Digital Commons Network^™

Chemoradiation After Chemotherapy For Metastatic Cervical Cancer Can Provide Chemo-Free Time, Spoorthi Kamepalli, Ashley Chavana, Michelle Ludwig, Madeline Flanagan, Shelly Sharma, Tracilyn Hall, Anthony Costales, Jan Sunde, Claire Hoppenot

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Stage IVB cervical cancer is treated with a life-prolonging and palliative intent with systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the number of these patients who had an adequate response to chemotherapy to be eligible for consolidative radiosensitizing chemotherapy and radiation (chemoradiation) and subsequent outcomes.

Materials and methods: This is a retrospective review of metastatic cervical cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and evaluated for treatment with consolidative pelvic chemoradiation at a single safety-net hospital system from 2016 to 2024. Demographic data and clinical information were collected from electronic medical records. Stata was used for …

Phase I Study Of Niraparib With Radiotherapy For Treatment Of Metastatic And Locally Advanced Invasive Carcinoma Of The Cervix (Nivix), Piyush Pathak, Eunji Jo, Susan Hilsenbeck, Matthew L Anderson, Alfredo Echeverria, Shelly Sharma, Jan Sunde, Tracilyn Hall, Anthony Costales, Claire Hoppenot, Michelle Ludwig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: This Phase I study evaluated the safety and tolerability of concurrent niraparib, an oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1/2 inhibitor, with definitive radiotherapy in women with locally advanced or platinum-sensitive metastatic cervical cancer. Dose escalation followed a Bayesian Optimal Interval (BOIN) design with a target dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) rate of 30%.

Methods: Women ≥18 years with FIGO stage IIIC2 (bulky nodes >1 cm) or stage IV cervical cancer demonstrating response to platinum-based induction chemotherapy were eligible. Niraparib 100 mg was administered daily concurrent with pelvic radiotherapy (45-57.5 Gy via IMRT with nodal boosts) and brachytherapy, continuing 28 days post-radiation. Per …

Phase 1 Trial Of Withania Somnifera Leaf Extract (Rh324) In Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Including [18f]Fdg Pet/Ct As A Short-Term Metabolic Biomarker To Assess Efficacy: A Novel Model For Assessment Of Complimentary Therapies In Early Phase Human Clinical Trials, Jin Uk Heo, Santosh Rao, Herbert B Newton, Afshin Dowlati, Raymond F Muzic, Arash Kardan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as ashwagandha, has been used in the traditional medical system of India. It has shown significant activity against numerous solid tumor varieties in pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies. This study focuses on RH324 (ReHeva Biosciences, Columbus, OH), a pharmaceutical-grade formulation derived from WS, which has received FDA allowance for clinical development as a botanical drug in the treatment of cancer.

Methods: A phase 1 open label dose ranging study of oral RH324 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was conducted. The primary endpoint of the study was assessment of short-term safety …

Survodutide For Treatment Of Obesity: Baseline Characteristics Of Participants In A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase 3 Trial (Synchronize™-1), Carel W Le Roux, Sean Wharton, Biykem Bozkurt, Elke Platz, Gabriele Bleckert, Samina Ajaz Hussain, Martina Brueckmann, Elena Startseva, Isabel M Kloer, Lee M Kaplan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aims: Survodutide, a novel glucagon receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor dual agonist, elicited significant weight loss in a phase 2 trial in individuals with obesity without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Two multinational phase 3 trials are investigating survodutide for obesity management in individuals with or without T2D. We report the baseline characteristics of participants in the SYNCHRONIZE-1 trial in adults with obesity without T2D (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06066515).

Materials and methods: Participants aged ≥18 years with BMI ≥30 or ≥27 kg/m2 with ≥1 obesity complication without T2D were randomized 1:1:1 to double-blind, once-weekly, subcutaneous injections of survodutide (up-titrated to 3.6 …

Predictors Of Inpatient Rn Turnover In Rural And Urban Vha Hospitals, Katherine G Bay, Chase S Eck, Melissa K Knox, Paras Mehta, Laura A Petersen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The rising demand for health care delivery and an aging workforce is of particular concern in rural areas, where health care access depends upon an adequate nursing workforce. To address this shortage and optimize care, it is essential to measure when registered nurses (RN) leave inpatient direct care positions (ie, inpatient RN turnover) and identify modifiable factors correlated with RN turnover.

