Public Health Commons^™

Adverse Birth Outcomes Of Adolescent And Young Adult Women Diagnosed With Cancer During Pregnancy, Andrea C Betts, L Aubree Shay, Philip J Lupo, Sandi L Pruitt, Michael E Roth, Marlyn A Allicock, Barbara A Cohn, Caitlin C Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We examined adverse birth outcomes among adolescent and young adult women diagnosed with cancer (AYA women, ages 15-39 years) during pregnancy.

METHODS: We linked data from the Texas Cancer Registry, vital records, and Texas Birth Defects Registry to identify all singleton births to AYA women diagnosed during pregnancy from January 1999 to December 2016. We compared prevalence of adverse live birth outcomes between AYA women and women without cancer (matched 1:4 on age, race and ethnicity, and year). Among AYA women, we used log-binomial regression to identify factors associated with these outcomes. Statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS: AYA women …

Physical And Stressful Psychological Impacts Of Prolonged Personal Protective Equipment Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study, Giuseppe Candido, Costanza Tortù, Chiara Seghieri, Riccardo Tartaglia, Chiara Baglioni, Paolo Citti, Ida Marina Raciti, Micaela La Regina, Silvia Simonini, Moira Urbani, Chiara Parretti, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 infected patients are exposed to stressful and traumatic events with potential for severe and sustained adverse mental and physical health consequences. Our aim was to assess the magnitude of physical and mental health outcomes of HCWs due to the prolonged use of personal protective equipment (PPE) treating COVID-19 patients.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed the symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and psychological resilience using the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics (SAVE) scale, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Resilience Scale (RS), respectively, in Italy between 1st February and 31st March 2022. The physical …

Digital Health Technologies For Peripartum Depression Management Among Low-Socioeconomic Populations: Perspectives From Patients, Providers, And Social Media Channels, Alexandra Zingg, Tavleen Singh, Amy Franklin, Angela Ross, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Jerrie Refuerzo, Sahiti Myneni

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Peripartum Depression (PPD) affects approximately 10-15% of perinatal women in the U.S., with those of low socioeconomic status (low-SES) more likely to develop symptoms. Multilevel treatment barriers including social stigma and not having appropriate access to mental health resources have played a major role in PPD-related disparities. Emerging advances in digital technologies and analytics provide opportunities to identify and address access barriers, knowledge gaps, and engagement issues. However, most market solutions for PPD prevention and management are produced generically without considering the specialized needs of low-SES populations. In this study, we examine and portray the information and technology needs …

Sex Differences In The Clinical Presentation Of Early Psychosis In A Primary Care Setting, Brooke Carter, Rebecca Rodrigues, Jennifer Reid, Suzanne Archie, Amanda L Terry, Lena Palaniyappan, Arlene G Macdougall, Aristotle Voineskos, Saadia Hameed Jan, Liisa Jaakkimainen, Branson Chen, Neo Sawh, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Primary care is an important part of the help-seeking pathway for young people experiencing early psychosis, but sex differences in clinical presentation in these settings are unexplored. We aimed to identify sex differences in clinical presentation to primary care services in the 1-year period prior to a first diagnosis of psychotic disorder. We identified first-onset cases of non-affective psychotic disorder over a 10-year period (2005-2015) using health administrative data linked with electronic medical records (EMRs) from primary care (n = 465). Detailed information on encounters in the year prior to first diagnosis was abstracted, including psychiatric symptoms, other relevant behaviours, …

