Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence Of Substance Use In Northwest Syria: A Cross-Sectional Study, Isabel Draper, Dania Albaba, Heba Mesbah, Huda Taktak, Nidhal Saadoun, Mohammad Alhusein, Elharit Alissa, Anas Barbour, Zaher Sahloul, Nidal Moukaddam

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Syria has undergone significant socio-political turmoil since 2011 as internal conflict displaced portions of the population, destroyed infrastructure, and destabilized the economy. In the context of multilevel healthcare system disruptions, there have been increasing reports of substance use. This study seeks to evaluate patterns of substance use in Northwestern Syria.

Methods: Trained staff administered questionnaires to community members in Azaz, Syria. Questions focused on the substance use prevalence, societal and public health impacts, and perspectives on treatment availability.

Results: 480 individuals were surveyed (80·88% male, 19·12 % female; 43·39% were 18-25 yrs, 11·5% reported personal substance use). H-booz (amphetamines), …

Cultured Ex Vivo Human Brain Tissue Maintains Cell-Type Transcriptional Identities, J P Mcginnis, Sai Mallannagari, Maria Camila Guevara, Joshua Ortiz-Guzman, Benjamin D W Belfort, Suyang Bao, Snigdha Srivastava, Maria Morkas, Emily Ji, Kalman A Katlowitz, Angela Addison, Evelyne K Tantry, Carrie A Mohila, Melissa M Blessing, Nisha Gadgil, Samuel G Mcclugage, David F Bauer, William E Whitehead, Guillermo Aldave, Omar Tanweer, Naser Jaleel, Ali Jalali, Akash J Patel, Sameer A Sheth, Howard L Weiner, Shankar Gopinath, Ganesh Rao, Akdes Serin Harmanci, Daniel Curry, Benjamin R Arenkiel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is growing recognition of the need for human-based models of the nervous system and its diseases. Studies have investigated the electrophysiological properties of neurons in ex vivo human brain tissue, but the maintenance of other cell types remains unclear. We therefore used single-nucleus RNA sequencing of six patient samples to determine how well various cell types maintain their transcriptional identities over two weeks in organotypic slice culture (day 0, with 83 501 nuclei, and day 14, with 45 738). For each patient sample (two pediatric temporal lobectomies, one adult frontal cortex, two glioblastomas, and one medulloblastoma), we generated correlations …

Mapping The Structural Connections Between The Anterior Cingulate Cortex And The Insula/Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex.Mapping The Structural Connections Between The Anterior Cingulate Cortex And The Insula/Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Wei Tang, Javier Guaje, Shreyas Fadnavis, Sarah R Heilbronner, Eleftherios Garyfallidis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is functionally closely related with the insula and the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). The ACC and insula are the main hubs of the salience network, a set of functionally related brain regions involved in detecting salient stimuli and coordinating inter-network communication, while communication between ACC and vlPFC is closely linked to inhibitory control. However, despite strong indirect evidence from nonhuman primate (NHP) tract tracing, the structural connections between the ACC and the insula/vlPFC remain poorly understood in the human brain, in part because standard approaches fail to capture this projection. In this study, we …

Time Pressures And Sociocultural Constraints Affecting Access To Early Abortion Care Under Texas' "6-Week" Ban, Kari White, Whitney Arey, Anna Chatillon, Anitra D Beasley, Cecili Chadwick, Asha Dane'el, Ophra Leyser-Whalen, Tracy A Weitz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: In 2021, Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) prohibited abortion after detection of embryonic cardiac activity and was often referred to as a "6-week ban." Limited evidence exists about how these laws intersect with people's processes seeking pregnancy confirmation and navigating barriers to abortion care.

Methods: Between October 2021 and August 2022, we recruited Texans ≥ 15 years of age who were seeking abortion using online ads and flyers placed in out-of-state abortion-providing facilities. Participants completed in-depth interviews, and we coded transcripts using inductive and deductive coding. This analysis explores participants' discussions of time needed for pregnancy confirmation, decision making, …

Surgical Outcomes And Learning Curve Of Robotic Single-Port Vaginal Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (Vnotes) Hysterectomy Using The Da Vinci Single-Port System, Qiannan Yang, Daniel Y Lovell, Xiaoming Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: This study aims to assess the surgical outcomes and learning curve of robotic single-port vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (RSP-vNOTES) for hysterectomy in benign gynecologic conditions.

