Digital Commons Network^™

Mir-27a Expression During Inflammatory Organ Injury Associated With Ards And A Novel Tissue-Specific Knockout Model, Jieun Kim, Synthea Horton, Oleg D Makarevich, Yan Levitsky, Thu Thien Tran, In Hyuk Bang, Xiangsheng Huang, Xuebo Chen, Katherine Figarella, Xiaoyi Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Towards Human-Centered Digital Health Interventions, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

This article discusses the potential of digital health interventions (DHIs) in mental health care, emphasizing the importance of designing them to foster genuine humanistic care. It highlights current challenges in measuring engagement and outcomes, advocating for integrating human-centered endpoints such as dignity, autonomy, and therapeutic alliance into evaluation frameworks. The authors call for mechanistic research to identify effective engagement strategies and context-specific implementation approaches. Ultimately, successful DHIs should demonstrate both clinical efficacy and the preservation of humane, person-centered care, ensuring ethical and meaningful mental health support through technology.

Nf1 Loss In Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Induces Osteoclast Formation And Immunosuppression To Promote Bone Metastasis, Zifan Zhao, Ze-Yi Zheng, Jonathan T Lei, Matthew J Baik, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Lauren K Somes, Andres F Mosquera Paternina, Omar A Harb, Owen A Chang, Fengshuo Liu, Matthew V Holt, Junkai Wang, Igor Bado, Hai Wang, George Miles, Zbigniew Gugala, Meenakshi Anurag, Ahmed Elkhanany, Yi Li, Valentina Hoyos, Xiang H-F Zhang, Eric C Chang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer exhibits a marked propensity for skeletal metastasis; however, the molecular drivers of bone colonization remain incompletely defined. We investigated the tumor suppressor neurofibromin (NF1), a dual repressor for RAS and ER signaling, whose inactivation promotes endocrine therapy (ET) resistance and is associated with inferior relapse-free survival. NF1 copy number loss was detected in 62% of ER+ patients who subsequently developed metastases and was associated with an increased likelihood of bone metastases at initial diagnosis. In mouse xenograft models, NF1-depleted ER+ breast cancer cells demonstrated enhanced dissemination to skeletal sites following surgical resection of primary tumors. …

Bivip: A Competitive Neural Network For Bilateral Visuo-Haptic Processing, Eleonore Federica Di Rosa, Aaisha Sheth, Jeffrey Min-In Yau, Laura Astolfi, Cristiano Cuppini

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Visuo-haptic interactions are gaining interest in perception research because of their relevance to robotics and rehabilitation. While the benefits of integrating concurrent visuo-tactile cues are well-documented, the temporal dynamics of competitive interactions between vision and touch remain less understood. Building on extant empirical evidence of unilateral intersensory switching, we ask whether bilateral detection of visual and tactile stimuli can be explained by cross-sensory competition and explore the underlying sensorineural dynamics via a multi-level neural network model. Tested against results from a speeded reaction time task to unilateral and bilateral visual, tactile, and visuo-tactile targets, the network successfully predicts higher switch …

Inaccurate Interpretation Of Hypoxia Signatures From Transcriptomic Analyses In Neuro-Oncology, Rebecca K Simmons, Pratima Raut, Subhi Talal Younes, Marco Gallo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We aim to highlight problems with the biological interpretation of computationally-derived hypoxia signatures for neuro-oncology research. By reviewing important experimental work in the field, we discuss common misinterpretations of the concepts of normoxia and hypoxia. In fact, the concentration of oxygen in the adult brain is in the range of 1-7%. Unfortunately, this oxygen concentration range is often mistakenly considered hypoxic in neuro-oncology experiments, although it should be considered physioxic. Further, given the lack of a universal hypoxic signature, we stress the importance of deriving cell type-specific hypoxic signatures using carefully-executed experiments.

