Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Cosine-100 Full Dataset Challenges The Annual Modulation Signal Of Dama/Libra, Nelson Carlin, Jae Young Cho, Jae Jin Choi, Seonho Choi, Anthony C Ezeribe, Luis Eduardo França, Chang Hyon Ha, In Sik Hahn, Sophia J Hollick, Eunju Jeon, Han Wool Joo, Woon Gu Kang, Matthew Kauer, Bongho Kim, Hongjoo Kim, Jinyoung Kim, Kyungwon Kim, Sunghyun Kim, Sun Kee Kim, Won Kyung Kim, Yeongduk Kim, Yong-Hamb Kim, Young Ju Ko, Doohyeok Lee, Eun Kyung Lee, Hyunseok Lee, Hyun Su Lee, Hye Young Lee, In Soo Lee, Jaison Lee, Jooyoung Lee, Moo Hyun Lee, Seo Hyun Lee, Seung Mok Lee, Yujin Lee, Douglas S Leonard, Nguyen Thanh Luan, Vitor Hugo De Almeida Machado, Bruno B Manzato, Reina H Maruyama, Robert J Neal, Stephen L Olsen, Byung Ju Park, Hyang Kyu Park, Hyeonseo Park, Jong-Chul Park, Kangsoon Park, Se Dong Park, Ricardo L C Pitta, Hafizh Prihtiadi, Sejin Ra, Carsten Rott, Keon Ah Shin, David F F S Cavalcante, Min Ki Son, Neil J C Spooner, Lam Tan Truc, Liang Yang, Gyun Ho Yu

Faculty and Staff Publications

For over 25 years, the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration has claimed to observe an annual modulation signal, suggesting the existence of dark matter interactions. However, no experiment using different target materials has observed a dark matter signal consistent with their result. To address this puzzle, the COSINE-100 collaboration conducted a model-independent test using sodium iodide crystal detectors, the same target material as DAMA/LIBRA. Analyzing data collected over 6.4 years by the effective mass of 61.3 kilograms, with improved energy calibration and time-dependent background modeling, we found no evidence of an annual modulation signal, challenging the DAMA/LIBRA result with a confidence level greater …

Modeling The Impact Of Mmr Vaccination Strategies On Measles Outbreaks In Texas, Kaiming Bi, Thuy Nguyen, Boya Peng, Trudy Krause, Cecilia Ganduglia Cazaban, Janelle Rios, Cici Bauer, Catherine Troisi, Eric Boerwinkle, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Post-Translational Modification Of H2b C-Terminal Helix Regulates Nucleosome Interactions And Chromatin Signaling, Yani Zhao, Anh Nguyen, Eyla C Arteaga, Aleksandra Skrajna, Krzysztof Krajewski, Dennis Goldfarb, Robert K Mcginty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Histone H2B contains a highly conserved C-terminal (H2B αC) helix that has been implicated in chromatin interactions and dynamics. The H2B αC helix comprising residues 105-125 is positioned adjacent to a major site of nucleosome interactions called the acidic patch. Despite individual structural studies highlighting interactions between chromatin proteins and the H2B αC helix, the general role of the helix in mediating nucleosome recognition has not been explored. Moreover, many post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been identified within the H2B αC helix, but significant gaps exist in our understanding of their regulatory potential. In this study, we employed nucleosome affinity proteomics …

An Evolutionary Preamble Towards A Multilevel Framework To Understand Adolescent Mental Health: An International Delphi Study, Federica Sancassiani, Vanessa Barrui, Fabrizio Bert, Sara Carucci, Fatma Charfi, Giulia Cossu, Arne Holte, Jutta Lindert, Simone Marchini, Alessandra Perra, Samantha Pinna, Antonio Egidio Nardi, Alessandra Scano, Cesar A Soutullo, Massimo Tusconi, Diego Primavera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/objectives: Adolescence is a sensitive developmental window shaped by both vulnerabilities and adaptive potential. From an evolutionary standpoint, mental health difficulties in this period may represent functional responses to environmental stressors rather than mere dysfunctions. Despite increasing interest, integrative models capturing the dynamic interplay of risk and protective factors in adolescent mental health remain limited. This study presents a holistic, multi-level framework grounded in ecological and evolutionary theories to improve understanding and intervention strategies.

