Niedens, Tina Lewandowski, Tiffany Schwasinger-Schmidt, Jill Peltzer, Joellen Wurth, Jannette Berkley-Patton, Ryan A Townley, W Todd Moore, Ashley R Shaw, Mickeal N Key, Erica Andrade, Melissa Robinson, Susan Sprague, Aiden Bondurant, Debra Brook, Jennifer Freund, Jeffrey M Burns

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Recruitment of sufficient and diverse participants into clinical research for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias remains a formidable challenge. The primary goal of this manuscript is to provide an overview of an approach to diversifying research recruitment and to provide case examples of several methods for achieving greater diversity in clinical research enrollment.

Methods: The University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC) developed MyAlliance for Brain Health (MyAlliance), a service-oriented recruitment model. MyAlliance comprises a Primary Care Provider Network, a Patient and Family Network, and a Community Organization Network, each delivering tailored value to relevant parties while …

Perceptions Of Acute Care Telemedicine Among Caregivers For Persons Living With Dementia: A Qualitative Study, Anita Chary, Norvin Hernandez, Ana Paulina Rivera, Vivian Ramont, Tracey Obi, Ilianna Santangelo, Christine Ritchie, Hardeep Singh, Emily Hayden, Aanand D Naik, Shan Liu, Maura Kennedy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Persons living with dementia (PLWD) have high emergency department (ED) utilization. Little is known about using telemedicine with PLWD and caregivers as an alternative to ED visits for minor acute health problems. This qualitative interview-based study elicited caregivers' perspectives about the acceptability of telemedicine for acute complaints. We performed telephone interviews with 28 caregivers of PLWD from two academic EDs, one in the Northeast and another in the South. Using a combined deductive-inductive approach, we coded interview transcripts and elucidated common themes by consensus. All caregivers reported they would need to participate in the telemedicine visit to help overcome communication …

Streptococcus Pneumoniae Serotype 19a In Hospitalized Children With Invasive Pneumococcal Disease After The Introduction Of Conjugated Vaccines In Lima, Peru, Theresa J Ochoa, Olguita Del Águila, Isabel Reyes, Eduardo Chaparro, María E Castillo, Francisco Campos, Andrés Saenz, Roger Hernandez, Alessandra Luna-Muschi, Franco Castillo-Tokumori, Andrea E Montero, Brayan E Gonzales, Erik H Mercado

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) has decreased cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) worldwide. However, the impact of PCVs introduction may be affected by the serotype distribution in a specific context.

METHODS: Cross-sectional multicenter passive surveillance study of IPD cases in pediatric patients hospitalized in Lima, Peru between 2016 and 2019 (after PCV13 introduction) to determine the serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Serotyping was performed by a sequential multiplex PCR and confirmed by whole genome sequencing.

RESULTS: Eighty-five S. pneumoniae isolates were recovered (4.07/100,000 among childrenage). Serotype 19A was the most common (49.4%). Children infected with …

Causal Association Between Gut Microbiomes And Different Types Of Aneurysms: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Youjia Qiu, Yucheng Hou, Xingzhou Wei, Menghan Wang, Ziqian Yin, Minjia Xie, Aojie Duan, Chao Ma, Ke Si, Zhong Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggests that gut microbiomes are associated with the formation and progression of aneurysms. However, the causal association between them remains unclear.

METHODS: A two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted to investigate whether gut microbiomes have a causal effect on the risk of intracerebral aneurysm (IA), thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and aortic aneurysm (AA). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) smaller than the locus-wide significance level (1 × 10

RESULTS: The phylum

CONCLUSION: Our MR analysis confirmed the causal association of specific gut microbiomes with AAA, and these microbiomes were considered as protective factors. Our result …

State Of The Science Of Scale-Up Of Cancer Prevention And Early Detection Interventions In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review, Tara M Friebel-Klingner, Gloria Guevara Alvarez, Hope Lappen, Lydia E Pace, Keng-Yen Huang, Maria E Fernández, Donna Shelley, Anne F Rositch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will nearly double by 2040. Available evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for cancer prevention and early detection can reduce cancer-related mortality, yet there is a lack of evidence on effectively scaling these EBIs in LMIC settings.

