Publications by authors named "P. Silverman"

Importance: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often undiagnosed. Although genetic risk plays a significant role in COPD susceptibility, its utility in guiding spirometry testing and identifying undiagnosed cases is unclear.

Objective: To determine whether a COPD polygenic risk score (PRS) enhances the identification of undiagnosed COPD beyond a case-finding questionnaire (eg, the Lung Function Questionnaire) using conventional risk factors and respiratory symptoms.

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The rise of robotic surgery has been accompanied by numerous educational challenges as surgeons and trainees learn skills unique to the robotic platform. Remote instruction is a solution to provide surgeons ongoing education when in-person teaching is not feasible. However, surgical instruction faces challenges from unclear communication.

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Following our previous experience with cardiac xenotransplantation of a genetically modified porcine heart into a live human, we sought to achieve improved results by selecting a healthier recipient and through more sensitive donor screening for potential zoonotic pathogens. Here we transplanted a 10-gene-edited pig heart into a 58-year-old man with progressive, debilitating inotrope-dependent heart failure due to ischemic cardiomyopathy who was not a candidate for standard advanced heart failure therapies. He was maintained on a costimulation (anti-CD40L, Tegoprubart) blockade-based immunomodulatory regimen.

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Bosniak classification version 2019 (v2019) was a major revision to version 2005 (v2005) that defined cystic renal mass subclasses based on wall or septa features. To determine the proportion of malignancy within cystic renal masses stratified by Bosniak classification v2019 class and feature-based subclass. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched on July 24, 2023 for studies published in 2019 or later that reported cystic renal masses that underwent renal-mass CT or MRI, were assessed using Bosniak v2019, and had a reference standard (histopathology indicating benignity or malignancy or ≥5-year imaging follow-up indicating benignity).

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  • The study evaluated the use of continuous video-electroencephalography (cEEG) to detect seizures in infants and children in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU), emphasizing symptoms and risk factors that led to cEEG evaluations.
  • Among 605 cEEGs performed over 38 months, seizures were found in 9% of cases, with a significantly higher detection rate (30%) when both vital sign and non-vital sign symptoms were present, while isolated vital sign changes did not yield any seizures.
  • The results indicated that certain symptoms (like gaze deviation and abnormal limb movements) and risk factors (like preexisting epilepsy and recent neuroscience surgeries) were linked to a higher likelihood of seizure detection, highlighting
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  • The study compares the effects of a non-antibiotic treatment (intrauterine dextrose) versus systemic antibiotics (ceftiofur) on the vaginal microbiome of dairy cows with clinical metritis around 7 days post-calving.
  • Results indicated that both treatments resulted in only minor differences in the microbiome, suggesting that dextrose could be a viable alternative to antibiotics.
  • The study found no significant changes in alpha or beta diversity of the microbiome among the two treatments at various time points.
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Background And Objective: The impact of menopause on the brain is not well understood. Hormonal changes, including puberty and pregnancy, influence the onset and course of multiple sclerosis (MS). After menopause, a worsening of MS disease trajectory measured on the clinician-rated Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was reported in some, but not all, studies.

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Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a rare entity characterized by granulomatous infiltration of the myocardium, which can lead to myocardial fibrosis, conduction abnormalities, and the development of heart failure, thereby elevating the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). While endomyocardial biopsy (EMBx) is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis, its low sensitivity and inherent procedural risks may limit its practical application. This study retrospectively explored the role of advanced imaging modalities, specifically cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), in the diagnosis and management of CS within a single center.

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  • Accelerated decline in lung function is linked to chronic respiratory diseases, and while genetics play a role, few genetic connections have been found.
  • This study aimed to investigate genetic variants associated with lung function decline using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) across diverse populations in multiple cohorts.
  • They identified 361 significant genetic variants potentially related to lung function declines, with some replicated in additional cohorts, indicating strong genetic influences on respiratory health.
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Sepsis is the leading postnatal cause of neonatal mortality worldwide. Globally Klebsiella pneumoniae is the leading cause of sepsis in hospitalized neonates. This study reports the development and evaluation of an ELISA for anti-Klebsiella IgG using dried blood spot (DBS) samples and evaluates the association of anti-Klebsiella IgG (anti-Kleb IgG) antibodies in maternal and neonatal samples with the risk of neonatal sepsis.

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Background: Osteoporosis, a prevalent bone density disorder, introduces a complex dynamic in the context of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). However, despite the well-established association between osteoporosis and an elevated risk of revision, the existing literature lacks comprehensive insights into the impact of anti-osteoporotic therapy on surgical outcomes in the setting of TSA. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether anti-osteoporotic therapy correlates with improved revision outcomes following TSA.

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  • Weekly injections for treating growth deficiency in children are just as effective as daily injections, showing similar growth rates.
  • The safety of weekly injections is comparable to daily injections, indicating no significant risk differences.
  • It's important to note that treatment decisions should consider all evidence, not just one study, and approval for the drug may vary by country.
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Background And Objectives: The management of World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2 meningiomas is complicated by their diverse clinical behaviors. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can be an effective management option. Literature on SRS dose selection is limited but suggests that a higher dose is better for tumor control.

