Public Health Commons^™

A Systematic Review Up To 2018 Of Hiv And Associated Factors Among Criminal Justice-Involved (Cji) Black Sexual And Gender Minority Populations In The United States (Us), Russell Brewer, Santhoshini L Ramani, Aditya Khanna, Kayo Fujimoto, John A Schneider, Anna Hotton, Leo Wilton, Tania Escobedo, Nina T Harawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and Black transgender women (BTW) are impacted by dual epidemics of HIV and incarceration. We advanced understanding of the relationship between criminal justice involvement, HIV, and other key HIV-related characteristics among these key populations in the US. We conducted a systematic review up to 2018 and 47 articles met the inclusion criteria of scientific publications involving quantitative findings of US-based HIV-related studies focused on criminal justice-involved (CJI) BMSM and BTW. Overall, there was a dearth of studies focused specifically on BTW. Criminal justice involvement was relatively high among BMSM and BTW and …

Prediction Of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema By Dermal Backflow Detected With Near-Infrared Fluorescence Lymphatic Imaging, Melissa B Aldrich, John C Rasmussen, Sarah M Desnyder, Wendy A Woodward, Wenyaw Chan, Eva M Sevick-Muraca, Elizabeth A Mittendorf, Benjamin D Smith, Michael C Stauder, Eric A Strom, George H Perkins, Karen E Hoffman, Melissa P Mitchell, Carlos H Barcenas, Lynn E Isales, Simona F Shaitelman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Mild breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is clinically diagnosed as a 5%-10% increase in arm volume, typically measured no earlier than 3-6 months after locoregional treatment. Early BCRL treatment is associated with better outcomes, yet amid increasing evidence that lymphedema exists in a latent form, treatment is typically delayed until arm swelling is obvious. In this study, we investigated whether near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRF-LI) surveillance could characterize early onset of peripheral lymphatic dysfunction as a predictor of BCRL.

METHODS: In a prospective, longitudinal cohort/observational study (NCT02949726), subjects with locally advanced breast cancer who received axillary lymph node dissection and …

A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess The Impact Of A Nutrition Intervention On Dietary Behaviors Among Early Care And Education Providers: The Create Healthy Futures Study, Dania Mofleh, Ru-Jye Chuang, Nalini Ranjit, Jill N Cox, Christine Anthony, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Create Healthy Futures is a self-paced, web-based intervention on improving healthy eating behaviors among Early Care and Education (ECE) providers. We examined the impact of web-based Create Healthy Futures on diet quality measured by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) 2010, dietary behaviors, and related psychosocial and environmental factors among ECE providers. A cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) was implemented with baseline surveys administered from October 2019-January 2020, intervention implementation from April-May 2020, and post-intervention from May 2020-August 2020. Centered-based ECE programs under the Pennsylvania Head Start Association (n = 12) were recruited and randomized to intervention (n = 5) …

Perceived Discrimination And Injury At Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Latino Day Laborers, Lynn N Ibekwe, John S Atkinson, Rosalia Guerrero-Luera, Yesmel A King, Maria L Rangel, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Given the stigma of their undocumented status and their high prevalence of workplace injury, understanding the impact of discrimination on Latino day laborers (LDLs) is a critical public health issue.

METHODS: We surveyed LDLs (N = 149) and assessed their sociodemographics, experiences of and perceived reasons for discrimination, and work-related injury. A logistic regression examined the association between discrimination and injury, adjusting for sociodemographics. Next, Chi-square tests identified perceived reasons for discrimination associated with injury which were then included in a second logistic regression to test their association with injury, adjusting for discrimination and sociodemographics.

RESULTS: Participants reported a …

Perceived Discrimination And Injury At Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Latino Day Laborers, Lynn N Ibekwe, John S Atkinson, Rosalia Guerrero-Luera, Yesmel A King, Maria L Rangel, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Given the stigma of their undocumented status and their high prevalence of workplace injury, understanding the impact of discrimination on Latino day laborers (LDLs) is a critical public health issue.

