Digital Commons Network^™

My Body My Choice: A Qualitative Study Of Volitional Female Sterilization In The U. S. Latina And Hispanic Female Population, Heather Morris Tuip

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study, utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology, elucidates the experience of Latina and Hispanic women living in the United States who have volitionally undergone sterilization or have sought the procedure out for birth control. Understanding the rich, contextual, lived experience of Latina and Hispanic women through an intersectional framework highlights how cultural influences and contemporary policies on reproductive rights informed their personal choice to undergo a female sterilization procedure. The participants of this study shared how they made meaning of their experiences. Within a homogenous sampling of study participants who share ethnicities and genders, six group experiential themes …

21st-Century Stewardship: Infusing Environmental Education With Global Citizenship, Ava Y. Goodale

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In today's interconnected world, where socioecological issues transcend political borders, integrating environmental stewardship education with global citizenship education offers valuable opportunities for student empowerment. The goal of this multi-article dissertation was to conceptualize and operationalize 21st-century stewardship in educational settings. Twenty-first-century stewardship is a pedagogical approach that recognizes the limitations of environmental stewardship education as it is traditionally taught and is defined in Chapter II as an updated stewardship model that is infused with global citizenship’s multiscalar perspectives, global compacts, and layered identities to achieve its maximum impact in our interconnected world. This goal was first accomplished in Chapter II …

Embracing The Both/And: Learning From The Lived Experiences Of White Facilitators Of Racial Equity Workshops, Alicia M. Wargo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study focuses on the lived experiences of seasoned White facilitators of racial equity workshops to understand how they navigate the complexity of occupying a White racial identity while working to challenge the belief systems of white supremacy ingrained in themselves and others. Through applying Critical Race Theory as a framework to grounded theory methodology, this study examined whiteness as a sensitizing concept in micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis, situating this dissertation in the theoretical exploration of the multifaceted and pervasive nature of whiteness. Much of the research on racial equity work examines White participants in nascent stages …

Exploring Subjective Cognitive Decline And Ageism: At-Risk Older Adults' Lived Experience, Randal L. Williams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), the self-perceived decline in cognitive abilities, is recognized as a preclinical marker for neurocognitive disorders (Jessen et al., 2014). Understanding the contextual factors informing SCD experience remains a research priority in this domain. At-risk older adults have heritable markers associated with dementia. Chronic exposure to embedded ageism burdens allostatic load (AL) and exacerbates epigenetic risk for cognitive decline (Levy, 2022; McEwen, 2020; Miller et al., 2021). The current qualitative study explored how ageism shapes the lived experience of SCD among at-risk older adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants, all doctoral level clinical practitioners, aged …

Patterns Of Inpatient Antibiotic Utilization By Race And Ethnicity At Us Children’S Hospitals, Bethany A. Wattles, Jeffrey I. Campbell, Theresa Kluthe, Yana B. Feygin, Kahir Jawad, Michelle D. Stevenson, Deborah Winders Davis, Jennifer Porter, V. Faye Jones, Matt Hall, Michael J. Smith

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Racial and ethnic variations in antibiotic utilization are well-reported in outpatient settings but little is known about inpatient settings. Our objective was to describe national inpatient antibiotic utilization among children by race and ethnicity. Methods: This study included hospital visit data from the Pediatric Health Information System between 01/01/2022 and 12/31/2022 for patients <20 years. Primary outcomes were the percentage of hospitalization encounters that received an antibiotic and antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient days. Mixed-effect regression models were used to determine the association of race-ethnicity with outcomes, adjusting for covariates. Results: There were 846,530 hospitalizations. 45.2% of children were Non-Hispanic (NH) White, 27.1% were Hispanic, 19.2% were NH Black, 4.5% were NH Other, 3.5% were NH Asian, 0.3% were NH Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) and 0.2% were NH American Indian. Adjusting for covariates, NH Black children had lower odds of receiving antibiotics compared to NH White children (aOR 0.96, 95%CI 0.94–0.97), while NH NHPI had higher odds of receiving antibiotics (aOR 1.16, 95%CI 1.05–1.29). Children who were Hispanic, NH Asian, NH American Indian, and children who were NH Other received antibiotic DOT compared to NH White children, while NH NHPI children received more antibiotic DOT. Conclusions: Antibiotic utilization in children’s hospitals differs by race and ethnicity. Hospitals should assess policies and practices that may contribute to disparities in treatment; antibiotic stewardship programs may play an important role in promoting inpatient pharmacoequity. Additional research is needed to examine individual diagnoses, clinical outcomes, and drivers of variation.

