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Objective: The combination of docetaxel (DTX) with Laser-Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), as a treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of lower doses of DTX, thereby minimizing the effective dosage, side effects and treatment times. Material and methods: Three HNSCC cell lines, Detroit 562, FaDu, and CAL 27, were treated with four combinations of DTX + LANT to evaluate DTX dose reduction and cell viability. Results: The 1 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination was the most effective treatment, increasing cell death over its corresponding DTX monotreatment with approximately 86.6%, 80.7%, and 92.1% cell death for Detroit 562, FaDu, and CAL 27, respectively. In Detroit 562, the 1 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination treatment resulted in the highest percentage of DTX dose reduction at 84.6%, in FaDu and CAL 27, the 0.5 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination treatment resulted in the highest percentage of DTX dose reduction at 78.2% and 82.4%, respectively. Conclusion: LANT may increase the therapeutic efficacy of DTX at significantly lower doses, which could improve patient outcomes.

Background: Several histopathological features are found more frequently in placentas from pregnancies complicated by foetal growth restriction (FGR), including villous infarction, maternal vascular changes and villous morphological alterations, although around one quarter of placentas associated with FGR lack any morphological abnormality on routine examination. So, our aim is to study various morphometric and morphological changes in placentae of small for gestational age babies. The correlation of various maternal parameters like height, age and parity with the foetal weight, placental weight, foeto-placental ratio (F/P) and placental coefficient (PC) and lastly to know whether each diseases process has any specific change in placentae. Material and Methods: A prospective randomised control study was conducted from August 2016 to August 2018 in the Department of obstetrics and gynaecology JSS Hospital Mysore Karnataka. The total number of deliveries during this period were 3430. Out of which 397 babies were diagnosed of having Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) Total number of 150 cases were studied out of which 100 placenta were from IUGR group (study group) and the remaining 50 placenta from healthy full term pregnancies(Control group). Results: The incidence of IUGR in our study was 11.6%. The commonest maternal cause for IUGR was anaemia 43%, followed by 18 % cases of preeclampsia and in 37% cases cause was Idiopathic. Maternal characters such as age, parity, and height were studied in relation to foetal outcome. An increase in the birth weight and placental weight was found with an increase in maternal age, height as well as parity. The mean placental weight in IUGR group was 484 grams while in control group was 520 grams. The average surface area in placentae in study group was 200.96 sq.cms. While in control group was 254 sqcms. Keywords: Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), Placenta, Trophoblast, Villous.

Background:Early trauma (general, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse before age 18 years) has been associated with both cardiovascular disease risk and lifestyle-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. Despite higher prevalence, the association between early trauma and cardiovascular health (CVH) has been understudied in Black Americans, especially those from low-income backgrounds, who may be doubly vulnerable. Therefore, we investigated the association between early trauma and CVH, particularly among low-income Black Americans.Methods:We recruited 457 Black adults (age 53±10, 38% male) without known cardiovascular disease from the Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area using personalized, community-based recruitment methods. The Early Trauma Inventory was administered to assess overall early traumatic life experiences which include physical, sexual, emotional abuse, and general trauma. Our primary outcome was the American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7, which is a set of 7 CVH metrics, including 4 lifestyle-related factors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and diet) and three physiologically measured health factors (blood pressure, total blood cholesterol, and blood glucose). We used linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and depression to test the association between early trauma and CVH and tested the early trauma by household income (Results:Higher levels of early trauma were associated with lower Life’s Simple 7 scores (β, −0.05 [95% CI, −0.09 to −0.01],P=0.02, per 1 unit increase in the Early Trauma Inventory score) among lower, but not higher, income Black participants (Pvalue for interaction=0.04). Subtypes of early trauma linked to Life’s Simple 7 were general trauma, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that early trauma was only associated with the body mass index and smoking components of Life’s Simple 7.Conclusions:Early trauma, including general trauma, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse, may be associated with worse CVH among low-, but not higher-income Black adults.

Objective: The combination of docetaxel (DTX) with Laser-Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), as a treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) may enhance the therapeutic efficacy of lower doses of DTX, thereby minimizing the effective dosage, side effects and treatment times. Material and methods: Three HNSCC cell lines, Detroit 562, FaDu, and CAL 27, were treated with four combinations of DTX + LANT to evaluate DTX dose reduction and cell viability. Results: The 1 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination was the most effective treatment, increasing cell death over its corresponding DTX monotreatment with approximately 86.6%, 80.7%, and 92.1% cell death for Detroit 562, FaDu, and CAL 27, respectively. In Detroit 562, the 1 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination treatment resulted in the highest percentage of DTX dose reduction at 84.6%; in FaDu and CAL 27, the 0.5 nM DTX + 5 nM LANT combination treatment resulted in the highest percentage of DTX dose reduction at 78.2% and 82.4%, respectively. Conclusion: LANT may increase the therapeutic efficacy of DTX at significantly lower doses, which could improve patient outcomes.

Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a severe monogenic disorder, caused by single nucleotide mutations in the hemoglobin (Hb) gene, that is prevalent in malaria endemic regions of the world. Sickle cell trait (SCT) individuals carry only one of the mutated alleles and were shown to be protected against malaria. However, defining the relative contribution of hematological, clinical, and environmental factors to the overall burden of malaria in individuals with hemoglobinopathies such as SCA has been challenging. Methods: We hypothesized that hematological differences, clinical presentations, and self-reported bed net usage among Plasmodium-infected and uninfected individuals may govern overall malaria burden in individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). We conducted a cross-sectional study in Ghana from 2014 to 2019 and described clinical presentations, hematological characteristics, and bed net use based on a comprehensive questionnaire. Hematological characteristics were compared using a parametric or nonparametric ANOVA, pending if data passed D'Agostino & Pearson normality test. When comparing only two Hb genotypes hematological characteristics a Mann–Whitney U-test were used. Logistic regressions and Chi-squared tests were used to compare questionnaire responses between Hb genotypes. All statistical significance was set at p

