Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Automated Texts To Offer, Screen, And Enroll Patients In A Cancer Clinical Trial Financial Reimbursement Program: Mixed Methods Study, Ashley E Santaniello, Hena Patel, Sarah Milinski, Mohan Balachandran, Vivian Nguyen, E. Paul Wileyto, Robert H. Vonderheide, Dana Dornsife, Robert G. Johnson, Carmen E. Guerra

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: Out-of-pocket (OOP) costs pose a significant barrier to participating in cancer clinical trials (CCTs). Financial reimbursement programs (FRPs) that reduce the burden of OOP costs can support participation in CCTs if the information is readily available to participants at the time of enrollment. Prior studies have shown the importance and impact of FRPs, but despite improvements, significant barriers still remain.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of automated texts designed to offer, screen, and enroll CCT participants in an FRP for OOP travel and lodging-related clinical trial costs.

METHODS: This study used a mixed …

Impact Of Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization Timing On Chronic Subdural Hematoma Resolution And Functional Outcomes, Bluyé Demessie, Muhammed Amir Essibayi, Hamza Adel Salim, Alireza Karandish, Nathan Farkas, Deepak Khatri, Neil Haranhalli, Amanda Baker, Richard Zampolin, Allan L Brook, Seon-Kyu Lee, Nimer Adeeb, James Grist, Fulvio Zaccagna, Yan-Lin Li, Davide Simonato, Diego Alejandro Ortega, Nicole Cancelliere, Jose Danilo Diestro, Dhairya Lakhani, Joseph Carnevale, Craig Schreiber, Atakan Orscelik, Zachary Abecassis, Spencer Raub, Georgios Sioutas, Giancarlo Salsano, Svetlana Kvint, Andrew Falzon, Vance Cantrell, Brian Holliday, Jefferson Abaricia, Pedram Maleknia, Leonardo Cruz-Criollo, Samantha Schimmel, Basel Musmar, Matthew Alexander, Jorge Rios Zermeno, Koul Prateeka, Ahmed Aljuboori, Dominik Vollherbst, Domagoj Gajski, Jared Cooper, Rahim Abo Kasem, Sami Al Kasab, Alejandro Spiotta, Fawaz Al-Mufti, Vladimir Kalousek, Markus Möhlenbruch, Luca Scarcia, Clemens Schirmer, Thien Huynh, Rabih Tawk, Fabio Settecase, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Pascal Jabbour, Kunal Vakharia, Mario Zanaty, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Jesse Jones, Marco Colasurdo, Hussein Nasser, Sri Hari Sundararajan, Pascal Mosimann, Erez Nossek, Eytan Raz, Lucio Castellan, Bruno Del Sette, Caterina Michelozzi, Davide Saraceno, Pietro Panni, Visish Srinivasan, Jan-Karl Burkhardt, Gaultier Marnat, Pietro Mario Santini, Michael Levitt, Giuseppe Lanzino, Waleed Brinjikji, Jared Knopman, Tareq Kass-Hout, Julian Spears, Thomas Marotta, Max Wintermark, Vitor Mendes Pereira, Maurizio Fuschi, Adam Dmytriw, David Altschul

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) affects approximately 20 per 100,000 individuals annually, with surgical recurrence rates of 10-20%. Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive treatment, but the optimal timing remains unclear. We evaluated the association between MMAE timing and radiological and functional outcomes in cSDH.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter international cohort study across 33 centres, including patients who underwent MMAE for cSDH between January 2018 and December 2024. Patients were stratified by timing from diagnosis: Q1 (≤1 day), Q2 (2 days), Q3 (3-6 days), and Q4 (>6 days). The …

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (Tips) Outcomes For Variceal Hemorrhage During And After Covid-19: Racial, Payer, And Income Disparities - A National Retrospective Cohort Study With Stratified Sensitivity Analyses, Nakul Ganju, Shubham Gupta, Sahak Hovsepian, Samay Shah, Shaunak Ganju, Farshad Aduli

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) reduces mortality in esophageal variceal hemorrhage. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic worsened existing disparities in outcomes among patients undergoing TIPS remains unclear. We aimed to characterize racial, payer-based, and income-based disparities in post-TIPS outcomes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Using the 2016-2022 National Inpatient Sample, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 31,860 weighted hospitalizations of adults with cirrhosis and esophageal variceal hemorrhage who underwent TIPS. Admissions were stratified as pre-COVID (2016-2019) and post-COVID (2020-2022). Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total hospital charges. Multivariable regression models with …