Evaluating The Use Of Blood Pressure Polygenic Risk Scores Across Race/Ethnic Background Groups, Nuzulul Kurniansyah, Matthew O Goodman, Alyna T Khan, Jiongming Wang, Elena Feofanova, Joshua C Bis, Kerri L Wiggins, Jennifer E Huffman, Tanika Kelly, Tali Elfassy, Xiuqing Guo, Walter Palmas, Henry J Lin, Shih-Jen Hwang, Yan Gao, Kendra Young, Gregory L Kinney, Jennifer A Smith, Bing Yu, Simin Liu, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Joann E Manson, Xiaofeng Zhu, Yii-Der Ida Chen, I-Te Lee, C Charles Gu, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, Sebastian Zöllner, Myriam Fornage, Charles Kooperberg, Adolfo Correa, Bruce M Psaty, Donna K Arnett, Carmen R Isasi, Stephen S Rich, Robert C Kaplan, Susan Redline, Braxton D Mitchell, Nora Franceschini, Daniel Levy, Jerome I Rotter, Alanna C Morrison, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We assess performance and limitations of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for multiple blood pressure (BP) phenotypes in diverse population groups. We compare "clumping-and-thresholding" (PRSice2) and LD-based (LDPred2) methods to construct PRSs from each of multiple GWAS, as well as multi-PRS approaches that sum PRSs with and without weights, including PRS-CSx. We use datasets from the MGB Biobank, TOPMed study, UK biobank, and from All of Us to train, assess, and validate PRSs in groups defined by self-reported race/ethnic background (Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White). For both SBP and DBP, the PRS-CSx based PRS, constructed as a weighted sum of PRSs …

Curated And Harmonized Gut Microbiome 16s Rrna Amplicon Data From Dietary Fiber Intervention Studies In Humans, Cynthia I Rodriguez, Ali Keshavarzian, Bruce R Hamaker, Feitong Liu, Genelle R Lunken, Heather Rasmussen, Hongwei Zhou, Julien Tap, Kelly S Swanson, Maria Ukhanova, Marion Leclerc, Martin Gotteland, Paola Navarrete, Petia Kovatcheva-Datchary, Wendy J Dahl, Jennifer B H Martiny

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Next generation amplicon sequencing has created a plethora of data from human microbiomes. The accessibility to this scientific data and its corresponding metadata is important for its reuse, to allow for new discoveries, verification of published results, and serving as path for reproducibility. Dietary fiber consumption has been associated with a variety of health benefits that are thought to be mediated by gut microbiota. To enable direct comparisons of the response of the gut microbiome to fiber, we obtained 16S rRNA sequencing data and its corresponding metadata from 11 fiber intervention studies for a total of 2,368 samples. We provide …

An Epidemic Model With Time Delays Determined By The Infectivity And Disease Durations, Masoud Saade, Samiran Ghosh, Malay Banerjee, Vitaly Volpert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We propose an epidemiological model with distributed recovery and death rates. It represents an integrodifferential system of equations for susceptible, exposed, infectious, recovered and dead compartments. This model can be reduced to the conventional ODE model under the assumption that recovery and death rates are uniformly distributed in time during disease duration. Another limiting case, where recovery and death rates are given by the delta-function, leads to a new point-wise delay model with two time delays corresponding to the infectivity period and disease duration. Existence and positiveness of solutions for the distributed delay model and point-wise delay model are proved. …

Refugee Women’S Receptiveness For Virtual Engagement On Reproductive Health During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Heike Thiel De Bocanegra, Zahra Goliaei, Nossin Khan, Sereen Banna, Rawnaq Behnam, Sheila K Mody

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC Public Health Program

BACKGROUND: Refugee women who leave their country due to persecution and violence have multiple barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The COVID-19 pandemic added an additional barrier to in-person reproductive health education, dialogue, and clinical care. This study aimed to assess the potential of using virtual group meetings as a forum for refugee women to learn about and discuss reproductive health concerns such as cervical cancer screening, family planning, childbirth, and postpartum care.