Leveraging Machine Learning Models To Explore Disparities In Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, And Survival, Reuben Adatorwovor, Rasaq Oladapo, Parisa Ghasemi, Gaurav Kumar, Daniel J. Morton, Motolani E. Ogunsanya, Olufunmilola Abraham

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prostate cancer (CaP) is the second most common cancer in men globally and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly among older men. In the United States, disparities in incidence, stage at diagnosis, and outcomes persist across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. Men in medically underserved regions like Appalachia experience higher mortality due to limited access to timely screening and treatment. Given the complex interplay of clinical, behavioral, and sociodemographic factors, machine learning (ML) offers promise in identifying survival predictors that traditional models may overlook. This study applies ML models to assess the impact of age at diagnosis, treatment …

Clinical Criteria For Limbic-Predominant Age-Related Tdp-43 Encephalopathy, David A. Wolk, Peter T. Nelson, Liana Apostolova, Konstantinos Arfanakis, Patricia A. Boyle, Cynthia M. Carlsson, Nick Corriveau-Lecavalier, Penny Dacks, Bradford C. Dickerson, Kimiko Domoto-Reilly, Brittany N. Dugger, Rebecca Edelmayer, David W. Fardo, Michel J. Grothe, Timothy J. Hohman, David J. Irwin, Gregory A. Jicha, David T. Jones, Claudia H. Kawas, Edward B. Lee, Karen Lincoln, Gladys E. Maestre, Elizabeth C. Mormino, Chiadi U. Onyike, Ronald C. Petersen, Gil D. Rabinovici, Rosa Rademakers, Rema Raman

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) is highly prevalent in late life and a common co-pathology with Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC). LATE-NC is a slowly progressive, amnestic clinical syndrome. Alternatively, when present with ADNC, LATE-NC is associated with a more rapid course. With the emergence of anti-amyloid therapeutics, discrimination of LATE-NC from ADNC is critical and will lead to greater clinical recognition of amnestic patients without ADNC. Furthermore, co-pathology with LATE-NC may influence outcomes of these therapeutics. Thus there is a need to identify patients during life with likely LATE-NC. We propose criteria for clinical diagnosis of …

A Myostatin Inhibitory Antibody Combined With Insulin, Partially Rescues The Musculoskeletal Phenotype Of Female Insulin-Deficient Diabetic Mice, R. Clay Bunn, Reuben Adatorwovor, Philip D. Ray, Alexander R. Keeble, Christopher S. Fry, Sasidhar Uppuganti, Jeffry S. Nyman, John L. Fowlkes, Evangelia Kalaitzoglou

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes is associated with deficits in both skeletal muscle and bone. Inhibition of myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle mass, was explored as a druggable target to improve the musculoskeletal phenotype associated with insulin-deficient diabetes in female mice. Methods: We investigated whether administration of an inhibitory myostatin antibody (MyoAb) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in female mice is protective for skeletal muscle and bone. DBA/2J female mice were injected with low-dose streptozotocin or with citrate buffer (vehicle). Subsequently, mice were implanted with insulin-containing or vehicle pellets, with groups being randomized to myostatin or control antibody for 8 weeks. At …

Diagnosing Statistical Education Needs Of Health Science Learners, Amy S. Nowacki, Ann M. Brearley, Robert A. Oster, Emily Slade, Katrina L. Devick, Matthew J. Hayat, Sally W. Thurston

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Many types of health science learners, including clinical and translational scientists, students, researchers, and clinicians, seek to increase their knowledge of biostatistics. These learners are heterogeneous in their field, career stage and career focus. Based on the collective experience of an expert panel with over 115 years teaching statistics to health science learners, we propose a framework for considering the needs of health science learners motivated by their career goals. This framework defines four types of health science learners seeking statistical training: (a) consumers, (b) “milestone makers”, (c) biomedical researchers with statistical support, and (d) biomedical researchers without statistical support. …

The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Bipoc Community At Cal Poly Humboldt: A Historical Storytelling Timeline, Fernando Paz

Humboldt Journal of Social Relations

"The Historical Storytelling Timeline (HST) emerged as a central initiative in Cal Poly Humboldt's efforts to support and inform the Institutional Anti-Racism Call to Action Plan (IARCAP). Guided by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), the HST not only chronicles the university's history of activism but also digitizes these efforts to ensure accessibility for future generations. This timeline is a commitment to honoring past struggles and successes..."

