Public Health Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Original Monovalent And Bivalent Covid-19 Vaccines Against Covid-19-Associated Hospitalization And Severe In-Hospital Outcomes Among Adults In The United States, September 2022-August 2023, Jennifer Decuir, Diya Surie, Yuwei Zhu, Adam S Lauring, Manjusha Gaglani, Tresa Mcneal, Shekhar Ghamande, Ithan D Peltan, Samuel M Brown, Adit A Ginde, Aimee Steinwand, Nicholas M Mohr, Kevin W Gibbs, David N Hager, Harith Ali, Anne Frosch, Michelle N Gong, Amira Mohamed, Nicholas J Johnson, Vasisht Srinivasan, Jay S Steingrub, Akram Khan, Laurence W Busse, Abhijit Duggal, Jennifer G Wilson, Nida Qadir, Steven Y Chang, Christopher Mallow, Jennie H Kwon, Matthew C Exline, Nathan I Shapiro, Cristie Columbus, Ivana A Vaughn, Mayur Ramesh, Basmah Safdar, Jarrod M Mosier, Jonathan D Casey, H Keipp Talbot, Todd W Rice, Natasha Halasa, James D Chappell, Carlos G Grijalva, Adrienne Baughman, Kelsey N Womack, Jillian P Rhoads, Sydney A Swan, Cassandra Johnson, Nathaniel Lewis, Sascha Ellington, Fatimah S Dawood, Meredith Mcmorrow, Wesley H Self, Investigating Respiratory Viruses In The Acutely Ill (Ivy) Network

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Assessments of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness are needed to monitor the protection provided by updated vaccines against severe COVID-19. We evaluated the effectiveness of original monovalent and bivalent (ancestral strain and Omicron BA.4/5) COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19-associated hospitalization and severe in-hospital outcomes.

METHODS: During September 8, 2022 to August 31, 2023, adults aged ≥ 18 years hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness were enrolled at 26 hospitals in 20 US states. Using a test-negative case-control design, we estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) with multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, admission date, and geographic region.

RESULTS: Among 7028 patients, 2924 (41.6%) were …

Covid-19 Breakthrough Infection After Vaccination And Substance Use Disorders: A Longitudinal Cohort Of People With And Without Hiv Receiving Care In The United States Veterans Health Administration, Elena M Soyer, Kathleen A Mcginnis, Amy C Justice, Evelyn Hsieh, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Emily C Williams, Lesley S Park

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Research regarding HIV, substance use disorders (SUD), and SARS-CoV-2 infections after COVID-19 vaccination is limited. In the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS)-HIV cohort, we followed vaccinated persons with HIV (PWH) and without HIV (PWoH) from 12/2020 to 3/2022 and linked SARS-CoV-2 test results for laboratory-confirmed breakthrough infection through 9/2022. We examined associations of substance use (alcohol use disorder [AUD], other SUD, smoking status) and HIV status and severity with breakthrough infections, using Cox proportional hazards regression hazard ratios (HR). To test for potential interactions between substance use and HIV, we fit survival models with a multiplicative interaction term. Among 24,253 …

Factors Associated With Head And Neck Cancer Postoperative Radiotherapy Delays: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Kelsey A Duckett, Mohamed Faisal Kassir, Shaun A Nguyen, Emily A Brennan, Bhisham S Chera, Katherine R Sterba, Chanita Hughes Halbert, Elizabeth G Hill, Jessica Mccay, Sidharth V Puram, Ryan S Jackson, Vlad C Sandulache, Russel Kahmke, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Salma Ramadan, Brian Nussenbaum, Anthony J Alberg, Evan M Graboyes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Initiating postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) within 6 weeks of surgery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clincal Practice Guidelines and is a Commission on Cancer quality metric. Factors associated with delays in starting PORT have not been systematically described nor synthesized.

Data sources: PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.

