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Association Of Valvular Disease Progression Using Echocardiographic Findings In A Large U.S. Cohort, Abes A. Bautista Neughebauer, Amin Yehya, Raymond L. Benza, Deepak Talreja

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

The prevalence of valvular disease in the US is approximately 2.5%. Given that over 5 million Americans are affected, it is crucial to find those at higher risk of progression. The goal of this paper is to uncover which patients are more likely to have valvular disease progression using demographic factors, EKG and echocardiogram (ECHO) findings.

Methods

This paper utilized the EchoNext Database, which pairs 100,000 electrocardiograms and echocardiograms based on specific structural heart disease labels. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to find risk factors for progression for aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), mitral regurgitation (MR), …

An Association Test For Ordinal Outcomes In Clustered Data With Informative Cluster Size, Hasika K. Wickrama Senevirathne, Sandipan Dutta

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

In cluster-correlated data, the number of observations in a cluster can be associated with the outcome from that cluster. This phenomenon is known as informative cluster size which can occur in cluster-randomized clinical trial data. Several studies have found that ignoring the issue of informative cluster size can produce biased results in the analysis of clustered data. Most of the existing methods for addressing informative cluster size are suited to continuous outcomes. However, ordinal outcomes and covariates are often encountered in clustered data obtained from large clinical studies. The existing methods for ordinal association testing in clustered data can produce …

Synergistic Sensitization Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells By Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields And Cold Atmospheric Plasma Via Amplifying Ros And Apoptotic Signaling, Zobia Minhas, Edwin A. Oshin, Lifang Yang, Chunqi Jiang, Siqi Guo

Bioelectrics Publications

Pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal malignancy, with standard therapies offering limited benefits in advanced stages; thus, novel strategies that exploit specific cancer cell vulnerabilities are urgently needed. Building on our previous findings that nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) combined with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) produce enhanced cytotoxicity, this study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying this synergy. Pan02 pancreatic cancer cells were subjected to nsPEF, CAP, or a combination of both. We assessed cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial integrity using metabolic assays, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. Apoptotic markers were evaluated via Western blotting and caspase …

Cxcr6+ Natural Killer Cell Immunotherapy Preserves Cd4+ T Helper Cells In Humanized Mice, Naushad Khan, Kayla Frank, Silke Paust

Faculty Research 2026

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists despite antiretroviral therapy because long-lived viral reservoirs are not eliminated, and ongoing or rebound infection contributes to progressive loss of CD4⁺ T helper cells. Natural killer (NK) cells can acquire adaptive, antigen-experienced functions, including recall responses to HIV envelope protein, suggesting that defined NK-cell subsets may be therapeutically useful against HIV. Because HIV-responsive adaptive NK-cell activity is enriched among CXC chemokine receptor 6-positive (CXCR6⁺) NK cells, we tested whether CXCR6⁺ NK cells provide enhanced antiviral activity and CD4⁺ T-cell protection compared with CXCR6⁻ NK cells. In co-cultures with HIV-infected …

Can Angiotensin Ii Affect The Inflammatory Response Of Human Dental Pulp Cells In Vitro?, Bella Luna Colombini-Ishikiriama, Thiago José Dionisio, Thais Francini Garbieri, Rafaela Alves Da Silva, Sandra Helena Penha Oliveira, Vanessa Soares Lara, Andrew S Greene, Carlos Ferreira Dos Santos

Faculty Research 2026

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of fibroblasts from permanent and deciduous dental pulp to express inflammatory mediators when exposed to bacterial and inflammatory antigens. It also sought to assess the presence of components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the potential modulatory role of ANG-II in this response.

METHODOLOGY: Fibroblasts were cultured from the pulp of permanent and deciduous teeth obtained from three adult and four pediatric donors with informed consent. Cells were stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS) either alone or in combination with ANG-II and, in some cases, with IL-1β. Gene expression …

The Mediating Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Persistent Poverty On Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Pediatric Cancer Mortality In The United States, Josiane Kabayundo, Apu Das, Cheng Zheng, Emma Hymel, Krishtee Napit, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic (SE) factors have been shown to mediate racial and ethnic disparities in adult cancer mortality. However, evidence in pediatric cancer is limited, especially at finer geographic levels.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the mediating effect of socioeconomic status (SES) and persistent poverty in racial and ethnic disparities in childhood cancer mortality using census tract-level data.

METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2006-2020 SEER Incidence Data with Census Tract Attributes Database and included children 0-19 years. Neighborhood-level SES was measured using a composite variable with five categories. Census tracts were classified as persistently poor if 20% or more of the population lived …

Ebola In The Drc: A Different Problem Compounded By Violence, David Brett-Major

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) has been declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to Ebola disease from Bundibugyo virus. Non-health-focused factors should be fundamental to how DRC and its partners respond to and recover from the current emergency. Filovirus emergencies are violent in every sense-the disease experience of patients and their caregivers, the tumult in impacted communities, sometimes the physical manifestations of frustration against healthcare services, the fits and starts of concerted response, and the milieu of conflict in which this emergency occurred. Yet, interpersonal and organized violence may contribute to frequency of health …

The Treatment Of Obesity In The Context Of The Obesity Paradox In Patients With Heart Failure: A Narrative Review, Pamela L. Alebna, Sarah Martey, Anurag Mehta, Carl J. Lavie, Salvatore Carbone

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Purpose of review

While excess adiposity is a known risk factor for incident heart failure ( HF), once the condition is established, observational data suggest that increased body mass index (BMI) may confer a survival advantage. This paradox has emphasized the underlying roles of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and body composition, particularly lean mass (LM), in influencing clinical outcomes.

Recent findings

In this review, we explore the multifaceted nature of the obesity paradox in HF, with a focus on emerging anti-obesity incretin-mimetic therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists. These agents …

Mapping The Genetic Landscape Across 14 Psychiatric Disorders., Andrew D Grotzinger, Josefin Werme, Wouter J Peyrot, Oleksandr Frei, Christiaan De Leeuw, Lucy K Bicks, Qiuyu Guo, Michael P Margolis, Brandon J Coombes, Anthony Batzler, Vanessa Pazdernik, Joanna M Biernacka, Ole A Andreassen, Verneri Anttila, Anders D Børglum, Gerome Breen, Na Cai, Ditte Demontis, Howard J Edenberg, Stephen V Faraone, Barbara Franke, Michael J Gandal, Joel Gelernter, Alexander S Hatoum, John M Hettema, Emma C Johnson, Katherine G Jonas, James A Knowles, Karestan C Koenen, Adam X Maihofer, Travis T Mallard, Manuel Mattheisen, Karen S Mitchell, Benjamin M Neale, Caroline M Nievergelt, John I Nurnberger, Kevin S O'Connell, Roseann E Peterson, Elise B Robinson, Sandra S Sanchez-Roige, Susan L Santangelo, Jeremiah M Scharf, Hreinn Stefansson, Kari Stefansson, Murray B Stein, Nora I Strom, Laura M Thornton, Elliot M Tucker-Drob, Brad Verhulst, Irwin D Waldman, G Bragi Walters, Naomi R Wray, Dongmei Yu, Anxiety Disorders Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Autism Spectrum Disorders Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Bipolar Disorder Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Eating Disorders Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Major Depressive Disorder Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Nicotine Dependence Genomics (Indigo) Consortium, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Tourette Syndrome Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Schizophrenia Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Substance Use Disorders Working Group Of The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Phil H Lee, Kenneth S Kendler, Jordan W Smoller

Faculty Research 2026

Psychiatric disorders display high levels of comorbidity and genetic overlap, challenging current diagnostic boundaries. For disorders for which diagnostic separation has been most debated, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, genomic methods have revealed that the majority of genetic signal is shared. While over a hundred pleiotropic loci have been identified by recent cross-disorder analyses, the full scope of shared and disorder-specific genetic influences remains poorly defined. Here we addressed this gap by triangulating across a suite of cutting-edge statistical and functional genomic analyses applied to 14 childhood- and adult-onset psychiatric disorders (1,056,201 cases). Using genetic association data from common …

