Epidemiology Commons^™

Real-World Dispensing Of Buprenorphine In California During Prepandemic And Pandemic Periods, Yun Wang, Alexandre Chan, Richard Beuttler, Marc L. Fleming, Todd Schneberk, Michael Nichol, Haibing Lu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: The opioid overdose crisis in the United States has become a significant national emergency. Buprenorphine, a primary medication for individuals coping with opioid use disorder (OUD), presents promising pharmacokinetic properties for use in primary care settings, and is often delivered as a take-home therapy. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the scarcity of access to buprenorphine, leading to dire consequences for those with OUD. Most existing studies, primarily focused on the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, highlight the challenges in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), particularly buprenorphine. However, these studies only cover a relatively short timeframe. Methods: To …

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Disease Severity And Outcomes Among Black Patients From Low-Income Neighborhoods At A Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Review, Anna M. Catinis, Olivia A. Gioe, Caroline Savoie, Erika Rosen, Deborah Hilton

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating, inflammatory condition of apocrine sweat glands. Black patients are disproportionately affected, a finding largely attributed to lower socioeconomic status (SES) in the literature; yet, most HS studies include majority White cohorts. We present, to our knowledge, the first retrospective review of an entirely Black patient population living in low-income neighborhoods diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) to identify potentially modifiable factors related to disease severity and outcomes. We reviewed charts of Black patients with an encounter for HS from 2010-2020 in the New Orleans University Medical Center database. Hurley stage III (HSt III) disease was …

Large Scale Plasma Proteomics Identifies Novel Proteins And Protein Networks Associated With Heart Failure Development, Amil M Shah, Peder L Myhre, Victoria Arthur, Pranav Dorbala, Humaira Rasheed, Leo F Buckley, Brian Claggett, Guning Liu, Jianzhong Ma, Ngoc Quynh Nguyen, Kunihiro Matsushita, Chiadi Ndumele, Adrienne Tin, Kristian Hveem, Christian Jonasson, Håvard Dalen, Eric Boerwinkle, Ron C Hoogeveen, Christie Ballantyne, Josef Coresh, Torbjørn Omland, Bing Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Heart failure (HF) causes substantial morbidity and mortality but its pathobiology is incompletely understood. The proteome is a promising intermediate phenotype for discovery of novel mechanisms. We measured 4877 plasma proteins in 13,900 HF-free individuals across three analysis sets with diverse age, geography, and HF ascertainment to identify circulating proteins and protein networks associated with HF development. Parallel analyses in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants in mid-life and late-life and in Trøndelag Health Study participants identified 37 proteins consistently associated with incident HF independent of traditional risk factors. Mendelian randomization supported causal effects of 10 on HF, HF risk …

Dna Barcoding Of Herbal Supplements On The U.S. Commercial Market Associated With The Purported Treatment Of Covid-19, Calin M. Harris, Diane Y. Kim, Chevon R. Jordan, Miranda I. Miranda, Rosalee S. Hellberg

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with an increased global use of traditional medicines, including Ayurvedic herbal preparations. Due to their growing demand, their processed nature, and the complexity of the global supply chain, there is an increased risk of adulteration in these products.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to assess the use of DNA barcoding for species identification in herbal supplements on the US market associated with the Ayurvedic treatment of respiratory symptoms.

Methods

A total of 54 commercial products containing Ayurvedic herbs were tested with four DNA barcoding regions (i.e., rbcL, matK, ITS2, and …

Contrasting Tick Species Behaviors: A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Sara Benham, Shovan Dutta, Rohan Maddamsetti, Clayton Wright, Alena Anderson, David T. Gauthier, Holly D. Gaff

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise throughout the world, and there is a need to better understand tick behavior in order to identify potential new interventions. Ticks have a complex life history and can survive months off-host. There is a lack of large-scale data on off-host tick behavior, which leaves a gap in understanding of tick biology outside of tick-host interactions. Introducing undergraduate students to authentic research early in their studies can help prepare them for independent inquiry in upper-level classes. To address the student needs and fill gaps in tick research, students in introductory biology courses recorded observations of …

