Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders [Program, 2025], Iowa Conference On Communicative Disorders

Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders Programs

The Iowa Conference on Communicative Disorders provides continuing education activities in speech- language pathology that are acceptable to the State of Iowa and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Areas of emphasis include adults and pediatrics.

Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis Of Body Mass Index Identifies Novel African Ancestry-Specific Risk Allele, Xinruo Zhang, Jennifer A. Brody, Mariaelisa Graff, Heather M. Highland, Nathalie Chami, Hanfei Xu, Zhe Wang, Kendra R. Ferrier, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran

School of Medicine Publications

Obesity is a major public health crisis associated with high mortality rates. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) investigating body mass index (BMI) have largely relied on imputed data from European individuals. This study leveraged whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 88,873 participants from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Program, of which 51% were of non-European population groups. We discovered 18 BMI-associated signals (P <  5 × 10−9), including two secondary signals. Notably, we identified and replicated a novel low-frequency single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in MTMR3 that was common in individuals of African descent. Using a diverse study population, we further identified two novel secondary signals in known BMI loci and pinpointed two likely causal variants in the POC5 and DMD …

Sociodemographic Differences In Logins And Engagement With The Electronic Health Coach Messaging Feature Of A Mobile App To Support Opioid And Stimulant Use Recovery: Results From A 1-Month Observational Study, Lindsey M Filiatreau, Hannah Szlyk, Alex T Ramsey, Erin Kasson, Xiao Li, Zhuoran Zhang, Patricia Cavazos-Rehg

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Mobile health apps can serve as a critical tool in supporting the overall health of uninsured and underinsured individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized by the medical community and may be hesitant to seek health care. However, data on uptake and engagement with specific app features (eg, in-app messaging) are often lacking, limiting our ability to understand nuanced patterns of app use.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to characterize sociodemographic differences in uptake and engagement with a smartphone app (uMAT-R) to support recovery efforts in a sample of individuals with opioid and stimulant use disorders in the Greater …

Is Physical Therapy Recommended For People With Parkinson's Disease Treated With Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation? A Delphi Consensus Study, Matteo Guidetti, Ryan Duncan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Although deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) induces motor benefits in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD), its effect on motor axial symptoms (e.g., postural instability, trunk posture alterations) and gait impairments (e.g., freezing of gait) is still ambiguous. Physical therapy (PT) effectively complements pharmacological treatment to improve postural stability, gait performance, and other dopamine-resistant symptoms (e.g. freezing of gait) in the general population with PD. Despite the positive potential of combined PT and STN-DBS surgery, scientific results are still lacking. We therefore involved worldwide leading experts on DBS and motor rehabilitation in PwPD in a consensus Delphi …

Novel Recurrent Cytogenetic Abnormalities Predict Overall Survival In Tetraploid/Near-Tetraploid Myelodysplastic Syndrome And Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Matthew R Avenarius, Zachary B Abrams, Ling Guo, James S Blachly, Cecelia R Miller, Nyla A Heerema, Guilin Tang, Kevin R Coombes, Lynne V Abruzzo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Tetraploidy (4n = 92 chromosomes) and near-tetraploidy (81-103 chromosomes) (T/NT) are uncommon cytogenetic events in MDS/AML (~1%). Abnormalities reported to be associated with T/NT MDS/AML include -5/del(5q), -7/del(7q), +8, and +21. However, other clinically relevant abnormalities likely remain "hidden" in long strings of ISCN cytogenetic nomenclature when evaluated visually. To date, no studies have had the statistical power and a computational method to identify novel recurrent abnormalities associated with the T/NT karyotype or overall survival (OS).

