Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Socioeconomic Disparities In Readmission Outcomes And Cardiac Procedures Among Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations, Muhammad U. Almani, Muhammad Yousuf, Noor Fatima, Muhammad Q. Ullah, Muhammed Arshad

Einstein Health Papers

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains one of the leading dysrhythmias incurring hospitalization. We set out to determine the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on in-hospital cardiac procedures and the readmission outcomes in patients with AF. Methods: The National Readmission Database (NRD) was searched for adults with a primary diagnosis of AF between 2010 and 2019. We determined unplanned AF-specific readmission within 30 days. Median neighborhood household income was assessed by patient zip code as quartiles: low income (Q1), middle income (Q2), upper-middle income (Q3), and high income (Q4). Differences in in-hospital cardiac procedures during the index hospitalization and probability of …

Donor Sex And Platelet Storage Change The Therapeutic Effects Of Platelet-Derived Extracellular Vesicles On Endothelium, Mandeep Kaur, Malvika Gupta, Sowmya Shree Gopal, Charles E. Wade, Jessica C. Cardenas, Amit K. Srivastava

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) play an active role in vascular protection and repair and are being explored as a viable alternative to platelet therapy. Because platelet function and stability are shaped by donor sex and storage conditions, these same factors are likely to influence the PEVs they release. Understanding these influences is key to developing PEVs into a safe and dependable therapeutic option. In this study, we investigated how donor sex and platelet storage affect the therapeutic properties of PEVs. To address this, PEVs were isolated from platelets of healthy male and female donors. Platelets were either processed immediately after …

Proposed Standardized Nomenclature For Anomalous Aortic Origin Of A Coronary Artery: An International Multidisciplinary Initiative, Carlos M Mery, Meena Nathan, Christoph Gräni, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Cristina Basso, Marshall L Jacobs, Julie A Brothers, Massimo A Padalino, Silvana Molossi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increasing use of advanced noninvasive imaging has provided great anatomic and morphologic details to characterize congenital coronary artery anomalies. Anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) is a subtype that may lead to myocardial ischemia with variable clinical manifestations across the lifespan. Management decision making in AAOCA is hindered by anatomic variants of differing physiologic consequences. Several systems of nomenclature have been used that lack uniformity in potentially high-risk morphologic features. The ICAAC (International Coronary Artery Anomalies Collaborative), a group of experts in coronary artery anomalies, proposes a standardized nomenclature to describe anatomy and morphologic features of AAOCA using …

Patiromer For Patients With Heart Failure At Risk Of Hyperkalemia: Care-Hk In Hf Registry, Omar Cantu-Martinez, Stephen J Greene, Khaja M Chinnakondepalli, Stefan D Anker, Biykem Bozkurt, Javed Butler, John G Cleland, Nihar Desai, Diederick E Grobbee, Ellie Kelepouris, Giuseppe Rosano, Tibor Kempf, Martin Schulz, Carla-Maria Brandes, Victoria Donachie, Andrew J Sauer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: For patients with heart failure (HF), hyperkalemia (HK) may prevent optimal renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi) use. Randomized trials show that patiromer, a contemporary potassium binder, reduces serum potassium (sK+) concentrations and HK, potentially enabling RASi optimization. We sought to assess the real-world effectiveness of patiromer in facilitating RASi optimization in HF patients at increased risk of HK.

Methods and results: The CARE-HK in HF (Cardiovascular and Renal Treatment in HF Patients with HK or at High Risk of HK) (NCT04864795) was a prospective registry of patients with chronic HF at increased risk of HK (prior or current …

What Factors Influence Health Professions Trainees’ Preferences For Employment In Rural Appalachia? A Qualitative Study To Inform The Design Of A Discrete Choice Experiment, Chris Gillette, Jan Ostermann Ph.D., Aylin A. Aguillar, Sarah O'Neal, Chris Everett, Dawn Caviness, Esita Patel, Laiton Steele, Dawn Goel, Quazi Minhaz Tabassum

