Digital Commons Network^™

Prenatal Exposure To Nicotine And Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Reem Sharaf-Alddin, May Salama, Denise Mckinney, George Saade, Qi Zhang

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Purpose: Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most common mental health complication of childbirth, and has short-term and long-term consequences for mother, child, and the entire family. PPD is a function of several factors. Prenatal exposure to nicotine (PEN) by Active Tobacco Smoking (ATS), Secondhand Smoking (SHS), or Electronic Nicotine Products (ENPs) is a major potential risk factor. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize and evaluate all evidence regarding the association between PEN and PPD.

Methods: We searched the following databases, PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and CINHAL, for studies published between Jan.1st ,2000&Sep.19th ,2024, with the outcome PPD. Studies …

Simulation Training In Radiation Oncology, Michael C. Schell, Andrew W. Beavis, Derek W. Brown, Michael Milano, Michael O'Neill, Yan Yu, Daniel C. Pavord, Peter Dunscombe

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Simulation training can be used in the design of new processes or, more commonly, to train and re-train healthcare personnel in standard processes. Simulation training is one avenue to making radiation oncology a high reliability health care intervention. In this paper, we explore the relevance of simulation training to the provision of high-quality and safe radiation oncology practice against the background of simulation training conducted in high reliability industries. The use of simulation training in healthcare, as well as specific examples in radiation oncology, is reviewed. An outline of the steps for developing a simulation training program is provided. Simulation …

Advancing Models Of Ptsd-Aud Comorbidity: Protocol For A Multimethod Framework Using Genetics And Ecological Momentary Assessment, Elizabeth A. Stinson, Samhita Lellapalli, Sage E. Hawn, Natalie Merrill, Lance M. Rappaport, Christina M. Sheerin, Vasiliki Michopoulos, Silviu-Alin Bacanu, Roseann E. Peterson, Abigail Powers, Ananda B. Amstadter

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), which are moderately heritable, frequently co-occur and contribute to significant public health burdens, particularly among economically disadvantaged urban communities. There are noted sex differences in PTSD and AUD outcomes, with evidence suggesting women have heightened susceptibility to stress-related alcohol use. Preliminary PTSD-AUD ecological momentary assessment (EMA) findings support bidirectional associations across clinical outcomes. However, no studies to date have used PTSD-AUD comorbidity models as organizing frameworks to examine the temporal ordering and stability of within-person symptom dynamics underlying the maintenance or exacerbation of PTSD and AUD symptoms, including bidirectional and …

Hiv Testing In African American Churches: Results From The Taking It To The Pews Cluster-Randomized Trial., Jannette Berkley-Patton, Carole Bowe Thompson, Alexandria G. Bauer, Marcie Berman, Kelsey Christensen, Andrea Bradley-Ewing, Kathy Goggin, Delwyn Catley, Eric Williams, Cassandra Wainright, Kathryn P. Derose, Alex Geyer, Frank Thompson, Lesha Dennis, Stephen Smith, Jenifer E. Allsworth

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

To examine effects of a multilevel, religiously-tailored HIV testing intervention, Taking It to the Pews (TIPS), on receipt of HIV testing with African American church-affiliated populations, 14 African American churches (N = 1,491) were randomized to TIPS or a multilevel, non-tailored HIV education attention-control arm in a cluster-randomized trial (Kansas City urban area, 2013 to 2019). Receipt of an HIV test was examined using objective data and participant self-reports (last 12 months), including self-reported exposure to intervention components. Overall, 471 HIV tests were completed; TIPS intervention churches conducted significantly more tests than controls (339 versus 132, p = 0.003). Also, …

