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Showing papers by "University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston published in 2022"


Journal ArticleDOI
21 Jan 2022-Science
TL;DR: In this article , the authors report severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine effectiveness against infection and death in 780,225 veterans in the Veterans Health Administration, covering 2.7% of the US population.
Abstract: We report severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine effectiveness against infection (VE-I) and death (VE-D) by vaccine type in 780,225 veterans in the Veterans Health Administration, covering 2.7% of the US population. From February to October 2021, VE-I declined for all vaccine types, and the decline was greatest for the Janssen vaccine, resulting in a VE-I of 13.1%. Although breakthrough infection increased risk of death, vaccination remained protective against death in persons who became infected during the Delta variant surge. From July to October 2021, VE-D for age <65 years was 73.0% for Janssen, 81.5% for Moderna, and 84.3% for Pfizer-BioNTech; VE-D for age ≥65 years was 52.2% for Janssen, 75.5% for Moderna, and 70.1% for Pfizer-BioNTech. Findings support continued efforts to increase vaccination, booster campaigns, and multiple additional layers of protection against infection.

150 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wright et al. as discussed by the authors found that ITGB8-AS1 was highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC), and they proposed to target it using antisense oligonucleotide (ASO).

48 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A prospective observational cohort study of injured patients receiving emergency-release blood products was performed in this paper , where the authors investigated survival benefit of WB across a diverse population of bleeding trauma patients.
Abstract: Use of whole blood (WB) for trauma resuscitation has seen a resurgence. The purpose of this study was to investigate survival benefit of WB across a diverse population of bleeding trauma patients.A prospective observational cohort study of injured patients receiving emergency-release blood products was performed. All adult trauma patients resuscitated between November 2017 and September 2020 were included. The WB group included patients receiving any group O WB units. The component (COMP) group received no WB units, instead relying on fractionated blood (red blood cells, plasma, and platelets). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Given large observed differences in our regression model, post hoc adjustments with inverse probability of treatment were conducted and a propensity score created. Propensity scoring and Poisson regression supported these findings.Of 1,377 patients receiving emergency release blood products, 840 received WB and 537 remained in the COMP arm. WB patients had higher Injury Severity Score (ISS; 27 vs 20), lower field blood pressure (103 vs 114), and higher arrival lactate (4.2 vs 3.5; all p < 0.05). Postarrival transfusions and complications were similar between groups, except for sepsis, which was lower in the WB arm (25 vs 30%, p = 0.041). Although univariate analysis noted similar survival between WB and COMP (75 vs 76%), logistic regression found WB was independently associated with a 4-fold increased survival (odds ratio [OR] 4.10, p < 0.001). WB patients also had a 60% reduction in overall transfusions (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.21-0.70). This impact on survival remained regardless of location of transfusion, ISS, or presence of head injury.In patients experiencing hemorrhagic shock, WB transfusion is associated with both improved survival and decreased overall blood utilization.

26 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors proposed a new end-to-end Co-attentive Multi-task Convolutional Neural Network (CMCNN), which is composed of the Channel Co-Attention Module (CCAM) and the Spatial Co- Attention Module (SCAM).

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed a new end-to-end Co-attentive Multi-task Convolutional Neural Network (CMCNN), which is composed of the Channel Co-Attention Module (CCAM) and the Spatial Co- Attention Module (SCAM).

20 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined the impact of COVID-19 on firm innovation using the data of Chinese listed companies from January 2020 to October 2020 and found that at the national level, COVID19 inhibits firm innovation in China.

19 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , a recurrent neural network-based model (CovRNN) was proposed to predict the outcomes of patients with COVID-19 by using available electronic health record data on admission to hospital, without the need for specific feature selection or missing data imputation.

