Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Choosing Performance-Based Outcome Measures Of Daily Living Skills And Socialization For Clinical Trials In Autistic Children, Roseann C Schaaf, Amy Carroll, Elizabeth Conte Waskie, Rachel L Dumont, Elizabeth Ridgway

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Robust and psychometrically sound performance-based outcome measures are needed for clinical trials of occupational therapy interventions for children with autism.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a systematic approach for choosing psychometrically sound performance-based outcome measures of daily living skills and socialization for use in clinical trials of occupational therapy interventions for children with autism.

DESIGN: Rapid literature review to identify appropriate measures for studies with this population followed by quality indicator ratings and a nominal group process.

SETTING: University.

PARTICIPANTS: Four experts in autism and pediatric outcome measurement. Outcomes and Measures: Twenty-one outcome measures of daily living skills and socialization were …

A Mixed Methods Case Study Of Food Shopping In A Community With High Infant Mortality, Sarah Evenosky, Eleanor Lewis, Katherine Isselmann Disantis

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

In the U.S., preterm birth disproportionately impacts certain racial/ethnic groups, with Black women experiencing preterm birth at a rate 50% higher than other groups. Among the numerous factors that likely contribute to these increased rates are neighborhood characteristics, such as food environment. In this mixed-methods case study, we evaluated how pregnant women living in a predominately minority, lower income community with high preterm birth rates navigate and perceive their food environment. Qualitative interviews were performed to assess perceptions of food environment (n = 7) along with geographic and observational assessments of their food environment. Participants traveled an average of 2.10 …

Accuracy Of High-Frequency Oscillations Recorded Intraoperatively For Classification Of Epileptogenic Regions., Shennan A Weiss, Richard J Staba, Ashwini Sharan, Chengyuan Wu, Daniel Y. Rubinstein, Sandhitsu Das, Zachary J. Waldman, Iren Orosz, Gregory Worrell, Jerome Engel, Michael R Sperling

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

To see whether acute intraoperative recordings using stereo EEG (SEEG) electrodes can replace prolonged interictal intracranial EEG (iEEG) recording, making the process more efficient and safer, 10 min of iEEG were recorded following electrode implantation in 16 anesthetized patients, and 1–2 days later during non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Ripples on oscillations (RonO, 80–250 Hz), ripples on spikes (RonS), sharp-spikes, fast RonO (fRonO, 250–600 Hz), and fast RonS (fRonS) were semi-automatically detected. HFO power and frequency were compared between the conditions using a generalized linear mixed-effects model. HFO rates were compared using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA with anesthesia type …

Risk Factors Associated With Long Covid Syndrome: A Retrospective Study, A A Asadi-Pooya, Ali Akbari, Amir Emami, Mehrzad Lotfi, Mahtab Rostamihosseinkhani, Hamid Nemati, Zohreh Barzegar, Maryam Kabiri, Zahra Zeraatpisheh, Mohsen Farjoud-Kouhanjani, Anahita Jafari, Fateme Sasannia, Shayan Ashrafi, Masoume Nazeri, Sara Nasiri, Mina Shahisavandi

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Background: Recently, people have recognized the post-acute phase symptoms of the COVID-19. We investigated the long-term symptoms associated with COVID-19, (Long COVID Syndrome), and the risk factors associated with it. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. All the consecutive adult patients referred to the healthcare facilities anywhere in Fars province from 19 February 2020 until 20 November 2020 were included. All the patients had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In a phone call to the patients, at least three months after their discharge from the hospital, we obtained their current information. The IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25.0) was used. Pearson …