Mucin 5ac Modulates Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity Through Epigenetic Reprogramming Of Precursor Cells, Rachel J. Kehrberg, Namita Bhyravbhatla, Zahraa Wajih Alsafwani, Xiaoqi Li, Gopalakrishnan Natarajan, Imran Khan, Randall E. Brand, Maneesh Jain, Surinder K. Batra, Sushil Kumar

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia, with heterogeneous cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a major component. However, the contribution of distinct precursor cells to CAF heterogeneity remains poorly defined. This study investigated the role of Muc5ac in modulating CAF heterogeneity by maturing precursor cells, including adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs), bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs), and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), into different CAF subsets. RNA sequencing of precursor cells treated with conditioned media from Muc5ac-proficient or -deficient cancer cells revealed distinct transcriptional profiles. Muc5ac significantly modulated the expression of Dnmts and Tets in AD-MSCs, promoting the acquisition of extracellular matrix …

Therapeutic Landscape Of Early Symptomatic Alzheimer's Disease Translated Into Everyday Practice For Geriatric Providers., Melissa J Bailey-Taylor, Paula Morrow, James Hendrix, Katherine E. Galluzzi, Golnosh Sharafsaleh

PCOM Scholarly Works

Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases. Recent advances in diagnostic biomarkers of early symptomatic AD (ie, mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to AD) and amyloid-targeting therapies (ATTs) have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with AD. Two ATTs (donanemab and lecanemab) are currently approved and available for use in the US. Both ATTs can slow disease progression as well as cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic AD. Treatment with ATTs is associated with specific safety concerns such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. Therefore, the benefit versus risk profile needs to be …

Editor's Choice - International Expert Consensus On The Management Of Acute Aortic Type B Intramural Haematoma And Penetrating Ulcer, Francesco Squizzato, Mario D'Oria, Michele Antonello, Santi Trimarchi, Kevin Mani, Andrew Holden, Tilo Kölbel, Stephan Haulon, Eric Verhoeven, Dittmar Böckler, Tim Resch, Ali Azizzadeh, Joseph Lombardi, Michele Piazza, Aaron Thomas Fargion, Alexander Zimmerman, Ali Azizzadeh, Anders Wanhainen, Andrew Holden, Antonio Freyrie, Adam W. Beck, Adi Bachar, Barend M. E. Mees, Blandine Maurel, Cristoph A. Nienaber, Christos Karkos, Daniela Branzan, Darren Schneider, Randall Demartino, Dittmar Boeckler, Domenico Angiletta, Emanuel J. R. Tenorio, Enrico Gallitto, Eric Verhoeven, Fabio Verzini, Felice Pecoraro, Filippo Benedetto, Firas F. Mussa, Francesco Squizzato, Franco Grego, Gabriele Piffaretti, Emanuele Gatta, Giovanni Pratesi, Giovanni Tinelli, Giuseppe Asciutto, Glenn Wei Leong Tan, Hence Verhagen, Giacomo Isernia, Jean-Paul P. M. De Vries, Jacob Budtz-Lilly, Jorge Fernández-Noya, Jonathan Sobocinski, Joseph Hockley, Kak Khee Yeung, Andrea Kahlberg, Kevin Mani, Joseph V. Lombardi, Luca Bertoglio, Luca Mezzetto, Ludovic Canaud, Manar Khashram, Marcelo Ferreira, Marco Virgilio Usai, Mark G. Davies, Mark Farber, Martin Czerny, Matthew R. Smeds, Mauro Gargiulo, Germano Melissano, Michel Bosiers, Michele Antonello, Michele Piazza, Miranda Witheford, Michel M.P.J. Reijnen, Marc Schermerhorn, Nikolaos Tsilimparis, Nun Dias, Jean Panneton, Kosmas Paraskevas, Gianbattista Parlani, Patrick W.H.E. Vriens, Rafael Malgor, Raffaele Pulli, Ross Milner, Salvatore T. Scali, Sani J. Laukontaus, Santi Trimarchi, Sandro Lepidi, Konstantinos Spanos, Stefano Fazzini, Theodosios Bisdas, Thomas Maldonado, Tilo Koelbel, Tim Resch, Tomasz Jakimowicz, Nicola Troisi, Isabelle Van Herzeele, Vicente Riambau, Wassim Mansour, Wouter Van Den Eynde, Yamume Tshomba

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

Objective

The aim of this study was to achieve an international expert consensus on managing acute type B penetrating aortic ulcers (PAUs) and intramural haematomas (IMHs).

