Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Predictive Model For Cardiac Dysfunction In Mis-C Patients Utilizing Laboratory Biomarkers, Guliz Erdem, Brendan Galdo, Roshini S Abraham, Allayne Stephans, Simon Lee, Jun Yasuhara, Brent Merryman, Diego Cruz Vidal, Nathan M Money, Jennifer Colgan, Risa Bochner, Ron L Kaplan, Erin Aldag, Thomas Graf, Steve Rust

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and objectives: Early identification of cardiac dysfunction in multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is crucial for effective management. Our primary objective was to predict left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) through a multicenter collaborative assessing admission laboratory data and echocardiogram findings.

Methods: Laboratory and clinical data were collected by retrospective chart review from a cohort of pediatric patients admitted and treated for MIS-C in our institutions. Laboratory data including absolute lymphocyte count, albumin, sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, d-dimer, fibrinogen, ferritin, interleukin-6 level, and lymphocyte subsets (T, B and NK quantitation, TBNK) were collected. We built a LASSO logistic …

Stimulated Cytokine Production, Attachment, And Emotional Well-Being In Dementia Spousal Caregivers, Daniel L Argueta, Sarah Roberts, Kelly N Brice, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D Lai, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Samantha Henry, Luis D Medina, Paul E Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Proinflammatory cytokine production may be related to poor emotional adjustment in dementia spousal caregivers. People who display attachment insecurity may be at increased risk for adverse caregiving experiences and poor psychosocial outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to understand whether proinflammatory cytokine production was associated with anticipatory grief, caregiver burden, and depressive symptoms and whether those relationships were stronger for caregivers higher on attachment anxiety or avoidance.

Method: A sample of 103 dementia spousal caregivers provided self-report data on demographics, health information, and psychosocial outcomes. We also determined lipopolysaccharide-induced whole-blood interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10 production and combined …

Antenatal Prediction Of Early Cord Clamping Among Infants Born Extremely Preterm, Anup C Katheria, Rebecca A Dorner, William A Grobman, Matthew A Rysavy, Jenny Koo, Myra H Wyckoff, Grecio Sandoval, Sara B Demauro, Abhik Das, Henry C Lee, Michael Cotten, Laura Calvo, Shampa Saha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To identify prenatal risk factors associated with early cord clamping (ECC) in infants born extremely preterm (22-28 weeks) and to use these factors to predict which infants have the highest risk of ECC.

Study design: Stepwise logistic regression and classification and regression tree analysis were performed to identify variables most associated with ECC and to build a parsimonious model to identify infants born preterm who are at the highest risk of ECC.

Results: There were 12 622 infants eligible for analysis (ECC, n = 8465 vs deferred cord clamping [DCC], n = 4157). In the classification and regression tree …

Cultural Influences On Camouflaging And Autistic Burnout: Examining The Experiences Of Latino Autistic Young Adults, Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The present study explored the relationship between camouflaging, autistic burnout, and cultural factors in Latino young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While autistic burnout and camouflaging have been widely studied in general ASD populations, limited research has focused on Latino individuals, who may experience unique pressures due to cultural values such as collectivism, familism, and traditional gender roles. Participants (N = 56) from the ¡Iniciando! la Adultez therapy program completed measures assessing burnout, camouflaging, acculturation, and cultural values. Results indicate that participants reported moderate to high levels of autistic burnout, with the highest levels observed in heightened self-awareness …

Insomnia In Stimulant Use Disorders: Prevalence And Associations With Negative Affect, Isabella G Bourtin, Constanza De Dios, Jessica Vincent, Joy M Schmitz, Scott D Lane, Heather E Webber

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Research suggests that sleep disturbances are common among people who use psychostimulants, including cocaine use and methamphetamine use. These sleep disturbances hinder recovery, heighten relapse risk, and worsen physical and mental health outcomes. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and severity of insomnia among individuals who use cocaine and methamphetamine and to explore potential psychological factors that are associated with more severe insomnia. The sample included participants who completed in-person screening assessments for ongoing studies at an outpatient research clinic. As a part of this screening, participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and validated assessments of psychological domains …