Cov2var, A Function Annotation Database Of Sars-Cov-2 Genetic Variation, Yuzhou Feng, Jiahao Yi, Lin Yang, Yanfei Wang, Jianguo Wen, Weiling Zhao, Pora Kim, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in the loss of millions of lives and severe global economic consequences. Every time SARS-CoV-2 replicates, the viruses acquire new mutations in their genomes. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes led to increased transmissibility, severe disease outcomes, evasion of the immune response, changes in clinical manifestations and reducing the efficacy of vaccines or treatments. To date, the multiple resources provide lists of detected mutations without key functional annotations. There is a lack of research examining the relationship between mutations and various factors such as disease severity, pathogenicity, patient age, patient gender, cross-species …

Lung Cancer In Ever- And Never-Smokers: Findings From Multi-Population Gwas Studies, Yafang Li, Xiangjun Xiao, Jianrong Li, Younghun Han, Chao Cheng, Gail F. Fernandes, Shannon E. Slewitzke, Susan M. Rosenberg, Meng Zhu, Jinyoung Byun, Yohan Bossé, James D. Mckay, Demetrios Albanes, Stephan Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Stig E. Bojesen, Maria T. Landi, Mattias Johansson, Angela Risch, Heike Bickeböller, H-Erich Wichmann, David C. Christiani, Gad Rennert, Susanne M. Arnold, Gary E. Goodman, John K. Field, Diptasri Mandal, Et Al

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Clinical, molecular, and genetic epidemiology studies displayed remarkable differences between ever- and never-smoking lung cancer. METHODS: We conducted a stratified multi-population (European, East Asian, and African descent) association study on 44,823 ever-smokers and 20,074 never-smokers to identify novel variants that were missed in the non-stratified analysis. Functional analysis including eQTL colocalization and DNA damage assays, and annotation studies were conducted to evaluate the functional roles of the variants. We further evaluated the impact of smoking quantity on lung cancer risk for the variants associated with ever-smoking lung cancer. RESULTS: Five novel independent loci, GABRA4, inter-genic region 12q24.33, LRRC4C, LINC01088, …

To Open Or Not To Open: Developing A Covid-19 Model Specific To Small Residential Campuses, Christina Joy Edholm, Maryann Hohn, Nicole Lee Falicov, Emily Lee, Lily Natasha Wartman, Ami Radunskaya

CODEE Journal

In May 2020, administrators of residential colleges struggled with the decision of whether or not to open their campuses in the Fall semester of 2020. To help guide this decision, we formulated an ODE model capturing the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 on a residential campus. In order to provide as much information as possible for administrators, the model accounts for the different behaviors, susceptibility, and risks in the various sub-populations that make up the campus community. In particular, we start with a traditional SEIR model and add compartments representing relevant variables, such as quarantine compartments and a hospitalized …

Dengueseq: A Pan-Serotype Whole Genome Amplicon Sequencing Protocol For Dengue Virus, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Verity Hill, Mallery I. Breban, Chrispin Chaguza, Lauren M. Paul, Afeez Sodeinde, Emma Taylor-Salmon, Isabel M. Ott, Mary E. Petrone, Dennis Dijk, Marcel Jonges, Matthijs R. A. Welkers, Timothy Locksmith, Yibo Dong, Namratha Tarigopula, Omer Tekin, Sarah Schmedes, Sylvia Bunch, Natalia Cano, Rayah Jaber, Charles Panzera, Ian Stryker, Julieta Vergara, Rebecca Zimler, Edgar Kopp, Lea Heberlein, Kaylee Herzog, Joseph R. Fauver, Andrea M. Morrison, Scott F. Michael, Nathan D. Grubaugh

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The increasing burden of dengue virus on public health due to more explosive and frequent outbreaks highlights the need for improved surveillance and control. Genomic surveillance of dengue virus not only provides important insights into the emergence and spread of genetically diverse serotypes and genotypes, but it is also critical to monitor the effectiveness of newly implemented control strategies. Here, we present DengueSeq, an amplicon sequencing protocol, which enables whole-genome sequencing of all four dengue virus serotypes.