Investigation Of A Global Mouse Methylome Atlas Reveals Subtype-Specific Copy Number Alterations In Pediatric Cancer Models., Melanie Schoof, Tuyu Zheng, Martin Sill, Roland Imle, Alessia Cais, Lea Altendorf, Alicia Fürst, Nina Hofmann, Kati Ernst, Dominik Vonficht, Kenneth Chun-Ho Chan, Tim Holland-Letz, Andreas Postlmayr, Ryo Shiraishi, Wanchen Wang, Alaide Morcavallo, Michael Spohn, Carolin Göbel, Judith Niesen, Levke-Sophie Peter, Franck Bourdeaut, Zhi-Yan Han, Yanxin Pei, Najiba Murad, Fredrik J. Swartling, Jessica Taylor, Monika Yadav, Garrett R. Gibson, Richard J. Gilbertson, Matthias Dottermusch, Rajanya Roy, Kornelius Kerl, Rainer Glass, Jiying Cheng, Martin A. Horstmann, Gerrit Wolters-Eisfeld, Haotian Zhao, Dominik Sturm, Viveka Nand Yadav, Louis Chesler, Simon Haas, William A. Weiss, Paul A. Northcott, Lena M. Kutscher, Ana Guerreiro Stucklin, Olivier Ayrault, Julia E. Neumann, Daisuke Kawauchi, David T W Jones, Kristian Pajtler, Ana Banito, Stefan M. Pfister, Ulrich Schüller, Marc Zuckermann

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Copy number alterations (CNAs) are hallmarks of cancer, yet investigation of their oncogenic role has been hindered by technical limitations and missing model systems. Here we generated a genome-wide DNA methylation and CNA atlas of 106 genetic mouse models across 31 pediatric tumor types, including 18 new models for pediatric glioma. We demonstrated their epigenetic resemblance to human disease counterparts and identified entity-specific patterns of immune infiltration. We discovered that mouse tumors harbor highly recurrent CNA signatures that occur distinctly based on the tumor subgroup and driving oncogene and showed that these CNAs share syntenic regions with the matching human …

Gastrointestinal Symptoms Associated With Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation Protocols: A Systematic Review, Ian P. Winter, Paul Sarac, Patrick B. Wilson

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Sodium bicarbonate positively impacts performance, but its associated gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS) may limit use. This systematic review synthesized literature that has evaluated GIS with sodium bicarbonate supplementation. Literature searches were performed from February 2024-March 2026. Eligible studies provided ≥ 5 g of sodium bicarbonate within a 24-h period or, if a multi-day protocol, at least one day involving ≥ 5 g. Included studies had a placebo group/condition or a comparison group/condition that created a contrast related to delivery method, form, or dose. In total, 101 investigations were summarized in six categories: acute single dosing (n = 35); acute spread dosing …

Stability Of Salivary Microrna Measures Across An Ncaa Division I Football Season: Implications For Microrna As A Biomarker Of Concussion, Thomas R. Campbell, Martina Zamponi, Delaney Leathers, Julie Cavallario, Jessica C. Martinez, Peter A. Mollica

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Clinicians often face challenges in concussion care due to a heavy reliance on subjective patient input. Recently, research has sought objective biomarkers, like salivary microRNAs, to improve concussion management. However, significant limitations hinder the use of microRNAs as a diagnostic tool, including the cumulative effects of a contact sport season. A better understanding of the response to a contact sport season would help researchers and clinicians interpret expression changes at the time of injury in the context of seasonal variation. in Therefore, this study investigated the reliability of previously identified salivary microRNA targets across one contact sport season.

Methods …

An Insidious Interstice: Understanding Cognition And Language Behaviour Through The Eyes Of Juvenile Justice Professionals, Anne M. Perrotti, Allison T. Chappell, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Introduction

Despite evidence suggesting language and cognition deficits are prevalent for justice involved youth, little research explores how juvenile justice personnel experience language and cognition behaviours in the youth they serve.

Aims

This qualitative study explored how juvenile justice personnel understand language and cognition skills and deficits in justice involved youth.

Methods

Twenty-two U.S. juvenile justice professionals participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Questions focused on individual understanding of receptive language, expressive language, social communication, and cognition (i.e., problem-solving, predicting consequences and impulsiveness) in juveniles served. Using a phenomenological lens, transcripts were coded identifying themes and sub-themes of participant responses.

