Digital Commons Network^™

A Heuristic Evaluation Of A Pharmacy Surveillance Information System, Reza Abbasi, Mehrdad Farzandipour, Habiballah Rahimi, Yang Gong, Ehsan Nabovati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The pharmacy surveillance information system (PSIS) is intended to manage the dispensing practice of under-controlled drugs and substances. We designed and developed a PSIS for the first time in a developing country. This study aimed to evaluate the usability of this system using a heuristic evaluation method before the pilot implementation in outpatient pharmacies.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted in 2022 during the development of a pharmacy surveillance information system. Five evaluators examined the system using Nielson's heuristic evaluation method. The detected usability problems were categorized into 10 Nielson's usability principles, and their severity was calculated.

Results: …

Immune Landscape Of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-Stratified Primary And Recurrent Human Gliomas, Pravesh Gupta, Minghao Dang, Shivangi Oberai, Simona Migliozzi, Rakesh Trivedi, Gayatri Kumar, Mekenzie Peshoff, Nancy Milam, Aml Ahmed, Krishna Bojja, Tuan M Tran, Joy Gumin, Carlos Kamiya-Matsuoka, Jason Huse, Kathryn Cox, Jianzhuo Li, Huma Shehwana, Sameer A Sheth, Rodriguez Saxon, Sun Baohua, Brittany Parker Kerrigan, Atul Maheshwari, Edwin Roger Parra Cuentas, Nicholas E Navin, Amy B Heimberger, Frederick F Lang, Antonio Iavarone, Karen Clise-Dwyer, Linghua Wang, Krishna P Bhat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Human gliomas are classified using isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) status as a prognosticator; however, the influence of genetic differences and treatment effects on ensuing immunity remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, we used sequential single-cell transcriptomics on 144 678 and spectral cytometry on over 2 million immune cells encompassing 48 human gliomas to decipher their immune landscape.

Results: We identified 22 distinct immune cell types that contribute to glioma immunity. Specifically, brain-resident microglia (MG) were reduced with a concomitant increase in CD8+ T lymphocytes during glioma recurrence independent of IDH status. In contrast, IDH-wild type-associated patterns, such as an abundance …

Differential Relationship Between Meditation Methods And Psychotic-Like And Mystical Experiences, Timothy Palmer, Kenza Kadri, Eric Fakra, Jacqueline Scholl, Elsa Fouragnan

School of Psychology

Much work has investigated beneficial effects of mindfulness-based meditation methods, but less work has investigated potential risks and differences across meditation methods. We addressed this in a large pre-registered online survey including 613 mediators where we correlated participants' experience with fifty meditation techniques to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and mystical experiences. We found a positive correlation for both PLEs and mystical experiences with techniques aiming at reducing phenomenological content ('null-directed', NDM) or classified as non-dual or less embodied. In contrast, methods aiming at achieving an enhanced cognitive state (CDM), also described as 'attentional' or strongly embodied, showed negative correlations with PLEs. …

Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells: Potential Factories Of Natural And Mimetic Strategies For Congenital Malformations, Cristiane S R Fonteles, Julia Enterria-Rosales, Ying Lin, John W Steele, Ramiro A Villarreal-Leal, Jing Xiao, Daniel I Idowu, Beck Burgelin, Bogdan J Wlodarczyk, Richard H Finnell, Bruna Corradetti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from gestational tissues offer a promising avenue for prenatal intervention in congenital malformations although their application is hampered by concerns related to cellular plasticity and the need for invasive, high-risk surgical procedures. Here, we present naturally occurring exosomes (EXOs) isolated from amniotic fluid-derived MSCs (AF-MSCs) and their mimetic analogs (MIMs) as viable, reproducible, and stable alternatives. These nanovesicles present a minimally invasive therapeutic option, addressing the limitations of MSC-based treatments while retaining therapeutic efficacy.

