Life Sciences Commons^™

Noncontact Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy Of Synovial Fluid Samples For Rapid Identification Of Infections, Erin E. Drewke, Robert L. Brand, Caroline G. Geels, Hanna K. Jensen, Kevin Wong, Jarret D. Sanders, Narasimhan Rajaram

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Severe joint infections, such as septic arthritis, require rapid diagnostic testing of the synovial fluid aspirated from joints level so that a surgical team can be assembled quickly. We present a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) system for noncontact determination of infection. Using a light-tight syringe holder and fiber optic probe, diffusely reflected light from 475 to 655 nm was acquired from 18 patient samples through the wall of a syringe in a noncontact and sterile manner. We determined the reflectance ratios at two different wavelengths—R ₄₉₀/R ₆₀₀ and R ₅₈₀/R ₆₀₀ and found statistically significant …

Uterine-Conserving Treatment Options For Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia And Early Endometrial Cancer, Naomi N Adjei, Mikayla Borthwick Bowen, Roni Nitecki Wilke, Melinda S Yates, Shannon N Westin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose of review: This review aims to synthesize available literature on uterine-conserving treatment options for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 endometrial carcinoma while highlighting remaining unanswered questions.

Recent findings: The need for uterine-conserving treatment options for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 endometrial carcinoma is growing with the increasing number of cases in younger patients or those who cannot undergo surgery. We reviewed the oncological and reproductive outcomes associated with endocrine therapies used for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 endometrial carcinoma. The rising prevalence of delayed childbearing, obesity, and diabetes in reproductive-age individuals and of medical comorbidities associated …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Tickoff® (Metarhizium Anisopliae Icipe 7) For Control Of Tick Infestations And Transmission Of Tick-Borne Infections In Extensively Grazed Zebu Cattle In Coastal Kenya, Joseph Wang Ang’A Oundo, Shewit Kalayou, Gerrit Gort, Gebbiena M. Bron, Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt, Quirine Ten Bosch, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE 7 is being developed as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical acaricides in managing natural tick infestation on livestock. Its impact on tick infestation and tick-borne infections in cattle under natural conditions are yet unclear. We conducted a randomized controlled field trial to assess the safety and effects of Tickoff® (a formulation of M. anisopliae isolate ICIPE 7) and the chemical acaricide Triatix® on tick infestation and incidence of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria parva in extensively grazed zebu cattle in coastal Kenya. A total of 217 eligible herds comprising 1459 intent-to-treat zebu cattle were …

An Overview Of Tsetse Fly Repellents: Identification And Applications, Olabimpe Y. Orubuloye, Njelembo J. Mbewe, David P. Tchouassi, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Christian W.W. Pirk, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse flies are vectors of the parasite trypanosoma that cause the neglected tropical diseases human and animal African trypanosomosis. Semiochemicals play important roles in the biology and ecology of tsetse flies. Previous reviews have focused on olfactory-based attractants of tsetse flies. Here, we present an overview of the identification of repellents and their development into control tools for tsetse flies. Both natural and synthetic repellents have been successfully tested in laboratory and field assays against specific tsetse fly species. Thus, these repellents presented as innovative mobile tools offer opportunities for their use in integrated disease management strategies.

Tritrophic Interactions Mediated By Zoophytophagous Predator-Induced Host Plant Volatiles, Bashiru Adams, Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Baldwyn Torto, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The zoophytophagous mirid predator Nesidiocoris tenuis and the ectoparasitoid Stenomesius japonicus are important biological control agents for several agricultural pests including the invasive leafminer, Phthorimaea absoluta, a destructive pest of Solanaceous crops especially tomato in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about how feeding by N. tenuis can influence the tritrophic interactions in the tomato plant. Here, we tested the hypothesis that N. tenuis phytophagy would influence the tritrophic olfactory interactions between the host plant tomato and pest, predator, and parasitoid. In olfactometer assays, P. absoluta females and N. tenuis adults were both attracted to constitutive volatiles released by the …

Assessing The Above- And Belowground Productivity Of Fall-Planted Cover Crop Cultivars In Nebraska's Diverse Ecoregions, Bridget Mckinley

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cover crops (CC) provide essential ecosystem services including soil conservation, nutrient cycling, and weed suppression, through the accumulation of aboveground (AGB) and belowground (BGB) biomass. While AGB has been widely studied, BGB contributions, particularly root development and distribution, remain less understood. This study evaluated fall-planted CC across three Nebraska ecoregions, assessing AGB productivity, BGB biomass, and correlations between ground cover, plant height, and AGB.

Thirty treatments, including grasses, legumes, brassicas, and mixtures, were evaluated over two fall growing seasons (2022–2023 and 2023–2024) at three UNL research centers in northeast, west central, and west Nebraska. AGB was highest at west site …

Bio-Based Sprayable Mulch For Weed Control In Row Crop Systems, Camila Chiaranda Rodrigues

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Improving current crop productivity levels requires transformative advancements in management, engineering, and science. One of the main challenges is the increasing difficulty of weed management due to herbicide-resistant weeds. There is a growing need for alternative weed management methods to reduce pesticide use and improve environmental safety. An emerging technology that is being developed is spray-on films which could help address these challenges. Spray-on films are liquid solutions that after spraying on the soil will dry and form a physical barrier. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a chicken feather bio-based sprayable mulch film …

The Effects Of Wildfires On The Mental And Physical Health Of School-Age Children In North America: A Scoping Review, Sarah Oerther, Sarah Manspeaker, Alison Wix, Daniel Oerther, Carmen Marsit

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: Wildfires are occurring more often and with greater intensity, leading to longer and harsher fire seasons. As a result, children are more frequently exposed to wildfire smoke, which increases their risk of mental and physical health effects. Purpose: The purpose of our scoping review is to explore the current literature on what is known about the direct and indirect impacts of wildfires on the mental and physical health of school-age children in North America (5 to 18-year-olds). Methods: A health sciences librarian-assisted literature search, with input from the research team, was performed. Results: A total of 16 studies were …

Effects Of Heat Moisture Treatment On Dietary Fiber Utilization By The Gut Microbiota, Yichen Bai

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The present study investigates the impact of heat moisture treatment (HMT) on the utilization of dietary fibers from red lentil hulls and wheat bran and its subsequent effect on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid production. HMT significantly decreased the water absorption index in red lentil hulls but increased it in wheat bran. For resistant starch (RS), HMT elevated its content in red lentil hulls but diminished it in wheat bran. In terms of dietary fiber content, HMT increased soluble dietary fiber in red lentil hulls. However, carbohydrate utilization and SCFA production by gut microbiota did not significantly change after …

Development Of Fortified Blended Food Using Great Northern Bean, Aemiro Tadesse Zula

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Undernutrition is a global health challenge affecting people across all stages of life. While everyone is susceptible, certain groups face a significant burden. These include those living in poverty, young children, adolescents, older people, and lactating and pregnant women. Food insecurity is another primary global concern affecting billions of individuals worldwide and is closely associated with undernutrition. Implementing interventions to address these two significant global burdens is critical, and international organizations are playing a crucial role through food aid programs using Fortified Blended Foods such as corn-soy blend (CSB), corn-soy blend plus (CSB+), and corn-soy blend plus plus (CSB++). CSB+ …

Mechanisms Of Extracellular Vesicle Uptake And Implications For The Design Of Cancer Therapeutics, Stephanie R. Jackson Cullison, Joseph P. Flemming, Kubra Karagoz, Peter J. Wermuth, Mỹ G. Mahoney

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The translation of pre-clinical anti-cancer therapies to regulatory approval has been promising, but slower than hoped. While innovative and effective treatments continue to achieve or seek approval, setbacks are often attributed to a lack of efficacy, failure to achieve clinical endpoints, and dose-limiting toxicities. Successful efforts have been characterized by the development of therapeutics designed to specifically deliver optimal and effective dosing to tumour cells while minimizing off-target toxicity. Much effort has been devoted to the rational design and application of synthetic nanoparticles to serve as targeted therapeutic delivery vehicles. Several challenges to the successful application of this modality as …

Advancing Crispr-Based Solutions For Covid-19 Diagnosis And Therapeutics, Roaa Hadi, Abhishek Poddar, Shivakuma Sonnaila, Venkata Suryanarayana Murthy Bhavaraju, Shilpi Agrawal

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of diagnostic approaches, including RT-qPCR, RAPID, and LFA, have been adopted, with RT-qPCR emerging as the gold standard. However, a significant challenge in COVID-19 diagnostics is the wide range of symptoms presented by patients, necessitating early and accurate diagnosis for effective management. Although RT-qPCR is a precise molecular technique, it is not immune to false-negative results. In contrast, CRISPR-based detection methods for SARS-CoV-2 offer several advantages: they are cost-effective, time-efficient, highly sensitive, and specific, and they do not require sophisticated instruments. These methods also show promise for scalability, enabling diagnostic tests. …

Polyphenol Profiling And Bioactivities Of Date Seed: A Comparative Assessment Of Extraction Techniques In Different Date Seed Varieties, Fatima Ibrahim Albedwawi

Theses

Plant-waste-derived bioactive compounds have generated growing interest recently. In this context, this project examined the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, and antibiofilm capability of the seed extract of Phoenix dactylifera. Six date seed varieties (Fardh, Sukarri, Negal, Majdool, Zahidi, and Khadrawy) were studied. In this study, a novel ultrasound-assisted extraction technique is compared with the conventional extraction method (maceration using 80% ethanol), taking into account both the quality and quantity of polyphenols. Among the primary objectives, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of polyphenols was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), aiming for maximum TPC and DPPH radical scavenging. By …

Puccinellia (Puccinellia Ciliata) For Dryland Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) is a potentially valuable fodder on waterlogged saline land. Puccinellia, Distichlis and marine couch are the most salt tolerant of the commercially available grasses. It is best suited to areas with more than 400mm annual rainfall and where the watertable is shallow over summer.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Roaded Catchments In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Roaded catchments are earthwork structures designed to increase the amount of run-off from the catchment above a receiving farm dam.

Roaded catchments are lined with clay and compacted to make a smooth surface that reduces infiltration and increases run-off. Roaded catchments should discharge into a silt trap and then into a dam (excavated earth tank). This combined structure should be fenced to exclude livestock.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that roaded catchments are part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

The information in this page is only a guide – seek expert advice before …

Managing Subsurface Water In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) recommends that subsurface water management is part of an integrated water and salinity program. An integrated program can help to lower water tables and alleviate problems with waterlogging, rising salinity, and infrastructure damage.

Excavated Tanks (Farm Dams), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Guidelines and information for planning, legal requirements, design, construction and management of excavated tanks for water storage on farm.

Excavated tanks (farm dams) provide effective water storage wherever surface water run-off can be harvested for livestock, crop spraying, irrigation and domestic use on rural properties.

Excavated tanks for rainfall storage are common in the southern agricultural areas of WA.

Well-designed and constructed dams are farm assets, safe and require little maintenance.

Poor design and construction can lead to poor water harvesting and storage, excessive costs, downstream erosion and risks to property and people.

DPIRD recommends that excavated tanks should be …

Pumping Groundwater For Salinity Control In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

DPIRD recommends that groundwater pumping is used as part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

Groundwater pumping can lower local water tables, recover land for production and reduce the spread of local salinity or to protect high value assets at risk, such as townsites, roads or railway lines. Pump water can be discharged to safe disposal points or used on farm for desalination.

Improving Lambing Rates And Changing Turnoff Times To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mandy Curnow, Sud Kharel, Claire Macleay

Animal production and livestock research reports

Running a flock of sheep and raising lambs generates both direct (enteric fermentation) and indirect (lime, fertiliser, fuel, production of feed) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There are ways to reduce emissions through sheep reproduction.

Greenhouse Gas Accounting For Western Australian Agriculture 2022, Johnny Machon, Mandy Curnow, Christophe D'Abbadie

Climate Science Published Reports

This report presents new modelling of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to Western Australia’s agricultural industries and provides an overview of sequestration at the state level. The report improves and expands on the estimates from previous technical reports by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), most notably Curnow et al. (2022). The report presents a new, much broader picture, capturing not only emissions from agricultural activities in Western Australia (WA), but also the emissions associated with the production of agricultural inputs and the sequestration that occurs on agriculturally managed lands. This broader picture of emissions aligns with …

Eastern Baccharis Control In Newly Planted Wetland Reserve Programs, Lucas Stamper

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley is a high-priority region for restoration of bottomland hardwood forests. Restoration of these forests is facilitated through conservation easement programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), which focus on retiring marginal agriculture land and restoring bottomland hardwoods. A prominent issue that reduces hardwood establishment success is the failure to suppress competing vegetation, like eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia L.), that aggressively colonize a site after seedlings are planted. Eastern baccharis is a frequent woody invader of disturbed bottomland sites throughout northeast Louisiana. There are few chemical options for …

Intraoperative Methadone Administration For Total Mastectomy: A Single Center Retrospective Study, Juan P Cata, Yusuf Zaidi, Juan Jose Guerra-Londono, Evan D Kharasch, Matthew Piotrowski, Nicolas A Cortes-Mejia, Peter F Thall, Ruitao Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Mastectomies remain a key component of the treatment of non-metastatic breast cancer, and strategies to treat acute postoperative pain, a complication affecting nearly all patients undergoing surgery, continues to be an important clinical challenge. This study aimed to determine the impact of intraoperative methadone administration compared to conventional short-acting opioids on pain-related perioperative outcomes in women undergoing a mastectomy.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included adult women undergoing total mastectomy. The primary outcome of this study was postoperative pain intensity …

Mechanisms Of Resistance To Oncogenic Kras Inhibition In Pancreatic Cancer, Julien Dilly, Megan T Hoffman, Laleh Abbassi, Ziyue Li, Francesca Paradiso, Connor J Hennessey, Micaela Morgado, Shatavisha Dasgupta, Giselle A Uribe, Annan Yang, Kevin S Kapner, Felix P Hambitzer, Li Qiang, Hanrong Feng, Jacob Geisberg, Junning Wang, Kyle E Evans, Hengyu Lyu, Aislyn Schalck, Ningping Feng, Anastasia M Lopez, Christopher A Bristow, Michael P Kim, Kimal I Rajapakshe, Vahid Bahrambeigi, Jennifer A Roth, Kavita Garg, Paola A Guerrero, Ben Z Stanger, Simona Cristea, Scott W Lowe, Timour Baslan, Eliezer M Van Allen, Joseph D Mancias, Emily Chan, Abraham Anderson, Yuliya V Katlinskaya, Alex K Shalek, David S Hong, Shubham Pant, Jill Hallin, Kenna Anderes, Peter Olson, Timothy P Heffernan, Seema Chugh, James G Christensen, Anirban Maitra, Brian M Wolpin, Srivatsan Raghavan, Jonathan A Nowak, Peter S Winter, Stephanie K Dougan, Andrew J Aguirre

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

KRAS inhibitors demonstrate clinical efficacy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, resistance is common. Among patients with KRASG12C-mutant PDAC treated with adagrasib or sotorasib, mutations in PIK3CA and KRAS, and amplifications of KRASG12C, MYC, MET, EGFR, and CDK6 emerged at acquired resistance. In PDAC cell lines and organoid models treated with the KRASG12D inhibitor MRTX1133, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling associate with resistance to therapy. MRTX1133 treatment of the KrasLSL-G12D/+; Trp53LSL-R172H/+; p48-Cre (KPC) mouse model yielded deep tumor regressions, but drug resistance ultimately emerged, accompanied by amplifications of Kras, Yap1, Myc, Cdk6, and Abcb1a/b, and co-evolution of drug-resistant transcriptional programs. …

Bacillus Licheniformis Suppresses Clostridium Perfringens Infection Via Modulating Inflammatory Response, Antioxidant Status, Inflammasome Activation And Microbial Homeostasis In Broilers, Xiao Xiao, Songke Qin, Tiantian Cui, Jinsong Liu, Yanping Wu, Caimei Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pathogenic bacteria infection, especially Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), markedly threatened the health of animals, and further caused huge economic loss. In this study, Bacillus licheniformis HJ0135 (BL) was used. Oxford cup bacteriostatic test and inhibitory rate test were conducted to evaluate the antibacterial ability of BL. Results showed the strongest inhibitory role of BL on C. perfringens (P < 0.05). Afterwards, 540 one-day-old yellow-feather broilers (32.7 ± 0.2 g) were randomly allocated into 3 groups, including CON group (basal diet), CP group (basal diet + 1 × 109 CFU C. perfringens in gavage), and BL + CP group (basal diet containing 7.5 × 106 CFU/g BL + 1 × 109 CFU C. perfringens in gavage). At d 70, broilers in the CP and BL + CP groups were treated with C. perfringens by continuously oral administration for 5 d. The experiment lasted for 75 d. The serum, immune organs, jejunal mucosa, and cecal contents were collected for analysis. In vivo experiment showed that BL supplementation markedly improved (P < 0.05) BW, ADG, thymus index, serum immunoglobins and antioxidases, reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) and serum pro-inflammatory cytokines of C. perfringens-infected broilers. Furthermore, the increased jejunal injury and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreased gene expressions of tight junction proteins in the jejunal mucosa were significantly alleviated (P < 0.05) by BL. More importantly, the activation of NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome was inhibited (P < 0.05) by BL to further attenuate jejunal damage. Besides, BL supplementation markedly increased (P < 0.05) the cecal isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid. Microbial analysis showed that BL changed the composition and relative abundances of microbiota in the cecal contents (P < 0.05), especially the short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria including Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Megamonas, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus, which further protected against C. perfringens-induced jejunal inflammation in broilers. Our study laid a theoretical basis for the application of probiotics in lessening C. perfringens-related diseases in poultry farming.

Antibiotic-Associated Neutropenia Is Marked By The Depletion Of Intestinal Lachnospiraceae And Associated Metabolites In Pediatric Patients, Josaura Fernandez-Sanchez, Rachel Rodgers, Arushana A Maknojia, Nusrat Shaikh, Hannah Yan, Hope Hendricks, Pavan Reddy, Ritu Banerjee, Jeremy M Schraw, Megan T Baldridge, Katherine Y King

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prolonged antibiotic exposure causes dangerous hematologic side effects, including neutropenia, in up to 34% of patients. Murine studies established a link between the intestinal microbiota and hematopoiesis. To identify factors that predispose to neutropenia in pediatric patients, we evaluated changes in microbiota‐derived metabolites and intestinal microbiota composition after prolonged courses of antibiotics. In this multi‐center study, patients with infections requiring anticipated antibiotic treatment of two or more weeks were enrolled. Stool samples were obtained at the start and completion of antibiotics or at neutropenia onset (prospective arm). Some patients were enrolled in a retrospective arm in which a stool sample …

Outcomes And Genetic Dynamics Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia At First Relapse, Alex Bataller, Hagop Kantarjian, Alexandre Bazinet, Tapan Kadia, Naval Daver, Gautam Borthakur, Keyur Patel, Guilin Tang, Koji Sasaki, Nicholas J Short, Musa Yilmaz, Ghayas C Issa, Yesid Alvarado, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Abhishek Maiti, Hussein A Abbas, Koichi Takahashi, Sherry Pierce, Elias Jabbour, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Farhad Ravandi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experience dismal outcomes. We performed a comprehensive analysis of patients with relapsed AML to determine the genetic dynamics and factors predicting survival. We analyzed 875 patients with newly diagnosed AML who received intensive treatment or low-intensity treatment. Of these patients, 197 subsequently relapsed. Data were available for 164 of these patients, with a median time from complete remission/complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery to relapse of 6.5 months. Thirty-five of the 164 patients (21%) experienced relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At relapse, mutations in genes involved in pathway signaling tended …

Fractionated Photoimmunotherapy Stimulates An Anti-Tumour Immune Response: An Integrated Mathematical And In Vitro Study, Mohammad U Zahid, Matthew Waguespack, Rebecca C Harman, Eric M Kercher, Shubhankar Nath, Imran Rizvi, Heiko Enderling

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has high recurrence rates due to disseminated initial disease presentation. Cytotoxic phototherapies, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photoimmunotherapy (PIT, cell-targeted PDT), have the potential to treat disseminated malignancies due to safe intraperitoneal delivery.

Methods: We use in vitro measurements of EOC tumour cell and T cell responses to chemotherapy, PDT, and epidermal growth factor receptor targeted PIT as inputs to a mathematical model of non-linear tumour and immune effector cell interaction. The model outputs were used to calculate how photoimmunotherapy could be utilised for tumour control.

Results: In vitro measurements of PIT dose …

Circulating Galectin-3: A Prognostic Biomarker In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shadi Chamseddine, Betul Gok Yavuz, Yehia I Mohamed, Sunyoung S Lee, James C Yao, Michael Lapelusa, Ryan Sun, Jeffrey S Morris, Rikita I Hatia, Manal Hassan, Dan G Duda, Maria Diab, Amr Mohamed, Ahmed Nassar, Hesham M Amin, Ahmed Omar Kaseb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Galectin-3 plays critical roles in the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of tumor cells. Recent data have suggested that galectin-3 plays a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its prognostic value has not been validated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic value of galectin-3 in patients with HCC.

METHODS: We prospectively enrolled and collected clinicopathologic data and serum samples from 767 patients with HCC between 2001 and 2014 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Two hundred patients without HCC were also enrolled and had data collected. The Kaplan-Meier …

A Complementary Metaproteomic Approach To Interrogate Microbiome Cultivated From Clinical Colon Biopsies, Van-An Duong, Altai Enkhbayar, Nobel Bhasin, Lakmini Senavirathna, Eva C Preisner, Richa Shukla, Kai Cheng, Mary P Bronner, Daniel Figeys, Robert A Britton, Sheng Pan, Ru Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The human gut microbiome plays a vital role in preserving individual health and is intricately involved in essential functions. Imbalances or dysbiosis within the microbiome can significantly impact human health and are associated with many diseases. Several metaproteomics platforms are currently available to study microbial proteins within complex microbial communities. In this study, we attempted to develop an integrated pipeline to provide deeper insights into both the taxonomic and functional aspects of the cultivated human gut microbiomes derived from clinical colon biopsies. We combined a rapid peptide search by MSFragger against the Unified Human Gastrointestinal Protein database and the taxonomic …

Genomic Alterations In Dna Mismatch Repair Genes Across Different Cancer Types, Vijaykumar R Holla, Michael P Kahle, Sun-Hee Kim, Arash Ronaghy, Richard K Yang, Mark J Routbort, Ecaterina E Dumbrava, Kenna R Mills Shaw, Daniel D Karp, Funda Meric-Bernstam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: PD-1 inhibition is effective in patients with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) solid tumors in a tumor-agnostic fashion. However, dMMR testing by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is not routinely performed across tumor types. By contrast, next-generation sequencing (NGS) for somatic genomic alterations is frequently performed across tumor types. We hypothesized that NGS would identify patients with alterations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes and that these patients would have higher rates of MMR protein loss by IHC. This would support the utility of IHC reflex testing after NGS and potential matching to approved therapeutic options.

Methods: From January 2016 to December 2021, 15,701 …