Digital Commons Network^™

Prediction Of Continuous Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography With Fluid Measures Of Phosphorylated Tau And Β-Amyloid, Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren, Linda Karlsson, Weizhong Tang, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, Randall J Bateman, Suzanne E Schindler, Nicolas Barthelemy, Sebastian Palmqvist, Erik Stomrud, Shorena Janelidze, Oskar Hansson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Brain amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology is a core feature of Alzheimer disease (AD) and can be quantified using positron emission tomography (PET). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers detect abnormal Aβ, but it is unclear to what degree they can predict quantitative Aβ-PET. We explored plasma and CSF biomarkers in relation to Aβ-PET in the BioFINDER-2 study (N = 1053), and the BioFINDER-1 study (N = 238). We developed a machine learning pipeline to predict Aβ-PET using CSF and plasma measures. The best models achieved R

Towards Precision Functional Brain Network Mapping In Parkinson's Disease, Jacob Chernicky, Ally Dworetsky, Sarah Grossen, Emma Carr, Abdulmunaim Eid, Meghan C Campbell, Caterina Gratton

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative condition that leads to widespread disruption of large-scale brain networks and is further complicated by substantial individual variability in symptomology, progression rates, and treatment response. Consequently, the investigation of individual differences in networks measured via resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) may provide insight. However, most RSFC studies are unable to identify interindividual differences due to poor reliability and group average network definitions. "Precision" RSFC addresses these shortcomings through extended data collection, strict denoising, and individual network definition, but remains untested in PD.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of precision RSFC …

Immortalization And Characterization Of Schwann Cell Lines Derived From Nf1-Associated Cutaneous Neurofibromas, Hua Li, Angela Hirbe, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant condition in which patients are heterozygous for a disruptive pathogenic variant in the NF1 gene. The most characteristic feature of the condition NF1 is the neurofibroma, a benign, multi-cellular tumor which initiates when a cell of the Schwann cell lineage gains a somatic pathogenic variant of the other NF1 allele. Neurofibromas developing at nerve termini in the skin are termed "cutaneous" neurofibromas (cNFs), while those developing within larger nerves are termed "plexiform." Most patients develop cNFs beginning in late childhood or early adulthood, continuing throughout life at variable rates. Some patients may …

Spatial Variation In Socio-Economic Vulnerability To Influenza-Like Infection For The Us Population, Shrabani S. Tripathy, Joseph V. Puthussery, Taveen S Kapoor, John R. Cirrito, Rajan K. Chakrabarty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This study aims to quantify environmental health impacts and assess risk by understanding the disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, specifically Influenza-like Illness (ILI), across regions with varying socio-economic characteristics. We introduce a novel vulnerability-based approach to better understand the complex relationship between socio-economic factors and ILI burden. We develop a machine-learning-driven framework to assess and map state-level socio-economic vulnerability to ILI in the United States. A vulnerability index was created by integrating 39 diverse socio-economic and health indicators from the latest CENSUS. A Random Forest Regression model then weighed these indicators to quantify each state's vulnerability for the ILI values …

Capacity And Site Readiness For Hypertension Control Program Implementation In Nigeria: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study, Innocent Ijezie Chukwuonye, Mark D. Huffman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the capacity and readiness of Nigerian primary healthcare facilities to adopt a multi-level approach for the diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypertension.

METHODS: Using a multi-stage sampling technique, 5 states were selected for the nationwide study, and 10 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) were selected from each of the participating states. The 50 PHCs were evaluated using the World Health Organization-modified Service Availability and Readiness Assessment, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in Nigeria. The indicator scores for general and cardiovascular service preparedness were computed using the proportion of PHCs …

