Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Supervised School Therapy In Poorly Controlled Asthma In Children, Muppala Raju, Malvika Sagar, Andrew Bush, Eugene Quaye, Shekhar Ghamande, Sonal Malhotra, Mercedes E Arroliga

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: In children, nonadherence to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy leads to poor asthma control and complications.

METHODS: We evaluated the benefit from initiation of ICS administration once daily at school. We retrospectively chose patients from our pediatric pulmonary clinic who had poorly controlled asthma and prescribed ICS daily. For the study period, we examined the number of corticosteroid courses, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, symptom history, and pulmonary function tests.

RESULTS: Thirty-four patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria began the intervention. Preintervention, there were a mean number of 2.6 oral corticosteroid courses compared to 2 courses in the year following …

Vaccine-Linked Chemotherapy Improves Cardiac Structure And Function In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Chagas Disease, Kathryn M Jones, Elise N Mangin, Corey L Reynolds, Liliana E Villanueva, Julio Vladimir Cruz, Leroy Versteeg, Brian Keegan, April Kendricks, Jeroen Pollet, Fabian Gusovsky, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Chagas disease, caused by chronic infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 6-7 million people worldwide. The major clinical manifestation of Chagas disease is chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC), which encompasses a spectrum of symptoms including arrhythmias, hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and sudden death. Current treatment is limited to two antiparasitic drugs, benznidazole (BNZ) and nifurtimox, but both have limited efficacy to halt the progression of CCC. We developed a vaccine-linked chemotherapy strategy using our vaccine consisting of recombinant Tc24-C4 protein and a TLR-4 agonist adjuvant in a stable squalene emulsion, in combination with low dose benznidazole treatment. …

Long-Term Neuropsychological Outcomes In Children With Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome (Fires) Treated With Anakinra, Anima Shrestha, E Lynne Wood, Gretchen Berrios-Siervo, Coral M Stredny, Katrina Boyer, Clemente Vega, Srishti Nangia, Eyal Muscal, Krista Eschbach

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Febrile-infection related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) is a rare epilepsy syndrome in which a previously healthy individual develops refractory status epilepticus in the setting of a preceding febrile illness. There are limited data regarding detailed long-term outcomes. This study aims to describe the long-term neuropsychological outcomes in a series of pediatric patients with FIRES.

METHODS: This is a retrospective multi-center case series of pediatric patients with a diagnosis of FIRES treated acutely with anakinra who had neuropsychological testing at least 12 months after status epilepticus onset. Each patient underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation as part of routine clinical care. Additional data …

Specialized Intensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Is Crucial And Time-Sensitive For Functional Recovery From Disorders Of Consciousness, Bei Zhang, Katherine O'Brien, Jean Woo, Bradley Chi, Colton Reeh, Sheng Li, Sunil Kothari

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) after severe brain injury are considered to be conditions with dire prognosis. Despite the accumulating evidence, inpatient rehabilitation is often denied by payers referring to the Medicare/Medicaid criteria, under the assumption that such patients will not "

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report on the effectiveness and efficiency of a specialized inpatient DoC rehabilitation program based on measurable clinical parameters.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The cohort comprised 137 patients with DoC admitted to a specialized acute inpatient rehabilitation program between January 2014 and October 2018. Patients were categorized as having been admitted …

Perceived Care Partner Burden At 1-Year Post-Injury And Associations With Emotional Awareness, Functioning, And Empathy After Tbi: A Tbi Model Systems Study, Daniel W Klyce, Kritzianel Merced, Alexander Erickson, Dawn M Neumann, Flora M Hammond, Angelle M Sander, Jennifer A Bogner, Tamara Bushnik, Joyce S Chung, Jacob A Finn

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lack awareness of their own emotions and often have problems with emotion dysregulation, affective disorders, and empathy deficits. These impairments are known to impact psychosocial behaviors and may contribute to the burden experienced by care partners of individuals with TBI.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of emotional awareness, emotional functioning, and empathy among participants with TBI with care partner burden.

METHOD: This multisite, cross-sectional, observational study used data from 90 dyads (participants with TBI and their care partner) 1-year post-injury. Participants with TBI completed the Difficulty with Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS; Awareness, …

The Association Between Payer Source And Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Outcomes: A Tbi Model Systems Study, Anthony H Lequerica, Angelle M Sander, Monique R Pappadis, Jessica M Ketchum, Marissa Jaross, Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, Amanda Rabinowitz, Librada Callender, Michelle Smith

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between payer source for acute rehabilitation, residential median household income (MHI), and outcomes at rehabilitation discharge after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING: Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

PARTICIPANTS: In total, 8558 individuals enrolled in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation between 2006 and 2019 and were younger than 64 years.

