Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Burnout Assessment Tool Development And Validation For Healthcare Workers: A Psychometric Approach Using Rasch Modelling And Exploratory Factor Analysis, Rosnah Ismail, Suriya Kumareswaran Vallasamy

Kesmas

Burnout remains a significant occupational threat to healthcare workers (HCWs). Existing instruments, e.g., the Maslach Burnout Inventory, have limited applicability in healthcare-specific contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate the Burnout Scale for Assessing Stress in Healthcare Workers (BSAS-HCW), designed to measure cognitive and emotional exhaustion. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 245 Malaysian HCWs representing diverse roles, including staff nurses (57.7%), house officers (14.3%), medical officers (13.5%), specialists (5.7%), pharmacists (4.5%), and other HCWs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure with strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: cognitive = 0.95; emotional = 0.97), and all items loaded above …

Analysis Of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Food And Drug Selection In Indonesia, Tina Wikara, Sri Astuti, Sri Nurhayati, Rotua Uli Carolina, Evi Ratna Sari

Kesmas

As consumers, the public plays a vital role in ensuring the safe and appropriate use of products. This study aimed to assess awareness of food and drug safety and quality among the Indonesian population. Using a cross-sectional survey, the authors measured public awareness across three key dimensions: knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Data were collected from 20,610 respondents aged 17–65 years from 34 provinces in Indonesia. The survey approach employed a three-stage stratified sampling design. Data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews, and the results were presented as an index ranging from 0 to 100 (low to high awareness). The respondents …

Post-Release Health Insurance Utilization Among Ex-Prisoners: A Scoping Review, Icha Khaerunnisa, Megah Andriany, Luky Dwiantoro

Kesmas

The lack of health insurance coverage after prison release significantly reduces access to essential healthcare services, hindering the continuity of care during community reintegration. The evidence on studies of health insurance use following prison release is limited. This scoping review aimed to summarize research on health insurance utilization after release from prison. Literature searches were conducted across databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus. Relevant articles were selected through a two-stage screening process. Data were extracted from the included studies and presented in tabular and descriptive formats. The keywords used were "health insurance AND post-release" and "inmates OR prisoners." This scoping …

The Impact Of Extramedullary And Paraskeletal Plasmacytomas On Treatment Outcomes In Multiple Myeloma Treated With Teclistamab: U.S. Myeloma Immunotherapy Consortium Real-World Experience, Aimaz Afrough, Danai Dima, Beatrice Razzo, Utkarsh Goel, Aishwarya Sannareddy, Oren Pasvolsky, Mariola Vazquez-Martinez, Christopher Ferreri, Rahul Banerjee, Jack Khouri, James Davis, Mahmoud Gaballa, Alex Lieberman-Cribbin, Masooma Rana, Kelley Julian, Faiz Anwer, Leyla Shune, Shaun Dejarnette, Ariel Grajales-Cruz, Evguenia Ouchveridze, Gabriel De Avila, Sandra Susanibar-Adaniya, Andrew Portuguese, Daniel Schrum, Erin Eberwein, Hitomi Hosoya, Lekha Mikkilineni, Gurbakhash Kaur, Joseph Mcguirk, Adriana Rossi, Megan Herr, Omar Castaneda, Frederick Locke, Shahzad Raza, Yi Lin, Shebli Atrash, Douglas Sborov, Peter Voorhees, Shambavi Richard, Alfred Garfall, Surbhi Sidana, Krina Patel, Doris Hansen, Andrew Cowan, Larry Anderson, Hans Lee

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Teclistamab, a bispecific antibody targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), is effective in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but its impact on patients with soft tissue plasmacytomas is unclear. We studied 385 RRMM patients treated with teclistamab at 13 U.S. centers through September 2023, with follow-up to April 2024. Soft tissue plasmacytomas were classified as true extramedullary disease (EMD; not contiguous with bone) or paraskeletal plasmacytomas (PSK; contiguous with bone). Patients with the simultaneous presence of both were classified as true-EMD, reflecting its adverse prognosis. Of those, 109 (28%) had true EMD, 33 (9%) had PSK, and 243 (63%) had …

