Digital Commons Network^™

Real-World Anti-Amyloid Therapy Beyond Traditional Symptomatic Populations: A Longitudinal Case Series, Jayoung Han, Yuan Fang, Darlingtina Esiaka, Olufunmilola Abraham

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies are approved as disease-modifying therapies for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but real-world evidence remains limited, particularly among individuals treated during preclinical or minimally symptomatic stages. This study characterized clinical and biomarker trajectories among anti-amyloid therapy recipients across disease stages.

Method: We conducted a longitudinal retrospective case series of three biomarker-positive individuals from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who received lecanemab or donanemab. Clinical, cognitive, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma biomarker, and amyloid PET data were examined.

Results: In all three cases, most of the observation period preceded anti-amyloid therapy initiation. Clinical trajectories varied by biomarker profile and treatment …

Metabolic Reprogramming Following Mitochondrial Transfer Between Idh2-Mutant Chondrosarcoma Cells And A Normal B-Cell Line, Caleb Wyckoff, Christopher Osgood, Ellen Jing, Michael Stacey

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Chondrosarcoma, glioblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and cholangiocarcinoma cancers all contain mutations in the gene isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). The mutant IDH2 enzyme metabolizes alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) into the potent oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) in the mitochondria of these cancers, leading to altered cellular metabolism. Emerging evidence suggests that mitochondrial transfer between cancer and recipient cells represents an important form of intercellular communication that may influence cellular metabolism. The presence of intercellular TNTs between IDH2-mutant chondrosarcoma cells motivated an investigation into mitochondria-associated physiological changes occurring during an intercellular exchange with immune cells. A mitochondrial transfer is a two-way …

Establishment And Histopathological Characterization Of A Kyse-30 Subcutaneous Xenograft Model Of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Pavel A. Solopov, Alayna Enos, Mantas Silkunas, Giedre Silkuniene, Eleni Zivla, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and limited treatment options, highlighting the need for reliable preclinical models for translational research. Although xenograft models are widely used in cancer biology, systematic characterization of subcutaneous ESCC models under defined implantation conditions remains limited. The objective of this study was to systematically compare implantation conditions and define histopathological and growth-related parameters that enable reproducible tumor establishment while maintaining a practical experimental window for therapeutic studies. Methods: We established and characterized a subcutaneous ESCC xenograft model using human ESCC cell line KYSE-30 implanted into immunodeficient J:NU mice. …

Combination Therapy With Hsp90 Inhibitors And Nanopulse Stimulation Synergistically Impedes Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Breast Cancer Growth In Mice, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Gagan Thangjam, Brittany P. Lassiter, Teresa Hooker, Ruben M. L. Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas, Stephen J. Beebe

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanopulse Stimulation (NPS) represents a promising and innovative therapeutic approach to cancer. Heat shock protein 90 Inhibitors (HI), on the other hand, are currently under investigation in multi-drug chemotherapy trials for various types of malignancies. Here we present results of a combination therapy employing two HSP90 inhibitors (AUY-922 or 17-AAG) and NPS to ablate cancer growth. We firstly tested the inhibitors alone or in combination with NPS in vitro in N1S1 cells, and then into two models of orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and 4T1-Luc breast cancer. NPS + HI reduced tumor growth more than the sum of HI and NPS …

Autologous Peripheral Nerve Tissue Grafts Implanted Into The Nucleus Basalis Of Meynert And Substantia Nigra At The Time Of Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation In Parkinson Disease: A Report Of 2 Cases, Samuel R. Daly, Jorge E. Quintero, Lisa M. Koehl, Elizabeth Roslyn Wallace, Zain Guduru, Julie A. Gurwell, Tripp Hines, Jaimie Hixson, Saad Hulou, John T. Slevin, Frederick A. Schmitt, Greg A. Gerhardt, Craig G. Van Horne

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Cholinergic degeneration in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) is implicated in the cognitive impairment seen in Parkinson disease (PD) and is being examined as a potential therapeutic target. We have previously shown the safety of delivering investigational autologous cell-based therapy, ie, peripheral nerve tissue (PNT), to the substantia nigra (SN) at the time of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in PD (DBS-Plus). In this study, we assessed the safety and feasibility of simultaneously delivering that PNT to both the NBM and SN at the time of DBS.

