Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Chronic Restraint Stress Impairs Voluntary Wheel Running But Has No Effect On Food-Motivated Behavior In Mice, Kiersten Scott, Thien Trong Phan, Nabila Boukelmoune, Cobi J Heijnen, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic restraint stress is known to cause significant alterations of mitochondrial biology. However, its effects on effort-based behavior and the sensitivity of these effects to treatments that restore mitochondrial function have not been assessed. Based on the hypothesis that the behavioral consequences of this stressor should be more severe for an energy demanding activity than for an energy procuring activity, we compared the effects of chronic restraint stress on the performance of male mice trained to use a running wheel or to nose poke for a food reward in an operant conditioning cage. In accordance with our hypothesis, we observed …

Henry Gas Solubility Optimization Double Machine Learning Classifier For Neurosurgical Patients, Diana T Mosa, Amena Mahmoud, John Zaki, Shaymaa E Sorour, Shaker El-Sappagh, Tamer Abuhmed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aims to predict head trauma outcome for Neurosurgical patients in children, adults, and elderly people. As Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are helpful in healthcare field, a comparative study of various ML techniques is developed. Several algorithms are utilized such as k-nearest neighbor, Random Forest (RF), C4.5, Artificial Neural Network, and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Their performance is assessed using anonymous patients' data. Then, a proposed double classifier based on Henry Gas Solubility Optimization (HGSO) is developed with Aquila optimizer (AQO). It is implemented for feature selection to classify patients' outcome status into four states. Those are mortality, morbidity, …

Radiographic Response To Neoadjuvant Therapy In Pleural Mesothelioma Should Serve As A Guide For Patient Selection For Cytoreductive Operations, Nathaniel Deboever, Nicolas Zhou, Daniel J Mcgrail, Katarzyna Tomczak, Jacqueline L Oliva, Hope A Feldman, Edwin Parra, Jianjun Zhang, Percy P Lee, Mara B Antonoff, Wayne L Hofstetter, Reza J Mehran, Ravi Rajaram, David C Rice, Jack A Roth, Stephen S Swisher, Ara A Vaporciyan, Mehmet Altan, Annikka Weissferdt, Anne S Tsao, Cara L Haymaker, Boris Sepesi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with poor prognosis despite advances in multimodal therapeutic strategies. While patients with resectable disease may benefit from added survival with oncologic resection, patient selection for mesothelioma operations often relies on both objective and subjective evaluation metrics. We sought to evaluate factors associated with improved overall survival (OS) in patients with mesothelioma who underwent macroscopic complete resection (MCR).

METHODS: Patients with MPM who received neoadjuvant therapy and underwent MCR were identified in a prospectively maintained departmental database. Clinicopathologic, blood-based, and radiographic variables were collected and included in a Cox regression analysis (CRA). Response to …

Possible Molecular Mechanisms Underlying The Development Of Atherosclerosis In Cancer Survivors, Priyanka Banerjee, Julia Enterría Rosales, Khanh Chau, Minh T H Nguyen, Sivareddy Kotla, Steven H Lin, Anita Deswal, Robert Dantzer, Elizabeth A Olmsted-Davis, Hung Nguyen, Guangyu Wang, John P Cooke, Jun-Ichi Abe, Nhat-Tu Le

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer survivors undergone treatment face an increased risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Recent studies have revealed that chemotherapy can drive senescent cancer cells to acquire a proliferative phenotype known as senescence-associated stemness (SAS). These SAS cells exhibit enhanced growth and resistance to cancer treatment, thereby contributing to disease progression. Endothelial cell (EC) senescence has been implicated in atherosclerosis and cancer, including among cancer survivors. Treatment modalities for cancer can induce EC senescence, leading to the development of SAS phenotype and subsequent atherosclerosis in cancer survivors. Consequently, targeting senescent ECs displaying the SAS …

Chimeric Rnas Reveal Putative Neoantigen Peptides For Developing Tumor Vaccines For Breast Cancer, Brandon Mistretta, Sakuni Rankothgedera, Micah Castillo, Mitchell Rao, Kimberly Holloway, Anjana Bhardwaj, Maha El Noafal, Constance Albarracin, Randa El-Zein, Hengameh Rezaei, Xiaoping Su, Rehan Akbani, Xiaoshan M Shao, Brian J Czerniecki, Rachel Karchin, Isabelle Bedrosian, Preethi H Gunaratne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: We present here a strategy to identify immunogenic neoantigen candidates from unique amino acid sequences at the junctions of fusion proteins which can serve as targets in the development of tumor vaccines for the treatment of breastcancer.

