Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Lewy Body Dementia Promotion By Air Pollutants, Xiaodi Zhang, Haiqing Liu, Xiao Wu, Longgang Jia, Kundlik Gadhave, Lena Wang, Kevin Zhang, Hanyu Li, Rong Chen, Ramhari Kumbhar, Ning Wang, Chantelle E Terrillion, Bong Gu Kang, Bin Bai, Minhan Park, Ma Cristine Faye Denna, Shu Zhang, Wenqiang Zheng, Denghui Ye, Xiaoli Rong, Liu Yang, Lili Niu, Han Seok Ko, Weiyi Peng, Lingtao Jin, Mingyao Ying, Liana S Rosenthal, David W Nauen, Alex Pantelyat, Mahima Kaur, Kezia Irene, Liuhua Shi, Rahel Feleke, Sonia García-Ruiz, Mina Ryten, Valina L Dawson, Francesca Dominici, Rodney J Weber, Xuan Zhang, Pengfei Liu, Ted M Dawson, Shizhong Han, Xiaobo Mao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Evidence links air pollution to dementia, yet its role in Lewy body dementia (LBD) remains unclear. Here we showed in a cohort of 56.5 million individuals across the U.S. that PM2.5 exposure raises LBD risk. Mechanistically, we found PM2.5 exposure led to brain atrophy in wild-type mice, an effect not seen in α-synuclein (αSyn)-deficient mice. PM2.5 exposure generated a highly pathogenic αSyn strain, PM-PFF, with enhanced proteinase K-resistance and neurotoxicity, resembling αSyn LBD strains. PM2.5 samples from China, the U.S., and Europe consistently induced proteinase-resistant αSyn strains and in vivo pathology. Transcriptomic analyses revealed shared responses between PM2.5-exposed mice and …

Dissecting Microbial Communities With Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis, Andrew W Pountain, Itai Yanai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Revealing insights into the function of microbial communities requires moving beyond measuring bulk taxonomic composition to detecting interactions between subpopulations. Following the transformative impact of single-cell gene expression profiling techniques on numerous fields of human biology, recent years have seen increased application to microbes. We review progress in the development of these techniques and discuss challenges in applying them to microbial communities. We highlight applications for dissecting the microbiome in human health and disease that reveal functional heterogeneity within gut communities, antibiotic responses, and the dynamics of mobile genetic elements. As single-cell gene expression technologies continue to develop, they are …

Human Papillomavirus Integration Induces Oncogenic Host Gene Fusions In Oropharyngeal Cancers, Nusrat Khan, Keiko Akagi, Shiming Jiang, Joe Dan Dunn, Bo Jiang, Weihong Xiao, Madison P O'Hara, Li Shen, Qi Wang, Vakul Mohanty, Jing Wang, Sara Goodwin, Jamie L Hutchins, Kevin R Coombes, Jagannadha K Sastry, David E Symer, Maura L Gillison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

HPV integration disrupts host genomic structure and expression, but whether these alterations promote cancer development remains unclear. Multiple genomic analyses of oropharyngeal cancers identified several host fusion genes, including recurrent FGFR3-TACC3 fusions, expressed from rearranged genomic loci adjacent to HPV integration sites. Evolutionary modeling implicated integration of virus concatemers into the host genome as a common initiating event in fusion formation. Co-expression of HPV16 E6/E7 and FGFR3-TACC3, but neither alone, was sufficient for tumor development in both xenograft and syngeneic mouse models and led to unique transcriptional programs implicated in carcinogenesis. FGFR3-TACC3 expression decreased the ubiquitination and degradation of …

