Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Irf6 Regulates Adherens Junction Proteins And Inflammatory Cytokines In Salivary Acinar Cells And Its Expression Is Elevated In Sjӧgren’S Syndrome, Vi Pham, Antonio Hernandes Chaves Neto, Julia Zheng, Mary Elmeniawi, Krishna Kumar Kookal, Muhammad F Walji, Mary C Farach-Carson, Walid D Fakhouri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Interferon Regulatory Factor 6 (IRF6) function in regulating adherens junction proteins and inflammatory cytokines in human salivary acinar cells and Sjögren's syndrome biopsies.

Design: We used mouse model, salivary cell lines, and human salivary gland (SG) biopsies to investigate IRF6 function in SG cellular integrity and immunomodulation.

Results: In Irf6-null mice, we observed myoepithelial cell detachment from acinar cells of major SGs, and the acini were remarkably disorganized compared to wild-type littermates. At the molecular level, the acinar differentiation markers E-cadherin and MIST1 were markedly reduced in Irf6-null embryonic SG, while the proinflammatory cytokines, …

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 …

Feasibility And Usage Of A Virtual Assistant Device In Cognitively Impaired Homebound Older Adults, Matthew Nunez, Prisha Patel, Lindsey Ulin, Leslie Kian, Martin Cominsky, Jason Burnett, Jessica L Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Social technology in older adults can improve self-rated health; however, there can also be difficulties using it. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of virtual assistant device (VAD) use in cognitively impaired homebound older adults. 52 newly referred Meals on Wheels clients aged 60 and older were recruited for a three-phase study: 6 weeks of meals alone (control), followed by 6 weeks of meals+Alexa Echo Show 8 (AES8) basic usage, and lastly 6 weeks of meals+AES8 advanced usage. Technology acceptance with the AES8 was significantly higher by the end of the study and participants anecdotally enjoyed playing …

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 …

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 …

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 + …

Lesion Absorbed Dose-Response Relationship In Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Undergoing [177lu]Lu-Psma-617 Radiopharmaceutical Therapy, Milan Grkovski, Simone S Krebs, Joseph A O'Donoghue, Jonathan Kuten, Audrey Mauguen, Parnian Shobeiri, Daniel Lafontaine, Maria Thor, Finn Augensen, Josef J Fox, Neeta Pandit-Taskar, Mark P Dunphy, Lisa Bodei, John L Humm, Heiko Schöder

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The relationship between lesion absorbed dose (AD) and response in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergoing [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) remains poorly understood. The objective of this work was to investigate the AD-response relationship at both the patient and lesion levels.

Methods: Sixty-five patients underwent serial SPECT/CT imaging after receiving 7.31 ± 0.27 GBq of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617. Single-time-point (STP) (Hänscheid approximation at 72 h) and multiple-time-point voxelwise dosimetry were performed. Patient response was evaluated by changes in serum prostate-specific antigen level before and after cycle 1 of RPT. The response of individual lesions was evaluated by the change in the …

Three-Dimensional Noise Characteristics Of Clinical Photon Counting Detector Ct, Humberto Monsivais, Xinming Liu, Frank Dong, Megan C Jacobsen, John Rong, Corey T Jensen, Ke Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Since the introduction of whole-body photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) into clinical practice, extensive physics assessments have been conducted to elucidate its image quality advantages over energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) and to support its clinical adoption. However, evaluations of its three-dimensional (3D) noise power spectrum (NPS), which simultaneously quantifies in-plane and through-plane noise texture and magnitude, remain limited.

Purpose: To experimentally evaluate the 3D NPS of an NAEOTOM Alpha PCD-CT system and its dependence on scan mode, reconstruction image type, quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR) strength, mono-energy (keV) level, spiral pitch, and radiation dose.

Methods: Repeated scans of a 20 cm …

Lifelong Aortic Risk In Turner Syndrome: Unexpected Aortic Events In Asymptomatic Patients, Milan Jaiswal, Sara Mansoorshahi, Sharon Zachariah, Thanila Macedo, Alana C Cecchi, Akiko Tanaka, Anthony L Estrera, Rana O Afifi, Gustavo S Oderich, Dianna M Milewicz, Siddharth K Prakash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Individuals with Turner syndrome (TS) face a high relative risk of acute aortic dissection compared with the general population. Dissection risk is greatest in those who have congenital heart disease, thoracic aortic aneurysms, or hypertension. This case report features two adult patients with TS who presented with asymptomatic thoracic aortic pathologies that were identified on routine surveillance imaging. Both patients were active and denied cardiovascular symptoms, even as they developed high-risk aortic lesions that evolved rapidly on initial serial images. These two cases illustrate how lifelong cardiovascular surveillance of TS patients can save lives.