Methods

A modified Delphi consensus process was employed to develop recommendations for the management of acute type B PAU and IMH. Surveys were sent to international experts practicing in high volume aortic centres worldwide. Statements were voted on using a four point Likert scale in a three round Delphi process. Statements achieving grade A (full agreement 75%) or B (overall agreement 80%, full disagreement <  5%) were included as expert recommendations. Consistency of responses was measured using Cohen's κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results

Eighty three experts were included in the final analysis: …

An Analysis Of Pediatric Retinoblastoma Medical Malpractice Litigation, Victoria Miller, Alyssa D. Reese, Katherine Foote, Alejandro Navarro, Andrew Galfano, Christian Hietanen

Department Surgery Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina that is most commonly diagnosed in the pediatric population. Unfortunately, this cancer can spread, leading to poor outcomes such as enucleation. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of medical malpractice litigation associated with a diagnosis of retinoblastoma in the pediatric population.

METHODS: A search for all available cases associated with "retinoblastoma" in the Westlaw Campus Research Legal Database was conducted. This spanned from database inception to August 2023. Cases were included if there was a complaint of medical malpractice related to retinoblastoma present in a pediatric patient. Demographic …

Assessing The Impact Of The 2021 Vwd Guidelines On The Diagnosis/Management Of Low Vwf Patients, Michael Dong, Joanna Larson, Sepideh Saroukhani, Miguel Escobar, Lakshmi Srivaths

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The 2021 ASH/ISTH/NHF/WFH VWD diagnosis guidelines recommend Type 1 VWD diagnoses for patients with (a) VWF < 0.30 IU/mL or (b) 'Low VWF' 0.30-0.50 IU/mL with the presence of abnormal bleeding. This recommendation recategorizes 'Low VWF' patients with abnormal bleeding into Type 1 VWD.

Aim: To assess the impact of the 2021 VWD guidelines on the diagnosis and management of 'Low VWF' patients.

Methods: A single centre retrospective study was conducted to review all patients presenting for VWD evaluation between January 2000 to September 2024, analyzing for clinical features, ISTH-BAT scores, VWF/FVIII levels, and management of bleeding. 149 patients, totalling 305 clinical encounters, were included in the study.

Results: Seventy five percent of patient encounters had a change in diagnosis from 'Low VWF' to Type 1 VWD …

Safety And Effectiveness Of Stereotactic Radiosurgery For Larger Hemangioblastomas (>2cc): A Multi-Center Retrospective Study, Pavel S Pichardo-Rojas, Salem M Tos, Georgios Mantziaris, Ahmed Shaaban, Ahmed M Nabeel, Wael A Reda, Sameh R Tawadros, Khaled Abdelkarim, Amr M N El-Shehaby, Reem M Emad, Zhishuo Wei, Lindsay M Mckendrick, Ajay Niranjan, L Dade Lunsford, Selcuk Peker, Yavuz Samanci, Roman Liscak, Jaromir May, David Mathieu, Cheng-Chia Lee, Huai-Che Yang, Antonio Dono, Angel I Blanco, Yoshua Esquenazi, Nuria Martinez Moreno, Roberto Martinez Álvarez, Piero Picozzi, Andrea Franzini, Manjul Tripathi, Takuma Sumi, Takeo Uzuka, Hideyuki Kano, David Bailey, Brad E Zacharia, Christopher P Cifarelli, Daniel T Cifarelli, Joshua D Hack, Herwin Speckter, Erwin Lazo, Ronald E Warnick, Jonathan E Schoenhals, Joshua D Palmer, Zhiyuan Xu, Jason P Sheehan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Hemangioblastomas (HGB) are the most common primary intra-axial tumors in the posterior fossa in adults, with an overall occurrence of 7-10%. They occur sporadically or as part of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. The role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as a minimally invasive treatment in larger HGB (>2cc) has not been thoroughly investigated.