Detection Of Cancers Three Years Prior To Diagnosis Using Plasma Cell-Free Dna, Yuxuan Wang, Corinne E Joshu, Samuel D Curtis, Christopher Douville, Vernon A Burk, Meng Ru, Maria Popoli, Janine Ptak, Lisa Dobbyn, Natalie Silliman, Josef Coresh, Eric Boerwinkle, Anna Prizment, Chetan Bettegowda, Kenneth W Kinzler, Nickolas Papadopoulos, Elizabeth A Platz, Bert Vogelstein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To explore how early can cancers be detected prior to clinical signs or symptoms, we assessed prospectively collected serial plasma samples from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, including 26 participants diagnosed with cancer and 26 matched controls. At the index time point, eight of these 52 participants scored positively with a multicancer early detection (MCED) test. All eight participants were diagnosed with cancer within 4 months after blood collection. In six of these 8 participants, we were able to assess an earlier plasma sample collected 3.1 to 3.5 years prior to clinical diagnosis. In four of these six …

Risk Of Clonal Hematopoiesis In Families Exposed To Radiation Following The Chornobyl Accident, Mitchell J Machiela, Irenaeus Chan, Kelly Bolton, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Radiation exposure is a well-established risk factor for leukemia. Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), the expansion of mutated hematopoietic cells, is also associated with increased leukemia risk and its frequency is higher in cancer patients following radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We investigated whether low to moderate environmental ionizing radiation determined by state-of-the-art dosimetric analysis was associated with CH in the Chornobyl Family Study (CFS). Our study conducted targeted high-depth sequencing and array genotyping to identify and characterize clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) in 882 participants from 292 CFS families. Fathers had mean bone marrow radiation doses of …

Preconditioning With Low-Dose Radiation Improves Antitumor Immunity And Survival In Dc-Vaccinated Mice, Eric Kwon, Shelby Namen, Colin J Willoughby, Solomon Kang, Gaurav Pandey, Alexander B Kim, Carl J Deselm

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Preconditioning regimens are essential for the immunologic success of cell therapies like CAR T cells. Nevertheless, their effect on cancer vaccines is underexplored, and preconditioning regimens are generally absent from cancer vaccine clinical trials. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated the impact of various preconditioning strategies on dendritic cell (DC) vaccine efficacy in a murine tumor model. Mice bearing syngeneic tumors received preconditioning with 2 Gy low-dose radiation therapy (LD RT; whole-body or tumor-only), cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, LD RT plus cyclophosphamide, or no preconditioning, followed by administration of antigen-loaded DCs. Whether whole-body or tumor-directed, LD RT preconditioning significantly enhanced vaccine-induced …

Blood Glucose Concentration In Highly Prolific Sows Before Farrowing: Its Relationship With Parity And Litter Size, Preechaphon Taechamaeteekul, Silvia Comencini, Fabio De Rensis, Roberta Saleri, Padet Tummaruk

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Farrowing is an energy-demanding period for prolific sows, with blood glucose levels serving as key indicators affecting farrowing outcomes and piglet survival. This study aimed to evaluate blood glucose levels in prolific sows prior to farrowing, assess the prevalence of hypoglycemia in late gestation, and investigate the relationship between blood glucose levels, parity, and litter size under tropical conditions. A total of 67 Danish Landrace × Yorkshire sows were grouped based on litter size (6–14, 15–17, or ≥18 piglets) and parity (2–4 and 5–6). To determine glucose levels, blood samples were collected at 115.8 ± 1.6 days of gestation, at …

Utilization Of The Fundamentals Of Vascular Surgery Symposium In Surgical Curricula, Priscilla Tanamal, Amit Chawla, Amanda Tullos, Claudie Sheahan, Malachi Sheahan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: Simulation is a helpful adjunct to vascular surgery training, in which high-volume surgical experience portends better patient outcomes. Louisiana State University Health New Orleans hosts a 3-day program, the Fundamentals of Vascular Surgery (FVS) Symposium, during which vascular trainees from across the nation can participate in didactic and hands-on lessons with an emphasis on procedures less frequently performed during residency, taught by attending surgeons from various institutions. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the FVS Symposium on participant confidence in endovascular and open procedures and evaluate any differences between junior and senior level residents. …

Medical Students’ Perspectives On Dobbs V Jackson Women’S Health Organization, Victoria Lazarov, Cecilia Mastrogiacomo, Mikaela Koch, Kirsten Wohlars, Tova Ablove, Student Perspectives On Reproductive Rights Research Group

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Background: In June 2022, the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling overturned the previously upheld constitutional right to abortion. The resulting impact on medical training and student decision-making remains uncertain. This study aims to assess the nationwide impact of the Dobbs decision on medical students’ geographic residency preferences, specialty selection, and level of concern regarding civil and criminal charges for physicians providing abortion and fertility care.

