Medical and Research Library News
DSHS Medical and Research Library publishes MRL News, a monthly newsletter that highlights training opportunities, trending topics, and journal articles for public health professionals.
To subscribe to MRL News, HHS employees may join the distribution list.
HHS employees may email the Medical and Research Library to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic resources featured in the newsletter, or obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
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Medical and Research Library News By Month
National Library Week
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
National Library Week
In honor of NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, please join the DSHS Library and Information Science program for a series of interesting and informative webinars:
Grant Writing Essentials.
Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 1:30–3:30 p.m.
Grant Writing Essentials is an introduction to grant development presented by Betsy Cox, DSHS Grant Development Center. Learn how to prepare your organization for grants, identify the right funders, understand how to read a Request for Proposal (RFP), avoid mistakes, and create persuasive proposals. Whether you’re new or experienced in grant writing, this webinar is designed to highlight best practices to help you plan proposals that funders want to read.
The Power of PubMed - The Best Free Database for Clinical Research.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 1–2 p.m.
Join Anne Tarpey, DSHS Medical & Research Senior Librarian, as she guides you through using the PubMed database, the premier resource for biomedical and life sciences literature. Learn advanced search techniques and tips to streamline your searching and stay updated with the latest scientific publications.
Mindful Productivity for Knowledge Professionals and Teams.
Thursday, April 11, 2024, 10–11 a.m.
Join Jess Williams, Director of Teaching & Learning, Texas State University Libraries, as she shows how to discover practical strategies to enhance productivity while maintaining well-being. Explore frameworks, technology, and collaborative practices specifically tailored to reduce friction and frustration while increasing sustainability and creativity. Participants will leave with actionable insights, templates, and recommended tools to optimize their work processes and foster a balanced, mindful approach to work.
The Imposition of Imposter Syndrome
Friday, April 12, 2024, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Everyone experiences Imposter Syndrome at some point. But do we have to? What are the impacts of it? And what can we do about it? Join Chan McDermott, Workforce Development Coordinator at HHSC Family Health Services, as she defines and explains Imposter Syndrome. She will also examine why it’s so prevalent, especially in the workplace. Strategies to work through it will also be discussed.
Training opportunities
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are
in Central Time.
Forest Bathing Research.
April 3, 2024; 2–3 p.m.
This webinar from Texas Children in Nature will explore the research that explains the connection between spending time in nature and improved well-being. There will be an opportunity to increase your understanding of the major theories surrounding this connection and take a closer look at Attention Restoration Theory, specifically. This focus will also identify how the human/nature connection is effectively supported through the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, or forest bathing.
Best Practices in Youth Nutrition Education.
April 16, 2024; 12-1 p.m.
Join CATCH Global Foundation for a panel discussion with youth nutrition education expert, Dr. Deanna Hoelscher, who has led multiple CATCH scientific studies. Participants will learn about current and emerging trends and best practices shaping youth nutrition education. Anyone who works with youth and supports healthy nutrition will want to be a part of this discussion. Webinar sponsored by Quest Food Management Services.
Environmental Chemicals and Breast Cancer: What Do We Know? What Can We Do?
April 17, 2024; 12–1 p.m.
Two thirds of Americans think that cancers – including breast cancers -- are mostly due to inherited genes. The truth is that less than a third of breast cancer risk is due to inherited genes, according to research estimates. Misconceptions stand in the way of actions to prevent the disease. This webinar from the Network of the National Library of Medicine will:
(1) review the science on how everyday chemical exposures can influence breast cancer risk.
(2) identify resources to help people reduce their exposures by taking simple actions as individuals and community members.
(3) show how misleading information, including from sources that people expect to be reliable, can play into industry’s dismissive strategies, echoing the early campaigns against tobacco control.
The Future is Now: Advances in HIV Prevention and Treatment in 2024.
April 24, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Texas remains one of the epicenters of the US HIV epidemic, with Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all recognized as priority jurisdictions for Ending the HIV Epidemic efforts. This session will highlight the current state of the HIV epidemic in Texas and globally and discuss innovative new strategies to prevent and treat HIV. We will also discuss the future of HIV treatment including long-acting medications for prevention and treatment and recent advances in HIV vaccine development. This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program.