METHODS: MIMs were generated from AF-MSCs by combining sequential filtration steps through filter membranes with different porosity and size exclusion …

Rna Splicing As A Biomarker And Phenotypic Driver Of Meningioma Dna-Methylation Groups, Nathan K Leclair, Abrar Choudury, William C Chen, Stephen T Magill, Kathleen Mccortney, Craig M Horbinski, Zhenhong Chen, Ezequiel Goldschmidt, Charlotte D Eaton, Ketan R Bulsara, Wenya Linda Bi, Akash J Patel, Felix Sahm, David Raleigh, Olga Anczukow

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of meningiomas have led to significant gains in the ability to predict patient prognosis and tumor recurrence and to identify novel targets for therapeutic design. Specifically, classification of meningiomas based on DNA methylation has greatly improved our ability to risk stratify patients, however new questions have arisen in terms of the underlying impact these DNA-methylation signatures have on meningioma biology.

METHODS: This study utilizes RNA-sequencing data from 486 meningioma samples corresponding to 3 meningioma DNA-methylation groups (merlin-intact, immune-enriched, and hypermitotic), followed by in vitro experiments utilizing human meningioma cell lines.

RESULTS: …

3d Genome Topology Distinguishes Molecular Subgroups Of Medulloblastoma, John J Y Lee, Michael J Johnston, Hamza Farooq, Huey-Miin Chen, Subhi Talal Younes, Raul Suarez, Melissa Zwaig, Nikoleta Juretic, William A Weiss, Jiannis Ragoussis, Nada Jabado, Michael D Taylor, Marco Gallo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Four main medulloblastoma (MB) molecular subtypes have been identified based on transcriptional, DNA methylation, and genetic profiles. However, it is currently not known whether 3D genome architecture differs between MB subtypes. To address this question, we performed in situ Hi-C to reconstruct the 3D genome architecture of MB subtypes. In total, we generated Hi-C and matching transcriptome data for 28 surgical specimens and Hi-C data for one patient-derived xenograft. The average resolution of the Hi-C maps was 6,833 bp. Using these data, we found that insulation scores of topologically associating domains (TADs) were effective at distinguishing MB molecular subgroups. TAD …

Spatial Dynamics Of Culex Quinquefasciatus Abundance: Geostatistical Insights From Harris County, Texas, Morgan Jibowu, Melissa S Nolan, Ryan Ramphul, Heather T Essigmann, Abiodun O Oluyomi, Eric L Brown, Maximea Vigilant, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant public health threat, prompting the need to pinpoint high-risk areas for targeted interventions and environmental control measures. Culex quinquefasciatus is the primary vector for several mosquito-borne pathogens, including West Nile virus. Using spatial analysis and modeling techniques, we investigated the geospatial distribution of Culex quinquefasciatus abundance in the large metropolis of Harris County, Texas, from 2020 to 2022. Our geospatial analysis revealed clusters of high mosquito abundance, predominantly located in central Houston and the north-northwestern regions of Harris County, with lower mosquito abundance observed in the western and southeastern areas. We identified persistent high mosquito …

Exploration Of The Tunability Of Brd4 Degradation By Dcaf16 Trans-Labelling Covalent Glues, Muhammad Murtaza Hassan, Yen-Der Li, Michelle W Ma, Mingxing Teng, Woong Sub Byun, Kedar Puvar, Ryan Lumpkin, Brittany Sandoval, Justine C Rutter, Cyrus Y Jin, Michelle Y Wang, Shawn Xu, Anna M Schmoker, Hakyung Cheong, Brian J Groendyke, Jun Qi, Eric S Fischer, Benjamin L Ebert, Nathanael S Gray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chemically induced proximity modalities such as targeted protein degradation (TPD) hold promise for expanding the number of proteins that can be manipulated pharmacologically. However, current TPD strategies are often limited to proteins with preexisting ligands. Molecular glues (e.g. glutarimide ligands for CUL4CRBN), offer the potential to target undruggable proteins. Yet, their rational design is largely unattainable due to the unpredictability of the ‘gain-of-function’ nature of the glue interaction upon chemical modification of ligands. We recently reported a covalent trans-labelling glue mechanism which we named ‘Template-assisted covalent modification’, where an electrophile decorated BRD4 inhibitor was effectively delivered to …

A Review Of The Association Between Dietary Intake And Brain Iron Levels In Older Adults: Preliminary Findings And Future Directions., Valentinos Zachariou, Christopher E. Bauer, Colleen A. Pappas, Brian T. Gold