METHODS: We conducted a scoping review to identify published literature from six databases between 2012 and 2022 that described efforts for scaling cancer prevention and early detection EBIs in LMICs. Included studies met one of two definitions of scale-up: (1) deliberate efforts to increase the impact of effective intervention to benefit more people or (2) an intervention …

Interventions To Increase Follow-Up Of Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Results: A Systematic Literature Review And Meta-Analysis, Melissa Lopez Varon, Yimin Geng, Bryan M Fellman, Catherine Troisi, Maria E Fernandez, Ruosha Li, Belinda Reininger, Kathleen M Schmeler, Emma Allanson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Ensuring timely follow-up of abnormal screening results is essential for eliminating cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to review single and multicomponent interventions designed to improve follow-up of women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results. We report on effectiveness across studies, and describe what aspects of these interventions might be more impactful.

METHODS: Publications were searched between January 2000 and December 2022. The search included observational, quasi-experimental (pre-post studies) and randomized controlled studies describing at least one intervention to increase follow-up of women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results. Outcomes of studies included completion of any …

Social Determinants Of Health Predict Readmission Following Covid-19 Hospitalization: A Health Information Exchange-Based Retrospective Cohort Study, Micaela N Sandoval, Jennifer L Mikhail, Melyssa K Fink, Guillermo A Tortolero, Tru Cao, Ryan Ramphul, Junaid Husain, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Since February 2020, over 104 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, or COVID-19, with over 8.5 million reported in the state of Texas. This study analyzed social determinants of health as predictors for readmission among COVID-19 patients in Southeast Texas, United States.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted investigating demographic and clinical risk factors for 30, 60, and 90-day readmission outcomes among adult patients with a COVID-19-associated inpatient hospitalization encounter within a regional health information exchange between February 1, 2020, to December 1, 2022.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In this cohort of 91,007 …

Lysophospholipids Are Associated With Outcomes In Hospitalized Patients With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron M Gusdon, Jude Pj Savarraj, John B Redell, Atzhiry Paz, Sarah Hinds, Angela Burkett, Glenda Torres, Xuefang Ren, Neeraj Badjatia, Georgene W Hergenroeder, Anthony N Moore, H Alex Choi, Pramod K Dash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for 70-90% of all TBI cases. Lipid metabolites have important roles in plasma membrane biogenesis, function, and cell signaling. As TBI can compromise plasma membrane integrity and alter brain cell function, we sought to identify circulating phospholipid alterations after mTBI, and determine if these changes were associated with clinical outcomes. Patients with mTBI (Glasgow Coma Score [GCS] ≥13 and loss of consciousness <30 >min) were recruited. A total of 84 mTBI subjects were enrolled after admission to a level I trauma center, with the majority having evidence of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on brain computed tomography …

Plasma Growth Hormone As A Prognostic Biomarker To Durvalumab And Tremelimumab In Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shadi Chamseddine, Michael Lapelusa, Lianchun Xiao, Yehia I Mohamed, Sunyoung S Lee, Zishuo Ian Hu, Rikita I Hatia, Manal Hassan, James C Yao, Dan G Duda, Saumil Datar, Hesham M Amin, Ahmed O Kaseb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we explored the potential of plasma growth hormone (GH) as a prognostic biomarker in patients with advanced HCC treated with durvalumab plus tremelimumab (D+T).

METHODS: In this study, we included 16 patients with advanced HCC who received D+T at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2022 and 2023 and had plasma GH measurements recorded before treatment. Plasma GH levels were measured from prospectively collected blood samples and were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The cutoff for normal GH levels in women and men was defined as ≤3.7 μg/L and ≤0.9 μg/L, respectively. The …