Dopamine Agonist Therapy Induced Fatal Pneumocephalus In Giant Prolactinoma, Archana M H, Anurag Ranjan Lila, Manjiri Karlekar, Saba Samad Memon, Rohit Barnabas, Tushar Bandgar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a man in the fifth decade of his life with an invasive giant prolactinoma (size: 7.3 cm; serum prolactin 56820 ng/mL [SI: 2470.4 nmol/L], reference range, 5-25 ng/mL [SI: 0.22-1.09 nmol/L]) who presented with hypogonadism and headache. Dopamine agonist (DA) cabergoline (0.25 mg twice weekly) was initiated, and serum prolactin levels reached 3941 ng/mL (SI: 171.3 nmol/L) after 2 doses. Two weeks later, he developed acute symptoms of headache, vomiting, and drowsiness associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. He presented to the casualty after 48 hours of the onset of these acute symptoms in an altered state. Neuroimaging demonstrated …

Markvcid2 Consortium For Clinical Validation Of Biomarkers Of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Validation Framework And Baseline Characteristics, Steven M Greenberg, Marylin S Albert, Hongyu An, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Arnold M Evia, Arvind Caprihan, Andria L Ford, Myriam Fornage, Gregory S Day, Jason D Hinman, Gregory A Jicha, Amir H Kashani, Joel H Kramer, Christian Lachner, Jin-Moo Lee, Peiying Liu, Hanzhang Lu, Pauline Maillard, Ronald C Petersen, Bruce M Psaty, John M Ringman, Gary A Rosenberg, Claudia L Satizabal, Sean I Savitz, Julie A Schneider, Sudha Seshadri, Prashanthi Vemuri, Danny J J Wang, Donna M Wilcock, B Gwen Windham, Rong Zhang, Carissa Tuozzo, Herpreet Singh, Sue Moy, Vilma Okey-Ewurum, Courtney B Page, Hillary Mulder, Pia Kivisäkk, Deborah Blacker, Lidiya Mazina, Karl G Helmer, Kristin Schwab, Lisa M Wruck, Roderick A Corriveau

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To establish a framework for validating candidate biomarkers of cerebral small vessel diseases (SVD) associated with cognitive impairment and characterize individuals enrolled by the MarkVCID2 consortium under this framework.

Methods: Participants age 60 to 90 years were enrolled across 17 MarkVCID2 sites. Recruitment was targeted to enrich in cognitive symptoms (mild dementia, mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive decline), defined risk factors (diabetes mellitus, advanced hypertension), and Black/African American, White, and Hispanic/Latino subgroups. Enrolled participants underwent baseline visits that included cognitive testing, multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and biofluid collection. Provisional risk for SVD-related cognitive decline was estimated primarily by …

Outcomes Of Witnessed Versus Unwitnessed Patients With Stroke After Endovascular Therapy In The Extended Time Window, Liisa Tomppo, Nicolas Martinez-Majander, Muhammad M Qureshi, Thanh N Nguyen, Raul G Nogueira, Simon Nagel, Jelle Demeestere, Volker Puetz, Hilde Henon, Marta Olive-Gadea, João Pedro Marto, Anne Dusart, Peter A Ringleb, Osama O Zaidat, Diogo C Haussen, Mahmoud H Mohammaden, Mohamad Abdalkader, Jean Raymond, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Sunil A Sheth, Hiroshi Yamagami, João Nuno Ramos, Francois Caparros, Daniel P O Kaiser, Marc Ribo, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Kanta Tanaka, Pekka Virtanen, Ajit S Puri, James E Siegler, Syed F Zaidi, Mouhammad Jumaa, Eugene Lin, Jordi Mayol, Rita Ventura, Simon Winzer, Piers Klein, Flavio Bellante, Jorge Cespedes, Anke Wouters, Hesham E Masoud, Liqi Shu, Alicia C Castonguay, Christian Herweh, Monica Cheng, Wei Hu, Daniel Roy, Shadi Yaghi, Robin Lemmens, Charlotte Cordonnier, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Daniel Strbian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: It remains unclear whether outcomes of patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy with large-vessel occlusion and unwitnessed onset of stroke differ from those with witnessed onset in the extended time window.

