Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Biobanking In Ne Mexico For Biomedical Research And Clinical Needs, Raúl Rodríguez-Palacios, Nathalia L. Walle-Gloria, Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña

Research Symposium

Background: The advancement of biomedicine demands tools that translate its achievements into services to both the scientific community and the pharma/biotech industry. Biobanks are powerful tools that collect, process, store, manage, and distribute biospecimens and their associated clinical/demographic data to users carrying out studies aimed at causing a real public health impact.

For our laboratory to offer pharma/biotech companies support for their projects with the highest quality possible biospecimens we adopted the Best Biobanking Practices from ISBER (https://www.isber.org/).

Methods: As a result of the pandemics, great effort has been dedicated to help the health ecosystem through a diagnostic service for …

Barriers To Applying Guidelines For Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In The Rio Grande Valley, Carra G. Honderich, Chelsea Chang

Research Symposium

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus affects 29.6% of adults in the Rio Grande Valley and 54% are estimated to be uncontrolled. Established and new pharmacotherapy agents are available, and guidelines exist in individualization of glycemic targets and agent selection. We present a case facing various barriers in applying these guidelines.

Case Presentation: A 54-year-old uninsured woman with past medical history of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease stage 3, peripheral artery disease and bilateral below knee amputations presents for follow-up. She denies polyuria, polydipsia and weight changes. She reports compliance with medications and a fasting glucose range …

Bactrim, Spironolactone And Lisinopril. Stay Away! A Dangerous Cocktail For Hyperkalemia, Daniel Nwosuocha, Areeb Masood, Christian Abraham, Vanessa Sanchez, Cesar A. Peralta, Alberto E. Montalvo, Jose E. Campo Maldonado

Research Symposium

Introduction: Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening complication of several medications, particularly in situations of polypharmacy. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is a first line antibiotic for outpatient treatment of MRSA for skin and soft tissue infections that can enhance the hyperkalemic effects of spironolactone and Angiotensin receptor inhibitors (ACEI).

Case Presentation: A 53-year-old female with history of HTN, stage 3 CKD, CHF, hypercholesterolemia and DM II, chronic left foot ulcer presented to our local hospital with generalized malaise, severe lower extremity weakness and heaviness of 2 days duration. She normally uses a walker but has had increasing difficulty standing from a seated position. …

Bactrim Induced Brash Syndrome In Elderly Female: A Case Report, Pooja Maknoor, Ashika Chacko, Himabindu Kolli, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Symposium

Background: BRASH syndrome is a clinical entity comprising of bradycardia, renal failure, AV blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia. It is a vicious cycle in which AV nodal blockers and hyperkalemia act synergistically to precipitate bradycardia in patients with renal dysfunction resulting in cardiovascular collapse.

Case Presentation: 89-year-old lady with history of Stage 4 CKD, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus presented with worsening generalized body weakness. On medication review, she was recently started on bactrim for treatment of a foot ulcer. Other home medications included diltiazem, lisinopril and dulaglutide. Initial vitals were significant for pulse 34, BP 90/35 mmHg and RR 19. Patient …

Awareness Of Genetic Testing For High-Risk Cancer Among Different Racial Groups In The United States, Okechukwu C. Erinne, Modupe O. Onigbogi

Research Symposium

Background: Genetic testing for high-risk cancer can provide information on personal risk of developing cancer, as well as diagnosis, prognosis and treatment once cancer has been detected.

Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the Health Information National Trends (HINTS 5, Cycle 4), conducted among U.S. adults (age ≥ 18 years) from February 24 to June 20, 2020. An equal probability sample of addresses were stratified, and an adult was selected from each household. Data analysis was conducted 3,865 respondents who completed the survey. The primary outcome was awareness of genetic testing for high-risk cancer (GTHC). We …

Automated Versus Manual Rna Isolation For The Laboratory Diagnosis Of Sars-Cov-2., Raúl Rodríguez-Palacios, Nathalia L. Walle-Gloria, Daniela Rodríguez-Casir, Hugo A. Barrera-Saldaña

Research Symposium

Background: The rapid spread and huge health and economic impact witnessed even from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the development of diagnostic tests to opportunely identify individuals infected by its causing agent, the SARS CoV-2 virus. This is a prerequisite to quarantine them to avoid further spreading the infection specially to their vulnerable co-workers and family contacts. The golden standard for pathogen detection is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). To obtain an accurate result, it is important to carry out an optimal isolation of the viral RNA genome.

