Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Differential Roles Of Aβ42/40, P-Tau231 And P-Tau217 For Alzheimer's Trial Selection And Disease Monitoring, Nicholas J Ashton, Yan Li, Randall J Bateman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Blood biomarkers indicative of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology are altered in both preclinical and symptomatic stages of the disease. Distinctive biomarkers may be optimal for the identification of AD pathology or monitoring of disease progression. Blood biomarkers that correlate with changes in cognition and atrophy during the course of the disease could be used in clinical trials to identify successful interventions and thereby accelerate the development of efficient therapies. When disease-modifying treatments become approved for use, efficient blood-based biomarkers might also inform on treatment implementation and management in clinical practice. In the BioFINDER-1 cohort, plasma phosphorylated (p)-tau231 and amyloid-β42/40 ratio …

Transferability Of Alzheimer Disease Polygenic Risk Score Across Populations And Its Association With Alzheimer Disease-Related Phenotypes, Sang-Hyuk Jung, Carlos Cruchaga, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs), which aggregate the genetic effects of single-nucleotide variants identified in genome-wide association studies (GWASs), can help distinguish individuals at a high genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD). However, genetic studies have predominantly focused on populations of European ancestry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the transferability of a PRS for AD in the Korean population using summary statistics from a prior GWAS of European populations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study developed a PRS based on the summary statistics of a large-scale GWAS of a European population (the International Genomics of Alzheimer Project; 21 982 AD cases …

Derivation And Validation Of A Clinical Prediction Rule For Upper Limb Functional Outcomes After Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, Saad Javeed, Jacob K Greenberg, Justin K Zhang, Christopher F Dibble, Jawad M Khalifeh, Ying Liu, Thomas J Wilson, Lynda J Yang, Yikyung Park, Wilson Z Ray

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in debilitating paralysis. Following cervical SCI, accurate early prediction of upper limb recovery can serve an important role in guiding the appropriateness and timing of reconstructive therapies.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a clinical prediction rule to prognosticate upper limb functional recovery after cervical SCI.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prognostic study was a retrospective review of a longitudinal cohort study including patients enrolled in the National SCI model systems (SCIMS) database in US. Eligible patients were 15 years or older with tetraplegia (neurological level of injury C1-C8, American Spinal Cord Injury Association …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Internal Medicine Residency Assessments, Dowin Boatright, Nientara Anderson, Jung G Kim, Eric S Holmboe, William A Mcdade, Tonya Fancher, Cary P Gross, Sarwat Chaudhry, Mytien Nguyen, Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako, Eve Colson, Yunshan Xu, Fangyong Li, James D Dziura, Somnath Saha

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Previous studies have demonstrated racial and ethnic inequities in medical student assessments, awards, and faculty promotions at academic medical centers. Few data exist about similar racial and ethnic disparities at the level of graduate medical education.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between race and ethnicity and performance assessments among a national cohort of internal medicine residents.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study evaluated assessments of performance for 9026 internal medicine residents from the graduating classes of 2016 and 2017 at Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited internal medicine residency programs in the US. Analyses were conducted …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Access To Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery, Laurent G Glance, Karen E Joynt Maddox, Michael Mazzefi, Peter W Knight, Michael P Eaton, Changyong Feng, Miklos D Kertai, James Albernathy, Isaac Y Wu, Julie A Wyrobek, Marisa Cevasco, Nimesh Desai, Andrew W Dick

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Whether people from racial and ethnic minority groups experience disparities in access to minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) is not known.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of MIMVS.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database for patients who underwent mitral valve surgery between 2014 and 2019. Statistical analysis was performed from January 24 to August 11, 2022.

