Digital Commons Network^™

Unraveling The Intercellular Communication Disruption And Key Pathways In Alzheimer’S Disease: An Integrative Study Of Single-Nucleus Transcriptomes And Genetic Association, Andi Liu, Brisa S Fernandes, Citu Citu, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Recently, single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) analyses have revealed important cellular and functional features of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disease. However, our knowledge regarding intercellular communication mediated by dysregulated ligand-receptor (LR) interactions remains very limited in AD brains.

METHODS: We systematically assessed the intercellular communication networks by using a discovery snRNA-seq dataset comprising 69,499 nuclei from 48 human postmortem prefrontal cortex (PFC) samples. We replicated the findings using an independent snRNA-seq dataset of 56,440 nuclei from 18 PFC samples. By integrating genetic signals from AD genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics and whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, we prioritized …

Clonal Hematopoiesis Risk Score And All-Cause And Cardiovascular Mortality In Older Adults, Seyedmohammad Saadatagah, Md Mesbah Uddin, Lachelle D Weeks, Abhishek Niroula, Meng Ru, Koichi Takahashi, Lukasz Gondek, Bing Yu, Alexander G Bick, Benjamin L Ebert, Elizabeth A Platz, Pradeep Natarajan, Christie M Ballantyne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) with acquired pathogenic variants in myeloid leukemia driver genes is common in older adults but of unknown prognostic value.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of CH and the utility of the CH risk score (CHRS) in estimating all-cause and disease-specific mortality in older adults with CH.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based prospective cohort study involved community-dwelling older adults (aged 67-90 years) without hematologic malignant neoplasms (HMs) who were participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Visit 5 at 4 US centers: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Washington County, Maryland. Samples were …

Clonal Hematopoiesis And Incident Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction, Art Schuermans, Michael C Honigberg, Laura M Raffield, Bing Yu, Mary B Roberts, Charles Kooperberg, Pinkal Desai, April P Carson, Amil M Shah, Christie M Ballantyne, Alexander G Bick, Pradeep Natarajan, Joann E Manson, Eric A Whitsel, Charles B Eaton, Alexander P Reiner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), the age-related clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells with leukemogenic acquired genetic variants, is associated with incident heart failure (HF).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations of CHIP and key gene-specific CHIP subtypes with incident HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This population-based cohort study included participants from 2 racially diverse prospective cohort studies with uniform HF subtype adjudication: the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) and Women's Health Initiative (WHI). JHS participants were enrolled during 2000 to 2004 and followed up through 2016. WHI participants were …

Pediatric Medical Subspecialist Use In Outpatient Settings, Christopher B Forrest, Candice P Chen, Eliana M Perrin, Christopher J Stille, Ruth Cooper, Katherine Harris, Qian Luo, Mitchell G Maltenfort, Lauren E Parlett

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance

A first step toward understanding whether pediatric medical subspecialists are meeting the needs of the nation’s children is describing rates of use and trends over time.

Objectives

To quantify rates of outpatient pediatric medical subspecialty use.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This repeated cross-sectional study of annual subspecialist use examined 3 complementary data sources: electronic health records from PEDSnet (8 large academic medical centers [January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2021]); administrative data from the Healthcare Integrated Research Database (HIRD) (14 commercial health plans [January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021]); and administrative data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information …

Conserved Residues At The Mtr4 C-Terminus Coordinate Helicase Activity And Exosome Interactions, Matthew K Yim, Catherine J Stuart, Markell I Pond, Ambro Van Hoof, Sean J Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mtr4 is an essential RNA helicase involved in nuclear RNA processing and degradation and is a member of the Ski2-like helicase family. Ski2-like helicases share a common core architecture that includes two RecA-like domains, a winged helix, and a helical bundle (HB) domain. In Mtr4, a short C-terminal tail immediately follows the HB domain and is positioned at the interface of the RecA-like domains. The tail ends with a SLYΦ sequence motif that is highly conserved in a subset of Ski2-like helicases. Here, we show that this sequence is critical for Mtr4 function. Mutations in the C-terminus result in decreased …

