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Research Annual Report Fy2025, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Research Annual Reports

Annual report of the research at Children's Mercy Kansas City in Kansas City MO, a pediatric medical center.

From Resistance To Remission: Transforming Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis With Secukinumab And Methotrexate, Rabia S. Mahfooz, Annmary Behanan, Amita J. Dsouza, Naser Elkhalili

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Prevelence Odds Of Melanoma In Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study, Nilay Bhatt, Kumail Rizvi

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Humoral Influences On The Heart: A Case Of Overt Hypothyroidism And Dilated Cardiomyopathy With Acute Heart Failure, Shana-Kay Lambert-Johnson, Rui Zhang, Brian Yu, Tasaduq Mir

North Texas Research Forum 2025

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) affects approximately 7 in 100,000 adults annually, with a mortality rate of 50%. It is typically idiopathic, progressive, and irreversible. However, in the context of hypothyroidism, DCM can be reversible. Hypothyroid-induced DCM with coexisting systolic dysfunction is a rare occurrence. This case report presents an exceptional instance of this phenomenon, highlighting the critical role of thyroid hormone replacement in improving patient outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old female with a medical history of hypothyroidism (post-thyroidectomy) was transferred for higher-level care due to new-onset heart failure. Over the past five months, she experienced worsening dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, …

Do Patients Who Receive Dexmedetomidine As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery Achieve Longer Block Duration Compared To Those Who Receive Spinal Anesthesia With Local Anesthetic Alone?, Liana S. Garrison

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Problem Statement: Cesarean delivery is associated with significant postoperative pain, typically managed with spinal anesthesia using a local anesthetic. While opioids are often added as adjuncts, the addition of dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, has emerged as a potential alternative that may enhance the efficacy of the spinal block in terms of pain management, potentially improving block duration and quality compared to local anesthetic alone.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted on the use of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to spinal anesthesia for patients undergoing cesarean sections. Databases used for the search included PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and MEDLINE. The keywords used …

Staphylococcus Aureus Encodes Four Differentially Regulated Pyruvate Transporters, Jennifer L. Endres, Cleofes Sarmiento, William Xiao, Marat R. Sadykov, Kenneth W. Bayles, Mckenzie K. Lehman

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

The success of Staphylococcus aureus as a pathogen is attributable, in part, to its ability to exploit the diverse nutrient sources available during infection. Critical to this success are the pathways involving pyruvate that serve as a nexus for energy production, oxidative metabolism, and biosynthetic processes. When available, bacteria acquire pyruvate from the environment to fuel growth. Recently, LrgAB was identified as a pyruvate transporter under microaerobic conditions, leading us to speculate that S. aureus encodes other pyruvate transporters that are active during aerobic growth. In this study, we used the toxic pyruvate analog, 3-fluoropyruvic acid (3-FP), to isolate mutants …

Unmasking Multicentric Reticulonodular Histiocytoma: A Rare Impostor Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rabia S. Mahfooz, Neil Maithel, Annmary Behanan, Naser Elkhalili

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Excitation And Polarization Of Isolated Neurons By High-Frequency Sine Waves For Temporal Interference Stimulation, Iurii Semenov, Vitalii Kim, Giedre Silkuniene, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

The capacity of temporal interference (TI) stimulation to target deep brain regions without affecting nearby surface electrodes remains uncertain. Using artifact-free optical recording, we compare excitation patterns and thresholds in hippocampal neurons stimulated by “pure” and amplitude-modulated sine waves, representing TI waveforms near electrodes and at the target, respectively. We show that pure 2- and 20-kHz sine waves induce repetitive firing at rates that increase up to 60–90 Hz with stronger electric fields. Beyond this limit, action potentials merge into sustained depolarization, resulting in an excitation block. Modulating the sine waves at 20 Hz aligns firing with amplitude “beats” and …

Artesunate Enhances The Efficacy Of Enzalutamide In Advanced Prostate Cancer, Xinyi Wang, Jinghui Liu, Fengyi Mao, Yifan Kong, Qiongsi Zhang, Chaohao Li, Daheng He, Chi Wang, Yanquan Zhang, Ruixin Wang, Sally R. Ellingson, Qiou Wei, Zhiguo Li, Xiaoqi Liu