Methods: An anonymous IRB-approved REDCap survey was distributed to American accredited medical schools across the United States and Israel between December 2022 and May 2023. Participants indicated specialty interests and geographic preferences for …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Implementing An Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Program, Renee N. Spencer, Sandhya Ashokkumar, Erin Kern, Pranav Patel, Jachrise Sibblis, Alexander Kuc, Adam Green, Vishal P. Jani

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Introduction: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) has been used to improve survival in select cardiac arrest patients. Success is linked to patient volume, with centers classified as low (0-6), medium (7-12), or high (>12) volume based on annual cases. We hypothesize that Cooper has a large enough eligible patient population to benefit from implementation of an ECPR program.

Methods: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients transported to Cooper Hospital over six years were assessed for eCPR candidacy via retrospective chart review. In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) eCPR data was also collected and combined with OHCA data to project annual eCPR …

Social Determinants Of Health In Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Other Sexual And Gender Minority (Lgbtq+) Older Adults: Impact Of Socioeconomic Disadvantage On Inpatient Hospitalizations, Jennifer T. May Phd, Rn, Anp-Bc, Devon Noonan, Susan G. Silva

Publications

Introduction

Little is known about the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) older adults (≥50 years). The aim of this study is to determine whether the distribution of LGBTQ+ inpatient hospitalizations are related to structural socioeconomic factors.

Methods

A secondary analysis of retrospective electronic health record data for LGBTQ+ older adults hospitalized from 2018 to 2022 was conducted at one large health system. The average county area deprivation index where the patient resided was calculated.

Results

The analysis included 2270 LGBTQ+ older adult inpatient hospitalizations, with 1508 (66.4%) from …

P.L.A.Y. For All Pilot: Effects Of A Community-Based, Inclusive After-School Program On Physical Activity And Motor-Skill Outcomes, Allison R. Tsuchida, Karl-Richard Hennebach, Erin E. Centeio

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

After-school programs for physical activity (PA) can contribute to helping children and youth achieve the suggested 60 minutes a day of PA. Previous research also suggests that developing motor competency can positively impact long-term PA participation. Additionally, parent and peer support can help children and youth overcome barriers to PA participation. The primary purpose of this pilot research study was to determine the effects of an inclusive after-school program on PA levels and motor-skill outcomes for children with and without disabilities. A secondary purpose was to examine parental support for physical activity and children’s physical activity and motor skills. 38 …

Left Atrial Thrombus In Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis: A Case Of Therapeutic International Normalized Ratio Failure, Muhammad Salman Sabri, Carly Weber, Yanis Belkadi, Donald C. Haas, Yasotha Rajeswaran

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation or flutter in rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) increases left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus risk despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old woman on warfarin with moderate MS and atrial flutter presented with dyspnea. Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed a large LAA thrombus despite an international normalized ratio >2.5. Cardioversion was deferred, and the international normalized ratio target was raised to a range of 2.5 to 3.5.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: While cardioversion can be considered in patients with uninterrupted anticoagulation without TEE, those with rheumatic MS are at high risk of LAA and LA thrombus and should undergo TEE before …

Investigating Bacterial Vaginosis Pathogenesis Using Peptide Nucleic Acid-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization With A Focus On The Roles Of Gardnerella Species, Prevotella Bivia, And Fannyhessea Vaginae, Sheridan D. George, Megan H. Amerson-Brown, Lúcia G.V. Sousa, Tyler M. Carter, Alexa H. Rinehart, Ashleigh N. Riegler, Sixto M. Leal, Kristal J. Aaron, Jiaying Hao, Ashutosh Tamhane, Chaoling Dong, John W. Lammons, Jacob H. Elnaggar, Keonte J. Graves, Paweł Łaniewski, Melissa M. Herbst-Kralovetz, Christopher M. Taylor, Nuno Cerca, Christina A. Muzny