METHODS: This multi-center study retrospectively analyzed data from 91 patients with large HGB (>2cc) treated between 1993 and 2023. Patients were stratified into VHL-associated and sporadic groups, with assessments including radiosurgical parameters, tumor response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS: Patients with VHL-associated …

Evaluation Of Interventions For Cognitive Symptoms In Long Covid: A Randomized Clinical Trial, David S Knopman, Deborah Koltai, Daniel T Laskowitz, Jacqueline Becker, Leigh Charvet, Juan Wisnivesky, Alex Federman, Adam Silverstein, Yuliya Lokhnygina, Giuseppina Pilloni, Michelle Haddad, Henry Mahncke, Tom Van Vleet, Rong Huang, Wendy Cox, Diana Terry, Jeannie Karwowski, Netia Mccray, Jenny J Lin, Grace A Mccomsey, Upinder Singh, Linda N Geng, Helen Y Chu, Rebecca Reece, James Moy, Zoe Arvanitakis, Sairam Parthasarathy, Thomas F Patterson, Aditi Gupta, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Jeffrey Parsonnet, Elaine T Kiriakopoulos, Tamara G Fong, Janet Mullington, Sarah Jolley, Nirav S Shah, Sarah Shizuko Morimoto, Joyce K Lee-Iannotti, William D S Killgore, Brigid Dwyer, William Stringer, Carmen Isache, Jennifer A Frontera, Jerry A Krishnan, Ashley O'Steen, Melissa James, Barrie L Harper, Kanecia O Zimmerman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Treatment for cognitive dysfunction due to postacute sequelae of long COVID (ie, symptoms of fatigue, malaise, weakness, confusion that persist beyond 12 weeks after an initial COVID infection) remains a significant unmet need.

Objective: To test evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for improving cognitive symptoms in persons with long COVID.

Design, setting, and participants: This was a 5-arm, multicenter, randomized clinical trial of 3 remotely delivered interventions conducted between August 17, 2023, and June 10, 2024. The study took place at 22 trial sites and included the screening of individuals with cognitive long COVID.

Interventions: Participants were randomized to 1 of …

Z Variant Heterozygosity In Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Disease Risk And Treatment Implications, Craig P. Hersh, Jeffrey H. Teckman, Pavel Strnad, Aaron Hakim, Tomás P. Carroll, Ian P. Hall, Auyon J. Ghosh, Igor Barjaktarevic, Noel G. Mcelvaney, Joseph E. Kaserman, David A. Lomas, Charlie Strange, M Bradley Drummond, Stephen I. Rennard, Kathi E. Hanna, Virginia C. Clark, Monica P. Goldklang, Peg Iverson, Andrew A. Wilson

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Individuals heterozygous for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) have one copy of the normal "M" allele and one copy of an abnormal allele ("Z", "S", or another variant) in the SERPINA1 gene. Historically, evidence has been lacking to support the concept that heterozygotes are at increased risk for liver and/or lung complications compared to individuals homozygous for the M allele. However, growing evidence suggests that inheritance of a single Z allele increases the risk of disease in some individuals. The Alpha-1 Foundation convened a workshop on October 27, 2023, in Bethesda, Maryland that included stakeholders from the research, pharmaceutical, and …

Health Insurance As A Mediator Of Neighborhood Deprivation And Pediatric Cancer Survival: An Analysis Of State Cancer Registry Data, Emma Hymel, Cheng Zheng, Jenna Allison, Kendra L. Ratnapradipa, Edward S. Peters, Sarah H. Nash, Mei-Chin Hsieh, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

INTRODUCTION: To develop interventions to reduce neighborhood-level disparities in pediatric cancer outcomes, it is necessary to understand their underlying mechanisms. It has been suggested that individual-level health insurance is a mediator of neighborhood deprivation and pediatric cancer survival.