Cerebellar Atrophy In Pediatric-Onset Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome: A Large International Cohort Study, Rebecca Macrae, Kierstin Hederstedt, Christopher Cortina, Kumaran Deiva, Andrea Klein, Ming Lim, Thomas Rossor, Elizabeth A Sokol, Yasmin Khakoo, Nikita Malani Shukla, Timothy E Lotze, Wendy G Mitchell, Sarah Hopkins, Bo Zhang, Mark P Gorman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and objectives: Pediatric-onset opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (POOMAS) is a rare, neuroinflammatory syndrome that targets the cerebellum and can cause irreversible cerebellar structural changes, namely cerebellar atrophy. We investigated the frequency of cerebellar atrophy, as well as associated risk factors and functional outcome measures, using the largest active POOMAS registry.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of participants with POOMAS with disease onset from 1995 to 2025 using data from the multinational, multicenter POOMAS registry. Variables were compared between the cerebellar atrophy subgroups using the Fisher exact test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Results: Of participants with follow-up imaging, cerebellar atrophy …

Topical Peony And Licorice Decoction Attenuates Exercise-Induced Muscle Pain: A Randomized Double-Blind Self-Controlled Trial In Taiwan, Daniel Tzu-Li Chen, Chang-Wei Hsieh, Chia-Han Tsai, Tzung-Yan Lee, Pin-Chun Chen, Pu-Wei Hou, Kuan-Pin Su, Hen-Hong Chang

BioMedicine

Background

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is a common phenomenon that occurs after exercise training, resulting in pain and reduced muscle performance. Previous basic and animal studies have reported that oral use of Peony and Licorice Decoction (PLD), a traditional Chinese formula with anti-inflammatory and muscle-relaxing properties, may be safe and effective for DOMS. However, there have been no clinical studies, particularly on the topical use of PLD, in this field to date.

Material and Methods

Our study is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. We recruited healthy male athletes to assess the effect of external PLD, whose bioactive compounds were …

Alexithymia In Substance Use Disorders: A Scoping Review Of Therapeutic Approaches, Pratami Diah Herliani, Shelly Iskandar, Angela Vera Herman Efendi

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Alexithymia, defined as the inability to recognize and express emotions, has a high prevalence (40–50%) among individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), particularly alcohol use disorder, and is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Despite this, comprehensive mapping of psychotherapeutic interventions targeting this condition within the SUD population remains limited. This study aimed to systematically map the therapeutic approaches investigated to address alexithymia among individuals with substance use disorders and to summarize the reported outcomes. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines using systematic literature searches in the PubMed and Scopus databases. Relevant studies were screened based …

Genomic Characterization Of Er-Positive Primary Tumors And Corresponding Relapses Identifies Potentially Targetable Alterations, Caroline Schagerholm Stanev, Stephanie Robertson, Hosein Toosi, Emmanouil G. Sifakis, Jens Lagergren, Johan Hartman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The majority of breast cancer patients have tumors expressing estrogen receptor α (ER) and receive endocrine therapy. However, around one-third relapse in their disease, predominantly with retained ER expression. Molecular alterations are proposed to be contributors to the resistance mechanisms. Patients with ER-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative primary breast cancer with an ER-positive relapse <  5 years of ongoing endocrine therapy were retrospectively assessed. Extracted DNA was analyzed through panel sequencing, and RNA by microarray, from patients’ primary (n = 58), and paired relapse tumors (n = 54), and tumor-free lymph nodes (DNA germline controls, n = 62). Several single-nucleotide variations and copy number variations showed nominal exploratory associations with worse overall survival. Copy number correlations with intrinsic subtypes and …

Variation In Meningioma Recurrence Risk Estimates Across Observational Cohorts: The Influence Of Calendar Time, Who Classifications, Geographical Settings, And Healthcare Systems, Christian Mirian, Lasse Rehné Jensen, Adam Gorm Hoffmann, Tareq A Juratli, Anders Broechner, Sverre H Torp, Helen A Shih, Ramin A Morshed, Jacob S Young, Stephen T Magill, Luca Bertero, Walter Stummer, Dorothee Cäcilia Spille, Benjamin Brokinkel, Soichi Oya, Satoru Miyawaki, Nobuhito Saito, Martin Proescholdt, Yasuhiro Kuroi, Konstantinos Gousias, Matthias Simon, Jennifer Moliterno, Ricardo Prat-Acin, Stéphane Goutagny, Vikram C Prabhu, John T Tsiang, Johannes Wach, Erdem Güresir, Junkoh Yamamoto, Young Zoon Kim, Joo Ho Lee, Daniel W Kim, Matthew Koshy, Karthikeyan Perumal, Mustafa K Baskaya, Donald M Cannon, Dennis C Shrieve, Chang-Ok Suh, Jong Hee Chang, Maria Kamenova, Sven Straumann, Jehuda Soleman, Ilker Y Eyüpoglu, Tony Catalan, Austin Lui, Philip V Theodosopoulos, Michael W Mcdermott, Fang Wang, Pedro Góes, Manoel Antonio De Paiva Neto, Ricardo Komotar, Michael E Ivan, Aria Jamshidi, Evan Luther, Luis Souhami, Marie-Christine Guiot, Tamás Csonka, Toshiki Endo, Olivia Claire Barrett, Randy Jensen, Tejpal Gupta, Akash J Patel, Tiemo J Klisch, Jun Won Kim, Francesco Maiuri, Valeria Barresi, María Dolores Tabernero, Simon Skyrman, Ian Law, Bjarne Winther Kristensen, Tina Nørgaard Munch, Torstein Meling, Kåre Fugleholm, Paul Blanche, Tiit Mathiesen, Andrea Daniela Maier

