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Proceedings Of The 11th Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Pushing The Forefront Of Neuromodulation With Functional Network Mapping, Biomarkers For Adaptive Dbs, Bioethical Dilemmas, Ai-Guided Neuromodulation, And Translational Advancements, Kara A Johnson, Nico U F Dosenbach, Evan M Gordon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Think Tank XI was held on August 9-11, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida with the theme of "Pushing the Forefront of Neuromodulation". The keynote speaker was Dr. Nico Dosenbach from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He presented his research recently published in Nature inn a collaboration with Dr. Evan Gordon to identify and characterize the somato-cognitive action network (SCAN), which has redefined the motor homunculus and has led to new hypotheses about the integrative networks underpinning therapeutic DBS. The DBS Think Tank was founded in 2012 and provides an open platform where clinicians, engineers, and …

Lung Lymphatic Endothelial Cells Undergo Inflammatory And Prothrombotic Changes In A Model Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Anjali Trivedi, Tyler M Lu, Barbara Summers, Kihwan Kim, Alexander J Rhee, Sean Houghton, Derek E Byers, Raphaël Lis, Hasina Outtz Reed

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The lymphatic vasculature regulates lung homeostasis through drainage of fluid and trafficking of immune cells and plays a key role in the response to lung injury in several disease states. We have previously shown that lymphatic dysfunction occurs early in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by cigarette smoke (CS) and that this is associated with increased thrombin and fibrin clots in lung lymph. However, the direct effects of CS and thrombin on lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in COPD are not entirely clear. Studies of the blood vasculature have shown that COPD is associated with increased thrombin …

Increased Hif-2Α Activity In The Nucleus Pulposus Causes Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In The Aging Mouse Spine, Shira N Johnston, Maria Tsingas, Rahatul Ain, Ruteja A Barve, Makarand V Risbud

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are essential to the homeostasis of hypoxic tissues. Although HIF-2α, is expressed in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, consequences of elevated HIF-2 activity on disc health remains unknown. We expressed HIF-2α with proline to alanine substitutions (P405A; P531A) in the Oxygen-dependent degradation domain (HIF-2αdPA) in the NP tissue using an inducible, nucleus pulposus-specific K19

Effectively Communicating With Local Policymakers: A Randomized Trial Of Policy Brief Dissemination To Address Obesity, Elizabeth A Dodson, Renee G Parks, Rebekah R Jacob, Ruopeng An, Amy A Eyler, Nathan Lee, Alexandra B Morshed, Mary C Politi, Rachel G Tabak, Yan Yan, Ross C Brownson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based policies are a powerful tool for impacting health and addressing obesity. Effectively communicating evidence to policymakers is critical to ensure evidence is incorporated into policies. While all public health is local, limited knowledge exists regarding effective approaches for improving local policymakers' uptake of evidence-based policies.

METHODS: Local policymakers were randomized to view one of four versions of a policy brief (usual care, narrative, risk-framing, and narrative/risk-framing combination). They then answered a brief survey including questions about their impressions of the brief, their likelihood of using it, and how they determine legislative priorities.

RESULTS: Responses from 331 participants indicated …

Interventions Connecting Young People Living In Africa To Healthcare; A Systematic Review Using The Re-Aim Framework, Titilola Abike Gbaja-Biamila, Chisom Obiezu-Umeh, Ucheoma Nwaozuru, David Oladele, Alexis Engelhart, Thembekile Shato, Stacey Mason, Victoria Carter, Juliet Iwelunmor-Ezepue

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Africa's young people are among the least focused groups in healthcare linkage. The disproportionally high burden of youth-related health problems is a burden, especially in developing regions like Africa, which have a high population of young people. More information is needed about factors that impact linkages in healthcare and the sustainability of health interventions among young people in Africa.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed from October 2020 to May 2022 in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Global Health, and the Web of Science. Studies included in the review were conducted among young people aged 10-24 living in Africa, written …

Modular Horizontal Network Within Mouse Primary Visual Cortex, Andreas Burkhalter, Weiqing Ji, Andrew M Meier, Rinaldo D D'Souza

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Interactions between feedback connections from higher cortical areas and local horizontal connections within primary visual cortex (V1) were shown to play a role in contextual processing in different behavioral states. Layer 1 (L1) is an important part of the underlying network. This cell-sparse layer is a target of feedback and local inputs, and nexus for contacts onto apical dendrites of projection neurons in the layers below. Importantly, L1 is a site for coupling inputs from the outside world with internal information. To determine whether all of these circuit elements overlap in L1, we labeled the horizontal network within mouse V1 …

