Hydroxyurea therapy for neurological and cognitive protection in pediatric sickle cell anemia in Uganda (BRAIN SAFE II): Protocol for a single-arm open label trial.

Background: Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) in Sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk of sickle cerebrovascular injury (SCVI). Hydroxyurea, a commonly used disease-modifying therapy, may reduce SCVI resulting in potential impact on reducing stroke and cognitive dysfunction. We aim to test the impact of daily hydroxyurea therapy on these outcomes in Ugandan children with SCA.

An observational post-authorization study to assess the effectiveness of a single dose Ad26.COV2.S for the prevention of COVID-19 using real-world data.

Background: The goal of this FDA-committed, post authorization study was to assess the real-world effectiveness of Ad26.COV2.S in preventing observed COVID-19 disease in individuals in the United States interacting with the healthcare system who were vaccinated according to the national immunization recommendations.

Low hemoglobin causes hematoma expansion and poor intracerebral hemorrhage outcomes.

Objectives: Although lower hemoglobin levels associate with worse intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) outcomes, causal drivers for this relationship remain unclear. We investigated the hypothesis that lower hemoglobin relates to increased hematoma expansion (HE) risk and poor outcomes using human observational data and assessed causal relationships using a translational murine model of anemia and ICH.

Methods: ICH patients with baseline hemoglobin measurements and serial CT neuroimaging enrolled between 2010-2016 to a multicenter, prospective observational cohort study were studied.

A Prospective, Longitudinal Study of Caregiver-Reported Adaptive Skills and Function of Individuals with -related Neurodevelopmental Disorder.

Objectives: This study presents a cohort of individuals in a natural history study with de novo pathogenic missense variants in causative of -related neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) to describe individuals' adaptive functional abilities.

Methods: We measured adaptive function using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS-III). Results were compared using inferential statistics and regression analysis.

Electrochemical CO Reduction in Acidic Electrolytes: Spectroscopic Evidence for Local pH Gradients.

Inspired by recent advances in electrochemical CO reduction (COR) under acidic conditions, herein we leverage in situ spectroscopy to inform the optimization of COR at low pH. Using attenuated total reflection surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS) and fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigate the role that alkali cations (M) play on electrochemical COR. This study hence provides important information related to the local electrode surface pH under bulk acidic conditions for COR, both in the presence and absence of an organic film layer, at variable [M].

Antihypertensive medication prescription dispensation among pregnant women in the United States: A cohort study.

Importance: Hypertension is increasingly common in pregnancy capable individuals, yet there is limited data on antihypertensive medication dispensation in peripartum individuals.

Objective: To describe antihypertensive medication dispensation from preconception through the first year postpartum.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used the Truven Health Market Scan administrative data from 2008 to 2014 to identify women in the United States with commercial or government health insurance, aged 15-54, free from heart disease, who experienced a pregnancy and filled at least 1 prescription for an antihypertensive medication between 3 months prior to conception and 12 months after the end of the pregnancy.

Maintaining disorder: estimating the association between policing and psychiatric hospitalization among youth in New York City by neighborhood racial composition, 2006-2014.

Purpose: To assess whether neighborhood-level measures of policing are spatio-temporally associated with psychiatric hospialization among adolescents and young adults in New York City, and whether this association varies by neighborhood racial composition.

Methods: We derived population-based measures of policing from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), psychiatric hospitalization from Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data, and socio-demographic data from the American Community Survey (ACS), aggregated by month and ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) from 2006 to 2014. Multi-level negative binomial regression models assessed hospitalization-time of youth aged 10-24 as the dependent variable and the rate of policing events as the primary independent variable, adjusting for neighborhood poverty, unemployment, and educational attainment.

Incident stroke in individuals with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a form of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) that occurs during the final month of pregnancy through the first 5 months postpartum, is associated with heightened risk for maternal morbidity and mortality. Stroke is a common complication of HFrEF but there is limited data on the incidence of stroke in PPCM.

Methods: Using statewide, nonfederal administrative data from 2000 to 2015, we analyzed age-adjusted risk of stroke within 3 years after PPCM-associated pregnancies.

Assessing ascertainment bias in atrial fibrillation across US minority groups.

The aim of this study is to define atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence and incidence rates across minority groups in the United States (US), to aid in diversity enrollment target setting for randomized controlled trials. In AF, US minority groups have lower clinically detected prevalence compared to the non-Hispanic or Latino White (NHW) population. We assess the impact of ascertainment bias on AF prevalence estimates.

A randomized controlled trial of oral antipyretic treatment to reduce overheating during exercise in adults with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Some people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) avoid exercise due to overheating. Evidence from a variety of cooling treatments shows benefits for pwMS.

Objective: Conduct a randomized controlled trial of antipyretic treatment before exercise in pwMS.

Hydroxyurea Therapy for Neurological and Cognitive Protection in Pediatric Sickle Cell Anemia in Uganda (BRAIN SAFE II): Protocol for a single-arm open label trial.

Background: Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) in Sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk of sickle cerebrovascular injury (SCVI). Hydroxyurea, a commonly used disease-modifying therapy, may prevent or decrease SCVI for reduced incident stroke, stroke risk and potentially cognitive dysfunction. We aim to test the impact of daily hydroxyurea therapy on these outcomes in Ugandan children with SCA.

