Sets Definable Over Finite Fields: Their Zeta-Functions

Sets definable over finite fields are introduced. The rationality of the logarithmic derivative of their zeta-function is established, an application of purely algebraic content is given. The ingredients used are a result of Dwork on algebraic varieties over finite fields and model-theoretic tools

What is Translational Research?

Plenary Presentation: Overview of translational science, the application of discoveries generated by laboratory research and preclinical studies to the development of clinical trials and studies in humans

Pseudodefinite Fields, Procyclic Fields and Model-Completion

In this paper, it is shown that the theory of pseudofinite fields is, with respect to a suitable language, the model completion of the theory of procyclic fields. Also, procyclic fields are characterized as the class of relatively algebraically closed subfields of pseudofinite fields

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Research Design (BERD)

This seminar describes the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design component of the UMCCTS, including the Quantitative Methods Core (QMC). An overview of the new Department of Quantitative Health Sciences is also presented

Religiosity and Patient Engagement in their Healthcare Among Hospital Survivors of an Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Optimum management after an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) requires considerable patient engagement/activation. Religious practices permeate people\u27s lives and may influence engagement in their healthcare. Little is known about the relationship between religiosity and patient activation in hospital survivors of an ACS. Methods: We recruited patients hospitalized for an ACS at six medical centers in Central Massachusetts and Georgia (2011-2013). Participants self-reported three measures of religiosity - strength and comfort from religion, making petition prayers, and awareness of intercessory prayers for health. Patient activation was assessed using the 6-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM-6). We categorized participants as either having low (levels 1 and 2) or high (levels 3 and 4) activation in examining the association between religiosity and patient activation while adjusting for sociodemographic, psychosocial, and clinical variables. Results: Patients (n=2,067) were on average, 61 years old, 34% were women, and 81% were non-Hispanic White. Approximately 85% reported deriving strength and comfort from religion, two-thirds prayed for their health, and 89% received intercessions for their health. Overall, 57.5% had low activation. Reports of a great deal (aOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.44-2.84), and little/some (aOR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.07-1.98) strength and comfort from religion were associated with high activation respectively, as was the receipt of intercessions (aOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.07-2.05). Praying for one\u27s health was associated with low activation (aOR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61-0.99). Conclusion and Clinical Practice Implications: Patient activation was associated with religiosity, suggesting that healthcare providers may use this knowledge to enhance patient engagement in their care

Navigating Black Aging: The Biological Consequences of Stress and Depression

OBJECTIVES: Black persons in the US are more likely to suffer from social inequality. Chronic stress caused by social inequality and racial discrimination results in weathering of the body that causes physiological dysregulation and biological age being higher than chronological age (accelerated aging). Depression has been linked to both racial discrimination and accelerated aging and accelerated aging has been demonstrated to be higher in Black than White persons, on average. However, we know little about accelerated aging across the life course in Black Americans. METHODS: We used mixed effects growth models to measure biological age acceleration, measured with cardiometabolic markers, over a 20-year period in Black participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA) who were aged 27 - 42 years at analytic baseline. We included an interaction between depressive symptoms and time to determine whether risk of depression was associated with a faster rate of biological aging. RESULTS: We found that the rate of biological aging increased over a 20-year span and that those at risk for depression had a faster rate of biological aging than those not at risk. We also found that various social factors were associated with biological age acceleration over time. DISCUSSION: Given the known association between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms, we provide a novel instance of the long-term effects of social inequality. Specifically, biological age acceleration, a marker of physiological dysregulation, is associated with time among Black persons and more strongly associated among those with depressive symptoms

Twenty-Five Year Secular Trends in Lipids and Modifiable Risk Factors in a Population-Based Biracial Cohort: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, 1985-2011

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional analyses suggest that total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) trends that had been declining are now reversing. We examined longitudinal data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study to examine secular trends in total cholesterol, LDL-c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and triglycerides over 25 years. We also assessed whether modifiable lifestyle factors (body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and lipid-lowering medications) are associated with these trends. METHODS AND RESULTS: CARDIA recruited 5115 black and white men and women ages 18 to 30 years from 4 US communities in 1985-1986, and re-examined them 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years later. Secular trends, modeled as age-matched time trends, were estimated using repeated-measures regression stratified on race and sex. Total cholesterol and LDL-c initially decreased approximately 5 to 8 mg/dL between visits before plateauing and moving toward adverse trends in all groups, except black women, by year 25. HDL-c showed an upward secular trend of 1 to 3 mg/dL between visits starting at year 15 in all groups; triglyceride trends were largely flat. Obesity and use of lipid-lowering medications, which both increased over follow-up, had strong independent, but opposite, associations with lipid trends over time. In aggregate, associations of modifiable lifestyle factors counterbalanced one another, minimally influencing secular trends. CONCLUSIONS: Over 25 years, initially favorable trends in total cholesterol and LDL-c have leveled off and may be reversing, persisting after control for modifiable risk factors. Factors such as dietary changes over 25 years and poor adherence to medications are candidates for additional investigation

