Digital Commons Network^™

An F-Ratio-Based Method For Estimating The Number Of Active Sources In Meg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a powerful technique for studying the human brain function. However, accurately estimating the number of sources that contribute to the MEG recordings remains a challenging problem due to the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the presence of correlated sources, inaccuracies in head modeling, and variations in individual anatomy.

METHODS: To address these issues, our study introduces a robust method for accurately estimating the number of active sources in the brain based on the F-ratio statistical approach, which allows for a comparison between a full model with a higher number of sources and a reduced model with fewer …

Serum Neurofilament Light-Chain Levels And Long-Term Treatment Outcomes In Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Randomized Combirx Trial, Elizabeth Fisher, Henry Mcfarland, Steven Jacobson, Maria L Naylor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: CombiRx was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial in treatment-naive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients randomized to intramuscular interferon beta-1a (IM IFN beta-1a), glatiramer acetate (GA), or both therapies.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis investigated changes in serum neurofilament light-chain (sNfL) levels in response to treatment and assessed baseline sNfL as a predictor of relapse.

METHODS: RRMS patients treated with IM IFN beta-1a 30 µg weekly + placebo (n = 159), GA 20 mg/mL daily + placebo (n = 172), or IM IFN beta-1a + GA (n = 344) were included. A linear mixed model compared sNfL values over time. …

Role Of Microrna-34a In Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability And Mitochondrial Function In Ischemic Stroke, Aaron M Gusdon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Over the past decade, there has been an uptick in the number of studies conducting research on the role of microRNA (miRNA) molecules in stroke. Among these molecules, miR-34a has emerged as a significant player, as its levels have been observed to exhibit a substantial rise following ischemic events. Elevated levels of miR-34a have been found to have multiple effects, including the modulation of inflammatory molecules involved in the post-stroke recovery process, as well as negative effects on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Interestingly, the increase of miR-34a appears to increase BBB permeability post stroke, through the negative effect on …

A Phase 3b Study For Management Of Ocular Side Effects In Patients With Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Amplified Glioblastoma Receiving Depatuxizumab Mafodotin, Ryan Merrell, Emma Kennedy, Madhavi Pai, Earle Bain, Andrew B Lassman, Golnaz Moazami

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The Understanding New Interventions with GBM ThErapy (UNITE) study was designed to assess the effect of prophylaxis for ocular side effects (OSEs) in patients with glioblastoma receiving the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) depatuxizumab mafodotin. UNITE (NCT03419403) was a phase 3b, open-label, randomized, exploratory study performed at 18 research sites in 5 countries.

METHODS: The study enrolled adult patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-amplified, histologically confirmed, newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma or grade IV gliosarcoma, and a Karnofsky Performance Status ≥70, receiving depatuxizumab mafodotin. All patients were administered depatuxizumab mafodotin during concurrent radiotherapy and temozolomide and with adjuvant temozolomide. Ninety patients were …

Editorial: Modulation Of Microglia Reactivity And Plasticity In Cns Injury, Ningbo Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Association Between Giving Birth During The Early Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic And Serious Maternal Morbidity, William A Grobman, Amber Sowles, Kelly Clark, Hyagriv N Simhan, Dwight J Rouse, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Jennifer L Bailit, Maged M Costantine, Harish M Sehdev, Alan T N Tita, George A Macones

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether delivering during the early the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with increased risk of maternal death or serious morbidity from common obstetric complications compared with a historical control period.

METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study with manual medical-record abstraction performed by centrally trained and certified research personnel at 17 U.S. hospitals. Individuals who gave birth on randomly selected dates in 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2020 (during the pandemic) were compared. Hospital, health care system, and community risk-mitigation strategies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in response to the early …

Researching Covid To Enhance Recovery (Recover) Pregnancy Study: Rationale, Objectives And Design, Leora I Horwitz, Harrison T Reeder, Carmen J Beamon, James Chan, A Ann Chang, Maged M Costantine, Megan L Fitzgerald, Andrea S Foulkes, Kelly S Gibson, Nick Güthe, Mounira Habli, David N Hackney, Matthew K Hoffman, M Camille Hoffman, Brenna L Hughes, Stuart D Katz, Victoria Laleau, Gail Mallett, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Vanessa Monzon, Anna Palatnik, Kristy T S Palomares, Samuel Parry, Christian M Pettker, Beth A Plunkett, Athena Poppas, Uma M Reddy, Dwight J Rouse, George R Saade, Grecio J Sandoval, Shannon M Schlater, Frank C Sciurba, Hyagriv N Simhan, Daniel W Skupski, Amber Sowles, Tanayott Thaweethai, Gelise L Thomas, John M Thorp, Alan T Tita, Steven J Weiner, Samantha Weigand, Lynn M Yee, Valerie J Flaherman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Pregnancy induces unique physiologic changes to the immune response and hormonal changes leading to plausible differences in the risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), or Long COVID. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy may also have long-term ramifications for exposed offspring, and it is critical to evaluate the health outcomes of exposed children. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC aims to evaluate the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various populations. RECOVER-Pregnancy was designed specifically to address long-term outcomes in maternal-child dyads.

METHODS: RECOVER-Pregnancy cohort is a …

Return To Sport Following Acl Reconstruction With Slope-Correcting High Tibial Osteotomy In The Elite Athlete, Jacquelyn Kleihege

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Increased posterior tibial slope is a strong predictor of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft re-injury. A concomitant slope-reducing high tibial osteotomy (HTO) has been suggested to decrease re-tear risk in these cases although little is known regarding outcomes following ACL reconstruction with HTO, especially in elite athletic patients.

Indications: A 19-year-old National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 running back presented with an ACL tear, lateral meniscus tear, and posterior tibial slope of 19° (case 1). A 19-year-old NCAA Division 1 soccer forward presented with an ACL graft re-tear and posterior tibial slope of 21° (case 2).

Technique: Anterior …

Increasing Rates Of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair Outpace Reconstruction In Isolated Injuries: Review Of A Texas Surgical Database

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The gold standard of treatment for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries has been reconstruction. Despite early repair studies yielding less than satisfactory results, there has been recent renewed interest in UCL repair due to improved outcomes and new technologies. Data regarding clinical use of these procedures are lacking. The purpose of this study was to define the epidemiological trends of UCL repair and reconstruction surgery from 2010 to 2019, compare demographic characteristics of patients undergoing either procedure, and determine incidence of concomitant procedures in each surgical group as well as comparing respective patient-level charges.

METHODS: A retrospective database analysis …

Self-Administered Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment Of Knee Osteoarthritis Alters Pain-Related Fnirs Connectivity Networks, Hongyu Miao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

SIGNIFICANCE: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease that causes chronic pain in the elderly population. Currently, OA is mainly treated pharmacologically with analgesics, although research has shown that neuromodulation via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be beneficial in reducing pain in clinical settings. However, no studies have reported the effects of home-based self-administered tDCS on functional brain networks in older adults with knee OA.

AIM: We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the functional connectivity effects of tDCS on underlying pain processing mechanisms at the central nervous level in older adults with knee OA.

APPROACH: Pain-related brain connectivity …

Healthcare Utilization Among Infants Discharged From The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Descriptive Cost Analysis, Marisa A Bartz-Kurycki

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cost of readmissions of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates within 6 months and a year of their life is well-studied. However, the cost of readmissions within 90 days of NICU discharge is unknown. This study's objective was to estimate the overall and mean cost of healthcare use for unplanned hospital visits of NICU graduates within 90 days of discharge A retrospective review of all infants discharged between 1/1/2017 and 03/31/2017 from a large hospital system NICUs was conducted. All unplanned hospital visits (readmissions or stand-alone emergency department (ED) visits) occurring within 90 days post NICU discharge were included. …

Safety Baby Shower Intervention Improves Safe Sleep Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Among Expectant Teens, Beverly K Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Young, minority women are less likely to follow recommendations to prevent infant sleep-related deaths putting their children at risk. This study extended the past pre/post study designs to an RCT design and included both parent report and objective observation of the sleep environment.