Methods: This study aimed to compare manual (kits of Qiagen …

Association Of Nutritional Status With Failure To Complete Planned Treatment In Patients With Hnscc- A Prospective Cohort Study In A Tertiary Cancer Centre In Northern India., Anshika Arora, Sunil Kumar Saini

Research Symposium

Background: To determine the association between Nutritional status of patient and the ability to complete all planned treatment in Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma(HNSCC).

Materials & Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at CRI India between 2018 and 2020. Patients diagnosed with HNSCC and planned for treatment were enrolled after written informed consent. Nutritional status was determined using- anthropometric measures and Subjective Global Assessment(SGA) scale before starting treatment. Patients were followed up for treatment details, complications and failure to complete planned treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Data was analyzed using parametric and non-parametric …

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Is Coxsackie The Criminal?, Areeb Masood, Lily Chen, Paulina Vega, Henry Kwang

Research Symposium

Introduction: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by right ventricular dysfunction, which can precipitate sudden cardiac death in young adults.

Case Presentation: A 22-year-old Hispanic male with PMH of hypertriglyceridemia and exertional syncopal episodes was brought to the ED after experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest while on the treadmill. On arrival, the patient was intubated and placed on a defibrillator which detected Vfib with torsade de pointes. On arrival to ED, initial ECG revealed 1-2 mm ST depressions in leads II, III, and aVF and incomplete RBBB. Chest XR showed water-bottle-shaped cardiac silhouette. Coronary angiography demonstrated …

Apoe Polymorphism And Its Association With Dementia, Neuropsychiatric Disorders, And Demographic Factors In U.S Hispanic Population, Victoria I. Padilla

Research Symposium

In 2019, the United States Census revealed that Hispanics are the greatest minority group in the U.S, 18% of the population; in 2060, it is expected to increase by 28%. Hispanics ages 65 have one of the highest rates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the U.S. Studies have linked AD and other cognitive impairments, MCI, with apolipoprotein or APOE gene. APOE has also shown to increase the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in individuals. However, there are limited studies in U.S Hispanics. This study examines the APOE gene and its associations with dementiarelated phenotypes, neuropsychiatric disorders, and demographic factors in U.S …

Apoe Gene Associated With Lipid-Related Traits In Hispanic Population, Stephanie Lozano, Manuel Lee Avila, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: High levels of cholesterol have been demonstrated to cause heart disease and stroke. There is a significant research in cardiovascular disease, apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and high cholesterol regarding non-Hispanics, but as of now there is limited research regarding APOE e4 allele associated with high levels of cholesterol in the Hispanic population. There are three types of alleles e2 being the protective allele against neurological diseases, e3 the most common type, and e4 known to be the high-risk allele for diseases. This research aims to study the correlation between APOE e4 allele and phenotypes that demonstrate a high risk …

A Survival Analysis Of High-Grade Gliomas In Sub-Himalayan Population Including The Times Of Lockdown During Covid 19 Pandemic: A Single Institutional Experience, Pooja Kalra, Meenu Gupta, Vipul Nautiyal, Ranjeet Kumar, Sanjeev Pandey, Nazia Shirazi, Brijesh Tiwari, Mushtaq Ahmad

Research Symposium

Background and Objectives: High Grade Gliomas are categorised as Grade III and IV and have high mortality rate with poor prognosis. How we should adopt clinical practice in neuro-oncology during Covid 19 Pandemic is another area of scientific exploration . Hypofractionated radiotherapy protocols can be easily utilised in high grade gliomas during Covid 19 pandemic .

Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of 147 patients with diagnosis of high-grade gliomas between January 2009 till December 2020 including Covid-19 pandemic lockdown time was done. Age , gender , KPS , symptoms , extent of surgery and use of concurrent temozolamide , were …

Antibody Mediated Targeted Drug Delivery System To Improve Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji, Meena Jaggi, Murali M. Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Symposium

About 95% of tumor arises from epithelial cell lining ducts known to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, with less than 5-7% survival rate. Unfortunately, little progress has been seen in the outcomes of patients with PDAC as tumor develops high desmoplasia and chemo-resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine (Gem). Immunotherapy has shown promising results in cancers, except pancreatic cancer due to their characteristic fibrotic tumor microenvironment. The therapies are unable to penetrate to the fibrotic tumors leading to insufficient availability of the therapeutic drugs at the tumor site. A recently identified mucin, MUC13 is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic tumors but …

