Publications by authors named "Haolin Xu"
Purpose: To understand nursing home workers' experience during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and investigate the prevalence of health-related quality of life, emotional distress, job satisfaction, and the impact of the pandemic.
Method: The Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) Registry served as the data source for this descriptive cross-sectional analysis. Recruitment was conducted nationally.
Article Synopsis
- - Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) shows potential for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), though its effectiveness and underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
- - In a study, 22 SCA3 patients received either actual rTMS or a sham treatment for 15 days, with the real rTMS group showing a greater improvement in motor function as measured by ICARS scores.
- - Results from resting-state fMRI indicated that rTMS led to increased brain activity in specific regions, suggesting it may enhance motor functions in SCA3 patients by affecting brain excitability and function.
Article Synopsis
- - Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy involves the buildup of misfolded proteins in the heart, and acoramidis is a medication designed to stabilize these proteins, showing over 90% effectiveness in laboratory tests.
- - In a phase 3 trial, 632 patients were randomly assigned to receive either acoramidis or a placebo for 30 months, evaluating outcomes like death rates, hospitalizations, and specific health indicators.
- - The results demonstrated that acoramidis significantly outperformed the placebo in multiple health measures, with a high win ratio favoring acoramidis, while the frequency of side effects was similar in both groups.
Background: Secondary prevention of ischemic stroke (IS) requires adequate diagnostic evaluation to identify the likely etiologic subtype. We describe hospital-level variability in diagnostic testing and IS subtyping in a large nationwide registry.
Methods And Results: We used the GWTG-Stroke (Get With The Guidelines-Stroke) registry to identify patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute IS at 1906 hospitals between January 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017.
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic has significant mental health consequences for healthcare workers (HCWs), particularly concerning post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, though data on this are still limited.
- A study involving 2,038 HCWs revealed correlations between demographics and job roles with PTSD symptom severity, finding that younger HCWs and nurses reported higher symptoms compared to older HCWs and physicians.
- This research contributes to understanding the mental health challenges faced by HCWs during the pandemic, emphasizing the need for targeted support strategies.
Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic stressed the healthcare field, resulting in a worker exodus at the onset and throughout the pandemic and straining healthcare systems. Female healthcare workers face unique challenges that may impact job satisfaction and retention. It is important to understand factors related to healthcare workers' intent to leave their current field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Initiation of evidence-based medications for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) during hospitalization in contemporary practice is unknown.
Objectives: This study characterized opportunities for and achievement of heart failure (HF) medication initiation.
Methods: Using the GWTG-HF (Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure) Registry 2017-2020, which collected data on contraindications and prescribing for 7 evidence-based HF-related medications, we assessed the number of medications for which each patient with HFrEF was eligible, use before admission, and prescribed at discharge.
Background: In January 2021, vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization among patients with a recent worsening HF event based on the VICTORIA (VerICiguaT Global Study in Subjects with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexists with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), few data are available evaluating AF-specific care patterns and post-discharge outcomes in patients hospitalized for HFpEF. We evaluated AF-specific medical therapies and post-discharge outcomes among patients hospitalized for heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) or HFpEF by AF history.
Methods And Results: Trends in AF prevalence were evaluated among patients hospitalized for HFmrEF or HFpEF in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry from 2014 to 2020.
Importance: After the publication of the CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events) and POINT (Platelet-Oriented Inhibition in New Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Ischemic Stroke) clinical trials, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) issued a new class 1, level of evidence A, recommendation for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT; aspirin plus clopidogrel) for secondary prevention in patients with minor ischemic stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score ≤3). The extent to which variations in DAPT prescribing patterns remain and the extent to which practice patterns in the US are consistent with evidence-based guidelines are unknown.
Objective: To evaluate the discharge DAPT prescribing patterns after publication of the new AHA/ASA guidelines and assess the extent of hospital-level variation in the use of DAPT for secondary prevention in patients with minor stroke (NIHSS score ≤3), as indicated by guidelines, and in patients with nonminor stroke (NIHSS score >3), for whom the risks and benefits of DAPT have not been fully established.
Background: In 2015, endovascular therapy (EVT) for large vessel occlusions became standard of care for acute ischemic stroke. Lower utilization of IV alteplase has been reported in women, but whether sex differences in EVT use in the United States exists has not been established.
Methods: We identified all acute ischemic stroke discharges from Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals between 2012 and 2019 who were potentially eligible for EVT, based on National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥6 and arrival <6 hours, according to 2018 American Heart Association/ASA guidelines.