Decoding The Allosteric Grammar Of Protein Kinases: A Dual-Stream Framework Integrating Protein Language Models And Energy Landscape Frustration Analysis, Will Gatlin, Max Ludwick, Lucas Turano, Brandon Foley, Kamila Riedlova, Vít Škrhák, Marian Novotný, David Hoksza, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The spatial and energetic encoding of allosteric regulatory sites remains a major challenge in structural biology, frequently representing a “blind spot” for sequence-based artificial intelligence (AI) models. We present a protein language model (PLM)-guided approach complemented by the energy landscape frustration analysis as a dual-stream framework to investigate the relationship between AI prediction of binding sites and biophysical organization of regulatory pockets across the human kinome. By probing a fine-tuned residue-level PLM classifier across 453 kinase structures, a clear performance gap is discovered between highly predictable orthosteric pockets (Types I, I.5, and II) and poorly resolved distal allosteric sites (Type …

Preoperative Considerations For Cervical Cerclage (Part 1), Ilaria Paladino, Moti Gulersen, Amanda Roman, Rupsa C. Boelig, Vincenzo Berghella

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Transvaginal cervical cerclage remains a central strategy for preventing spontaneous preterm birth in appropriately selected pregnancies. Although decades of research have clarified which patients benefit most from cerclage, substantial heterogeneity persists in pre-, intra-, and postoperative management. This article, the first in a series on cerclage technique, synthesizes the evidence guiding preoperative decision-making. Cerclage is classified by indication as history-indicated cerclage, ultrasound-indicated cerclage and physical examination-indicated cerclage. History-indicated cerclage is recommended for patients with ≥3 prior early spontaneous preterm births or second-trimester losses < 28 weeks, prior ultrasound-indicated cerclage with delivery at< 32 weeks, or prior physical examination-indicated cerclage; twin gestation alone is not considered an indication. Ultrasound-indicated cerclage should be considered in singletons without prior spontaneous preterm birth with transvaginal ultrasound cervical length ≤20 mm and is recommended in singletons with prior spontaneous preterm birth when cervical length is ≤25 mm before 24 weeks' gestation; in twins, it may be considered when cervical length ≤15 mm before 24 weeks' gestation. Physical examination-indicated cerclage is recommended in singleton or twin gestations with asymptomatic cervical dilation ≥1 cm before 24 weeks' gestation. Timing varies by indication: history-indicated cerclage is typically placed at 12 to 14 weeks' gestation and is not urgent, whereas ultrasound-indicated cerclage and physical examination-indicated cerclage are usually performed between 16 and 23 6/7 weeks' gestation in response to cervical changes, ideally within 72 hours and 24 hours of diagnosis of short transvaginal ultrasound cervical length or dilated cervix, respectively. Preoperative evaluation should include a detailed anatomic ultrasound examination and appropriate genetic screening. Routine urogenital cultures are not indicated in the absence of symptoms. Amniocentesis is not recommended for history-indicated cerclage or ultrasound-indicated cerclage but should be considered before physical examination-indicated cerclage to evaluate for intra-amniotic infection. Adjunctive management remains variable. Progesterone is recommended for a short cervical lenght < =25mm before 24 weeks. Outpatient cerclage appears safe, with no clear benefit to routine inpatient management. Perioperative indomethacin and antibiotics are likely unnecessary for history-indicated cerclage but may be considered in ultrasound-indicated cerclage and are suggested for physical examination-indicated cerclage.

Healthcare Provider's Perceptions Of Family Values When Making End-Of-Life Care Decisions For Their Children: Developing And Implementing A Survey Tool., Nithya Sivakumar, Stephanie Kukora, Cherie Ginwalla, Satyan Lakshminrusimha, Jennifer Rosenthal

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers help families navigate end-of-life care decisions in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU); however, limited studies exist regarding what values providers perceive families utilize when in these situations.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate providers' perceptions of values that families considered when making end-of-life care decisions for their child.

DESIGN: Develop a novel survey tool to understand providers' perceptions of values families considered when making end-of-life care decisions for their children and distribute the survey tool to providers in a single quaternary care children's hospital within a university hospital.

