3487 research outputs found
Sort by
In Vivo Characterization of Intracortical Probes with Focused Ion Beam-Etched Nanopatterned Topographies
Get PDF(1) Background: Intracortical microelectrodes (IMEs) are an important part of interfacing with the central nervous system (CNS) and recording neural signals. However, recording electrodes have shown a characteristic steady decline in recording performance owing to chronic neuroinflammation. The topography of implanted devices has been explored to mimic the nanoscale three-dimensional architecture of the extracellular matrix. Our previous work used histology to study the implant sites of non-recording probes and showed that a nanoscale topography at the probe surface mitigated the neuroinflammatory response compared to probes with smooth surfaces. Here, we hypothesized that the improvement in the neuroinflammatory response for probes with nanoscale surface topography would extend to improved recording performance. (2) Methods: A novel design modification was implemented on planar silicon-based neural probes by etching nanopatterned grooves (with a 500 nm pitch) into the probe shank. To assess the hypothesis, two groups of rats were implanted with either nanopatterned (n = 6) or smooth control (n = 6) probes, and their recording performance was evaluated over 4 weeks. Postmortem gene expression analysis was performed to compare the neuroinflammatory response from the two groups. (3) Results: Nanopatterned probes demonstrated an increased impedance and noise floor compared to controls. However, the recording performances of the nanopatterned and smooth probes were similar, with active electrode yields for control probes and nanopatterned probes being approximately 50% and 45%, respectively, by 4 weeks post-implantation. Gene expression analysis showed one gene, Sirt1, differentially expressed out of 152 in the panel. (4) Conclusions: this study provides a foundation for investigating novel nanoscale topographies on neural probes
Employing Individuals with Disabilities and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Role of Employer Openness and Employee Attitudes
Get PDFWhen employers hire people with disabilities, collective behavioral change occurs in organizations. Specifically, attitudes toward people with disabilities improve through professional interventions and encourage organizational citizenship behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated the economic and client-focused effect of hiring people with disabilities, resulting in a tested model of competitive, integrated employment. In this study, we find that a performance-based behavioral change occurs in non-disabled employees when organizations employ best practices in relation to people with disabilities in the workplace. We use intergroup contact theory and social exchange theory to develop a model and a corresponding survey instrument that measures how several factors influence co-worker attitudes toward people with disabilities. Most importantly, this research approach allows us to assess behavioral changes from these attitudes. The results show that workplace contact has a positive effect on attitudes toward employees with disabilities. In addition, employer openness moderates workplace contact regarding attitudes; the effect of contact on attitudes was positive and significant. In addition, positive attitudes toward employees with disabilities correspondingly have a positive direct effect on organizational citizenship behavior. Finally, job satisfaction and personality moderated employees’ attitudes positively and significantly. Overall, this study demonstrates that employers can benefit from hiring people with disabilities, but they must attend to the importance of employee attitudes on outcomes when designing structured interventions
Pledge to Progress? Analyzing the Impact of the BLM Movement on Racial Mortgage Approval Rate Gaps
Get PDFFollowing the surge of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, prominent financial institutions announced their commitment to improving racial disparities in homeownership. Using the HMDA dataset from 2019-2022, this paper investigates the difference in home-loan approval rates between white and black borrowers in Ohio post Black Lives Matter movement using bank fixed effects. We found a statistically significant reduction in the approval rate gap between black and white borrowers post 2020
Is the Lecture Dead? Medical Students\u27 Perspectives on Reconciling Live Lectures And 21st-Century Learning
Get PDFThis chapter describes a literature review evaluating five innovative health professions education approaches to large group teaching and presents student perspectives regarding their implementation
Autoimmune Condition Diagnosis Following Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
No full textProblem: Research has suggested a link between recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and cell-mediated immunity dysregulation. We aimed to determine if a history of RPL is associated with diagnosis of a cell-mediated autoimmune condition (AIC). Method of Study: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX research network. The RPL group had ≥3 spontaneous or missed abortions. Controls had at least one pregnancy but no diagnosis of RPL. Propensity score matching was used for age, race, and ethnicity. Z-test and relative risk analysis investigated the relationship between RPL and subsequent AIC diagnoses. Results: One hundred twenty-eight thousand three hundred seventy-six patients were included in each cohort. RPL was associated with an increased risk for an AIC composite (RR 1.60, 95% CI [1.51, 1.69]), Crohn\u27s disease, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto\u27s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren\u27s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ulcerative colitis, but not psoriatic arthritis. Conclusions: Using a large research database of patients with RPL, we were able to demonstrate that an antecedent diagnosis of RPL is associated with increased risk of subsequent diagnosis of an AIC, often between 1 and 10 years after RPL
The Burden of Chronic Pain in Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations: Evidence from a Large US Clinical Database
No full textBackground: Chronic pain, affecting approximately 20% of the global population, is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Transgender individuals are disproportionately exposed to chronic pain risk factors compared with the cisgender population. This study compares the incidence of chronic pain between transgender and cisgender individuals and examines the impact of gender affirming hormone therapy, anxiety, and depression on chronic pain. Methods: The study analysed medical records data of 56,470 transgender men and 41,882 transgender women in the TrinetX database. Six cohorts were created: transgender women either receiving oestrogen or no intervention, transgender men receiving testosterone or no intervention and cohorts of cisgender males and females. Unmatched age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated. Then cohorts were matched on 22 chronic pain-associated covariates and the rate of new chronic pain diagnoses was compared between those receiving hormone therapy and those without. Results: We observed significantly higher rates of chronic pain among transgender individuals compared with cisgender counterparts. Transgender men on testosterone therapy and transgender women on oestrogen therapy exhibited an increased likelihood of chronic pain diagnoses compared with those not receiving hormone therapy. Individuals with anxiety and depression were more likely to be diagnosed with chronic pain. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant burden of chronic pain in transgender individuals, with an increased risk among those receiving hormone therapy. Our study, the first to assess chronic pain in a large cohort of transgender patients, provides support for a potential association between hormone therapy and risk of chronic pain diagnosis. Further research is required to understand causal mechanisms and to develop improved screening and management of chronic pain in transgender populations. Significance Statement: Our study, featuring the largest cohort of Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals assembled to date, reveals critical disparities in chronic pain among TGD populations, notably those on hormone therapy, compared with the cisgender population. It highlights the urgent need for specialized screening and treatment for this vulnerable population, and research into hormone therapy\u27s impact on pain. These insights aim to foster more effective, personalized healthcare, enhancing the well-being and quality of life for the TGD community
AMPLON: Amplifying DNA with Multiarm Priming and Looping Optimization of Nucleic Acid
Get PDFNucleic acid amplification, the bedrock of biotechnology and molecular diagnostics, surges in applications—especially isothermal approaches—heightening the demand for advanced and precisely engineered methods. Here, a novel approach for amplifying DNA with multiarm priming and looping optimization of nucleic acid (AMPLON) is presented. AMPLON relies on a novel polymeric material with unique set of multiarm polyethylene glycol–DNA primers for efficient DNA amplification under isothermal conditions. Each arm carries single-stranded DNA complementing the sense or antisense sequence of the target DNA. The amplification reaction begins with antisense arms binding to the target DNA, forming a template for sense-carrying arms to direct multiarm large DNA amplicon synthesis through successive DNA looping and unlooping steps. Using human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a model clinical target, AMPLON exhibits high sensitivity, detecting target concentrations as low as 100 copies mL−1. Compared to a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay using sensitive primers, AMPLON reliably identifies HIV-1 RNA in plasma samples (n = 20) with a significant agreement rate of 95%. With its ability to achieve highly specific and sensitive target amplification within 30 min, AMPLON holds immense potential to transform the field of nucleic acid research and unleashing new possibilities in medicine and biotechnology
Association of Semaglutide with Reduced Incidence and Relapse of Cannabis Use Disorder in Real-World Populations: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Get PDFCannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug in the United States with more than 45 million users of whom one-third suffer from a cannabis use disorder (CUD). Despite its high prevalence, there are currently no FDA-approved medications for CUD. Patients treated with semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) approved for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D) and for weight management have reported reduced desire to drink and smoke. Preclinical studies have shown that semaglutide decreased nicotine and alcohol consumption. Preclinical and preliminary clinical evidence of semaglutide’s potential beneficial effects on various substance use disorders led us to evaluate if it pertained to CUD. In this retrospective cohort study of electronic health records (EHRs) from the TriNetX Analytics Network, a global federated health research network of approximately 105.3 million patients from 61 large healthcare organizations in the US, we aimed to assess the associations of semaglutide with both incident and recurrent CUD diagnosis compared to non-GLP-1RA anti-obesity or anti-diabetes medications. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of incident and recurrent CUD were calculated for 12-month follow-up by comparing propensity-score matched patient cohorts. The study population included 85,223 patients with obesity who were prescribed semaglutide or non-GLP-1RA anti-obesity medications, with the findings replicated in 596,045 patients with T2D. In patients with obesity (mean age 51.3 years, 65.6% women), semaglutide compared with non-GLP-1RA anti-obesity medications was associated with lower risk for incident CUD in patients with no prior history CUD (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.42–0.75), and recurrent CUD diagnosis in patients with a prior history CUD (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.46–0.84). Consistent reductions were seen for patients stratified by gender, age group, race and in patients with and without T2D. Similar findings were replicated in the study population with T2D when comparing semaglutide with non-GLP-1RA anti-diabetes medications for incident CUD (HR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.29–0.56) and recurrent CUD (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.42–1.03). While these findings provide preliminary evidence of the potential benefit of semaglutide in CUD in real-world populations, further preclinical studies are warranted to understand the underlying mechanism and randomized clinical trials are needed to support its use clinically for CUD
Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Glycaemic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes not on Insulin Therapy: A Clinical Trial
Get PDFAim: To evaluate the impact of the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device on glycaemic control and cardiometabolic risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at high cardiovascular risk who are not on insulin therapy. Materials and Methods: Adults with T2DM with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) \u3e7% and body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 not using insulin were enrolled in a two-phase cross-over study. In phase 1, CGM data were blinded, and participants performed standard glucose self-monitoring. In phase 2, the CGM data were unblinded, and CGM, demographic and cardiovascular risk factor data were collected through 90 days of follow-up and compared using paired tests. Results: Forty-seven participants were included (44% women; 34% Black; mean age 63 years; BMI 37 kg/m2; HbA1c 8.4%; 10-year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk 24.0%). CGM use was associated with a reduction in average glucose (184.0 to 147.2 mg/dl, p \u3c.001), an increase in time in range (57.8 to 82.8%, p \u3c.001) and a trend towards lower glucose variability (26.2 to 23.8%). There were significant reductions in HbA1c, BMI, triglycerides, blood pressure, total cholesterol, diabetes distress and 10-year predicted risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (p \u3c.05 for all) and an increase in prescriptions for sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (36.2 to 83.0%) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (42.5 to 87.2%, p \u3c.001 for both). Conclusions: Dexcom G6 CGM was associated with improved glycaemic control and cardiometabolic risk in patients with T2DM who were not on insulin. CGM can be a safe and effective tool to improve diabetes management in patients at high risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