Dysregulated Lactate Metabolism Synergizes With Als Genetic Risk Factors To Accelerate Motor Decline, Shweta Tendulkar, Tong Wu, Amy Strickland, Amber R. Hackett, Yurie Sato-Yamada, Xianrong Mao, Yo Sasaki, Jeffrey Milbrandt, A. Joseph Bloom, Aaron Diantonio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neurons rely on glial 'lactate shuttling' for metabolic support, which declines with aging and in neurodegenerative disease. Full disruption of lactate shuttling in peripheral nerves causes progressive axon degeneration, but we were interested to understand how partial disruption, a scenario more relevant to aging and disease, contributes to neurodegeneration risk. Pyruvate and lactate are interconverted by lactate dehydrogenases (LDHA and LDHB) in both lactate producing and consuming cells. We therefore began by investigating Ldhb knockout mice (loss of LDHA, the dominant LDH in liver and muscle, caused embryonic lethality), and discovered that they develop progressive neuromuscular junction atrophy and functional …

The Cognitive-Affective Social Processing And Emotion Regulation (Casper) Model, M Catalina Camacho, Elina Deshpande, Michael T Perino

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Humans are intensely social creatures. It is therefore not surprising that many psychiatric disorder criteria include social dysfunctions; however, overlapping presentations and diverse, complex etiologies make treating social dysfunctions difficult. Here, we introduce the Cognitive Affective Social Processing and Emotion Regulation (CASPER) model. CASPER integrates research from social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and developmental science to describe how real-world social processing unfolds and is associated with differing psychiatric social cognitive neurophenotypes. Briefly, social processing can be broken down into the following cognitive steps: identifying relevant social cues, attending to related cues, interpreting cues, and adjusting behavior appropriately. Each of these steps …

Frontline Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever Thrombectomy For M2 Occlusions: Insights From The Star Registry, Michael Gaub, Joshua Osbun, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Recent trials have furthered uncertainty regarding the endovascular benefit for medium vessel occlusions (MeVO). Stent retrievers (SR) were employed in the first attempt in most interventional arm participants. We sought to compare outcomes in acute MCA M2 occlusions between frontline aspiration and SR, and to delineate procedural and anatomical covariates associated with differential treatment effect.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter stroke thrombectomy cohort identified cases of MT for M2 occlusions. Unmatched and propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts were generated comparing frontline aspiration to standalone and combined SR. The primary outcome was functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days. Recanalization, …

A Survey-Based Assessment Of Treatment Preferences For Distal Radius Fractures In Participants Aged 65 Years And Older, Zayd Al Rawi, Elizabeth Graesser, Lindley B Wall

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: The management of distal radius fractures (DRF) in patients aged ≥65 years is debated because there is evidence that operative and nonsurgical treatment yield similar outcomes 1 year after injury. When more than one reasonable treatment option exists, shared decision-making between the patient and physician should be used. This study elicited preferences for the treatment of DRF using a survey of participants aged ≥65 years.

METHODS: A survey for participants ≥65 years was administered using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants were presented with a theoretical scenario in which they sustained a DRF, followed by two treatment options (surgery or casting) …

Coordinated Regulation Of Capping Protein By Carmil And V-1/Myotrophin, John A Hammer, John A Cooper

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Capping Protein (CP) plays a central role in controlling actin filament dynamics in almost all eukaryotic cell types by virtue of its ability to block monomer addition and loss at the barbed end of the actin filament. Like other proteins that control actin assembly, CP is subject to regulation. Here we focus on two direct regulators of CP-CARMIL and V-1/Myotrophin. Specifically, we review recent biochemical, structural, imaging, and cell biological data that argue these two proteins cooperate to create a regulatory cycle for CP that controls its availability, activity, and site of action in the cell. Finally, we discuss unresolved …

Diverse Misfolding Mutant Digestive Enzymes Cause Chronic Pancreatitis Through Common Pathways, Steven J Wilhelm, Grace E Curry, Neel Matiwala, Jianguo Lin, Tran Quach, Mark E Lowe, Miklós Sahin-Tóth, Xunjun K Xiao

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Increasing evidence suggests that protein misfolding and proteotoxicity is an important mechanism of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in patients with genetic variants. Two mouse models carrying misfolding digestive enzyme variants, CPA1 N256K and PNLIP T221M, recapitulate the human CP phenotype. We hypothesized that both models develop CP through similar disease mechanisms.

METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of mice aged 1 to 6 months using histology, immunohistochemistry, protein immunoblotting, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to characterize pancreatic pathological changes.

RESULTS: Both homozygous models exhibited CP hallmarks, including progressive acinar …

Genome-Wide Gene-Sleep Interaction Study Identifies Novel Lipid Loci In 732,564 Participants, Raymond Noordam, Karen Schwander, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Mary F Feitosa, Anh Do, C Charles Gu, Changwei Li, Michael A Province, Dabeeru C Rao, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Deviations from the population mean in sleep duration have been associated with increased risk for developing dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism of effect is poorly characterized. We performed large-scale genome-wide gene-sleep interaction analyses of lipid levels to identify genetic variants underpinning the biomolecular pathways of sleep-associated lipid disturbances and to suggest possible druggable targets.

METHODS: We collected data from 55 cohorts with a combined sample size of 732,564 participants (87 % European ancestry) with data on lipid traits (high-density lipoprotein [HDL-c] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL-c] cholesterol and triglycerides [TG]). Short (STST) and long (LTST) …

Foot-Specific Exercise Intervention For Forefoot Deformity In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes And Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial With 3-Year Follow-Up, J A Zellers, K Steger-May, P K Commean, H-J Jeong, E M Bullard, M J Mueller, M K Hastings

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Diabetes with peripheral neuropathy can lead to metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) deformity. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of a foot-specific intervention on MTPJ deformity. Secondary aims were determining MTPJ deformity progression over 3 years and predictors of MTPJ deformity progression.

METHODS: Sixty people with type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy were recruited for this randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were assessed at baseline, 6 months (post-intervention), 1.5 years, and 3 years. A 6-month, foot-specific intervention in the experimental group was compared to a shoulder intervention in the control group. The primary outcome was change in …

Excellent Outcomes In Feasibility Study Of Radiation-Free Conditioning And Transplant In Pediatric Severe Aplastic Anemia, Mithra Lakshmi Narasimhan, Irem Eldem, Jeffrey J Bednarski, Ginny L Schulz, Robert J Hayashi, Shalini Shenoy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is treated with a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) in the presence of an HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) with disease-free survival (DFS) of >90%. In the absence of an MSD, immunosuppressive therapy (IST) can induce remission but concerns for relapsed/refractory disease and clonal hematopoiesis persist. IST failure is an indication for HCT. Modern HCT approaches target barriers such as graft rejection (GR), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and transplant-related toxicities. Traditionally, total body irradiation (TBI) inclusive HCT conditioning helps decrease GR, but the use of TBI in children increases concerns for late effects such as malignancies. To describe outcomes …

Comparison Of Breast And Gastric Her2 Immunohistochemistry (Ihc) Scoring Criteria In The Assessment Of Endometrial Carcinoma, Rachel L Furuya, Whitney Grither, Matthew A Powell, Premal H Thaker, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing is the primary method to determine HER2 status at many institutions, often with reflex to in situ hybridization (ISH). DNA- and RNA- based platforms are emerging for HER-2 assessment. While approved IHC algorithms exist for HER2 scoring in breast and gastric carcinomas, neither has been validated in endometrial cancer. This study seeks to compare them and evaluate patterns of DNA and RNA expression.

METHODS: 263 endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEA), 275 serous endometrial carcinoma (SEC), and 214 uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) specimens were randomly selected. Previously stained HER2 IHC slides underwent blinded review by two board-certified pathologists and …

Atomic Models Of The Toxoplasma Cell Invasion Machinery, Jianwei Zeng, Yong Fu, Pengge Qian, Wei Huang, Qingwei Niu, Wandy L Beatty, Alan Brown, L David Sibley, Rui Zhang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Apicomplexan parasites, responsible for toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis and malaria, invade host cells through a unique gliding motility mechanism powered by actomyosin motors and a dynamic organelle called the conoid. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we determined structures of four essential complexes of the Toxoplasma gondii conoid: the preconoidal P2 ring, tubulin-based conoid fibers, and the subpellicular and intraconoidal microtubules. Our analysis identified 40 distinct conoid proteins, several of which are essential for parasite lytic growth, as revealed through genetic disruption studies. Comparative analysis of the tubulin-containing complexes sheds light on their functional specialization by microtubule-associated proteins, while the structure of the preconoidal …

Evaluation Of Mycoplasma Genitalium Positivity And Co-Infection With Chlamydia Trachomatis And/Or Neisseria Gonorrhoeae At Various Care Sites Across The United States, Rebecca Lillis, Stacey House, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) positivity and co-infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), based on results from a trial assessing clinical performance of the Cobas® Liat CT/NG/MG point-of-care test.