Neurocognitive Impairment in Ugandan Children with Sickle Cell Anemia Compared to Sibling Controls: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Neurocognitive function in Ugandan children aged 1-12 years with sickle cell anemia (SCA) were compared to their non-SCA siblings to identify risk factors for disease-associated impairment.

Methods: This cross-sectional neurocognitive function study of children with SCA (N=242) and non-SCA siblings (N=127) used age- and linguistically-appropriate standardized tests of cognition, executive function and attention for children ages 1-4 and 5-12 years. Test scores were converted to locally derived age-normalized z-scores.

Hospital-Acquired Infection at Time of Stroke and Cognitive Decline: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Introduction: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) after stroke are associated with additional morbidity and mortality, but whether HAIs increase long-term cognitive decline in stroke patients is unknown. We hypothesized that older adults with incident stroke with HAI experience faster cognitive decline than those having stroke without HAI and those without stroke.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal analysis in the population-based prospective Cardiovascular Health Study.

Measures of Aging Biology in Saliva and Blood as Novel Biomarkers for Stroke and Heart Disease in Older Adults.

Background And Objectives: The role of aging biology as a novel risk factor and biomarker for vascular outcomes in different accessible body tissues such as saliva and blood remain unclear. We aimed to (1) assess the role of aging biology as a risk factor of stroke and heart disease among individuals of same chronologic age and sex and (2) compare aging biology biomarkers measured in different accessible body tissues as novel biomarkers for stroke and heart disease in older adults.

Methods: This study included individuals who consented for blood and saliva draw in the Venous Blood Substudy and Telomere Length Study of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

The association between temperature and alcohol- and substance-related disorder hospital visits in New York State.

Background: Limited evidence exists on how temperature increases are associated with hospital visits from alcohol- and substance-related disorders, despite plausible behavioral and physiological pathways.

Methods: In the present study, we implemented a case-crossover design, which controls for seasonal patterns, long-term trends, and non- or slowly-varying confounders, with distributed lag non-linear temperature terms (0-6 days) to estimate associations between daily ZIP Code-level temperature and alcohol- and substance-related disorder hospital visit rates in New York State during 1995-2014. We also examined four substance-related disorder sub-causes (cannabis, cocaine, opioid, sedatives).

Neurofilament light chain: A potential biomarker for cerebrovascular disease in children with sickle cell anaemia.

Cerebrovascular injury frequently occurs in children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). Limited access to magnetic resonance imaging and angiography (MRI-MRA) in sub-Saharan Africa impedes detection of clinically unapparent cerebrovascular injury. Blood-based brain biomarkers of cerebral infarcts have been identified in non-SCA adults.

Concordance Between Active Partial Thromboplastin Time and Anti-Factor Xa Assays in Neurocritically Ill Patients Receiving Subcutaneous Heparin Prophylaxis.

Background: Laboratory monitoring is not recommended when subcutaneous unfractionated heparin (SQ-UFH) is administered at prophylactic doses. However, aPTT prolongation and associated hemorrhage has been reported in the neurocritically ill. At our institution, Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit (Neuro-ICU) patients with prolonged aPTT are further evaluated with a follow up aPTT and anti-factor Xa.

Red Blood Cell Transfusions Are Not Associated With Incident Complications or Poor Outcomes in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background Anemia is associated with poor intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) outcomes, yet the relationship of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions to ICH complications and functional outcomes remains unclear. We investigated the impact of RBC transfusion on hospital thromboembolic and infectious complications and outcomes in patients with ICH. Methods and Results Consecutive patients with spontaneous ICH enrolled in a single-center, prospective cohort study from 2009 to 2018 were assessed.

Applying principal component pursuit to investigate the association between source-specific fine particulate matter and myocardial infarction hospitalizations in New York City.

Unlabelled: The association between fine particulate matter (PM) and cardiovascular outcomes is well established. To evaluate whether source-specific PM is differentially associated with cardiovascular disease in New York City (NYC), we identified PM sources and examined the association between source-specific PM exposure and risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: We adapted principal component pursuit (PCP), a dimensionality-reduction technique previously used in computer vision, as a novel pattern recognition method for environmental mixtures to apportion speciated PM to its sources.

Relationships of Hemoglobin Concentration, Ischemic Lesions, and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Background: Hemoglobin concentration and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) ischemic lesions are separately known to be associated with poor intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) outcomes. While hemoglobin concentrations have known relationships with ischemic stroke, it is unclear whether hemoglobin concentration is associated with DWI ischemic lesions after ICH. We sought to investigate the hypothesis that hemoglobin concentrations would associate with DWI lesions after ICH and further investigated their relationships with clinical outcomes.

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.

Background: The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, annually reports the most up-to-date statistics related to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular risk factors, including core health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, diet, and weight) and health factors (cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose control) that contribute to cardiovascular health. The Statistical Update presents the latest data on a range of major clinical heart and circulatory disease conditions (including stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease) and the associated outcomes (including quality of care, procedures, and economic costs).

Methods: The American Heart Association, through its Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee, continuously monitors and evaluates sources of data on heart disease and stroke in the United States to provide the most current information available in the annual Statistical Update with review of published literature through the year before writing.