A Prospective Examination Of Sex Differences In Posttraumatic Autonomic Functioning., Antonia V Seligowski, Elizabeth R Steuber, Rebecca Hinrichs, Mariam H Reda, Charis N Wiltshire, Cassandra P Wanna, Sterling J Winters, Karlye A Phillips, Stacey L House, Francesca L Beaudoin, Xinming An, Jennifer S Stevens, Donglin Zeng, Thomas C Neylan, Gari D Clifford, Sarah D Linnstaedt, Laura T Germine, Kenneth A Bollen, Guia Guffanti, Scott L Rauch, John P Haran, Alan B Storrow, Christopher Lewandowski, Paul I Musey, Phyllis L Hendry, Sophia Sheikh, Christopher W Jones, Brittany E Punches, Michael C Kurz, Vishnu P Murty, Meghan E Mcgrath, Lauren A Hudak, Jose L Pascual, Mark J Seamon, Elizabeth M Datner, Anna Marie Chang, Claire Pearson, David A Peak, Roland C Merchant, Robert M Domeier, Niels K Rathlev, Brian J O'Neil, Leon D Sanchez, Steven E Bruce, Mark W Miller, Robert H Pietrzak, Jutta Joormann, Deanna M Barch, Diego A Pizzagalli, John F Sheridan, Beatriz Luna, Steven E Harte, James M Elliott, Karestan C Koenen, Ronald C Kessler, Samuel A Mclean, Kerry J Ressler, Tanja Jovanovic

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Cross-sectional studies have found that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit deficits in autonomic functioning. While PTSD rates are twice as high in women compared to men, sex differences in autonomic functioning are relatively unknown among trauma-exposed populations. The current study used a prospective design to examine sex differences in posttraumatic autonomic functioning.

Methods: 192 participants were recruited from emergency departments following trauma exposure (

Results: 2-week systolic BP was significantly higher in men, while 2-week HR was significantly higher in women, and a sex by PTSD interaction suggested that women who developed PTSD demonstrated the highest HR …

Optimization Of Neurite Tracing And Further Characterization Of Human Monocyte-Derived-Neuronal-Like Cells, Alfredo Bellon, Tuna Hasoglu, Mallory Peterson, Katherine Gao, Michael Chen, Elisabeta Blandin, Alonso Cortez-Resendiz, Gary Clawson, Liyi Elliot Hong

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Deficits in neuronal structure are consistently associated with neurodevelopmental illnesses such as autism and schizophrenia. Nonetheless, the inability to access neurons from clinical patients has limited the study of early neurostructural changes directly in patients’ cells. This obstacle has been circumvented by differentiating stem cells into neurons, although the most used methodologies are time consuming. Therefore, we recently developed a relatively rapid (~20 days) protocol for transdifferentiating human circulating monocytes into neuronal-like cells. These monocyte-derived-neuronal-like cells (MDNCs) express several genes and proteins considered neuronal markers, such as MAP-2 and PSD-95. In addition, these cells conduct electrical activity. We have also …

Contributions Of Iranian Journal Of Medical Sciences (Ijms) During The Covid-19 Pandemic., A A Asadi-Pooya, Mohsen Farazdaghi, Marzieh Rostaminejad, Manica Negahdaripour

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Development, Preliminary Validation, And Reliability Of The Notetaking Abilities And Strategies Of University Students (Nasus) Questionnaire, Monique Chabot, Marie-Christine Potvin, Richard Hass, Abigail Garrity, Anne Bower

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

With the increased use of technology in the classroom, notetaking methods have expanded. Current notetaking assessments for university students no longer reflect the options available or do not provide a comprehensive measurement of student preferences, skills, and perceptions of usefulness of notes. The Notetaking Abilities and Strategies of University Students (NASUS) questionnaire was created to address this gap in notetaking assessments while also examining university student preferences, perception of skills, desire to improve notetaking skills and methods of taking notes in class. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the NASUS questionnaire, specifically, content validity, …

Relationship Of Age, Atherosclerosis And Angiographic Stenosis Using Artificial Intelligence, Rebecca Jonas, James Earls, Hugo Marques, Hyuk-Jae Chang, Jung Hyun Choi, Joon-Hyung Doh, Ae-Young Her, Bon Kwon Koo, Chang-Wook Nam, Hyung-Bok Park, Sanghoon Shin, Jason Cole, Alessia Gimelli, Muhammad Akram Khan, Bin Lu, Yang Gao, Faisal Nabi, Ryo Nakazato, U Joseph Schoepf, Roel S Driessen, Michiel J Bom, Randall C Thompson, James J Jang, Michael Ridner, Chris Rowan, Erick Avelar, Philippe Généreux, Paul Knaapen, Guus A De Waard, Gianluca Pontone, Daniele Andreini, Mouaz H Al-Mallah, Robert Jennings, Tami R Crabtree, Todd C Villines, James K Min, Andrew D Choi

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Objective: The study evaluates the relationship of coronary stenosis, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics (APCs) and age using artificial intelligence enabled quantitative coronary computed tomographic angiography (AI-QCT).

