Publications by authors named "Weissman S"

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, continuing to be a significant public health concern. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of staging and histopathology of EC on associated mortality. The study also aims to further investigate clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival outcomes in patients diagnosed with EC between 2010 and 2017.

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Monitoring HIV viral rebound (VR) is crucial, as it indicates an increased risk of infection, transmission, disease progression, and drug resistance. This study aims to identify the association between dynamic VR and historical viral load (VL)/CD4 count measures. A 15-year South Carolina population-based electronic health record data were used for the study.

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A survey of pediatric infectious diseases clinicians from 49 children's hospitals demonstrated variability across institutions in the treatment of epidural empyema from sinus extension, including antibiotic route, selection, and impact of neuroimaging on determining duration of therapy.

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While the construct of s has received ample theoretical and empirical attention, its virtuous counterpart--has been largely neglected. Yet, as argued here and elsewhere, the metacognitive practice of being honest with oneself may be among the most crucial concomitants of psychological growth and change. Consequently, drawing on theory and research from across several disciplines, this paper proposes a novel framework for understanding and measuring self-honesty as a core value.

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Objectives: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a significant public health concern across the United States and may pose a risk to achieving sustained viral suppression (SVS) in people with HIV (PWH). This study aims to examine the association between SUDs and SVS among PWH.

Design: Using electronic health records from the South Carolina Department of Health, we conducted a retrospective study of adults diagnosed with HIV between January 2006 and December 2019.

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Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) is a rare and aggressive form of leukemia with characteristics of both myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs). This study aims to explore the clinical features, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors in CMML patients over the past 20 years using a large sample. The study data from 4124 patients diagnosed with CMML between 2000 and 2017 were sourced from the SEER database.

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Objectives: We estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against SARS-CoV-2 infection among a statewide cohort of people with HIV (PWH) and compared the estimates with a matched cohort of people without HIV (PWoH) in South Carolina (SC), USA.

Methods: A population-based cohort was retrieved from statewide electronic health records between January 2, 2021, and April 14, 2022, during which several variants were circulating in SC (i.e.

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Background: This study aims to develop and examine the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms in predicting viral suppression among statewide people living with HIV (PWH) in South Carolina (SC).

Methods: Extracted through the electronic reporting system in SC, the study population was adult PWH who were diagnosed between 2005-2021. Viral suppression was defined as viral load <200 copies/ml.

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Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) has seen limited use in treating multiple myeloma (MM), despite its potential to offer long-term survival or even cure through the graft-versus-myeloma effect. Its limited application is largely due to concerns over serious complications like infections and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The possibility of GVHD exacerbation when CAR-T cells are administered to patients previously treated with allo-SCT remains a topic of concern.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study explores how county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) influence late presentation with advanced HIV disease (LPWA) in South Carolina from 2014 to 2019.
  • Findings show that 30% of new HIV diagnoses were classified as LPWA, with an average delay of around 13 years before diagnosis, particularly in counties with high racial segregation.
  • The research suggests targeted interventions are necessary to address disparities in LPWA, particularly in areas with more Black residential segregation, fewer Ryan White centers, and higher rates of individuals without a high school education.
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Background: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a primary pleural tumor with scarce prognostic data estimates given its rarity. This study aims to explore the epidemiologic and survival predictors amongst patients with MPM, extending from the largest and most recent study conducted between 1973 and 2009.

Methods: 3384 patients diagnosed with MPM between 2010 and 2017 were enrolled from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health worldwide, particularly among vulnerable populations such as people living with HIV (PLWH). However, large-scale, real-world data on mental health care utilization and associated factors among PLWH remain limited. This study leveraged electronic health records (EHR) and Basics survey data from the All of Us program to explore mental health care utilization and associated factors among PLWH during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzed viral rebound (VR) in 8,176 men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV, investigating risk factors tied to the occurrence and timing of VR events.
  • Findings revealed that younger individuals (aged 50-59) were significantly more susceptible to experiencing VR compared to their younger counterparts (aged 18-29), and Black individuals had a higher incidence of VR compared to White individuals.
  • The study emphasizes the need for targeted public health interventions for young Black MSM who engage in illicit drug use, as they face heightened risks related to VR.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates transportation-related barriers that people living with HIV face in South Carolina, emphasizing the need to address these issues to enhance care and reduce health disparities in the region.
  • - Interviews with 20 individuals revealed challenges like unreliable and unsafe transportation, as well as stigma, which negatively impact their engagement in HIV care and overall health.
  • - Findings suggest that flexible clinic policies and support from friends and family can help overcome these transportation hurdles, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve access to HIV care.
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In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

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Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive, rare malignancy associated with rapid growth and metastasis, and a very poor prognosis. We investigated the clinical characteristics, survival outcomes and independent prognostic factors associated with anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Aim: To assess to what extent the interaction between age and tumor stage affects mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • The increasing incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is largely due to recurrent hospitalizations and the impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome.
  • Current treatment options are limited to three main antibiotics, but rising drug resistance and recurrent infections pose significant challenges, especially among vulnerable populations like the elderly and immunocompromised.
  • New treatments, including monoclonal antibodies like bezlotoxumab and fecal microbiota transplants, are being researched to better manage and prevent CDI, alongside an overview of challenges faced in treating this infection.
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Objectives: This study aims to identify COVID-19 breakthrough infections among people with HIV (PWH) across different phases of the pandemic and explore whether differential immune dysfunctions are associated with breakthrough infections.

Design And Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort study used data from an integrated electronic health record (EHR) database in South Carolina (SC). Breakthrough infection was defined as the first COVID-19 diagnosis documented in the state agency after the date an individual was fully vaccinated (ie, 2 doses of Pfizer/BNT162b2 or Moderna/mRNA-1273, or 1 dose of Janssen/Ad26.

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Objectives: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a temporary condition of pregnancy, identifies women at high risk of developing subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Lifestyle interventions have been shown to reduce the risk of developing T2D after GDM. However, they often have low attendance and adherence rates.

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BACKGROUND Statin-induced myopathy can present with symptoms ranging from mild myalgia to significant muscle weakness. Muscle-related adverse effects of statins have been very challenging in clinical practice and they necessitate high clinical suspicion. This case report highlights how statin-induced autoimmune myopathy often goes undiagnosed.

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Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Allo-SCT) implies that a donor and a recipient are not genetically identical. Allo-SCT is used to cure a variety of conditions, including hematologic malignancies using the graft versus tumor effect, nonmalignant hematologic, immune deficiencies, and, more recently, genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism. Given the immunosuppressive and myeloablative nature of some of the conditioning chemotherapy regimens used during the Allo-SCT, patients are often at high risk of infection, including viral infections affecting the gastrointestinal tract, following the transplant.

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The continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants capable of subverting vaccine and infection-induced immunity suggests the advantage of a broadly protective vaccine against betacoronaviruses (β-CoVs). Recent studies have isolated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from SARS-CoV-2 recovered-vaccinated donors capable of neutralizing many variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other β-CoVs. Many of these mAbs target the conserved S2 stem region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, rather the receptor binding domain contained within S1 primarily targeted by current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGMs) have a higher chance of getting HIV compared to straight people.
  • This study looks at whether SGMs are also more likely to have trouble managing their HIV in the long term, which could make them sick and spread the virus more.
  • The research uses health records and surveys from a program called All of Us, which has gathered information from many people to see how sexual orientation and gender identity affect HIV treatment over time.
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Carnitine deficiency is a rare metabolic condition that can result in fasting hypoglycemia. Carnitine deficiency could be primary or secondary to other conditions. Among secondary causes, antiepileptics such as valproic acid have been incriminated.

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