Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Quantitative Platform On Candidacy For Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study, Max Wayne, Suchitra Pilli, Hee Jae Choi, Nathaniel Moulton, Praveen Chenna, Allen Cole Burks, Alexander Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) can be an effective treatment for highly selected patients with severe emphysema but only half of carefully selected patients derive clinical benefit. Two commercially available platforms exist to help determine candidacy for BLVR via quantitative analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the two commercially available quantitative platforms identified the same patient population that may benefit from BLVR.

DESIGN: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

METHODS: Consecutive patients referred for BLVR between January 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023 at three medical centers in the United States with the same CT scan …

Emotional Ecosystems: Understanding The Relationship Between Family Interactions And Anxiety Among Cancer Caregivers, Keisha White Makinde, Jacquelyn J Benson, Kyle A Pitzer, Maysara Mitchell, Debra Parker Oliver, George Demiris, Karla T Washington

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have challenged the assumption that families are invariable sources of support for cancer caregivers, noting that relationships with family members can have both positive and negative effects on caregiver well-being. This study expands upon prior literature to examine the relationship between cancer caregivers' perceptions of the quality of their family interactions and their symptoms of anxiety.

METHODS: We employed secondary analysis of baseline data from a multisite randomized clinical trial of an intervention for cancer caregivers conducted at 3 large academic palliative care clinics. We performed linear regression analyses to analyze the relationship between caregivers' perceptions of …

Examining Health Insurance And Non-Medical Challenges Among Vietnamese Americans In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alexander Le, Saba Siddiqi, Celine Nguyen, Ben King, Paul Gerardo Yeh, Jannette Diep, Lauren Gilbert, Bich-May Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

When COVID-19 data on Asian Americans are available, they are frequently aggregated, concealing community-specific concerns. Consequently, there is limited COVID-19 literature on Vietnamese Americans. In this study, we investigated the association between health insurance coverage and non-medical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Vietnamese Americans in Texas. The NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Common Survey 2 was administered electronically in English and Vietnamese and contained 23 questions about non-medical drivers of health, COVID-19 vaccination, and research participation. Vietnamese American adults in Texas were recruited between September 2021 and March 2022 via partnerships with community organizations. Responses were compared and analyzed …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy With Huntington's Disease: A Narrative Review And Case Report Of A Caregiver-Assisted Intervention, Simone H. Schriger, Chelsi N. Nurse, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an experiential, action-oriented talk therapy that emphasizes acceptance of painful inner experience through increased psychological flexibility. In this narrative review and case report, we first review the extant literature on applications of ACT to patients with a variety of mental and physical health challenges, including neurodegenerative disorders, and their caregivers. We then discuss applications of ACT to Huntington's disease (HD). We provide a case report of a 52-year-old man living with HD who, accompanied by his caregiver, received a virtually-delivered 6-session ACT intervention. We measured the patient's self-reported symptoms of depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety …

Overcoming Cd226-Related Immune Evasion In Acute Myeloid Leukemia With Cd38 Car-Engineered Nk Cells, Luciana Melo Garcia, Achintyan Gangadharan, Pinaki Banerjee, Ye Li, Andy G X Zeng, Hind Rafei, Paul Lin, Bijender Kumar, Sunil Acharya, May Daher, Luis Muniz-Feliciano, Gary M Deyter, Gabriel Dominguez, Jeong Min Park, Francia Reyes Silva, Ana Karen Nunez Cortes, Rafet Basar, Nadima Uprety, Mayra Shanley, Mecit Kaplan, Enli Liu, Elizabeth J Shpall, Katayoun Rezvani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

CD226 plays a vital role in natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, interacting with its ligands CD112 and CD155 to initiate immune synapse formation, primarily through leukocyte function-associated-1 (LFA-1). Our study examined the role of CD226 in NK cell surveillance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NK cells in patients with AML had lower expression of CD226. CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of CD226 led to reduced LFA-1 recruitment, poor synapse formation, and decreased NK cell anti-leukemic activity. Engineering NK cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor targeting the AML antigen CD38 (CAR38) could overcome the need for CD226 to establish strong immune synapses. LFA-1 …

