Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Alpha-Synuclein Aggregates On Synaptic Structure In The Amygdala, Nolwazi Zakithi Gcwensa

All ETDs from UAB

Parkinson’s disease is the most common motor neurodegenerative and is characterized by intracellular inclusions of misfolded protein α-synuclein termed Lewy Pathology. At least 80% of PD sufferers also experience non-motor symptoms along with, and sometimes preceding, the motor symptoms. Symptoms such as apathy, hallucinations, anxiety and depression could be caused by α-synuclein inclusions causing dysfunction in the amygdala. Lewy pathology in the amygdala of PD patients is robust and has also been observed in a number of other diseases like Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer's disease. In our lab, we have shown that using preformed fibrils to induce α-synuclein …

Interactions Between Oral Cancer Cells And Enterococcus Fecalis And Their Impact On Perineural Invasion, Sree Ramya Bhamidipaati

All ETDs from UAB

Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers (OSCC and OPSCC) are some of the most common cancers in the world. The overall 5-year survival rate is 68.5%, which drops to 39.3% in patients with later-stage cancers. This research aims to evaluate the effects of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) on the OSCC and OPSCC's tumor progression. E. faecalis is associated with asymptomatic, persistent endodontic infections and was found at a higher rate in OSCC patients. We hypothesize that cancer cells and Enterococcus faecalis (Ef) interact to affect the tumorigenic properties of oral cancer cells. OSCC cells from different parts of the oral …

Understanding Biopsychosocial Influences On Physical Activity And Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors, Erica A. Schleicher

All ETDs from UAB

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment can be life-altering, presenting numerous challenges. Breast cancer treatments are effective at allowing women to live longer, but often impose long-term side-effects that survivors must manage for years. Exercise is an effective way to address many long-term side-effects of breast cancer treatment, yet 63-83% of breast cancer survivors do not meet recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Due to the complexity of cancer and treatment options, cancer-related factors have potential biopsychosocial impacts that can influence exercise habits, attitudes toward PA (i.e., social cognitive theory (SCT) constructs), and potentially quality of life (QoL). It …

The Effect Of Progranulin On Lysosomal Function In Bv2 Cells, Michelle Park

All ETDs from UAB

Neurodegenerative diseases afflict nearly 7 million people in United states, constituting a significant portion of the 600 known neurological disorders. Characterized by the gradual loss of neurons and axons within the central nervous system (CNS), these conditions stem from chronic inflammatory activation of the brain. Chronic inflammation disrupts important processes such as autophagy lysosome pathway, a self-degradative process that eliminates protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide that triggers autophagic flux in neuronal cells and promotes the clearance of protein aggregates; however, without understanding the mechanism behind how trehalose affects these functions, it lacks value. In our study, …

Parp-1 Selectively Impairs Kras-Driven Phenotypic And Molecular Features In Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Friederike L Keggenhoff, Darko Castven, Diana Becker, Stojan Stojkovic, Jovana Castven, Carolin Zimpel, Beate K Straub, Tiemo Gerber, Harald Langer, Patricia Hähnel, Thomas Kindler, Jörg Fahrer, Colm J O'Rourke, Ursula Ehmer, Anna Saborowski, Lichun Ma, Xin Wei Wang, Timo Gaiser, Matthias S Matter, Christian Sina, Stefanie Derer, Ju-Seog Lee, Stephanie Roessler, Bernd Kaina, Jesper B Andersen, Peter R Galle, Jens U Marquardt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer with limited therapeutic options. KRAS mutations are among the most abundant genetic alterations in iCCA associated with poor clinical outcome and treatment response. Recent findings indicate that Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase1 (PARP-1) is implicated in KRAS-driven cancers, but its exact role in cholangiocarcinogenesis remains undefined.

Design: PARP-1 inhibition was performed in patient-derived and established iCCA cells using RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9 and pharmacological inhibition in KRAS-mutant, non-mutant cells. In addition, Parp-1 knockout mice were combined with iCCA induction by hydrodynamic tail vein injection to evaluate an impact on phenotypic and molecular …

The Kras Mutational Spectrum And Its Clinical Implications In Pancreatic Cancer, Luigi Perelli, Giannicola Genovese, Giulio F Draetta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this issue of Cancer Cell, McIntyre et al. show that specific mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene shape clinical progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Importantly, they find that the KRASG12R mutation is enriched in early-stage PDAC, and it is characterized by distinctly activated molecular programs.