METHOD: We mined the sequence reads of breast tumor tissue that are usually discarded as discordant paired-end reads and discovered cancer specific fusion transcripts using tissue from cancer free controls as reference. Binding affinity predictions of novel peptide sequences crossing the fusion junction were analyzed by the MHC Class I binding predictor, MHCnuggets. CD8+ T cell responses against the 15 peptides were …

Comparing Cigarette-Cue Attentional Bias Between People With Hiv/Aids And People With Opioid Use Disorder Who Smoke, Gopalkumar Rakesh, Joseph L Alcorn, Rebika Khanal, Seth S Himelhoch, Craig R Rush

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Special populations like people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and people with opioid use disorder (OUD) smoke tobacco cigarettes at rates three to four times greater than the general population. Patients with tobacco use disorder exhibit attentional bias (AB) for cigarette cues. Eye tracking can quantify this bias by measuring fixation time (FT) on cigarette and matched neutral cues, to calculate an AB score. Although previous studies have measured this bias in people who smoke without any other comorbid conditions, no study, to our knowledge, has measured or compared this bias in special populations.

METHODS: We performed exploratory analyses on …

Potential Of Cavalcade, Centrosema Pascuorum, Leaves For Controlling Meloidogyne Javanica And Quantification Of Active Phytochemicals, Natthidech Beesa, Buncha Chinnasri, Anongnuch Sasnarukkit, Tida Dethoup, Kansiree Jindapunnapat, Agnes W. Kiriga, Kanan Saikai, Solveig Haukeland, Danny Coyne

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The legume cavalcade, Centrosema pascuorum, is used extensively as a cover crop and as a component of conservation agriculture systems. It is also an attractive rotation or cover crop for the management of root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.) as it is a non-host. RKN are persistent pests that are well known to be difficult to control. However, the mechanisms governing the non-host status of cavalcade is unknown. The current study established that cavalcade leaves are toxic to RKN as either aqueous extracts or soil amendments. Bioassays conducted using Meloidogyne javanica showed that a 90% concentration of aqueous extract derived from …

The Importance Of "When" In Calorie Restriction-Induced Lifespan Extension, Kristin Eckel-Mahan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Targeted Genomic Sequencing Of Tsc1 And Tsc2 Reveals Causal Variants In Individuals For Whom Previous Genetic Testing For Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Was Normal, Hannah D West, Mark Nellist, Rutger W W Brouwer, Mirjam C G N Van Den Hout-Van Vroonhoven, Luiz Gustavo Dufner De Almeida, Femke Hendriks, Peter Elfferich, Meera Raja, Peter Giles, Rosa M Alfano, Angela Peron, Yves Sznajer, Liesbeth De Waele, Anna Jansen, Marije Koopmans, Anneke Kievit, Laura S Farach, Hope Northrup, Julian R Sampson, Laura E Thomas, Wilfred F J Van Ijcken

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is caused by inactivating variants in TSC1 and TSC2. Somatic mosaicism, as well as the size and complexity of the TSC1 and TSC2 loci, makes variant identification challenging. Indeed, in some individuals with a clinical diagnosis of TSC, diagnostic testing fails to identify an inactivating variant. To improve TSC1 and TSC2 variant detection, we screened the TSC1 and TSC2 genomic regions using targeted HaloPlex custom capture and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood of individuals with definite, possible or suspected TSC in whom no disease-associated variant had been identified by previous …

Less Is More? First Impressions From Cosmic-313, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COSMIC-313 phase 3 randomized controlled trial tested the triplet combination of cabozantinib with nivolumab and ipilimumab in comparison with nivolumab plus ipilimumab control as fist-line systemic therapy in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The first results presented at the 2022 European Society of Medical Oncology Congress are a milestone for the renal cell carcinoma field because they signal the advent of triplet combinations as potential treatment options for our patients. The present commentary highlights some considerations and potential next steps based on these first impressions.