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 …

First Experience With Third-Party Validations: A Robust Calibration And Qa Procedure For Proton Flash Delivery, Chih-Chiang Chang, Balaji Selvaraj, Xingyi Zhao, Jacob Rembish, Paige A Taylor, Alexander Bookbinder, Chingyun Cheng, J Isabelle Choi, Charles B Simone, Haibo Lin, Minglei Kang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Proton FLASH radiotherapy, delivering ultra-high dose rates, shows promise in reducing normal tissue toxicity while maintaining tumor control. However, accurate dosimetry and quality assurance (QA) for FLASH remain challenging due to the extreme dose rates involved. Developing reliable calibration and QA procedures is crucial for advancing FLASH towards clinical implementation.

Purpose: To present an effective routine calibration and QA procedure for proton FLASH delivery to ensure high-quality dosimetry performance for preclinical and clinical delivery.

Methods: A high temporospatial resolution strip ionization chamber array (SICA) detector was mounted to the treatment nozzle, which was calibrated using an Advanced Markus ion …

From Nociception In Aneural Animals To Human Suffering: Toward A Comparative Biology Of Pain, Edgar T Walters

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pain is a core feature of human life, but systematic comparisons of this biological trait across taxa have been rare. A broadly accepted definition based on human experience emphasizes dual features of pain: a sensory (discriminative) component for sensing and monitoring tissue injury, and an affective (emotional) component to motivate avoidance of tissue distress. Conscious pain is coupled to unconscious nociception (detection of incipient or existing injury). This Review considers nociception and pain across phyla within a comparative framework, addressing basic questions about evolutionary origins, mechanisms and functions of pain. The occurrence of adaptive cellular responses to injury in virtually …

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 …

Adoption Of The T2-Flair Mismatch Sign Among Radiologists: How Well Are We Doing?, F Eymen Ucisik, Shekhar Khanpara, Burak Berksu Ozkara, Ziyi Li, Rasha Alfattal, Samir A Dagher, Max Wintermark, Gregory N Fuller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: The classic T2-FLAIR mismatch sign is a highly specific MRI feature that can aid in preoperative diagnosis of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant 1p/19q noncodeleted gliomas and affect surgical planning. This study aimed to assess the real-world utilization of the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign in clinical practice, and to explore the frequencies of classic- and partial T2-FLAIR mismatch within the IDH-mutant 1p/19q noncodeleted glioma population stratified by tumor grade.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cohort study from a dedicated cancer referral center included 251 patients with IDH-mutant astrocytoma diagnosed between 2017 and 2022. Pathology reports were reviewed for eligibility for …

Cervical And Tumor-Associated Microbiomes In Botswana Women With And Without Hiv With Carcinoma Of The Cervix Before And After Definitive Chemoradiation, Travis T Sims, Kyoko Yoshida-Court, Molly B El Alam, Pleasure Ramatlho, Rebecca Ketlametswe, Matthew S Ning, Erle S Robertson, Kathleen M Schmeler, Lauren E Colbert, Ann H Klopp, Surbhi Grover

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern globally and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where high rates of HIV infection exacerbate cervical cancer incidence. Understanding the cervical microbiome and its role in cancer progression is essential, especially in regions where both cervical cancer incidence and HIV prevalence are high. This study aimed to characterize the cervical microbiome in women living with HIV (WLWH) and HIV-negative women with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix in Botswana, compare the microbiome between before and after chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in WLWH, and assess the prognostic value of specific microbial taxa for overall survival …

A Comparative Study Of Clinically Used Fast Monte Carlo Dose Engines For Proton Therapy, Sherif M Gadoue, Narayan Sahoo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Several fast Monte Carlo (MC) codes have been implemented and used to simulate proton transport and calculate patient doses in proton therapy. The resulting dose is typically compared to full MC codes, rather than other fast MC codes.

Purpose: The primary goal of this study was to compare the gamma pass rates (GPRs) of dose calculation from different fast MC codes to evaluate the accuracy of the computation and modeling among these codes.

