Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Multidomain Peptide Hydrogel-Liposome Composite For Controlled Release Of A Cyclic Dinucleotide In Oral Cancer, Joseph W R Swain, Andrea H Molina, Gemalene M Sunga, Danielle Chew-Martinez, Neeraja Dharmaraj, Alejandra Cobos Perez, Arghadip Dey, Ephraim J Vázquez-Rosado, Simon Young, Jeffrey D Hartgerink

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While immunotherapy is a promising treatment strategy for cancer, the majority of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with single-agent immunotherapy do not respond. Therefore, researchers are investigating combination treatments with immunostimulatory molecules that can maximize anti-tumor responses. Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are STING agonists that hold promise in combination approaches, but they require frequent intratumoral administration when used in both preclinical models of HNSCC and clinical trials. To reduce administration frequency, we have created a peptide hydrogel–liposome composite system, K2-Lip(CDN), for local and prolonged availability of CDN. We investigated the loading limits of cationic liposomes in both …

Therapeutic Potential Of Glp-1 Receptor Agonists For Smoking Cessation, Christian S Hendershot, W Kyle Simmons, Manish K Jha, Sherry A Mckee, Luba Yammine

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies are under investigation for a growing number of neuropsychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. Cigarette smoking accounts for the largest proportion of substance use-related morbidity and mortality, in part reflecting increased risk for cardiometabolic disease among people who smoke. Given modest quit rates with approved smoking cessation therapies, medications with novel mechanisms of action are needed to expand the available monotherapy and combination treatment options. Treatments that prevent post-cessation weight gain could further reduce relapse and cardiometabolic risks following smoking cessation. Preclinical findings show that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) modulate nicotine reward, reduce nicotine self-administration, and …

A Machine-Learning-Based Tool For Stroke Risk Prediction In Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury: Development And Preliminary Evaluation, Victoria Wagner, Joshua D Preston, Alejandro De Leon Castro, William F Mueller, Jonathan Nguyen, Manuel Garcia-Toca, Elizabeth R Benjamin, S Rob Todd, Jason D Sciarretta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Stroke risk correlates with the Biffl grading system in blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI). Although anti-thrombotic therapy is the mainstay of stroke prevention, no point-of-care clinical decision-support tool exists to guide timing for therapy. We sought to develop an interactive online calculator that incorporates patient-specific demographic and injury characteristics to estimate stroke risk and risk reduction with anti-thrombotic (AT) administration.

Methods: Data from BCVI patients (n = 1,197) at a Level I Trauma Center were retrospectively collected. Six machine learning methods were employed to predict stroke risk with and without AT therapy. Class imbalance was addressed using downsampling and/or class …

Loss Of Znrf3/Rnf43 Unleashes Egrfr In Cancer, Fei Yue, Amy T Ku, Payton D Stevens, Megan N Michalski, Weiyu Jiang, Jianghua Tu, Zhongcheng Shi, Yongchao Dou, Yi Wang, Xin-Hua Feng, Galen Hostetter, Xiangwei Wu, Shixia Huang, Noah F Shroyer, Bing Zhang, Bart O Williams, Qingyun Liu, Xia Lin, Yi Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

ZNRF3 and RNF43 are closely related transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligases with significant roles in development and cancer. Conventionally, their biological functions have been associated with regulating WNT signaling receptor ubiquitination and degradation. However, our proteogenomic studies have revealed EGFR as the protein most negatively correlated with ZNRF3/RNF43 mRNA levels in multiple human cancers. Through biochemical investigations, we demonstrate that ZNRF3/RNF43 interact with EGFR via their extracellular domains, leading to EGFR ubiquitination and subsequent degradation facilitated by the E3 ligase RING domain. Overexpression of ZNRF3 reduces EGFR levels and suppresses cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo, whereas knockout of …

Single-Cell Tcr Mapping Reveals Spatially Coordinated T Cell States In Head And Neck Cancer, Kelli A Mccord, Emerald Kan, Sean Hyslop, Amanda Y Xia, Colby J Hofferek, James S Lewis, Andreas Wieland, David J Hernandez, Vlad C Sandulache, William H Hudson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Current spatial T cell receptor (TCR) profiling approaches lack the resolution needed to link clonal identity, transcriptional state, and spatial positioning of individual T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we introduce a spatial TCR profiling strategy that resolves individual T cell clones together with their transcriptional states at single-cell resolution and applied the method to human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Presumed tumor-specific T cells were broadly dispersed throughout the tumor microenvironment, and cells of the same clone occupied distinct transcriptional states in different locations: Immune-rich regions contained more plastic or progenitor cells, whereas tumor-dense regions were enriched …

