Publications by authors named "Wallace K"

Introduction: Genetic studies of smoking cessation have been limited by short-term follow-up or cross-sectional design. Within seven genes (CHRNA3, CHRNA5, CHRNB2, CHRNB4, DRD2, DBH and CYP2A6) influencing biological mechanisms relevant to smoking, this study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with smoking cessation throughout up to 38-years of follow-up.

Methods: Participants were from two all-female cohort studies, Nurses' Health Study (NHS) (n = 10,017) and NHS-2 (n = 2,793).

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Introduction: Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy such as HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme, low platelet) Syndrome are affected by acute kidney injury during pregnancy (PR-AKI) at higher rates than women without hypertension. Both hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) outside the context of pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and cognitive impairment. In our current study, we set out to determine if PR-AKI led to the development of CKD and impaired cognition in the postpartum period and if HELLP syndrome exacerbates the impairments.

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Background: More than 16% of children in the U.S. have a behavioral health (BH) disorder but less than half receive recommended care.

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  • Preeclampsia (PE) is linked to hypertension and immune responses during pregnancy, with COVID-19 history potentially increasing PE-like symptoms and cognitive issues in affected individuals.
  • * Researchers isolated CD4+ T cells from women with PE and those without (some with COVID-19 history) and injected them into pregnant rats to study their impact on blood pressure and cognitive function.
  • * The study found that PE, particularly with a COVID-19 history, caused higher blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in recipient rats, suggesting a significant role of CD4+ T cells in these pregnancy complications.
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  • Women Veterans (WV) have unique risk factors for autoimmune diseases (AID) that can lead to pregnancy complications.
  • A study identified 25 WV with AID, finding that conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and undifferentiated connective tissue disease were the most common.
  • The research revealed 44% of these women faced pregnancy complications, with a significant number not using VA health services for care during their pregnancies.
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  • Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had the largest telehealth program in the U.S., and the pandemic prompted an expansion of telehealth to help veterans, particularly those experiencing housing instability (HI), access diabetes care.
  • The study used mixed methods, including data analysis and interviews, to assess how diabetes care delivery via VA Video Connect (VVC) changed and which sociodemographic factors influenced usage among veterans with HI from 2019 to 2022.
  • Findings revealed that younger, non-rural, and certain demographic groups of veterans were more likely to utilize VVC, while barriers to its use included in-person care limitations and the need for enhanced education and technology
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  • Softball is a widely played sport with high injury rates, particularly among females, making it a popular focus for injury research.
  • The study analyzed injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System between 2012 and 2021, revealing that 68.1% of upper extremity injuries were in female athletes, with significant age differences between genders.
  • Injury rates decreased overall during the decade, with fielding activities and player-ball contact being the most common causes of injuries among varied age groups.
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Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has become incredibly popular for assessing health risk related to specific diseases. However, how this risk is conveyed and whether the limitations of the tests are fully communicated can impact how customers interpret results. Through a qualitative content analysis of three different DTC genetic testing online portals, we examine how companies communicate relative and absolute health risks, the extent to which limitations are communicated, and how this information is presented.

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Metal ions play a pivotal role in maintaining optimal brain function within the human body. Nevertheless, the accumulation of these ions can result in irregularities that lead to brain damage and dysfunction. Disruptions of metal ion homeostasis can result in various pathologies, including inflammation, redox dysregulation, and blood-brain barrier disruption.

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  • A qualitative study was conducted to explore how veterans experience and manage pain during the perinatal period, focusing on their pain management challenges and treatment preferences.
  • The study involved interviews with 30 veterans who had pain-related musculoskeletal conditions and gave birth between March 2016 and June 2021, revealing key themes such as experiences of pain, challenges in receiving care, and recommendations for improved services.
  • Veterans emphasized the need for better training for VHA providers on perinatal pain care and more inclusive coverage of complementary health options to enhance pain management during pregnancy and postpartum.
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Objective: To estimate the association between maternal metformin use for the treatment of early gestational or pre-existing type 2 diabetes and preterm preeclampsia.

Methods: This is a planned secondary analysis of the MOMPOD study (Medical Optimization of Management of Overt Type 2 Diabetes in Pregnancy), a randomized trial comparing the effect of adding metformin with insulin treatment on composite neonatal outcome in singleton pregnancies with early gestational or type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomized at 11-23 weeks of gestation to 1,000 mg metformin twice daily or placebo until delivery.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the subharmonic response of Lumason (also known as SonoVue; Bracco, Milan, Italy) to static and dynamic ambient pressures, with a direct comparison to Sonazoid (GE HealthCare, Oslo, Norway) and Definity (Lantheus Medical Imaging, MA, USA). The subharmonic responses of contrast agents can be exploited to perform subharmonic-aided pressure estimation.