DESIGN: Secondary data analysis from a multicenter longitudinal cohort study.

MAIN MEASURES: Payer source was divided into 4 categories: uninsured, public insurance, private insurance, and workers' compensation/auto. Relationships between payer source with residential MHI, rehabilitation length of …

Risk Factors Of Local Control In Adrenal Metastases Treated By Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy – A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Xuehong Liao, Kazushi Kishi, Kaixin Du, Ritsuko Komaki, Junetsu Mizoe, Gosuke Aikawa, Wei Zheng, Chao Pan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: This study is aimed to explore risk factors affect the therapy outcomes of adrenal metastases (AM) for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and guide clinical dose selection.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched in September 22, 2022 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to search for sources of heterogeneity and identify risky outcomes factors. Publication bias test and sensitivity analysis were also conducted.

RESULTS: Thirty-three studies with full text from 2009 to 2022 about AM with SBRT on 1483 patients were …

Long-Term Outcomes And Trends In Liver Transplantation For Hereditary Hemochromatosis In The United States, Peter Lymberopoulos, Sameer Prakash, Anjiya Shaikh, Anshul Bhatnagar, Anthony K Allam, Karthik Goli, John A Goss, Fasiha Kanwal, Abbas Rana, Kris V Kowdley, Prasun Jalal, George Cholankeril

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There have been conflicting data regarding liver transplantation (LT) outcomes for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), with no recent data on LT outcomes in patients with HH in the past decade. Using the United Network for Organ Sharing registry, we evaluated waitlist and post-LT survival in all adult patients listed for HH without concomitant liver disease from 2003 to 2019. Post-LT survival for HH was compared with a propensity-matched (recipient and donor factors) cohort of recipients with chronic liver disease (CLD). From 2003 to 2019, 862 patients with HH were listed for LT, of which 55.6% ( n = 479) patients underwent …

Shared Features Of Metaplasia And The Development Of Adenocarcinoma In The Stomach And Esophagus, Yongji Zeng, Qing K Li, Sujayita Roy, Jason C Mills, Ramon U Jin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Plasticity is an inherent property of the normal gastrointestinal tract allowing for appropriate response to injury and healing. However, the aberrancy of adaptable responses is also beginning to be recognized as a driver during cancer development and progression. Gastric and esophageal malignancies remain leading causes of cancer-related death globally as there are limited early disease diagnostic tools and paucity of new effective treatments. Gastric and esophageal adenocarcinomas share intestinal metaplasia as a key precancerous precursor lesion.

Methods: Here, we utilize an upper GI tract patient-derived tissue microarray that encompasses the sequential development of cancer from normal tissues to illustrate …

Sox9 Governs Gastric Mucous Neck Cell Identity And Is Required For Injury-Induced Metaplasia, Spencer G Willet, Nattapon Thanintorn, Helen Mcneill, Sung-Ho Huh, David M Ornitz, Won Jae Huh, Stella G Hoft, Richard J Dipaolo, Jason C Mills

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acute and chronic gastric injury induces alterations in differentiation within the corpus of the stomach called pyloric metaplasia. Pyloric metaplasia is characterized by the death of parietal cells and reprogramming of mitotically quiescent zymogenic chief cells into proliferative, mucin-rich spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) cells. Overall, pyloric metaplastic units show increased proliferation and specific expansion of mucous lineages, both by proliferation of normal mucous neck cells and recruitment of SPEM cells. Here, we identify Sox9 as a potential gene of interest in the regulation of mucous neck and SPEM cell identity in the stomach.

METHODS: We used immunostaining …

Inverse Association Between Gluteofemoral Obesity And Risk Of Non-Cardia Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia, Andre G Jove, Hudson M Holmes, Mimi C Tan, Hashem B El-Serag, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: It is unclear whether obesity confers increased risk of non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma and its precursor, gastric intestinal metaplasia. Here, we examined whether various dimensions of adiposity independently predispose to the development of non-cardia gastric intestinal metaplasia.