A Tv-Bm3d Iterative Algorithm For Vmat-Ct Reconstruction, Chia-Lung Chien, Beibei Guo, Rui Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Volumetric modulated arc therapy-computed tomography (VMAT-CT), which is the CT reconstructed using the portal images collected during VMAT, can potentially be an effective onsite imaging tool. The goal of this study was to propose an iterative reconstruction algorithm that can further improve the image quality of VMAT-CT and reduce the number of failed reconstructions. An iterative algorithm combining total variation (TV) with block-matching and 3D filtering (BM3D) was proposed, addressing the L1-L2 regularization problem using the split Bregman method. We collected portal images from 67 VMAT cases including 50 phantom and 17 real-patient cases. Both Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) and TV-BM3D iterative …

Constitutive Ampk Activation Prevents Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development Through Inhibition Of Hnf4Α Activity, Zhen Sun, Bernard Linares, Cassidy Urdiales, Fiyad Alsarmi, Boyuan Sang, Nagireddy Putluri, Jeanine L Van Nostrand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality and is largely driven by metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master regulator of metabolism, and its activation has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for treating metabolic disorders. However, although AMPK activity is down-regulated in HCC, the precise role of AMPK in HCC development has not been clearly delineated. Here, we investigated the ability of constitutive AMPK activation to prevent HCC development using a constitutively active AMPK transgenic mouse model and a pharmacological AMPK activator. We observed that AMPK …

Reirradiation Treatment Effects In The Clinic (Retec) Proposal - Proof Of Concept Based On Spinal Cord Dose Tolerance For Reirradiation With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, Jimm Grimm, Anand Mahadevan, Olusola Obayomi-Davies, Scott G. Soltys, Arjun Sahgal, Kristin J. Redmond, Michael T. Milano, Wolfgang A. Tomé, Kenneth Brooks, Scott Dodd, John Austin Vargo, Gopal Subedi, Jinyu Xue, Bisher Ebid, Felix Ehret, Byung-Han Andrew Rhieu, Christoph Fürweger, Rachel Grimm, Alexander Muacevic, Vitali Moiseenko, Shalom Kalnicki, Mark Mclaughlin, Lawrence R. Kleinberg, John R. Adler, Iris C. Gibbs

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Since the inception of spinal radiosurgery decades ago, the factors influencing spinal cord recovery have remained unclear. Elucidating these factors would aid in reirradiation planning and delivery. We describe modeling reirradiation normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) from compiled published data, akin to the collaborative Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) and High Dose per Fraction, Hypofractionated Treatment Effects in the Clinic (HyTEC) projects.

PURPOSE: Simple dose-time recovery factors for the spinal cord serve as a basis to propose the Reirradiation Treatment Effects in the Clinic (ReTEC) project. ReTEC aims to define human organ recovery factors …

Supporting Holistic Wellness In Transitional Housing: Implementation Of A Wellness Program For Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, Ashley Lauren Kirk

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Housing insecurity and homelessness continue to increase in the United States, with over 771,480 individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024—an approximate 18% increase from 2023 (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2024). Individuals facing homelessness often experience complex physical, mental, and emotional health challenges that can hinder successful community reintegration. The capstone site was a nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing through a relationship-centered model emphasizing individualized support and resource accessibility to those experiencing homelessness. The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive toolkit to educate residents on holistic wellness, provide practical strategies for …

Promoting Participation In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities (Id) Through Inclusive Theatre Education And A Professional Theatre Partnership, Lila R. Clark

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Intellectual Disabilities (ID) are characterized by a deficit in intellectual and adaptive function that affects between 1% and 3% of the general population (Patel et al., 2020). As young people age out of the school system between 18 and 21 years of age, opportunities for meaningful participation in their community drop drastically (Codd & Hewitt, 2020). This lack of opportunity can lead to decreased overall mental health and quality of life, possibly explaining why adults with ID are disproportionately affected by mental illness when compared to their typically developing peers (Hall, 2017; Pinals et al., 2022). The purpose of this …

Evaluating A Low-Burden, Client-Centered Home Activity Program For Stroke Survivors: A Mixed Feasibility Study, Latia A. Jones

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Importance

Stoke survivors often find it difficult to adhere to home exercise programs (HEPs), specifically those that are repetitive, impairment-based, or require technology, which can create barriers related to digital literacy, cognitive load, and access (Mahmood et al., 2019; Bol et al., 2018; Verma et al., 2022; Lang et al., 2007).

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility, usability and acceptability, and perceived usefulness of a low-burden, client-centered home activity program for adults with chronic stroke.

Design

A mix-methods feasibility study using structured quantitative measures and semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted after one week of home activity use.

Setting

MUSC Stroke Recovery Research …

Addressing Financial Toxicity In Student-Run Free Clinics (Srfcs) Through Development Of Inventory System And Community Resource Guide For Durable Medical Equipment (Dme), Samantha Boggess

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Student run free clinics (SRFC) provide care to uninsured or under insured patients with physical and mental health impairments. Under insured patients must make difficult decisions about their healthcare, not based on best practices, but on what they can reasonably afford.  For example, they may have to forego durable medical equipment (DME) (e.g., shower chairs, wheelchairs, and self-care equipment)or treatments due to high out-of-pocket costs.

Financial toxicity (FT) refers to the negative impact of medical expenses on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and can lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes. FT is a new concept that has …

Improving Implementation And Effectiveness Of Self-Regulation Strategies In Clinical And Home-Based Settings, Carlie M. Foltz

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Self-regulation is defined as an individual’s ability to manage behavior, emotions, thoughts, and attention in order to achieve goal-directed actions (Chen et al., 2024). Occupational therapists support participation in meaningful occupations such as school, play, and self-care, where limited self-regulation skills may hinder engagement. Despite the well-documented importance of self-regulation, inconsistent implementation and assessment of self-regulation tools limit carryover and long-term effectiveness.

This doctoral capstone project, completed in collaboration with a local pediatric occupational therapy rehabilitation clinic, aimed to improve the implementation and carryover of self-regulation tools for children ages 4-13. As identified in a prior needs assessment, children reported …

Enhancing Pediatric Outpatient Occupational Therapythrough Self-Regulation Interventions, Teresa L. Marinaccio

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Enhancing Pediatric Outpatient Occupational Therapy  Through Self-Regulation Interventions

Self-regulation is defined as the understanding, acceptance, and regulation of emotional responses necessary for successful adaptation to one’s psychosocial environment, goal achievement, and overall mental health (Alarcón-Espinoza et al., 2022). This project was conducted in collaboration with two Charleston based mentors who developed a self-regulation education program with the mission to empower children and their caregivers through research-informed, trauma-sensitive strategies. The program emphasizes interoception, mindful awareness, and compassionate connection to support children in understanding their sensory needs and fostering emotional regulation.

The purpose of this project was to expand pediatric self-regulation resources …

Translating Self-Regulation Concepts Into Practice: A Pediatric Outpatient Occupational Therapy Activity Toolkit, Catherine Spaulding

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Translating Self-Regulation Concepts into Practice: A Pediatric Outpatient Occupational Therapy Activity Toolkit 

Self-regulation is a foundational skill that enables individuals to manage emotions, behaviors, attention, and physiological responses to engage meaningfully in daily life. In childhood, the development of self-regulation predicts academic success, social relationships, mental health, and lifelong wellbeing (Philpott-Robinson et al., 2023; Robson et al., 2020). When children experience self-regulation difficulties, early identification and intervention by pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) can help prevent future mental health and wellbeing challenges (Philpott-Robinson et al., 2023). Pediatric OTs support self-regulation through sensory-based strategies, mindfulness practices, environmental modifications, caregiver education, and collaboration …

Correspondence: Dean Elizabeth Martin And Frenesi Wilson Concerning Employment, Dr. Elizabeth Martin, Frenesi Wilson

Correspondence

Correspondence between Dr. Elizabeth Martin, dean of the School of Nursing at the University of North Alabama and Frenesi Wilson, PhD candidate at the University of Texas-Austin, concerning employment. Within in this November and December 1975 correspondence, Frenesi Wilson decline's Dean Martin's offer of a faculty position as an assistant professor due to the commitment of her PhD program. However, Dr. Wilson eventually joins the program as dean on July 19, 1976.