15 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a literature review was performed with a focus on data from recent studies and several clinical and imaging high-risk features have been identified that are associated with an increased long-term ipsilateral ischemic stroke risk in patients with carotid stenosis.
Abstract: Objectives The recommendations of international guidelines for the management of asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACS) often vary considerably and extend from a conservative approach with risk factor modification and best medical treatment (BMT) alone, to a more aggressive approach with a carotid intervention plus BMT. The aim of the current multispecialty position statement is to reconcile the conflicting views on the topic. Materials and methods A literature review was performed with a focus on data from recent studies. Results Several clinical and imaging high-risk features have been identified that are associated with an increased long-term ipsilateral ischemic stroke risk in patients with ACS. Such high-risk clinical/imaging features include intraplaque hemorrhage, impaired cerebrovascular reserve, carotid plaque echolucency/ulceration/ neovascularization, a lipid-rich necrotic core, a thin or ruptured fibrous cap, silent brain infarction, a contralateral transient ischemic attack/stroke episode, male patients Conclusions Although aggressive risk factor control and BMT should be implemented in all ACS patients, several high-risk features that may increase the risk of a future cerebrovascular event are now documented. Consequently, some guidelines recommend a prophylactic carotid intervention in high-risk patients to prevent future cerebrovascular events. Until the results of the much-anticipated randomized controlled trials emerge, the jury is still out regarding the optimal management of ACS patients.

14 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the authors evaluated the incidence of intraoperative adverse events (IAEs) and their impact on outcomes after fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) of complex abdominal aortric aneurysms.

12 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a high temperature comprehensive control system of high geothermal tunnel combining high-temperature treatment in tunnel and hightemperature heat source insulation is proposed to ensure the safety of workers, improve production efficiency and improve structural safety.

12 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed a high temperature comprehensive control system of high geothermal tunnel combining high-temperature treatment in tunnel and hightemperature heat source insulation, based on the highway tunnel with the highest temperature in China, the temperature field in tunnel with various cooling measures under different surrounding rock temperatures and the temperature variation of lining structure with different thermal insulation methods and thicknesses are studied by numerical simulation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The majority of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom presentations in adults and children appear to run their course within a couple of weeks, however, a subgroup of adults has started to emerge with effects lasting several months or more after initial infection as discussed by the authors .
Abstract: The majority of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptom presentations in adults and children appear to run their course within a couple of weeks. However, a subgroup of adults has started to emerge with effects lasting several months or more after initial infection, which raises questions about the long-term physical, mental and social health effects of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. The purpose of this review was to determine these impacts well into the second year of the pandemic.A search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Cochrane between 11/1/2019 and 9/1/2021. Search inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) COVID-19 illness and symptoms in children; (2) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in children; (3) English language; and (4) human studies only.The few studies that have documented long-term physical symptoms in children show that fatigue, difficulty in concentrating (brain fog), sleep disturbances, and sensory problems are the most reported outcomes. Most studies examining the impact of COVID-19 in pediatric populations have focused on initial clinical presentation, and symptoms, which are similar to those in adult populations. In addition, COVID-19 has had a moderate impact on children and adolescents' social environment, which may exacerbate current and future physiological, psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes.There are limited studies reporting long physical symptoms of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. However, pediatric COVID-19 cases are underreported due to low rates of testing and symptomatic infection, which calls for more longitudinal studies. Children who have experienced COVID-19 illness should be monitored for long physiological, psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes.