METHODS: The novel survey tool …

Uncovering Phenotypic Expansion In Axin2-Related Disorders Through Precision Animal Modeling, Nathalie M Aceves-Ewing, Denise G Lanza, Paul C Marcogliese, Di Lu, Chih-Wei Hsu, Hirokazu Hashimoto, Matthew Gonzalez, Audrey E Christiansen, Tara L Rasmussen, Alex J Ho, Angelina Gaspero, Cher Sha, Mary E Dickinson, Bo Yuan, Brian J Shayota, Stephanie Pachter, Xiaolin Hu, Debra Lynn Day-Salvatore, Laura Mackay, Oguz Kanca, Michael F Wangler, Lorraine Potocki, Jill A Rosenfeld, Richard Alan Lewis, Hsiao-Tuan Chao, Brendan Lee, Lauren Blieden, Barry N Wasserman, Dorine A Bax, Nicola K Ragge, Sukyeong Lee, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Baylor College Of Medicine Center For Precision Medicine Models, Shinya Yamamoto, Hugo J Bellen, Lindsay C Burrage, Jason D Heaney

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Heterozygous pathogenic variants in AXIN2 (HGNC 904) cause oligodontia-colorectal cancer syndrome (ODCRCS). We identified five individuals with de novo, heterozygous variants (NM_004655.4:c.196G>A p.(Glu66Lys), c.197A>G p.(Glu66Gly), and c.199G>A p.(Gly67Arg)) in AXIN2. Common phenotypes among these individuals included ectodermal dysplasia, global developmental delay, microcephaly, and limb, ophthalmologic, and genitourinary abnormalities.

Methods: Structural modeling was performed to predict the impact of these variants on AXIN2. A prime editing N1 screen of mouse embryos was performed to test whether the p.Glu66Lys variant produces a phenotype. Drosophila models were used to test the effect of this variant on Wnt signaling.

Results: …

Recent Advances In Alzheimer's Disease: From Molecular Mechanisms To Therapeutic Strategies, Michelle D Rudman, Jason D Ulrich, David M Holtzman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains the leading cause of dementia worldwide and an escalating global health crisis. The hallmark amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are now known to be accompanied by a complex array of pathologies that culminate in neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. New disease-modifying therapies for AD can now slow cognitive decline through the removal of amyloid plaques from the brain, but treatments to stop or prevent cognitive impairment remain elusive. In this review, we summarize the most recent updates in AD research on pathologic disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies, highlighting advancements in apolipoprotein E (APOE) biology, neuroimmunology, biomarker …

Unbiased Avidity-Based Isolation Of Antigen-Specific T Cells, Amanda Montoya, Meredith L Frank, Peixin Jiang, Hui Nie, Minying Zhang, Emily Bontekoe, Jared K Slone, Ludovica L Posta, Sofia Rosy Caterina Sorice, Tina Cascone, Maura Gillison, Don L Gibbons, Jianjun Zhang, Eleonora Dondossola, Lydia Kavraki, Pamela L Wenzel, John V Heymach, Alexandre Reuben

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Cancer immunotherapies have significantly improved treatment efficacy and patient survival by exploiting antigen-specific T cells to eliminate cancer cells. However, current approaches for identifying and isolating antigen-specific T cells typically require prior knowledge of target antigens, limiting discovery, and reducing the ability to consistently detect rare tumor-reactive T cells. We therefore sought to develop an unbiased platform for the identification and enrichment of antigen-specific T cells using naturally processed and presented tumor antigens.

Methods: We developed ATTACH (Assessment of T cells Tethered to Antigen Class I Histocompatibility), a microfluidic platform that applies controlled shear stress and leverages tumor cells …

Thanks For The Signal-Now What? Program Director Perspectives On How Preference Signals Are Shaping General Surgery Residency Recruitment, John M Woodward, Connie Y Gan, Darci C Foote, Tasha Posid, Nicole M Santucci, Noosha D Deravi, Caitlin Silvestri, Kirstyn E Brownson, Erika Simmerman Mabes, Rondi Gelbard, Milanie Milan, Nina Zhao, Dylan R Nieman, Martha Godfrey, Benjamin D Ferguson, Joseph C L'Huillier, Colleen Mcdermott, Prajjwol Luitel, Olabisi Sheppard, Jennifer H Chen, Emma G Burke, Jenny M Guido, Ladonna Kearse, Jonathan Davies, Trenton Foster, Sarah Lund

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: We aimed to explore general surgery program director (PD) experiences with and perspectives on preference signaling in a 15-signal system.

