"Unidos Hablemos" - description of a virtual conference series to engage the Hispanic and Latino community in asthma and COVID-19 education and research.

Background: Inequity in asthma and COVID-19 outcomes and research among Hispanic or Latino individuals is well established. Patient centered outcomes research (PCOR) may help address these inequalities. This report describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a virtual conference series program titled "Unidos Hablemos de/United, Let's Talk About" intended to address the health literacy of the Hispanic/Latino community regarding asthma and COVID-19 and to encourage involvement in PCOR.

"Black People Like Me": A virtual conference series to engage underserved patients with asthma in patient centered outcomes research.

Background: In response to racial inequity in asthma, asthma-related research among diverse patients is vital. However, people from historically marginalized groups are underrepresented in clinical and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). The "Black People Like Me" (BPLM) virtual conference series was developed to: (1) engage Black patients with asthma and their caregivers in education and discussions about asthma, and (2) encourage involvement in PCOR.

Corticosteroid exposure and cumulative effects in patients with eczema: Results from a patient survey.

Background: Individuals with eczema may have substantial lifetime corticosteroid exposure, increasing the risk of corticosteroid-related side effects.

Objective: To conduct a patient survey evaluating corticosteroid exposure and its cumulative effects in individuals with eczema.

Methods: The multinational online survey was conducted between November 5, 2020, and January 11, 2021.

COVID-19 pandemic impact on telehealth use and perceptions for atopic and respiratory disease: Survey results.

Telehealth use increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to provide patient care while deferring to social distancing recommendations. Health-care provider and patient surveys were conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the use and perception of telehealth visits for atopic and respiratory diseases. Health-care provider (N = 200) and patient (N = 200) surveys were conducted in the United States between September and October, 2020, and January, 2021.

Impact of Social Determinants on the Burden of Asthma and Eczema: Results from a US Patient Survey.

Introduction: Little is known about how patients with asthma and eczema perceive their medical care and burden of disease. A survey was conducted to evaluate the perceptions among the general patient population with asthma and/or eczema regarding disease and treatment burden and barriers to adequate care.

Methods: An online survey was completed by market research panelists in the USA between March 24, 2020 and April 6, 2020.

Needs assessment: knowledge of self-management of asthma for children with co-morbid physical and intellectual disabilities: brief report.

Objectives: The main goal of this study was to conduct a needs assessment to ascertain professionals' and parents' knowledge of and perceptions about education for self-management of asthma for children with physical and intellectual disabilities (IDs). Another goal was to understand needs for education of children with IDs about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus) and other infectious diseases.

Methods: Surveys, presented in the RedCap system, were administered online.

Cannabis attitudes and patterns of use among followers of the Allergy & Asthma Network.

Background: Cannabis use in patients with allergy/asthma, a high-risk group for adverse effects to cannabis, is unknown.

Objective: To determine the patterns of use and attitudes toward cannabis in patients with allergy/asthma.

Methods: An anonymous online survey on cannabis attitudes and use was conducted through the Adult Allergy & Asthma Network.

Usefulness of harmonica playing to improve outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes a multidisciplinary approach of exercise and pursed-lip diaphragmatic breathing. Pursed-lip diaphragmatic breathing reduces alveolar collapse during exhalation, and diaphragmatic breathing improves inspiratory pressures. Harmonica playing has maneuvers similar to those taught in pursed-lip diaphragmatic breathing, with diaphragmatic breathing to create musical tones.

Development of a novel clinical staging model for cirrhosis using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Scoring systems such as Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh are often used by clinicians to determine prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. Since clinical complications are important in determining cirrhosis outcomes, our goal was to use these to develop a novel prognostic staging model. Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), years 2003-2011, were queried for records of patients over the age of 18 with cirrhosis excluding patients with prior or inpatient liver transplantation.

Office Spirometry in Primary Care for the Diagnosis and Management of COPD: National Lung Health Education Program Update.

The use of office spirometry was recommended by the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) consensus conference in 1999 for detection and management of COPD. Since that time, spirometry utilization has increased, but its role in the diagnosis of COPD is still evolving. This update reviews the role of spirometry for screening and case finding in COPD as well as for asthma.

Recombinant proteins of Zaire ebolavirus induce potent humoral and cellular immune responses and protect against live virus infection in mice.

Infections with filoviruses in humans are highly virulent, causing hemorrhagic fevers which result in up to 90% mortality. In addition to natural infections, the ability to use these viruses as bioterrorist weapons is of significant concern. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat these infections.

Characterization of a Cynomolgus Macaque Model of Pneumonic Plague for Evaluation of Vaccine Efficacy.

The efficacy of a recombinant plague vaccine (rF1V) was evaluated in cynomolgus macaques (CMs) to establish the relationship among vaccine doses, antibody titers, and survival following an aerosol challenge with a lethal dose of Yersinia pestis strain Colorado 92. CMs were vaccinated with a range of rF1V doses on a three-dose schedule (days 0, 56, and 121) to provide a range of survival outcomes. The humoral immune response following vaccination was evaluated with anti-rF1, anti-rV, and anti-rF1V bridge enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs).