Faculty Publications

Optimizing the geographic allocation of health care providers has the potential to improve health care access and health outcomes for rural populations. To inform the design of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey to elicit health professions trainees' preferences for rural practice, this formative research aimed to: (1) elicit factors that influence job selection among health profession trainees, including medical residents physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) students, (2) identify how these trainees evaluate trade-offs for rural job placement and (3) inform attribute selection for inclusion into a future DCE to identify health professions trainees’ preferences for rural practice. …

Utilizing Proactive Rounding With Nursing Leadership To Improve Patient Satisfaction Scores In An Adult Medical-Surgical Unit, Lily A. Bogyah

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Patient satisfaction is a key quality indicator that reflects patients’ perceptions of care and the healthcare system’s performance. Patient satisfaction scores at the project site were significantly lower than the national benchmark, particularly on the adult medical-surgical unit.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In patients on an adult medical-surgical unit (P), how does the use of proactive patient rounding conducted by nurse leaders (I) versus current practices alone without such rounding (C) affect patient satisfaction scores over an eight-week period (T)?

Evidence: A literature review of multiple studies found that implementing daily nurse leader …

Domains That Influence Underrepresented Community Wellbeing And Engagement: A Literature Review, Nicole Sung, Mei Lin Chen-Lim, Phd, Rn, Ccrc, Aunja Richards, Bis, Florence Ling, Phd

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Introduction

Inner-city neighborhoods, such as those in Philadelphia, vary in demographics, resources, access, safety, and overall health. Local non-profits that serve these communities require more understanding of the areas they serve to efficiently align resources and meet the local community needs. Community partnerships, including youth in the community, are key informants as they share lived experiences, navigate neighborhood conditions, and identify barriers and priorities.

Outcomes With Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab (Stride) For Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma In The Us Veterans Administration, Shalini Bansal, Priya Amin, Courtney Williamson, Stephen Valerio, David Kaplan

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Background: HIMALAYA demonstrated that STRIDE (Single Tremelimumab Regular Interval Durvalumab) significantly improved overall survival (OS) compared with sorafenib in participants with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This retrospective, real-world cohort study evaluated outcomes with STRIDE in veterans with HCC. Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC between 1 January 2008 and 28 February 2024 who received ≥1 dose of STRIDE for unresectable disease were included. Data were collected from the Veteran Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse. Safety and efficacy were evaluated overall and for subgroups of patients with Child–Pugh A versus Child–Pugh B cirrhosis, viral versus non-viral HCC, and those with versus without prior …

Practice Patterns And Inpatient Outcomes In Lung Abscess: A Cross Sectional Study, Saikou Saidy, Ali Iqbal, Saqib H. Baig

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Lung abscess is typically managed with antibiotics, but drainage procedures are sometimes performed when there is inadequate clinical response or when source control is needed. Real-world inpatient practice patterns remain incompletely described in contemporary U.S. data. Our aim was to evaluate national inpatient practice patterns, predictors of procedural intervention, and associated in-hospital outcomes and resource utilization among patients hospitalized with lung abscess managed conservatively, with bronchoscopic drainage, or with percutaneous drainage.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (2016–2018), we identified adult (18 years and older) hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis of lung abscess [International Classification of Diseases, 10th …

An Integrated Germline And Somatic Genomic Model For Coronary Artery Disease, Xiong Yang, Min Seo Kim, Xinyu Zhu, Md Mesbah Uddin, Tetsushi Nakao, So Mi Jemma Cho, Satoshi Koyama, Tingfeng Xu, Laurens F Reeskamp, Rufan Zhang, Zhaoqi Liu, Yunga A, Paul S De Vries, Ramachandran S Vasan, Eric Boerwinkle, Alanna C Morrison, Bruce M Psaty, Russell P Tracy, Susan R Heckbert, Michael H Cho, Jeong H Yun, Nicholette D Palmer, Donald W Bowden, Joanne M Murabito, Daniel Levy, Nancy L Heard-Costa, George T O'Connor, Lewis C Becker, Brian G Kral, Lisa R Yanek, Laura M Raffield, Bertha Hidalgo, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Kent D Taylor, Wendy S Post, Charles Kooperberg, Alexander P Reiner, Braxton D Mitchell, Sharon L R Kardia, Jennifer A Smith, Patricia A Peyser, Lawrence F Bielak, Dong Keon Yon, Hong-Hee Won, Donna K Arnett, Albert V Smith, Stacey B Gabriel, Patrick T Ellinor, Nhlbi Trans-Omics For Precision Medicine (Topmed) Consortium, Pradeep Natarajan, Minxian Wang, Akl C Fahed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple germline and somatic genomic factors are associated with risk of coronary artery disease, but there is no single measure of risk that integrates all information from a DNA sample. To address this gap, we develop an integrated genomic model that includes six germline and somatic genetic drivers for coronary artery disease, including polygenic risk score, genetically-proxied proteomic/metabolomic risk scores, and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential. We evaluated its predictive power in the UK Biobank (N = 391,536), and validate it using data from the TOPMed program (N = 34,177). The 10-year coronary artery disease risk based on the integrated …

