Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley (RGV) suffers from a high prevalence of certain cancers and lack the resources for accurate early diagnosis. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer detection compared to radiological imaging. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues that allow high-resolution and deep tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some drawbacks, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary and biocompatible NIR fluorescent substance which has the potential to serve as a cancer NIR imaging candidate. Hence, we aim to …

Acute Exacerbation Of Heart Failure In A 35-Year-Old Hispanic Female With Premature Coronary Artery Disease Status Post Cabg X 4 And Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Bhargavi Akkineni

Research Symposium

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in adults worldwide.¹ Although CHD prevalence is highest in adults of middle age and above, it is important to be aware of risk factors in young adults that predispose them to premature CAD and its complications. We present a case of a young Hispanic female with acute exacerbation of heart failure (HF), CAD, and multiple comorbidities.

Case: A 35-year-old Hispanic female with past medical history of CAD status post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) X 4, HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF) of 40-45%, chronic kidney disease stage …

A Closer Look At Covid Testing Among The Pediatric Population Living Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Naba Asif, Jefferson Chandler

Research Symposium

Background & Objectives: On August 2020, the AAP reported that Texas only provides pediatric age distribution for 8% of COVID-19 testing results. In response to the limited data availability, our research focused on tracking test positivity rates for the pediatric population (ages 0-19) in the Rio Grande Valley from March 30 through August 7, 2020.

Methods & Analysis: The research study received IRB exemption status on August 9, 2020. We obtained deidentified data from UT Health RGV COVID testing sites in Hidalgo and Cameron county. SPSS was used to find the mean and median age and frequency over time of …

A Case Of Minoca In A Patient With Recent History Of Covid-19 Infection, Don C. Rajan, Nghia Nguyen, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Symposium

Background: Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a syndrome of myocardial ischemia resulting from microvascular dysfunction and with < 50% stenosis of major epicardial vessels. The incidence of MINOCA is 6% among patients with acute myocardial infarction. We present a case of MINOCA in a patient with a recent history of COVID-19 infection.

Case presentation: A 22-year-old man with recent history of Covid 19 infection presented with 3 days history of typical cardiac chest pain. He was not taking any medications or illicit drugs. EKG revealed sinus rhythm with ST elevations in leads II, V5, V6. Troponin I was elevated to 5.3ng/ml. He underwent coronary angiography which was reported as normal with no signs of obstructive coronary artery disease. Further workup including viral panel, ESR, CRP, HIV, hepatitis panel were negative. He was …

A 3d Printed Microneedle System For Transdermal Drug Delivery Of Anticancer Drugs, Md Jasim Uddin, Tanvir Ahmed, Dennis Douroumis

Research Symposium

Background: Transdermal delivery of drugs is an attractive alternative to the conventional route of administration as oral delivery. The hypodermic injections are painful and less patient compliance. Microneedles (MNs) are micron-sized, minimally invasive needles to deliver a wide range of molecules (e.g., small, DNA, vaccines etc.) to the upper portion of the dermis in a sustained and controlled manner, without causing any pain. The introduction of 3D printing technologies in the fabrication of MN will promote one-step manufacturing tools and scale-up for the delivery devices of anticancer drugs.

Methods: The 3D printed MN (3DMN) arrays were fabricated using Stereolithography (SLA), …

A Case Of Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Call For Importance Of Preventive Medicine, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Fatimah Bello

Research Symposium

Introduction: Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of death by cancer in both men and women in United States. There is an estimation of over 200 thousand new cases and over 100 thousand deaths due to lung cancer in 2021.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male with a history of COPD and smoking presents with complaint of progressive cough and exertional shortness of breath. Chest x-ray demonstrated right sided pleural effusion which was exudative in nature upon pleural fluid analysis. Samples were sent for cytology however patient left against medical advice. Two months later, the …

A Case Of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy After Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccination, Irma Duncan, Alexander S. Renpenning, Roberto A. Cruz

Research Symposium

Background: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is an immune-mediated polyneuropathy characterized by peripheral demyelination, resulting in symmetrical sensory loss and distal and proximal muscle weakness. While CIDP has been reported after influenza, tetanus, and other common vaccinations, this is the first reported case of CIDP after COVID-19 vaccination to our knowledge.

