Digital Commons Network^™

A Novel Laparoscopic Renal Denervation System In A Preclinical Swine Model, Linwei Zhao, Wei Yang, Binbin Zhu, Yahui Liu, Peng Tian, Xinyu Guo, Yang Dong, Zhiqiang Fan, Huiping Li, Yu Feng, Lijie Zhu, Minfu Bai, Qiuping Zhao, Xingkun Zhang, Chenchen Si, Qianqian Cheng, Gan-Xin Yan, Chuanyu Gao

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Laparoscopic renal denervation (RDN) represents a specialized approach for hypertension, particularly when conventional methods face limitations. While catheter-based RDN has demonstrated significant efficacy in recent large-scale clinical trials and has been integrated into international guidelines, its effectiveness can be constrained by complex renal anatomy or incomplete ablation. We developed a novel laparoscopic RDN system, comprising an integrated radiofrequency (RF) clamp, RF generator, and cooling pump, to achieve more controlled adventitial ablation. This study aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and optimal parameters of this new system in a preclinical swine model. Sixteen pigs were divided into an immediate group ( …

A Case Report Of A Double Descending Dorsal Aorta In A Complex Congenital Heart Disease., Anhar Ali Baeshen, Mohammad Amin Ghulam Rasol, Riad Abouzahr, Zaheer Ahmad Ahmad

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Double dorsal aorta is an extremely rare congenital embryological vascular anomaly caused by incomplete regression and fusion of the paired dorsal aortae and may be associated with complex congenital heart disease. We report a 9-year-old girl with complex congenital heart disease who underwent single-ventricle palliation, including a bidirectional Glenn at 10 months of age. During pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization a double descending dorsal aorta was incidentally discovered and later confirmed by CT angiography. Although patient was asymptomatic, recognizing this anomaly is crucial for surgical planning and catheter-based interventions, highlighting the importance of detailed preoperative imaging in single-ventricle patients.

Sickle Cell Visualization In Vivo In Humans: Microvascular Occlusion Formation And Hemorheological Indices, Marisa M Morakis, Luojie Huang, Gregory N. Mckay, Sophie Lanzkron, Lydia H. Pecker, Nicholas J. Durr

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Vaso-occlusion is a signature pathology of sickle cell disease (SCD). However, the lack of in vivo methods to observe individual blood cell dynamics in humans limits our understanding of occlusion formation mechanisms. We present a novel in vivo, noninvasive, label-free, and high-resolution imaging technique to study blood flow and sickled cell behavior in affected individuals. We used oblique back-illumination microscopy (OBM) to capture videos of 91.0 ± 42.3 sublingual capillaries in each of 10 participants with SCD before and after red cell transfusions and compared the measurements to 10 unaffected controls. With direct observation of blood cell activity, we identified …

Medial Pulvinar Nucleus As A Causal Hub For Heteromodal Naming, Oscar Woolnough, Tessy Thomas, Kathryn M Snyder, Ellery Wheeler, Jay Gavvala, Nitin Tandon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Our ability to retrieve the names of objects in our environment is a fundamental aspect of everyday life. This process requires a complex, dynamic network of cortical and subcortical interactions. While the cortical constituents of this network have been extensively studied with intracranial recordings, the subcortical nodes of the naming network are unclear. We probed the role of the left medial pulvinar nucleus in naming with direct intracranial recordings and stimulation in eight humans (three male, five female) as they named objects using pictures and auditory and written descriptions. We found a spectrotemporal signature of naming in the left medial …

Influence Of Body Composition On The Efficacy Of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab For Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kabir Grewal, Maria Julia Moura Nascimento Santos, Pankaj Kumar Chauhan, Kai Yu, Nizar M Tannir, Sagar S Mukhida, Neha Venkatesh, Amishi Y Shah, Amado J Zurita, Andrew C Johns, Matthew T Campbell, Sangeeta Goswami, Jianjun Gao, Eric Jonasch, Jennifer L Mcquade, Omar Alhalabi, Pavlos Msaouel, Andrew W Hahn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (ICI) with nivolumab+ipilimumab is a first-line (1L) standard for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), yet outcomes remain heterogeneous. Increasing evidence suggests that host factors influence the tumor microenvironment and response to ICI. Although higher body mass index (BMI) has been associated with improved outcomes in several malignancies, BMI is an imprecise surrogate for underlying adipose and muscle compartments. We evaluated the association between body composition and outcomes with 1L nivolumab+ipilimumab in metastatic ccRCC.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with mccRCC treated with 1L nivolumab+ipilimumab at MD Anderson Cancer Center between June 2015 and …