Plasma Mirna Expression Profile In Pediatric Pineal Pure Germinomas, Mona Fakhry, Moatasem Elayadi, Mariam G Elzayat, Omar Samir, Eslam Maher, Hala Taha, Mohamed El-Beltagy, Amal Refaat, Manal Zamzam, Mohamed S Abdelbaki, Ahmed A Sayed, Mark Kieran, Alaa Elhaddad

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pure germinomas account for 40% of pineal tumors and are characterized by the lack of appreciable tumor markers, thus requiring a tumor biopsy for diagnosis. MicroRNAs (miRNA) have emerged as potential non-invasive biomarkers for germ cell tumors and may facilitate the non-invasive diagnosis of pure pineal germinomas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients treated at the Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt diagnosed with a pineal region tumor between June 2013 and March 2021 for whom a research blood sample was available. Plasma samples were profiled for miRNA expression, and DESeq2 was used to compare …

Incidence And Risk Factors For Bone Metastases At Presentation In Solid Tumors, Brendan J Knapp, Giordano F Cittolin-Santos, Mary E Flanagan, Nikhil Grandhi, Feng Gao, Pamela P Samson, Ramaswamy Govindan, Daniel Morgensztern

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Bone metastases are associated with increased morbidity and decreased quality of life in patients with solid tumors. Identifying patients at increased risk of bone metastases at diagnosis could lead to earlier interventions. We sought to retrospectively identify the incidence and predictive factors for bone metastases at initial diagnosis in a large population-based dataset.

METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify patients 18 years-old or older diagnosed with solid cancers from 2010 to 2019. Patients with hematologic malignancies and primary tumors of the bone were excluded. We calculated the incidence and predictive factors for …

Membrane Potential Hyperpolarization: A Critical Factor In Acrosomal Exocytosis And Fertilization In Sperm Within The Female Reproductive Tract, Paula A Balestrini, Valeria Sulzyk, Martina Jabloñski, Liza J Schiavi-Ehrenhaus, Soledad N González, Juan J Ferreira, Matías D Gómez-Elías, Pablo Pomata, Guillermina M Luque, Dario Krapf, Patricia S Cuasnicu, Celia M Santi, Mariano G Buffone

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hyperpolarization of the membrane potential (Em), a phenomenon regulated by SLO3 channels, stands as a central feature in sperm capacitation-a crucial process conferring upon sperm the ability to fertilize the oocyte.

The Molecular Landscape Of Sepsis Severity In Infants: Enhanced Coagulation, Innate Immunity, And T Cell Repression, Susie Shih Yin Huang, Mohammed Toufiq, Pirooz Eghtesady, Nicholas Van Panhuys, Mathieu Garand

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in infants. In recent years, several gene marker strategies for the early identification of sepsis have been proposed but only a few have been independently validated for adult cohorts and applicability to infant sepsis remains unclear. Biomarkers to assess disease severity and risks of shock also represent an important unmet need.

METHODS: To elucidate characteristics driving sepsis in infants, we assembled a multi-transcriptomic dataset from public microarray datasets originating from five independent studies pertaining to bacterial sepsis in infant < 6-months of age (total n=335). We utilized a COmbat co-normalization strategy to enable comparative evaluation across multiple studies while preserving the relationship between cases and controls.

RESULTS: We found good concordance with only two out of seven …

Covid-19 Vaccination In Patients With Inborn Errors Of Immunity Reduces Hospitalization And Critical Care Needs Related To Covid-19: A Usidnet Report, John Mcdonnell, Alexa Michelle Altman Doss, Caroline C. Horner, Dayne H. Voelker, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Dendritic Cell Subsets And Implications For Cancer Immunotherapy, Michael Y Chen, Felicia Zhang, Simon Peter Goedegebuure, William E Gillanders

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the orchestration of effective T cell responses against tumors. However, their functional behavior is context-dependent. DC type, transcriptional program, location, intratumoral factors, and inflammatory milieu all impact DCs with regard to promoting or inhibiting tumor immunity. The following review introduces important facets of DC function, and how subset and phenotype can affect the interplay of DCs with other factors in the tumor microenvironment. It will also discuss how current cancer treatment relies on DC function, and survey the myriad ways with which immune therapy can more directly harness DCs to enact antitumor …

Transcriptomic Profiling Of Thymic Dysregulation And Viral Tropism After Neonatal Roseolovirus Infection, Andrei Belean, Eden Xue, Benjamin Cisneros, Elisha D O Roberson, Michael A Paley, Tarin M Bigley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Herpesviruses, including the roseoloviruses, have been linked to autoimmune disease. The ubiquitous and chronic nature of these infections have made it difficult to establish a causal relationship between acute infection and subsequent development of autoimmunity. We have shown that murine roseolovirus (MRV), which is highly related to human roseoloviruses, induces thymic atrophy and disruption of central tolerance after neonatal infection. Moreover, neonatal MRV infection results in development of autoimmunity in adult mice, long after resolution of acute infection. This suggests that MRV induces durable immune dysregulation.