Vibrio Cyclitrophicus Phage Encoding Gene Transfer Agent Fragment, Representing A Novel Viral Family, Yao Xiong, Keran Ma, Xiao Zou, Yantao Liang, Kaiyang Zheng, Tiancong Wang, Hong Zhang, Yue Dong, Ziyue Wang, Yundan Liu, Hongbing Shao, Andrew Mcminn, Min Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Vibrio is a prevalent bacterial genus in aquatic environments and exhibits diverse metabolic capabilities, playing a vital role in marine biogeochemical cycles. This study isolated a novel virus infecting Vibrio cyclitrophicus, vB_VviC_ZQ26, from coastal waters near Qingdao, China. The vB_VviC_ZQ26 comprises a linear double-stranded DNA genome with a length of 42,982 bp and a G + C content of 43.21 %, encoding 72 putative open reading frames (ORFs). Transmission electron microscope characterization indicates a siphoviral-morphology of vB_VviC_ZQ26. Nucleic-acids-wide analysis indicates a tetranucleotide frequency deviation for genomic segments encoding putative gene transfer agent protein (GTA) and coil-containing protein, implying divergent …

Antiviral Effects Of Micafungin Against Pteropine Orthoreovirus, An Emerging Zoonotic Virus Carried By Bats, Eiichi Hondo, Tetsufumi Katta, Ayato Sato, Naoya Kadofusa, Tomoki Ishibashi, Hiroshi Shimoda, Hirokazu Katoh, Atsuo Iida

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bat-borne emerging zoonotic viruses cause major outbreaks, such as the Ebola virus, Nipah virus, and/or beta coronavirus. Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), whose spillover event occurred from fruits bats to humans, causes respiratory syndrome in humans widely in South East Asia. Repurposing approved drugs against PRV is an effective tool to confront future PRV pandemics. We screened 2,943 compounds in an FDA-approved drug library and identified eight hit compounds that reduce viral cytopathic effects on cultured Vero cells. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that six of eight hit compounds significantly inhibited PRV replication. Among them, micafungin used clinically as an antifungal drug, …

Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide For Maintenance Of Weight Reduction In Adults With Obesity: The Surmount-4 Randomized Clinical Trial, Louis J Aronne, Naveed Sattar, Deborah B Horn, Harold E Bays, Sean Wharton, Wen-Yuan Lin, Nadia N Ahmad, Shuyu Zhang, Ran Liao, Mathijs C Bunck, Irina Jouravskaya, Madhumita A Murphy, Surmount-4 Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The effect of continued treatment with tirzepatide on maintaining initial weight reduction is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of tirzepatide, with diet and physical activity, on the maintenance of weight reduction.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 3, randomized withdrawal clinical trial conducted at 70 sites in 4 countries with a 36-week, open-label tirzepatide lead-in period followed by a 52-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled period included adults with a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 or greater than or equal to 27 and a weight-related complication, excluding diabetes.

INTERVENTIONS: Participants (n = 783) enrolled in an open-label …

Unified Resource Browser: An Interactive And Reconfigurable Web Framework For Biomedical Metadata Exploration, Visualization, And Management, Shiwei Lin, Ling Tong, Kimberly A Smith, Lydia Ng, Tyler Mollenkopf, Yan Huang, Rashmie Abeysinghe, Wei-Chun Chou, Antarr T Byrd, Licong Cui, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Xiaojin Li, Shiqiang Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We present Unified Resource Browser, a web-based framework designed to optimize the configuration, exploration, visualization, and dissemination of complex biomedical metadata. As a core component of Neuroanatomy-Anchored Information Management Platform (NIMP), Unified Resource Browser enables researchers to efficiently access donor information, brain tissue samples, and sequencing data through structured resource tables and advanced search and filtering capabilities. The platform allows users to customize data views, share configurations via direct links, and seamlessly export data for further analysis. Integrated visualization tools offer immediate insights through customizable charts, enhancing data interpretation. By improving the accessibility and usability of biomedical data resources, Unified …

Networks Extracted From Nonlinear Fmri Connectivity Exhibit Unique Spatial Variation And Enhanced Sensitivity To Differences Between Individuals With Schizophrenia And Controls, Spencer Kinsey, Katarzyna Kazimierczak, Pablo Andrés Camazón, Jiayu Chen, Tülay Adali, Peter Kochunov, Bhim M Adhikari, Judith Ford, Theo G M Van Erp, Mukesh Dhamala, Vince D Calhoun, Armin Iraji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder associated with widespread alterations in functional brain connectivity. Although data-driven approaches such as independent component analysis are often used to study how schizophrenia impacts linearly connected networks, alterations within the underlying nonlinear functional connectivity structure remain largely unknown. Here we report the analysis of networks from explicitly nonlinear functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity in a case-control dataset. We found systematic spatial variation, with higher nonlinear weight within core regions, suggesting that linear analyses underestimate functional connectivity within network centers. We also found that a unique nonlinear network incorporating default-mode, cingulo-opercular and central executive regions …