Objectives: Apply a novel method for characterizing inpatient RN turnover to understand factors associated with variation in RNs leaving inpatient positions at rural and urban Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals.

Project design: Retrospective cohort study.

Subjects: Direct care …

Relationship Between Number Of Assigned Patients And Rn Time To Administer Medications During The Peak-Time Medication Pass, Chase S Eck, Melissa K Knox, Paras D Mehta, Christine Yang, Laura A Petersen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Inpatient nurse staffing affects patient outcomes. Less is known about the mechanism of this relationship and how lower overall staffing in a unit affects individual RN activities at the bedside.

Objectives: Estimate the relationship between the number of patients assigned to an RN and time spent on medication administration at the peak-time medication pass (PTM), a common nursing task.

Research design: Estimate the association using multivariable linear regression to adjust for patient severity and staff and unit fixed effects.

Subjects: All 9272 RNs administering medications during the PTM on 243 inpatient units in 113 VHA hospitals in 2019.

Measures: …

Hypothyroidism Is Associated With Higher Healthcare Utilisation And Higher Need For Blood Transfusion After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty (Tka) In Patients With Osteoarthritis: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis, Sumanth R Chandrupatla, Kranti C Rumalla, Jasvinder A Singh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To examine the association of hypothyroidism with primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes in adults with primary underlying diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: We identified a prospective cohort of patients in the 2016-2020 national inpatient sample (NIS) that received primary TKA with an underlying diagnosis of OA, identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Common Modification (ICD-10-CM) and Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) codes in the primary procedure and diagnosis positions, respectively. We performed multivariable-adjusted regression analyses for healthcare utilisation (length of hospital stay, hospital charges and discharge destination) and clinical outcomes (blood transfusion; prosthetic fracture, dislocation or infection; …

Healthcare Transition In Spina Bifida: A National Mixed Method Study, Betsy Hopson, Kathy H Huen, Molly B Richardson, Rhonda G Cady, Jennifer T Queally, Judy Thibadeau, Ellen Fremion

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with spina bifida (SB) face substantial challenges during the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare, including fragmented systems, limited adult provider availability, and gaps in self-management readiness. Despite national guidelines, little is known about how transition practices are implemented across the Spina Bifida Association (SBA) Clinical Care Partner (CCP) network. This study examined clinician perspectives on current practices, barriers, facilitators, and definitions of successful healthcare transition (HCT).

Methods: Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, we first conducted a 47-item survey with clinicians from SBA CCP clinics (n = 20/32; 62.5 % response rate). …

Midterm Outcomes Of The Self-Expanding Navitor Transcatheter Heart Valve: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Sahar Samimi, Chloe Kharsa, Mangesh Kritya, Joe Aoun, Syed Zaid, Nadeen N Faza, Stephen H Little, Neal S Kleiman, Michael J Reardon, Sachin S Goel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

• A 19-study meta-analysis (7743 patients) found high Navitor technical/device success.
• ≥Moderate PVL was low: 1.3% at 30 days and 0.6% at 1 year.
• Pacemaker implantation was 16.7% at 30 days and 20.4% at 1 year.
• Thirty-day outcomes were favorable: all-cause mortality 1.5% and stroke 1.7%.

Strategies And Challenges For The Recruitment Of Young Healthy Participants In The Dietary Approaches To Longevity And Health (Dial Health) Pilot Trial, Hannah E Cabre, Courtney M Peterson, Gareth R Dutton, Kimberly L Drews, Stephanie T Broyles, Robert Dubin, Laura Q Rogers, Catherine Champagne, Dennis T Villareal, Daniel S Hsia, Leanne M Redman, Corby K Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Understanding the impact of nutrition on human aging requires long-term trials in young, healthy, unmedicated adults. As part of the Dietary Approaches for Longevity and Health (DiAL Health) pilot project, we evaluated strategies for recruiting this population for aging-related dietary intervention studies.

Methods: We analyzed recruitment costs to enroll 70 participants (ages 25-49, BMI 22.0-29.9 kg/m2) across two DiAL Health sites and used NHANES data (2017-March 2020) to estimate the proportion of U.S. adults meeting partial trial eligibility. Additionally, a formative study surveyed 492 U.S. adults (≥18 years) to assess interest in aging-focused dietary trials.

