Publications by authors named "Anna Smith"

IntroductionThis study aimed to estimate the contamination of water sources along the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) through evaluation of the presence and concentration of , and spp.MethodsSample sites were selected from 6 of the 8 sections of the TRT. Each stream was sampled 3 or 4 times during the summer and early fall of 2023.

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Objective: Transportation barriers can lead to delays in care and suboptimal treatment. Our objective was to assess the utilization of a novel transportation pilot intervention in gynecologic oncology.

Methods: Since May 2022, we have provided donor-funded transportation to patients receiving gynecologic cancer treatment at 5 University of Pennsylvania practices.

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The detailed crystal structure as well as the heat capacity at low temperature and standard entropy of BaMoO are reported for the first time. High-resolution X-ray and neutron diffraction were employed to reveal the structural features of this compound. BaMoO has a six-coordinated Mo and a strongly negative excess volume with respect to the binary oxides.

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Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a disorder mediated by autoantibodies against the GluN1 subunit of NMDAR. It occurs with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms that often improve with immunotherapy. Clinical studies and animal models based on patients' antibody transfer or NMDAR immunization suggest that the autoantibodies play a major pathogenic role.

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  • The study investigates the surge of HIV cases in Scott County, Indiana, linked to the misuse of Opana ER, an opioid medication that replaced OxyContin due to its reformulation.
  • It analyzes pharmacy transaction data from 2007 to 2019, showing that Opana ER usage in Scott County skyrocketed after OxyContin's formula changed and peaked just before the HIV outbreak in 2014.
  • The findings suggest that the reformulation led to a significant drop in Opana ER transactions during the HIV outbreak, highlighting the importance of monitoring pharmaceutical sales to prevent drug misuse and related health crises.
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  • Disparities exist in the participation of racial and ethnic minority populations in gynecologic cancer clinical trials, particularly affecting groups with high endometrial cancer rates, which is influenced by geographic access to these trials.
  • The study aimed to analyze the geographic distribution of gynecological cancer trials across the US and identify any existing disparities relevant to various state characteristics.
  • An analysis of 1,561 invasive gynecological cancer trials revealed that ovarian cancer trials were the most prevalent, highlighting a disparity in trial availability relative to state demographics and social vulnerability factors.
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In the United Sates, over 115,000 individuals are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer annually with access to a gynecologic oncologist and evidence-based treatment remaining a persistent challenge. Coverage decisions by private and public insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, play key roles in access to care, impacting oncologic outcomes. The expansion of Medicaid insurance under the Affordable Care Act improved early diagnosis, treatment, and survival in gynecologic cancers, but disparities remain for individuals in non-Medicaid expansion states.

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  • In 2022, 10.2% of fatal overdoses were linked to individuals facing homelessness or housing instability, with a growing concern over stimulant involvement in these overdoses in the U.S.
  • Researchers in Kentucky analyzed stimulant-involved fatal overdoses from 2017 to 2021, linking records from a drug overdose surveillance system to electronic health records to assess housing status.
  • Of the 313 overdose cases studied, initially only 10.5% were identified with housing instability, but after further data analysis, this figure rose to 41.5%, indicating that better data connections could enhance overdose surveillance and public health responses.
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Background: Racial disparities in clinical trial participation for uterine cancer have been reported.

Objective: We sought to examine disparities of endometrial cancer patient participation in clinical drug trials in a contemporary, real-world population in the United States.

Study Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced or recurrent patients with endometrial cancer diagnosed from 2013 to 2021 using a real-world electronic health record-derived database representing approximately 800 academic and community practice sites across the United States.

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  • Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a germ that causes diarrhea and serious gut problems, especially in hospitals.
  • It produces harmful proteins called toxins, including the less understood CDT toxin, which causes inflammation in the body.
  • Researchers found that CDT activates certain immune cells in a way that doesn't depend on a specific inflammatory pathway, suggesting its effects may not be as straightforward as previously thought.
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Objectives: Social networks undergo changes in later life, reflecting proactive decreases as well as increases in size, but relatively little is known about the factors that motivate older adults to expand their social ties. Loneliness might be expected to motivate older adults to expand their social ties. Paradoxically, however, studies of younger age groups have linked loneliness to a self-protective reluctance to initiate social contact.

