Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sigma1 Regulates Lipid Droplet-Mediated Redox Homeostasis Required For Prostate Cancer Proliferation, Halley Oyer, Alexandra Steck, Charles Longen, Sanjana Venkat, Konuralp Bayrak, Eleanor Munger, Dan Fu, Paola Castagnino, Christina Sanders, Nathalia Tancler, My Mai, Justin Myers, Matthew Schiewer, Nan Chen, Elahe Mostaghel, Felix Kim

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: Lipid droplets (LD) are dynamic organelles that serve as hubs of cellular metabolic processes. Emerging evidence shows that LDs also play a critical role in maintaining redox homeostasis and can mitigate lipid oxidative stress. In multiple cancers, including prostate cancer, LD accumulation is associated with cancer aggressiveness, therapy resistance, and poor clinical outcome. Prostate cancer arises as an androgen receptor (AR)-driven disease. Among its myriad roles, AR mediates the biosynthesis of LDs, induces autophagy, and modulates cellular oxidative stress in a tightly regulated cycle that promotes cell proliferation. The factors regulating the interplay of these metabolic processes downstream of …

Individual- And Neighborhood-Level Characteristics Of Lung Cancer Screening Participants Undergoing Telemedicine Shared Decision Making, Christine S. Shusted, Hee-Soon Juon, Brooke Ruane, Brian M. Till, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson, Russell K. Mcintire, Tyler Grenda, Olugbenga Okusanya, Nathaniel R. Evans, Gregory C. Kane, Julie Barta

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Although lung cancer screening (LCS) for high-risk individuals reduces lung cancer mortality in clinical trial settings, many questions remain about how to implement high-quality LCS in real-world programs. With the increasing use of telemedicine in healthcare, studies examining this approach in the context of LCS are urgently needed. We aimed to identify sociodemographic and other factors associated with screening completion among individuals undergoing telemedicine Shared Decision Making (SDM) for LCS.

METHODS: This retrospective study examined patients who completed Shared Decision Making (SDM) via telemedicine between May 4, 2020 - March 18, 2021 in a centralized LCS program. Individuals were …

Surgical Resection Of An Isolated Superficial Temporal Artery Aneurysm, Jake L. Rosen, Archana Babu, Mohammed Irfan Ali, Michael A. Nooromid

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

In the present report, we describes a case of surgical resection of an isolated superficial temporal artery aneurysm without underlying systemic pathology. Although aneurysms of this sort most commonly occur in the setting of recent trauma, this case demonstrates an uncommon presentation. We hope to further contribute to the literature regarding this condition.

Advances In Molecular Pathology, Diagnosis, And Treatment Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis., Hristelina Ilieva, Mithila Vullaganti, Justin Kwan

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Although the past two decades have produced exciting discoveries in the genetics and pathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progress in developing an effective therapy remains slow. This review summarizes the critical discoveries and outlines the advances in disease characterization, diagnosis, imaging, and biomarkers, along with the current status of approaches to ALS care and treatment. Additional knowledge of the factors driving disease progression and heterogeneity will hopefully soon transform the care for patients with ALS into an individualized, multi-prong approach able to prevent disease progression sufficiently to allow for a dignified life with limited disability.

#Stopthestigmaem: Building A Social Media-Based Movement To Support Emergency Medicine Mental Health, Amanda J. Deutsch, Al'ai Alvarez, Stephanie Balint, Ryan D. Pappal, Stacey Roseen, Wendy W. Sun, Jonathan Warren, Kelsey Stanton, Anish K. Agarwal

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Varenicline Combined With Oral Nicotine Replacement Therapy And Smartphone-Based Medication Reminders For Smoking Cessation: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial, Munjireen Sifat, Emily Hébert, Jasjit Ahluwalia, Michael Businelle, Joseph Waring, Summer Frank-Pearce, Chase Bryer, Lizbeth Benson, Stefani Madison, Lourdes Planas, Irina Baranskaya, Darla Kendzor

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Varenicline and oral nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) have each been shown to increase the likelihood of smoking cessation, but their combination has not been studied. In addition, smoking cessation medication adherence is often poor, thus, challenging the ability to evaluate medication efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of combined varenicline and oral NRT and smartphone medication reminders on pharmacotherapy adherence and smoking abstinence among adults enrolled in smoking cessation treatment.

METHODS: A 2×2 factorial design was used. Participants (N=34) were randomized to (1) varenicline + oral NRT (VAR+NRT) or varenicline alone (VAR) and (2) smartphone medication reminder messages …

Comorbidity Clusters And In-Hospital Outcomes In Patients Admitted With Acute Myocardial Infarction In The Usa: A National Population-Based Study, Salwa Zghebi, Martin Rutter, Louise Sun, Waqas Ullah, Muhammad Rashid, Darren Ashcroft, Douglas Steinke, Stephen Weng, Evangelos Kontopantelis, Mamas Mamas

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of multimorbidity in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is increasing. It is unclear whether comorbidities cluster into distinct phenogroups and whether are associated with clinical trajectories.

METHODS: Survey-weighted analysis of the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of AMI in 2018. In-hospital outcomes included mortality, stroke, bleeding, and coronary revascularisation. Latent class analysis of 21 chronic conditions was used to identify comorbidity classes. Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were fitted for associations between comorbidity classes and outcomes.

RESULTS: Among 416,655 AMI admissions included in the analysis, mean (±SD) age …

Serotonin Reduction In Post-Acute Sequelae Of Viral Infection, Andrea Wong, Ashwarya Devason, Iboro Umana, Timothy Cox, Lenka Dohnalová, Lev Litichevskiy, Jonathan Perla, Patrick Lundgren, Zienab Etwebi, Luke Izzo, Jihee Kim, Monika Tetlak, Hélène Descamps, Simone Park, Stephen Wisser, Aaron Mcknight, Ryan Pardy, Junwon Kim, Niklas Blank, Shaan Patel, Katharina Thum, Sydney Mason, Jean-Christophe Beltra, Michaël Michieletto, Shin Foong Ngiow, Brittany Miller, Megan Liou, Bhoomi Madhu, Oxana Dmitrieva-Posocco, Alex Huber, Peter Hewins, Christopher Petucci, Candice Chu, Gwen Baraniecki-Zwil, Leila Giron, Amy Baxter, Allison Greenplate, Charlotte Kearns, Kathleen Montone, Leslie Litzky, Michael Feldman, Jorge Henao-Mejia, Boris Striepen, Holly Ramage, Kellie Jurado, Kathryn Wellen, Una O'Doherty, Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Alan L Landay, Ali Keshavarzian, Timothy Henrich, Steven Deeks, Michael Peluso, Nuala Meyer, E. John Wherry, Benjamin Abramoff, Sara Cherry, Christoph Thaiss, Maayan Levy

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC, "Long COVID") pose a significant global health challenge. The pathophysiology is unknown, and no effective treatments have been found to date. Several hypotheses have been formulated to explain the etiology of PASC, including viral persistence, chronic inflammation, hypercoagulability, and autonomic dysfunction. Here, we propose a mechanism that links all four hypotheses in a single pathway and provides actionable insights for therapeutic interventions. We find that PASC are associated with serotonin reduction. Viral infection and type I interferon-driven inflammation reduce serotonin through three mechanisms: diminished intestinal absorption of the serotonin precursor tryptophan; platelet hyperactivation and thrombocytopenia, …

Impacting T-Cell Fitness In Multiple Myeloma: Potential Roles For Selinexor And Xpo1 Inhibitors, Adam Binder, Christopher Walker, Tomer Mark, Muhamed Baljevic

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Competent T-cells with sufficient levels of fitness combat cancer formation and progression. In multiple myeloma (MM), T-cell exhaustion is caused by several factors including tumor burden, constant immune activation due to chronic disease, age, nutritional status, and certain MM treatments such as alkylating agents and proteasome inhibitors. Many currently used therapies, including bispecific T-cell engagers, anti-CD38 antibodies, proteasome inhibitors, and CART-cells, directly or indirectly depend on the anti-cancer activity of T-cells. Reduced T-cell fitness not only diminishes immune defenses, increasing patient susceptibility to opportunistic infections, but can impact effectiveness MM therapy effectiveness, bringing into focus sequencing strategies that could modulate …

Noninvasive Point Of Care Device For Assessing Cardiac Response To Acute Volume Changes, Harry A. Silber, Nisha A. Gilotra, Thomas L. Miller

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Purpose: The change in the amplitude of a peripheral pulse in response to a Valsalva maneuver has diagnostic utility for assessing volume status at the bedside. We have developed a device to automatically quantify the Valsalva pulse response (VPR) to a standardized Valsalva maneuver that the device guides a user to perform. In this study, we sought to determine whether VPR by the device, Indicor, is sensitive enough to detect the acute increase in central pressure and volume load that occurs with a passive leg raise (PLR) in healthy volunteers.

Methods: Healthy volunteers were tested semirecumbently at 45 degrees, then …

Postoperative Discharge Destination Impacts 30-Day Outcomes: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Multi-Specialty Surgical Cohort Analysis, Carlos Riveros, Sanjana Ranganathan, Yash Shah, Emily Huang, Jiaqiong Xu, Michael Geng, Zachary Melchiode, Siqi Hu, Brian Miles, Nestor Esnaola, Dharam Kaushik, Angela Jerath, Christopher Wallis, Raj Satkunasivam

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Surgical patients can be discharged to a variety of facilities which vary widely in intensity of care. Postoperative readmissions have been found to be more strongly associated with post-discharge events than pre-discharge complications, indicating the importance of discharge destination. We sought to evaluate the association between discharge destination and 30-day outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. Patients were dichotomized based on discharge destination: home versus non-home. The main outcome of interest was 30-day unplanned readmission. The secondary outcomes included post-discharge pulmonary, infectious, thromboembolic, and bleeding complications, …

Validation Of The Factor Structure Of The Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward The Homeless Inventory (Hpathi), Susan Toth-Cohen, Maria Brucato, Kerry Dinardo, Richard Hass

JCIPE Posters

Background

- Considerable stigma exists toward persons experiencing homelessness (PEH)—a vulnerable population at greater risk for health disparities.^{1, 2}

- Many healthcare students begin their programs without interacting with PEH and with preconceived notions influenced by societal stigma.

- Interprofessional education programs, such as the Enhancing Services for People Experiencing Homelessness program below, have incorporated experiential learning into curricula to address student biases and develop understanding and compassion.

• Educating students to understand issues that PEH face can help mitigate healthcare disparities.

- Evaluating the effectiveness of these interprofessional educational experiences requires valid assessment of the attitudes, interest, and confidence …

A Phase I Trial Of Sirolimus With "7&3" Induction Chemotherapy In Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Neil Palmisiano, Grace Jeschke, Lindsay Wilde, Onder Alpdogan, Matthew Carabasi, Joanne Filicko-O'Hara, Dolores Grosso, Thomas Klumpp, Ubaldo Martinez, John L Wagner, Martin Carroll, Alexander Perl, Margaret Kasner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Chemotherapy remains a primary treatment for younger AML patients, though many relapse. Data from our group have shown that highly phosphorylated S6 in blasts may predict response to sirolimus given with chemotherapy. We report the results of a phase I study of this combination in newly diagnosed AML and the pharmacodynamic analysis of pS6 before and after treatment. Subjects received sirolimus (12 mg on day 1, 4 mg daily, days 2-10), then idarubicin and cytarabine (days 4-10). Response was assessed at hematologic recovery or by day 42 using a modified IWG criteria. Fifty-five patients received sirolimus. Toxicity was similar to …

Targeted Therapy With Nanatinostat And Valganciclovir In Recurrent Ebv-Positive Lymphoid Malignancies: A Phase 1b/2 Study, Bradley Haverkos, Onder Alpdogan, Robert Baiocchi, Jonathan E. Brammer, Tatyana A. Feldman, Marcelo Capra, Elizabeth A. Brem, Santosh Nair, Phillip Scheinberg, Juliana Pereira, Leyla Shune, Erel Joffe, Patricia Young, Susan Spruill, Afton Katkov, Robert Mcrae, Ivor Royston, Douglas V. Faller, Lisa Rojkjaer, Pierluigi Porcu

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Lymphomas are not infrequently associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and EBV positivity is linked to worse outcomes in several subtypes. Nanatinostat is a class-I selective oral histone deacetylase inhibitor that induces the expression of lytic EBV BGLF4 protein kinase in EBV+ tumor cells, activating ganciclovir via phosphorylation, resulting in tumor cell apoptosis. This phase 1b/2 study investigated the combination of nanatinostat with valganciclovir in patients aged ≥18 years with EBV+ lymphomas relapsed/refractory to ≥1 prior systemic therapy with no viable curative treatment options. In the phase 1b part, 25 patients were enrolled into 5 dose escalation cohorts to determine …

