Biomedical Research Groups Research Articles

A Ride on The Current State of Silver Nanoparticles in Health: What is The Next Stop?

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known for their broad scientific and technological applications, among which those related to their bioactivity stand out the most. Its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antifouling, and biosorption properties have been widely studied and analyzed. Furthermore, numerous strategies are being investigated to overcome the main limitation of AgNPs, their cytotoxicity, such as the development of green chemistry synthesis methods using plant extracts or the use of support materials for controlled release of nanoparticles. However, the methodologies currently used in this line of research limit these nanomaterials from eventually being used in the clinic. It is necessary to implement animal models and interdisciplinary collaboration with biomedical research groups to develop therapies based on AgNPs that may be able to have an impact on the health of patients.

Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lecture. Age and sex differences in the limits of human performance: fatigability and real-world data.

High-level athletic performances may be a proxy for the trajectory of optimal function of human biology with advanced aging and the differences between males and females. Males are faster, stronger, and more powerful than females and these physical attributes decline dramatically with advanced aging for both sexes. Experimental mechanistic studies determine the physiological mechanisms for these sex and age differences in human physical performance. The assumption however, that real-world performances solely reflect the biological and physiological differences between the sexes and with advanced aging, even among elite athletes, is not complete. This review presents evidence that an integrated approach encompassing analysis of real-world data and experimental mechanistic studies is necessary to determine the biological and sociocultural factors attributed to the limits of performance with aging and between males and females. First, experimental studies are presented that focus on the sex and age differences in performance fatigability that determine the physiological mechanisms of absolute and relative exercise performance. Second, analysis of current and historical real-world data including world records, and performances of elite, collegiate, and competitive age-group athletes are highlighted. These data illustrate that the upper limits of physical performance that have changed historically, and other factors such as sociocultural influences, explain the widening of the sex and age gaps in human performance observed in real-world data even in present-day performances. These approaches have broader significance when applied to understanding the impact of the historically low representation of females and minority groups in biomedical research on health outcomes.

Modeling the impact of digital readiness in recruiting and sustaining underrepresented groups: Data from the All of Us research program.

The All of Us Research Program (All of Us or Program) is an ongoing longitudinal data collection operated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Program aims to improve healthcare for all through the development of a biomedical research resource reflective of the diversity of the United States that includes Underrepresented in Biomedical Research (UBR) groups. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are a key recruitment stream of UBR participants, which are community based and provide primary care and preventive services in medically underserved areas. Over 90% of FQHC patients enrolled in All of Us to date are UBR. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pause in All of Us activities. Re-starting the activities was a challenge, especially due to the digital divide faced by FQHC participants, and that most Program activities are primarily completed via web-based portal from a computer or a mobile device. This paper investigates the extent to which digital readiness impacted recruitment and sustainment of a pre-pandemic sample of 2,791 FQHC participants to the Program. Digital readiness was defined by access to home-based or other internet-accessing devices, and participants' comfort level using such devices. Results from multivariable logistic regression models showed that lower age, more education, female gender identity, and higher income were associated with higher digital readiness (p ≤ 0.01). Race, rurality, and sexual orientation status were not significant factors associated with digital readiness. Older participants had higher odds of completing Program activities, even though less digitally ready than their younger peers, as they often completed the activities during their in-person clinical visits. A subsequent weighted model demonstrated that FQHC participants who were digitally ready had 27% higher odds of completing Program activities than those not digitally ready. The data highlight the need for improved connectivity and sustainment between longitudinal data collection, research programs, and UBR participants, particularly among those facing the digital divide. Quantifying digital challenges provide operational insights for longitudinal data collection (All of Us, or others), and broadly, other aspects of digital medicine such as telehealth or patient portals by recognizing digital readiness of participants and patients, and the level of support required for success.

