Digital Commons Network^™

Student Perceptions Related To Goals Of Care Conversation Simulation Training As Part Of An Entrustable Professional Activity (Epa)-Based Medical School Curriculum, Mostafa M. Meleis Md, Katherine Cappellano, Rahul Mhaskar, Amy B. Smith Phd, A Galligan, J Costa, Robert D. Barraco Md, Mph, D Dewaay, J Quinn, K Zwygart, Jeanne L. Jacoby Md, Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep, Jessica K. Eygnor Do

Medical Education

No abstract provided.

Dental Insurance Status Among Formerly Incarcerated Older Adults, Alexander Testa, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Dylan B Jackson, Kyle T Ganson, Vahed Maroufy, Jason M Nagata, Ana C Neumann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Formerly incarcerated individuals have poorer oral health and less frequent dental care utilization than the general population. However, prior work has overlooked the relationship between prior incarceration and disparities in dental insurance coverage. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 11,638), findings from multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrate that formerly incarcerated older adults are significantly less likely to have dental insurance coverage (odds ratio [OR] = 0.745, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.608, 0.912). After accounting for the income-to-poverty ratio, this association was no longer statistically significant. Analyses using the Karlson-Holm-Breen method demonstrated that approximately 45% of …

Sexual Health And Relationship Education Needs Of People In Recovery For An Opioid Use Disorder, J Michael Wilkerson, Kathryn R Gallardo, I Niles Zoschke, Hannah L N Stewart, Serena A Rodriguez, Michael U Anosike, Jason Pullin, Sheryl A Mccurdy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

People in recovery with histories of sex and drug-linked behavior (SDB) have an increased risk of substance use recurrence. However, sexual health concerns remain largely unaddressed by recovery support services researchers and practitioners. The purpose of this analysis was to describe the sex and relationship concerns of people in recovery for an opioid use disorder living in level II and level III recovery homes. Recovery homes are sober living homes that the National Association for Recovery Residences classifies into four levels based on staffing and service provision. We interviewed 93 residents and thematically analyzed 92 of the resulting transcripts; one …

Robo2 Variants Associated With Atrial Septal Defect Define A Novel Regulatory Element, Seong Won Kim, Michael Parfenov, Laura Rodriguez-Murillo, David A Conner, Arun Sharma, Inga Peter, Feng Xiao, Olivia Layton, Angela Tai, Tarsha Ward, Lauren K Wasson, Joshua M Gorham, Erica Mazaika, Valentina N Lagomarsino, Tracy L Young-Pearse, Elizabeth Goldmuntz, Hiroko Wakimoto, A J Agopian, David M Mckean, Steven R Depalma, William T Pu, Christine E Seidman, Bruce D Gelb, Jonathan G Seidman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are a prevalent type of congenital heart disease. Previous GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies) have identified common variants associated with ASDs, though their mechanisms remain unknown. We aimed to expand insights into the architecture of common variants associated with ASD risk and elucidate functional mechanisms.

Methods: We conducted a GWAS using isolated ASD cases and healthy controls and replicated findings in an independent cohort. We examined epigenetic marks within this ASD locus in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fetal human hearts. We characterized the consequences of deletions introduced by CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis of human induced …

Developing Scenario-Based Strategies For Health, Climate, And Environmental Preparedness: The One Health, One Earth Approach, Azar M Abadi, Kyle D Brumfield, Moiz Usmani, Gemma Jiang, T C Chakraborty, Yuzhou Wang, Zhijie Zhou, Cenlin He, Minghao Qiu, Jennifer D Stowell, Douglas Fritz, Sunil Kumar, Qiang Guo, Ying Xiong, Georgia Destouni, Qian Xiao, Xindi C Hu, Kelvin C Fong, Yun Hang, John Nielsen-Gammon, Rima Habre, Jennifer R Bratburd, Christopher W Tessum, Antarpreet Jutla, Rita R Colwell, Gabriel M Filippelli, Thanh H Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Climate change amplifies many threats to human health. Despite advances in understanding climate change dynamics and impacts, there remains a critical gap in translating scientific knowledge into equitable, and community‐driven health interventions. The inaugural One Earth, One Health workshop sought to explore this gap through human‐centered design exercises involving interdisciplinary researchers from climate and Earth sciences, engineering, epidemiology, microbiology, and environmental health. Although participants did not co‐develop solutions with affected communities, they used stakeholder role‐playing to guide ideation and lay groundwork for actionable plans. Through these methods, participants identified community needs and proposed prototype solutions to alleviate health threats …