Design: We performed qualitative analysis of de-identified transcripts from semi-structured interviews of general surgery PDs.

Setting: General surgery PDs across the United States.

Participants: All general surgery PDs in the spring of 2025 were invited to participate. Fifteen PDs volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews (73% university-based, 53% programs with < 8 residents/class).

Results: PDs highlighted that signals saved time when utilized as a screening tool, which gave PDs more time for holistic review of applications. PDs also felt signaling increased equity …

Drivers Of Professional Satisfaction In Emergency Medicine Residency Training In The Us, Arvin Radfar Akhavan, Kirstin Woody Scott, Patrick Hewes, Erin Kinney, Boris Pavic, Josh Simmons, Michelle Lall, Michael Gottlieb, Yvette Calderon, Dave Lu

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Physician wellness discussions often center on burnout and negative aspects of clinical practice. Less is known about what brings professional satisfaction to physicians, particularly among emergency medicine (EM) residents. Understanding drivers of professional satisfaction is important for the future of the specialty as they may influence residents' career decisions. This study aimed to identify drivers of professional satisfaction among a national cohort of EM residents.

METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study using a survey administered following the 2024 ABEM In-Training Examination to EM residents in ACGME-accredited programs. The single-item, free-text survey question asked: "List the top 3 drivers …

Perceived Sensitivity Of Sensor-Based Digital Health Data: Qualitative Interview Study, Christine Deeney, Anika Sonig, Meghan E Hurley, Birkan Tunç, Eric A Storch, John D Herrington, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Kristin Kostick-Quenet

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Digital health tools are increasingly used in mental health care to passively collect patient data and analyze health status outside of clinical settings. While technologies such as digital phenotyping, affective computing, and computational behavioral analysis offer new insights into symptom manifestation in daily life, they generate large volumes of potentially sensitive data that raise significant data privacy concerns, requiring high levels of patient awareness and consent. Empirical research is lacking on stakeholder understandings toward the sensitivity of these data and expectations for data stewardship, perspectives that are critical for developing robust informed consent and data protection policies for digital …

Promoting Equity For Children And Adolescents Through Implementation Processes In Health And Social Care: A Scoping Review, Michelle Gooey, Heather Morris, Rebecca Madill, Callie Walsh-Bailey, Ahlia Griffiths, Melissa Savaglio, Claire Blewitt, Amanda O'Connor, Sara Holton, Helia Khalesi, Sofia Grage-Moore, Maria Fernandez, Echezona E Ezeanolue, Allison Metz, Ana Baumann, Helen Skouteris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite the many existing implementation methods, theories, and frameworks, implementation science is insufficiently closing the research-to-practice gap. Bridging this gap is critical to achieving healthy and thriving communities globally, and requires implementation processes that promote equity and reach diverse populations, especially those most in need. The aim of this scoping review was to identify, thematically analyse, categorise, and provide examples of implementation processes described in equity-focused literature, with a focus on health and social care interventions for children and adolescents from birth to 18 years of age.

Methods: A comprehensive search of literature was undertaken across six electronic databases …

Online Decoding Of Rat Self-Paced Locomotion Speed From Eeg Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Alejandro De Miguel, Nelson Totah, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective. Accurate and reliable neural decoding of locomotion holds promise for advancing clinical applications such as rehabilitation and prosthetic control, as well as for understanding neural correlates of action. Recent studies have demonstrated successful decoding of locomotion kinematics across species in motorized treadmill settings. However, efforts to decode locomotion speed directly and continuously in more natural contexts—where pace is self-selected rather than externally imposed—are scarce, and those that exist generally achieve only modest accuracy and require intracranial implants. Here, we aim to decode self-paced locomotion speed non-invasively and continuously using cortex-wide electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from rats. Approach. We introduce an …

Lgbtq+: What Utahns Need To Know, Susan R. Madsen, Deborah Lin

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

LGBTQ+ Utahns who identify as girls and women thrive when they are valued and accepted for who they are. Creating environments where they feel safe, welcomed, and empowered to participate fully strengthens their health, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. Communities also benefit when LGBTQ+ women and girls are encouraged to share their perspectives, talents, and leadership. When diverse voices are welcomed into dialogue and collaborative decision-making, organizations and communities are better equipped to serve everyone. By fostering belonging, representation, and meaningful participation, Utah can create communities where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Eating Disorders: What Utahns Need To Know, Brie Sparks, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. They affect individuals of all ages, backgrounds, body sizes, and life stages, often occurring alongside other mental health challenges. Eating disorders can have profound impacts on physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, educational attainment, and workforce participation. Understanding the prevalence, risk factors, and barriers to treatment in Utah is essential for developing effective prevention, intervention, and recovery efforts.