Results: Of 2049 applicants …

Differences In Gene Expression May Contribute To The Racial Differences In The Risk Of Masld, Ivan P Gorlov, Olga Y Gorlova, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), exhibits marked racial disparities in incidence, progression, and clinical outcomes. While diet, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors have been shown to influence these disparities, biological mechanisms underlying racial differences in MASLD risk remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that race-associated variation in hepatic gene expression may contribute to differential susceptibility and progression of MASLD. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed publicly available gene expression data from liver biopsies obtained from over 300 Black and White individuals undergoing bariatric surgery. Gene expression profiles were compared across four histological stages: …

Sewers To Solutions: A Guide To Wastewater Pathogen Monitoring, Justin R Clark, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is the analysis of wastewater to detect pathogen levels or activity for public health awareness or action. Pioneered in the 1940s, WBE underwent a resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing important information about number of cases, outbreaks, and seasonal impact. With advancements in detection technologies and growing interest in environmental surveillance, WBE is poised to become a standard practice in public health monitoring. Here, we provide an overview of the current state of the art of pathogen WBE, including methods of molecular detection, analysis of wastewater data, real-world applications and programs, public health interventions, and benefits and …

Genomic And Structural Analysis Of Major Antigenic Proteins’ Variability In The Human Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia Persica, Dor Shwartz, Yaarit Nachum-Biala, Reinhard K Straubinger, Ofir Segev, Asaf Levy, Job E Lopez, Gad Baneth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Antigenic variation enables immune evasion of pathogens, yet the mechanisms for the rapid change in their antigens without loss of structural and functional features are not fully known. Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) spirochetes of the genus Borrelia can be used as a model because their variable major proteins (Vmps) drive antigenic variation followed by recurrent waves of bacteremia. In this study we generated the genome of Borrelia persica LMU-C01 and evaluated Vmp structure across relapsing fever Borrelia species. Borrelia persica was found to have a genome of 1.7Mb with one linear chromosome, 12 linear and one circular plasmids. Telomeric hairpin …

Autologous Multiantigen-Targeted T Cell Therapy For Pancreatic Cancer: A Phase 1/2 Trial, Benjamin L Musher, Spyridoula Vasileiou, Brandon G Smaglo, Catherine S Robertson, Mengfen Wu, Tao Wang, Ayumi Watanabe, Manik Kuvalekar, Yovana Velazquez, Shamika Ketkar, Tamadar Al Doheyan, Penelope G Papayanni, Aakash Shah, Natalia Lapteva, Bambi J Grilley, George Van Buren, Premal D Lulla, Helen E Heslop, Cliona M Rooney, Malcolm K Brenner, Ann M Leen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

T cell therapy has proven challenging for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), partly due to heterogeneous expression of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). To address tumor heterogeneity and mitigate immune evasion, an ex vivo expanded, polyclonal, T helper 1 cell-polarized T cell product targeting five TAAs—PRAME, SSX2, MAGEA4, Survivin and NY-ESO-1—was developed. These antigens were chosen based on their tumor specificity, oncogenicity, immunogenicity and level of expression. In a phase 1/2 trial, this autologous nonengineered T cell product was administered (1 × 107 cells m−2 per infusion) monthly to patients with advanced PDAC responding (arm A, n = 13) or refractory (arm B, …

Discovery Of Genetic Susceptibility Variants In Pediatric And Adult Ependymoma, Joshua D Strauss, Priya B Shetty, Spiridon Tsavachidis, Jinyoung Byun, Stephen C Mack, Xiao Xiangjun, Terri S Armstrong, Mark R Gilbert, (On Behalf Of Nci-Connect);, Lisa Mirabello, Smita Bhatia, Wendy M Leisenring, Lindsay M Morton, Gregory T Armstrong, Jon Foss-Skiftesvik, Christian Munch Hagen, Jonas Bybjerg-Grauholm, (On Behalf Of Gicc), Manel Ghozal, Audrey Bonaventure, Jacqueline Clavel, Melissa L Bondy, Christopher I Amos, Thanh T Hoang, Michael E Scheurer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Ependymoma is a malignancy of the neuroepithelium-derived ependyma that lines the spinal cord and ventricles of the brain, occurring most frequently in young children and older adults. Genetic susceptibility to ependymoma has proven difficult to assess due to disease rarity.

Methods: We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 478 ependymoma patients and 4,841 disease-free controls of European ancestry. Ependymoma patients consisted of 117 children (< 18 years old) with whole-genome sequencing (WGS), 142 children with genotyping, and 219 adults (≥18 years old) with genotyping. Genotyped samples were imputed using the 1,000 Genomes Project as the reference panel and underwent quality control filtering. The GWAS was performed separately by age group and technology (genotyped or WGS). GWAS variants were considered significant at P < 5 × 10-8.