Materials and methods: A retrospective observational analysis was conducted of 97 consecutively enrolled patients who underwent RSP-vNOTES hysterectomy using the da Vinci (single-port) SP system between December 2023 and July 2025 at a single tertiary care center.

Results: Median procedural durations included a total operative time of 151 minutes, a port placement time of five minutes, a docking time of two minutes, a robotic console time of 78 minutes, and a hysterectomy …

Updates In Mycobacterial Keratitis Diagnosis And Treatment, Uma L Balakrishnan, Ryan T Wallace, Patricia Chévez-Barrios, Alejandro Arboleda, Masih U Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mycobacterial keratitis is an uncommon but challenging form of infectious keratitis, often associated with postsurgical eyes. Clinical presentation is variable and may be difficult to recognize, resulting in delays in diagnosis and challenges in management. Traditional diagnostic techniques from corneal scrapings are limited by slow organism growth and may yield negative results. Treatment is challenging due to antimicrobial resistance and typically requires prolonged multidrug therapy. Advances in diagnostic modalities, antimicrobial therapies, surgical approaches, and adjunctive treatments such as corneal crosslinking have improved clinicians' ability to mitigate or avoid severe visual consequences. Despite these developments, optimal management strategies remain incompletely defined, …

Common And Recurrent Dysregulated Molecular Network Of Placental Hypoxia And Associated Vasculogenesis And Angiogenesis In Fetal Growth Restriction, Wei Li, Xiaoyi Bai, Oi Ka Chan, Maran Bo Wah Leung, So Ling Lau, Chi Chiu Wang, Tak Yeung Leung

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Fetuses with fetal growth restriction (FGR) and selective FGR (sFGR) face elevated health risks both before and after birth. Although the underlying pathomechanisms remain unclear, placental dysfunction is recognized as a major contributing factor. By integrating untargeted transcriptomic data from FGR/sFGR placentae, this study identified 69 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRs) and eight differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs). Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated significant enrichment in the angiogenesis and vasculogenesis pathways, with the hypoxia-related genes

3d Geometric Modelling And Clinical Validation Of Lower Limb And Preliminary 2-Year Post-Operative Clinical Outcomes Of Neutral Boundary Alignment In Total Knee Arthroplasty, Bruno Violante, Lorenzo Deveza, Francesco Pollara, Giovanni Rusconi, Gianroberto Ferreri, Alessandro Annibaldi, Ilwhan Park

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To introduce a novel three-dimensional (3D) modelling concept for lower limb alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), termed neutral boundary alignment (NBA) and to present preliminary clinical data supporting this physics-based custom alignment strategy.

Methods: NBA is defined as the alignment at which the knee joint line is parallel to the ground during the mid-stance phase of gait, achieving static equilibrium with the NBA axis aligned to gravity. A theoretical geometric model of the lower limb was developed, integrating principles of physics to describe this condition. Preliminary clinical validation was performed using radiographic data from an initial cohort of …

A Review Of Current Research And Barriers To Access: Exploring Disparities In Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery, Nikita Das, Ali A Mohamed, Akshat Katyayan, Meena Vessell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) impacts at least 30% of pediatric epilepsy patients, adversely affecting neurodevelopment and quality of life, as well as risk of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). While surgical intervention has proven to be an effective treatment for DRE, disparities in access to surgical care persist. Compared to adults, pediatric patients face unique challenges, including delayed recognition of surgical candidacy, limited access to specialized epilepsy centers, complex care coordination, and socioeconomic barriers.