‘Door-To-Prophylaxis’ As A Novel Quality Improvement Metric In Prevention Of Venous Thromboembolism Following Traumatic Injury, Jan-Michael Van Gent, Thomas W Clements, David E Lubkin, Carter W Kaminski, Jonathan K Bates, Mariela Sandoval, Thaddeus J Puzio, Bryan A Cotton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk reduction strategies include early initiation of chemoprophylaxis, reducing missed doses, weight-based dosing and dose adjustment using anti-Xa levels. We hypothesized that time to initiation of chemoprophylaxis would be the strongest modifiable risk for VTE, even after adjusting for competing risk factors.

METHODS: A prospectively maintained trauma registry was queried for patients admitted July 2017-October 2021 who were 18 years and older and received emergency release blood products. Patients with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (VTE) were compared to those without (no VTE). Door-to-prophylaxis was defined as time from hospital arrival to first dose of …

Unveiling The Complex World Of Extracellular Vesicles: Novel Characterization Techniques And Manufacturing Considerations, James J Lai, John J Hill, Casey Y Huang, Gino C Lee, Karol W Mai, Maggie Y Shen, Simon K Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) function as potent mediators of intercellular communication for many in vivo processes, contributing to both health and disease related conditions. Given their biological origins and diverse functionality from correspondingly unique "cargo" compositions, both endogenous and modified EVs are garnering attention as promising therapeutic modalities and vehicles for targeted therapeutic delivery applications. Their diversity in composition, however, has revealed a significant need for more comprehensive analytical-based characterization methods, and manufacturing processes that are consistent and scalable. In this review, we explore the dynamic landscape of EV research and development efforts, ranging from novel isolation approaches, to their analytical …

The Efficacy Of Botulinum Toxin Use In Service Members And Veterans With Migraine And Post-Traumatic Headache Disorders: A Scoping Review, Qing Zhao Ruan, Daniel J Pak, David E Reece, Rohan Jotwani, Sean Li, Moises Dominguez, Alan David Kaye, R Jason Yong, Abdulrazaq Albilali, Sadiq Bhayani, Jamal Hasoon, Michael E Schatman, Jun Beom Ku, Thomas T Simopoulos, Sait Ashina, Christopher L Robinson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To delineate the trend of use of botulinum toxin, including onabotulinum toxinA (OTA), in active military personnel and veterans with the diagnoses of migraine and post-traumatic headache (PTH) and describe the efficacy of botulinum toxin administration.

Background: Service members and veterans represent a unique population in the medical management of headache disorders, particularly migraine. They exhibit higher susceptibility to pain of greater intensity and longer durations, possibly due to their history of exposure to combat, trauma, and the associated psychological stresses. Given the burden and morbid nature of these headache disorders, prophylactic measures to reduce migraine attacks and disability …

Phase 1 Trial Of Tpi 287, A Microtubule Stabilizing Agent, In Combination With Bevacizumab In Adults With Recurrent Glioblastoma, Samuel A Goldlust, Louis B Nabors, Sigmund Hsu, Nimish Mohile, Paul J Duic, Tara Benkers, Samuel Singer, Mayank Rao, Lori Cappello, Sandra L Silberman, George Farmer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) has limited treatment options. This phase 1 protocol was designed to study the safety and preliminary efficacy of TPI 287, a central nervous system penetrant microtubule stabilizer, in combination with bevacizumab (BEV) for the treatment of rGBM.

METHODS: GBM patients with up to 2 prior relapses without prior exposure to anti-angiogenic therapy were eligible. A standard 3 + 3 design was utilized to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of TPI 287. Cohorts received TPI 287 at 140-220 mg/m

RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were enrolled at 6 centers. Treatment was generally well tolerated. Fatigue, myelosuppression, and peripheral …

In Vivo Scanning Laser Fundus And High-Resolution Oct Imaging Of Retinal Ganglion Cell Injury In A Non-Human Primate Model With An Activatable Fluorescent-Labeled Tat Peptide Probe, Xudong Qiu, Seth T Gammon, Carol Rasmussen, Federica Pisaneschi, Charlene B Y Kim, James Ver Hoeve, Steven W Millward, Edward M Barnett, T Michael Nork, Paul L Kaufman, David Piwnica-Worms