EXPOSURES: Patients were categorized as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic individuals.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The association between MIMVS (vs full sternotomy) and race and ethnicity …

Changes In Racial Equity Associated With Participation In The Bundled Payments For Care Improvement Advanced Program, Gmerice Hammond, E John Orav, Jie Zheng, Arnold M Epstein, Karen E Joynt Maddox

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: The Medicare alternative payment models are designed to incentivize cost reduction and quality improvement, but there are no requirements established for evaluating the outcomes of the Medicare populations.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether participation in the Medicare Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI-A) program was associated with narrowing or widening of Black and White racial inequities in outcomes and access.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective cohort alternative payment models on equity and quality for disadvantaged populations were studied between April 6, 2021, and August 28, 2022, in US hospitals. Black and White Medicare beneficiaries admitted for any of the …

Nosocomial Outbreak Of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Faecium (Vre) St796, Switzerland, 2017 To 2020, Vanja Piezzi, Nasstasja Wassilew, Andrew Atkinson, Stéphanie D'Incau, Tanja Kaspar, Helena Mb Seth-Smith, Carlo Casanova, Pascal Bittel, Philipp Jent, Rami Sommerstein, Niccolò Buetti, Jonas Marschall

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A large clonal outbreak caused by vancomycin-resistant

Infections In The First Year Of Life And Development Of Beta Cell Autoimmunity And Clinical Type 1 Diabetes In High-Risk Individuals: The Trigr Cohort, Olga Kordonouri, David Cuthbertson, Malin Belteky, Bärbel Aschemeier-Fuchs, Neil H White, Elisabeth Cummings, Mikael Knip, Johnny Ludvigsson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Accumulated data suggest that infections in early life contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes. Using data from the Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR), we set out to assess whether children who later developed diabetes-related autoantibodies and/or clinical type 1 diabetes had different exposure to infections early in life compared with those who did not.

METHODS: A cohort of 2159 children with an affected first-degree relative and HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes were recruited between 2002 and 2007 and followed until 2017. Infections were registered prospectively. The relationship between infections in the …

Pilot Study: Parp1 Imaging In Advanced Prostate Cancer, Farrokh Dehdashti, Melissa A. Reimers, Kooresh I. Shoghi, Delphine L. Chen, Jingqin Luo, Buck Rogers, Russell K. Pachynski, Sreeja Sreekumar, Cody Weimholt, Dong Zhou

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: PARP inhibitor (PARPi) therapy is approved for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and homologous recombination repair (HRR) genomic aberrations. However, only a fraction of patients with BRCA1/2 mutations respond to PARPi therapy. In this pilot study, we assess PARP-1 expression in prostate cancer patients with and without HRR genomic alternations using a novel PARP-based imaging agent.

PROCEDURES: Nine advanced prostate cancer patients were studied with PET/CT and [

RESULTS: We found great variability in FTT uptake (SUV

CONCLUSIONS: FTT-PET/CT may serve as an alternate biomarker for PARP1 expression and a potential method for PARPi treatment selection.

The Multifaceted Mechanisms Of Malignant Glioblastoma Progression And Clinical Implications, Rui Sun, Albert H Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

With the application of high throughput sequencing technologies at single-cell resolution, studies of the tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and invasive of all cancers, have revealed immense cellular and tissue heterogeneity. A unique extracellular scaffold system adapts to and supports progressive infiltration and migration of tumor cells, which is characterized by altered composition, effector delivery, and mechanical properties. The spatiotemporal interactions between malignant and immune cells generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment, contributing to the failure of effective anti-tumor immune attack. Among the heterogeneous tumor cell subpopulations of glioblastoma, glioma stem cells (GSCs), which exhibit tumorigenic properties and …

A Sarm1-Mitochondrial Feedback Loop Drives Neuropathogenesis In A Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2a Rat Model, Yurie Sato-Yamada, Amy Strickland, Yo Sasaki, Joseph Bloom, Aaron Diantonio, Jeffrey Milbrandt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A (CMT2A) is an axonal neuropathy caused by mutations in the mitofusin 2 (MFN2) gene. MFN2 mutations result in profound mitochondrial abnormalities, but the mechanism underlying the axonal pathology is unknown. Sterile α and Toll/IL-1 receptor motif-containing 1 (SARM1), the central executioner of axon degeneration, can induce neuropathy and is activated by dysfunctional mitochondria. We tested the role of SARM1 in a rat model carrying a dominant CMT2A mutation (Mfn2H361Y) that exhibits progressive dying-back axonal degeneration, neuromuscular junction (NMJ) abnormalities, muscle atrophy, and mitochondrial abnormalities - all hallmarks of the human disease. We generated Sarm1-KO (Sarm1-/-) and …