Introduction Perceived and actual access to healthy foods may differ in urban areas, particularly among Black people. We assessed the effect of objective and perceived neighborhood food access on self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black people living in areas of high risk and low risk for the disease in Atlanta, Georgia. We hypothesized that perceived and objective food access would independently predict self-reported CVD. Methods We used survey data from the Morehouse-Emory Cardiovascular (MECA) Center for Health Equity Study. Study participants consisted of 1,402 Black adults, aged 35 to 64, residing in urban Atlanta census tracts with high rates or low rates of CVD. We assessed perceived neighborhood healthy food access by self-reported selection and quality of produce and low-fat food options. We assessed objective food access by the 2015 US Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas. Low access was defined as census tracts with at least 500 people living more than 1 mile from a large food retailer. Self-reported CVD included related conditions and/or procedures. We used multilevel logistic models adjusted for demographic characteristics to examine the association between objective and perceived food access and self-reported CVD. Results Overall, self-reported CVD was not significant for perceived (odds ratio = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.59-1.29) or objective (odds ratio = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.48-1.12) healthy food access. Similar results were obtained among adults living in areas with higher-than-expected rates of CVD. Conclusion Results of this study suggest the odds for self-reported CVD events were not significantly affected by perceived or objective access to healthy foods.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer of adults in the U.S., with marked ethnic/racial disparities in prevalence, risk factors, associated health behaviors, and death rates. In this study, we recruited and randomized Blacks with poor cardiovascular health in the Atlanta Metro area to receive an intervention comparing two approaches to engagement with a behavioral intervention technology for CVD. Generalized Linear Mixed Models results from a 6-month intervention indicate that 53% of all participants experienced a statistical improvement in Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), 54% in BMI, 61% in blood glucose, and 53% in systolic blood pressure. Females demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in BMI and diastolic blood pressure and a reduction in self-reported physical activity. We found no significant differences in changes in LS7 or their constituent parts but found strong evidence that health coaches can help improve overall LS7 in participants living in at-risk neighborhoods. In terms of clinical significance, our result indicates that improvements in LS7 correspond to a 7% lifetime reduction of incident CVD. Our findings suggest that technology-enabled self-management can be effective for managing selected CVD risk factors among Blacks.

The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center implemented initiatives in direct response to priorities identified through a community-based participatory research driven health needs and assets assessment. Led by a community-majority coalition board, the assessment coupled secondary data with primary survey data collected by and from 607 Atlanta community residents. This paper will detail the assessment process, which included identification of community residents’ health priorities and policies, systems, or environmental issues that impact community health. We will also describe the process of disseminating the assessment results through community conversations to increase community residents’ awareness of these priorities to effect change.

Background: Despite well-documented cardiovascular disparities between racial groups, within-race determinants of cardiovascular health among Black adults remain understudied. Factors promoting cardiovascular resilience among Black adults in particular warrant further investigation. Our objective was to examine whether individual psychosocial resilience and neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience were associated with better cardiovascular health in Black adults, measured utilizing Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) scores. Methods: We assessed LS7 scores in 389 Black adults (mean age, 53±10 years; 39% men) living in Atlanta, Georgia. A composite score of individual psychosocial resilience was created by assessing environmental mastery, purpose in life, optimism, resilient coping, and depressive symptoms. Neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience was separately determined by the census tract-level rates of cardiovascular mortality/morbidity events. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to examine the association between individual psychosocial resilience, neighborhood cardiovascular resilience, and LS7 scores. Results: Higher individual psychosocial resilience was significantly associated with higher LS7 (β=0.38 [0.16–0.59] per 1 SD) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. Similarly, higher neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience was significantly associated with higher LS7 (β=0.23 [0.02–0.45] per 1 SD). When jointly examined, high individual psychosocial resilience (>median) was independently associated with higher LS7 (β=0.73 [0.31–1.17]), whereas living in high-resilience neighborhoods (>median) was not. The largest difference in LS7 score was between those with high and low psychosocial resilience living in low-resilience neighborhoods (8.38 [7.90–8.86] versus 7.42 [7.04–7.79]). Conclusions: Individual psychosocial resilience in Black adults is associated with better cardiovascular health.

Rural health research has increased over the last two decades, but there are still unknowns regarding health priorities from the perspective of rural community-based representatives. The Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (CTSA), a collaboration between four research institutions, statewide, includes a Community Engagement (CE) Program facilitating community-academic research partnerships. This study aimed to assess the health priorities, research experience, and interests from community respondents outside of Metropolitan Atlanta through the Community Engagement Facilitation Survey (CEFS). CE Program members disseminated the 11-item survey statewide at community events and professional organization meetings. Descriptive statistics were analyzed, and GIS mapping was conducted. Four-hundred six (406) surveys were analyzed, representing 83.6% of rural Georgia counties. Most frequently identified health priorities and research interests were diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and mental health. Results will be used to support those within rural Georgia organizations seeking to forge community-academic partnerships to address health priorities.

AIMS Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that affects many children worldwide. Genetic factors and environmental triggers play crucial interacting roles in the aetiology. This study aimed to assess the contribution of HLA-DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 alleles, haplotypes, and genotypes to the risk of T1D among Saudis. METHODS A total of 222 children with T1D and 342 controls were genotyped for HLA-DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 using reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide (rSSO) Lab Type high definition (HD) kits. Alleles, haplotypes, and diplotypes were compared between cases and controls using the SAS statistical package. RESULTS DRB1*03:01-DQA1*05:01-DQB1*02:01 (32.4%; OR = 3.68; Pc

Background Cardiovascular disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality have declined in the past several decades; however, disparities persist among subsets of the population. Notably, blacks have not experienced the same improvements on the whole as whites. Furthermore, frequent reports of relatively poorer health statistics among the black population have led to a broad assumption that black race reliably predicts relatively poorer health outcomes. However, substantial intraethnic and intraracial heterogeneity exists; moreover, individuals with similar risk factors and environmental exposures are often known to experience vastly different cardiovascular health outcomes. Thus, some individuals have good outcomes even in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, a concept known as resilience. Methods and Results The MECA (Morehouse‐Emory Center for Health Equity) Study was designed to investigate the multilevel exposures that contribute to “resilience” in the face of risk for poor cardiovascular health among blacks in the greater Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area. We used census tract data to determine “at‐risk” and “resilient” neighborhoods with high or low prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, based on cardiovascular death, hospitalization, and emergency department visits for blacks. More than 1400 individuals from these census tracts assented to demographic, health, and psychosocial questionnaires administered through telephone surveys. Afterwards, ≈500 individuals were recruited to enroll in a clinical study, where risk biomarkers, such as oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers, endothelial progenitor cells, metabolomic and micro RNA profiles, and subclinical vascular dysfunction were measured. In addition, comprehensive behavioral questionnaires were collected and ideal cardiovascular health metrics were assessed using the American Heart Association's Life Simple 7 measure. Last, 150 individuals with low Life Simple 7 were recruited and randomized to a behavioral mobile health (eHealth) plus health coach or eHealth only intervention and followed up for improvement. Conclusions The MECA Study is investigating socioenvironmental and individual behavioral measures that promote resilience to cardiovascular disease in blacks by assessing biological, functional, and molecular mechanisms. REGISTRATION URL : https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 03308812.