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death among men worldwide. Treatments targeting the androgen receptor pathway remain the standard therapy for PCa patients. Enzalutamide (ENZ), a second-generation androgen receptor inhibitor, was developed to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, while patients initially respond to ENZ, drug resistance typically develops within a few months. Artesunate (ART), a semisynthetic derivative of the Artemisinin plant, is approved for antimalaria treatment. In this study, we conducted an FDA-approved drug screening and identified ART as a potential candidate for overcoming ENZ resistance in PCa. Mechanistically, ART induces the degradation of c-Myc, enhancing …

Portable Multi-Parametric Microscopy For Noninvasive Metabolic And Vascular Imaging Of Orthotopic Tongue Cancer Models In Vivo, Pranto Soumik Saha, Jing Yan, Caigang Zhu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Significance: Precise imaging of tumor metabolism with its vascular microenvironment becomes emerging critical for cancer research because increasing evidence shows that the key attribute that allows a tumor to survive therapies is metabolic and vascular reprogramming. However, there are surprisingly few imaging techniques available to provide a systems-level view of tumor metabolism and vasculature in vivo on small animals for cancer discoveries.

Aim: We aim to develop a new multi-parametric microscope that can faithfully recapitulate in vivo metabolic and vascular changes with a wide field of view and microscope-level resolution to advance cancer-related investigations. To maximize the ease and accessibility …

Perspectives Of Healthcare Providers And Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma On Treatment Priorities And Novel Therapies., Sikander Ailawadhi, Yelak Biru, Solène Clavreul, Maite San Miguel, Nicolas Cormier, Yvonne Efebera, Maximilian Merz, Anna Sato, Cathy Zeanah, Jack L Watkins, James Farrell, Erinn Hoag Goldman, Rakesh Popat

Oncology Articles

PURPOSE: With novel therapies including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy and bispecific antibodies (BsAbs), healthcare providers (HCPs) face complexities managing treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). This study, among the largest surveys on RRMM, examined unmet needs in care access, barriers to novel therapy use, and treatment decision-making.

METHODS: This survey-based study (March-June 2024) enrolled 2284 participants (patients: 1301; HCPs: 983) across 7 countries. Patients with >1 relapse/progression and HCPs managing ≥3 patients were included. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Χ

RESULTS: For patients, treatment priorities included slowing disease progression (second line [2L], 47%; third …

A Case Of Dress Syndrome Following Recurrent Hardware-Related Knee Infection: Diagnosis, Management, And Recovery, Cooper Alden Josephs, Himani Patel, James Everhart

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

A Knowledge-Based Planning Model To Identify Fraction-Reduction Opportunities In Brain Stereotactic Radiotherapy, Shane Mccarthy, William St. Clair, Damodar Pokhrel

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: To develop and validate a HyperArc-based RapidPlan (HARP) model for three-fraction brain stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) plans to then use to replan previously treated five-fraction SRT plans. Demonstrating the possibility of reducing the number of fractions while achieving acceptable organs-at-risk (OAR) doses with improved target biological effective dose (BED) to brain lesions. Methods: Thirty-nine high-quality clinical three-fraction HyperArc brain SRT plans (24–27 Gy) were used to train the HARP model, with a separate 10 plans used to validate its effectiveness. Fifty-eight five-fraction HyperArc brain SRT plans (30–40 Gy) attempted to be retrospectively replanned for three fractions scheme using the HARP …

An Investigation Into The Feasibility And Efficacy Of Stereotactic Radiosurgery For 1–3 Cm Single Brain Lesions On The Ring-Mounted Halcyon Linac, Kristin J. Hazelwood, Shane Mccarthy, Josh Misa, David Castelvetere, William St. Clair, Damodar Pokhrel

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: An evaluation of the accuracy, safety, and efficiency of the Halcyon ring delivery system (RDS) for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment to relatively small (1–3 cm) brain lesions.

Methods: After completing the extensive in-house quality assurance checks including Winston–Lutz test and independent dose verification via MD Anderson IROC SRS head phantom irradiation on Halcyon, fifteen brain SRS patients previously treated with a single dose of 20 Gy on TrueBeam (6MV-FFF) with HyperArc geometry were retrospectively replanned on Halcyon (6MV-FFF). Plan quality metrics including conformity index (CI), gradient index (GI), gradient distance (GD), PTV coverage, gross tumor volume (GTV) dose, heterogeneity …

Automated Hippocampal Sparing Whole Brain Radiotherapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost For Multiple Brain Metastases: Halcyon, Hyperarc On Truebeam, And Coplanar Truebeam, Shane Mccarthy, Ryan Clark, Anthony Magliari, William St. Clair, Damodar Pokhrel

Radiation Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: To demonstrate the ease and feasibility that hippocampal sparing whole brain (WB) simultaneous integrated boost (HSWB-SIB) plans can be generated using knowledge-based planning and Eclipse Scripting Application Programming Interface (ESAPI) for three different modalities, HyperArc on TrueBeam (TB-HA), a coplanar beam arrangement on TrueBeam (TB-Co), and the ring-mounted Halcyon LINAC (Hal).