Activation Of Coagulation And Proinflammatory Pathways In Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome And Following Covid-19 Vaccination, Malika Aid, Kathryn E. Stephenson, Ai-Ris Y. Collier, Joseph P. Nkolola, James V. Michael, Steven E. Mckenzie, Dan H. Barouch

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) is a rare but potentially severe adverse event following immunization with adenovirus vector-based COVID-19 vaccines such as Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen) and ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca). However, no case of TTS has been reported in over 1.5 million individuals who received a second immunization with Ad26.COV2.S in the United States. Here we utilize transcriptomic and proteomic profiling to compare individuals who receive two doses of Ad26.COV2.S with those vaccinated with BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273. Initial Ad26.COV2.S vaccination induces transient activation of platelet and coagulation and innate immune pathways that resolve by day 7; by contrast, patients with TTS show robust …

Robotic First Rib Resection In Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Systematic Review Of Current Literature, Maikerly Reyes, Sneha Alaparthi, Johannes B. Roedl, Marisa Moreta, Nathaniel R. Evans, Tyler Grenda, Olugbenga T. Okusanya

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) involves the compression of neurovascular structures in the thoracic outlet. TOS subtypes, including neurogenic (nTOS), venous (vTOS), and arterial (aTOS) are characterized by distinct clinical presentations and diagnostic considerations. This review explores the incidence, diagnostic challenges, and management of TOS with a focus on the innovative approach of Robotic First Rib Resection (R-FRR). Traditional management of TOS includes conservative measures and surgical interventions, with various open surgical approaches carrying risks of complications. R-FRR, a minimally invasive technique, offers advantages such as improved exposure, reduced injury risk to neurovascular structures, and shorter hospital stays. A comprehensive literature …

Research Progress On The Regulation And Mechanism Of Borneol On The Blood-Brain Barrier In Pathological States: A Narrative Review Focused On Ischemic Stroke And Cerebral Glioma, Xinghua Tan, Ke Zhang, Wenyin Shi, Zhihu Tang

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Background and Objective: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) serves as a dynamic, selective shield, safeguarding the central nervous system (CNS) by separating the brain from circulating blood, preserving its microenvironment, and ensuring stability. However, in the presence of brain pathology, drug delivery across the BBB and blood-tumor barrier (BTB) becomes challenging, hindering effective treatments. Borneol exhibits promise in bidirectionally modulating the BBB under pathological conditions, suggesting at potential clinical applications for related diseases. Our primary goal in this review is to investigate borneol’s potential clinical utility in bidirectionally regulating the BBB under pathological conditions.

Methods: The PubMed database, CNKI (China National …

Identification Of Dual Strn-Ntrk2 Rearrangements In A High Grade Sarcoma, With Good Clinical Response To First-Line Larotrectinib Therapy, Ruihe Lin, Atrayee Basu Mallick, Zi-Xuan Wang, Phd, Scot Andrew Brown, Bo Lu, Md, Wei Jiang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Among the three NTRK genes, NTRK2 possesses a tremendous structural complexity and involves tumorigenesis of several types of tumors. To date, only STRN and RBPMS are identified in the fusion with NTRK2 in adult soft tissue tumors. More recently, the highly selective Trk tyrosine kinases inhibitors, including larotrectinib and entrectinib, have shown significant efficacy for treating tumors harboring NTRK fusions and were approved by FDA.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of sarcoma in a 35-year-old female harboring two STRN-NTRK2 gene fusions, with a good clinical response to first-line larotrectinib treatment. Core biopsy of the 16.5 cm gluteal mass …

Six Week Chronic Pain Group's Impact On Relationship To Pain And Mental Health Symptoms, Samuel Sperling, Lcsw

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

Introduction

A study published in May of 2023 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that “new cases of chronic pain occur more often among U.S. adults than new cases of several other common conditions, including diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure”.

Given the increasing needs for behavioral health services within the primary care landscape and the workforce shortage, it’s imperative that we consider ways to address the growing gaps in care for patients, especially those suffering with chronic pain.