METHODS: In the current studies, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to study …

Loss Of Β-Cell Identity And Dedifferentiation, Not An Irreversible Process?, Sumit Patel, Maria S Remedi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a polygenic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and impaired insulin secretion by the pancreas. While the decline in insulin production and secretion was previously attributed to apoptosis of insulin-producing β-cells, recent studies indicate that β-cell apoptosis rates are relatively low in diabetes. Instead, β-cells primarily undergo dedifferentiation, a process where they lose their specialized identity and transition into non-functional endocrine progenitor-like cells, ultimately leading to β-cell failure. The underlying mechanisms driving β-cell dedifferentiation remain elusive due to the intricate interplay of genetic factors and cellular stress. Understanding these mechanisms holds the …

Assessment Of The Quality Of Interdisciplinary Communication (Critcom): Evaluation And Refinement Of A Center Summary Report, Lara Counts, Jocelyn Rivera, Parima Wiphatphumiprates, Maria Puerto-Torres, Kim Prewitt, Douglas A Luke, Dylan E Graetz, Sara Malone, Asya Agulnik

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Communication failures among clinicians in the ICU (intensive care unit) often lead to worse patient outcomes. CritCom is a bilingual (English and Spanish) tool to evaluate the quality of interdisciplinary communication around patient deterioration for pediatric oncology patients. The use of reports, such as the CritCom report, as dissemination methods lead to quicker knowledge translation and implementation of research findings into policy. Nurses and physicians at participating centers who care for patients at risk of deterioration completed the CritCom survey and center-specific reports were generated to communicate CritCom results. Focus groups were conducted with clinicians receiving CritCom reports in both …

Case Report: Increased Efficacy Of Cetuximab After Pembrolizumab Failure In Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Renee Morecroft, Jordan Phillipps, Alice Zhou, Omar Butt, Karam Khaddour, Tanner Johanns, George Ansstas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Immunotherapy is the first-line option for treating advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, up to half of patients experience no benefit and treatment resistance, warranting newer therapeutic approaches. Combinatory approaches, including cetuximab, may help overcome immunotherapy resistance and improve response rates in advanced cSCC. We report three cases of metastatic cSCC that achieved significant clinical responses after cetuximab therapy following initial progression on pembrolizumab. We have retrospectively reviewed these cases at a single academic center between 2018 and 2023. All patients initially progressed on pembrolizumab, after which cetuximab (mono- or combination therapy) was added with two complete responses and …

Hormonal And Circuit Mechanisms Controlling Female Sexual Behavior, Sayaka Inoue

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sexual behavior is crucial for reproduction in many animals. In many vertebrates, females exhibit sexual behavior only during a brief period surrounding ovulation. Over the decades, studies have identified the roles of ovarian sex hormones, which peak in levels around the time of ovulation, and the critical brain regions involved in the regulation of female sexual behavior. Modern technical innovations have enabled a deeper understanding of the neural circuit mechanisms controlling this behavior. In this review, I summarize our current knowledge and discuss the neural circuit mechanisms by which female sexual behavior occurs in association with the ovulatory phase of …

Awareness, Access, And Communication: Provider Perspectives On Early Intervention Services For Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Andrew M Heitzer, Erin Macarthur, Mollie Tamboli, Ashley Wilson, Jane S Hankins, Catherine R Hoyt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify determinants influencing the utilization of early intervention services among young children with sickle cell disease (SCD) based on perspectives from medical and early intervention providers.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Early intervention and medical providers from the catchment area surrounding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Washington University were recruited (20 total providers). Interviews were completed over the phone and audio recorded. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified from both groups: Awareness (e.g., lack of awareness about the EI system and SCD), Access (e.g., …

Children With Non-Central Nervous System Tumors Treated With Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Are At Risk For Hearing Loss And Cognitive Impairments, Allison J L'Hotta, Anne Spence, Taniya E Varughese, Kara Felts, Susan S Hayashi, Megan Jones-White, Emily Lafentres, Judith E C Lieu, Robert J Hayashi, Allison A King

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) with chemotherapy induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are at risk for neurocognitive impairments. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between SNHL and cognitive function among CCS.