Finite Element Simulation Of Interstitial–Lymphatic Fluid Flow And Nanodrug Transport In A Solid Tumor: An Intratumoral Injection Approach, Gobinda Debnath, Buddakkagari Vasu, Rama Subba Reddy Gorla

Faculty Publications

Objective: This study presents a mathematical model and finite element simulations to investigate interstitial fluid flow and nanodrug transport in a solid tumor, incorporating transvascular exchange, convection–diffusion–reaction dynamics, and intratumoral injection mechanisms. Impact Statement: Optimizing nanodrug distribution remains a critical challenge in cancer therapy. The proposed model advances nanomedicine by enhancing the mechanistic understanding of nanodrug transport in a solid tumor. Introduction: Cancer, a global threat, often manifests as solid tumors driven by uncontrolled cell growth. The heterogeneous microenvironment, lymphatic drainage, nano-bio interactions, and elevated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) hinder effective nanodrug delivery. Nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems offer a …

The Impacts Of A Problem-Based Learning Unit On Computational Thinking Skills In A 7th Grade Lego Robotics Classroom, Madison Beeler

Graduate Research Papers

The primary focus of this study was to determine what impact problem-based learning (PBL) has on developing computational thinking skills, self-efficacy, and earth science understanding in a middle school robotics classroom. Twenty-eight students took part in a 36-day instructional unit based on the 5E Learning Cycle. Students explored Martian geology, analyzing rock data collected by the Perseverance rover mission to make connections between landforms, integrating Earth science with computational thinking tasks. Pre and post-test data assessed growth of computational thinking and self-efficacy. Statistical analysis showed significant growth in student self-efficacy, while gains in computational thinking were not statistically significant. Students …

Sex Differences In Beneficial And Pathogenic Bacteria In People With Hiv (Pwh) With A History Of Heavy Alcohol Drinking, Aakarsha V Rao, Smita S Ghare, Vasuk Gautam, Kristi L Hoffman, Joseph Petrosino, Kaku So-Armah, Jeffrey H Samet, Gregory J Patts, Debbie M Cheng, Elena Blokhina, Evgeny M Krupitsky, Dmitry Lioznov, Edwin Zvartau, Craig J Mcclain, Hillary Tindle, Matthew S Freiberg, Shirish S Barve

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: HIV-1 infection and hazardous levels of alcohol consumption have been independently linked to gut dysbiosis affecting beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria. However, sex-based differences in the composition and function of gut microbiome of People With HIV (PWH) with a history of heavy alcohol drinking remain undetermined, which is the focus of this study.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study examining structural and functional features of the gut microbiome in PWH between men and women with a history of hazardous alcohol drinking recruited at St. Petersburg, Russia. 16S rDNA sequencing information was used for metataxonomic, Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt2) …

The Association Of Human Milk Intake And Outcomes In Biliary Atresia, Mary Elizabeth M Tessier, Jeremy M Schraw, Stacey Beer, Sanjiv Harpavat, M Kyle Jensen, John C Magee, Vicky Ng, Michael E Scheurer, Sarah A Taylor, Benjamin L Shneider

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Human milk intake has many benefits which could influence outcomes in biliary atresia (BA). However, the role of human milk in BA has not been examined. We hypothesized that human milk intake would be associated with improved outcomes in BA.

Methods: We assessed the impact of any human milk (AHM) as compared to formula only (FO) intake before Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) on outcomes in 447 infants with BA using the PROBE database (NCT00061828) post hoc. The primary outcome was clearance of jaundice (COJ = total bilirubin (TB) < 2 mg/dL by 3 months post-KP). Secondary outcomes included 2-year survival with native liver (SNL), bilirubin levels, cholangitis, ascites, and growth. We assessed the fecal microbiome (n = 8) comparing AHM versus FO.