Journal ArticleDOI
13 Jan 2022
TL;DR: A review of the evidence for a link between MEGs and structural birth defects can be found in this paper, where the authors provide an updated summary of mammalian MEG reported in the literature through early 2021.
Abstract: Summary Maternal effect genes (MEGs) encode factors (e.g., RNA) that are present in the oocyte and required for early embryonic development. Hence, while these genes and gene products are of maternal origin, their phenotypic consequences result from effects on the embryo. The first mammalian MEGs were identified in the mouse in 2000 and were associated with early embryonic loss in the offspring of homozygous null females. In humans, the first MEG was identified in 2006, in women who had experienced a range of adverse reproductive outcomes, including hydatidiform moles, spontaneous abortions, and stillbirths. Over 80 mammalian MEGs have subsequently been identified, including several that have been associated with phenotypes in humans. In general, pathogenic variants in MEGs or the absence of MEG products are associated with a spectrum of adverse outcomes, which in humans range from zygotic cleavage failure to offspring with multi-locus imprinting disorders. Although less established, there is also evidence that MEGs are associated with structural birth defects (e.g., craniofacial malformations, congenital heart defects). This review provides an updated summary of mammalian MEGs reported in the literature through early 2021, as well as an overview of the evidence for a link between MEGs and structural birth defects.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the long-term effects on methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen sequestration rates are poorly documented.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the authors examined the association between in utero exposure to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate and the risk of cancer in the offspring.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , a gene knockout chain reaction (GKCR) method was developed for continually generating mutagenic disruptions and used this method to disrupt the HPV18 E6 and E7 genes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , a biologically-motivated deep learning approach was proposed to identify pathway-level features from drug and cell lines' molecular data for predicting drug synergy and quantifying the interactions in synergistic drug pairs.
Abstract: Drug combination therapy has become a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. While high-throughput drug combination screening is effective for identifying synergistic drug combinations, measuring all possible combinations is impractical due to the vast space of therapeutic agents and cell lines. In this study, we propose a biologically-motivated deep learning approach to identify pathway-level features from drug and cell lines' molecular data for predicting drug synergy and quantifying the interactions in synergistic drug pairs. This method obtained an MSE of 70.6 ± 6.4, significantly surpassing previous approaches while providing potential candidate pathways to explain the prediction. We further demonstrate that drug combinations tend to be more synergistic when their top contributing pathways are closer to each other on a protein interaction network, suggesting a potential strategy for combination therapy with topologically interacting pathways. Our computational approach can thus be utilized both for prescreening of potential drug combinations and for designing new combinations based on proximity of pathways associated with drug targets and cell lines.Our computational framework may be translated in the future to clinical scenarios where synergistic drugs are tailored to the patient and additionally, drug development could benefit from designing drugs that target topologically close pathways.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , a multicenter cohort of 541 patients treated for Extent I-III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms without prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) was evaluated.
Abstract: To assess outcomes of fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) of Extent I-III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) without prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD).Prophylactic CSFD has been routinely used during endovascular TAAA repair, but concerns about major drain-related complications gave led to revising this paradigm.We reviewed a multicenter cohort of 541 patients treated for Extent I-III TAAAs by FB-EVAR without prophylactic CSFD. Spinal cord injury (SCI) was graded as ambulatory (paraparesis) or non-ambulatory (paraplegia). Endpoints were any SCI, permanent paraplegia, response to rescue treatment, major drain-related complications, mortality, and patient survival.There were 22 Extent I, 240 Extent II and 279 Extent III TAAAs. Thirty-day mortality was 3%. SCI occurred in 45 patients (8%), paraparesis occurring in 23 (4%) and paraplegia in 22 patients (4%). SCI was more common in patients with Extent I-II compared to Extent III TAAAs (12% vs. 5%, P=0.01). Rescue treatment included permissive hypertension in all patients, with CSFD in 22 (4%). Symptom improvement was noted in 73%. Twelve patients (2%) had permanent paraplegia. Two patients (0.4%) had major drain-related complications. Independent predictors for SCI by multivariate logistic regression were sustained peri-operative hypotension (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.7-11.1), patent collateral network (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.6), and total length of aortic coverage (OR 1.05, CI 95% 1.01-1.10). Patient survival at 3-years was 72±3%.FB-EVAR of Extent I-III TAAAs without CSFD has low mortality and low rates of permanent paraplegia (2%). SCI occurred in 8% of patients, and rescue treatment improved symptoms in 73% of them.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors proposed an experimentally realizable non-reciprocal magnonic device at the single-magnon level by exploiting magnon blockade in a magnon-based hybrid system.