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose: Recurrence risk estimates underpin meningioma research, including molecular classification and clinical trial benchmarking, yet are often based on retrospective or historical data. The aim of this study was to assess the variation of recurrence risk estimates across calendar periods, WHO classification editions, geographical settings, and healthcare systems.thetermine METHODS: We analyzed 4,111 patients with primary WHO-1/-2 meningiomas from 31 centers in 15 countries (1990-2019). Recurrence was defined according to local radiological assessment. The 5- and 10-year recurrence risks were estimated using regression standardization with inverse probability of censoring weights, adjusting for key clinical, surgical, and histopathological variables.

Results: Recurrence risk …

Neuronal Expression Of Bromodomain Proteins Alters Neuronal Health And Peripheral Protein Homeostasis To Promote Longevity, Naibedya Dutta, Daniel Hicks, Edgar Esparza, Anna Entin, Priyadharshini Vijayakumar, Caitlin M Lange, Tripti Nair, Elijah A Roditi, Athena Alcala, Maxim Averbukh, Matthew Vega, Rebecca Aviles Barahona, Caitlin Mctygue, Veronica Kuo, Juri Kim, Herbert Anson, Aeowynn J Coakley, George Wang, Steven E Pilley, Max A Thorwald, Whitaker Cohn, Sean P Curran, Nicolas Brouilly, Caroline Kumsta, Rachel N Arey, Peter J Mullen, Gilberto Garcia, Ryo Higuchi-Sanabria

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Longevity and stress resilience require precise coordination of gene expression programs across tissues. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of the chromatin reader bet-1 specifically in neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans promotes organismal longevity and stress resistance via cell-nonautonomous signaling. Neuronal bet-1 elicits a neurotransmitter-dependent signal that activates the conserved stress-responsive transcription factor HSF-1 in the intestine, enhancing proteostasis, oxidative stress resistance, metabolic remodeling, and immune defense. Life span extension by neuronal bet-1 requires both hsf-1 and daf-16 in neurons but only requires hsf-1 in peripheral tissues. Using bulk RNA sequencing, we reveal distinct prolongevity pathways that include enhanced heat-shock response, proteostasis, …

Studying What Matters: South Texas Community-Driven Dementia Research Priorities, Sara S. Masoud, Juana Escareño, Belinda Flores, Byeong Yeob Choi, Karla Daniela Lopez Lorenzo, Shanae L. Rhodes, Quetzaly Zenil, Carole L. White

School of Medicine Publications

South Texas has among the highest dementia prevalence rates in the United States, yet communities in the region remain consistently underrepresented in dementia research. Aligning research studies with what matters to communities most impacted by dementia is critical in addressing the crisis of research exclusion. This participatory study sought to identify community-driven dementia research priorities grounded in the experiences and needs of South Texas residents impacted by dementia. A two-year community-engaged study was conducted in partnership with a Community Council composed of individuals living with dementia, family caregivers, community health workers, and community-serving professionals. A plática program model was co-developed …

Identifying And Addressing Problematic Studies In Allergy And Asthma Research: A Commentary, Alexandro W L Chu, Gordon H Guyatt, Jason W Busse, Romina Brignardello-Petersen, Xiajing Chu, Daniel G Rayner, Paul Oykhman, Vanessa Wong, Yetiani Roldan, Diane R Baker, Leonard B Bacharier, Lisa A Beck, Moshe Ben-Shoshan, Bradley Chipps, Flavia Hoyte, Elliot Israel, David M Lang, Sameer K Mathur, Sharmilee M Nyenhuis, Paul M O'Byrne, Eric T Oliver, John Oppenheimer, Tamara T Perry, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Sarbjit S Saini, Javed Sheikh, Kaharu Sumino, Susan Waserman, Elissa M Abrams, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Jonathan A Bernstein, Anne K Ellis, David B K Golden, Caroline C Horner, Dennis K Ledford, Jay Lieberman, Giselle Mosnaim, Matthew A Rank, Marcus Shaker, Julie Wang, David A Khan, Derek K Chu