Macrophage Depletion Blocks Congenital Sarm1-Dependent Neuropathy, Caitlin B Dingwall, Amy Strickland, Sabrina W Yum, Aldrin Ky Yim, Jian Zhu, Peter L. Wang, Yurie Yamada, Robert E. Schmidt, Yo Sasaki, A. Joseph Bloom, Aaron Diantonio, Jeffrey Milbrandt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Axon loss contributes to many common neurodegenerative disorders. In healthy axons, the axon survival factor NMNAT2 inhibits SARM1, the central executioner of programmed axon degeneration. We identified 2 rare NMNAT2 missense variants in 2 brothers afflicted with a progressive neuropathy syndrome. The polymorphisms resulted in amino acid substitutions V98M and R232Q, which reduced NMNAT2 NAD+-synthetase activity. We generated a mouse model to mirror the human syndrome and found that Nmnat2V98M/R232Q compound-heterozygous CRISPR mice survived to adulthood but developed progressive motor dysfunction, peripheral axon loss, and macrophage infiltration. These disease phenotypes were all SARM1-dependent. Remarkably, macrophage depletion therapy blocked and reversed …

G Protein Gamma Subunit, A Hidden Master Regulator Of Gpcr Signaling, Dinesh Kankanamge, Mithila Tennakoon, Ajith Karunarathne, N Gautam

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Heterotrimeric G proteins (αβγ subunits) that are activated by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the biological responses of eukaryotic cells to extracellular signals. The α subunits and the tightly bound βγ subunit complex of G proteins have been extensively studied and shown to control the activity of effector molecules. In contrast, the potential roles of the large family of γ subunits have been less studied. In this review, we focus on present knowledge about these proteins. Induced loss of individual γ subunit types in animal and plant models result in strikingly distinct phenotypes indicating that γ subtypes play important and …

Identification Of Patients With Ovarian Cancer Experiencing The Highest Benefit From Bevacizumab In The First-Line Setting On The Basis Of Their Tumor-Intrinsic Chemosensitivity (Kelim): The Gog-0218 Validation Study, Benoit You, David Mutch, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: In patients with high-grade ovarian cancer, predictors of bevacizumab efficacy in first-line setting are needed. In the ICON-7 trial, a poor tumor intrinsic chemosensitivity (defined by unfavorable modeled cancer antigen-125 [CA-125] ELIMination rate constant K [KELIM] score) was a predictive biomarker. Only the patients with high-risk disease (suboptimally resected stage III, or stage IV) exhibiting unfavorable KELIM score < 1.0 had overall survival (OS) benefit from bevacizumab (median: 29.7

METHODS: In GOG-0218, 1,873 patients were treated with carboplatin-paclitaxel ± concurrent-maintenance bevacizumab/placebo. Patient KELIM values were calculated with CA-125 kinetics during the first 100 chemotherapy days by the Lyon University team. The association between KELIM score (favorable ≥ 1.0, or unfavorable …

Association Of Leukocyte Telomere Length With Perceived Physical Fatigability, Rain Katz, Emma L Gay, Allison L Kuipers, Joseph H Lee, Lawrence S Honig, Kaare Christensen, Mary F Feitosa, Mary K Wojczynski, Nancy W Glynn, Llfs Research Group

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is a potential genomic marker of biological aging, but its relation to fatigability, a prognostic indicator of phenotypic aging (e.g., functional decline) is unknown. We hypothesized shorter LTL would predict greater perceived physical fatigability, but that this association would be attenuated by adjusting for chronological age.

METHODS: Two generations of participants (N = 1997; 309 probands, 1688 offspring) were from the Long Life Family Study (age = 73.7 ± 10.4, range 60-108, 54.4 % women), a longitudinal cohort study of aging. LTL was assayed at baseline. Perceived physical fatigability was measured 8.0 ± 1.1 years …

Impact Of Aortic Valve Effective Height Following Valve-Sparing Root Replacement On Postoperative Insufficiency And Reoperation, Puja Kachroo, Meghan O Kelly, Nadia H Bakir, Catherine Cooper, Alan C Braverman, Nicholas T Kouchoukos, Marc R Moon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the impact of anatomic aortic root parameters during valve-sparing root replacement on the probability of postoperative aortic insufficiency and freedom from aortic valve reoperation.