Monitoring Relapse In Post-Transplant Acute Myeloid Leukemia Requires Integrated Assessment, With Flow Cytometry Showing The Highest Efficacy, Wei J Wang, Sa A Wang, Hong Fang, Qing Wei, Shimin Hu, Sanam Loghavi, Gheath Al-Atrash, Chenxuan Zang, Peng Wei, Jeffrey L Medeiros, Wei Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Plastic Deformation Of The Pediatric Forearm: Recognition, Radiographic Measurement, And Management., Caitlin Wetzel, Matthew Rohl, Taylor Manes, Allen Kadado

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

Pediatric forearm bowing fractures, also known as plastic deformation fractures, are a clinically important but often underdiagnosed injury pattern. These fractures usually occur from longitudinal compressive forces such as falls on an outstretched hand, causing plastic deformation that exceeds the elastic limit of pediatric bone. Patients often present with nonspecific symptoms like pain, swelling, and limited pronation-supination, and these injuries can be subtle on radiographs. Using standardized measurement methods, such as the percentage of radial bowing relative to total bone length, can improve diagnosis; values over approximately 10% of radial length are considered suggestive of pathological bowing. Missing or delaying …

Multimerin1 And Not Galectin-8 Tempers Wnt Signaling To Promote Gastric Chief Cell Differentiation, Xiaobo Lin, Gabriel Nicolazzi, Xuemei Liu, Chinye Nwokolo, Yehiel Zick, José B Sáenz, Jeffrey W Brown

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Galectins are a family of proteins that bind galactose-containing glycans. One member, galectin-8, preferentially binds galactose that contains a terminal sulfate. Aberrant expression and secretion of sulfated glycosylation epitopes, such as 3'-Sulfo-Le

Transformational Leadership In Higher Education, Dr. Jewel Hale, Jr., Kristi Apostel

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

A crisis can highlight the critical need for resilient leadership within higher educational settings. Educational leaders encounter extraordinary difficulties, ranging from different learning options to prioritizing the well-being of both staff and students, necessitating flexible and innovative methods. By exploring how school leaders apply transformational techniques in actual educational environments, this article addresses the impact of the four I’s of transformational leadership, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, on building educator resiliency, sustaining school effectiveness, and promoting student achievement in higher education.

Fierce Leadership-Perspectives Of Black Women Educational Leaders: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Janice Taylor, Dianne Reed

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

The authors of this transcendental phenomenological study aimed to describe the lived experiences of Black women based on their perceptions, values, and beliefs about the complexities of leadership and the kind of leadership required to succeed in their respective roles, as educational leaders. This study was framed by the adaptive leadership theory. Adaptive leadership recognizes the need for leaders to stay flexible and resilient in fast-paced environments (Nelson & Squires, 2017). The three Black women leaders in this study were fierce adaptive leaders. The information acquired from this study is significant and highlights how Black women educational leaders developed the …

Research Literacy And Research Production Skills As Core Competencies In Leaders, Kk O'Byrne

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

No abstract provided.