Proteomic Profiling Of Pulmonary Function And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Yura Lee, Astrid M Manuel, Ngoc Quynh H Nguyen, Christine Ladd-Acosta, Alanna C Morrison, Kari E North, Eric Boerwinkle, Amil M Shah, Zhongming Zhao, Stephanie J London, Bing Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary function is linked to cardiovascular disease risk; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to identify protein biomarkers associated with pulmonary function and examine their impact on incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and all-cause mortality.

Methods: Data from White and Black Americans in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (visit 2: N=11 354, mean age=57 years; visit 5: N=3517, mean age=75 years), a prospective cohort, were analyzed. Linear regression assessed associations between protein levels and pulmonary function measures, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity. The impact of …

Association Between Functional Status And Cardiac Function In Chronic Heart Failure: Insights From The C-Mic Ii Trial., Marat Fudim, Tamara Kovacevic-Preradovic, Marija Zdravkovic, Sasko Jovev, Nermir Granov, Tanja Popov, Igor Rudez, Petar Vukovic, Velibor Ristic, Annette Holtdirk, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, Faouzi Kallel, Miodrag Peric, Javed Butler, Stefan D. Anker, Dragana Kosevic, J. Eduardo Rame

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Relationship between changes in cardiac function, functional capacity, and patient-reported health status in heart failure (HF) remains incompletely defined, which may help inform endpoint selection and clarify how distinct clinical domains reflect treatment response.

METHODS: This post hoc analysis of the randomized cardiac microcurrent (C-MIC) II trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of C-MIC therapy in patients with chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction on optimal guideline-directed medical therapy, included 65 ambulatory patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III-IV symptoms, and baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 25-35%. Correlations between changes in Kansas …

Activin A Secretion By Muscle-Repairing Macrophages Induces Heterotopic Ossification In Mice, Wenqiang Yin, Kazuo Okamoto, Asuka Terashima, Warunee Pluemsakunthai, Takehito Ono, Taku Ito-Kureha, Shizuo Akira, Yoshinobu Hashizume, Roland Baron, Satoshi Ueha, Kouji Matsushima, Martin M Matzuk, Yuji Mishina, Hiroshi Takayanagi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The immune system is not only essential for host defense, but it is also involved in tissue maintenance and disease pathogenesis. Macrophages play a key role in tissue repair, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis, but the mechanisms underlying their multifunctionality have not been fully explored. Here, we identified Mrep (Ly6ChiCX3CR1loPDPN+CD9+) as a crucial subset of macrophages for muscle regeneration after muscle injury. Muscle regeneration required Mrep-derived activin A, which was produced via the TLR4/TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β/TANK-binding kinase 1/interferon regulatory factor 3/7 signaling pathway in response to muscle injury. Mrep exerted pathological effects by secreting activin A in a model of genetically …

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement In Systemic Sclerosis: A Case Series And Review Of Short- And Long-Term Outcomes, Chris T. Derk, Ahmadreza Badali, Esra Mehmetoglu, Anvitha Mummadisetty, Amit Syal, Konstantinos Parperis

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Objectives: A higher frequency of valvular heart disease is seen among Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients. Advanced aortic valve stenosis leads to significant morbidity in these patients with multiple other comorbidities. In this study, we aim to define the short- and long-term outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures in SSc patients. Methods: We undertook a retrospective chart review of all patients with SSc who underwent a TAVR procedure at our institution over a defined 11-year period. Demographics as well as short- and long-term outcomes were identified. Results: Fourteen SSc patients underwent a TAVR procedure between 2012 and 2023. They …

Evaluation Of Pulse Oximetry Alarm Fatigue And The Impact Of Spo2 Thresholds On Clinical Workflow: A Prospective Observational Study In A Kenyan Neonatal Unit, Bazil Masabo, Augustine Waswa, Jesse Coleman, Morris Ogero, Grace Irimu, Dorothy Chomba, Millicent Parsimei, Cynthia Shitote, Ferdinand Okwaro, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Effective pulse oximetry monitoring in a newborn unit requires clinician action. However, if thresholds are not adapted to each neonate, frequent alarms cause alarm fatigue, which impacts the quality of patient monitoring, staff workload and clinical workflow.

