Publications by authors named "Pierce L"

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) seroprevalence studies often rely on Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) testing of serum samples, but ELISA testing of dried blood spot (DBS) samples offer several advantages for field-based research in resource-limited settings. However, DBS' limited sample volume can be challenging for test sensitivity, requiring validation studies with standard methods (e.g.

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Objective: Although women with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are at an elevated risk for adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, some report that they lack access to resources that support informed reproductive decision-making. We developed MyVoice:Rheum, a web-based decision aid to support women with RMDs in reproductive decision-making. We conducted a pilot trial to assess feasibility and acceptability of MyVoice:Rheum and to assess its preliminary effectiveness compared to a freely available online pamphlet about reproductive and RMDs.

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Objective: The benefits of mobile applications in the prenatal period remain understudied. This study assessed associations between the Pregnancy Postpartum Support Program (PPSP), a digital wraparound service, and maternal and infant outcomes in a Medicaid population.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on pregnant patients with Medicaid insurance who received care and delivered in a Midwestern United States healthcare system between 8/1/2022-8/15/2023, comparing outcomes among those who did versus did not opt for PPSP enrollment.

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Background: The placement of breast implants in a prepectoral plane has become increasingly popular in breast reconstruction, although data on how this affects radiation delivery in women with breast cancer are limited. This study aimed to assess the dosimetric differences in radiation plans for immediate breast reconstruction between prepectoral and subpectoral implants.

Methods: In this study, a retrospective review and dosimetric analysis of patients with breast cancer who underwent immediate implant-based reconstruction and postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) were performed.

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Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have high rates of virologic failure due to medication non-adherence. is a novel, gamified mobile health (mHealth) application designed with user-centered principles to improve medication adherence by integrating medication reminders with social and financial incentives, virtual peer social support and early clinic outreach for non-adherent YLWH in Nigeria. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted to identify reactions to key prototype features (user interface, medication reminders, incentives, and peer support), facilitators and barriers to app use, and how well the app would meet adherence needs.

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Background: Rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, in which individuals with HIV start treatment within days of diagnosis, is a key component of the United States (US) Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area ranks second in the US for HIV incidence, yet only ∼60% of individuals link to treatment within 1 month of diagnosis. This study aimed to identify barriers and strategies for implementing rapid ART initiation in Memphis.

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Objective: To advance surgical education priorities by using electronic health record (EHR) reporting and data visualization on an Acute Care Surgery (ACS).

Design: Operational data from the EHR for the ACS service was displayed on an ACS dashboard using Tableau software. This data included new ACS consults (reason for consult, consult note author - attending surgeon and resident) and operations generated by those consults (type of operation, primary attending surgeon, and assisting resident).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Harmful algal blooms (HABs) threaten shellfish harvesting in Southeast Alaska, with new Tribally-led studies revealing complex patterns in shellfish toxins that can't be solely traced to seasonal blooms.
  • - Observations show that larger butter clams tend to have higher levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), even when overall toxin levels appear stable.
  • - The findings suggest that larger clams have a heightened risk of contributing to toxic levels in harvested samples, which is important for monitoring programs and local harvesters’ safety.
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  • - Norovirus is a major cause of gastroenteritis globally, and its ability to infect cells is influenced by the arrangement of lipids in cell membranes, although this connection has not been fully explored.
  • - Research shows that the protein TMEM30a, which is part of lipid flippases, is essential for the replication of murine norovirus (MNV) and helps the virus bind and enter host cells.
  • - The study reveals that lipid asymmetry in cell membranes aids in MNV infection and persistence, challenging previous assumptions about cell markers, as certain lipids do not inhibit the virus but are instead linked to its successful entry.
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Background: Given the growing evidence on the benefits of hybrid immunity, continued monitoring of vaccine uptake is warranted, particularly of socio-demographic subgroups with early vaccine hesitancy. Racial/ethnic and lower income groups experienced a high infection incidence, but few studies account for the child's history of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the parent's decision to vaccinate their child.