Results …

Factors Associated With Opioid And Antibiotic Prescribing At Us Academic Dental Institutions: 2011 To 2020, S Tungare, A-I Yansane, S Gantela, K K Kookal, S Mccurdy, T M Krause, S Sharma, M Walji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: In the United States, dentists are one of the leading prescribers of opioids and antibiotics. Because dental schools are the training grounds for future dentists, it is crucial to understand how prescribing has changed and why these medications are being prescribed in academic settings.

Objectives: The objective of this research was to describe the prescribing trends and factors associated with opioid and antibiotic medication prescribing at US academic dental institutions between 2011 and 2020.

Methods: Data from electronic dental records collected through the BigMouth data repository from 9 anonymized dental institutions between 2011 and 2020 were used. Prescribing rates …

Rewiring The Immune Response In Lung Cancer: Current Progress In Bispecific Antibodies, Car-T Therapy, And The Rise Of In Vivo Car-T Platforms, Lei He, Yi Sun, Bowen Ma, Guojun Lang, Jianguo Wen, George R Blumenschein, Hong Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and continues to impose a major clinical burden, particularly in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Although targeted therapies, antiangiogenic agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates have improved outcomes in selected patients, durable responses remain limited by primary and acquired resistance. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress in immunologically oriented therapeutic strategies for lung cancer, focusing on bispecific antibodies, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and emerging in vivo CAR-engineering modalities. We further elaborate on the clinical rationale, latest translational and early clinical evidence, …

A Hybrid Vit-L/32-Maxvit-L Architecture With Adaptive Gated Fusion For Multiclass Gastrointestinal Disease Detection And Multi-Method Post-Hoc Explainability, Shahid Mohammad Ganie, Pijush Kanti Dutta Pramanik, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Accurate detection of gastrointestinal diseases from endoscopic images remains challenging due to substantial inter-class similarity, intra-class variability, and heterogeneous lesion presentation. While convolutional neural networks (CNNs) effectively capture fine mucosal textures, their limited receptive field restricts global contextual reasoning. Conversely, transformer architectures model long-range dependencies but may underrepresent localized structural detail.

Methods: This study proposes a dual-branch hybrid transformer framework that integrates global token-level reasoning from ViT-L/32 with hierarchical spatial modeling from MaxViT-L. An adaptive gated fusion mechanism is introduced to dynamically regulate the relative contribution of local and global representations on a per-sample basis, enabling content-aware cross-scale integration. …

Genetic Variants Associated With Sjögren’S Disease Subtypes Stratified By Clinical Feature, Nitesh Enduru, Chihiro Iwaya, Akiko Suzuki, Zhongming Zhao, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia) due to inflammation in exocrine glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands. The condition presents a wide variety of clinical features, suggesting that it may involve heterogeneous conditions without a clear boundary. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with SjD, their roles in SjD pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods: In this study, we aimed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SjD by categorizing patients based on four diagnostic markers: anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, IgG levels, and lymphocyte …

Overcoming Stigma In Women's Hiv And Syphilis Care: The Role Of Faith In Healing, Irene A Stafford, Phillip C Johnson, Robin L Beach

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Point-of-care (POC) testing for syphilis and HIV is an effective way to provide same-day testing, results management, counseling, and treatment. Although commonly used in antenatal or sexual health clinics, our field study aimed to offer POC testing to women attending a standard care clinic in Guatemala. Nearly all women accepted testing, highlighting the patient-centered benefits and acceptability of screening in non-stigmatizing settings. Upon disclosure of results, especially positive diagnoses, patients drew comfort and resilience from their faith, an often-underprioritized resource not typically considered when addressing sexual health. These results underscore the value of integrating POC testing into routine care and …

Association Between Three-Dimensional Margin Assessment And Local Tumor Control In Percutaneous Lung Cryoablation Of Colorectal Metastases, Frank Mohn, Koustav Pal, Caleb O'Connor, Iwan Paolucci, Austin Castelo, Kamran Ahrar, Steven Yevich, Joshua D Kuban, Bruno C Odisio, Alda Lui Tam, Rahul A Sheth, Kristy K Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose

To evaluate the association of two minimum ablation margin (MAM) estimation methods: manual three-dimensional segmentation and biomechanical deformable image registration (DIR) with local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) after percutaneous lung cryoablation of colorectal pulmonary metastases.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective single-institution study included patients who underwent percutaneous lung cryoablation between May 2012 and March 2023 (median follow-up, 3.6 years; range, 0.8–9.6 years). Manual three-dimensional MAM was calculated for all tumors, and DIR-based MAM was estimated in a subset with intraprocedural full-thorax imaging. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed associations between MAM and LTPFS. The primary outcome was 2-year LTPFS, with …

Perspective: Radiotherapy And Body Composition: Unmet Needs In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Alexia J Murphy-Alford, Aaron J Grossberg, Vickie E Baracos, Maha Barbar, Judy Bauer, Jonathan P Bennett, Elena Fidarova, Clifton D Fuller, Anastassia Löser, Amy C Moreno, Anurima Patra, Deepa Puttaswamy, David I Rosenthal, Judy Schoeman, Yavuz Anacak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiotherapy plays a vital role in cancer treatment, yet its effects on patients' nutritional status can precipitate muscle loss, with significant implications for treatment tolerance and outcomes. Evidence from high-income countries increasingly links radiation-induced muscle loss to adverse clinical outcomes. In contrast, low- and middle-income countries face a stark evidence gap, despite the heightened vulnerability of cancer patients in these settings due to delayed diagnosis, limited access to care, and high rates of co-morbidities. This paper highlights the critical gaps in nutritional care for radiotherapy patients in low- and middle-income countries.

Cesarean Section Rates In Lucas Do Rio Verde, Brazil: Assessing The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status And Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes, Ramya Vemulapalli, Roni Arienti, Linder Wendt, Jay Brooks Jackson, Mary B Rysavy, Kimberly A Kenne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Brazil is globally known for its high rate of cesarean section despite endorsing the WHO’s current recommendation of 15%.

Objectives

Determine if socioeconomic status correlated with the rate of cesarean section (CS) at a mixed private and public hospital in the west-central region of Brazil. Describe the maternal and neonatal outcomes by mode of delivery (MOD) in the same population.

Design

Cohort study

Methods

Data from all delivering patients at São Lucas Hospital were collected during an 18-month period and analyzed. Demographics, baseline maternal health status, pregnancy and delivery information, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were entered into a …

Congenital Syphilis: From Near-Elimination To Crisis, Chad J Abresch, Irene A Stafford, Regan M Johnson, Kayode Olabanji, Ashleigh M Sutphen, Helen E Cejtin, Ashley Hoover

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This analytic essay examines the transformation of congenital syphilis (CS) in the United States from near-elimination to crisis. Drawing from the January 2025 Congenital Syphilis Summit in Atlanta, Georgia-convening public health leaders, Tribal health departments, the National Coalition of STD Directors, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts-we contrast prevention systems during near-elimination (1998-2005) with the current crisis (2018-2025). Evidence revealed how dismantling public health infrastructure produced dramatically different outcomes, with CS cases increasing 937% over the past decade and racial/ethnic disparities worsening. American Indian/Alaska Native communities face rates up to 100 times higher than White populations in some …

Biomechanical And Computational Modeling Of Metastatic Acetabular Defects: Influence Of Tumor Location On The Risk Of Fracture, Jacob Doddridge, Hongjia He, Rui Yang, E U Conrad, Nicholas Dunbar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metastatic bone disease can lead to pathologic fracture of the pelvis which affects quality of life. There are limited validated approaches for biomechanical modeling, classification, or surgical treatment of metastatic acetabular defects.

