Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Contributions Of Iranian Journal Of Medical Sciences (Ijms) During The Covid-19 Pandemic., A A Asadi-Pooya, Mohsen Farazdaghi, Marzieh Rostaminejad, Manica Negahdaripour

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Long-Distance Travel For Gynecologic Cancer Care, V. Mujumdar, Timberly R Butler, David I Shalowitz

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Background: Women with gynecologic malignancies experience improved clinical outcomes when they are treated by gynecologic oncologists and in high-volume cancer centers. However, geography is a major barrier to high-volume care for patients. This qualitative study was undertaken to identify facilitators and barriers to patients traveling long distances for gynecologic cancer care.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 women with gynecologic malignancies traveling >50 miles for treatment at Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center. Eight interviews included caregivers. Four interview domains focused on personal challenges and coping strategies related to accessing cancer care.

Results: Mean distance traveled for care was 87 …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Community-Based Exercise Classes For People With Parkinson Disease, Mark M Mañago, Laura A Swink, Emily R Hager, Robyn Gisbert, Gammon M Earhart, Cory L Christiansen, Margaret Schenkman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: he purpose of the study was to determine the impact of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on community-based exercise classes for people with Parkinson disease (PD) and their instructors.

METHODS: Data were collected via custom-designed electronic surveys for people with PD and class instructors who reported attending or teaching PD-specific exercise class ≥1 time/week for ≥3 months prior to pandemic restrictions (March 2020). The PD group also completed the Godin Leisure-Time Questionnaire, Self-Efficacy for Exercise scale, Schwab-England scale, and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 8.

RESULTS: Eighty-seven people with PD (mean = 70 [7.3] years old) and 43 instructors (51 [12.1] …

Genome-Wide Association Study Of Problematic Opioid Prescription Use In 132,113 23andme Research Participants Of European Ancestry, Sandra Sanchez-Roige, Pierre Fontanillas, Mariela V Jennings, Sevim B Bianchi, Yuye Huang, Alexander S Hatoum, Julia Sealock, Lea K Davis, Sarah L Elson, 23andme Research Team, Abraham A Palmer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The growing prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) constitutes an urgent health crisis. Ample evidence indicates that risk for OUD is heritable. As a surrogate (or proxy) for OUD, we explored the genetic basis of using prescription opioids 'not as prescribed'. We hypothesized that misuse of opiates might be a heritable risk factor for OUD. To test this hypothesis, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of problematic opioid use (POU) in 23andMe research participants of European ancestry (N = 132,113; 21% cases). We identified two genome-wide significant loci (rs3791033, an intronic variant of KDM4A; rs640561, an intergenic variant near …

Trends In Rotator Cuff Repair Rates And Comorbidity Burden Among Commercially Insured Patients Younger Than The Age Of 65 Years, United States 2007-2016, Elizabeth L Yanik, Aaron M Chamberlain, Jay D Keener

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Prior US studies have shown increasing rotator cuff repair rates through 2009. We hypothesize that rotator cuff repair rates are continuing to increase and the comorbidity profiles of patients are becoming more complex over time.

METHODS: We identified rotator cuff repairs in a large US cohort of people 18-64 years of age with ≥1 year of commercial insurance coverage. Repair rate trends across time were standardized by age, sex, and geographic region. Procedures were categorized as inpatient vs. outpatient and as arthroscopic vs. open. Prevalent comorbidities were defined as 1 inpatient diagnosis claim or 2 outpatient diagnosis claims during …

Modulation In Cortical Excitability Disrupts Information Transfer In Perceptual-Level Stimulus Processing, Ladan Moheimanian, Sivylla E Paraskevopoulou, Markus Adamek, Gerwin Schalk, Peter Brunner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Despite significant interest in the neural underpinnings of behavioral variability, little light has been shed on the cortical mechanism underlying the failure to respond to perceptual-level stimuli. We hypothesized that cortical activity resulting from perceptual-level stimuli is sensitive to the moment-to-moment fluctuations in cortical excitability, and thus may not suffice to produce a behavioral response. We tested this hypothesis using electrocorticographic recordings to follow the propagation of cortical activity in six human subjects that responded to perceptual-level auditory stimuli. Here we show that for presentations that did not result in a behavioral response, the likelihood of cortical activity decreased from …