Methods: EnCORE is a SARS-CoV-2 pediatric cohort study comprising five rounds of data collection from 2020 to 2023, with parental questionnaires at each round.

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  • Trim7 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that can influence host-viral interactions, showing both pro-viral and anti-viral roles in cell culture by targeting viral proteins for degradation.
  • In a study involving two mouse lines lacking Trim7, researchers found no significant changes in viral load or tissue spread of murine norovirus (MNV) during infection, indicating that Trim7 may not play a crucial role in MNV infection in vivo.
  • The investigation also showed that removing innate immune responses like STING and STAT1 did not uncover any regulatory function of Trim7 on MNV replication, suggesting that classifying Trim7 as a broad-spectrum antiviral may be misleading.
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Background: There are currently no molecular tests to identify individual breast cancers where radiotherapy (RT) offers no benefit. Profile for the Omission of Local Adjuvant Radiotherapy (POLAR) is a 16-gene molecular signature developed to identify low-risk cancers where RT will not further reduce recurrence rates.

Methods: An individual participant data meta-analysis was performed in 623 patients of node-negative estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative early breast cancer enrolled in 3 RT randomized trials for whom primary tumor material was available for analysis.

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Transition to practice programs, like many other educational programs, are scrutinized by organizations to demonstrate value to the organization in exchange for precious human and financial resources. By developing quality outcome measures aligned to the organizational strategy, transition to practice leaders can optimize support and ensure sustainability. .

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(1) Background: Adolescents and young adults face challenges when transitioning to adult care due to emerging adulthood and changing providers and insurance. Young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) have additional obstacles with mental health and stigma. During transition, only 55% of YPLHIV are retained in care, and 65% are virally suppressed.

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Since early 2022, routine testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) based on symptoms and exposure history has largely ceased in Canada. Consequently, seroprevalence studies, particularly longitudinal studies, have become critical for monitoring the rate of incident SARS-CoV-2 infections and the proportion of the population with evidence of immunity. EnCORE is a longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study comprising five rounds of serology testing from October 2020 to June 2023, in a sample of 2- to 17-year-olds (at baseline), recruited from daycares and schools in four neighbourhoods of Montreal, Canada.

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A recently reported behavioral screen in larval zebrafish for phenocopiers of known anesthetics and associated drugs yielded an isoflavone. Related isoflavones have also been reported as GABA potentiators. From this, we synthesized a small library of isoflavones and incorporated an in vivo phenotypic approach to perform structure-behavior relationship studies of the screening hit and related analogs via behavioral profiling, patch-clamp experiments, and whole brain imaging.

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Importance: Many health systems use electronic consent (eConsent) for surgery, but few have used surgical consent functionality in the patient portal (PP). Incorporating the PP into the consent process could potentially improve efficiency by letting patients independently review and sign their eConsent before the day of surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the association of eConsent delivery via the PP with operational efficiency and patient engagement.

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Background: NRG Oncology NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 compared whole-breast irradiation (WBI) to accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI). APBI was not equivalent to WBI in local tumor control. Secondary outcome was quality of life (QOL).

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Background: Case tracking (following-up prior patient encounters) can help inform future clinical decisions and supplement experiential learning. Internal medicine subspecialty fellows see a high volume of patients and need to become subject matter experts within a short time frame, yet little is known about their specific needs and motivations around case tracking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore internal medicine subspecialty fellows' motivations, preferences, and practices around case tracking.

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Objectives: To assess the seroprevalence of infection-acquired SARS-CoV-2 and the mental health of school/daycare staff in the months after reopening of schools in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) in the Fall of 2020 and whether these varied by school and participant characteristics.

Design: A cross-sectional design based on a convenience sample of schools/daycares and staff was used as the originally planned longitudinal design was no longer feasible due to obstacles in recruitment, for example, teacher's strike.

Setting: Forty-nine schools/daycares in four Montreal neighbourhoods from March to October 2021.

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