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Galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal) is a carbohydrate expressed by all mammals except for humans and certain old-world primates. It can be found in a plethora of products derived from mammals, including milk, organs, skeletal muscle and gelatin, in addition to products prepared with mammalian cells or constituents. In the late 2000s, an association between tick bites and the development of immunoglobulin E antibodies to the alpha-gal carbohydrate was discovered.

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Background: Evidence suggests that prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and metals, two classes of chemicals found ubiquitously in human populations, influence immune system development and response.

Objective: We evaluated whether first trimester blood PFAS and metals were associated with antigen- or mitogen-stimulated cord blood lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion.

Methods: We measured six PFAS, as well as six nonessential and four essential metals, in first trimester blood from participants in the longitudinal pre-birth Project Viva cohort, recruited between 1999 and 2000 in eastern Massachusetts.

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Primary human hepatocyte (PHH) transplantation is a promising alternative to liver transplantation, whereby liver function could be restored by partial repopulation of the diseased organ with healthy cells. However, currently PHH engraftment efficiency is low and benefits are not maintained long-term. Here we refine two male mouse models of human chronic and acute liver diseases to recapitulate compromised hepatocyte proliferation observed in nearly all human liver diseases by overexpression of p21 in hepatocytes.

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Acoustic communication plays an important role in coordinating group dynamics and collective movements across a range of taxa. However, anthropogenic disturbance can inhibit the production or reception of acoustic signals. Here, we investigate the effects of noise and light pollution on the calling and collective behaviour of wild jackdaws (), a highly social corvid species that uses vocalizations to coordinate collective movements at winter roosting sites.

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  • This study focuses on how factors in a child's immediate environment (microsystem) and broader surroundings (exosystem) influence their development, particularly in forming attachments.
  • Researchers examined the impact of maltreatment and neighborhood risks on attachment between children and their caregivers, studying 170 four-year-olds.
  • Results revealed that maltreatment leads to higher rates of insecure attachment, while neighborhood risk alone did not significantly affect attachment, underscoring the need to consider various ecological influences on attachment development.
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Objective: To examine patient barriers and facilitators to PARP inhibitor (PARP-I) maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer. PARP-I improves survival in ovarian cancer, but these multi-year therapies cost around $100,000 annually and are under-prescribed.

Methods: We recruited patients with ovarian cancer treated with PARP-I maintenance therapy at an academic health system for a semi-structured interview.

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Transportation is an underrecognized, but modifiable barrier to accessing cancer care, especially for clinical trials. Clinicians, insurers, and health systems can screen patients for transportation needs and link them to transportation. Direct transportation services (i.

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Background: Nonessential metals have endocrine disrupting properties, interfere with cellular processes, generate reactive oxygen and deplete antioxidants, while essential metals and vitamins act as antioxidants. The extent to which prenatal metals and vitamins are associated with cord blood hormones involved in maternal and fetal metabolic and growth processes is unknown.

Methods: We measured six nonessential (arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, lead, mercury) and four essential (magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc) metals and trace elements, and two vitamins (B12 and folate) in first trimester blood from participants in the longitudinal pre-birth Project Viva cohort, who were recruited between 1999-2002 in eastern Massachusetts.

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Controlled degradation of biodegradable poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) trauma implants may increase interfragmentary loading which is known to accelerate fracture healing. Additive manufacturing allows us to tune the mechanical properties of PLGA scaffolds; however, little is known about this novel approach. The purpose of this study was to use in vitro and in vivo models to determine the degradative kinetics of additively manufactured test coupons fabricated with PLGA.

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  • PARP inhibitors (PARP-I) are effective in improving survival for ovarian cancer patients, particularly those with BRCA mutations or related genetic issues, but insurance companies often require prior authorization for their use.
  • A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania found that 64% of ovarian cancer patients prescribed PARP-I faced prior authorization, with patients in the frontline setting having a slightly higher rate (67%).
  • The process of obtaining approval delays treatment, averaging an additional 10 days for those requiring prior authorization, which is particularly concerning for patients with beneficial genetic mutations like BRCA.
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Introduction: Virtually all people with Down syndrome (DS) develop neuropathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Atrophy of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC), as well as elevated plasma concentrations of neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein, are markers of neurodegeneration associated with late-onset AD. We hypothesized that hippocampus and EC gray matter loss and increased plasma NfL concentrations are associated with memory in adults with DS.

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