Sex-Specific Astrocyte Regulation Of Spinal Motor Circuits By Nkx61, Navish A Bosquez Huerta, Zhung-Fu Lee, Eun-Ah Christine Song, Junsung Woo, Yi-Ting Cheng, Debosmita Sardar, Ozlem Sert, Ehson Maleki, Kwanha Yu, Ekin Su Akdemir, Kaitlyn Sanchez, Juyeon Jo, Matthew N Rasband, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Akdes Serin Harmanci, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Astrocytes exhibit diverse cellular and molecular properties across the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies identified region-specific transcription factors (TF) that oversee these diverse properties; how sex differences intersect with region-specific transcriptional programs to regulate astrocyte function is unknown. Here, we show that the TF Nkx6.1 is specifically expressed in ventral astrocytes of the spinal cord and that its deletion results in sex-specific effects on astrocyte morphology. Astrocytes from males exhibit enhanced morphological complexity, accompanied by increased motor function and cholinergic synapses. In contrast, female astrocytes exhibit reduced complexity and no changes in motor function. Mechanistically, we found that Nkx6.1 …

Safety And Efficacy Of Iv Onasemnogene Abeparvovec For Pediatric Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: The Phase 3b Smart Study, Hugh J. Mcmillan, Craig M. Zaidman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Safety and efficacy of IV onasemnogene abeparvovec has been demonstrated for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) weighing < 8.5 kg. SMART was the first clinical trial to evaluate onasemnogene abeparvovec for participants weighing 8.5-21 kg.

METHODS: SMART was an open-label, multicenter, phase 3b study conducted across 13 sites in 9 countries (NCT04851873). Symptomatic pediatric participants with SMA (any type; treatment-naïve or had discontinued prior treatment) were stratified into 3 weight cohorts (≥8.5-13, >13-17, and >17-21 kg), administered onasemnogene abeparvovec, and followed for 52 weeks. Corticosteroids were initiated 24 hours before infusion with dose increases in response to adverse events (AEs) and subsequent tapering at investigator discretion. The primary objective was safety. Secondary objective was …

Bridging Classrooms And Communities: The Transformative Impact Of Community-Based Dental Education On The Learning Experiences Of Undergraduate Students, Kamran Ali, Sruthi Sunil, Nidhi Gupta, Rebecca Glanville, T. Vanishree, Sadeq Ali Al-Maweri, Asmaa Al Khtib

Peninsula Dental School

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of community-based dental education (CBDE) on the learning experiences of undergraduate dental students and recent dental graduates from two diverse geographical regions. Methods: The study followed a cross-sectional design, conducted online using Google Forms, with ethical approval from Qatar University. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to recruit dental students and recent graduates from three institutions in India and one in Qatar. A questionnaire based on 20 closed-ended items and two open-ended questions, developed by a team of dental academics, was used for data collection. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, analysis …

Early-Onset Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Idine Mousavi, John Suffredini, Salim S Virani, Christie M Ballantyne, Erin D Michos, Arunima Misra, Anum Saeed, Xiaoming Jia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent trends indicate a concerning increase in early-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) among younger individuals (men aged < 55 years women aged < 65 years). These findings highlight the pathobiology of ASCVD as a disease process that begins early in life and underscores the need for more tailored screening methods and preventive strategies. Increasing attention has been placed on the growing burden of traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in young individuals while also recognizing unique factors that mediate risk of pre-mature atherosclerosis in this demographic such as substance use, socioeconomic disparities, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and chronic inflammatory states that contribute to the increasing incidence of early ASCVD. Additionally, mounting evidence has pointed out significant disparities in the diagnosis and management of early ASCVD and cardiovascular outcomes based on sex and race. Moving towards a more personalized approach, emerging data and technological developments using diverse tools such as polygenic risk scores and coronary artery calcium scans have shown potential in earlier detection of ASCVD risk. Thus, we review current evidence on causal risk factors that drive the increase in early ASCVD and highlight emerging tools to improve ASCVD risk assessment in young individuals.