Methods: We enrolled patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion (internal carotid artery, M1, or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy within 6 to 24 hours from the time last seen well, from 2014 to 2022, at 66 sites in Europe, North America, and Asia. Patients with a prestroke modified Rankin Scale score of >3 or age < 18 were excluded. We categorized patients by onset mode as witnessed or unwitnessed. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale shift at 90 days. Secondary outcomes were functional independence, a composite of functional independence or return of Rankin to prestroke level, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, mortality, and a composite of severe disability or mortality at 90 days. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting to compare outcomes between the groups.

Results: Of 5098 patients assessed for eligibility, we included …

Uterine Tachysystole And Associated Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Fabrizio Zullo, Benedetta Licitra, Nandini Raghuraman, Alison G Cahill, Aaron W Roberts, Stephanie Roth, Daniele Di Mascio, Antonella Giancotti, Giuseppe Rizzo, Kristen A Cagino, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Anthony C Sciscione, Suneet P Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To determine whether uterine tachysystole is associated with adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes.

Data sources: A search strategy for PubMed (National Library of Medicine) was created, and the medical librarian translated the search for every database. The search strategy was peer reviewed by another medical librarian following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies checklist. The databases included in this search were PubMed, Embase.com, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL Ultimate, and Scopus; a combination of key words and subject headings was used.

Methods of study selection: Trials of nulliparous or multiparous parturients exposed to uterine tachysystole were included. Included studies compared …

Sleep-Disordered Breathing In Newborns After Myelomeningocele Repair, Renée A Shellhaas, Fauziya Hassan, Thornton A Mason, Jagruti Anadkat, Ellen Bendel-Stenzel, Stephanie Eyerly-Webb, Cindy K Jon, Robin M Lloyd, Julie S Moldenhauer, Ramesha Papanna, John E Pascoe, Stefanie Riddle, Regina Reynolds, Brandon G Rocque, Narong Simakajornboon, Marjorie C Treadwell, R Bradley Troxler, Lydia S Youmans, Niko A Kaciroti, Harlan Mccaffery, Hemant A Parmar, Lora Merley, Stephanie Md Rau, Ronald D Chervin, John D E Barks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & objective: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may be a remediable contributor to abnormal cognitive outcomes for children with myelomeningocele. We investigated the frequency of SDB among neonates with fetal vs postnatal myelomeningocele repair.

Methods: In this nine-center, prospective, observational study, neonates with myelomeningocele born at more than 30 weeks gestational age underwent a 10-hour bedside polysomnogram at at least 35 weeks postmenstrual age, before hospital discharge. The primary outcome was SDB severity, reflected by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; number of respiratory events per hour of sleep). Decisions regarding surgical timing (fetal vs postnatal), technique (open fetal vs fetoscopic approach), and …

Association Of Intended Mode Of Delivery With Neonatal And Maternal Outcomes At 22-25 Weeks Of Gestation, Jameaka L Hamilton, Paula L Mcgee, Baha M Sibai, Michael W Varner, Alan T N Tita, Monica Longo, Edward F Bell, Barbara J Stoll, John M Thorp, Uma M Reddy, Heather A Frey, Emily S Miller, Dwight J Rouse, Hyagriv N Simhan, Jennifer L Bailit, Lorraine Dugoff, George R Saade

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To compare the risk of neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality among individuals who delivered between 22 and 25 weeks of gestation by intended mode of delivery.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort including participants with a singleton pregnancy delivered by planned cesarean delivery or after a trial of labor from 22 0/7 to 25 6/7 weeks of gestation. This analysis was limited to those who received both antenatal steroids and neonatal resuscitation. The primary outcome was a composite of neonatal death or severe neonatal morbidity. Secondary outcomes included neonatal mortality and measures of neonatal …