Methods: Twelve patients with 2–14 brain metastases were retrospectively replanned for HSWB-SIB using a published HSWB RapidPlan model with modifications for the automated addition of SIB to metastases. Prescribed dose was 30 Gy to the WB planning target volume (PTV) and 50 Gy to the metastases in 10 …

Lymphoma Chronicles: Insights From A Distinct Hodgkin's Lymphoma Case Report, Srirangam Shankaralingam, Vibha Nagaragatta

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a kind of lymphatic malignancy distinguished by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. It often manifests as painless lymphadenopathy and systemic symptoms (B symptoms and can affect a variety of lymphoid tissues. The causes of HL are complicated and include genetic predisposition, environmental conditions and viral infections, particularly the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The diagnosis is primarily based on histological evaluation of lymph node samples, with immunophenotyping assisting classification. Herein, we report a case of classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) in an otherwise healthy 31-year-old male who had a mass per abdomen for a year and recently noticed a …

Pregnancy-Related Delusional Beliefs In Midlife And Late-Life Women: A Case Series, Dyuksha Arora, Ashita Adarsh, Kishor M. Manohar Rao, Anand R, Soumya Rajshekar Patil, Akshatha Cj

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Pseudocyesis and delusional pregnancy represent rare but clinically significant presentations across psychiatric practice. While pseudocyesis involves a false belief of pregnancy accompanied by physical manifestations, delusion of pregnancy refers to a fixed belief of being pregnant despite clear contrary evidence. Both conditions pose considerable challenges as they involve close consultation and liaison between Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Psychiatry. There are a few studies from tertiary care general hospitals in India. Here we report two case series.

Case 1: A 43-year-old married woman from a rural background with an 8-year history of recurrent depressive disorder and dysthymia, presented with 3 months …

One Airway, One Disease In Pregnancy: A Prospective Observational Study On The Correlation Between Upper And Lower Airway Inflammation In Pregnant Women, Durga K, Yuvarajan S

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: The well-established "One Airway, One Disease" concept recognizes the deep physiological and pathological connections between conditions affecting both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, most notably allergic rhinitis and asthma. During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes significant immunological, hormonal, and physiological changes, which can profoundly influence and modulate existing or emerging airway inflammation.

Objective: This prospective observational study was designed with the primary objective of meticulously evaluating the correlation between upper and lower airway inflammation in pregnant women. We aimed to achieve this by assessing a range of clinical symptoms, objective functional parameters, and specific inflammatory markers.

Methods: We …

Implementation Of A Code Sepsis Response Protocol In A Large Emergency Department Increases Rate Of Timely Antibiotic Administration In Patients With Suspected Sepsis, Leah Shults, Kailey Cox, Destiny Kramer, Grace Mariano, Amy Pinkos, Jordan Sanders, Kimberly Patterson

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Systemic Therapy Targeting Psoriatic Inflammation Is Associated With Decreased Incidence Of Dementia: An Observational Retrospective Cohort Study, Madison P. Olexson, Ana Ormaza Vera, Chunghwan Ro, Clinton W. Enos

Department Dermatology Faculty Publications

[Introduction] To the Editor: Psoriasis, an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory skin disorder, has been implicated in cognitive impairment and dementia.1, 2, 3 Emerging evidence suggests that systemic inflammation contributes to neuroinflammation and resultant cytokine-driven neurodegeneration, although findings remain inconclusive.1, 2, 3 While systemic therapies such as biologics and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are routinely used in psoriasis management, their role in modulating dementia in this population remains underexplored, with research yielding mixed results.1, 2, 3 We conducted a large-scale, retrospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between psoriasis and dementia and whether systemic treatments for psoriasis impact this association.

Igf-1 As A Biomarker For Symptom Severity In Adult Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence From An Observational Study, Justin Weppner, Kimberly Rosenthal, Jennifer Bath, Tonja Locklear, Melissa Martinez

Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related growth hormone deficiency is often undertreated, despite documented physical, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric effects. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), with neuroreceptors located in brain regions responsible for learning, memory, and mood, regulates cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, and neuroplasticity. The aim of this study was to determine associations between IGF-1 levels and post-TBI symptom severity, anxiety, and depression. This retrospective observational study at an Academic Brain Injury Center included participants evaluated 3-12 months post-TBI with available IGF-1 values and complete Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ-13), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) responses. Patients under 18 or …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

Bibliography, Mary P. Bennett

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Mary Bennett.