Results: Among pediatric subjects with WGS data, we identified a significant intronic variant in EDIL3 (rs149378, P = 1.9 × 10-8) and a nearly significant intronic variant in LHX4 (rs79008224, P = 7.2 …

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies And Validates Genetic Variation In The Rig-I/Mavs Signaling Pathway Associated With Hiv-Related Kaposi Sarcoma In Children And Adults, Casey L Mcatee, Erin Peckham-Gregory, Pagna Sok, Melissa Richard, Luis Olivares, Deborah Marquez-Do, Grace Kisitu, Jeffrey Martin, Nader Kim El-Mallawany, Carl E Allen, Joseph Lubega, Michael E Scheurer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Immune deficiency and infection with human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) are established component causes of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), but they are insufficient to cause disease in most people at risk. Therefore, we hypothesized that genetic variation may contribute to KS risk in children and adults, as well as contribute to its unique epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, we conducted a two-phase genome-wide association study (GWAS): a discovery study in perinatally HIV-infected children (45 KS cases, 91 controls), followed by validation of significant results in a sample of adults living with HIV (215 cases, 262 controls). After standard …

From Local Burden To Global Threat: Neglected Tropical Diseases In An Era Of Climate Change And Human Mobility, Francisco Javier Membrillo, Juan-Carlos Navarro, Diana Marcela Pava-Garzón, Jill Weatherhead, José A Suárez, Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Once-Weekly Navepegritide In Children With Achondroplasia: The Approach Randomized Clinical Trial, Ravi Savarirayan, Ciara Mcdonnell, Carlos A Bacino, Daniel G Hoernschemeyer, Janet M Legare, M Jennifer Abuzzahab, Paul L Hofman, Philippe M Campeau, Josep Maria De Bergua Domingo, Leanne M Ward, Kevin Smit, Alden Smith, Meng Mao, Michael S Ominsky, Lærke C Freiberg, Aimee D Shu, Hanne B Hove

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Historically considered a skeletal dysplasia characterized by disproportionate short stature, achondroplasia is a condition with multisystemic effects due to the widespread expression of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 variant throughout the body, impacting muscle, neurological function, cardiorespiratory health, and health-related quality of life.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of once-weekly navepegritide, an investigational prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide, while assessing benefits beyond growth that may have important implications for complications and health-related quality of life in children with achondroplasia.

Design, setting, and participants: Enrollment for this pivotal phase 2b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (APPROACH) was …

Investigating Food-Related Behaviors In Smith-Magenis Syndrome: Tailoring A Questionnaire For A Rare Disease, Citrine Elatrash, Theresa A Wilson, Alexis C Wood, Sarah H Elsea, Stephanie Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Accurate measurement is essential for tracking changes in clinical outcomes. Individuals with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) exhibit challenging and unique food-related behaviors. We sought to determine the best tool to capture their unique food-related behaviors.

Methods: We conducted focus groups with caregivers of individuals with SMS to evaluate two commonly used questionnaires for food-related behaviors- the Food Related Problems Questionnaire (FRPQ) and the Hyperphagia Questionnaire for Clinical Trials (HQ-CT). Based on caregiver input and clinical expertise, we adapted these existing measures into a new tool: the SMS-FRPQ. We then validated this instrument for internal consistency and concurrent validity using online …

Highly Variable Expressivity Of A Cnv Deletion Involving Tbx4 In Three Deceased Siblings With Lung Developmental Disorder And Their Mildly Affected Mother And Grandfather, Przemyslaw Szafranski, Tomasz Gambin, Michal Kadlof, Michał Denkiewicz, Dariusz Plewczynski, Hyun Jeong Kim, Gail Deutsch, Nahir Cortes-Santiago, Salmo Raskin, Paweł Stankiewicz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy-number variant (CNV) deletions involving TBX4 have been associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension, ischiocoxopodopatellar syndrome, and lethal lung developmental disorders (LLDDs). Thus far, all large CNV deletions encompassing entire TBX4 have been found to have arisen de novo. Here, we present a three-generation family with three neonate siblings who died within 35-66 days due to histopathologically diagnosed LLDD. Whole-genome sequencing identified an ~108-kb CNV deletion encompassing TBX4 in all three infants. The deletion was also found in their mother with a history of pneumonia and persistent thick upper airway secretions and in the maternal grandfather …

Driving Impairment In Patients With Movement Disorders: Examining The Baylor Driving Questionnaire By Objective Driving Assessment, Abhishek Lenka, Ruosha Li, Karim Makhoul, Alan Gonzalez, Rory D Mahabir, Joseph Jankovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The development of a screening tool to identify driving impairment in patients with movement disorders is an unmet need.