Evolution of a System to Monitor Infant Neuromotor Development in the Home: Lessons from COVID-19

In the nine months leading up to COVID-19, our biomedical engineering research group was in the very early stages of development and in-home testing of HUGS, the Hand Use and Grasp Sensor (HUGS) system. HUGS was conceived as a tool to allay parents' anxiety by empowering them to monitor their infants' neuromotor development at home. System focus was on the evolving patterns of hand grasp and general upper extremity movement, over time, in the naturalistic environment of the home, through analysis of data captured from force-sensor-embedded toys and 3D video as the baby played. By the end of March, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated and global lockdown ensued, home visits were no longer possible and HUGS system testing ground to an abrupt halt. In the spring of 2021, still under lockdown, we were able to resume recruitment and in-home testing with HUGS-2, a system whose key requirement was that it be contactless. Participating families managed the set up and use of HUGS-2, supported by a detailed library of video materials and virtual interaction with the HUGS team for training and troubleshooting over Zoom. Like the positive/negative poles of experience reported by new parents under the isolation mandated to combat the pandemic, HUGS research was both impeded and accelerated by having to rely solely on distance interactions to support parents, troubleshoot equipment, and securely transmit data. The objective of this current report is to chronicle the evolution of HUGS. We describe a system whose design and development straddle the pre- and post-pandemic worlds of family-centered health technology design. We identify and classify the clinical approaches to infant screening that predominated in the pre-COVID-19 milieu and describe how these procedural frameworks relate to the family-centered conceptualization of HUGS. We describe how working exclusively through the proxy of parents revealed the family's priorities and goals for child interaction and surfaced HUGS design shortcomings that were not evident in researcher-managed, in-home testing prior to the pandemic.

Implantable Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Cardiovascular Healthcare.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have gained significant traction in recent years in the bioengineering community. With the potential for expansive applications for biomedical use, many individuals and research groups have furthered their studies on the topic, in order to gain an understanding of how TENGs can contribute to healthcare. More specifically, there have been a number of recent studies focusing on implantable triboelectric nanogenerators (I-TENGs) toward self-powered cardiac systems healthcare. In this review, the progression of implantable TENGs for self-powered cardiovascular healthcare, including self-powered cardiac monitoring devices, self-powered therapeutic devices, and power sources for cardiac pacemakers, will be systematically reviewed. Long-term expectations of these implantable TENG devices through their biocompatibility and other utilization strategies will also be discussed.

Development and Validation of the Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness Scale to Measure Trust Among Minoritized Racial and Ethnic Groups in Biomedical Research in the US

Historically, trust in biomedical research has been lower among minoritized racial and ethnic groups who are underrepresented in and excluded from research, with the same groups experiencing worse health outcomes. Unfortunately, instruments that measure trust may not capture components of trust relevant to minoritized racial and ethnic groups. To develop and validate a scale to measure trust in biomedical research among minoritized racial and ethnic groups. This cross-sectional, community-based survey study compared trust and distrust in biomedical research among Black, Latino, and White subgroups in the US using the Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness (PoRT) scale. The scale was developed between March 22, 2016, and September 19, 2018, as part of this study, and its structure, reliability, and validity were examined during pilot (n = 381) and validation (n = 532) phases between February 4, 2019, and July 27, 2021. Convenience samples of adult participants (aged ≥18 years) were recruited locally (Nashville, Tennessee, and San Antonio, Texas) and nationally through the ResearchMatch and Cint online platforms. Overall and individual item Trust and Distrust subscale scores were compared. Overall Trust and Distrust scores were compared by race and ethnicity using a Kruskal-Wallis H test and individual item scores were compared using independent samples t test. Of the 532 participants in the scale validation study, 144 (27.1%) were Black, 90 (16.9%) were Latino, and 282 (53.0%) were White. Participants had a median age of 43 years (range, 18-90 years), 352 (66.2%) were women, and 198 (37.2%) had educational attainment levels less than a college degree. Factor analysis of the 18-item PoRT scale revealed a 2-factor structure with two 9-item PoRT subscales (Trust and Distrust), which demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.72 and 0.87, respectively). Mean (SD) Trust subscale scores were lower among Black (34.33 [2.02]) and Latino (34.55 [1.97]) participants compared with White participants (36.32 [1.81]; P < .001). Mean (SD) Distrust subscale scores were higher among Black (21.0 [2.15]) and Latino (20.53 [2.21]) participants compared with White participants (18.4 [2.03]; P < .001). Individual item results showed that Black and Latino participants were less trusting and more distrusting than White individuals on items related to risks, harms, secrecy, confidentiality, and privacy. These findings suggest that the PoRT scale incorporates trust and trustworthiness concepts relevant among Black and Latino individuals and may allow more precise assessment of trust in research among these groups.