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Background. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a vaginal dysbiosis characterized by polymicrobial communities of BV-associated bacteria (BVAB) adhered to the vaginal epithelium. Despite decades of research, its etiology remains unknown. We aimed to investigate BV biofilm formation over time among women who developed incident BV (iBV) using peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH), focusing on 3 key BVAB (Gardnerella species, Prevotella bivia, and Fannyhessea vaginae). Methods. Heterosexual, nonpregnant women ages 18–45 with optimal vaginal microbiota were enrolled to self-collect twice-daily vaginal specimens for 60 days. iBV was defined as a Nugent score of 7–10 on ≥ 4 consecutive specimens. For …

Development Of A Clinical Practice Guideline To Improve Appointment Adherence Among Adults With Depression In An Outpatient Setting Using The Agree Ii Framework, Udenma Okafor-Bryden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was designed to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) to enhance appointment adherence among adults with depression in an outpatient mental health clinic, thereby improving outcomes. The practice-focused question was Will a CPG utilizing a multimodal reminder system improve appointment adherence? Missed appointments in outpatient mental health care contribute to delayed treatment, increased symptom severity, and higher rates of emergency care utilization. These disruptions not only compromise clinical outcomes but also financially burden healthcare systems and disrupt continuity of care. The CPG was developed using the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model and a …

Resilience, Elapsed Time Since Exposure To Workplace Violence, And Job Satisfaction Among Emergency Nurses In The United States, Ginny Glisson Ennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emergency nursing profession faces a critical challenge with a declining workforce and a high prevalence of workplace violence (WPV), which negatively impacts nurse job satisfaction. This quantitative study examined the relationships among nursing resilience, time elapsed since WPV exposure, and job satisfaction among emergency nurses (ENs) in the United States. Grounded in resilience and Herzberg’s two-factor theories, this study used a cross-sectional, correlational design. A national, anonymous online survey was distributed via social media, using a sharable QR code to recruit participants. The survey consisted of a total of 52 items, and collected demographic data, and time elapsed since …

Neonatal Striatal Volume Is Associated With Infant Anhedonia, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Catherine H. Demers, Jessica L. Irwin, Laura M. Glynn, Martin A. Styner, Mercedes Hoeflich Haase, M. Camille Hoffman, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology: Faculty Scholarship

Anhedonia is increasingly recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. New evidence demonstrates that anhedonia is present in infancy and early childhood. Structural variability in striatal regions involved in reward processing and pleasure seeking is concurrently linked to anhedonia, yet few studies have examined whether striatal differences presage anhedonia, and none have examined prospective associations before middle childhood. The present study examined whether neuroanatomical markers that confer risk for anhedonia can be detected as early as the neonatal period. Specifically, we tested whether the volume of striatal regions in neonates predicted the emergence of infant anhedonic behaviors at six …

Neonatal Striatal Volume Is Associated With Infant Anhedonia, Melissa Nevarez-Brewster, Catherine H. Demers, Jessica L. Irwin, Laura M. Glynn, Martin A. Styner, Mercedes Hoeflich Haase, M. Camille Hoffman, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Benjamin L. Hankin, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Anhedonia is increasingly recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. New evidence demonstrates that anhedonia is present in infancy and early childhood. Structural variability in striatal regions involved in reward processing and pleasure seeking is concurrently linked to anhedonia, yet few studies have examined whether striatal differences presage anhedonia, and none have examined prospective associations before middle childhood. The present study examined whether neuroanatomical markers that confer risk for anhedonia can be detected as early as the neonatal period. Specifically, we tested whether the volume of striatal regions in neonates predicted the emergence of infant anhedonic behaviors at six …