PROCEDURE: Inclusion: non-CNS solid tumor diagnosis; history of platinum chemotherapy (cisplatin and/or carboplatin); 8-17 years of age; off anti-cancer treatment for ≥6 months; and English speaking. Exclusion: history of intrathecal chemotherapy, cranial radiation, or baseline neurocognitive disorder. Participants completed the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery at enrollment.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven individuals enrolled; 52 completed full cognitive testing. Participants were on average 12.2 years of age and 7.0 …

Overall And Non- Lung Cancer Incidence And Mortality In The National Lung Screening Trial: Opportunities For Multi-Cancer Early Detection, Alpa V. Patel, Ellen T. Chang, Allan Hackshaw, Sam M. Janes, Diana S.M. Buist, Earl Hubbell, Christina A. Clarke, Graham A. Colditz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Neurocognitive Outcome In Children With Sickle Cell Disease After Myeloimmunoablative Conditioning And Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Non-Randomized Clinical Trial, Suzanne Braniecki, Shalini Shenoy, Robert C Mckinstry, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Due to the risk of cerebral vascular injury, children and adolescents with high-risk sickle cell disease (SCD) experience neurocognitive decline over time. Haploidentical stem cell transplantation (HISCT) from human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donors may slow or stop progression of neurocognitive changes.

OBJECTIVES: The study is to determine if HISCT can ameliorate SCD-associated neurocognitive changes and prevent neurocognitive progression, determine which specific areas of neurocognitive functioning are particularly vulnerable to SCD, and determine if there are age-related differences in neurocognitive functioning over time.

METHODS: We performed neurocognitive and neuroimaging in SCD recipients following HISCT. Children and adolescents with high-risk SCD …

Traversing The Bench To Bedside Journey For Inkt Cell Therapies, Julie O'Neal, Melissa Mavers, Reyka G Jayasinghe, John F Dipersio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are immune cells that harness properties of both the innate and adaptive immune system and exert multiple functions critical for the control of various diseases. Prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by iNKT cells has been demonstrated in mouse models and in correlative human studies in which high iNKT cell content in the donor graft is associated with reduced GVHD in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. This suggests that approaches to increase the number of iNKT cells in the setting of an allogeneic transplant may reduce GVHD. iNKT cells can also induce …

Factors Associated With Never Treatment And Acceptability Of Mass Drug Administration For The Elimination Of Lymphatic Filariasis In Guyana, 2021, Claudia Duguay, Reza A. Niles-Robin, Charles R. Thickstun, Horace Cox, Annastacia Sampson, Jean Seme-Fils Alexandre, Nathely Caleb-Mars, Charles W. Goss, Ana Morice, Ronaldo G. Carvalho Scholte, Alison Krentel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Guyana remains one of four countries in the Americas endemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF). Elimination of LF requires repeated annual mass drug administration (MDA) with sufficient levels of coverage for success. This study assesses the acceptability and never treatment of LF MDA using data from a routine assessment survey in 2021. A subset of individuals, over 20 years of age (n = 2498), were selected to receive an expanded questionnaire to examine factors associated with acceptability and never treatment. Assessed factors include respondent demographics, knowledge, risk perceptions of LF, and opinions on the MDA programme. The majority (73%) of those …

Health System Barriers To Hypertension Care In Peru: Rapid Assessment To Inform Organizational-Level Change, Kendra N. Williams, Lindsay J. Underhill, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Elvin H. Geng, Victor G. Davila-Roman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Traditional patient- and provider-level hypertension interventions have proven insufficient to halt hypertension as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Systems-level interventions are required to address factors challenging hypertension control across a social ecological framework, an under-studied topic particularly salient in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Peru. To inform such interventions, we sought to identify key health systems barriers to hypertension care in Puno, Peru. A participatory stakeholder workshop (October 2021) and 21 in-depth interviews (October 2021-March 2022) were conducted with 55 healthcare professionals (i.e., doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, nutritionists), followed by a deductive qualitative analysis of …

Editor’S Note, Jessica Vedrani

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Employment Law—Blurred Lines: Loopholes To Avoid Joint Employer Liability—Felder V. United States Tennis Ass'n, 27 F.4th 834 (2d Cir. 2022), Katie Groves

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Jtaa Editors

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Editor's Note, Catherine Treseler

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Collateral Consequences Of Conviction: The Current Inequality In Courts’ Consideration Of The“Side Effects” Of Federal Sentencing, Olivia Johnnene

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Internet Law—Willful Ignorance Is Bliss For Media Conglomerates When It Comes To Sex Trafficking—Does V. Reddit, Inc., 51 F.4th 1137 (9th Cir. 2022), Zoe Lyon

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.