Tfap2e Is Implicated In Central Nervous System, Orofacial And Maxillofacial Anomalies, Jeshurun C Kalanithy, Enrico Mingardo, Jil D Stegmann, Ramgopal Dhakar, Tikam Chand Dakal, Jill A Rosenfeld, Wen-Hann Tan, Stephanie A Coury, Audrey C Woerner, Jessica Sebastian, Paul A Levy, Leah R Fleming, Lea Waffenschmidt, Tobias T Lindenberg, Öznur Yilmaz, Khadija Channab, Bimaljeet K Babra, Andrea Christ, Britta Eiberger, Selina Hölzel, Clara Vidic, Felix Häberlein, Nina Ishorst, Juan E Rodriguez-Gatica, Behnaz Pezeshkpoor, Patrick A Kupczyk, Olivier M Vanakker, Sara Loddo, Antonio Novelli, Maria L Dentici, Albert Becker, Holger Thiele, Jennifer E Posey, James R Lupski, Alina C Hilger, Heiko M Reutter, Waltraut M Merz, Gabriel C Dworschak, Benjamin Odermatt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Previous studies in mouse, Xenopus and zebrafish embryos show strong tfap2e expression in progenitor cells of neuronal and neural crest tissues suggesting its involvement in neural crest specification. However, the role of human transcription factor activator protein 2 (TFAP2E) in human embryonic central nervous system (CNS), orofacial and maxillofacial development is unknown.

Methods: Through a collaborative work, exome survey was performed in families with congenital CNS, orofacial and maxillofacial anomalies. Exome variant prioritisation prompted TFAP2E gene for functional analysis in zebrafish embryos. Embryonic morphology and development were assessed after antisense morpholino (MO) knockdown (KD), CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and overexpression …

Correlates Of Inaccuracy In Reporting Of Energy Intake Among Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Stephanie L Silveira, Brenda Jeng, Barbara A Gower, Gary R Cutter, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are interested in diet as a second-line approach for disease management. This study examined potential variables that correlate with inaccuracy of self-reported energy intake (EI) in adults with MS.

METHODS: Twenty-eight participants completed two assessment appointments within a 14-day period that included a standard doubly labeled water (DLW) protocol for estimating total energy expenditure (TEE). The participants reported their EI using the Automated Self-Administered 24 h (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. The primary variables of interest for explaining the discrepancy between TEE and ASA24 EI (i.e., inaccuracy) included cognition (processing speed, visuospatial memory, and verbal …

Urine Proteomics Defines An Immune Checkpoint-Associated Nephritis Signature, James P Long, Shailbala Singh, Yanlan Dong, Cassian Yee, Jamie S Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is a cornerstone treatment for many cancers, but it can induce severe immunotoxicity, including acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). Currently, kidney biopsy is required to differentiate ICI-AIN from other causes of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, this invasive approach can lead to morbidity, delayed glucocorticoid treatment for patients with AIN, and unnecessarily prolonged suspension of ICI therapy in non-AIN patients. Delayed or incorrect diagnosis of ICI-AIN is particularly detrimental, as over 50% of patients are at risk of permanent renal damage. Thus, there is an urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers that can rapidly and accurately distinguish …