The All-Payer Claims Database After The Gobeille Supreme Court Decision: Assessing The Impact On Fatal Opioid-Related Overdose Research, Jack Cordes, Cici Bauer, Dana Bernson, Marc R Larochelle, Wenjun Li, Jiahao Cao, Olaf Dammann, Thomas J Stopka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To determine the consequences of the Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Supreme Court decision on the representativeness of the Massachusetts all-payer claims database (APCD). The loss of individuals captured in the APCD may vary demographically, geographically, and in the capture of fatal opioid-related overdose (OOD).

Data sources and study setting: We used 2013-2021 data from the Massachusetts Public Health Data Warehouse (PHD), which links person-level APCD records to other datasets. The APCD includes commercially-insured health claims mandatorily reported pre-Gobeille. Post-Gobeille, reporting from self-insured plans, a subset of commercially-insured plans, became voluntary.

Study design: In a repeated cross-sectional design, we compared …

Patenting The Unexpected, Sean B. Seymore

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Unexpected discoveries have transformed human existence. They’ve revolutionized science and spawned entire new fields of research. While unexpected discoveries seem inventive and worthy of patent protection, they don’t formally align with traditional patent theory. The bedrock principle that an invention begins with the conception of an idea in the inventor’s mind and ends with implementation doesn’t apply to unexpected discoveries. This misalignment is most acute for pharmaceuticals, where the discovery of new uses for old drugs has tremendous social and economic importance. Since a drug can inherently treat multiple conditions in a patient—even those unknown to the patient, doctor, or …

Beyond Parallel Programmes: A Roadmap For Operational Integration Of Family Planning And Nutrition In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Marleen Temmerman, Samuel Ojong

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

No abstract provided.

Daily Outdoor Pm2.5 Exposure Characterization And Road Edge Effect During A 2022 - 2023 Monitoring Campaign In Gambia, Kenya And Mozambique, Terence Mushore, Handsome Nyoni, Laura Munthali, Sibusisiwe Makhanya, Laurine Chikoko, Anotida Chapunza, Stanley Luchters, Matthew Chersich, Marleen Temmerman, Angela Koech

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Air pollution is a major contributor to mortality and adverse health outcomes, particularly in pregnant women and children, with vehicular emissions as a key source. This study aimed to characterize long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), evaluate potential health risks, and quantify the contribution of road transport and proximity to roads in The Gambia, Kenya, and Mozambique. Multi-temporal personal exposure data were interpolated into continuous spatial surfaces and aggregated into daily averages, which were then compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to assess potential health impacts. Multi-distance buffers at 10 m intervals up to 1000m from major roads …

Building Qualitative Research Capacity In The Global Health Workforce And Developing A Community Of Practice In Parts Of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study, Jack Lumsdon, Catherine Dotchin, Albert Akpalu, Benedict Calys-Tagoe, Dilraj Sokhi, Momodou Cham, Njideka Okubadejo, Richard Morton, Violet Naanyu, Richard Walker

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background Qualitative research offers unique insights into the lived experience of individuals with chronic conditions which can tie directly into public health priorities and identifying the need for additional support. More participatory approaches and qualitative data surrounding chronic diseases are needed in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Valuable “insider” insights are often missing as the conceptualisation of research often overlooks the value of such interactions. For successful and meaningful global health research, it is imperative to involve in-country experts and strengthen the capacity of research teams with qualitative skills.

Methods To address this, two hybrid qualitative research skills workshops were conducted in …

Renal Adverse Effects Of Antiangiogenic Agents In A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya, Joan Wambugu, Joyce Bwombengi, Jasmit Shah, Manel Haj Mansour

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction Anti-angiogenic therapies, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), have transformed cancer management by targeting tumor vasculature and suppressing metastasis. However, these agents can induce renal toxicities such as hypertension, proteinuria, and acute kidney injury (AKI), which may affect treatment continuity and outcomes. Data from sub-Saharan Africa on these adverse effects remains scarce.

Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, oncology clinic. Medical records of adult patients receiving anti-angiogenic therapy between January 2020 and December 2024 were reviewed. Demographic data, comorbidities, treatment regimens, renal parameters, and …

Transfusion In Transit: A Decade Of Prehospital Blood Transfusion In Pediatric Trauma, Krysta M Sutyak, Eunise C Chen, Lea Mock, Rudolfo Cabrera, Jeannette M Joly, Kuojen Tsao, Bryan A Cotton, David E Meyer, Charles S Cox, Kevin P Lally, Natalie A Drucker

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Prehospital blood transfusion improves mortality in adults, with limited evidence in children. This study describes prehospital blood transfusion in pediatric trauma patients and the impact on shock index, pediatric adjusted (SIPA).

Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients younger than 18 years who received blood transfusions during helicopter transport to a Level 1 pediatric trauma center from 2011 to 2023. Primary outcome was change in SIPA at time of emergency department (ED) arrival with prehospital transfusion. Secondary subgroup analysis was performed based on transport origin.

Results: Of 137 patients, 58% (80 of 137 patients) were …

Affinity-Optimized Trop2 Antibodies Support Potent Antitumor Activity In Antibody-Drug Conjugates, Aiko Yamaguchi, Junping Hong, Leike Li, Kiyotaka Kobayashi, Chisato M Yamazaki, Summer Y Y Ha, Yasuaki Anami, Wei Xiong, Junquan Liu, Zhiqiang An, Ningyan Zhang, Kyoji Tsuchikama

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) is frequently overexpressed in epithelial tumors and is associated with poor prognosis, making it an attractive therapeutic target. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) directed against TROP2 show clinical benefit, but expression in normal tissues such as skin raises concerns about on-target, off-tumor toxicity. Strategies that improve antitumor efficacy without increasing toxicity are needed.

Methods: Using an in-house phage library, we identified and characterized a novel fully human monoclonal antibody recognizing a unique conformational epitope of TROP2 with reduced binding affinity. This antibody was engineered into homogeneous ADCs carrying auristatin and/or duocarmycin payloads. Comparative studies with …

Telomerase Knockout In Myeloid Cells Predisposes Mice To Foam Cell Formation, Dyslipidemia, Lung Fibrosis, And Cardiac Dysfunction, Zhanguo Gao, Yongmei Yu, David Wiggins, Eva M Sevick-Muraca, Mikhail G Kolonin

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Aging-associated changes in myeloid cells are incompletely understood. One of the culprits of aging is the downregulation of the Tert gene coding for the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Studies of mouse models with Tert knockout (KO) in specific cells have revealed the importance of the telomere-independent noncanonical function of TERT in supporting mitochondrial metabolism and protection from cell senescence. To investigate the role of TERT in myeloid cells (MCs), we analyzed mice with Tert KO in the LysM+ lineage, indelibly labeled with membrane green fluorescent protein (mG). Macrophage numbers and properties in various organs were compared. Changes in the vasculature, …

Availability Of Cancer Screening Across Hiv Treatment Sites In The Iedea Consortium, Rachael Pellegrino, Bryan Shepherd, Sanjay Pujari, Valeria Fink, Gad Murenzi, Miriam Nakalembe, Sally Coburn, Eliane Rohner, Antoine Jaquet, Elkanah Orang'o

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with HIV, and the importance of cancer screening increasesas this population ages. In 2017, 2020, and 2023, cross-sectional surveys were conducted at HIV care sites across 5 continentswithin the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We described cancer screening avail-ability in 2023 and over time for cervical and anal cancer screening using generalized estimating equations with a logit linkfunction to account for site clustering, rurality, and country income. Of the 220 sites in the 2023 survey, 61% (134/220) reportedcervical cancer screening by cytology or human papillomavirus (HPV) …