Tgf-Β Drives The Conversion Of Conventional Nk Cells Into Uterine Tissue-Resident Nk Cells To Support Murine Pregnancy, Josselyn D Barahona, Liping Yang, D Michael Nelson, Wayne M Yokoyama

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tissue microenvironments shape lymphocyte differentiation to align immune function with local physiological demands. Uterine natural killer (NK) cells are critical for reproductive success, yet the molecular cues in the uterus that instruct their specialized identities remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a TGF-β-dependent differentiation pathway by which circulating conventional NK cells convert into uterine tissue-resident NK cells during murine pregnancy. Loss of TGF-β receptor II expression in

Phenomenological Analysis Of Trust In Science For The Design Of Ai-Based Health And Social Policies, Kochav Koren

All Duquesne Faculty Scholarship

The promises of artificial intelligence (AI) as a solution to challenges facing health systems increasingly link technological innovation with improvements in efficiency and access. However, the legitimacy of AI-supported health policies depends not only on scientific competence but also on public trust in scientific institutions. Using data from the international Trust in Science Project (71,922 respondents across 68 countries), this study analyses multidimensional trust and communication ecologies to reconstruct relational configurations of trust, termed ‘Figures of Relevance’. Findings reveal that whilst scientific competence is widely recognised, perceptions of institutional openness vary markedly, shaping heterogeneity in trust. The study identifies four …

Food As Medicine: Effects Of A Culinary Medicine Food-Demonstration On Medical Students' Nutrition Knowledge, Confidence, And Satisfaction: An Exploratory Pilot Non-Randomized Pre-Post Intervention Study., Niayesh Mardmomen, Cyrus Fatemi, Olivia K Smith, Michael B. Roberts, Farzaneh Daghigh

PCOM Scholarly Works

Background: Diet plays a central role in the development of chronic diseases, making nutrition-focused interventions a powerful tool for improving population health. However, substantial gaps in nutrition education persist in the U.S. medical education, and medical students frequently report receiving limited nutrition training despite its importance in patient care. Methods: A non-randomized pre-post intervention study with a one-month follow-up was conducted among osteopathic medical students. Participants attended a culinary medicine food-demonstration featuring five case-based topics and three chef-prepared recipes. Nutrition knowledge, satisfaction with nutrition education, confidence in nutrition counseling, and personal nutrition-related behaviors were assessed at baseline, immediately …

Beyond 72 Hours: A Retrospective Evaluation Of Factors Associated With Delayed Surgical Stabilization Of Rib Fractures., Alexis A Schweibinz, Clarisse Solis, Anna Michaud, John Dillis, Katherine A Graham, William B Devoe

OhioHealth Research Institute Articles

BACKGROUND: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is recognized as a key intervention in reducing morbidity among patients with multiple displaced rib fractures or flail chest. Early SSRF, typically within 72 hours of admission, has been associated with improved outcomes. The factors contributing to delayed stabilization, defined as 72 hours or greater following admission, remain unclear.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed, evaluating 492 trauma patients who underwent SSRF at a level II trauma center. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and associated injuries were analyzed to identify factors associated with delayed SSRF. Groups were defined as early (≤72 hours) and …

Serial Drilling Technique For Sequential Subtrochanteric Femur Fracture Fixation In Pediatric Osteopetrosis: A Technical Report., Adam Mansour, Josiah J Wolf, Ivan Slyepkan, Morgan Turnow, Michael Anderson, Anthony Wing, Jack Iandoli, Craig Goubeaux, Craig Smith, Allen Kadado

Surgery Articles

Pediatric osteopetrosis presents a significant technical challenge for fracture fixation due to the bone's dense yet brittle nature and frequently absent medullary canal. Traditional drilling methods risk excessive torque, drill-bit breakage, and iatrogenic fractures. Here, we describe a serial drilling technique for plate-and-screw fixation in a 5-year-old child with osteopetrosis who sustained sequential subtrochanteric femur fractures 8 months apart. By creating a small pilot hole, sequentially enlarging it with intermediate bits under copious irrigation, and inserting locking screws manually, we achieved stable fixation with no observed instrument failure or intraoperative complications. This method may provide a practical technical strategy for …

Association Between Trainee Involvement During Pediatric And Congenital Cardiac Catheterization And Procedural Outcomes., Natalie Jayaram, John A. Spertus, Kevin F. Kennedy, Andrew C. Glatz

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Participation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory is a requirement of cardiology fellowship training. We sought to determine whether trainee presence is associated with outcomes during pediatric and congenital cardiac catheterization.

