Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Feasibility Testing Of An Implementation Evaluation Tool: Recommendations From The Managing Epilepsy Well (Mew) Network Research Collaborative, Martha Sajatovic, Ross Shegog, Elaine Kiriakopoulos, Clara Adeniyi, Jessie Black, Barbara C Jobst, Erica K Johnson, Robin Mcgee, Tanya M Spruill, Cam Escoffery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: The Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network has led the development, testing and scale-up of epilepsy self-management (ESM). The MEW Integrated Database (MEW DB) is a pooled repository of archival studies that facilitates aggregate analysis. This report describes an implementation evaluation tool for ESM adopters.

Methods: Publicly available materials on program implementation, adoption and sustainability as well as readiness surveys used by the MEW Network were reviewed, as were content domains and format styles relevant to ESM implementation. Requirements for data Tiers included: 1) survey Tier should be short (≤6 items) and completed quickly (< 3 min), 2) question and response format should be consistent, 3) data elements are relevant to ESM adopters and 4) the tool should be applicable across ESM programs. Iterative review, discussion and item-ranking yielded a final set of 3 distinct data element Tiers.

Results: Implementation data elements assess …

Engaging And Empowering Future Female Surgeons: Development Of The Medical Student Section Of The Society Of Women In Urology, Allison G Booher, Sasha J Vereecken, Erin Kim, Neharika Penmatcha, Alexandra Aponte, Eman N Chaudhri, Meghana Noonavath, Ibukunoluwa Omole, Joanna Orzel, Leigh Martin, Gina Demeo, Tyler L Overholt, Akanksha Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To describe a replicable model for a large-scale, cross-institutional, and student-driven initiative to promote gender equity within surgical fields.

Methods: To address the lack of a national infrastructure to support female medical students pursuing careers in Urology, a historically male-dominated specialty, the society of women in urology (SWIU) established its medical student section, called SWIUdents, as a student-led initiative to offer mentorship, education, and networking resources for future female urologists. In 2022, SWIUdents convened its first medical student leadership board, comprised of two co-chairs and four subcommittees focused on membership, program implementation, mentorship, and community relations. SWIUdents membership was …

Optimization Of A Mobile Imaging System To Aid In Evaluating Patients With Oral Lesions In A Dental Care Setting, Ruchika Mitbander, Jennifer Carns, Richard A Schwarz, Sean Anderson, Geethanjali Vipulanandan, Miriam Hernandez, Amelia E Hartzell, Jun Jiao, Ilona Rutkowska, Safia Durab, Sahar Sadeghi, Ashlee D Clayton, Nancy Bass, Loganayaki Anandasivam, Rachel A Giese, Ann M Gillenwater, Nadarajah Vigneswaran, Rebecca Richards-Kortum

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Significance: Oral cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage even though the oral cavity is easily accessible for examination. There is a need for tools to support early detection and help non-expert clinicians make appropriate referral recommendations.

Aim: We aim to evaluate a mobile detection of oral cancer (mDOC) smartphone-based autofluorescence imaging system by collecting data in a representative, low-prevalence population and optimizing a referral algorithm suitable for deployment in community dental settings.

Approach: Data were collected from patients at a community dental clinic using the mDOC system, which captures white light and autofluorescence images. A multi-input deep learning …

Ethical Sourcing In The Context Of Health Data Supply Chain Management: A Value Sensitive Design Approach, Camille Nebeker, Jean Christophe Bélisle-Pipon, Benjamin X Collins, Ashley Cordes, Kadija Ferryman, Brian J Mcinnis, Shannon K Mcweeney, Laurie L Novak, Susannah Rose, Joseph M Yracheta, Ishan C Williams, Xiaoqian Jiang, Ellen W Clayton, Bradley A Malin, Bridge2ai Ethical, Legal And Social Implications Ai Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The Bridge2AI program is establishing rules of practice for creating ethically sourced health data repositories to support the effective use of ML/AI in biomedical and behavioral research. Given the initially undefined nature of ethically sourced data, this work concurrently developed definitions and guidelines alongside repository creation, grounded in a practical, operational framework.

