Clinical Epidemiology Commons^™

Exploring The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Preventive Healthcare Utilization In Rural Georgia, Ryan R. Traylor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and preventive healthcare use among adults in Georgia, specifically within rural populations facing structural barriers. Using 2023 Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, the research analyzes associations between ACE exposure, rural residence, and preventive care outcomes, including physical exams and flu vaccinations. Guided by an intersectionally adapted version of Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, the study evaluates how predisposing factors, enabling resources, and perceived barriers relate to healthcare engagement. Logistic regression analyses assess the correlation of ACE exposure, cost barriers, provider access, and sociodemographics with preventive …

Association Of Area Deprivation Index With Perinatal And Covid-19 Outcomes During The Early Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis Of A Prospective Cohort Study, Abigail Bell, Megan Foeller, Candice Woolfolk, Emily Diveley, Fan Zhang, Amy Scheffer, Ruizhi Huang, Daniel Jackson, Nandini Raghuraman, Ebony Carter, Indira U Mysorekar, Jeannie C Kelly

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between neighborhood-level deprivation and perinatal outcomes, particularly preterm birth, as well as COVID-19 outcomes among pregnant patients during the early pandemic.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study that investigated the impact of prenatal COVID-19 exposure on perinatal outcomes. Pregnant patients were recruited 12/23/20-7/18/22 and serially assessed for COVID-19 exposure during pregnancy, with serum antibody testing, electronic medical record review, and patient report. For this secondary analysis, address at the time of delivery was used to categorize patients into low ADI (≤50th percentile Area Deprivation Index, indicating low …

Giant Cell Arteritis After Mrna Covid Vaccines: Concerning Or A False Alarm?-A Retrospective Cohort Study, Syed M. F. Zabiullah, Rutwik Pradeep Sharma, Roshan Subedi, Viqarunnisa Faaiza Zahid, Yasir Loai, Sarathlal Mannumbethlal, Aatifa Aatifa

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to the first large-scale rapid deployment of novel messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Although the effectiveness and safety of these vaccines were rigorously studied, post-vaccination adverse events such as giant cell arteritis (GCA) continue to be reported. More than two hundred and sixty three cases of new-onset GCA occurring after mRNA vaccine administration are listed in the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System as of October 2024. We aimed to explore the incidence of GCA after mRNA vaccines among patients in our health system and study their characteristics and outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a …

Causes Of Symptoms And Symptom Persistence In Long Covid And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Anthony L Komaroff, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Debilitating symptoms for many years can follow acute COVID-19 ("long COVID"), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and various post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs). Together, long COVID and ME/CFS affect 60-400 million individuals, globally. Many similar underlying biological abnormalities have been identified in both conditions including autoantibodies against neural targets, endothelial dysfunction, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome. Each of these abnormalities may directly cause some of the symptoms. In addition, the symptoms also may be caused by ancient, evolutionarily conserved symptomatic and metabolic responses to vital threats-sickness behavior and torpor-responses mediated by specific, recently discovered neural circuits. These neural …

An Application Of Minimization For Ensuring Balanced Study Arms In A Group-Randomized Covid-19 Educational Intervention Trial, Xu Zhang, Mohammad H Rahbar, Amirali Tahanan, Cici Bauer, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Alanna C Morrison, Belinda Reininger, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Our institution carried out a multi-center, group-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of two community-based interventions on promoting the uptake of COVID-19 testing and vaccination in three regions with high levels of health disparities in Texas. We selected Census Block Groups (CBGs) with high disparity for randomization. In each study region, selected CBGs were randomized into two intervention groups and one control group. An important goal was to ensure balanced distributions of two continuous covariates, the disparity index and population size, across study arms. In this paper, we describe a novel minimization method used to ensure balanced study …