Methods: A two-round Delphi method was used to develop and validate the framework. Twelve experts in adolescent mental health evaluated a preliminary draft derived from the …

Dynamical Regulation Of Blood Pressure And Cognitive Function, Joshua Sweigert, Tara Gruenewald, Margie Lachman, Teresa Seeman, Maxine Weinstein, Tse-Hwei Choo, Martina Pavlicova, Ramakrishna Mukkamala, Richard P. Sloan

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

BACKGROUND

Blood pressure (BP) is not steady. It varies over intervals from months to consecutive cardiac cycles, and this variation contains meaningful information beyond mean BP. Variability over multiple clinic visits (VVV-BP) and during 24-h ambulatory monitoring (ABPV) is positively related to risk of stroke and coronary artery disease and negatively associated with cognitive performance. Beat-to-beat BP variation, often quantified as low frequency variability (0.04–0.15 Hz, LF-BPV), is less well-studied. Here, we examine the relationship between LF-BPV and cognitive outcomes in 1953 participants from the Midlife in the US study.

METHODS

Participants completed the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by …

Association Between Body Mass Index And Uterotonic Use In Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Cece Cheng, Bryce T Munter, Michaela Y Lee, Claire D Sundjaja, Natasha D Paul, Margaret M Klausmeyer, Nastassia A Yammine, Patrick S Ramsey, John J Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: Our primary objective was to determine whether patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) who experienced postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) required ≥2 uterotonics more often than those with lower BMI.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included all patients who experienced a PPH between 1 August 2020 and 31 July 2022. Extracted data included patient demographics, PPH risk factors, details regarding the labor course and hemorrhage management, and maternal and neonatal outcomes, such as mode of delivery, etiology of hemorrhage, need for nonpharmacological management, neonatal Apgar scores, requirement for phototherapy, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and …

Identifying Bio-Behavioural Signatures Of Persistent Opioid Use Risk In Trauma Injury Patients: A Protocol For A Prospective Cohort Study, Joy M Schmitz, Jin Ho Yoon, Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon, John A Harvin, Preethi H Gunaratne, Darrion Mouton, Kandice Motley, Erin E Fox, Jessica Vincent, Megan Tarbet, Consuelo Walss-Bass

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Exposure to prescription opioids following traumatic injury can increase the risk of developing tolerance, persistent opioid use and opioid use disorder. The mechanisms underlying opioid tolerance or dependence are not well understood, and no biomarkers predict risk. Opioid exposure causes epigenetic modifications, including alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression. Several miRNAs, which regulate synaptic plasticity, are hypothesised to underlie substance use disorders and influence µ-opioid receptor levels, modulating opioid tolerance. This project aims to develop a bio-behavioural signature to predict persistent opioid use and chronic pain up to 6 months post-discharge.

Methods and analysis: The study will use a prospective …

Blue Light As An Anti-Inflammatory And Analgesic Strategy In Thoracic Trauma (Blaastt): Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial In Adult Trauma Inpatients With Painful Rib Fractures, Rebecca E Kotcher, Matthew R Rosengart, Luca La Colla, Hsing-Hua Sylvia Lin, Keith M Vogt, Yan Xu, Matthew D Neal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Blue light (peak wavelength 442 nm) has been shown to modulate the immune response in preclinical models of intra-abdominal sepsis and pneumonia.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a randomised controlled trial in which adult trauma inpatients (

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Full ethical approval for this trial has been granted by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board. On study completion, results will be published in the peer-reviewed literature and at ClinicalTrials.gov.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06626334.

Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms And Gulf War Illness In A Clinical Cohort Of Us Veterans: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study, Abdelrahman Yousef, Sarah T Ahmed, Theresa H Nguyen Wenker, Alice B S Nono-Djotsa, Stephen H Boyle, Elizabeth J Gifford, Deeksha Malhotra, Helena Chandler, Sandhya Bandi, Drew A Helmer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Approximately 30% of the 700 000 US Gulf War Veterans (GWVs) report symptoms collectively termed Gulf War Illness (GWI), a multisymptom illness of uncertain pathophysiology. Prior studies in GWI focus on overlap with irritable bowel syndrome. This study examines the associations between upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms, GWI and specialty GI care.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed GWVs referred to a Veterans Health Administration clinical War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (2008-2020). Symptoms, demographics, military service and clinical history were obtained from self-reported intake packets. GWI was defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria requiring moderate-to-severe symptoms …

Establishing Best Practices Guidelines For Collaborative Research In Global Surgery: Developing A Delphi Survey, Ramitha Eshan Ruwanpathirana, Swati Deshpande, Sophia Abdulhai, Mathilde Djeneba Billau, Sumeja Catic, Theresa L Chin, Julia N Harrison, Pratyush Kumar, Maria Cecilia T Leyson, Helen W Li, Katayoun S Madani, Arthur Serumaga, Margaret Tarpley, Grayson Wright, Nia N Zalamea, Joshua S Ng-Kamstra

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Collaborative research in global surgery has resulted in the rapid development of the field via knowledge creation and dissemination, research capacity building, and direct improvements in the delivery of clinical care. Yet the establishment and maintenance of trans-boundary collaborations carries significant risk to health systems, clinicians, patients, and researchers, particularly if such collaborations are not developed thoughtfully and with appropriate guardrails. In recent years, there has been significant growth in the literature on the pervasiveness and impact of neocolonialism on global health research.

Methods: To harness the benefits of global surgery research collaboration while mitigating these risks, we reviewed …

Regulation Of Food Intake By Connexin43 Via Adipocyte-Sensory Neuron Electrical Synapses, Xi Chen, Xing Fang, Hong Zhou, Jieyi Meng, Yang He, Leon G Straub, Andrew Lemoff, Clair Crewe, Shangang Zhao, Yong Xu, Yi Zhu

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background and objective: Connexin43 (Cx43), encoded by Gja1, forms gap junctions between adjacent cells. In adipose tissue, it is upregulated during adipose beiging while downregulated by high-fat-diet (HFD) feeding. Adipocyte-specific Gja1 overexpression enhances adipose tissue beiging in response to mild cold stress of room temperature. Moreover, those mice display a surprising decrease in food intake, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study investigates how adipocyte Cx43 influences feeding behavior.

Methods: Mice with adipose tissue-specific Gja1 overexpression (Adipoq-Cx43) were fed with HFD. Food intake, weight gain, substrate utilization, and serum lipolysis were assessed. RNA-seq, proteomics, and cytokine measurements were employed to …

Incidence And Risk Factors Of Developing A Dysrhythmia After Blunt Thoracic Trauma., Jessica Jowers, Kevin Van Derveer, Katherine Moore, Nathaniel Harshaw, Julie M Reichert, Hannah Karr, Urhum Khaliq, David J Cziperle, Lindsey L Perea

General Surgery Resident Research

Background/Objectives: The incidence of dysrhythmia after blunt thoracic trauma varies in the literature from 8-75%, and the complication rate from these dysrhythmias is not well studied. The aims of this study are to (1) identify the incidence of dysrhythmia following blunt thoracic trauma, (2) identify risk factors associated with developing a dysrhythmia, and (3) identify the incidence of cardiac intervention after developing a dysrhythmia. We hypothesize that blunt thoracic trauma may result in post-injury dysrhythmias. Methods: This is a retrospective review of trauma patients ≥ 18 years with a blunt mechanism of injury at a Level 1 Trauma …

