Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sars-Cov-2 Anti-N Antibodies Among Healthcare Personnel Without Previous Known Covid-19, Sajal Tiwary, Caroline A O'Neil, Kate Peacock, Candice Cass, Mostafa Amor, Meghan A Wallace, David Mcdonald, Olivia Arter, Kelly Alvarado, Lucy Vogt, Henry Stewart, Daniel Park, Victoria J Fraser, Carey-Ann D Burnham, Christopher W Farnsworth, Jennie H Kwon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: To measure SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) antibody seropositivity among healthcare personnel (HCP) without a history of COVID-19 and to identify HCP characteristics associated with seropositivity.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study from September 22, 2020, to March 3, 2022.

SETTING: A tertiary care academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS: 727 HCP without prior positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing were enrolled; 559 HCP successfully completed follow-up.

METHODS: At enrollment and follow-up 1-6 months later, HCP underwent SARS-CoV-2 anti-N testing and were surveyed on demographics, employment information, vaccination status, and COVID-19 symptoms and exposures.

RESULTS: Of 727 HCP enrolled, 27 (3.7%) had a positive SARS-CoV-2 anti-N test …

The Black And African American Connections To Parkinson's Disease (Blaac Pd) Study Protocol, Lana M Chahine, Scott A Norris, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Determining the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease (PD) across diverse ancestries is a high priority as this work can guide therapeutic development in a global setting. The genetics of PD spans the etiological risk spectrum, from rare, highly deleterious variants linked to monogenic forms with Mendelian patterns of inheritance, to common variation involved in sporadic disease. A major limitation in PD genomics research is lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Enrollment disparities have detrimental consequences on the generalizability of results and exacerbate existing inequities in care. The Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) study is part …

Evaluating A Virtual Facilitation Workshop With Antimicrobial Stewardship Teams Within A Cluster Randomized Stepped-Wedge Trial, Sara Malone, Kelly Bono, Jacqueline M Saito, Shawn Rangel, Jingxia Liu, Jason G Newland, Virginia Mckay

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) often function naturally as facilitators within clinical hospital settings, by working with individuals and teams to reduce unnecessary antibiotics. Within implementation science, facilitation has been studied and evaluated as an implementation strategy that can accelerate and improve fidelity to implementation efforts. This study describes a novel, virtual facilitation strategy developed and served as an intervention within the optimizing perioperative antibiotics for children trial (OPERATIC trial). This paper: (1) describes ASP team's preferences for and use of a facilitation workshop and (2) describes sustained use of facilitation skills throughout the study period.

METHODS: Study participants included …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness And Sleep, But Not Physical Activity, Are Associated With Functional Connectivity In Older Adults, David Wing, Bart Roelands, Julie Loebach Wetherell, Jeanne F Nichols, Romain Meeusen, Job G Godino, Joshua S Shimony, Abraham Z Snyder, Tomoyuki Nishino, Ginger E Nicol, Guy Nagels, Lisa T Eyler, Eric J Lenze

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Aging results in changes in resting state functional connectivity within key networks associated with cognition. Cardiovascular function, physical activity, sleep, and body composition may influence these age-related changes in the brain. Better understanding these associations may help clarify mechanisms related to brain aging and guide interventional strategies to reduce these changes.

METHODS: In a large (n = 398) sample of healthy community dwelling older adults that were part of a larger interventional trial, we conducted cross sectional analyses of baseline data to examine the relationships between several modifiable behaviors and resting state functional connectivity within networks associated with cognition …

Glucose Metabolism Controls Monocyte Homeostasis And Migration But Has No Impact On Atherosclerosis Development In Mice, Alexandre Gallerand, Gyu Seong Heo, Hannah Luehmann, Yongjian Liu, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Monocytes directly contribute to atherosclerosis development by their recruitment to plaques in which they differentiate into macrophages. In the present study, we ask how modulating monocyte glucose metabolism could affect their homeostasis and their impact on atherosclerosis. Here we investigate how circulating metabolites control monocyte behavior in blood, bone marrow and peripheral tissues of mice. We find that serum glucose concentrations correlate with monocyte numbers. In diet-restricted mice, monocytes fail to metabolically reprogram from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation, leading to reduced monocyte numbers in the blood. Mechanistically, Glut1-dependent glucose metabolism helps maintain CD115 membrane expression on monocytes and their …

Application Of The Estimand Framework For An Emulated Trial Using Reference Based Multiple Imputation To Investigate Informative Censoring, A Atkinson, M Zwahlen, S De Wit, H Furrer, J R Carpenter

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The ICH E9 (R1) addendum on Estimands and Sensitivity analysis in Clinical trials proposes a framework for the design and analysis of clinical trials aimed at improving clarity around the definition of the targeted treatment effect (the estimand) of a study.