Bayesian Posthoc Trial Analysis Of Cerclage Management In Preterm Prelabor Rupture Of The Membranes, Beth L Pineles, Kyung Hyun Lee, Baha M Sibai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is inadequate evidence on whether to retain or remove a cervical cerclage after preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (PPROM). The PROMCerclage trial was the only study to randomize patients to cerclage retention or immediate cerclage removal after PPROM. The trial was terminated early, and results were not statistically significant but the cerclage retention group had shorter latency and more chorioamnionitis. Bayesian post-hoc trial analysis maximizes available clinical trial data by formally integrating information from preexisting studies or prior beliefs into statistical modeling to estimate the probability of a treatment effect.

Objective: To re-analyze published results of the …

The Long-Term Effectiveness Of The Anti-Obesity Medication Phentermine (Leap) Trial: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Characteristics, Caroline Blackwell Young, Emily Rives, Kimberly A Gudzune, Byron C Jaeger, Courtney G Simmons, Brian N White, Stephanie A Hooker, Deborah B Horn, Deborah R Young, Jennifer Vesely, Amanda Velazquez, Catherine Price, Shelly D Cook, Katy Martin-Fernandez, Galina Inzhakova, Nicholas M Pajewski, Jamy D Ard, Kristina H Lewis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Current clinical practice guidelines support the long-term use of pharmacotherapy for obesity treatment. Historically, phentermine has been one of the most prescribed obesity medications (OMs), however, its long-term efficacy and safety have never been evaluated in a randomized trial as its market approval predates such requirements. Here we describe the design, rationale, and baseline characteristics for a 24-month, double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, cardiovascular risk, and safety of phentermine in adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods: This multicenter trial will compare outcomes among participants randomized to phentermine 24 mg daily versus placebo for 24 months. All participants …

Cardiometabolic Parameter Change By Weight Regain On Tirzepatide Withdrawal In Adults With Obesity: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Surmount-4 Trial, Deborah B Horn, Bruno Linetzky, Melanie J Davies, Luke J Laffin, Hui Wang, Madhumita A Murphy, Sarah Zimner-Rapuch, Eva Lau, Avigdor D Arad, Clare J Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: In the SURMOUNT-4 trial, most adults with obesity who had tirzepatide withdrawn following a 36-week treatment regained weight. The association between the degree of weight regain and cardiometabolic parameters after tirzepatide withdrawal is unknown.

Objective: To assess changes in cardiometabolic parameters by degree of weight regain after withdrawal of tirzepatide.

Design, setting, and participants: This post hoc analysis of the SURMOUNT-4 trial included tirzepatide-treated participants with 10% or greater weight reduction at week 36 initially randomized to placebo. Data were collected from March 2021 to May 2023, and data were analyzed from February 2024 to March 2025.

Interventions: After …

Preliminary In Vivo Evaluation Of Coracoclavicular Ligament Mechanics During Shoulder Elevation After Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction, Jason Konrath, Sydney Wheaton, Alonso Figueroa, James Gregory, Payam Zandiyeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Persistent instability and altered scapular mechanics after acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) reconstruction may stem from inadequate replication of native coracoclavicular (CC) ligament function. However, in vivo data on postoperative CC ligament behavior during dynamic shoulder motion remain lacking.

Purpose: To assess in vivo functional distance and timing characteristics of the conoid and trapezoid ligaments during active shoulder elevation after ACJ reconstruction, using dynamic stereo x-ray (DSX) imaging and patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) models.