Abstract: We propose an experimentally realizable nonreciprocal magnonic device at the single-magnon level by exploiting magnon blockade in a magnon-based hybrid system. The coherent qubit-magnon coupling, mediated by virtual photons in a microwave cavity, leads to the energy-level anharmonicity of the composite modes. In contrast, the corresponding dissipative counterpart, induced by traveling microwaves in a waveguide, yields inhomogeneous broadenings of the energy levels. As a result, the cooperative effects of these two kinds of interactions give rise to the emergence of the direction-dependent magnon blockade. We show that this can be demonstrated by studying the equal-time second-order correlation function of the magnon mode. Our study opens an avenue to engineer nonreciprocal magnonic devices in the quantum regime involving only a small number of magnons.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , Venous outflow augmentation and splenectomy were used to lower the threshold of using small-for-size grafts without compromising graft survival in adult living donor liver transplantation.
Abstract: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using small grafts, especially left lobe grafts (H1234-MHV) (LLG), continues to be a challenge due to small-for-size syndrome (SFSS). We herein demonstrate that with surgical modifications, outcomes with small grafts can be improved.Between 2012 and 2020, we performed 130 adult LDLT using 61 (47%) LLG (H1234-MHV) in a single Enterprise. The median graft-to-recipient weight ratio was 0.84%, with graft-to-recipient weight ratio <0.7% accounting for 22%. Splenectomy was performed in 72 (56%) patients for inflow modulation before (n=50) or after (n=22) graft reperfusion. In LLG-LDLT, venous outflow was achieved using all three recipient hepatic veins. In right lobe graft (H5678) (RLG)-LDLT, the augmented graft right hepatic vein was anastomosed to the recipient's cava with a large cavotomy. Outcome measures include SFSS, early allograft dysfunction (EAD), and survival.Graft survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 94%, 90%, and 83%, respectively, with no differences between LLG (H1234-MHV) and RLG (H5678). Splenectomy significantly reduced portal flow without increasing the complication rate. Despite the aggressive use of small grafts, SFSS and EAD developed in only 1 (0.8%) and 18 (13.8%) patients, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression revealed model for end-stage liver disease score and LLG (H1234-MHV) as independent risk factors for EAD and splenectomy as a protective factor (odds ratio: 0.09; P =0.03). For LLG (H1234-MHV)-LDLT, patients who underwent prereperfusion splenectomy tended to have better 1-year graft survival than those receiving postreperfusion splenectomy.LLG (H1234-MHV) are feasible in adult LDLT with excellent outcomes comparable to RLG (H5678). Venous outflow augmentation and splenectomy help lower the threshold of using small-for-size grafts without compromising graft survival.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper quantified the physiological and psychological parameters of the occupants in a library situated in Changsha using a questionnaire, and then, with the use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the dimensionality of the database was reduced.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that Orai1 is rapidly S-acylated at cysteine 143 upon ER Ca2+ store depletion, leading to the formation of activated CRAC channels.
Abstract: Store-operated Ca2+ entry is a central component of intracellular Ca2+ signaling pathways. The Ca2+ release-activated channel (CRAC) mediates store-operated Ca2+ entry in many different cell types. The CRAC channel is composed of the plasma membrane (PM)-localized Orai1 channel and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized STIM1 Ca2+ sensor. Upon ER Ca2+ store depletion, Orai1 and STIM1 form complexes at ER-PM junctions, leading to the formation of activated CRAC channels. Although the importance of CRAC channels is well described, the underlying mechanisms that regulate the recruitment of Orai1 to ER-PM junctions are not fully understood. Here, we describe the rapid and transient S-acylation of Orai1. Using biochemical approaches, we show that Orai1 is rapidly S-acylated at cysteine 143 upon ER Ca2+ store depletion. Importantly, S-acylation of cysteine 143 is required for Orai1-mediated Ca2+ entry and recruitment to STIM1 puncta. We conclude that store depletion-induced S-acylation of Orai1 is necessary for recruitment to ER-PM junctions, subsequent binding to STIM1 and channel activation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the authors report safety profile, feasibility and outcomes of EUS-RFA for advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) for long-term follow-up (> 30 months).