METHOD: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 refugee women and stakeholders to assess factors that impact refugee women's receptiveness for virtual platforms to obtain information …

Phase Ii Trial Of Nelipepimut-S Peptide Vaccine In Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Anne E O'Shea, Guy T Clifton, Na Qiao, Brandy M Heckman-Stoddard, Malgorzata Wojtowicz, Eileen Dimond, Isabelle Bedrosian, Diane Weber, Judy E Garber, Alexander Husband, Ricardo Pastorello, J Jack Lee, Mike Hernandez, Diane D Liu, Lana A Vornik, Powel H Brown, Gheath Alatrash, George E Peoples, Elizabeth A Mittendorf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

UNLABELLED: NeuVax is a vaccine comprised of the HER2-derived MHC class I peptide E75 (nelipepimut-S, NPS) combined with GM-CSF. We completed a randomized trial of preoperative vaccination with NeuVax versus GM-CSF alone in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The primary objective was to evaluate for NPS-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2-positive DCIS were enrolled and randomized 2:1 to NeuVax versus GM-CSF alone and received two inoculations prior to surgery. The number of NPS-specific CTL was measured pre-vaccination, at surgery, and 1 and 3 to 6 months post-operation by dextramer assay. Differences in …

Piloting The Sexual And Gender Minority Cancer Curricular Advances For Research And Education (Sgm Cancer Care) Workshop: Research Training In The Service Of Sgm Cancer Health Equity, Miria Kano, Irene Tamí-Maury, Mandi L Pratt-Chapman, Shine Chang, Mikaela Kosich, Gwendolyn P Quinn, Tonia Poteat, Peter A Kanetsky, Ronit Elk, Ulrike Boehmer, Julian Sanchez, Charles Kamen, Nelson F Sanchez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The purpose of this study is to describe the context, curriculum design, and pilot evaluation of the educational program "Sexual and Gender Minority Cancer Curricular Advances for Research and Education" (SGM Cancer CARE), a workshop for early-career researchers and healthcare providers interested in gaining knowledge and skills in sexual and gender minority (SGM) cancer research and healthcare advocacy. A needs assessment of a sample of clinicians and researchers (n = 104) and feedback from an Advisory Board informed the curriculum design of the SGM Cancer CARE workshop. Four SGM-tailored modules, focusing on epidemiology, clinical research, behavioral science and interventions, and …

Neuroaffective Reactivity Profiles Are Associated With Vulnerability To E-Cigarette Use, Francesco Versace, George Kypriotakis, Dustin Pluta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We tested whether neuroaffective responses to motivationally salient stimuli are associated with vulnerability to cue-induced e-cigarette use in e-cigarette naïve adults who smoke daily. We hypothesized that individuals with stronger neuroaffective responses to nicotine-related cues than to pleasant stimuli (the C>P reactivity profile) would be more vulnerable to cue-induced nicotine self-administration than individuals with stronger neuroaffective responses to pleasant stimuli than to nicotine-related cues (the P>C reactivity profile).

METHODS: We used event-related potentials (ERPs, a direct measure of cortical activity) to measure neuroaffective reactivity to pleasant, unpleasant, neutral, and nicotine-related cues indicating the opportunity to use an …

Bovine Lactoferrin For The Prevention Of Covid-19 Infection In Health Care Personnel: A Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial (Lf-Covid), Rafaella Navarro, Jose Luis Paredes, Lourdes Tucto, Carlos Medina, Eddie Angles-Yanqui, Juan Carlos Nario, Jorge Ruiz-Cabrejos, Juan Luis Quintana, Kevin Turpo-Espinoza, Fernando Mejia-Cordero, Meylin Aphang-Lam, Jorge Florez, Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar, Theresa Jean Ochoa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lactoferrin (LF) has in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to determine the effect of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care personnel. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in two tertiary hospitals that provide care to patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Lima, Peru. Daily supplementation with 600 mg of enteral bLF versus placebo for 90 days was compared. Participants were weekly screened for symptoms suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular testing was performed on suspected episodes. A serological test was obtained from all participants …

The Effects Of Gender And Country Of Origin On Acculturation, Psychological Factors, Lifestyle Factors, And Diabetes-Related Physiological Outcomes Among Mexican Americans: The Starr County Diabetes Prevention Initiative, Sharon A Brown, Heather A Becker, Alexandra A García, Mary M Velasquez, Hirofumi Tanaka, Mary A Winter, William B Perkison, Eric L Brown, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Examine acculturation and psychological, lifestyle, and physiological factors based on gender and country of origin (U.S. vs. Mexico).