METHODS: This study was a population-based longitudinal study of children with cancer from 2000 to 2020 in the Iowa Cancer Registry and Louisiana Tumor Registry. Neighborhood deprivation was measured using the Area Deprivation Index. Log-binomial regression models were used to identify predictors of health insurance status at diagnosis. Cox regression models were used to assess the association between health insurance status at …

Cgas-Sting Dependent Type I Ifn Reduces Leptospira Interrogans Renal Colonization In Mice., Suman Gupta, James Matsunaga, Bridget Ratitong, Andrew Manion, Sana Ismaeel, Diogo G Valadares, A Phillip West, Nagaraj Kerur, Christian Stehlik, Andrea Dorfleutner, Jargalsaikhan Dagvadorj, Jenifer Coburn, Andrea J Wolf, Meghan A Morrissey, Suzanne L Cassel, David A Haake, Fayyaz S Sutterwala

Faculty Research 2026

Leptospira interrogans is the major causative agent of leptospirosis. Humans, canines and agricultural animals are susceptible to Leptospira species and can develop fulminant disease. Rodents serve as reservoir hosts in which the bacteria colonize the renal tubules and are excreted in the urine. The host immune response to Leptospira spp. remains poorly defined. We show that L. interrogans induces a robust type I interferon (IFN) response in human and murine macrophages that is dependent on the cytosolic dsDNA sensor Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) and the Stimulator of IFN Genes (STING) signaling pathway. Further, we show that mice deficient in the …

Bayesian Reanalysis Of Early Remdesivir For The Treatment Of Covid-19 In Outpatients With High Risk Of Progression To Severe Disease, Mazin Abdelghany, Fang Yu, Stephen I. Rennard, Yeongjin Gwon

Journal Articles: Pulmonary & Critical Care Med

BACKGROUND: Though Bayesian methods are flexible, intuitive, and readily incorporated into clinical decision-making, with particular utility when prior information is available, they remain underutilized in the analysis of clinical trials.

METHODS: In PINETREE, a Phase 3 randomized controlled trial (RCT) of remdesivir (RDV) for the treatment of outpatients with COVID-19 at high risk of severe disease, the primary outcome of COVID-19-related hospitalization or all-cause death was reanalyzed using a range of reference and data-driven priors. Posterior probability distributions were used to calculate the probability that the estimated hazard ratio (HR) was below a range of clinically meaningful specified thresholds and …

Wearable Sensor-Based Phase Segmentation Analysis Of Front Crawl Swimming: A Scoping Review, Jonathan Simoes, Samuel Aylward, Daniel Hamze, Daniel James Goble, Daniel M. Russell, Joshua Haworth

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Front crawl swimming stroke phase segmentation has historically relied on video analysis, but the development of wearable sensor technology has created new opportunities for automated phase segmentation. This scoping review mapped the available evidence on wearable sensor-based stroke phase segmentation methods in front crawl swimming, following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search of SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore conducted from January to June 2026, identified 15 eligible peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2024. The review revealed an emerging field of research that has converged methodologically around inertial measurement units (IMUs) and the Chollet phase segmentation framework while remaining …

Peculiarities Of Phosphatidylserine Externalization By Nano- And Microsecond Electric Pulses, Mantas Silkunas, Alayna Enos, Iurii Semenov, Giedre Silkuniene, Eleni Zivla, Olga N. Pakhomova, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization is a hallmark of apoptosis but can also be triggered within seconds by pulsed electric fields (PEFs). Whether PS reaches the outer leaflet by lateral migration through electropores or indirectly through Ca²⁺-dependent signaling and scramblase activation remains debated. We used total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy with Annexin V-Alexa Fluor 568 and/or bovine lactadherin-FITC to resolve PS externalization in HEK293 cells placed on an indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent electrode. PEF exposures produced discrete PS-positive puncta ("freckles") within ~ 10 s after a 20-µs pulse (1.2-2.5 kV/cm) or with a ~ 1-min delay after a …