RESULTS: We developed primer schemes for the four dengue virus serotypes, which can be combined into a pan-serotype approach. We validated both …

Driving Key Partner Engagement By Integrating Community-Engaged Principles Into A Stakeholder Analysis: A Qualitative Study, Casey E. Allen, Emily L. Frankel, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Heidi Keeler, David Palm, Brooke Fitzpatrick, Paul Estabrooks, Keyonna King

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Introduction: The stakeholder analysis approach has historically been top-down rather than collaborative with key partners. However, this approach poses challenges for key partner engagement and community-engaged research, which aims to incorporate key partners throughout the project. This study, conducted by the Community Engagement Network (CEN) at a Midwest academic medical center, seeks to examine the value of community-engaged research for diverse key partners to increase collaboration, strengthen partnerships, and enhance impact, which will ultimately drive key partner engagement.

Methods: The study involved semi-structured interviews with 38 key partners from diverse groups, including community members, community organizations, Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) …

A 2‑Year Longitudinal Randomized Control Trial Of Speed Of Processing Cognitive Training In Aging Adults With Hiv‑Associated Neurocognitive Disorder: Results Of The Think Fast Study, David E. Vance, Pariya L. Fazeli, Andres Azuero, Jennifer S. Frank, Virginia G. Wadley, James L. Raper, Caitlin N. Pope, Karlene K. Ball

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Nearly 40% of people with HIV (PWH) experience HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). In this 3-group efficacy study, 216 PWH 40 + years with HAND or borderline HAND were randomized to either: (1) 10 h of SOP training (n = 70); (2) 20 h of SOP training (n = 73), or (3) 10 h of Internet navigation training (n = 73; contact control group). Participants were administered a measure of SOP [i.e., the Useful Field of View Test (UFOV®)] at baseline, at posttest immediately after training, and at year 1 and year 2 follow up. Intent-to-treat linear mixed-effect models with subject-specific …

Methodological Assessment Of A Review Of Knowledge, Attitude And Practice About Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination In India, Abraham Degarege, Purnima Madhivanan

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

A well-conducted review provides quality evidence to inform policy and practice. It is important that the review is as rigorous and as fully reported as possible if the evidence from the review is incorporated into clinical practice. We are writing in response to an article titled, ‘Evidence of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination at the Community Level in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ by Pal et al published in Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention in March 2024. There are some major methodological flaws in the paper that might have biased the conclusions drawn from …

Investigating Fit Kit Completion For Crc Screening In Younger Adults In Rural Areas, Cheryl Beseler, Jungyoon Kim, Melissa Leypoldt, Roma Subramanian, Tamara Robinson, Karen Funkenbusch, Jason M. Foster, Susan Harris, Aaron Yoder, Emma Hymel, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Rural regions have higher incidence rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) than urban regions, while screening is lower in rural residents than in urban residents. Rural residents experience barriers to CRC screening due to a lack of access to healthcare, perceived lack of privacy, and other cultural factors. The fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) may provide an inexpensive and convenient alternative for those lacking access to a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. In a clinical trial, we investigated factors that influenced the return of a FIT kit for CRC screening among 1,230 rural residents in a midwestern U.S. state. Participants were selected from two …

Exploration Of Associations Between Asthma And Depression In Older American Adults: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Medicare Recipients, Brian Ring

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background

While unclear in older populations within the US, individuals with asthma are disproportionally affected by depression relative to those without asthma. This work explores the associations between asthma, depression, sociodemographic, and disease-related factors in a US population ≥ 65 years of age.

Methods

A pooled cross-sectional analysis of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data was utilized to determine the association between asthma and depression from 2018 to 2020. Depression was defined as a score of ≥ 10 from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Disease-related variables were recorded if the subject met Medicare claims criteria for the calendar year. Multivariable …

Geographic And Temporal Trends In Pediatric And Young Adult Brain Tumors In Kentucky, 1995–2019, W. Jay Christian, C. J. Walker, Jaclyn K. Mcdowell, B. Huang, T. C. Tucker, John L. Villano, Eric B. Durbin