The Kras Mutational Spectrum And Its Clinical Implications In Pancreatic Cancer, Luigi Perelli, Giannicola Genovese, Giulio F Draetta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this issue of Cancer Cell, McIntyre et al. show that specific mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene shape clinical progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Importantly, they find that the KRASG12R mutation is enriched in early-stage PDAC, and it is characterized by distinctly activated molecular programs.

Fibrotic Response To Anti-Csf-1r Therapy Potentiates Glioblastoma Recurrence, Spencer S Watson, Anoek Zomer, Nadine Fournier, Joao Lourenco, Manfredo Quadroni, Agnieszka Chryplewicz, Sina Nassiri, Pauline Aubel, Simona Avanthay, Davide Croci, Erik Abels, Marike L D Broekman, Douglas Hanahan, Jason T Huse, Roy T Daniel, Monika E Hegi, Krisztian Homicsko, Giulia Cossu, Andreas F Hottinger, Johanna A Joyce

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma recurrence is currently inevitable despite extensive standard-of-care treatment. In preclinical studies, an alternative strategy of targeting tumor-associated macrophages and microglia through CSF-1R inhibition was previously found to regress established tumors and significantly increase overall survival. However, recurrences developed in ∼50% of mice in long-term studies, which were consistently associated with fibrotic scars. This fibrotic response is observed following multiple anti-glioma therapies in different preclinical models herein and in patient recurrence samples. Multi-omics analyses of the post-treatment tumor microenvironment identified fibrotic areas as pro-tumor survival niches that encapsulated surviving glioma cells, promoted dormancy, and inhibited immune surveillance. The fibrotic treatment …

Training Robust T1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Liver Segmentation Models Using Ensembles Of Datasets With Different Contrast Protocols And Liver Disease Etiologies, Nihil Patel, Adrian Celaya, Mohamed Eltaher, Rachel Glenn, Kari Brewer Savannah, Kristy K Brock, Jessica I Sanchez, Tiffany L Calderone, Darrel Cleere, Ahmed Elsaiey, Matthew Cagley, Nakul Gupta, David Victor, Laura Beretta, Eugene J Koay, Tucker J Netherton, David T Fuentes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Image segmentation of the liver is an important step in treatment planning for liver cancer. However, manual segmentation at a large scale is not practical, leading to increasing reliance on deep learning models to automatically segment the liver. This manuscript develops a generalizable deep learning model to segment the liver on T1-weighted MR images. In particular, three distinct deep learning architectures (nnUNet, PocketNet, Swin UNETR) were considered using data gathered from six geographically different institutions. A total of 819 T1-weighted MR images were gathered from both public and internal sources. Our experiments compared each architecture's testing performance when trained both …

Intouch Week Of September 9, 2024, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Regeneron's Immersive Drug Development Elective Equips Future Physicians with Unique Industry Insights
• Alumni and Friends Unite During an Evening of Updates and Camaraderie
• Asthma Found to Have Profound Impact on COVID-19 Patients in New Study
• Valerie Romeo-Messana Named GSBMS Associate Dean of Admissions
• Wear Gold and Join Us for a Photo-op for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• Student Spotlight: Medical Student Helps Pioneer New Tool for Pediatric Pacemaker Implantation

Project Give: Using A Virtual Genetics Service Platform To Reduce Health Inequities And Improve Access To Genomic Care In An Underserved Region Of Texas, Blake Vuocolo, Roberta Sierra, Daniel Brooks, Christopher Holder, Lauren Urbanski, Keila Rodriguez, Jose David Gamez, Surya Narayan Mulukutla, Ana Hernandez, Alberto Allegre, Humberto Hidalgo, Sarah Rodriguez, Sandy Magallan, Jeremy Gibson, Juan Carlos Bernini, Melanie Watson, Robert Nelson, Lizbeth Mellin-Sanchez, Nancy Garcia, Lori Berry, Hongzheng Dai, Claudia Soler-Alfonso, Kent Carter, Brendan Lee, Seema R Lalani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The utilization of genomic information to improve health outcomes is progressively becoming more common in clinical practice. Nonetheless, disparities persist in accessing genetic services among ethnic minorities, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and other vulnerable populations. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) at the Texas-Mexico border is predominantly Hispanic/Latino with a high poverty rate and very limited access to genetic services. Funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Project GIVE (Genetic Inclusion by Virtual Evaluation) was launched in 2022 to reduce the time to diagnosis and increase provider knowledge of genomics in this region, with the goal of …