METHODS: Baseline data from the Starr County diabetes prevention study (

RESULTS: Participants were: predominantly female (73%); 51 years of age, on average; born in Mexico (71%); and Spanish-speaking. Individuals spent 11 of their waking hours (range = 0-18 h) in sedentary activities. Compared to females, more males spoke English and reported fewer hours in sedentary activities. Compared to participants born in Mexico, those born in the U.S. were more likely to: speak English; report depressive symptoms; and exhibit elevated BMI …

Stool-Based Tests Mitigate Impacts Of Covid-19 On Colorectal Cancer Screening, Po-Hong Liu, Amit G Singal, Caitlin C Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Survival Of Middle Eastern And North African Individuals Diagnosed With Colorectal Cancer: A Population-Based Study In California, Timothy A Zaki, Argyrios Ziogas, Jenny Chang, Caitlin C Murphy, Hoda Anton-Culver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Literature on colorectal cancer outcomes in individuals of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent is limited. To address this gap, we estimated five-year colorectal cancer-specific survival by race and ethnicity, including MENA individuals, in a diverse, population-based sample in California.

METHODS: We identified adults (ages 18-79 years) diagnosed with a first or only colorectal cancer in 2004 to 2017 using the California Cancer Registry (CCR), including non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, Hispanic, and MENA individuals. For each racial/ethnic group, we calculated five-year colorectal cancer-specific survival and used Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the association of …

Aligning Germline Cancer Predisposition With Tumor-Based Next-Generation Sequencing For Modern Oncology Diagnosis, Interception, And Therapeutic Development, Timothy A Yap, Zsofia K Stadler, Leigh Anne Stout, Bryan P Schneider

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the era of precision medicine, genomic interrogation for identification of both germline and somatic genetic alterations has become increasingly important. While such germline testing was usually undertaken via a phenotype-driven single-gene approach, with the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, the widespread utilization of multigene panels, often agnostic of cancer phenotype, has become a commonplace in many different cancer types. At the same time, somatic tumor testing in oncology performed for the purpose of guiding therapeutic decisions for targeted therapies has also rapidly expanded, recently starting to incorporate not just patients with recurrent or metastatic cancer but even patients …

Cross-Sectional Association Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status And Sleep Duration Among Black And White Men And Women: The Southern Community Cohort Study, Samuel H Nyarko, Liying Luo, David G Schlundt, Qian Xiao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To examine the association of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) with sleep duration among a large cohort of Black and white men and women in the United States.

Methods: We used data from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS, N = 75,248). Neighborhood SES was based on census data and sleep duration was measured by self-report. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between neighborhood SES and short (<7 hours) and long (≥9 hours) sleep in the overall sample and according to race-sex subgroups.

Results: In the total sample, when compared with the highest quintile of neighborhood SES, the lowest quintile was associated with higher odds of both short (adjusted ORQ5 vs. …

Palliative Medicine Integration In The Usa: Cancer Centre Executives’ Attitudes, Joseph Chen, Allison De La Rosa, Dejian Lai, Rony Dev, Frances Lee Revere, David Lairson, Paige Wermuth, Eduardo Bruera, David Hui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To compare cancer centre (CC) executives' attitudes towards palliative care between National Cancer Institute-designated CCs (NCI-CCs) and non-NCI-designated CCs (non-NCI-CCs) in 2018 and to examine the changes in attitudes and beliefs between 2009 and 2018.

METHODS: CC chief executives at all NCI-CCs and a random sample of non-NCI-CCs were surveyed from April to August 2018. Twelve questions examined the executives' attitudes towards palliative care integration, perceived barriers and self-assessments. The primary outcome was agreement on the statement 'a stronger integration of palliative care services into oncology practice will benefit patients at my institution.' Survey findings from 2018 were compared …

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study To Examine Covariates And Effects Of Concurrent And Simultaneous Use Of Electronic Cigarettes And Marijuana Among College Students, Anne Buu, James J Yang, Tzung-Shiang Ou, Joon Kyung Nam, Ganghui Suh, Hsien-Chang Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of concurrent and simultaneous use of e-cigarette and marijuana among college students is high. Yet, the literature was mainly based on cross-sectional surveys with emphasis on the smoking route. This is the first ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study that examined the vaping route of nicotine-marijuana co-use and the associated short-term psychological effects.