This six-week group explored the impact of pain interventions (e.g., Pain Reprocessing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychoeducation and Mindfulness) …

Xaluritamig, A Steap1 × Cd3 Xmab 2+1 Immune Therapy For Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Results From Dose Exploration In A First-In-Human Study, William K. Kelly, Daniel C. Danila, Chia-Chi Lin, Jae-Lyun Lee, Nobuaki Matsubara, Patrick J. Ward, Andrew J. Armstrong, David Pook, Miso Kim, Tanya B. Dorff, Stefanie Fischer, Yung-Chang Lin, Lisa G. Horvath, Christopher Sumey, Zhao Yang, Gabor Jurida, Kristen M. Smith, Jamie N. Connarn, Hweixian L. Penny, Julia Stieglmaier, Leonard J. Appleman

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

ABSTRACT : Xaluritamig (AMG 509) is a six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate 1 (STEAP1)-targeted T-cell engager designed to facilitate lysis of STEAP1-expressing cancer cells, such as those in advanced prostate cancer. This first-in-human study reports monotherapy dose exploration for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), primarily taxane pretreated. Ninety-seven patients received ≥1 intravenous dose ranging from 0.001 to 2.0 mg weekly or every 2 weeks. MTD was identified as 1.5 mg i.v. weekly via a 3-step dose. The most common treatment-related adverse events were cytokine release syndrome (CRS; 72%), fatigue (45%), and myalgia (34%). CRS occurred primarily during …

Hepatitis B Virus And B-Cell Lymphoma: Evidence, Unmet Need, Clinical Impact, And Opportunities, Maya Rosenberg, Maria Poluch, Colin Thomas, Paola Sindaco, Alan Khoo, Pierluigi Porcu

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Nearly a billion people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and about a third of them have chronic infection. HBV is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, including acute and chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Screening and control of primary HBV infection through vaccination represent a major advance in global public health, but large sections of the world population, in both developed and underdeveloped countries, remain unscreened and unvaccinated. In addition to being a global cause of liver disease, an important role of HBV in lymphoma has also emerged. First, the high risk of HBV …

Characterization Of Errors In Retinopathy Of Prematurity Diagnosis By Ophthalmologists-In-Training In The United States And Canada, Tala Al-Khaled, Samir N. Patel, Nita G. Valikodath, Karyn E. Jonas, Susan Ostmo, Rawan Allozi, Joelle Hallak, J. Peter Campbell, Michael F. Chiang, R.V. Paul Chan

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To identify the prominent factors that lead to misdiagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by ophthalmologists-in-training in the United States and Canada.

METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 32 ophthalmologists-in-training at six ophthalmology training programs in the United States and Canada. Twenty web-based cases of ROP using wide-field retinal images were presented, and ophthalmologists-in-training were asked to diagnose plus disease, zone, stage, and category for each eye. Responses were compared to a consensus reference standard diagnosis for accuracy, which was established by combining the clinical diagnosis and the image-based diagnosis by multiple experts. The types of diagnostic errors that …

Lower Versus Higher Oxygen Targets For Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Xin Cheng, Yu Zhang, Haidong Deng, Yuning Feng, Weelic Chong, Yang Hai, Pengfei Hao, Jialing He, Tiangui Li, Liyuan Peng, Peng Wang, Yangchun Xiao, Fang Fang

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: Supplemental oxygen is commonly administered to patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, the findings from studies on oxygen targeting for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are inconclusive. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of lower oxygen target compared with higher oxygen target on patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, from inception to February 6, 2023, for randomized controlled trials comparing lower and higher oxygen target in adults (aged ≥ 18 years) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We screened studies and extracted data independently. The primary …

Exploring Breast Cancer Systemic Drug Therapy Patterns In Real-World Data, Julia O'Rourke, Jeff Warnick, John Doole, Luc De Keyser, Zuzanna Drebert, Olivia Wan, Courtney N Thompson, Jack W. London, Karen Fairchild, Matvey B. Palchuk

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To explore medications and their administration patterns in real-world patients with breast cancer.

METHODS: A retrospective study was performed using TriNetX, a federated network of deidentified, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant data from 21 health care organizations across North America. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer between January 1, 2013, and May 31, 2022, were included. We investigated a rule-based and unsupervised learning algorithm to extract medications and their administration patterns. To group similar administration patterns, we used three features in k-means clustering: total number of administrations, median number of days between administrations, and standard deviation of the days …

Editorial: Debates In Cardiovascular Pharmacology And Drug Discovery: 2022, Keman Xu, Fatma Saaoud, Ying Shao, Yifan Lu, Xiaohua Jiang, Sheng Wu, Jianxin Sun, Filipe Fernades Conti, Laisel Martinez, Roberto Vazquez-Padron, Hong Wang, Xiaofeng Yang

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Case Report Of Pneumoretroperitoneum From Blunt Trauma In A Patient With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Annemarie Daecher, Brittany Hartman, James Krueger

Einstein Health Papers

Introduction: Pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of blunt traumatic injury and is thought to be due to the Macklin effect, a pathophysiologic process comprised of three steps: alveolar rupture secondary to blunt injury; air dissecting along bronchovascular sheaths; and spread of pulmonary interstitial edema into the mediastinal space. Pneumomediastinum is rarely associated with pneumoretroperitoneum.