Efficacy Of Deferoxamine Mesylate In Serum And Serum-Free Media: Adult Ventral Root Schwann Cell Survival Following Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Death, Yee Hang Ethan Ma, Abhinay R. Putta, Cyrus H. H. Chan, Stephen R. Vidman, Paula V. Monje, Giles W. Plant

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Schwann cell (SC) transplantation shows promise in treating spinal cord injury as a pro-regenerative agent to allow host endogenous neurons to bridge over the lesion. However, SC transplants face significant oxidative stress facilitated by ROS in the lesion, leading to poor survival. deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) is a neuroprotective agent shown to reduce H₂O₂-induced cell death in serum-containing conditions. Here we show that DFO is not necessary to induce neuroprotection under serum-free conditions by cell survival quantification and phenotypic analysis via immunohistochemistry, Hif1α and collagen IV quantification via whole cell corrected total cell fluorescence, and cell death …

Treatment Of Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Case Of Successful Management With Targeted Therapies., Sydney Pence, Kellie Rath, Aine Clements

Women’s Health Articles

No abstract provided.

Folliculin (Flcn) In Thyroid Tumors: Incidence, Significance, And Role As A Driver Gene And Secondary Alteration, Faisal Hassan, Camryn Slone, Robert J. Mcdonald, Julie C. Dueber, Adeel M. Ashraf, Melina Windon, Oliver J. Fackelmayer, Cortney Y. Lee, Therese J. Bocklage, Derek B. Allison

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Thyroid carcinomas are driven by diverse molecular alterations, but the tumor suppressor gene folliculin (FLCN), best known for its role in Birt–Hogg–Dubé (BHD) syndrome, has received limited attention in thyroid tumors. Here, we describe two thyroid tumors with pathogenic FLCN alterations—one germline and one somatic—and analyze the broader prevalence and significance of FLCN in thyroid carcinomas using multiple large sequencing datasets, including ORIEN-AVATAR. Patient 1, with a germline FLCN mutation and a history of BHD syndrome, presented with a well-circumscribed oncocytic adenoma. Molecular testing confirmed biallelic FLCN inactivation, but no additional mutations or aggressive features were observed, and the patient …

​Cd10 Positive Mantle Cell Lymphoma Masquerading As Follicular Lymphoma​, Matthew Lee, Jennifer Barker, Fatemeh Mousavi

East Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Characterizing And Targeting The Non-Catalytic Functions Of Phosphatase Of Regenerating Liver 3 (Prl-3) In Oncogenesis And Cancer Progression, Jeffery T. Jolly

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver 3 (PRL-3) is frequently upregulated in various cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Although traditionally studied for its phosphatase activity, PRL-3 also interacts with the CNNM family of magnesium transporters through its catalytic site, and these two functions are mutually exclusive at any given time. Most previous studies relied on a commonly used PRL-3 mutation that disrupts both phosphatase activity and CNNM binding, making it challenging to determine which function drives its oncogenic effects. To address this gap in the field, I utilized a panel of PRL-3 mutants that selectively disrupt either phosphatase activity …

Complete High Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury Causes Bowel Dysfunction In Mice, Olivia Wireman, Ellie L. Sams, Lynnet E. Richey, Gabrielle V. Hammers, Andrew N. Stewart, William M. Bailey, Samir P. Patel, John C. Gensel

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Bowel dysfunction, is a prevalent and life-impacting comorbidity of spinal cord injury (SCI) with no long-term treatment available. SCI-induced colon changes including motility and fibrosis are understudied as are strategies to address SCI bowel dysfunction. This need remains partly due to the lack of a mouse model that recapitulates the human condition. We hypothesized that a high thoracic spinal transection in mice would trigger bowel dysfunction with coincident colon pathology similar to humans and rats after SCI. We observed bowel dysfunction as increased fecal pellet numbers within the colon, smaller pellet size, and decreased motility. Fecal pellets numbers in the …

Establishing The Philippine Cancer Center National Cancer Research Agenda 2024-2028: Insights And Future Directions, Frederic Ivan L. Ting, Edward Christopher Dee, Ma Katrina Domenica R. Ting, Abigail R. Tud, Erin Jay G. Feliciano, Erika P. Ong, Carol V. Narra

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

No abstract provided.