Phase 1/2 Study Of Epacadostat In Combination With Durvalumab In Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors, Aung Naing, Alain P Algazi, Gerald S Falchook, Benjamin C Creelan, John Powderly, Seth Rosen, Minal Barve, Niharika B Mettu, Pierre L Triozzi, John Hamm, Gongfu Zhou, Chris Walker, Zhiwan Dong, Manish R Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) pathways is an appealing option for cancer treatment.

Methods: The open-label, phase 1/2 ECHO-203 study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat in combination with durvalumab, a human anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody in adult patients with advanced solid tumors.

Results: The most common treatment-related adverse events were fatigue (30.7%), nausea (21.0%), decreased appetite (13.1%), pruritus (12.5%), maculopapular rash (10.8%), and diarrhea (10.2%). Objective response rate (ORR) in the overall phase 2 population was 12.0%. Higher ORR was observed in immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI)-naïve patients (16.1%) …

Radiation Therapy Can Be Safely Incorporated Into Pretransplantation Treatment Regimens For Patients With Multiple Myeloma, Ethan P Damron, Muzaffar H Qazilbash, Penny Q Fang, Susan Y Wu, Bouthaina S Dabaja, Gabriela Rondon, Chitra Hosing, Richard E Champlin, Qaiser Bashir, Elizabeth J Shpall, Mark K Knafl, Hans C Lee, Elisabet E Manasanch, Krina Patel, Sheeba K Thomas, Robert Z Orlowski, Donna M Weber, Chelsea C Pinnix, Jillian R Gunther

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) often involves systemic induction therapy (SIT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Radiation therapy (RT) is sometimes used for palliation; however, many practitioners avoid RT out of concern that future peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection required for ASCT may be compromised. In this study, we retrospectively examined the possible effect of RT on PBPC collection. We reviewed the charts of 732 patients with MM treated with RT at our institution from 1999 to 2017, including patients who received RT prior to PBPC collection for planned ASCT. RT plans (both MM and non-MM …

Contributing Factors To Withdrawal Decisions Of Military And Nonmilitary Nursing Students, Beth Tremblay, Janice E. Hawkins, Robert E. Hawkins, Karen Higgins, Lynn Wiles, Jamela Martin

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Retaining nursing students in courses is key to increasing the number of new nurses. This study examined factors associated with nursing course or program withdrawal among students with and without prior military experience. The purpose of this study was to uncover differences between groups of students who withdrew compared to those who did not. A cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire surveyed current or recent nursing students (n = 420) using the Educational Requirement Subscale and the Student Withdrawal Questionnaire from Jeffreys’ toolkit. Uncovering differences between groups of students who did and did not withdraw from nursing courses or programs …

A Quality Improvement Project To Improve Management Of Urinary Tract Infections In A System Of Pediatric Urgent Care Centers, Benjamin Klick, Tammy Speerhas, Jessica Parrott, Jeffrey Bobrowitz, Anne Mcevoy, Debra Conrad, Theresa Guins

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background and objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem in pediatric urgent care medicine. There are multiple quality improvement (QI) projects related to the management of UTIs documented in the pediatric literature. We developed a project to decrease the prescribing of ultimately unneeded antibiotics for possible UTIs in a pediatric urgent care setting. A similar project has not been described in the pediatric literature.

Methods: We first reviewed the charts of patients presenting to a system of pediatric urgent care centers with a possible UTI over a 2-year period. We then launched a QI project with three plan, …

Use Of The Rasch Model For Fit Statistics And Rating Scale Diagnosis For The Student Perception Appraisal- Revised, Robert J. Hawkins, Janice Hawkins, Beth Tremblay, Lynn Wiles, Karen Higgins

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose: Nursing student retention is essential to meet workforce demands. Jeffrey's Nursing Student Retention Student Perception Appraisal-Revised (SPA-R1) has been used extensively to understand factors that impact retention. Psychometric testing of the SPA-R1 contributes to greater confidence in the instrument's reliability and validity.

