Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

High-Resolution Cryo-Em Structure Of The Pseudomonas Bacteriophage E217, Fenglin Li, Chun-Feng Hou, Ravi K. Lokareddy, Ruoyu Yang, Francesca Forti, Federica Briani, Gino Cingolani

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

E217 is a Pseudomonas phage used in an experimental cocktail to eradicate cystic fibrosis-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we describe the structure of the whole E217 virion before and after DNA ejection at 3.1 Å and 4.5 Å resolution, respectively, determined using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We identify and build de novo structures for 19 unique E217 gene products, resolve the tail genome-ejection machine in both extended and contracted states, and decipher the complete architecture of the baseplate formed by 66 polypeptide chains. We also determine that E217 recognizes the host O-antigen as a receptor, and we resolve the N-terminal portion …

Self-Administered Intranasal Etripamil Using A Symptom-Prompted, Repeat-Dose Regimen For Atrioventricular-Nodal-Dependent Supraventricular Tachycardia (Rapid): A Multicentre, Randomised Trial, Bruce S Stambler, A John Camm, Marco Alings, Paul Dorian, Hein Heidbuchel, Jaco Houtgraaf, Peter R. Kowey, Jose L Merino, Blandine Mondésert, Jonathan P Piccini, Sean D Pokorney, Philip T Sager, Atul Verma, J Marcus Wharton, David B Bharucha, Francis Plat, Silvia Shardonofsky, Michael Chen, James E Ip

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Etripamil is a fast-acting, intranasally administered calcium-channel blocker in development for on-demand therapy outside a health-care setting for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etripamil 70 mg nasal spray using a symptom-prompted, repeat-dose regimen for acute conversion of atrioventricular-nodal-dependent paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia to sinus rhythm within 30 min.

METHODS: RAPID was a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, event-driven trial, conducted at 160 sites in North America and Europe as part 2 of the NODE-301 study. Eligible patients were aged at least 18 years and had a history of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with sustained, symptomatic episodes …

Structural Insights Into Rna Bridging Between Hiv-1 Vif And Antiviral Factor Apobec3g, Takahide Kouno, Satoshi Shibata, Megumi Shigematsu, Jaekyung Hyun, Tae Gyun Kim, Hiroshi Matsuo, Matthias Wolf

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Great effort has been devoted to discovering the basis of A3G-Vif interaction, the key event of HIV's counteraction mechanism to evade antiviral innate immune response. Here we show reconstitution of the A3G-Vif complex and subsequent A3G ubiquitination in vitro and report the cryo-EM structure of the A3G-Vif complex at 2.8 Å resolution using solubility-enhanced variants of A3G and Vif. We present an atomic model of the A3G-Vif interface, which assembles via known amino acid determinants. This assembly is not achieved by protein-protein interaction alone, but also involves RNA. The cryo-EM structure and in vitro ubiquitination assays identify an adenine/guanine base …

The Relationship Between Changes In Neighborhood Physical Environment And Changes In Physical Activity Among Children: A Prospective Cohort Study, Francesco Acciai, Robin S Deweese, Kristen Lloyd, Michael J Yedidia, Michelle Kennedy, Katherine Isselmann Disantis, David Tulloch, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes over the entire life course. Many community-based interventions that promote PA focus on implementing incremental changes to existing facilities and infrastructure. The objective of this study was to determine if such upgrades were associated with increases in children's PA.

METHODS: Two cohorts of 3- to 15-year-old children (n = 599) living in 4 low-income New Jersey cities were followed during 2- to 5-year periods from 2009 to 2017. Data on children's PA were collected at 2 time points (T1 and T2) from each cohort using telephone survey of parents; data …

Opportunistic Detection Of Type 2 Diabetes Using Deep Learning From Frontal Chest Radiographs, Ayis Pyrros, Stephen M. Borstelmann, Ramana Mantravadi, Zachary Zaiman, Kaesha Thomas, Brandon Price, Eugene Greenstein, Nasir Siddiqui, Melinda Willis, Ihar Shulhan, John Hines-Shah, Jeanne M. Horowitz, Paul Nikolaidis, Matthew P. Lungren, Jorge Mario Rodríguez-Fernández, Judy Wawira Gichoya, Sanmi Koyejo, Adam E. Flanders, Nishith Khandwala, Amit Gupta, John W. Garrett, Joseph Paul Cohen, Brian T. Layden, Perry J. Pickhardt, William Galanter