Air Pollution And Diseases: Signaling, G Protein-Coupled And Toll Like Receptors, Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri, Katrina F. Ostrom, Jordyn Margolis, Rennolds S. Ostrom, Martina Schmidt

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Air pollution is a significant public health issue that impacts lung health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions. Both natural and anthropogenic sources of air pollution give rise to a variety of toxic compounds, including particulate matter (PM), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Exposure to these pollutants is strongly associated with the development and exacerbation of respiratory diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Notably, early life exposure to pollutants such as …

Risk Of Clonal Hematopoiesis In Families Exposed To Radiation Following The Chornobyl Accident, Mitchell J Machiela, Irenaeus Chan, Kelly Bolton, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Radiation exposure is a well-established risk factor for leukemia. Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), the expansion of mutated hematopoietic cells, is also associated with increased leukemia risk and its frequency is higher in cancer patients following radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We investigated whether low to moderate environmental ionizing radiation determined by state-of-the-art dosimetric analysis was associated with CH in the Chornobyl Family Study (CFS). Our study conducted targeted high-depth sequencing and array genotyping to identify and characterize clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) in 882 participants from 292 CFS families. Fathers had mean bone marrow radiation doses of …

Human Papillomavirus Integration Induces Oncogenic Host Gene Fusions In Oropharyngeal Cancers, Nusrat Khan, Keiko Akagi, Shiming Jiang, Joe Dan Dunn, Bo Jiang, Weihong Xiao, Madison P O'Hara, Li Shen, Qi Wang, Vakul Mohanty, Jing Wang, Sara Goodwin, Jamie L Hutchins, Kevin R Coombes, Jagannadha K Sastry, David E Symer, Maura L Gillison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

HPV integration disrupts host genomic structure and expression, but whether these alterations promote cancer development remains unclear. Multiple genomic analyses of oropharyngeal cancers identified several host fusion genes, including recurrent FGFR3-TACC3 fusions, expressed from rearranged genomic loci adjacent to HPV integration sites. Evolutionary modeling implicated integration of virus concatemers into the host genome as a common initiating event in fusion formation. Co-expression of HPV16 E6/E7 and FGFR3-TACC3, but neither alone, was sufficient for tumor development in both xenograft and syngeneic mouse models and led to unique transcriptional programs implicated in carcinogenesis. FGFR3-TACC3 expression decreased the ubiquitination and degradation of …

Dissecting Microbial Communities With Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis, Andrew W Pountain, Itai Yanai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Revealing insights into the function of microbial communities requires moving beyond measuring bulk taxonomic composition to detecting interactions between subpopulations. Following the transformative impact of single-cell gene expression profiling techniques on numerous fields of human biology, recent years have seen increased application to microbes. We review progress in the development of these techniques and discuss challenges in applying them to microbial communities. We highlight applications for dissecting the microbiome in human health and disease that reveal functional heterogeneity within gut communities, antibiotic responses, and the dynamics of mobile genetic elements. As single-cell gene expression technologies continue to develop, they are …

Lewy Body Dementia Promotion By Air Pollutants, Xiaodi Zhang, Haiqing Liu, Xiao Wu, Longgang Jia, Kundlik Gadhave, Lena Wang, Kevin Zhang, Hanyu Li, Rong Chen, Ramhari Kumbhar, Ning Wang, Chantelle E Terrillion, Bong Gu Kang, Bin Bai, Minhan Park, Ma Cristine Faye Denna, Shu Zhang, Wenqiang Zheng, Denghui Ye, Xiaoli Rong, Liu Yang, Lili Niu, Han Seok Ko, Weiyi Peng, Lingtao Jin, Mingyao Ying, Liana S Rosenthal, David W Nauen, Alex Pantelyat, Mahima Kaur, Kezia Irene, Liuhua Shi, Rahel Feleke, Sonia García-Ruiz, Mina Ryten, Valina L Dawson, Francesca Dominici, Rodney J Weber, Xuan Zhang, Pengfei Liu, Ted M Dawson, Shizhong Han, Xiaobo Mao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Evidence links air pollution to dementia, yet its role in Lewy body dementia (LBD) remains unclear. Here we showed in a cohort of 56.5 million individuals across the U.S. that PM2.5 exposure raises LBD risk. Mechanistically, we found PM2.5 exposure led to brain atrophy in wild-type mice, an effect not seen in α-synuclein (αSyn)-deficient mice. PM2.5 exposure generated a highly pathogenic αSyn strain, PM-PFF, with enhanced proteinase K-resistance and neurotoxicity, resembling αSyn LBD strains. PM2.5 samples from China, the U.S., and Europe consistently induced proteinase-resistant αSyn strains and in vivo pathology. Transcriptomic analyses revealed shared responses between PM2.5-exposed mice and …