Methods: This is a post-hoc analysis of data from 303 subjects enrolled in the CREDENCE (Computed TomogRaphic Evaluation of Atherosclerotic Determinants of Myocardial IsChEmia) trial who were referred for invasive coronary angiography and subsequently underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). In this study, a blinded core laboratory analysing quantitative coronary angiography images classified lesions as obstructive (≥50%) or non-obstructive (<50%) while AI software quantified APCs including plaque volume (PV), low-density non-calcified plaque (LD-NCP), non-calcified plaque (NCP), calcified plaque (CP), lesion length on a per-patient and per-lesion basis based on CCTA imaging. Plaque measurements were normalised for vessel volume and reported as % percent atheroma volume (%PAV) for all relevant plaque components. Data were subsequently stratified by age <65 and ≥65 years.

Results: The cohort was 64.4±10.2 years and 29% women. Overall, patients >65 had more PV …

Temozolomide Rechallenge In Patients With Recurrent High-Grade Glioma Treated With Re-Irradiation, Mustafa Basree, Ayesha Ali, Shivank Garg, Jonathan Glass, Lyndon Kim, Christopher J Farrell, James J. Evans, Kevin Judy, David W. Andrews, Wenyin Shi, Maria Werner-Wasik, Joshua Palmer

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To evaluate the clinical role of temozolomide rechallenge (TMZ) in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG) treated with re-irradiation (re-RT) regardless of surgical status. MATERIALS/METHODS: Single-center retrospective review of patients with a primary diagnosis of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade III anaplastic astrocytoma or Grade IV GBM treated from 2008 to 2016 for disease recurrence with re-RT (35 Gy in 10 fractions) with and without temozolomide rechallenge. Baseline characteristics were analyzed with pairwise tests. OS/PFS were assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable cox regression models for OS. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty patients were treated with re-irradiation (n …

Establishing A Primary Care Alliance For Conducting Cancer Prevention Clinical Research At Community Sites, Bernard W Parker, Barbara L Mcaneny, Edith P. Mitchell, Ana Maria Lopez, Sandra A Russo, Pamela Maxwell, Leslie G Ford, Worta Mccaskill-Stevens

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

In September 2020, the National Cancer Institute convened the first PARTNRS Workshop as an initiative to forge partnerships between oncologists, primary care professionals, and non-oncology specialists for promoting patient accrual into cancer prevention trials. This effort is aimed at bringing about more effective accrual methods to generate decisive outcomes in cancer prevention research. The workshop convened to inspire solutions to challenges encountered during the development and implementation of cancer prevention trials. Ultimately, strategies suggested for protocol development might enhance integration of these trials into community settings where a diversity of patients might be accrued. Research Bases (cancer research organizations that …

Accrediting Graduate Programs In Healthcare Quality And Safety, Willie H. Oglesby, Allyson G Hall, Annette L Valenta, Kenneth J Harwood, Deidre Mccaughey, Sue Feldman, Anthony C Stanowski, Sandra Chrapah, Teri Chenot, Eric Brichto, David B. Nash

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The number of master's degree programs in healthcare quality and safety (HQS) has increased significantly over the past decade. Academic accreditation provides assurance that educational programs are of a high quality and meet the needs of students, employers, and the general public. Under the guidance of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, faculty from 9 universities collaborated in the development of criteria and related content domains to be used in the accreditation of graduate programs in HQS. Thirteen content domains were identified. Four of the content domains, safety and error science, improvement science and quality principles, evidence-based practice, …

Simultaneous Brain And Intramedullary Spinal Abscesses In A Patient With Streptococcus Intermedius Infection, David P. Friedman, Joseph Desimone Jr, Aaron Christensen, Matthew Pettengill

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

A male patient in his thirties presented to the hospital with meningismus and altered mental status. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis confirmed meningitis, but no microorganisms were identified. Head imaging (MRI) revealed multiple brain abscesses. Surgically-collected brain specimens revealed Gram-positive cocci and subsequently grew Streptococcus intermedius. MRI of the thoracic spine subsequently also identified an intramedullary spinal abscess. While brain abscesses and spinal abscesses caused by S. intermedius have been previously reported, the extent of disseminated disease in the patient was noteworthy.

