Digital Commons Network^™

High-Speed Voltage Imaging Of Action Potentials In Molecular Layer Interneurons Reveals Sensory-Driven Synchrony That Augments Movement, Spencer T Brown, Meghana R Holla, Michelle A Land, Shuyuan Yang, Alex J Mcdonald, François St-Pierre, Indira M Raman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Testing whether the synchrony of action potential firing is a cerebellar coding mechanism requires simultaneous recording, with high temporal fidelity, from populations of identified neurons. Here, we used targeted one-photon voltage imaging at 2–4 kHz to record action potentials from groups of ~10–300 molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) expressing a positively tuned, genetically encoded voltage indicator, FORCE1f or pAce. In awake resting mice, crus I MLIs fired brief (~1-ms) spikes at 20–60 spikes/s. Sensory stimuli of air puffs to the whiskers evoked short-latency (< 10 ms) increases in spiking probability. In most trials, >50% of MLIs fired synchronously with 4-ms temporal precision. The magnitude of puff-evoked whisks correlated tightly with …

Exploring Effective Weight Loss Interventions Among Three Fqhc-Based Clinical Programs In Central And Southern Illinois, Patrick Bruch, Oluwaseun Adeleke, Mia Lambert, Taylor Sutton, Georgia Luckey, Rebecca M. Hoffman Md,Msph

SIU Journal of Medical Science Scholarly Works

Background: Obesity affects 1 in 3 United States adults is associated with several chronic diseases. Disparities in obesity are seen in many vulnerable populations such as low-income groups, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural residents. Although primary care is often presented as a solution to the obesity crisis, management of obesity is complex and numerous challenges in helping patients achieve weight loss are still present. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended in 2018 that primary care providers screen for obesity and offer obese patients to intensive, multicomponent behavioral obesity treatment. However, there is little research involving primary care physicians …

An Ehealth Delivery Alternative For Cancer Genetic Testing For Hereditary Predisposition In Patients With Metastatic Cancers: Protocol For A Randomized Trial, Kimberley T. Lee, Briana Mcleod, Brian Egleston, Sarah Brown, Sarah Howe, Dominique Fetzer, Lauren Gutstein, Cara Cacioppo, Dana Clark, Susan M. Domchek, Jessica Ebrahimzadeh, Dana Falcone, Demetrios Ofidis, Hannah Griffin, Rajia Mim, Santina Hernandez, Linda Fleisher, Kelsey Karpink, Enida Selmani, Aysha Tahsin, Lynne Wagner, Michelle Weinberg, Kuang-Yi Wen, Elisabeth Wood, Angela R. Bradbury

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing is a standard evidence-based practice, with established risk reduction and cancer screening guidelines for genetic carriers. With Food and Drug Administration approval for poly (adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in patients with metastatic breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer, there is an additional therapeutic rationale for testing all patients with these cancers for germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. However, many at-risk patients do not have access to genetic services, leaving many genetic carriers unidentified.

Objective: The eREACH (A Randomized Study of an eHealth Delivery Alternative for Cancer Genetic Testing for Hereditary Predisposition in …

Mri-Guided Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy For Neuropathic Pain In An Adolescent With Cranial Metastases: Illustrative Case, Sarah G Van Winkle, Danika L Paulo, Ashwin Viswanathan, Daniel Curry, Nisha Gadgil

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Neuropathic cancer pain (NCP) is a debilitating condition that is often refractory to conventional medical management. MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) central lateral thalamotomy (CLT) is an incisionless neurosurgical option for neuropathic pain palliation, but its use in pediatric patients and those with cranial metastases, a relative contraindication to MRgFUS, remains largely unexamined.

Observations: A 16-year-old male with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with numerous cranial metastases experienced severe, diffuse, refractory NCP. The patient underwent bilateral CLT with MRgFUS. After the procedure, the patient experienced complete and durable resolution of his neuropathic pain. He only reported occasional somatic pain at sites of …

Conservative Management Of An Iatrogenic Left Ventricular Pseudo Aneurysm After Type A Aortic Dissection Surgery, Wiem Feki, Amal Kchaou, Rania Gargouri, Hichem Denguir

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Left ventricular pseudo aneurysm a rare but potentially fatal complication after surgery for type A aortic dissection, due to the fragile nature of the pseudo aneurysm wall. We present the case of a 69-year-old man who developed a pseudo aneurysm at the apex of the left ventricle following surgical repair of a type A aortic dissection. Initially under diagnosed on trans thoracic echocardiography , the lesion was clearly characterized by CMR . Given the patient’s stable clinical status and morbidities , a conservative approach was adopted. The patient showed favorable evolution over time.