Recombination Suppression Drives Expansion Of The Drosophila Dot Chromosome, Timothy J Stanek, Wilson Leung, Christopher D Shaffer, Ishtar Olaveja, Annabelle Laughlin, Jaquelyn Hester, Darwin Garrido, Emily K Oh, Maria Volski, Nistha Panda, Mia Mo, Ethan Cordes, Martin Dalling, Kacie Kershaw, Malcolm Arnott, Stephen Daly, Silvia Garcia Valenzuela, Paige Thompson, Kayla L Hastert, Destiny Sabb, Kathryn Karpinski, Meher Naaz Arora, Nicholas Rius, Larissa Lobello, Sebastian Jaramillo, Omkar Sonavane, Alice Herrmann, Laura K Reed, Sarah C R Elgin, Cindy Arrigo, Christopher E Ellison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genome size varies widely, even among closely related species, yet much less is known about chromosome size variation. Here we use the fourth chromosome of Drosophila, also known as the "Muller F element" or "dot chromosome", as a model to investigate chromosome-specific size expansion. The F element of most Drosophila species is small (∼1.3 Mb) and almost entirely heterochromatic, yet harbors approximately 80 protein-coding genes. Here, we study D. kikkawai, D. takahashii, D. ananassae, and D. bipectinata, whose F elements are 2- to 15-fold larger in size compared to D. melanogaster. Through manual gene curation and comparative genomic analysis, we …

Outcomes After Flow Diversion For Ruptured Blood Blister-Like And Dissecting Aneurysms: A Single-Center Series, William W Wroe, Hussein A Zeineddine, Si Y Yu, Bridger H Freeman, Richard S Cook, Charles M Christensen, Peng Roc Chen, Sunil A Sheth, Spiros L Blackburn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Flow diverter (FD) use has become a popular method for treating intracranial aneurysms, but evidence in acutely ruptured blood blister-like and dissecting morphologies is limited. Furthermore, there is little evidence regarding the role of short-term follow-up imaging to assess aneurysm stability. This study is a single-center retrospective review of dissecting aneurysms treated by FD, with an analysis of short-term follow-up angiograms to guide post-treatment management.

Methods

Our single-center retrospective review included all patients from 2016 to 2024 with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage from blood blister-like and dissecting aneurysms who underwent treatment with an FD. Outcomes included re-rupture, treatment failure, re-treatment, …

Developmental Stage-Dependent Transcriptomic Responses To Neonatal Intraventricular Hemorrhage, Elizabeth Wallace-Anthony, Miriam Zamorano, Hemendra J Vekaria, Braden B Oldham, Kiara P Umpornpun, Scott D Olson, Stefano Berto, Brandon A Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a major complication of preterm birth, yet how developmental stage influences the brain's response to injury remains unclear. We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on rat brains 24 h after IVH at postnatal day 2 (PND2) or day 5 (PND5) to define transcriptional responses across cell types. We identified 42 distinct cell populations and found that PND5 brains exhibited a markedly stronger immune and inflammatory response to IVH, with a threefold increase in differentially expressed genes compared to PND2. Microglia were the most perturbed cell type at both stages, showing increased oxidative stress and polarization toward …

Benchmarking Dna Foundation Models For Genomic And Genetic Tasks, Haonan Feng, Lang Wu, Bingxin Zhao, Chad Huff, Jianjun Zhang, Jia Wu, Lifeng Lin, Peng Wei, Chong Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The rapid evolution of DNA foundation models promises to revolutionize genomics, yet comprehensive evaluations are lacking. Here, we present a comprehensive, unbiased benchmark of five models (DNABERT-2, Nucleotide Transformer V2, HyenaDNA, Caduceus-Ph, and GROVER) across diverse genomic and genetic tasks including sequence classification, gene expression prediction, variant effect quantification, and topologically associating domain (TAD) region recognition, using zero-shot embeddings. Our analysis reveals that mean token embedding consistently and significantly improves sequence classification performance, outperforming other pooling strategies. Model performance varies among tasks and datasets; while general purpose DNA foundation models showed competitive performance in pathogenic variant identification, they were less …

Radiologist-Validated Automatic Lumbar T1-Weighted Spinal Mri Segmentation Tool Via An Attention U-Net Algorithm, Aryan Kalluvila, Ethan Wang, Michael C Hurley, Colbey Freeman, Jason M Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives: Spinal MRI segmentation has become increasingly important with the prevalence of disc herniation and vertebral injuries. Artificial intelligence can help orthopedic surgeons and radiologists automate the process of segmentation. Currently, there are few tools for T1-weighted spinal MRI segmentation, with most focusing on T2-weighted imaging. This paper focuses on creating an automatic lumbar spinal MRI segmentation tool for T1-weighted images using deep learning.

Methods: An Attention U-Net was employed as the main algorithm because the architecture has shown success in other segmentation applications. Segmentation loss functions were compared, focusing on the difference between BCE and MSE loss. Two board-certified …

The Intersection Of Near-Death Experiences (Ndes) And Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi): Neurobiological, Phenomenological, And Creative Implications, Diego Iacono, Gloria C Feltis

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and near-death experiences (NDEs) represent profound disruptions in brain function, often associated with dramatic changes in consciousness, self-perception, and behavior. While these events are typically studied for their pathological consequences, a growing body of evidence suggests they may also trigger unexpected cognitive and creative enhancements in a subset of individuals. We explore the intersection between TBI, NDEs, and the emergence of heightened artistic expression, integrating findings from neuroanatomy, neuropathology, genetics, and phenomenology. We examine how alterations in key brain networks - such as the default mode network, frontoparietal circuits, and limbic regions - may underpin shifts …

Development Of Intestinal Tissue-Resident T Cells In Early-Life Mice Before And After Weaning, Catherine Montenegro, Siyuan Ding, Federico Perdomo-Celis, Manuel A Franco

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Intestinal tissue-resident T cells have been poorly characterized during early-life. Here, we phenotypically characterized tissue-resident (intravascular staining negative) CD4

Microbial Associations And Viruses On The Risk Of Celiac Disease (Mavric): A Longitudinal Post-Hoc Case-Cohort Study, Kristian F Lynch, Eric W Triplett, Heikki Hyöty, Angelica P Ahrens, Jutta E Laiho, Joseph F Petrosino, Richard E Lloyd, Daniel Agardh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Celiac disease etiopathogenesis requires genetic predisposition and exposure to gluten, yet these factors alone are not sufficient. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to determine the role of time-varying infections and gut microorganisms. The aim was to design a celiac disease case-cohort longitudinal study using The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study. By age 3-years, persistent tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGA), i.e., celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA), was confirmed in 704 of the 6132 genetically at-risk TEDDY children. Celiac disease onset (CD-onset) was defined as the age CDA developed when followed by a biopsy-proven diagnosis. A competing risk analysis on …

Mecp2 Interacts With The Super Elongation Complex To Regulate Transcription, Jun Young Sonn, Wonho Kim, Marta Iwanaszko, Yuki Aoi, Yan Li, Guantong Qi, Luke Parkitny, Janice L Brissette, Lorin Weiner, Juan Botas, Ismael Al-Ramahi, Ali Shilatifard, Huda Y Zoghbi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Loss-of-function mutations in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) cause Rett syndrome. While we know that MeCP2 binds to methylated cytosines on DNA, the full breadth of the molecular mechanisms by which MeCP2 regulates gene expression remains incompletely understood. Here, using a genetic modifier screen, we identify the super elongation complex, a P-TEFb–containing elongation factor that releases promoter-proximally paused RNA polymerase II, as a genetic interactor of MECP2. MeCP2 physically interacts with SEC subunits and directly binds AFF4, the scaffold of the SEC, via the transcriptional repression domain. Furthermore, MeCP2 facilitates the binding of AFF4 on a subset …

Correction: Perioperative Quality Initiative (Poqi) Consensus Statement On Perioperative Assessment Of Right Ventricular Function, Stephanie O Ibekwe, Jean Deschamps, Michael P W Grocott, Yafen Liang, Andrew Shaw, Tjorvi E Perry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Structure Of An Lgr Dimer, An Evolutionary Predecessor Of Glycoprotein Hormone Receptors, Zhen Gong, Shuobing Chen, Ziao Fu, Brian Kloss, Chi Wang, Jonathan Kim, Oliver B Clarke, Qing R Fan, Wayne A Hendrickson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glycoprotein hormones (GpHs) produced in the human pituitary act through receptors (GpHRs) in the gonads to support reproduction and in the thyroid for metabolism. GpHs are heterodimeric cystine-knot proteins; their receptors bind cognate hormones at an extracellular domain and signal through a transmembrane domain to heterotrimeric G proteins. GpHs and GpHRs have co-evolved from invertebrate counterparts. Structures of the human receptors as isolated for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) are all monomeric despite compelling evidence for their functioning as dimers. Here we characterize the homologous receptor from Caenorhabditis elegans. Its biochemical properties are notably similar to those of the thyroid stimulating …

Participatory Implementation Science To Enhance Knowledge And Build The Capacity To Increase The Uptake And Sustainability Of Hpv Vaccination Among Girls In Nigeria, Peter Kalulu, Olufunto A Olusanya, Nkiruka Obodoechina, Maria A Afadapa, Temitope Ojo, Priscilla A Kabutey, Caven N Ngoe, Ashley Bardon, Juliet Iwelunmor, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but its uptake remains low, especially in Nigeria. Understanding participatory approaches can help identify local strategies to increase, build capacity for, and sustain vaccine uptake. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an innovation bootcamp in enhancing the knowledge and skills of youth implementers about HPV and cervical cancer as a strategy to increase vaccine uptake among Nigerian girls aged 9-14 years. An innovation bootcamp is an intensive training program that engages end users to build capacity and skills.

METHODS: This was a five-week hybrid bootcamp guided …

The Clinical Pharmacist As Principal Investigator—2026, Dave L. Dixon, Leo F. Buckley, Raniah Aljadeed, William L. Baker, Samuel C. Greer, Amy Y. Kang, S. Casey Laizure, Abbie D. Leino, Robert Maclaren, Milap C. Nahata, Tien M. H. Ng, Elaine Nguyen

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) first described the role and history of the pharmacist as principal investigator (PI) in 2000. An update was published in 2010, citing evidence from NIH and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry that showed an increase in the number of individuals with a Pharm.D. degree engaging in pharmacist-directed research. The 2025 ACCP Publications Committee was charged with providing an update to the 2010 paper. Key findings include a substantial increase in the total amount of federal funding awarded to schools of pharmacy (SoP) between 2011 and 2023, a modest increase in the number of pharmacists receiving …

Transdisciplinary Perspectives On Ai: The Fourth Annual Conference Of The European Culture And Technology Laboratory, Connell Vaughan, Ioana Madalina Moldovan, Silivan Moldovan, Noel Fitzpatrick

Books/Book Chapters

The fourth annual conference of the ECT Lab+ was hosted by Technical University of Cluj-Napoca over two days in October 2024 at the Cluj Innovation Park. The conference brought together experts from the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology, and other fields to discuss and reflect on the advent of Artificial Intelligence and how the associated technologies are transforming how we live, work and study. Under the title Transdisciplinary perspectives on AI: Alternative Histories, Current Practices and Possible Futures the conference moved beyond simplistic technophila and technophobia to consider whether we can co-evolve with these new technologies which combine machine learning …

The Gastrointestinal Endothelin System: Receptors, Cellular Actions, And Involvement In Gastrointestinal Disorders, Arjun Singh, Rajvir Singh

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The gastrointestinal endothelin system regulates vital processes including motility, secretion, sensation, and inflammation. Endothelin-1 acts via endothelin A and B receptors expressed on diverse intestinal cells. Dysregulation of endothelin signaling underlies common gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Aberrant endothelin-1 production and endothelin A receptor activation contribute to the inflammation, pain hypersensitivity, impaired epithelial function, and smooth muscle hypercontractility characteristic of these diseases. Endothelin receptor antagonists may provide therapies for managing related symptoms. However, knowledge gaps exist regarding cell-specific signaling pathways, regulatory factors, and precise roles in intestinal pathologies. Elucidating these details and translating insights …

“I Missed My Other Oncologist”: Established Relationships As Barriers And Facilitators To Accessing Car-T And Autologous Transplantation, Zachary A. K. Frosch, Clark Meshack, Caitlin Meeker, Asya Varshavsky-Yanovsky, Rashmi Khanal, Michael Bromberg, Ashwin Chandar, Emmanuel Quien, Jordan Carter, Shazia K. Nakhoda, Marcus Messmer, Charissa Montgomery, Jason A. Incorvati, Nadia D. Ali, Michael J. Styler, Carolyn Y. Fang

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) can provide significant clinical benefit, but are not equally available to all patients. Oncologist continuity and trust are important to patients, and may act as barriers to receipt of therapy. However, detailed data are lacking on the mechanism by which these might affect receipt of therapy, or how this barrier may be overcome.

METHODS: We conducted a qualitative interview study with patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) or multiple myeloma (MM) eligible for or treated with ASCT/CAR-T. Participants were recruited from a multi-site academic …

Physician Peer Review: Just Culture And Practical Implementation In An Emergency Department, Christian Fromm, Monica Colicino, Merle A. Carter, Elizabeth M. Datner

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Although regulatory agencies require hospitals to engage in peer review to maintain accreditation, quality assurance review processes are not standardized, and well-structured peer review of clinical cases involving medical errors and adverse events governed by Just Culture principles is not widespread. We implemented such an emergency department (ED) physician peer review process and performed an analysis of cases that underwent review.

METHODS: We formed an ED physician peer review committee at our institution guided by Just Culture principles, including promotion of a culture of safety to encourage open reporting of errors and near misses, and top-down leadership commitment to …

Mucosal Melanoma: Mechanisms Of Its Etiology, Progression, Resistance And Therapy, Sofie-Yasmin Hassan, Thomas W. Flanagan, Sarah-Lilly Hassan, Sybille Facca, Youssef Haikel, Mohamed Hassan

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare, aggressive cancer whose incidence has increased continuously over the years. This subtype of melanoma arises from melanocytes on hairless surfaces, typically in the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and urogenital tract. The most common sites of occurrence include the head and neck, the anorectal region, and the vulvovaginal region, while the rare sites of MM are the urinary tract and the upper and lower GI tract, including the esophagus, duodenum and the gallbladder. MM arises in melanocytes of the ectodermal mucosa that originate from neural crest cells and migrate through embryonic mesenchyme to their …

The Mechanism Of Action Of Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (Ren) In Treating Migraine And Potentially Other Idiopathic Pain Conditions, Marius Birlea, Christopher L. Robinson, Eden Mama, Alit Stark-Inbar, Alon Ironi, Daniel Atashsokhan, Thomas Berk

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Purpose of Review

This review provides evidence for the mechanism of action (MOA) of Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN), a non-pharmacological therapeutic technology for treating migraine and other symptoms manifested by certain idiopathic pain diseases. It discusses the main physiological and anatomical aspects associated with conditioned pain modulation (CPM), and how REN is applied for the treatment of migraine pain and other symptoms.

Recent Findings

The REN wearable device (Nerivio®) is FDA cleared for acute and preventive treatment of migraine in patients aged 8 years and above, and CE marked in patients aged 12 and above. In brief, the REN MOA …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of An Implementation Strategy To Enhance Use Of Classroom-Based Physical Activity Approaches In Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Timothy J Walker, Derek W Craig, Christopher D Pfledderer, Matthew Lee, Kempson Onadeko, Emma E Saving, John B Bartholomew, Maria E Fernández

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Classroom-based approaches are an evidence-based way to improve children's physical activity; however, they are inconsistently implemented in schools. We developed MAGIC (Movement for Academic Growth In Classrooms), a multifaceted implementation strategy that consists of leadership training, teacher training, and a monthly newsletter to improve use of classroom-based physical activity approaches. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of MAGIC among elementary school teachers and leaders.

Methods: We used an embedded, convergent mixed methods design. We provided the MAGIC implementation strategy to a partner elementary school. We then administered surveys to teachers to quantitatively examine …

Developing Ehealth Interventions To Improve Diabetes Management In Emerging Adulthood: Qualitative Formative Study, April Idalski Carcone, Deepika Baskar, Aishah Mahmood, Karen Macdonell, Susan Eggly, Samiran Ghosh, Colleen Buggs-Saxton, Steven J Ondersma, Deborah A Ellis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Emerging adulthood is a high-risk period during which many with type 1 diabetes demonstrate suboptimal diabetes management and glycemic control. There is a need for effective, scalable interventions designed specifically for this population. Technology-based approaches are readily accessible to this age group. Furthermore, interventions consistent with self-determination theory-which posits that the fulfillment of psychological needs for autonomy, self-efficacy, and relatedness promotes intrinsic motivation for change-may resonate well with emerging adults' developmental needs for establishing independence and autonomy, and growing their social network.

Objective: This study aimed to enhance the potential relevance, sustainability, and efficacy of 3 self-determination theory-informed mobile …

Met Overexpression Is Associated With Superior Immunotherapy Benefit In Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Hui Li, Lingzhi Hong, Pedro Rocha, Rafael Bach, Luisa M Solis Soto, Waree Rinsurongkawong, Bingnan Zhang, Haniel A Araujo, Yasir Y Elamin, Mehmet Altan, Claudio A Arrechedera, Jianling Zhou, Khaja B Khan, Wei Lu, Elliana Young, Carl M Gay, Tina Cascone, Lauren A Byers, Ferdinandos Skoulidis, George Blumenschein, Frank V Fossella, Anne Tsao, Marcelo V Negrao, Natalie Vokes, Jia Wu, Hai T Tran, Ignacio I Wistuba, J Jack Lee, Don L Gibbons, Ara A Vaporciyan, John V Heymach, Xiuning Le, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/objectives: MET overexpression is common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The correlation between MET overexpression and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in NSCLC is underexplored.

Methods: In this retrospective observational cohort study, we curated a dataset of 279 stage IV NSCLC patients who received ICI treatment and had MET expression assessed by CLIA-certified immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. MET expression was graded on a scale from 0 to 3+, with overexpression defined as 2+ or 3+. Clinicopathological features associated with MET expression were assessed using logistic regression. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated via Kaplan-Meier analysis and the …

Improving Diagnostic Accuracy In Preoperative Glioma Classification: Performance Of Knowledge-Enhanced Large Language Models Compared With Radiologists, Shuang Li, Xin Fang, Yuqi Jin, Yujiao Deng, Wei Hu, Bing Wu, Xiaobo Zhou, Guotai Wang, Kang Li, Qiang Yue

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate preoperative MRI classification of gliomas is essential but challenging due to complex radiological features and inter-observer variability. This study evaluated three large language models (LLMs) for VASARI-based glioma classification compared to radiologist interpretations. We retrospectively analyzed 150 histopathologically confirmed gliomas (43 circumscribed astrocytic, 53 high-grade diffuse, 54 low-grade diffuse gliomas) using standardized MRI protocols. Three radiologists extracted VASARI features, while three LLMs (GPT-4, Claude3.5-Sonnet, Claude3.0-Opus) analyzed these features using standard input-output or knowledge-enhanced prompting incorporating diagnostic guidelines. Knowledge-enhanced prompting consistently outperformed standard prompting, improving diagnostic consistency (intra-model agreement: Sonnet κ = 0.91, Opus κ = 0.92, GPT-4 κ = …