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Non-heme iron is essential for critical neuronal functions such as ATP generation, synaptogenesis, neurotransmitter synthesis, and myelin formation. However, as non-heme iron accumulates with age, excessive levels can contribute to oxidative stress, potentially disrupting neuronal integrity and contributing to cognitive decline. Despite growing evidence linking high brain iron with poorer cognitive performance, there are currently no proven methods to reduce brain iron accumulation in aging or to protect cognitive function from iron’s negative effects. Recent studies suggest that nutrition may influence brain iron levels, though the evidence remains limited and mixed. Methods: In this review, we explore recent findings, …

Diet And Immune Effects Trial (Diet)- A Randomized, Double-Blinded Dietary Intervention Study In Patients With Melanoma Receiving Immunotherapy, Rachel M Farias, Yan Jiang, Erma J Levy, Cindy Hwang, Jian Wang, Elizabeth M Burton, Lorenzo Cohen, Nadim Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Carrie R Daniel, Jennifer L Mcquade

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Gut microbiome modulation is a promising strategy for enhancing the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Fecal microbiota transplant studies have shown positive signals of improved outcomes in both ICB-naïve and refractory melanoma patients; however, this strategy is challenging to scale. Diet is a key determinant of the gut microbiota, and we have previously shown that (a) habitual high dietary fiber intake is associated with an improved response to ICB and (b) fiber manipulation in mice impacts antitumor immunity. We recently demonstrated the feasibility of a controlled high-fiber dietary intervention (HFDI) conducted in melanoma survivors with excellent compliance and …

Functional Connectivity Biomarker Extraction For Schizophrenia Based On Energy Landscape Machine Learning Techniques, Janerra D Allen, Sravani Varanasi, Fei Han, L Elliot Hong, Fow-Sen Choa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain connectivity represents the functional organization of the brain, which is an important indicator for evaluating neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment effects. Schizophrenia is associated with impaired functional connectivity but characterizing the complex abnormality patterns has been challenging. In this work, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to measure functional connectivity between 55 schizophrenia patients and 63 healthy controls across 246 regions of interest (ROIs) and extracted the disease-related connectivity patterns using energy landscape (EL) analysis. EL analysis captures the complexity of brain function in schizophrenia by focusing on functional brain state stability and region-specific dynamics. Age, sex, …

Trajectory, Interactions, And Predictors Of Higher Symptom Burden During Induction Therapy For Multiple Myeloma, Mona Kamal, Qiuling Shi, Shu-En Shen, Charles Cleeland, Xin Shelley Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) experience disabling symptoms that are difficult to manage and may persist after induction therapy. Monitoring disease-related and induction therapy-induced symptoms and identifying patients at greater risk for high symptom burden are unmet clinical needs. The objective of this study was to examine the trajectories of symptom severity over time and identify predictors of high symptom burden during MM induction therapy.

Methodology: Eligible patients with MM rated their symptoms by completing the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory MM module repeatedly during 16 weeks of induction therapy. Group-based trajectory modeling identified patient groups with persistently high-severity (versus …

Prenatal Assessment Of Brain Malformations On Neuroimaging: An Expert Panel Review, Ivana Pogledic, Kshitij Mankad, Mariasavina Severino, Tally Lerman-Sagie, Andras Jakab, Efrat Hadi, Anna C Jansen, Nadia Bahi-Buisson, Natalya Di Donato, Renske Oegema, Christian Mitter, Ivan Capo, Matthew T Whitehead, Parthiv Haldipur, Grazia Mancini, Thierry A G M Huisman, Andrea Righini, Bill Dobyns, James A Barkovich, Natasa Jovanov Milosevic, Gregor Kasprian, Maarten Lequin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Brain malformations represent a heterogeneous group of abnormalities of neural morphogenesis, often associated with aberrations of neuronal connectivity and brain volume. Prenatal detection of brain malformations requires a clear understanding of embryology and developmental morphology through the various stages of gestation. This expert panel review is written with the central aim of providing an easy-to-understand road map to improve prenatal detection and characterization of structural malformations based on the current understanding of normal and aberrant brain development. For every developmental stage, the utility of each available neuroimaging modality, including prenatal multiplanar neuro sonography, anatomical MRI and advanced MRI techniques, as …