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Deep learning (DL) models can harness electronic health records (EHRs) to predict diseases and extract radiologic findings for diagnosis. With ambulatory chest radiographs (CXRs) frequently ordered, we investigated detecting type 2 diabetes (T2D) by combining radiographic and EHR data using a DL model. Our model, developed from 271,065 CXRs and 160,244 patients, was tested on a prospective dataset of 9,943 CXRs. Here we show the model effectively detected T2D with a ROC AUC of 0.84 and a 16% prevalence. The algorithm flagged 1,381 cases (14%) as suspicious for T2D. External validation at a distinct institution yielded a ROC AUC of …

Long Covid Clinical Phenotypes Up To 6 Months After Infection Identified By Latent Class Analysis Of Self-Reported Symptoms, Michael Gottlieb, Erica S. Spatz, Huihui Yu, Lauren E Wisk, Joann G. Elmore, Nicole L. Gentile, Mandy Hill, Ryan M. Huebinger, Ahamed H. Idris, Efrat M. Kean, Katherine Koo, Shu-Xia Li, Samuel Mcdonald, Juan Carlos C Montoy, Graham Nichol, Kelli N. O'Laughlin, Ian D. Plumb, Kristin L. Rising, Michelle Santangelo, Sharon Saydah, Ralph C. Wang, Arjun Venkatesh, Kari A. Stephens, Robert A. Weinstein

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The prevalence, incidence, and interrelationships of persistent symptoms after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection vary. There are limited data on specific phenotypes of persistent symptoms. Using latent class analysis (LCA) modeling, we sought to identify whether specific phenotypes of COVID-19 were present 3 months and 6 months post-infection.

METHODS: This was a multicenter study of symptomatic adults tested for SARS-CoV-2 with prospectively collected data on general symptoms and fatigue-related symptoms up to 6 months postdiagnosis. Using LCA, we identified symptomatically homogenous groups among COVID-positive and COVID-negative participants at each time period for both general and fatigue-related …

Adjuvanted Fusion Protein Vaccine Induces Durable Immunity To Onchocerca Volvulus In Mice And Non-Human Primates, Nathan M. Ryan, Jessica A. Hess, Erica J. Robertson, Nancy Tricoche, Cheri Turner, Jenn Davis, Nikolai Petrovsky, Melissa Ferguson, William J. Rinaldi, Valerie M. Wong, Ayako Shimada, Bin Zhan, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Benjamin L. Makepece, Sean A. Gray, Darrick Carter, Sara Lustigman, David Abraham

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Onchocerciasis remains a debilitating neglected tropical disease. Due to the many challenges of current control methods, an effective vaccine against the causative agent Onchocerca volvulus is urgently needed. Mice and cynomolgus macaque non-human primates (NHPs) were immunized with a vaccine consisting of a fusion of two O. volvulus protein antigens, Ov-103 and Ov-RAL-2 (Ov-FUS-1), and three different adjuvants: Advax-CpG, alum, and AlT4. All vaccine formulations induced high antigen-specific IgG titers in both mice and NHPs. Challenging mice with O. volvulus L3 contained within subcutaneous diffusion chambers demonstrated that Ov-FUS-1/Advax-CpG-immunized animals developed protective immunity, durable for at least 11 weeks. Passive …

Utility Of Seated Lateral Radiographs In The Diagnosis And Classification Of Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis, Tariq Z. Issa, Yunsoo Lee, Emily Berthiaume, Mark J. Lambrechts, Caroline Zaworski, Qudratallah S. Qadiri, Henley Spracklen, Richard Padovano, Jackson Weber, John J. Mangan, Jose A, Canseco, Barrett I. Woods, I. David Kaye, Alan S. Hilibrand, Christopher K. Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Gregory D. Schroeder, Joseph K. Lee

Rothman Institute Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to determine which radiographic images are most essential for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) classification and instability detection.

OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The heterogeneity in DS requires multiple imaging views to evaluate vertebral translation, disc space, slip angle, and instability. However, there are several restrictions on frequently used imaging perspectives such as flexion-extension and upright radiography.

METHODS: We assessed baseline neutral upright, standing flexion, seated lateral radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients identified with spondylolisthesis from January 2021 to May 2022 by a single spine surgeon. DS was classified by Meyerding and …

Simulation As A Key Training Method For Inculcating Public Health Leadership Skills: A Mixed Methods Study, Keren Dopelt, Itamar Shevach, Ofek Eliad Vardimon, Katarzyna Czabanowska, Jascha De Nooijer, Robert Otok, Lore Leighton, Osnat Bashkin, Mariusz Duplaga, Hagai Levine, Fiona Macleod, Maureen Malowany, Leah Okenwa-Emegwa, Shira Zelber-Sagi, Nadav Davidovitch, Paul Barach

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Successful management of public health challenges requires developing and nurturing leadership competencies. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of training simulations to assess public health leadership and decision-making competencies during emergencies as an effective learning and training method.