Clinical Test Cases For Commissioning, Qa, And Benchmarking Of Model-Based Dose Calculation Algorithms In 1⁹2ir Hdr Gynecologic Tandem And Ring Brachytherapy, Vasiliki Peppa, Maude Robitaille, Fatemeh Akbari, Shirin Enger, Rowan Thomson, Firas Mourtada, Gabriel Fonseca

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To develop clinically relevant test cases for commissioning Model-Based Dose Calculation Algorithms (MBDCAs) for ¹⁹²Ir High Dose Rate (HDR) gynecologic brachytherapy following the workflow proposed by the TG-186 report and the WGDCAB report 372.

ACQUISITION AND VALIDATION METHODS: Two cervical cancer intracavitary HDR brachytherapy models were developed based on a real patient, using either uniformly structured regions or realistic segmentation. The patient's computed tomography (CT) images were processed, converted to a series of digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) CT images, and imported into two treatment planning systems (TPSs), the Oncentra Brachy and BrachyVision. The original segmentation …

Does Dexmedetomidine Affect Opioid Consumption Following Orthognathic Surgery?, Allen F. Champion, Jung-Me Lee, Daniel Taub, Yu Jin Lee

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite its purported analgesic effects, controversy exists regarding dexmedetomidine's efficacy as an opioid-sparing anesthetic adjunct.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to measure the association between dexmedetomidine (DEX) administration during orthognathic surgery and postoperative opioid consumption.

STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLE, AND SETTING: A single-blind randomized prospective cohort study was implemented. Patients consenting for orthognathic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University from January 2022 to October 2024 were screened. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I to III individuals aged ≥14 years were included. Exclusion criteria were revision surgery, recreational drug use, opioid prescription within 2 years, and chronic pain.

PREDICTOR …

Persistence Of Pet Scan Positivity After Chemoimmunotherapy For Dlbcl, James O. Armitage, Matthew A. Lunning, Julie M. Vose, Dan L. Longo

Journal Articles: Oncology and Hematology

Approximately 80% of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma achieve a complete response after chemoimmunotherapy as defined by positron emission tomography (PET) scan. However, not all patients who fail to achieve a metabolic complete response are destined to relapse. In a number of these patients, the PET scan is falsely positive (ie, 20%-40% in several large series), particularly when the PET scan has a Deauville score of 4. Reflexively intervening with salvage systemic therapy or radiotherapy in these patients is potentially harmful. It seems that very sensitive measurements of circulating tumor DNA might be able to differentiate between patients who …

Efficacy And Safety Of Epcoritamab In Relapsed Or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma: 3-Year Update From The Epcore Nhl-1 Trial, Yasmin H. Karimi, Chan Y. Cheah, Michael Roost Clausen, David Cunningham, Umar Farooq, Tatyana Feldman, Herve Ghesquieres, Wojciech Jurczak, Kim M. Linton, Tycel Phillips, Julie M. Vose, Won Seog Kim, Pegah Jafarinasabian, Barbara D'Angelo Månsson, David Soong, Andrew J. Steele, Zhu Li, Christian W. Eskelund, Martin Hutchings, Catherine Thieblemont

Journal Articles: Oncology and Hematology

Epcoritamab, a CD3xCD20 bispecific antibody, resulted in deep, durable responses with a manageable safety profile in patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) in EPCORE^® NHL-1 (NCT03625037). We report results from a 3-year follow-up. Adults with relapsed/refractory LBCL received epcoritamab until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Median age was 64.0 years, 39% of patients received prior CAR T-cell treatment, and 75% were refractory to ≥ 2 consecutive lines of treatment. As of May 3, 2024 (median follow-up 37.1 months [range, 0.3-45.5]), ORR was 59% and complete response (CR) rate …

Stim1-Dependent Treg Dysfunction Promotes Cardiometabolic Hfpef: Insights From Patients And Animal Studies, Balaji Srinivas, Alluri Kiran, Hongmei Peng, Jiang Xu, Paula Fortuno, Jennifer May, Ismail El Moudden, Nour-Eddine Rhaleb, John M. Herre, Raymond L. Benza, Khalid Matrougui

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) arises from chronic cardiometabolic and vascular stress and is increasingly recognized as an inflammatory syndrome with immune dysregulation. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical modulators of cardiovascular inflammation, yet the mechanisms driving Treg dysfunction in HFpEF remain poorly defined. stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1)-dependent calcium signaling is a key stress-responsive pathway in immune cells; however, its role in Treg maladaptation during HFpEF remains unknown.