Detection Of Cancers Three Years Prior To Diagnosis Using Plasma Cell-Free Dna, Yuxuan Wang, Corinne E Joshu, Samuel D Curtis, Christopher Douville, Vernon A Burk, Meng Ru, Maria Popoli, Janine Ptak, Lisa Dobbyn, Natalie Silliman, Josef Coresh, Eric Boerwinkle, Anna Prizment, Chetan Bettegowda, Kenneth W Kinzler, Nickolas Papadopoulos, Elizabeth A Platz, Bert Vogelstein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To explore how early can cancers be detected prior to clinical signs or symptoms, we assessed prospectively collected serial plasma samples from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, including 26 participants diagnosed with cancer and 26 matched controls. At the index time point, eight of these 52 participants scored positively with a multicancer early detection (MCED) test. All eight participants were diagnosed with cancer within 4 months after blood collection. In six of these 8 participants, we were able to assess an earlier plasma sample collected 3.1 to 3.5 years prior to clinical diagnosis. In four of these six …

Preconditioning With Low-Dose Radiation Improves Antitumor Immunity And Survival In Dc-Vaccinated Mice, Eric Kwon, Shelby Namen, Colin J Willoughby, Solomon Kang, Gaurav Pandey, Alexander B Kim, Carl J Deselm

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Preconditioning regimens are essential for the immunologic success of cell therapies like CAR T cells. Nevertheless, their effect on cancer vaccines is underexplored, and preconditioning regimens are generally absent from cancer vaccine clinical trials. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated the impact of various preconditioning strategies on dendritic cell (DC) vaccine efficacy in a murine tumor model. Mice bearing syngeneic tumors received preconditioning with 2 Gy low-dose radiation therapy (LD RT; whole-body or tumor-only), cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, LD RT plus cyclophosphamide, or no preconditioning, followed by administration of antigen-loaded DCs. Whether whole-body or tumor-directed, LD RT preconditioning significantly enhanced vaccine-induced …

Tet2-Mutant Myeloid Cells Mitigate Alzheimer’S Disease Progression Via Cns Infiltration And Enhanced Phagocytosis In Mice, Katie A Matatall, Trisha K Wathan, Minh Nguyen, Hu Chen, Alexandra Mcdonald, Guantong Qi, Julia A Belk, Marcus A Florez, Duy T Le, Temitope Olarinde, Caitlyn Vlasschaert, Marco M Buttigieg, Chih-Wei Fan, Saul Carcamo, Ruoqiong Cao, Daniel E Kennedy, Arushana A Maknojia, Apoorva Thatavarty, Josaura V Fernandez Sanchez, Hind Bouzid, Surabi Veeraragavan, Susan Crocker, Margaret A Goodell, Antony Rodriguez, Siddhartha Jaiswal, Michael J Rauh, Eirini P Papapetrou, Samuele G Marro, Katherine Y King

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Implementing A Training Resource For Large-Scale Genomic Data Analysis In The All Of Us Researcher Workbench, Jasmine Baker, Erik Stricker, Julie Coleman, Shamika Ketkar, Taotao Tan, Ashley M Butler, Laterrica Williams, Latanya Hammonds-Odie, Debra Murray, Brendan Lee, Kim C Worley, Elizabeth G Atkinson