Theme Trends and Knowledge Structure on Mobile Health Apps: Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND: Due to the widespread and unprecedented popularity of mobile phones, the use of digital medicine and mobile health apps has seen significant growth. Mobile health apps have tremendous potential for monitoring and treating diseases, improving patient care, and promoting health. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to explore research trends, coauthorship networks, and the research hot spots of mobile health app research. METHODS: Publications related to mobile health apps were retrieved and extracted from the Web of Science database with no language restrictions. Bibliographic Item Co-Occurrence Matrix Builder was employed to extract bibliographic information (publication year and journal source) and perform a descriptive analysis. We then used the VOSviewer (Leiden University) tool to construct and visualize the co-occurrence networks of researchers, research institutions, countries/regions, citations, and keywords. RESULTS: We retrieved 2802 research papers on mobile health apps published from 2000 to 2019. The number of annual publications increased over the past 19 years. JMIR mHealth and uHealth (323/2802, 11.53%), Journal of Medical Internet Research (106/2802, 3.78%), and JMIR Research Protocols (82/2802, 2.93%) were the most common journals for these publications. The United States (1186/2802, 42.33%), England (235/2802, 8.39%), Australia (215/2802, 7.67%), and Canada (112/2802, 4.00%) were the most productive countries of origin. The University of California San Francisco, the University of Washington, and the University of Toronto were the most productive institutions. As for the authors\u27 contributions, Schnall R, Kuhn E, Lopez-Coronado M, and Kim J were the most active researchers. The co-occurrence cluster analysis of the top 100 keywords forms 5 clusters: (1) the technology and system development of mobile health apps; (2) mobile health apps for mental health; (3) mobile health apps in telemedicine, chronic disease, and medication adherence management; (4) mobile health apps in health behavior and health promotion; and (5) mobile health apps in disease prevention via the internet. CONCLUSIONS: We summarize the recent advances in mobile health app research and shed light on their research frontier, trends, and hot topics through bibliometric analysis and network visualization. These findings may provide valuable guidance on future research directions and perspectives in this rapidly developing field

Patient- and Hospital-level Predictors of 30-day Readmission after Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Background: Readmissions following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are costly and may be partly due to poor care. A previous systematic review examined the literature through 2007. Since then, health policy has changed and additional articles examining predictors of readmission have appeared. We sought to conduct a systematic review of the literature after 2007 regarding socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and hospital level predictors of 30-day readmissions after acute coronary syndrome. Methods: A systematic search of the literature using Pubmed, OVID, ISI web of science, CINAHL, ACP and the Cochrane Library was conducted, including a quality assessment using Downs and Black criteria. Articles reporting on 30-day readmission rate and examining at least one patient-level predictor of readmission at 30 days were included; articles examining interventions to reduce readmissions were excluded. Results: Twenty-two studies were included in this review from which more than 60 predictors of 30-day readmission were identified. Age, co-morbidity, COPD, diabetes, hypertension and having had a previous AMI were all consistently associated with higher risk of readmission. However, no studies reported psychosocial factors as predictors of readmission at 30 days. Conclusion: Studies of readmission should adjust for age and co-morbidity, consistent predictors of readmission at 30-days. Patients with these risk factors for readmission should be targeted for more-intensive follow-up after discharge. Psychosocial predictors of readmission remains a relatively unexplored area of research

The art and science of searching MEDLINE to answer clinical questions. Finding the right number of articles

The current medical environment makes information retrieval a matter of practical importance for clinicians. Many avenues present themselves to the clinician, but here we focus on MEDLINE by summarizing the current state of the art and providing an innovative approach for skill enhancement. Because new search engines appear rapidly, we focus on generic principles that can be easily adapted to various systems, even those not yet available. We propose an idealized classification system for the results of a MEDLINE search. Type A searches produce a few articles of high quality that are directly focused on the immediate question. Type B searches yield a large number of articles, some more relevant than others. Type C searches produce few or no articles, and those that are located are not germane. Providing that relevant, high-quality articles do exist, type B and C searches may often be improved with attention to search technique. Problems stem from poor recall and poor precision. The most daunting task lies in achieving the balance between too few and too many articles. By providing a theoretical framework and several practical examples, we prepare the searcher to overcome the following barriers: a) failure to begin with a well-built question; b) failure to use the Medical Subject Headings; c) failure to leverage the relationship between recall and precision; and d) failure to apply proper limits to the search. Thought and practice will increase the utility and enjoyment of searching MEDLINE