Review methods: We included studies describing demographic characteristics, clinical factors, or social determinants of health associated with PORT delay (>6 weeks) in patients with HNSCC treated in the United States after 2003. Meta-analysis of odds ratios (ORs) was performed on nonoverlapping datasets. …

Transcriptomic And Epigenomic Signatures Distinguish High- And Low-Risk Endotypes For Liver Tumor Development, Sandra L Grimm, Tia Talley, Rahul K Jangid, Amrit Koirala, Micah B Castillo, Preethi H Gunaratne, Cristian Coarfa, Cheryl L Walker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The epigenome is a target for environmental exposures and a potential determinant of inter-individual differences in response. In genetically identical C57Bl/6 mice exposed from gestation to weaning to the endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) tributyltin (TBT), hepatic tumor development later in life varied across multiple cohorts over time and depending on sex and diet. In one cohort where approximately half of TBT-exposed male mice developed liver tumors at 10 months (Katz et al. Hepatic tumor formation in adult mice developmentally exposed to organotin, Environmental Health Perspectives, 128 (1), 17010, 2020), transcriptomic (RNA-seq) and epigenomic (ChIP-seq) profiling was performed on blood and liver …

Prognostic Stratification In Dlbcl Patients With Aberrant Myc Gene, Jian-Rong Li, Vikram R Shaw, Abi Parthasarathy, Yong Li, Christopher I Amos, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by a subset of patients who exhibit treatment resistance and poor prognoses. Genomic assays have been widely employed to identify high-risk individuals characterized by rearrangements in the MYC, BCL2 and BCL6 genes. These patients typically undergo more aggressive therapeutic treatments; however, there remains a significant variation in their treatment outcomes. This study introduces an MYC signature score (MYCSS) derived from gene expression profiles, specifically designed to evaluate MYC overactivation in DLBCL patients. MYCSS was validated across several independent cohorts to assess its ability to stratify patients based on MYC-related genetic …

Identifying High-Risk Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Novel Approach Using A Clonal Gene Signature, Jian-Rong Li, Christiana Wang, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous disease with a small subset of high-risk patients having poor prognoses. Identifying these patients is crucial for treatment management and strategic decisions. In this study, we developed a novel computational framework to define prognostic gene signatures by selecting genes with expression driven by clonal copy number alterations. We applied this framework to MM and developed a clonal gene signature (CGS) consisting of 22 genes and evaluated in five independent datasets. The CGS provided significant prognostic values after adjusting for well-established factors including cytogenetic abnormalities, International Staging System (ISS), and Revised ISS (R-ISS). Importantly, CGS …

Residential Proximity To Oil And Gas Developments And Childhood Cancer Survival, Thanh T Hoang, Rutu A Rathod, Omar Rosales, Maria I Castellanos, Jeremy M Schraw, Elyse Burgess, Erin C Peckham-Gregory, Abiodun O Oluyomi, Michael E Scheurer, Amy E Hughes, Philip J Lupo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Environmental toxicants may impact survival in children with cancer, but the literature investigating these associations remains limited. Because oil and gas developments emit several hazardous air pollutants, the authors evaluated the relationship between residential proximity to oil or gas development and survival across 21 different pediatric cancers.

Methods: The Texas Cancer Registry had 29,730 children (≤19 years old) diagnosed with a primary cancer between 1995 to 2017. Geocoded data were available for 285,266 active oil or gas wells and 109,965 horizontal wells. The authors calculated whether each case lived within 1000 m (yes/no) from each type of oil or …

Lack Of Detection Of Norwalk Virus In Saliva Samples From A Controlled Human Infection Model, Robert L Atmar, Frederick H Neill, Nicole M Hayes, Antone R Opekun, David Y Graham, Mary K Estes, Sasirekha Ramani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Following recent reports of norovirus replication in salivary gland cells, we examined whether the prototype norovirus strain, Norwalk virus (GI.1), could be detected in the saliva of 21 experimentally infected persons. Viral RNA was not detected in saliva 2 and 7 days after challenge despite high levels being present in feces.

Telemedicine For Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In A Publicly Funded Hospital System: Retrospective Study, Sebastian Bruera, Kristen Andrews Staggers, Maria Eugenia Suarez-Almazor, Sandeep Krishna Agarwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that requires frequent clinic and laboratory visits. However, patients with SLE, particularly those who are underresourced, have unacceptably high rates of no-shows.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine no-show rates associated with telemedicine visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to no-show rates associated with contemporaneous and historic in-person visits.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study in a publicly funded county hospital system in Houston, Texas. We identified a cohort of established patients with SLE by the International Classification of Diseases codes that were independently confirmed as SLE by …