METHODS: We compared data from 409 non-cardia gastric intestinal metaplasia cases and 1748 controls without any gastric intestinal metaplasia from a cross-sectional study at the VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Participants completed standardized questionnaires, underwent anthropometric measurements, and underwent a study endoscopy with gastric mapping biopsies. Non-cardia gastric intestinal metaplasia cases included participants with intestinal metaplasia on any non-cardia gastric …

Meta-Analysis Of Chest Compression-Only Versus Conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation By Bystanders For Adult With Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Karol Bielski, Jacek Smereka, Jaroslaw Chmielewski, Michal Pruc, Francesco Chirico, Aleksandra Gasecka, Nataliia Litvinova, Milosz J Jaguszewski, Grazyna Nowak-Starz, Zubaid Rafique, Frank W Peacock, Lukasz Szarpak

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: According to the guidelines of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) conducted by bystanders, two methods of CPR are feasible: standard CPR (sCPR) with mouth-to-mouth ventilations and continuous chest compression-only CPR (CCC) without rescue breathing. The goal herein, was to evaluate the effect of sCPR (30:2) and CCC on resuscitation outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients.

METHODS: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Using standardized criteria, Pub- Med, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE and Cochrane Collaboration were searched for trials assessing the effect of sCPR vs. CCC on resuscitation outcomes after adult OHCA. Random-effects model meta-analysis was …

Rapid Response Events With Multiple Triggers Are Associated With Poor Outcomes In Children, Erin M Kritz, Jenilea K Thomas, Nawara S Alawa, Elit B Hadad, Danielle M Guffey, Aarti C Bavare

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: We describe the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric rapid response team (RRT) events within a single institution, categorized by reason for RRT activation (RRT triggers). We hypothesized that events with multiple triggers are associated with worse outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective 3-year study at a high-volume tertiary academic pediatric hospital. We included all patients with index RRT events during the study period.

RESULTS: Association of patient and RRT event characteristics with outcomes including transfers to ICU, need for advanced cardiopulmonary support, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality were studied. We reviewed 2,267 RRT events from 2,088 …

Clinical Hypoxemia Score For Outpatient Child Pneumonia Care Lacking Pulse Oximetry In Africa And South Asia, Holly B Schuh, Shubhada Hooli, Salahuddin Ahmed, Carina King, Arunangshu D Roy, Norman Lufesi, Asmd Ashraful Islam, Tisungane Mvalo, Nabidul H Chowdhury, Amy Sarah Ginsburg, Tim Colbourn, William Checkley, Abdullah H Baqui, Eric D Mccollum

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Pulse oximeters are not routinely available in outpatient clinics in low- and middle-income countries. We derived clinical scores to identify hypoxemic child pneumonia.

METHODS: This was a retrospective pooled analysis of two outpatient datasets of 3-35 month olds with World Health Organization (WHO)-defined pneumonia in Bangladesh and Malawi. We constructed, internally validated, and compared fit & discrimination of four models predicting SpO

RESULTS: 12,712 observations were included. The independent and composite LASSO models discriminated moderately (both C-statistic 0.77) between children with a SpO

CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of pulse oximeters, both LASSO models better identified outpatient hypoxemic pneumonia cases …

Implication Of The 2014 World Health Organization Integrated Management Of Childhood Illness Pneumonia Guidelines With And Without Pulse Oximetry Use In Malawi: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Shubhada Hooli, Charles Makwenda, Norman Lufesi, Tim Colbourn, Tisungane Mvalo, Eric D Mccollum, Carina King

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Under-5 pneumonia mortality remains high in low-income countries. In 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that children with chest indrawing pneumonia, but without danger signs or peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO

METHODS: Secondary analysis of 13,413 under-5 pneumonia cases in Malawi. Pneumonia associated case fatality ratios (CFR) were calculated by disease severity under the assumptions of the 2005 and 2014 WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines, with and without pulse oximetry. We investigated if pulse oximetry readings were missing not at random (MNAR).