METHODS: Using CytoGPS, a bioinformatic tool we developed, we converted karyotypes from a combined cohort of 75 T/NT MDS/AML cases from two institutions …

The Human Brainstem's Red Nucleus Was Upgraded To Support Goal-Directed Action, Samuel R Krimmel, Timothy O Laumann, Roselyne J Chauvin, Tamara Hershey, Jarod L Roland, Joshua S Shimony, Jon T Willie, Scott A Norris, Scott Marek, Andrew N Van, Anxu Wang, Julia Monk, Kristen M Scheidter, Forrest I Whiting, Nadeshka Ramirez-Perez, Athanasia Metoki, Noah J Baden, Benjamin P Kay, Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, Abraham Z Snyder, Marcus E Raichle, Evan M Gordon, Nico U F Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The red nucleus, a large brainstem structure, coordinates limb movement for locomotion in quadrupedal animals. In humans, its pattern of anatomical connectivity differs from that of quadrupeds, suggesting a different purpose. Here, we apply our most advanced resting-state functional connectivity based precision functional mapping in highly sampled individuals (n = 5), resting-state functional connectivity in large group-averaged datasets (combined n ~ 45,000), and task based analysis of reward, motor, and action related contrasts from group-averaged datasets (n > 1000) and meta-analyses (n > 14,000 studies) to precisely examine red nucleus function. Notably, red nucleus functional connectivity with motor-effector networks (somatomotor hand, foot, …

Phosphotungstic Acid Staining To Visualize The Vagus Nerve Perineurium Using Micro-Ct, Aniruddha R. Upadhye, Jennifer Coleman, Michael W. Jenkins, David Wilson, Andrew J. Shoffstall

Faculty Scholarship

Background and Purpose: Peripheral nerve stimulation is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating various disorders, but it is often limited by side effects, highlighting the need for a clear understanding of fascicular and fiber organization to design selective therapies. Micro-CT imaging of contrast-stained nerves enables the visualization of tissue microstructures, such as the fascicular perineurium and vasculature. In this work, we evaluated phosphotungstic acid (PTA) as a contrast agent and assessed its compatibility with downstream histology. Methods: Human vagus nerve samples were collected from three embalmed cadavers and subjected to three different staining methods, followed by …

Associated Urogenital Injuries Following Pelvic Trauma In Pediatrics, A 15-Year Single-Center Retrospective Studey, Colin Van Wagoner, Ehab Saleh, Sazid Hasan

Conference Presentation Abstracts

OBJECTIVE: The association between pelvic trauma and urogenital injuries in adult patients is well established, whereas literature concerning pediatric patients is sparse. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between pelvic trauma and urogenital injuries in the pediatric population including incidence, and trends in injury modality, treatment patterns, imaging, and outcome. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review. Patients aged 0-16 years admitted for pelvic fracture, pelvic dislocation, proximal femur fracture, and injury of urinary and pelvic organs over a 15-year period were included. Primary outcomes included fracture diagnosis, urogenital injury diagnosis, treatment modalities, and mechanism …

Operative Vs. Non-Operative Treatment Of Z-Type Clavicle Shaft Fractures In Adolescents: A Retrospective Study, Iulio Dobrin, Colin Van Wagoner, Ehab Saleh

Conference Presentation Abstracts

OBJECTIVE: Clavicle fractures are common in both adult and pediatric populations.1 Yet, the literature describes differences regarding treatment in such fractures between these populations, favoring operative treatment for adults and nonoperative treatment for pediatric patients.2 There is particular uncertainty for treating a subgroup of adolescent clavicle fractures known as the Z-type comminuted fracture which, being a completely displaced and complex fracture pattern, can prove to have different healing rates than other midshaft clavicle fractures. Because of concerns about healing and bony prominences, these types of fractures are commonly treated surgically, despite an increasing body of literature indicating equivalent outcomes in …

Allosteric Targeted Drug Delivery For Enhanced Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration Via Mimicking Transmembrane Domain Interactions, Kaicheng Tang, Zhongjie Tang, Miaomiao Niu, Zuyin Kuang, Weiwei Xue, Xinyu Wang, Xinlong Liu, Yang Yu, Seongdong Jeong, Yifan Ma, Annette Wu, Betty Y S Kim, Wen Jiang, Zhaogang Yang, Chong Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Current strategies for active targeting in the brain are entirely based on the effective interaction of the ligand with the orthosteric sites of specific receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is highly susceptible to various pathophysiological factors and limits the efficacy of drug delivery. Here, we propose an allosteric targeted drug delivery strategy that targets classical BBB transmembrane receptors by designing peptide ligands that specifically bind to their transmembrane domains. This strategy prevents competitive interference from endogenous ligands and antibodies by using the insulin receptor and integrin α