Objective: To validate Baylor Driving Questionnaire for Movement Disorders (BDQMD) by objective driving assessment (ODA).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 142 patients with various movement disorders completed the 10-item BDQMD and of those, 25 completed ODA using the driver performance analysis system (DPAS).

Results: The mean total BDQMD score for the whole cohort was 14.7 ± 5.6 (range 10-47). Patients who underwent ODA had a mean BDQMD score of 12.8 ± 2.9. Four had minimum driving skill, 20 had average, …

Transient Disruption Of Bladder Control Linked To Periaqueductal Gray Fibers Following Deep Brain Stimulation For Psychiatric Disorders, Thomas Hamre, Hideo Suzuki, Sarah Soubra, Reem El Jammal, Melissa A Ryan, Sanjay J Mathew, Jeffrey A Herron, Nidal Moukaddam, Eric A Storch, Nora Vanegas Arroyave, Kara L Marshall, Garrett P Banks, Nader Pouratian, Wayne K Goodman, Nicole R Provenza, Sameer A Sheth, Sarah R Heilbronner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Validation Of The Norwegian Version Of The Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Guido Alves, Yvonne Stavland Sørenes, Veslemøy Hamre Frantzen, Michaela Dreetz Gjerstad, Anders Ledaal Bjørnestad, Jodi Maple-Grødem, Elin Bjelland Forsaa, Ylva Hivand Hiorth, Karen Herlofson, Espen Benjaminsen, Kari Anne Bjørnarå, Espen Dietrichs, Roberta Balestrino, Carmen Gasca-Salas, Chi-Ying R Lin, Alvaro Sanchez-Ferro, Michelle H S Tosin, Tiago A Mestre, Monica M Kurtis, Pablo Martinez-Martin, Sheng Luo, Luowen Yu, Glenn T Stebbins, Christopher G Goetz, Mds Coa Translation Steering Committee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The Movement Disorder Society-revised version of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) is the gold standard assessment for evaluating Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms and severity, but a validated Norwegian version is not yet available. We translated the original English MDS-UPDRS into Norwegian and tested the clinimetrics of the translated version following the MDS-established protocol for non-English language translations.

Methods: Two independent teams translated the English version of the MDS-UPDRS into Norwegian. After review of the back-translated English version, cognitive pretesting was performed in twelve PD patients at one study site. This was followed by large-scale testing completed by …

Suicidal Ideation In Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Levi Peppel, Ruo-Yah Lai, Christian Rummey, Puneet Opal, Jeremy D Schmahmann, Christopher M Gomez, Henry Paulson, Theresa A Zesiewicz, Susan Perlman, George Wilmot, Sarah H Ying, Chiadi U Onyike, Khalaf O Bushara, Michael D Geschwind, Karla P Figueroa, Stefan M Pulst, Sub H Subramony, Antoine Duquette, Tetsuo Ashizawa, Ali G Hamedani, Marie Y Davis, Sharan R Srinivasan, Matthew R Burns, Nadia Amokrane, Lauren R Moore, Vikram G Shakkottai, Liana S Rosenthal, Sheng-Han Kuo, Chi-Ying R Lin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Suicidal ideation has not been extensively studied in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). The authors examined whether individuals with SCAs have increased suicidal ideation and related factors.