Association Of Messenger Rna Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Vaccination And Reductions In Post Covid Conditions Following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection In A Us Prospective Cohort Of Essential Workers, Josephine Mak, Sana Khan, Amadea Britton, Spencer Rose, Lisa Gwynn, Katherine D Ellingson, Jennifer Meece, Leora R Feldstein, Harmony Tyner, Laura J Edwards, Matthew S Thiese, Allison Naleway, Manjusha Gaglani, Natasha Solle, Jefferey L Burgess, Julie Mayo Lamberte, Meghan Shea, Taryn Hunt-Smith, Alberto Caban-Martinez, Cynthia Porter, Ryan Wiegand, Ramona Rai, Kurt T Hegmann, James Hollister, Ashley Fowlkes, Meredith Wesley, Andrew L Philips, Patrick Rivers, Robin Bloodworth, Gabriella Newes-Adeyi, Lauren E W Olsho, Sarang K Yoon, Sharon Saydah, Karen Lutrick

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Data are limited on whether vaccination reduces post COVID conditions (PCCs) risk after less severe nonhospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study assessed whether COVID-19 vaccination protected against PCCs in persons with mild initial infections during Delta and Omicron variant predominance.

Methods: This study utilized a case-control design, nested within the HEROES-RECOVER cohort. Participants aged ≥18 years with test-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between 28 June 2021 and 14 September 2022 were surveyed for PCCs, defined by symptoms lasting >4 weeks after initial infection. Cases self-reported PCCs and controls self-reported no PCCs. The exposure was …

Increasing Covid-19 Testing And Vaccination Uptake In The Take Care Texas Community-Based Randomized Trial: Adaptive Geospatial Analysis, Kehe Zhang, Jocelyn V Hunyadi, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto, Miryoung Lee, Zitong Zhang, Ryan Ramphul, Jose-Miguel Yamal, Ashraf Yaseen, Alanna C Morrison, Shreela Sharma, Mohammad Hossein Rahbar, Xu Zhang, Stephen Linder, Dritana Marko, Rachel White Roy, Deborah Banerjee, Esmeralda Guajardo, Michelle Crum, Belinda Reininger, Maria E Fernandez, Cici Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Geospatial data science can be a powerful tool to aid the design, reach, efficiency, and impact of community-based intervention trials. The project titled Take Care Texas aims to develop and test an adaptive, multilevel, community-based intervention to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake among vulnerable populations in 3 Texas regions: Harris County, Cameron County, and Northeast Texas.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a novel procedure for adaptive selections of census block groups (CBGs) to include in the community-based randomized trial for the Take Care Texas project.

METHODS: CBG selection was conducted across 3 Texas regions over a 17-month period …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Molecular Epidemiologic Studies Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Me/Cfs), Anil Kumar

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disabling multisystem complex disorder with no known etiology or approved treatment. Our studies aimed to assess the link between ME/CFS and autoimmune disease (AID) and cancer, and to identify potential biomarkers and biological mechanisms to further explore pathophysiology of this diseases.

Methods: All analyses were done using data from a case-control study of ME/CFS conducted by Dr. Roxana Moslehi and her collaborators. In our first study we estimated the cumulative incidences of AID and cancer among first degree relatives of 60 cases and 61 controls and compared cumulative …

Neutralization Escape, Infectivity, And Membrane Fusion Of Jn1-Derived Sars-Cov-2 Slip, Flirt, And Kp2 Variants, Pei Li, Julia N Faraone, Cheng Chih Hsu, Michelle Chamblee, Yi-Min Zheng, Claire Carlin, Joseph S Bednash, Jeffrey C Horowitz, Rama K Mallampalli, Linda J Saif, Eugene M Oltz, Daniel Jones, Jianrong Li, Richard J Gumina, Kai Xu, Shan-Lu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We investigate JN.1-derived subvariants SLip, FLiRT, and KP.2 for neutralization by antibodies in vaccinated individuals, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients, or class III monoclonal antibody S309. Compared to JN.1, SLip, KP.2, and especially FLiRT exhibit increased resistance to bivalent-vaccinated and BA.2.86/JN.1-wave convalescent human sera. XBB.1.5 monovalent-vaccinated hamster sera robustly neutralize FLiRT and KP.2 but have reduced efficiency for SLip. All subvariants are resistant to S309 and show decreased infectivity, cell-cell fusion, and spike processing relative to JN.1. Modeling reveals that L455S and F456L in SLip reduce spike binding for ACE2, while R346T in FLiRT and KP.2 strengthens …