Availability Of Cancer Screening Across Hiv Treatment Sites In The Iedea Consortium, Rachael Pellegrino, Bryan Shepherd, Sanjay Pujari, Valeria Fink, Gad Murenzi, Miriam Nakalembe, Sally Coburn, Eliane Rohner, Antoine Jaquet, Elkanah Orang'o

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with HIV, and the importance of cancer screening increasesas this population ages. In 2017, 2020, and 2023, cross-sectional surveys were conducted at HIV care sites across 5 continentswithin the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We described cancer screening avail-ability in 2023 and over time for cervical and anal cancer screening using generalized estimating equations with a logit linkfunction to account for site clustering, rurality, and country income. Of the 220 sites in the 2023 survey, 61% (134/220) reportedcervical cancer screening by cytology or human papillomavirus (HPV) …

Natural Language Generation In Healthcare: A Review Of Methods And Applications, Mengxian Lyu, Xiaohan Li, Ziyi Chen, Jinqian Pan, Cheng Peng, Sankalp Talankar, Yonghui Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study presents a systematic review of natural language generation (NLG) methods and applications in the medical domain, providing quantitative and qualitative analyses to answer four key research questions regarding methods, evaluation, applications, and challenges of NLG in healthcare.

Methods: We searched PubMed, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, and ACL Anthology for NLG-related studies in healthcare from 2018 to 2024. Out of 3,988 research articles, 113 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed across data modality, model architecture, evaluation metrics, and application domain.

Results and conclusion: NLG in healthcare has grown substantially, with annual …

Traumatic Brain Injury And Risk Of Early-Onset Dementia: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Aishwarya Saravanan, Katherine Giorgio, Natalia Lakomski, Andrea L C Schneider, Barbara A Olson-Bullis, Behnam Sabayan, James S Pankow, Paul S De Vries, Kristine Yaffe, Alexa Beiser, Abbas Dehghan, Elizabeth A Peterson, Rachel Zmora, John J Stephen, Denise Scholtens, Maxwell Mansolf, Lenore J Launer, Richard F Maclehose, Pamela L Lutsey, Norrina B Allen, Sanaz Sedaghat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: We investigated the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and incidence of early-onset dementia (EOD) versus late-onset dementia (LOD).

Methods: We included 501,710 UK Biobank participants (average age 56.5). Over a median 13.6 years of follow-up, 836 developed EOD (before 65) and 8947 developed LOD (after 65). We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for TBI's association with EOD and LOD using Cox proportional hazard models with TBI as a time-varying exposure and coefficient.

Results: TBI was associated with higher risk of both EOD (HR: 4.06 [95% confidence interval: 3.13, 5.26]) and LOD (HR: 2.51 [2.31, 2.72]. Among participants included in …

Double-Crispr Knockout Simulation (Dkosim): A Monte-Carlo Randomization System To Model Cell Growth Behavior And Infer The Optimal Library Design For Growth-Based Double Knockout Screens, Yue Gu, Traver Hart, Luis Leon-Novelo, John Paul Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Advances in functional genomic technology, notably CRISPR using Cas9 or Cas12, now allow for large-scale double perturbation screens in which pairs of genes are inactivated, allowing for the experimental detection of genetic interactions (GIs). However, as it is not possible to validate GIs in high-throughput, there is no gold standard dataset where true interactions are known. Hence, we constructed a Double-CRISPR Knockout Simulation (DKOsim), which allows users to reproducibly generate synthetic simulation data where the single gene fitness effect of each gene and the interaction of each gene pair can be specified by the investigator. We adapted Monte-Carlo randomization methods …

Continuous Versus Bolus Norepinephrine Administration To Treat Hypotension After Induction Of General Anaesthesia In Low-To-Moderate Risk Noncardiac Surgery Patients: A Randomised Trial, Kristen K Thomsen, Finn Külls, Christina Vokuhl, Linda Krause, Dominik Müller, Max Bossemeyer, Mirja Wegge, Alina Kröker, Alina Bergholz, Christian Zöllner, Daniel I Sessler, Bernd Saugel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hypotension after induction of general anaesthesia (postinduction hypotension) is common in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery and frequently requires treatment with vasopressors such as norepinephrine. We tested the hypothesis that giving norepinephrine continuously using a syringe infusion pump, compared with giving it as repeated manual boluses, reduces postinduction hypotension within 15 min after starting induction of general anaesthesia in low-to-moderate risk noncardiac surgery patients.