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Introduction: Pediatric and young adult brain tumors (PYBT) account for a large share of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among children in the United States, but their etiology is not well understood. Previous research suggests the Appalachian region of Kentucky has high rates of PYBT. This study explored PYBT incidence over 25 years in Kentucky to identify geographic and temporal trends and generate hypotheses for future research. Methods: The Kentucky Cancer Registry contributed data on all PYBT diagnosed among those aged 0–29 during years 1995–2019. Age- and sex-adjusted spatio-temporal scan statistics—one for each type of PYBT, and one for all types—comprised …

Impact Of Non-Medical Cannabis Legalization With Market Restrictions On Health Service Use And Incident Cases Of Psychotic Disorder In Ontario, Canada, Kelly K. Anderson, Rebecca Rodrigues, Britney Le, Maliha Mamun, Suzanne Archie, Jordan Edwards, Tara Elton-Marshall, Jason Gilliland, Daniel Thomas Myran, Lena Palaniyappan, Christopher M Perlman, Jamie A Seabrook, Robin M Murray, Salimah Z Shariff

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is a risk factor in the onset and persistence of psychotic disorders. There is concern that non-medical cannabis legalization in Canada may have population-level impacts on psychotic disorders. We sought to examine changes in health service use and incident cases of psychotic disorder following cannabis legalization, during a period of tight restrictions on retail stores and product types.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional interrupted time-series analysis using linked population-based health administrative data from Ontario (Canada) from January 2014 to March 2020. We identified psychosis-related outpatient visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and inpatient length of stay, as well as …

Perioperative Mortality In Low-, Middle-, And High-Income Countries: Protocol For A Multi-Level Meta-Regression Analysis, Kevin Mcintyre, Yun-Hee Choi, Ava John-Baptiste, Daniel J Lizotte, Eunice Y S Chan, Jessica Moodie, Saverio Stranges, Janet Martin

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

BACKGROUND: Surgery is an indispensable component of a functional healthcare system. To date there is limited information regarding how many people die during the perioperative period globally. This study describes a protocol for a systematic review and multilevel meta-regression to evaluate time trends regarding the odds of perioperative mortality among adults undergoing a bellwether surgical procedure while accounting for higher order clustering at the national level.

METHODS: Published studies reporting the number of perioperative deaths from bellwether surgical procedures among adults will be identified from MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS and Global Index Medicus. The primary outcome will be the …

Identifying Factors That Reduce Substance Use Liability, Victoria Allen, Nick Blanch, Sunday Wright, Kelci Straka-Mai, Aarushi Patel, Caleb Bridgwater, Lubidia Menjivar, Cate Vaughn, Courtney Blondino Phd, The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry, Michael M. Vanyukov Phd, Hermine H.M. Maes Phd, Elizabeth Prom-Wormley Phd

IRBEH/Spit for Science Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Geospatial Hotspots And Coldspots In Us Cancer Disparities And Associated Risk Factors, 2004-2008 To 2014-2018, Lei Guo, M. Courtney Hughes, Margaret E. Wright, Alyssa H. Harris, Meredith C. Osias

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Introduction

Despite declining cancer death rates in the US, cancer remains the second deadliest disease and disparities persist. Although research has focused on identifying risk factors for cancer deaths and associated disparities, few studies have examined how these relationships vary over time and space. The primary objective of this study was to identify cancer mortality hot spots and cold spots — areas where cancer death rates decreased less than or more than neighboring areas over time. A secondary objective was to identify risk factors of cancer mortality hot spots and cold spots.

Methods

We analyzed county-level cancer death rates from …

Clinical Characteristics And Outcomes Of Patients With Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension In East Africa: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study, Zian Muikamba

Master of Internal Medicine

Introduction; Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterized by elevated intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure without demonstratable evident causes. The mechanisms leading to a particular predilection for women of childbearing age who are overweight and obese or who have recent rapid weight changes remain imprecisely described. The Modified Dandy criteria is used for diagnosis and includes-clinical symptoms, papilledema, lumbar puncture (LP) opening pressure, and neuroimaging. If undiagnosed, it can progress to disabling irreversible visual loss. Weight loss is useful in addition to medical therapy in treating the condition. Data in Sub-Saharan Africa is scarce.

Methods; This study described …