Predicting Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Using Voxel-Wise Resting-State Functional Mri, Hongjie Ke, Bhim M Adhikari, Yezhi Pan, David B Keator, Daniel Amen, Si Gao, Yizhou Ma, Paul M Thompson, Neda Jahanshad, Jessica A Turner, Theo G M Van Erp, Mohammed R Milad, Jair C Soares, Vince D Calhoun, Juergen Dukart, L Elliot Hong, Tianzhou Ma, Peter Kochunov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) is a putative biomarker for neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: Here, we show that rCBF can be predicted from resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) at the voxel level while correcting for partial volume averaging (PVA) artifacts. Cortical patterns of MDD-related CBF differences decoded from rsfMRI using a PVA-corrected approach showed excellent agreement with CBF measured using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). A support vector machine algorithm was trained to decode cortical voxel-wise CBF from temporal and power-spectral features of voxel-level rsfMRI time series while accounting for PVA. …

Surgeon Ergonomics While Performing Total Knee Arthroplasty, Cameron Dahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most prevalent hazards to orthopedic surgeons are musculoskeletal disorders with 97% of arthroplasty surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal pain and 66% of orthopedic surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal injury [1], [2], [3]. With the annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKA) on the rise, orthopedic surgeons are taking on larger annual caseloads and retiring later in life [4], [5]. The goal of this study was to quantify postural demand for 11 discrete surgical steps of TKA to identify ergonomically unfavorable positions surgeons experience while operating. Four orthopedic surgeons performed TKA while their motions were recorded using marker-based motion capture. …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

A Multimodal Approach To Assess A Liposomal Carrier’S Biodistribution, Stability, And Clearance, Cayla A Wood, Claire E Jones, Ananthakrishnan Soundaram Jeevarathinam, Riley Watson, Sangheon Han, Jennifer Meyer, Konstantin V Sokolov, Richard R Bouchard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Liposomal carriers, used for site-specific drug delivery, are being investigated for diagnostic approaches by replacing the therapeutic with an imaging contrast agent, exploring potential for selective treatment planning. There remains a critical need to improve in vivo assessment of biodistribution, stability, and clearance kinetics of liposomal carriers. This pilot study presents a multimodal approach in which liposome-encapsulated J-aggregated indocyanine green (ICG) dye (Lipo-JICG) is imaged with high spatial resolution using both in vivo photoacoustic (PA) imaging, to assess the absorbance characteristics of JICG and monomeric ICG, and ex vivo cryofluorescence tomography (CFT), to measure ICG fluorescence. An in vitro assay …

Prefrontal Cortex Astrocytes Modulate Distinct Neuronal Populations To Control Anxiety-Like Behavior, Eunyoung Kim, Hairuo Du, Yanqi Tan, Brandon L Brown, Yaowen Chang, Blanca Díaz-Castro, Jonathan V Sweedler, Xinzhu Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accumulating evidence has supported diverse regulatory functions of astrocytes in different neural circuits as well as various aspects of complex behaviors. However, little is known about how astrocytes regulate different neuronal subpopulations that are linked to specific behavioral aspects within a single brain region. Here, we show that astrocytes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) encode anxiogenic environmental cues in freely behaving mice. Silencing mPFC astrocyte Ca

Organizational Climate And Decision Aid Sustainability In Lupus Care: Mixed Methods Study, Aizhan Karabukayeva, Larry R Hearld, Nathan W Carroll, Reena Kelly, Jasvinder A Singh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Digital decision aids (DAs) are increasingly used in health care to support shared decision-making and promote patient engagement. In the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex autoimmune disease characterized by diverse symptoms and uncertain prognoses, DAs offer guidance to patients in navigating treatment risks and benefits. Although numerous studies have examined the initial implementation of evidence-based tools, there is limited evidence on the organizational factors that influence their long-term sustainability in clinical practice. This gap is particularly salient for digital interventions, where integration into routine workflows and ongoing use require alignment with clinic readiness and culture. This …

Retrieval Of An Embolized Left Atrial Appendage Occluder From The Aortic Arch Using A Transcatheter Retrieval Device, Juan Siordia, Hussam Al Hennawi, Muhammad Sabri, Daniel Ice, Ronald Ross, Sheena Rastogi, Chunguang Chen, Richard Kovach, Muhammad Raza

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Device embolization is a recognized complication of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures, with outcomes depending on the location of the embolized device and patient management.

CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old male with atrial fibrillation underwent LAAO due to high bleeding risk. Postoperative surveillance revealed an Amplatzer Amulet device embolized in the transverse arch of the aorta. The patient remained asymptomatic, and transcatheter retrieval was planned. A percutaneous approach was used with the ONOCOR system and snare devices with successful retrieval. The patient recovered without complications and remained stable at follow-up.

DISCUSSION: Device embolization often presents challenges, with clinical outcomes …

Post-Traumatic Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Optic Neuritis: A Case Report, Saif A. Hamdan, Jaime Nassur, Sarah E. Thornton

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) has recently been distinguished as its own disease entity separate from other demyelinating diseases. This case report highlights the possible association of orbital trauma with the development of MOG antibody (MOG-IgG) optic neuritis.

OBSERVATIONS: A 31-year-old male with no significant ocular history presented with blurry vision in the right eye four weeks after a motorcycle crash. Right eye examination was notable for a significant decrease in visual acuity with a relative afferent pupillary defect and circumferential disc elevation on fundoscopy. An extensive workup, including imaging and serology, revealed optic neuritis with a …

Association Of Obesity And Body Mass Index Classification With Glycemic Control In Adults Who Are Critically Ill Receiving Parenteral Nutrition: A Retrospective Study., Erika L Mackie, Melissa Dang, Kimberly Sharpe, Justin Delic, James M Hollands, Song Oh, Stacy Pasciolla, Laura Pontiggia, Diana Solomon, Angela Bingham

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

BACKGROUND: Hyperglycemia is a complication of parenteral nutrition (PN), which can be exacerbated in patients with obesity. Limited data exist on glycemic control in this population. This study aims to evaluate the association of obesity and body mass index (BMI) classification with glycemic control in patients who are critically ill initiated receiving PN.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients who are critically ill receiving PN from January 2013 to February 2024. The primary outcome was glycemic control in patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m

RESULTS: The study included 220 patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m

CONCLUSION: Patients who …

Diagnosing And Testing Gi Motility, Michael Smith, Sofia Colon Guzman

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

We dive into the most common pediatric GI motility disorders, when to refer for testing, and how to navigate diagnostics like manometry and gastric emptying studies. Learn how to approach testing in non-verbal children, distinguish functional from structural issues, and stay updated on emerging tools in the field.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Diagnosis And Screening, Bob Underwood, Winston Manimtim

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

Winston Manimtim, MD, discusses bronchopulmonary dysplasia including affects and complications, provides guidance to pediatricians working with patients with BDP and more in this episode.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Optimizing Motion Management And Baseline Shifts In Magnetic Resonance-Guided Spine Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, Yao Ding, Travis C Salzillo, Debra N Yeboa, Martin C Tom, Zhiheng Wang, Parmeswaran Diagaradjane, Ergys Subashi, Jinzhong Yang, Todd Swanson, Thomas Beckham, Chenyang Wang, Amol J Ghia, Tina Briere, Jihong Wang, Fabienne Lathuilière, Sneha Cloake, Eun Young Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has proven effective in controlling spinal lesions with minimal toxicity, primarily due to its ability to limit spinal cord dose. Recent advances in MR-linac (MRL) technology offer superior spinal cord visualization and real-time gating, which can facilitate dose escalation in spinal tumor treatment while maintaining safety.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to optimize motion management for spine SBRT on an MRL by analyzing patient-specific motion dynamics and evaluating the most effective registration structures. We hypothesized that baseline shifts (BLS) would improve delivery efficiency while maintaining spinal cord dose constraints. The goal was to establish displacement …