METHODS: We surveyed LDLs (N = 149) and assessed their sociodemographics, experiences of and perceived reasons for discrimination, and work-related injury. A logistic regression examined the association between discrimination and injury, adjusting for sociodemographics. Next, Chi-square tests identified perceived reasons for discrimination associated with injury which were then included in a second logistic regression to test their association with injury, adjusting for discrimination and sociodemographics.

RESULTS: Participants reported a …

Awareness Of Human Papillomavirus And Reported Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake In A High-Risk Population, Trisha L Amboree, Jane R Montealegre, Paige Padgett Wermuth, Osaro Mgbere, Kayo Fujimoto, Charles Darkoh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and HPV vaccine uptake are likely exacerbated among racial/ethnic minority populations living in low-income areas. This study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of HPV awareness and HPV vaccine uptake in an urban, low-income, racial/ethnic minority population.

METHODS: Secondary data analyses were performed in 2021 using 380 participants aged 18-45 years from the 2019 National HIV Behavioral Surveillance for high-risk heterosexuals, which monitors HIV risk behaviors among individuals living in high-poverty, high HIV prevalence neighborhoods. Prevalence estimates and modified Poisson regression models were used to assess the relationship between HPV awareness and …

Association Of Disease Outcomes With Physical Activity In Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study, Trinh L T Huynh, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose/Objective Research: This study examined combinations of disease outcomes (i.e., walking, cognition, and symptoms) as correlates of physical activity subgroups (insufficiently active vs. sufficiently active) in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

RESEARCH METHOD/DESIGN: This study included 213 participants who completed walking and cognitive function tests and self-report measures of symptoms and physical activity. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis identified combinations of MS outcomes associated with physical activity.

RESULTS: The sample had a mean age of 49.6 years (

CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: The findings identified walking endurance and limitations, processing speed, depression, and fatigue as primary correlates of physical activity …

Mechanism Of Neonatal Hypoglycemia After Late Preterm Steroids: Are Fetal Metabolic Effects Responsible?, Ashley N Battarbee, Grecio J Sandoval, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Sean C Blackwell, Alan T N Tita, Uma M Reddy, Lucky Jain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE:

Betamethasone administration in the late preterm period(340/7–365/7 weeks’ gestation) not only reduces neonatal respiratory morbidity but also increases neonatal hypoglycemia through an uncertain mechanism.¹ Based on data from pregnant individuals with diabetes, excessive amounts of maternal glucose can cross the placenta and cause fetal hyperinsulinemia, which can cause neonatal hypoglycemia at birth.² Given that betamethasone can also increase maternal glucose levels,³ our objective was to explore the potential mechanisms for late preterm steroid-induced neonatal hypoglycemia by measuring the fetal metabolic effects of antenatal late preterm betamethasone and assessing the relationship of the fetal metabolic effects with …

Covid-19: Perceived Infection Risk And Barriers To Uptake Of Pfizer-Biontech And Moderna Vaccines Among Community Healthcare Workers, Tolulope B Famuyiro, Abayomi Ogunwale, Jude Des Bordes, Mukaila Raji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The health and economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic have prompted the need for a timely and effective vaccine development. While the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is being hailed as a scientific feat, skepticism about the safety, side effects, and even its long-term effects remain. Acceptance of the vaccine may therefore be a challenge among healthcare workers (HCWs), whose role is considered a proxy to determining the COVID-19 vaccine uptake response by the general population.

Methods: In December 2020, prior to the arrival and receipt of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, we conducted a …

Placental Pathology In Spontaneous And Iatrogenic Preterm Birth: Different Entities With Unique Pathologic Features, Lucy T Brink, Drucilla J Roberts, Colleen A Wright, Daan G Nel, Pawel T Schubert, Theonia K Boyd, David R Hall, Hein Odendaal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Placental pathology is an important contributor to the understanding of preterm birth and reveals major differences between spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) and iatrogenic preterm birth (IPTB). The aim of this study was to investigate these relationships.

METHODS: Research midwives collected placentas from 1101 women with singleton pregnancies who were enrolled in the Safe Passage Study. Trained pathology technologists prepared and processed placenta specimens for macroscopic and microscopic examination by designated pathologists. Statistical analyses were done with STATISTICA version 13.