Introduction: Sleep is hypothesized to be a contributing factor towards disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD). It has been demonstrated that Black Americans have worse sleep quality compared to other ethnic groups, but within group differences have not been studied. Whether overall sleep quality and patterns affect cardiovascular health (CVH) among Blacks has yet to be elucidated. Hypothesis: Black individuals reporting worse sleep quality and patterns will have poor CVH as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) scores. Methods: We recruited 499 Black adults (age 53 ± 10, 38% male) without known CVD from the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. Sleep quality and patterns were assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) which includes sleep quality, nighttime disturbance, efficiency (amount of time slept while in bed), daytime dysfunction, duration, need of medications and latency (time required to fall asleep). CVH was determined by LS7 scores calculated from measured blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported exercise, diet, and smoking, and categorized into poor (0-8), intermediate (9-10), and ideal (11-14). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between sleep and the odds of intermediate (vs. poor) and ideal (vs. poor) CVH categories after adjusting for age, gender, household income, education, marital status, and employment status. Results: A total of 55 (11%), 107 (21%), and 337 (67%) participants had ideal, intermediate, and poor LS7 scores, respectively. Those reporting PSQI-assessed poor sleep quality (OR 0.50, 95% CI [0.33 - 0.78]), longer latency (OR 0.50, 95% CI [0.36 - 0.70]), disturbance (OR 0.45, 95% CI [0.26 - 0.77]) and daytime dysfunction (OR 0.52, 95% CI [0.31 - 0.89]) had significantly lower adjusted odds of having ideal CVH. Daytime dysfunction was significantly associated with lower adjusted odds of having ideal blood pressure (OR 0.57, 95% CI [0.38 - 0.87]), glucose (OR 0.71, 95% CI [0.51 - 0.98]), and physical activity (OR 0.58, 95% CI [0.36 - 0.93]). Similarly, longer latency was significantly associated with lower adjusted odds of having ideal BMI (OR 0.72, 95% CI [0.54 - 0.95]), blood pressure (OR 0.71, 95% CI [0.55 - 0.92]), and cholesterol (OR 0.73, 95% CI [0.55 - 0.98]). PSQI-assessed shorter sleep duration was not associated with poor overall CVH, but was associated with significantly lower adjusted odds of having ideal blood pressure (OR 0.77, 95% CI [0.61 - 0.99]). Conclusion: Among Black Americans, poor sleep in terms of quality, nighttime disturbance, daytime dysfunction and longer latency, was associated with worse overall CVH or its components. Whether addressing sleep quality in Blacks will improve CVH and outcomes needs to be studied.

Introduction: Early trauma (e.g. general, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse before age 18) has been associated with both cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and lifestyle-related risk factors for CVD including smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. However, previous studies have primarily focused on White participants, despite the fact that early trauma is more common in Blacks. In particular, the role played by low socioeconomic status (SES) in this population has been relatively understudied. Hypothesis: Black individuals reporting early trauma will have worse cardiovascular health (CVH) as measured by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) scores and these associations will vary by SES. Methods: We recruited 499 Black adults (age 53 ± 10, 38% male) without CVD from the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. The Early Trauma Inventory (ETI) was administered to assess physical, sexual, emotional abuse and general trauma. CVH was determined by LS7 scores calculated from measured blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported exercise, diet, and smoking and was categorized as poor (0-8), intermediate (9-10), and ideal (11-14). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between early trauma and the odds of intermediate (vs. poor) and ideal (vs. poor) CVH categories after adjusting for age, gender, household income, education, marital status, employment status, and depression. After testing for interaction between ETI and SES, stratified analysis was conducted separately on individuals with low and high SES (defined as household income less or greater than $50,000 per year, respectively). Results: A total of 55 (11%), 107 (21%), and 337 (67%) participants had ideal, intermediate, and poor LS7 scores, respectively. In the full cohort, higher levels of early trauma were associated with lower adjusted odds of ideal LS7 scores (OR 0.94, 95% CI [0.88 - 1.00] per 1 SD increase in the ETI score). In SES-stratified analyses, higher levels of early trauma (OR 0.91, 95% CI [0.84 - 0.98]), in particular emotional (OR 0.74, 95% CI [0.59 - 0.94]) and sexual abuse (OR 0.69, 95% CI [0.49 - 0.96]), were significantly associated with lower adjusted odds of ideal LS7 scores among lower, but not higher, SES Black participants (p value for interaction =0.03). Among the CVH components, emotional and sexual abuse were both associated with significantly lower adjusted odds of ideal BMI (OR 0.81, 95% CI [0.68-0.97] and OR 0.72, 95% CI [0.56-0.93], respectively) in low SES participants. Conclusion: Early trauma, particularly emotional and sexual abuse, was associated with worse CVH among Black individuals with lower SES. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms through which economic disadvantage potentiates the adverse influence of early trauma on CVH in Black individuals.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination among males in the general population is low. Men in general, but particularly racial/ethnic men, are disproportionately affected by HPV. The purpose of this article is to examine college males’ (a) HPV awareness, (b) sexual behaviors, and (c) intention to receive the HPV vaccination. A non-probability sample of all students who self-reported their race/ethnicity and were attending a university in Southeastern United States were contacted by the university registrar’s office and recruited to participate in the 15-minute survey. Males, ages 18–27 years ( N = 190), were identified for this study. χ2, t-tests, and binomial logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between knowing about HPV and HPV vaccine and the intent to receive the HPV vaccination. Findings indicated that 67.4% of the sample identified as Hispanic or Black. Among all men, 73.2% reported previous sexual experience and 49.5% were currently sexually active. There were 79.5% who had previous knowledge about HPV and 55.8% had knowledge about the HPV vaccine; 71.1% of the sample did not intend to receive the vaccine. Hispanic and Black men were less likely to identify as virgins, more likely to be sexually active, and more likely to have sexual experiences at an earlier age compared to White, Asian, and other men. Men with previous HPV vaccine knowledge (28.4%) were more likely to intend to receive the vaccine compared to men who did not have previous knowledge about the vaccine (14.9%). Providing males with information about HPV, its transmission, and possible HPV-related outcomes may increase HPV vaccine uptake.