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The optical imaging agent TcapQ488 has enabled imaging of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury in vivo in rodents and has potential as an effective diagnostic probe for early detection and intervention monitoring in glaucoma patients. In the present study, we investigated TcapQ488 in non-human primates (NHPs) to identify labeling efficacy and early signals of injured RGC, to determine species-dependent changes in RGC probe uptake and clearance, and to determine dose-limiting toxicities. Doses of 3, 6, and 12 nmol of TcapQ488 were delivered intravitreally to normal healthy NHP eyes and eyes that had undergone hemiretinal endodiathermy axotomy (HEA) in the inferior …

Case Report: Nocturnal Low-Frequency Stimulation Of The Centromedian Thalamic Nucleus Improves Sleep Quality And Seizure Control, Surya Suresh, Ganne Chaitanya, Ajay Deep Kachhvah, Vladimir Vashin, Manojkumar Saranathan, Sandipan Pati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sleep disturbances and drug-resistant seizures significantly impact people with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers potential treatment, but its effect on sleep and seizure control needs clarification. In this study, we combined wearable sleep monitoring with electroencephalogram (EEG) confirmation to investigate the impact of nocturnal centromedian nucleus (CM) DBS parameters in a patient with drug-resistant IGE. We found that high-frequency (125 Hz) CM stimulation during sleep severely disrupted sleep macro architecture and exacerbated seizures. Conversely, switching to low-frequency (10 Hz) stimulation enhanced both sleep quality and seizure control. This study underscores the critical need to personalize …

Cancer-Associated Mdm2 W329g Mutant Attenuates Ribosomal Stress-Mediated P53 Responses To Promote Cell Survival And Glycolysis, Sally Lien, Thomas P Whitbread, Shiva O Shastri, Jamie A Contreras, Ruiying Zhao, Yan Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although amplification/overexpression is the predominant mechanism for the oncogenic properties of MDM2, an increasing number of MDM2 somatic missense mutations were identified in cancer patients with the recent advances in sequencing technology. Here, we characterized an MDM2 cancer-associated mutant variant W329G identified from a patient sample that contains a wild-type p53 gene. Trp329 is one of residues that were reported to be critical to MDM2's binding to ribosomal protein L11 (RPL11). We found that the MDM2 W329G mutant was resistant to the inhibitory effect of RPL11 on MDM2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation, in line with its defect on RPL11 binding. …

Spinal Cord Evaluation In Multiple Sclerosis: Clinical And Radiological Associations, Present And Future, B Mark Keegan, Martina Absinta, Julien Cohen-Adad, Eoin P Flanagan, Roland G Henry, Eric C Klawiter, Shannon Kolind, Stephen Krieger, Cornelia Laule, John A Lincoln, Steven Messina, Jiwon Oh, Nico Papinutto, Seth Aaron Smith, Anthony Traboulsee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spinal cord disease is important in most people with multiple sclerosis, but assessment remains less emphasized in patient care, basic and clinical research and therapeutic trials. The North American Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis Spinal Cord Interest Group was formed to determine and present the contemporary landscape of multiple sclerosis spinal cord evaluation, further existing and advanced spinal cord imaging techniques, and foster collaborative work. Important themes arose: (i) multiple sclerosis spinal cord lesions (differential diagnosis, association with clinical course); (ii) spinal cord radiological-pathological associations; (iii) 'critical' spinal cord lesions; (iv) multiple sclerosis topographical model; (v) spinal cord atrophy; and (vi) …

An Automated Approach For Identifying Erroneous Is-A Relations In Snomed Ct, Ran Hu, Jay Shi, Licong Cui, Rashmie Abeysinghe

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

SNOMED CT is the most comprehensive clinical terminology employed worldwide and enhancing its accuracy is of utmost importance. In this work, we introduce an automated approach to identifying erroneous IS-A relations in SNOMED CT. We first extract linked concept-pairs from which we generate Term Difference Pairs (TDPs) that contain differences between the concepts. Given a TDP, if the reversed TDP also exists and the number of linked-pairs generating this TDP is less than those generating the reversed TDP, then we suggest the former linked-pairs as potentially erroneous IS-A relations. We applied this approach to the Clinical finding and Procedure subhierarchies …