RESULTS: In SPTB we found more cases of accelerated villous maturation; however, the other features of maternal vascular malperfusion (MVM) …

Final Evaluation Of La Door: Proposition 47 Grant Program, Melissa M Labriola, Danielle Sobol, Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Heather Sims

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Los Angeles Diversion, Outreach, and Opportunities for Recovery program (LA DOOR) was designed by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office (LACA) to provide a comprehensive, health-focused, preventative approach that proactively engages individuals at elevated risk of returning to LACA on a new misdemeanor offense related to substance use, mental illness, or homelessness. LA DOOR was funded through the grant program of Proposition 47. Programs funded through Proposition 47 are intended to serve individuals with a history of criminal justice involvement and mental health issues or substance use disorders and to offer mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and …

International Prevalence And Mechanisms Of Sars-Cov-2 In Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren A Beslow, Shannon C Agner, Jonathan D Santoro, Dipak Ram, Jenny L Wilson, Dana Harrar, Brian Appavu, Stuart M Fraser, Thomas Rossor, Marcela D Torres, Manoëlle Kossorotoff, Yenny C Zuñiga Zambrano, Marta Hernández-Chávez, Sahar M A Hassanein, Dimitrios Zafeiriou, Michael M Dowling, Ilona Kopyta, Nicholas V Stence, Timothy J Bernard, Nomazulu Dlamini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Data from the early pandemic revealed that 0.62% of children hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had an acute arterial ischemic stroke (AIS). In a larger cohort from June 2020 to December 2020, we sought to determine whether our initial point estimate was stable as the pandemic continued and to understand radiographic and laboratory data that may clarify mechanisms of pediatric AIS in the setting of SARS-CoV-2.

METHODS: We surveyed international sites with pediatric stroke expertise to determine numbers of hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients <18 >years, numbers of incident AIS cases among children (29 days to <18 >years), frequency …

Patient Preference For Virtual Versus In-Person Visits In Neuromuscular Clinical Practice, Komal Hafeez, Hani Kushlaf, Husam Al-Sultani, Anny-Claude Joseph, Zoya Zaeem, Zaeem Siddiqi, Shannon Laboy, Michael Pulley, Ali A Habib, Nathaniel M Robbins, Sean Zadeh, Muhammad Ubaid Hafeez, Yessar Hussain, Alexandria Melendez-Zaidi, Charles Kassardjian, Kristin Johnson, Holly Leonhard, Suur Biliciler, Jorge E Patino Murillas, Aziz I Shaibani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: It is unknown if patients with neuromuscular diseases prefer in-person or virtual telemedicine visits. We studied patient opinions and preference on virtual versus in-person visits, and the factors influencing such preferences.

METHODS: Telephone surveys, consisting of 11 questions, of patients from 10 neuromuscular centers were completed.

RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty surveys were completed. Twenty-six percent of respondents preferred virtual visits, while 50% preferred in-person visits. Sixty-four percent reported physical interaction as "very important." For receiving a new diagnosis, 55% preferred in-person vs 35% reporting no preference. Forty percent were concerned about a lack of physical examination vs 20% …

Sars-Cov-2 Infection: Host Response, Immunity, And Therapeutic Targets, Pooja Shivshankar, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Tingting Mills, Marie-Francoise Doursout, Yanyu Wang, Agnieszka K Czopik, Scott E Evans, Holger K Eltzschig, Xiaoyi Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has resulted in a global pandemic with severe socioeconomic effects. Immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and organ failure. Binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) on bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells triggers host inflammatory pathways that lead to pathophysiological changes. Proinflammatory cytokines and type I interferon (IFN) signaling in alveolar epithelial cells counter barrier disruption, modulate host innate immune response to induce chemotaxis, and initiate the resolution of inflammation. Here, we discuss experimental models to study SARS-CoV-2 …

Supporting Self-Management For Patients With Interstitial Lung Diseases: Utility And Acceptability Of Digital Devices, Shima Aran, Orest O Kayder, Teena Chopra, Hani Abujudeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

On December 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We report development of superficial thrombophlebitis in the ipsilateral breast of a 43-year-old female 7 days after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Given that this is the first case of superficial thrombophlebitis in the breast shortly after mRNA vaccination for COVID-19 reported to our knowledge, we suggest that this may be a rare vaccine-related event.