Materials and methods: A Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach was used to explore ethical tensions across stages of health data repository development. The conceptual investigation drew from supply chain management (SCM) processes to (1) identify actors who would interact with or be affected by the data repository …

Single-Cell And Bulk Transcriptome Analysis Identifies B-Cell Subpopulations And Associated Cancer Subtypes With Distinct Clinical And Molecular Characteristics, Yin He, Li Zhao, Yufen Zheng, Xiaosheng Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Backgroud: Previous studies have identified B cell subpopulations with pro- and anti-tumoral activities, while the clinical relevance of B cell subpopulations-specific markers in pan-cancer remains understudied.

Methods: We integrated 14 scRNA-seq datasets (102,504 cells from 424 patients, 15 cancer types) to identify B cell subpopulations via unsupervised clustering. We characterized their functional dynamics and prognostic relevance through analyzing single-cell, bulk and spatial transcriptomic data. Moreover, using B cell subpopulations-specific gene signatures, we constructed models for predicting cancer prognosis and immunotherapy response.

Results: We identified eight B cell subpopulations (b00-b07) which were classified into naive, plasma, memory, germinal center (GC), and …

Ethical Sourcing In The Context Of Health Data Supply Chain Management: A Value Sensitive Design Approach, Camille Nebeker, Jean Christophe Bélisle-Pipon, Benjamin X Collins, Ashley Cordes, Kadija Ferryman, Brian J Mcinnis, Shannon K Mcweeney, Laurie L Novak, Susannah Rose, Joseph M Yracheta, Ishan C Williams, Xiaoqian Jiang, Ellen W Clayton, Bradley A Malin, Bridge2ai Ethical, Legal And Social Implications Ai Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The Bridge2AI program is establishing rules of practice for creating ethically sourced health data repositories to support the effective use of ML/AI in biomedical and behavioral research. Given the initially undefined nature of ethically sourced data, this work concurrently developed definitions and guidelines alongside repository creation, grounded in a practical, operational framework.

Materials and methods: A Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach was used to explore ethical tensions across stages of health data repository development. The conceptual investigation drew from supply chain management (SCM) processes to (1) identify actors who would interact with or be affected by the data repository …

Factors Associated With Medication Adherence Among Patients With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Linh Nguyen, Yen-Chi L Le, Hannah Reygaerts, Todd R Johnson, Cesar A Soutullo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral health condition that impacts 5% to 8% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide. The symptoms of ADHD are effectively managed with medication, yet patients with ADHD may inconsistently take their medication. We assessed medication adherence among patients with ADHD and identified factors associated with medication adherence that may be utilized to optimize adherence.

Method: This is a retrospective, observational study among patients aged 4 years and older with a diagnosis of ADHD at primary care and multispecialty outpatient clinics during May 2021 to May 2023. We assessed sociodemographic characteristics, stratified by …

Grpa-Prs: A Risk Stratification Method To Identify Genetically-Regulated Pathways In Polygenic Diseases, Xiaoyang Li, Brisa S Fernandes, Andi Liu, Jingchun Chen, Xiangning Chen, Zhongming Zhao, Yulin Dai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Polygenic risk score (PRS) assesses genetic risk for diseases, yet some high-risk individuals avoid illness while low-risk individuals develop it. We hypothesize that unknown counterfactors may reverse PRS predictions, offering insights into disease mechanisms and interventions.

Methods: We developed a novel framework to identify genetically-regulated pathways (GRPas) using PRS-based stratification in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) cohorts. We calculated PRS models, stratified individuals by risk and diagnosis, and analyzed differential GRPas. For AD, analyses were further conducted with and without apolipoprotein E (APOE) effects, and across APOE haplotype.