METHODS: This study recruited 686 college student e-cigarette users to participate in an on-line survey and 7-day EMA. Frequent marijuana users (247) - using marijuana weekly or daily - were compared with infrequent/non-users (439) on academic performance, e-cigarette use patterns, and dependence and respiratory symptoms. …

Persons Living With Dementia And Multiple Chronic Conditions Identifying Health Priorities With Care Partners, Thi Vu, Emily L Mroz, Kizzy Hernandez-Bigos, Denise Chow, Rafael Samper Ternent, Kalisha Bonds Johnson, Mary E Tinetti, Joan Monin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Lockdown On Retinopathy Of Prematurity Screening And Management In The United States: A Multicenter Study, Shefali Sood, Mina M Naguib, David S Portney, Cagri G Besirli, Cole A Martin, C Armitage Harper, Maria P Fernandez, Audina M Berrocal, Polly A Quiram, Peter Belin, Noreen Clarke, Aaron Nagiel, Melissa Chandler, Christopher Bair, M Elizabeth Harnett, Vaidehi S Dedania

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To study the effect of the pandemic-related lockdown (physical distance measures and movement restrictions) on the characteristics and management of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: In this controlled, multicenter cohort study, the medical records of patients born prematurely and screened for ROP in the neonatal intensive care unit during four time periods were reviewed retrospectively: (1) November 1, 2018, to March 15, 2019; (2) March 16, 2019, to August 2, 2019 (lockdown control period); (3) November 1, 2019, to March 15, 2020; and (4) March 16, 2020-August 2, 2020.