Antibody Evasion By Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Subvariants Ba2121, Ba4 And Ba5, Qian Wang, Yicheng Guo, Sho Iketani, Manoj S Nair, Zhiteng Li, Hiroshi Mohri, Maple Wang, Jian Yu, Anthony D Bowen, Jennifer Y Chang, Jayesh G Shah, Nadia Nguyen, Zhiwei Chen, Kathrine Meyers, Michael T Yin, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Zizhang Sheng, Yaoxing Huang, Lihong Liu, David D Ho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/5 have surged notably to become dominant in the United States and South Africa, respectively1,2. These new subvariants carrying further mutations in their spike proteins raise concerns that they may further evade neutralizing antibodies, thereby further compromising the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutic monoclonals. We now report findings from a systematic antigenic analysis of these surging Omicron subvariants. BA.2.12.1 is only modestly (1.8-fold) more resistant to sera from vaccinated and boosted individuals than BA.2. However, BA.4/5 is substantially (4.2-fold) more resistant and thus more likely to lead to vaccine breakthrough infections. Mutation at spike …

An Unexpected Cause Of Vaginal Hemorrhage, Adeola Kosoko, Mutinta Chisowa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Practicality Of Using A Single Knowledge-Based Planning Model For Multiple Linac Vendors, Raphael J Douglas, Adenike Olanrewaju, Lifei Zhang, Beth M Beadle, Laurence E Court

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Knowledge-based planning (KBP) has been shown to be an effective tool in quality control for intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment planning and generating high-quality plans. Previous studies have evaluated its ability to create consistent plans across institutions and between planners within the same institution as well as its use as teaching tool for inexperienced planners. This study evaluates whether planning quality is consistent when using a KBP model to plan across different treatment machines.

Materials and methods: This study used a RapidPlan model (Varian Medical Systems) provided by the vendor, to which we added additional planning objectives, maximum dose limits, …

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Gene-Gene Interaction Study Of Lung Cancer Susceptibility In Europeans With A Trans-Ethnic Validation In Asians, Ruyang Zhang, Sipeng Shen, Yongyue Wei, Ying Zhu, Yi Li, Jiajin Chen, Jinxing Guan, Zoucheng Pan, Yuzhuo Wang, Meng Zhu, Junxing Xie, Xiangjun Xiao, Dakai Zhu, Yafang Li, Demetrios Albanes, Maria Teresa Landi, Neil E Caporaso, Stephen Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Stig E Bojesen, Mattias Johansson, Angela Risch, Heike Bickeböller, H-Erich Wichmann, Gadi Rennert, Susanne Arnold, Paul Brennan, James D Mckay, John K Field, Sanjay S Shete, Loic Le Marchand, Geoffrey Liu, Angeline S Andrew, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Shan Zienolddiny-Narui, Annelie Behndig, Mikael Johansson, Angela Cox, Philip Lazarus, Matthew B Schabath, Melinda C Aldrich, Juncheng Dai, Hongxia Ma, Yang Zhao, Zhibin Hu, Rayjean J Hung, Christopher I Amos, Hongbing Shen, Feng Chen, David C Christiani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although genome-wide association studies have been conducted to investigate genetic variation of lung tumorigenesis, little is known about gene-gene (G × G) interactions that may influence the risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS: Leveraging a total of 445,221 European-descent participants from the International Lung Cancer Consortium OncoArray project, Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung and UK Biobank, we performed a large-scale genome-wide G × G interaction study on European NSCLC risk by a series of analyses. First, we used BiForce to evaluate and rank more than 58 billion G × G interactions from 340,958 single-nucleotide polymorphisms …

Becoming A Doctor During A Pandemic: Impact On Medical Student Social Identity Formation, Sanghamitra M Misra, Nital P Appelbaum, Maria A Jaramillo, Ruifei Wang, Connor T Hoch, Nadia Ismail, Jennifer Christner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic required modifications to undergraduate medical education that likely affected medical students' social identity formation (SIF). SIF is shaped by experiences throughout the medical education continuum. This commentary explores factors potentially affecting medical student SIF during the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on students' perceptions of being part of the healthcare team, their role in medicine, and their engagement during the pandemic. Based on such considerations, we propose that educators should aim to design effective learning environments to support a full educational experience that encompasses acquiring medical knowledge and building strong social identities even during a pandemic.