Differential Infiltration Of Key Immune T-Cell Populations Across Malignancies Varying By Immunogenic Potential And The Likelihood Of Response To Immunotherapy., Islam Eljilany, Sam Coleman, Aik Choon Tan, Martin D. Mccarter, John Carpten, Howard Colman, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Igor Puzanov, Susanne Arnold, Michelle L. Churchman, Daniel Spakowicz, Bodour Salhia, Julian Marin, Shridar Ganesan, Aakrosh Ratan, Craig Shriver, Patrick Hwu, William S. Dalton, George J. Weiner, Jose R. Conejo-Garcia, Paulo Rodriguez, Ahmad A. Tarhini

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: Solid tumors vary by the immunogenic potential of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the likelihood of response to immunotherapy. The emerging literature has identified key immune cell populations that significantly impact immune activation or suppression within the TME. This study investigated candidate T-cell populations and their differential infiltration within different tumor types as estimated from mRNA co-expression levels of the corresponding cellular markers.

Methods: We analyzed the mRNA co-expression levels of cellular biomarkers that define stem-like tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tissue-resident memory T-cells (TRM), early dysfunctional T-cells, late dysfunctional T-cells, activated-potentially anti-tumor (APA) T-cells and Butyrophilin 3A (BTN3A) isoforms, utilizing …

Inflammation Mediated By Gut Microbiome Alterations Promotes Lung Cancer Development And An Immunosuppressed Tumor Microenvironment, Zahraa Rahal, Yuejiang Liu, Fuduan Peng, Sujuan Yang, Mohamed A Jamal, Manvi Sharma, Hannah Moreno, Ashish V Damania, Matthew C Wong, Matthew C Ross, Ansam Sinjab, Tieling Zhou, Minyue Chen, Inti Tarifa Reischle, Jiping Feng, Chidera Chukwuocha, Elizabeth Tang, Camille Abaya, Jamie K Lim, Cheuk Hong Leung, Heather Y Lin, Nathaniel Deboever, Jack J Lee, Boris Sepesi, Don L Gibbons, Jennifer A Wargo, Junya Fujimoto, Linghua Wang, Joseph F Petrosino, Nadim J Ajami, Robert R Jenq, Seyed Javad Moghaddam, Tina Cascone, Kristi Hoffman, Humam Kadara

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiome influences cancer progression and therapy. We recently showed that progressive changes in gut microbial diversity and composition are closely coupled with tobacco-associated lung adenocarcinoma in a human-relevant mouse model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the loss of the antimicrobial protein Lcn2 in these mice exacerbates protumor inflammatory phenotypes while further reducing microbial diversity. Yet, how gut microbiome alterations impinge on lung adenocarcinoma development remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of gut microbiome changes in lung adenocarcinoma development using fecal microbiota transfer and delineated a pathway by which gut microbiome alterations …

Molecular Insights Into The Interaction Between A Disordered Protein And A Folded Rna, Rishav Mitra, Emery T Usher, Selin Dedeoğlu, Matthew J Crotteau, Olivia A Fraser, Neela H Yennawar, Varun V Gadkari, Brandon T Ruotolo, Alex S Holehouse, Loïc Salmon, Scott A Showalter, James C A Bardwell

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDRs) are well established as contributors to intermolecular interactions and the formation of biomolecular condensates. In particular, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) often harbor IDRs in addition to folded RNA-binding domains that contribute to RBP function. To understand the dynamic interactions of an IDR-RNA complex, we characterized the RNA-binding features of a small (68 residues), positively charged IDR-containing protein, Small ERDK-Rich Factor (SERF). At high concentrations, SERF and RNA undergo charge-driven associative phase separation to form a protein- and RNA-rich dense phase. A key advantage of this model system is that this threshold for demixing is sufficiently high …

