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In spring 2020, US universities were forced to transition to online learning and libraries were challenged to continue supporting their campuses in a completely online environment. The Liaison Services Department at the University of Houston first took a collaborative approach to this challenge, gathering ideas and suggestions into a best practices document for online outreach. Second, members investigated a variety of tools as they worked remotely, ultimately selecting tools to successfully support the university community via online outreach. This article describes a case study covering the process of creating best practices and investigating communications tools, which could be useful for academic libraries seeking new ways to do outreach in a constantly changing environment.

Covid-19 led to a dramatic change in the academic library work environment, with many workers shifting to a hybrid work schedule once they returned to in person work. The authors describe the impact of this schedule shift through the novel use of the socio-ecological model. The socio-ecological model looks at the impact of choices through varying circles or levels. The authors discuss the individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels of impact that the switch to hybrid work had within their context and discuss their role as unit leaders and the decisions made to address these varying impacts.

BackgroundPatient-provider communication is critical for engaging and retaining people living with HIV in care, especially among medically case-managed patients in need of service coordination and adherence support. Expanding patient-provider communication channels to include mobile health modalities, such as text messaging and video calling, has the potential to facilitate communication and ultimately improve clinical outcomes. However, the implementation of these communication modalities in clinical settings has not been well characterized. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to understand patient and provider perspectives on the acceptability of and preferences for using text messaging and video calling as a means of communication; perceived factors relevant to adoption, appropriateness, and feasibility; and organizational perspectives on implementation within an HIV clinic in South Carolina. MethodsWe conducted 26 semistructured in-depth interviews among patients receiving case management services (n=12) and clinic providers (n=14) using interview guides and content analysis informed by the Proctor taxonomy of implementation outcomes and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Participants were purposefully sampled to obtain maximum variation in terms of age and gender for patients and clinic roles for providers. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative content analyses. ResultsMost patients (11/12, 92%) and providers (12/14, 86%) agreed that they should have the capacity to text message and/or video call each other. Although consensus was not reached, most preferred using a secure messaging app rather than standard text messaging because of the enhanced security features. Perceived benefits to adoption included the added convenience of text messaging, and potential barriers included the cost and access of smartphone-based technology for patients. From an organizational perspective, some providers were concerned that offering text messaging could lead to unreasonable expectations of instant access and increased workload. ConclusionsPatients and providers perceived text messaging and video calling as acceptable, appropriate, and feasible and felt that these expanded modes of communication could help meet patients’ needs while being safe and not excessively burdensome. Although patients and providers mostly agreed on implementation barriers and facilitators, several differences emerged. Taking both perspectives into account when using implementation frameworks is critical for expanding mobile health–based communication, especially as implementation requires active participation from providers and patients.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to perform important regulatory functions in lipid metabolism. Large-scale whole-genome sequencing (WGS) studies and new statistical methods for variant set tests now provide an opportunity to assess more associations between rare variants in lncRNA genes and complex traits across the genome. In this study, we used high-coverage WGS from 66,329 participants of diverse ancestries with measurement of blood lipids and lipoproteins (LDL-C, HDL-C, TC, and TG) in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program to investigate the role of lncRNAs in lipid variability. We aggregated rare variants for 165,375 lncRNA genes based on their genomic locations and conducted rare-variant aggregate association tests using the STAAR (variant-set test for association using annotation information) framework. We performed STAAR conditional analysis adjusting for common variants in known lipid GWAS loci and rare-coding variants in nearby protein-coding genes. Our analyses revealed 83 rare lncRNA variant sets significantly associated with blood lipid levels, all of which were located in known lipid GWAS loci (in a ±500-kb window of a Global Lipids Genetics Consortium index variant). Notably, 61 out of 83 signals (73%) were conditionally independent of common regulatory variation and rare protein-coding variation at the same loci. We replicated 34 out of 61 (56%) conditionally independent associations using the independent UK Biobank WGS data. Our results expand the genetic architecture of blood lipids to rare variants in lncRNAs.