Results: At baseline, 211 infants received AHM and 215 received …

Mapping Learning In Higher Education: The Embedding Content Across Academic Programmes Toolkit, John Pierce, Mary Beades, Andrew Shields

Publications

The growing diversification of teaching roles in higher education and the siloed nature of semesterised programmes can inhibit quality teaching and learning. This paper introduces the Embedding Content Across Academic Programmes Toolkit (ECAAPT), a practical model for mapping and tracking embedded content across modules, semesters, and years within higher education programmes that can ease the administrative burden of curricular mapping and change on academics teaching in the sector. Originally developed with a focus on tracking student academic literacies, this model has also been adapted and shown value in mapping and tracking other content, such as graduate attributes, feedback, assessment strategies, …

A Multifunctional Theranostic Ultrasound Platform For Remote Magnetogenetics And Expanded Blood-Brain Barrier Opening, Alec J Batts, Fotios N Tsitsos, Jeannette Ingabire, Guillaume Duret, Samantha L Gorman, Deny Tsakri, Rebecca L Noel, Robin Ji, Nancy Kwon, Quoc-Khanh Pham, Linlin Zhang, Gang Bao, Jacob T Robinson, Elisa E Konofagou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Brain stimulation techniques are critical for unraveling the innerworkings of complex neuronal pathways governing both normal physiological function and pathologic states in neurological disorders. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging technique poised to significantly alter central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery and neuroscience research through non-invasive means. Magnetogenetics is a brain stimulation technique which may benefit from FUS technology in that alternating magnetic fields (AMF), like FUS, can pass through the skull without requiring surgery.

Methodology: Magnetogenetics involves the deposition of superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and overexpression of thermoreceptor transmembrane proteins (e.g. TRPV1 and TRPA1) in the brain. When …

Learning-Associated Astrocyte Ensembles Regulate Memory Recall, Michael R Williamson, Wookbong Kwon, Junsung Woo, Yeunjung Ko, Ehson Maleki, Kwanha Yu, Sanjana Murali, Debosmita Sardar, Benjamin Deneen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The physical manifestations of memory formation and recall are fundamental questions that remain unresolved1. At the cellular level, ensembles of neurons called engrams are activated by learning events and control memory recall1-5. Astrocytes are in close proximity to neurons and engage in a range of activities that support neurotransmission and circuit plasticity6-10. Moreover, astrocytes exhibit experience-dependent plasticity11-13; however whether specific ensembles of astrocytes participate in memory recall remains obscure. Here we show that learning events induce c-Fos expression in a subset of hippocampal astrocytes, which subsequently …

Placentas From Sars-Cov-2 Infection During Pregnancy Exhibit Foci Of Oxidative Stress And Dna Damage, Guilherme M Nobrega, Eliza R Mccoll, Arthur Antolini-Tavares, Renato T Souza, José Guilherme Cecatti, Maria Laura Costa, Indira U Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Problem: COVID-19 during pregnancy is linked to increased maternal morbidity and a higher incidence of preterm births (PTBs), yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Cellular senescence, characterized by the irreversible cessation of cell division, is a critical process in placental function, and its dysregulation has been implicated in pregnancy complications like PTB. Senescence can be induced by various stressors, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, and viral infections.

Method of study: In this study, we determined whether COVID-19 had an impact on placental senescence. We examined placentas from women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (n = 10 …

High Tumor Cd161 Expression Predicts A Survival Advantage And Marks A Th1-Skewed Microenvironment, Briana Amicarella Burns, Manasvi Chandra, Vanaja Konduri, William K Decker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CD8+CD161+ T-cells exhibit augmented memory and cytolytic properties, mediating enhanced immunity in murine tumor models and improved survival in human non-small cell lung cancer. This T-cell subset might serve as a biomarker of positive response to therapy or even be isolated to augment current immunotherapeutic approaches yet limited knowledge of CD161 expression in human cancers restricts practical application. Here we bioinformatically tested the hypothesis that CD161 expression may be associated with positive outcomes in human cancers and investigated mechanisms underlying any observed advantages. Using TCGA-PANCAN dataset, we analyzed expression of CD161 in over 10,000 human tumors, correlating expression levels with …

Editorial: Exploring Klf4’S Role In Immune Cell Function And Disease Progression, H Daniel Lacorazza, Walden Ai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