Methods: Item response theory and specifically, the single parameter polytomous Rasch model was used as a framework for fit statistic testing and rating scale diagnostics of the SPA-R1. This was a secondary analysis of a convenience sample of undergraduate prelicensure nursing students. The setting for the previous study was virtual, and the study period was …

A Comparison Of Chief Complaints, Specific Diagnoses, And Demographics Of Pediatric Urgent Care Visits Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study, Zaharoula A. Viennas, Julie Martin, Benjamin Klick, Tammy Speerhas, Turaj Vazifedan, Danielle Millspaugh, Jennifer Ferris, Margret Bedle, Lauren Paluch, Theresa Guins

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

There was an increased incidence of pediatric patients who presented with injuries caused by falls not related to sports or other recreational activities, as well as for animal bites, during the early pandemic period of April 2020. Education of parents and caregivers of young children is warranted to raise awareness of the even greater potential for falls and animal bites when children are confined at home for longer than typical periods of time, as occurred with the stay-at-home government orders during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health Profession Students' Interprofessional Socialization And Values Toward A College-Based Virtual Interprofessional Education Activity, Denise Claiborne, Praveen Durgampudi, Anne C. Dumadag, Emily J. Hawkins, Patricia Laverdure, Amy Laurie Meeker, Barbara Kraj, Angela Wilson, Muge Akpinar-Elci

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The inclusion of interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for the health professions curricula and establishes the expectation of collaborative patient-centered care. The COVID-19 pandemic has required educators to develop innovative methods for IPE student engagement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a college-based virtual IPE activity for first-year health profession students and measure their interprofessional socialization and values (ISVS) toward IPE teams. The validated interprofessional socialization and valuing scales (ISVS-9A/9B) were used.

Methods: A one-group pre-post-test design examined health profession students' ISVS from seven health programs before and after a virtual IPE activity. The IPE activity was …

A Global Perspective Of Advanced Practice Nursing Research: A Review Of Systematic Reviews Protocol, Kelley Kilpatrick, Isabelle Savard, Li-Anne Audet, Abby Kra-Friedman, Reneé Atallah, Mira Jabbour, Wentao Zhou, Kathy Wheeler, Elissa Ladd, Deborah C. Gray, Colette Henderson, Lori A. Spies, Heather Mcgrath, Melanie Rogers

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Introduction

In 2020, the World Health Organization called for the expansion and greater recognition of all nursing roles, including advanced practice nurses (APNs), to better meet patient care needs. As defined by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the two most common APN roles include nurse practitioners (NPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). They help ensure care to communities as well as patients and families with acute, chronic or complex conditions. Moreover, APNs support providers to deliver high quality care and improve access to services. Currently, there is much variability in the use of advanced practice nursing roles globally. A …

Editorial: Interplay Between Epigenetic Modifiers And Transcription Factors In Driving Cancer Progression, Yongyong Yang, Annalisa Di Ruscio, Satoshi Inoue, Guocan Wang, Shuai Gao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms Of Resistance To Egfr-Targeted Therapies In Colorectal Cancer: More Than Just Genetics, Christine Parseghian, Madhulika Eluri, Scott Kopetz, Kanwal Raghav

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The development of acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapies remains poorly understood, with most research to date exploring, and trying to overcome, various genomic mechanisms of resistance. However, recent work supports a model of resistance whereby transcriptomic mechanisms of resistance predominate in the presence of active cytotoxic chemotherapy combined with anti-EGFR therapy in the first-line setting, with a greater predominance of acquired MAPK mutations after single-agent anti-EGFR therapy in the later-line setting. The proposed model has implications for prospective studies evaluating anti-EGFR rechallenge strategies guided by acquired MAPK mutations and highlights the need to address transcriptional mechanisms of resistance.

Retinal Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation Correlates With Retinal Dysfunction And Structural Thinning In The A53t Mouse Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Katie K N Tran, Vickie H Y Wong, Anh Hoang, David I Finkelstein, Bang V Bui, Christine T O Nguyen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Abnormal alpha-synuclein (α-SYN) protein deposition has long been recognized as one of the pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease's (PD). This study considers the potential utility of PD retinal biomarkers by investigating retinal changes in a well characterized PD model of α-SYN overexpression and how these correspond to the presence of retinal α-SYN. Transgenic A53T homozygous (HOM) mice overexpressing human α-SYN and wildtype (WT) control littermates were assessed at 4, 6, and 14  months of age (male and female,

Adrenal Venous Sampling In Primary Aldosteronism: Single-Centre Experience From Western India, Krantikumar Rathod, Saba S Memon, Punit Mahajan, Anurag Lila, Dhaval Thakkar, Hemant Deshmukh, Tushar Bandgar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The protocols and criteria used for adrenal venous sampling (AVS) differ across centres. There are no studies from the Indian subcontinent describing AVS-based outcomes in primary aldosteronism (PA). We aim to describe our experience from a single centre.

METHODS: Retrospective records from 2018 to 2020 of patients with confirmed PA who underwent AVS were reviewed. Clinical, imaging, AVS data and outcomes (as per PASO criteria) were recorded. AVS was performed by sequential sampling with cosyntropin stimulation with intraprocedural cortisol and cut-off of selectivity >5 and lateralization >4 by a single radiologist.

RESULTS: Fifteen patients with median age of 50 …

Quality Care Is Equitable Care: A Call To Action To Link Quality To Achieving Health Equity Within Acute Care Surgery, Lisa M Knowlton, Tanya Zakrison, Lillian S Kao, Marta L Mccrum, Suresh Agarwal, Brandon Bruns, Kathie-Ann Joseph, Cherisse Berry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Health equity is defined as the sixth domain of healthcare quality. Understanding health disparities in acute care surgery (defined as trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care) is key to identifying targets that will improve outcomes and ensure delivery of high-quality care within healthcare organizations. Implementing a health equity framework within institutions such that local acute care surgeons can ensure equity is a component of quality is imperative. Recognizing this need, the AAST (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee convened an expert panel entitled 'Quality Care is Equitable Care' at the 81st …

Keeping Employees Safe During Health Crises: The Effects Of Media Exposure, Hr Practices, And Age, Shuqi Li, Henry R Young, Majid Ghorbani, Byron Y Lee, Daan Van Knippenberg, Russell E Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Occupational health and safety are critical in promoting the wellness of organizations and employees. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most life-threatening viruses encountered in recent history, providing a unique opportunity for research to examine factors that drive employee safety behavior. Drawing from terror management theory, we propose and test a moderated mediation model using data collected from employees working during a peak of the pandemic. We identify two sources of influence - one external (i.e., media exposure), and one internal (i.e., HR practices) to the organization - that shape employees' mortality salience and safety behaviors. We find that …

Self-Administered Meditation Application Intervention For Cancer Patients With Psychosocial Distress: A Pilot Study, Gabriel Lopez, Alejandro Chaoul, Carla L Warneke, Aimee J Christie, Catherine Powers-James, Wenli Liu, Santhosshi Narayanan, Marvin Delgado-Guay, Yisheng Li, Eduardo Bruera, Lorenzo Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We explored the use of a novel smart phone-based application (APP) for delivery and monitoring of meditation to treat mood symptoms experienced by cancer patients.

METHODS: We assessed the feasibility of using a meditation delivery and tracking APP over 2-weeks and its impact on cancer patients' self-reported anxiety and depression. Outpatients reporting depression and/or anxiety were recruited and randomized to the APP or waitlist control group. Assessments included an expectancy scale, exit survey, mood rating before and after each meditation, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-FS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) …

When Seeing Is Believing: A Framework For Reflective Conversations In Remote And Face-To-Face Coaching Approaches, Cheryl Varghese, April Crawford, Linda Morgan-Dorsey, Maram Ahmed, Laura Prendergast, Tracy Osborn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Reflective conversations between teachers and coaches are critical to helping teachers improve their classroom instruction. Coaches who encourage teachers to "see, think, and do" are better able to facilitate meaningful reflective conversations with teachers. The "See, Think, Do" framework consists of six steps (observe, describe, process, analyze, draw conclusions, and plan) that can be used to help coaches engage in reflective conversations with teachers. The framework can be readily implemented in remote and face-to-face coaching modalities and in one-on-one and small group delivery formats. Suggestions and strategies for implementing the framework in ongoing coach-teacher conversations are provided.

Unsheltered Homeless And Unstably Housed Adults Have Higher Levels Of Stress And More Health Risk Factors Than Sheltered Homeless Adults, Chaelin K Ra, Emily T Hébert, Adam Alexander, Darla E Kendzor, Robert Suchting, Michael S Businelle

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the United States, approximately 580,000 individuals were homeless on a single night in 2020. Homelessness can be categorized into three subgroups: sheltered homeless, unsheltered homeless, and unstably housed. Few studies have examined the relations between homelessness subtypes, shelter service utilization, levels of stress experienced, and health risk factors. This study aimed to empirically examine whether shelter status the previous night was related to current stress, recent utilization of shelter-based mental health services, and current health risk factors. Data were collected at multiple homeless shelters in 2016 in the Oklahoma City area (N=575). All participants completed assessments of demographic characteristics, …

Resveratrol Rescues Cutaneous Radiation-Induced Dna Damage Via A Novel Ampk/Sirt7/Hmgb1 Regulatory Axis, Yi Jin, Xingyuan Liu, Xiaoting Liang, Jiabin Liu, Jieyu Liu, Zonglin Han, Qianxin Lu, Ke Wang, Bingyao Meng, Chunting Zhang, Minna Xu, Jian Guan, Li Ma, Liang Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cutaneous radiation injury (CRI) interrupts the scheduled process of radiotherapy and even compromises the life quality of patients. However, the current clinical options for alleviating CRI are relatively limited. Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to be a promising protective agent against CRI; yet the mechanisms of RSV enhancing radioresistance were not fully elucidated and limited its clinical application. In this study, we demonstrate RSV promotes cutaneous radioresistance mainly through SIRT7. During ionizing radiation (IR) treatment, RSV indirectly phosphorylates and activates SIRT7 through AMPK, which is critical for maintaining the genome stability of keratinocytes. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry identified HMGB1 to …

Assessing The Most Vulnerable Subgroup To Type Ii Diabetes Associated With Statin Usage: Evidence From Electronic Health Record Data, Xinzhou Guo, Waverly Wei, Molei Liu, Tianxi Cai, Chong Wu, Jingshen Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

There have been increased concerns that the use of statins, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treating coronary artery disease, is potentially associated with the increased risk of new-onset Type II diabetes (T2D). Nevertheless, to date, there is no robust evidence supporting as to whether and what kind of populations are indeed vulnerable for developing T2D after taking statins. In this case study, leveraging the biobank and electronic health record data in the Partner Health System, we introduce a new data analysis pipeline and a novel statistical methodology that address existing limitations by (i) designing a rigorous causal …

Self-Assembling Peptides As Immunomodulatory Biomaterials, Andrea Hernandez, Jeffrey D Hartgerink, Simon Young

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Self-assembling peptides are a type of biomaterial rapidly emerging in the fields of biomedicine and material sciences due to their promise in biocompatibility and effectiveness at controlled release. These self-assembling peptides can form diverse nanostructures in response to molecular interactions, making them versatile materials. Once assembled, the peptides can mimic biological functions and provide a combinatorial delivery of therapeutics such as cytokines and drugs. These self-assembling peptides are showing success in biomedical settings yet face unique challenges that must be addressed to be widely applied in the clinic. Herein, we describe self-assembling peptides' characteristics and current applications in immunomodulatory therapeutics.