Case Report: We present a case of a patient who suffered a cardiac arrest after a fall during a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, leading to pneumoretroperitoneum.

Conclusion: This case highlights the complications that can arise from blunt trauma and how underlying lung pathology can worsen …

Alternative Genetic Diagnoses In Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome Spectrum, Linda M. Reis, David J. Amor, Raad A. Haddad, Catherine B. Nowak, Kim M. Keppler-Noreuil, Smith Ann Chisholm, Elena V. Semina

Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Faculty Papers

Axenfeld–Rieger anomaly (ARA) is a specific ocular disorder that is frequently associated with other systemic abnormalities. PITX2 and FOXC1 variants explain the majority of individuals with Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome (ARS) but leave ~30% unsolved. Here, we present pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in nine families with ARA/ARS or similar phenotypes affecting five different genes/regions. USP9X and JAG1 explained three families each. USP9X was recently linked with syndromic cognitive impairment that includes hearing loss, dental defects, ventriculomegaly, Dandy–Walker malformation, skeletal anomalies (hip dysplasia), and other features showing a significant overlap with FOXC1-ARS. Anterior segment anomalies are not currently associated with USP9X, yet our cases …

Repurposing The Fda-Approved Anthelmintic Pyrvinium Pamoate For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: Study Protocol For A Phase I Clinical Trial In Early-Stage Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Francesca M. Ponzini, Christopher W. Schultz, Benjamin E. Leiby, Shawnna Cannaday, T. Yeo, James Posey, Wilbur B. Bowne, Charles Yeo, Jonathan R. Brody, Harish Lavu, Avinoam Nevler

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Recent reports of the utilisation of pyrvinium pamoate (PP), an FDA-approved anti-helminth, have shown that it inhibits pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell growth and proliferation in-vitro and in-vivo in preclinical models. Here, we report about an ongoing phase I open-label, single-arm, dose escalation clinical trial to determine the safety and tolerability of PP in PDAC surgical candidates.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In a 3+3 dose design, PP is initiated 3 days prior to surgery. The first three patients will be treated with the initial dose of PP at 5 mg/kg orally for 3 days prior to surgery. Dose doubling will …

Depression By Gender And Associated Factors Among Older Adults In India: Implications For Age-Friendly Policies, Ronak Paul, T. Muhammad, Rashmi Rashmi, Palak Sharma, Shobhit Srivastava, Preeti Zanwar

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Inspite of implementing policies to control mental health problems, depression remains a severe health concern among older adults in India. We examined self-reported differences in the depression among older men and women in India and examined associated factors for gender differences in depression at the population level. We utilized nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) wave I, for years 2017-2019. Our analytical sample comprised of 30,637 older adults ages 60 years and above (14,682 men and 15,655 women). We conducted descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests followed by binary logistic regression and multivariate decomposition analyses to …

Preoperative Hematocrit Levels And Postoperative Mortality In Patients Undergoing Craniotomy For Brain Tumors, Yangchun Xiao, Xin Cheng, Lu Jia, Yixin Tian, Jialing He, Miao He, Lvlin Chen, Pengfei Hao, Tiangui Li, Weelic Chong, Yang Hai, Chao You, Liyuan Peng, Fang Fang, Yu Zhang

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Abnormal hematocrit values, including anemia and polycythemia, are common in patients undergoing craniotomy, but the extent to which preoperative anemia or polycythemia independently increases the risk of mortality is unclear. This retrospective cohort study aimed to examine the association between preoperative anemia and polycythemia and postoperative mortality in patients who underwent craniotomy for brain tumor resection.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 12,170 patients diagnosed with a brain tumor who underwent cranial surgery at West China Hospital between January 2011 and March 2021. The preoperative hematocrit value was defined as the last hematocrit value within 7 days before the …