METHODS: From 1995 to 2020, 177 patients underwent valve-sparing root replacement (163 reimplantations, 14 remodeling). Preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms were analyzed to measure annulus and sinus diameters, effective height of leaflet coaptation, and degree of aortic insufficiency. Logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of 2+ or greater late postoperative aortic insufficiency. Fine-Gray regression determined predictors for aortic valve reintervention.

RESULTS: The study population included 122 (69%) men with a mean age …

The Genetic Risk Factor Cel-Hyb1 Causes Proteotoxicity And Chronic Pancreatitis In Mice, Karianne Fjeld, Steven J Wilhelm, Jianguo Lin, Xunjun Xiao, Mark E Lowe, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The CEL gene encodes the digestive enzyme carboxyl ester lipase. CEL-HYB1, a hybrid allele of CEL and its adjacent pseudogene CELP, is a genetic variant suggested to increase the risk of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Our aim was to develop a mouse model for CEL-HYB1 that enables studies of pancreatic disease mechanisms.

METHODS: We established a knock-in mouse strain where the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) region of the endogenous mouse Cel gene was substituted with the mutated VNTR of the human CEL-HYB1 allele. Heterozygous and homozygous Cel-HYB1 mice and littermate wildtype controls were characterized with respect …

The Clinical Spectrum Of Sma-Pme And In Vitro Normalization Of Its Cellular Ceramide Profile, Michelle M Lee, Toni S Pearson, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to define the clinical and biochemical spectrum of spinal muscular atrophy with progressive myoclonic epilepsy (SMA-PME) and to determine if aberrant cellular ceramide accumulation could be normalized by enzyme replacement.

METHODS: Clinical features of 6 patients with SMA-PME were assessed by retrospective chart review, and a literature review of 24 previously published cases was performed. Leukocyte enzyme activity of acid ceramidase was assessed with a fluorescence-based assay. Skin fibroblast ceramide content and was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography, electrospray ionization tandem mass spectroscopy. Enzyme replacement was assessed using recombinant human acid ceramidase …

Vascular Endothelial-Cadherin As A Marker Of Endothelial Injury In Preclinical Alzheimer Disease, Rawan Tarawneh, Rachel S Kasper, Jessie Sanford, Chia-Ling Phuah, Jason Hassenstab, Carlos Cruchaga

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Endothelial dysfunction is an early and prevalent pathology in Alzheimer disease (AD). We here investigate the value of vascular endothelial-cadherin (VEC) as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) marker of endothelial injury in preclinical AD.

METHODS: Cognitively normal participants (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] 0) from the Knight Washington University-ADRC were included in this study (n = 700). Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (PACC) scores, CSF VEC, tau, p-tau181, Aβ42/Aβ40, neurofilament light-chain (NFL) levels, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments of white matter injury (WMI) were obtained from all participants. A subset of participants underwent brain amyloid imaging using positron emission tomography (amyloid-PET) …

The Clinical Landscape Of Cell-Free Dna Alterations In 1671 Patients With Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer, J E Berchuck, B Tan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Targeted therapies have transformed clinical management of advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis is an attractive approach for cancer genomic profiling that overcomes many limitations of traditional tissue-based analysis. We examined cfDNA as a tool to inform clinical management of patients with advanced BTC and generate novel insights into BTC tumor biology.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed next-generation sequencing data of 2068 cfDNA samples from 1671 patients with advanced BTC generated with Guardant360. We carried out clinical annotation on a multi-institutional subset (n = 225) to assess intra-patient cfDNA-tumor concordance and the association of cfDNA variant …

Blood Pressure Responses Are Dependent On Call Type And Related To Hypertension Status In Firefighters, Paige J Rynne, Cassandra C Derella, Carly Mcmorrow, Rachel L Dickinson, Stephanie Donahue, Andrew A Almeida, Megan Carty, Deborah L Feairheller

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Background: Impaired cardiovascular health is a concern for firefighters, with over 50% of line-of-duty deaths having cardiac causes. Many firefighters have hypertension and <25% have their blood pressure (BP) controlled. The alarm response could be an unidentified cardiac risk, but interestingly, the BP response to different calls and on-the-job activity is unknown.