Facilitating Clinical Information Extraction With Synthetic Data And Ontology Using Large Language Models, Yan Hu, Huan He, Qingyu Chen, Xiaoqian Jiang, Kirk Roberts, Hua Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The rapid growth of unstructured clinical text in electronic health records necessitates robust information extraction systems, yet their development is hindered by the scarcity of high-quality annotated data. This study explores the potential of large language models to generate synthetic data for clinical named entity recognition and examines its impact on model performance. We propose a novel framework that integrates self-verified synthetic data generation with domain-specific semantic mapping using SNOMED-CT. By leveraging GPT-4o-mini for synthetic data creation and refining its quality through iterative verification and anomaly detection, we systematically evaluate the influence of synthetic data quality and quantity on fine-tuning …

Xuebijing Improves Intestinal Microcirculation Dysfunction In Septic Rats By Regulating The Vegf-A/Pi3k/Akt Signaling Pathway, A-Ling Tang, Yan Li, Li-Chao Sun, Xiao-Yu Liu, Nan Gao, Sheng-Tao Yan, Guo-Qiang Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore whether Xuebijing (XBJ) can improve intestinal microcirculation dysfunction in sepsis and its mechanism.

METHODS: A rat model of sepsis was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). A total of 30 male SD rats were divided into four groups: sham group, CLP group, XBJ + axitinib group, and XBJ group. XBJ was intraperitoneally injected 2 h before CLP. Hemodynamic data (blood pressure and heart rate) were recorded. The intestinal microcirculation data of the rats were analyzed via microcirculation imaging. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to detect the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), …

A Transformer-Based Deep Learning Approach For Fairly Predicting Post-Liver Transplant Risk Factors, Can Li, Xiaoqian Jiang, Kai Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease. There are two main challenges in liver transplant: finding the best matching patient for a donor and ensuring transplant equity among different subpopulations. The current MELD scoring system evaluates a patient's mortality risk if not receiving an organ within 90 days. However, the donor-patient matching should also consider post-transplant risk factors, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic rejection, etc., which are all common complications after transplant. Accurate prediction of these risk scores remains a significant challenge. In this study, we used predictive models to solve the above challenges. Specifically, …

Perspectives On Enhancing Clinical Informatics Education In The Artificial Intelligence Era, Hua Min, Xia Jing, Yang Gong, Ping Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: This paper aims to analyze clinical informatic (CI) - a subfield of biomedical and health informatics (BHI) - programs to identify challenges and provide solutions for CI education. Using an online clinical decision support system (CDSS) course as a case study, we demonstrate how these challenges can be addressed. In addition, we discuss the potential impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI), along with the opportunities and risks it presents for CI education.

Methods: This is a perspective paper. The viewpoint analysis is based on a review of formal academic and training programs offered by the American Medical Informatics Association …

Effect Of S-Ketamine On Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Yu Qi, Meiyan Zhou, Wenting Zheng, Yaqi Dong, Weihua Li, Long Wang, Haijun Xu, Miao Zhang, Dunpeng Yang, Liwei Wang, Hai Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) frequently occur in patients after surgery. In this study, the authors investigated whether perioperative S-ketamine infusion could decrease the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study was conducted a total of 420 patients from September 2021 to May 2023 at Xuzhou Central Hospital in China, who underwent elective VATS lobectomy under general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. The patients were randomly assigned to either the S-ketamine group or the control group. The S-ketamine group received a bolus injection of 0.5 mg/kg S-ketamine …

Design And Implementation Of Multicenter Pediatric And Congenital Studies With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance: Big Data In Smaller Bodies, Michael P Dilorenzo, Simon Lee, Rahul H Rathod, Francesca Raimondi, Kanwal M Farooqi, Supriya S Jain, Margaret M Samyn, Tiffanie R Johnson, Laura J Olivieri, Mark A Fogel, Wyman W Lai, Pierangelo Renella, Andrew J Powell, Sujatha Buddhe, Caitlin Stafford, Jason N Johnson, Willem A Helbing, Kuberan Pushparajah, Inga Voges, Vivek Muthurangu, Kimberley G Miles, Gerald Greil, Colin J Mcmahon, Timothy C Slesnick, Brian M Fonseca, Shaine A Morris, Jonathan H Soslow, Lars Grosse-Wortmann, Rebecca S Beroukhim, Heynric B Grotenhuis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become the reference standard for quantitative and qualitative assessment of ventricular function, blood flow, and myocardial tissue characterization. There is a preponderance of large CMR studies and registries in adults; However, similarly powered studies are lacking for the pediatric and congenital heart disease (PCHD) population. To date, most CMR studies in children are limited to small single or multicenter studies, thereby limiting the conclusions that can be drawn. Within the PCHD CMR community, a collaborative effort has been successfully employed to recognize knowledge gaps with the aim to embolden the development and initiation of high-quality, …