Pamela Charlene Kennamer: Nursing Student Correspondence, License & Pin, Pamela Charlene Kennamer

Correspondence

Correspondence pertaining to nursing student Pamela Charlene Kennamer Corble's admittance to Florence State University as a transfer student in May of 1973. Kennamer was a member of one of UNA's, formerly Florence State University, first graduating classes in nursing. Documents in the final pages of the pdf, include her registration for the state nursing exams in 1976 and official license and nursing pin.

Conceptual Framework With Annotations, College Of Nursing, Florence State University

Documents

The document includes the conceptual framework for the School of Nursing at Florence State University dated April 27, 1976. It also features several handwritten annotations that amend and reword portions of it dated July 21, 1996. Overall, the framework argues the impact of the nursing school's interactions with broader society in helping its students reach self-actualization through its pedagogical practices.

Poems By Nursing Students, Anonymous, A. Jann Davis, L M. A, Larry Atkins

Documents

A series of four poems presumed to be authored by nursing students in approximately the 1980s on themes related to mortality and grief.

The first poem "Thoughts of a Dying Person" is written by an anonymous author whose speaker questions the things in life they would do differently if they had more time. Its form is more prose like than the others in the document and could be considered flash fiction or prose poetry but seems to fit the poetic category more through the usage of a triangular shaping of the poem.

The second poem, an untitled piece by A. …

Information Sheet For High School Day, School Of Nursing, University Of North Alabama

Documents

Information sheet prepared by the University of North Alabama Student Nurses' Association for High School Day held on November 17, 1976. The document explains the School of Nursing's founding in 1973 and the admission process for those seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

Utility Of Right Ventricular Mass Ratios In Recipients With Pulmonary Hypertension: A United Network For Organ-Sharing Database Analysis, Matthew P. Weber, Danial Ahmad, Howard J. Eisen, Eugene Storozynsky, René J. Alvarez, J. Eduardo Rame, Keshava Rajagopal, John W. Entwistle, Charles Hoopes, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: There is a lack of data reviewing the role of predicted cardiac mass ratio (PCMR) in transplant recipients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). In particular, the right ventricular (RV) mass ratio (RVMR) is a component of PCMR not yet studied separately for this purpose. We aimed to review the relationship of PCMR and RVMR with PH in terms of post-transplant overall survival.

METHODS: The United Network for Organ-Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for primary heart transplant (HTx) patients from 2004 to 2023. Predicted RVMR was calculated for donors and recipients. A parsimonious multivariable model Cox model was formed for risk …

Integrating Zotero With Your Writing: From Research To Publication – Hslic Workshop Apr 2026, Evelyn Wang

HSLIC Faculty and Staff Instructional Resources

This HSLIC workshop presentation provides a practical, step‑by‑step guide to integrating Zotero into the research and writing workflow. Topics include installing and configuring Zotero and the Zotero Connector, collecting references from databases and web pages, organizing items with collections, subcollections, tags, and PDF attachments, inserting citations and generating bibliographies in Microsoft Word and Google Docs, managing and annotating PDFs, handling title case versus sentence case, detecting and merging duplicate records, and using advanced features such as Zotero sync, group libraries, collaboration tools, custom citation styles, and ZoteroBib.

Epigenome-Wide Association Study Of Blood Proteome In The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Yang Li, Aditya Surapaneni, Zulema Rodriguez-Hernandez, Pascal Schlosser, Eugene P Rhee, Eric Boerwinkle, Bing Yu, Megan L Grove, Kelly V Ruggles, Josef Coresh, Morgan Grams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Characterizing the relationship between DNA methylation and circulating proteins is critical to understanding the epigenetic regulation of the human plasma proteome. Here, we performed an epigenome-wide association study of 5,032 circulating proteins in 1,449 White and 315 Black participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. We identified 12,500 significant protein quantitative trait methylation (pQTM)-protein associations involving 1,647 proteins. Among 7,796 unique pQTMs, 14.7% were classified as cis-pQTMs, which were enriched for fundamental cellular processes, whereas trans-pQTMs were predominantly linked to immune-related functions. Trans-pQTMs also exhibited stronger associations with demographic, lifestyle, and clinical traits as compared with cis-pQTMs. We identified …