Factors Associated With Elevated Sars-Cov-2 Immune Response In Children And Adolescents, Sarah E Messiah, Rhiana Abbas, Emma Bergqvist, Harold W Kohl, Michael D Swartz, Yashar Talebi, Rachit Sabharwal, Haoting Han, Melissa A Valerio-Shewmaker, Stacia M Desantis, Ashraf Yaseen, Henal A Gandhi, Ximena Flandes Amavisca, Jessica A Ross, Lindsay N Padilla, Michael O Gonzalez, Leqing Wu, Mark A Silberman, David Lakey, Jennifer A Shuford, Stephen J Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Understanding the distinct immunologic responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection among pediatric populations is pivotal in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and informing future public health strategies. This study aimed to identify factors associated with heightened antibody responses in children and adolescents to identify potential unique immune dynamics in this population.

METHODS: Data collected between July and December 2023 from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a statewide prospective population-based antibody survey among 1-to-19-year-old participants, were analyzed. Each participant had the following data available for analysis: (1) Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassay for Nucleocapsid protein antibodies (Roche N-test), (2) qualitative and …

Preeclampsia In The Context Of Covid-19: Mechanisms, Pathophysiology, And Clinical Outcomes, Guilherme M Nobrega, Brittany R Jones, Indira U Mysorekar, Maria Laura Costa

Center on Aging Staff Publications

The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the global COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impacting the health of pregnant women. Obstetric populations, already vulnerable, face increased morbidity and mortality related to COVID-19, aggravated by preexisting comorbidities. Recent studies have shed light on the potential correlation between COVID-19 and preeclampsia (PE), a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity worldwide, emphasizing the significance of exploring the relationship between these two conditions. Here, we review the pathophysiological similarities that PE shares with COVID-19, with a particular focus on severe COVID-19 cases and in PE-like syndrome cases related with …

E-Cigarette Use Reasons And Associated E-Cigarette Use Dependence Among College Students: A Longitudinal Examination, Tzung-Shiang Ou, Anne Buu, James J Yang, Hsien-Chang Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Previous studies have established an understanding of reasons for e-cigarette use and associated e-cigarette use patterns such as use frequency, yet the critical extension to associated e-cigarette dependence outcome remains under-researched. This study used longitudinal data to examine whether the reasons for e-cigarette use predict a higher/lower level of e-cigarette dependence.

Methods: This study recruited college students who were current e-cigarette users from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 (four semesters) at three public universities in the Midwest and South of the U.S. Those who participated for at least two semesters were included (N = 366). Data were collected using …

Bayesian Beta-Binomial Mixed Models For Longitudinal, Clustered, And Spatiotemporal Data, Chun-Che Wen

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Overdispersed binomial data arise in many clinical and public health research studies. Examples include timeline followback data (TLFB), which are used in addiction research to monitor recent substance use. This dissertation proposes novel beta-binomial (BB) mixed models to address the challenges associated with overdispersed binomial data, including zero-inflation, heterogenous effects, and spatiotemporal correlation. Motivated by a 12-week randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of varenicline tartrate for smoking cessation among adolescents, Aim 1 develops a Bayesian zero-inflated beta-binomial (ZIBB) model to analyze longitudinal and bounded TLFB data — namely, the number of abstinent days in the past week. Because treatment …

Change In Trust In Us Government Health Agencies For Cancer Information In The Covid-19 Era, Onyema G Chido-Amajuoyi, Rajesh Talluri, Henry K Onyeaka, Itunu Sokale, Gideon T Dosunmu, Noelle Loconte, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cross-sectional study assesses changes in levels of public trust in US government health agencies providing cancer information.