The Reprogramming Factor Klf4 In Normal And Malignant Blood Cells, H Daniel Lacorazza

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger transcription factor that regulates cellular processes in stem cells, epithelial cells, and immune blood cells by controlling gene expression through genetic, epigenetic, and chromatin remodeling. The landmark 2006 publication identified KLF4 as one of the factors involved in reprogramming differentiated cells into pluripotent stem cells, sparking increased interest in KLF4 research a decade after its discovery, particularly in the fields of stem cell research, epithelial cell biology, endothelial cell function, and tumorigenesis. Over the years, KLF4 has emerged as a key transcription factor in modulating innate and adaptive immunity, …

Multidisciplinary Approach To Treating Complex Immune Dysregulation Disorders: An Adaptive Model For Institutional Implementation, Lauren A Henderson, Roshini S Abraham, Aisha Ahmed, Lindsey Blount, Scott W Canna, Natalia S Chaimowitz, Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan, Bria Coates, James A Connelly, Megan A Cooper, Christine N Duncan, Anthony French, Melissa Hazen, Michelle L Hermiston, Brian Nolan, Anish Ray, Melissa J Rose, Lisa Forbes Satter, Grant Schulert, Sara Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Tiphanie Vogel, Kelly Walkovich, Matt S Zinter, Edward M Behrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients with immune dysregulation may present with varying combinations of autoimmunity, autoinflammation, immunodeficiency, atopy, lymphoproliferation, and/or malignancy, often with multisystem involvement. Recognizing specific patterns of immune dysregulation, coordinating and interpreting complex diagnostic testing, and choosing initial (often empiric) treatment can be challenging. Centers are increasingly assembling multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) to standardize evaluation and optimize treatment of patients with complex immune dysregulation (immune dysregulation MDTs [immMDTs]). However, published information on the composition and function of immMDTs is sparse, and there is little guidance for those seeking to establish or optimize an immMDT. To inform this review, we assembled a panel of …

Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Of The Ascending Aorta: A Novel Approach To Evaluate Arterial Stiffness In Pediatric Patients With Repaired Conotruncal Anomalies Using Echocardiography, Anmol Goyal, Anitha Parthiban, David A White, Daniel Forsha, Doaa Aly

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Children with repaired conotruncal abnormalities (CTA) are at risk of progressive aortic dilation and deteriorating aortic elasticity even after surgical correction. Strain imaging, using a 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), has been used for arterial stiffness assessment, but pediatric data are still lacking. We investigated the feasibility, reproducibility, and clinical value of 2D-STE derived ascending aorta (AAo) stiffness in children with repaired CTA.

Methods: 22 pediatric patients with repaired CTA were included along with 25 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (mean age 10.2 ± 4.5 years). Conventional 2D echocardiographic and 2D-STE assessment of AAo mechanics was performed. M-mode …

A New Interpolated Pseudodifferential Preconditioner For The Helmholtz Equation In Heterogeneous Media, Sebastian Acosta, Tahsin Khajah, Benjamin Palacios

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This paper introduces a new pseudodifferential preconditioner for the Helmholtz equation in variable media with absorption. The pseudodifferential operator is associated with the multiplicative inverse to the symbol of the Helmholtz operator. This approach is well suited for the intermediate and high-frequency regimes. The main novel idea for the fast evaluation of the preconditioner is to interpolate its symbol, not as a function of the (high-dimensional) phase-space variables, but as a function of the wave speed itself. Since the wave speed is a real-valued function, this approach allows us to interpolate in a univariate setting even when the original problem …

Do Adhd Symptoms Enhance College Students’ Creativity And Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy?, Jorge Sebastian Montesinos

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite years of research focused on impairment, it is possible that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be beneficial in some ways. Past studies have analyzed ADHD’s potential benefits to creativity and entrepreneurship, but the majority have either been underpowered or have had mixed results. In an attempt to add clarity to these potential ADHD-related strengths, the present study explored the relation between symptoms of ADHD, creative achievement, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). The current study was a survey of emerging adult college students from multiple U.S. universities. The purpose of this study was to explore relations between symptoms of ADHD and …