Methods: Two patients with idiopathic PD and mild cognitive …

Mechanical-Medical Convergence In Heart Failure: Artificial Intelligence, Finite-Element Modeling, And 3d Printing For Diagnosis And Prognosis, Quazi Noor E. Sabrina, Quazi Md Zobaer Shah, Quazi Noor E. Sohela, Md Mahabub Hasan Mousum, Md. Moyeen Uddin Chisty, Quazi Md. Akbar Shah

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Heart failure remains a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, yet routine clinical indices often miss the regional biomechanical disturbances that drive progression and shape treatment response. This State-of-the-Art review examines how finite-element (FE) modeling, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are converging to improve the diagnosis, phenotyping, procedural planning, and prognostic assessment of heart failure (HF). Although these technologies have matured in structural heart disease and transcatheter intervention research, their greatest translational potential may lie in HF, where patient-specific ventricular remodeling, myocardial stress–strain heterogeneity, valve-ventricular coupling, and device-tissue interaction are incompletely captured by conventional clinical indices. We synthesize …

Early Pressure Injury Identification And Intervention In Emergency Department Older Adults Who Are Admitted Into A Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit, Lisa M. Britt

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

A clinical gap was identified when reviewing a hospital acquired pressure injury (HAPI) dashboard from a 369- bed, acute care community hospital located in North Texas. Fifty percent of HAPIs acquired occurred in older adults, aged 60 or higher, who were admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU) from the emergency department (ED). A retrospective review of the electronic health records (EHR) demonstrated that none of the patients had received HAPI prevention interventions while they were in the ED and the inconsistent document of skin assessments resulted in identification of few HAPIs present on admission (POA). The purpose of this …

A Chronic Pain Self-Management Quality Improvement Bundle For Veterans, Srijana D. Baniya

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Veterans often face challenges accessing care services due to limited awareness of available resources for support, Self-care, and mental health (Harding et al., 2019; Patel et al., 2024). Given the high prevalence of Chronic pain and opioid use in this population, Self-management (SM) education and non-pharmacologic interventions are required to address the biological, psychological, and social effects of pain (Bair et al., 2015; Mumba et al., 2024; Nahin, 2017; Higgins et al., 2020). This Quality improvement project aims to determine whether implementing an evidence-based SM bundle for chronic pain improved Pain severity scores and increased understanding of SM strategies. …

Digital Speech Biomarkers Of Cognitive Functioning In Multilingual Kenyan Adults, Adolfo M. Garcia, Levi Muyela, Alejandro Sosa Welford, Matías Caccia, Anne Njoki Gitere, Anne Nyambura, Erick Muhando, Zul Merali, Chinedu Momoh, Karen Blackmon

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Digital speech biomarkers show promise as cost-effective and scalable diagnostic tools for cognitive decline and dementia in African research and healthcare settings. However, significant gaps remain in language-specific normative data, cross-linguistic validation, and standardized protocols for multilingual populations. Targeting cognitively unimpaired multilingual Kenyan adults, here we aim to validate speech timing features from natural language, against performance on standardized culture-sensitive neuropsychological measures.

Method: This study was funded by Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative and took place in an outpatient clinic at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya. Participants completed culturally adapted tests tapping on word list learning, visual memory, …

Predictors Of Increased Length Of Stay And Cost In Readmissions For Spinal Surgical Site Infections, Matthew Giammanco, Alex Zhang, Phillip Alexeev, Ryan Snowden

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Abstract:

Background

Surgical site infection (SSI) following spinal surgery remains a costly and morbid complication, frequently necessitating hospital readmission and operative management. While prior studies have characterized the overall economic burden of spinal SSI, the specific drivers of cost during SSI-related readmissions are poorly defined. The primary research question of this study was to identify clinical, operative, and microbiologic factors associated with increased hospital cost, length of stay, and financial margins during readmission for operative management of spinal SSI.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients readmitted for surgical management of spinal SSI at a single tertiary …

Use Of Preference Signals In Family Medicine Residency Recruitment, John E. Snellings, Hanwen Miao, Daniel L. Meyer, Miranda A. Moore

Department of Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Increases in graduate medical education application volume led to the introduction of preference signaling—a tool within the Electronic Residency Application Service that allows applicants to signal their sincere interest to a limited number of programs. This study aims to evaluate how family medicine program directors used preference signals during the 2023–2024 recruitment season, the first year this tool was available to family medicine programs. Understanding program director perspectives on preference signal utility is crucial for determining the tool’s impact on the residency selection process.