Hierarchical Lineage Tracing To Unravel Mechanisms Of Cancer Treatment Resistance, Rachel Danielle Saxe

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Cancer cells adapt to treatment, leading to the emergence of clones that are more aggressive and resistant to anti-cancer therapies. We have a limited understanding of the development of treatment resistance as we lack technologies to map the evolution of cancer under the selective pressure of treatment. To address this, we developed a hierarchical, dynamic lineage tracing method called FLARE (Following Lineage Adaptation and Resistance Evolution). We use this technique to track the progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines through exposure to Cytarabine (AraC), a front-line treatment in AML, in vitro and in vivo. We map distinct cellular …

Effects Of Metformin Use On Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Outcomes, Angel Bueno, Andrea Becerril-Gaitan, Collins Mokua, Kristina Ramirez-Garcia, Justin Nguyen, Faris Shaker, Tien Nguyen, Antonio Dono, Spiros Blackburn, Peng Roc Chen, Mark Dannenbaum, H Alex Choi, Arthur L Day, Jacques J Morcos, Ching-Jen Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metformin is widely prescribed and has neuroprotective effects in animals, but its impact on brain injury after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) in humans is unclear.

Methods: This single-center retrospective review assessed patients with aSAH from 2009 to 2023, categorizing them based on pre-admission metformin use. The primary outcome was delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), while secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, rebleeding, angiographic cerebral vasospasm (CVS), and favorable modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge and the 3-month follow-up. Outcomes were analyzed using logistic regression. Sensitivity analysis was performed after excluding patients receiving comfort care.

Results: A total of 900 patients …

Her2-Selective Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Zongertinib (Bi 1810631), In Patients With Advanced/Metastatic Solid Tumors With Her2 Alterations: A Phase Ia Dose-Escalation Study, John V Heymach, Frans Opdam, Minal Barve, Hai-Yan Tu, Yi-Long Wu, David Berz, Lukas Schröter, Yanick Botilde, Behbood Sadrolhefazi, Josep Serra, Kiyotaka Yoh, Noboru Yamamoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) alterations occur in many solid cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Beamion LUNG-1 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04886804) is assessing the safety/efficacy of zongertinib (BI 1810631), a novel HER2-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor that spares epidermal growth factor receptor, in patients with HER2-altered solid tumors.

Materials and methods: Beamion LUNG-1 is an ongoing multicenter, multicohort phase Ia/Ib trial. Phase Ia assessed zongertinib administered twice a day (15-150 mg) or once daily (60-360 mg) in pretreated patients with various tumors, including NSCLC. Primary end points were maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs); …

The Zbtb24-Cdca7-Hells Axis Suppresses The Totipotent 2c-Like Reprogramming By Maintaining Dux Methylation And Repression, Dan Guo, Zeling Du, Youqi Liu, Meiqi Lin, Yue Lu, Swanand Hardikar, Yanna Xue, Jinghong Zhang, Taiping Chen, Jiameng Dan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Two-cell-like cells (2CLCs), a rare population (∼0.5%) in mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) cultures, are in a transient totipotent-like state resembling that of 2C-stage embryos, and their discovery and characterization have greatly facilitated the study of early developmental events, such as zygotic genome activation. However, the molecular determinants governing 2C-like reprogramming remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that ZBTB24, CDCA7, and HELLS, components of a molecular pathway that is involved in the pathogenesis of immunodeficiency, centromeric instability, and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, function as negative regulators of 2C-like reprogramming by maintaining DNA methylation of the Dux cluster, a master …

Time Required To Implement A Computerized Patient Decision Aid For Lupus In Outpatient Visits, Nathan W Carroll, Aizhan Karabukayeva, Larry R Hearld, Diane Kamen, Alfred H J Kim, Sonali Narain, Narender Annapureddy, Zineb Aouhab, Maureen Mcmahon, Vikas Majithia, Cathy Lee Ching, Winn Chatham, Jasvinder A Singh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Patient decision aids have the potential to lower decision conflict for patients and to improve patient-physician communication. However, uptake of decision aids has been poor, in part because the time required to incorporate these into clinical practice is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the time required for a rheumatology clinic to implement a validated decision aid for patients with lupus.