RESULTS: The CFR of patients classified as having non-severe pneumonia per the 2014 IMCI …

Emerging Issues In Probiotic Safety: 2023 Perspectives, Daniel Merenstein, Bruno Pot, Gregory Leyer, Arthur C Ouwehand, Geoffrey A Preidis, Christopher A Elkins, Colin Hill, Zachery T Lewis, Andi L Shane, Niv Zmora, Mariya I Petrova, Maria Carmen Collado, Lorenzo Morelli, Gina A Montoya, Hania Szajewska, Daniel J Tancredi, Mary Ellen Sanders

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Probiotics are used for both generally healthy consumers and in clinical settings. However, theoretical and proven adverse events from probiotic consumption exist. New probiotic strains and products, as well as expanding use of probiotics into vulnerable populations, warrants concise, and actionable recommendations on how to work toward their safe and effective use. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics convened a meeting to discuss and produce evidence-based recommendations on potential acute and long-term risks, risks to vulnerable populations, the importance for probiotic product quality to match the needs of vulnerable populations, and the need for adverse event reporting related …

Cholestasis Impairs Gut Microbiota Development And Bile Salt Hydrolase Activity In Preterm Neonates, Lauren E Lynch, Amy B Hair, Krishnakant G Soni, Heeju Yang, Laura A Gollins, Monica Narvaez-Rivas, Kenneth D R Setchell, Geoffrey A Preidis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cholestasis refers to impaired bile flow from the liver to the intestine. In neonates, cholestasis causes poor growth and may progress to liver failure and death. Normal bile flow requires an intact liver-gut-microbiome axis, whereby liver-derived primary bile acids are transformed into secondary bile acids. Microbial bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzymes are responsible for the first step, deconjugating glycine- and taurine-conjugated primary bile acids. Cholestatic neonates often are treated with the potent choleretic bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), although interactions between UDCA, gut microbes, and other bile acids are poorly understood. To gain insight into how the liver-gut-microbiome axis develops …

Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Supplementation Supports Motor Coordination And Affects Myelination In Preterm Pigs, Line I Christiansen, Gemma C Ventura, Bo Holmqvist, Karoline Aasmul-Olsen, Sandy E H Lindholm, Matthew D Lycas, Yuki Mori, Jan Bojsen-Møller Secher, Douglas G Burrin, Thomas Thymann, Per T Sangild, Stanislava Pankratova

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Preterm infants have increased risk of impaired neurodevelopment to which reduced systemic levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in the weeks after birth may play a role. Hence, we hypothesized that postnatal IGF-1 supplementation would improve brain development in preterm pigs, used as a model for preterm infants.

METHODS: Preterm pigs delivered by cesarean section received recombinant human IGF-1/IGF binding protein-3 complex (rhIGF-1/rhIGFBP-3, 2.25 mg/kg/day) or vehicle from birth to postnatal day 19. Motor function and cognition were assessed by monitoring of in-cage and open field activities, balance beam test, gait parameters, novel object recognition and operant conditioning …

Impact Of The Covid Pandemic On Mental Health And Training Opportunities Of Public Health Residents From 4 European Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study, Giovanna Failla, Marta Caminiti, José Chen-Xu, Giuseppina Lo Moro, Nausicaa Berselli, Madalena Cabral Ferreira, Filipa Malcata, David Peyre-Costa, Roberto Croci, Giorgia Soldà, Angelo Capodici, Caterina Morcavallo, Francesco Traglia, Fabrizio Cedrone, Ilaria Storti, Alfonso Alonso Jaquete, Martina Antinozzi, Anca Vasiliu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: There is little evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Public Health Residents' (PHR) mental health (MH). This study aims at assessing prevalence and risk factors for depression, anxiety and stress in European PHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Between March and April 2021, an online survey was administered to PHR from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The survey assessed COVID-19 related changes in working conditions, training opportunities and evaluated MH outcomes using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Multivariable logistic regressions were applied to identify risk factors.

RESULTS: Among the 443 respondents, many showed symptoms of depression …

Determinants Of Retention In Care Of Newborns Diagnosed With Sickle Cell Disease In Liberia: Results From A Mixed-Methods Study Of Caregivers, Kanagasabai Udhayashankar, Patience D Franklin, Cecelia J Nuta, Adolphus K Cherue, Heather Haq, Debbe Thompson, Venée N Tubman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

High-income nations have established that early diagnosis and preventive treatment reduces early deaths in sickle cell disease (SCD). However, in low-/middle-income countries where SCD is common, attrition from clinical care is common. Reasons for poor retention in care are multi-factorial and poorly understood. The objective of this study was to identify factors that influence caregiver decision-making around chronic health care needs of a child with SCD. We conducted an exploratory sequential mixed methods study of caregivers of children diagnosed with SCD during a newborn screening program in Liberia. Caregivers completed questionnaires and semi-structured interviews designed to identify drivers of health …