Case Presentation: A 34-year-old right-handed male with an unremarkable past medical history presented with bilateral distal paresthesias, proximal and distal muscle weakness, and fine motor difficulties. Symptoms initially manifested with toe numbness, approximately two weeks after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Paresthesias gradually progressed from …

Illness Trajectory From Prodromal Symptoms To Incident Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia, Manuel A. Gardea Resendez, Javier Ortiz-Orendain, Brandon J. Coombes, Aysegul Ozerdem, Monica J. Taylor-Desir, Balwinder Singh, Alastair J. Mckean, Mark Frye

Research Symposium

Background: The concept of prodrome is highly variable but, when applied retrospectively in cohorts who progress to meet diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), it can contribute to clarify early origins and trajectory of the illness. In the context of race and ethnicity, studies with population-based and registry-based cohorts, such as the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP), can potentially identify, through retrospective assessment of the prodromes of BD and SZ, differences while addressing the heterogeneous nature of the illness.

Objective: We aim to describe and compare the illness trajectories of individuals with BD or SZ prior to the …

A Very Di-Still-Ed Diagnosis- Adult-Onset Still’S Disease Presenting In A Middle-Aged Hispanic Patient, Christine E. Loftis, Juan Naranjo, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Andrew Guerra, Emilia C. Dulgheru

Research Symposium

Background: Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by daily high fevers, arthritis, evanescent rash, and leukocytosis (1). Patients can present without typical manifestations and pose a challenging differential. We present a case of a 52-year-old gentleman with a one-year history of recurring fever, lymphadenopathy, and weight loss diagnosed with AOSD. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge that AOSD poses and the strategies to help aid in the diagnosis.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old gentleman presented to the ED for a 2-week history of fever associated with chills and bone pain. He reported that he has been having …

Higher Stress During Admission Predicts Shorter Treatment Retention In Residential Treatment, Orrin D. Ware

Research Symposium

Background: Over one million people in the United States received residential treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2020. Shorter treatment retention is associated with adverse outcomes compared to individuals retained in treatment longer. Entering treatment with higher stress may be associated with leaving prematurely. This study aims to examine the impact of perceived stress during admission on treatment retention in a short-term residential treatment facility.

Methods: This study used de-identified data of 357 treatment episodes of adults entering a short-term (28-day) urban Mid-Atlantic residential facility between October 2019 through February 2020. The dataset included demographic characteristics, substance use …

Increasing Opioid Overdose Among Hispanic Young Population In The Borders Of The Usa And Mexico. Imperative To Work With First Responders And Proper Use Of Narcan, Denis X. Gutierrez, B Oluwakemi, N. Patel, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Symposium

Background: Hypercapnic respiratory failure is a frequently encountered medical emergency. A very common cause among young patients is a side effect of opioids in the setting of an opioid crisis in both sides of the borders. Sometimes a delay in diagnosis associated with increased synthetic opioids use causes a delay in optimal management. We report a case of a patient that was negative for opioids in urine but responded to repeated dose of Narcan, the family later explained that he was obtaining medications across the border and distributing drugs.

Case presentation: 21 y/o Hispanic man who lives at a border …

The Impact Of Virtual Learning On Health Literacy: Lessons From A Virtual Townhall Held By The Lamar University Recovery And Resilience Academy, Margot Gage Witvliet, Chiung-Fang Chang

Research Symposium

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the entire world. This caused universities and addiction recovery programs to get creative on how to reach community needs. Many professors found themselves teaching online for the first time. Apps for mental health and addiction recovery programs grew exponentially. Information on how adequate virtual programs perform are mixed. We investigate the extent to which a virtual program can increase health literacy. To accomplish this, the professors of the sociology program launched the Recovery and Resilience Academy (RnR Academy). The aim of RnR Academy is to serve as an outreach and educational center for the …

Storage Temperature Affects MüLler Glia Susceptibility To Hypoxia, Assraa Jassim, Martin Garcia, Andrew Tsin, Laura Valdez, Jose Martinez

Research Symposium

Background/Objective: We conducted this project to differentiate cell susceptibility to hypoxia (low O2 level) between immortalized Müller glia (MIO-M1) stored in -80 versus liquid nitrogen.