Summary: This review explores the current state of pediatric epilepsy surgery, highlighting its effectiveness in achieving seizure freedom, improving neurocognitive outcomes, and reducing long-term healthcare …

Layers To Leaves: A Suite Of Modular 3d Printed Hydroponics Components For Research And Education, Ethan A Shaw, Suraj K Chandramouli, Michael P Dzakovich

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hydroponics is a widely utilized technique to precisely control the plant growing environment and maximize productivity. In some cases, hydroponics systems can be expensive and require specialized expertise to build and maintain. Here, we present a suite of 3D-printed devices that can be constructed into a single or double tower hydroponics system of variable height and composition. This system is easily scalable to fit the needs of a user and can be implemented in a variety of research and educational contexts. Components in this suite can be made from inexpensive plastic filament using household-grade 3D printers. The vertical design of …

Injuries In Children Undergoing Subspecialty Abuse Evaluations Because Of Intimate Partner Violence, M Katherine Henry, Gunjan Tiyyagura, Joanne N Wood, Jan Leonard, Kristine A Campbell, Daniel M Lindberg, Angela N Bachim, Farah W Brink, Lori D Frasier, Nancy S Harper, Claire Hickey, Natalie Laub, John D Melville, Hannah Sahud, Philip V Scribano

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child physical abuse often co-occur, but the frequency and risk factors for abusive injuries in IPV-exposed children remain unknown. Our objectives were to (1) determine frequency of skeletal surveys (SSs) and neuroimaging use because of IPV and their diagnostic value in children aged less than 24 months evaluated by a child abuse pediatrics specialist (CAP) and (2) identify factors associated with performance of and findings on SS and neuroimaging.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of children aged less than 24 months undergoing CAP consultations because of IPV exposure from February 2021 …

Developing And Evaluating A Young Adult Peer Mentor Training Program, Beth H Garland, Demonica L Jones, Cassandra J Enzler, Jean L Raphael, Albert C Hergenroeder, Rachel S Wolfe, Sarah C Graham, Constance M Wiemann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Improving self-management skills for adolescents and emerging adults (AEA) with chronic health conditions is critical for successful transition to adult-based care. Peer-mentoring has been effective in improving the self-management skills of AEA. However, the components of training a successful young adult peer mentors (YAPM), especially interpersonal aspects of the role, such as communication skills and navigating mentee ambivalence are not well understood. This descriptive study created and pilot-tested a training curriculum for YAPM as part of a larger study to build self-management skills in the context of healthcare transition from pediatric to adult care. Five YAPM completed the training curriculum. …

Integrating A Project-Based Learning Methodology Into A Department-Wide Quality Improvement Curriculum: A Nine-Year Experience In Pediatric Subspecialty Training, Venessa Lynn Pinto, Danny Castro, Constance M Wiemann, Liza Bonin, Cagri Yildirim-Toruner, Nicholas A Ettinger, Sharada Hiranya Gowda, Joyee Vachani, Mehmet Fatih Okcu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Quality improvement (QI) training of subspecialty fellows is an essential component of graduate medical education, yet often delivered in silos within departments through a variety of instructional methodologies.

Objective: We applied project-based learning (PjBL) as a guiding methodology for a QI curriculum for pediatric subspecialty fellows and describe our curriculum development, instructional design, and its implementation.

Methods: We integrated the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement with the 6 key features of PjBL: a driving question, defined learning goals, active participation in educational tasks, collaboration among learners, scaffolding with learning technology, and production of tangible artifacts. The …

Personalizing Therapies Over The Course Of Hormone Receptor-Positive/Her2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer, Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Senthil Damodaran, Carlos H Barcenas, Suzanne A Fuqua, Rachel M Layman, Debu Tripathy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The hormone receptor (HR)‐positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐negative breast cancer subtype accounts for most early and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) cases. HR‐positive/HER2‐negative MBC is characterized by a relatively prolonged, although variable, disease course and substantial intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity. Although endocrine‐based therapies remain the cornerstone of treatment, nearly all patients eventually develop resistance, which is increasingly addressed with biologically targeted agents and newer‐generation cytotoxic drugs. This review summarizes the current understanding of HR‐positive/HER2‐negative MBC biology, highlighting mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired resistance, including driver genomic alterations that, along with clinical factors, help guide therapeutic choices and sequencing. The …