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

A lack of representation in genomic research and limited access to computational training create barriers for many researchers seeking to analyze large-scale genetic datasets. The All of Us Research Program provides an unprecedented opportunity to address these gaps by offering genomic data from a broad range of participants, but its impact depends on equipping researchers with the necessary skills to use it effectively. The All of Us Biomedical Researcher (BR) Scholars Program at Baylor College of Medicine aims to break down these barriers by providing early-career researchers with hands-on training in computational genomics through the All of Us Evenings with …

The Causal Pivot: A Structural Approach To Genetic Heterogeneity And Variant Discovery In Complex Diseases, Chad A Shaw, C J Williams, Taotao Tan, Daniel Illera, Nicholas Di, Joshua M Shulman, John W Belmont

Center on Aging Staff Publications

We present the Causal Pivot (CP) as a structural causal model (SCM) for analyzing genetic heterogeneity in complex diseases. The CP leverages an established causal factor or factors to detect the contribution of additional suspected causes. Specifically, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) serve as known causes, while rare variants (RVs) or RV ensembles are evaluated as candidate causes. The CP incorporates outcome-induced association by conditioning on disease status. We derive a conditional maximum-likelihood procedure for binary and quantitative traits and develop the Causal Pivot likelihood ratio test (CP-LRT) to detect causal signals. Through simulations, we demonstrate the CP-LRT’s robust power and …

Left Atrial Thrombus In Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis: A Case Of Therapeutic International Normalized Ratio Failure, Muhammad Salman Sabri, Carly Weber, Yanis Belkadi, Donald C. Haas, Yasotha Rajeswaran

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation or flutter in rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) increases left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus risk despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old woman on warfarin with moderate MS and atrial flutter presented with dyspnea. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed a large LAA thrombus despite an international normalized ratio >2.5. Cardioversion was deferred, and the international normalized ratio target was raised to a range of 2.5 to 3.5.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: While cardioversion can be considered in patients with uninterrupted anticoagulation without TEE, those with rheumatic MS are at high risk of LAA and LA thrombus and should undergo TEE before …

Investigating Bacterial Vaginosis Pathogenesis Using Peptide Nucleic Acid-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization With A Focus On The Roles Of Gardnerella Species, Prevotella Bivia, And Fannyhessea Vaginae, Sheridan D. George, Megan H. Amerson-Brown, Lúcia G.V. Sousa, Tyler M. Carter, Alexa H. Rinehart, Ashleigh N. Riegler, Sixto M. Leal, Kristal J. Aaron, Jiaying Hao, Ashutosh Tamhane, Chaoling Dong, John W. Lammons, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Keonte J. Graves, Paweł Łaniewski, Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz, Christopher M. Taylor, Nuno Cerca, Christina A. Muzny

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Background. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a vaginal dysbiosis characterized by polymicrobial communities of BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) adhered to the vaginal epithelium. Despite decades of research, its etiology remains unknown. We aimed to investigate BV biofilm formation over time among women who developed incident BV (iBV) using peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH), focusing on 3 key BVAB (Gardnerella species, Prevotella bivia, and Fannyhessea vaginae). Methods. Heterosexual, nonpregnant women ages 18–45 with optimal vaginal microbiota were enrolled to self-collect twice-daily vaginal specimens for 60 days. iBV was defined as a Nugent score of 7–10 on ≥ 4 consecutive specimens. For …

Improving The Reporting On Health Equity In Observational Research (Strobe-Equity): Extension Checklist And Elaboration, Omar Dewidar, Larissa Shamseer, G J. Melendez-Torres, Elie A. Akl, Jacqueline Ramke, Xiaoqin Wang, Oyekola Oloyede, Taryn Young, Stuart G. Nicholls, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Institute for Global Health and Development

Data on health equity to inform societally relevant evidence based decisions and policy making are lacking in the research literature. Observational studies have the potential to provide data on health equity. Yet, guidance on how to report health equity data and considerations in observational research is inadequate. The STROBE-Equity extension addresses this gap by providing a structured set of criteria to enhance the reporting of health equity data and considerations.