Websites and reports on trending topics
Academic Video Online – This TexShare resource provides unlimited remote access to more than 63,000 videos. The database includes scholarly video material of virtually every video type: documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, field recordings, commercials, demonstrations, original and raw footage including tens of thousands of exclusive tiles. Please email the library for remote access to this resource.
AMA Manual of Style Online – The DSHS Library provides access to the online edition of the AMA Manual of Style. This ebook provides search functionality across the full text of the manual, online only updates, quizzes, and options for downloading and sharing content. Please contact the library for remote access instructions. Please email the library for remote access to this resource.
The Annual Review of Public Health – This publication covers significant developments in the field of public health, including key developments and issues in epidemiology and biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, social environment and behavior, health services, and public health practice and policy.
Think. Check. Submit. – Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international, cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications. It guides users through deciding where to submit articles for publication
and includes a checklist for assessing journal quality.
Journal articles of note
Dieussaert I, Hyung Kim J, Luik S, et al. RSV prefusion F protein-based maternal vaccine - preterm birth and other outcomes. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(11):1009-1021.
doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2305478
Abstract
Background: Vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during pregnancy may protect infants from RSV disease. Efficacy and safety data on a candidate RSV prefusion F protein-based maternal vaccine (RSVPreF3-Mat) are needed.
Methods: We conducted a phase 3 trial involving pregnant women 18 to 49 years of age to assess the efficacy and safety of RSVPreF3-Mat. The women were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive RSVPreF3-Mat or placebo between 24 weeks 0 days and 34 weeks 0 days of gestation. The primary outcomes were any or severe medically assessed RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in infants from birth to 6 months of age and safety in infants from birth to 12 months of age. After the observation of a higher risk of preterm birth in the vaccine group than in the placebo group, enrollment and vaccination were stopped early, and exploratory analyses of the safety signal of preterm birth were performed.
Results: The analyses included 5328 pregnant women and 5233 infants; the target enrollment of approximately 10,000 pregnant women and their infants was not reached because enrollment was stopped early. A total of 3426 infants in the vaccine group and 1711 infants in the placebo group were followed from birth to 6 months of age; 16 and 24 infants, respectively, had any medically assessed RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease (vaccine efficacy, 65.5%; 95% credible interval, 37.5 to 82.0), and 8 and 14, respectively, had severe medically assessed RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease (vaccine efficacy, 69.0%; 95% credible interval, 33.0 to 87.6). Preterm birth occurred in 6.8% of the infants (237 of 3494) in the vaccine group and in 4.9% of those (86 of 1739) in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 1.74; P = 0.01); neonatal death occurred in 0.4% (13 of 3494) and 0.2% (3 of 1739), respectively (relative risk, 2.16; 95% CI, 0.62 to 7.56; P = 0.23), an imbalance probably attributable to the greater percentage of preterm births in the vaccine group. No other safety signal was observed.
Conclusions: The results of this trial, in which enrollment was stopped early because of safety concerns, suggest that the risks of any and severe medically assessed RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease among infants were lower with the candidate maternal RSV vaccine than with placebo but that the risk of preterm birth was higher with the candidate vaccine.
Estep AS, Sanscrainte ND, Stuck J, et al. The L1014F knockdown resistance mutation is not a strong correlate of phenotypic resistance to pyrethroids in Florida populations of Culex quinquefasciatus. Insects. 2024;15(3):197. doi:10.3390/insects15030197
Abstract
Culex quinquefasciatus is an important target for vector control because of its ability to transmit pathogens that cause disease. Most populations are resistant to pyrethroids and often to organophosphates, the two most common classes of active ingredients used by public health agencies. A knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation, resulting in an amino acid change from a leucine to phenylalanine in the voltage gated sodium channel, is one mechanism contributing to the pyrethroid resistant phenotype. Enzymatic resistance has also been shown to play a very important role. Recent studies have shown strong resistance in populations even when kdr is relatively low, which indicates that factors other than kdr may be larger contributors to resistance. In this study, we examined, on a statewide scale (over 70 populations), the strength of the correlation between resistance in the CDC bottle bioassay and the kdr genotypes and allele frequencies. Spearman correlation analysis showed only moderate (-0.51) or weak (-0.29) correlation between the kdr genotype and permethrin or deltamethrin resistance, respectively. The frequency of the kdr allele was an even weaker correlate than genotype. These results indicate that assessing kdr in populations of Culex quinquefasciatus is not a good surrogate for phenotypic resistance testing.