OBJECTIVE: This study focused on this population in a quantitative, randomized controlled trial using a low-cost, brief educational intervention, a Safety Baby Shower (SBS).

METHODS: Pregnant teens aged 13-19 (N = 147) were recruited as a dyad with a senior female caregiver and randomized to intervention or control groups.

RESULTS: Comparing self-report, safe sleep knowledge, attitudes, …

Reading-To-Writing Mediation Model Of Higher-Order Literacy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Writing difficulties frequently manifest comorbidly with reading challenges, and reading is implicated in particular acts of writing, such as reviewing and editing. Despite what is known, however, there remain significant barriers to understanding the nature of reading-writing relations, as few studies are comprehensive in the number and types of literacy skills evaluated. This study consists of a secondary data analysis of two studies employing structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate relations among reading and writing components skills independently, using the Direct and Inferential Mediation Model (DIME) of reading comprehension and Not-so-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) as theoretical frameworks.

METHODS: …

National Cross-Sectional Study On Cost Consciousness, Cost Accuracy, And National Medical Waste Reduction Initiative Knowledge Among Pediatric Hospitalists In The United States, Kavita Parikh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Despite initiatives to reduce waste and spending, there is a gap in physician knowledge regarding the cost of commonly ordered items. We examined the relationship between pediatric hospitalists' knowledge of national medical waste reduction initiatives, self-reported level of cost-consciousness (the degree in which cost affects practice), and cost accuracy (how close an estimate is to its hospital cost) at a national level.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a national, online survey sent to hospitalists at 49 children's hospitals to assess their knowledge of national medical waste reduction initiatives, self-reported cost consciousness, and cost estimates for commonly ordered laboratory studies, …

Novel Psychiatric Disorder 6 Months After Traumatic Brain Injury In Children And Adolescents, Linda Ewing-Cobbs, Elisabeth A Wilde, Ann E Saunders, Tony T Yang, Olga Tymofiyeva, Harvey S Levin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors predictive of novel psychiatric disorders in the interval 0-6 months following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS: Children ages 5-14 years consecutively hospitalized for mild to severe TBI at five hospitals were recruited. Participants were evaluated at baseline (soon after injury) for pre-injury characteristics including psychiatric disorders, socioeconomic status (SES), psychosocial adversity, family function, family psychiatric history, and adaptive function. In addition to the psychosocial variables, injury severity and lesion location detected with acquisition of a research MRI were measured to develop a biopsychosocial predictive model for development of novel psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric outcome, including occurrence …

Delayed Presentation Of Berardinelli-Siep Lipodystrophy In An Adolescent Female

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Berardinelli-Siep syndrome (BSS) is a form of congenital generalized lipodystrophy that disrupts the pathways of lipid metabolism. It presents with physical exam findings, including muscular hypertrophy and lipoatrophy as well as serious metabolic consequences such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, hepatomegaly, and hepatic steatosis. Diagnosis generally occurs soon after birth or in childhood. The case presented is significant for a delayed diagnosis of suspected BSS Type 1 which is rather uncommon in a developed country. Due to the detrimental complications of BSS, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pancreatitis, and liver disease, early diagnosis and intervention are crucial. Pediatric providers must …

Noise Characteristics In Spaceflight Multichannel Eeg, Pablo Cuesta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The cognitive performance of the crew has a major impact on mission safety and success in space flight. Monitoring of cognitive performance during long-duration space flight therefore is of paramount importance and can be performed using compact state-of-the-art mobile EEG. However, signal quality of EEG may be compromised due to the vicinity to various electronic devices and constant movements. We compare noise characteristics between in-flight extraterrestrial microgravity and ground-level terrestrial electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. EEG data recordings from either aboard International Space Station (ISS) or on earth's surface, utilizing three EEG amplifiers and two electrode types, were compared. In-flight recordings showed …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Plasma Rich In Platelets (Prp) On The Ocular Microbiota Of Healthy Horses From Minas Gerais, Ilza S Ribeiro, Renata P A Maranhão