Surface Marker Identification To Capture Live Circulating Tumor Cells In Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Bree M Lege, Khushali J Patel, Brendan Panici, Ping Gong, Michael T Lewis, Matthew J Ellis, Chonghui Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive and lacks targeted therapies. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are invaluable for monitoring metastatic tumor progression and treatment response but are difficult to capture because of their rarity and heterogeneity. Surface-based staining for live CTCs is essential to preserve RNA quality in single cells, but current markers tend to perform poorly on more mesenchymal tumor cells such as TNBCs. To enhance live TNBC CTC detection, we developed a workflow for live CTC capture and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Using a mouse model of metastatic TNBC, we identified four new CTC surface markers, AHNAK2, …

Lysine Demethylase 4a Is A Centrosome-Associated Protein Required For Centrosome Integrity And Genomic Stability, Pratim Chowdhury, Xiaoli Wang, Richard I Han, Manga Motrapu, Ashley G Boice, Yuya Nakatani, Sofia Vargas-Hernandez, Julia F Love, Claude Chew, Sandra L Grimm, Dereck Mezquita, Frank M Mason, Elisabeth D Martinez, Cristian Coarfa, Cheryl L Walker, Anna-Karin Gustavsson, Ruhee Dere

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Centrosomes play a fundamental role in nucleating and organizing microtubules in the cell and are vital for faithful chromosome segregation and maintenance of genomic stability. Loss of structural or functional integrity of centrosomes causes genomic instability and is a driver of oncogenesis. Here we identify lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A), an epigenetic 'eraser' of chromatin methyl marks, as a centrosome-localized protein, visualized at the nanometer-scale resolution. We additionally uncovered that KDM4A demethylase enzymatic activity is required to maintain centrosome homeostasis and integrity; a previously unknown functionality unlinked to altered expression of genes regulating centrosome number. We find that KDM4A interacts with …

Lessons Learned From An Epic Transformation Of A Radiation Oncology Department In Guatemala: Keys To Success, Edgar Ruiz, Hiram A Gay, Milton Ixquiac, Angel Velarde, Baozhou Sun, Jose García-Ramirez, Eric Laugeman, Benjamin Li, Jeff Michalski, Vicky De Falla, Geoff Hugo, Jacaranda Van Rheenen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: We describe the radical modernization of a radiation oncology department in a developing country, Guatemala, from 2015 to the beginning of 2024. The Instituto de Cancerología y Hospital Dr. Bernardo del Valle S (INCAN) is the only public radiotherapy clinic serving patient referrals from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance program.

Methods and materials: We describe the state of the radiation oncology department in 2015 versus 2024 while chronicling its gradual transformation. This multifaceted collaboration involved academic centers, government agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), industry, and nonprofits and continues to this day. We analyze the infrastructure, …

Multi-Omics To Study Chronic Respiratory Diseases And Viral Infections, Sobia Idrees, Hao Chen, Tayyaba Sadaf, Saima Firdous Rehman, Matt D Johansen, Keshav Raj Paudel, Gang Liu, Yuting Wang, Malte D Luecken, Elinor Hortle, Ashleigh S Philp, Kurtis F Budden, Matthew O'Rourke, Gerard E Kaiko, Sionne E M Lucas, Joanne L Dickinson, Peter C Allen, Joseph E Powell, Lai-Ying Zhang, Daniel C Chambers, Tamera Corte, Gaetano Caramori, Maor Sauler, Peter A Wark, Janine Gote-Schniering, Mareike Lehmann, Thomas M Conlon, Theodore S Kapellos, Ali Önder Yildirim, Rosa Faner, Shyamali C Dharmage, Craig E Wheelock, Maarten Van Den Berge, Martijn C Nawijn, Francesca Polverino, Gabrielle T Belz, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Leopoldo N Segal, Alen Faiz, Philip M Hansbro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Integrating omics layers reveals complex biological systems, unveiling vital insights into chronic respiratory diseases and COVID-19. This holistic approach is crucial for developing more effective treatments and understanding intricate relationships. https://bit.ly/3VKFzJH