METHODS: Using a cohort of eight implementation sites, study investigators identified the activities required to administer a decision aid. Site coordinators embedded within the clinics timed the duration of each activity. To estimate the effect of viewing the …

Cognitive Correlates Of Borderline Personality Disorder Features In Youth With Bipolar Spectrum Disorders And Bipolar Offspring, Alessio Simonetti, Sherin Kurian, Evelina Bernardi, Antonio Restaino, Francesca Bardi, Claudia Calderoni, Gabriele Sani, Jair C Soares, Kirti Saxena

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) share common cognitive impairments. These deficits are also shared by bipolar offspring (BD-OFF). Nevertheless, little is known regarding the association between cognitive impairments and BPD features in youth with BD and BD-OFF. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association between BPD features and cognitive impairments in youth with BD and BD-OFF.

Methods: Thirty-nine participants (7-17 years) with BD, 18 BD-OFF, and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. BPD features were assessed using the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children (BPFS-C). Deficits in executive functions and affective processing were assessed using …

Time Required To Implement A Computerized Patient Decision Aid For Lupus In Outpatient Visits, Nathan W Carroll, Aizhan Karabukayeva, Larry R Hearld, Diane Kamen, Alfred H J Kim, Sonali Narain, Narender Annapureddy, Zineb Aouhab, Maureen Mcmahon, Vikas Majithia, Cathy Lee Ching, Winn Chatham, Jasvinder A Singh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Patient decision aids have the potential to lower decision conflict for patients and to improve patient-physician communication. However, uptake of decision aids has been poor, in part because the time required to incorporate these into clinical practice is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the time required for a rheumatology clinic to implement a validated decision aid for patients with lupus.

METHODS: Using a cohort of eight implementation sites, study investigators identified the activities required to administer a decision aid. Site coordinators embedded within the clinics timed the duration of each activity. To estimate the effect of viewing the …

Early Nintedanib Deployment In Covid-19 Interstitial Lung Disease (Endcov-I): Study Protocol Of A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Valeria Santibanez, Aditi Mathur, Jigna Zatakia, Nicole Ng, Michele Cohen, Emilia Bagiella, Stacey-Ann Brown, Ivan O Rosas, Nina M Patel, Amy Olson, Peide Li, Maria Padilla

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: In December 2019, the novel SARS-CoV-2 triggered a global pneumonia outbreak, leading to millions of deaths worldwide. A subset of survivors faces increased morbidity and mortality, particularly due to subacute lung injury evolving to chronic fibrosing interstitial lung disease. While nintedanib, a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, shows promise in treating progressive fibrotic lung disease, limited randomised trial data exists for post-COVID-19-induced lung injury. We hypothesise that treatment with nintedanib may attenuate advancement to the fibrotic stages, offering a potential avenue for improving outcomes in this specific patient subset.

Methods and analysis: We describe the design of a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled …

An Open-Label Study Evaluating The Safety And Efficacy Of Amo-01 For The Treatment Of Seizures In Phelan-Mcdermid Syndrome, Tess Levy, J Lloyd Holder, Joseph P Horrigan, Michael F Snape, Alison Mcmorn, Christina Layton, Hailey Silver, Kate Friedman, Hannah Grosman, Slayton Underwood, Danielle Halpern, Jessica Zweifach, Paige M Siper, Alexander Kolevzon

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHANK3 gene. Approximately 25% of individuals with PMS have epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy in PMS may require multiple anticonvulsants, and in a minority of cases, seizures remain poorly controlled. Converging lines of evidence in different experimental models indicate that the Ras-ERK pathway is implicated in the pathophysiology of seizure generation and neurobehavioral symptoms in PMS. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy in treating seizures in adults and adolescents with PMS using AMO-01, a Ras-ERK pathway inhibitor. A single 6-hour intravenous infusion …

The Cellular Trafficking And Targeting Of Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme-2 (Ace2) And Neutral-Amino-Acid-Transporter (B0at1) Variants: Implications For The Pathogenesis Of Associated Diseases And Therapy, Nesreen Fayyad Al-Khofash