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In equine ophthalmology, ulcerative keratitis is among the most common conditions and, in general, arises as a consequence of some trauma suffered. Secondarily, subsequent contamination by pathogenic or resident bacteria of the horse's ocular microbiota may have undesirable consequences. Under physiological conditions, the normal microbiota coexists with the immune status of the host, serving as a barrier, ensuring the health of the ocular surface, and inhibiting the proliferation of pathogens. However, in the imbalance of immune barriers, the normal microbiota can become pathogenic and lead to infection, acting as an opportunistic agent. The present study aims to demonstrate the antimicrobial …

Challenges And Promise Of Targeting Mirrna In Rheumatic Diseases: A Computational Approach To Identify Mirna Association With Cell Types, Cytokines, And Disease Mechanisms, Salahuddin Ahmed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that alter the expression of target genes at the post-transcriptional level, influencing diverse outcomes in metabolism, cell differentiation, proliferation, cell survival, and cell death. Dysregulated miRNA expression is implicated in various rheumatic conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS), gout, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), osteoarthritis (OA), psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis. For this review, we used an open-source programming language- PowerShell, to scan the massive number of existing primary research publications on PubMed on miRNAs in these nine diseases to identify and count unique co-occurrences of individual …

In Utero Ethanol Exposure Induces Mitochondrial Dna Damage And Inhibits Mtdna Repair In Developing Brain, Gabriel Tatevosian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Mitochondrial dysfunction is postulated to be a central event in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). People with the most severe form of FASD, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are estimated to live only 34 years (95% confidence interval, 31 to 37 years), and adults who were born with any form of FASD often develop early aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, hallmarks of aging, are postulated central events in FASD. Ethanol (EtOH) can cause mtDNA damage, consequent increased oxidative stress, and changes in the mtDNA repair protein 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1). Studies of molecular mechanisms are limited by …

Exosomal Lipid Biomarkers Of Oligodendrocyte Pathology To Predict Scoliosis In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Tamara Tatevosian-Geller, Shohreh Amini, Laura Goetzl, Solomon P Samuel, Amer Samdani, Michael E Selzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral Palsy (CP), the most common cause of disability in children, is phenotypically heterogeneous. Approximately 20% of cases develop severe scoliosis. A pathological hallmark of CP is periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), which is due to dysmyelination, suggesting the possibility of a lipidomic abnormality. Risk factors for CP include perinatal hypoxia, prematurity, multiple gestation, ischemia, infection, and maternal alcohol consumption. There is evidence for low serum levels of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids in CP patients, and separately in idiopathic scoliosis. Many effects of free fatty acids (FFAs) are mediated via specific G protein-coupled free fatty acid receptors (FFARs), which play essential …

Maternal Blood Lipid Biomarkers Of Oligodendrocyte Pathology To Predict Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Gabriel Tatevosian, Laura Goetzl, Michael E Selzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Up to 9.9% of children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the most frequent cause of intellectual disability in the US. FASD may involve abnormal brain development, including dysmyelination, suggesting abnormal development of oligodendrocytes (OLs), which make myelin and are rich in lipids. Indeed, low serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3) have been reported in FASD. Free fatty acids bind to specific receptors (FFARs). We have isolated cell type-specific fetal brain-derived exosomes (FB-E) from maternal blood and sampled their contents to search for lipid-related biomarkers that predict FASD.

METHODS: Blood samples were collected from two groups of pregnant …

Dna Release From Plant Tissue Using Focused Ultrasound Extraction (Fuse), Misa Winters, Eli Vlaisavljevich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PREMISE: Sample preparation in genomics is a critical step that is often overlooked in molecular workflows and impacts the success of downstream genetic applications. This study explores the use of a recently developed focused ultrasound extraction (FUSE) technique to enable the rapid release of DNA from plant tissues for genetic analysis.