BACKGROUND: Long-term data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in female carriers of the transthyretin (TTR) V122I (pV142I) variant, one of the most common variants of hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, are sparse and the effects of blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, and physical activity on CVD outcomes remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to first examine the relationship of TTR V122I (pV142I) carrier status with CVD and mortality and second to investigate the effects of blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, and physical activity in a large cohort of postmenopausal women. METHODS: The study population consisted of 9,862 non-Hispanic Black/African American women, 9,529 noncarriers and 333 TTR V122I carriers, enrolled in the Womens Health Initiative at 40 centers in the United States. Women were generally healthy and postmenopausal at the time of enrollment (1993-1998). CVD was defined as a composite endpoint consisting of coronary heart disease, stroke, acute heart failure or CVD death, and all-cause mortality. CVD cases were based on self-reported annual mailed health updates. All information was centrally adjudicated by trained physicians. HRs and 95% CIs were obtained from adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Among 9,862 Black female participants (mean age: 62 years [IQR: 56-67 years]), the population frequency of the TTR V122I variant was 3.4% (333 variant carriers and 9,529 noncarriers). During a mean follow-up of 16.1 years (IQR: 9.7-22.2 years), incident CVD occurred in 2,229 noncarriers and 96 carriers, whereas 2,689 noncarriers and 108 carriers died. In adjusted models including demographic, lifestyle, and medical history covariates, TTR V122I carriers were at higher risk of the composite endpoint CVD (HR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.22-1.88), acute heart failure (HR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.53-3.18), coronary heart disease (HR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.30-2.47), CVD death (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.26-2.30), and all-cause mortality (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.04-1.56). The authors found a significant interaction by age but not by blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, or physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Black female TTR V122I (pV142I) carriers have a higher CVD and all-cause mortality risk compared to noncarriers. In case of clinical suspicion of amyloidosis, they should be screened for TTR V122I (pV142I) carrier status to ensure early treatment onset.

PurposeAccurate and understandable information after genetic testing is critical for patients, family members, and professionals alike.MethodsAs part of a cross-site study from the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research consortium, we investigated the information-seeking practices among patients and family members at 5 to 7 months after genetic testing results disclosure, assessing the perceived utility of a variety of information sources, such as family and friends, health care providers, support groups, and the internet.ResultsWe found that individuals placed a high value on information obtained from genetics professionals and health care workers, independent of genetic testing result case classifications as positive, inconclusive, or negative. The internet was also highly utilized and ranked. Study participants rated some information sources as more useful for positive results compared with inconclusive or negative outcomes, emphasizing that it may be difficult to identify helpful information for individuals receiving an uncertain or negative result. There were few data from non-English speakers, highlighting the need to develop strategies to reach this population.ConclusionOur study emphasizes the need for clinicians to provide accurate and comprehensible information to individuals from diverse populations after genetic testing.

While biomarkers have been proposed to identify individuals at risk for radiation-induced cardiovascular disease (RICVD), little is known about long-term associations with cardiac events. We examined associations of biomarkers of oxidative stress (myeloperoxidase, growth differentiation factor-15, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine [8-OH-dG], placental growth factor), cardiac injury (troponin I, cystatin-C), inflammation (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein), and myocardial fibrosis (transforming growth factor-ß) with long-term RICVD in breast cancer (BC) survivors. We conducted a nested case-control study within the Womens Health Initiative of postmenopausal women with incident BC stages I-III, who received radiation and had pre- and post-BC diagnosis serum samples. Cases (n = 55) were defined as developing incident, physician-adjudicated myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease death, other CVD death, heart failure, or stroke after BC. Cases were matched to three controls (n = 158). After adjustment, a higher 8-OH-dG ratio was significantly associated with an elevated long-term risk of RICVD, suggesting oxidative DNA damage may be a putative pathway for RICVD.

BACKGROUND: The absence of consensus for outcomes in pediatric antibiotic trials is a major barrier to research harmonization and clinical translation. We sought to develop expert consensus on study outcomes for clinical trials of children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: Applying the Delphi method, a multispecialty expert panel ranked the importance of various components of clinical response and treatment failure outcomes in children with mild CAP for use in research. During Round 1, panelists suggested additional outcomes in open-ended responses that were added to subsequent rounds of consensus building. For Rounds 2 and 3, panelists were provided their own prior responses and summary statistics for each item in the previous round. The consensus was defined by >70% agreement. RESULTS: The expert panel determined that response to and failure of treatment should be addressed at a median of 3 days after initiation. Complete or substantial improvement in fever, work of breathing, dyspnea, tachypnea when afebrile, oral intake, and activity should be included as components of adequate clinical response outcomes. Clinical signs and symptoms including persistent or worsening fever, work of breathing, and reduced oral intake should be included in treatment failure outcomes. Interventions including receipt of parenteral fluids, supplemental oxygen, need for high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, and change in prescription of antibiotics should also be considered in treatment failure outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical response and treatment failure outcomes determined by the consensus of this multidisciplinary expert panel can be used for pediatric CAP studies to provide objective data translatable to clinical practice.

Most transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs) so far focus on European ancestry and lack diversity. To overcome this limitation, we aggregated genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, whole-genome sequences and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data from diverse ancestries. We developed a new approach, TESLA (multi-ancestry integrative study using an optimal linear combination of association statistics), to integrate an eQTL dataset with a multi-ancestry GWAS. By exploiting shared phenotypic effects between ancestries and accommodating potential effect heterogeneities, TESLA improves power over other TWAS methods. When applied to tobacco use phenotypes, TESLA identified 273 new genes, up to 55% more compared with alternative TWAS methods. These hits and subsequent fine mapping using TESLA point to target genes with biological relevance. In silico drug-repurposing analyses highlight several drugs with known efficacy, including dextromethorphan and galantamine, and new drugs such as muscle relaxants that may be repurposed for treating nicotine addiction.

Meta-analysis of whole genome sequencing/whole exome sequencing (WGS/WES) studies provides an attractive solution to the problem of collecting large sample sizes for discovering rare variants associated with complex phenotypes. Existing rare variant meta-analysis approaches are not scalable to biobank-scale WGS data. Here we present MetaSTAAR, a powerful and resource-efficient rare variant meta-analysis framework for large-scale WGS/WES studies. MetaSTAAR accounts for relatedness and population structure, can analyze both quantitative and dichotomous traits and boosts the power of rare variant tests by incorporating multiple variant functional annotations. Through meta-analysis of four lipid traits in 30,138 ancestrally diverse samples from 14 studies of the Trans Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, we show that MetaSTAAR performs rare variant meta-analysis at scale and produces results comparable to using pooled data. Additionally, we identified several conditionally significant rare variant associations with lipid traits. We further demonstrate that MetaSTAAR is scalable to biobank-scale cohorts through meta-analysis of TOPMed WGS data and UK Biobank WES data of ~200,000 samples.

Large-scale whole-genome sequencing studies have enabled analysis of noncoding rare-variant (RV) associations with complex human diseases and traits. Variant-set analysis is a powerful approach to study RV association. However, existing methods have limited ability in analyzing the noncoding genome. We propose a computationally efficient and robust noncoding RV association detection framework, STAARpipeline, to automatically annotate a whole-genome sequencing study and perform flexible noncoding RV association analysis, including gene-centric analysis and fixed window-based and dynamic window-based non-gene-centric analysis by incorporating variant functional annotations. In gene-centric analysis, STAARpipeline uses STAAR to group noncoding variants based on functional categories of genes and incorporate multiple functional annotations. In non-gene-centric analysis, STAARpipeline uses SCANG-STAAR to incorporate dynamic window sizes and multiple functional annotations. We apply STAARpipeline to identify noncoding RV sets associated with four lipid traits in 21,015 discovery samples from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program and replicate several of them in an additional 9,123 TOPMed samples. We also analyze five non-lipid TOPMed traits.

BackgroundWhile large genome-wide association studies have identified nearly one thousand loci associated with variation in blood pressure, rare variant identification is still a challenge. In family-based cohorts, genome-wide linkage scans have been successful in identifying rare genetic variants for blood pressure. This study aims to identify low frequency and rare genetic variants within previously reported linkage regions on chromosomes 1 and 19 in African American families from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Genetic association analyses weighted by linkage evidence were completed with whole genome sequencing data within and across TOPMed ancestral groups consisting of 60,388 individuals of European, African, East Asian, Hispanic, and Samoan ancestries.ResultsAssociations of low frequency and rare variants in RCN3 and multiple other genes were observed for blood pressure traits in TOPMed samples. The association of low frequency and rare coding variants in RCN3 was further replicated in UK Biobank samples (N = 403,522), and reached genome-wide significance for diastolic blood pressure (p = 2.01 × 10- 7).ConclusionsLow frequency and rare variants in RCN3 contributes blood pressure variation. This study demonstrates that focusing association analyses in linkage regions greatly reduces multiple-testing burden and improves power to identify novel rare variants associated with blood pressure traits.