Study design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Twelve participants (10 men and 2 women, mean age 39 ± 10 years, mean body mass 92 ± 17 …

Bet Inhibitor-Based Combinations Targeting Novel Dependencies In Mecom-Rearranged (R) Aml, Christine E Birdwell, Warren Fiskus, Christopher P Mill, Tapan M Kadia, Naval Daver, Courtney D Dinardo, Koji Sasaki, John A Davis, Kaberi Das, Hanxi Hou, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Lauren B Flores, Rasoul Pourebrahim, Selina Yuan, Xiaoping Su, Michele Ceribelli, Kapil N Bhalla

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MECOM rearrangement in AML involves either inv(3)(q21;q26.2) or t(3;3)(q21;q26.2), where the dislocated GATA2 enhancer drives overexpression of the transcriptional regulator EVI1, causes concomitant GATA2 repression, and promotes AML progression, aggressive phenotype and therapy refractoriness. Treatment with BET protein inhibitor (BETi) induces in vitro and in vivo efficacy in MECOM-r AML cells. Utilizing an unbiased, high-throughput drug screen, focused on mechanistically-annotated drugs, we identified BRD4, PIK3CA, mTOR, BCL-xL and XIAP as dependencies in the MECOM-r AML cells. Monotherapy with mivebresib (BETi), dactolisib (PI3K/mTORi) and LCL161 (IAPi) dose-dependently induced greater lethality in PD MECOM-r versus non-MECOM-r AML cells. RNA-Seq and/or mass spectrometry …

Determinants Of Severe Financial Distress In Us Acute Care Hospitals: A National Longitudinal Study, Andrea J Yatsco, Karima Lalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Financial sustainability remains a central challenge for U.S. hospitals as rising operating costs, shifting federal reimbursement, and policy uncertainty intensify economic pressures. This study estimates the prevalence and recent changes in financial distress among U.S. short-term acute care hospitals.

Methods: We conducted a national longitudinal analysis of all U.S. short-term acute care hospitals from 2021 to 2023 using financial and operational data from Medicare cost reports linked with community-level data from the American Community Survey. Financial distress was measured using the Altman Z-score, with severe distress defined as Z ≤ 1.8. Logistic regression models were used to …

Global Dose Prescription Variances Exemplified Through Oropharynx Cancer: When Is 70 Gray 70 Gray?, Christian Rønn Hansen, Tony Tadic, Manju Sharma, Gareth Price, Jens Petersen, Ying Xiao, Pernille Lassen, Jens Overgaard, Lachlan Mcdowell, Prabhakar Ramachandran, Jun Won Kim, Clifton David Fuller, David J Thomson, Jørgen Johansen, Jeppe Friborg, Sue S Yom, Andrew Hope

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose/objectives: Radiation therapy treatment planning hinges on a critical factor: the prescribed dose. Surprisingly, there is no consistent, standardized global approach to evaluating the dosimetry of this prescription across different centers treating head and neck cancer (HNC). This study aimed to quantify global dose variations for identical prescriptions across international centers treating oropharyngeal cancer, to establish the foundation for future outcome-based studies and improve consistency of interpretation worldwide.

Materials and methods: The study included patients with oropharyngeal cancer who were consecutively treated from 2017 onward with intensity-modulated radiation therapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy at 8 globally recognized radiation therapy …

Perceived Neighborhood Safety And Firearm Secure Storage: Findings From The 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Alexander Testa, Karyn Fu, Muhammed Ahmed, Daniel C Semenza, Dylan B Jackson, Sandra Mckay, Kyle T Ganson, Jason M Nagata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Secure firearm storage (i.e., keeping firearms locked and ammunition stored separately) is a means of reducing risks of suicide, unintentional injury, and homicide. While prior research has examined demographic and household factors associated with storage practices, less is known about how contextual factors, such as perceived neighborhood safety from crime, influence firearm storage behavior.