Increasing Staff Knowledge In An Assisted Living Facility, Lindy Hilding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The practice problem I identified was a rising number of resident falls throughout the past 6-12 months at a 29-bed assisted living facility (ALF). The organization requested an education program on evidence-based practices on fall prevention in older adults. I used the project question to explore if an education program would increase the knowledge of the staff and caregivers at the ALF. Numerous sources of evidence supported the practice guidelines including fall risk assessment tools. During the facility monthly staff meeting, participants completed a six-question knowledge assessment on falls. The participants completed the same assessment after the education program, as …

Intronic Fgf14 Gaa Repeat Expansions Impact Progression And Survival In Multiple System Atrophy., Viorica Chelban, David Pellerin, Nirosen Vijiaratnam, Hamin Lee, Yen Yee Goh, Lauren Brown, Sara Sambin, Danielle Seilhean, Stephane Lehericy, Pablo Iruzubieta, Rahema Mohammad, Eleanor Self, Annarita Scardamaglia, Cameron Lee, Miriama Ostrozovicova, Marie-Josée Dicaire, Christine Girges, Emil K. Gustavsson, David Murphy, Toby Curless, Joshua Laß, Joanne Trinh, Timothy Rittman, James B. Rowe, Marios Hadjivassiliou, Neil Archibald, Matt C. Danzi, Catherine Ashton, Virginie Roth, Marion Wandzel, Warren A. Cheung, Djordje O. Gveric, Bart De Vil, Jordan Follett, P Nigel Leigh, Lukas Beichert, Tomi Pastinen, Céline Bonnet, Mathilde Renaud, Wassilios G. Meissner, Anne Sieben, David Crosiers, Patrick Cras, Stephan Zuchner, Jean-Christophe Corvol, Matthew J. Farrer, Matthis Synofzik, Bernard Brais, Tom Warner, Huw R. Morris, Zane Jaunmuktane, Tom Foltynie, Henry Houlden

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Partial phenotypic overlap has been suggested between multiple system atrophy and spinocerebellar ataxia 27B, the autosomal dominant ataxia caused by an intronic GAA•TTC repeat expansion in FGF14. In this study, we investigated the frequency of FGF14 GAA•TTC repeat expansion in clinically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy cases. We screened 657 multiple system atrophy cases (193 clinically diagnosed and 464 pathologically confirmed) and 1003 controls. The FGF14 repeat locus was genotyped using long-range PCR and bidirectional repeat-primed PCRs, and expansions were confirmed with targeted long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing. We identified 19 multiple system atrophy cases carrying an FGF14 …

Improving The Reporting On Health Equity In Observational Research (Strobe-Equity): Extension Checklist And Elaboration, Omar Dewidar, Larissa Shamseer, G J. Melendez-Torres, Elie A. Akl, Jacqueline Ramke, Xiaoqin Wang, Oyekola Oloyede, Taryn Young, Stuart G. Nicholls, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Institute for Global Health and Development

Data on health equity to inform societally relevant evidence based decisions and policy making are lacking in the research literature. Observational studies have the potential to provide data on health equity. Yet, guidance on how to report health equity data and considerations in observational research is inadequate. The STROBE-Equity extension addresses this gap by providing a structured set of criteria to enhance the reporting of health equity data and considerations.

Persistent Na+ Current Couples Spreading Depolarization To Seizures In Scn8a Gain-Of-Function Mice, Isamu Aiba, Yao Ning, Jeffrey L Noebels

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a slowly propagating wave of massive cellular depolarization that transiently impairs the function of affected brain regions. Although SD typically arises as an isolated hemispheric event, we previously reported that reducing M-type potassium current (IKM) by ablation of Kcnq2 in forebrain excitatory neurons results in tightly coupled spontaneous bilateral seizure–SD complexes in the awake mouse cortex.