METHODS: FUSE generates a dense acoustic cavitation bubble cloud that pulverizes targeted tissue into acellular debris. This technique was applied to leaf samples of American chestnut (

RESULTS: We observed that FUSE can extract high quantities of DNA in 9-15 min, compared to the 30 min required for control …

Retroperitoneal Hematoma As An Atypical Presentation Of Choriocarcinoma: A Case Report, Mateo G Leon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A 38-year-old female with an etonogestrel implant in place and history of previous ectopic pregnancy presented with acute abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She was found to have a beta-hCG of >12,000 mIU/mL and free fluid noted on a focused assessment with sonography in trauma exam. She underwent an emergent diagnostic laparoscopy due to the suspicion of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Findings at the time of surgery included a normal-appearing uterus and left fallopian tube, a surgically absent right fallopian tube and large volume hemoperitoneum with a rapidly expanding left retroperitoneal hematoma. A postoperative computerized tomography (CT) angiogram suggested active …

Use Of Elamipretide In Patients Assigned Treatment In The Compassionate Use Program: Case Series In Pediatric Patients With Rare Orphan Diseases, Brynja Bjork Gunnarsdottir

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Several mitochondrial diseases are caused by pathogenic variants that impair membrane phospholipid remodeling, with no FDA-approved therapies. Elamipretide targets the inner mitochondrial membrane where it binds to cardiolipin, resulting in improved membrane stability, cellular respiration, and ATP production. In clinical trials, elamipretide produced clinical and functional improvements in adults and adolescents with mitochondrial disorders, such as primary mitochondrial myopathy and Barth syndrome; however, experience in younger patients is limited and to our knowledge, these are the first case reports on the safety and efficacy of elamipretide treatment in children under 12 years of age. We describe the use of elamipretide …

Editorial: Case Reports In Cardio-Oncology: 2022, Michael S Ewer, Syed Wamique Yusuf, Reto Asmis, Jun-Ichi Abe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Women In Molecular And Cellular Oncology, Petranel T Ferrao, Laura Rosanò, Valeria Poli, Shilpa S Dhar, Ana Paula Lepique

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Women In Molecular And Cellular Oncology, Volume Ii: 2022, Shilpa S Dhar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: The Interplay Between Microbiota And Allergen In Shaping Respiratory Mucosa Immunity: Role In Development Of Asthma, Zhenwei Xia, Wenwei Zhong, Min Wu, Scott E Evans

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

A Cross-Sectional Study To Test Equivalence Of Low- Versus Intermediate-Flip Angle Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Mri Measures Of Relative Cerebral Blood Volume In Patients With High-Grade Gliomas At 15 Tesla Field Strength, Mark S Shiroishi, Dane Weinert, Steven Y Cen, Bino Varghese, Timothy Dondlinger, Melissa Prah, Jesse Mendoza, Sina Nazemi, Nima Ameli, Negin Amini, Salman Shohas, Shannon Chen, Bavrina Bigjahan, Gabriel Zada, Thomas Chen, Josh Neman-Ebrahim, Eric L Chang, Frances E Chow, Zhaoyang Fan, Wensha Yang, Frank J Attenello, Jason Ye, Paul E Kim, Vishal N Patel, Alexander Lerner, Jay Acharya, Leland S Hu, C Chad Quarles, Jerrold L Boxerman, Ona Wu, Kathleen M Schmainda

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: 1.5 Tesla (1.5T) remain a significant field strength for brain imaging worldwide. Recent computer simulations and clinical studies at 3T MRI have suggested that dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI using a 30° flip angle ("low-FA") with model-based leakage correction and no gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) preload provides equivalent relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) measurements to the reference-standard acquisition using a single-dose GBCA preload with a 60° flip angle ("intermediate-FA") and model-based leakage correction. However, it remains unclear whether this holds true at 1.5T. The purpose of this study was to test this at 1.5T in human high-grade glioma (HGG) …