Methods: An artificial hemipelvis bone was used to calibrate a computed tomography-based computational model of the pelvis with varying locations and sizes of acetabular defects. Metastatic defects affecting the anterior and posterior column, medial wall, and their combinations were created. Mechanical testing was performed on each defect, and images of the lateral surface of the acetabulum were analyzed by digital image correlation to measure peak surface strains. …

Functional, Pharmacogenomic, And Immune Landscapes Of Long Non-Coding Rnas In Cancer, Runhao Wang, Mei Luo, Yuan Liu, Jingwen Yang, Yamei Chen, Chengxuan Chen, Lifei Ma, Stephanie Ding, James Wengler, Yong Zang, Bora Lim, Wenbo Li, Liuqing Yang, Chunru Lin, Lixia Diao, Leng Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators in cancer, with significant potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets. Here, this work systematically analyzes lncRNA associations with targeted therapies and immunotherapies across 33 cancer types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and real-world datasets. This work identifies 53,173 lncRNA-pathway associations, millions of lncRNA-drug response associations (via CancerRxTissue and VAEN), and extensive correlations with immune checkpoints and infiltration. This work further identifies 69 lncRNAs associated with immunotherapy response and 2,611 differentially expressed lncRNAs between low and high objective response rate (ORR) groups. Additionally, two lncRNAs are correlated with immune-related adverse …

Bop2-Comb: Bayesian Optimal Phase Ii Design For Optimizing Doses And Assessing Contribution Of Components In Drug Combinations, Xiaohan Chi, Ying Yuan, Ruitao Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Personalized cancer treatment using combination therapies offers substantial therapeutic benefits over single-agent treatments in most cancers. However, unmet clinical needs and increasing market competition pressure drug developers to quickly optimize combination doses and clearly demonstrate the contribution of each component when developing and evaluating new combination treatments.

Methods: We propose a Bayesian optimal phase II drug-combination (BOP2-Comb) design that optimizes the combination dose and evaluates the proof-of-concept as well as the contribution of each component in two seamless stages. Our optimal calibration scheme minimizes the total trial sample size while controlling incorrect decision rates at nominal levels. This calibration …

Contemporary Opportunities And Potential Of Auger Electron-Emitting Theranostics, Seok-Yong Lee, H Charles Manning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent breakthroughs in radiopharmaceutical (RP) therapy have emerged interest in employing Auger electron (AE)-emitting radionuclides as potential agents for precise theranostics. AE provides energy with exceptional localization due to their short tissue penetration range (TPR, < 10 nm), rendering them particularly effective for targeting nuclear DNA in tumor cells. In this context, AE-emitting radionuclide therapy (AE-emitting RLT) enables the targeted destruction of tumor cells while reducing harm to adjacent healthy tissue, a significant challenge in this field. Preclinical and early clinical investigations reveal the efficacy of AE-emitting RLTs in the theranostics of diverse malignancies, such as glioblastoma, prostate cancer, and neuroendocrine tumors. Notwithstanding these developments, challenges and limitations persist regarding dosimetry, delivery efficiency, and the treatment of radiotoxicity. A new paradigm is being developed to tackle the obstacles encountered by integrating molecular target markers (e.g., PARP) that function near the nucleus to improve the intranuclear delivery efficiency of AE-emitting radionuclides. Novel radiochemical methods such as these have facilitated the more stable and efficient labeling of biomolecules with AE-emitting radionuclides. Also, recent advances in DNA-molecular targeting, nanoparticles, nucleic acid/protein engineering, click- or bioorthogonal conjugation chemistry, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based structure modeling present concrete opportunities to overcome these limitations. Moreover, the integration of diagnostic imaging companion platforms employing theranostic radioisotope pairings facilitates real-time assessment of therapeutic efficacy and biodistribution, resulting in the formulation of enhanced treatment regimens. This review summarizes the prior development, recent advancements, barriers in clinical implementation, and future perspective of AE-emitting RLTs.

