Publications by authors named "Linda Zhu"

Background: There is little research on long-term, patient-centered outcomes in critically ill patients undergoing tracheostomy for secretion management or prolonged ventilation. The goal of this study was to determine and compare hospital and long-term mortality, and incidence of new institutionalization amongst patients who underwent an ICU tracheostomy for these two aforementioned indications.

Methods: This was a single center historic cohort study of all ICU patients who received a tracheostomy for secretion management or prolonged ventilation from 2011 to 2022.

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Tinnitus is a health condition that affects a large population. Clinical diagnosis and treatment have been developed for treating tinnitus for years. However, there are still limitations because researchers have yet to elucidate the mechanisms underlying how tinnitus neural signals develop in brain structures.

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Introduction: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a kidney disorder that can lead to progressive kidney disease. Currently, there lacks a comprehensive overview of the symptoms and impacts experienced by those living with IgAN that would help inform the selection or development of fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments (COA) to be used in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual model of the adult and pediatric patient experience of IgAN, including disease signs and symptoms, treatment side effects, and impact on functioning and well-being.

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Introduction: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a leading cause of kidney disease and can progress to end stage kidney disease (ESKD). An overview of symptoms and impacts of the disease experienced will help inform the selection or development of fit-for-purpose clinical outcome assessments (COA) to be used in FSGS clinical trials. This study aimed to develop a conceptual model (CM) of the adult and pediatric patient experience of FSGS including disease signs/symptoms, treatment side-effects, and impact on functioning and wellbeing.

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Article Synopsis
  • The ALLEGRO phase 2a trial investigated the safety and effectiveness of two drugs, ritlecitinib and brepocitinib, for treating alopecia areata over a 24-week period, followed by an additional extension phase for patients who did not respond adequately.
  • A total of 18 patients switched from ritlecitinib to brepocitinib, while 5 switched the other way, with no new safety concerns reported post-crossover.
  • An exploratory analysis indicated that some patients switched to brepocitinib showed significant improvement in hair loss severity, suggesting potential benefits for those not responding to ritlecitinib, though firm conclusions are limited due to the small sample size.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of postoperative therapeutic dose intravenous heparin (POTDIVH) was indicated in digital replantation and revascularization by assessing digit survival and complications associated with heparin.

Methods: All patients with amputation distal to the carpal tunnel treated at our center from 2004 to 2020 were included for chart review. Digit survival and complication rates were compared between patients who received POTDIVH (group A) and those who did not (group B).

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The role of intestinal microbiota on fate determination of intestinal epithelial cells has not been extensively examined. In this study, we explore the effect of Bacillus subtilis on programmed intestinal epithelial differentiation. We find that B.

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Background: Digital replants and revascularization (DRV) have been performed since the 1960s but there are no recognized standard peri-operative anticoagulation practices. A narrative systematic review of the clinical effectiveness and safety of therapeutic peri-operative unfractionated heparin following DRV was undertaken.

Methods: A review of the literature from 1985 to March 2022 was conducted using Medline, Embase, CINAHL and EBM reviews.

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While fluoroquinolones, vancomycin, macrolides, and tetracyclines are generally safe antibiotics, they can induce both immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). Historically, less has been published on allergies to these antibiotics compared to beta lactams, but the prevalence of non-beta lactam HSRs is increasing. To fluoroquinolones, immediate HSRs are more common than delayed reactions.

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Article Synopsis
  • Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, specifically ritlecitinib and brepocitinib, are being studied for treating alopecia areata (AA) with promising results from early research.
  • In a phase 2a clinical trial, biopsy samples from 46 patients showed significant improvements in scalp biomarkers after 24 weeks, correlating with hair regrowth measured by the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score.
  • While brepocitinib showed better results at week 12, ritlecitinib outperformed it by week 24, suggesting the need for larger and longer-term trials to confirm these findings.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed the utilization of ambulatory medical care. Studies indicate that this also includes a decrease in pediatric prevention services.

Aim: The aim of the study was to determine how the utilization of pediatric prevention services, in particular screening examinations and immunizations, developed over the course of the first pandemic wave until the end of September 2020 compared with the years 2015 to 2019.

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Background: Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is inadequately controlled with current treatments for many patients. Abrocitinib is an oral Janus kinase 1 selective inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of AD.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate patient-reported outcomes in a phase 2b study of abrocitinib in adults with moderate-to-severe AD inadequately controlled by topical therapy (NCT02780167).

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Article Synopsis
  • Alopecia areata (AA) is a type of hair loss caused by the immune system, and this study aimed to test the effectiveness of two drugs, ritlecitinib and brepocitinib, in patients with significant scalp hair loss.
  • In a 24-week trial, both drugs showed a significant improvement in hair regrowth compared to a placebo, with brepocitinib being more effective than ritlecitinib.
  • The treatments were generally well tolerated, although there was a case of a serious side effect (rhabdomyolysis) in the brepocitinib group.
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Akkermansia muciniphila, a novel mucin-degrading bacterium, has been demonstrated to prevent the development of obesity and related complications. However, whether it can protect poultry from intestinal mucosal damage by enteropathogens has never been mentioned. In this study, we found that A.

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Scope: The influence of the intestinal microbiota, such as Lactobacillus, on the intestinal mucosa, particularly intestinal stem cells, remains incompletely understood. In this study, mice and intestinal organoids are used to explore the regulatory effect of Lactobacillus on the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.

Methods And Results: This study demonstrates that S.

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Importance: Atopic dermatitis is associated with substantial patient and caregiver burden. Currently available treatments for atopic dermatitis are inadequate or contraindicated for some patients. Abrocitinib (PF-04965842) is an oral Janus kinase 1 selective inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

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In recent years there has been increasing recognition of varying asthma phenotypes that impact treatment response. This has led to the development of biological therapies targeting specific immune cells and cytokines in the inflammatory cascade. Currently, there are two primary asthma phenotypes, Type 2 hi and Type 2 lo, which are defined by eosinophilic and neutrophilic/pauci- granulocytic pattern of inflammation respectively.

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The multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a serine/threonine kinase important in transducing intracellular Ca2+ signals. While in vitro data regarding the role of CaMKII in the regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) are contradictory, its role in endothelial function in vivo remains unknown. Using two novel transgenic models to express CaMKII inhibitor peptides selectively in endothelium, we examined the effect of CaMKII on eNOS activation, NO production, vasomotor tone and blood pressure.

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Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that methionine oxidation can directly affect protein function and may be linked to cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to define the role of the methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) in models of vascular disease and identify its signaling pathways.

Approach And Results: MsrA was readily identified in all layers of the vascular wall in human and murine arteries.

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Activation of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury. CaMKII can be directly activated by ROS through oxidation. In this study, we determined whether abolishing the oxidative activation site of CaMKII alters vascular smooth muscle cell (VCMC) proliferation, migration and apoptosis in vitro and neointimal formation in vivo.

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