Results: A total of 1,645 patients met inclusion criteria. Among …

The Evidence Base For Surgical Treatment Of Infants With Necrotizing Enterocolitis Or Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation: Impact Of Trial Design And Questions Regarding Implementation Of Trial Recommendations, Parker T Evans, Martin L Blakely, Amanda S Mixon, Jennifer Canvasser, Matthew A Rysavy, Maria E Fernandez, Claudia Pedroza, Jon E Tyson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Genome-Wide Association Study And Functional Characterization Identifies Candidate Genes For Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake, Alice Williamson, Dougall M Norris, Xianyong Yin, K Alaine Broadaway, Anne H Moxley, Swarooparani Vadlamudi, Emma P Wilson, Anne U Jackson, Vasudha Ahuja, Mette K Andersen, Zorayr Arzumanyan, Lori L Bonnycastle, Stefan R Bornstein, Maxi P Bretschneider, Thomas A Buchanan, Yi-Cheng Chang, Lee-Ming Chuang, Ren-Hua Chung, Tine D Clausen, Peter Damm, Graciela E Delgado, Vanessa D De Mello, Josée Dupuis, Om P Dwivedi, Michael R Erdos, Lilian Fernandes Silva, Timothy M Frayling, Christian Gieger, Mark O Goodarzi, Xiuqing Guo, Stefan Gustafsson, Liisa Hakaste, Ulf Hammar, Gad Hatem, Sandra Herrmann, Kurt Højlund, Katrin Horn, Willa A Hsueh, Yi-Jen Hung, Chii-Min Hwu, Anna Jonsson, Line L Kårhus, Marcus E Kleber, Peter Kovacs, Timo A Lakka, Marie Lauzon, I-Te Lee, Cecilia M Lindgren, Jaana Lindström, Allan Linneberg, Ching-Ti Liu, Jian'an Luan, Dina Mansour Aly, Elisabeth Mathiesen, Angela P Moissl, Andrew P Morris, Narisu Narisu, Nikolaos Perakakis, Annette Peters, Rashmi B Prasad, Roman N Rodionov, Kathryn Roll, Carsten F Rundsten, Chloé Sarnowski, Kai Savonen, Markus Scholz, Sapna Sharma, Sara E Stinson, Sufyan Suleman, Jingyi Tan, Kent D Taylor, Matti Uusitupa, Dorte Vistisen, Daniel R Witte, Romy Walther, Peitao Wu, Anny H Xiang, Björn Zethelius, Emma Ahlqvist, Richard N Bergman, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Francis S Collins, Tove Fall, Jose C Florez, Andreas Fritsche, Harald Grallert, Leif Groop, Torben Hansen, Heikki A Koistinen, Pirjo Komulainen, Markku Laakso, Lars Lind, Markus Loeffler, Winfried März, James B Meigs, Leslie J Raffel, Rainer Rauramaa, Jerome I Rotter, Peter E H Schwarz, Michael Stumvoll, Johan Sundström, Anke Tönjes, Tiinamaija Tuomi, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Robert Wagner, Inês Barroso, Mark Walker, Niels Grarup, Michael Boehnke, Nicholas J Wareham, Karen L Mohlke, Eleanor Wheeler, Stephen O'Rahilly, Daniel J Fazakerley, Claudia Langenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Distinct tissue-specific mechanisms mediate insulin action in fasting and postprandial states. Previous genetic studies have largely focused on insulin resistance in the fasting state, where hepatic insulin action dominates. Here we studied genetic variants influencing insulin levels measured 2 h after a glucose challenge in >55,000 participants from three ancestry groups. We identified ten new loci (P < 5 × 10-8) not previously associated with postchallenge insulin resistance, eight of which were shown to share their genetic architecture with type 2 diabetes in colocalization analyses. We investigated candidate genes at a subset of associated loci in cultured cells and identified nine candidate genes newly implicated in the expression or trafficking of GLUT4, the key glucose transporter in postprandial glucose uptake in muscle and fat. By focusing on postprandial insulin resistance, we highlighted the mechanisms of action at type 2 diabetes loci that are not adequately captured by studies of fasting glycemic traits.

Overcoming The Challenges To Clinical Development Of X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa Therapies: Proceedings Of An Expert Panel, David G Birch, Janet K Cheetham, Stephen P Daiger, Carel Hoyng, Christine Kay, Ian M Macdonald, Mark E Pennesi, Lori S Sullivan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is a rare inherited retinal disease manifesting as impaired night vision and peripheral vision loss that progresses to legal blindness. Although several trials of ocular gene therapy for XLRP have been conducted or are in progress, there is currently no approved treatment. In July 2022, the Foundation Fighting Blindness convened an expert panel to examine relevant research and make recommendations for overcoming the challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities in conducting clinical trials of RPGR-targeted therapy for XLRP. Data presented concerned RPGR structure and mutation types known to cause XLRP, RPGR mutation-associated retinal phenotype diversity, patterns …

Association Of Diet Quality With Metabolic (Dysfunction) Associated Fatty Liver Disease In Veterans In Primary Care, Natalia I Heredia, Aaron P Thrift, David J Ramsey, Rohit Loomba, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Diet is associated with metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), but the dietary composition associated with MAFLD risk has not been well-examined.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the association of two healthy eating indices with the presence and severity of MAFLD in a sample of Veterans in a primary care setting.

METHODS: This was a single center cross-sectional study using a random stratified sample of Veterans enrolled in primary care. Participants underwent a Fibroscan and completed an interviewer-administered Diet History Questionnaire II from which we calculated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score. …

Recruitment And Reach In A School-Based Pediatric Obesity Intervention Trial In Rural Areas., Bethany Forseth, Brittany Lancaster, Megan Olalde, Christie A. Befort, Rebecca E. Swinburne Romine, Meredith Dreyer, Kelsey Dean, Eve-Lynn Nelson, Ann M. Davis

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate two recruitment strategies on schools and participant participation rates and representativeness (reach) within a pediatric obesity treatment trial tailored for families who live in rural areas.