Methods: The subharmonic response of each ultrasound contrast agent was evaluated in both a static and dynamic tank using a commercially available Logiq E10 clinical ultrasound scanner (GE HealthCare) equipped with subharmonic imaging (SHI) and an acoustic power-optimization algorithm.

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Objective: The objective is to comprehensively classify the types, topics and populations represented in the published lacrosse literature.

Design: Mapping review. Protocol registration at Open Science Framework (https://osf.

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Importance: The clinical effects of risankizumab (a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the p19 subunit of IL-23) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis are unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of risankizumab when administered as an induction and a maintenance therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Two phase 3 randomized clinical trials were conducted.

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  • A phase 3b clinical trial was conducted to compare the effectiveness and safety of risankizumab and ustekinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease who didn't respond to anti-TNF therapy.
  • The study evaluated two primary outcomes: clinical remission at week 24 and endoscopic remission at week 48, with risankizumab being tested for noninferiority and superiority, respectively.
  • Results showed that risankizumab was not only noninferior to ustekinumab for clinical remission but also superior for endoscopic remission, with significant improvements reported in patients receiving risankizumab.
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Despite mounting evidence of their importance in human health and ecosystem functioning, the definition and measurement of 'healthy microbiomes' remain unclear. More advanced knowledge exists on health associations for compounds used or produced by microbes. Environmental microbiome exposures (especially via soils) also help shape, and may supplement, the functional capacity of human microbiomes.

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  • A study of pregnant veterans using VA care found high rates of cesarean sections, with significant occurrences among racial/ethnic minoritized groups, particularly in the southern U.S.
  • Interviews with 27 BIPOC veterans revealed that many had previous cesarean sections, with over 60% requesting labor after cesarean but often facing refusals or complications that led to repeated surgeries.
  • Key issues identified included feelings of reduced maternal agency due to treatment differences, a lack of information in birthing decisions, and highlighting the potential benefits of VA-funded doula care for improving support and autonomy during labor.
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  • - The ClinGen Actionability Working Group (AWG) created a framework to evaluate and score gene-condition pairs related to secondary findings from genome sequencing, and recently added actionability assertions to this framework.
  • - The initial rubric was based on previously evaluated pairs, refined through expert feedback, and now uses a 4-point scale to determine the actionability of each gene-condition pair, generating both preliminary and consensus assertions.
  • - Over 170 adult and 188 pediatric gene-condition pairs have been assessed, with the aim of improving clinical decision-making regarding the return of secondary findings from genetic testing.
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  • * The research involved women with hypertensive disorders who received educational materials, blood pressure monitors, and follow-ups through telehealth methods over six weeks postpartum.
  • * Results showed significant improvement in hypertension knowledge among participants, but there was no strong link between study engagement and outcomes like knowledge retention or clinic visit attendance.
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We assessed the performance of GenMark's ePlex® Blood Culture Identification (BCID) Panels for overall agreement of organism identification and resistance mechanism detection with standard microbiologic methods. This study included patients with a positive blood culture from May 2020 to January 2021. The primary outcomes were to assess concordance of ePlex® organism identification with standard identification methods and concordance of ePlex® genotypic resistance mechanism detection with standard phenotypic susceptibility testing.

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  • - The study investigated the PEDI-CAT (ASD) assessment tool for children and youth on the autism spectrum to evaluate its reliability, validity, and user acceptability using data from 134 caregivers in Australia.
  • - Results indicated that the PEDI-CAT (ASD) showed strong internal consistency and reliability, but it only covered less than half of the relevant functioning areas outlined in the ICF Core Sets for ASD.
  • - Although generally considered user-friendly, the PEDI-CAT (ASD) may not fully represent the complexities of autism functioning, posing a risk of overestimating children's abilities.
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Introduction: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) presents substantial challenges in patient care due to its intricate multisystem nature, comorbidities, and global prevalence. The heterogeneity among patient populations, coupled with the absence of FDA-approved diagnostics and therapeutics, further complicates research into disease etiology and patient managment. Integrating longitudinal multi-omics data with clinical, health,textual, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical data offers a promising avenue to address these complexities, aiding in the identification of underlying causes and providing insights into effective therapeutics and diagnostic strategies.

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  • The study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare personnel's mental health and explored available support programs in academic emergency departments across the U.S.
  • A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,541 ED staff, revealing that while support programs were widely available (>95%), their actual usage varied, with clinical work support programs being utilized more than individual support programs.
  • A significant portion of respondents (57%) reported heightened stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, and 12% were at an increased risk of PTSD, indicating a need for better engagement with the available support resources.
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Piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP), cefepime (FEP), or meropenem (MEM) and vancomycin (VAN) are commonly used in combination for sepsis. Studies have shown an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) with TZP and VAN compared to FEP or MEM. VAN guidelines recommend area under the curve (AUC) monitoring over trough (Tr) to minimize the risk of AKI.

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