Background Neighborhood environment is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of CVH among Black adults. Most research to date has focused on negative aspects of the neighborhood environment, with little attention being paid to the specific positive features, in particular the social environment, that promote cardiovascular resilience among Black adults. Objective We examined whether better neighborhood physical and social characteristics are associated with ideal CVH among Black adults, as measured by Life's Simple 7 (LS7) scores. Methods We recruited 392 Black adults (age 53 ± 10, 39% male) without known CV disease living in Atlanta, GA. Seven neighborhood domains were assessed via questionnaire: aesthetic quality, walking environment, safety, food access, social cohesion, activity with neighbors, and violence. CVH was determined by LS7 scores calculated from measured blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported exercise, diet, and smoking, and categorized into poor (0-8), intermediate (9-10), and ideal (11-14). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood characteristics and the odds of intermediate/ideal CVH categories compared to poor CVH after adjustment for age, gender, household income, education, marital status, and employment status. Results Better scores in the neighborhood domains of social cohesion and activity with neighbors were significantly associated with higher adjusted odds of ideal LS7 scores (OR 2.02, 95% CI [1.36 - 3.01] and 1.71 [1.20 - 2.45] per 1 standard deviation [SD] increase in respective scores). These associations were stronger for both social cohesion (OR 2.61, 95% CI [1.48 - 4.61] versus 1.40 [0.82 - 2.40]) and activity with neighbors (OR 1.82, 95% CI [1.15 - 2.86] versus 1.53 [0.84 - 2.78]) in Black women compared to men. Specifically, better scores in social cohesion were associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.73 [1.16 - 2.59]), diet (OR 1.90 [1.11 - 3.26]), and BMI (OR 1.52 [1.09 - 2.09]); better scores in activity with neighbors were also similarly associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.48 [1.00 - 2.19]), diet (OR 2.15 [1.23 - 3.77]), and BMI (OR 1.45 [1.07 - 1.98]; per 1 SD in respective scores). Conclusion More desirable neighborhood characteristics, particularly social cohesion and activity with neighbors, were associated with better CVH among Black adults.

Introduction: Adding developmental networks (DN) to grant-writing coaching can significantly enhance ESIs’ research careers. Herein, we present study design, ESIs’ characteristics and encountered challenges/lessons learned and their resolutions when deploying/implementing (a) NCR algorithm(s), (b) recruitment/retention and (c) implementing DN intervention. Methods: Nested Cluster Randomization (NCR) design governs this study implementation. The sample size is 220 ESIs intending to submit an NIH K, R, U, and/or Minority Supplement application(s). Primary outcome: intensity/sustainability of grant submission(s)/funding(s), measured by time to/between application(s). Outcome(s) analyses modes: summaries, Kaplan Meir and Cox proportional hazard models as a function of randomization groups and other predictors of outcomes. Results: In the present study, we recruited two cohorts of ESIs (N = 85): 39% African Americans, 18% Latinx, 18% Whites, 20% Asians and 6% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/other ethnicities, 65% are women, 73% are assistant professors, 4% are Associate Professors and 23% are instructors/scientists/post-doctoral. Participants’ disciplines: 32% basic/biomedical, 36% clinical/translational and 32% social/behavioral. Proposal(s) mechanisms: 61% research grants (R series), 31% career development (K series), 7% support of competitive research (SCORE) and 1% National Science Foundation applications. NCR did produce balance in the distribution of ESIs’ demographics, sex at birth, ethnicity, professional appointments, background disciplines, and mechanism of sought funding. Lessons learned/challenges: NCR implementation was methodologically challenged during implementation by added constraints (e.g., assigning coaches to the same randomization arm of their participants as well as blinding them to ESIs’ randomization group). Recruitment and retention were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic and more progressive and innovative strategies were needed to heighten the visibility and outreach of this program. DN delivery was also affected by the pandemic and monitoring of ESIs’ engagement and facilitation of communications interventions were needed. Resolution of these challenges effectively reconfigured NCR algorithms, recruitment/retention plans, and DN intervention delivery. We intend to recruit an additional 135 ESIs focusing on underrepresented scholars from RCMIs, CTSAs, and other programs. COVID-19 rendered this program 100% virtual, with recruitment/retention challenges and substantial disruption of ESIs’ research. We may extend the grant writing period, coaching, and Mock Study Section support.