Background: Nursing professional organizations and media sources indicated early in the pandemic that the physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 might be distinct and possibly greater in nurses than in other types of healthcare workers (HCWs).
Objectives: Based on survey data collected in Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO), a national registry of U.S.
Background: The United States lacks a timely and accurate nationwide surveillance system for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We use the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry to apply poststratification survey weights to generate national assessment of AIS epidemiology, hospital care quality, and in-hospital outcomes.
Methods: Clinical data from the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke registry were weighted using a Bayesian interpolation method anchored to observations from the national inpatient sample.
Importance: Patients aged 80 years and older were often excluded or underrepresented in pivotal endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) trials. Accordingly, trends in frequency, outcomes, and disparities of EVT use merit close analysis.
Objective: To delineate temporal trends in EVT use, outcomes, and disparities among patients with acute ischemic stroke aged 80 years and older vs those younger than 80 years.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on reducing harmful chlorinated byproducts in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) by using a dual anode system of mixed metal oxides (MMO) and iron (Fe).
- The dual-anode setup significantly enhances the destruction rate of Ni-EDTA and reduces nickel levels in the treated effluent more effectively than either anode used alone.
- It confirms that the dual system generates Fe(IV), which helps minimize toxic chlorinated byproducts and enhances the removal of various pollutants from real wastewater, suggesting a promising method for improving wastewater treatment.
Background: Moral injury has primarily been studied in combat veterans but might also affect healthcare workers (HCWs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objective: To compare patterns of potential moral injury (PMI) between post-9/11 military combat veterans and healthcare workers (HCWs) surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: Cross-sectional surveys of veterans (2015-2019) and HCWs (2020-2021) in the USA.
This cohort study examines patterns in prescriptions of dual antiplatelet therapy after publication of important trials and release of updated guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The extent to which healthcare worker (HCWs) experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic vary by race or ethnicity after adjustment for confounding factors is not currently known.
Methods: We performed an observational prospective cohort study of 24,769 healthcare workers from 50 U.S.
Introduction Endovascular therapy (EVT) use increased following clinical trials publication in 2015, but limited data suggest there may be persistent race and ethnicity differences. Methods and Results We included all patients with acute ischemic stroke arriving within 6 hours of last known well and with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥6 between April 2012 and June 2019 in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke database and evaluated the association between race and ethnicity and EVT use and outcomes, comparing the era before versus after 2015. Of 302 965 potentially eligible patients; 42 422 (14%) underwent EVT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study focuses on blood pressure (BP) assessment in youth with obesity attending pediatric weight management programs, analyzing data from 7,943 patients aged 3-17 years.
- It found that nearly half (48.9%) of these youths had high BP, with higher prevalence among those with severe obesity (class 3).
- The research identified that high BP is associated with factors such as severe obesity, older age (15-17 years), and being male, highlighting the need for targeted BP management in these programs.
Background: Uninsurance is a known contributor to racial/ethnic health inequities. Insurance is often needed for prescriptions and follow-up appointments. Therefore, we determined whether the Affordable Care Act(ACA) Medicaid Expansion was associated with increased receipt of guideline-directed medical treatment(GDMT) at discharge among patients hospitalized with heart failure(HF) by race/ethnicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The benefits of tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent. However, delivery of thrombolytic therapy rapidly after hospital arrival was initially occurring infrequently in hospitals in the United States, discrepant with national guidelines.
Methods: We evaluated door-to-needle (DTN) times and clinical outcomes among patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving tPA before and after initiation of 2 successive nationwide quality improvement initiatives: Target: Stroke Phase I (2010-2013) and Target: Stroke Phase II (2014-2018) from 913 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals in the United States between April 2003 and September 2018.
Background And Purpose: Many older patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke were already taking aspirin before admission. However, the management strategy for patients with aspirin treatment failure has not been fully established.
Methods: We used data from the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines Stroke Registry to describe discharge antithrombotic treatment patterns among Medicare beneficiaries with ischemic stroke who were taking aspirin before their stroke and were discharged alive from 1734 hospitals in the United States between October 2012 and December 2017.
The steel-plastic compound geogrid has been widely used as a new reinforcement material in geotechnical engineering and other fields. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand the mechanical properties of steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts to utilize steel-plastic compound geogrids efficiently. In this study, tensile mechanical tests of steel wire, polyethylene geogrid belt, and steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belt were conducted with respect to the tensile mechanical properties of steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF