Life Sciences Commons^™

Suvorexant For Alcohol Use Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Study Protocol For A Phase Ii Randomized Clinical Trial, Lara A Ray, Steven J Nieto, Karen Miotto, Larissa Mooney, Richard Lebeau, Jin H Yoon, Joy M Schmitz, Ron Acierno, Nathaniel W Bailey, Jessica Jenkins, Jessica Vincent, Tracy Nolen, Shawn Hirsch, Alexis Williams, Scott D Lane

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a highly prevalent, costly, and often untreated condition in the United States. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a common comorbidity with AUD which worsens outcomes and decreases functional outcomes. Suvorexant (SUV) shows clear promise as a novel therapeutic candidate to treat AUD and PTSD.

Methods: This study features a promising compound (i.e., suvorexant), the application of a well-established human laboratory paradigm (i.e., alcohol cue reactivity), and a novel early efficacy laboratory model (i.e., practice quit attempt) to provide a cost/time-efficient evaluation of safety and initial efficacy of suvorexant for AUD with comorbid PTSD. Additionally, …

Proceedings From The Inaugural Conference On The Science Of Cancer Health Equity For Sexual And Gender Minority (Sgm) Communities, Charles S Kamen, Milena E Insalaco, Richard Brown, Chasity Burrows Walters, Shine Chang, Viktor Clark, Jason Domogauer, Lauren V Ghazal, Kelly Haviland, Forrest Hosea, Nelson Sanchez, Matthew B Schabath, Zul Surani, Gwendolyn P Quinn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority people (SGM) experience multiple cancer-related disparities, including higher rates of cancer risk factors, lower rates of cancer screening, higher lifetime risk of cancer, and unmet needs throughout cancer survivorship. Although many national organizations, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), have emphasized the need for more cancer research among SGM communities, currently no consensus exists about the highest research priorities, promising research models, or mechanisms to support collaboration between geographically dispersed scientific teams.

Methods: To address this gap, we convened a three-day conference to focus on the "Science of Cancer …

The Impact Of Vascular Management On Postoperative Complications In Patients Undergoing Surgery For Retroperitoneal Leiomyosarcoma, Neha Malik, Seokhun Kim, Christopher P Scally, Emily Z Keung, Heather Lillemoe, Keila E Torres, Kelly K Hunt, Sophia Khan, Christina L Roland, Heather G Lyu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcomas are aggressive malignancies. Complete surgical resection with negative margins is crucial to decrease the risk of recurrence but can be risky due to vascular involvement. The aim of our study was to evaluate the different approaches to IVC and renal vein management and their impact on postoperative complications.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent surgery for retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma with IVC and/or renal vein involvement at our institution from 2016 to 2024. Patients were stratified by intraoperative vascular management, including ligation only versus varying forms of vascular reconstruction. Postoperative complications, including bleeding, transfusions, the …

Cd8+ T Cells In The Tumor Microenvironment Modulate The Response To Endocrine Therapy In Breast Cancer, Fabiana Napolitano, Yunguan Wang, Dhivya R Sudhan, Paula I Gonzalez-Ericsson, Luigi Formisano, Nisha Unni, Shahbano Shakeel, James Z Zhu, Khushi Ahuja, Lei Guo, María Rosario Chica-Parrado, Yuki Matsunaga, Pamela Luna, Chang-Ching A Lin, Yasuaki Uemoto, Kyung-Min Lee, Hongli Ma, Nathaniel J Evans, Alberto Servetto, Saurabh Mendiratta, Spencer D Barnes, Roberto Bianco, Yisheng V Fang, Lin Xu, Jeon Lee, Tao Wang, Justin M Balko, Gordon B Mills, Marilyne Labrie, Ariella B Hanker, Carlos L Arteaga

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The role of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in modulating responses to antiestrogen therapy in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancers remains unclear. We analyzed pre- and on-treatment biopsies from patients with HR+ breast cancer treated with letrozole to induce estrogen deprivation (ED). Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, assessed by H&E staining, and immune-related gene sets, including IFN-γ signaling genes, measured by RNA-Seq, were increased in ED-resistant tumors. Cyclic immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomics revealed an abundance of CD8+ T cells and enhanced antigen processing and immune gene signatures in ED-resistant tumors. In this group, the expression of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 - chemokine …

Women's Preferences For Home-Based Self-Sampling Or Clinic-Based Testing For Cervical Cancer Screening, Joël Fokom Domgue, Monalisa Chandra, Olajumoke Oladoyin, Manali Desai, Robert Yu, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: While home-based self-sampling for cervical cancer screening is an evidence-based strategy proven to increase screening access and uptake, it is not currently recommended in the US despite recent Food and Drug Administration approval of the first at-home self-sampling device. Little nationally representative research has examined preference for and drivers of home-based self-sampling over clinic-based testing (the standard of care).

Objective: To assess women's perspectives about, reasons for considering, and factors associated with preferring at-home self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.

Design, setting, and participants: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2024 Health Interview National Trends Survey (HINTS 7), …

Dispersion-Enhanced Nitrogen-Centered Photocatalysis Of The Direct Hydrogen Atom Transfer, Jiasong Zhang, Kaitong Zhuang, Ramon Trevino, Babu Raj Dhungana, Huiying Sun, Shuyu Yin, Yuting Li, Jacob A Sanchez, Xiaoyu Xia, Ramy Elerian, Yao Sun, Seth O Fremin, Chao Huang, Min He, Maosheng Cheng, Oleg V Larionov, Shengfei Jin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The development of structurally distinct and modular photocatalysts for direct hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) has emerged as a key frontier in radical-mediated C-H functionalization of strong carbon-hydrogen bonds. Despite the largely untapped potential across the fields of organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and materials science, few classes of direct HAT photocatalysts are currently known, and the approaches to enhancing their photocatalytic activity remain underdeveloped. We report herein the development of nitrogen-centered direct HAT photocatalysts based on the acridine framework, which leverage a C9-ortho-biaryl substituent for enhancing the photocatalytic activity through stabilizing dispersion interactions with the substrate as the key steering effect. …

Osimertinib Activates A Tgf-Β2-Dependent Secretory Program That Drives Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression, Madhurima Ghosh, Chao Wu, Abhishek Kumar, Monique Nilsson, John V Heymach, Weina Zhao, Jiang Yu, Xin Liu, Na Ding, Shike Wang, Guan-Yu Xiao, Angelo Chen, Kate Grimley, William K Russell, Chad J Creighton, Xiaochao Tan, Jonathan M Kurie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) that are vulnerable to the EGFR antagonist osimertinib (Osi) eventually relapse, owing in part to the emergence of drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells that arise through epigenetic mechanisms. Intratumoral DTP cells can herald a worse clinical outcome, but the way in which DTP cells influence LUAD progression remains unclear. Osi-resistant (OR) cells exhibit typical DTP cell features, including a propensity to undergo senescence and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which can activate heightened secretory states. Therefore, we postulated that OR cells influence LUAD progression through paracrine mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we utilized congenic pairs of EGFR-mutant LUAD cell …

Rare Presentation Of Omental Tuberculosis With Drug-Induced Jaundice In A Teenage Female: A Case Report, Archana Venkatesan, Krishna Ravi

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Omental tuberculosis (TB) is a rare form of abdominal TB, often presenting with nonspecific symptoms that mimic malignancies. We report a case of a 16-year-old female from India who presented with abdominal distension, vomiting, weight loss, and amenorrhea. Imaging revealed an abdominal mass, and a diagnosis of omental TB was confirmed via histopathology. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by such atypical presentations, especially in TB-endemic regions. The patient also developed rifampicin-induced jaundice, which resolved upon drug cessation and supportive care. Anti-TB therapy was cautiously reintroduced at a modified dose. This report underscores the need for high clinical suspicion, …

