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Golden Eagle Predation Of Greater Sage-Grouse On Diamond Mountain Plateau, Victoria E. Thorpe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Predation and the perceived risk of predation can have major impacts on prey populations. Golden Eagles are considered one of the main predators of adult greater sage-grouse. Sage-grouse populations have been declining for decades throughout the West and wildlife managers are concerned about the impacts of golden eagles on sage-grouse. We investigated the nonconsumptive effects of golden eagles on sage-grouse by conducting observational surveys for golden eagles, sage-grouse, and other predators at sage-grouse lek sites near Vernal, Utah during the sage-grouse breeding season from 2022–2024. Additionally, we examined the prevalence of sage-grouse in golden eagle diet using DNA metabarcoding of …

Strategic Enhancement Of Biofuel Production Using Bacillus Subtilis As A Model Organism: A Dual Approach Of Gene Essentiality Mapping And Optimization, Angela A. Zebede

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With rising global demand for renewable energy, enhancing microbial platforms for biofuel production is vital. This study engineered Bacillus subtilis to improve resilience to solvent stress by targeting membrane lipid biosynthesis pathways essential for integrity. Growth curve analysis (OD₆₀₀) showed that phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) knockout strains grew significantly slower than wild type (168), indicating the importance of these lipids under stress. Laurdan fluorescence spectroscopy was used to assess membrane properties. Generalized polarization (GP) analysis revealed a concentration-dependent reduction in membrane order upon 1%–2% 1-butanol exposure. GP values declined progressively from control to 2% treatment, reflecting increased membrane fluidity …

Testing Microscopic Approaches For Cementochronology In The 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection, Portugal, Amando Luis Montalvo Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Age-at-death estimation is a key component to the creation of a biological profile in forensic anthropology. Acellular extrinsic fiber cementum annulations have been shown to correlate with chronological age. Cementochronology examines this correlation through the sum of the alternating translucent bands and opaque annuli, and the age of eruption of a tooth. While several microscopy techniques have been used, there is no consensus on the most optimal. This study will assess the reliability, precision and accuracy of three microscopy techniques: Brightfield (BF), Phase Contrast (PC) and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC). PC was the most reliable (rTEM= 10.4%), the most precise …

Neural Rrp6 Depletion Drives Circrna Accumulation And Motor Impairment In Drosophila Melanogaster Neurons, Joseph Serio

Honors Theses

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of ubiquitous eukaryotic RNAs created by back splicing. These noncoding RNAs can modulate gene expression and are implicated in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. To limit the contribution of circRNAs to aging and pathobiology, it is essential to understand how turnover of these molecules is regulated, as it is not clear which enzymes are chiefly responsible for degrading circRNAs in neurons. This study evaluates the roles of ribonucleases potentially involved in neural circRNA turnover using the model fly Drosophila melanogaster. A mifepristone-activated GAL4/UAS GeneSwitch expressed RNAi transgenes and inactivated the ribonucleases. Flies were evaluated on …

Taxonomy Of Endophytic Fungi Associated With Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Md. Arafat Rashid

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study presents the first comprehensive taxonomic and ecological investigation of endophytic fungi (EF) associated with the submerged aquatic macrophyte Vallisneria neotropicalis in the southern United States. Over a 12 month period, from April 2023 to March 2024, leaf samples were collected from two distinct sites in Mobile Bay, Alabama a disturbed, brackish Causeway location and a cleaner, less impacted site at Meaher State Park. Using culture dependent methods, a total of 257 fungal endophytes were isolated from 1,200 leaf segments. All isolates belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, distributed across 3 classes, 6 orders, 10 families, and 19 taxa. The …

Improved Model For Neurodegeneration In C. Elegans, Jean-Pierre Arditi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

During Alzheimer's disease (AD), insoluble amyloid beta (AP) peptides accumulate to form extracellular aggregates (plaques). The direct cause of neuronal dysfunction observed in AD has been broadly investigated. The amyloid hypothesis states that AP plaques are neurotoxic, but recent studies support the AP oligomer hypothesis, which states that intracellular AP (iAP) is neurotoxic. To test this hypothesis, I used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to generate two transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) strains. I generated a strain (RSLl 11) using the rab-3 promoter to co-express GFP in neurons, which showed no gross behavioral changes but had a 50% reduced egglaying rate. RSLl …

A Molecular Mechanism Of Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition (Emt): An Evidence Based Lesson Applying Molecular Biology Through The Lens Of Cancer, Sophie Hasson, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith

Open Educational Resources

This lesson aims to strengthen students’ critical thinking and molecular biology data analysis skills as well as their understanding of concepts related to the hallmark of cancer: tissue invasion and metastasis. Students begin by learning about the invasion of cancer cells, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), and an important protein involved in EMT: E-cadherin. They then apply molecular biology knowledge to analyze data from multiple papers to infer the relationship between Snail and E-cadherin in different types of cancers. Next, they continue to interpret data from many papers to determine that a repressor transcription factor is present during EMT in cancer cells …

Twim #222: Biosensors In Bacteria, Madison Hayes, Alexis Austin, Dillon Nguyen, Angela Wilson, Rebecca Seipelt-Thiemann

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Podcast annotation TWiM #222: Biosensors in Bacteria from the weekly podcast series "This Week in Microbiology" (TWiM), a podcast where experts in microbiology discuss academic papers in their field in an informal way.

Twim #243: Beef And Bacillus, Sakiem Winston, Madison Wolford, Rebecca Seipelt-Thiemann, Angela Wilson

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Podcast annotation TWiM #243: Beef and Bacillus from the weekly podcast series "This Week in Microbiology" (TWiM), a podcast where experts in microbiology discuss academic papers in their field in an informal way.

Twim #286: Integrons And Invasion, Andrea Ayala-Lopez, Brittney Heist,, Thomas Salazar, Rebecca Seipelt-Thiemann, Mel Melendrez-Vallard, Angela Wilson

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Podcast annotation TWiM #286: Integrons and Invasion from the weekly podcast series "This Week in Microbiology" (TWiM), a podcast where experts in microbiology discuss academic papers in their field in an informal way.

Interactions Between Black, Brown, Blue And Green Carbon From Terrestrial To Marine Ecosystems: A Critical Review, Allison White, Richard Kline, Md. Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Black and brown carbon are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. These light-absorbing aerosols influence climate by altering the radiative balance through the absorption and scattering of sunlight, exacerbating global climate change. Their subsequent deposition on terrestrial and marine environments affects surface albedo, snow and ice melt, and biogeochemical processes, leading to further environmental consequences. In contrast, green and blue carbon refer to carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems, respectively. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon; however, they are increasingly threatened by climatic disturbances, anthropogenic activities, …

Birds In Changing Landscapes: Community Diversity And Breeding Phenology, Lindsay Peria

Master's Theses

Humans are altering the environment in varied and widespread ways. Increasing urban and agricultural development causes changes to habitat and resource availability as well as changes to the sensory environment via light and noise pollution. Climate change also causes more extreme temperature anomalies, storms, and droughts that challenge birds in a multitude of ways. In this thesis, we assessed these impacts of these changes on a local and continental scale. In the first chapter, we assessed the impact of natural, anthropic, and structural characteristics of viticultural land on both taxonomic and structural avian diversity. Loss of habitat from agriculture is …

Associations Between Feed Efficiency And Feeding Behavior In Yearling Angus Bulls In A Competitive Environment, Amelia Katz

Master's Theses

Feed efficiency in beef cattle is a complex trait shaped by physiological, behavioral, and social factors that influence how animals access and utilize feed resources. This study examined feed efficiency classification and how it is influenced by feeding behavior, competitive interactions, and bunk approach patterns in yearling Angus bulls housed in a drylot over two years. Bulls were grouped into high and low feed efficiency categories using residual feed intake and feed conversion ratio within pen and year (n = 40 per year; n = 40 per treatment). Continuous electronic monitoring quantified feeder visitation, feeding duration, intake, and rate. A …

Serum Concentrations Of Inflammatory Markers And Selected Nutrient Metabolites In Holstein And Jersey Cows Across The Transition Period, Avery Orr

Master's Theses

The transition period, spanning the weeks surrounding parturition, requires dairy cows to undergo synchronized metabolic, endocrine, and immunological adjustments that support the onset of lactation but also heighten disease susceptibility. Although individual inflammatory or metabolic biomarkers have been extensively studied, the integrated immunometabolic dynamics that occur across this period and the difference between breeds is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize longitudinal patterns in key nutrient metabolites and inflammatory markers in Holstein and Jersey cows and assess how these systems interact across the transition period.

A total of 63 Holstein and Jersey cows were sampled …

Testing For Local Adaptation In Sympatric Monkeyflowers Growing In Serpentine Seeps And Adjacent Rock Outcrops, Avin Niknafs

Master's Theses

Divergent selection across heterogeneous environments can drive ecological differentiation and the evolution of locally adapted populations, even when gene flow occurs. We tested for local adaptation between two sympatric monkeyflowers, Erythranthe guttata and E. serpentinicola (formerly Mimulus), which co-occur on the central coast of California. Erythranthe guttata is a perennial species primarily found in moist serpentine seeps, whereas E. serpentinicola is an annual species restricted to adjacent serpentine rock outcrops. Using a reciprocal transplant experiment with second-generation, greenhouse-derived seed, we quantified germination, survival, and reproductive success across contrasting microhabitats. We further evaluated the relative contributions of species, lineage, …

Robustness Of Network Inference Algorithms Under Network Class Misspecification, Roberto Ceja

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Inferring phylogenies in the presence of hybridization remains a difficult problem. As a result, many current methods for reconstructing phylogenetic networks are restricted to a simple class of networks known as level-1. This restriction arises from theoretical considerations rather than empirical evidence, with real data possibly arising from complex networks. In this work, we evaluate the robustness of two level-1 network inference methods, SNaQ and NANUQ+, through a simulation study, when the input data originates from a more complex network. Specifically, we investigate whether these methods can accurately recover important features of the true species network, such as the circular …

Requirement Of Prepiilin Peptidase Activity For Variovorax Paradoxus Eps Flp/Fap Pilus Assembly, Jenny L. Lanthripp

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Variovorax paradoxus is a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium present in both soil and the human oral microbiome. This species contributes to biotransformation of xenobiotics and promotes plant growth. Interestingly, although the genome of strain EPS lacks the flagellum operon annotated in strain S110, the microbe remains motile, and flagella can be observed microscopically. To investigate this unexpected phenotype, motility mutants were enriched from a Tn5 mutant library using a liquid culture settling strategy. A total of 122 isolates were screened for motility defects, and 57 exhibited significantly reduced motility compared to the wild type. Rescue cloning revealed that over 60% of …

Characterization Of A New Domestic Feline Macrophage Cell Line To Study Molecular Mechanisms Of Feline Coronavirus, Adam Espinoza

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) is a veterinary pathogen common in domestic cats. FCoV is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, results in mild enteric symptoms, and is considered feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). During infection the virus may transition from infecting host enteric epithelial cells to infecting host macrophages, resulting in a lethal systemic disease, and the virus is now considered feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). FIPV arises in an infected individual, is not shed in the feces, and is not transmitted from cat to cat. There is limited research defining the host molecular mechanisms driving FCoV lethal outcomes, with few feline cell …

Factors Affecting Diet Selection In Sheep Fed Endophyte-Infected Toxic Fescue, Jordan Thomas

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tall fescue infected with endophyte‑producing fungi can induce fescue toxicosis in grazing ruminants, reducing performance and altering forage intake. Isoflavones—such as biochanin A, a major compound in red clover (Trifolium pratense)—have been proposed to mitigate these effects through improved palatability and vascular relaxation. This study examined whether inclusion of ground red clover (GRC)—either directly or combined with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)—affected voluntary diet selection in lambs offered toxic fescue.

Thirty‑two lambs were housed individually and assigned randomly to one of four diets: (1) toxic fescue silage (CONT), (2) silage + 5% GRC (RC5), (3) silage + 10% …

Engineered An Ultrasmall Curcumin Oral Nanoformulation Restores Intestinal Integrity And Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis, Vivek Sharma, Prateeksha Prateeksha, Balwant Paliya, Sateesh Gupta, Sarvendra Singh, Anand Anunay, Sushil Agrahari, Shailendra Singh, Chandana Rao, Saroj Barik, Brahma Singh

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Antibiotic therapy for bacterial infections often disrupts gut microbiota (GM) and intestinal integrity, inducing chronic inflammation and inflammatory bowel diseases. An effective therapeutic intervention is urgently needed to alleviate the aforementioned adverse effects of antibiotics. Curcumin (CUR) reveals great potential to restore intestinal integrity and GM dysbiosis due to its strong antiinflammatory and prebiotic effects. However, the weak solubility and stability of CUR result in limited bioavailability and a short half-life, which restricts its clinical uses. An ultra-small CUR oral nanoformulation was created using a carboxylated galactomannan (cGM), facilitated by hydrogen bonding between the phenolic hydroxyl groups of CUR and …

The Transition Zone Hypothesis On Biodiversity Of The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, Richard L. Turner

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Indian River Lagoon System (IRL) is regarded as having a high level of biodiversity. The level of biodiversity is often attributed in part to the 2-degree latitudinal span (251 km) of the IRL and to its position in a transitional zone between tropical and temperate biotic provinces. This hypothesis was tested for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) based on a recent treatise (Littler, Littler, and Hanisak, 2008). Five of seven species of seagrass are tropical, and two have either a broad or very narrow latitudinal distribution; the transition-zone hypothesis does not hold for seagrasses. Most macroalgae (131 spp.) are tropical/subtropical; …

Evaluation Of Ramp Instead Of Forage During Grain Adaptation And Different Sorghum Varieties On Enteric Methane Production From Cattle, Jack T. Fort

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of RAMP (Cargill Corn Milling, Blair, Nebraska) compared with traditional forage-based adaptations on methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, performance, and carcass characteristics. Experiment 1, 64 yearling British × Continental steers (initial BW = 423 ± 6 kg) were adapted using 100% RAMP (RAMP) or a traditional forage diet (CON; 43% forage) before transitioning 22 d to a common finishing diet containing 65.6% steam-flaked corn. Emissions were measured in paired replications using a two-chamber indirect calorimetry barn. During adaptation RAMP did not affect CH₄ production (g/d; …

Investigation Of Changes In Exotic Bird Serum Vitamin D Levels Between Indoor And Outdoor Housing, Alexander J. Marley

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is directly related to sunlight and is involved in multiple physiological processes including calcium metabolism, feather quality, and chick development. Most vertebrate species are capable of both absorption of exogenous vitamin D and internal synthesis of vitamin D, with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), being more accessible and bioactive in bird species. In exotic bird species, dietary requirements for vitamin D3 are largely unknown, and the ability to maintain adequate serum concentrations of vitamin D3 metabolites without direct sunlight exposure also requires evaluation. Concerns arise in situations where individuals may be housed indoors for extended …

Genomic And Functional Characterisation Of Endophytic Bacterium Bacillus Cereus Strain E1 Alleviating Salt Stress And Enhancing Tomato Physiology And Spectral Indices, Balamurugan Sadaiappan, Tanveer Alam Khan, Qurban Ali, Sulamita Santos Correa, Mahideen Afridi, Soumaya Tounsi Hammami, Munawwar Ali Khan, Sunil Mundra

All Works

Mangroves in arid environments represent unique ecological niches that support a diverse range of microorganisms. Endophytic bacteria residing within host plants play a crucial role in promoting plant growth by enhancing pathogen resistance and alleviating environmental stress. Identifying novel stress-tolerant strains, specific to arid environments, is essential for expanding the repertoire of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). In this study, we investigated the saline tolerance of the endophytic bacterium strain E1, previously isolated from the root of Avicenna marina (grey mangrove). Whole-genome sequence (WGS), phylogenetics and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis were performed. The strain exhibited high salinity tolerance, growing in …

Tumor Intrinsic Mettl5 Modulates Atf4 Translation To Prevent T Cell-Induced Ferroptosis In Ovarian Cancer, Jiakai Hou, Cheng-Wei Ju, Nicholas A Egan, Yanjun Wei, Yunfei Wang, Minghao Dang, Tianyi Zhou, Leilei Shi, Ningbo Zheng, Si Chen, Ashley M Guerrero, Xiaofang Liang, Wanfu Wu, Areej Akhtar, Chitra Dhiman, Debanwita Roy Burman, Andro E Gerges, Mason D Flores, Han Li, Li-Sheng Zhang, Marleen Kok, Xiaobo Mao, Linghua Wang, Qin Feng, Yiwen Chen, Sanghoon Lee, Daniel J Mcgrail, Nidhi Sahni, Chuan He, Amir A Jazaeri, Weiyi Peng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Poor clinical responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) observed in ovarian cancer (OC) highlight an unmet need to understand the mechanisms driving immune evasion in this disease. To address this, an integrative analysis is conducted by combining in vitro genome‐wide immune screens, in vivo ICB screens, and clinical data mining, and METTL5 is identified as a crucial OC‐intrinsic factor that promotes immune resistance. Immunologically “cold” OC tumors and poor responders to ICB exhibit elevated METTL5 expression. Mechanistically, knocking out (KO) METTL5 in OC disrupts ATF4 translation by altering 18S rRNA m6A levels, leading to the downregulation of SLC7A11 and SLC3A2 …

Kras Inhibition Activates An Actionable Cd24 "Do Not Eat Me" Signal In Pancreatic Cancer, Yongkun Wei, Minghui Liu, Er-Yen Yen, Jun Yao, Zhenzhen Xun, Phuoc T Nguyen, Xiaofei Wang, Zecheng Yang, Abdelrahman Yousef, Dean Pan, Yanqing Jin, Ching-Fei Li, Madelaine S Theardy, Jangho Park, Yiming Cai, Mitsunobu Takeda, Matthew Vasquez, Elizabeth M Park, David H Peng, Yong Zhou, Hong Zhao, Timothy P Heffernan, Andrea Viale, Huamin Wang, Stephanie S Watowich, Han Liang, Dan Zhao, Ronald A Depinho, Wantong Yao, Haoqiang Ying

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

KRASG12C inhibitors (G12Ci) have produced encouraging, albeit modest and transient, clinical benefit in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Identifying and targeting resistance mechanisms to G12Ci treatment is therefore crucial. To better understand the function of KRASG12C and possible G12Ci bypass mechanisms, we developed an autochthonous KRASG12C-driven PDAC model. Compared to the classical KRASG12D PDAC model, the G12C model exhibits slower tumor growth, yet similar histopathological and molecular features. Aligned with clinical experience, G12Ci treatment of KRASG12C tumors produced modest impact despite stimulating a ‘hot’ tumor immune microenvironment. Immunoprofiling revealed that CD24, a ‘don’t eat me’ signal, is significantly upregulated on cancer …

Clinical Outcomes Of Adult Patients With Newly Diagnosed Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia, Hannah Goulart, Farhad Ravandi, Nicholas J Short, Nitin Jain, Naval Daver, Tapan M Kadia, Courtney Dinardo, Gautam Borthakur, Koichi Takahashi, Naveen Pemmaraju, Fadi G Haddad, Guillermo Montalban Bravo, Yesid Alvarado, Ghayas C Issa, Alex Bataller, Sherry Pierce, Sanam Loghavi, Guilin Tang, Sa A Wang, Beenu Thakral, Elizabeth Shpall, Richard Champlin, Issa Khouri, Partow Kebriaei, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Koji Sasaki, Elias J Jabbour, Jayastu Senapati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is a rare clinical entity with historically poor outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of adults 18 years and older with newly diagnosed B-cell (B/M) or T-cell/myeloid (T/M) MPAL treated at our institution between 2017 and 2024.

Results: We identified 42 patients (median age 70 years); 20 (48%) had B/M MPAL, and 22 (52%) had T/M MPAL; 57% of patients had adverse risk cytogenetics, and 41% had a TP53 mutation. Sixty-two percent of patients were treated with a hybrid regimen, and 45% of patients received intensive therapy. A composite complete remission (CRc; CR …

Mecom Fusion Partner And Bone Marrow Blast Percentage Influence Outcomes Of Patients With Mecom Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Wei-Ying Jen, Guilin Tang, Eitan Kugler, Jennifer Croden, Koji Sasaki, Alexandre Bazinet, Alex Bataller, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Gautam Borthakur, Gokce A Toruner, Sanam Loghavi, Nicholas J Short, Ghayas C Issa, Ian M Bouligny, Sherry Pierce, Uday Popat, Naveen Pemmaraju, Elias Jabbour, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Kapil Bhalla, Farhad Ravandi, Naval G Daver, Courtney D Dinardo, Hagop M Kantarjian, Tapan M Kadia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MECOM rearrangements (MECOM-r) are acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)-defining, regardless of blast percentage or MECOM fusion partner. We sought to investigate if blast percentage or MECOM-r partner was associated with overall survival (OS). We included 152 adult patients with newly diagnosed MECOM-r and classified blast percentage into < 20% or ≥20% and MECOM-r partner into classic (GATA2::MECOM) or variant (others). Thirty-one per cent had < 20% blasts, with 69% having ≥20%; 57% had classic and 43% variant MECOM-r. Treatment was with intensive chemotherapy (IC) in 41% and low-intensity therapy (LIT) in 59%. Composite complete remission rates were similar between IC (50%) and LIT (48%, p = 0.99). The median OS was 17 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-not estimable [NE]) for < 20% blasts, compared with 9 months (95% CI, 6-10) for ≥20% blasts (p <  0.01). On multivariate analysis, ≥20% blasts were associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, [95% CI, 1.2-3.2], p <  0.01), independent of age, MECOM-r partner, additional cytogenetic abnormalities, treatment intensity, addition of venetoclax and stem cell transplant (SCT). HR for IC was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.1-3.7, p = 0.03). In < 20% blasts, variant MECOM-r was independently associated with a reduced hazard of death (HR 0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.8], p <  0.01). MECOM-r AML is a heterogenous entity; consideration should be given to LIT approaches.

Impact Of Postpartum Diagnosis On Survival Of Women With Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Jennifer H Chen, Rebecca S Slack Tidwell, Megumi Kai, Anthony Lucci, Wendy A Woodward, Helen M Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Postpartum diagnosis of breast cancer confers increased risk of metastasis and death, possibly because of protumorigenic pathways that occur after weaning. We sought to evaluate the impact of postpartum diagnosis on survival in patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with nonmetastatic IBC enrolled in a prospective registry (2007-2023). Kruskal-Wallis, χ2, and Fisher exact tests were used to compare between postpartum groups. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used for survival estimates.

Results: Among 320 patients with IBC, 25 (7.8%) were nulliparous, 31 (9.7%) were 0 to 5 years postpartum, 26 …

Individualizing Nsaid Therapy In Axial Spondyloarthritis: N-Of-1 Trials With Bayesian Analysis, Mark C Hwang, Seokhun Kim, Shervin Assassi, Reyna Chavez, Joyce Samuel, Charles Green, Jon Tyson, John Reveille

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints. NSAIDs are first-line therapy, but individual responses vary widely. We evaluated the efficacy and patient preference of three NSAIDs (celecoxib, meloxicam and naproxen) through Bayesian N-of-1 clinical trials to optimize axSpA management.

Methods: We conducted N-of-1 trials with 42 patients meeting ASAS criteria for axSpA. Each patient was asked to complete two cycles of randomized double-blind crossover comparisons of the three NSAIDs, each for 4 weeks. The primary end point was the change in the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS). Bayesian analysis assessed …