Establishing Standardized Transthoracic Echocardiography Reference Ranges For Mouse Models: Insights Into The Impact Of Anesthesia, Sex, And Age, Manuela A Oestereicher, Christopher S Ward, Elida Schneltzer, Susan Marschall, Helmut Fuchs, Valerie Gailus-Durner, Ghina Bou About, Mohammed Selloum, Hamid Meziane, Michelle Stewart, Lydia Teboul, Clare Norris, Dale Pimm, Marina Kan, Federico López Gómez, Robert Wilson, Mayra Monroy, Sheraz Pasha, Eva Zabrodska, Jan Prochazka, David Pajuelo Reguera, Zuzana Nichtova, Yann Herault, Sara Wells, Helen Parkinson, Jason D Heaney, Radislav Sedlacek, Xiang Gao, Martin Hrabe De Angelis, Nadine Spielmann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Mouse models play a critical role in cardiology research, offering valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms, genetics, and potential treatments for cardiovascular diseases. However, the ability to transfer findings in mice between studies is limited by the absence of standardized protocols and valid reference values for the assessment of normal cardiac function in mice. This study aims to establish comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) reference ranges for mice, particularly focusing on C57BL/6N wild-type controls.

Methods: The study, which includes data from over 15,000 mice through the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), highlights how variables such as sex, age, body weight, …

Primary Cardiac Osteosarcoma: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, And Management - A Narrative Review, Tommy Li, Eric Nguyen, Jamal Hasoon, Ali Khalifa, Anvinh Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Primary cardiac sarcomas are exceedingly rare, with a very low incidence in the general population. A variety of sarcoma subtypes can originate in the heart, including angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. These tumors are typically classified based on histological characteristics, most often determined following surgical excision or biopsy. Among them, primary cardiac osteosarcoma is one of the rarest forms, with fewer than 60 cases reported in the literature to date. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of primary cardiac osteosarcoma, including its epidemiology, clinical presentation, and current management strategies. Additionally, we highlight several remarkable case reports to …

Inferred Developmental Origins Of Brain Tumors From Single-Cell Rna-Sequencing Data, Su Wang, Rachel Naomi Curry, Malcolm F Mcdonald, Hyun Yong Koh, Anders W Erickson, Claudia L Kleinman, Michael D Taylor, Ganesh Rao, Benjamin Deneen, Arif O Harmanci, Akdes Serin Harmanci

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The reactivation of neurodevelopmental programs in cancer highlights parallel biological processes that occur in both normal development and brain tumors. Achieving a deeper understanding of how dysregulated developmental factors play a role in the progression of brain tumors is therefore crucial for identifying potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) provides an opportunity to understand how developmental programs are dysregulated and reinitiated in brain tumors at single-cell resolution. The aim of this study is to identify the developmental origins of brain tumors using scRNA-Seq data.

Methods: Here, we introduce COORS (Cell Of ORigin like CellS), a computational tool …

Mutations In Retinal Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels Identified In Familial Cases Of Inherited Retinal Dystrophies From Pakistan, Zainab Akhtar, Kiran Afshan, Yumei Li, Sumaira Altaf, Aleesha Asghar, Ume Sughra, Wajid Ali Khan, Haiba Kaul, Rui Chen, Sabika Firasat

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are ligand-gated ion channels that transduce light signals into electrical signals in the retinal photoreceptors. Pathogenic variants in CNG channel genes are reported to cause inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs). The current study used targeted panel sequencing to describe the mutational spectrum of CNG channel genes in familial cases of IRDs from eight consanguineous Pakistani families.

Methods: The current study included consanguineous Pakistani families with at least two affected members. DNA was extracted from whole blood samples by the phenol-chloroform method. Two affected members from each family were initially analyzed using targeted panel sequencing of 344 …

Averting Collapse: Reimagining The Ntds Ecosystem Through G20 Health Diplomacy And Science Innovation, Maple Goh, Peter J Hotez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The recent termination of the U.S. Government's neglected topical diseases (NTD) mass treatment program, following similar cuts by the UK, threatens decades of progress. Without a strategic reset, NTDs may re-emerge, exacerbating poverty across Africa and beyond. We call for a broadened donor base and reframing NTD control as a shared global interest, especially as NTDs rise in G20 nations due to climate change and urbanization. This moment demands investment in sustainable tools, like NextGen vaccines and biologics, and greater leadership from G20 countries. While USAID's exit is a setback, opportunities arise for decolonizing global health and fostering new partnerships.