A Novel Exo-Glow Nano-System For Cellular Imaging, Nycol M. Cotto Flores, Benilde Adriano, Neeraj Chauhan, Deepak S. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) based Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging is an attractive and safer technique used for number of clinical applications. However, ICG tend to have poor photostability, short half-life, non-specific proteins binding, and concentration-dependent aggregation. Therefore, there is an unmet clinical need to develop newer modalities to package and deliver ICG. Bovine milk exosomes are natural, biocompatible, safe, and feasible nanocarriers that facilitate the delivery of micro and macro molecules. Herein, we developed a novel exosomes based ICG nano imaging system that offers improved solubility and photostability of ICG.

Methods: Following acetic acid based extracellular vesicles (EV) extraction method, …

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Symposium

Background: Rio Grande Valley (RGV) suffers from a high prevalence of certain cancers and lack the resources for accurate early diagnosis. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer detection compared to radiological imaging. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) and its analogues that allow high-resolution and deep tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some drawbacks, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary and biocompatible NIR fluorescent substance which has the potential to serve as a cancer NIR imaging candidate. Hence, we aim to …

Acute Exacerbation Of Heart Failure In A 35-Year-Old Hispanic Female With Premature Coronary Artery Disease Status Post Cabg X 4 And Multiple Comorbidities: A Case Report, Nelson D. Gonzalez, Bhargavi Akkineni

Research Symposium

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in adults worldwide.¹ Although CHD prevalence is highest in adults of middle age and above, it is important to be aware of risk factors in young adults that predispose them to premature CAD and its complications. We present a case of a young Hispanic female with acute exacerbation of heart failure (HF), CAD, and multiple comorbidities.

Case: A 35-year-old Hispanic female with past medical history of CAD status post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) X 4, HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF) of 40-45%, chronic kidney disease stage …

A Closer Look At Covid Testing Among The Pediatric Population Living Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Naba Asif, Jefferson Chandler

Research Symposium

Background & Objectives: On August 2020, the AAP reported that Texas only provides pediatric age distribution for 8% of COVID-19 testing results. In response to the limited data availability, our research focused on tracking test positivity rates for the pediatric population (ages 0-19) in the Rio Grande Valley from March 30 through August 7, 2020.

Methods & Analysis: The research study received IRB exemption status on August 9, 2020. We obtained deidentified data from UT Health RGV COVID testing sites in Hidalgo and Cameron county. SPSS was used to find the mean and median age and frequency over time of …

A Case Of Minoca In A Patient With Recent History Of Covid-19 Infection, Don C. Rajan, Nghia Nguyen, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Symposium

Background: Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a syndrome of myocardial ischemia resulting from microvascular dysfunction and with < 50% stenosis of major epicardial vessels. The incidence of MINOCA is 6% among patients with acute myocardial infarction. We present a case of MINOCA in a patient with a recent history of COVID-19 infection.

Case presentation: A 22-year-old man with recent history of Covid 19 infection presented with 3 days history of typical cardiac chest pain. He was not taking any medications or illicit drugs. EKG revealed sinus rhythm with ST elevations in leads II, V5, V6. Troponin I was elevated to 5.3ng/ml. He underwent coronary angiography which was reported as normal with no signs of obstructive coronary artery disease. Further workup including viral panel, ESR, CRP, HIV, hepatitis panel were negative. He was …

A 3d Printed Microneedle System For Transdermal Drug Delivery Of Anticancer Drugs, Md Jasim Uddin, Tanvir Ahmed, Dennis Douroumis

Research Symposium

Background: Transdermal delivery of drugs is an attractive alternative to the conventional route of administration as oral delivery. The hypodermic injections are painful and less patient compliance. Microneedles (MNs) are micron-sized, minimally invasive needles to deliver a wide range of molecules (e.g., small, DNA, vaccines etc.) to the upper portion of the dermis in a sustained and controlled manner, without causing any pain. The introduction of 3D printing technologies in the fabrication of MN will promote one-step manufacturing tools and scale-up for the delivery devices of anticancer drugs.