METHODS: A prospective, US, multicenter, noninterventional study assessed MG positivity in prospective urine samples (male) and clinician-collected vaginal swabs (female) from symptomatic/asymptomatic patients aged ≥14 years attending various clinical settings. Participants were designated positive or negative for MG, CT, and NG based on combined results from three US Food and Drug Administration-approved assays and one laboratory-developed test. MG co-infection with CT and/or NG was assessed.

RESULTS: Among …

Influence Of Obesity And Insulin Resistance With Hepatic Steatosis On The Human Plasma Lipidome, Max C Petersen, Gordon I Smith, Aaron M Armando, Xiong Su, Oswald Quehenberger, Edward A Dennis, Samuel Klein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Insulin resistance accompanied by hepatic steatosis is a common complication of obesity. In an effort to identify plasma lipids that could be biomarkers or causes of insulin resistance with steatosis in people with obesity, we evaluated the plasma lipidome in three distinct groups separated by adiposity, hepatic steatosis, and insulin sensitivity, assessed by using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure: i) insulin-sensitive lean (ISL, n = 13); ii) insulin-sensitive obese (ISO, n = 14); and iii) insulin-resistant obese with hepatic steatosis (IROS, n = 13). We evaluated 759 complex lipid species in 16 subclasses (including phospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, acylcarnitines, and cholesteryl esters) …

Beyond Restless Sleep: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk, Aging Biomarkers, And Chronic Low Back Pain, Khalid W Freij, Fiona Bat Agbor, Philemon Domoyeri, Kiari R Kinnie, Asia M Wiggins, Demario S Overstreet, Tammie L Quinn, Shivraj S Grewal, S Justin Thomas, Walid W Freij, Shameka L Cody, Michael A Owens, Robert E Sorge, Burel R Goodin, Edwin N Aroke

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This secondary data analysis aimed to determine the nature of the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk, biological age acceleration, and nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP). In total, 199 adults aged 18-82 years who filled both STOPBANG and pain questionnaires subsetted for secondary analysis. Based on the STOPBANG questionnaire, 104 had a low OSA risk and 95 had an intermediate or high OSA risk. Dunedin Pace of Aging Computed from the Epigenome (DunedinPACE), Horvath's, Hannum's, PhenoAge, and GrimAge clocks were used to determine biological age and pace of biological aging. Individuals with low OSA risk reported increased DunedinPACE …

Advancing Inter-Brain Synchrony Measurement: A Comparative Hyperscanning Study Of Diffuse Optical Tomography And Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Shuo Guan, Yuhang Li, Yingbo Geng, Dongyun Li, Qiong Xu, Peisong Niu, Dalin Yang, Adam Eggebrecht, Yingchun Zhang, Rihui Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Inter-brain synchrony (IBS), measured by hyperscanning, refers to the synchronization of multiple individuals' brain activities during social interactions. Traditional fNIRS-based hyperscanning suffers shortcomings like low spatial resolution and high susceptibility to superficial interference, causing imprecise estimation of IBS in complex social tasks. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap by comprehensively assessing diffuse optical tomography (DOT), an enhanced alternative to fNIRS, can benefit hyperscanning studies of complex social interactions. Sixteen dyads were engaged in both collaborative and individual tangram puzzle tasks, and their brain activities were recorded simultaneously using DOT and fNIRS. We found that DOT demonstrated significantly stronger …