A Phase 1 Study Of Abi-009 (Nab-Sirolimus) In Combination With Temozolomide And Irinotecan In Pediatric Patients With Recurrent Or Refractory Solid Tumors, Including Cns Tumors-A Children's Oncology Group Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network Study Advl1514, Stuart L Cramer, Alyssa Terry Reddy, Charles Gene Minard, Stephan Voss, Elizabeth Fox, Xiaowei Liu, Kristina Denic, Joel M Reid, Brenda J Weigel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Nab-sirolimus (ABI-009, nab-rapamycin; Aadi Bioscience Inc. [Aadi]) is a human albumin-bound form of sirolimus nanoparticles, a potent mTOR inhibitor. This phase I trial was conducted to define dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), maximum tolerated or recommended phase II dose (MTD/RP2D), and pharmacokinetics of Nab-sirolimus in combination with temozolomide and irinotecan.

METHODS: Using a rolling 6 design, Nab-sirolimus was administered intravenously (IV) on days (D) 1 and 8 of cycle (C) 1. In subsequent cycles, Nab-sirolimus was administered D1 and D8 in combination with temozolomide (125 mg/m

RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were enrolled, 32 were eligible. Dose determination included 17 evaluable patients, median …

Asn Kidney Health Guidance On The Management Of Obesity In Persons Living With Kidney Diseases, T Alp Ikizler, Holly J Kramer, Srinivasan Beddhu, Alex R Chang, Allon N Friedman, Meera N Harhay, Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez, Brandon Kistler, Aleksandra Kukla, Kristin Larson, Lindamarie U Lavenburg, Sankar Dass Navaneethan, John Ortiz, Rocio I Pereira, David B Sarwer, Philip R Schauer, Evan M Zeitler

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Hiv-Related Stigma: A Quantitative Survey Of Tanzanian Men, June 2019, Amandeep Kaur, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Geoffrey K. Kangogo, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Ivan E. Teri, Gaspar Mbita, Aima A. Ahonkhai, Donaldson F. Conserve

Faculty Publications

Experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may impact personal opinions, attitudes, and judgments, which can further result in HIV-related stigma. HIV-related stigma consequentially may impact HIV preventive measures such as HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake, and condom use. The extent to which ACEs influence HIV-related stigma perception has not been well studied. Therefore, the study aimed to examine the association between ACEs and perceived and interpersonal HIV-related stigma among Tanzanian HIV-negative men. Quantitative survey data were obtained from the Tanzania STEP (Self-Testing Education and Promotion) project established in four wards: Mabibo, Manzese, Tandale, and Mwanyanamala. A total of 507 men responded …

Sexual Behavior Among Emerging Adults In Africa: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Stevenson Chea, Vincent A. Kagonya, Osman Abdullahi, Amina Abubakar, Souheila Abbeddou, Kristien Michielsen, Amin Hassan

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Estimates on sexual behavior (SB) among emerging adults (EmA) is varied in literature, which presents a challenge when designing targeted interventions. We aimed to summarize literature on prevalence and risk factors of SB among EmA in Africa.

Methods: A search for studies published in PubMed, Embase, and Psych Info by March 2023 was done. Studies involving EmA (18–25 years), conducted in Africa, and reporting 1 or more of 7 SBs were reviewed. Pooled prevalence estimates were summarized using forest plots. Heterogeneity in SB was explored. Risk factors were synthesized using a modified socioecological model.

Results: Overall, …

Mda Foundation: How Your Donations Help Support The Vina Dental Clinic -- And Other Programs, Too, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In 2007, Dr. Fredric Bonine and Dr. Sam Daniels founded the VINA Community Dental Center in Brighton, Michigan, to provide affordable dental care to low-income residents. The clinic opened in 2008, charging minimal fees for cleanings and appointments. Serving 1,500 to 2,000 patients annually, the clinic relies on volunteer dentists, partnerships with educational institutions, and grants. Notably, the University of Michigan’s Victors for Veterans program offers free dental care to qualifying veterans. The MDA Foundation supports the clinic through grants, contributing to VINA’s $250,000 annual budget. Donations to the MDA Foundation fund these efforts, ensuring continued access to affordable dental …

Revealing Patterns Of Sars-Cov-2 Variant Emergence And Evolution Using Rbd Amplicon Sequencing Of Wastewater, Xingwen Chen, John Balliew, Cici X Bauer, Jennifer Deegan, Anna Gitter, Blake M Hanson, Anthony W Maresso, Michael J Tisza, Catherine L Troisi, Janelle Rios, Kristina D Mena, Eric Boerwinkle, Fuqing Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the emergence of numerous variants, posing significant challenges to public health surveillance. Clinical genome sequencing, while valuable, has limitations in capturing the full epidemiological dynamics of circulating variants in the general population. This study aimed to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 variant community dynamics and evolution using receptor-binding domain (RBD) amplicon sequencing of wastewater samples.