Methods: We conducted an observational study from October 2021 to December 2022 in a Kenyan newborn unit which enrolled neonates through convenience sampling. Data were analysed in R using default thresholds of 85% to 96% for SpO2 and 90 to 200 bpm for PR.

Results: Among the 49 neonates enrolled, median hourly alarms per patient were 12 visual and …

Geographic Access To Pediatric Ecmo And Ecpr: A Geospatial Study Of Transport Networks And Disparities., Allan M. Joseph, Andrew J. Lautz, Carlie N. Myers, Ranjit S. Chima, Juan P. Gurria, Shafee Salloum, Wendy Hasson, Matthew P. Malone, Jenna Miller, Maya L. Dewan

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can help children survive severe cardiac and/or respiratory failure, but it is only provided in specialized centers. There are disparities in access by ground transport to ECMO services, but it is unknown to what extent interfacility transfer systems can expand access. Additionally, the number of children who live in proximity to centers that perform extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) to be potential candidates in case of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unknown. We conducted a geospatial analysis to answer these questions.

METHODS: We conducted a geospatial analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) …

Leappt: Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence-Pediatric Pulmonology Training. Curriculum And Content Development., Alvin Singh, Erin Khan, Mary Moffatt

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

After redesigning the curriculum of the pediatric pulmonology fellowship program at Children's Mercy-Kansas City, leadership continued to make changes based on feedback from a faculty survey concerned about the quality and structure of didactics. These changes included leveraging generative artificial intelligence to create a detailed course content outline containing specific objectives and study points for each subject related to pediatric pulmonology. Using the content outline as a foundational reference for learners, fellowship leadership continues to enhance the curriculum by creating testing questions, flipped classroom sessions and evaluations, and hope that these specific changes will help address decreased passing rates on …

Pre- And Postnatal Exposure To Pm2.5 And No2 And Blood Pressure In Children: Results From The Echo Cohort, Yu Ni, Andrew Law, Xingyu Gao, Adam A Szpiro, Christine T Loftus, Miranda Jones, Logan C Dearborn, Marnie F Hazlehurst, Allison R Sherris, Sindana Ilango, Kaja Z Lewinn, Nicole R Bush, Qi Zhao, Leonardo Trasande, Joseph T Flynn, Daniel A Enquobahrie, Ruby H N Nguyen, Tom O'Connor, Arpita K Vyas, Mingyu Zhang, Hooman Mirzakhani, Alison Hipwell, Anne Starling, Alicia K Peterson, Akhgar Ghassabian, Assiamira Ferrara, Judy Aschner, Scott Collingwood, Margaret R Karagas, Michelle Katzow, Annemarie Stroustrup, Mehtap Haktnair, Tina V Hartert, Brittney M Snyder, Sophia Jan, Anne Marie Singh, Dana Dabelea, Angela M Malek, Jennifer K Straughen, Carlos A Camargo, Miatta A Buxton, Rosalind Wright, Kecia Carroll, Keia Sanderson, Daphne Koinis Mitchell, Viren D'Sa, Christine Hockett, Anne L Dunlop, Shohreh F Farzen, Sunni L Mumford, Akram N Alshawabkeh, Hudson P Santos, Xueying Zhang, Zhongzheng Niu, Nan Ji, Carrie Breton, Donghai Liang, Catherine J Karr, Echo Cohort Consortium

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: There is growing interest in understanding the link between early life exposures to ambient air pollution and childhood blood pressure; however, existing findings, largely from single site/cohort studies, are inconclusive.