Catatonia And Elevated Mortality: A Population-Wide Cohort Study With Healthy, Sibling, And Schizophrenia Spectrum Controls, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Marco Solmi, Chih-Sung Liang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Liang-Jen Wang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Aim: To determine whether catatonia is associated with increased long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Methods: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database (2000-2022), we assembled a population-based cohort of all adults (≥18 years) with catatonia and matched each to four controls without catatonia on sex and birthdate. Mortality was compared between (1) individuals with catatonia and their unaffected siblings and (2) individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonia and those with schizophrenia spectrum disorders without catatonia. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality; secondary outcomes were natural- and unnatural-cause deaths. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated with …

Uncovering Predictors Of Bipolar Ii Conversion To Bipolar I: A Machine Learning Analysis Of National Health Records In Taiwan, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Kuo-Chuan Hung, Mu-Hong Chen, Eduard Vieta, Chien-Yuan Chen, Chih-Sung Liang, Andre F Carvalho

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Bipolar II disorder (BD-II) can progress to bipolar I disorder (BD-I), carrying profound psychosocial consequences. However, limited research has investigated the transition from BD-II to BD-I. Our study uses machine learning to predict the conversion using real-world data.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (2000-2013) to identify adults diagnosed with BD-II. A predictive model for BD-I conversion was developed using extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), incorporating demographic factors, healthcare utilization, comorbidities, and psychotropic medication use. The dataset was randomly divided into development (80 %) and test (20 %) sets. Model performance …

Can Patients With Recurrent Or Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Anus In A Previously Irradiated Pelvis Receive Definitive Reirradiation, Jordan Mcdonald, Ethan P Damron, Prajnan Das, Eugene J Koay, Ethan B Ludmir, Bruce D Minsky, Sonal S Noticewala, Grace L Smith, Craig Messick, Van K Morris, Emma B Holliday

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Although salvage surgery is the standard of care for locoregionally recurrent anal cancer, few local options exist for inoperable pelvic recurrences. Newly diagnosed anal cancer arising in a previously irradiated field also provides a unique treatment challenge, as delivery of standard doses would result in unsafe cumulative dose to pelvic structures. We aimed to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of a hyperfractionated accelerated reirradiation (reRT) regimen for such patients.

Methods and materials: Patients treated with hyperfractionated accelerated reRT at a single institution between 2005 and 2024 for nonmetastatic inoperable locoregionally recurrent anal cancer or primary anal cancer in a previously …

Neurological Recovery After Ich Is Mediated By The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor-Bilirubin Interplay Through Improved Erythrophagocytosis, Xiurong Zhao, Shun-Ming Ting, Guanghua Sun, Jaroslaw Aronowski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hematoma clearance after ICH is a pro-hemostatic process aiming at repair/recovery and is achieved through microglia/macrophages (MMΦ)-mediated erythrophagocytosis. Upon the engulfment of masses of erythrocytes and toxic hemolysis products, hemoglobin and heme, phagocytes convert them to bilirubin (BrB). Bilirubin is essentially not soluble in water and when overproduced, it precipitates within the cell causing injury. Thus, keeping bilirubin soluble and at a low intracellular level is needed for proper function of MMΦ. Here, using cultured microglia (MG), we found that intracellular formation of BrB in microglia during erythrophagocytosis coincides with the activation of transcription factor AhR, and AhR target genes …

Investigation Of Teratogenic Concerns In The Coronavirus Disease Of 2019 Era, Kate Richardson, Emily C Daykin, Kathleen Shields, S Shahrukh Hashmi, Lorrie Harris-Sagaribay, Molly Daniels, Myla Ashfaq

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: MotherToBaby (MTB) is a teratogen information service that provides information about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding to the public and healthcare providers. During the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, MTB received an influx of queries regarding the teratogenicity of the virus and the vaccine. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and type of exposures asked about prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic through March 2022 and to evaluate the demographics of individuals who made inquiries.