Methods: We sequenced wastewater from El Paso, Texas, over 17 months, compared the sequencing data with clinical genome data, and performed biodiversity analysis to reveal SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics and evolution.

Results: We identified 91 variants and observed waves of …

Temporal Trends In The Management Practices Of Clinically Important Perioperative Atrial Fibrillation After Noncardiac Surgery, Michael Ke Wang, P J Devereaux, Maura Marcucci, Vladimir Lomivorotov, Daniel I Sessler, Matthew T V Chan, Flavia K Borges, Sandra N Ofori, Pilar Paniagua, James D Douketis, Alben Sigamani, Joel L Parlow, Chew Y Wang, Juan Carlos Villar, Sadeesh K Srinathan, Wojciech Szczeklik, María José Martínez-Zapata, German Malaga, Soori Sivakumaran, William F Mcintyre, María-Virginia Rodríguez Funes, Patricia Cruz, Jesús Alvarez-Garcia, Isabelle Greiss, Ekaterine Popova, Martin E Hemels, Axel Brandes, Clara K Chow, Satish Prasad Barnawal, Jeff S Healey, David Conen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Clinically important perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common cardiac complication after noncardiac surgery. Little is known about how patients with POAF are managed acutely and whether practices have changed over time.

Methods: We conducted an observational substudy of patients who had POAF, were at elevated cardiovascular risk, and were enrolled in the PeriOperative Ischemic Evaluation (POISE)-1, 2 and 3 trials between 2002 and 2021. POAF was defined as new, clinically important atrial fibrillation occurring within 30 days after surgery. We assessed the use of rhythm-control and anticoagulation treatment in response to POAF, at hospital discharge and at 30 …

Protein Biomarkers Of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption And Risk Of Coronary Heart Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, And All-Cause Mortality, Shutong Du, Jingsha Chen, Hyunju Kim, Alice H Lichtenstein, Bing Yu, Lawrence J Appel, Josef Coresh, Casey M Rebholz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is a need to understand the underlying biological mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods negatively affect health. Proteomics offers a valuable tool with which to examine different aspects of ultra-processed foods and their impact on health.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify protein biomarkers of usual ultra-processed food consumption and assess their relation to the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and all-cause mortality risk.

Methods: A total of 9361 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities visit 3 (1993-1995) were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a 66-item food-frequency questionnaire and …

Trends In The Use Of Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Recently Diagnosed Colorectal, Lung, Or Prostate Cancer, Maria E Suarez-Almazor, Juan I Ruiz, Xiudong Lei, Chi-Fang Wu, Hui Zhao, Suja S Rajan, Sharon H Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) are often discontinued when a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is diagnosed with cancer. Our aim was to determine trends in bDMARD utilization in patients with RA and recently diagnosed cancer.

METHOD: We examined two national claims databases to identify adults with RA and recently diagnosed colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer (Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database 2008-2022, and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) Medicare-linked 2008-2017). We determined time trends in bDMARD and tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) prescriptions during the first 3 years after cancer with Cochram-Armitage tests and multivariable logistic …

History Of Incarceration And Dental Care Use Among Older Adults In The United States, Alexander Testa, Dylan B Jackson, Carmen Gutierrez, Chantal Fahmy, Vahed Maroufy, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Ana C Neumann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Dental care is a critical component of healthy aging; however, emerging evidence suggests that having been previously incarcerated is a risk factor for not using dental care services. This study investigates the relationship between prior incarceration and dental care among older adults and assesses whether wealth and dental insurance explain this relationship.

METHODS: Data are from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults in the United States, collected in 2012 and 2014. Multivariable logistic regression is used to assess the relationship between a history of incarceration and dental care. Mediation analyses were conducted …

Incorporating External Controls In The Design Of Randomized Clinical Trials: A Case Study In Solid Tumors, Emily M Damone, Jiawen Zhu, Herbert Pang, Xiao Li, Yinqi Zhao, Evan Kwiatkowski, Lisa A Carey, Joseph G Ibrahim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The use of historical external control data in clinical trials has grown in interest and needs when considering the design of future trials. Hybrid control designs can be more efficient to achieve the same power with fewer patients and limited resources. The literature is sparse on appropriate statistical methods which can account for the differences between historical external controls and the control patients in a study. In this article, we illustrate the analysis framework of a clinical trial if a hybrid control design was used after determining an RCT may not be feasible.