Methods: Data were collected through the Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research …

Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome: Clinical Profile And Outcomes At A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya, Peninah Mwangi, Katherine Oyieke, Sam Gwer, Pauline Samia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is characterised by onset of epileptic spasms between 3 and 12 months, with or without typical hypsarrhythmia, and developmental stagnation or regression. There are limited data on the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of IESS in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To describe the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of infants diagnosed with and managed for IESS at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Methods: Records of children aged 3–24 months diagnosed with IESS between January 2012 and December 2021 were identified from the hospital information system using the terms “infantile spasm”, “epileptic spasms”, …

Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis In A Young Woman With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: An Atypical Presentation Associated With An Ultra-Rare Cacna1s Variant, Yasmin Aboutaleb, Ali Moradi, Saba Noreen, Abdullah Sahyouni, Hasin Sharma, Olu Oyesanmi, Ian M. Kahane, Yizhi Lin, Hakan R. Toka

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis To Medihoney Gel After Mastectomy: Role Of Alkyl Glucoside Sensitization In Chronic Wounds, Madison M. Taylor, Jordan L. Jafarnia, Austin Black, Kelly C. Nelson, Megan N. Rogge

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Oral N-Acetylcysteine In Hepatitis C - Induced Acute Liver Injury: A Case Report, Mohammed Irfan Khan, Shuchita Jhaveri, Renu Thomas, Kevin Garnepudi, Galvin Dhaliwal, Ahmed Ouni, Shane P. Sweeney, Julian Nguyen

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Unexpected Culprit Revealed After Mechanical Aspiration Thrombectomy: High Thrombus Burden Presenting With Junctional Rhythm Due To Occlusion Of Sinoatrial Node Artery, Originating From Left Circumflex Artery, Anush Agrawal, Dilesha D. Kumanayaka, Anusha Putta

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

A South Texas Mousetrap: A Case Report Of Murine Typhus And Diagnostic Dilemmas, Arjun Kamath, Jose Garza, Matthew Wagner, Deekshita Valiveti, Percy Thomas, Christopher Ganson, Abhay Vakil, Zuhair Ali

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Not Just Cholecystitis: Cancer With Cholecystitis, Saira Ahmed, Joseph Daodu, Anila Punjwani, Shane Sweeney, Pierre Khoury, John Hardaway, Mike K. Liang

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

A Case Report Of Anaphylactic Shock To Tirzepatide, Elinor Barsh, Mohamed Ahmed, Dmitriy Scherbak

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

When Ckd Isn't What It Seems: A Case Of Lect2 Amyloidosis, Ankita Ojha, Banshi M. Rathi

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Unloading The Left Ventricle On Va Ecmo: Comparative Effectiveness Of Ecpella, Iabp, And Venting, Yves Najm Mrad, Snehalkumar Patel

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Successful Neurosurgery Match Among Do Graduates: A Retrospective Analysis Of 111 Matched Applicants, Ankush Chandra, Alexander Hayes, Cameron Ehsan, Laura Zima, James Trippett, Angel Bueno, Jun Kim, Walter R. Johnson, Manish Aghi

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Right Upper Quadrant Pain With Perihepatitis, Morgan D. Homan, Jake Valentine, Edwin R. Malone Ii

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Humanity: A Scalable Blueprint For Celebrating Humanism In Graduate Medical Education, Edrianna Mae Ablola, Grace Desrochers, Shuchita Jhaveri, A Charales, L Tatineni, Marelle Montanez, Shane Jenks, Rajeev Raghavan

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

More Than A Scratch: Capnocytophaga Bacteremia Induced Severe Sepsis With Multi-Organ Failure With Occupational Dog Exposure, Cristina Lee, Alex Craig, Dmitriy Scherbak

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Education For Residents And Patients On Pain Management For Gyn Procedures, Claire Moen, Jeffrey Edwards, Dominique Rehl, Kenyon Weidle

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Neurologic Complications In Adult Va-Ecmo: Incidence, Phenotypes, And Mortality From Contemporary Elso Registry Analyses And Meta-Analytic Evidence, Yves Najm Mrad, Snehalkumar Patel

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis And Osteitis (Sapho) Syndrome Presenting With Gait Impairment And Pustular Facial Rash, Hannah Rector, Michael Haddad, Dmitriy Scherbak

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Suicidality, Self-Neglect, And Medical Refusal In Advanced Illness: An Ethical Case Report, Austin Supak, Sarah Greene, Madeline Adelman, Whitney Snyders

Continental and Mountain Divisions GME Resarch Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Early Detection And Interventions For Delirium, Angel Ryals, Aneesha Shaju, Veronica Phung, Ijeoma Arubaleze

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.