Method: MIO-M1 cells were cultured and seeded in 12 well plates at 40K/well and in 6 well plates at 75K/well until confluence. Cell culture conditions: centrifugation time and speed, neutralization, and storage temperature were varied. Cells were subjected to chemically induced hypoxia by treatment with 300 and 400uM CoCl2 for 24 and 48hours. Oxygen level was measured in cells, cells were imaged and counted.

Results: Centrifugation and neutralization conditions did not affect cell survival. We …

Exploration Of Potential Natural Inhibitors Against Kras-G12d In Pancan: Protein Centered Pharmacophore Htvs Approach., Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Sudhir Kotnala, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chuahan

Research Symposium

Background: As per key statistics of American Cancer Society 2021, Pancreatic Cancer (PanCan) affects around 60,430 persons a year in the U.S. and is tricky to diagnose & treat. Studies revealed that African Americans have a 50–90% higher incidence of PanCan compared to other ethnic groups. Oncogenic KRAS mutation is the signature genetic incident in the progression and development of PDAC. KRAS is the most common protein which is 95% times mutated in PDAC condition. By considering this alarming situation our group is now focused on to develop therapeutic portfolio against KRAS-G12D mutation associated PanCan by using high through-put virtual …

Mortaparibplus- A Novel Anticancer Small Molecule Abrogating Mortalin-P53 Interaction In Cancer Cells, Anissa N. Sari, Ahmed Elwakeel, Jaspreet K. Dhanjal, Vipul Kumar, Durai Sundar, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background. The cessation of tumor cell growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis is determined by p53, a tumor suppressor protein. However, the interaction between mortalin-p53 within cytoplasm/nucleus leads to the inactivation of p53 transcriptional activation function. The disruption of mortalin-p53 complex has been suggested as an approach for developing a potential anticancer drug.

Methods. A screening of a high-content chemical library was performed to determine a molecule with mortalin-p53-interaction disrupting characteristics. After four-rounds of visual assays, we discovered a triazole derivative (4-[(1E)-2-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)-1-azavinyl]-1,2,4-triazole, named Mortaparib^Plus) with a potential ability of disrupting mortalin-p53-complex. In this study, we recruited …

Morgellons Disease, Yaya L. Besong

Research Symposium

Background: A case of a patient who was been diagnosed with Morgellons disease, a rare disease, and an interesting case because of the uniqueness of its presentation. The analysis of this case is important because it will help to point out some of the characteristics that can be used to identify this disease. My patient in this paper did demonstrate in front of the doctor and myself, foreign material extruding from her skin and inside her mouth. The patient has also suffered severe distress with nonhealing skin ulcerations and excruciating pain. The paper will examine existing literature on Morgellons disease …

From Bench To Bedside: Bridging The Gap Between Animal Behavior Research And The Study Of Human Personality And Psychopathology, William Reckley, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Most psychopathology focuses on the current mental picture of an individual with some including relations to the past experience. One problem with the biomedical studies of psychopathologies is the difficulty in using animals to describe and model these mental states in humans. This difficult task has been confounded by the inability to classify animals in a way that will provide general models that will allow better translation to hypotheses in humans. Therefore, the present investigation explores statistical/research strategies to organize variables using lab animals to facilitate the translation of this information to humans.

Methods: Factor analysis/PCA was used to …

Identification Of Mir-660-5p Targets Involved In Breast Cancer Progression, Valeria Villarreal García, José Roberto Estupiñan Jiménez, Diana Reséndez Pérez, José Manuel Vázquez Guillén, Fermin Mar Aguilar, Pablo E. Vivas Mejía, Vianey González Villasana

Research Symposium

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer in women globally. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in different processes of BC; their deregulation can make them act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, participating in cancer progression. Using the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database, we found miR-660-5p significantly overexpressed and associated with poor survival in patients with this pathology. It is reported that miR-660-5p induces proliferation, migration, and invasion in BC. However, the specific targets of this miRNA that induce each of these processes are unknown. In this project we propose to identify the targets of miR-660-5p involved in proliferation, migration, …

Cardiac Tamponade: Innovative Sternotomy Simulation Model For Training Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Team, Tolu Akinpelu, Mohammed Alhendy, Malarvizhi Thangavelu, Karen Weaver, Nicole Muller, James Mcelroy, Daniel Nento, Utpal Bhalala

Research Symposium

Introduction: Cardiac tamponade occurring after cardiac surgery is rare but life threatening and requires simultaneous resuscitation and emergent sternotomy by the intensive care team. A simulated scenario using innovative mannequin with sternotomy wound has the capability of reproducing cardiac arrest associated with postoperative tamponade. We evaluated the face validity of this innovative mannequin, the confidence level and crisis resource management skills of the team during sternotomy to manage postoperative cardiac tamponade.