Methods: Two GPU codes and one CPU MC code were commissioned to model our clinical proton beamline at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The …

Spherical Wave Expansion Coefficients For Radiation From A Planar Velocity Source, Blake E Simon, Mark F Hamilton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A general theory for obtaining spherical wave function expansion coefficients for a sound beam transmitted by a planar velocity source is presented. By neglecting evanescent wave components and thus making the proposed method only approximate in the near field, it is shown that these coefficients can be obtained for any expansion point using just the normal velocity condition in the source plane. Additionally, simplifications are presented for axisymmetric sources. Results are compared with direct numerical evaluation of the Rayleigh integral for source conditions corresponding to a circular and rectangular piston. The present theory can be used in calculations of acoustic …

Alterations In Region-Specific Gray Matter Volume Underlying Callous Unemotional Traits In Adolescents, Johannah Bashford-Largo, Ru Zhang, R James R Blair, Karina S Blair, Jaimie Elowsky, Matthew Dobbertin, Ahria J Dominguez, Melissa Hatch, Tyler Patrick, Sahil Bajaj

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits during adolescence, for example, shallow affect or lack of remorse, have been shown to be a risk marker for antisocial behavior. Only a few studies have investigated structural brain alterations underlying CU traits, and findings are inconclusive. The study examines CU symptomatology and gray matter volume (GMV) associations.

Methods: Structural brain MRI data were collected from a sample of 578 adolescents (60% male) with a mean age of 14.85 years (SD = 2.30; range = 10-19 years). CU traits were indexed via the Inventory for Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU). Region-wise volumetric parameters were obtained following parcellation …

Mitochondrial Haplogroups, But Not Heteroplasmy, Are Associated With Midlife Cognitive Function, Kristine Yaffe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation may influence cognitive performance, but prior findings are inconsistent.

Methods: We analyzed data from 2308 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, assessing heteroplasmy (mtHz) burden and haplogroups (mtHg) from blood-derived mtDNA at three timepoints and cognitive function across multiple domains. Multivariate linear regression models and multivariate linear mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and race.

Results: MtDNA heteroplasmy burden and count were not associated with cognitive performance. However, mtHgs in macro-mtHg L were linked to poorer cognitive outcomes, particularly in processing speed and global cognition in cross-sectional and …

Wire-In-Needle Versus Conventional Syringe-On-Needle Technique For Ultrasound-Guided Central Venous Catheter Insertion In The Internal Jugular Vein: The Win Randomized Trial, Karim Kouz, Christian Zöllner, Bernd Saugel, Leonie Schulte-Uentrop

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: There are different techniques for ultrasound-guided central venous catheter (CVC) insertion. When using the conventional syringe-on-needle technique, the syringe needs to be removed from the needle after venous puncture to pass the guidewire through the needle into the vein. When, alternatively, using the wire-in-needle technique, the needle is preloaded with the guidewire, and the guidewire-after venous puncture-is advanced into the vein under real-time ultrasound guidance. We tested the hypothesis that the wire-in-needle technique reduces the time to successful guidewire insertion in the internal jugular vein compared with the syringe-on-needle technique in adults.

Methods: We randomized 250 patients to the …

Continuous Versus Bolus Norepinephrine Administration And Arterial Blood Pressure Stability During Induction Of General Anaesthesia In High-Risk Noncardiac Surgery Patients: A Randomised Trial, Alina Kröker, Daniel I Sessler, Bernd Saugel, Kristen K Thomsen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hypotension after induction of general anaesthesia is common in high-risk patients having noncardiac surgery. Anaesthesiologists often give manual boluses of vasopressors repeatedly to maintain blood pressure during induction of general anaesthesia, including the fast-acting vasopressor norepinephrine which has a short half-life. We tested the hypothesis that giving norepinephrine continuously during induction of general anaesthesia, compared with giving it as repeated manual boluses, improves blood pressure stability in high-risk noncardiac surgery patients.

Methods: In this single-centre trial, 72 participants undergoing noncardiac surgery were randomised to continuous norepinephrine infusion or manual bolus norepinephrine administration during induction of general anaesthesia. Blood pressure …

Hydroxocobalamin For Vasoplegia In Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis, Haytham Elgharably, Benjamin Hohlfelder, Andrej Alfirevic, Andra E Duncan, Nikolaos J Skubas, Daniel I Sessler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Vasoplegia during cardiac surgery is common and associated with perioperative mortality. Hydroxocobalamin is a catecholamine-sparing approach for treating vasoplegia. However, there is currently limited evidence to inform its use.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre retrospective propensity-matched cohort study of patients who developed vasoplegia after cardiopulmonary bypass. Our primary outcome was vasopressor requirement, expressed as norepinephrine equivalents (NEE), at 1, 4, 24, and 48 h after treatment. Our secondary outcome was a collapsed composite of in-hospital complications comprising stroke, sternal wound infection, mesenteric ischaemia, renal failure, and death.