Methods: The 3D printed MN (3DMN) arrays were fabricated using Stereolithography (SLA), …

A Case Of Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Call For Importance Of Preventive Medicine, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Fatimah Bello

Research Symposium

Introduction: Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of death by cancer in both men and women in United States. There is an estimation of over 200 thousand new cases and over 100 thousand deaths due to lung cancer in 2021.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old male with a history of COPD and smoking presents with complaint of progressive cough and exertional shortness of breath. Chest x-ray demonstrated right sided pleural effusion which was exudative in nature upon pleural fluid analysis. Samples were sent for cytology however patient left against medical advice. Two months later, the …

A Case Of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy After Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccination, Irma Duncan, Alexander S. Renpenning, Roberto A. Cruz

Research Symposium

Background: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy is an immune-mediated polyneuropathy characterized by peripheral demyelination, resulting in symmetrical sensory loss and distal and proximal muscle weakness. While CIDP has been reported after influenza, tetanus, and other common vaccinations, this is the first reported case of CIDP after COVID-19 vaccination to our knowledge.

Case Presentation: A 34-year-old right-handed male with an unremarkable past medical history presented with bilateral distal paresthesias, proximal and distal muscle weakness, and fine motor difficulties. Symptoms initially manifested with toe numbness, approximately two weeks after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Paresthesias gradually progressed from …

Illness Trajectory From Prodromal Symptoms To Incident Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia, Manuel A. Gardea Resendez, Javier Ortiz-Orendain, Brandon J. Coombes, Aysegul Ozerdem, Monica J. Taylor-Desir, Balwinder Singh, Alastair J. Mckean, Mark Frye

Research Symposium

Background: The concept of prodrome is highly variable but, when applied retrospectively in cohorts who progress to meet diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ), it can contribute to clarify early origins and trajectory of the illness. In the context of race and ethnicity, studies with population-based and registry-based cohorts, such as the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP), can potentially identify, through retrospective assessment of the prodromes of BD and SZ, differences while addressing the heterogeneous nature of the illness.

Objective: We aim to describe and compare the illness trajectories of individuals with BD or SZ prior to the …

A Very Di-Still-Ed Diagnosis- Adult-Onset Still’S Disease Presenting In A Middle-Aged Hispanic Patient, Christine E. Loftis, Juan Naranjo, Shadi Jafari-Esfahani, Andrew Guerra, Emilia C. Dulgheru

Research Symposium

Background: Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by daily high fevers, arthritis, evanescent rash, and leukocytosis (1). Patients can present without typical manifestations and pose a challenging differential. We present a case of a 52-year-old gentleman with a one-year history of recurring fever, lymphadenopathy, and weight loss diagnosed with AOSD. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge that AOSD poses and the strategies to help aid in the diagnosis.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old gentleman presented to the ED for a 2-week history of fever associated with chills and bone pain. He reported that he has been having …

Higher Stress During Admission Predicts Shorter Treatment Retention In Residential Treatment, Orrin D. Ware

Research Symposium

Background: Over one million people in the United States received residential treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2020. Shorter treatment retention is associated with adverse outcomes compared to individuals retained in treatment longer. Entering treatment with higher stress may be associated with leaving prematurely. This study aims to examine the impact of perceived stress during admission on treatment retention in a short-term residential treatment facility.

Methods: This study used de-identified data of 357 treatment episodes of adults entering a short-term (28-day) urban Mid-Atlantic residential facility between October 2019 through February 2020. The dataset included demographic characteristics, substance use …

Increasing Opioid Overdose Among Hispanic Young Population In The Borders Of The Usa And Mexico. Imperative To Work With First Responders And Proper Use Of Narcan, Denis X. Gutierrez, B Oluwakemi, N. Patel, Nevin A. Varghese

Research Symposium

Background: Hypercapnic respiratory failure is a frequently encountered medical emergency. A very common cause among young patients is a side effect of opioids in the setting of an opioid crisis in both sides of the borders. Sometimes a delay in diagnosis associated with increased synthetic opioids use causes a delay in optimal management. We report a case of a patient that was negative for opioids in urine but responded to repeated dose of Narcan, the family later explained that he was obtaining medications across the border and distributing drugs.