Aspirin Use Is Associated With Decreased Inpatient Mortality In Patients With Covid-19: A Meta-Analysis, Aswin Srinivasan, Jonathan Brown, Pavitra Parimala Krishnamani, Brendon Cornett, Ramesh Babu Kesavan, Siva T Sarva, Syed Arman Raza, Waleed Tallat Kayani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Thromboembolism is a major cause of death in patients who suffer from COVID-19. Studies examining the effects of aspirin (ASA) on mortality relating to this phenomenon have showed conflicting results with varying degrees and certainties of evidence. We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis of fourteen studies encompassing 164,539 COVID-19 patients, which showed a reduced risk of in-hospital mortality associated with ASA use in eight studies that reported risk ratios (RR 0.90; 95 % CI 0.82–0.98; I2 = 27.33 %, P = 0.01), six studies that reported hazard ratios (HR 0.56; 95 % CI 0.41–0.76, P ≤ 0.01; I2 = 85.92 …

Implementation Of A Virtual Huddle To Support Patient Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Uma Ayyala, Shazia Raheem, Jefferson L Triozzi, Andrew Hunter, Elwyn Welch, Stephen Bujarski, Christina Kao, Lavannya Pandit, Kanta Velamuri, Venkata D Bandi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: During a surge of COVID-19 cases, the volume of acute care patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure placed a high burden of responsibility on internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and clinical pharmacy services.

OBSERVATIONS: We describe the COVID-19 Tele-Huddle Program, a novel approach to communication between key stakeholders in COVID-19 patient care through a daily video conferencing huddle. The program was implemented during a 4-week surge in COVID-19 cases at a large, academic medical center in Houston, Texas. Data collected during the COVID-19 Tele-Huddle Program included the type and number of interventions implemented, number of patients discussed, and …

Effect Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown On The Management Of Diabetic Retinopathy: A Cross-Sectional Study, Vaishali Prajapati, Krishna Shah, Dhruvi Shah, Mayur B Wanjari, Deepika Singhal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction Worldwide, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of vision loss. Early treatment and screening for DR have a major role in reducing the rate of the disease and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related restrictions have altered real-world practice patterns in managing DR. Aims and objectives To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of DR amongst patients presenting to a tertiary eye care center in Gujarat, India. Methods This is a cross-sectional study comparison of ophthalmic findings of 72 patients who presented to a tertiary care hospital with the manifestation of DR …

Cross-Ancestry Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Of 61,047 Cases And 947,237 Controls Identifies New Susceptibility Loci Contributing To Lung Cancer, Jinyoung Byun, Younghun Han, Yafang Li, Jun Xia, Erping Long, Jiyeon Choi, Xiangjun Xiao, Meng Zhu, Wen Zhou, Ryan Sun, Yohan Bossé, Zhuoyi Song, Ann Schwartz, Christine Lusk, Thorunn Rafnar, Kari Stefansson, Tongwu Zhang, Wei Zhao, Rowland W Pettit, Yanhong Liu, Xihao Li, Hufeng Zhou, Kyle M Walsh, Ivan Gorlov, Olga Gorlova, Dakai Zhu, Susan M Rosenberg, Susan Pinney, Joan E Bailey-Wilson, Diptasri Mandal, Mariza De Andrade, Colette Gaba, James C Willey, Ming You, Marshall Anderson, John K Wiencke, Demetrius Albanes, Stephan Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Gary Goodman, Stig Bojeson, Hermann Brenner, Maria Teresa Landi, Stephen J Chanock, Mattias Johansson, Thomas Muley, Angela Risch, H-Erich Wichmann, Heike Bickeböller, David C Christiani, Gad Rennert, Susanne Arnold, John K Field, Sanjay Shete, Loic Le Marchand, Olle Melander, Hans Brunnstrom, Geoffrey Liu, Angeline S Andrew, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Hongbing Shen, Shanbeh Zienolddiny, Kjell Grankvist, Mikael Johansson, Neil Caporaso, Angela Cox, Yun-Chul Hong, Jian-Min Yuan, Philip Lazarus, Matthew B Schabath, Melinda C Aldrich, Alpa Patel, Qing Lan, Nathaniel Rothman, Fiona Taylor, Linda Kachuri, John S Witte, Lori C Sakoda, Margaret Spitz, Paul Brennan, Xihong Lin, James Mckay, Rayjean J Hung, Christopher I Amos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To identify new susceptibility loci to lung cancer among diverse populations, we performed cross-ancestry genome-wide association studies in European, East Asian and African populations and discovered five loci that have not been previously reported. We replicated 26 signals and identified 10 new lead associations from previously reported loci. Rare-variant associations tended to be specific to populations, but even common-variant associations influencing smoking behavior, such as those with CHRNA5 and CYP2A6, showed population specificity. Fine-mapping and expression quantitative trait locus colocalization nominated several candidate variants and susceptibility genes such as IRF4 and FUBP1. DNA damage assays of prioritized genes in lung …