Erratum: Toward Standardization, Harmonization, And Integration Of Social Determinants Of Health Data: A Texas Clinical And Translational Science Award Institutions Collaboration - Corrigendum, Catherine K Craven, Linda Highfield, Mujeeb Basit, Elmer V Bernstam, Byeong Yeob Choi, Robert L Ferrer, Jonathan A Gelfond, Sandi L Pruitt, Vaishnavi Kannan, Paula K Shireman, Heidi Spratt, Kayla J Torres Morales, Chen-Pin Wang, Zhan Wang, Meredith N Zozus, Edward C Sankary, Susanne Schmidt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This corrects the article "Toward standardization, harmonization, and integration of social determinants of health data: A Texas Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions collaboration" in volume 8, e17.

Predicting Endothelium-Dependent Diastolic Function (Fmd)And Its Correlation With The Degree Of Coronary Artery Disease (Cad) And Plaque Vulnerability For Cardiovascular Events, Guangming Zhang, Jing Yang, Hanghang Xing, Hongning Yin, Guoqing Gu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the correlation between vascular endothelium-dependent diastolic function (FMD) and the degree of coronary artery disease (CAD), plaque vulnerability, and its predictive value for cardiovascular events.

METHODS: Initially, patients (n=100) who were admitted from January 2020 to January 2021 and intended to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were selected. Further, FMD in all patients was determined before the procedure and divided into a high-FMD group (≥4.2%) and a low-FMD group (

RESULTS: No significant differences were observed concerning general information, number of coronary arteries-associated branches, lesion type, involvement of the left main stem (LM), the …

Case Report: The Effect Of Automated Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy On Lymphatic Contractility In 4 Distinct Cases, Melissa B Aldrich, John C Rasmussen, Ron J Karni, Caroline E Fife, Frank Aviles, Kristen A Eckert, M Mark Melin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Automated manual lymphatic drainage therapy (AMLDT) is available for home use in the form of a pneumatic mat of 16 pressurized air channels that inflate and deflate to mimic the stretch and release action of manual lymphatic drainage therapy. Four cases (a patient with complex regional pain syndrome and lymphedema, a healthy patient, a breast cancer survivor with chronic pain, and a patient with a history of abdominal surgery) underwent near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRFLI) with AMLDT to evaluate the effect of AMLDT on lymphatic pumping and pain.

METHODS: Each patient received 32-36 injections of 25 μg indocyanine green …

Association Between Symptom Burden And Early Lymphatic Abnormalities After Regional Nodal Irradiation For Breast Cancer, Alison K Yoder, Tianlin Xu, Peter Youssef, Sarah Desnyder, Kathryn E Marqueen, Lynn Isales, Ruitao Lin, Benjamin D Smith, Wendy A Woodward, Michael C Stauder, Eric A Strom, Melissa B Aldrich, Simona F Shaitelman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Dermal backflow visualized on near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging (NIRF-LI) signals preclinical lymphedema that precedes the development of volumetrically defined lymphedema. We sought to evaluate whether dermal backflow correlates with patient-reported lymphedema outcomes (PRLO) surveys in breast cancer patients treated with regional nodal irradiation (RNI).

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with breast cancer planned for axillary dissection and RNI prospectively underwent perometry, NIRF-LI, and PRLOs (the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey [LSIDS] and QuickDASH) at baseline, after surgery, and at 6, 12, and 18 months after radiation. Clinical lymphedema was defined as an arm volume increase ≥5% over baseline. Trends …

Protein-Centric Omics Analysis Reveals Circulating Complements Linked To Non-Viral Liver Diseases As Potential Therapeutic Targets, Yingzhou Shi, Hang Dong, Shiwei Sun, Xiaoqin Wu, Jiansong Fang, Jianbo Zhao, Junming Han, Zongyue Li, Huixiao Wu, Luna Liu, Wanhong Wu, Yang Tian, Guandou Yuan, Xiude Fan, Chao Xu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the causal correlation between complement components and non-viral liver diseases and their potential use as druggable targets.

METHODS: We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal role of circulating complements in the risk of non-viral liver diseases. A complement-centric protein interaction network was constructed to explore biological functions and identify potential therapeutic options.

RESULTS: In the MR analysis, genetically predicted levels of complement C1q C chain (C1QC) were positively associated with the risk of autoimmune hepatitis (odds ratio 1.125, 95% confidence interval 1.018-1.244), while complement factor H-related protein 5 (CFHR5) was positively associated with the risk …