Methods: We examined the association between exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and blood pressure measured at age 5-12 years in 4863 U.S. children from 20 pregnancy cohorts of the NIH ECHO cohort. Point-based residential exposures were derived from spatiotemporal models with a biweekly resolution and averaged over each trimester, the whole pregnancy, and child age 0-2 years. We converted systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood …

Breast Cancer Awareness And Preferences For Screening Messaging On Menstrual Hygiene Products In Ghana And Tanzania, Tingting Mo, Elisabeth Msoka, Clement Narh, Blandina Mmbaga, Modesta Mitao, Getrude Mshana, Janeth Kiwia, Huruma Sapheli, Frank Baiden, Miriam Mutebi

General Surgery, East Africa

Background Menstrual hygiene products (MHPs) may offer a high-reach, frequent, long-lasting yet underutilized channel for health education, particularly in low-resource settings. This study aimed to explore women’s breast health awareness (BHA) and their attitudes towards and preferences for BHA messages on MHPs.

Methods Women aged 18–49 years in Ghana and Tanzania (n = 438; 216 Ghana, 222 Tanzania), stratified by age and urban/rural setting, completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographics, BHA, and preferences for BHA messages with MHP. BHA was assessed with an adapted 31-item Breast Cancer Awareness Measure Tool covering 4 domains: breast cancer signs and symptoms, confidence, skills, and …

A Study Of Awareness Of Antiseptics And Disinfectant Use Among Allied Health Sciences Students And Interns Of A Tertiary Care Hospital, Pooja M, Puneeth A, Sharmi Nm

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background:

Antiseptics and disinfectants are among the most vital tools in infection prevention and control (IPC), especially in healthcare settings where the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a significant concern. This study aims to assess the awareness and knowledge of antiseptics and disinfectants among Allied Health Sciences (AHS) students and interns, identify knowledge gaps at different stages of training, and recommend educational interventions.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted among 1st to 3rd-year AHS students and interns at a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire via a Google form after obtaining approval from …

Pharmacokinetic Modeling Strategies For Dynamic Hyperpolarized Urea Imaging, Keith A Michel, Collin J Harlan, Christopher M Walker, Matthew E Merritt, Yunyun Chen, Stephen Y Lai, James A Bankson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate pharmacokinetic modeling methods for quantification of tissue perfusion/permeability with hyperpolarized 13C urea.

Methods: Three models for quantitative analysis of dynamic HP urea imaging data were proposed and evaluated in numerical simulations and a thyroid cancer mouse model. A multicompartment model resembling the extended Tofts model for DCE-MRI (Model I) and two simplified models were used. The simplified models each eliminate a volume parameter representing vascular (Model II) or impermeable cellular space (Model III). Signal curves were generated from Model I, and models were fit to these synthetic data to quantify the effects of acquisition settings, bias in …

Analysis Of Patients With Monocytic And Monocytic-Like Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Including Aml-M4 And Aml-M5, Treated With Venetoclax Plus Azacitidine, Marina Konopleva, Courtney D Dinardo, Yan Sun, Paul Jung, Sanam Loghavi, Jalaja Potluri, Monique Dail, Brenda Chyla, Daniel A Pollyea

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Mutational Landscape And Burden On Rbc Transfusion Response In Patients With Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (Lr-Mds) In The Commands Study, Rami S Komrokji, Sheida Hayati, Manuel Ugidos, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Matteo Giovanni Della Porta, Amer M Zeidan, Valeria Santini, Uwe Platzbecker, Anita K Gandhi, Rajasekhar N V S Suragani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COMMANDS trial established luspatercept as a first‐line treatment for anemia in transfusion‐dependent lower‐risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Here we report red blood cell (RBC) transfusion response analysis based on somatic mutations profile and disease risk for patients treated with luspatercept or epoetin alfa in the COMMANDS trial. Of 350 evaluable patients, 238 (68.0%) had MDS with multiple lineage dysplasia and ring sideroblasts (RS) according to World Health Organization 2016 criteria, and 320 (91.4%) had somatic mutations in ≥ 1 gene (median, 2) with median variant allele frequencies (VAF) of 2%–59%. Mutation profiles were similar in the treatment groups. Luspatercept …