Higher Habitual Flavonoid Intakes Are Associated With A Lower Incidence Of Diabetes, Nicola P. Bondonno, Frederik Dalgaard, Kevin Murray, Raymond J. Davey, Catherine P. Bondonno, Aedin Cassidy, Joshua R. Lewis, Cecilie Kyrø, Gunnar Gislason, Augustin Scalbert, Anne Tjønneland, Jonathan M. Hodgson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Higher flavonoid intakes are hypothesized to confer protection against type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives:

We aimed to 1) investigate associations between flavonoid intakes and diabetes, 2) examine the mediating impact of body fat, and 3) identify subpopulations that may receive the greatest benefit from higher flavonoid intakes in participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study followed up for 23 y.

Methods:

Cross-sectional associations between baseline flavonoid intake, estimated using FFQs and the Phenol Explorer database, and body fat, estimated by bioelectrical impedance, were assessed using multivariable-Adjusted linear regression models. Nonlinear associations between flavonoid intake and incident diabetes …

Approaches To Treat Sensorineural Hearing Loss By Hair-Cell Regeneration: The Current State Of Therapeutic Developments And Their Potential Impact On Audiological Clinical Practice, Ashley S. Hinton, Aizhen Yang-Hood, Angela D. Schrader, Christopher Loose, Kevin K. Ohlemiller, Will J. Mclean

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is typically a permanent and often progressive condition that is commonly attributed to sensory cell loss. All vertebrates except mammals can regenerate lost sensory cells. Thus, SNHL is currently only treated with hearing aids or cochlear implants. There has been extensive research to understand how regeneration occurs in nonmammals, how hair cells form during development, and what limits regeneration in maturing mammals. These studies motivated efforts to identify therapeutic interventions to regenerate hair cells as a treatment for hearing loss, with a focus on targeting supporting cells to form new sensory hair cells. The approaches include …

Identifying The Neurophysiological Effects Of Memory-Enhancing Amygdala Stimulation Using Interpretable Machine Learning, Mohammad S E Sendi, Cory S Inman, Kelly R Bijanki, Lou Blanpain, James K Park, Stephan Hamann, Robert E Gross, Jon T Willie, Babak Mahmoudi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Direct electrical stimulation of the amygdala can enhance declarative memory for specific events. An unanswered question is what underlying neurophysiological changes are induced by amygdala stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To leverage interpretable machine learning to identify the neurophysiological processes underlying amygdala-mediated memory, and to develop more efficient neuromodulation technologies.

METHOD: Patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy and depth electrodes placed in the hippocampus and amygdala performed a recognition memory task for neutral images of objects. During the encoding phase, 160 images were shown to patients. Half of the images were followed by brief low-amplitude amygdala stimulation. For local field potentials (LFPs) recorded from …

Implementing Stereotactic Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation Using Magnetic Resonance Guided Radiation Therapy, Alex T Price, William R Kennedy, Lauren E Henke, Sean R Brown, Olga L Green, Maria A Thomas, John Ginn, Imran Zoberi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) seeks to reduce irradiated volumes and radiation exposure for patients while maintaining acceptable clinical outcomes. Magnetic resonance image-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast for treatment localization, which can reduce setup uncertainty, thus reducing margins in the external beam setting. Additionally, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)-style regimens with high gradients can also be executed. This MR-guided stereotactic APBI (MRgS-APBI) approach can be utilized for a lower number of fractions and spare a greater volume of healthy tissues compared to conventional 3D external beam APBI.

METHODS: Our MRgS-APBI program was developed for two prospective non-randomized phase …

Phase 1b Study Of Avb-500 In Combination With Paclitaxel Or Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin Platinum-Resistant Recurrent Ovarian Cancer, Katherine C Fuh, Michael A Bookman, Joyce F Liu, Robert L Coleman, Thomas J Herzog, Premal H Thaker, Bradley J Monk, Randy Anderson, Gail Mcintyre, Reshma Rangwala, Kathleen N Moore

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: GAS6 and AXL are expressed in high-grade serous ovarian cancer but not in normal ovarian tissue. AVB-500, a novel high affinity Fc-sAXL fusion protein, binds GAS6 preventing AXL signaling. This Phase 1b study (NCT03639246) evaluated safety, efficacy, and exploratory predictive markers of AVB-500 combined with paclitaxel (PAC) or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), and used a model informed drug development (MIDD) approach for identification of the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D).