Addressing Human Trafficking As A Public Health Issue, Frances Recknor, Erica Di Ruggiero, Elsabeth Jensen

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Human trafficking is increasingly recognized as a significant global public health issue. Human trafficking (HT) exists in all nations, including Canada, and is estimated to impact 25 million people globally. HT is a crime that is not always visible. It is associated with a myriad of deleterious health outcomes arising from adverse living and working conditions, and the physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence often accompanying it. Human trafficking also disproportionately affects people living under vulnerable circumstances, particularly those with intersecting vulnerabilities. Public health can advance health equity for trafficked persons and add value to existing anti-trafficking (AT) efforts. Among its …

Whole Genome Sequence Association Analysis Of Fasting Glucose And Fasting Insulin Levels In Diverse Cohorts From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Dicorpo, Sheila M Gaynor, Emily M Russell, Kenneth E Westerman, Laura M Raffield, Timothy D Majarian, Peitao Wu, Chloé Sarnowski, Heather M Highland, Anne Jackson, Natalie R Hasbani, Paul S De Vries, Jennifer A Brody, Bertha Hidalgo, Xiuqing Guo, James A Perry, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Samantha Lent, May E Montasser, Brian E Cade, Deepti Jain, Heming Wang, Ricardo D'Oliveira Albanus, Arushi Varshney, Lisa R Yanek, Leslie Lange, Nicholette D Palmer, Marcio Almeida, Juan M Peralta, Stella Aslibekyan, Abigail S Baldridge, Alain G Bertoni, Lawrence F Bielak, Chung-Shiuan Chen, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Won Jung Choi, Mark O Goodarzi, James S Floyd, Marguerite R Irvin, Rita R Kalyani, Tanika N Kelly, Seonwook Lee, Ching-Ti Liu, Douglas Loesch, Joann E Manson, Ryan L Minster, Take Naseri, James S Pankow, Laura J Rasmussen-Torvik, Alexander P Reiner, Muagututi'a Sefuiva Reupena, Elizabeth Selvin, Jennifer A Smith, Daniel E Weeks, Huichun Xu, Jie Yao, Wei Zhao, Stephen Parker, Alvaro Alonso, Donna K Arnett, John Blangero, Eric Boerwinkle, Adolfo Correa, L Adrienne Cupples, Joanne E Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala, Jiang He, Susan R Heckbert, Sharon L R Kardia, Ryan W Kim, Charles Kooperberg, Simin Liu, Rasika A Mathias, Stephen T Mcgarvey, Braxton D Mitchell, Alanna C Morrison, Patricia A Peyser, Bruce M Psaty, Susan Redline, Alan R Shuldiner, Kent D Taylor, Ramachandran S Vasan, Karine A Viaud-Martinez, Jose C Florez, James G Wilson, Robert Sladek, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Xihong Lin, Josée Dupuis, James B Meigs, Jennifer Wessel, Alisa K Manning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The genetic determinants of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) have been studied mostly through genome arrays, resulting in over 100 associated variants. We extended this work with high-coverage whole genome sequencing analyses from fifteen cohorts in NHLBI's Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Over 23,000 non-diabetic individuals from five race-ethnicities/populations (African, Asian, European, Hispanic and Samoan) were included. Eight variants were significantly associated with FG or FI across previously identified regions MTNR1B, G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and FOXA2. We additionally characterize suggestive associations with FG or FI near previously identified SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and ADCY5 regions as well as APOB, …