Senolytic-Resistant Senescent Cells Have A Distinct Sasp Profile And Functional Impact: The Path To Developing Senosensitizers, Utkarsh Tripathi, Masayoshi Suda, Vagisha Kulshreshtha, Bryan T Piatkowski, Allyson K Palmer, Nino Giorgadze, Christina Inman, Nathan Gasek, Ming Xu, Kurt O Johnson, Tamar Pirtskhalava, Selim Chaib, Larissa P G Langhi Prata, Yi Zhu, Renuka Kandhaya-Pillai, Stefan G Tullius, Saranya P Wyles, Rambabu Majji, Hari Krishna Yalamanchili, David B Allison, Tamar Tchkonia, James L Kirkland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The senescent cell (SC) fate is linked to aging, multiple disorders and diseases, and physical dysfunction. Senolytics, agents that selectively eliminate 30%-70% of SCs, act by transiently disabling the senescent cell antiapoptotic pathways (SCAPs), which defend those SCs that are proapoptotic and pro-inflammatory from their own senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Consistent with this, a JAK/STAT inhibitor, Ruxolitinib, which attenuates the pro-inflammatory SASP of senescent human preadipocytes, caused them to become "senolytic-resistant". Administering senolytics to obese mice selectively decreased the abundance of the subset of SCs that is pro-inflammatory. In cell cultures, the 30%-70% of human senescent preadipocytes or human umbilical …

Psychometric Properties Of A Novel Affective Bias Task And Its Application In Clinical And Nonclinical Populations, Prathik Kalva, Kourtney Kanja, Brian A Metzger, Xiaoxu Fan, Brian Cui, Bailey Pascuzzi, John Magnotti, Madaline Mocchi, Raissa Mathura, Kelly R Bijanki

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To mitigate limitations in self-reported mood assessments, we introduce a novel affective bias task (ABT). The task quantifies instantaneous emotional state by leveraging the phenomenon of affective bias, in which people interpret external emotional stimuli in a manner consistent with their current emotional state. This study establishes task stability in measuring and tracking depressive symptoms in clinical and non-clinical populations. Initial assessment in a large non-clinical sample established normative ratings. Depressive symptoms were tracked relative to task performance in a non-clinical sample, as well as in a clinical cohort undergoing surgical evaluation for severe epilepsy. In both cohorts, a stronger …

Effectiveness, Reach, Uptake, And Feasibility Of Digital Health Interventions For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Populations Living With Prediabetes Across The Lifespan: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Lisa Whitehead, Min Zhang, Wai Hang Kwok, Diana Arabiat, Amanda Towell Barnard

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) populations are at a higher risk of developing prediabetes; however, the effectiveness and implementation of digital health interventions for prediabetes management in this population are not well understood. Objective: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of digital health interventions (DHIs) versus usual care for glycemic control in CaLD populations living with prediabetes. Methods: This review aimed to include people of any age living with prediabetes who are from a CaLD background. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies that compare digital health interventions to usual care, waitlist, or active control were eligible. The primary …

Development And Application Of A Frailty Index Derived From Patient-Reported Outcome Measures And Comorbidities In Oncology Patients, Divya Mathew, Heather Lane, David Ward, Rosemary Saunders, Lesley Millar, Christopher Etherton-Beer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Emerging evidence supports the use of a frailty index as an objective measure of frailty. We constructed a frailty index from patient-derived outcome measures, as well as self-reported comorbidity data, and tested its correlation with survival.