Ultra High Density Imaging Arrays In Diffuse Optical Tomography For Human Brain Mapping Improve Image Quality And Decoding Performance, Zachary E Markow, Jason W Trobaugh, Edward J Richter, Kalyan Tripathy, Sean M Rafferty, Alexandra M Svoboda, Mariel L Schroeder, Tracy M Burns-Yocum, Karla M Bergonzi, Mark A Chevillet, Emily M Mugler, Adam T Eggebrecht, Joseph P Culver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has dramatically advanced non-invasive human brain mapping and decoding. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) non-invasively measure blood oxygen fluctuations related to brain activity, like fMRI, at the brain surface, using more-lightweight equipment that circumvents ergonomic and logistical limitations of fMRI. HD-DOT grids have smaller inter-optode spacing (~ 13 mm) than sparse fNIRS (~ 30 mm) and therefore provide higher image quality, with spatial resolution ~ 1/2 that of fMRI, when using the several source-detector distances (13-40 mm) afforded by the HD-DOT grid. Herein, simulations indicated reducing inter-optode spacing to 6.5 …

Atm Expression And Activation In Ataxia Telangiectasia Patients With And Without Class Switch Recombination Defects, Fereshte Salami, Tannaz Moeini Shad, Nazanin Fathi, Hanieh Mojtahedi, Marzie Esmaeili, Sepideh Shahkarami, Ladan Gol Mohammad Pour Afrakoti, Parisa Amirifar, Samaneh Delavari, Hassan Nosrati, Azadehsadat Razavi, Mohammad Reza Ranjouri, Mahsa Yousefpour, Zahra Hamidi Esfahani, Gholamreza Azizi, Mahmoudreza Ashrafi, Nima Rezaei, Reza Yazdani, Hassan Abolhassani

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays a critical role in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) patients exhibit abnormalities in immunoglobulin isotype expression and class switch recombination (CSR). This study investigates the role of residual ATM kinase expression and activity in the severity of A-T disease.

METHODS: A-T patients with defined genetic diagnoses were classified based on CSR and based on the severity of their medical complications. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from any patient were evaluated before and after exposure to 0.5 Gy ionizing radiation for one minute. Western blotting was performed to identify the expression …

Synergistic Effects Of Extra X Chromosome On Development Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And Sjögren Disease In Klinefelter And Triple X Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Anna-Kay Palmer, Irene J. Tan

Einstein Health Papers

OBJECTIVE: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren disease (SjD) are autoimmune diseases with significant female predominance. The prevalence of SLE is increased in Klinefelter syndrome (KS) compared with the general male population. Our study investigates the dose effects of extra X chromosomes on the development of SLE and SjD in KS and triple X syndrome compared with the general population.

METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study used TriNetX, a global federated research database. Using International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, patients with a diagnosis of SLE or SjD in the general population, as well as those …

Inhibition Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Perk/Atf4 Er Stress Signaling Protects Against Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Brennan Callow, Xiaobing He, Nicholas Juriga, Kevin D Mangum, Amrita Joshi, Xianying Xing, Andrea Obi, Abhijnan Chattopadhyay, Dianna M Milewicz, Mary X O'Riordan, Johann Gudjonsson, Katherine Gallagher, Frank M Davis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a life-threatening cardiovascular disease for which there is a lack of effective therapy preventing aortic rupture. During AAA formation, pathological vascular remodeling is driven by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction and apoptosis, for which the mechanisms regulating loss of VSMCs within the aortic wall remain poorly defined. Using single-cell RNA-Seq of human AAA tissues, we identified increased activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response pathway, PERK/eIF2α/ATF4, in aortic VSMCs resulting in upregulation of an apoptotic cellular response. Mechanistically, we reported that aberrant TNF-α activity within the aortic wall induces VSMC ATF4 activation through the …

Stratification System With Dual Human Endogenous Retroviruses For Predicting Immunotherapy Efficacy In Metastatic Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Xiaofan Lu, Yann-Alexandre Vano, Xiaoping Su, Virginie Verkarre, Cheng-Ming Sun, Wenxuan Cheng, Li Xu, Fangrong Yan, Salma Kotti, Wolf Hervé Fridman, Catherine Sautes-Fridman, Stéphane Oudard, Gabriel G Malouf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Endogenous retrovirus (ERV) elements are genomic footprints of ancestral retroviral infections within the human genome. While the dysregulation of ERV transcription has been linked to immune cell infiltration in various cancers, its relationship with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response in solid tumors, particularly metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), remains inadequately explored.