Factors For Successful Craniosynostosis Surgery Gofundme Campaigns, Annarose Taylor, Rena Atayeva, Shikha Trivedi, Phavon Sage, David Park, Brendan Podszus, Jessica Bigner, Yifan Guo

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction

Craniosynostosis surgery costs can be as high as 100,000 dollars. Even with complete insurance coverage, patients often face large out-of-pocket expenses. Thus, patients seek other financial resources. As a crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe (GFM) is one of those resources. The objective of our study was to identify GFM campaign factors associated with greater fundraising success.

Methods

GoFundMe.com was queried for: craniosynostosis, synostosis, brachycephaly, trigonocephaly, scaphocephaly, and fused skull suture. Included campaigns had patients in the U.S. fundraising for craniosynostosis surgery or related expenses. Excluded campaigns were duplicates, for animals, helmets, charities, or other surgeries. Successful campaigns achieved third quartile of …

Touching Lives With Empathy And Assurance In Medicine (Team): An Experiential Palliative Care Medicine Program For Medical Students, Kevin A. Barnes, Simone K. Schumaecker, Madeline L. Dunstan, Marissa C. Galicia-Castillo

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Palliative Care Medicine (PCM) education presents unique challenges as core competencies like communication, response to grief, and engaging seriously ill patients are difficult to teach through classroom instruction. Despite didactics and modules, many medical students report feeling underprepared for end-of-life discussions. Emerging evidence suggests that experiential learning, particularly one-on-one interactions with patients, reduces learner insecurity and deepens understanding of serious illness. The Touching Lives with Empathy and Assurance in Medicine (TEAM) program at Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital was developed to address this gap through a structured, longitudinal PCM experience. This project analyzes the program’s design, implementation, and early participation …

Concomitant Subacromial Decompression Remains Commonly Performed During Rotator Cuff Repair: A Trinetx Study, Madison Baldauf, Zachary Krumm, Savannah Ward, Katherine Worcester, Kevin Bonner Md

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction:

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) is among the most frequently performed shoulder procedures in the US and is often accompanied by concomitant subacromial decompression (SAD). In recent years some studies have called into question the benefit of SAD in this setting. The topic is controversial as many surgeons still feel SAD is indicated. This study aims to characterize the changes in proportion of SAD performed concomitantly with RCR over recent years using TriNetX.

Methods:

The TriNetX database was queried for all patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from 2013 to 2025. Cohorts were established using the Current Procedural Terminology …

Complex Tandem Gait Performance In Collegiate Athletes With And Without A History Of Concussion, Irenia R. Torre

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

No abstract provided.

Sex Differences In Complex Tandem Gait Performance Among Division I Collegiate Athletes, Destiny Mcknight, Thomas Campbell

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Background:
Sport-related concussions remain a significant concern in collegiate athletics, accounting for approximately 6% of sport-related injuries annually. Athletic trainers play a critical role in identifying concussion-related impairments, particularly deficits in balance and postural control. Dynamic balance impairments may persist beyond symptom resolution and negatively affect performance and functional mobility. The Complex Tandem Gait (CTG) test, a component of visio-vestibular assessment, evaluates postural control under varying sensory conditions and may detect lingering deficits associated with concussion history.

Objective:
To examine gender differences in baseline dynamic balance performance during complex tandem gait tasks among Division I athletes.

Methods:
A cross-sectional study …

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation In Trauma Before And After Covid-19: Associations Of Utilization, Timing, And Outcomes, Ryan Mancoll, William Rice, Theodore Chin, Grayson Mast M.D, Samantha Olafson M.D.

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Objectives:

The COVID-19 pandemic expanded and altered general ECMO utilization and provider experience; however, any impact on trauma-specific ECMO practice following this shift remains unclear. We hypothesize that trauma ECMO utilization patterns, timing of initiation, and outcomes have differed following COVID-19.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients receiving ECMO (2017-2024) using the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) Participant Use Files. The primary exposure was the COVID era (2017-2019 vs. 2021-2024). Primary outcomes included ECMO utilization, time to initiation, and in-hospital mortality; secondary outcomes included discharge disposition, major complications, and length of stay …

Staged Versus Immediate Bilateral Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction In A Community Hospital Setting: A Procedure And Patient‑Level Analysis Of Recovery Burden And Safety:, Ryan Mancoll, Adam Akari, Shreyas Bhalle, Lawrence Colen, John Mancoll