The Use Of Cloud Based Machine Learning To Predict Outcome In Intracerebral Haemorrhage Without Explicit Programming Expertise, Ajay Hegde, Deepu Vijaysenan, Pitchaiah Mandava, Girish Menon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Machine Learning (ML) techniques require novel computer programming skills along with clinical domain knowledge to produce a useful model. We demonstrate the use of a cloud-based ML tool that does not require any programming expertise to develop, validate and deploy a prognostic model for Intracerebral Haemorrhage (ICH). The data of patients admitted with Spontaneous Intracerebral haemorrhage from January 2015 to December 2019 was accessed from our prospectively maintained hospital stroke registry. 80% of the dataset was used for training, 10% for validation, and 10% for testing. Seventeen input variables were used to predict the dichotomized outcomes (Good outcome mRS 0-3/ …

Reflections From The Pandemic: Is Connectivism The Panacea For Clinicians?, Jennifer Benjamin, Tyson Pillow, Heather Macneill, Ken Masters, Anoop Agrawal, Neil Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent increased interest in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) highlight the need for interprofessional communities' collaboration to find solutions to complex problems. A personal narrative experience of one of the authors compels us to reflect on current approaches to learning and knowledge acquisition and use solutions to the challenges posed by GenAI through social learning contexts using connectivism. We recognize the need for constructivism and experiential learning for knowledge acquisition to establish foundational understanding. We explore how connectivist approaches can enhance traditional constructivist paradigms amid rapidly changing learning environments and online communities. Learning in connectivism includes …

Using Multiplexed Functional Data To Reduce Variant Classification Inequities In Underrepresented Populations, Moez Dawood, Shawn Fayer, Sriram Pendyala, Mason Post, Divya Kalra, Karynne Patterson, Eric Venner, Lara A Muffley, Douglas M Fowler, Alan F Rubin, Jennifer E Posey, Sharon E Plon, James R Lupski, Richard A Gibbs, Lea M Starita, Carla Daniela Robles-Espinoza, Willow Coyote-Maestas, Irene Gallego Romero

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Multiplexed Assays of Variant Effects (MAVEs) can test all possible single variants in a gene of interest. The resulting saturation-style functional data may help resolve variant classification disparities between populations, especially for Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS).

METHODS: We analyzed clinical significance classifications in 213,663 individuals of European-like genetic ancestry versus 206,975 individuals of non-European-like genetic ancestry from All of Us and the Genome Aggregation Database. Then, we incorporated clinically calibrated MAVE data into the Clinical Genome Resource's Variant Curation Expert Panel rules to automate VUS reclassification for BRCA1, TP53, and PTEN.

RESULTS: Using two orthogonal statistical approaches, we …

Nt-Probnp And Cardiac Troponin I, But Not Cardiac Troponin T, Are Associated With 7-Year Changes In Cardiac Structure And Function In Older Adults: The Aric Study, Peder L Myhre, Brian Claggett, Christie M Ballantyne, Ron C Hoogeveen, Elizabeth Selvin, Kunihiro Matsushita, Dalane Kitzman, Suma Konety, Thomas Mosley, Amil M Shah

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Higher circulating concentrations of NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and I (hs-cTnI) are associated with left ventricular remodeling and with incident heart failure. The associations of these cardiac biomarkers with changes in cardiac structure and function over time are uncharacterized.

Methods: Among 2006 participants in the ARIC prospective cohort study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) who were free of overt cardiovascular disease and underwent echocardiography at study visits 5 (2011- 2013) and 7 (2018-2019), we assessed the associations of NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, and hs-cTnI concentrations at visit 5 with changes in left ventricular structure and …

A Preoperative Window-Of-Opportunity Study Of Oral Serd, Imlunestrant, In Newly Diagnosed Er-Positive, Her2-Negative Early Breast Cancer: Results From The Ember-2 Study, Patrick Neven, Rebecca Aft, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Imlunestrant is an oral selective estrogen receptor degrader with favorable safety and preliminary efficacy in patients with advanced breast cancer. Pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarker data can optimize drug dosing; in this study, we present PD data from the EMBER-2 study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal women with untreated, operable estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer were randomized to 400 versus 800 mg of imlunestrant daily for ∼2 weeks before surgery. A single arm study tested a daily dose of 200 mg. PD biomarker changes (ER, progesterone receptor, Ki-67 by IHC, and mRNA expression of ER-related genes) were evaluated in paired …

