Unlabelled: Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting the HIV-1 CD4-binding site (CD4bs) occur infrequently in macaques and humans and have not been reproducibly elicited in any outbred animal model. To address this challenge, we first isolated RHA10, an infection-induced rhesus bNAb with 51% breadth. The cryo-EM structure of RHA10 with HIV-1 envelope (Env) resembled prototypic human CD4bs bNAbs with CDR-H3-dominated binding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Widespread antibiotic prescribing contributes to globally emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Despite stewardship recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, there is a lack of literature identifying barriers and facilitators to antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in United States (U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe process of identifying and responding to patients' social, emotional, and psychological concerns is a required skill for training and practicing genetic counselors. Patients' health outcomes are improved when genetic counselors attend to these "psychosocial" concerns. Still, the process of eliciting, assessing, and attending to patients' psychosocial concerns in the genetic counseling setting is not well defined in the literature nor is it performed consistently.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor over six decades, nutritional science has provided well-developed, peer-reviewed nutrient recommendations to support the health of dogs and cats. These guidelines are updated based on new scientifically valid research and appropriate peer-review. Recent regulatory and scientific positions around health issues have resulted in strong opinions and desires for rapid regulatory action surrounding mineral nutrition, but with limited and conflicting scientific evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Despite the effort to increase the proportion of patients starting dialysis on native accesses, many of them are still dialyzed on tunnelled catheter. Catheter-related complications are often serious and responsible for re-hospital admission, high morbidity and mortality. Several multicenter trials have reported results in the use of tunnelled dialysis catheter (TDC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacogenomics has the potential to inform drug dosing and selection, reduce adverse events, and improve medication efficacy; however, provider knowledge of pharmacogenomic testing varies across provider types and specialties. Given that many actionable pharmacogenomic genes are implicated in cardiovascular medication response variability, this study aimed to evaluate cardiology providers' knowledge and attitudes on implementing clinical pharmacogenomic testing. Sixty-one providers responded to an online survey, including pharmacists (46%), physicians (31%), genetic counselors (15%), and nurses (8%).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive and memory impairments and neuropathological abnormalities. AD has no cure, inadequate treatment options, and a limited understanding of possible prevention measures. Previous studies have demonstrated that AD model mice that received a diet high in the essential nutrient choline had reduced amyloidosis, cholinergic deficits, and gliosis, and increased neurogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Expanded carrier screening (ECS) gene panels have several limitations, including variable content, current knowledge of disease-causing variants, and differing reporting policies. This study evaluated if the disease-associated variants identified in affected neonates who screened positive by California newborn screening (NBS) for an inherited metabolic disorder (IMD) by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) would likely be reported by ECS gene panels.
Methods: Retrospective review of neonates referred by the California Department of Public Health for a positive NBS by multianalyte MS/MS from January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how using natural language processing (NLP) on narrative application data can improve prediction and reduce racial subgroup differences in scores used for selection decisions compared to mental ability test scores and numeric application data. We posit there is uncaptured and job-related constructs that can be gleaned from applicant text data using NLP. We test our hypotheses in an operational context across four samples (total = 1,828) to predict selection into Officer Training School in the U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Allergy Clin Immunol Glob
February 2023
Background: A key strategy to combat the public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance is to use appropriate antibiotics, which is difficult in patients with a penicillin allergy label.
Objective: Our aim was to investigate racial and ethnic differences related to penicillin allergy labeling and referral to allergy/immunology in primary care.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of Tufts Medical Center's Boston-based primary care patients in 2019.
Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol
July 2023
Background: Extended infusion cefepime (1 gram every 6 hours administered over 3 hours) achieves pharmacodynamic efficacy against bacteria with a MIC of ≤8 mg/L in Monte Carlo simulations. This regimen has not been evaluated in clinical practice.
Objective: Compare clinical and economic outcomes for cefepime by intermittent infusion and by extended infusion in the acute-care setting.