Methods

Circulating Tregs from patients with and without HFpEF were analyzed for abundance, STIM1 expression, and stress-associated signaling pathways. To establish causality, mice with Treg-specific deletion of STIM1 …

35 Individuals With Huwe1-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder And Suggested Clinical Evaluations, Mindy H. Li, Deziree L. Coleman, Kelsey Hogan, Danielle Luz, Lindsay Bhandari, Newell Belnap, Tiffany Busa, Charles Coutton, Klaus Dieterich, Svetlana Gorokhova, Clara Hildebrandt, Rachel Logan, Milena Mariani, Manuela Morleo, Vincenzo Nigro, John Pappas, Rachel Rabin, Kelly Schoch, Angelo Selicorni, Vandana Shashi, Rebecca Spillman, Jennifer Sullivan, Charlotte Tardy, Samantha A. Schrier Vergano, Brock Grill, Kristin Baranano

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

HUWE1 (HECT, UBA, and WWE Domain Containing E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase1, OMIM 300697), located at Xp11.22, encodes a ubiquitin ligase that is highly conserved across species. Genetic variants in HUWE1 described in multiple independent studies cause X-linked intellectual disability, including in the patients identified by Juberg, Marsidi, and Brooks. This report describes 35 additional cases of individuals with variants in HUWE1 and suggested guidelines for clinical management. Our study includes several female cases, which have not been widely reported previously. Our findings confirm earlier reported clinical features including developmental delay, autism, hypotonia, short stature, and dysmorphic facial features as well …

Expert Consensus On Osteoporosis Risk Management In Patients With Sleep Disorders, Siqi Leng, Jinming Yang, Yuming Jin, Jie Shi, Ye Zhang, Junying Zhou, Lusi Tan, Taomei Li, Peiyan Ni, Kejia Hu, Yuan Shi, Jiamin Liao, Yun Li, Pei Xue, Christian Benedict, Alexandros N. Vgontzas, Michael Furian, Talant Sooronbaev, Naima Covassin, Virend K. Somers, Zhoulong Yu, Hongqiang Sun, Xiao Tan, Jihui Zhang, Yun Kwok Wing, Yue Leng, Larry D. Sanford, Michael V. Vitiello, Katie L. Stone, Rong Ren, Lin Lu, Xiangdong Tang

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

A rate-limiting step in the prevention and early intervention of osteoporosis is identifying its asymptomatic onset. Accumulating evidence shows that sleep disorders are associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis. Given their early detectable and modifiable nature, integrating sleep disorder management into osteoporosis prevention and care pathways offers a novel approach for enhancing skeletal health. This expert consensus represents a collaborative effort by specialists in sleep medicine and orthopedics from across the world, integrating epidemiological, mechanistic, and interventional evidence to provide general guidance for prevention and clinical practice, and to foster multidisciplinary collaboration in the management of sleep disorders and …

Biomechanical Integrity Of The Female Pelvic Floor: A Comparison Of Military And Civilian Women, Vladimir Egorov, Peter Takacs, Vincent Lucente, Heather Van Raalte, Joy A. Greer, Noune Sarvazyan

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Introduction

The health of the pelvic floor depends on the integrity of its muscles, connective tissue, ligaments, and their innervation. The female pelvic floor may be more vulnerable to repetitive heavy loads in a military environment than the male pelvic floor because of anatomical and physiological differences. The study aim was to identify and explore possible differences in the female pelvic floor conditions between active military and civilian women with similar demographics.To identify and explore possible differences in the conditions of the female pelvic floor between active military women and civilian women with similar demographics.

Materials and Methods

Military active …