Method: Data from 464 patients with lung, breast and colorectal cancer were obtained from the Continuous Improvement in Care – Cancer Project database, and a 42-variable frailty index was generated by dividing the total number of deficits present by the total number assessed and expressed as a ratio between 0 and 1. Frailty was defined as a frailty index of >0.2. Its association …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Comparing The Diagnostic Accuracy Of Swab Cultures And Tissue Biopsy For Diagnosing Diabetic Foot Infections, Roberto S. Heck, ⁠Rodrigo R.S. Lins, ⁠Daniela R. Speransa, Pedro Lopez, ⁠Lessandra Michelin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy and concordance of swab cultures and tissue biopsy for identifying causative pathogens. Furthermore, to compare the sensitivity, specificity and overall diagnostic performance of swab cultures and tissue biopsies, using tissue biopsy as the reference standard in infected diabetic foot wounds.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using CINAHL, Embase and PubMed for published studies from inception to April 2025. Eligible studies compared the diagnostic accuracy or the list of pathogens of swab cultures and tissue biopsy in adult patients diagnosed with diabetic foot infections. A random-effects diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis was …

Inheriting Chromosome Conformation, Kyle P Eagen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Reframing Trauma-Informed Care For Refugee And (Im)Migrant Health Systems: From Interpersonal Practice To Structurally Embedded Care, Hyojin Im, Sophia Banu, Aisha Koroma, Sarmaya Mustafayeva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Old Lesions And New Targets: Seeg-Identified Onsets In Traditionally Inoperable Epilepsy Lesions And Associated Surgical Outcomes, Yosef M Dastagirzada, Spencer Frome, Daniel J Curry, Howard L Weiner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Patients with epilepsy who do not respond to pharmacotherapy are often offered a noninvasive diagnostic workup to localize an epileptogenic focus that might be treated with resection, neuromodulation, or ablation. Yet in many cases, this evaluation fails to identify surgical candidates.

Summary: Patients with tuberous sclerosis, periventricular nodular heterotopia, or polymicrogyria may have clearly visible lesions on MRI, but the resulting epileptogenic onset zones/networks are often too complex for scalp electroencephalography to decode. Similarly, seizures arising from the cingulate gyrus originate in deep structures that are inaccessible to noninvasive techniques. In post-traumatic epilepsy without a dominant lesion such as …

Comparative Outcomes Of Robotic Single-Port Vnotes Versus Robotic-Xi Assisted Single-Incision Transumbilical Surgery For Hysterectomy, Qiannan Yang, David Pasternak, Chunhua Zhang, Xiaoming Guan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: This study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of robotic single-port transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (RSP-vNOTES) compared with robotic Xi-assisted single-incision transumbilical surgery (RXi-SITS) for hysterectomy.

Method: A total of 405 patients was retrospectively analyzed, comprising 278 individuals who underwent RXi-SITS hysterectomy and 127 who underwent RSP-vNOTES hysterectomy.

Results: A significantly higher prevalence of endometriosis-associated concomitant procedures, including ovarian cystectomy, lesion excision, adhesiolysis, appendectomy, bowel shaving, and bowel oversew, was observed among patients undergoing RSP-vNOTES (all p < 0.05). The RXi-SITS group saw uterosacral ligament suspension and ovarian vein ligation more commonly performed (both p < 0.05). A multivariable linear regression approach was employed to account for heterogeneity in procedural complexity. Following multivariable adjustment, estimated blood loss, hysterectomy time, and postoperative pain outcomes were comparable between the two surgical approaches. In contrast, multivariable linear regression accounting for concomitant procedures demonstrated that the RXi-SITS approach was independently associated with a significantly prolonged total operative time, with an adjusted mean increase of 21.8 min compared with RSP-vNOTES (B = 21.83; 95% CI: 6.05-37.61; p = 0.007). This is despite unadjusted analyses showing a longer median operative time in the RSP-vNOTES group …

Dynamic Progression Of Ectopic Lymphoid Structure Formation In Lacrimal Glands Of A Sjögren’S Disease Murine Model, Sara Abdelhamid, Alison V Ramirez, Emre Aksan, Elizaveta A Demianova, Cintia S De Paiva, Maria C Edman, J Andrew Mackay, Sarah F Hamm-Alvarez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Sjögren's Disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of lacrimal glands (LG) and salivary glands (SG). In SG, these immune structures have properties of ectopic lymphoid structures (ELS) and appear to play a critical role in disease pathology. While the presence of ELS in patients' SG biopsies is linked to disease severity, their presence and composition in LG has not been well characterized.