Case Report: Artemis Deficiency And 3m Syndrome-Coexistence Of Two Distinct Genetic Disorders, Ayca Ceylan, Ilyas Emre Tekdemir, Nadir Kocak, Ivan Kingyue Chinn, Jordan Scott Orange, Hasibe Artac

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The presence of two different genetic conditions in the same individual is possible, especially in populations with consanguinity. In this case report, we present the coexistence of Artemis deficiency (OMIM 602450) and Three M (3M) syndrome (OMIM 273750). A 10-months-old male patient with neuromotor developmental delay was evaluated for immunodeficiency due to recurrent respiratory infections diarrhea and oral moniliasis from the age of 1.5 months. He had facial dysmorphism with rotated ears, flat nose and hypertelorism. Neurological examination revealed generalized hypotonia and mental motor delay. Immunological screening of the patient demonstrated mild lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, reduced number of CD3

Combined Immunodeficiency Caused By Pathogenic Variants In The Zap70 C-Terminal Sh2 Domain, Cédric Mongellaz, Rita Vicente, Lenora M Noroski, Nelly Noraz, Valérie Courgnaud, Javier Chinen, Emilia Faria, Valérie S Zimmermann, Naomi Taylor

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: ZAP-70, a protein tyrosine kinase recruited to the T cell receptor (TCR), initiates a TCR signaling cascade upon antigen stimulation. Mutations in the ZAP70 gene cause a combined immunodeficiency characterized by low or absent CD8+ T cells and nonfunctional CD4+ T cells. Most deleterious missense ZAP70 mutations in patients are located in the kinase domain but the impact of mutations in the SH2 domains, regulating ZAP-70 recruitment to the TCR, are not well understood.

METHODS:Genetic analyses were performed on four patients with CD8 lymphopenia and a high resolution melting screening for ZAP70 mutations was developed. The impact of SH2 …

The Epidemiology Of Cephalosporin Allergy Labels In Pediatric Primary Care, Torsten Joerger, Margaret G Taylor, Debra L Palazzi, Jeffrey S Gerber

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have sought to understand the epidemiology and impact of beta-lactam allergy labels on children; however, most of these studies have focused on penicillin allergy labels. Fewer studies assess cephalosporin antibiotic allergy labels in children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, factors associated with, and impact of cephalosporin allergy labels in children cared for in the primary care setting.

METHODS: Cephalosporin allergy labels were reviewed among children in a dual center, retrospective, birth cohort who were born between 2010 and 2020 and followed in 90 pediatric primary care practices. Antibiotic prescriptions for acute otitis …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Long Term Physical And Mental Sequelae Of Covid-19 Pandemic: Call For Research Priority And Action, Na Zeng, Yi-Miao Zhao, Wei Yan, Chao Li, Qing-Dong Lu, Lin Liu, Shu-Yu Ni, Huan Mei, Kai Yuan, Le Shi, Peng Li, Teng-Teng Fan, Jun-Liang Yuan, Michael V Vitiello, Thomas Kosten, Alexandra L Kondratiuk, Hong-Qiang Sun, Xiang-Dong Tang, Mei-Yan Liu, Ajit Lalvani, Jie Shi, Yan-Ping Bao, Lin Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The long-term physical and mental sequelae of COVID-19 are a growing public health concern, yet there is considerable uncertainty about their prevalence, persistence and predictors. We conducted a comprehensive, up-to-date meta-analysis of survivors' health consequences and sequelae for COVID-19. PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched through Sep 30th, 2021. Observational studies that reported the prevalence of sequelae of COVID-19 were included. Two reviewers independently undertook the data extraction and quality assessment. Of the 36,625 records identified, a total of 151 studies were included involving 1,285,407 participants from thirty-two countries. At least one sequelae symptom occurred in 50.1% (95% …

Framework For Accurate Classification Of Self-Reported Stress From Multisession Functional Mri Data Of Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress, Rahul Goel, Teresa Tse, Lia J Smith, Andrew Floren, Bruce Naylor, M Wright Williams, Ramiro Salas, Albert S Rizzo, David Ress

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant burden among combat Veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While empirically supported treatments have demonstrated reductions in PTSD symptomatology, there remains a need to improve treatment effectiveness. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback has emerged as a possible treatment to ameliorate PTSD symptom severity. Virtual reality (VR) approaches have also shown promise in increasing treatment compliance and outcomes. To facilitate fMRI neurofeedback-associated therapies, it would be advantageous to accurately classify internal brain stress levels while Veterans are exposed to trauma-associated VR imagery. Methods: Across 2 sessions, we used fMRI …