Here we find that enhanced persistent Na+ current attributable to gain-of-function mutations in Scn8a (N1768D/+, hereafter D/+) produces a similar compound cortical excitability phenotype. Chronic direct-current (DC)-band EEG recording detected spontaneous bilateral seizure–SD complexes accompanied by seizures with …

Amoxicillin Vs Ceftriaxone To Treat Pneumonia Caused By Amoxicillin-Non-Susceptible Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Daniel M Musher

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Although the article by J Càmara, I Grau, A González-Díaz, N Santos, et al. (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 69:e00237-25, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.00237-25) suggests that ceftriaxone is greatly superior to amoxicillin in treating pneumonia due to pneumococci with an MIC > 2 mg/L, much of the difference in efficacy of the two drugs may have been due to dosage, route, and times of administration of the amoxicillin.

Nebulization Of An Mrna-Encoded Monoclonal Antibody For Passive Immunization Of Foals Against Rhodococcus Equi, Rebecca M Legere, Jeannine A Ott, Cristina Poveda, Daryll Vanover, Karin E R Borba, Jae Yeon Joo, Cameron L Martin, Bibiana P Da Silveira, Jocelyne M Bray, Kerstin Landrock, Gus A Wright, J Chistensen Blazier, Andrew E Hillhouse, Ashley L Benham-Duret, Brandon Mistretta, Rafaela L Klein, Sarah M Thompson, Amelia R Woolums, Michael F Criscitiello, Luc R Berghman, Angela I Bordin, Philip J Santangelo, Jeroen Pollet, Noah D Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Inhalation of Rhodococcus equi causes severe pneumonia in humans and animals worldwide, most commonly affecting horse foals. The standard for preventing R. equi pneumonia in foals is transfusion of hyperimmune plasma, which is expensive and carries the risk of adverse effects. Our goal was to passively immunize foals against R. equi by nebulizing mRNA encoding an equine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) directly into the lungs. VapA-specific memory B cells from an immunized horse were used to identify and select the sequence for an equine immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 mAb. In vitro-transcribed mRNA encoding this sequence expressed …

An Allele-Agnostic Mutant-Kras Inhibitor Suppresses Tumor Maintenance Signals And Reprograms Tumor Immunity In Pancreatic Cancer, Kathleen M Mcandrews, Francesca Paradiso, Clint A Stalnecker, Benson S Chellakkan, Fredrik I Thege, David H Peng, Barbara A Moreno Diaz, Hikaru Sugimoto, Sarah I Patel, Krishnan K Mahadevan, Michelle L Kirtley, Danielle Wills, Amari M Sockwell, Andre Luis F Fonseca, Yunhe Liu, Kimal I Rajapakshe, Nathaniel G Yee, Phuong Thao Tran, Huda Alchikh Omar, Antonio Tedeschi, Fiorella Schischlik-Siegl, Andrew S Boghossian, Matthew G Rees, Melissa M Ronan, Jennifer A Roth, Dorothea Rudolph, Martin Aichinger, Florian Ebner, Artem V Artemov, Jesse Lipp, Laura Pisarsky, Valerie Laura Herrmann, John Park, Jörg F Rippmann, Otmar Schaaf, Vanessa Chandler, Mariah Williams, Charles E Deckard, Linghua Wang, Channing J Der, Christopher Vellano, Paola A Guerrero, Timothy P Heffernan, Raghu Kalluri, Anirban Maitra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

KRAS is among the most frequently mutated oncogenes in cancer, and for decades, efforts at pharmacological blockade of its function in solid cancers have been unsuccessful. A notable advance in this endeavor is the recent development of small molecule KRAS inhibitors, which enable direct targeting of the mutant oncoprotein. Here, we comprehensively evaluate the pre-clinical efficacy of BI-2493 a panKRASi, a first-in-class allele agnostic mutant KRAS inhibitor, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We report effective tumor growth suppression across a broad range of models, including cell lines, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), syngeneic orthotopic models, and prolonged survival in genetically engineered mouse …

Reliability Of T2-Weighted Mri Volumetric Measurements For Knee Effusion Assessment Following Acl Injury: An Intra-Rater And Inter-Rater Study, Reginald Chinweze, Neal Weldon, Matthew A. Tao, Melissa Manzer, Elizabeth Wellsandt

Posters and Presentations: Physical Therapy

Purpose: Knee effusion after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction is associated with quadriceps dysfunction and may contribute to early osteoarthritis development. This study was subsequently designed to determine the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of our method for volumetric quantitative measurements of knee effusion using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after ACL injury and reconstruction.