Methods: The authors studied patients with genetically confirmed SCAs enrolled in the Clinical Research Consortium for the Study of Cerebellar Ataxia cohort, examining the percentages of patients with SCA subtypes 1, 2, 3, and 6 who reported suicidal ideation and comparing findings with nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Clinical characteristics that may contribute to suicidal ideation in SCAs, including age, disease duration, sex, ataxia severity, depression, …

Prevalence Of Clinically Relevant Nightmares And Their Differences By Sex And Diagnosis In Psychiatric Inpatients, Katrina A Rufino, Michelle A Patriquin, Courtney B Worley, Michael R Nadorff

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Nightmares have been shown to be associated with numerous forms of psychopathology, but the vast majority of this research has taken place in the general population and very little is known about their relation with psychopathology in those requiring inpatient hospitalization. In a sample of 1170 voluntarily admitted psychiatric inpatients, this study explores the frequency of reported nightmares in psychiatric inpatients with the aim of examining the prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis in those with and without clinically relevant nightmares. Participants completed the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-5) at admission. …

Brain Death Versus Circulatory Death: How Functional Warm Ischemia And Cold Storage Impact Myocardial Membrane Repair In Human Donor Hearts, Shiyi Li, Rishav Bhattacharya, Abdussalam E Elsenousi, Katherine V Nordick, Adel M Hassan, Syed B Peer, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao, Nandan K Mondal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This study compares myocardial injury responses in human donor hearts from donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), with a focus on myocardial membrane integrity, pyroptosis, and damage. Unlike DCD hearts, which are exposed to varying durations of functional warm ischemic time (fWIT), DBD hearts, which are never subjected to warm ischemia, served as controls. A total of 24 human hearts were procured, consisting of 6 from the DBD group and 18 from the DCD group. All procured hearts were placed in cold normal saline and stored for up to 6 h. Left ventricular biopsies were …

Mir-302 Regulates Pancreatic Progenitor Pool And Pancreatic Size, Ziyue Z Yang, Caroline G Snider, Ronald J Parchem

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Disruptions in pancreatic development can lead to health issues such as pancreatic agenesis and congenital diabetes mellitus. Understanding pancreatic organogenesis is critical for elucidating disease mechanisms and developing regenerative therapies. The pancreas consists of endocrine and exocrine cells, both of which are derived from multipotent progenitor cells (MPCs). MPC proliferation and differentiation are tightly controlled by multiple mechanisms, including post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs. However, these regulatory factors are not fully understood. Here, we profiled miRNA expression in MPCs and identified that mir-302 was highly enriched during the earliest stages of pancreatic development. Loss of mir-302 resulted in reduced pancreatic size …

Amino Acids And Lean Mass Accretion In Preterm Neonates, Antonio C Ramos Dos Santos, Marta L Fiorotto, Teresa A Davis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose of review: This review evaluates recent evidence on how total protein and energy intake, amino acid composition, and nutrient delivery modality influence protein synthesis in preterm neonates, with the goal of informing nutritional strategies to support optimal lean mass accretion and growth.

Recent findings: Preterm neonates exhibit anabolic resistance to feeding due to impaired insulin and amino acid signaling in skeletal muscle. Enteral nutrition, especially fortified human milk, supports better lean mass accretion and neurodevelopment than parenteral nutrition. Intermittent bolus feeding and pulsatile leucine supplementation during continuous feeding further enhance mTORC1-dependent translation initiation signaling and protein synthesis efficiency in …

Priced Out Of Treatment: The Exorbitant Cost Of Antiparasitic Drugs In The United States, Cora Alperin, Nhi Nguyen, Megan Duffey, Eva H Clark

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parasitic infections are often perceived as diseases of low-resource countries, yet they impose a significant and overlooked burden in the United States—especially among immigrants, low-income individuals, and other marginalized populations. This perspectives article examines the case of Mr. X, a landscaper in Houston diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, who faced unaffordable drug costs despite the availability of effective, off-patent treatments. Through his story, we explore the broader issue of pricing for commonly and not-so-commonly prescribed antiparasitic medications, highlighting the role of systemic market failures, regulatory hurdles, and restrictive assistance programs in limiting access to care. The consequences of incomplete treatment include long-term …

Unraveling Posttranslational Modification Complexity: Advances In Quantitative Histone Proteoform Mass Spectrometry, Karl F Poncha, Alyssa T Paparella, Nicolas L Young

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Histone proteins and their posttranslational modifications are central to chromatin structure and function. These modifications often occur in combinations, generating a diverse array of histone proteoforms that contribute to the dynamic regulation of chromatin architecture. Advancements in mass spectrometry-based proteomics, particularly top-down and middle-down approaches, have significantly enhanced our ability to characterize these proteoforms and elucidate PTM crosstalk. This review provides an analysis of the epigenetic machinery involved in the addition, recognition, and removal of histone PTMs, emphasizing the complexity introduced by histone variants and combinatorial PTM patterns. We examine the challenges and limitations of traditional antibody-based methods for PTM …