Vps13b Is Localized At The Interface Between Golgi Cisternae And Is A Functional Partner Of Fam177a1, Berrak Ugur, Florian Schueder, Jimann Shin, Michael G Hanna, Yumei Wu, Marianna Leonzino, Maohan Su, Anthony R Mcadow, Catherine Wilson, John Postlethwait, Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, Joerg Bewersdorf, Pietro De Camilli

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mutations in VPS13B, a member of a protein family implicated in bulk lipid transport between adjacent membranes, cause Cohen syndrome. VPS13B is known to be concentrated in the Golgi complex, but its precise location within this organelle and thus the site(s) where it achieves lipid transport remains unclear. Here, we show that VPS13B is localized at the interface between proximal and distal Golgi subcompartments and that Golgi complex reformation after Brefeldin A (BFA)-induced disruption is delayed in VPS13B KO cells. This delay is phenocopied by the loss of FAM177A1, a Golgi complex protein of unknown function reported to be a …

Heterozygous Btnl8 Variants In Individuals With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children (Mis-C), Evangelos Bellos, Erica G Schmitt, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with intestinal manifestations. Genetic predisposition, including inborn errors of the OAS-RNAseL pathway, has been reported. We sequenced 154 MIS-C patients and utilized a novel statistical framework of gene burden analysis, "burdenMC," which identified an enrichment for rare predicted-deleterious variants in BTNL8 (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 3.5-5.3, P < 10-6). BTNL8 encodes an intestinal epithelial regulator of Vγ4+γδ T cells implicated in regulating gut homeostasis. Enrichment was exclusive to MIS-C, being absent in patients with COVID-19 or bacterial disease. Using an available functional test for BTNL8, rare variants from a larger cohort of MIS-C patients (n = 835) were tested which identified eight variants in 18 patients (2.2%) with impaired engagement of Vγ4+γδ T cells. Most of these variants were in the B30.2 domain of BTNL8 implicated in sensing epithelial cell status. These findings were associated with altered intestinal permeability, suggesting a possible link between disrupted gut homeostasis and MIS-C-associated enteropathy triggered by SARS-CoV-2.

Individualized Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neuromodulation Enhances Visuospatial Perception: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Anthony Allam, Vincent Allam, Sandy Reddy, Eric M Rohren, Sameer A Sheth, Emmanouil Froudarakis, T Dorina Papageorgiou

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

This proof-of-concept study uses individualized functional magnetic resonance imaging neuromodulation (iNM) to explore the mechanisms that enhance BOLD signals in visuospatial perception (VP) networks that are crucial for navigation. Healthy participants (n = 8) performed a VP up- and down-direction discrimination task at full and subthreshold coherence through peripheral vision, and superimposed direction through visual imagery (VI) at central space under iNM and control conditions. iNM targets individualized anatomical and functional middle- and medial-superior temporal (MST) networks that control VP. We found that iNM engaged selective exteroceptive and interoceptive attention (SEIA) and motor planning (MP) networks. Specifically, iNM increased …

A Latent Class Assessment Of Healthcare Access Factors And Disparities In Breast Cancer Care Timeliness, Matthew Dunn, Didong Li, Marc Emerson, Caroline Thompson, Hazel Nichols, Sarah Van Alsten, Mya Roberson, Stephanie Wheeler, Lisa Carey, Terry Hyslop, Jennifer Elston Lafata, Melissa Troester

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Delays in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment lead to worse survival and quality of life. Racial disparities in care timeliness have been reported, but few studies have examined access at multiple points along the care continuum (diagnosis, treatment initiation, treatment duration, and genomic testing).

METHODS AND FINDINGS: The Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) Phase 3 is a population-based, case-only cohort (n = 2,998, 50% black) of patients with invasive breast cancer diagnoses (2008 to 2013). We used latent class analysis (LCA) to group participants based on patterns of factors within 3 separate domains: socioeconomic status ("SES"), "care barriers," and …

Adiposity Throughout Adulthood And Risk Of Young-Onset Breast Cancer Tumor Subtypes In The Young Women's Health History Study, Lydia Marcus Post, Dorothy R. Pathak, Ann S. Hamilton, Kelly A. Hirko, Richard T. Houang, Emily H. Guseman, Dan Sanfelippo, Nicole Bohme Carnegie, L. Karl Olson, Hallgeir Rui, Ann G. Schwartz, Ellen M. Velie

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The role of adult adiposity in young-onset breast cancer (YOBC) subtype risk is not well understood.