Hyperglycemia And Venous Thromboembolism, Neha Panchagnula, William Philip Brasher

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have chronically increased blood glucose and multiple physiologic alterations that place them at elevated risk for vascular disease. Traditionally, this vascular risk has mainly referred to chronic atherosclerosis and embolic arterial disease. Retrospective studies have suggested an increased risk of a pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), collectively termed venous thromboembolism (VTE), in patients with DM, but this association has been difficult to demonstrate with comorbidities such as obesity in meta-analysis. Clinical studies have demonstrated worse outcomes for patients with DM who suffer from VTE. In vitro studies show multiple physiologic abnormalities with …

Reimagining Critical Care: Trends And Shifts In 21st Century Medicine, Sai Doppalapudi, Bilal Khan, Muhammad Adrish

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Critical care medicine has undergone significant evaluation in the 21st century, primarily driven by advancements in technology, changes in healthcare delivery, and a deeper understanding of disease processes. Advancements in technology have revolutionized patient monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment in the critical care setting. From minimally invasive procedures to advances imaging techniques, clinicians now have access to a wide array of tools to assess and manage critically ill patients more effectively. In this editorial we comment on the review article published by Padte S et al wherein they concisely describe the latest developments in critical care medicine.

Gestational Diabetes Knowledge Improves With Interactive Online Training Modules, Petra Krutilova, Roxann Williams, Rebecca Morey, Carole Field, Veronda Byrth, Melissa Tepe, Amy Mcqueen, Cynthia Herrick

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is up to 50% among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, diabetes education during and after pregnancy is limited. To bridge this gap, our team developed four training modules on GDM for nurses and community health workers. This pilot study assesses changes in knowledge, self-efficacy for providing diabetes education, attitudes, and intentions to recommend diabetes prevention before and after training completion.

METHODS: Interactive online modules were disseminated to clinical staff providing care for women with GDM in the United States. Optional pre- and post-training surveys were conducted to gauge …

Long-Term Longitudinal Analysis Of 4,187 Participants Reveals Insights Into Determinants Of Clonal Hematopoiesis, Md Mesbah Uddin, Seyedmohammad Saadatagah, Abhishek Niroula, Bing Yu, Whitney E Hornsby, Shriienidhie Ganesh, Kim Lannery, Art Schuermans, Michael C Honigberg, Alexander G Bick, Peter Libby, Benjamin L Ebert, Christie M Ballantyne, Pradeep Natarajan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is linked to diverse aging-related diseases, including hematologic malignancy and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). While CHIP is common among older adults, the underlying factors driving its development are largely unknown. To address this, we performed whole-exome sequencing on 8,374 blood DNA samples collected from 4,187 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) participants over a median follow-up of 21 years. During this period, 735 participants developed incident CHIP. Splicing factor genes (SF3B1, SRSF2, U2AF1, and ZRSR2) and TET2 CHIP grow significantly faster than DNMT3A non-R882 clones. We find that age at baseline and sex significantly …

Traumatic Brain Injury And Variants Of Shock Index, Sai Doppalapudi, Muhammad Adrish

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Traumatic Brain Injury is a major cause of death and long-term disability. The early identification of patients at high risk of mortality is important for both management and prognosis. Although many modified scoring systems have been developed for improving the prediction accuracy in patients with trauma, few studies have focused on prediction accuracy and application in patients with traumatic brain injury. The shock index (SI) which was first introduced in the 1960s has shown to strongly correlate degree of circulatory shock with increasing SI. In this editorial we comment on a publication by Carteri et al wherein they perform a …

Nutrition Manual For Nsu Athletics Coaches, Nicole Branum

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

This manual serves as general nutrition information for the coaches at Nova Southeastern University. It is to be used in tandem with the Nutrition Manual for NSU Student Athletes. Sports nutrition is a rapidly growing field, but easily accessible, consistent, research-backed information is scarce. It is well-known that optimal nutrition can enhance physical performance and recovery. Athletes lack knowledge of nutrition, healthy food choices and how to build a well-balanced diet, which can impact an athlete's performance. Nutrition education was shown to increase the sports nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practice scores, as well as enhance the intake of macronutrients and …