Choice-Aya: Adapting An Evidence-Based Contraceptive Counseling Intervention For Adolescents And Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness., Mariah E. Brewe, Anna Burns, Nikolaus Schuetz, Taylor Stephens, Emma Francis, Haylie Yost, Stephani L. Stancil

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents and young adults (AYA) experiencing homelessness face an increased risk of reproductive violence, unintended pregnancy, and barriers accessing healthcare. While interventions focused on efficacy-first contraceptive counseling are successful at increasing rates of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) use, little is known about how an efficacy-first approach is received by AYA experiencing homelessness given unique factors associated with their reproductive health care. We aimed to adapt the evidence-based CHOICE contraceptive counseling approach for AYA experiencing homelessness.

METHODS: Focus groups discussion with AYA experiencing homelessness were conducted to understand prior reproductive health care experiences and contraception counseling preferences, comparing efficacy first …

Bi-Allelic Variants In Ap5z1 And Ap5b1 Lead To Retinal Degeneration, Hafiz Muhammad Jafar Hussain, Meng Wang, Paul Yang, Behnoosh Tasharrofi, Yumei Li, Rebecca Lynn Clark, Emma Fale-Olsen, Grace Waldow, Mohammad Keramatipour, Mostafa Asadollahi, Mark E Pennesi, Rui Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) comprise a diverse group of disorders that frequently lead to progressive vision impairment and blindness. Despite advances in genetic testing, a significant number of IRD cases remain genetically unsolved, often due to unidentified disease-associated genes or variants. This study reports additional cases for the newly discovered IRD genes of the AP-5 complex. A comprehensive ophthalmological evaluation was performed for all patients, including retinal imaging (multimodal imaging), visual field testing, and electroretinogram (ERG) testing. Whole-genome and -exome sequencing (WGS and WES) were performed for clinically unsolved IRD patients, and data were analyzed to identify underlying causal variants. …

Evapecognition: An 18-Year Dataset Of Great Ape Cognition, Alejandro Sánchez-Amaro, Sonja J Ebel Van Wijk, Carin Molenaar, Akzira Abuova, Lizbeth Mujica-Manrique, Sarah M Leisterer-Peoples, Bret Beheim, Luke Maurits, Anna Albiach-Serrano, Matthias Allritz, Nazli Altınok, Federica Amici, Alice Mi Auersperg, Filippo Aureli, Elisa Bandini, Jochen Barth, Leïla Benziad, Bettina E Bläsing, Manuel Bohn, Marie Bourjade, Juliane Bräuer, Marie-Hélène Broihanne, Sarah F Brosnan, Nereida Bueno-Guerra, Thomas Bugnyar, David Buttelmann, Frances Buttelmann, Trix Cacchione, Malinda Carpenter, Fernando Colmenares, Catherine Crockford, Katherine A Cronin, África De Las Heras, Arianna De Marco, Sarah E Detroy, Valérie Dufour, Shona Duguid, Robin I M Dunbar, Johanna Eckert, Jan M Engelmann, Joel Fagot, Julia Fischer, Sofia Ingrid Fredrika Forss, Martina Funk, György Gergely, Julia R Greenberg, Johannes Großmann, Sebastian Grüneisen, Marta Halina, Daniel Hanus, Sarah R Heilbronner, Christophe Heintz, Robert Hepach, Esther Herrmann, Satoshi Hirata, Alenka Hribar, Gabriele Janzen, Juliane Kaminski, Patricia Kanngiesser, Fumihiro Kano, Katharina C Kirchhofer, Hagen Knofe, Kathrin S Kopp, Christopher Krupenye, Isabelle Barbara Laumer, Stephen C Levinson, Ulf Liszkowski, Héctor M Manrique, Gema Martin-Ordas, Emma Suvi Mcewen, Richard T Moore, Enric Munar, Marcos Nadal, Christian Nawroth, Suska Nolte, Marie Pelé, Patrizia Potì, Hannes Rakoczy, Julia Riedel, Amélie Romain, Federico Rossano, Yvan I Russell, Gloria Sabbatini, Marie Schäfer, Marina Scheumann, Martin Schmelz, Benjamin Schmid, Vanesa Schmitt, Carla Sebastián-Enesco, Amanda Madeleine Seed, Chikako Suda-King, Tibor Tauzin, Sebastian Tempelmann, Claudio Tennie, Valentina Truppa, Jana Uher, Amrisha Vaish, Edwin J C Van Leeuwen, Elisabetta M Visalberghi, Christoph J Völter, Victoria Vonau, Claudia A F Wascher, Roman M Wittig, Wouter Wolf, Michael Tomasello, Katja Liebal, Josep Call, Daniel B M Haun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The study of great ape cognition offers insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, but is hindered by small sample sizes and restricted access to data. To address this, we present the EVApeCognition Dataset, a publicly available resource comprising 262 experimental datasets from 150 scientific publications from the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center (2004-2021) in Leipzig, Germany. Eighty-one apes participated in 150 studies, with a majority (N = 78) participating in more than one study. Publication of the dataset aims to make these unique datasets accessible for future meta-analyses and correlational analyses, helping us better understand how our great …