Methods: MRIs of 10 ACL-injured knees and 10 uninjured knees from participants aged 15-35 years old were included. Exclusion criteria included previous knee injury/surgery, inflammatory disease, BMI >30 kg/m2, and concomitant grade III ligament tears. Two independent raters analyzed effusion volumes using custom MATLAB …

Dietary And Consumer Behaviors In Individuals Currently Using Substances: A Cross-Sectional Study Based On Nhanes (2013 - 2018), A Sarah Cohen, Marylou Cardenas-Turanzas, Audrey Lopez, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with metabolic dysregulation and nutritional deficiencies. Studies show that incorporating nutrition interventions into treatment may improve physical and psychological health. This study sought to explore dietary and consumer behavior in individuals currently using substances.

Methods: Data from the 2013 - 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for this cross-sectional study. Individuals 18 - 69 who were currently using marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, or injected unprescribed drugs were compared with individuals not using substances. Dietary and consumer behavior, including alcohol consumption was assessed. Analyses were performed using Stata I/C version 15. …

Sociodemographic Determinants Of Telehealth Visits: A Comparison Of Mental Health And Substance Use Disorders With Other Services, Stanley Nkemjika, Orman Trent Hall, Jeanette Tetrault, Ayana Jordan

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Discrimination has wide-ranging implications, affecting patients' trust in healthcare professionals and their intentions to seek care. It can cause barriers that can affect access to care, especially among racial and ethnic minority groups in mental healthcare settings. Hence, we aim to examine the relationship between racial discrimination and reasons for using telehealth services.

METHOD: Using the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-6), we isolated 6017 participants who reported on discrimination inquiry. The primary dependent variable in this study is self-reported discrimination in healthcare, while the main independent variable is the reason for the most recent telehealth visit, and …

An Isoform-Specific Runx1c-Btg2 Axis Governs Aml Quiescence And Chemoresistance, Cuijuan Han, Zhiping Zhang, Edie I Crosse, Sogand Sajedi, Bin Lu, Xiyue Wang, Sadik Karma, Mitch Kostich, Sakthi Harini Rajendran, Dylan B Udy, Steven Chen, Alexander Arnuk, Abimbola Eunice Lawal, Kayla R Koenig, Meryl Mckenna, Patrick K Reville, Hussein A Abbas, Omar Abdel-Wahab, Pedro Miura, Robert K Bradley, Eric Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aberrant levels or structures of RNA isoforms are a hallmark of many cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), yet their role in AML chemoresistance remains unclear. We conducted a paired analysis of RNA isoform changes in patients with AML before therapy and at relapse after chemotherapy and identified intragenic DNA methylation at the proximal promoter of the transcription factor RUNX1, which resulted in elevated expression of the long-isoform RUNX1C through its alternative distal promoter. The unique N-terminal region of RUNX1C orchestrated an isoform-specific transcriptional program that promoted chemoresistance, with its direct target BTG2 playing a role in chemotherapy resistance. …

Handling Hemolytic Blood Samples From High-Risk Clinical Areas: A Call To Action, Alan H B Wu, Jerrold H Levy, W Franklin Peacock, Ramzy Rimawi, Manuel Sanchez Luna, Christopher Farnsworth, Hugo Stiegler, Robert H Christenson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Spectrophotometric testing to detect sample hemolysis is available from central laboratory chemistry analyzers. While the cause and preventative measures are known, hemolysis continues to be a common preanalytical error, especially for specimens collected from the emergency department (ED) and intensive care units (ICUs) where point-of-care analyzers are commonly used for whole blood electrolyte testing. Recently, these analyzers have employed technology to detect hemolysis directly on whole blood samples.

METHODS: Experienced laboratorians and physicians from the clinical laboratory, ED, adult and neonatal ICUs provide a summary of the medical importance of in vitro hemolysis. Causes for in vivo hemolysis are …