METHODS: We examined the effects of two simulation scenarios on public health school students in terms of their experience (compared to face-to-face learning) and new skills acquired for dealing with similar emergent situations in the future. A mixed-methods design included developing a validated and pre-tested questionnaire with open-and closed-ended questions that examined the simulation impact and the degree of student satisfaction …

Fibrosis-The Tale Of H3k27 Histone Methyltransferases And Demethylases, Morgan D. Basta, Svetlana Petruk, Alexander Mazo, Janice L. Walker

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Fibrosis, or excessive scarring, is characterized by the emergence of alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-expressing myofibroblasts and the excessive accumulation of fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM). Currently, there is a lack of effective treatment options for fibrosis, highlighting an unmet need to identify new therapeutic targets. The acquisition of a fibrotic phenotype is associated with changes in chromatin structure, a key determinant of gene transcription activation and repression. The major repressive histone mark, H3K27me3, has been linked to dynamic changes in gene expression in fibrosis through alterations in chromatin structure. H3K27-specific homologous histone methylase (HMT) enzymes, Enhancer of zeste 1 and 2 …

Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy In Pregnancy, Julie Gomez, Laura Felder, Divya Chalikonda, Alexander Schlachterman, Vincenzo Berghella

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To report the first successful full-term delivery following Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) performed during pregnancy.

METHODS/BACKGROUND: Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder characterized by dysphagia, regurgitation, reflux, recurrent vomiting, and weight loss. Achalasia in pregnancy can affect nutritional status of the mother, and subsequently, the child, increasing morbidity and creating potential pregnancy complications. POEM is a novel endoscopic procedure which involves cutting the lower esophageal sphincter to allow food to pass, and is considered a safe and effective management option for achalasia in non-pregnant individuals.

RESULTS: We discuss the case of a patient with achalasia and a prior …

Phenotype And Genotype Heterogeneity Of Pla2g6-Associated Neurodegeneration In A Cohort Of Pediatric And Adult Patients, Ali Zare Dehnavi, Maryam Bemanalizadeh, Seyyed Mohammad Kahani, Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi, Mohammad Rohani, Mehran Beiraghi Toosi, Morteza Heidari, Sareh Hosseinpour, Behnam Amini, Shaghayegh Zokaei, Zahra Rezaei, Hajar Aryan, Man Amanat, Hassan Vahidnezhad, Pouria Mohammadi, Masoud Garshasbi, Ali Reza Tavasoli

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase-associated neurodegeneration (PLAN) caused by mutations in the PLA2G6 gene is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that presents with four sub-groups. Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) and PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism are the main two subtypes. In this cohort, we reviewed clinical, imaging, and genetic features of 25 adult and pediatric patients harboring variants in the PLA2G6.

METHODS: An extensive review of the patients' data was carried out. Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Rating Scale (INAD-RS) was used for evaluating the severity and progression of INAD patients. Whole-exome sequencing was used to determine the disease's underlying etiology followed by co-segregation analysis using Sanger sequencing. In …

The Long Game: A Functional Cure Is Possible With Nucleoside Analogues And The Tincture Of Time, Nicholas Noverati, Vivian Yan, Jay Jun, Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Hie-Won Hann

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Chronic hepatitis B is still prevalent globally. Many patients are treated for many years with nucleos(t)ide analogues to prevent the virus from actively replicating. However, although it typically requires consecutive treatment for more than 10 years, patients can achieve a functional cure from this virus. This case series presents details of functional cures in patients who received varying nucleos(t)ide therapies for an average of 15.3 years before losses of hepatitis B surface antigen and viral load were observed. It is imperative to understand that abbreviating therapy once a functional cure is achieved may be a possibility in treating patients in …

Enough Is Enough: Salvage Procedures In Severe Periprosthetic Joint Infection, Yves Gramlich, Javad Parvizi

Rothman Institute Papers

Background

In severe cases of periprosthetic joint infection involving negative host-dependent factors, individual-based decisions between a curative therapy vs. salvage procedure are necessary. We aimed to review salvage procedures in severe periprosthetic joint infection cases, where a gold standard of a curative two-stage exchange can no longer be achieved. The options of knee arthrodesis, amputation, persistent fistula (stable drainage), or a debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention procedure in late-onset cases are discussed, including lifelong antibiotic suppression alone.