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Randomized controlled trials underpin evidence-based medicine, but a growing proportion of trials contain implausible, inaccurate, or fabricated data. When such studies are incorporated into systematic reviews, they distort effect estimates, inflate evidence certainty, and can mislead the guideline recommendations that the reviews aim to inform. Within 8 recent American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters (JTFPP) systematic reviews, 17% of trials published between 2021 and 2024 were problematic, and in a network meta-analysis of antihistamines for chronic urticaria, 39% of recent trials were excluded because of …

Panitumumab-Based Egfr Blockade In Smarcb1-Deficient Renal Medullary Carcinoma: Preclinical Basis And Prospective Clinical Activity, Niki M Zacharias, Eric S Rupe, Xinyue Chen, Ritesh R Kotecha, Damian T Rieke, Bradley A Mcgregor, Pedro Pesquera, Zhiyuan Yu, Abha Grover, Najat C Daw, Emily Wang, Sze Wah Samuel Chan, Dorothea Douglas-Lindsay, Alice C Fan, Eric M Knoche, Christos E Kyriakopoulos, Aly-Khan A Lalani, Charlene M Mantia, Amartej Merla, Martin H Voss, Nicklas Pfanzelter, Sneha Ramakrishna, Neil M Reaume, Tianyi Tang, Davis R Ingram, Diana Shamsutdinova, Khalida M Wani, Wei-Lien Wang, Alexander J Lazar, Rahul A Sheth, Priya Rao, Sandra L Grimm, Cristian Coarfa, Rong He, Jing Qian, Fei Duan, Deepa Bisht, Pankaj K Chauhan, Luigi Perelli, Giannicola Genovese, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin, Jose A Karam, Ludovica La Posta, Eleonora Dondossola, Rafet Basar, Nadima Uprety, Katayoun Rezvani, Jianjun Gao, Linghua Wang, Luisa M Solis Soto, Bora Lim, Nizar M Tannir, Menuka Karki, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an ultra-rare, lethal malignancy refractory to therapies approved for other renal cell carcinomas, and its rarity makes randomized trials logistically unfeasible. We investigated whether wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a therapeutically actionable dependency in RMC and translated this insight into a deployable clinical regimen.

Experimental design: EGFR expression was assessed by CLIA-certified immunohistochemistry in RMC tumors and by integrated RNA- and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing of primary tumors and adjacent kidney. Panitumumab was compared with erlotinib in patient- and cell line-derived xenografts, and its mechanism defined by immunoblotting, confocal colocalization, cell-cycle and apoptosis …

Cells And Networks In Flux: Rethinking Ontogenesis And Pathogenesis, Mark L. Tykocinski

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Organ and tissue functions emerge from the coordinated activity of cell networks. Therapeutics that act on pathogenic cell networks, modulating their cellular interplay, follow naturally. Over several decades, our laboratory has developed a series of approaches for rewiring cell networks, culminating in a class of cell surface-directed signal converter proteins (SCPs) that do so by modulating juxtacrine and autocrine signaling in and among their nodal cells. A first such SCP has now produced encouraging clinical data for cancer immunotherapy. Yet, these early network-directed fusion proteins rest on a deliberately simplified picture: discrete end-cell types plugged into graphically tractable networks. That …

Selective Loss Of Primary Cilia And Neurotrophic Signaling In G51d Α-Synuclein Mice Highlights A Common Pathway To Parkinson’S Disease, Yu-En Lin, Ebsy Jaimon, Youngdoo Kim, Annabeth Loftman, Aaran Vijayakumaran, Benjamin D W Belfort, Claire Y Chiang, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Huda Y Zoghbi, Suzanne R Pfeffer