Phase I/II randomized double-blind study of the safety and immunogenicity of a nonadjuvanted vero cell culture-derived whole-virus H9N2 influenza vaccine in healthy adults.

Studies on candidate pandemic vaccines against avian influenza viruses have focused on H5N1, but viruses of other subtypes, such as A/H9N2, are also considered to have pandemic potential. We investigated the safety and immunogenicity of two immunizations with one of five different antigen doses (ranging from 3.75 to 45 μg of hemagglutinin antigen) of a nonadjuvanted whole-virus G9 lineage H9N2 influenza virus vaccine in healthy adults aged 18 to 49 years.

Combined alphavirus replicon particle vaccine induces durable and cross-protective immune responses against equine encephalitis viruses.

Alphavirus replicons were evaluated as potential vaccine candidates for Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), or eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) when given individually or in combination (V/W/E) to mice or cynomolgus macaques. Individual replicon vaccines or the combination V/W/E replicon vaccine elicited strong neutralizing antibodies in mice to their respective alphavirus. Protection from either subcutaneous or aerosol challenge with VEEV, WEEV, or EEEV was demonstrated out to 12 months after vaccination in mice.

Validation of Rules of Two™ as a paradigm for assessing asthma control.

Assessing asthma control at each patient encounter is an essential task to determine pharmacologic requirements. Rules of Two (Ro2) was created from the original 1991 National Asthma Education Program guidelines to determine the need for controller therapy. This study determined the degree of agreement between Ro2 and the Expert Panel Report (EPR-3) definition of "in control" asthma and compared that value with the Asthma Control Test (ACT) in a group of asthmatics for the purpose of validating this tool.

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particle vaccine protects nonhuman primates from intramuscular and aerosol challenge with ebolavirus.

There are no vaccines or therapeutics currently approved for the prevention or treatment of ebolavirus infection. Previously, a replicon vaccine based on Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) demonstrated protective efficacy against Marburg virus in nonhuman primates. Here, we report the protective efficacy of Sudan virus (SUDV)- and Ebola virus (EBOV)-specific VEEV replicon particle (VRP) vaccines in nonhuman primates.

Designing and testing broadly-protective filoviral vaccines optimized for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitope coverage.

We report the rational design and in vivo testing of mosaic proteins for a polyvalent pan-filoviral vaccine using a computational strategy designed for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) but also appropriate for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and potentially other diverse viruses. Mosaics are sets of artificial recombinant proteins that are based on natural proteins. The recombinants are computationally selected using a genetic algorithm to optimize the coverage of potential cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes.

Severe exercise-induced hypoxemia.

Exercise training is an essential component of pulmonary rehabilitation and is associated with improved function and other important outcomes in persons with chronic lung disease. A subset of pulmonary rehabilitation patients experience hypoxemia that may occur or worsen with exercise. For the purpose of this review, severe exercise-induced hypoxemia is defined as an S(pO(2)) of < 89% during exercise, despite use of supplemental oxygen delivered at up to 6 L/min.

A cell culture-derived influenza vaccine provides consistent protection against infection and reduces the duration and severity of disease in infected individuals.

Background: Current knowledge of the consistency of protection induced by seasonal influenza vaccines over the duration of a full influenza season is limited, and little is known about the clinical course of disease in individuals who become infected despite vaccination.

Methods: Data from a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial undertaken in healthy young adults in the 2008-2009 influenza season were used to investigate the weekly cumulative efficacy of a Vero cell culture-derived influenza vaccine. In addition, the duration and severity of disease in vaccine and placebo recipients with cell culture-confirmed influenza infection were compared.

Clinical development of a Vero cell culture-derived seasonal influenza vaccine.

Background: Cell culture technologies have the potential to improve the robustness and flexibility of influenza vaccine supply and to substantially shorten manufacturing timelines. We investigated the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a Vero cell culture-derived seasonal influenza vaccine and utilized these studies to establish a serological correlate of vaccine protection.

Methods: Two multicenter, randomized, double-blind phase III trials were undertaken in the US during the 2008-2009 Northern hemisphere influenza season, in young (18-49 years) and older (50-64 years and ≥ 65 years) adult subjects.

Advanced Development of the rF1V and rBV A/B Vaccines: Progress and Challenges.

The development of vaccines for microorganisms and bacterial toxins with the potential to be used as biowarfare and bioterrorism agents is an important component of the US biodefense program. DVC is developing two vaccines, one against inhalational exposure to botulinum neurotoxins A1 and B1 and a second for Yersinia pestis, with the ultimate goal of licensure by the FDA under the Animal Rule. Progress has been made in all technical areas, including manufacturing, nonclinical, and clinical development and testing of the vaccines, and in assay development.

Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a Vero-cell-culture-derived trivalent influenza vaccine: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: The use of cell-culture technologies for the manufacture of influenza vaccines might contribute to improved strain selection and robust vaccine supplies. We investigated the safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of a Vero-cell-culture-derived influenza vaccine, and assessed the correlation between vaccine efficacy and haemagglutination inhibition antibody titre.

Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial undertaken in 36 centres in the USA, healthy adults (aged 18-49 years) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one injection of either placebo or Vero-cell-culture-derived influenza vaccine during the 2008-09 season.