Methods

We focused on known salvage procedures for severe periprosthetic joint infection of the hip and knee, such as amputation, arthrodesis, antibiotic …

Conditional Metastasis Of Uveal Melanoma In 8091 Patients Over Half-Century (51 Years) By Age Group: Assessing The Entire Population And The Extremes Of Age, Carol L. Shields, Annika Samuelson, Glenn Oh, Joseph D. Desimone, Zaynab Sajjadi, Zeynep Bas, Nicholas E Kalafatis, Sara E. Lally, Jerry A. Shields, Philip W. Dockery

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To evaluate cumulative incidence of metastasis at specific timepoints after treatment of uveal melanoma in a large cohort of patients and to provide comparison of conditional outcomes in the youngest and oldest cohorts (extremes of age).

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 8091 consecutive patients with uveal melanoma at a single center over a 51-year period. The patients were categorized by age at presentation (0-29 years [n = 348, 4%], 30-59 years [n = 3859, 48%], 60-79 years [n = 3425, 42%], 80 to 99 years [n = 459, 6%]) and evaluated for nonconditional (from presentation date) and conditional (from specific …

Treatment Of Adult Spasticity With Botox (Onabotulinumtoxina): Development, Insights, And Impact, Alberto Esquenazi, Wolfgang H. Jost, Catherine C. Turkel, Theodore Wein, Rozalina Dimitrova

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

Upper and lower limb spasticity (ULS, LLS) often occur following a stroke or in patients with other neurological disorders, leading to difficulties in mobility and daily living and decreased quality of life. Prior to the use of onabotulinumtoxinA, antispastic medications had limited efficacy and often caused sedation. Phenol injections were difficult for physicians to perform, painful, and led to tissue destruction. The success of onabotulinumtoxinA in treating cervical dystonia led to its use in spasticity. However, many challenges characterized the development of onabotulinumtoxinA for adult spasticity. The wide variability in the presentation of spasticity among patients rendered it difficult to …

Treatment Of Chronic Migraine With Botox (Onabotulinumtoxina): Development, Insights, And Impact, Catherine C. Turkel, Sheena Aurora, Hans-Christoph Diener, David W. Dodick, Richard B. Lipton, Stephen D. Silberstein, Mitchell F. Brin

Department of Jefferson Headache Center Papers and Presentations

Chronic migraine (CM) is a neurological disease characterized by frequent migraine attacks that prevent affected individuals from performing daily activities of living, significantly diminish quality of life, and increase familial burden. Before onabotulinumtoxinA was approved for CM, there were few treatment options for these seriously disabled patients and none had regulatory approval. The terminology and recognition of CM evolved in parallel with the onabotulinumtoxinA clinical development program. Because there were no globally accepted classification criteria for CM when onabotulinumtoxinA was in development, the patient populations for the trials conducted by Allergan were determined by the Allergan migraine team in collaboration …

Validation Of The Hierarchical Nature Of The Ao Spine Sacral Classification And The Development Of The Sacral Ao Spine Injury Score, Brian A. Karamian, Gregory D. Schroeder, Mark J. Lambrechts, Jose A. Canseco, Emiliano N. Vialle, Frank Kandziora, Lorin M. Benneker, Rajasekaran Shanmuganathan, F. Cumhur Öner, Klaus J. Schnake, Christopher K. Kepler, Alexander R. Vaccaro

Rothman Institute Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Global cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to validate the hierarchical nature of the AO Spine Sacral Classification System and develop an injury scoring system.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although substantial interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the AO Spine Sacral Classification System has been established, the hierarchical nature of the classification has yet to be validated.

METHODS: Respondents numerically graded each variable within the classification system for severity. Based on the results, a Sacral AO Spine Injury Score (AOSIS) was developed.