Trpc4 Regulates Limbic Behavior And Neuronal Development By Stabilizing Dendrite Branches Through Actomyosin-Driven Integrin Activation, Jaepyo Jeon, Travis I Moore, Insuk So, Marc Freichel, Veit Flockerzi, Lutz Birnbaumer, Michael X Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 4 (TRPC4) channels have been implicated in multiple neurological functions, including anxiety and sociability. TRPC4 variants were also found in patients with autism. However, the contributions of TRPC4 to neurodevelopment remain undefined. Here, we show that neurobehavioral deficits appear early in young TRPC4 knockout (Trpc4^−/−) mice immediately after weaning, manifesting as alterations in multiple, limbic-related behaviors, such as nesting, marble burying, burrowing, self-grooming, and social interactions. Hippocampal neurons of Trpc4−/− mice exhibit reduced dendritic arborization both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, we found that TRPC4 expression in dendrites surged at the …

Causes Of Symptoms And Symptom Persistence In Long Covid And Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Anthony L Komaroff, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Debilitating symptoms for many years can follow acute COVID-19 ("long COVID"), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and various post-acute infection syndromes (PAISs). Together, long COVID and ME/CFS affect 60-400 million individuals, globally. Many similar underlying biological abnormalities have been identified in both conditions including autoantibodies against neural targets, endothelial dysfunction, acquired mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory gut microbiome. Each of these abnormalities may directly cause some of the symptoms. In addition, the symptoms also may be caused by ancient, evolutionarily conserved symptomatic and metabolic responses to vital threats-sickness behavior and torpor-responses mediated by specific, recently discovered neural circuits. These neural …

Dna Methylation Signatures Of Cardiovascular Health Provide Insights Into Diseases, Madeleine Carbonneau, Yi Li, Yishu Qu, Yinan Zheng, Alexis C Wood, Mengyao Wang, Chunyu Liu, Tianxiao Huan, Roby Joehanes, Xiuqing Guo, Jie Yao, Kent D Taylor, Russell P Tracy, Peter Durda, Yongmei Liu, W Craig Johnson, Wendy S Post, Tom Blackwell, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Susan Redline, Myriam Fornage, Jun Wang, Hongyan Ning, Lifang Hou, Donald Lloyd-Jones, Kendra Ferrier, Yuan-I Min, April P Carson, Laura M Raffield, Alexander Teumer, Hans J Grabe, Henry Völzke, Matthias Nauck, Marcus Dörr, Arce Domingo-Relloso, Amanda Fretts, Maria Tellez-Plaza, Shelley A Cole, Ana Navas-Acien, Meng Wang, Joanne M Murabito, Nancy L Heard-Costa, Brenton Prescott, Vanessa Xanthakis, Dariush Mozaffarian, Daniel Levy, Jiantao Ma

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The association of overall cardiovascular health (CVH) with changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) has not been well characterized.

Methods: We calculated the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 score to reflect CVH in 5 cohorts with diverse backgrounds (mean age 54 years, 55% women, and enrollment year ranging from 1989 to 2012). Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for Life's Essential 8 score were conducted, followed by bioinformatic analyses. DNAm loci significantly associated with Life's Essential 8 score were used to calculate a CVH DNAm score. We examined the association of the CVH DNAm score with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), cardiovascular …

Changes In Self-Reported Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Are Associated With 5-Year All-Cause Mortality Risk Among Veterans, Katherine G Bay, Arash Maghsoudi, Amin Ramezani, Drew A Helmer, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Javad Razjouyan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is linked to adverse clinical outcomes. This study evaluated changes in a validated tool to assess EDS, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and mortality risk. This retrospective cohort study included Veterans receiving sleep-related services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from October 4, 1999 to August 18, 2018, with two qualifying ESS measures. ESS values were extracted from patient notes using a validated natural language processing (NLP) pipeline (96% accuracy). ESS scores were categorised as Normal (0-10) or Abnormal (11-24). Patients were grouped based on ESS changes: Normal-Normal, Normal-Abnormal, Abnormal-Abnormal and Abnormal-Normal. Cox proportional hazards …