Methods: The simulation case scenario was developed using innovative sternotomy mannequin for children’s hospital cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) teams. The case involved a 3-year old male, intubated, mechanically …

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid In The Midbrain: Role In Sensation, Perception, And Neurological Disorders, Truc Le, Cristian Botello, John Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Altered GABA expression in the midbrain is associated with neurological conditions like epilepsy and Parkinson’s Disease. In the genetically epilepsy prone rat, an increase in GABA neurons in the inferior colliculus increases seizure susceptibility. In contrast, Parkinson’s Disease is associated with altered GABA expression in the substantia nigra. The purpose of this study is to identify patterns between the sensory and motor regions of the midbrain and to quantify a baseline of GABA neurons in these areas.

Methods: The Allen Institute’s reference atlas of the mouse and BrainMap.org was used to identify the sensory and motor areas of the …

The Role Of Community Pharmacists In The Provision Of Medication For Opioid Use Disorder Treatment In Rio Grande Valley, Tamara Al Rawwad, Ammar Kawaleet, Lydia Aguilera, Adrian Sandoval

Research Symposium

Background: The misuse of opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl, has reached epidemic proportions in the US, resulting in more than 68,000 overdose deaths in 2020, and a total of $78.5 billion a year of economic burden. In response to this crisis, the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a strategic plan to combat opioid abuse and misuse, recommending a multidisciplinary approach, including the inclusion of pharmacists in the efforts. The aim of this study is to examine pharmacists’ perception of their role in the provision of medication for opioid use disorders (MOUD) in addition to …

Social Determinants Of Health And Stage Of Presentation Of Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Taha Al Hassan, Saba Suleman, Adam Bender-Heine, Rachel A. Giese

Research Symposium

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors that contribute to the development of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the Rio Grande Valley and understand factors that may be associated with advance stage at presentation.

Methods: Initially 1,609 charts from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley outpatient clinics were evaluated for a diagnosis of SCC and 69 patients were identified for potential inclusion. 44 patients were included for final analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0.0. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted.

Results: Patients without insurance coverage were more likely to present with …

Gangrenous Appendicitis In An Elderly Male, Suneet Johal, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Maria Najam

Research Symposium

Background: Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdomen with 250,000 cases reported annually in the U.S. Clinical manifestations include right lower quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and low grade fever. However, in the elderly population they may present with atypical or non-specific symptoms of appendicitis.

Case Presentation: An 82-year-old Hispanic gentleman presents to the emergency department with chief complaint of epigastric pain, dizziness and vomiting after eating breakfast in the morning. He reports the epigastric pain is sharp, 4/10, radiating to the left arm with no alleviating or aggravating factors. Vitas on presentation showed a temperature …

Connectome Specific Harmonic Wave Analysis Of Disordered Brain States, Stephen A. Odunsi, Ihsan Salloum

Research Symposium

Background: Connectome Harmonics analysis is a novel neuroimaging framework that defines brain states as neural spatial patterns associated with different frequencies emerging within a brain. Frequencies corresponding to specific brain states, or connectome-specific harmonic waves (CSHWs), are estimated to be the building blocks of brain activity, linking cortical oscillations, functional connectivity, and structural connectivity. Using this framework, studies will examine CSHWs of patients to catalog and analyze the spatiotemporal neural dynamics of patients with disordered brain states.