Brain Power Comparison Between Microgravity And Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest: An Electroencephalography Approach, María Sevilla-García, Adrián Quivira-Lopesino, Pablo Cuesta, Sandra Pusil, Ricardo Bruña, Patrique Fiedler, Fernando Maestu, Ana Maria Cebolla, Guy Cheron, Katharina Brauns, Alexander C Stahn, Michael E Funke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examines neurophysiological changes in microgravity by comparing EEG data from two ground analog 60-day head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR) experiments (ESA/DLR “Cocktail” and “RSL”) and the NEUROSPAT experiment in space. The primary objective was to determine whether HDBR could effectively model spaceflight’s impact on the human brain’s EEG signal. In the HDBR dataset, increases in relative delta (2–4 Hz) (p <  0.01) and theta (4–8 Hz) (p <  0.001) power bands were observed during a two-month HDBR experiment, predominantly in the left temporal and parieto-occipital regions. Conversely, the NEUROSPAT dataset showed a significant increase in beta (12–30 Hz) (p <  0.05) power in the left somatosensory cortex during in-flight conditions, suggesting a potential adaptation to disrupted proprioceptive input and motor control in microgravity. The contrasting findings between the two datasets indicate that while HDBR can simulate some aspects of microgravity, it may not serve as a model for all central nervous system changes, especially those related to proprioception and motor functions. This highlights the need for further research, including larger sample sizes, consistent EEG recording conditions, and integration of additional physiological and cognitive markers to fully understand the effects of prolonged microgravity.

Accelerating Digital Mental Health: The Society Of Digital Psychiatry's Three-Pronged Road Map For Education, Digital Navigators, And Ai, John Torous, Kathryn Taylor Ledley, Carla Gorban, Gillian Strudwick, Julian Schwarz, Soumya Choudhary, Margaret Emerson, Michelle Patriquin, Allison Dempsey, Jason Bantjes, Laura Ospina-Pinillos, Jennie Hornick, Shruti Kochhar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Digital mental health tools such as apps, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence (AI) hold great promise but continue to face barriers to widespread clinical adoption. The Society of Digital Psychiatry, in partnership with JMIR Mental Health, presents a 3-pronged road map to accelerate their safe, effective, and equitable implementation. First, education: integrate digital psychiatry into core training and professional development through a global webinar series, annual symposium, newsletter, and an updated open-access curriculum addressing AI and the evolving digital navigator role. Second, AI standards: develop transparent, actionable benchmarks and consensus guidance through initiatives like MindBench.ai to assess reasoning, safety, and …

Microrna Profiling Identifies Diagnostic And Prognostic Markers In Pediatric Sarcoma., Terrie Flatt, Leonid M. Yermakov, Shreeram Akilesh, Eleanor Y. Chen, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Alejandro Parrales, Marta Zapata-Tarres, Rocio Cardenas-Cardos, Liliana Velasco-Hidalgo, Celso Corcuera-Delgado, Rodolfo Rodriguez-Jurado, Lillia García-Rodríguez, Midhat S. Farooqi, Atif Ali Ahmed

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as post-transcriptional gene expression regulators and influence the development and progression of several cancers, yet their roles in pediatric sarcomas remain poorly defined.

METHODS: RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue scrolls of 108 pediatric tumors, including 32 osteosarcoma (OS), 26 Ewing's sarcoma (EWS), and 50 rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) cases, were analyzed for microRNA expression using the NanoString multiplex nCounter platform that yielded information on 827 human miRNAs. The expression of candidate miRNAs was validated with in situ hybridization (miRNA-ISH) and QuPath quantification on tissue microarray slides comprising an independent set of 48 OS, 17 EWS, and …