Purpose: We aimed to measure the physiological stress resulting from different call types (fire, medical) and job activity (riding apparatus, pre-alert alarms) through ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring in a population of firefighters.

Materials and methods: During 111 12-h work shifts firefighters wore an ABP monitor. BP was measured at 30-min intervals and manual measurements were prompted when the pager went off or whenever they felt stress.

Results: Firefighters were hypertensive (124.3 ± 9.9/78.1 ± 6.7 mmHg), overweight …

Guidelines For Assessment Of Cardiac Electrophysiology And Arrhythmias In Small Animals, Crystal M Ripplinger, Stacey L Rentschler, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although recent advances in cell-based models, including human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM), are contributing to our understanding of electrophysiology and arrhythmia mechanisms, preclinical animal studies of cardiovascular disease remain a mainstay. Over the past several decades, animal models of cardiovascular disease have advanced our understanding of pathological remodeling, arrhythmia mechanisms, and drug effects and have led to major improvements in pacing and defibrillation therapies. There exist a variety of methodological approaches for the assessment of cardiac electrophysiology and a plethora of parameters may be assessed with each approach. …

Listeria Motility Increases The Efficiency Of Epithelial Invasion During Intestinal Infection, Inge M. N. Wortel, Seonyoung Kim, Annie Y. Liu, Enid C. Ibarra, Mark J. Miller

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a food-borne pathogen that causes severe bacterial gastroenteritis, with high rates of hospitalization and mortality. Lm is ubiquitous in soil, water and livestock, and can survive and proliferate at low temperatures. Following oral ingestion of contaminated food, Lm crosses the epithelium through intestinal goblet cells in a mechanism mediated by Lm InlA binding host E-cadherin. Importantly, human infections typically occur with Lm growing at or below room temperature, which is flagellated and motile. Even though many important human bacterial pathogens are flagellated, little is known regarding the effect of Lm motility on invasion and immune evasion. …

Ubiquitin Variants Potently Inhibit Sars-Cov-2 Plpro And Viral Replication Via A Novel Site Distal To The Protease Active Site, Vera J. E. Van Vliet, Nitin Sharma, Safder S. Ganaie, Gaya K. Amarasinghe, Et Al

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has made it clear that combating coronavirus outbreaks benefits from a combination of vaccines and therapeutics. A promising drug target common to all coronaviruses-including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2-is the papain-like protease (PLpro). PLpro cleaves part of the viral replicase polyproteins into non-structural protein subunits, which are essential to the viral replication cycle. Additionally, PLpro can cleave both ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like protein ISG15 from host cell substrates as a mechanism to evade innate immune responses during infection. These roles make PLpro an attractive antiviral drug target. Here we demonstrate that ubiquitin …

Association Of Provider Hpv Vaccination Training With Provider Assessment Of Hpv Vaccination Status And Recommendation Of Hpv Vaccination, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Charles Darkoh, Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, Wenyaw Chan, Paige Padgett Wermuth, Mala Pande, Sonia A Cunningham, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The delivery of strong HPV vaccine recommendations hinges on the expertise of healthcare providers (HCPs) in assessing patients' status and recommending HPV vaccination. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of HCPs practicing in Texas to examine the relationship between HPV vaccination training of HCPs and HPV vaccination status assessment and recommendation. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between HCPs' formal training and recency of training in HPV vaccination promotion or counseling with HPV vaccination status assessment and recommendation. Of the 1,283 HCPs who completed the online survey, 43% had received training in HPV vaccination promotion or counseling, …