Results: In AD, we identified several well-known AD-related pathways, including …

Design And Development Of An Intervention To Improve The Quality And Safety Of Pediatric Dental Sedation: A Human-Centered Design Approach, Kawtar Zouaidi, Jan Yeager, Suhasini Bangar, Sayali Tungare, Urvi Mehta, Janelle Urata, Alfa-Ibrahim Yansane, Thomas Tanbonliong, Jungsoo Kim, Emily Sedlock, Krishna Kumar Kookal, Yan Xiao, Tokede Oluwabunmi, Heiko Spallek, Amy Franklin, Gregory W Olson, Joel White, Elsbeth Kalenderian, Muhammad F Walji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There are gaps in understanding the experiences of children, parents, and providers during dental conscious sedation. This study aimed to capture and analyze these experiences to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance the quality and safety of pediatric dental conscious sedation.

Methods: A human-centered design approach was used to examine the conscious sedation experience in 2 US advanced education pediatric dental clinics. Researchers conducted field observations, interviews with providers and parents, and providers focus groups to explore experiential factors. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content thematic analysis. Insights from the data were used to explore and generate new …

Relationship Between Quantitative Mri Ute T2* Of Acl Autografts And Bmi-Normalized Knee Laxity Within The First Year After Acl Reconstruction, Alonso Figueroa, Tomasz Bugajski, Dillon Humpal, Manickam Kumaravel, Walter Lowe, Payam Zandiyeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) graft undergoes a remodeling process that affects its structural properties. Ultrashort echo time T2* (UTE-T2*) imaging has been instrumental in examining this process. However, more research is needed on the postoperative relationship between UTE-T2* of the graft and its mechanical properties.

Purpose: To longitudinally examine ACL graft changes after ACLR using UTE-T2* decay coefficients and knee laxity and explore their relationship.

Study design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: A total of 31 patients who underwent ACLR had magnetic resonance imaging of their knees at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery …

Iron Deficiency Anemia Is Associated With Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents With Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Ramya Ramakrishnan, Hansa Boddu, Kaleigh Riggs-Harpur, Lakshmi V Srivaths, Asha Davidson, Rebecca M Beyda, Neethu M Menon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and associated iron deficiency (ID) with anemia (IDA) or without anemia lead to adverse health outcomes for adolescents.

Objectives: This descriptive study aimed to assess the association between ID/IDA and depressive symptoms, as measured by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 scores, among adolescents with HMB.

Methods: This is a single-center retrospective records review of adolescents with physician-documented HMB and at least 1 PHQ-9 score, evaluated in a specialty clinic. With ID defined as ferritin of < 25 ng/dL and IDA as hemoglobin (Hgb) of < 12 g/dL, univariate and multivariate statistical models were used to compare ID/IDA with PHQ-9 scores cross-sectionally and longitudinally. We hypothesized that the incidence of PHQ-9 scores of ≥10 would be higher among patients with ID/IDA than that in those without.

Results: Among 123 adolescents with HMB, 90 had ID and 61 had IDA; 37% of those with ID (33/90) and 51% …

Accuracy Of Femoral Head Center Reconstruction Using A Straight Cementless Rectangular Stem: An In-Silico Study Comparing Elderly And Middle-Aged Patients, Hidde D Veldman, Ide C Heyligers, Philip C Noble, Tim A E J Boymans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Accurate reconstruction of the femoral head center (FHC) is essential for restoring hip biomechanics in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Previously described age-related morphological changes-such as canal widening and a mediocaudal FHC shift-may complicate anatomical reconstruction in all age-categories using a single non-modular cementless stem. This study assessed the capacity of such implant to achieve adequate FHC reconstruction across age groups and sexes.

Methods: Virtual implantation of a non-modular cementless stem (SL-PLUS™) was performed in CT-based 3D reconstructions of 148 femora from middle-aged (< 80 years) and very elderly (≥80 years) subjects. For each case, the optimal implant size, type (standard or lateral), and modular head (-4 mm, 0 mm or +4 mm) were selected. FHC deviation was measured in three dimensions; reconstructions were considered adequate if < 5 mm in all directions.