Vaccine Uptake And Intentions: Insights From A Texas Survey On Factors Influencing Covid-19 Vaccination Decisions, Yordanos M Tiruneh, Paula M Cuccaro, Kimberly S Elliott, Jing Xie, Journey Martinez, Mark Owens, Christian R Alvarado, Jose-Miguel Yamal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines depends on widespread vaccine uptake. Employing a telephone-administered weighted survey with 19,502 participants, we examined the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among adults in Texas. We used multiple regression analysis with LASSO-selected variables to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intentions to receive the vaccine among the unvaccinated. The prevalence of unvaccinated individuals (22%) was higher among those aged 18-39, males, White respondents, English speakers, uninsured individuals, those facing financial challenges, and individuals expressing no concern about contracting the illness. In a fully adjusted regression model, higher odds of being unvaccinated were observed …

Parental Factors Associated With Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake For Children Over 5 Years Of Age In Texas, Paula M Cuccaro, Jihye Choi, Yordanos M Tiruneh, Journey Martinez, Jing Xie, Michelle Crum, Mark Owens, Jose-Miguel Yamal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children, yet parental hesitancy towards vaccinating children against the virus persists. We conducted a telephone-administered weighted survey in Texas to examine parents' sociodemographic factors and medical conditions associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention for parents with unvaccinated children ages 5-17 years. We collected responses from 19,502 participants, of which 4879 were parents of children ages 5-17 years. We conducted multiple logistic regression with Lasso-selected variables to identify factors associated with children's vaccination status and parents' intention to vaccinate their children. From the unweighted sample, less than half of the parents (46.8%) had at …

Targeted Accurate Rna Consensus Sequencing (Tarc-Seq) Reveals Mechanisms Of Replication Error Affecting Sars-Cov-2 Divergence, Catherine C Bradley, Chen Wang, Alasdair J E Gordon, Alice X Wen, Pamela N Luna, Matthew B Cooke, Brendan F Kohrn, Scott R Kennedy, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Pedro A Piedra, Olivier Lichtarge, Chad A Shaw, Shannon E Ronca, Christophe Herman

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, depend on their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) for replication, which is error-prone. Monitoring replication errors is crucial for understanding the virus’s evolution. Current methods lack the precision to detect rare de novo RNA mutations, particularly in low-input samples such as those from patients. Here, we introduce a new targeted Accurate RNA Consensus sequencing method (tARC-seq) to accurately determine the mutation frequency and types in SARS-CoV-2, both in cell culture and clinical samples. Our findings show an average of 2.68×10−5 new errors per cycle with a C>T bias that cannot be solely attributed to APOBEC …

Sars-Cov-2 Viral Load In The Nasopharynx At Time Of First Infection Among Unvaccinated Individuals, Leigh H Fisher, Jia Jin Kee, Albert Liu, Claudia M Espinosa, April K Randhawa, James Ludwig, Craig A Magaret, Samuel T Robinson, Peter B Gilbert, Ollivier Hyrien, James G Kublin, Nadine Rouphael, Ann R Falsey, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Hana M El Sahly, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Glenda E Gray, Karen L Kotloff, Cynthia L Gay, Brett Leav, Ian Hirsch, Frank Struyf, Lisa M Dunkle, Kathleen M Neuzil, Lawrence Corey, Yunda Huang, Paul A Goepfert, Stephen R Walsh, Lindsey R Baden, Holly Janes, Covid-19 Prevention Network (Covpn)

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: SARS-CoV-2 viral load (VL) in the nasopharynx is difficult to quantify and standardize across settings, but it may inform transmission potential and disease severity.

Objective: To characterize VL at COVID-19 diagnosis among previously uninfected and unvaccinated individuals by evaluating the association of demographic and clinical characteristics, viral variant, and trial with VL, as well as the ability of VL to predict severe disease.