Methods: Patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery were randomised to either continuous norepinephrine infusion or manual bolus norepinephrine administration intravenously during induction of general anaesthesia. In both groups, norepinephrine was administered through a peripheral venous catheter. Blood …

Fatigue Survival And Biomechanical Behavior Of Two-Piece Titanium And Zirconia Dental Implants, Jefferson David Melo De Matos, Guilherme Da Rocha Scalzer Lopes, Nathália De Carvalho Ramos, Mário Alexandre Coelho Sinhoreti, Alexandre Luiz Souto Borges, Daher Antonio Queiroz, Marco Antonio Bottino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Titanium implants are considered the gold standard for oral rehabilitation; however, zirconia implants have emerged as a metal-free alternative with promising esthetic and biological properties. Despite these advantages, limited evidence is available regarding their long-term fatigue behavior and fracture resistance.

Material and methods: In this in vitro experimental study conducted at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, forty implants were divided into two groups (n = 20): zirconia implants (ZZ) and titanium implants (TZ) (4.1 × 10 mm). Implants were embedded in polyurethane blocks according to ISO 14801:2016 specifications. Monolithic zirconia crowns were fabricated using CAD/CAM technology and cemented …

Maternal Infection At Delivery And Risk Of Stillbirth And Early Neonatal Death: Nested Case-Control Studies In East African Pregnancy Cohorts, Anna Seale, Meron Kebede, Rosanna Glazik, Mussie Brhane, Mulu Berihun, Zelalem Teklemariam, Dadi Marami, Joseph Oundo, Tadesse Gure, Angela Koech

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Background Stillbirths and early neonatal deaths remain common in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal infections are likely contributors, but data are extremely limited. We aimed to describe maternal infections at delivery and their association with perinatal death.

Methods We investigated maternal infections at delivery in two hospitals in East Africa: in Kilifi County Hospital (2011–2017), Kenya, and Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialised Hospital (2019–2020), Ethiopia. We compared 642 mothers delivering stillbirths/newborns dying in the first 24 h after birth (cases) and 855 mothers with newborns surviving ≥ 24 h (controls) from pregnancy cohorts. We tested maternal blood with molecular diagnostic panels …

Investigating Social Justice Implications Of Glyphosate Residues In Human Urine, Ananya Malhotra

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Glyphosate, the nominal active ingredient in professional-grade Roundup weed and grass killer, is the most extensively used herbicide globally and in the United States (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2020). An increasing level of concern has surfaced regarding its health consequences, particularly because of contamination of our food supplies. Recent research indicates distressing levels of detection of glyphosate in human blood and urine samples, revealing many instances of frequent human exposure (Conrad et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2020).Most of the research about exposure is focused on agricultural workers or individuals living in close vicinity to agricultural lands.  Few …

Long-Term Effect Of Ammonia- And Water-Based Silver Fluoride On Dentin Collagen Matrix, Merve Uctasli, Roda Seseogullari-Dirihan, Thiago Henrique Scarabello Stape, Mustafa Murat Mutluay, Arzu Tezvergil-Mutluay

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To evaluate the long-term effect of ammonia- and water-based silver fluoride treatments on the degradation of the dentin collagen matrix.

Methods

Dentin beams (0.3x3x7mm) were demineralized (10 % H₃PO₄), rinsed and randomly distributed into six groups. Groups (n = 10 beams/group) were treated with (1) ammonia-based silver fluoride = SDF; (2) SDF + potassium iodide = KI (3) water-based silver fluoride = SF (4) SF + KI (5) KI (6) untreated demineralized dentin beams served as control. Following treatments, dry mass, modulus of elasticity and enzymatic activity were assessed. Dentin beams were incubated in calcium- …