METHODS: Eligible patients received AVB-500 at 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg IV q2wk combined with PAC (n = 23) or PLD (n …

Comorbid Patterns Of Anaemia And Diarrhoea Among Children Aged Under 5 Years In Ghana: A Multivariate Complex Sample Logistic Regression Analysis And Spatial Mapping Visualisation, Henry Ofori Duah, Charles Enyaah Amankwa, Emmanuel Brenyah Adomako, Benson Owusu, Pascal Agbadi

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Anaemia and diarrhoea are known independent causes of under-five morbidity and mortality. This study sought to investigate predictors of comorbid patterns of anaemia and diarrhoea using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). Methods

The study employed analysis of secondary data from the 2014 GDHS. We performed a multivariate complex sample logistic regression and spatial analysis. Results

The weighted prevalence of comorbid anaemia and diarrhoea was 9.28% with the highest burden (16.45%) found in the Upper West region. Independent predictors (risk factors) of comorbid patterns of anaemia and diarrhoea were children aged 6–23 mo (OR=2.17, 95% CI 1.42 …

Can You Hear Us Now? The Impact Of Health-Care Utilization By Rare Disease Patients In The United States, Angela A. Navarrete-Opazo, Maharaj Singh, Ainslie Tisdale, Christine M. Cutillo, Sheldon R. Garrison

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The vast majority of rare diseases (RDs) are complex, disabling, and life-threatening conditions with a genetic origin. RD patients face significant health challenges and limited treatments, yet the extent of their impact within health care is not well known. One direct method to gauge the disease burden of RDs is their overall cost and utilization within health-care systems.

Methods

The 2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases were used to extract health-care utilization data using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes.

Results

Of 35.6 million national hospital weighted discharges in the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 32% …

Comparing Interprofessional Socialization In Mixed-Discipline And Nursing Student-Only Cohorts, Kara Groom, Marilyn Frenn, Susan Breakwell, Timothy Melchert, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

A challenge to substantiating the value of interprofessional education (IPE) has been the limited number of studies that assess the effectiveness of IPE interventions compared with education interventions in which professions were learning separately from one another.

Purpose

The purpose was to compare interprofessional socialization (IS) in mixed-discipline and single-discipline–only student cohorts to determine if mixed-discipline cohorts demonstrate greater improvement in IS compared with single-discipline cohorts.

Methods

Interprofessional socialization was measured using the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale in 166 university students who completed a semester-long online palliative care course.

Results

Statistically significant increases in IS were seen with …

For The Birds Absence And Vision In Teaching Texts, David I. Smith

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Clinical Outcomes Of Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia In A County Hospital System, Effrosyni Apostolidou, Curtis Lachowiez, Harinder S Juneja, Wei Qiao, Onyebuchi Ononogbu, Courtney Nicole Miller-Chism, Mark Udden, Hilary Ma, Martha Pritchett Mims

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Major advances in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) over the past decade have resulted in 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of 80% in mature B cell ALL, 50% in precursor B cell ALL, 50% to 60% in T cell ALL, and 60% to 70% in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ALL, as reported in studies from large, specialized centers. However, many patients treated in the community have limited access to novel therapies and stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The purpose of this retrospective cohort analysis was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients ≥ 16 years with …

Left Ventricular Ballooning Patterns In Recurrent Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Reported Cases, Ravi Korabathina, Jamie Porcadas, Kevin E Kip, Puja R Korabathina, Andrew D Rosenthal, Peter Wassmer

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Recurrent takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) and the clinical profiles and outcomes of patients have not been fully evaluated, nor has the effect of left ventricular ballooning pattern. After searching the medical literature for reports of patients with recurrent TTC, we identified 84 articles with 101 case descriptions. We divided the cases into those with only apical left ventricular ballooning patterns at recurrence (typical, n=60), and those with at least one midventricular or basal ballooning pattern (atypical, n=41). We then compared their clinical profiles and outcomes.