Results: Overall, 92.4 % of reconstructions were considered adequate. No significant differences in reconstruction accuracy could …

Bipolar Spinal Correction Reduces Transfusion Rate And Hospital Stay Compared With Traditional Posterior Spinal Fusion In Children With Scoliosis Secondary To Cerebral Palsy, Kristopher Lundine, Matthias Lu, Timothy C Borden, Samuel Yoon, Mia Percival, Michael B Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Patients with neuromuscular scoliosis due to Cerebral Palsy (CP) are complex due to their curve severity and associated medical comorbidities. Spinal fusion is associated with high risk of peri-operative complications and large blood loss requiring allogenic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. In June 2017, our tertiary paediatric institution implemented a new minimally-invasive approach for the treatment of neuromuscular scoliosis, Bipolar Spinal Correction (Bipolar), a technique first published by Miladi et al. in 2018. This study represents an analysis of the initial experience of this technique to see if it achieves the goal of minimally invasive surgery by decreasing surgical …

A Comparison Of Return To Sport After Bankart Repair Versus Latarjet For Shoulder Instability: A Systematic Review, Claire E Noyes, Grace E Johnston, Nicholas Vaver, Patrick M Garvin, Jonathan T Bravman, James W Genuario, Braden K Mayer, Thomas J Noonan, Carson Keeter, Eric C Mccarty

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Glenohumeral instability can be addressed surgically with repair of the capsulolabral complex, the "Bankart" repair, or bone augmentation with coracoid autograft, the "Latarjet" procedure. Superior return-to-sport (RTS) rates with either Bankart repair or Latarjet have yet to be delineated, and it remains unclear which surgical procedure is optimal.

Purpose: To review the current literature and report on RTS data for patients who received Bankart repair or Latarjet to address glenohumeral instability.

Study design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines …

Venous Thromboembolism In Obese Hormonal Contraceptive Users: A Large National Database Study, Divyaswathi Citla-Sridhar, Madhvi Rajpurkar, Lakshmi Srivaths, Bethany Samuelson Bannow, Rachel P Rosovsky, Nancy Sokkary

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among obese and nonobese females aged 10 to 44 years prescribed hormonal therapy (HT) and compare VTE rates between different HT types in a large national database.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using TriNETX data, which includes electronic health records and pharmaceutical claims from 81 million patients across 56 US tertiary care hospitals. Females prescribed HT between 2000 and 2022 were stratified by body mass index. VTE incidence was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth/Tenth Revision, codes and anticoagulant prescriptions. Propensity score matching controlled for …

Morphometric Analysis Of Spina Bifida After Fetal Repair Shows New Subtypes With Associated Outcomes, L K Mann, S Pandiri, N Agarwal, H Northrup, K S Au, E Grundberg, E P Bergh, M T Austin, R Patel, B Miller, S Zhu, J S Feinberg, D Lai, K Tsao, S A Fletcher, R Papanna

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: The binary classification of spina bifida lesions as myelomeningocele (with sac) or myeloschisis (without sac) belies a spectrum of morphologies. This study aimed to characterize types of spina bifida lesion and correlate them with preoperative presentation and postoperative outcome.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of patients referred for fetal spina bifida who underwent fetoscopic repair between 2020 and 2023 at a single center. We evaluated lesion morphology on high-resolution intraoperative images and videos to categorize lesions based on placode exposure and nerve root stretching. The reproducibility of lesion classification was assessed using the Kappa …

Tirzepatide For The Maintenance Of Body Weight Reduction: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Characteristics Of Surmount-Maintain, Deborah B Horn, Louis J Aronne, Sean Wharton, Harold E Bays, Elisa Gomez-Valderas, Avigdor D Arad, Palash Sharma, Julia P Dunn, Cagri Senyucel, Clare J Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of reducing the tirzepatide dose and/or continuing the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) versus placebo in maintaining body weight (BW) reduction achieved with tirzepatide MTD.