Shiny-Magec: A Bayesian R Shiny Application For Meta-Analysis Of Censored Adverse Events, Zihan Zhou, Zizhong Tian, Christine Peterson, Le Bao, Shouhao Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate assessment of adverse event (AE) incidence is critical in clinical research for drug safety. While meta-analysis serves as an essential tool to comprehensively synthesize the evidence across multiple studies, incomplete AE reporting in clinical trials remains a persistent challenge. In particular, AEs occurring below study-specific reporting thresholds are often omitted from publications, leading to left-censored data. Failure to account for these censored AE counts can result in biased AE incidence estimates. We present an R Shiny application that implements a Bayesian meta-analysis model specifically designed to incorporate censored AE data into the estimation process. This interactive tool provides a …

Large Language Models For Bioinformatics, Wei Ruan, Yanjun Lyu, Jing Zhang, Jiazhang Cai, Peng Shu, Yang Ge, Yao Lu, Shang Gao, Yue Wang, Peilong Wang, Lin Zhao, Tao Wang, Yufang Liu, Luyang Fang, Ziyu Liu, Zhengliang Liu, Yiwei Li, Zihao Wu, Junhao Chen, Hanqi Jiang, Yi Pan, Zhenyuan Yang, Jingyuan Chen, Shizhe Liang, Wei Zhang, Terry Ma, Yuan Dou, Jianli Zhang, Xinyu Gong, Qi Gan, Yusong Zou, Zebang Chen, Yuanxin Qian, Shuo Yu, Jin Lu, Kenan Song, Xianqiao Wang, Andrea Sikora, Gang Li, Xiang Li, Quanzheng Li, Yingfeng Wang, Lu Zhang, Yohannes Abate, Lifang He, Wenxuan Zhong, Rongjie Liu, Chao Huang, Wei Liu, Ye Shen, Ping Ma, Hongtu Zhu, Yajun Yan, Dajiang Zhu, Tianming Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

With the rapid advancements in large language model technology and the emergence of bioinformatics-specific language models (BioLMs), there is a growing need for a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape, computational characteristics, and diverse applications. This survey aims to address this need by providing a thorough review of BioLMs, focusing on their evolution, classification, and distinguishing features, alongside a detailed examination of training methodologies, datasets, and evaluation frameworks. We explore the wide-ranging applications of BioLMs in critical areas such as disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and vaccine development, highlighting their impact and transformative potential in bioinformatics. We identify key challenges and …

Prior Head Circumference Measurements In Infants With Older Subdural Hematomas: Did We Miss It?, Maryann Alvarez Griffis, Nancy D. Kellogg, Wouter Koek

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: To establish whether infants with macrocephaly and non-acute subdural hematomas (SDHs) had missed opportunities for measuring fronto-occipital circumference (FOC) and obtaining neuroimaging prior to diagnosis. Macrocephaly due to SDH in infancy is initially detected by FOC measurements and/or neuroimaging, as neurologic symptoms may be subtle or missed.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of infants with macrocephaly and non-acute SDHs referred to child abuse pediatricians for suspected abusive head trauma (AHT) over an 8-year period. A study sample of 35 infants met inclusion criteria and had complete prior medical records which were reviewed for missed opportunities for earlier SDH diagnosis. Four …

Hes V2.0 Validation And Performance Compared To Galad And Asap In The Heds Cohort, Hashem B El-Serag, Camden Lopez, Michelle Luster, K Rajender Reddy, Neehar Parikh, Amit G Singal, Jorge A Marrero, Aaron P Thrift, Jagpreet Chhatwal, Ziding Feng, Stephanie Page-Lester, Qingchun Jin, Nabihah Tayob, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background & aims: We previously developed HES V2.0, a biomarker panel (age, ALT, platelets, etiology, AFP, AFP-L3, DCP, and their 1-year gradients) for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with cirrhosis. We externally validated HES V2.0 and compared its performance with HES V1.0, GALAD, and ASAP.