Methods: This study analyzed patients with metastatic ccRCC from two prospective clinical trials, encompassing 181 patients receiving nivolumab in the CheckMate trials (-009 to -010 and -025) and 48 patients treated with the ipilimumab-nivolumab combination in the BIONIKK trial. ERV expression was quantified using the ERVmap algorithm …

Ecological Trait Differences Are Associated With Gene Expression In The Primary Visual Cortex Of Primates, Trisha M Zintel, John J Ely, Mary Ann Raghanti, William D Hopkins, Patrick R Hof, Chet C Sherwood, Jason M Kamilar, Amy L Bauernfeind, Courtney C Babbitt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Primate species differ drastically from most other mammals in how they visually perceive their environments, which is particularly important for foraging, predator avoidance, and detection of social cues.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although it is well established that primates display diversity in color vision and various ecological specializations, it is not understood how visual system characteristics and ecological adaptations may be associated with gene expression levels within the primary visual cortex (V1).

METHODS: We performed RNA-Seq on V1 tissue samples from 28 individuals, representing 13 species of primates, including hominoids, cercopithecoids, and platyrrhines. We explored trait-dependent differential expression (DE) by contrasting species …

Translation Of Oral Health Research Priorities Into Research Topics In An Equity-Based Priority Setting Exercise, Sumanth Nagraj Kumbargere, Cath Quinn, Lynne Callaghan, Martha Paisi, Mona Nasser

Peninsula Dental School

BACKGROUND: In the context of research priority-setting, participants express their research priorities and ideas in various forms, ranging from narratives to explicit topics or questions. However, the transition from these expressions to well-structured research topics or questions is not always straightforward. Challenges intensify when research priorities pertain to interventions or diagnostic accuracy, requiring the conversion of narratives into the Participant, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome (PICO) format.

SCOPE AND FINDINGS: This project aimed to understand the challenges of engaging a diverse, multilingual population in setting oral health research priorities. While not a comprehensive priority-setting effort, we modified James Lind Alliance's (JLA) methods …

The Association Between Thyroid Differentiation Score And Survival Outcomes In Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Jennifer R Wang, Mark E Zafereo, Maria E Cabanillas, Chia Chin Wu, Li Xu, Yaoyi Dai, Wenyi Wang, Stephen Y Lai, Ying Henderson, Lauren Erasmus, Michelle D Williams, Corinne Joshu, Debashree Ray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Thyroid differentiation score (TDS), calculated based on mRNA expression levels of 16 genes controlling thyroid metabolism and function, has been proposed as a measure to quantify differentiation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether TDS is associated with survival outcomes across patient cohorts.

Methods: Two independent cohorts of patients with PTC were used: (1) The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) thyroid cancer study (N = 372), (2) MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) cohort (N = 111). The primary survival outcome of interest was progression-free interval (PFI). Association with overall survival (OS) was …

Gut Microbial Changes Associated With Obesity In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Heba M Ismail, Dimuthu Perera, Rabindra Mandal, Linda A Dimeglio, Carmella Evans-Molina, Tamara Hannon, Joseph Petrosino, Sara Javornik Cregeen, Nathan W Schmidt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Context: Obesity is prevalent in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and is problematic with higher risk for diabetes complications. It is unknown to what extent gut microbiome changes are associated with obesity and T1D.

Objective: This work aimed to describe the gut microbiome and microbial metabolite changes associated with obesity in T1D. We hypothesized statistically significant gut microbial and metabolite differences in lean T1D youth (body mass index [BMI]: 5%-< 85%) vs those with obesity (BMI: ≥95%).