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Parkinson's disease is characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss and accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in the brain. G51D α-synuclein knock-in mice provide a genetically and clinically relevant model of disease, exhibiting early olfactory deficits, age-dependent motor impairment, and progressive phospho-α-synuclein accumulation. In multiple Parkinson's disease models, striatal cholinergic and parvalbumin interneurons, as well as astrocytes, lose primary cilia and the neurotrophic signaling needed to sustain dopaminergic neurons. We show here that G51D α-synuclein mice share these phenotypes. Phospho-Ser129 α-synuclein accumulation correlates with cilia loss in cholinergic interneurons but not in spiny projection neurons that accumulate higher phospho-α-synuclein levels. In the piriform …

Data-Driven Staging Of Neurodegenerative Pathology Related To Alzheimer’S Disease, Thomas Earnest

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is a dual proteinopathy exhibiting deposits of extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) and intracellular tau in brain tissue. Models which describe the spatial and temporal trajectories of these pathologies have been invaluable for understanding AD and have the potential to support diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment development. Disease staging systems, which provide protocols for assessing individual disease severity based on their extent of brain pathology, have been crucial for explaining and diagnosing AD. However, these systems have been primarily informed by post-mortem histological assessments and are not directly applicable to disease assessment in …

For Weight Loss: Why Do Glp-1 Agonists Work, And How Can We Make Them Work Better?, Charlise Giang, Jieyi Meng, Mahmoud Ali Mohammad, Zhenqi Liu, Xinle Wu, Yi Zhu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have revolutionized the management of not only type 2 diabetes but also obesity. However, even with rapid therapeutic advances in GLP-1RAs, questions regarding the fundamental principles of GLP-1-mediated weight loss and the enhanced efficacy of next-generation therapies remain. In this comprehensive review article, we first examine the milestones of GLP-1, from its initial discovery and biological characterization to its successful translation into clinical therapy. Furthermore, this review highlights the latest clinical trial data, specifically HbA1c reduction, weight-loss efficacy, and safety profiles, while exploring current pipelines of major pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, we delineate the mechanistic …

Brain Perivascular Macrophages Regulate Endothelial Cell Function Via A Cmaf-Dependent Transcriptional Program In Mouse And Human, Simone Brioschi, Julia A Belk, Steffen E Storck, Yue Wu, Zhuoying Wang, Ziang Feng, Lynn Van Olst, Josie L Emery, Raki Sudan, Junjie Wu, Siling Du, Marco Genua, Federica La Terza, Alex J Edwards, Khai M Nguyen, Jessie Sanford, Daniel D Lee, Mattia Bugatti, Arnold J Federico, Yun Chen, Zuoxu Wang, Silvia Penati, Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Hui Qi Loo, Igor Smirnov, Susan Gilfillan, Carmen M Halabi, Jennifer Ponce, Jun Yan, Howard Y Chang, Gwendalyn J Randolph, William Vermi, Marina Cella, Michael Meers, Renato Ostuni, David Gate, Aivi T Nguyen, Carlos Cruchaga, Song Hu, Jonathan Kipnis, Marco Colonna

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Brain perivascular macrophages maintain brain physiology, yet their transcriptional regulators and functions in health and disease remain unclear. Using single-cell multi-omics and functional experiments, we identify cellular musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene (cMAF) as a key transcription factor for brain perivascular macrophages, and conditional deletion of cMAF disrupts their phenotype in vivo. Functionally, cMAF drives insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) expression in perivascular macrophages, enabling communication with endothelial cells. Consistently, cMAF deletion in perivascular macrophages causes transcriptional alterations in cerebral arteries, affecting vascular functions. Notably, cMAF emerges as the main transcription factor for human perivascular macrophages, suggesting conservation of this transcriptional module. During …

Lineage Tracing Reveals A Shared Cellular Origin For Supraclavicular Brown And Inguinal Beige Adipocytes, Yali Ran, Kai Zhang, Yi-Ting Shen, Qianxing Mo, Ziyi Wang, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, Sharon John, Mari Kogiso, Xia Gao, Chunmei Wang, Tanvi Sinha, Brian L Black, Miao-Hsueh Chen

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The metabolic importance of brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been recognized, but its origins, particularly supraclavicular BAT (scBAT), remain unclear. Here, we traced scBAT to Mef2c-anterior heart field (AHF)-marked cells. Mef2c-AHF-marked cells isolated from scBAT can spontaneously differentiate into brown adipocytes, express mesenchymal stem cell markers, and can be isolated from the stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) of wild-type scBAT as [CD31

A Comparative Analysis Of Clinical Quality And Readability Of Neuropathic Pain Patient Information Leaflets: Türkiye Versus The United States, Gonul Sari, Argun Pire

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Neuropathic pain management requires high patient adherence and complex dose-titration regimens, making the readability of patient information leaflets (PILs) a critical patient safety factor. This study aimed to compare the clinical content quality and linguistic readability of PILs for neuropathic pain medications between Türkiye (TİTCK) and the United States (DailyMed).