Kim Y, Rangel J, Colabianchi N. Food environments and cardiovascular disease: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. Am J Prev Med. Published online March 12, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2024.03.004
Abstract
Introduction: Residential food environments are one of the important determinants of cardiovascular health. However, past literature has been limited by short-term follow-ups, time-invariant environmental measurements at baseline, and/or not investigating both healthy and unhealthy aspects of the food environment. This study examines the effects of time-varying healthy and unhealthy food environments on incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) over ten years, extracting data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016; N=10,413).
Methods: Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed with inverse probability weighting to assess the association between time-varying food environmental measures (i.e., densities of grocery stores, supercenters/club stores, full-service restaurants, and fast-food restaurants) and incident CVD over 10 years. Education level and race/ethnicity were tested as potential moderators. Analyses were conducted in 2022-2023.
Results: Race/ethnicity had a significant interaction effect with supercenters/club stores and indicated that a 1-standard-deviation increase in the density of supercenters/club stores was associated with a 6-8% lower risk of incident CVD in non-Hispanic Black (HR=0.78, 95% CI=0.70-0.87) and Hispanic older adults (HR=0.69, 95% CI=0.50-0.96), but not non-Hispanic White older adults. Additionally, education had a significant interaction effect with full-service restaurants, indicating that a 1-standard-deviation increase in the density of full-service restaurants was associated with a 10% lower risk of incident CVD in individuals with 13+ years of schooling, but not those with zero to 12 years of schooling.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that public policymakers should be aware of the benefits and nuances of varying food environment components as they can contribute to positive or negative cardiovascular health.
Talal AH, Dharia A, Kapadia SN, et al. Hepatitis C virus elimination programs in Louisiana and Washington: Importance of screening and surveillance systems. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2024;30(2):208-212. doi:10.1097/PHH.0000000000001808
Abstract
The US government has established a national goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination by 2030. To date, most HCV elimination planning and activity have been at the state level. Fifteen states presently have publicly available HCV elimination plans. In 2019, Louisiana and Washington were the first states to initiate 5-year funded HCV elimination programs. These states differ on motivation for pursuing HCV elimination and ranking on several indicators. Simultaneously, however, they have emphasized several similar elimination components including HCV screening promotion through public awareness, screening expansion, surveillance enhancement (including electronic reporting and task force development), and harm reduction. The 13 other states with published elimination plans have proposed the majority of the elements identified by Louisiana and Washington, but several have notable gaps. Louisiana's and Washington's comprehensive plans, funding approaches, and programs provide a useful framework that can move states and the nation toward HCV elimination.
For more information, employees may email the Medical and Research Library at library@dshs.texas.gov to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic materials, or to obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
Fine print section: The Medical and Research Library News is sent out once a month
or when important library news or events occur. Recent issues of the MRL News are online. If any of the links do not open for you, please email library@dshs.texas.gov and we will send you what you need. Thank you!
If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
Training opportunities
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.
March 6, 2024; 2–3 p.m. More Green Time, Less Screen Time.
This webinar from Texas Children in Nature will begin with a brief discussion about the “biophilia - biophobia” spectrum and its influence on nature exposure, before pivoting to practical interventions for increasing green time, and finishing with a conversation about establishing sustainable ways to access nature in order to improve health and wellbeing. By the end of the session, participants will be able to appreciate the “biophilia - biophobia” spectrum and its influence on nature exposure, practice forms of noticing, nature journaling, and logging, recall and reproduce demonstrated sensory awareness activities, and apply the green time session framework in their own communities, practices, and classrooms.
March 13, 2024; 10–11 a.m. 2-1-1 Texas Overview.
This presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will cover what 211 Texas is, how to reach 211 Texas, the resources listed with 211, how 211 provides information and resources for disaster events, The State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, and how to use the 211texas.org website.
March 21, 2024; 1–2 p.m. Quality Counts, Safety Matters: Prioritizing Patient Safety Through Quality Measurement.
In recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a session that will explore how quality measures and policies are being implemented to improve the patient experience. Speakers will share insights on using quality measurement to drive patient safety improvement and explore how CMS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) are addressing preventable harms.
March 27, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DSHS Grand Rounds.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and evidence-based practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions last 90 minutes with the final 20 minutes for Q&A.
Websites and reports on trending topics
National Health Statistics Surveys and Reports - This resource from the National Center for Health Statistics provides annual data summaries and analyses on many health topics. These reports provide annual data summaries, present analyses of health topics, or present new information
on methods or measurement issues. This list of all National Health Statistics Reports (NHSR) that have been released to date is presented in an interactive, searchable, and sortable data tables format.
Plague of the South: Yellow Fever Turmoil in Texas, 1839-1905 - This StoryMap from the Texas General Land Office follows key outbreaks in Galveston and other Texas cities from 1839 to 1905. Interactive maps of the disease’s spread across Texas and land use changes related to public health in Galveston, chart yellow fever’s progression across the state and efforts taken to contain the disease. Taken together, this project demonstrates the impacts of yellow fever on Texas: exacerbating racial and class divides, inflaming municipal rivalries, invading military encampments during both the U.S.-Mexico War and the American Civil War, and disrupting tourism and economic output until new sanitation measures and medical breakthroughs emerged at the close of the nineteenth century.
PsycInfo - This database, provided by the DSHS library, is the American Psychological Association’s (APA) resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations. It is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health,
and contains records and summaries dating as far back as the 1600s.
To access remotely, enter user id: librarydshs and password: dshs1! to login. For use by HHS enterprise employees only.
PubChem - PubChem is the National Library of Medicine’s open chemistry database and the largest freely accessible reference tool for chemical information. Search chemicals by name, molecular formula, structure, and other identifiers. Find chemical and physical properties, biological activities, safety and toxicity information, patents, literature citations, and more.
Journal articles of note
Benjamin RH, Marengo LK, Scheuerle AE, Agopian AJ, Mitchell LE. Prevalence and descriptive epidemiology of choanal atresia and stenosis in Texas, 1999-2018. Am J Med Genet A. Published online February 5, 2024. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.63549
Abstract
Choanal atresia and stenosis are common causes of congenital nasal obstruction, but their epidemiology is poorly understood. Compared to bilateral choanal atresia/stenosis, unilateral choanal atresia/stenosis is generally diagnosed later and might be under-ascertained in birth defect registries. Data from the population-based Texas Birth Defects Registry and Texas vital records, 1999-2018, were used to assess the prevalence of choanal atresia/stenosis. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate associations with infant and maternal characteristics in two analytic groups: isolated choanal atresia/stenosis (n = 286) and isolated, bilateral choanal atresia/stenosis (n = 105). The overall prevalence of choanal atresia/stenosis was 0.92/10,000, and the prevalence of isolated choanal atresia/stenosis was 0.37/10,000 livebirths. Variables associated with choanal atresia/stenosis in one or both analytic groups included infant sex, pregnancy plurality, maternal race/ethnicity, maternal age, and maternal residence on the Texas-Mexico border. In general, adjusted prevalence ratios estimated from the two analytic groups were in the same direction but tended to be stronger in the analyses restricted to isolated, bilateral defects. Epidemiologic studies of isolated choanal atresia/stenosis should consider focusing on cases with bilateral defects, and prioritizing analyses of environmental, social, and structural factors that could account for the association with maternal residence on the Texas-Mexico border.
