IMPORTANCEPatients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can choose open repair or endovascular repair (EVAR). While EVAR is less invasive, it requires lifelong surveillance and more frequent aneurysm-related reinterventions than open repair. A decision aid may help patients receive their preferred type of AAA repair.OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a decision aid on agreement between patient preference for AAA repair type and the repair type they receive. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSIn this cluster randomized trial, 235 patients were randomized at 22 VA vascular surgery clinics. All patients had AAAs greater than 5.0 cm in diameter and were candidates for both open repair and EVAR.

Aims: The abdominal region is the most common location for continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor insertion. However, a paucity of post-marketing data is available to demonstrate intra-individual consistency of CGM readings at different abdominal insertion sites. Methods: Healthy adults (fasting glucose (FG) < 5.5 mmol/L; BMI < 30 kg/m2) were recruited and a CGM sensor was placed on each side of the abdomen. Postprandial and continuous 48-h interstitial glucose levels were analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in the 3-h postprandial glucose (PPG) level derived from the left versus right CGM, which remained non-significant after adjusting for waist circumference or FG. Among the glucose levels recorded over 48-h, values on the left site were greater in 3.6% of the data points (p < 0.05). After adjusting for waist circumference, only 0.5% of the glucose values remained significantly greater on the left (p < 0.05). When adjusted for FG, similar results were observed. For both PPG and 48-h readings, the mean absolute relative difference was not significant between the two abdominal sites. Conclusions: CGM-derived glucose measures were highly consistent between the left and right abdomen during both the postprandial and post-absorptive periods.

Background Human muscle biopsies are increasingly important for diagnosis, research, and to monitor therapeutic trials. We examined the use of a self-contained, vacuum-assisted biopsy system and a novel muscle freezing technique to improve, simplify, and standardize human muscle biopsy collection and cryopreservation in older adults. Methods The Vacora vacuum-assisted biopsy system was deployed in muscle biopsies of 12 individuals ranging in age from 57 to 80 years. This office-based approach was well tolerated as it is minimally invasive, uses only local anesthetic, and has a quick recovery. To maximize biopsy sample quality and reproducibility, we developed a novel muscle sample freezing protocol. Fresh human and mouse muscle biopsy samples were placed into readily available tissue cassettes followed by direct freezing in liquid nitrogen. After this modified snap freezing protocol, frozen muscle samples were enrobed in OCT for cryosectioning. We examined the effect of this freezing approach in histological sections of rodent and human muscle samples. ResultsThe Vacora Biopsy System provided as many as four skeletal muscle core samples from a single biopsy site. Biopsy samples from 12 older adults weighed an average of 147.5 ± 11 mg each and had a consistent size and shape. There were no complications, and the residual scar is less than 1cm. The freezing method using standard tissue cassettes with direct freezing in liquid nitrogen yielded high quality cryopreserved muscle tissue suitable for histological analysis without the need for isopentane and with little to no freeze-thaw damage. Conclusions These enhancements have streamlined and improved the consistency of our muscle biopsy protocol and provide sufficient high-quality sample for multi-dimensional downstream studies of human muscle in aging and disease.

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Community Engagement Advisory Boards (CEAB) serve as a vital resource for engaging and partnering with communities in research. The purpose of this project is to describe the perspectives of members of a long-standing CEAB in providing input and promoting research that aligns with the needs, experiences, and concerns of the communities they represent METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Three 90-minute focus groups were conducted with a subset of a CEAB(n=17)(M years spent with CEAB =7.3) affiliated with the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Members areas of expertise include perspectives from faith-based organizations, community organizing, public health and working with diverse populations. Transcribed audio recordings of the focus groups were coded using thematic analysis wherein two authors coded independently, followed by audited discussion and final consensus codes. Main themes were identified after reviewing final codes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CEAB members described the bi-directional nature of their role serving as a conduit between research institutions and their communities, identified strategies to promote research literacy in communities, called for researchers to take a proactive approach in forming and sustaining community partnerships, and helped identify opportunities to promote community engagement in more creative and feasible ways. Additionally, CEAB members identified perceived opportunities for the board as a whole to be more involved in Chicago communities to further their role as a liaison between the university and the community. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings may have implications for investigators to better address community priorities in research by understanding unique local realities as well as help other CTSA hubs’ to leverage their communities’ expertise.