Methods: Data were from the 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a nationally coordinated, state-based survey administered by state health departments with technical and methodological support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Analyses were restricted to respondents in firearm-owning households from ten …

High-Throughput Proteomic Profiling To Evaluate Differentiation Syndrome With Menin Inhibition, Miriam B Garcia, Bofei Wang, Irtiza Sheikh, Georgina El Hajjar, David Mccall, Amber Gibson, Ghayas C Issa, Branko Cuglievan, Hussein A Abbas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

High-throughput proteomic profiling provides a comprehensive analysis of systemic cancer effects and tumor microenvironment interactions. Characterizing soluble proteins driving inflammation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) offers insight into inflammatory diseases like differentiation syndrome (DS) related to AML therapies like menin inhibitors. We present our application of NUcleic acid-Linked Immuno-Sandwich Assay (NULISA), a novel technology leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) for high-throughput, ultra-sensitive characterization of secreted inflammatory proteins in plasma or serum. Here we report its use to identify dynamic soluble protein changes during treatment and at the time of suspected DS in pediatric AML patients treated with the menin inhibitor revumenib …

Supercharging-Enhanced Ndia-Ms Enables Global Profiling Of Drug-Induced Proteome Solubility Shifts, Yun Xiong, Huimin Zhang, Lin Tan, Bo Wei, John N Weinstein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mass spectrometry (MS) is indispensable for high-throughput quantitation of protein expression. But protein function is regulated by factors beyond abundance alone. Here, we evaluate two supercharging reagents, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (mNBA), in narrow-window data-independent acquisition (nDIA)-MS. DMSO markedly enhances MS signal and protein identification, whereas mNBA primarily increases peptide identifications. Optimizating nDIA-MS with 3% DMSO boosts signal intensity by up to 56%, enabling identification of ~9,600 proteins from 1 µg HeLa digest in 15 min. Using this methodology, we quantify solubility and abundance changes in 8,694 proteins across three cell lines following short-term treatment with the proteasome …

An Application-Based Ontological Knowledge Base Of Medications To Support Health Literacy And Adherence For The Consumer Population: An Aging Population Use Case, Renata Komalasari, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Downregulation Of Slc40a1 Leads To Iron Accumulation In Fibrotic Lung Fibroblasts, Quanjin Dang, Chaoqun Huang, Yurong Liang, Akshaya Surendran, Dharanya Muthiah, Sankha Hewawasam, Lin Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Iron is an essential nutrient for almost all organisms. However, excess iron generates reactive oxygen species and causes tissue injuries. Iron is implicated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this study, we examined iron accumulation in fibrotic lung fibroblasts and the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesize that the downregulation of Solute Carrier Family 40 Member 1 (SLC40A1) results in iron accumulation in lung fibroblasts of IPF patients. Using a Prussian Blue iron staining, we found that iron accumulated in the fibrotic region of the lungs from IPF patients and bleomycin- and asbestos-induced lung fibrosis mice. Iron was partially co-localized with the …

The Origin Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Depends On Metabolic Zonation, Jason Guo, Roger Liang, Andrew Chung, Zhijie Li, Boyuan Li, Lin Li, Meng-Hsiung Hsieh, Ivy Xiangyi Fang, Benjamin Kroger, Yunguan Wang, Min Zhu, Xiongzhao Ren, Greg Mannino, Yuemeng Jia, Yonglong Wei, Stephen Moore, Daniel J Siegwart, Stephen S Chung, Zixi Wang, Tripti Sharma, Suman Komjeti, Yi Han, Purva Gopal, Guanghua Xiao, Tao Wang, Hao Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The origin of cancer is poorly understood because premalignant cells are rarely followed in their native environments. Although the spatial compartmentalization of metabolic functions is critical for proper liver function, it is unknown whether cancers arise from some zones but not others and whether there are metabolic determinants of cancer risk. Zone-specific, mosaic introduction of Ctnnb1 (catenin beta 1) and Arid2 (AT-rich interaction domain 2) mutations, commonly co-mutated genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in mouse models showed that position and metabolic context determine clone fates. Ctnnb1/Arid2-driven cancers were much more likely to arise in zone 3. The …

Seipin Expression In Hepatocytes Impairs The Assembly Of Vldls And Exacerbates Steatohepatitis, Qianqian Dong, Yidan Ma, Xin Chen, Xiaowei Wang, Ziwei Liu, Liwen Qiu, Jin Wu, Yang Liu, Xiaoqin Wu, Yaru Zhou, Mingming Gao, Hongyuan Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