Abstract: Long term prognosis and 5-year survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains suboptimal. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided RFA (EUS-RFA) is an emerging technology and limited data exist regarding safety and long-term outcomes. The aim of this study is to report safety-profile, feasibility and outcomes of EUS-RFA for advanced PDAC. Prospective review of patients with diagnosis of locally-advanced or metastatic PDAC undergoing EUS-RFA between October 2016 to March 2018 with long-term follow up (> 30 months). Study patients underwent a total of 1-4 RFA sessions. All patients were enrolled in longitudinal cohort study and received standard of care chemotherapy. 10 patients underwent EUS-RFA. Location of the lesions was in the head(4), neck(2), body(2), and tail(2). 22 RFA sessions were performed with a range of 1-4 sessions per patient. There were no major adverse events (bleeding, perforation, infection, pancreatitis) in immediate (up to 72 h) and short-term follow up (4 weeks). Mild worsening of existing abdominal pain was noted during post-procedure observation in 12/22 (55%) of RFA treatments. Follow-up imaging demonstrated tumor progression in 2 patients, whereas tumor regression was noted in 6 patients (> 50% reduction in size in 3 patients). Median survival for the cohort was 20.5 months (95% CI, 9.93-42.2 months). Currently, 2 patients remain alive at 61 and 81 months follow-up since initial diagnosis. One patient had 3 cm PDAC with encasement of the portal confluence, abutment of the celiac axis, common hepatic and superior mesenteric artery. This patient had significant reduction in tumor size and underwent standard pancreaticoduodenectomy. In our experience, EUS-RFA was safe, well-tolerated and could be concurrently performed with standard chemotherapy. In this select cohort, median survival was improved when compared to published survival based upon SEER database and clinical trials. Future prospective trials are needed to understand the role of EUS-RFA in overall management of PDAC.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , the potential of antibody-based passive immune therapies alone or in combination with the small molecule antivirals to treat or prevent HCMV infection have been actively studied.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Siegel et al. as mentioned in this paper used data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program to estimate age-specific (ages 45-49, 50-54, and 55-59 years; individual ages between 50 and 55 years) incidence rates per 100,000 persons during 1992-2018, overall, and in approximate 4-year intervals.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure sleep quality, the Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Work Stress Scale to measure job stress.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The prevalence of long-term symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nonhospitalized pediatric populations in the United States is not well described as discussed by the authors .
Abstract: The prevalence of long-term symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nonhospitalized pediatric populations in the United States is not well described. The objective of this analysis was to examine the presence of persistent COVID symptoms in children by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody status.Data were collected between October 2020 and May 2022 from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey, a statewide prospective population-based survey among 5-90 years old. Serostatus was assessed by the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassay for detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Self-reported antigen/polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 test results and persistent COVID symptom status/type/duration were collected simultaneously. Risk ratios for persistent COVID symptoms were calculated versus adults and by age group, antibody status, symptom presence/severity, variant, body mass index and vaccine status.A total of 82 (4.5% of the total sample [n = 1813], 8.0% pre-Delta, 3.4% Delta and beyond) participants reported persistent COVID symptoms (n = 27 [1.5%] 4-12 weeks, n = 58 [3.3%] >12 weeks). Compared with adults, all pediatric age groups had a lower risk for persistent COVID symptoms regardless of length of symptoms reported. Additional increased risk for persistent COVID symptoms >12 weeks included severe symptoms with initial infection, not being vaccinated and having unhealthy weight (body mass index ≥85th percentile for age and sex).These findings highlight the existence of nonhospitalized youth who may also experience persistent COVID symptoms. Children and adolescents are less likely to experience persistent COVID symptoms than adults and more likely to be symptomatic, experience severe symptoms and have unhealthy weight compared with children/adolescents without persistent COVID symptoms.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , a failure prediction method is proposed to judge the failure of the station-cable system under various design conditions by taking the supporting capacity of the multi-layer cables as the evaluation index and multiple main influencing factors as the control indexes, so as to predict the structural risk.