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  • - Asparaginase-containing regimens for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) result in a significant prevalence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among adolescents and young adults, with 1-year and 2-year cumulative incidences of 31.9% and 33.5%, respectively, particularly during the ASP-based consolidation phase.
  • - The study revealed that overweight or obese patients had a higher risk of developing VTE (39.2%) compared to those with a normal BMI (29.0%), and overall survival rates were similar regardless of VTE occurrence, at around 91.5%.
  • - Despite the frequent occurrence of VTE, especially types like pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis,
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  • Latin Americans are often overlooked in genetic studies, which can widen gaps in personalized medicine due to the challenges of accessing genetic data and consent processes.
  • The Genetics of Latin American Diversity (GLAD) Project compiles genetic information from over 53,000 individuals across various regions to explore diverse ancestry and gene flow in the Americas.
  • GLAD includes a tool called GLAD-match to align external genetic samples with its database while protecting individual privacy, thus supporting more inclusive genomic research and enhancing personalized medicine for Latin Americans.
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  • * The study reveals that RAS mutations transform specific blood cell progenitors (granulocyte-monocyte progenitors) that have already acquired other mutations, suggesting advanced leukemia can arise from different cell types than initial clones.
  • * RAS-mutant leukemia stem cells show resistance to the treatment drug venetoclax due to changes in gene expression, leading to worse treatment responses and relapses characterized by monocytic features, highlighting the impact of genetic drivers on therapy effectiveness.
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  • The study investigates the acceptance of osteoporosis medication among postmenopausal women across nine countries, focusing on how various factors like age and fracture history influence this willingness.
  • Findings reveal that 79.2% of participants accepted treatment at fracture probabilities equal to or below the recommended threshold, highlighting a potential gap in fracture risk communication.
  • Higher numeric literacy was linked to a greater willingness to accept treatment compared to those with lower literacy levels, suggesting that improving patient understanding of risk could enhance treatment acceptance.
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Objective: To assess for improvement in diagnostic efficiency following implementation of an institutional pediatric stroke alert protocol at a quaternary children's hospital, and to compare characteristics of in-hospital (IH) and out-of-hospital (OH) stroke alert activations.

Study Design: We retrospectively reviewed data from pediatric stroke alerts called for children between age 1 month and 21 years of age at our quaternary children's hospital between October 2016 and October 2022 after implementation of an institutional stroke alert protocol. Generalized linear models assessed code-to-image (CTI) time over the study period, with and without interaction terms for alert location.

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  • This study analyzed serum PFAS levels in 706 cases of B-NHL and matched controls from a larger cancer screening trial to see if lower exposure is associated with the disease.
  • While no overall connection was found between PFAS and B-NHL, one specific PFAS (PFHxS) showed a significant association with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, but results varied depending on other factors considered in the analysis.
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  • The study tests the hypothesis that delivering soluble allogeneic type I telocollagen would enhance tendon healing, based on its properties that help in integrating into damaged connective tissue with minimal immune response.
  • Ninety-eight shoulders from Sprague-Dawley rats were surgically manipulated, with different treatments (saline, allo-telocollagen, or allo-atelocollagen) applied after tendon repair, and outcomes assessed at 30 and 60 days post-surgery through mechanical tests and histological analysis.
  • Results showed that by 60 days, allo-telocollagen significantly improved the mechanical properties of the supraspinatus tendon compared to saline and allo-atelocollagen, showing better strength and
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Background & Aims: Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) remain common. While novel microbiome therapeutics gain approval, the efficacy of a full-spectrum, oral microbiome therapeutic is unknown. This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of CP101, an orally administered microbiome therapeutic, to restore a diverse microbiome and prevent recurrent CDI in a broad population.

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  • Women make up about one-third of people who inject drugs in the US and Canada, yet little is known about their health outcomes related to injection drug use complications, particularly infective endocarditis (IE).
  • This study focuses on identifying the clinical characteristics and outcomes of IE in women who inject drugs, using data from five hospitals in Canada between 2007 and 2018, comparing findings based on gender.
  • Results indicated that women with IE were younger and more likely to have right-sided infections than men, with urban women experiencing higher mortality rates; those receiving substance use counseling in inpatient settings had better survival outcomes.
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  • The study investigates how rare non-coding genetic variations affect complex traits, specifically focusing on human height by analyzing data from over 333,100 individuals across three large datasets.
  • Researchers found 29 significant rare variants linked to height, with impacts ranging from a decrease of 7 cm to an increase of 4.7 cm, after considering previously known variants.
  • The team also identified specific non-coding variants near key genes associated with height, demonstrating a new method for understanding the effects of rare variants in regulatory regions using whole-genome sequencing.
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Heavy load carriage is associated with musculoskeletal overuse injury, particularly in the lumbar spine. In addition, steep walking slopes and heavy backpacks separately require adaptation of torso kinematics, but the combined effect of sloped walking and heavy backpack loads on lumbar joint contact forces is unclear. Backpacks with hip belt attachments can reduce pressure under the shoulder straps; however, it is unknown if wearing a hip belt reduces lumbar spine forces.

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  • The SIERRA trial aimed to improve outcomes for older patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (RR AML) by comparing a new treatment, I-apamistamab, against standard care before bone marrow transplant.
  • The study involved 153 patients, with results showing a significantly higher durable complete remission (dCR) rate of 17.1% for the I-apamistamab group compared to 0% for the conventional care group.
  • Although the overall survival rates were similar between the two groups, the I-apamistamab regimen exhibited more promise for achieving long-lasting remission with similar levels of severe side effects.
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