Methods: Data from MTB contacts (2018-2022) were accessed through a data-sharing agreement. The data were cleaned and …

Development And Implementation Of An Mri-Only Simulation, Planning, And Treatment Workflow For Prostate Radiotherapy Using Synthetic Ct On Mr-Linac, Reza Reiazi, Yao Ding, Sarath Vijayan, Jinzhong Yang, Ergys Subashi, Yao Zhao, Belinda M Lee, Hunter L Emory, Vi T Dinh, Greg L Swiedom, Jie Deng, Mu-Han Lin, Peter Balter, Rajat J Kudchadker, Elaine E Cha, Seungtaek Choi, Yusung Kim, Eun Young Han, Surendra Prajapati

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: We evaluated the feasibility of a magnetic resonance (MR)-only simulation, planning, and treatment (MROSPT) workflow for prostate cancer patients using synthetic computed tomography (sCT) generated from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. By validating sCT-based dose calculations, we aimed to streamline radiotherapy workflows, eliminate the need for CT simulation, and enable reliable clinical implementation of MR-based radiotherapy for MR-linac (MRL).

Methods: We developed a comprehensive workflow encompassing the entire process from initial consultation to treatment delivery. After developing the workflow, a retrospective dosimetric validation study was performed on nine men with prostate cancer. They underwent CT and MRI simulations, and …

50k4life: A Smart Study Protocol To Improve Walking Engagement In Public School Employees On The Us-Mexico Border, Jennifer J Salinas, Susan W Buchholz, Zenong Yin, Jennifer L Gay, Jing Wang, Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, Mark G Wilson, Erin Finley, Zuber Mulla, Elizabeth Ramirez, Deborah Parra Medina

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Mexican Americans living in the U.S.-Mexico border region suffer disproportionately from preventable cardiometabolic and cancer diseases. Workplace health promotion programs that include physical activity promotion are promising strategies to address this public health problem to improve physical activity engagement. Workplace-based programs can increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) engagement while addressing barriers associated with inactivity.

Methods: We plan to conduct a clustered Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) to determine the effectiveness of a workplace walking challenge intervention - 50,000 for Life (50K4Life) - in improving brisk walking engagement (at least 7000 steps/day, representing approximately 50,000 steps/week) for …

Partial Laryngectomy For Thyroid Cancer: A Single Institution Case Series With Operative Techniques, Ella E Hawes, Victoria E Banuchi, Anastasios Maniakas, Jennifer R Wang, Paul H Graham, Julia D Diersing, Naifa L Busaidy, Maria E Cabanillas, Ramona Dadu, Sarah Hamidi, Priyanka Iyer, Steven G Waguespack, Salmaan Ahmed, Sahar Alizada, Alexandra Belcastro, Ranim Alsharif, Mimi I Hu, Mark E Zafereo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Partial laryngectomy has been well described as a management option for T1-3 laryngeal squamous cell cancers. However, there are a few case reports of partial laryngeal surgery for locally advanced thyroid carcinoma.

Methods: This is a case series of five patients with thyroid carcinoma (one primary and four recurrent) with laryngeal involvement who underwent partial laryngectomy.

Results: All patients had complete surgical resection without perioperative complications or postoperative speech or swallowing deficits, and none required a feeding tube or tracheostomy tube. No patients had postoperative radiation therapy or started systemic therapy within 2 years of surgery, while two patients …

Composite Mantle Cell Lymphoma And Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: A Diagnostic And Therapeutic Challenge, Matthew T Ye, Yaling Yang, M James You

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Venous Thromboembolism In Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma Patients Treated With Cd19 Car-T Therapy: Single-Institution Study, Neha Venkatesh, Kevin Milligan, Julia Parrish, Yun Qing, Ryan Sun, Paolo Strati, Jeremy Ramdial, Amy Ayers, Sairah Ahmed, Cristhiam Rojas Hernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Large B-cell lymphomas (LBCLs) are a common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized LBCL treatment, with high remission rates but also significant toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in CAR-T therapy patients is understudied.

Objective: This study aims to determine the incidence and characteristics of acute VTE in LBCL patients treated with CAR-T therapy and identify baseline clinical features associated with VTE. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 172 adult LBCL patients treated with CAR-T therapy from January 2018 to November 2019 at MD …

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds To Engineer The Dormant Landscape Of Microscopic Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis, Sabrina N Vandenheuvel, Lucia L Nash, Abigail J Clevenger, Claudia A Collier, Oscar R Benavides, Sanjana Roy, Brinlee Goggans, Aelita Salikhova, Anvitha Tharakesh, Svasti Haricharan, Amber N Stratman, Scott Kopetz, Alex J Walsh, Shreya A Raghavan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent liver-metastatic colorectal cancer contributes to high mortality. Recurrence occurs when dormant, microscopic residual disease survives initial treatment to escape dormancy. In their dormant, microscopic state within the liver, these metastatic lesions are undetectable by clinical diagnostic imaging until they form overt, chemoresistant metastases. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying dormancy in colorectal cancer liver metastases is a significant knowledge gap, motivating the engineering of nuanced in vitro models of disease. The current work presents an engineered model of liver-metastatic colorectal cancer dormancy. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) scaffolds are used to provide microscopic colorectal cancer cell clusters with a biomimetic, …

Local Delivery Of Mir-27a* Using Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Cavitation Inhibits Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth, Nikhil S Chari, Cheng Chen, Thiruganesh Ramasamy, Xucai Chen, Geetika Wadhwa, Anurag N Paranjape, Stephen Y Lai, Flordeliza S Villanueva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Ultrasound-targeted microbubble (MB) cavitation (UTMC) is an image-guided therapeutic oligonucleotide delivery platform utilizing intravenously injected gas-filled ultrasound contrast agents, which carry the therapeutic on the MB shell. During transit of MBs in the microcirculation of target tissue, ultrasound causes MB oscillation, facilitating endocytosis-independent payload uptake within insonified cells. Here, we tested the hypothesis that UTMC-mediated miR-27a* delivery will reduce tumor growth rate and result in accumulation of miR-27a* within tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment.

Methods: We used UTMC to deliver miR-27a* to SCC-VII cells in vitro and in SCC-VII mouse tumor models. Pulsed ultrasound was delivered during intravenous …

Who Classification Of Skin Tumours: Key Updates In The Fifth Edition, Gabrielle Goldman-Lévy, Raymond Barnhill, Boris C Bastian, Werner Kempf, David Elder, Pedram Gerami, Wayne Grayson, Dmitry Kazakov, Daniela Massi, Jane Messina, Arnaud De La Fouchardière, Alexander J Lazar, Thomas Brenn, Brian Rous, Andrew Field, Anthony Gill, Jennelle C Hodge, Joseph D Khoury, Katia Leite, Shahin Sayed, Puay Hoon Tan, Rosalie Elenitsas, Eduardo Calonje, Lyn M Duncan, Liang Zhiyong, Holger Moch, Rajendra Singh, Harshima Wijesinghe, Ian Cree, Dilani Lokuhetty

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours (WCT) serves as a foundation for global diagnostic standards in tumour pathology. Similar to other volumes in this series, the Skin Tumours (Skin5) edition follows a standardized approach. This edition introduces two new chapters: 'Tumours of the nail unit' and 'Metastases to skin', along with new entities across relevant chapters. This review article provides an overview of the updates in Skin5 based on currently published evidence, with emphasis on newly introduced chapters and newly described entities that involve the skin, in particular, epidermal, melanocytic and appendageal tumours.

A Comparative Study Of Statistical Methods For Identifying Differentially Expressed Genes In Spatial Transcriptomics, Yishan Wang, Chenxuan Zang, Ziyi Li, Charles C Guo, Dejian Lai, Peng Wei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatial transcriptomics (ST) provides unprecedented insights into gene expression patterns while retaining spatial context, making it a valuable tool for understanding complex tissue architectures, such as those found in cancers. Seurat, by far the most popular tool for analyzing ST data, uses the Wilcoxon rank-sum test by default for differential expression analysis. However, as a nonparametric method that disregards spatial correlations, the Wilcoxon test can lead to inflated false positive rates and misleading findings. This limitation highlights the need for a more robust statistical approach that effectively incorporates spatial correlations. To this end, we propose a Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) …

Investigating The Oxygen Dependence Of Flash-Rt Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging, Trey Waldrop, Grace Murley, Brett Velasquez, Elise Konradsson, Denae Neill, Luke Connell, Alan Lopez Hernandez, Abagail Delahoussaye, F William Schuler, Jorge De La Cerda, Ziyi Li, Mark D Pagel, Emil Schüler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The FLASH effect occurs when radiation given at ultra-high dose rates spares healthy tissue while achieving isoeffective tumor control relative to conventional (CONV) dose rate irradiation. Limited data has implicated oxygen in the FLASH effect. This study investigated the effect of tissue oxygen tension (pO2) on gastrointestinal (GI) FLASH sparing in mice.

Methods: pO2 was quantified in vivo by electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI)- noninvasive oximetry through spin probe injection and magnetic resonance co-registration- and a phosphorescent quenching microsensor. B6(Cg)-Tyrc-2 J/J female mice were imaged while breathing 10%, 21%, and 95% oxygen. C57BL/6 mice of both sexes underwent microsensor …

Tbr2-Dependent Parallel Pathways Regulate The Development Of Distinct Iprgc Subtypes, Takae Kiyama, Ching-Kang Chen, Halit Y Altay, Yu-Jiun Chen, Leviette Sigala, Dan Su, Steven Eliason, Brad A Amendt, Chai-An Mao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC) are the conduit between the retina and brain regions responsible for non-image-forming and image-forming vision. In mice, six ipRGC subtypes have been discovered based on morphological characteristics, functions, and molecular profiles. All ipRGCs arise from Tbr2-expressing RGCs during developmental stages and subsequently diverge and differentiate into the six mature, distinct subtypes in adult retinas. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling the formation and maturation of the six ipRGC subtypes remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that two Tbr2-dependent transcription factors, Iroquois‑related homeobox 1 (Irx1) and T-box containing factor 20 (Tbx20), are key downstream …

Quantitative Analysis Of Robustness-Based Versus Let-Based Optimization In Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy For Pediatric Brain Tumors, Fariha Kabir Torsha, Gino Lim, Hadis Moazami Goudarzi, Radhe Mohan, David Grosshans, Wenhua Cao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To perform a quantitative analysis of the trade-off between robustness-based and linear energy transfer (LET)-based optimization of intensity-modulated proton therapy for anatomically challenging pediatric brain tumor cases.

Methods: Three pediatric brain tumor patients were included in this study. Three plans were generated for each case based on: (1) nominal optimization, without considering uncertainties and LET; (2) robust optimization, including proton range and patient setup uncertainties; and (3) LET optimization, considering increasing LET in the target and reducing LET in normal tissues. All plans were optimized with individually fine-tuned objective weighing to obtain highest achievable target coverage and meet dose …