A diagnosis of SCD is considered to be at risk for COVD19. To further define the association between SCD and infection with COVID-19, we estimated risk, by comparing presence or absence of COVID19 infections in individuals with and without SCD admitted concurrently to a large urban health care facility (Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA; 960 beds, 5th largest public hospital in the US). Primary outcome was a positive or negative COVID-19 diagnosis as defined bySARS-CoV-2 PCR testing. A patient was considered to be COVID-19 positive if tested positive withSARS-CoV-2 PCR for the first time, anytime during the study period, irrespective of number of tests. A patient was considered to be COVID-19 negative if patient had no positive tests during the study period, and had one or moreSARS-CoV-2 PCR negative tests. For COVID19 positive patients, the admission of theSARS-CoV-2 PCR positive test was included in the analysis. For COVID19 negative patients, the first admission with aSARS-CoV-2 PCR negative test was considered for analysis. For this interim analysis, SCD was defined by ICD10 and registry data. Clinical diagnosis such as obesity and respiratory failure were defined by ICD10 coding. Data was obtained from quarterly centralized Epic EMR data extractions. Analysis of outcome of COVID19 positive vs negatives was stratified in four separate analysis: all admissions, ICU admissions, those with respiratory failure and those who died. Multivariate dichotomous logistic regression analyses modeled binary outcome effect of SCD, adjusted for age ( 40 years), sex at birth (females vs. males) and obesity (SAS version 9.4 was used for statistical analyses and overall significance level was set at 0.05). To ensure population homogeneity analysis was conducted on patient ages 20 to 60 years that were Black/African American and admitted from the Emergency Department for a short stay and/or the medicine service (variable interactions at a p Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) seek sustainable innovation through the testing of new care delivery methods that promote shared goals among value-based health care collaborators. The Morehouse Choice Accountable Care Organization and Education System (MCACO-ES), or (M-ACO) is a physician led integrated delivery model participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) offered through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center. The MSSP establishes incentivized, performance-based payment models for qualifying health care organizations serving traditional Medicare beneficiaries that promote collaborative efficiency models designed to mitigate fragmented and insufficient access to health care, reduce unnecessary cost, and improve clinical outcomes. The M-ACO integration model is administered through participant organizations that include a multi-site community based academic practice, independent physician practices, and federally qualified health center systems (FQHCs). This manuscript aims to present a descriptive and exploratory assessment of health care programs and related innovation methods that validate M-ACO as a reliable simulator to implement, evaluate, and refine M-ACO&rsquo, s integration model to render value-based performance outcomes over time. A part of the research approach also includes early outcomes and lessons learned advancing the framework for ongoing testing of M-ACO&rsquo, s integration model across independently owned, rural, and urban health care locations that predominantly serve low-income, traditional Medicare beneficiaries, (including those who also qualify for Medicaid benefits (also referred to as &ldquo, dual eligibles&rdquo, ). M-ACO seeks to determine how integration potentially impacts targeted performance results. As a simulator to test value-based innovation and related clinical and business practices, M-ACO uses enterprise-level data and advanced analytics to measure certain areas, including: 1) health program insight and effectiveness, 2) optimal implementation process and workflows that align primary care with specialists to expand access to care, 3) chronic care management/coordination deployment as an effective extender service to physicians and patients risk stratified based on defined clinical and social determinant criteria, 4) adoption of technology tools for patient outreach and engagement, including a mobile application for remote biometric monitoring and telemedicine, and 5) use of structured communication platforms that enable practitioner engagement and ongoing training regarding the shift from volume to value-based care delivery.

Background Factors promoting cardiovascular health in the face of high risk, ie, resilience, are unknown and may identify novel areas of intervention for reducing racial health disparities. We examined neighborhood perceptions and psychological attributes of blacks living in high and low cardiovascular–risk neighborhoods, as potential characteristics of resilience promoting cardiovascular health. Methods and Results We identified 1433 blacks residing in census tracts of Atlanta, GA , with higher‐than‐expected (“high” risk) or lower‐than‐expected (“low” risk) rates of cardiovascular mortality, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits during 2010–2014. Domains of psychosocial well‐being and neighborhood quality were assessed via telephone survey between August 2016 and October 2016. Using multilevel logistic regression, odds of reporting better resilient characteristics were compared between individuals living in low‐ versus high‐risk neighborhoods. Those from low‐risk (versus high‐risk) neighborhoods reported better neighborhood aesthetic quality (odds ratio [ OR ], 1.84), healthy food access ( OR , 1.69), and absence of violence ( OR , 0.67). Individuals from low‐risk neighborhoods reported greater optimism ( OR , 1.38), purpose in life ( OR , 1.42), and fewer depressive symptoms ( OR , 0.69). After full adjustment, these associations remained significant for neighborhood factors (aesthetic quality, healthy food access, violence) and psychosocial well‐being (purpose in life). We found no evidence of differences in self‐reported cardiovascular risk factors or disease history between low‐ versus high‐risk neighborhoods. Conclusions Positive neighborhood environments and psychological characteristics are associated with low cardiovascular–risk neighborhoods, despite similar prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, in the census tracts studied. These factors may confer cardiovascular resilience among blacks.

African Americans, other minorities and underserved populations are consistently under- represented in clinical trials. Such underrepresentation results in a gap in the evidence base, and health disparities. The ABC Cardiovascular Implementation Study (CVIS) is a comprehensive prospective cohort registry that integrates social determinants of health. ABC CVIS uses real world clinical practice data to address critical gaps in care by facilitating robust participation of African Americans and other minorities in clinical trials. ABC CVIS will include diverse patients from collaborating ABC member private practices, as well as patients from academic health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). This paper describes the rationale and design of the ABC CVIS Registry. The registry will: (1) prospectively collect socio-demographic, clinical and biospecimen data from enrolled adults, adolescents and children with prioritized cardiovascular diseases, (2) Evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of new therapeutic agents, including post marketing surveillance and pharmacovigilance, (3) Support National Institutes of Health (NIH) and industry sponsored research, (4) Support Quality Measures standards from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Commercial Health Plans. The registry will utilize novel data and technology tools to facilitate mobile health technology application programming interface (API) to health system or practice electronic health records (EHR). Long term, CVIS will become the most comprehensive patient registry for underserved diverse patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and co morbid conditions, providing real world data to address health disparities. At least 10,000 patients will be enrolled from 50 sites across the United States.

Introduction Despite the growing interest in place as a determinant of health, areas that promote rather than reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) in blacks are understudied. We performed an ecologic analysis to identify areas with high levels of CVD resilience and risk among blacks from a large southern, US metropolitan area. Methods We obtained census tract-level rates of cardiovascular deaths, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations for black adults aged 35 to 64 from 2010 through 2014 for the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area. Census tracts with substantially lower rates of cardiovascular events on the basis of neighborhood socioeconomic status were identified as resilient and those with higher rates were identified as at risk. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of being classified as an at-risk versus resilient tract for differences in census-derived measures. Results We identified 106 resilient and 121 at-risk census tracts, which differed in the rates per 5,000 person years of cardiovascular outcomes (mortality, 8.13 vs 13.81; ED visits, 32.25 vs 146.3; hospitalizations, 26.69 vs 130.0), despite similarities in their median black income ($46,123 vs $45,306). Tracts with a higher percentage of residents aged 65 or older (odds ratio [OR], 2.29; 95% CI, 1.41-3.85 per 5% increment) and those with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39 per 5% increment) and greater Gini index (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.19- 2.07 per 0.05 increment) were more likely to be classified as at risk than resilient neighborhoods. Discussion Despite matching on median income level, at-risk neighborhoods for CVD among black populations were associated with a higher prevalence of socioeconomic indicators of inequality than resilient neighborhoods.