Nsd2 Inhibitors Rewire Chromatin To Treat Lung And Pancreatic Cancers, Jinho Jeong, Simone Hausmann, Hanyang Dong, Kacper Szczepski, Natasha M Flores, Andy Garcia Gonzalez, Liyang Shi, Xiaoyin Lu, Joanna Lempiäinen, Moritz Jakab, Liyong Zeng, Tourkian Chasan, Eric Bareke, Rui Dong, Emma Carlson, Reinnier Padilla, Dylan Husmann, Julia Thompson, Gerry A Shipman, Emily Zahn, Courtney A Barnes, Laiba F Khan, Liz Marie Albertorio-Sáez, Eva Brill, Vishnu Udayakumar Sunita Kumary, Matthew R Marunde, Danielle N Maryanski, Cheryl C Szany, Bryan J Venters, Carolina Lin Windham, Michal Eligiusz Nowakowski, Iwona Czaban, Mariusz Jaremko, Michael-Christopher Keogh, Kang Le, Michael J Soth, Benjamin A Garcia, Łukasz Jaremko, Jacek Majewski, Pawel K Mazur, Or Gozani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

NSD2 catalyses the epigenetic modification H3K36me2 (refs. 1,2) and is a candidate convergent downstream effector of oncogenic signalling in diverse malignancies3–5. However, it remains unclear whether the enzymatic activity of NSD2 is therapeutically targetable. Here we characterize a series of clinical-grade small-molecule catalytic NSD2 inhibitors (NSD2i) and show that the pharmacological targeting of NSD2 constitutes an epigenetic dependency with broad therapeutic efficacy in KRAS-driven preclinical cancer models. NSD2i inhibits NSD2 with single-digit nanomolar half-maximal inhibitory concentration potency and high selectivity over related methyltransferases. Structural analyses reveal that the specificity of NSD2i for NSD2 …

Improved Surgical Management Of Complex Neonates With Heterotaxy Syndrome, Alexander C Mills, Ashley E Dawson, Michael C Scott, Alexis M Kennedy, Beau A Bequeaith, Ioannis Zoupas, Jorge D Salazar, Damien J Lapar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Neonatal management of congenital heart defects (CHD) among heterotaxy patients remains challenging due to significant heterogeneity in cardiac and visceral phenotypes. This study evaluated contemporary surgical outcomes and identified high-risk anatomic substrates.

Methods: A total of 41 heterotaxy CHD patients who underwent neonatal surgical repair and/or palliation over a 10-year period were evaluated at a single institution. Heterotaxy anatomy was characterized according to right atrial isomerism (RAI) or left atrial isomerism (LAI), and other cardiac defects. Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated operative and intermediate-term outcomes.

Results: Median age at initial operation was 7.0 days, and median operative …

Proliferation And Apoptosis Adaptor Protein 15 (Pea15), A Potential Oncogenic Regulator Of Vhl And Hif1a Identified Through Proteomic Analysis In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Yun Seong Jeong, Ji-Hyun Shin, Soo Mi Kim, Bo Hwa Sohn, Sun Young Yim, Ji Hoon Kim, Jae Jun Shim, Sung Hwan Lee, Yun Shin Chun, Sunyoung S Lee, Hui Dai, Ahmed Kaseb, Koo Jeong Kang, Holger K Eltzschig, A Robert Macleod, Xiaolin Luo, Alexey Revenko, Youngsoo Kim, Ju-Seog Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Hyperglycemia In Combination With Excess Fat Intake Promotes Renal Pyroptosis And Fibrosis Through Gα12-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Muhammad Sohaib Khan, Boram Kim, Yerim Jeon, Jihoon Tak, Yun Seok Kim, Sang Gil Lee, Eun Byul Lee, Chang-Hoon Lee, Cheol Bin Eom, Hyun Sook Lee, Hyeon-Ki Jang, Nakyeom Lee, Jeong Hae Kie, Jee Myung Yang, Yoon Mee Yang, Sang Geon Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Chronic exposure to free fatty acids (FFAs) and glucose may disrupt metabolic homeostasis and initiate pathological processes. This study investigated the effects of hyperglycemia and fat overload on renal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, pyroptosis and fibrogenesis in mice and the underlying basis. We hypothesized that the combined insult would more severely induce Gα12-dependent ER stress and renal complications.

