Publications by authors named "Andrew R W O'Brien"

Introduction: The translational gap from the discovery of evidence-based solutions to their implementation in healthcare delivery organizations derives from an incorrect assumption that the need for change among executive, administrative, or clinical personnel is the same as the demand for change. For sickle cell disease (SCD), implementation of evidence-based guidelines is often delayed or obstructed due to lack of demand. This challenge allows for the persistence of resource limitations and care delivery models that do not meet the community's unique needs.

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Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder causing painful and unpredictable Vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) through blood vessel blockages. In this study, we propose explosive synchronization (ES) as a novel approach to comprehend the hypersensitivity and occurrence of VOCs in the SCD brain network. We hypothesized that the accumulated disruptions in the brain network induced by SCD might lead to strengthened ES and hypersensitivity.

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Unlabelled: This study aimed to comprehensively analyze inflammatory and autoimmune characteristics of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) at a steady-state condition (StSt) compared to healthy controls (HCs) to explore the pathogenesis of StSt and its impact on patients' well-being. The study cohort consisted of 40 StSt participants and 23 HCs enrolled between July 2021 and April 2023. StSt participants showed elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts and altered hematological measurements when compared to HCs.

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Background: Pain is a common, debilitating, and poorly understood complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). The need for clinical pain management of SCD is largely unmet and relies on opioids as the main therapeutic option, which leads to a decreased quality of life (QoL). According to the literature, acupuncture has shown certain therapeutic effects for pain management in SCD.

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Thymomas are a rare neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum and often associated with paraneoplastic syndromes. Though myasthenia gravis is the most common and well-known, the list of reported paraneoplastic syndromes occurring with thymoma is extensive and ever-growing. Paraneoplastic syndromes can involve nearly every organ system, including hematologic abnormalities affecting any or all cell lines.

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Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Methods: This retrospective study assessed adherence to prescribed enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis in adults with SCD while hospitalized. A total of 172 encounters of 72 unique patients were evaluated between 1 January and 31 December 2019.

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Arginine 352 (R352) in the sixth transmembrane domain of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) previously was reported to form an anion/cation selectivity filter and to provide positive charge in the intracellular vestibule. However, mutations at this site have nonspecific effects, such as inducing susceptibility of endogenous cysteines to chemical modification. We hypothesized that R352 stabilizes channel structure and that charge-destroying mutations at this site disrupt pore architecture, with multiple consequences.

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