An integrative web-based software tool for multi-dimensional pathology whole-slide image analytics

Objective. In the era of precision medicine, human tumor atlas-oriented studies have been significantly facilitated by high-resolution, multi-modal tissue based microscopic pathology image analytics. To better support such tissue-based investigations, we have developed Digital Pathology Laboratory (DPLab), a publicly available web-based platform, to assist biomedical research groups, non-technical end users, and clinicians for pathology whole-slide image visualization, annotation, analysis, and sharing via web browsers. Approach. A major advancement of this work is the easy-to-follow methods to reconstruct three-dimension (3D) tissue image volumes by registering two-dimension (2D) whole-slide pathology images of serial tissue sections stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The integration of these serial slides stained by different methods provides cellular phenotype and pathophysiologic states in the context of a 3D tissue micro-environment. DPLab is hosted on a publicly accessible server and connected to a backend computational cluster for intensive image analysis computations, with results visualized, downloaded, and shared via a web interface. Main results. Equipped with an analysis toolbox of numerous image processing algorithms, DPLab supports continued integration of community-contributed algorithms and presents an effective solution to improve the accessibility and dissemination of image analysis algorithms by research communities. Significance. DPLab represents the first step in making next generation tissue investigation tools widely available to the research community, enabling and facilitating discovery of clinically relevant disease mechanisms in a digital 3D tissue space.

Dots-on-Plots: A Web Application to Analyze Stress-Strain Curves From Tensile Tests of Soft Tissue.

The calculation of tensile mechanical properties from stress-strain curves is a fundamental step in characterizing material behavior, yet no standardized method exists to perform these calculations for soft tissue. To address this deficiency, we developed a free web application called Dots-on-Plots2 that fully automates the calculation of tensile mechanical properties from stress-strain curves. The analyzed mechanical properties include the strength, strain, and energy at four points of interest (transition, yield, ultimate, and rupture), and the linear modulus. Users of Dots-on-Plots can upload multiple files, view and download results, and adjust threshold settings. This study determined a threshold setting that minimized error when calculating the transition point, where the stress-strain curve "transitions" from a nonlinear "toe" region to a linear region. Using the optimal threshold (2% stress deviation from a linear region fit), Dots-on-Plots calculated the transition strains from twenty tensile experiments of human meniscus to be 0.049 ± 0.007, which nearly matched the known transition strain values of 0.050 ± 0.006 (determined using finite element parameter optimization). The sensitivity of the calculated transition strain to the shape of various stress-strain curves was analyzed using sets of model-generated synthetic data. This free web application offers a convenient and reliable tool to systematically enhance the speed, transparency, and consistency of mechanical analysis across biomedical research groups.

691 Psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy in diverse U.S. adult cohort: All of us research program

Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic immune-mediated skin condition with possible joint involvement. Few U.S.-based studies on PsO and psoriatic arthropathy (PsA) have prioritized recruiting diverse populations. Using the ongoing All of Us (AoU) Research Program, one of the largest databases with a sizeable proportion of participants from historically underrepresented groups in biomedical research, we conducted a preliminary cross-sectional analysis to estimate the burden of PsO and PsA across several demographic groups.

Serum Thyroid Hormones Pictures in Non Thyroidal Illness Syndrome and Circulating Leptin Concentration in Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Group of Bangladeshi Population