Feeling Like A Woman: Interoception And The Objectified Body, Tomi-Ann Roberts, James W. Pennebaker, Benita Jackson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Much of the interoception literature assumes that people can accurately detect their heart rate, stomach contractility, muscle tension, and other biological cues. This is not true. Instead, interoception is an active integrative psychological process where the feeling of one’s internal state emerges from physiological signals, contextual cues, and the social and cultural experiences of living in a body. Thinking of interoception this way shifts the focus from measuring accuracy at detecting biological signaling to studying lived experience. One such experience is the widespread objectification of women’s bodies. Living in a body that is chronically evaluated creates a particular form of …

Informed Consent In Childbirth: A Global Scoping Review Of Episiotomy Practices And The Gaps In U.S. Perinatal Care, Rachel Gulczinski

Senior Theses

Informed consent is a fundamental ethical and legal component of preoperative and perinatal care and forms the foundation of trust between patients and healthcare providers. Despite this, current evidence suggests that many childbirth interventions, including episiotomies, are often performed without explicit patient consent. Episiotomy remains one of the most commonly cited interventions associated with non-consented care and obstetric violence. Therefore, this global scoping review aimed to evaluate whether informed consent is obtained for episiotomy procedures during childbirth, understand documented experiences of disrespect and unnecessary procedures, and identify differences between international and U.S. practices. This thesis followed the PRISMA Scoping Review …

Eating Disorder Prevention And Early Intervention In U.S. Higher Education – A Comparative Benchmarking Study, Jake R. Arcement

Senior Theses

Eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa, have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, yet remain underrecognized relative to their severity and treatment burden. Because the period of peak onset aligns with the college years, institutions of higher education are uniquely positioned to play an important role in prevention, early identification, and referral to specialized care. However, limited research has examined how colleges and universities structure ED prevention and treatment resources. This thesis applies a comparative benchmarking framework to assess current institutional practices across U.S. colleges and universities. A national survey of student health and counseling centers examined staffing, …

A Review Of Yellow Fever: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Clinical Manifestations, Treatment, Prevention, And Prognosis, Farah Ebrahim, Samina Somji, Reena Shah, Salim Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. Despite the availability of an effective live-attenuated vaccine, the disease remains endemic in regions of Africa and South America. Transmission occurs primarily via an infected mosquito called Aedes aegypti, with distinct urban, sylvatic, and intermediate transmission cycles. Clinically, infection ranges from mild febrile illness to severe disease, which is characterized by jaundice, hemorrhage, and multiorgan failure. Pathogenesis involves viral replication in hepatocytes, immune-mediated injury, and dysregulated inflammatory responses, leading to characteristic hepatic mid-zone necrosis. Diagnosis relies on molecular detection …

Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Pathologic Breakdown Of One Of Neuro-Oncology's Greatest Challenges, Rosemary Westphal, Ms

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common adult primary tumor with a grim median survival time of 14.6 months. It is characterized by rapid progression, diffuse infiltration, and rather poor clinical outcomes. The WHO classifies GBM as a grade 4 diffuse astrocytic tumor with distinctive histopathological features including high mitotic activity, marked cellular atypia, microvascular proliferation, and necrosis. Advances in molecular diagnostics have further classified GMB into IDH-wild type and IDH-mutant subtypes, with important therapeutic and prognostic implications. Key genetic alterations, such as EGFR amplification, PTEN loss, TP53 mutations, TERT promoter mutations, and MGMT methylations, have been identified as contributing to …

Predicting Ventilation From Single Breathing Phase Non-Contrast Ct Using Swin Transformers, Yi-Kuan Liu, Hsu-Ting Kuo, Alaa Melek, Richard Castillo, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, Lili Zhao, Girish Nair, Edward Castillo

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary ventilation imaging enables functional avoidance radiotherapy treatment plans by quantifying regional lung function. However, current clinical standards, such as 99𝑚Tc-based single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), rely on radioactive tracers, which can introduce imaging deposition artifacts. CT ventilation imaging (CTVI) methods based on both physical models and deep learning approaches currently require multiple CT images as input, such as the inhale/exhale phases of a 4DCT. While the theoretical foundation of physics-based CTVI is built on multi-phase information, the feasibility of single-phase deep learning CTV models has not been determined.

PURPOSE: While deep learning methods have predicted SPECT ventilation from …