Methods: This Phase 3b, multicenter, randomized, parallel-arm, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, 52-week clinical trial is in progress comparing treatment with once weekly tirzepatide (5 mg and/or MTD of 15 mg or 10 mg) versus placebo in achieving BW reduction maintenance from the initial 60-week open-label weight-loss period on tirzepatide MTD, in adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or ≥ 27 kg/m2 with ≥ 1 obesity-related comorbidity, excluding type …

Tofacitinib Ameliorates Campylobacter-Induced Intestinal Pathology By Suppressing Ifnγ Producing Ilcs And T Cells, Anna A Korchagina, Sergey A Shein, Wayne T Muraoka, Justin Nguyen, Qiangxing Chen, Anna A Tumanova, Austin W Todd, Carlos E Rivera, Rita Tamayo, Paolo Casali, Ekaterina Koroleva, Alexei V Tumanov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patients with autoimmune diseases are more susceptible to foodborne infections, which can be exacerbated by immunosuppressive therapy. Tofacitinib, a JAK/STAT pathway inhibitor, was recently approved for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, yet its effects on the pathogenesis of intestinal infections remain unclear. Here, we examined the impact of oral tofacitinib treatment in a mouse model of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) infection. Our results show that early tofacitinib administration attenuates intestinal pathology without affecting bacterial colonization. Specifically, tofacitinib suppressed CXCL1, CXCL2, CCL2 chemokine expression by intestinal epithelial cells, limiting recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils to the gut. In addition, JAK/STAT inhibition …

Family History Of Substance Use And Stressful Life Events Impact Adolescent Maturation Of Cerebral White Matter, Yizhou Ma, Ashley Acheson, Corneliu Bolbocean, Mustafa N Mithaiwala, Si Gao, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Bhim M Adhikari, Xiaoming Du, A Ankeeta, Alia Warner, Antonio F Pagán, L Elliot Hong, Peter Kochunov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Family history (FH) of substance use disorders (SUDs) and stressful life events (SLEs) are known risk factors for SUDs in adolescents and young adults. Cross‐sectional studies suggest that FH and SLEs affect adolescent white matter (WM) development and form abnormal WM patterns. Here, we examined the effects of FH, SLEs and their interaction on WM integrity in youths in the Adolescent Cognitive Brain Development (ABCD) study at baseline and 2‐ and 4‐year follow‐ups. ABCD youths (N = 8939, age ± SD = 9.9 ± 0.6 years, 4302 female) completed baseline diffusion tensor imaging, of which 5661 repeated the scan …

Succinate Dehydrogenase-Related Pheochromocytoma And Paraganglioma (Sdhx-Ppgl): Clinical And Genetic Insights From An Indian Study, Ketki Sunil Ambulkar, Anima Sharma, Vijaya Sarathi, Saba Samad Memon, Anurag Ranjan Lila, Rohit Barnabas, Manjiri Karlekar, Virendra Patil, Samiksha Hegisthe, Gwendolyn Fernandes, Sameer Rege, Gaurav Malhotra, Hemangini Thakkar, Nalini S Shah, Tushar R Bandgar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Data on succinate dehydrogenase-related pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (SDHx PPGL) in India are limited. We describe the clinical and genetic characteristics of SDHx PPGL from a single center in western India.

Design, patients, and measurements: A retrospective review of SDHx PPGL patients was performed for clinical, imaging, genetic, and treatment details.

Results: Among 46 patients (39 probands, 24 males), the median age at diagnosis was 32.5 (IQR: 23-41) years. We report the youngest patient with SDHC (age 8 years). SDHB mutations were the most prevalent (24/39 probands), followed by SDHD, SDHC, SDHA, and SDHAF2. We report the first Indian family …

Tracking Change: A Follow-Up On The Culturally Adapted ¡Iniciando! La Adultez Program, Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Research on interventions for Latino young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families often faces challenges in long-term engagement. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the culturally adapted ¡Iniciando! La Adultez program through a long-term follow-up.

Methods: A cohort of Latino young adults with ASD and their families who participated in the ¡Iniciando! La Adultez program were followed for six months post-intervention. Participants were assessed at three and six months to evaluate continued engagement and outcomes. Retention rates at each follow-up point were calculated.