RESULTS: A total of 142 responses were received. The classification exhibited a hierarchical Injury …

Multiple Sterile Withdrawals From Iohexol Bottles Does Not Increase Contamination Risk, Caroline Purtill, Manraj Dhesi, Daniel Haber, Nicholas D'Antonio, Noreen J. Hickok, Jeremy I. Simon

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is a global shortage of iohexol contrast media, commonly used in epidural injections, as a result of lockdown and decreased production due to COVID-19. Iohexol bottles are designated for single use, which, depending on the vials available, often leads to wasting up to 95% of this limited resource. However, avoiding multiple withdrawals may be unnecessary if withdrawing multiple times using sterile technique does not increase the risk for contamination.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study is to determine whether multiple withdrawals from iohexol injection bottles using a sterile technique poses a greater risk of introducing contaminants than a …

Etiologies And Predictors Of 30-Day Readmission In Heart Failure: An Updated Analysis, Akhil Jain, Shilpkumar Arora, Viral Patel, Maharshi Raval, Karnav Modi, Nirav Arora, Rupak Desai, Behnam Bozorgnia, Raphael Bonita

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Readmissions in heart failure (HF), historically reported as 20%, contribute to significant patient morbidity and high financial cost to the healthcare system. The changing population landscape and risk factor dynamics mandate periodic epidemiologic reassessment of HF readmissions.

METHODS: National Readmission Database (NRD, 2019) was used to identify HF-related hospitalizations and evaluated for demographic, admission characteristics, and comorbidity differences between patients readmitted vs. those not readmitted at 30-days. Causes of readmission and predictors of all-cause, HF-specific, and non-HF-related readmissions were analyzed.

RESULTS: Of 48,971 HF patients, the readmitted cohort was younger (mean 67.4 vs. 68.9 years, p≤0.001), had …

Mechanisms Of Theta Burst Transcranial Ultrasound Induced Plasticity In The Human Motor Cortex, Yazan Shamli Oghli, Talyta Grippe, Tarun Arora, Tasnuva Hoque, Ghazaleh Darmani, Robert Chen

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique with high depth penetrance and spatial resolution. Theta-burst TUS (tbTUS) is a plasticity-inducing protocol which increases motor cortical excitability for up to 30 min following 80s of sonication. While this protocol may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders, the mechanisms of action of TUS remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted the first pharmacological study to examine the mechanisms of TUS in human primary motor cortex. By administering brain-active drugs with known mechanisms of action, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of tbTUS.

METHODS: Fourteen …

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 101, Issue 1, Summer 2023

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• Dean’s Column
• Time Capsule Jefferson Reflects on Nearly 50 Years of Physician Shortage Area Program
• ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
• Discovery Stress‚ Obesity, and Pancreatic Cancer
• Gray Matter
• Student Profile: Natalie Perlov
• Faculty Profile: Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD
• Alumni Profile: Geoffrey Dunn, MD ’79
• Alumni Impact: Geetinder (Rosy) Chattha, MD ’87
• Class Notes
• In Memoriam
• By the Numbers: Match Day 2023

Association Between Sars-Cov-2 Variants And Frequency Of Acute Symptoms: Analysis Of A Multi-Institutional Prospective Cohort Study-December 20, 2020-June 20, 2022., Ralph C, Wang, Michael Gottlieb, Juan Carlos C. Montoy, Robert M. Rodriguez, Huihui Yu, Erica S. Spatz, Christopher W. Chandler, Joann G. Elmore, Paavali A. Hannikainen, Anna Marie Chang, Mandy Hill, Ryan M. Huebinger, Ahamed H. Idris, Katherine Koo, Shu-Xia Li, Samuel Mcdonald, Graham Nichol, Kelli N. O'Laughlin, Ian D. Plumb, Michelle Santangelo, Sharon Saydah, Kari A. Stephens, Arjun K. Venkatesh, Robert A. Weinstein

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: While prior work examining severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern focused on hospitalization and death, less is known about differences in clinical presentation. We compared the prevalence of acute symptoms across pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron.

Methods: We conducted an analysis of the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE), a cohort study enrolling symptomatic SARS-CoV-2-positive participants. We determined the association between the pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron time periods and the prevalence of 21 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute symptoms.

Results: We enrolled 4113 participants from December 2020 to June 2022. Pre-Delta vs Delta …

A Word From The Writing Team (July 2023), Pam Walter, Mfa, Liz Declan, Ma, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Academic Commons Launches New Website
• Publication Spotlight
• Reminders
• First Friday Writing Retreat Hiatus
• Scott Renovations and You
• MS4 Residency Personal Statement Workshops

The Impact Of Essential Trace Elements On Ovarian Response And Reproductive Outcomes Following Single Euploid Embryo Transfer, Roberto Gonzalez-Martin, Andrea Palomar, Alicia Quiñonero, Nuria Pellicer, Rocio Fernandez-Saavedra, Estefania Conde-Vilda, Alberto J Quejido, Christine Whitehead, Richard T. Scott, Francisco Dominguez