Background: Thyroid diseases and diabetes mellitus are common endocrine disorders and Euthyroid Sick Syndrome is very common in uncontrolled type2 Diabetes Mellitus. As of thyroid hormones; the catabolic hormone Leptin is thought be closely linked with Diabetes Mellitus and Euthyroid Sick Syndrome. Objective: To evaluate the thyroid hormone pictures in absence of clinical thyroid diseases among type2 diabetic subjects in a Bangladeshi population. To see the baseline serum leptin concentration in a group of Bangladeshi adult population and to document how the leptin is related to glycemic status and Sick Euthyroid syndrome in the setting of uncontrolled type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Method: This case and control study was carried out in the Endocrinology Department in collaboration with the Bio-Medical Research Group (BMRG), Research Division, Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (BIRDEM)), Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period of January 2000 to December 2002. A total of 100 type 2 diabetic subjects, 30-50 years of age, irrespective of glycemic status, duration of diabetes, Body Mass Index (BMI) and sex were recruited from the outpatient department (OPD) of BIRDEM hospital. Control subjects (n=30) were selected from friends and family of the patients within 5 years of age band without diabetes or impaired glucose regulation {Impaired Fasting Glycemia (IFG), Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)} determined according to American Diabetic Association (ADA) criteria [37] and having no clinical thyroid diseases or other evident systemic diseases documented on clinical evaluation. Results: It was observed that mean± SD of the thyroid hormone pictures in diabetic and control subjects were; TT3 (ngm/dl) {in controls (88.91±15.88) and in diabetic subjects (84.27±22.29)} was not statistically significant to each other (p=0.209). Mean±SD of TT4 (µgm/ dl) in control subjects was 8.32±1.64 and in the diabetic subjects was 9.26±1.44, which is almost similar in both the groups (p= 0.589). FT4: (pgm/ml) in control subjects was 2.60±0.54 and in diabetics was 2.53±1.72 (p= 0.830). FT4. (µgm/ dl) in control subjects was 1.43±0.22 and in diabetics subjects 1.36±0.25. (p 0.179). TSH (µlu/ml) in control subjects was 1.34±1.00 and in diabetic subjects 1.54±1.21 (p: 0.411). FT3; FT4 and TSH showed no significant difference between control and diabetic subjects. Thyroid hormones (TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4) and TSH were reanalyzed according to HbA1c and BMI category and showed no significant differences. But when the FPG and HbA1c goes beyond 12 mmol/l and 10% respectively there was more worsening thyroid hormone pictures in comparison to groups whose FPG and HbA1c were below 12mmol/l and 10%. It was also noticed that there was a tendency to develop lower thyroid hormone pictures and more deteriorating glycemic status in patient with low and normal BMI groups in comparison to higher BMI groups of patients. Insulin and leptin were found to have strong positive correlation with BMI and other indices of obesity. Serum leptin was also found to be positively correlated with FPG and HbA1c upto a certain limit, but HbA1c went beyond 10%; serum leptin concentration tended to be declined. Serum leptin and Insulin showed strong positive correlation to each other’s. Thyroid hormones and TSH were re-analyzed and its relationship to FPG, HbA1c, fasting serum Insulin and Leptin were explored. Fasting serum Insulin and Leptin showed no significant differences among the different thyroid hormones groups. Conclusion: Uncontrolled type2 diabetes mellitus is associated with alteration of thyroid hormone pictures particularly affecting TT3, FT3 and TSH. This biochemical feature is more evident if the BMI of the Diabetic subjects is low or within the normal range and also the more worsening the glycemic status, there were more deteriorating serum thyroid hormone pictures. Serum leptin was not found to have any relation with these changes.

BITNIS - Bridging the information gap before the web.

Before the modern internet and World Wide Web drastically simplified our access to scientific information, accessing the authoritative information of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) from outside the U.S. was for many very difficult. Compared to the totality of people with access to computers globally at the time, only a privileged group of biomedical researchers and practitioners could afford this access. The NLM was making great contributions developing products and collaborations to reduce the information gap for many underserved communities. This article describes a remarkable initiative started from the other end, underserved information users creating a solution to help the international community reach the NLM resources. Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D., the NLM Director and health informatics pioneer, believed in letting users guide the NLM down its path of service. The BITNIS project is a successful example of his leadership philosophy at a turning point in health informatics history.