METHODS: We utilize two previously completed …

Postnatal Growth Of Etiologically Characterized Preterm Newborns According To Gestational Age At Birth, Paola Roggero, Irina Ryumina, Robert Gunier, Adele Winsey, Stephen Rauch, Irma Alejandra Coronado Zarco, Shabina Ariff, Maria Albertina Rego, Constanza Soto Conti, R. Ochieng

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Objective: To examine the relationship between etiologically-based preterm birth sub-groups and early postnatal growth according to gestational age at birth.

Methods: Prospective, multinational, cohort study involving 15 hospitals that monitored preterm newborns to hospital discharge. Measures/exposures: maternal demographics; etiologically-based preterm birth sub-groups; very, moderate and late preterm categories, and feeding. Primary outcomes: serial anthropometric measures expressed as z-scores of the INTERGROWTH-21st preterm postnatal growth standards.

Results: We included 2320 singletons and 1180 twins: very=24.4% (n = 856, including 178 < 28 weeks’ gestation); moderate=16.9% (n = 592) and late preterm=58.6% (n = 2052). The median (interquartile range) postmenstrual age at the last measure was 37 (36–38) weeks. The ‘no main condition’ sub-group percentage increased from early to late preterm; the ‘perinatal sepsis’ sub-group percentage decreased. ‘Perinatal sepsis’, ‘suspected IUGR’ and ‘fetal distress’ very and late preterm infants had lower postnatal growth patterns than the ‘no main condition’ reference sub-group. This pattern persisted in late but not very preterm infants when postnatal growth was corrected for weight z-score at birth.

Conclusion: The proportional contribution of etiologically-based preterm sub-groups and their postnatal growth trajectories vary by preterm category. Postnatal growth is partially …

Participation Of Behavioral Health Facilities In Medicare Accountable Care Organizations, Yucheng Hou, Susan H Busch, Helen Newton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cross-sectional study examines temporal trends in behavioral health facility inclusion in accountable care organizations (ACOs) and beneficiary characteristics of such ACOs.