Results: The study demonstrated high retention rates, with 48 …

Community Firearm Violence And Dental Care Use In Middle Adulthood, Alexander Testa, Luis Mijares, Daniel Semenza, Richard Stansfield, Ian Silver, Dylan B Jackson, Ana Neumann, Jeff R Temple, Rahma Mungia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prior research links violence inside the home to reduced dental care utilization, yet little is known about how community firearm violence affects dental care behaviors. The current study used data from wave V (2016-2018) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), linked to census tract-level fatal and nonfatal shooting data from the American Violence Project for the 100 largest cities in the United States. The analytic sample included 1925 respondents aged 33-42. The primary outcome was self-reported dental care use in the past year. Firearm violence exposure was categorized as 0, 1, or 2 + …

Associations Of High Attenuation Area-Related Proteomic Biomarkers With Fibrotic Or Subpleural Interstitial Lung Abnormalities, John S Kim, Catherine L Debban, Daniel E Guzman, Riley T Hannan, Mary Salvatore, Claire Mcgroder, David Zhang, Anna J Podolanczuk, Daniel A Duprez, Shwu-Fan Ma, Yong Huang, Jeffrey M Sturek, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Rajat Deo, Ruth F Dubin, Janelle Vu Pugashetti, Jennifer M Wang, Meilan K Han, Justin M Oldham, Imre Noth, Prescott G Woodruff, Victor E Ortega, Julie C Fanburg-Smith, Edward B Stelow, Christopher A Moskaluk, Eric A Hoffman, Christine Kim Garcia, Russell P Bowler, Peter Ganz, R Graham Barr, Ani Manichaikul

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Engagement In And Correlates Of Total Cutaneous Exams And Skin Self-Exams Among Young Melanoma Survivors And Their Family, Sharon L Manne, Deborah A Kashy, Sherry Pagoto, Susan K Peterson, Carolyn J Heckman, Joseph Gallo, Adam Berger, David B Buller, Alexandria Kulik, Sara Frederick, Morgan Pesanelli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Young adult melanoma survivors and their close family (first degree relatives/FDRs) are at increased risk for developing a melanoma, but little is known about engagement in and correlates of their clinical skin exam (CSE) and skin self-examination (SSE) behaviors. Five hundred and seventy-four YA survivors and their FDRs completed an online survey assessing engagement in CSE and SSE, as well as measures of background factors, cognitive and psychosocial factors, CSE and SSE planning, and family influences. Approximately 90% of YAs had a CSE and 90% performed SSE in the last year, but engagement in CSE among FDRs was lower (63.2%, …

Multiplexed Imaging Mass Cytometry Reveals Tumor-Immune Microenvironment-Dependent Hormone Receptor Expression In Adult-Type Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumors, Eleonora Y Khlebus, Veena K Vuttaradhi, Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, Allison L Brodsky, Barrett C Lawson, Samuel C Mok, R Tyler Hillman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adult-type granulosa cell tumors (AGCT) are rare ovarian tumors with few effective treatments for recurrent disease. To elucidate spatial features and cellular interactions within the AGCT tumor microenvironment, we applied imaging mass cytometry using a 34-marker panel on 130 regions from 24 AGCT samples, profiling more than 900,000 single cells. Analysis confirmed the immune “cold” phenotype of AGCTs and showed higher macrophage abundance in recurrent compared with primary tumors. We observed substantial heterogeneity in tissue architecture across samples, including variable presence of FOXL2+ cells embedded in collagen-rich regions (FOXL2+COL1A1+ cells). Based on tumor microenvironment composition, we defined two AGCT subtypes: …

Evaluating Dimensionality Reduction For Patient-Reported Outcome-Based Survival Modeling In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer, Eric Ababio Anyimadu, Yaohua Wang, Amy C Moreno, Clifton David Fuller, Xinhua Zhang, G Elisabeta Marai, Guadalupe M Canahuate

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study aims to improve survival modeling in head and neck cancer (HNC) by integrating patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using dimensionality reduction techniques. PROs capture symptom severity across the treatment timeline and offer key insights for personalized care. However, their high dimensionality poses challenges such as overfitting and computational complexity. This work focuses on transforming and incorporating PRO data to enhance model performance in HNC.

