Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Adults With Congenital Heart Disease in the Congenital Heart Initiative Registry.

Importance: In the US, there are more than 1.5 million adults living with congenital heart disease (CHD). The Congenital Heart Initiative (CHI) is a digital, online, patient-empowered registry that was created to advance multicenter research and improve clinical care by gathering patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in adults with CHD.

Factors associated with anxiety during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: An analysis of the COVID-19 Citizen Science study.

COVID-19 increased the prevalence of clinically significant anxiety in the United States. To investigate contributing factors we analyzed anxiety, reported online via monthly Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 (GAD-7) surveys between April 2020 and May 2022, in association with self-reported worry about the health effects of COVID-19, economic difficulty, personal COVID-19 experience, and subjective social status. 333,292 anxiety surveys from 50,172 participants (82% non-Hispanic white; 73% female; median age 55, IQR 42-66) showed high levels of anxiety, especially early in the pandemic.

Association of nirmatrelvir for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection with subsequent Long COVID symptoms in an observational cohort study.

Oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is approved as treatment for acute COVID-19, but the effect of treatment during acute infection on risk of Long COVID is unknown. We hypothesized that nirmatrelvir treatment during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces risk of developing Long COVID and rebound after treatment is associated with Long COVID. We conducted an observational cohort study within the Covid Citizen Science (CCS) study, an online cohort study with over 100 000 participants.

Associations between tobacco and cannabis use and anxiety and depression among adults in the United States: Findings from the COVID-19 citizen science study.

Background: Little is known about whether people who use both tobacco and cannabis (co-use) are more or less likely to have mental health disorders than single substance users or non-users. We aimed to examine associations between use of tobacco and/or cannabis with anxiety and depression.

Methods: We analyzed data from the COVID-19 Citizen Science Study, a digital cohort study, collected via online surveys during 2020-2022 from a convenience sample of 53,843 US adults (≥ 18 years old) nationwide.

A common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Studies have demonstrated that at least 20% of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 remain asymptomatic. Although most global efforts have focused on severe illness in COVID-19, examining asymptomatic infection provides a unique opportunity to consider early immunological features that promote rapid viral clearance. Here, postulating that variation in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci may underly processes mediating asymptomatic infection, we enrolled 29,947 individuals, for whom high-resolution HLA genotyping data were available, in a smartphone-based study designed to track COVID-19 symptoms and outcomes.

Factors Associated With Long COVID Symptoms in an Online Cohort Study.

Background: Few prospective studies of Long COVID risk factors have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, or medical history preceding COVID-19 or characteristics of acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are associated with Long COVID.

Methods: In March 26, 2020, the COVID-19 Citizen Science study, an online cohort study, began enrolling participants with longitudinal assessment of symptoms before, during, and after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Factors Associated with Long Covid Symptoms in an Online Cohort Study.

Importance: Prolonged symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, or Long COVID, is common, but few prospective studies of Long COVID risk factors have been conducted.

Objective: To determine whether sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, or medical history preceding COVID-19 or characteristics of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with Long COVID.

Design: Cohort study with longitudinal assessment of symptoms before, during, and after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and cross-sectional assessment of Long COVID symptoms using data from the COVID-19 Citizen Science (CCS) study.

The U.S. COVID-19 County Policy Database: a novel resource to support pandemic-related research.

Background: It is increasingly recognized that policies have played a role in both alleviating and exacerbating the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been limited systematic evaluation of variation in U.S.

Digital platforms for clinical trials: The Eureka experience.

Clinical trials are critically necessary for evaluating new medical drugs, devices, and other interventions designed to improve health. Digital methods have the potential to dramatically reduce the time and expense involved in clinical research, though they also pose new challenges for investigators. The Eureka Research Platform was developed as a national resource for digitizing and mobilizing health research.

NSAIDs Overcome Mutation-Mediated Resistance to EGFR Inhibition in Head and Neck Cancer Preclinical Models.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but remain under active clinical investigation for the treatment of both newly diagnosed and recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Despite EGFR expression in the majority of HNSCC tumors, the levels of total or phosphorylated EGFR have not consistently been correlated with a response to EGFR targeting agents. The lack of predictive biomarkers represents a major obstacle to successful use of these drugs.

Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine Type and Adverse Effects Following Vaccination.

Importance: Little is known about the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects in a real-world population.

Objective: To evaluate factors potentially associated with participant-reported adverse effects after COVID-19 vaccination.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The COVID-19 Citizen Science Study, an online cohort study, includes adults aged 18 years and older with a smartphone or internet access.