Genomic Analysis Of Intracranial And Subcortical Brain Volumes Yields Polygenic Scores Accounting For Variation Across Ancestries, Luis M García-Marín, Adrian I Campos, Santiago Diaz-Torres, Jill A Rabinowitz, Zuriel Ceja, Brittany L Mitchell, Katrina L Grasby, Jackson G Thorp, Ingrid Agartz, Saud Alhusaini, David Ames, Philippe Amouyel, Ole A Andreassen, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Alejandro Arias-Vasquez, Nicola J Armstrong, Lavinia Athanasiu, Mark E Bastin, Alexa S Beiser, David A Bennett, Joshua C Bis, Marco P M Boks, Dorret I Boomsma, Henry Brodaty, Rachel M Brouwer, Jan K Buitelaar, Ralph Burkhardt, Wiepke Cahn, Vince D Calhoun, Owen T Carmichael, Mallar Chakravarty, Qiang Chen, Christopher R K Ching, Sven Cichon, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Fabrice Crivello, Anders M Dale, George Davey Smith, Eco J C De Geus, Philip L De Jager, Greig I De Zubicaray, Stéphanie Debette, Charles Decarli, Chantal Depondt, Sylvane Desrivières, Srdjan Djurovic, Stefan Ehrlich, Susanne Erk, Thomas Espeseth, Guillén Fernández, Irina Filippi, Simon E Fisher, Debra A Fleischman, Evan Fletcher, Myriam Fornage, Andreas J Forstner, Clyde Francks, Barbara Franke, Tian Ge, Aaron L Goldman, Hans J Grabe, Robert C Green, Oliver Grimm, Nynke A Groenewold, Oliver Gruber, Vilmundur Gudnason, Asta K Håberg, Unn K Haukvik, Andreas Heinz, Derrek P Hibar, Saima Hilal, Jayandra J Himali, Beng-Choon Ho, David F Hoehn, Pieter J Hoekstra, Edith Hofer, Wolfgang Hoffmann, Avram J Holmes, Georg Homuth, Norbert Hosten, M Kamran Ikram, Jonathan C Ipser, Clifford R Jack, Neda Jahanshad, Erik G Jönsson, Rene S Kahn, Ryota Kanai, Marieke Klein, Maria J Knol, Lenore J Launer, Stephen M Lawrie, Stephanie Le Hellard, Phil H Lee, Hervé Lemaître, Shuo Li, David C M Liewald, Honghuang Lin, W T Longstreth, Oscar L Lopez, Michelle Luciano, Pauline Maillard, Andre F Marquand, Nicholas G Martin, Jean-Luc Martinot, Karen A Mather, Venkata S Mattay, Katie L Mcmahon, Patrizia Mecocci, Ingrid Melle, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Nazanin Mirza-Schreiber, Yuri Milaneschi, Thomas H Mosley, Thomas W Mühleisen, Bertram Müller-Myhsok, Susana Muñoz Maniega, Matthias Nauck, Kwangsik Nho, Wiro J Niessen, Markus M Nöthen, Paul A Nyquist, Jaap Oosterlaan, Massimo Pandolfo, Tomas Paus, Zdenka Pausova, Brenda W J H Penninx, G Bruce Pike, Bruce M Psaty, Benno Pütz, Simone Reppermund, Marcella D Rietschel, Shannon L Risacher, Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth, Rafael Romero-Garcia, Gennady V Roshchupkin, Jerome I Rotter, Perminder S Sachdev, Philipp G Sämann, Arvin Saremi, Muralidharan Sargurupremraj, Andrew J Saykin, Lianne Schmaal, Helena Schmidt, Reinhold Schmidt, Peter R Schofield, Markus Scholz, Gunter Schumann, Emanuel Schwarz, Li Shen, Jean Shin, Sanjay M Sisodiya, Albert V Smith, Jordan W Smoller, Hilkka S Soininen, Vidar M Steen, Dan J Stein, Jason L Stein, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Arthur W Toga, Diana Tordesillas-Gutiérrez, Julian N Trollor, Maria C Valdes-Hernandez, Dennis Van T Ent, Hans Van Bokhoven, Dennis Van Der Meer, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Javier Vázquez-Bourgon, Dick J Veltman, Meike W Vernooij, Arno Villringer, Louis N Vinke, Henry Völzke, Henrik Walter, Joanna M Wardlaw, Daniel R Weinberger, Michael W Weiner, Wei Wen, Lars T Westlye, Eric Westman, Tonya White, A Veronica Witte, Christiane Wolf, Jingyun Yang, Marcel P Zwiers, M Arfan Ikram, Sudha Seshadri, Paul M Thompson, Claudia L Satizabal, Sarah E Medland, Miguel E Rentería

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Subcortical brain structures are involved in developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. Here we performed genome-wide association studies meta-analyses of intracranial and nine subcortical brain volumes (brainstem, caudate nucleus, putamen, hippocampus, globus pallidus, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and the ventral diencephalon) in 74,898 participants of European ancestry. We identified 254 independent loci associated with these brain volumes, explaining up to 35% of phenotypic variance. We observed gene expression in specific neural cell types across differentiation time points, including genes involved in intracellular signaling and brain aging-related processes. Polygenic scores for brain volumes showed predictive ability when applied to individuals of diverse …

Feasibility, Acceptability, And Initial Efficacy Of A Wheelchair Exercise Training Program In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Study Protocol For A Parallel Group Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephanie L Silveira, Robert W Motl, Katherine Froehlich-Grobe, Mitch Kay

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that examines the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a home-based, remotely supported and supervised exercise training program that was developed using a three-step community engaged research process for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are wheelchair users.

Materials and methods: The study design is a parallel group RCT (NCT05888727). We aim to enroll 24 wheelchair users with MS who will be randomly assigned using REDCap randomization module into exercise training or attention/contact wellness control conditions. The conditions will be delivered remotely over 16 weeks and supported using online, …

Sex Differences In Hypertension And Its Management Throughout Life, Wan-Jin Yeo, Rahul Abraham, Aditya L Surapaneni, Pascal Schlosser, Shoshana H Ballew, Bige Ozkan, Carina M Flaherty, Bing Yu, Joseph V Bonventre, Chirag R Parikh, Paul L Kimmel, Ramachandran S Vasan, Josef Coresh, Morgan E Grams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The prevalence of hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension may differ by age and sex.