Avpcancerfree: Impact Of A Digital Behavior Change Intervention On Parental Hpv Vaccine –Related Perceptions And Behaviors, Ross Shegog, Lara S Savas, C Mary Healy, Erica L Frost, Sharon P Coan, Efrat K Gabay, Sharice M Preston, Stanley W Spinner, Mathew Wilbur, Elisabeth Becker, Travis Teague, Sally W Vernon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Parent hesitancy contributes to reduced HPV vaccination rates. The HPVcancerfree app (HPVCF) was designed to assist parents in making evidence-based decisions regarding HPV vaccination. This study examined if parents of vaccine-eligible youth (11-12 yrs.) who use HPVCF in addition to usual care demonstrate significantly more positive intentions and attitudes toward HPV vaccination and greater HPV vaccination rates compared to those not using HPVCF. Clinics (n = 51) within a large urban pediatric network were randomly assigned to treatment (HPVCF + usual care) or comparison (usual care only) conditions in a RCT conducted between September 2017 and February 2019. Parents completed …

An Ai-Driven Clinical Care Pathway To Reduce 30-Day Readmission For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Patients, Lin Wang, Guihua Li, Chika F Ezeana, Richard Ogunti, Mamta Puppala, Tiancheng He, Xiaohui Yu, Solomon S Y Wong, Zheng Yin, Aaron W Roberts, Aryan Nezamabadi, Pingyi Xu, Adaani Frost, Robert E Jackson, Stephen T C Wong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Healthcare regulatory agencies have mandated a reduction in 30-day hospital readmission rates and have targeted COPD as a major contributor to 30-day readmissions. We aimed to develop and validate a simple tool deploying an artificial neural network (ANN) for early identification of COPD patients with high readmission risk. Using COPD patient data from eight hospitals within a large urban hospital system, four variables were identified, weighted and validated. These included the number of in-patient admissions in the previous 6 months, the number of medications administered on the first day, insurance status, and the Rothman Index on hospital day one. An …

Hiv Care Experiences And Health Priorities During The First Wave Of Covid-19: Clients' Perspectives - A Qualitative Study In Lusaka, Zambia, Njekwa Mukamba, Anjali Sharma, Chanda Mwamba, Herbert Nyirenda, Marksman Foloko, Kasapo Lumbo, Katerina Christopoulos, Sandra Simbeza, Kombatende Sikombe, Charles B Holmes, Elvin H Geng, Izukanji Sikazwe, Carolyn Bolton-Moore, Laura K Beres

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The novel COVID-19 pandemic threatened to disrupt access to human immunodeficiency (HIV) treatment for persons living with HIV (PLHIV), two-thirds of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. To inform a health system response supportive of continuity of care, we sought to understand clients' HIV care experiences and health priorities during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Lusaka, Zambia.

METHODS: Leveraging a study cohort of those who completed periodic SMS surveys on HIV care, we purposefully sampled 25 PLHIV after first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in Zambia on 18

RESULTS: All participants were aware of COVID-19, and HIV care …

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy And Outcomes From Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Patients With Cancer: A Joint Analysis Of Oncovid And Esmo-Cocare Registries, Alessio Cortellini, Gino M Dettorre, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: As management and prevention strategies against COVID-19 evolve, it is still uncertain whether prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) affects COVID-19 severity in patients with cancer.

METHODS: In a joint analysis of ICI recipients from OnCovid (NCT04393974) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) CoCARE registries, we assessed severity and mortality from SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with cancer and explored whether prior immune-related adverse events (irAEs) influenced outcome from COVID-19.

FINDINGS: The study population consisted of 240 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and February 2022 exposed to ICI within 3 months prior to COVID-19 …

Criterion Validity Of A Short Food Frequency Questionnaire For Mexican American Adults, Natalia I Heredia, Deanna M Hoelscher, Vanessa Vega, Belinda M Reininger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to validate the School Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for Mexican American adults (SPAN MAA). Methods: A sample of 100 Mexican American adult participants was drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (on the Texas–Mexico border). We used Spearman rank order correlation coefficients, kappa statistics, and percent agreement to compare the SPAN MAA questionnaire to a 24 h recall collected on the same day. Results: Of 100 participants, 93 were included in the analyses. One item showed substantial (>0.6), five items moderate (>0.4), five items fair ( …