Results: We identified 2727 (11%) patients with vasoplegia from 2018 to 2024. …

Sleep Eeg And Respiratory Biomarkers Of Sudden Unexpected Death In Epilepsy (Sudep): A Case-Control Study, Sandhya Rani, Sudha S Tallavajhula, Rup K Sainju, Daniel Friedman, Maromi Nei, Brian K Gehlbach, Stephan Schuele, Ronald M Harper, Beate Diehl, Lisa M Bateman, Orrin Devinsky, George B Richerson, Samden D Lhatoo, Nuria Lacuey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the most common category of epilepsy-related mortality. Centrally mediated respiratory dysfunction has been observed to lead to death in the majority of cases of SUDEP. SUDEP also mainly occurs during nighttime sleep. This study seeks to identify sleep EEG and sleep-related respiratory biomarkers of SUDEP risk.

Methods: In this case-control study, we compared demographic, clinical, EEG, and respiratory data from people with epilepsy who later died of SUDEP (the SUDEP group) with data from age and sex-matched living people with epilepsy, classified as high risk of SUDEP (with ≥1 generalised tonic-clonic seizure …

Sexual Health Education For Behavior Change: Revisiting How Much Is Enough, Melissa F Peskin, Shehla Sadruddin, Dennis Reidy, Jeff R Temple

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Successful implementation of school sexual health curricula relies on students receiving sufficient exposure to lesson content. This large replication study assesses the longitudinal association between exposure to sexual health lesson frequency and content domains and delayed sexual initiation of middle school students.

Methods: Post hoc data analysis was conducted using a large harmonized dataset from 3 randomized controlled trials evaluating It's Your Game curricula in the South Central United States. The sample comprised 1,022 sexually inexperienced middle school students (grades 7 and 8) who completed grade 9 follow-up after using either a 24-lesson hybrid (classroom and computer-based) (It's Your …

The Effect Of Chronic Azithromycin Use In Winter On Health Care Utilization For Children With Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Study (Rct), S Shahrukh Hashmi, Kaleigh Riggs-Harpur, Fatima M Boricha, Tina S Reddy, Janice L John, Tomika S Harris, Carlos E Rodriguez-Martinez, Jefferson Buendia, Katrina E Mcbeth, Cindy K Jon, James M Stark, Giuseppe N Colasurdo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease in preterm infants, often leads to acute respiratory exacerbations triggered by infections. Our previous mouse study suggested that azithromycin's anti-inflammatory properties may benefit virus-induced respiratory illnesses prophylactically.

Methods: In this single-center, double-blind RCT, 60 children (6 months to 6 years) with BPD received azithromycin (5 mg/kg three times weekly; n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for one winter season (October to March). Primary outcome was the total number of days of unscheduled healthcare clinic visits, ER visits, and hospital days. Secondary outcomes comprised clinic visits, ER visits, hospital admissions, hospital …

Engaging And Empowering Future Female Surgeons: Development Of The Medical Student Section Of The Society Of Women In Urology

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 …

Growth Plate Skeletal Stem Cells And Their Actions Within The Stem Cell Niche

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The growth plate is a specialized cartilage structure near the ends of long bones that orchestrates longitudinal bone growth during fetal and postnatal stages. Within this region reside a dynamic population of growth plate skeletal stem cells (gpSSCs), primarily located in the resting zone, which possess self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacity. Recent advances in cell-lineage tracing, single-cell transcriptomics, and in vivo functional studies have revealed distinct subpopulations of gpSSCs, which are defined by markers such as parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), CD73, axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2), forkhead box protein A2 (FoxA2), and apolipoprotein E (ApoE). These stem cells interact intricately …

Association Between Therapeutic Alliance And Clinical Outcomes In Virtual Telepsychiatry: A Retrospective Analysis Of Data From Talkiatry, Cheryl Person, Nathaniel David Phillips, Kartik Venkatachalam, Georgia Gaveras

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Given the increasing demand for accessible mental health services, fully virtual telepsychiatry has become a vital component of modern health care delivery. Therapeutic alliance, the collaborative and affective bond between patients and therapists, is a well-established predictor of clinical outcomes in traditional face-to-face and teletherapy. However, the relationship between therapeutic alliance and clinical outcomes in an outpatient telepsychiatry setting remains less understood.

Objective: Our primary objective was to evaluate the relationship between therapeutic alliance and clinical outcomes for depression and anxiety in an outpatient telepsychiatry practice.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from treatment-seeking adults receiving services from Talkiatry, …