Dang G, Marsh S, Victoroff T, et al. Descriptive summary of fatal work-related injuries, Western States, 2011-2017. J Occup Environ Hyg. Published online February 26, 2024. doi:10.1080/15459624.2024.2302470
Abstract
Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries restricted-access research files for all workers ages ≥15 years and fatally injured in WestON states from 2011 through 2017. Estimates of full-time equivalent hours worked (FTE) (denominators) were retrieved from the BLS Current Population Survey. Annual average fatality rates were calculated as number of fatalities per 100,000 FTE over the study period. Rates were stratified by state, select demographics, industry sector, and event/exposure types. Pearson chi-squared tests and rate ratios with 95% confidence probability limits were used to assess rate differences. All analyses were conducted using SAS v.9.4. From 2011 through 2017, the annual average overall occupational fatality rate for the WestON region was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, comparable to the overall U.S. fatality rate. Male workers had a fatality rate almost 10 times higher than female workers in the region. Fatality rates increased with successive age groups. Alaska and New Mexico had significantly higher fatality rates for all racial/ethnic groups compared to respective regional rates. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana had the three highest occupational fatality rates among foreign-born workers. Agriculture/forestry/fishing, mining/oil/gas extraction, and transportation/warehousing/utilities were industry sector groups with the three highest fatality rates regionally. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent event type associated with occupational fatalities for all 19 states. Work-related fatalities are a crosscutting occupational public health priority. This analysis can be an impetus for collaborative multistate initiatives among a dynamic and varied occupational public health network to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce.
Feldkamp ML, Canfield MA, Krikov S, et al. Gastroschisis prevalence patterns in 27 surveillance programs from 24 countries, International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, 1980-2017. Birth Defects Res. 2024;116(2):e2306. doi:10.1002/bdr2.2306
Abstract
Background: Gastroschisis is a serious birth defect with midgut prolapse into the amniotic cavity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and time trends of gastroschisis among programs in the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research (ICBDSR), focusing on regional variations and maternal age changes in the population.
Methods: We analyzed data on births from 1980 to 2017 from 27 ICBDSR member programs, representing 24 countries and three regions (Europe+ (includes Iran) , Latin America, North America). Cases were identified using diagnostic codes (i.e., 756.7, 756.71, or Q79.3). We excluded cases of amniotic band syndrome, limb-body wall defect, and ruptured omphalocele. Programs provided annual counts for gastroschisis cases (live births, stillbirths, and legally permitted pregnancy terminations for fetal anomalies) and source population (live births, stillbirths), by maternal age.
Results: Overall, gastroschisis occurred in 1 of every 3268 births (3.06 per 10,000 births; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.01, 3.11), with marked regional variation. European+ prevalence was 1.49 (95%CI: 1.44, 1.55), Latin American 3.80 (95%CI: 3.69, 3.92) and North American 4.32 (95%CI: 4.22, 4.42). A statistically significant increasing time trend was observed among six European+ , four Latin American, and four North American programs. Women <20 years of age had the highest prevalence in all programs except the Slovak Republic.
Conclusions: Gastroschisis prevalence increased over time in 61% of participating programs, and the highest increase in prevalence was observed among the youngest women. Additional inquiry will help to assess the impact of the changing maternal age proportions in the birth population on gastroschisis prevalence.
Goodman DC, Stuchlik P, Ganduglia-Cazaban C, et al. Hospital-level NICU capacity, utilization, and 30-day outcomes in Texas. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(2):e2355982. Published 2024 Feb 5. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55982
Abstract
Importance: Risk-adjusted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) utilization and outcomes vary markedly across regions and hospitals. The causes of this variation are poorly understood.
Objective: To assess the association of hospital-level NICU bed capacity with utilization and outcomes in newborn cohorts with differing levels of health risk.
Design, setting, and participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study included all Medicaid-insured live births in Texas from 2010 to 2014 using linked vital records and maternal and newborn claims data. Participants were Medicaid-insured singleton live births (LBs) with birth weights of at least 400 g and gestational ages between 22 and 44 weeks. Newborns were grouped into 3 cohorts: very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g), late preterm (LPT; 34-36 weeks' gestation), and nonpreterm newborns (NPT; ≥37 weeks' gestation). Data analysis was conducted from January 2022 to October 2023.
Exposure: Hospital NICU capacity measured as reported NICU beds/100 LBs, adjusted (ie, allocated) for transfers.
Main outcomes and measures: NICU admissions and special care days; inpatient mortality and 30-day post discharge adverse events (ie, mortality, emergency department visit, admission, observation stay).