Methods: We included participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study at seven study visits over 33 years (visit 1: 15 636 participants; mean age, 54 years; 55% women), estimating sex differences in prevalence of hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥130 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mm Hg; or self-reported antihypertension medication use) and uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg) using unadjusted and comorbidity-adjusted models.

Results: The prevalence of hypertension increased with age from 40% (ages, 43-46 …

Serum Metabolomic Markers Of Artificially Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Hejingzi Jia, Lauren Bernard, Jingsha Chen, Shutong Du, Lyn M Steffen, Kari E Wong, Bing Yu, Valerie K Sullivan, Casey M Rebholz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The consumption of artificially sweetened beverages is on the rise. Use of artificial sweeteners has been associated with adverse health outcomes. There is a need to identify novel objective biomarkers of artificially sweetened beverages in order to improve dietary assessment and to provide insight into their metabolic impact.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify serum metabolites that are associated with artificially sweetened beverage consumption.

METHODS: In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and fasting serum samples were collected during the first study visit (1987-1989). Participants were categorized …

Change Of Ownership And Quality Of Home Health Agency Care, Zhanji Zhang, Kun Li, Siyi Wang, Shekinah Fashaw-Walters, Yucheng Hou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The home health agency (HHA) market has seen increasingly more change in ownership transactions. Little is known about the organizational characteristics and quality of care of HHAs after ownership has changed.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether an HHA change in ownership was associated with different quality-of-care outcomes, patient volume, and staffing levels.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using current HHA change of ownership files linked to publicly available Medicare HHA data, this staggered difference-in-differences analysis evaluated ownership change transactions of Medicare-certified HHAs from quarter 1 of 2016 to quarter 4 of 2019. Pretransaction and posttransaction HHA characteristics and quality-of-care outcomes were …

Survival In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Early Breast Cancer Treated With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors, Juan I Ruiz, Xiudong Lei, Wu Chi-Fang, Sharon H Giordano, Hui Zhao, Suja S Rajan, Heather Lin, Maria E Suarez-Almazor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There have been concerns about the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) for autoimmune disease in patients with recently diagnosed cancer. We assessed the survival of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and newly diagnosed early breast cancer (BC) treated with TNFi in the first two years after BC diagnosis.

Methods: We identified patients in two datasets: (1) Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database (CDM), (2) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) and Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) Medicare-linked cohort. We grouped patients according to whether they received TNFi, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) only, or no DMARDs …

Impact Of Racial, Ethnic, And Socioeconomic Disparities On Presentation And Survival Of Hcc: A Multicenter Study, Nicole E Rich, Patricia D Jones, Hong Zhu, Tanushree Prasad, Amy Hughes, Sandi Pruitt, Caitlin C Murphy, Karim Seif-El-Dahan, Darine Daher, Gloria Figueroa, Stephanie Castaneda, Lisa Quirk, Michael Gonzales, Osiris Carranza, Samantha Bourque, Nargis Baset, Adam C Yopp, Amit G Singal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities have been reported for HCC prognosis, although few studies fully account for clinically important factors and social determinants of health, including neighborhood socioeconomic status.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study of patients newly diagnosed with HCC from January 2010 through August 2018 at 4 large health systems in the United States. We used multivariable logistic regression and cause-specific Cox proportional hazard models to identify factors associated with early-stage HCC presentation and overall survival.

RESULTS: Of 2263 patients with HCC (37.6% non-Hispanic White, 23.5% non-Hispanic Black, 32.6% Hispanic, and 6.4% Asian/other), 42.0% of patients …

Impact Of Participation In Cardiac Rehabilitation Post Myocardial-Infarction: An Integrative Review, Zoie Maynard, Mallory Stinson

Master's Projects

As one of the most common causes of hospitalization, the prevalence of myocardial infarction is indisputable Since this condition is so ubiquitous, a treatment protocol is initiated with methods to help patients modify their lifestyle, treat their underlying disease process, educate them to prevent reoccurrence, and improve their healthcare outcomes. This protocol relies heavily on the use of cardiac rehabilitation. Despite the implementation of this treatment protocol, the concern for recurrence and rehospitalization remains. The goal of this integrative review is to determine how participation in cardiac rehabilitation post-myocardial infarction impacts healthcare outcomes including rates of rehospitalization and depression. The …