A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Long-Distance Travel For Gynecologic Cancer Care, V. Mujumdar, Timberly R Butler, David I Shalowitz

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Background: Women with gynecologic malignancies experience improved clinical outcomes when they are treated by gynecologic oncologists and in high-volume cancer centers. However, geography is a major barrier to high-volume care for patients. This qualitative study was undertaken to identify facilitators and barriers to patients traveling long distances for gynecologic cancer care.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 women with gynecologic malignancies traveling >50 miles for treatment at Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center. Eight interviews included caregivers. Four interview domains focused on personal challenges and coping strategies related to accessing cancer care.

Results: Mean distance traveled for care was 87 …

Flexibility During The Covid-19 Pandemic Response: Healthcare Facility Assessment Tools For Resilient Evaluation, Andrea Brambilla, Tian-Zhi Sun, Waleed Elshazly, Ahmed Ghazy, Paul Barach, Göran Lindahl, Stefano Capolongo

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Healthcare facilities are facing huge challenges due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Around the world, national healthcare contingency plans have struggled to cope with the population health impact of COVID-19, with healthcare facilities and critical care systems buckling under the ex-traordinary pressures. COVID-19 has starkly highlighted the lack of reliable operational tools for assessing the level sof flexibility of a hospital building to support strategic and agile decision making. The aim of this study was to modify, improve and test an existing assessment tool for evaluating hospital facilities flexibility and resilience. We followed a five-step process for collecting data by …

Zebrafish Paralogs Brd2a And Brd2b Are Needed For Proper Circulatory, Excretory And Central Nervous System Formation And Act As Genetic Antagonists During Development, Gregory L Branigan, Kelly S Olsen, Isabella Burda, Matthew W Haemmerle, Jason Ho, Alexandra Venuto, Nicholas D D'Antonio, Ian E Briggs, Angela J Dibenedetto

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Brd2 belongs to the BET family of epigenetic transcriptional co-regulators that act as adaptor-scaffolds for the assembly of chromatin-modifying complexes and other factors at target gene promoters. Brd2 is a protooncogene and candidate gene for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy in humans, a homeobox gene regulator in Drosophila, and a maternal-zygotic factor and cell death modulator that is necessary for normal development of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). As two copies of Brd2 exist in zebrafish, we use antisense morpholino knockdown to probe the role of paralog Brd2b, as a comparative study to Brd2a, the ortholog of human Brd2. A deficiency …

The Role Of Hgf/Met Signaling In Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Ryota Tanaka, Mizue Terai, Eric R Londin, Takami Sato

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) signaling promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression in various types of cancer, including uveal melanoma (UM). The roles of HGF/MET signaling have been studied in cell survival, proliferation, cell motility, and migration. Furthermore, HGF/MET signaling has emerged as a critical player not only in the tumor itself but also in the tumor microenvironment. Expression of MET is frequently observed in metastatic uveal melanoma and is associated with poor prognosis. It has been reported that HGF/MET signaling pathway activation is the major mechanism of treatment resistance in metastatic UM (MUM). To achieve maximal therapeutic benefit …

Provider Experiences Of Virtual Reality In Clinical Treatment, Christine Vincent, Margaret Eberts, Tejal U. Naik, Victoria Gulick, C. Virginia O'Hayer

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Virtual reality (VR) has proven effective in the treatment of specific phobias and trauma particularly when in-vivo exposure therapy might be costly (e.g. fear of flying, combat scenes). Similarly, VR has been associated with improvement of chronic pain and of acute pain during medical procedures. Despite its effectiveness as a healthcare tool, VR technology is not well-integrated into common practice. This qualitative study aims to explore the provider perception of the value of VR and identify barriers to VR implementation among healthcare providers.