METHODS: Recruitment of schools was evaluated based on their progress toward enrolling participants. Recruitment and reach of participants were evaluated using (1) participation rates and (2) representativeness of demographics and weight status of participants compared to eligible participants (who did not consent and enroll) and all students (regardless of eligibility). School recruitment, as well as participant recruitment and reach, were evaluated across recruitment methods comparing …

The Tgf-Β Superfamily As Potential Therapeutic Targets In Pancreatic Cancer, William A Grobman, Grecio J Sandoval, Torri D Metz, Tracy A Manuck, Rebecca G Clifton, Brenna L Hughes, George R Saade, Monica Longo, Amber Sowles, Kelly Clark, Hyagriv N Simhan, Dwight J Rouse, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Jennifer L Bailit, Maged M Costantine, Harish M Sehdev, Alan T N Tita, George A Macones

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether preterm birth rates changed in relation to the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether any change depended on socioeconomic status.

METHODS: This is an observational cohort study of pregnant individuals with a singleton gestation who delivered in the years 2019 and 2020 at 1 of 16 U.S. hospitals of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. The frequency of preterm birth for those who delivered before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (ie, in 2019) was compared with that of those who delivered after its onset (ie, in 2020). Interaction analyses were performed for …

Association Between Early Prostacyclin Therapy And Extracorporeal Life Support Use In Patients With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Akila B Ramaraj, Samuel E Rice-Townsend, Carrie L Foster, Delphine Yung, Emma O Jackson, Ashley H Ebanks, Matthew T Harting, Rebecca A Stark, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Prostacyclin (PGI2) is a therapeutic option to treat congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)-associated pulmonary hypertension in neonates. Its use may decrease the need for extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of early PGI2 therapy with ECLS use and outcomes among patients with CDH.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cohort study from the CDH Study Group (CDHSG) registry of patients born from January 2007 to December 2019. Patients were from 88 different tertiary pediatric referral centers worldwide that contributed data to the CDHSG. Patients were included in the study if they were admitted within the first …

Stress Reactivity After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Relation With Behavioral Adjustment, Taiane De Azevedo Cardoso, Ritele H Silva, Jessica L Fernandes, Camila O Arent, Graziela Amboni, Laura A Borba, Alex Paulo Z Padilha, Maria Eduarda M Botelho, Amanda L Maciel, Tatiana Barichello, Rodrigo Morales, Silvio José B Soares, Margarete D Bagatini, Claudia Dallagnol, Marta Elisa Brighenti, Zuleide Maria Ignácio, João Quevedo, Luciane B Ceretta, Gislaine Z Réus

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Although many studies have pointed out a possible relationship between COVID-19 and the presence of psychiatric disorders, the majority of the studies have significant limitations. This study investigates the influence of COVID-19 infection on mental health.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included an age- and sex-matched sample of adult individuals positive (cases) or negative (controls) for COVID-19. We evaluated the presence of psychiatric conditions and C-reactive protein (CRP).

RESULTS: Findings showed greater severity of depressive symptoms, higher levels of stress, and greater CRP in cases. The severity of depressive and insomnia symptoms, as well as the CRP were more remarkable …

Fighting The Obesity Pandemic During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jordan E Grubbs, Haley J Daigle, Megan Shepherd, Robert E Heidel, Kyle L Kleppe, Matthew L Mancini, Gregory J Mancini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic created delays in surgical care. The population with obesity has a high risk of death from COVID-19. Prior literature shows the most effective way to combat obesity is by weight loss surgery. At different times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, elective inpatient surgeries have been halted due to bed availability. Recognizing that major complications following bariatric surgery are extremely low (bleeding 0-4%, anastomotic leaks 0.8%), we felt outpatient bariatric surgery would be safe for low-risk patients. Complications such as DVT, PE, infection, and anastomotic leaks typically present after 7 days postoperatively, well outside the usual length of …