The groups were similar in terms of baseline demographic characteristics, presence and types of triggers, use …

Large-Bore Aspiration Thrombectomy: Catalyst For A Revolution In Treating Pulmonary Embolism, Thomas M Tu

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Mortality, Kidney Failure, And Hospitalization Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Ckd And Pulmonary Hypertension, Sankar D Navaneethan, Carl P Walther, L Parker Gregg, Shweta Bansal, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Vijay Nambi, Jingbo Niu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is highly prevalent among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not requiring kidney replacement therapy. We studied the associations of PH with mortality, kidney failure, as well as cardiovascular (CV) and non-CV hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries with a CKD diagnosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, observational study using a matched cohort design.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Patients with PH (based on 2 claims within 2 years) and patients without PH matched on CKD stage from the Medicare 5% CKD sample (1996-2016).

PREDICTOR: Presence of pulmonary hypertension.

OUTCOME: Mortality, kidney failure, and all-cause, CV, and non-CV hospitalization.

ANALYTICAL …

Patient Characteristics And Outcomes Of Type 2 Myocardial Infarction During Heart Failure Hospitalizations In The United States, Salik Nazir, Abdul Mannan Khan Minhas, Ishan S Kamat, Robert W Ariss, George V Moukarbel, Juan Carlos Plana Gomez, Savitri Fedson, Ajith Nair, Biykem Bozkurt, Hani Jneid

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Type 2 myocardial infarction (MI) is increasingly diagnosed in patients with heart failure (HF). A paucity of data exists pertinent to the contemporary prevalence and impact of type 2 MI in patients with HF. We studied the patient profiles and the prognostic impact of type 2 MI on outcomes of HF hospitalizations.

METHODS: The Nationwide Readmission Database 2018 was queried for patients with HF hospitalizations with and without type 2 MI. Baseline characteristics, inpatient outcomes, and 30-day all-cause readmissions between both cohorts were compared.

RESULTS: Of 1,072,674 primary HF hospitalizations included in the study, 28,813 (2.7%) had type 2 …

Ckb Inhibits Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Prostate Cancer Progression By Sequestering And Inhibiting Akt Activation, Zheng Wang, Mohit Hulsurkar, Lijuan Zhuo, Jinbang Xu, Han Yang, Samira Naderinezhad, Lin Wang, Guoliang Zhang, Nanping Ai, Linna Li, Jeffrey T Chang, Songlin Zhang, Ladan Fazli, Chad J Creighton, Fang Bai, Michael M Ittmann, Martin E Gleave, Wenliang Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumor invasion, metastasis and drug resistance. AKT activation is key in a number of cellular processes. While many positive regulators for either EMT or AKT activation have been reported, few negative regulators are established. Through kinase cDNA screen, we identified brain-type creatine kinase (CKB or BCK) as a potent suppressor for both. As a ubiquitously expressed kinase in normal tissues, CKB is significantly downregulated in several solid cancer types. Lower CKB expression is significantly associated with worse prognosis. Phenotypically, CKB overexpression suppresses, while its silencing promotes, EMT and cell migration, xenograft tumor growth and metastasis …

Riociguat For The Treatment Of Phe508del Homozygous Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, Nico Derichs, Daniel Rosenbluth, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Riociguat is a first-in-class soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator for which preclinical data suggested improvements in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function.