Methods: We analyzed stool samples for gut microbial (using metagenomic shotgun sequencing) and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) differences in lean (n = 27) and obese (n = 21) T1D youth in …

Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Outcomes After Surgery Without Adjuvant Radioactive Iodine, Luz E Castellanos, Mark E Zafereo, Erich M Sturgis, Jennifer R Wang, Anita K Ying, Steven G Waguespack

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Context: Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is usually treated with total thyroidectomy followed by radioactive iodine (RAI). Recently, RAI has been used more selectively based on surgical pathology and postoperative dynamic risk stratification (DRS).

Objective: To describe patients with pediatric PTC not initially treated with RAI and their disease outcomes.

Methods: This was an ambispective study at a tertiary cancer center of patients < 19 years diagnosed from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2021, with stage 1 PTC who intentionally were not treated with RAI within a year of diagnosis. We assessed clinical characteristics, management, and disease outcomes using DRS.

Results: Of 490 PTC patients, we identified 93 eligible patients (median age at diagnosis 16 years; 87% female), including 46 (49%) with cervical lymph node metastases. Initial management included total thyroidectomy ± neck dissection (n = 69, …

Steroid Profiling And Circadian Cortisol Secretion In Patients With Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion: A Cross-Sectional Study, Jasmine Saini, Sumitabh Singh, Andreas Ebbehoj, Catherine D Zhang, Rohit Nathani, Vanessa Fell, Elizabeth Atkinson, Sara Achenbach, Ann Rivard, Ravinder Singh, Stefan Grebe, Irina Bancos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Context: Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) is diagnosed based on postdexamethasone cortisol >1.8 µg/dL. Scarce evidence exists on steroid circadian secretion and steroid metabolome in MACS.

Objective: To characterize 24-hour (h) urine steroid metabolome in patients with MACS and determine circadian differences in urine steroid profiling and cortisol concentrations in patients with MACS vs referent subjects.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, 2018-2023, at a referral center. Patients with MACS and age-, sex-, body mass index-, and menopausal status-matched referent subjects were included. Urine was collected over a 24 hour period as separate daytime and nighttime collections. High-resolution mass spectrometry assay was used …

Precision Data-Driven Modeling Of Cortical Dynamics Reveals Person-Specific Mechanisms Underpinning Brain Electrophysiology, Matthew F Singh, Todd S Braver, Michael Cole, Shinung Ching

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Task-free brain activity affords unique insight into the functional structure of brain network dynamics and has been used to identify neural markers of individual differences. In this work, we present an algorithmic optimization framework that directly inverts and parameterizes brain-wide dynamical-systems models involving hundreds of interacting neural populations, from single-subject M/EEG time-series recordings. This technique provides a powerful neurocomputational tool for interrogating mechanisms underlying individual brain dynamics ("precision brain models") and making quantitative predictions. We extensively validate the models' performance in forecasting future brain activity and predicting individual variability in key M/EEG metrics. Last, we demonstrate the power of our …

Faculty Perceptions On The Roles Of Mentoring, Advising, And Coaching In An Anesthesiology Residency Program: Mixed Methods Study, Sydney Nykiel-Bailey, Kathryn Burrows, Bianca E Szafarowicz, Rachel Moquin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Mentoring, advising, and coaching are essential components of resident education and professional development. Despite their importance, there is limited literature exploring how anesthesiology faculty perceive these practices and their role in supporting residents.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate anesthesiology faculty perspectives on the significance, implantation strategies, and challenges associated with mentorship, advising, and coaching in resident education.

METHODS: A comprehensive survey was administrated to 93 anesthesiology faculty members at Washington University School of Medicine. The survey incorporated quantitative Likert-scale questions and qualitative short-answer responses to assess faculty perceptions of the value, preferred formats, essential skills, and capacity for …

Gut Microbial Changes Associated With Obesity In Youth With Type 1 Diabetes, Heba M Ismail, Dimuthu Perera, Rabindra Mandal, Linda A Dimeglio, Carmella Evans-Molina, Tamara Hannon, Joseph Petrosino, Sara Javornik Cregeen, Nathan W Schmidt

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Context: Obesity is prevalent in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and is problematic with higher risk for diabetes complications. It is unknown to what extent gut microbiome changes are associated with obesity and T1D.