Methods: We conducted a PRoBE (prospective specimen-collection, retrospective blinded-evaluation) cohort study in the HEDS (Hepatocellular Carcinoma Early Detection Strategy) cohort of 1,485 patients with cirrhosis, of whom 119 developed HCC. Patient- and test-level true positive rates (TPR) for HCC were calculated at 6, 12, and 24 months before diagnosis, using thresholds at …

Predominant Symptom In Gastroparesis: Relationships To Quality Of Life, Treatments, And Outcome, Henry P Parkman, Laura A Wilson, William L Hasler, Madhusudan Grover, Bruno P Chumpitazi, Helen Burton-Murray, Irene Sarosiek, Baha Moshiree, Geoffrey A Preidis, Robert J Shulman, Laura A Miriel, Dave Shade, Braden Kuo, Richard W Mccallum, Thomas L Abell, Pankaj J Pasricha

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Patients with gastroparesis (Gp) can have a variety of symptoms. Apart from use of prokinetics, symptomatic therapies for the predominant symptom (PrS) are used.

Aims: (1) To classify Gp patients based on their PrS; (2) To determine differences in Gp symptoms, gastric emptying (GE), quality of life (QOL), treatments, and symptom improvement among Gp patients with different PrS.

Methods: Gp patients were enrolled in a multicenter registry and followed for 96-weeks. Patients recorded their PrS and completed questionnaires assessing symptoms and QOL at enrollment and at follow up visits.

Results: Of 1013 Gp patients (361 diabetic, 607 idiopathic, 45 …

Examining Sleep-Related Problems In Youth With Misophonia, Kevin M Wagner, Matti Cervin, Catherine E Rast, Mered Parnes, Nicholas Murphy, Samuel Spencer, Eric A Storch, Andrew G Guzick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The relationship between misophonia and sleep-related problems (SRPs) in youth is underexplored. This paucity of research is concerning because SRPs might be elevated among youth with misophonia. If left untreated, SRPs can contribute to long-term health consequences. Thus, in this study we examined the link between misophonia and SRPs in youth aged 8 to 17. In this study, we compared SRPs in 102 children and adolescents with clinically significant misophonia to SRPs in a normative youth sample and a sample of 94 youth with anxiety disorders. We also examined the extent to which SRPs were associated with misophonia severity. Approximately …

Statistical Methods In Aging Research: Improving Current Practices And Embracing Emerging Approaches, Deependra K Thapa, Erik S Parker, Mounika Kandukuri, Xi Rita Wang, Thirupathi R Mokalla, Olivia C Robertson, Wasiuddin Najam, Andrew E Teschendorff, Andrew W Brown, John R Speakman, Yisheng Peng, Bernard S Gorman, Heping Zhang, Luis-Enrique Becerra-Garcia, Colby J Vorland, David B Allison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aging research relies on varied statistical methods, and applying these methods appropriately is important for scientific rigor. However, proper use of these statistical techniques is a challenge. We discuss two categories of statistical methods in aging research: (a) emerging methods requiring further validation, including techniques to examine compression of morbidity, maximum lifespan, immortal time bias, molecular aging clocks, and treatment response heterogeneity, and (b) classic and existing methods needing reconsideration and improvement, such as stepwise regression, generalized linear models, methods for accounting for clustering and nesting effects, methods for testing for group differences, methods for mediation …

Simulation-Free Spine Palliative Radiotherapy Enabled By Ai-Adapted Diagnostic Ct, Yiding Han, Alexander Nicola Hanania, Zaid Ali Siddiqui, Vincent Ugarte, Boran Zhou, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Piyush Pathak, Daniel Allen Hamstra, Baozhou Sun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Radiotherapy planning traditionally requires a dedicated simulation CT (sCT), which can introduce delays in initiating treatment. This is particularly impactful in spinal palliative care, where timely treatment is often important for symptom control and prevention of neurological deterioration. Although diagnostic CT (dCT) is frequently available earlier in the workflow, it can lead to geometric and dosimetric inaccuracies when used directly for treatment planning due to discrepancies in patient positioning, vertebral alignment, and table curvature.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate an AI-based method that transforms dCT into a simulation-equivalent planning CT (AI-pCT), enabling a clinically feasible simulation-free workflow for spinal …

External Validation Of Calculator For Cesarean Delivery During Induction Of Labor, Claudia J Ibarra, Rachel L Wiley, Han-Yang Chen, Estefania Guthrie, Ipsita Ghose, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Suneet P Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To validate a published risk calculator to predict cesarean delivery (CD) among singletons undergoing induction of labor.