Results: The overall cohort of 874 280 single LBs included 9938 VLBW (5054 [50.9%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 1028.9 [289.6] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 27.6 [2.6] wk), 63 160 LPT (33 684 [53.3%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 2664.0 [409.4] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 35.4 [0.8] wk), and 801 182 NPT (407 977 [50.9%] female; mean [SD] birth weight, 3318.7 [383.4] g; mean [SD] gestational age, 38.9 [1.0] wk) LBs. Median (IQR) NICU capacity was 0.84 (0.57-1.30) allocated beds/100 LB/year. For VLBW newborns, NICU capacity was not associated with the risk of NICU admission or number of special care days. For LPT newborns, birth in hospitals with the highest compared with the lowest category of capacity was associated with a 17% higher risk of NICU admission (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.17; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33). For NPT newborns, risk of NICU admission was 55% higher (aRR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.22-1.97) in the highest- vs the lowest-capacity hospitals. The number of special care days for LPT and NPT newborns was 21% (aRR, 1.21; 95% CI,1.08-1.36) and 37% (aRR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.08-1.74) higher in the highest vs lowest capacity hospitals, respectively. Among LPT and NPT newborns, NICU capacity was associated with higher inpatient mortality and 30-day post discharge adverse events.
Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of Medicaid-insured newborns in Texas, greater hospital NICU bed supply was associated with increased NICU utilization in newborns born LPT and NPT. Higher capacity was not associated with lower risk of adverse events. These findings raise important questions about how the NICU is used for newborns with lower risk.
For more information, employees may email the Medical and Research Library at library@dshs.texas.gov to receive research assistance, learn how to access electronic materials, or to obtain the full text of articles mentioned in this month’s news.
Fine print section: The Medical and Research Library News is sent out once a month or when important library news or events occur. Recent issues of the MRL News are online. If any of the links do not open for you, please email library@dshs.texas.gov and we will send you what you need. Thank you!
If you would like to subscribe, please send an email to library@dshs.texas.gov with Subscribe in the subject line.
Training opportunities
Websites and reports on trending topics
Journal articles of note
The webinars and online classes listed here are shared solely as opportunities to learn more information of interest to public health personnel. All times listed are in Central Time.
Investing in Public Health Infrastructure: Indiana's Success Story.
February 6, 2024; 12–1 p.m.
In 2023, Indiana passed State Bill 4 (SB 4), dramatically increasing the state's investment in public health, and reimaging how the state delivered core public health services. Join this webinar from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) for a discussion on how Indiana worked with their community and policymakers to enact SB 4.
Lessons with the State of Washington on Medicaid Data and Tobacco Use.
February 14, 2024; 12–1 p.m.
This presentation from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) will share the learnings from a CDC-funded project in partnership with Public Health Seattle & King County and the University of Washington, where we looked to identify Medicaid Enrolled Tobacco Users and their associated utilization of care. The learnings from this project are transferrable to topics beyond tobacco and point more toward Medicaid and public health partnerships around Medicaid data.
Integrating Research, Publishing, and Presenting Into Your Career.
February 21, 2024; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
This presentation from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) will discuss strategies for getting started in research and the pros and perils of publishing your work and navigating such factors as open access, predatory publishers, and research metrics. Finally, we will discuss ways to submit and present your work effectively and with confidence.
DSHS Grand Rounds.
February 28, 2024; 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
This webinar is offered by the DSHS Office of Practice and Learning Grand Rounds program. DSHS Grand Rounds explores the science and evidence-based practice of population health and awards continuing education credits/contact hours for various disciplines. Visit the Grand Rounds calendar to see information on upcoming sessions. Held monthly on the fourth Wednesday, sessions last 90 minutes with the final 20 minutes for Q&A.
Websites and reports on trending topics
ClinicalTrials.gov – This resource from the National Library of Medicine is a registry and results database of publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world. Learn more about clinical studies and about this site, including relevant history, policies, and laws.
LactMed - This database from the National Library of Medicine contains information on drugs and other chemicals to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. It includes information on levels of substances in breast milk and infant blood, and the possible adverse effects in the nursing infant. Suggested therapeutic alternatives to those drugs are provided, where appropriate. All data are derived from the scientific literature and fully referenced.
PrePubMed - In academic publishing, a preprint is a version of a scholarly or scientific paper that precedes formal peer review and publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly or scientific journal. The preprint may be available, often as a non-typeset version available free, before and/or after a paper is published in a journal. PrePubMed indexes preprints from arXiv q-bio, PeerJ Preprints, bioRxiv, F1000Research, preprints.org, The Winnower, Nature Precedings, and Wellcome Open Research. Articles are not stored on PrePubMed, but you will be linked to the article at the respective site.