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the amino acid transporter B0AT1 are essential for blood pressure regulation, amino acid absorption, and viral entry. Their interaction is crucial in both normal physiology and disease, including hypertension, Hartnup disease, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the effects of genetic variants on their biogenesis, trafficking, and function remain poorly understood. This PhD thesis investigates how specific ACE2 and B0AT1 variants influence their subcellular localization and interactions. A multidisciplinary approach, incorporating site-directed mutagenesis, confocal microscopy, Western blotting, and in silico modelling, was used to examine 39 ACE2 variants and 18 B0AT1 mutations. Results showed that wild-type ACE2 …

Race And Gender Bias In Sports Media, Jovanni Salazar

Research Days

There is a significant amount of racial and gender bias in sports media, which can impact the way minority and female athletes are perceived by the public. This study closely looks at the way these professional athletes are talked about and treated by the media compared to white athletes. This study highlights the language used by commentators and other members of sports media that reinforces negative stereotypes that minority and female athletes deal with throughout their careers. Some of these stereotypes imply black athletes owe their success to natural physical ability, while white athletes are “smart” and more “skilled. This …

Research And Engagement Day Poster

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

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Bryant's Ai Hack-A-Thon

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

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Research And Engagement Day Poster

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

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Bryant University Research And Engagement Day Program

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

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Research And Engagement Day Poster

Bryant REDay (Research and Engagement Day)

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87 - Maternal Dental Status And Caries Among Siblings, Monica Walker, Charity Hammond, Angela Wilson, Denise Mckinney, Katie Protogyrou

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Research has suggested that birth order or environmental factors affect siblings' oral health status during childhood. However, more recent research suggests that the strongest predictor of children's oral health status is the mother's oral health status. This project investigated the association between the oral health status of the mother during pregnancy and bacteria (biofilms) identified in cavitated lesions (dental caries) of their children’s exfoliated primary teeth. Five consenting maternal participants anonymously donated their children's primary teeth and completed a questionnaire about their oral health status during each pregnancy. After visually identifying the exfoliated teeth with dental caries, the biofilms were …

Unlocking Nature’S Pharmacy: Using Hidden Secrets From Post Famine Ireland To Direct Modern Scientific Exploration Of Irish Bogland Species., Helen Sheridan

Oxford ICSB

Boglands are iconic landscapes and important carbon sinks, extending across the northern hemisphere, covering approximately 20% of Ireland's land area. These ancient water-logged ecosystems are reservoirs of a unique biodiversity adapted to survive in nutrient-poor yet strikingly beautiful environments. Irish mythology is deeply connected to boglands, featuring stories about healing plants, fairies, and ancient curses. Irish communities historically used bogland plants for their medicinal properties. Many uses are recorded in the Schools' Manuscript Collection (SMC) (1937-1939), a treasure-trove of Irish folklore, customs, and ethnographic data, collected as part of the Irish Folklore Commission's effort to preserve Ireland’s oral traditions (Dúchas.ie). …

The Contribution Of The European Pharmacopoeia To The Quality Control Of Herbal Medicinal Products, Salvador Canigueral

Oxford ICSB

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) is an international regulatory document setting the standards for the quality control of medicinal products. It is elaborated by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), a body of the Council of Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg, France. It is mandatory in 39 European countries and the European Union. The Ph. Eur. establishes quality specifications for active ingredients, excipients, dosage forms, and finished products. In relation to herbal medicinal products, the upcoming 12th Edition (effective January 2026) includes: 25 general methods in pharmacognosy, 6 general monographs, 2 information chapters, and 392 individual …

Sealing Ability Of White Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Mixed With 2.25% Sodium Hypochlorite Gel Used For Repairing Furcal Perforations In Primary Molars: An In Vitro Study, Mawia M. Karkoutly, Saleh B. Al Kurdi, Nada Bshara

Arabian Journal of Pediatric Dentistry

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the sealing ability of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and 2.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) gel mixture in repairing furcal perforation in primary molars using methylene blue dye penetration.

Materials and methods:
It was an in vitro experimental study. Sixty human primary molars were randomly divided into four groups (n = 15). Group 1 (MTA + distilled water (DW)): Furcal perforations were repaired with MTA and DW mixture. Group 2 (MTA + NaOCl gel): Furcal perforations were repaired with MTA and 2.25% NaOCl gel mixture. Group 3 (Positive control): Furcal perforations left untreated. Group 4 (Negative …