Abnormalities In Sensorimotor Brain Function Are Related To Chronicity Of Low Back Pain, Jo Armour Smith, Rongwen Tain, Kelli G Sharp, Laura M Glynn, Linda R Van Dillen, Jesse V Jacobs, Steven C Cramer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Maladaptive plasticity in the brain may contribute to chronic low back pain (LBP) and underlie the altered postural control of the lumbopelvic musculature that is evident in some individuals with LBP. We recently described an MRI-compatible leg-raise paradigm to measure brain activity associated with lumbopelvic postural control. The objective of this study was to compare brain function in young adults with and without a history of LBP and to determine relationships between brain function, pain, and postural control characteristics. We recruited 55 participants with a history of LBP, who were asymptomatic when studied, and 30 healthy controls. Postural control during …

Modeling Clinical Relevance And Risk In Yttrium-90 Radioembolization Of The Liver: Lung Shunt Fraction Variability According To Imaging Modality, Cancer Type, And Tumor Size, M Allan Thomas, Tharun Alamuri, Ryan C Lee, Dan Giardina, John Karageorgiou, Naganathan Mani, Daniel A Braga, Christopher D Malone

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that lung shunt fraction (LSF) in yttrium-90 (

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 354 consecutive cases from a 34-month period at a single institution. Cancer type (hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] vs non-HCC) and maximum tumor size were tracked. LSF was computed from planar imaging (LSF

RESULTS: Median LSF was significantly different (all P < .001) among LSF

CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant variations with imaging modality and correction methods, consistent trends in LSF magnitude with cancer type and tumor size were still uncovered. The relative risk of observing clinically relevant LSF can be modeled for different liver tumor …

Knowledge, Interest, And Willingness Of Hematologists And Oncologists To Care For Adults With Vascular Anomalies, Bryan A Sisk, Anna M Kerr, Sally Cohen-Cutler, Margaret T Lee, Katie Harmoney, Alexandra Borst, Shelley E Crary, Shelbie Fishman, Stephanie Chen, Danielle Cicka, Stephanie Milam, Christine Bereitschaft, Kristen M Sanfilippo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Vascular anomalies (VAs) are rare diseases that cause significant morbidity. Adults with VAs struggle to access expert care. Hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine are positioned to provide expert care, but no prior studies have characterized their openness to this role.

OBJECTIVES: This study characterized the experience, confidence, willingness, and motivating factors for hematologists/oncologists to care for adults with VAs.

METHODS: We surveyed United States hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine between October 2024 and March 2025. The questionnaire assessed knowledge, experience, confidence, and willingness to care for adults with VAs, as well as open-ended questions assessing factors influencing …

Mouse Alport Podocytes Are Susceptible To Aav9 Transduction In Vivo, Meei-Hua Lin, Kohei Omachi, Joshua F Begin, Jennifer L Richardson, Jeffrey H Miner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Alport syndrome features a defective glomerular basement membrane (GBM) due to variants in COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5. The most severe forms, which lack the GBM's collagen α3α4α5(IV) network, progress from hematuria in early childhood to proteinuria, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure by the age of ∼30. As a monogenic disease without specific treatments, and with podocytes being the only glomerular cells that synthesize collagen α3α4α5(IV), the ability to efficiently deliver genes to Alport podocytes could open up new possibilities for treatment.

METHODS: As a proof-of-concept study, we investigated whether podocytes in X-linked Alport mice were susceptible to transduction …

Steroid Hormone Metabolites And Mammographic Breast Density In Premenopausal Women, Ghazaleh Pourali, Kayode A Matthew, Myung Sik Jeon, Chongliang Luo, Gary J Patti, Jingqin Luo, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Steroid hormones influence breast morphology and cellular proliferation and are associated with breast carcinogenesis. However, their associations with mammographic breast density (MBD) are less studied, particularly in premenopausal women. We, therefore, investigated the associations of steroid hormone metabolites with MBD in premenopausal women.