Methods: A 66-item self-report survey was created to examine application of VR to clinical practice, perceived …

Blood Transfusions Increase The Risk For Venous Thromboembolism Events Following Total Joint Arthroplasty, Noam Shohat, Leanne Ludwick, Graham S Goh, Matthew Sherman, Joseph Paladino, Javad Parvizi

Rothman Institute Papers

The association between blood transfusions and thromboembolic events (VTE) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) remains debatable. Using contemporary institutional data, this study aimed to determine whether blood transfusions increase the risk of VTE following primary and revision TJA. This was a single institution, retrospective cohort study. The clinical records of all patients (n = 34,824) undergoing primary and revision TJA between 2009 and 2020 were reviewed. Demographic variables, co-morbidities, type of chemoprophylaxis and intraoperative factors such as use of tranexamic acid were collected. Clinical notes, hospital orders, and discharge summaries were reviewed to determine if a patient received a blood …

Covid-19 In Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: A Single Center Retrospective Study, Xuejun Wang, Adam Binder, Usama Gergis, Lindsay Wilde, Md

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Initial studies that described the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) reported increased morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. Of this group, patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) had the highest disease severity and death rates. Subsequent studies have attempted to better describe how COVID-19 affects patients with HM. However, these studies have yielded variable and often contradictory results. We present our single-institution experience with patients with HM who were diagnosed with COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2021. We report 62 total cases with 10 patients who died during this time. The overall mortality was 16.1%. Mortality during the first two waves …

Adult Granulosa Cell Tumor In Pregnancy: A New Case And A Review Of The Literature, Sofia Guidi, Vincenzo Berghella, Giovanni Scambia, Anna Fagotti, Annalisa Vidir, Stefano Restaino, Giuseppe Vizzielli, Frediano Inzani, Anna Franca Cavaliere

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Granulosa cell tumors are rare ovarian tumors that can arise during pregnancy. We present a new case of recurrent adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) in pregnancy and a systematic review of the literature. The new case described is a 41-year-old woman G5P1122 with a prior history of AGCT that was referred to our center at 29 weeks because of a symptomatic abdominal mass, compatible with a possible recurrence of AGCT. At 36 + 3 weeks, she underwent a cesarean delivery for preterm labor and a total hysterectomy with a radical surgical staging. A healthy female infant was delivered. The patient …

Building Trauma And Ems Systems Capacity In Rwanda: Lessons And Recommendations, Sudha Jayaraman, Faustin Ntirenganya, Menelas Nkeshimana, Ashley Rosenberg, Theophile Dushime, Ignace Kabagema, Jean Marie Uwitonze, Eric Uwitonize, Jeanne D'Arc Nyinawankusi, Robert Riviello, Irene Bagahirwa, Kenneth L Williams, Elizabeth Krebs, Rebecca Maine, Paulin Banguti, Stephen Rulisa, Patrick Kyamanywa, Jean Claude Byiringiro

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Surgical capacity building has gained substantial momentum. However, care at the hospital level depends on improved access to emergency services. There is no established model for facilitating trauma and EMS system capacity in LMIC settings. This manuscript describes our model for multi-disciplinary collaboration to advance trauma and EMS capacity in Rwanda, along with our lessons and recommendations.

Methods: After high-level meetings at the Ministry of Health in Rwanda (MOH), in 2016, a capacity building plan focusing on improved clinical services, quality improvement/research and leadership capacity across prehospital and emergency settings. The main themes for the collaborative model included for …

A Rare Case Of Acute Hepatitis C Causing Coagulopathy And Severe Transaminitis, Timothy Kuchera, Md, Muyi Li, Md, Corey O'Brien, Md

Department of Medicine Posters

• Although Hepatitis C (HCV) is extremely common, diagnosis of acute HCV is as rare as it is typically asymptomatic.
• The following is an uncommon presentation of symptomatic acute HCV resulting in sepsis, transaminitis, jaundice, and coagulopathy.

Hyperckemia : Psychosis-Induced Non-Traumatic Rhabdomyolysis, Mackenzie Kramer, Joann Butkus, Vincent Chan, Nathaniel Rosal, Stephanie Tzarnas, Eunha Kim

Abington Jefferson Health Posters

Rhabdomyolysis is a clinical syndrome that results from skeletal muscle breakdown and the release of intracellular enzymes into systemic circulation. We present a case of transaminitis and serum Creatinine Kinase (CK) levels exceeding 590,000 U/L without myoglobinuria or subsequent Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) after an acute psychotic episode. Case reports regarding such extreme serum CK elevations without myoglobinuria or ensuing renal failure in a non-traumatic case of rhabdomyolysis are minimal.