To Evaluate the Association of Serum Adiponectin with Fasting and Postprandial Plasma Glucose and Fasting Lipids in Control, IGT and T2DM Subjects

Background: Association of adiponectin with insulin resistance occurs early in obesity development; however it remains unclear if this association is of further importance in prediabetes and early stages of type 2 diabetes and remains the same through all glucose intolerance development stages. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the association of dysglycemia and dyslipidemia with adiponectin in prediabetic subjects as well as in T2DM subjects. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate adiponectin level in subjects with pre-diabetes and to compare it with the levels in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and healthy (normal glucose tolerance) subjects. Method: It was an observational analytic study with a group compare design. The study was conducted in the Biomedical Research Group and Department of Biochemistry &amp; Cell Biology of the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka. This study was done during the period of July 2012 to June 2013. Results: Bivariate Spearman’s correlation analyses were performed for adiponectin with clinical, anthropometrical and other biochemical variables in the Control, IGT and T2DM groups. Postprandial glucose (p=0.023) and age (p=0.011) had a positive correlation with adiponectin in control subjects. A negative correlation was observed between adiponectin and BMI in IGT subjects (p=0.004). A positive correlation with adiponectin and serum HDL (p=0.03) and a negative correlation with serum LDL (p=0.03) were found in T2DM subjects. Conclusion: From our study we can conclude that, BMI has a negative association with adiponectin in IGT subjects. Serum LDL has a negative association and HDL has a positive association with adiponectin in IGT and T2DM subjects.

Association of Serum Adiponectin with Dysglycemia and Dyslipidemia in Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The association of low adiponectin concentration and type 2 diabetes is well studied but the association of adiponectin with prediabetes is still unresolved. Data from Bangladeshi population shows that both insulin secretory defect and insulin resistance are present in T2DM subjects, but the secretory defects seem to have a predominant role. In a search for the downward factors regulating the basic defects attention has also been focused to inflammatory markers and adipocytokines. Adiponectin is one of the major targets for such studies and few studies have already been conducted on the association of adiponectin with prediabetes in our population. Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate adiponectin level in subjects with pre-diabetes and to compare it with the levels in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and healthy (normal glucose tolerance) subjects. Method: It was an observational analytic study with a group compare design. The study was conducted in the Biomedical Research Group and Department of Biochemistry &amp; Cell Biology of the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM), Dhaka. This study was done during the period of July 2012 to June 2013. Results: IGT and Controls subjects were age and BMI matched. Mean (±SD) age of Control, IGT and T2DM subjects were 38.75±8.40, 42.71±7.65 and 44.61±7.00 years respectively. Age of T2DM subjects were higher compared to controls (p=0.022). Mean (SD) BMI of the Control, IGT and T2DM subjects were 20.53±2.43, 20.89±2.22 and 21.14±2.23 respectively. Conclusion: From our study we can conclude that, type 2 DM subjects have lower adiponectin level compared to controls. Prediabetic subjects do not have lower adiponectin level, but they have a lower adiponectin- glucose ratio compared to controls.

CIBERER: Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative.

CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low‐prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15‐year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research.

BITNIS - Bridging the Information Gap Before the Web.

Before the modern internet and World Wide Web drastically simplified our access to scientific information, accessing the authoritative information of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) from outside the U.S. was for many very difficult. Compared to the totality of people with access to computers globally at the time, only a privileged group of biomedical researchers and practitioners could afford this access. The NLM was making great contributions developing products and collaborations to reduce the information gap for many underserved communities. This article describes a remarkable initiative started from the other end, underserved information users creating a solution to help the international community reach the NLM resources. Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D., the NLM Director and health informatics pioneer, believed in letting users guide the NLM down its path of service. The BITNIS project is a successful example of his leadership philosophy at a turning point in health informatics history.

Hierarchical Classification of Event-Related Potentials for the Recognition of Gender Differences in the Attention Task.

Research on the functioning of human cognition has been a crucial problem studied for years. Electroencephalography (EEG) classification methods may serve as a precious tool for understanding the temporal dynamics of human brain activity, and the purpose of such an approach is to increase the statistical power of the differences between conditions that are too weak to be detected using standard EEG methods. Following that line of research, in this paper, we focus on recognizing gender differences in the functioning of the human brain in the attention task. For that purpose, we gathered, analyzed, and finally classified event-related potentials (ERPs). We propose a hierarchical approach, in which the electrophysiological signal preprocessing is combined with the classification method, enriched with a segmentation step, which creates a full line of electrophysiological signal classification during an attention task. This approach allowed us to detect differences between men and women in the P3 waveform, an ERP component related to attention, which were not observed using standard ERP analysis. The results provide evidence for the high effectiveness of the proposed method, which outperformed a traditional statistical analysis approach. This is a step towards understanding neuronal differences between men’s and women’s brains during cognition, aiming to reduce the misdiagnosis and adverse side effects in underrepresented women groups in health and biomedical research.