Methods: Our retrospective cohort study included singletons undergoing induction of labor. A predicted CD score was calculated for each individual based on a previously developed calculator. External validation of the calculator was assessed by the discriminative power of the model by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and by a calibration curve. The score was categorized as less than 10%, 10% to less than 30%, and 30% or greater. The primary outcome was CD. The secondary outcomes were a …

Predictive Validity Of The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-4 And Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Ii Severity Scale, Eric A Storch, Ryan J Mccarty, Maya Zehavi, Mahnoor Ahmad, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Josselyn S Muñoz, Diana Obando, Servando Rodriguez Barajas, Renee M Frederick, Jacey L Anderberg, Hannah C Moore, Marcos E Ochoa-Panaifo, Mayra C Martinez Mallen, Ogechi C Onyeka, Andrew D Wiese, Melisa N Sagarnaga, Joseph F Mcguire, Ygor Arzeno Ferrão, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Wayne K Goodman, James J Crowley, Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc)

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Efficient and accurate screening tools are crucial for improving early identification and treatment outcomes among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of two OCD screening measures: the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-4 (OCI-4) and the Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-II (FOCI-II) severity scale. The measures were administered in a large transnational sample of Spanish speaking Latin American adults (N = 1696) with elevated obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Participants completed diagnostic interviews (MINI and Y-BOCS) and self-report assessments across 23 sites in 11 countries. Both measures significantly distinguished OCD from non-OCD cases, with the FOCI-II demonstrating somewhat better predictive performance (AUC = …

Spatial Profiling Reveals Distinct Molecular And Immune Evolution Of Mouse Lung Adenocarcinoma Precancers With Or Without Carcinogen Exposure, Bo Zhu, Muhammad Aminu, Pingjun Chen, Jian-Rong Li, Chuanpeng Dong, Chenyang Li, Yanhua Tian, Shao-Wei Lu, Hong Chen, Chenxi Ma, Xin Hu, Jie Ye, Andrew Y Liu, Beibei Huang, Frank R Rojas, Parra Cuentas Edwin Roger, Ou Shi, Monique B Nilsson, Alissa Poteete, Khaja B Khan, Wei Lu, Luisa M Solis Soto, Junya Fujimoto, Cara Haymaker, Ignacio I Wistuba, Zhubo Wei, Linghua Wang, Don L Gibbons, Ken Chen, Alexandre Reuben, Jason M Schenkel, John V Heymach, Chao Cheng, Jia Wu, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor evolution involves genetic, transcriptional, and phenotypic alterations that shape cancer cell behavior and interactions with the microenvironment. While single‐cell technologies have advanced our understanding of this process, spatial dynamics remain incompletely characterized. Here, whole‐exome sequencing (WES), imaging mass cytometry (IMC), and spatial transcriptomics (ST) were integrated to study molecular evolution and immune responses in two lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) mouse models: a genetically engineered model (129S4/Sv‐KrasLSL‐G12D, termed 129S4 K) and a carcinogen‐induced precancer model (129S4 U). Compared to 129S4 K, 129S4 U tumors exhibited higher mutational, neoantigen but lower copy number variation (CNV) burdens at matched developmental timepoints, consistent with …

Non-Synaptic Function And Localization Of Syntaxin-Binding Protein 1 In A Mouse Model Of Stxbp1-Related Epileptic Encephalopathy, Tao Yang, Rajat Banerjee, Yamei Deng, Sheetal Jahagirdar, Joo Hyun Kim, Wu Chen, Mingshan Xue, Alexey I Nesvizhskii, Michael D Uhler, Jack M Parent, Yu Wang

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: De novo mutations in the syntaxin-binding protein 1 (STXBP1), encoded by STXBP1, are among the most prevalent causes of variable neurodevelopmental disorders, including epileptic encephalopathy, developmental delay, and movement disorders. Although STXBP1 has been proposed as a critical presynaptic protein controlling synaptic vesicle exocytosis, clinical phenotypes also suggest that its biological function could be more diverse.

Methods: The expression pattern of STXBP1 was studied using immunostaining in vitro and in vivo. Synaptosome isolation was performed to investigate the synaptic and non-synaptic localization of STXBP1 in the brain. STXBP1 immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry (MS) was conducted to identify protein …