Common genetic variants explain less variation in complex phenotypes than inferred from family-based studies, and there is a debate on the source of this 'missing heritability'. We investigated the contribution of rare genetic variants to tobacco use with whole-genome sequences from up to 26,257 unrelated individuals of European ancestries and 11,743 individuals of African ancestries. Across four smoking traits, single-nucleotide-polymorphism-based heritability ([Formula: see text]) was estimated from 0.13 to 0.28 (s.e., 0.10-0.13) in European ancestries, with 35-74% of it attributable to rare variants with minor allele frequencies between 0.01% and 1%. These heritability estimates are 1.5-4 times higher than past estimates based on common variants alone and accounted for 60% to 100% of our pedigree-based estimates of narrow-sense heritability ([Formula: see text], 0.18-0.34). In the African ancestry samples, [Formula: see text] was estimated from 0.03 to 0.33 (s.e., 0.09-0.14) across the four smoking traits. These results suggest that rare variants are important contributors to the heritability of smoking.

PURPOSE: Studies examining biomarkers associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors treated with radiation are limited. Therefore, we examined the longitudinal association between serum biomarkers and post-breast cancer fatigue in survivors treated with radiation: [oxidative stress] 8-hydroxyguanosine, myeloperoxidase; [inflammation] interleukin-6 (IL-6), c-reactive protein, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), placental growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, [cardiac damage] cystatin-C, troponin-I. METHODS: In a secondary analysis, we included participants from the Womens Health Initiative if they had: a previous breast cancer diagnosis (stages I-III), no prior cardiovascular diseases, pre-and post-breast cancer serum samples drawn approximately 3 years apart, and fatigue measured using the Short-Form 36 vitality subscale at both serum collections. Biomarkers were measured using ELISA or RT-qPCR and modeled as the log2 post-to pre-breast cancer ratio. RESULTS: Overall, 180 women with a mean (SD) age of 67.0 (5.5) years were included. The mean (SD) vitality scores were 66.2 (17.2) and 59.7 (19.7) pre- and post-breast cancer, respectively. Using multivariable weighted linear regression, higher biomarker ratios of cystatin-C, IL-6, and GDF-15 were associated with a lower vitality score (i.e., higher fatigue). For example, for each 2-fold difference in cystatin-C biomarker ratio, the vitality score was lower by 7.31 points (95% CI: -14.2, -0.45). CONCLUSION: Inflammatory and cardiac damage biomarkers are associated with fatigue in breast cancer survivors treated with radiation; however, these findings should be replicated in a larger sample. Biomarkers could be measured in clinical practice or assessed in risk prediction models to help identify patients at high risk for fatigue.

BackgroundThe availability of whole-genome sequencing data in large studies has enabled the assessment of coding and noncoding variants across the allele frequency spectrum for their associations with blood pressure.MethodsWe conducted a multiancestry whole-genome sequencing analysis of blood pressure among 51 456 Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine and Centers for Common Disease Genomics program participants (stage-1). Stage-2 analyses leveraged array data from UK Biobank (N=383 145), Million Veteran Program (N=318 891), and Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (N=10 643) participants, along with whole-exome sequencing data from UK Biobank (N=199 631) participants.ResultsTwo blood pressure signals achieved genome-wide significance in meta-analyses of stage-1 and stage-2 single variant findings (P

This descriptive survey study aimed to investigate the professional experiences of music educators teaching at charter schools in the United States. In the spring of 2020, a total of 113 charter school music teachers across six states responded to an online questionnaire soliciting information regarding their licensure status, background and training, details of their teaching assignment, and reasons for accepting a teaching position in the charter school setting. At the time of data collection, approximately two thirds of participants held an active music teaching license. Others either held licensure in other content areas or held no active teaching license at all. Among study participants, approximately one third left positions at traditional public schools to teach music in the charter school system, citing the appeal of curricular autonomy and job flexibility. The discussion includes considerations for music teacher preparation programs.