METHODS: We adopt the estimand framework in the context of a study using "trial emulation" to estimate the risk of pneumocystis pneumonia, an opportunistic disease contracted by people living with HIV and AIDS having a weakened immune system, when considering two antibiotic treatment regimes for stopping antibiotic prophylaxis treatment against this disease. A "while on treatment" strategy has …

Direct Targeting Of Mitochondria By Cisplatin Leads To Cytotoxicity In Zebrafish Lateral-Line Hair Cells, David S Lee, Angela Schrader, Jiaoxia Zou, Wee Han Ang, Mark E Warchol, Lavinia Sheets

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that causes permanent hearing loss by injuring cochlear hair cells. Hair cell mitochondria have emerged as potential mediators of hair cell cytotoxicity. Using

Divergent Sensory Pathways Of Sneezing And Coughing, Haowu Jiang, Huan Cui, Mengyu Chen, Fengxian Li, Xiaolei Shen, Changxiong J Guo, George E Hoekel, Yuyan Zhu, Liang Han, Kangyun Wu, Michael J Holtzman, Qin Liu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sneezing and coughing are primary symptoms of many respiratory viral infections and allergies. It is generally assumed that sneezing and coughing involve common sensory receptors and molecular neurotransmission mechanisms. Here, we show that the nasal mucosa is innervated by several discrete populations of sensory neurons, but only one population (MrgprC11

Frugal Engineering-Inspired Wearable Augmented Reality Goggle System Enables Fluorescence-Guided Cancer Surgery, Leonid Shmuylovich, Christine M O'Brien, Karen Nwosu, Samuel Achilefu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Disparities in surgical outcomes often result from subjective decisions dictated by surgical training, experience, and available resources. To improve outcomes, surgeons have adopted advancements in robotics, endoscopy, and intra-operative imaging including fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), which highlights tumors and anatomy in real-time. However, technical, economic, and logistic challenges hinder widespread adoption of FGS beyond high-resource centers. To overcome these impediments, we combined laser diodes, Raspberry Pi cameras and computers, off-the-shelf optical components, and 3D-printed parts to make a battery-powered, compact, dual white light and NIR imaging system that has comparable performance to existing bulkier, pricier, and wall-powered technologies. We combined these …

A Combination Of Four Toxoplasma Gondii Nuclear-Targeted Effectors Protects Against Interferon Gamma-Driven Human Host Cell Death, Brittany Henry, Aubrey J Phillips, L David Sibley, Alex Rosenberg

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In both mice and humans, Type II interferon gamma (IFNγ) is crucial for the regulation of

Characterization Of Non-Standard Viral Genomes During Arenavirus Infections Identifies Prominent S Rna Intergenic Region Deletions, Matthew Hackbart, Carolina B López

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Arenaviruses, a family of negative-sense RNA viruses spread by rodents, are a leading cause of severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Due to a paucity of antivirals and vaccines for arenaviruses, there is a need to identify new mechanisms for interfering with arenavirus replication. In several negative-sense RNA viruses, natural viral interference results from the production of non-standard viral genomes (nsVGs) that activate the innate immune system and/or compete for essential viral products. Although it is well established that arenaviruses produce strong interfering activities, it is unknown if they produce interfering nsVGs. Here, we show that arenaviruses produce deletions within the …

Immuno-Scanning Electron Microscopy Of Islet Primary Cilia, Sanja Sviben, Alexander J Polino, Isabella L Melena, Jing W Hughes

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The definitive demonstration of protein localization on primary cilia has been a challenge for cilia biologists. Primary cilia are solitary thread-like projections that have a specialized protein composition, but as the ciliary structure overlays the cell membrane and other cell parts, the identity of ciliary proteins are difficult to ascertain by conventional imaging approaches like immunofluorescence microscopy. Surface scanning electron microscopy combined with immunolabeling (immuno-SEM) bypasses some of these indeterminacies by unambiguously showing protein expression in the context of the three-dimensional ultrastructure of the cilium. Here, we apply immuno-SEM to specifically identify proteins on the primary cilia of mouse and …