VLDLs are crucial for maintaining liver and whole-body lipid homeostasis. Limited knowledge exists regarding the lipidation process of VLDL. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal lipid droplets (LLDs) have been suggested to provide lipids for VLDL lipidation and maturation. Seipin, an integral membrane protein of the ER, plays key roles in the formation of cytoplasmic LDs (CLDs) and adipocyte differentiation. Surprisingly, seipin is hardly detectable in hepatocytes. Given the critical contribution of seipin in forming CLDs, we hypothesize that the absence of seipin in hepatocytes might ensure the proper formation of LLDs and the lipidation and assembly of VLDLs. To explore the …

Comparative Outcomes Of Abdominal, Laparoscopic, And Vaginal Sacral Colpopexy: A National Analysis Of Apical Suspension Procedures (2014–2022), Smit Bharat Solanki, Apurva B Pancholy, Vishal Pancholy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Sacral colpopexy is a well-established procedure for apical suspension, but the relative outcomes of abdominal, laparoscopic, and vaginal approaches remain debated. This study compared perioperative outcomes across these surgical routes using a national database and evaluated trends in robotic assistance.

Materials and methods: We analyzed sacral colpopexy cases from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program between 2014 and 2022. Patient demographics, complication rates, and surgical outcomes were compared among abdominal, laparoscopic, and vaginal procedures. Relative risks (RR) were adjusted for confounders. The utilization of robotic systems in laparoscopic procedures was examined.

Results: Among 61,524 cases, …

The Cortico-Cortical And Subcortical Circuits Of The Human Brain Language Centers Including The Dual Limbic And Language Functioning Fiber Tracts, Arash Kamali, Nithya P Narayana, Anastasia Loiko, Anusha Gandhi, Paul E Schulz, Manish N Shah, Larry A Kramer, Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Haris Sair, Roy F Riascos, Khader M Hasan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: In recent years, MRI-based diffusion-weighted tractography techniques have uncovered additional white matter pathways that have significant roles in language processing and production. In this review, we aim to outline the major language centers of the brain and major language pathways along with association tracts that serve dual roles in both the language and limbic systems. According to the current dual-stream model of language processing, the brain's language network is organized into a dorsal stream, responsible for mapping sound to articulation, and a ventral stream, which maps sound to meaning.

Materials and Methods: The literature cited in this …

A Robust Convnext-Based Framework For Efficient, Generalizable, And Explainable Brain Tumor Classification On Mri, Kirti Pant, Pijush Kanti Dutta Pramanik, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Accurate and dependable brain tumor classification from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for clinical decision support, yet remains challenging due to inter-dataset variability, heterogeneous tumor appearances, and limited generalization of many deep learning models. Existing studies often rely on single-dataset evaluation, insufficient statistical validation, or lack interpretability, which restricts their clinical reliability and real-world deployment.

Methods: This study proposes a robust brain tumor classification framework based on the ConvNeXt Base architecture. The model is evaluated across three independent MRI datasets comprising four classes-glioma, meningioma, pituitary tumor, and no tumor. Performance is assessed using class-wise and aggregate metrics, including …

Targeting Interleukin-6 Trans-Signaling To Improve Post-Stroke Inflammation: A Precision Immunotherapy Perspective, Kate Mendoza, Dustin T Nguyen, Anjali Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Cabozantinib And Thromboembolism In Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, And Retrospective Study, Raj S Kasthuri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Antiangiogenic agents, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), represent an important class of treatments for a range of solid tumors. However, concerns have arisen over potential associations between antiangiogenic agents and thromboembolic events. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a frequently used VEGFR TKI, cabozantinib, with placebo or usual care. The primary outcome was the risk of any thromboembolism. Secondary outcomes included the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), risk of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) and progression-free survival. 14 RCTs were included with a combined total of 4204 patients, …