Case presentation: 21 y/o Hispanic man who lives at a border …

The Impact Of Virtual Learning On Health Literacy: Lessons From A Virtual Townhall Held By The Lamar University Recovery And Resilience Academy, Margot Gage Witvliet, Chiung-Fang Chang

Research Symposium

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the entire world. This caused universities and addiction recovery programs to get creative on how to reach community needs. Many professors found themselves teaching online for the first time. Apps for mental health and addiction recovery programs grew exponentially. Information on how adequate virtual programs perform are mixed. We investigate the extent to which a virtual program can increase health literacy. To accomplish this, the professors of the sociology program launched the Recovery and Resilience Academy (RnR Academy). The aim of RnR Academy is to serve as an outreach and educational center for the …

Storage Temperature Affects MüLler Glia Susceptibility To Hypoxia, Assraa Jassim, Martin Garcia, Andrew Tsin, Laura Valdez, Jose Martinez

Research Symposium

Background/Objective: We conducted this project to differentiate cell susceptibility to hypoxia (low O2 level) between immortalized Müller glia (MIO-M1) stored in -80 versus liquid nitrogen.

Method: MIO-M1 cells were cultured and seeded in 12 well plates at 40K/well and in 6 well plates at 75K/well until confluence. Cell culture conditions: centrifugation time and speed, neutralization, and storage temperature were varied. Cells were subjected to chemically induced hypoxia by treatment with 300 and 400uM CoCl2 for 24 and 48hours. Oxygen level was measured in cells, cells were imaged and counted.

Results: Centrifugation and neutralization conditions did not affect cell survival. We …

Exploration Of Potential Natural Inhibitors Against Kras-G12d In Pancan: Protein Centered Pharmacophore Htvs Approach., Anupam Dhasmana, Swati Dhasmana, Sudhir Kotnala, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chuahan

Research Symposium

Background: As per key statistics of American Cancer Society 2021, Pancreatic Cancer (PanCan) affects around 60,430 persons a year in the U.S. and is tricky to diagnose & treat. Studies revealed that African Americans have a 50–90% higher incidence of PanCan compared to other ethnic groups. Oncogenic KRAS mutation is the signature genetic incident in the progression and development of PDAC. KRAS is the most common protein which is 95% times mutated in PDAC condition. By considering this alarming situation our group is now focused on to develop therapeutic portfolio against KRAS-G12D mutation associated PanCan by using high through-put virtual …

Mortaparibplus- A Novel Anticancer Small Molecule Abrogating Mortalin-P53 Interaction In Cancer Cells, Anissa N. Sari, Ahmed Elwakeel, Jaspreet K. Dhanjal, Vipul Kumar, Durai Sundar, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa

Research Symposium

Background. The cessation of tumor cell growth through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis is determined by p53, a tumor suppressor protein. However, the interaction between mortalin-p53 within cytoplasm/nucleus leads to the inactivation of p53 transcriptional activation function. The disruption of mortalin-p53 complex has been suggested as an approach for developing a potential anticancer drug.

Methods. A screening of a high-content chemical library was performed to determine a molecule with mortalin-p53-interaction disrupting characteristics. After four-rounds of visual assays, we discovered a triazole derivative (4-[(1E)-2-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)-1-azavinyl]-1,2,4-triazole, named Mortaparib^Plus) with a potential ability of disrupting mortalin-p53-complex. In this study, we recruited …

Morgellons Disease, Yaya L. Besong

Research Symposium

Background: A case of a patient who was been diagnosed with Morgellons disease, a rare disease, and an interesting case because of the uniqueness of its presentation. The analysis of this case is important because it will help to point out some of the characteristics that can be used to identify this disease. My patient in this paper did demonstrate in front of the doctor and myself, foreign material extruding from her skin and inside her mouth. The patient has also suffered severe distress with nonhealing skin ulcerations and excruciating pain. The paper will examine existing literature on Morgellons disease …

The Eyes Beyond The Screen: Digital Media Policy And Child Health, Yahia Al-Qudah

Research Symposium

Background: Modern communication technology and digital media have provided society with a foundation for instant messaging. Pictures, videos, and texts connect individuals with families, friends, and the world. Consequently, digital media has accelerated exposure to risk in which children and adolescents are most vulnerable. This project’s objective is to 1) congregate and highlight current knowledge about the impact of digital media on child health, and 2) underline deficiencies in related laws and regulations as well as offer solutions in digital media policy.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted through the JAMA Pediatrics database with keywords such as “digital media,” …