METHODS: In this population-based case (n = 1812)-control (n = 1,381) study of invasive YOBC (ages <50 >years), cases were identified from the Los Angeles County and Metropolitan Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries, 2010 to 2015. Area-based, frequency-matched controls were sampled from the 2010 Census. General adiposity [body mass index (BMI)] and central adiposity (waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio) across adulthood and covariates were collected from in-person interviews and measurements. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for adiposity and YOBC tumor subtypes …

Private-Sector Readmissions For Inpatient Surgery In Veterans Health Administration Hospitals, Mary Vaughan Sarrazin, Yubo Gao, Carly A Jacobs, Michael A Jacobs, Susanne Schmidt, Heather Davila, Katherine Hadlandsmyth, Andrea L Strayer, John Cashy, George Wehby, Paula K Shireman, Daniel E Hall

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reports multiple indicators of hospital surgical performance, including hospital risk-standardized 30-day readmission rates (RSRRs). Currently, most routinely reported measures do not include readmissions that occur outside VHA hospitals. The impact of readmissions outside the VHA on hospital RSRR is not known.

Objective: To measure the impact of including non-VHA readmissions on VHA hospital performance rankings for 30-day readmission.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients aged at least 65 years from 2013 to 2019 from the Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program linked to patient-level data from the VHA and Medicare. …

Comparative Analysis Of Indices For Social Determinants Of Health In Pediatric Surgical Populations, Caroline Q Stephens, Ava Yap, Lan Vu, Jacqueline M Saito, Dwight Barry, Amy M Shui, Hannah Cockrell, Sarah Cairo, Derek Wakeman, Loren Berman, Sarah Greenberg, Allison F Linden, Jonathan Kohler, Kuojen Tsao, Nicole A Wilson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Conclusions vary substantially among studies examining associations between area-based social determinants of health (SDOH) and pediatric health disparities based on the selected patient population and SDOH index. Most national studies use zip codes, which encompass a wide distribution of communities, limiting the generalizability of findings.

Objectives: To characterize the distributions of composite SDOH indices for pediatric surgical patients within a national sample of academic children's hospitals and to assess SDOH index precision in classifying patients at similar levels of disadvantage.

Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients younger than 18 years who underwent surgery from …

Estimated Vaccine Effectiveness For Pediatric Patients With Severe Influenza, 2015-2020., Kelsey M. Sumner, Leila C. Sahni, Julie A. Boom, Natasha B. Halasa, Laura S. Stewart, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Mary A. Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Christopher J. Harrison, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Monica N. Singer, Parvin H. Azimi, Benjamin R. Clopper, Heidi L. Moline, Emma K. Noble, John V. Williams, Marian G. Michaels, Samantha M. Olson, New Vaccine Surveillance Network Collaborators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Increasing the understanding of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against levels of severe influenza in children could help increase uptake of influenza vaccination and strengthen vaccine policies globally.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate VE in children by severity of influenza illness.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This case-control study with a test-negative design used data from 8 participating medical centers located in geographically different US states in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network from November 6, 2015, through April 8, 2020. Participants included children 6 months through 17 years of age who were hospitalized or presented to an emergency department (ED) with acute respiratory illness. …

Inherited Retinal Degenerations And Non-Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Progress And Unmet Needs, Jacque L Duncan, Angela Bowman, Amy Laster, Claire Gelfman, David G Birch, Shannon E Boye, Stephen P Daiger, Lucian Del Priore, Donald J Zack, James T Handa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are leading causes of irreversible vision loss and blindness. Although significant progress has advanced the field in the past 5 years, significant challenges remain. The current article reviews the accomplishments and research advances that have fueled the development of treatments for patients with IRD and AMD, including the first approved gene-augmentation treatment for RPE65-related retinal degeneration and complement inhibition therapies to slow progression of geographic atrophy (GA) in AMD. The article outlines opportunities to address gaps and unmet needs that should lead to additional progress toward the development of treatments …