Materials and methods: We analyzed retrospective data of 923 patients with HNC treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2010 and 2021. Baseline clinical data including demographic, treatment, and disease characteristics …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient In A Large Multi-Unit Institution, Joshua P Yung, Yao Ding, Ken-Pin Hwang, Carlos E Cardenas, H Asher Ai, Lucas Mccullum, Natalie A West, Clifton D Fuller, R Jason Stafford

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and their calculated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has grown with applications across multiple anatomical sites and settings across diagnostic and oncologic therapy settings, necessitating characterizing its quantitative performance across multiple scanners. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the quantitative accuracy of DWI and their calculated ADC values across a fleet of MRI systems using a NIST-traceable diffusion phantom.

Materials and methods: Three NIST/QIBA DWI phantoms were imaged with protocols provided with the phantom on a multi-vendor fleet of 23 clinical MRI scanners. User-directed regions-of-interest …

Surgical And Blood-Based Minimal Residual Disease In Patients With Ovarian Cancer After First-Line Therapy: Clinical Outcomes And Translational Opportunities, Anne Knisely, Yibo Dai, Graham L Barlow, Sanghoon Lee, Barrett Lawson, Helen Clark, Bryan Fellman, Ying Yuan, Wei Lu, Idania Carolina Lubo Julio, Rossana N Lazcano, Manoj Chelvanambi, Brenda Melendez, Bharat Singh, Bhavana Singh, Khalida Wani, Jianfeng Chen, Chih-Chen Yeh, Jianjun Gao, Sean Barnes, Ou Shi, Khaja B Khan, Alejandra G Serrano, Lorena I Gomez-Bolanos, Carly Bess Scalise, Samantha K Cheung, Punashi Dutta, Sharlene Velichko, Adam C Elnaggar, Minetta C Liu, Roni N Wilke, Jeffrey How, Lois M Ramondetta, David M Boruta, Gwyn Richardson, Aaron Shafer, Shannon N Westin, Travis Sims, Anil K Sood, Pedro T Ramirez, Alexander J Lazar, Pamela T Soliman, Karen Lu, Cara L Haymaker, Luisa M Solis Soto, Jennifer A Wargo, Rachel Grisham, Kai W Wucherpfennig, Linghua Wang, Amir A Jazaeri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Minimal residual disease (MRD) after first-line treatment of advanced-stage ovarian cancer remains a long-standing barrier to cure. We investigated the prognostic and translational value of MRD detection by second-look laparoscopy (SLL) and ctDNA at the completion of first-line therapy.

Experimental design: Patients with high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer who had a complete clinical response to first-line therapy and underwent SLL and plasma collection for ctDNA were included. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated based on MRD and clinicopathologic status. Spatial transcriptomics (GeoMx and Visium) and proteomics (CODEX) profiling were performed on serial samples from select patients.

Results: …

Understanding Infectious Complications In Patients With Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes: A Step Towards Improving Survival, Guillermo Garcia-Manero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Correction: Inflammation Mediated By Gut Microbiome Promotes Immune Suppression And Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression, Zahraa Rahal, Yuejiang Liu, Fuduan Peng, Sujuan Yang, Mohamed A Jamal, Manvi Sharma, Hannah Moreno, Ashish V Damania, Matthew C Wong, Matthew C Ross, Ansam Sinjab, Tieling Zhou, Minyue Chen, Inti Tarifa Reischle, Jiping Feng, Chidera Chukwuocha, Elizabeth Tang, Camille Abaya, Jamie K Lim, Cheuk Hong Leung, Heather Y Lin, Nathaniel Deboever, Jack J Lee, Boris Sepesi, Don L Gibbons, Jennifer A Wargo, Junya Fujimoto, Linghua Wang, Joseph F Petrosino, Nadim J Ajami, Robert R Jenq, Seyed Javad Moghaddam, Tina Cascone, Kristi Hoffman, Humam Kadara

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.