Social Determinants Of Health In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Other Sexual And Gender Minority (Lgbtq+) Older Adults: Impact Of Socioeconomic Disadvantage On Inpatient Hospitalizations, Jennifer T. May Phd, Rn, Anp-Bc, Devon Noonan, Susan G. Silva

Publications

Introduction

Little is known about the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) older adults (≥50 years). The aim of this study is to determine whether the distribution of LGBTQ+ inpatient hospitalizations are related to structural socioeconomic factors.

Methods

A secondary analysis of retrospective electronic health record data for LGBTQ+ older adults hospitalized from 2018 to 2022 was conducted at one large health system. The average county area deprivation index where the patient resided was calculated.

Results

The analysis included 2270 LGBTQ+ older adult inpatient hospitalizations, with 1508 (66.4%) from …

Utilization Of The Fundamentals Of Vascular Surgery Symposium In Surgical Curricula, Priscilla Tanamal, Amit Chawla, Amanda Tullos, Claudie Sheahan, Malachi Sheahan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: Simulation is a helpful adjunct to vascular surgery training, in which high-volume surgical experience portends better patient outcomes. Louisiana State University Health New Orleans hosts a 3-day program, the Fundamentals of Vascular Surgery (FVS) Symposium, during which vascular trainees from across the nation can participate in didactic and hands-on lessons with an emphasis on procedures less frequently performed during residency, taught by attending surgeons from various institutions. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the FVS Symposium on participant confidence in endovascular and open procedures and evaluate any differences between junior and senior level residents. …

Neonatal Striatal Volume Is Associated With Infant Anhedonia, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Catherine H. Demers, Jessica L. Irwin, Laura M. Glynn, Martin A. Styner, Mercedes Hoeflich Haase, M. Camille Hoffman, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Anhedonia is increasingly recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. New evidence demonstrates that anhedonia is present in infancy and early childhood. Structural variability in striatal regions involved in reward processing and pleasure seeking is concurrently linked to anhedonia, yet few studies have examined whether striatal differences presage anhedonia, and none have examined prospective associations before middle childhood. The present study examined whether neuroanatomical markers that confer risk for anhedonia can be detected as early as the neonatal period. Specifically, we tested whether the volume of striatal regions in neonates predicted the emergence of infant anhedonic behaviors at six …

Neonatal Striatal Volume Is Associated With Infant Anhedonia, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Catherine H. Demers, Jessica L. Irwin, Laura M. Glynn, Martin A. Styner, Mercedes Hoeflich Haase, M. Camille Hoffman, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Anhedonia is increasingly recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. New evidence demonstrates that anhedonia is present in infancy and early childhood. Structural variability in striatal regions involved in reward processing and pleasure seeking is concurrently linked to anhedonia, yet few studies have examined whether striatal differences presage anhedonia, and none have examined prospective associations before middle childhood. The present study examined whether neuroanatomical markers that confer risk for anhedonia can be detected as early as the neonatal period. Specifically, we tested whether the volume of striatal regions in neonates predicted the emergence of infant anhedonic behaviors at six …

Dietary And Consumer Behaviors In Individuals Currently Using Substances: A Cross-Sectional Study Based On Nhanes (2013 - 2018), A Sarah Cohen, Marylou Cardenas-Turanzas, Audrey Lopez, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with metabolic dysregulation and nutritional deficiencies. Studies show that incorporating nutrition interventions into treatment may improve physical and psychological health. This study sought to explore dietary and consumer behavior in individuals currently using substances.

Methods: Data from the 2013 - 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for this cross-sectional study. Individuals 18 - 69 who were currently using marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, or injected unprescribed drugs were compared with individuals not using substances. Dietary and consumer behavior, including alcohol consumption was assessed. Analyses were performed using Stata I/C version 15. …