University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

About: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is a education organization based out in Houston, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 27309 authors who have published 42520 publications receiving 2151596 citations. The organization is also known as: UTHealth & The UT Health Science Center at Houston.

Respiratory morbidity in late preterm births

Abstract: Context Late preterm births (LPTB, 34 0/7-36 6/7 weeks) account for a growing proportion of prematurity-associated short term morbidities, particularly respiratory, that require specialized care and prolonged neonatal hospital stays.

Characteristics of impulsive suicide attempts and attempters

Abstract: Suicide attempts often are impulsive, yet little is known about the characteristics of impulsive suicide. We examined impulsive suicide attempts within a population-based, case-control study of nearly lethal suicide attempts among people 13-34 years of age. Attempts were considered impulsive if the respondent reported spending less than 5 minutes between the decision to attempt suicide and the actual attempt. Among the 153 case-subjects, 24% attempted impulsively. Impulsive attempts were more likely among those who had been in a physical fight and less likely among those who were depressed. Relative to control subjects, male sex, fighting, and hopelessness distinguished impulsive cases but depression did not. Our findings suggest that inadequate control of aggressive impulses might be a greater indicator of risk for impulsive suicide attempts than depression.

COVID-19: a potential public health problem for homeless populations.

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) is infecting people throughout the world. It is probable that coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will be transmitted to people experiencing homelessness, which will become a major problem in particular in North America where there are sizable populations of people experiencing homelessness in nearly every metropolitan city in the USA and Canada. In the USA, more than 500 000 people were reported to be experiencing homelessness on any given night over the past decade (2007–19). The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 report estimated 35 000 people are experiencing homelessness on any given night in Canada. People experiencing homelessness live in environments that are conducive to a disease epidemic. Many people experiencing homelessness live in congregate living settings—be it formal (ie, shelters or halfway houses) or informal (ie, encampments or abandoned buildings)—and might not have regular access to basic hygiene supplies or showering facilities, all of which could facilitate virus transmission. People experiencing homelessness are a vulnerable group, and their potential exposure to COVID-19 might negatively affect their ability to be housed, and their mental and physical health. People experiencing homelessness aged younger than 65 years have all-cause mortality that is 5–10 times higher than that of the general population. COVID-19 infection might further increase this mortality disparity. Many people experiencing homelessness have chronic mental and physical conditions, engage in high rates of substance abuse (including sharing of needles), and have often less access to health care, all of which could lead to potential problems with screening, quarantining, and treating people who might have COVID-19. Such problems have occurred as recently as last year, when outbreaks of typhus, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, trench fever, and Shigella bacteria were reported among people experiencing homelessness in US cities with large homeless populations. There are some additional issues, which are unique to people experiencing homelessness, to consider with regards to COVID-19. Homeless populations might be more transient and geographically mobile than individuals in the general population, making it difficult to track and prevent transmission and to treat those who need care. COVID-19 was recently found to be transmittable via the oral–faecal route. Some major US cities with large homeless populations, like San Francisco, have experienced issues with public defecation, which might pose an additional transmission risk for people experiencing homelessness and other individuals. Together, the multitude of potential vulnerabilities and risks for people experiencing homelessness in becoming infected, needing care, and transmitting COVID-19 cannot be ignored and must be planned for. Some lessons can be learned from the response to severe acute respiratory syndrome among homeless service providers nearly two decades ago. Testing kits and training on how to recognise COVID-19 should be widely disseminated to homeless service providers and deployed in shelters, encampments, and street outreach. Alternative spaces might be needed to quarantine and treat people experiencing homelessness. If cities impose a lockdown to prevent COVID-19 transmission, there are few emergency preparedness plans to transport and provide shelter for the large number of people experiencing homelessness. In lockdowns, public spaces are closed, movement outside homes are restricted, and major roads of transport might be closed, all of which might negatively affect people experiencing homelessness. It is unclear how and where unsheltered people experiencing homelessness will be moved to if quarantines and lockdowns are implemented. In such a scenario, closures of shelters and other high-density communal settings (eg, drop-in centres and soup kitchens) are possible, which could increase the number of unsheltered people experiencing homelessness and reduce their access to needed services. Lockdowns and disease containment procedures might also be deleterious to the mental health of people experiencing homelessness, many of whom have fears around involuntary hospitalisation and incarceration. In response to COVID-19, the State of Washington has declared a state of emergency, allowing cities to take Lancet Public Health 2020

Haplotype structure and population genetic inferences from nucleotide- sequence variation in human lipoprotein lipase

Abstract: Summary Allelic variation in 9.7 kb of genomic DNA sequence from the human lipoprotein lipase gene ( LPL ) was scored in 71 healthy individuals (142 chromosomes) from three populations: African Americans (24) from Jackson, MS; Finns (24) from North Karelia, Finland; and non-Hispanic Whites (23) from Rochester, MN. The sequences had a total of 88 variable sites, with a nucleotide diversity (site-specific heterozygosity) of .002±.001 across this 9.7-kb region. The frequency spectrum of nucleotide variation exhibited a slight excess of heterozygosity, but, in general, the data fit expectations of the infinite-sites model of mutation and genetic drift. Allele-specific PCR helped resolve linkage phases, and a total of 88 distinct haplotypes were identified. For 1,410 (64%) of the 2,211 site pairs, all four possible gametes were present in these haplotypes, reflecting a rich history of past recombination. Despite the strong evidence for recombination, extensive linkage disequilibrium was observed. The number of haplotypes generally is much greater than the number expected under the infinite-sites model, but there was sufficient multisite linkage disequilibrium to reveal two major clades, which appear to be very old. Variation in this region of LPL may depart from the variation expected under a simple, neutral model, owing to complex historical patterns of population founding, drift, selection, and recombination. These data suggest that the design and interpretation of disease-association studies may not be as straightforward as often is assumed.

Survival after Minimally Invasive Radical Hysterectomy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

Abstract: Background Minimally invasive surgery was adopted as an alternative to laparotomy (open surgery) for radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer before high-quality evidence regarding its effect on survival was available. We sought to determine the effect of minimally invasive surgery on all-cause mortality among women undergoing radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. Methods We performed a cohort study involving women who underwent radical hysterectomy for stage IA2 or IB1 cervical cancer during the 2010–2013 period at Commission on Cancer–accredited hospitals in the United States. The study used inverse probability of treatment propensity-score weighting. We also conducted an interrupted time-series analysis involving women who underwent radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer during the 2000–2010 period, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database. Results In the primary analysis, 1225 of 2461 women (49.8%) underwent minimally invasive surge...