METHODS: Our study included 700 premenopausal women scheduled for screening mammograms. We analyzed 54 steroid hormone metabolites (Metabolon®) and assessed volumetric measures of MBD including volumetric percent density (VPD), dense volume (DV), and non-dense volume (NDV) using Volpara. We investigated associations using linear regression modeling to estimate the covariate-adjusted means of VPD, NDV, and DV, corresponding …

Involving Parents In Prevention: A Case Example Of Research And Intervention Development To Improve Financial Well-Being Support, Nick Axford, Gisella Hanley, Rebecca Summers, Kristin Liabo, Amy Bond, Eleanor Bryant, Georgia Smith, Rachel Silcock, Vashti Berry

Peninsula Medical School

The adverse effects on parent and child outcomes of poverty and stressors associated with low income are well established. With notable exceptions, however, the potential role of frontline services in improving family financial well-being is underexplored. This article outlines how patient and public involvement (PPI) was initiated early on in research on financial well-being support (FWbS). It illustrates how research can build on and integrate what parents say about services and how to research them. The involvement work was undertaken in one city in part to inform the adaptation of an income maximisation service to be delivered in local children’s …

Measuring Outcomes In Evaluations Of Interventions To Prevent Youth Crime And Violence: Challenges And Potential Solutions, Sajid Humayun, Finlay Green, Helen Downham, Nick Axford

Peninsula Medical School

There is a clear imperative to prevent youth crime and violence owing to the significant social and economic costs for individuals involved and wider society. A considerable evidence base for ‘what works’ in this space exists but gaps remain. To address these, it is necessary to evaluate intervention effectiveness. The aim of this article is to explore challenges and potential solutions regarding outcome measurement in such evaluations. To do this we draw on the literature and our experience as evaluators. We argue that outcome selection should be informed by a robust theory of change, and that normally this will mean …

Microplastics, Nanoplastics And Liver Disease: An Emerging Health Concern?, Shilpa Chokshi, Ashwin Dhanda, Matthew E. Cramp, Richard Thompson

Peninsula Medical School

Human liver tissue has been found to contain microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), with evidence that hepatic MNP accumulation has markedly increased over the past 10 years, prompting critical questions regarding their potential causal role in liver disease. In cell-based and murine models, MNP exposure can trigger oxidative stress, fibrogenesis and inflammation, pathological features that resemble those of advanced liver disease, suggesting shared mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, the capacity for MNPs to act as vectors for microbial pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and carcinogenic additives might have important implications for liver pathology. This Perspective examines emerging evidence on the consequences of MNPs …

External Multicenter Validation Of The Esah Score For Predicting Outcomes After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Natália Vasconcellos De Oliveira Souza, Rohan Sharma, Otavio Frederico De Toledo, Ingrid Pereira Marques, Salvador F. Gutierrez-Aguirre, Lara-Velazquez Montserrat, Eric Sauvageau, Naval Neeraj, Amin Aghaebrahim, Feres Chaddad Neto, Ricardo A. Hanel, Gisele Sampaio Silva, William David Freeman

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Reliable assessment of prognosis after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is essential to inform clinical decision-making and prevent premature assumptions of poor outcome. The enhanced SAH (eSAH) score combines three routinely available variables-age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and subarachnoid hemorrhage blood volume (SAHV)-to provide an objective framework for early outcome stratification. SAHV is estimated using the ABC/2-derived ellipsoid method applied across five major cisternal compartments on non-contrast CT. While the eSAH score has shown promise in initial derivation studies, its external performance and calibration have not yet been validated across diverse healthcare settings. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using consecutive …

The Impact Of Pasifikas In Medicine On Pacific Islander Medical Student Experiences, Devon Hori Harvey, Micah Ngatuvai, Siale Vaitohi, Paige E. Faasuamalie, Maegan Tupinio, Lisa H. Smith

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: Pacific Islanders experience significant health disparities. One contributing aspect to these disparities is the lack of racial concordance as Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in the U.S. physician work force. Several factors contribute to this underrepresentation including lack of support systems for Pacific Islander premed and medical students. Pasifikas in Medicine (PiM) is a recently established national student organization founded to provide support for Pacific Islander premed students, medical students, residents, fellows and attending physicians. This study seeks to understand the impact of PiM on medical student experiences.

METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to the PiM listserv and to …