Proteomics-Based Target Identification For Optimizing Bispecific Antibody Use In Nsclc, Atulya A. Khosla, Edwin Lin, Madhan Srinivasan Kumar, Jessy Deshane, Kayla Goliwas, Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ishmael Jaiyesimi, Aakash Desai

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Ironing Out The Details - Early Detection And Treatment Of Iron Deficiency In A Level 4 Nicu, Rachel Mills

EBP Fellowship

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Race And Ethnicity On Financial Toxicity And Outcomes In Lung Cancer, Atulya A. Khosla, Nitya Batra, Rohit Singh, I Deshmukh, Avi Harisingani, Muni Rubens, Anjali Saxena, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy, Ishmael Jaiyesimi, Aakash Desai

Conference Presentation Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of A Standardized Pre- Procedure Pain Management Agents, Dhanu N. Bhandari

EBP Fellowship

No abstract provided.

Awareness Of Undergraduate Nursing Students Regarding Psoriasis Disease At The British University In Egypt, Mahmoud Aaa Elfeky

Nursing

Abstract Background: Psoriasis represents one of the most common autoimmune skin diseases worldwide, causes high burden and impacts on patients' quality of life. Aim of the study: To assess awareness of undergraduate nursing students regarding psoriasis disease at the British University in Egypt. Research design: A descriptive design was utilized in this study. Setting: The study was conducted at faculty of nursing- the British University in Egypt. Sample: A convenience sample of 520 nursing students from different study years. Tools: A structured questionnaire includes 3 main parts: Demographic characteristics, nursing students' knowledge, and nursing students' attitude toward psoriasis disease. Results: …

Novel Computed Tomography Angiography Parameter Is Associated With Low Cardiac Index In Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Retrospective Analysis, Estefania Oliveros, Michel Ibrahim, Carlos Manuel Romero, Paul Navo, Patricia Otero Valdes, Yevgeniy Brailovsky, Amir Darki, Riyaz Bashir, Anjali Vaidya, Paul Forfia, Chandra Dass

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

UNLABELLED: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a complication of incomplete resolution of acute pulmonary embolism. We hypothesize changes in CT Hounsfield Unit gradient (HU-Δ) created by the dispersion of IV contrast through the downstream blood pool correlate with cardiac index (CI). We sought to compare HU-Δ with invasively obtained CI.

METHODS: We completed a retrospective analysis of CTEPH patients in which individuals with low CI (<2.2-L/min/m²) were identified. Both absolute and fractional HU-Δ were derived from pulmonary CTA by subtracting the HU value of the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV) from the main pulmonary artery …

Early Identification Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients At High-Risk Of Recurrence Using The Adv Score: A Multicenter Retrospective Study, Shuya Cao, Zheyu Zhou, Chaobo Chen, Wenwen Li, Jinsong Liu, Jiawei Xu, Chunlong Zhao, Yihang Yuan, Zhenggang Xu, Huaiyu Wu, Guwei Ji, Xiaoliang Xu, Ke Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Postoperative recurrence is a vital reason for poor 5-year overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The ADV score is considered a parameter that can quantify HCC aggressiveness. This study aimed to identify HCC patients at high-risk of recurrence early using the ADV score.

METHODS: The medical data of consecutive HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (TFAHNJMU) and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (NJDTH) were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the status of microvascular invasion and the Edmondson-Steiner grade, HCC patients were divided into three groups: low-risk group (group 1: no risk factor exists), …

Smoking And Alcohol By Hpv Status In Head And Neck Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study, Abhinav Thakral, Laura Bierut, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are recognized as distinct entities. There remains uncertainty surrounding the causal effects of smoking and alcohol on the development of these two cancer types. Here we perform multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal effects of smoking and alcohol on the risk of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC in 3431 cases and 3469 controls. Lifetime smoking exposure, as measured by the Comprehensive Smoking Index (CSI), is associated with increased risk of both HPV-negative HNSCC (OR = 3.03, 95%CI:1.75-5.24, P = 7.00E-05) and HPV-positive HNSCC (OR = 2.73, 95%CI:1.39-5.36, P = …