Introduction: Intra-racial heterogeneity in cardiovascular health (CVH) among Blacks is understudied, and more research is needed to identify factors promoting CVH among Blacks. Neighborhood environment is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of CV risk and health, Yet whether specific features of neighborhood physical and social environments may promote CV resilience among Blacks has been underexplored. Hypothesis: Better neighborhood characteristics are associated with ideal CVH among Black adults, measured as Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) scores. Methods: We recruited 392 Black adults (age 53 ± 10, 39% male) without known CV disease in Atlanta, GA, who resided in 199 residential neighborhood (defined as census tracts). Seven neighborhood domains were assessed via questionnaire: aesthetic quality, walking environment, safety, food access, social cohesion, activity with neighbors, and violence. CVH was determined by LS7 scores calculated from measured blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported exercise, diet, and smoking, and categorized into poor (0-8), intermediate (9-10), and ideal (11-14). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood characteristics and the odds of intermediate/ideal CVH categories compared to poor CVH after adjustment for age, gender, household income, education, marital status, and employment status. Results: A total of 53 (14%), 110 (28%), and 229 (58%) participants had ideal, intermediate, and poor LS7 scores, respectively. Better scores in the neighborhood domains of social cohesion and activity with neighbors were significantly associated with higher adjusted odds of ideal LS7 scores (OR 1.95, 95% CI [1.32 - 2.90] and 1.65 [1.16 - 2.35] per 1 standard deviation [SD] increase in respective scores). Specifically, better scores in social cohesion were associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.73 [1.16 - 2.59]), diet (OR 1.99 [1.14 - 3.48]), and BMI (OR 1.51 [1.09 - 2.09]); better scores in activity with neighbors were also similarly associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.47 [0.99 - 2.19]), diet (OR 2.37 [1.32 - 4.26]), and BMI (OR 1.44 [1.05 - 1.96]; per 1 SD in respective scores). Aesthetic quality, walking environment, safety, food access, and violence were not significantly associated with overall CVH categories in the adjusted models. Conclusion: More desirable neighborhood characteristics, particularly social cohesion and activity with neighbors, were associated with better CVH among Black adults. Further research is needed to investigate whether interventions to improve neighborhood qualities lead to better CVH in Blacks.

Introduction: Arterial stiffness is associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and adverse cardiovascular events. While inter-racial differences in arterial stiffness have been reported, factors contributing to intra-racial differences within Blacks are less known. We examined whether neighborhood characteristics and personal resilience factors were associated with arterial stiffness among Blacks. Hypothesis: More desirable neighborhood characteristics and greater personal resilience are associated with reduced arterial stiffness. Methods: We examined 385 Black adults (age 53 ± 10, 40% male) without known CV disease living in Atlanta, GA. Arterial stiffness was measured as augmentation index (AIX) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) using applanation tonometry (Sphygmocor Inc). Perceived residential neighborhood characteristics in 7 domains: aesthetic quality, walking environment, safety, food access, social cohesion, activity with neighbors, and violence were determined. Personal resilience was also assessed using standard questionnaires on experience of discrimination, environmental mastery, purpose in life, optimism, resilient coping, and depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the differences of arterial stiffness between the highest and the lowest tertiles of neighborhood characteristics and personal resilience factors after adjustment for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, household income, education, marital status, and employment status. Results: Higher composite scores of neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower AIX (β=-3.42, 95% CI [-6.42 to -0.41], P=0.026; highest vs lowest tertiles). Specifically, higher scores of safety (β=-4.26, 95% CI [-7.34 to -1.17], P=0.007) and social cohesion (β=-4.62 [-7.64 to -1.61], P=0.003) were associated with lower AIX (highest vs lowest tertiles for both). For factors of personal resilience, higher scores in purpose in life (β=-4.89 [-7.88 to -1.90], P=0.001) and resilient coping (β=-3.26 [-6.36 to -0.15], P=0.040) were significantly associated with lower AIX (highest vs lowest tertiles for both). There were no significant associations between PWV and scores of neighborhood characteristics or personal resilience factors. Conclusion: In a study examining the impact of neighborhood and markers of resilience on arterial stiffness in an exclusively Black cohort, we found that better neighborhood characteristics and personal resilience factors were associated with lower pulse wave reflections (AIX).

OBJECTIVE To assess the influence of HbA1c and BMI (measured as BMI z score [zBMI]) on LDL, HDL, and non-HDL trajectories as youths with type 1 diabetes age into early adulthood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Dynamic, retrospective cohort study examining changes in lipid values in 572 youths with type 1 diabetes followed longitudinally for a median of 9.3 years. Through longitudinal modeling, we describe the relationship of HbA1c and zBMI on lipid values as subjects age after adjusting for other relevant factors, including lipid-lowering medication use. RESULTS The median number of lipid assessments was 7 (range 2–39). Every 1% increase in HbA1c was associated with an ∼2–6 mg/dL increase in LDL levels, with a greater increase in LDL levels as subjects progressed from prepubertal to postpubertal age ranges. A 1-SD increase in BMI was associated with a mean LDL increase of 2.1 mg/dL when subjects were 10 years old and increased to a mean of 8.2 mg/dL when subjects were 19 years old. The association between changes in HbA1c level and zBMI and changes in non-HDL levels as youths aged were similar to the associations found with LDL. The influence of HbA1c and zBMI on HDL levels was small and not dependent on age. CONCLUSIONS Changes in HbA1c level and zBMI modestly impact LDL and non-HDL cholesterol and have greater impacts as children age. Addressing elevations in HbA1c and zBMI as children enter into adolescence and beyond may lead to improvements in lipid levels.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to compare characteristics and diabetes management in children and adolescents with and without at least one parent with type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS In all, 12 890 participants aged

Background: Menstrual irregularities and abnormal heavy menstruation account for up to 26-35% of women attending Gynecological outpatient Department. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB), it is more common at extremes of age endometrial hyperplasia occurs in 5-10% of patients with post-menopausal bleeding out of which atypical hyperplasia has 26-32 % risk of having malignancy in future. Therefore, endometrial sampling for histopathology is important in the assessment of abnormal uterine bleeding is mandatory. Our study was conductive to know the effectiveness of pipelle type devices, versus Dilatation and curettage in obtaining quality endometrial tissue for histopathological examination.Methods: The study was undertaken in Department of obstetrics and gynaecology along with department of Pathology at Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, government medical college, Kolhapur after getting approval from the Hospital Committee on Clinical Research and Ethical Committee of the institution, during the period from October 2016 to March 2017 (six months). Total number of subjects included in study is Hundred after taking into consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: The ease of doing procedure was much easier as compared to D&C and the Tissue sample obtained for histopathological examination were as par D&C. It was concluded that histopathology report was available in 92 of the 100 pipelle samples and 93 of 100 D&C samples. It was also, observed that increased endometrial thickness was not always associated with adequate tissue diagnosis.Conclusions: Pipelle is simple, affordable, patient friendly can be easily performed with minimal training, which can be performed in Outpatient Gynaecological Department. The diagnostic value and positive predictive value of Pipelle is at par with conventional D&C. So, pipelle can be recommended for all perimenopausal patients with AUB to rule out various, premalignant and malignant conditions of the endometrium.