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Essential trace elements are required in extremely small amounts and obtained through diet. This research focuses on detecting major trace elements in different biofluids of sixty women undergoing ICSI with PGT-A and SET/FET at IVI-RMA, New Jersey, and assessing their impact on their IVF outcomes. Urine, plasma, and follicular fluid samples were collected on the vaginal oocyte retrieval day to measure the concentrations of eight essential trace elements (copper, zinc, molybdenum, lithium, selenium, manganese, chromium, and iron) using ICP-MS. After analysis, ovarian response and preimplantation outcomes had significant positive associations with both copper alone and the copper/zinc ratio in the …

A Narrative Review Of Scars After Surgery: What To Expect, Kathryn Landers, Michelle Hwang, Elizabeth Cottrill

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Background and Objective: For most surgical procedures, postoperative scars are inevitable. Scars that heal with poor cosmetic appearance or physical symptoms such as pain, pruritis, or tethering can have a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life. This review aims to identify current techniques for prevention of unfavorable scar formation and treatment of unfavorable scars.

Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted using our institution’s Primo search engine to search online databases including PubMed and EBSCO, among others. Included references were selected by the first author based on relevance to the subject matter and availability in English. …

What Were The Information Voids? A Qualitative Analysis Of Questions Asked By Dear Pandemic Readers Between August 2020-August 2021, Rachael Piltch-Loeb, Richard James, Sandra S. Albrecht, Alison M. Buttenheim, Jennifer Beam Dowd, Aparna Kumar, Malia Jones, Lindsey J. Leininger, Amanda Simanek, Shoshana Aronowitz

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

In the current infodemic, how individuals receive information (channel), who it is coming from (source), and how it is framed can have an important effect on COVID-19 related mitigation behaviors. In light of these challenges presented by the infodemic, Dear Pandemic (DP) was created to directly address persistent questions related to COVID-19 and other health topics in the online environment. This is a qualitative analysis of 3806 questions that were submitted by DP readers to a question box on the Dear Pandemic website between August 30, 2020 and August 29, 2021. Analyses resulted in four themes: the need for clarification …

Co-Targeting Fasn And Mtor Suppresses Uveal Melanoma Growth, Anna Han, Dzmitry Mukha, Vivian Chua, Timothy J. Purwin, Manoela Tiago, Bhavik Modasia, Usman Baqai, Jenna Aumiller, Nelisa Bechtel, Emily Hunter, Meggie Danielson, Mizue Terai, Philip B. Wedegaertner, Takami Sato, Solange Landreville, Michael A. Davies, Stefan Kurtenbach, William J. Harbour, Zachary T. Schug, Andrew E. Aplin

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Uveal melanoma (UM) displays a high frequency of metastasis; however, effective therapies for metastatic UM are limited. Identifying unique metabolic features of UM may provide a potential targeting strategy. A lipid metabolism protein expression signature was induced in a normal choroidal melanocyte (NCM) line transduced with GNAQ (Q209L), a driver in UM growth and development. Consistently, UM cells expressed elevated levels of fatty acid synthase (FASN) compared to NCMs. FASN upregulation was associated with increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) levels. FASN and mTOR inhibitors alone significantly reduced UM cell growth. Concurrent …

Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Infection During Pregnancy And Differential Dna Methylation In Human Cord Blood Cells From Term Neonates, Pedro Urday, Suhita Gayen Nee' Betal, Rochelle Sequeira Gomes, Huda B. Al-Kouatly, Kolawole Solarin, Joanna S.Y. Chan, Dongmei Li, Irfan Rahman, Sankar Addya, Rupsa C. Boelig, Zubair H. Aghai

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Background:

Objective:

Methods:

Early Experience With Uniplanar Versus Biplanar Expandable Interbody Fusion Devices In Single-Level Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Jonathan A. Ledesma, Jesse C. Ottaway, Mark J. Lambrechts, Azra Dees, Terence L. Thomas, Mark F. Kurd, Kris E. Radcliff, David G. Anderson

Rothman Institute Papers

Objective
To compare the early radiographic and clinical outcomes of expandable uniplanar versus biplanar interbody cages used for single-level minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF).

Method
A retrospective review of 1-level MIS-TLIFs performed with uniplanar and biplanar polyetheretherketone cages was performed. Radiographic measurements were performed on radiographs taken preoperatively, at 6-week follow-up, and 1-year follow-up. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg at 3-month and 1-year follow-up.

Results
A total of 93 patients (41 uniplanar, 52 biplanar) were included. Both cage types provided significant postoperative improvements in anterior disc height, posterior disc height, …