Materials and methods: A total of 11 pairs of innovator medications were analyzed. Clinical content was assessed using the 15-item Keystone Clinical Content Checklist (KCCC). Readability was assessed using the Ateşman index for Turkish texts and the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) for English texts. Information quality and reliability …

Evaluation Of Acne Vulgaris Patient Care In Outpatient Clinics: Guideline Adherence And Patient Education ​, Mefküre Durmuş, Betül Sena Çavdar, İbrahi̇m Etem Arica, Sena Ustaömer, Sena Güzel Karahan, Seçi̇l Çolak, Selcen Şenol

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Acne vulgaris, affecting over 85% of adolescents, is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Its management is severity-based, with specific drug selections and combinations according to guidelines. However, adherence to these guidelines and the adequacy of patient counseling remain uncertain in real-world practice. The aim in this study was to evaluate prescribing patterns in acne management, assess compliance with guidelines, and promote awareness among healthcare professionals.

Materials and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the dermatology outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital in Türkiye between February and May 2025. Demographic and clinical data were collected, and …

Comparing Age Of Obesity Onset, Concerns About Weight And Body Shape, And Quality Of Life In Individuals Seeking Bariatric Surgery ​, Vi̇ldan Çakir Kardeş, Özge Saraçli, Nuray Atasoy, Levent Ati̇k, Si̇bel Kahraman Gi̇rgeç

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study explored the relationship between concerns about weight and body shape and quality of life in bariatric surgery candidates with morbid obesity regarding the onset of the weight problem in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.

Materials and methods: We included 453 patients who applied to our center for preoperative bariatric surgery assessment between January 2010 and April 2019. We reviewed the sociodemographic information, psychiatric diagnoses, and results of the Body Shape Questionnaire-34, Quality of Life Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory of all patients.

Results: Concerns about weight and body shape were increased in women (p < 0.001), unemployed patients (p = 0.001), those with a comorbid psychiatric disorder (p < 0.001), and those with childhood- or adolescent-onset of weight problems (r = –0.170; p < 0.001). Concerns about weight and body shape had a relationship with the vitality (r = –0.434), mental health (r = –0.464), social functioning (r = –0.418), pain (r = –0.307), and general health (r = –0.352) subscale scores of quality of life. Physical functioning was higher (p = 0.037) in patients with childhood- or adolescent-onset obesity compared to patients with adult-onset obesity, while mental health was higher (p = 0.001) in the latter group. Individuals with childhood- or adolescent-onset obesity inquired about bariatric surgery options at an earlier age (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: …

Comparative Analysis Of Corticosteroid Injection Alone Versus Combined Corticosteroid And Radiofrequency Ablation For Plantar Fasciitis: Short- And Medium-Term Outcomes ​, Nevci̇han Şahutoğlu Bal, Emel Başar, Hati̇ce Babaoğlan, Ülkü Sabuncu, Mustafa Cem Yilmaz, Şükri̇ye Dadali, Erkan Yavuz Akçaboy

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common cause of heel pain and may lead to functional impairment and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to compare the short- and medium-term clinical outcomes of corticosteroid injection (CSI) alone versus combined radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and CSI in patients with PF refractory to conservative treatment.

Materials and methods: This single-center retrospective comparative study included patients diagnosed with PF between 1 January 2021 and 1 January 2025. Patients who underwent either CSI alone or combined RFA and CSI after failure of conservative management were included. Pain intensity was assessed using a visual analog …

Histomorphological Changes In Human Septal Cartilage Stored In Different Preservation Solutions ​, Özlem Akkoca, Aki̇f Si̇nan Bi̇lgen, Harun Çoban, Fatma Aslan Yay, Zeynep Kaptan, Funda Balkiliç Akkaya, Rahmi̇ Kiliç, Sami̇ Engi̇n Muz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To assess the histopathological effects of three preservation solutions (70% ethanol, povidone-iodine, and ciprofloxacin) on human septal cartilage obtained during septoplasty and to compare their preservation characteristics for potential future graft applications. Optimal preservation of septal cartilage is clinically important because well-preserved grafts may reduce the need for secondary cartilage harvesting and the associated donor-site morbidity while facilitating reconstructive procedures during revision surgery.