Background Inhaled corticosteroids, known to be effective as a maintenance medication in chronic asthma, have also been suggested as a therapy for acute asthma when given at high doses. Methods A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in children aged 2 to 12 years with moderate or severe acute asthma, as determined based on a clinical score of 5 to 15 points, where 15 is the most severe. We compared the addition of budesonide 1,500 μg vs placebo to standard acute asthma treatment, which included salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, and a single dose of prednisolone 2 mg/kg given at the beginning of therapy. The primary outcome was hospital admission rate within 4 h. Results A total of 906 ED visits by children with moderate or severe acute asthma were evaluated. Seventy-five cases out of 458 (16.4%) in the budesonide group vs 82 of 448 (18.3%) in the placebo group were admitted (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.58-1.23; P = .38). However, among cases with high baseline clinical score (≥ 13), significantly fewer children were admitted in the budesonide group (27 of 76 [35.5%]) than in the placebo group (39 of 73 [53.4%]; OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19-0.94; P = .03). Conclusions The addition of budesonide nebulization did not decrease the admission rate of children with acute asthma overall. However, it may decrease the admission rate of children with severe acute asthma. Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01524198; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov

To determine whether a dexamethasone intravitreal implant 0.7 mg (dexamethasone delivery system [DDS], Ozurdex) combined with bevacizumab 1.25 mg (Avastin) provides greater benefit than bevacizumab monotherapy in eyes with diabetic macular edema with incomplete response to multiple antivascular endothelial growth factor injections.Eyes with diabetic macular edema were randomly assigned to receive combination therapy (bevacizumab plus DDS) or bevacizumab monotherapy. Combination therapy eyes received intravitreal bevacizumab at baseline, DDS at Month 1, and subsequent DDS (at Months 5 and 9), whereas monotherapy eyes received bevacizumab (monthly) if indicated. Eyes were eligible for retreatment if the central subfield thickness measured250 μm, and Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity was80 letters (20/25).Forty eyes of 30 patients were enrolled. The mean visual acuity changes from baseline to 12 months were similar in the 2 groups (combined: +5.4 letters; bevacizumab: +4.9 letters; difference = 0.2 letters, 95% confidence interval = -5.9 to 6.3; P = 0.75). The mean reduction in central subfield thickness was greater in the combination group (-45 μm vs. -30 μm, difference = 69 μm, 95% confidence interval = 9-129; P = 0.03) and more patients in the combination group had central subfield thickness250 μm. The combined treatment group received three fewer supplemental injections of bevacizumab, but this was counterbalanced by the need for an average of 2.1 DDS injections.The dexamethasone implant combined with bevacizumab significantly improves visual acuity and significantly improves macular morphology in eyes with refractory diabetic macular edema, although visual acuity changes are not superior to continued bevacizumab monotherapy.

To optimize and individualize post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia management.A multicenter prospective cohort study.Two tertiary care hospitals.parathyroid hormone (PTH) was measured preoperatively, then at 1 and 6 hours after surgery. The required doses of calcium and vitamin D were defined as those maintaining the patients asymptomatic and their cCa ≥ 2 mmol/L. They were used as an endpoint in a generalized linear mixed effect model (GLIMMEX) aiming to identify the best predictors of these optimal required doses. Models were evaluated by goodness of fit and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves.One hundred and sixty-eight patients were analyzed; 85.1% were female, 49.3% had BMI30, and 64% had vitamin D deficiency. Post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia was found in 25.6%, of whom 18 (41.9%) were symptomatic and received intravenous calcium. First hour percentage of drop in PTH correlated positively with the severity of hypocalcemia (P.0001). The GLIMMIX prediction model for oral calcium requirement was based on first-hour percentage change from preoperative PTH level, preoperative actual PTH, BMI, and thyroid function. The same predictors were identified for vitamin D, except that thyroid function was replaced with vitamin D status. These factors were used to build predictive equations for calcium and vitamin D doses.Our findings help to optimize management of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia by assisting in the early identification of those who are not at risk of hypocalcaemia and by guiding early effective management of those at risk. This may reduce complications and medical cost.

Objective The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of oral granisetron (a long-acting 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist) in stopping vomiting subsequent to discharge from emergency department (ED), in 6-month-old to 8-year-old patients with gastroenteritis-related vomiting and dehydration, who had failed an initial trial of oral rehydration (ORT). Methods Eligible patients were offered ORT on a slowly advancing schedule. Patients who tolerated the initial ORT were discharged home. Patients who vomited were randomized to receive either 40 μ g/kg of granisetron or placebo, and ORT was resumed. Patients who tolerated the postrandomization ORT were discharged home with another dose of the study drug. Parents were contacted by telephone every 24 hours until complete resolution of symptoms. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with vomiting at 24 hours. Results Of the 900 eligible patients, 537 (60%) tolerated the initial ORT and were discharged home. Of the patients who vomited during the initial ORT, 165 were included in the final study sample (placebo, n=82; granisetron, n=83). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with vomiting at 24 hours (granisetron, n=38; placebo, n=45; odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-1.19; P = .16). A similar trend in the proportion of patients with vomiting was noted for the entire follow-up period (granisetron, n=43; placebo, n=47; odds ratio, 0.73; P = .33; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-1.36). Conclusion Granisetron was not effective in controlling gastroenteritis-related vomiting subsequent to discharge from ED. It did not change the expected course of the illness.