Clinical Challenges In The Diagnosis And Treatment In Neurosarcoidosis And Neurosyphilis, Mackenzie Kramer, Melissa Margolis, Neelima Manda, Rehan Saeed, Stephanie Tzarnas, Nathaniel R. Rosal, Daniel Puga, Rebecca Fallis

Abington Jefferson Health Posters

Syphilis and sarcoidosis, both known as the "great mimickers," cause a wide range of symptoms making clinical differentiation between the two difficult.

We present a case in which both neurosarcoidosis and neurosyphilis were considered in the differential diagnosis, posing a unique challenge in decision making.

The Ot/Ota Student Response To Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Occupational Therapy Student Roles During Crisis Management, Frances Calingo, Msot, Olivia Biller, Tina Deangelis, Edd, Ms, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

This exploratory cross-sectional survey study sought to understand OT/OTA student use of time and/or volunteerism efforts as a result of immediate and unexpected role changes brought on by COVID-19 as students were required to abruptly transition from in-person to virtual learning in every program in the United States (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020a).

Cd44-Targeted, Indocyanine Green-Paclitaxel-Loaded Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles For Potential Image-Guided Drug Delivery., Karthik Thangavel, Asha Lakshmikuttyamma, Chellappagounder Thangavel, Sunday A. Shoyele

College of Pharmacy Faculty Papers

The use of multifunctional nanomedicines for image-guided drug delivery is currently being universally evaluated as a means of efficiently managing cancers and other diseases. In this study we evaluated the potential of an indocyanine green (ICG) and paclitaxel (PTX) loaded human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles that was conjugated with hyaluronic acid for use in image-guided drug delivery targeted to CD44-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Series of NSCLC cell lines were evaluated for the expression of CD44 using both western blot analysis and qRT-PCR and compared to a normal lung fibroblast cell line (MRC-5). Using Fluorescence microscopy and photoacoustic imaging …

Therapeutic Resistance In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Current Challenges And Future Opportunities, Aditi Jain, Phd, Vikas Bhardwaj

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancerrelated deaths in the United States. Although chemotherapeutic regimens such as gemcitabine+ nab-paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX (FOLinic acid, 5-Fluroruracil, IRINotecan, and Oxaliplatin) significantly improve patient survival, the prevalence of therapy resistance remains a major roadblock in the success of these agents. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms that play a crucial role in PDAC therapy resistance and how a better understanding of these mechanisms has shaped clinical trials for pancreatic cancer chemotherapy. Specifically, we have discussed the metabolic alterations and DNA repair mechanisms observed in PDAC and current approaches in targeting …

Health Of Asylees Compared To Refugees In The United States Using Domestic Medical Examination Data, 2014-2016: A Cross-Sectional Analysis., Gayathri S Kumar, Clelia Pezzi, Colleen Payton, Blain Mamo, Kailey Urban, Kevin Scott, Jessica Montour, Nuny Cabanting, Jenny Aguirre, Rebecca Ford, Stephen E Hughes, Breanna Kawasaki, Lori Kennedy, Emily S Jentes

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Background: Between 2008 and 2018, persons granted asylum (asylees) increased by 168% in the United States. Asylees are eligible for many of the same domestic benefits as refugees under the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including health-related benefits such as the domestic medical examination. However, little is known about the health of asylees to guide clinical practice.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of domestic medical examination data from 9 US sites from 2014 to 2016. We describe and compare demographics and prevalence of several infectious diseases such as latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), hepatitis B and C virus (HBV, …

Effects Of The Tailored Activity Program (Tap) On Dementia-Related Symptoms, Health Events And Caregiver Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Laura N Gitlin, Katherine Marx, Catherine V. Piersol, Nancy A Hodgson, Jin Huang, David L Roth, Constantine Lyketsos

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: People living with dementia (PLWD) and caregivers are adversely impacted by lack of meaningful activity leading to worse symptoms and impaired quality-of-life. There is a critical need to develop effective and well-tolerated treatments that mitigate clinical symptoms, engage PLWD and support caregiver wellbeing. We tested whether, compared to attention control, the Tailored Activity Program (TAP) reduced clinical symptoms and health-related events, and improved caregiver wellbeing, and if TAP activities were well-tolerated.

METHODS: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial among 250 dyads recruited from Baltimore-Washington DC (2012-2016) with a dementia diagnosis and clinically significant agitation/aggression. Dyads were randomized to …