Materials and methods: A total of 90 septal cartilage specimens obtained from 30 patients undergoing septoplasty were allocated to three preservation groups and stored in the designated preservation solutions at +4 °C. Samples were examined histologically …

Association Of Precise-Hbr Score With Clinical Outcomes And Length Of Hospital Stay After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation ​, Erhan Saraçoğlu, Yunus Emre Özbebek, Beki̇r Demi̇rtaş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The PRECISE-HBR score was developed to estimate bleeding risk after percutaneous coronary intervention, but its clinical utility in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains uncertain. We evaluated its association with major bleeding and hospitalization burden after TAVI.

Materials and methods: This ambispective, single-center observational study included 184 consecutive patients undergoing TAVI. The patients were categorized by PRECISE-HBR score (≤22, 23–26, and ≥27) for descriptive comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to assess the discriminative performance of PRECISE-HBR and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score for major bleeding, prolonged hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality. Binary logistic regression was …

Effect Of Vnotes Hysterectomy With Uterosacral Ligament Suspension On Overactive Bladder Symptoms In Patients With Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Retrospective Cohort Study ​, Gonca Türker Ergün, Mahmut Kuntay Kokanali, Duygu Tuğrul Ersak, Meli̇ke Doğanay, Özlem Moraloğlu Teki̇n

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes following vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) hysterectomy combined with bilateral uterosacral ligament suspension in patients with apical prolapse and concomitant overactive bladder symptoms.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary referral center. Women with symptomatic apical prolapse (stage ≥ II) and concomitant overactive bladder symptoms were included. All patients underwent vNOTES hysterectomy with bilateral uterosacral ligament suspension. Anatomical outcomes were assessed using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system, whereas functional outcomes were evaluated using validated questionnaires, including the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), …

Beyond Individual Willingness: Family Veto, Legal Knowledge, And The Dynamics Of Organ Donation In Türkiye ​, Hasan Gi̇ray Ankara, Hakan Değerli̇, Semi̇h Baş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The aim was to understand the factors underlying the dynamics of organ donation behavior by focusing on three different aspects. Three models were tested in this regard, namely (i) individual willingness for the donation of one’s own organs, (ii) willingness to approve organ donation for close relatives, and (iii) a family veto gap.

Materials and methods: A national-level adult sample from the Eurobarometer 72.3 survey (collected in 2009) conducted in Türkiye was utilized. Standard and penalized logistic regression models were employed to conduct the analyses.

Results: The results show that discussing organ donation with family members and being aware …

Readability Of Dermatology Patient Education Materials: A Comparative Analysis Of Turkish Dermatology Association Brochures And Texts Generated By Chatgpt And Gemini ​, Ahmet Kağan Özdemi̇r, Bengü Reyhan Botsali Özdemi̇r, Akin Aktaş

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: In modern healthcare, patient education materials (PEMs) are essential for bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and patient understanding. However, in Türkiye, where 64.6% of the adult population possesses inadequate or problematic health literacy, traditional medical brochures often exceed recommended reading levels. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the readability of Turkish dermatology PEMs prepared by the Turkish Dermatology Association (TDA) with those generated by artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Materials and methods: A total of 68 TDA PEMs were analyzed. Readability was assessed using the Ateşman Readability Index. Responses were generated by AI models to questions extracted from …

Posttraumatic Stress In Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy: Associations With Early Maladaptive Schemas, Anxiety, And Quality Of Life In A 6-Month Prospective Study ​, Mehmet Öztürk, Pinar Öztürk, Fügen Sönmez Çeti̇nkaya, İlker Özdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that significantly affects psychosocial functioning, self-perception, and quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms may be more prevalent in individuals with epilepsy than previously recognized, particularly following seizure-related experiences perceived as traumatic. The aim of this study was to evaluate short- and long-term PTS levels in individuals with newly diagnosed epilepsy and examine their associations with anxiety, depression, early maladaptive schemas, and quality of life.

Materials and methods: In this prospective study, 31 individuals with newly diagnosed epilepsy were enrolled. Participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Post-Traumatic Stress …