Leveraging Large Language Models For Heuristic Usability Assessment Of Medical Software: Insights With The Radiation Planning Assistant, Laurence E Court, Jacobus Smit, Lourens Strauss, William Shaw, Andrea Marais, Christoph Trauernicht, Nanette Joubert, Elaine Smith, Shona Badre, Graeme L Lazarus, Thekiso Khotle, Lauren Netherton, Wanda Van Heerden, Carlos Cardenas, Monica Serban, Jan Seuntjens, Christine V Chung, Pavel Govyadinov, Meena Khan, Saurabh Nair, Tucker Netherton, Lifei Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Usability engineering is essential for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical software, as design-related issues are a leading cause of use errors in clinical settings. Heuristic evaluation provides a practical approach to identifying usability problems, but its outcomes depend heavily on expert interpretation. Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, offer a potential means to augment heuristic evaluation by generating structured, context-aware usability feedback. This study explored the use of ChatGPT to support heuristic assessment of the Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA), a web-based radiotherapy planning tool designed to support clinical teams in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: ChatGPT …

Convolutional Neural Networks For Automatic Tuber Segmentation And Quantification Of Tuber Burden In Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Iván Sánchez Fernández, Matheus D Soldatelli, Gillian N Miller, Catharina F Gout, Ellen C Broekhuizen, Iris C J Den Hertog, Daan A Pijs, Errol Apostolopoulos, Prabhjot Kaur, Abdelhakim Ouaalam, Martina E Bebin, Hope Northrup, Darcy A Krueger, Joyce Y Wu, Alexander L Cohen, Mustafa Sahin, Davood Karimi, Simon K Warfield, Jurriaan M Peters

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study was undertaken to develop a fully automated algorithm for tuber segmentation and quantification of tuber volume that performs similarly to the gold standard human neuroradiologist.

Methods: We used brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) to train and validate a convolutional neural network (CNN), which was evaluated on segmentation with the Dice-Sørensen similarity coefficient (DSSC) and on tuber burden quantification with Spearman correlation coefficient against a neuroradiologist's gold standard in the test set.

Results: We collected 263 MRIs from 196 patients (57% males) with median (25th percentile-75th percentile) age of 4.3 (3.0-10.1) …

Presenilin L166p Mutation, A Model Of Familial Alzheimer's Disease, Leads To Early Onset Bone Loss, Vidyani Suryadevara, Connor J Krehbial, Anuradha K Valiya, Melinda Vang, Julian Balanta-Melo, Pierre P Eleniste, Sumana Posritong, Jung Min Hong, Katie Chester, Gabriel M Pagnotti, Teresita Bellido, Monte S Willis, Angela Bruzzaniti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accelerated bone loss has been reported in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as indicated by reduced bone mineral density and increased fracture risk in these patients, compared to healthy individuals. In the present study, we investigated bone loss in mouse models of familial Alzheimer's disease harboring the Presenilin 1 (L166P) knock-in mutation (PSEN1 KI), with or without the human amyloid precursor protein transgene (hAPP Tg+) known to induce brain amyloid pathology by 6 months. Female and not male 12-month PSEN1/hAPP Tg+ mice exhibited reduced whole-body bone mineral density and bone mineral content, compared to sex-matched controls. Consistent with …

Retrospective Analysis Of Cutaneous Immune-Related Adverse Events Following Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy In Melanoma Patients Reveals Increased Risk Associated With The Hla-B*51:01 Allele, Mckenzie Dileo, Samantha Oglesby, Cheuk Hong Leung, Kristen E Pauken, Sahira Farooq, Lauren E Haydu, Shelby L Kubicki, Rebeca Martinez, Macartney Welborn, Sana Zahiruddin, Jun Zou, Kai Cao, Anisha B Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown significant efficacy, a common side effect is cutaneous immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This study focuses on exploring the association between specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and the development of cutaneous irAEs in melanoma patients undergoing ICI monotherapy and combination therapy. As certain HLA types are indicative of susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, it was hypothesized that HLA typing could serve as a potential screening tool for identifying patients at increased risk for developing irAEs.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of 515 patients with melanoma who underwent ICI therapy, either as …

Cardiometabolic Indicators Of Cognitive Impairment In The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, Fadi I Musfee, Seema Agarwal, Vahed Maroufy, Chelsea Liu, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan Fisher-Hoch, Sean I Savitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Objective

Methods