Methods: By using MRI (or fMRI) and DTI data extracted from MRI scans of patients, cortical surface anatomy and the underlying neural tracts …

The Morbidity Of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Is Similar To That Of Hip Osteoarthritis Awaiting Total Hip Arthroplasty, Sonia Wadekar, Joel Wells, Avneesh Chhabra, Yin Xi, Emily Middleton

Research Symposium

Background: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is characterized by chronic lateral hip pain and dysfunction. While psychosocial measures of other tendinopathies have been gaining traction, GTPS is less well studied. We sought to characterize the morbidity upon presentation of GTPS and compared it to patients with end-stage, hip osteoarthritis (OA) awaiting total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods: This study examined patient reported outcomes measures (PROMs) on activity limitations, quality of life (QOL), pain, and level of disability, in all patients with GTPS and end-stage, pre-THA hip OA. All patients presented at a single academic medical center between October 2016 to November …

Changes In Severity Of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction After Hip Surgery, Amisha Mehta, Joel E. Wells, Sonia Wadekar, Taylor Price, Donald Kasitinon

Research Symposium

Introduction: Despite growing evidence that suggests an association between hip pathology and pelvic floor disorder (PFD), the comprehensive effects of hip surgery on PFD symptoms are not well understood. The primary purpose of this study was to report the role of surgical hip procedures on the severity of PFD symptoms.

Methods: A prospective database of demographic and outcome data for all female patients that were operated on between 2019-2020 at a single institution was queried. The PDFI-20 was used to assess symptom severity, and cases with both pre and postoperative surveys were included (n=62). MCID was used to determine significance …

Characterization Of Prostate Cancer In Transgender Women, Simita Gaglani, Rajveer Purohit, Ashutosh Tewari, Dara Lundon, Natasha Kyprianou

Research Symposium

Background: The risk of developing prostate cancer (PC) in transgender women is unknown. Many patients are unaware that the prostate is not removed during male-to-female surgical transition. It is unclear what the exposure of estrogens and androgen blockers in these transgender patients has on the prostate. Our aim was to examine and characterize the different presentations of PC in published cases and augment this with an additional case series from one institute.

Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively maintained medical records was performed identifying features of PC diagnoses in transgender women. These included age, duration of feminizing hormone therapy, PSA …

The Importance Of A Broad Differential Diagnosis: Hepatitis C Virus Associated Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Christine E. Loftis, Juan Naranjo, Emilia Dulgheru

Research Symposium

Introduction: Mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome (MCS) is a systemic inflammatory syndrome affecting small-medium sized vessels due to the presence of type II or III cryoglobulins in the serum. MSC can manifest as systemic vasculitis with symptoms varying from weakness, arthralgia, palpable purpura, peripheral neuropathy, and renal involvement. The most common cause of MCS includes lymphoproliferative disorders, autoimmune diseases and viral infections, with hepatitis C virus (HCV) being the most common etiology.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old lady was referred to our office for evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis. She reported history of bilateral thumb pain, bilateral knee pain associated with episodes of swelling, …

Granulomatous Mastitis: A Rare Or An Underdiagnosed Disease?, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Juan Naranjo, Christine E. Loftis, Emilia Dulgheru

Research Symposium

Introduction:Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a benign chronic inflammatory breast disease that is poorly understood, with no universal agreement on underlying etiologies and treatment protocol. The proposed etiologies include trauma, metabolic processes, hormonal changes, autoimmune disorders, and infections. This entity commonly presents with unilateral painful firm and erythematous breast mass, and less frequently with areolar retraction, fistula formation and ulceration. The disease is more common in Hispanic and Asian population. Due to its inflammatory nature, the mainstay of treatment includes a tapered course of high-dose corticosteroid, and methotrexate has proven to be effective in some cases.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old …

Recognizing Fatal Electrocardiography Rhythm Changes In A Patient With Severe Hyperkalemia And Prevention Of Cardiac Arrest With Medical Management In Small Hospitals, Semenawit B. Burka, Eduardo Flores, Johnathan Gyebi-Agyepong

Research Symposium

Background: Hyperkalemia is one of the most potentially lethal electrolyte disorders. Severe hyperkalemia is defined as a serum potassium level of >6.5 mEq/L. The risk of arrhythmias increases with potassium values >6.5 mEq/L. Small elevation above this value can cause peaked T waves to quickly progress to ventricular fibrillation or asystole. The longer the patient has elevated potassium concentrations, the greater the risk of sudden deterioration. Therefore, recognizing ECG changes and acting quickly to decrease potassium concentration is important to prevent hyperkalemic cardiac arrest.

Case Presentation: A 26-Year-old man with a history of congenital hypoaldosteronism presented to the emergency department …