Design, setting, and participants: This secondary cross-protocol analysis used individual-level data from placebo recipients from 4 harmonized, phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials sponsored by Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax. Participants were SARS-CoV-2 negative at baseline …

Large-Scale Phenotyping Of Patients With Long Covid Post-Hospitalization Reveals Mechanistic Subtypes Of Disease, Felicity Liew, Claudia Efstathiou, Sara Fontanella, Matthew Richardson, Ruth Saunders, Dawid Swieboda, Jasmin K Sidhu, Stephanie Ascough, Shona C Moore, Noura Mohamed, Jose Nunag, Clara King, Olivia C Leavy, Omer Elneima, Hamish J C Mcauley, Aarti Shikotra, Amisha Singapuri, Marco Sereno, Victoria C Harris, Linzy Houchen-Wolloff, Neil J Greening, Nazir I Lone, Matthew Thorpe, A A Roger Thompson, Sarah L Rowland-Jones, Annemarie B Docherty, James D Chalmers, Ling-Pei Ho, Alexander Horsley, Betty Raman, Krisnah Poinasamy, Michael Marks, Onn Min Kon, Luke S Howard, Daniel G Wootton, Jennifer K Quint, Thushan I De Silva, Antonia Ho, Christopher Chiu, Ewen M Harrison, William Greenhalf, J Kenneth Baillie, Malcolm G Semple, Lance Turtle, Rachael A Evans, Louise V Wain, Christopher Brightling, Ryan S Thwaites, Peter J M Openshaw, Phosp-Covid Collaborative Group, Isaric Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

One in ten severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long coronavirus disease (COVID), yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood1. Here we profiled 368 plasma proteins in 657 participants ≥3 months following hospitalization. Of these, 426 had at least one long COVID symptom and 233 had fully recovered. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID. IL-1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue and anxiety/depression; MATN2, CSF3 and C1QA were elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms and C1QA was elevated in cognitive impairment. Additional markers …

Effect Of Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Treatment On Early Trajectories Of Virologic And Immunologic Biomarkers In Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Tomas O Jensen, Greg A Grandits, Mamta K Jain, Thomas A Murray, Birgit Grund, Kathryn Shaw-Saliba, Michael A Matthay, Mahsa Abassi, Magdalena Ardelt, Jason V Baker, Peter Chen, Robin L Dewar, Anna L Goodman, Timothy J Hatlen, Helene C Highbarger, Mark Holodniy, Perrine Lallemand, Sylvain Laverdure, Bradley G Leshnower, David Looney, Charalampos D Moschopoulos, Henry Mugerwa, Daniel D Murray, Eleftherios Mylonakis, Stephanie Nagy-Agren, M Tauseef Rehman, Adam Rupert, Randy A Stevens, Stuart Turville, Amy Weintrob, Katherine Wick, Jens Lundgren, Emily R Ko, Activ-3/Tico Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nmAbs) failed to show clear benefit for hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Dynamics of virologic and immunologic biomarkers remain poorly understood.

METHODS: Participants enrolled in the Therapeutics for Inpatients with COVID-19 trials were randomized to nmAb versus placebo. Longitudinal differences between treatment and placebo groups in levels of plasma nucleocapsid antigen (N-Ag), anti-nucleocapsid antibody, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and D-dimer at enrollment, day 1, 3, and 5 were estimated using linear mixed models. A 7-point pulmonary ordinal scale assessed at day 5 was compared using proportional odds models.

RESULTS: Analysis included 2149 participants enrolled between …

Description Of Cryptococcosis Following Sars-Cov-2 Infection: A Disease Survey Through The Mycosis Study Group Education And Research Consortium (Msg-19), Jeremey Walker, Todd Mccarty, Gerald Mcgwin, Eloy E Ordaya, Paschalis Vergidis, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Mehriban Mammadova, Andrej Spec, Adriana M Rauseo, John Perfect, Julia Messina, Gabriel Vilchez, Rachel Mcmullen, Carolynn T Jones, Peter G Pappas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Invasive fungal infections have been described throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Cryptococcal disease after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported in several isolated case reports and 1 larger case series. We sought to describe cryptococcal infections following SARS-CoV-2 through establishing a database to investigate underlying risk factors, disease manifestations, and outcomes.