METHODS: This international, multicenter, two-part, Phase II study of riociguat enrolled adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) homozygous for Phe508del CFTR. Part 1 was a 28-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in participants not receiving CFTR modulator therapy. Twenty-one participants were randomized 1:2 to placebo or oral riociguat (0.5 mg three times daily [tid] for 14 days, increased to 1.0 mg tid for the subsequent 14 days). The primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were change in sweat chloride concentration …

Drivers Of Transcriptional Variance In Human Intestinal Epithelial Organoids, Zachary K Criss, Nobel Bhasin, Sara C Di Rienzi, Anubama Rajan, Kali Deans-Fielder, Ganesh Swaminathan, Nabiollah Kamyabi, Xi-Lei Zeng, Harsha Doddapaneni, Vipin K Menon, Deepavali Chakravarti, Clarissa Estrella, Xiaomin Yu, Ketki Patil, Joseph F Petrosino, James C Fleet, Michael P Verzi, Sylvia Christakos, Michael A Helmrath, Sumimasa Arimura, Ronald A Depinho, Robert A Britton, Anthony W Maresso, K Jane Grande-Allen, Sarah E Blutt, Sue E Crawford, Mary K Estes, Sasirekha Ramani, Noah F Shroyer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human intestinal epithelial organoids (enteroids and colonoids) are tissue cultures used for understanding the physiology of the human intestinal epithelium. Here, we explored the effect on the transcriptome of common variations in culture methods, including extracellular matrix substrate, format, tissue segment, differentiation status, and patient heterogeneity. RNA-sequencing datasets from 276 experiments performed on 37 human enteroid and colonoid lines from 29 patients were aggregated from several groups in the Texas Medical Center. DESeq2 and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to identify differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways. PERMANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and dendrogram analysis of the data originally indicated …

Early Antibiotic Exposure Is Not Detrimental To Therapeutic Effect From Immunotherapy In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Petros Fessas, Muntaha Naeem, Matthias Pinter, Thomas U Marron, David Szafron, Lorenz Balcar, Anwaar Saeed, Tomi Jun, Sirish Dharmapuri, Anuhya Gampa, Yinghong Wang, Uqba Khan, Mahvish Muzaffar, Musharraf Navaid, Pei-Chang Lee, Anushi Bulumulle, Bo Yu, Sonal Paul, Neil Nimkar, Dominik Bettinger, Hannah Hildebrand, Yehia I Abugabal, Tiziana Pressiani, Nicola Personeni, Naoshi Nishida, Masatoshi Kudo, Ahmed Kaseb, Yi-Hsiang Huang, Celina Ang, Anjana Pillai, Lorenza Rimassa, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Elad Sharon, Alessio Cortellini, David J Pinato

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is an expanding therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antibiotics (ATB) taken prior to or early during ICI therapy can impact immunotherapy efficacy across indications; however, the effect of ATB is undefined in HCC.

METHODS: In a large international cohort of 450 ICI recipients from Europe, North America, and Asia, we categorized patients according to timing of ATB focusing on exposure within -30 to +30 days from ICI (early immunotherapy period [EIOP]). EIOP was evaluated in association with overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and best radiologic response using RECIST 1.1 criteria. …

Strong Star And The Consortium To Alleviate Ptsd: Shaping The Future Of Combat Ptsd And Related Conditions In Military And Veteran Populations, Alan L Peterson, Stacey Young-Mccaughan, John D Roache, Jim Mintz, Brett T Litz, Douglas E Williamson, Patricia A Resick, Edna B Foa, Donald D Mcgeary, Katherine A Dondanville, Daniel J Taylor, Jennifer Schuster Wachen, Peter T Fox, Craig J Bryan, Carmen P Mclean, Kristi E Pruiksma, Jeffrey S Yarvis, Barbara L Niles, Chadi G Abdallah, Lynnette A Averill, Sudie E Back, Monty T Baker, Tabatha H Blount, Adam M Borah, Elisa V Borah, Matthew S Brock, Lily A Brown, Matthew M Burg, Jeffrey A Cigrang, Bryann B Debeer, Ellen R Devoe, Brooke A Fina, Julianne C Flanagan, Steffany J Fredman, Cubby L Gardner, Robert R Gatchel, Jeffrey L Goodie, Ralitza Gueorguieva, Jay B Higgs, Vanessa M Jacoby, Kevin M Kelly, John H Krystal, M Danet Lapiz-Bluhm, Argelio L López-Roca, Brian P Marx, Douglas M Maurer, Meghan E Mcdevitt-Murphy, Cindy A Mcgeary, Eric C Meyer, Shannon R Miles, Candice M Monson, David A Morilak, John C Moring, Vincent Mysliwiec, Karin L Nicholson, Sheila A M Rauch, David S Riggs, Craig S Rosen, M David Rudd, Richard P Schobitz, Christian C Schrader, Antoinette M Shinn, Paulo R Shiroma, Denise M Sloan, Stephen L Stern, Randy Strong, Steven D Vannoy, Keith A Young, Terence M Keane, Strong Star Consortium And The Consortium To Alleviate Ptsd