Contributing Factors Of Contralateral Breast Cancer In Patients With Brca Mutation (On-Brca Ii Study, Korea-Bsg 11), Seon-Hi Shin, Sung Gwe Ahn, Jai Min Ryu, Sae Byul Lee, Hyung Seok Park, Eun-Shin Lee, Janghee Lee, Byeongju Kang, Sanghwa Kim, Eun Young Kim, Young-Joon Kang, Sun Young Min, Moohyun Lee, Se-Kang Kim, Hong-Kyu Kim, Chihwan David Cha

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The cumulative risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in BRCA1/2 carriers is remarkably higher than in non-carriers. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological predictors associated with the risk of metachronous CBC among breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations using correspondence analysis.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent BRCA testing between January 2008 and December 2018. The inclusion criterion was patients being between 20 and 80-years-old with invasive breast cancer (pT1-3, N0-3). We performed univariate and multivariate survival analyses to assess the risks associated with BRCA mutations, and conducted correspondence analysis to identify contributing factors for CBC …

The Use Of Radiofrequency In The Treatment Of Erectile Dysfunction, Sarah Ponce, Nikola Rakic, Beatriz Hernandez, Mohit Khera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Tracking Hiv Through Wastewater: Ethical Considerations In Public Health Surveillance, Faith E Fletcher, Olive R Pertuit, Catherine Troisi, Jelani Kerr, Dakotah Kinsella, Grace Elizabeth White, Steven Vargas, Anthony Maresso, Thomas P Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Ending the HIV epidemic requires timely identification of new HIV infections and promptly linking patients to high-quality care. Innovative methods are needed to capture real-time HIV incidence data to more effectively identify persons in need of HIV care access. Emerging advancements in wastewater surveillance (WWS) offer the potential to identify geographic areas with elevated prevalence of detectable viral loads among people who are undiagnosed or no longer receiving care, enabling more targeted interventions to reduce HIV transmission. The introduction of new public health technologies requires balancing potential risks with the significant clinical and population-level benefits of decreasing the number of …

Co-Occurrence Of Transcriptionally Distinct Persister Cell States Underpins Neoadjuvant Therapy Resistance In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Yu Zhang, Fatemeh Ahmadi Moughari, Ioanna Mavrommati, Nora J Doleschall, Kate Moore, Gareth Muirhead, Ram Rajaram Srinivasan, Ping Gong, Jonathan T Lei, Amy Fleming, Hwei Minn Khoo, Naomi Guppy, Gabrielle Elshtein, Mohammed Inayatullah, Vijay K Tiwari, Lacey E Dobrolecki, Michael T Lewis, Syed Haider, Rachael Natrajan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

Although the addition of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade to chemotherapy has improved patient outcome in early triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC), some patients continue to have poor disease outcomes.

Methods

To characterise neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) resistant cell populations that persist post-NAC, we created a high-resolution single-cell atlas of 129,433 cells from fourteen TNBC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models with residual disease post-NAC. We identified transcriptionally distinct cancer subpopulations or cell states using unsupervised clustering and characterised‑ their regulatory network as well as clinical associations with treatment response, metastatic progression and survival. Findings were validated using multiple independent TNBC cohorts.

Results

Four …