Ryon MG, Langan LM, Brennan C, et al. Influences of 23 different equations used to calculate gene copies of SARS-CoV-2 during wastewater-based epidemiology. Sci Total Environ. Published online January 23, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170345
Abstract
Following the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019, the use of wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has increased dramatically along with associated infrastructure globally. However, due to the global nature of its application, and various workflow adaptations (e.g., sample collection, water concentration, RNA extraction kits), numerous methods for back-calculation of gene copies per volume (gc/L) of sewage have also emerged. Many studies have considered the comparability of processing methods (e.g., water concentration, RNA extraction); however, for equations used to calculate gene copies in a wastewater sample and subsequent influences on monitoring viral trends in a community and its association with epidemiological data, less is known. Due to limited information on how many formulas exist for the calculation of SARS-CoV-2 gene copies in wastewater, we initially attempted to quantify how many equations existed in the referred literature. We identified 23 unique equations, which were subsequently applied to an existing wastewater dataset. We observed a range of gene copies based on use of different equations, along with variability of AUC curve values, and results from correlation and regression analyses. Though a number of individual laboratories appear to have independently converged on a similar formula for back-calculation of viral load in wastewater, and share similar relationships with epidemiological data, differential influences of various equations were observed for variation in PCR volumes, RNA extraction volumes, or PCR assay parameters. Such observations highlight challenges when performing comparisons among WBS studies when numerous methodologies and back-calculation methods exist. To facilitate reproducibility among studies, the different gc/L equations were packaged as an R Shiny app, which provides end users the ability to investigate variability within their datasets and support comparisons among studies.
Sabour S, Bantle K, Bhatnagar A, et al. Descriptive analysis of targeted carbapenemase genes and antibiotic susceptibility profiles among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii tested in the Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network-United States, 2017-2020. Microbiol Spectr. Published online January 4, 2024.
doi:10.1128/spectrum.02828-23
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified CRAB as an urgent public health threat. In this paper, we used a collection of >6,000 contemporary clinical isolates to evaluate the phenotypic and genotypic properties of CRAB detected in the United States. We describe the frequency of specific carbapenemase genes detected, antimicrobial susceptibility profiles, and the distribution of CRAB isolates categorized as multidrug resistant, extensively drug-resistant, or difficult to treat. We further discuss the proportion of isolates showing susceptibility to Food and Drug Administration-approved agents. Of note, 84% of CRAB tested harbored at least one class A, B, or D carbapenemase genes targeted for detection and 83% of these carbapenemase gene-positive CRAB were categorized as extensively drug resistant. Fifty-four percent of CRAB isolates without any of these carbapenemase genes detected were still extensively drug-resistant, indicating that infections caused by CRAB are highly resistant and pose a significant risk to patient safety regardless of the presence of one of these carbapenemase genes.
Wortham JM, Haddad MB, Stewart RJ, et al. Second nationwide tuberculosis outbreak caused by bone allografts containing live cells - United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;72(5253):1385-1389. Published 2024 Jan 5.
doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm725253a1
Abstract
During July 7-11, 2023, CDC received reports of two patients in different states with a tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis following spinal surgical procedures that used bone allografts containing live cells from the same deceased donor. An outbreak associated with a similar product manufactured by the same tissue establishment (i.e., manufacturer) occurred in 2021. Because of concern that these cases represented a second outbreak, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration worked with the tissue establishment to determine that this product was obtained from a donor different from the one implicated in the 2021 outbreak and learned that the bone allograft product was distributed to 13 health care facilities in seven states. Notifications to all seven states occurred on July 12. As of December 20, 2023, five of 36 surgical bone allograft recipients received laboratory-confirmed TB disease diagnoses; two patients died of TB. Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated close genetic relatedness between positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures from surgical recipients and unused product. Although the bone product had tested negative by nucleic acid amplification testing before distribution, M. tuberculosis culture of unused product was not performed until after the outbreak was recognized. The public health response prevented up to 53 additional surgical procedures using allografts from that donor; additional measures to protect patients from tissue-transmitted M. tuberculosis are urgently needed.
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