FLUOROURACIL-INDUCED PULMONARY TOXICITY PRESENTING AS DIFFUSE ALVEOLAR HEMORRHAGE

TOPIC: Diffuse Lung Disease TYPE: Fellow Case Reports INTRODUCTION: Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapy medication often used alone or in combination with other agents (e.g., FOLFOX regimen) to treat gastrointestinal malignancies. Adverse effects of 5-FU include pancytopenia, alopecia, cardiotoxicity, and gastrointestinal symptoms. We describe a rare case of pulmonary toxicity associated with 5-FU. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient is a 78-year-old female with a history of unresectable metastatic cholangiocarcinoma on maintenance FOLFOX chemotherapy without Oxaliplatin (discontinued due to peripheral neuropathy and thrombocytopenia) presented with acute onset of dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain five days after a 5-FU and Leucovorin infusion. On initial evaluation, a chest radiograph showed pulmonary infiltrates for which she was treated with oral Levofloxacin as an outpatient. Despite this, she had progressive worsening of dyspnea, prompting further evaluation. Blood work revealed normal WBC and platelet counts, mild anemia with hemoglobin 9.4 g/dL, and normal BNP and troponin levels. ECHO showed normal systolic function. She was noted to be hypoxemic, requiring supplemental oxygen necessitating hospitalization. Repeat Chest radiograph showed worsening left upper lobe and lingular infiltrates. Her oxygen requirements rapidly increased from 3-4 L/min via nasal cannula to 12L/min via Oxymask. Despite treatment with broad-spectrum IV antibiotics, her dyspnea and hypoxia persisted. CTA chest was then performed, revealing extensive bilateral infiltrates and reactive enlarged mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes with no evidence of pulmonary embolism. She had a negative infectious workup, including a COVID-19 PCR. She underwent diagnostic bronchoscopy, which showed no endobronchial lesions or secretions. Bronchoalveolar lavage of the right middle lobe with three serial aliquots obtained progressively bloody returns diagnosing diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). The procedure was complicated by worsening hypoxia, and the patient required emergent intubation and transferred to the critical care unit, where she was treated with pulse dose steroids for three days. She was extubated to supplemental O2 via NC within 24 hours of treatment. Further lab evaluation showed negative ANA, ANCA, Anti GBM antibodies, Anti-dsDNA, and normal C3, C4 levels. Cytology of BAL was negative for malignancy. Given negative infectious and autoimmune workup, the diagnosis of DAH due to 5-FU was made. Steroid dose was reduced to Prednisone 1mg/kg with slow taper with improvement in clinical status and oxygen requirements. DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of 5-FU related pulmonary toxicity is based on clinical suspicion upon exclusion of infection, autoimmune disease, heart failure, and cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS: 5-FU induced pulmonary toxicity presenting as DAH is a rare entity. Prompt diagnosis can lead to early drug cessation and the use of high-dose steroids can improve patient outcomes. REFERENCE #1: Fernandez, L., Dominguez, A., Martinez, W., Sanabria, F., Leib, C. S., & Biomedical Research Group in Thorax. (2018). Pulmonary Toxicity Due to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) Manifested as Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage: Case Report. In D34. LUNG TRANSPLANT AND DRUG INDUCED LUNG DISEASE: CASE REPORTS (pp. A6577-A6577). American Thoracic Society. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Rajesh Kunadharaju, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Puja Mehta, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Ahmed Munir, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Vandana Pai, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Musa Saeed, source=Web Response