The Utility Of Indocyanine Green Angiography In Breast Reconstruction To Detect Mastectomy Skin Flap Necrosis And Free Flap Perfusion: An Umbrella Review, Nicholas Fadell, Flora Laurent, Sai Anusha Sanka, Esther Ochoa, Lauren Yaeger, Xiaowei Li, Matthew D Wood, Justin M Sacks, Saif Badran

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Two of the greatest challenges in breast reconstruction are mastectomy skin flap necrosis (MSFN) and autologous flap failure. This review summarizes current evidence regarding the usage of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in breast reconstruction, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides directions for future studies. An umbrella review was conducted to identify related syntheses in Embase, Ovid Medline, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Clinical Trials databases. Data were extracted from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) that discussed the use of ICGA in breast reconstruction. Sixteen syntheses were included (10 SRs …

Social Determinants Of Health Affect Psychological Distress Among People With Disabilities, Jessica Kersey, Amie Devlin, Sarah Shyres, Emily A Kringle, Ashley J Housten

2020-Current year OA Pubs

People with disabilities experience inequitable exposure to social determinants of health (SDOH) that contribute to disparate health outcomes, including psychological distress. There is little research examining which SDOH have the strongest effect on psychological distress among people with disabilities. This leaves healthcare providers and policy makers with insufficient information to make well-informed treatment decisions or allocate resources effectively. We explored the association between SDOH and disability and which factors may moderate the association between disability and psychological distress. Using data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (Phase 3.5), we examined SDOH among people with and without disability (

Adipocyte Lipin 1 Expression Associates With Human Metabolic Health And Regulates Systemic Metabolism In Mice, Andrew Lapoint, Jason M. Singer, Daniel Ferguson, Trevor M. Shew, M. Katie Renkemeyer, Hector H. Palacios, Rachael L. Field, Gordon I. Smith, Mai He, Gary J Patti, Samuel Klein, Jonathan R. Brestoff, Brian N. Finck, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Dysfunctional adipose tissue is believed to promote the development of hepatic steatosis and systemic insulin resistance, but many of the mechanisms involved are still unclear. Lipin 1 catalyzes the conversion of phosphatidic acid to diacylglycerol, the penultimate step of triglyceride synthesis, which is essential for lipid storage. Herein we found that adipose tissue LPIN1 expression is decreased in people with obesity compared with lean subjects, and low LPIN1 expression correlated with multi-tissue insulin resistance and increased rates of hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Comprehensive metabolic and multiomic phenotyping demonstrated that adipocyte-specific Lpin1-/- mice had a metabolically unhealthy phenotype, including liver and …

Lessons Learned From The Conduct Of Inpatient Clinical Trials In A Pandemic, Jane A. O'Halloran, Jeremy R. Beitler, Lucy K. Chung, Mamta K. Jain, Akram Khan, Lisa H. Merck, Ahmad Mourad, Minn A. Oh, Shweta Sharma, Tammy Yokum, Seema U. Nayak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Molecular Detection And Genomic Characterization Of Samak Micromys Paramyxovirus-1 And -2 In Micromys Minutus, Republic Of Korea, Augustine Natasha, Sarah E Pye, Carolina B López, Qq Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The discovery of viruses in small mammalian populations, particularly rodents, has expanded the family Paramyxoviridae. The overlap in habitats between rodents and humans increases the risk of zoonotic events, underscoring the importance of active surveillance. Rodent species, such as Apodemus agrarius, are natural hosts for Paramyxoviridae in the Republic of Korea (ROK). However, it is unknown whether Paramyxoviridae is present in Micromys minutus, another common rodent.

METHOD: Here, we screened M. minutus collected from the Gangwon Province in the ROK for paramyxoviruses using nested polymerase chain reaction and confirm positive samples by next-generation metagenomic sequencing. Complete paramyxovirus genomes were …

Molecular Detection And Genomic Characterization Of Samak Micromys Paramyxovirus-1 And -2 In Micromys Minutus, Republic Of Korea, Augustine Natasha, Sarah E Pye, Carolina B López, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The discovery of viruses in small mammalian populations, particularly rodents, has expanded the family Paramyxoviridae. The overlap in habitats between rodents and humans increases the risk of zoonotic events, underscoring the importance of active surveillance. Rodent species, such as Apodemus agrarius, are natural hosts for Paramyxoviridae in the Republic of Korea (ROK). However, it is unknown whether Paramyxoviridae is present in Micromys minutus, another common rodent.