Methods: The properties and time course of apparent ELS development in LG from the male non-obese diabetes free (NOR) sub-strain of the Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice was investigated at stages encompassing early …

Disrupted Intrathalamic And Thalamocortical Structural Covariance Networks In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Nick Steele, Ahmed Hussain, Delin Sun, C Lexi Baird, Courtney Russell, Neda Jahanshad, Lauren E Salminen, Miranda Olff, Jessie L Frijling, Dick J Veltman, Saskia B J Koch, Laura Nawijn, Mirjam Van Zuiden, Li Wang, Ye Zhu, Gen Li, Dan J Stein, Jonathan Ipser, Sheri Koopowitz, Yuval Neria, Xi Zhu, Orren Ravid, Sigal Zilcha-Mano, Amit Lazarov, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ashley A Huggins, Jennifer Stevens, Kerry Ressler, Tanja Jovanovic, Sanne J H Van Rooij, Negar Fani, Emily L Dennis, David F Tate, David X Cifu, William C Walker, Elisabeth A Wilde, Ivan Rektor, Pavel Říha, Milissa L Kaufman, Lauren A M Lebois, Justin T Baker, Anthony King, Israel Liberzon, Mike Angstadt, Nicholas D Davenport, Seth G Disner, Scott R Sponheim, Thomas Straube, David Hofmann, Guang Ming Lu, Rongfeng Qi, Amit Etkin, Adi Maron-Katz, Xin Wang, Austin Kunch, Hong Xie, Yann Quidé, Wissam El-Hage, Shmuel Lissek, Hannah Berg, Steven E Bruce, Josh Cisler, Marisa Ross, Ryan Herringa, Daniel W Grupe, Jack B Nitschke, Richard J Davidson, Christine Larson, Terri A Deroon-Cassini, Carissa W Tomas, Jacklynn M Fitzgerald, Brandee Feola, Jennifer U Blackford, Bunmi O Olatunji, Geoffrey May, Steven M Nelson, Evan M Gordon, Chadi G Abdallah, Ruth Lanius, Maria Densmore, Jean Théberge, Richard W J Neufeld, Paul M Thompson, Rajendra A Morey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The thalamus is a heterogeneous structure crucial for corticocortical communication, affective–perceptual integration, motor preparation, and memory-related functions. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by various symptoms that likely relate to thalamic functions. Group-level and individual differential structural covariance (SC) analyses were conducted on intrathalamic, thalamocortical, and thalamosubcortical volumetric networks by segmenting structural MRI data from 2,784 subjects (PTSD n = 1,306; controls n = 1,478) into 25 thalamic nuclei per hemisphere. We found that PTSD was associated with stronger intrathalamic and thalamocortical network strength and stronger SC between the limbic thalamus and the somatomotor and auditory thalamus. PTSD severity was …

Using Lotilaner Ophthalmic Solution, 0.25% To Treat Demodex Blepharitis In Patients Who Were Initially Misdiagnosed: A Case Series, Laura M Periman, Richard Lindstrom, Paul Karpecki, Brandon Ayres, Eric Donnenfeld, Marjan Farid, Ian Benjamin Gaddie, Preeya K Gupta, Selina Mcgee, Kelly K Nichols, Stephen Pflugfelder, Christopher E Starr, Nandini Venkateswaran, Elizabeth Yeu, Cecelia Koetting

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Demodex blepharitis (DB) is a chronic ocular inflammation caused by Demodex mite infestation of the eyelid. DB is often misdiagnosed, as some of its clinical findings and patient-reported outcomes overlap with those of other ocular surface diseases. The Demodex Expert Panel on Treatment and Eyelid Health (DEPTH) has reached consensus on the symptomatology, diagnosis, and treatment of DB. Consensus findings from the DEPTH group include that collarettes are pathognomonic for DB and that lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%, the first and only FDA-approved treatment for DB, should be the first-line treatment for the disease. This case series highlights two instances …