Methods: Mice were subjected to either high fat diet (HFD)+streptozotocin (STZ), or STZ treatment, and AZ2 was used as an anti-diabetic agent. Blood sera were used for blood biochemistry, and tissues were employed for RNA sequencing, immunoblottings, TEM, histology and immunohistochemistry. …

Remission Of Recalcitrant Pyoderma Gangrenosum Following Chemotherapy For Iatrogenic Kaposi Sarcoma, Noel X Yang, T Austin Black, Adan A Rios, Megan N Rogge

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Nampt Inhibition Uncovers Therapeutic Vulnerabilities To Venetoclax And Chemotherapy In Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, John R Sanchez, Chaomei Liu, Vishakha Pawar, Yanqing Huang, Daisy Diaz-Rohena, Jyotsana Singh, Priya Koppikar, Tzung-Huei Lai, Lisa St John, Vinay Puduvalli, Jeffrey Molldrem, Palaniraja Thandapani, Nitin Jain, Rosa Lapalombella, Deepa Sampath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells depend on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

Freeze-Dried, Not Frozen: Lyophilized Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles And Therapeutic Function In Neuroinflammatory Models, Janet R Ashley, Aidan M Collier, Scott D Olson, Charles S Cox

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) offer a promising acellular therapy for immune modulation, but clinical translation is hindered by variability and storage constraints. Lyophilization (freeze-drying) could enable shelf-stable EV therapeutics, although its effects on biological activity remain incompletely defined.

Study design: We compared the immunomodulatory effects of frozen and lyophilized EVs from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AD), and umbilical cord (UC) MSCs using lipopolysaccharide-stimulated rodent splenocytes and microglial models and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Variables included batch scale (small vs large), cytokine priming, and MSC source. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion was measured …

Key Regulatory Roles Of Prdm1 In Human Nk-Cell Differentiation And Activation, Xuxiang Liu, Yunfei Shi, Jibin Zhang, Kunal Shetty, Krystie Chew, Can Küçük, Qiang Gong, Esra Esmeray, Haiqing Li, Ru Chen, Sheng Pan, Katarzyna Dąbrowska, Roger E Moore, Krystine Garcia-Mansfield, Patrick Pirrotte, Jinhui Wang, Yuping Li, Gehong Dong, Logan Lee, Timothy W Mckeithan, Javeed Iqbal, Wing C Chan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PRDM1, encoding a transcription factor (TF), regulates plasma cell and CD8+ T-cell terminal differentiation and Th2 lineage specification, while its role in human NK-cell differentiation and homeostasis is largely unknown. Here, we employed a multi-omics approach to dissect the transcriptional control of PRDM1 on human NK-cells. PRDM1 is important in NK-cell terminal differentiation based on gene expression profiling and its targeting of key regulators in the process. PRDM1-deleted NK-cells displayed a less mature phenotype simulating the CD56bright NK-cell population accompanied by upregulation of stem-like gene signatures. PRDM1-bound genes were enriched in T/NK-cell receptor signaling, activation, and NK-cell effector …

Examining Motivators And Barriers To Meditation Practice Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: Insights From A Survey Study, Radha Korupolu, Chelsea G Ratcliff, Ariana Andampour, Susan Robinson-Whelen, Shrasti Lohiya, Audrey S Cohen, Christine Bakos-Block, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Meditation and mindfulness practices offer promising non-pharmacological alternatives for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to improve their health and well-being, but integrating such practices into daily routines can be challenging.

Objectives: This survey study aims to identify motivators and barriers to engagement with meditation and mindfulness interventions among individuals with SCI.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults with SCI (N = 94) from a single large acute rehabilitation center in the United States.

Results: Results from the survey showed a strong interest in meditation among individuals with SCI, with nearly half reporting current engagement in meditation …