METHODS: We created a crowdsourced call for cases solicited through the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infectious Diseases Network, and infectious diseases Twitter groups. Data were collected in a web-based and secure REDCap …

Integrated Multi-Omics Analyses Identify Anti-Viral Host Factors And Pathways Controlling Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Jiakai Hou, Yanjun Wei, Jing Zou, Roshni Jaffery, Long Sun, Shaoheng Liang, Ningbo Zheng, Ashley M Guerrero, Nicholas A Egan, Ritu Bohat, Si Chen, Caishang Zheng, Xiaobo Mao, S Stephen Yi, Ken Chen, Daniel J Mcgrail, Nidhi Sahni, Pei-Yong Shi, Yiwen Chen, Xuping Xie, Weiyi Peng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Host anti-viral factors are essential for controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection but remain largely unknown due to the biases of previous large-scale studies toward pro-viral host factors. To fill in this knowledge gap, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR dropout screen and integrate analyses of the multi-omics data of the CRISPR screen, genome-wide association studies, single-cell RNA-Seq, and host-virus proteins or protein/RNA interactome. This study uncovers many host factors that are currently underappreciated, including the components of V-ATPases, ESCRT, and N-glycosylation pathways that modulate viral entry and/or replication. The cohesin complex is also identified as an anti-viral pathway, suggesting an important role of …

Risk Stratification And Prediction Of Severity Of Covid-19 Infection In Patients With Preexisting Cardiovascular Disease, Stanislava Matejin, Igor D Gregoric, Rajko Radovancevic, Slobodan Paessler, Vladimir Perovic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious viral disease. Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure elevate the risk of mechanical ventilation and fatal outcomes among COVID-19 patients, while COVID-19 itself increases the likelihood of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods: We collected blood samples and clinical data from hospitalized cardiovascular patients with and without proven COVID-19 infection in the time period before the vaccine became available. Statistical correlation analysis and machine learning were used to evaluate and identify individual parameters that could predict the risk of needing mechanical ventilation and patient survival.

Results: Our results confirmed that COVID-19 …

Synergistic Effects Of Β-Nafeo2 Ferrite Nanoparticles For Photocatalytic Degradation, Antibacterial, And Antioxidant Applications†, Forsad Al Hossain, M Tanjid Hasan Tonmoy, Sri Nuvvula, Brittany P Chapman, Rajesh K Gupta, Andrew A Lover, Rhoel R Dinglasan, Stephanie Carreiro, Tauhidur Rahman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Syndromic surveillance is an effective tool for enabling the timely detection of infectious disease outbreaks and facilitating the implementation of effective mitigation strategies by public health authorities. While various information sources are currently utilized to collect syndromic signal data for analysis, the aggregated measurement of cough, an important symptom for many illnesses, is not widely employed as a syndromic signal. With recent advancements in ubiquitous sensing technologies, it becomes feasible to continuously measure population-level cough incidence in a contactless, unobtrusive, and automated manner. In this work, we demonstrate the utility of monitoring aggregated cough count as a syndromic indicator to …

The Uprmt Preserves Mitochondrial Import To Extend Lifespan, Jolaade Kalinowski, Elizabeth A Hintz, Chigozirim Izeogu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic introduced many challenges and nuances that have transformed medical practice and research. The uncertainty caused by COVID-19 led to inevitable challenges to patient-provider relationships. The ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 research and policy proved to be challenging for the medical community and patients. These challenges also exacerbated long-standing issues regarding patient-provider communication and trust. On the other hand, these challenges gave voice to a burgeoning patient advocacy community. Through social media, advocacy and patient organizing, patients harnessed their power and organized over challenges relating to COVID-19 fears and concerns, ramifications of "Long COVID," and much more. During …

Post-Covid-19 Cognitive Symptoms In Patients Assisted By A Teleassistance Service: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Lívia Paula Freire Bonfim, Thais Rotsen Correa, Bruno Cabaleiro Cortizo Freire, Thais Marques Pedroso, Daniella Nunes Pereira, Thalita Baptisteli Fernandes, Luciane Kopittke, Clara Rodrigues Alves De Oliveira, Antonio Lucio Teixeira, Milena Soriano Marcolino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of long-term post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms is a matter of concern given the impact it may have on the work and quality of life of affected people.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of post-acute COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, as well as the associated risk factors.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort, including outpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and who were assisted by a public telehealth service provided by the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais (TNMG), during the acute phase of the disease, between December/2020 and March/2022. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, applied …