METHODS: We identified catheterizations between January 2011 and September 2020 within the IMPACT (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatment) Registry. Multivariable multilevel regression was used to determine the association between trainee presence and procedural outcomes.

RESULTS: Of 122 760 catheterizations at 107 academic hospitals, a trainee was present in 71 651 (58.4%) cases. Rates of major adverse events were similar between trainee and nontrainee cases (9.0% versus 8.0%). Contrast …

Pneumococcal Colonization In Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Liset Olarte, Jennifer E Schuster, Ibrahim Ahmed, Kristina G Hulten

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite the increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease among pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, pneumococcal colonization has not been evaluated in this population. We prospectively assessed longitudinal pneumococcal colonization in 22 pediatric HCT recipients from conditioning therapy to 100 days post-HCT. A higher likelihood of pneumococcal colonization was observed in the late post-HCT period (weeks 9-14) compared with the early post-HCT period (weeks 1-8), with odds increasing with each additional week after conditioning.IMPORTANCEThis is the first study to longitudinally evaluate pneumococcal colonization in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients from the onset of conditioning therapy to 100 days post-HCT. …

Tau Pathology In Epilepsy: Emerging Mechanisms And Translational Opportunities, Arjune Sen, Xin You Tai, Aristea Galanopoulou, Maria Thom, Eleonora Aronica, Lucy Vivash, Martin Hardmeier, Action Amos, Stephan Rueegg, Matthias Koepp, Yaroslav Winter, Christoph Helmstaedter, Jeffrey L Noebels, Hilal A Lashuel, Terence J O'Brien

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The onset of epilepsy in adulthood occurs most commonly after 55 years of age. Given the ageing global population, this disorder represents an increasing burden on healthcare and society. The bidirectional link between epilepsy and dementia is a focus of intense research with underlying tau pathology highlighted as a potential mechanistic link. In this review, we examine the evidence for tau-related neurodegenerative processes in epilepsy beginning with how changes in biochemical and structural properties of the tau protein can lead to abnormal phosphorylation and pathological aggregation. We consider the role of tau in seizure occurrence and cognitive difficulties in experimental …

Longitudinal Genomic Surveillance Of Sars-Cov-2 In A University Microcosm Reflects Global Evolutionary Trends, Sankar Prasad Chaki, Melissa M Kahl-Mcdonagh, Benjamin W Neuman, Loni A Taylor, Rebecca S B Fischer, Blake M Hanson, Marlisa S Hardy, Jo Ann Culpepper, Eric Boerwinkle, Kurt A Zuelke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

SARS-CoV-2 transmission has declined, yet ongoing viral evolution continues to pose public health challenges. This study conducted long-term (2020-2024) genomic surveillance within a large and globally diverse university community. Viral genomes obtained from clinical (n = 1,786) and surveillance (n = 888) testing samples were classified under clade, lineage, and variant systems, and compared with global genomic data sets. Local patterns broadly paralleled global evolutionary trends, including the phased emergence of major variants, episodic introductions of new lineages, and shifts in dominant clades. Lineage diversity peaked during fall semesters and was highest among undergraduate-aged individuals, with similar distributions …

Biophysical Insights Into A Cryptic Ligand Site In The Hydrophobic Core Of Human Pcna, Alexis N. Dispensa, Sharon N, Greenwood, Jason Yang, Daniel E. Logatto, James Fusco, E. Railey White, Roderic G. Eckenhoff, Zhiwei Liu, Brian P. Weiser

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

Proteins contain small pockets that form due to imperfections in residue packing or the rotational and conformational movement of amino acids. In this work, we used the fluorescent probe 1-aminoanthracene (AMA) to detect a small ligand pocket in the hydrophobic core of human proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which is a critical protein for DNA replication and repair. Fluorescence measurements of AMA reported that the core of PCNA had a dielectric constant (ε) of 4, which was very apolar and similar to cyclohexane (ε = 2). Protein mutagenesis, photoaffinity labeling, and molecular dynamics simulations localized the binding site for AMA …