METHOD: Here, we screened M. minutus collected from the Gangwon Province in the ROK for paramyxoviruses using nested polymerase chain reaction and confirm positive samples by next-generation metagenomic sequencing. Complete paramyxovirus genomes were …

Integrating Hypertension Detection And Management In Hiv Care In South Africa: Protocol For A Stepped-Wedged Cluster Randomized Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Trial, Karla I Galaviz, Charles W Goss, Aaloke Mody, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: HIV clinical guidelines recommend hypertension detection and management to lower cardiovascular disease risk, but these have not been effectively implemented for people living with HIV (PWH). Addressing this implementation gap requires community-engaged implementation studies focused on addressing implementation barriers specific to the HIV care context.

METHODS: This protocol describes a type 2 effectiveness-implementation hybrid study conducted in nine primary care clinics in Johannesburg. The study will evaluate the effect of implementation strategies on guideline-recommended blood pressure assessment and management in HIV clinics and the effects of assessment/management on patient blood pressure. A stepped-wedge, cluster randomized study design was used …

Thrombotic, Cardiovascular, And Microvascular Complications Of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms And Clonal Hematopoiesis (Chip): A Narrative Review, Andrew I Schafer, Douglas L Mann

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), with the exception of myelofibrosis, are venous and arterial thrombosis, as well as more recently discovered cardiovascular disease (CVD). Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is the subclinical finding in an individual of somatic mutations that are also found in clinically overt MPNs and other myeloid malignancies. The prevalence of "silent" CHIP increases with age. CHIP can transform into a clinically overt MPN at an estimated rate of 0.5 to 1% per year. It is likely, therefore, but not proven, that many, if not all, MPN patients …

A Proteomics Approach To Study Mouse Long Bones: Examining Baseline Differences And Mechanical Loading-Induced Bone Formation In Young-Adult And Old Mice, Christopher J Chermside-Scabbo, John T Shuster, Petra Erdmann-Gilmore, Eric Tycksen, Qiang Zhang, R Reid Townsend, Matthew J Silva

2020-Current year OA Pubs

With aging, bone mass declines and the anabolic effects of skeletal loading diminish. While much research has focused on gene transcription, how bone ages and loses its mechanoresponsiveness at the protein level remains unclear. We developed a novel proteomics approach and performed a paired mass spectrometry and RNA-seq analysis on tibias from young-adult (5-month) and old (22-month) mice. We report the first correlation estimate between the bone proteome and transcriptome (Spearman

Fluid Biomarkers In The Context Of Amyloid-Targeting Disease-Modifying Treatments In Alzheimer's Disease, Yan Hu, Min Cho, Pallavi Sachdev, Jeffrey Dage, Suzanne Hendrix, Oskar Hansson, Randall J Bateman, Harald Hampel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Clinical management and therapeutics development for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have entered a new era, with recent approvals of monoclonal antibody therapies targeting the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and modifying its trajectory. Imaging and fluid biomarkers are becoming increasingly important in the clinical development of AD therapeutics. This review focuses on the evidence of fluid biomarkers from recent amyloid-β-targeting clinical trials, summarizing biomarker data across 12 trials. It further proposes a simple framework to put biomarker guidance in the context of amyloid-pathway-targeted disease modification, delineates factors that impact biomarker data in clinical trials, and highlights knowledge gaps and future directions. …

Recent Progress In Modeling And Treating Diabetes Using Stem Cell-Derived Islets, Marlie M Maestas, Maggie H Bui, Jeffrey R Millman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Stem cell-derived islets (SC-islets) offer the potential to be an unlimited source of cells for disease modeling and the treatment of diabetes. SC-islets can be genetically modified, treated with chemical compounds, or differentiated from patient derived stem cells to model diabetes. These models provide insights into disease pathogenesis and vulnerabilities that may be targeted to provide treatment. SC-islets themselves are also being investigated as a cell therapy for diabetes. However, the transplantation process is imperfect; side effects from immunosuppressant use have reduced SC-islet therapeutic potential. Alternative methods to this include encapsulation, use of immunomodulating molecules, and genetic modification of SC-islets. …

Rethinking Our Future: Describing And Enhancing The Impacts Of Dissemination And Implementation Science For Cancer Prevention And Control, Vianca C. Soulette, Karen M. Emmons, Douglas A. Luke, Peg Allen, Bobbi J. Carothers, Ross C. Brownson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Molecular Characterization Of Sterol C4-Methyl Oxidase In Leishmania Major, Yu Ning, Somrita Basu, Fong-Fu Hsu, Mei Feng, Michael Zhuo Wang, Kai Zhang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sterol biosynthesis requires the oxidative removal of two methyl groups from the C-4 position by sterol C-4-demethylase and one methyl group from the C-14 position by sterol C-14-demethylase. In