The Role Of Hyperexcitability In Gliomagenesis, Eric A Goethe, Benjamin Deneen, Jeffrey Noebels, Ganesh Rao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor. Recent studies have demonstrated that excitatory or activity-dependent signaling-both synaptic and non-synaptic-contribute to the progression of glioblastoma. Glutamatergic receptors may be stimulated via neuron-tumor synapses or release of glutamate by the tumor itself. Ion currents generated by these receptors directly alter the structure of membrane adhesion molecules and cytoskeletal proteins to promote migratory behavior. Additionally, the hyperexcitable milieu surrounding glioma increases the rate at which tumor cells proliferate and drive recurrent disease. Inhibition of excitatory signaling has shown to effectively reduce its pro-migratory and -proliferative effects.

5-Aminolevulinic Acid, Fluorescein Sodium, And Indocyanine Green For Glioma Margin Detection: Analysis Of Operating Wide-Field And Confocal Microscopy In Glioma Models Of Various Grades, Evgenii Belykh, Liudmila Bardonova, Irakliy Abramov, Vadim A Byvaltsev, Talgat Kerymbayev, Kwanha Yu, Debbie R Healey, Ernesto Luna-Melendez, Benjamin Deneen, Shwetal Mehta, James K Liu, Mark C Preul

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection remains the first-line treatment for gliomas. Several fluorescent dyes are currently in use to augment intraoperative tumor visualization, but information on their comparative effectiveness is lacking. We performed systematic assessment of fluorescein sodium (FNa), 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in various glioma models using advanced fluorescence imaging techniques.

METHODS: Four glioma models were used: GL261 (high-grade model), GB3 (low-grade model), and an

RESULTS: Our systematic analysis showed that wide-field imaging of highly malignant gliomas is equally efficient with 5-ALA, FNa, and ICG, although FNa is associated with more false-positive staining of …

Primary Spinal Intramedullary Anaplastic Ganglioglioma In A Pediatric Patient, Huy Dang, Abdul Basit Khan, Nisha Gadgil, Marc Prablek, Frank Y Lin, Melissa M Blessing, Guillermo Aldave, David Bauer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas (GGs) are rare tumors of the central nervous system composed of neoplastic neural and glial cells and are typically low-grade. Intramedullary spinal anaplastic GGs (AGG) are rare, poorly understood, and often aggressive tumors that can result in widespread progression along the craniospinal axis. Due to the rarity of these tumors, data are lacking to guide clinical and pathologic diagnosis and standard of care treatment. Here, we present a case of pediatric spinal AGG to provide information on our institutional approach to work-up and to highlight unique molecular pathology.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 13-year-old female presented with signs of spinal …

Linked-Read Based Analysis Of The Medulloblastoma Genome, Melissa Zwaig, Michael J Johnston, John J Y Lee, Hamza Farooq, Marco Gallo, Nada Jabado, Michael D Taylor, Jiannis Ragoussis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Medulloblastoma is the most common type of malignant pediatric brain tumor with group 4 medulloblastomas (G4 MBs) accounting for 40% of cases. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this subgroup are still poorly understood. Point mutations are detected in a large number of genes at low incidence per gene while the detection of complex structural variants in recurrently affected genes typically requires the application of long-read technologies.

METHODS: Here, we applied linked-read sequencing, which combines the long-range genome information of long-read sequencing with the high base pair accuracy of short read sequencing and very low sample input requirements.

RESULTS: …

Inotropic Score And Vasoactive Inotropic Score As Predictors Of Outcomes In Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Single Center Retrospective Study, Srirupa Hari Gopal, Cynthia L Toy, Morcos Hanna, Betul Yilmaz Furtun, Joseph L Hagan, Ahmed A Nassr, Caraciolo J Fernandes, Sundeep Keswani, Sharada H Gowda

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) have varying degrees of pulmonary hypoplasia, pulmonary hypertension (PH) and cardiac dysfunction. These neonates frequently require vasoactive support and are at high risk for mortality and morbidity, including prolonged ventilator support, need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), prolonged length of stay, and need for tracheostomy. However, identifying which infants are at increased risk can be challenging. In this study, we sought to investigate the utility of the inotropic score (IS) and vasoactive inotropic score (VIS) as tools to predict significant clinical outcomes and overall survival in patients with CDH. Additionally, we evaluated the …