Stroke Survivors’ Telemedicine Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Investigation, Barbara Kimmel, Annette Walder, Anette Ovalle, Chethan P Venkatasubba Rao, Sean I Savitz, Mark Goldberg, Steven Warach, Salvador Cruz-Flores, Daiwai M Olson, Jane A Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe stroke survivors' experiences receiving telemedicine visits at the Lone Star Stroke Consortium during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was applied to gather patients' telemedicine experiences through in-depth interviews, using a study guide. Audio-recorded interviews were conducted via ZOOM and transcribed verbatim. Two independent reviewers used the Giorgi descriptive method to analyze the data and search for the essence of stroke survivors' follow-up telemedicine experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS: Fifteen underserved patients were recruited: mean age, 51.8 (15.7), and 9 (60%) females. Three themes emerged: (1) vivid memory …

Hpv Vaccination In Africa In The Covid-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Healthcare Providers' Knowledge, Training, And Recommendation Practices, Joel Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Sharon Kapambwe, Robert Yu, Freddy Gnangnon, Lameck Chinula, Gad Murenzi, Nomonde Mbatani, Mala Pande, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Hicham El Fazazi, Mamadou Diop, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Jean-Marie Dangou, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of cervical cancer in Africa is highest, HPV vaccination coverage remains alarmingly low in this region. Providers' knowledge and recommendation are key drivers of HPV vaccination uptake. Yet, evidence about providers' knowledge and recommendation practices about the HPV vaccine against a backdrop of emerging vaccine hesitancy fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic is lacking in Africa.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior training, the availability of the HPV vaccine in their practice, whether they recommended the HPV vaccine, …

Simvastatin In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Thomas E Hills, Elizabeth Lorenzi, Lindsay R Berry, Murali Shyamsundar, Farah Al-Beidh, Djillali Annane, Yaseen Arabi, Diptesh Aryal, Carly Au, Abigail Beane, Zahra Bhimani, Marc Bonten, Charlotte A Bradbury, Frank M Brunkhorst, Aidan Burrell, Meredith Buxton, Carolyn S Calfee, Maurizio Cecconi, Allen C Cheng, Matthew E Cove, Michelle A Detry, Lise J Estcourt, Mark Fitzgerald, Ewan C Goligher, Herman Goossens, Cameron Green, Rashan Haniffa, David A Harrison, Madiha Hashmi, Alisa M Higgins, Christopher Horvat, David T Huang, Nao Ichihara, Deva Jayakumar, Peter S Kruger, François Lamontagne, Lamprini Lampro, Patrick R Lawler, John C Marshall, Alexina J Mason, Anna Mcglothlin, Shay Mcguinness, Zoe K Mcquilten, Bryan J Mcverry, Paul R Mouncey, Srinivas Murthy, Matthew D Neal, Alistair D Nichol, Cecilia M O'Kane, Rachael L Parke, Jane C Parker, Ebenezer Rabindrarajan, Luis F Reyes, Kathryn M Rowan, Hiroki Saito, Marlene Santos, Christina T Saunders, Christopher W Seymour, Manu Shankar-Hari, Pratik Sinha, B Taylor Thompson, Alexis F Turgeon, Anne M Turner, Frank Van De Veerdonk, Sebastian Weis, Ian S Young, Ryan Zarychanski, Roger J Lewis, Colin J Mcarthur, Derek C Angus, Scott M Berry, Lennie P G Derde, Steve A Webb, Anthony C Gordon, Daniel F Mcauley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of simvastatin in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear.

METHODS: In an ongoing international, multifactorial, adaptive platform, randomized, controlled trial, we evaluated simvastatin (80 mg daily) as compared with no statin (control) in critically ill patients with Covid-19 who were not receiving statins at baseline. The primary outcome was respiratory and cardiovascular organ support-free days, assessed on an ordinal scale combining in-hospital death (assigned a value of -1) and days free of organ support through day 21 in survivors; the analyis used a Bayesian hierarchical ordinal model. The adaptive design included prespecified statistical …