Philadelphia VA Medical Center

Toward clinically actionable lupus biomarkers: a roadmap for research, validation, and translation

Abstract Despite advances in lupus biomarker research, clinical translation has remained limited, leading to delayed diagnosis, imprecise disease monitoring, and trial-and-error treatment approaches. This roadmap, developed by the Lupus Research Alliance’s Biomarker Roadmap Commi...

A living systematic review, meta-analysis, and open data resource of trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

Abstract 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has emerged as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, rapidly changing evidence in a fast-moving field can be challenging to integrate. Here, we present a living systematic review and open-data m...

Service-Level Utilization in Risk-Based Contracts and a Benchmarking Approach for Fee-Schedule Reforms

Importance Despite revived interest in reforming the physician fee schedule, it is unclear how policymakers should modify more than 1000 different physician service prices to promote high-value care. One systematic approach could leverage service-level utilization patterns in ful...

Epigenome-Wide Association Study of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Identifies Central Role for Inflammatory Pathways

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic mechanisms underlying susceptibility to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remain poorly understood. Identifying causal DNA methylation markers for AAA can elucidate the regulatory processes that drive aneurysm formation and accelerate translational applicatio...

Rheumatoid arthritis, frailty, and outcomes of surgical hospitalizations: A national population‐based analysis

OBJECTIVE: Hospitalization, particularly for surgery, represents a period of heightened stress. We evaluated how frailty attenuates the association of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with negative health outcomes after elective non-cardiac surgery. METHODS: We conducted a cross-section...

Brain Penetrant Calcium Channel Blockers Were Not Associated With Reduced Alcohol Consumption: Converging Results From Two Large Independent Cohort Studies Using Electronic Health Records

ABSTRACT Purpose Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a major public health problem, with few effective treatments. L‐type calcium channel blockers (LTCCBs) have genetic and preclinical support as potential treatments for AUD. Methods We evaluated whether brain penetrant (BP)‐LTCCB...

Using Measurement-Based Care to Inform Antidepressant Medication Management Among Veterans: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study examined the effectiveness of high and low measurement-based care (MBC) feedback strategies for depression treatment. METHODS: Twenty providers at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility were randomly assigned to a no-feedback, low-feedback (aut...

Women’s Attitudes toward the 2024 US Preventive Services Task Force Mammography Screening Guideline

Background: From 2009 to 2024, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that women aged 40 to 49 y make an informed choice about when to begin having mammograms. In 2024, the USPSTF changed its guidelines, recommending biennial screening from age 40 to 74 y. Thi...

Ti3C2T x MXene-Enhanced Paper-Based Ion-Selective Electrodes for Sweat Sodium Monitoring

Abstract Electrolyte balance plays a fundamental role in maintaining physiological homeostasis, as ionic fluctuations regulate cellular excitability, osmotic gradients, and neuromuscular signaling. Among electrolytes, sodium (Na+) is a critical biomarker for hydration status and...

Bioengineered microtissue model of the human nigrostriatal pathway featuring centimeter-scale axon tracts and structural maturation over 6 months in vitro

The basal ganglia (BG) comprise a critical neural system involved in voluntary motor coordination and balance. While small animal models have been useful to improve our basic understanding of the development and function of neural systems, they are relatively low-throughput, lack...

Trends in trajectories and incidence of functional impairment in middle-aged Americans

The prevalence of functional impairment (i.e., difficulty performing daily activities such as bathing and dressing) has increased among middle-aged Americans, but longitudinal data are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine trajectories of functional status and incid...

Radiology considerations for the PREMIUM study: a multicenter randomized controlled trial of abbreviated MRI versus ultrasound for liver cancer screening in cirrhosis

Abstract This paper describes the rationale and radiology considerations in the implementation of the Preventing Liver Cancer Mortality through Imaging with Ultrasound versus MRI (PREMIUM) study. PREMIUM is a multicenter, randomized controlled trial sponsored by the Department of...

Impact of Highly Effective Modulator Therapy on Olfactory‐Specific Gene Expression in People With Cystic Fibrosis

ABSTRACT Background Chronic rhinosinusitis is common in people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF). Highly effective modulator therapy (HEMT) has been shown to improve sinonasal outcomes. However, prior studies failed to show improvement in objective olfaction with HEMT, and the impact o...

Total-body [11C]carfentanil PET: Liver-brain axis in methadone vs. buprenorphine treatment

Abstract Purpose To examine the relationship between brain mu opioid receptor (MOR) availability and liver activity in opioid use disorder (OUD) patients treated with methadone (MET) or buprenorphine (BUP). Methods 10 OUD patients, 5 treated with MET and 5 with BUP, as well as 13...