Optimizing antibiotic prescribing is a crucial element of the fight against antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic prescribing patterns in jails have not been studied. We established a baseline of antibiotic prescribing between Massachusetts jails.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to evaluate the steady state pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cefazolin in patients with a high body weight. Cefazolin was administered by 0.5-h infusions to 11 patients with total body weight (TBW) ≥120 kg receiving 3 g q8h, and 12 patients with TBW <120 kg receiving 2 g q8h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCapture-based library preparation for next generation sequencing (NGS) offers a balance between sequencing depth and bioinformatics cost of analysis. Liquid handling automation enhances the reliability of the library preparation process by reducing sample-to-sample variation and substantially enhances throughput, particularly when it can be employed in a 'walk-away' fashion with limited hands-on interaction. This requires complex series of mixing and heating steps like those utilized in capture chemistries to happen on the liquid handler.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraduation from a genetic counseling graduate program accredited by the Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling and certification obtained by passing the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) certification examination are increasingly required to practice as a genetic counselor in the USA. Despite the ABGC certification examination serving as a gateway to the genetic counseling career, there have been no research studies to date that have examined what variables are associated with examination performance. Therefore, the Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors established a Task Force to assess whether trainee demographics, Grade point average (GPA) and Graduate Record Exam (GRE®) percentile scores are associated with passing the ABGC certification examination on the first attempt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: (VRE) in particular has evolved as an important cause of hospital acquired infection, especially in immunocompromised hosts.
Methods: We present a complex case of a patient with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia who underwent allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation complicated by persistent VRE bacteremia and meningitis. To optimize therapy, various blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were sent to a research laboratory for extensive susceptibility testing, pharmacokinetic analyses, and time-kill experiments.
Prior research has found that many genetic counselors (GCs) experience burnout. Studies of other clinicians have demonstrated that burnout can have significant detrimental consequences for clinicians, patients, and the healthcare system. We sought to explore the prevalence of, contributors to, and consequences of burnout among GCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of a virtual counselor (VICKY) to the My Family Health Portrait (MFHP) tool for collecting family health history (FHx).
Methods: A total of 279 participants were recruited from a large safety-net hospital and block randomized by health literacy to use one of the digital FHx tools, followed by a genetic counselor interview. A final sample of 273 participants were included for analyses of primary study aims pertaining to tool concordance, which assessed agreement between tool and genetic counselor.
Objective: Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs most frequently in young active patients. Published guidelines do not all agree about its initial management; most patients are hospitalised and treated with chest tube. This prospective multicentric cohort study was designed to assess the potential of ambulatory management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Objective: Clinicians currently do not reliably adhere to antibiotic treatment guidelines, resulting in unnecessary patient exposure to broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Our objective is to determine whether a treatment intervention for the management of nonpurulent skin and soft tissue infections increases clinician adherence and improves patient outcomes.
Methods: Between January 1 and December 31, 2017, patients presenting to 2 emergency departments (EDs) and who had received a diagnosis of a nonpurulent skin and soft tissue infection were enrolled and assigned to a pre- or postintervention cohort with a treatment intervention implemented on June 1.
Background: Treatment strategy for low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) remains an unresolved issue. The presence of a low aortic gradient and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) might lead toward the underestimation of aortic stenosis severity and a more conservative management. We sought (a) to describe the nature and timing of intervention according to flow/gradient subgroups in patibents with LG-AS, (2) to determine the factors associated with the decision to intervene, and (c) to describe prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the high demand for psychiatric genetic counseling among people with psychiatric conditions (>90%), surveys show that genetic counselors rarely receive primary referrals for psychiatric cases. The purpose of this study was to further investigate potential barriers to the provision of psychiatric genetic counseling services, focusing specifically on the prevalence and impact of psychiatric stigmatization among genetic counselors. Board-certified, practicing genetic counselors were invited to participate in an anonymous survey via the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
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