Staff and Researcher Publications

The STRONG STAR Consortium (South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience) and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research consortia focused on the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid conditions in military personnel and veterans. This manuscript outlines the consortia's state-of-the-science collaborative research model and how this can be used as a roadmap for future trauma-related research. STRONG STAR was initially funded for 5 years in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program. Since the initial funding …

Atypical St-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Presentation In Patients With Covid-19 At A High-Volume Center In New York City, Miguel A Alvarez Villela, Ahmad Alkhalil, Michael A Weinreich, Jonathan Koslowsky, Shunsuke Aoi, M Azeem Latib

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Atypical presentations of ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been reported in patients who have COVID-19. We have seen this occurrence in our center in Bronx, New York, where multitudes of patients sought treatment for the coronavirus. We studied the prevalence of atypical STEMI findings among patients with COVID-19 who presented during the first 2 months of the pandemic.

Consistent with previous reports, 4 of our 10 patients with COVID-19 and STEMI had no identifiable culprit coronary lesion; rather, they often had diffuse ST-segment elevations on surface electrocardiograms along with higher levels of D-dimer and inflammatory markers. In contrast, 32 of …

Novel Pharmacomechanical Thrombolysis For Treating Intermediate-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism: The Bashir Endovascular Catheter, Maninder Singh, Austin Quimby, Vladimir Lakhter, Mohamad Al-Otaibi, Parth M Rali, Riyaz Bashir

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Surgical Treatment Of Valvular Heart Disease In Nigeria: A 6-Year Experience, Ikechukwu A Nwafor, John C Eze, Maureen N Nwafor

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Surgical treatment of valvular heart disease in Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, is adversely affected by socioeconomic factors such as poverty and ignorance. To evaluate our experience in this context, we identified all patients who underwent surgery for acquired or congenital valvular heart disease at our Nigerian center from February 2013 through January 2019. We collected data from their medical records, including patient age and sex, pathophysiologic causes and types of valvular disease, surgical treatment, and outcomes. Ninety-three patients (43 males [46.2%]; mean age, 38.9 ± 10.0 yr [range, 11–80 yr]) underwent surgical treatment of a total …

Endovascular Treatment Of Acquired Atheromatous Postsubclavian Aortic Coarctation, Bhushan S Sonawane, Sreeja Pavithran, Kothandam Sivakumar

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Coral reef aorta is a rare calcifying obstructive disease that involves the thoracoabdominal aorta. Similar presentations in the postsubclavian aorta may result in acquired atheromatous aortic coarctation leading to systemic hypertension and heart failure. The associated calcification makes surgical anatomic or extraanatomic bypass and thromboendarterectomy challenging. Extensive circumferential calcification often precludes endovascular intervention. We present the case of a 25-year-old man with an acquired atheromatous coarctation of the postsubclavian aorta who underwent successful endovascular treatment with use of a balloon-expandable covered stent.

Comparison Of Culture With Antibiogram To Next-Generation Sequencing Using Bacterial Isolates And Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Gastric Biopsies, Kristina G Hulten, Robert M Genta, Ira N Kalfus, Yi Zhou, Hongjun Zhang, David Y Graham

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The decline in Helicobacter pylori cure rates emphasizes the need for readily available methods to determine antimicrobial susceptibility. Our aim was to compare targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and culture-based H pylori susceptibility testing using clinical isolates and paired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric biopsies.

METHODS: H pylori isolates and FFPE tissues were tested for susceptibility to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, levofloxacin, tetracycline, and rifabutin using agar dilution and NGS targeted to 23S rRNA, gyrA, 16S rRNA, pbp1, rpoB and rdxA. Agreement was quantified using κ statistics.

RESULTS: Paired comparisons included 170 isolates and FFPE tissue for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, …