Anti-Inflammatory Diet And Probiotic Supplementation As Strategies To Modulate Immune Dysregulation In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Carlos Andrés Naranjo-Galvis, Diana María Trejos-Gallego, Cristina Correa-Salazar, Jessica Triviño-Valencia, Marysol Valencia-Buitrago, Andrés Felipe Ruiz-Pulecio, Luisa Fernanda Méndez-Ramírez, Jovanny Zabaleta, Miguel Andres Meñaca-Puentes, Carlos Alberto Ruiz-Villa, Marcela Orjuela-Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Carmona-Hernández, Luisa Matilde Salamanca-Duque

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with behavioral and cognitive impairments. Increasing evidence also links ASD with systemic immune dysregulation, including abnormal cytokine profiles and chronic low-grade inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that targeted dietary strategies and probiotic supplementation may modulate immune responses and gut–brain interactions in patients with ASD. This study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of a structured anti-inflammatory diet (NeuroGutPlus) compared to multi-strain probiotics in children with ASD. NeuroGutPlus is a nutritionally complete anti-inflammatory dietary protocol that targets gut integrity, inflammation, and mitochondrial function. It includes a diet low in gluten, FODMAPs, casein, …

Kdm2b Variants In The Cxxc Domain Impair Its Dna-Binding Ability And Cause A Distinct Neurodevelopmental Syndrome, Amber S E Van Oirsouw, Michael A Hadders, Martijn Koetsier, Edith D J Peters, Nurit Assia Batzir, Tahsin Stefan Barakat, Diana Baralle, Adelyn Beil, Marie-Noëlle Bonnet-Dupeyron, Philip M Boone, Arjan Bouman, Deanna Alexis Carere, Benjamin Cogne, Leslie Dunnington, Laura S Farach, Casie A Genetti, Bertrand Isidor, Louis Januel, Aakash Joshi, Nayana Lahiri, Kristen N Lee, Idit Maya, Meriel Mcentagart, Hope Northrup, Mathilde Pujalte, Kate Richardson, Susan Walker, Bobby P C Koeleman, Mariëlle Alders, Richard H Van Jaarsveld, Renske Oegema

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rare variants affecting the epigenetic regulator KDM2B cause a recently delineated neurodevelopmental disorder. Interestingly, we previously identified both a general KDM2B-associated episignature and a subsignature specific to variants in the DNA-binding CxxC domain. In light of the existence of a distinct subsignature, we set out to determine if KDM2B CxxC variants are associated with a unique phenotype and disease mechanism. We recruited individuals with heterozygous CxxC variants and assessed the variants' effect on protein expression and DNA-binding ability. We analyzed clinical data from 19 individuals, including ten previously undescribed individuals with seven novel CxxC variants. The core phenotype of the …

Single Balloon Enteroscopy In The Elderly, Marc J Zuckerman, Majd Michael, Mohammad Bashashati, Alok K Dwivedi, Nancy A Casner, Mohamed O Othman, Sherif E Elhanafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) is a minimally invasive procedure to assess and treat small bowel pathologies. The most common use is to detect suspected small bowel bleeding: Insignificant gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding or iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). The safety and feasibility of SBE in the elderly has not been adequately studied.

Aim: To assess the safety and feasibility of both antegrade and retrograde SBE in elderly patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all antegrade and retrograde SBE done at our center from March 2011 through May 2020. We collected patient's data including demographics, indications, findings, therapeutic interventions, and …

Lipidomic And Proteomic Insights From Extracellular Vesicles In The Postmortem Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Reveal Substance Use Disorder-Induced Brain Changes, Chioma M Okeoma, Wasifa Naushad, Bryson C Okeoma, Carlos Gartner, Yulica Santos-Ortega, Calvin Vary, Savio Lima-Bastos, Victor Corasolla Carregari, Martin R Larsen, Alessio Noghero, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Substance use disorder (SUD) significantly increases the risk of neurotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuroplasticity. The activation of inflammatory pathways by substances may lead to reactive astrogliosis and chronic neuroinflammation, potentially mediated by the release of extracellular particles (EPs), such as extracellular condensates (ECs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles, which reflect the physiological, pathophysiological, and metabolic states of their cells of origin, might carry molecular signatures indicative of SUD. In particular, our study investigated neuroinflammatory signatures in SUD patients by isolating EVs from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) Brodmann's area 9 (BA9) from postmortem subjects. We isolated BA9-derived …