Long-Term Outcomes Of A Drug-Eluting Resorbable Scaffold Vs Angioplasty In Infrapopliteal Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: 3-Year Results From The Life-Btk Trial., Sahil A Parikh, Brian G Derubertis, Marc P Bonaca, Prakash Krishnan, Richard H Pin, Jen-Kuang Lee, David C Metzger, Raghu Kolluri, Mehdi H Shishehbor, Andrew H Holden, Osamu Iida, Ehrin Armstrong, Steven W C Kum, David J O'Connor, Danielle R Bajakian, Lawrence A Garcia, Shih-Wa Ying, Jin Wang, Karine Ruster, Brad J Martinsen, Zsuzsanna Igyarto, Ramon L Varcoe

Surgery Articles

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) caused by infrapopliteal disease is a major therapeutic challenge, with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) associated with high rates of restenosis and reintervention. The LIFE-BTK trial previously demonstrated superior efficacy of the Esprit (Abbott Vascular) BTK drug-eluting resorbable scaffold (DRS) over PTA at 1 year, with sustained benefits at 2 years, with comparable safety at both time points. This report presents the 3-year outcomes.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the 3-year safety and efficacy of DRS vs PTA in patients with CLTI and infrapopliteal artery disease.

Methods: In this randomized trial, 261 patients with CLTI were …

Prenatal Predictors Of Fetal And Neonatal Death In Truncus Arteriosus: A Fetal Heart Society Research Collaborative Study., Kelly Cox, Nazia Husain, Deidra Ansah, Tiffany Knight, Alexandra Channing, Bettina Cuneo, Preeta Dhanantwari, Mary Donofrio, Miwa Geiger, Lisa Howley, Lisa K. Hornberger, Simone Javeri, Edward G. Jones, Michelle Kaplinski, Ann Kavanaugh-Mchugh, Maria Kiaffas, Katherine Kosiv, Christina Laternser, Olivia Low, Anita J. Moon-Grady, Shabnam Peyvandi, Nelangi Pinto, Avaliese Porlier, Aaron Prosnitz, Rashmi Rao, David Schidlow, Elena Sinkovskaya, Ranjini Srinivasan, Corey Stiver, Emilio Quezada, Bhawna Arya, Sheetal Patel

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Fetal and neonatal outcomes and factors increasing mortality risk in fetal truncus arteriosus are not well characterized. We aimed to examine the prenatally encountered cardiac spectrum, define extracardiac and genetic associations, explore clinical outcomes and identify prenatal factors associated with worse outcomes in a contemporary large cohort.

METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted via the Fetal Heart Society Research Collaborative including fetal truncus arteriosus cases encountered between January 1, 2010, and September 1, 2021, within 22 North American cardiac centers. Demographic, clinical, anatomic, and functional fetal echocardiographic variables were analyzed for associations with presurgical death (fetal death/neonatal …

Pneumococcal Colonization In Pediatric Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation., Liset Olarte, Jennifer E. Schuster, Ibrahim Ahmed, Kristina G. Hulten

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Despite the increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease among pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, pneumococcal colonization has not been evaluated in this population. We prospectively assessed longitudinal pneumococcal colonization in 22 pediatric HCT recipients from conditioning therapy to 100 days post-HCT. A higher likelihood of pneumococcal colonization was observed in the late post-HCT period (weeks 9-14) compared with the early post-HCT period (weeks 1-8), with odds increasing with each additional week after conditioning.IMPORTANCEThis is the first study to longitudinally evaluate pneumococcal colonization in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients from the onset of conditioning therapy to 100 days post-HCT. …

Women Refugees & Immigrants: What Utahns Need To Know, Susan R. Madsen, Deborah Lin

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Refugee and immigrant women are an integral part of Utah’s communities, contributing as neighbors, workers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and advocates. They enrich our state through their diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents. Utah has a long tradition of welcoming newcomers, and our communities are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to belong and contribute. At the same time, research shows that many of the challenges facing Utah women and girls disproportionately affect refugee and immigrant women. Understanding the experiences, needs, and contributions of these women is essential to fostering welcoming, supportive communities so that all Utah women and girls can thrive.