Objective: This work aimed to describe the gut microbiome and microbial metabolite changes associated with obesity in T1D. We hypothesized statistically significant gut microbial and metabolite differences in lean T1D youth (body mass index [BMI]: 5%-< 85%) vs those with obesity (BMI: ≥95%).

Methods: We analyzed stool samples for gut microbial (using metagenomic shotgun sequencing) and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) differences in lean (n = 27) and obese (n = 21) T1D youth in …

Resurgence Of Pediatric Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infections In Southeast Texas, November 2023-June 2024, Margaret Taylor Danner, Heather Colvin Binns, Khanh Nguyen, Coreen Johnson, Jim Dunn, Denver Niles, Diana K Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We conducted a retrospective review of children tested for Mycoplasma pneumoniae from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2024. M. pneumoniae polymerase chain reaction positivity increased starting in November 2023, peaking at 18.3% in June 2024. During the resurgence, children with laboratory-confirmed infection often had severe respiratory disease or extrapulmonary manifestations.

Federally Qualified Health Center Patients’ Experiences With Remote Patient Monitoring As Part Of Telehealth Services For Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring, Natalia I Heredia, Maria E Fernandez, Ella R Garza, Jabria Pittman, Fernanda Velasco-Huerta, Tracy L Judd, Jocelyn Hunyadi, Elvis Longanga Diese, Deevakar Rogith, William B Perkison, Susan H Fenton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) for hypertension management has become increasingly popular, demonstrating benefits for both clinics and patients. However, patient engagement in self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring remains low despite healthcare providers' efforts. This study aimed to assess adherence and acceptance of RPM for SMBP among Texas Federally Qualified Health Center patients.

METHODS: Participants enrolled in the SMBP monitoring program were recruited at three health centers. Data was collected from patient health records, and a questionnaire assessed hypertension self-management, technology acceptance, intentions, and attitudes toward SMBP. Thematic analysis was conducted for open-ended responses that followed each item, and multivariate …

A Novel Case Of Glial Transdifferentiation In Renal Medullary Carcinoma Brain Metastasis, Maria A Gubbiotti, Ian E Mccutcheon, Priya Rao, Giannicola Genovese, Linghua Wang, Artem Tarasov, Vladislav Putintsev, Amber Berlinski, Danil Stupichev, Kirill Kriukov, Suren Davitavyan, Basim Salem, Alexander Sarachakov, Dmitry Lebedev, Michael Hensley, Alexander Bagaev, Francesca Paradiso, Vladimir Kushnarev, Gleb Khegai, Nizar M Tannir, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Renal medullary carcinoma is a rare undifferentiated tumor of the kidney associated with sickle cell trait and characterized by INI1 (SMARCB1) loss. Although metastasis to lungs, lymph nodes, and bone is commonly reported, distant spread to the central nervous system almost never occurs. Here we present an unusual case of a patient with renal medullary carcinoma with metastasis to the brain following treatment which included tazemetostat, an EZH2 inhibitor. The metastatic brain lesion harbored morphologic, immunohistochemical, and methylation profile supportive of a primary CNS phenotype with loss of the trimethylated lysine 27 residue of histone 3 while maintaining INI1 loss …

Glofitamab In Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Results From A Phase I/Ii Study, Tycel Jovelle Phillips, Nancy L Bartlett, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have a poor prognosis. The phase I/II NP30179 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03075696) evaluated glofitamab monotherapy in patients with R/R B-cell lymphomas, with obinutuzumab pretreatment (Gpt) to mitigate the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) with glofitamab. We present data for patients with R/R MCL.

METHODS: Eligible patients with R/R MCL (at least one previous therapy) received Gpt (1,000 or 2,000 mg) 7 days before the first glofitamab dose (single dose or split over 2 days if required). Glofitamab step-up dosing was administered once a day on days 8 (2.5 mg) and …