Maternal Iron Deficiency Programs Rat Offspring Hypertension In Relation To Renin-Angiotensin System And Oxidative Stress, Ya-Hui Chang, Wan-Hsuan Chen, Chung-Hao Su, Hong-Ren Yu, You-Lin Tain, Li-Tung Huang, Jiunn-Ming Sheen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hypertension is an important public health challenge, affecting up to 30-50% of adults worldwide. Several epidemiological studies indicate that high blood pressure originates in fetal life-the so-called programming effect or developmental origin of hypertension. Iron-deficiency anemia has become one of the most prevalent nutritional problems globally. Previous animal experiments have shown that prenatal iron-deficiency anemia adversely affects offspring hypertension. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We used a maternal low-iron diet Sprague Dawley rat model to study changes in blood pressure, the renal renin-angiotensin system, oxidative stress, inflammation, and sodium transporters in adult male offspring. Our study revealed that 16-week-old …

Demonstration Of Anti-Ambipolar Switch And Its Applications For Extremely Low Power Ternary Logic Circuits, Yongsu Lee, Sunmean Kim, Ho-In Lee, Seung-Mo Kim, So-Young Kim, Kiyung Kim, Heejin Kwon, Hae-Won Lee, Hyeon Jun Hwang, Seokhyeong Kang, Byoung Hun Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Anti-ambipolar switch (AAS) devices at a narrow bias region are necessary to solve the intrinsic leakage current problem of ternary logic circuits. In this study, an AAS device with a very high peak-to-valley ratio (∼10

Heart Failure In General And Cardiac Transplant Patients With Covid-19, Munish Sharma, Gowthami Sai Kogilathota Jagirdhar, Kalpalatha K Guntupalli, Rahul Kashyap, Salim Surani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily an infection of the respiratory tract, but it can have multisystem manifestations. Cardiac complications of COVID-19 can range from acute myocardial injury, cardiac arrhythmias, or heart failure, amongst others. Heart failure (HF) in COVID-19 can be a de novo process or due to worsening of pre-existing cardiovascular ailment. HF in a patient with COVID-19 not only poses challenges in clinical presentation and management of COVID-19 but also affect prognosis of the patient. This article aims to succinctly revisit the implications of this pandemic regarding pre-existing HF or new-onset HF based on prevailing data. It …

Clinical Factors Associated With Non-Obese Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Detected Among Us Adults In The Nhanes 2017-2018, Zayd Adnan Razouki, Xiaotao Zhang, Jessica P Hwang, Natalia I Heredia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

NAFLD can occur in non-obese individuals with BMI < 25 kg/m2. Our goal was to examine the prevalence and clinical factors associated with non-obese NAFLD using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with controlled attenuation parameter which estimates steatosis and fibrosis among US adults. We aggregated data from the 2017−2018 cycle of NHANES and included adults (age ≥ 20 years) with BMI < 25 kg/m2 with complete data for the survey, medical examination, and VCTE along with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). We excluded participants with risks of other liver diseases. We considered patients to have non-obese NAFLD if CAP was >285 dB/m, or non-obese NAFLD fibrosis if this CAP criteria was met and liver stiffness was >8.6 kPa. We calculated the adjusted OR and 95% CI for associations with non-obese NAFLD using multivariable logistic regression. The prevalence of non-obese NAFLD was 6.2% and Asian Americans (12.2%) had the highest non-obese NAFLD prevalence. Clinical factors associated with non-obese NAFLD were advanced age and metabolic syndrome (ORadjusted = 6.8, 95% CI 3.0−15.5). In a separate model, we found elevated glucose (ORadjusted = 4.1, 95% CI 2.1−7.9), triglycerides (ORadjusted = 3.8, 95% CI 1.7−8.5), and …