The COVID-19 Citizen Science Study: Protocol for a Longitudinal Digital Health Cohort Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed a global public response and innovation in clinical study methods.

Objective: The COVID-19 Citizen Science study was designed to generate knowledge about participant-reported COVID-19 symptoms, behaviors, and disease occurrence.

Methods: COVID-19 Citizen Science is a longitudinal cohort study launched on March 26, 2020, on the Eureka Research Platform.

Predictors of incident viral symptoms ascertained in the era of COVID-19.

Background: In the absence of universal testing, effective therapies, or vaccines, identifying risk factors for viral infection, particularly readily modifiable exposures and behaviors, is required to identify effective strategies against viral infection and transmission.

Methods: We conducted a world-wide mobile application-based prospective cohort study available to English speaking adults with a smartphone. We collected self-reported characteristics, exposures, and behaviors, as well as smartphone-based geolocation data.

A common allele of HLA mediates asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Despite some inconsistent reporting of symptoms, studies have demonstrated that at least 20% of individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will remain asymptomatic. Although most global efforts have focused on understanding factors underlying severe illness in COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019), the examination of asymptomatic infection provides a unique opportunity to consider early disease and immunologic features promoting rapid viral clearance. Owing to its critical role in the immune response, we postulated that variation in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci may underly processes mediating asymptomatic infection.

Factors Associated With Access to and Timing of Coronavirus Testing Among US Adults After Onset of Febrile Illness.

Importance: Active SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) transmission continues in the US. It is unclear whether better access to coronavirus testing and more consistent use of testing could substantially reduce transmission.

Objective: To describe coronavirus testing in persons with new onset of febrile illness and analyze whether there are changes over time and differences by race and ethnicity.

Characteristics and Behaviors Associated with Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), has been a serious threat to global health. Previous work has focused primarily on hospitalized patients or on identifying risk factors for disease severity and mortality once the infection has taken place. We sought to leverage the ubiquity of smartphones and mobile applications to study risk factors for Covid-19 infection in a large, geographically heterogenous cohort.

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs predicts improved patient survival for -altered head and neck cancer.

is the most commonly altered oncogene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We evaluated the impact of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on survival in a -characterized cohort of 266 HNSCC patients and explored the mechanism in relevant preclinical models including patient-derived xenografts. Among subjects with mutations or amplification, regular NSAID use (≥6 mo) conferred markedly prolonged disease-specific survival (DSS; hazard ratio 0.

Human Papillomavirus Regulates HER3 Expression in Head and Neck Cancer: Implications for Targeted HER3 Therapy in HPV Patients.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 plays an etiologic role in a growing subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), where viral expression of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins is necessary for tumor growth and maintenance. Although patients with HPV tumors have a more favorable prognosis, there are currently no HPV-selective therapies. Recent studies identified differential receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) profiles in HPV versus HPV tumors.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Alterations Associated with STAT3 Activation in Head and Neck Cancer.

Background: Hyperactivation of STAT3 via constitutive phosphorylation of tyrosine 705 (Y705) is common in most human cancers, including head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC). STAT3 is rarely mutated in cancer and the (epi)genetic alterations that lead to STAT3 activation are incompletely understood. Here we used an unbiased approach to identify genomic and epigenomic changes associated with pSTAT3(Y705) expression using data generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

STAT3 as a Chemoprevention Target in Carcinogen-Induced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a frequently fatal disease due, in large part, to a high rate of second primary tumor (SPT) formation. The 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) mouse model of oral carcinogenesis provides a robust system in which to study chemopreventive agents in the context of chemically induced HNSCC tumors. STAT3 is a potent oncogene that is hyperactivated by tyrosine phosphorylation early in HNSCC carcinogenesis and is a rational therapeutic target.

Loss-of-Function PTPRD Mutations Lead to Increased STAT3 Activation and Sensitivity to STAT3 Inhibition in Head and Neck Cancer.

Background: Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type D (PTPRD) is a putative tumor suppressor in several cancers including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). STAT3 is a frequently hyperactivated oncogene in HNSCC. As STAT3 is a direct substrate of PTPRD, we sought to determine the genetic or epigenetic alterations of PTPRD that contribute to overactive STAT3 in HNSCC.

Genomic analysis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and human tumors: a rational approach to preclinical model selection.

Unlabelled: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide. The increasing amount of genomic information on human tumors and cell lines provides more biologic data to design preclinical studies. We and others previously reported whole-exome sequencing data of 106 HNSCC primary tumors.