Fluctuations In Lactobacillus And Coliforms Population In Faeces Of Piglets And Antibiotic Susceptibility Of Escherichia Coli Strains Isolated From Stool Samples Of Piglets, Lan Tran Thi Quynh, Giang Hoang Thanh

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The aim of study was to assess the intestinal health status of the weaning piglets by analyzing the Lactobacillus: coliforms ratio (L/C ratio), the number of E. coli. as the pathogenic indicator, and to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of E. coli isolates. A total of 180 weaned piglets (weaning at 25d of age) of two trials were allotted to 3 treatments (n = 90, 30 piglets/treatment): control (CON, = Basal diet (BD); treatment 1 (T1 = BD + Super-Biotic) and treatment 2 (T2= BD + Bergazyme P®). The total Lactobacillus, coliforms, and E. coli were counted from fecal samples …

Progestin-Based Non-Surgical Contraception In Dogs And Cats: A National Survey Of Practices Among Thai Veterinarians, Shanaporn Leelakajornkit, Piyaporn Kamdee, Suppawiwat Ponglowhapan

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the current use of progestins as contraceptives in dogs and cats and to evaluate veterinarians' awareness of related complications across Thailand. A total of 724 veterinarians participated, predominantly female (66.3%) and aged 31-40 years (49.6%), with most working in Bangkok and its metropolitan area (52.6%) and having 6-15 years of experience in small animal practice (46.4%). Approximately 6.8% of respondents (49/724) reported using injectable progestins, mainly in female dogs (87.8%) and cats (83.7%), but also in male dogs (18.4%) and cats (14.3%). Veterinarians using progestins were mostly male (59.2%), with an average age of …

Effect Of Modified Smart Extender On Sperm Longevity And Frozen-Thawed Semen Quality In Bantam Chicken (Gallus Gallus), Nattaporn Chaysakul, Naruephon Leeamnuaycharoen, Marvin Bryan Salinas, Teepakorn Lertwichaikul, Chakorn Kunkaew, Jureerat Sumretprasong, Anucha Sathanawongs

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The round body shape and short legs of Bantam chickens (Gallus gallus) pose breeding challenges, making artificial insemination critical for these animals. To contribute to such assisted reproductive technology in avians, this study assessed the effect of a modified simple medium for assisted reproductive technology (SMART) extender on sperm longevity and frozen-thawed semen quality compared to the Blumberger Hahnen Sperma Verdünner (BHSV) extender. Sperm motility and viability were measured in 20 roosters at fresh and chilled conditions at 4-, 24-, and 48-hour intervals. For the subsequent freezing step, 6% and 9% DMA were added to both extenders as …

Morphological And Morphometric Variations Of The Tympanic Bulla Between Domestic Shorthair And Brachycephalic Cats Utilizing Computed Tomography, Naparee Srisowanna, Damri Darawiroj, Nan Choisunirachon, Chutimon Thanaboonnipat, Sirinun Pisamai Tabtieang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Tympanic morphology of the dogs was reported to be varied due to the characteristics of the skull types. The small tympanic bulla is normally seen in brachycephalic dogs. However, this variation in narrowed-skull shaped cats has not been unveiled yet. The objective of this study was to describe the tympanic morphology of cats between brachycephalic and domestic shorthair (DSH) cats. Computer tomography (CT)-skull images of 15 domestic shorthair cats and 11 brachycephalic cats were evaluated for tympanic dimension on transverse and dorsal planes and the tympanic bone thickness. All parameters were compared between both groups. The results revealed that all …

Research Progress On The Structure And Function Of The Main Glycoproteins Of Bovine Infectious Rhinotracheitis Virus, Xin Zhang, Ruizhen Jian, Weijuan Jia, Yunjiao Chen, Qinglei Meng, Fang Yang, Jianjian Han, Zhilin Liu, Zelin Jia, Jiayu Cui, Xueli Wang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is an acute, febrile, and contact infectious disease. Bovine infectious rhinotracheitis is endemic in China and even the world, which not only restricts the development of the cattle industry but also brings significant economic losses to farms. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) contains 25 - 33 structural proteins, of which glycoproteins gB, gC, gD, gE, gG, gH, gI, gK, gL, and gM are the major structural glycoproteins of bovine rhinotracheitis virus, and all of these glycoproteins are interconnected with the assembly, invasion, release, and replication of the virus, and the only glycoproteins that are known …