Hypoparathyroidism is the most common complication after thyroidectomy and the main reason for frequent outpatient visits; however, there is a poor understanding of its outcomes and no clear follow-up strategies are available. We aimed to predict post-thyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism outcomes and identify relevant factors. A multicenter, standardized prospective study was conducted. The parathyroid hormone level (PTH) was measured preoperatively and at the first hour after surgery, then at each outpatient follow-up visit after 1 week, 3 weeks, and 1 month, and then every 2 months, until it either reached normal values or up to 6 months. Cox proportional hazard modeling was used to determine the factors that affect PTH recovery. A Weibull distribution model was used to predict time to recovery. Both models were evaluated by goodness of fit. A total of 186 patients were enrolled in the study; 53 (28.5 %) developed hypoparathyroidism, 47 of them (88.6 %) females. Their mean age was 41.2 years, and 11.4 % were diabetic. Of these women, 33 (62.3 %) recovered within 1 month, 10 (18.9 %) recovered after 1 month but within 6 months, 7 (13.2 %) did not recover within 6 months, and 3 (5.6 %) missed follow-up. Factors that are found to affect and predict the speed of recovery were the preoperative PTH level, perioperative percent drop in PTH level, diabetes mellitus, and gender. This study provides potentially useful information for early prediction of PTH recovery, and it highlights the factors that affect the course of hypoparathyroidism recovery, which in turn should be reflected in better patient management, improved patient satisfaction, and overall cost-effectiveness.

Background\ud \ud Current evidence suggests that inhaled glucocorticoids (IGC) have a more profound topical none genomic effect on bronchial airways as compared to systemic glucocorticoids. The value of adding IGC to current therapy of acute asthma is not well established.\ud Methods\ud \ud We conducted a double-blind, randomized, two-arm, parallel groups, controlled clinical trial to compare the addition of budesonide 1500 mcg or placebo (normal saline) to standard acute asthma treatment (albuterol and ipratropium bromide) administered in 3 divided mixed doses within 1 hour in the emergency department (ED). Children 2-12 years of age with moderate or severe acute asthma, scoring 8-15/15 on a well-validated scoring system were included. Both groups received a single dose of prednisone 2 mg/kg/day (max. 60 mg) at the beginning of therapy. The primary outcome was admission rate within 2-4 hours from starting therapy.\ud Results\ud \ud A total of 723 children were enrolled in the study over 17 months duration, of whom 139 were allowed to re-enroll and be randomized to constitute 906 randomization assignments (458 on the treatment group and 448 on the control group); with baseline mean + SD asthma score of 10.63 + 1.73; age 5.52 + 2.76 years; 35% girls; 30.8% (16.5%) with baseline severe asthma score of ≥12 (≥ 13). Statistical Analysis plan allowed for the potential dependency in response due to reenrollments of a subset of children, using Generalized Linear Mixed Modeling (GLMM) techniques. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the two randomized groups. Seventy-five out of 458 (16.4%) of the treatment group vs. 82/448 (18.3%) of the control group were admitted, (OR 0.85, CI: 0.59-1.23, p-value=0.39). Among the severe asthmatics with baseline score ≥13, treatment vs. placebo group, GLMM adjusted admission rate was 30% vs. 47%, indicating a 17% difference in admission rate in favor of the treatment group (adjusted OR of 0.49, CI: 0.25-0.95; p-value= 0.035) that indicated a 51% reduction in the risk of admission for the treatment vs. control group.\ud Conclusions\ud \ud Children with baseline severe asthma score ≥13 who were treated with budesonide had a significant reduction in their admission rate.

Introduction There are increasing numbers of patients who are referred for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) after prior percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) due to in stent thrombosis or other coronary complications. The intent here is to characterize the risk, if any, that is associated with a prior PCI experience. Objectives To compare clinical outcomes between patients undergoing CABG with or without previous PCI. Methods This is a retrospective chart review study. Two hundred seventy eight patients underwent CABG at KING FAHAD MEDICAL CITY, KSA between January 2009 to December 2010, of whom, 60 patients had prior PCI and 218 without a previous PCI. Primary outcome measures included post CABG survival, hospital stay, post CABG inraaortic balloon, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularization. Statistical analysis was pursed using the t-test /Wilcoxon and multiple linear regression analysis test for the continuous outcomes and the chi-square/Fisher exact test and logistic regression analysis for dichotomous outcomes. SAS version 9.3; Carey, NC, USA was used for statistical analysis. Results Overall there were 278 patients (60 in the CABG plus prior PCI group and 218 in the CABG alone group). All patients were followed up to 2 year post-CABG. All pre-CABG demographic and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. Overall, mean age was 59.3 years (median = 59 years); 54 (20%) females and both age and gender distributions were similar between the two groups. Mortality in the CABG alone group occurred in 6/218 patients (2.8%) compared to 2/60 (3.3%) in the CABG with prior PCI group ( p = 0.8). Sixty six (30.3%) on the CABG alone group had recent MI vs. 29/60 (49.2%) in the CABG with prior PCI, p value = 0.007. Mean + sd of hospital stay was 11.8 + 12 days on the CABG alone group vs. 13.7 + 11.6 days on the CABG with prior PCI group, p -value = 0.27. Postoperative need of inraaortic balloon occurred among 7 (11.62%) cases in the CABG alone group and among 3 cases (5.5%) in the CABG with prior PCI group, p value = 0.33. Conclusions Although the incidence of recent MI differed significantly between the two groups, no apparent differences were detected in terms of mortality, hospital stay and need for inraaortic balloon. Prospective studies as well increasing the sample size and extended follow-up are further required to validate the results.

There are few reported studies on Saudi population for human leukocyte antigens (HLA) genes. We investigated allele lineages (two-digit) and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DQB1 loci in 499 healthy unrelated individuals, selected from potential bone marrow transplant (BMT) families’ donors at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Saudi Arabia (SA). Genotyping was performed by Sequence Specific Oligonucleotide Probe (SSOP) utilizing a Luminex-based method. Allele lineages and haplotype frequencies were evaluated along with principal component analysis (PCA) to compare findings with previously reported data on Arab related populations. A total of 18 allele lineages for HLA-A, 28 for -B, 14 for -C, 13 for -DRB1, and 5 for -DQB1 were detected. High values for linkage disequilibrium indicators were found for B:C ( D’ = 0.86599) and DRB1:DQB1 ( D’ = 0.89468) loci. Additionally, PCA results confirmed previous findings on this population, but also indicated some genetic distances from other Arab related populations. The present study helps in further investigations of this population in anthropological analysis and HLA-associated disease studies.