Mathematical Modeling And Association Analysis Decipher The Impact Of The Gut Microbiome On Cancer Immunotherapy, Andreas G Hadjigeorgiou, Constantinos Harkos, Aditya K Mishra, Golnaz Morad, Sarah B Johnson, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Lance L Munn, Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, Rakesh K Jain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gut microbiome has emerged as a key regulator of response to cancer immunotherapy. However, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which the microbiome influences immunotherapy is needed to identify strategies to optimize outcomes. To this end, we developed a mathematical model to obtain insights into the effect of the microbiome on the immune system and immunotherapy response. This model was based on (i) gut microbiome data derived from preclinical studies, (ii) mathematical modeling of the antitumor immune response, (iii) association analysis of microbiome profiles with model-predicted immune profiles, and (iv) statistical models that correlate model parameters with …

Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Oral Hymecromone In Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension, Kathryn Czepiel, Nadine Nagy, Tamera Panjalingam, Anissa Kalinowski, Adam R Frymoyer, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Bo Gu, Haley Hedlin, Gernot Kaber, Sylvie Dobrota Lai, Joelle I Rosser, Paul L Bollyky, Vinicio De Jesus Perez, Roham T Zamanian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) is linked to vascular remodelling and interstitial fibrosis in PH. We hypothesised that inhibition of HA synthesis with hymecromone could serve as a reverse-remodelling therapy in PH.

Methods: We performed a proof-of-concept phase IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). Patients were randomised to a 5:3 ratio and stratified by PH group to receive oral hymecromone or placebo two times per day over 24 weeks. The primary …

Role Of Immunosuppressive Jnk Pathway In The Tumor Microenvironment Among Tnbc Subtypes In Ibcsg Trial 22–00, Andrea Joaquin Garcia, Takashi Semba, Mattia Rediti, Daniel J Mcgrail, Xuemei Xie, Xiaoping Wang, Dileep R Rampa, David Venet, Laurence Buisseret, Samira Majjaj, Roswitha Kammler, Marco Colleoni, Sherene Loi, Giuseppe Viale, Meredith M Regan, Françoise Rothé, Christos Sotiriou, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phosphorylation of the JNK (pJNK) protein promotes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), enhancing aggressiveness in inflammatory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study evaluated the role of JNK signaling using a gene signature. RNA sequencing was performed on 347 TNBC tumors from the phase 3 International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) 22-00 trial, which evaluated adjuvant low-dose cyclophosphamide and methotrexate (CM). Immune-related tumors were identified by TNBC subtype or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Associations between JNK and outcomes were analyzed using Cox models. Low pJNK levels were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in immune-related tumors. These tumors also had lower Treg …

Planetary Health: At The Crossroads Of Cvd Prevention, Tasveer Khawaja, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: To highlight important recent findings demonstrating the interconnectedness of planetary and human health with a focus on cardiovascular disease. Recent Findings: Data continue to demonstrate a clear interconnectedness between the health of the planet and human health, with cardiovascular disease as an important outcome. The central roles of air pollution, non-optimal temperatures, water/waste management, and food/biodiversity are highlighted. We also highlight the clear opportunity for healthcare organizations to facilitate change that will yield positive environmental and patient outcomes. Summary: The undeniable interconnectedness of the health of the planet and human health serves as a call to action …

Advanced Robotic Multimodal Imaging With Real-Time Motion Compensation For Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring, George Papaioannou, Christos Mitrogiannis, Mark Schweitzer, Maria Pappa, Pegah Khosravi, Apostolos Karantanas, Chris Ruberg, Shawn Owens, Nikolaos Michailidis

Publications and Research

Modern composite materials promise superior performance and load-bearing capabilities, yet evaluating their structural integrity remains challenging. Current testing methods, such as visual, thermographic, ultrasonic, optical, electromagnetic, terahertz, shearography, X-ray, and neutron imaging, are hampered by long scan durations, limited field of view, suboptimal accuracy, and high costs, particularly when applied to large structures.

This paper addresses these issues by introducing a novel robotic multimodal imaging system that overcomes the limitations of traditional methods. This system dynamically captures both static and dynamic properties of materials using advanced motion compensation techniques. By integrating multiple radiographic modalities into a coordinated robotic platform, it …