Microscopic examination of spatial transcriptome using Seq-Scope

Spatial barcoding technologies have the potential to reveal histological details of transcriptomic profiles; however, they are currently limited by their low resolution. Here, we report Seq-Scope, a spatial barcoding technology with a resolution comparable to an optical microscope. Seq-Scope is based on a solid-phase amplification of randomly barcoded single-molecule oligonucleotides using an Illumina sequencing platform. The resulting clusters annotated with spatial coordinates are processed to expose RNA-capture moiety. These RNA-capturing barcoded clusters define the pixels of Seq-Scope that are ∼0.5-0.8μm apart from each other. From tissue sections, Seq-Scope visualizes spatial transcriptome heterogeneity at multiple histological scales, including tissue zonation according to the portal-central (liver), crypt-surface (colon) and inflammation-fibrosis (injured liver) axes, cellular components including single-cell types and subtypes, and subcellular architectures of nucleus and cytoplasm. Seq-Scope is quick, straightforward, precise, and easy-to-implement and makes spatial single-cell analysis accessible to a wide group of biomedical researchers.

Abstract A087: Community Research Navigators (CRN): The bridge to increasing Latino participation in clinical research

Abstract The participation of underserved ethnic minorities in biomedical research is critical to achieving progress in health equity. Increasing ethnic minority including Latino accrual in biomedical research, including clinical trials, is a formidable challenge that requires improving participant trust and commitment and overcoming of barriers to participation. Latinos make up about 18% of the US population. Yet Latinos are not adequately targeted in research studies, currently constituting only 7.6% of NIH clinical trial participants and only about 2%-5% of participants in cancer clinical trials. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has recommended patient navigation as a research strategy that may be adapted to overcome ethnic minority biomedical research and clinical trial participation barriers. City of Hope has participated in training community research navigators (CRN) to increase diversity participation. These CRNs are trained to address gaps in knowledge, medical mistrust, access to participation, and engagement of under-represented groups in biomedical research. The research navigator draws from the patient navigation and promotora model and the community-engaged research approach. CRNs' curriculum include the importance of biomedical to disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; the value to group and family participation, Clinical Trials, HIPPA, human subject protection, ethics; patient-provider communication, cost and coverage, and family communication and decision making. In total, we trained and mentored a team of 30 CRNs from our community partner Pomona's Health Promoters for increased public education and Latino participation in research. CRNs were 25-74 years old, 97% female, 96% foreign-born, and 54% &amp;lt; high school education. Their pre- and post-test results showed an increase in willingness to participate in research (p &amp;lt; .005); increase in knowledge of the importance of biomedical including clinical research (p &amp;lt; .000); and an increase in confidence in improving community's attitude and knowledge about clinical research (p &amp;lt; .000). Our findings suggest that the CRN training is effective in improving appropriate knowledge and confidence to conduct community research navigation. This approach holds the promise of utility and applicability to address barriers to research enrollment and increase Latino biomedical research participation. Citation Format: Mayra Serrano, Marisela Garcia, Rick Kittles, Kimlin Tam Ashing. Community Research Navigators (CRN): The bridge to increasing Latino participation in clinical research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A087.

Methodology for Efficient and Biosecure Genetic Engineering of Biomedical Swine Models

The genetic proximity of swine to human, the overwhelming anatomical, physiological and pathophysiological similarities, and the ability to mimic external factors in a practical manner make swine the ideal preclinical model for many human diseases. While the value of swine in biomedical research is well recognized, their use has been limited by the lack of tools to easily edit the swine genome to model human disease, and the lack of facilities, resources and expertise at most institutions for supporting large‐scale swine research. The recent implementation of new genetic editing tools such as the CRISPR/Cas9 platform make the creation of novel genetic swine models possible and practical. However, conventional approaches to genetic engineering of swine rely on ova obtained from commercial abattoirs, significantly compromising biosecurity, and often offering little control over the background genetic of the swine breeds upon which the genomic editing is performed. Here, we describe methods and workflow that we have developed that allow for efficient genetic engineering of swine, while maintaining control over background genetics and minimizing the biosecurity risk to the animals and the facility. The process centrally relies on the refinement of reproductive cycle synchronization and superovulation of swine and time‐precise coordination of the entire genetic engineering workflow.Support or Funding InformationThe research was supported by the Biomedical &amp; Genomic Research Group Discretionary Fund (University of Wisconsin‐Madison), NF North Central, NF Network, and NF Team Foundation