Clinical And Functional Studies Of Mtor Variants In Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Reveal Deficits Of Circadian Rhythm And Sleep-Wake Behavior, Andrew C Liu, Yang Shen, Carolyn R Serbinski, Hongzhi He, Destino Roman, Mehari Endale, Lindsey Aschbacher-Smith, Katherine A King, Jorge L Granadillo, Isabel López, Darcy A Krueger, Thomas J Dye, David F Smith, John B Hogenesch, Carlos E Prada

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Heterozygous de novo or inherited gain-of-function mutations in the MTOR gene cause Smith-Kingsmore syndrome (SKS). SKS is a rare autosomal dominant condition, and individuals with SKS display macrocephaly/megalencephaly, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and seizures. A few dozen individuals are reported in the literature. Here, we report a cohort of 28 individuals with SKS that represent nine MTOR pathogenic variants. We conducted a detailed natural history study and found pathophysiological deficits among individuals with SKS in addition to the common neurodevelopmental symptoms. These symptoms include sleep-wake disturbance, hyperphagia, and hyperactivity, indicative of homeostatic imbalance. To characterize these variants, we developed cell …

Lowering The Burden: Shorter Versions Of The Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (Psat) And Clinical Sustainability Assessment Tool (Csat), Sara Malone, Kim Prewitt, Virginia Mckay, Luke Zabotka, Caren Bacon, Douglas A Luke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Although significant advances have been made in the conceptualization of sustainability, having pragmatic, psychometrically valid tools remains a need within the field. Our previous work has developed frameworks and tools to assess both program sustainability and clinical sustainability capacity. This work presents new, psychometrically tested short versions of the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool (PSAT) and the Clinical Sustainability Assessment Tool (CSAT).

METHODS: These methods were conducted in identical, parallel processes for the CSAT and PSAT. Previously collected data for these instruments was obtained across a variety of settings, contexts, and participants. We first conducted testing to determine cronbach's alpha …

Activation Of Pkr By A Short-Hairpin Rna, Kyle A Cottrell, Sua Ryu, Helen Donelick, Hung Mai, Addison A Young, Jackson R Pierce, Brenda L Bass, Jason D Weber

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Recognition of viral infection often relies on the detection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a process that is conserved in many different organisms. In mammals, proteins such as MDA5, RIG-I, OAS, and PKR detect viral dsRNA, but struggle to differentiate between viral and endogenous dsRNA. This study investigates an shRNA targeting DDX54's potential to activate PKR, a key player in the immune response to dsRNA. Knockdown of DDX54 by a specific shRNA induced robust PKR activation in human cells, even when DDX54 is overexpressed, suggesting an off-target mechanism. Activation of PKR by the shRNA was enhanced by knockdown of ADAR1, a …

Symposium: What Does The Microbiome Tell Us About Prevention And Treatment Of Ad/Adrd?, Joia K Capocchi, Claudia Figueroa-Romero, Sage J B Dunham, Gina Faraci, Jason A Rothman, Katrine L Whiteson, Dong-Oh Seo, David M Holtzman, Stefanie Grabrucker, Yvonne M Nolan, Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, David A Jett

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRDs) are broad-impact multifactorial neurodegenerative diseases. Their complexity presents unique challenges for developing effective therapies. This review highlights research presented at the 2024 Society for Neuroscience meeting which emphasized the gut microbiome's role in AD pathogenesis by influencing brain function and neurodegeneration through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This emerging evidence underscores the potential for targeting the gut microbiota to treat AD/ADRD.

Rare Variant Contribution To The Heritability Of Coronary Artery Disease, Ghislain Rocheleau, Erica P Young, Nathan O Stitziel, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Whole genome sequences (WGS) enable discovery of rare variants which may contribute to missing heritability of coronary artery disease (CAD). To measure their contribution, we apply the GREML-LDMS-I approach to WGS of 4949 cases and 17,494 controls of European ancestry from the NHLBI TOPMed program. We estimate CAD heritability at 34.3% assuming a prevalence of 8.2%. Ultra-rare (minor allele frequency ≤ 0.1%) variants with low linkage disequilibrium (LD) score contribute ~50% of the heritability. We also investigate CAD heritability enrichment using a diverse set of functional annotations: i) constraint; ii) predicted protein-altering impact; iii) cis-regulatory elements from a cell-specific chromatin …