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction: Reconstruction using Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flaps is standard for muscle-sparing breast restoration following mastectomy. Staging the procedure in two is becoming increasingly common and an option for community surgeons to decrease operation-specific time burden. We hypothesize that in our community hospital-based cohort, staged reconstruction will be associated with lower recovery burden and decreased complication risk.
Methods: This study was a retrospective single-surgeon cohort of patients receiving staged, immediate or unilateral DIEP breast reconstruction (N = 276) from 2011-2021. Procedure-level multivariate regression evaluated surgical time, Length of stay, opioid use (MME), and perioperative change. Patient-level multivariate regression assessed …

Exploring The Relationship Between Behavioral Health Early Prediction Model And Patient Outcomes In The Emergency Department, Karen M. Richendollar, Kathie M. Zimbro

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Problem: Emergency departments (EDs) are increasingly utilized for mental health (MH) care, often resulting in overcrowding and delayed access to specialized services. A significant proportion of MH patients are discharged without a psychiatric consult, raising concerns about safety and readmission rates. This trend places additional strain on already limited behavioral health resources and contributes to care delays for patients in acute crisis. Moreover, the lack of standardized discharge criteria for MH patients increases variability in care and may compromise patient outcomes. Purpose: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Behavioral Health Early Discharge Prediction Model (BHEDPM) in identifying MH patients …

Acidosis During Dhca Is Associated With Neurologic Injury In A Canine Model, Rishab Agarwal

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) is utilized for neuroprotection during aortic surgery. The associations between the hemodynamic, metabolic and neurologic effects are not well characterized. We hypothesized that DHCA would be associated with hemodynamic and physiologic derangements which would correlate with neurological injury in a large animal model.

Methods: Twenty canines underwent 90 min DHCA at 18 °C with a randomized antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) flow rate (2.5, 5, or 10 cc/kg/min, n=6 for each) and were survived for 3 days. No ACP was implemented in controls (n=2).  Intraoperative assessments included hemodynamic (mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate …

Molecular Xenomonitoring For Early Detection Of West Nile Virus Circulation In New Jersey: A Field Validation Study, Viet-Linh Nguyen, Pratap Kafle

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

West Nile virus (WNV) remains a persistent public health concern in New Jersey, yet current pooled-mosquito PCR surveillance often detects viral activity only after significant amplification, narrowing the window for timely intervention. Molecular xenomonitoring (MX), which is the detection of viral RNA in mosquito excreta or saliva deposited on honey-baited FTA cards, offers a non-destructive alternative that preserves nucleic acids at room temperature, passively captures signals from hundreds of mosquitoes per card, and has the potential to detect WNV circulation earlier than conventional surveillance by continuously sampling mosquito activity without the need for lethal collection. This project aims to (1) …

Crowdfunding For Solid Organ Transplants In The United States: A Rising Trend., Annarose Taylor, Sai Kottapalli, Meghana Sunkara, Gabriella Adams, Rena Atayeva, Riccardo De Cataldo, Phavon Sage, Jashanna Walia, Jessica Bigner, Yifan Guo

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Introduction

This study aims to characterize patients undergoing solid organ transplants (heart, lung, liver, and kidney) who utilize crowdfunding platforms, including GoFundMe, by examining their financial needs, goals, and the characteristics that make certain fundraisers more successful.

Methods

GoFundMe fundraisers were the respective terms “heart,” “lung,” “liver” and “kidney transplant.” Details were collected about fundraisers in America including monetary status, beneficiary demographics, and campaign characteristics. Single-variable analysis was used to assess factors contributing to extremely successful (≥70%), successful (≥50%), and unsuccessful fundraisers (≤25% of funding goal).

Results

1324 campaigns met inclusion criteria. The majority of beneficiaries described in fundraisers were …

Recent Progress In Nanogel Technology: From Molecular Design To Biomedical Applications, Fatima Raed Al-Ahmed, Mohammed Sabar Al-Lami

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Nanogels, a hydrophilic polymer network at the nanoscale, combine the structural flexibility of hydrogels with the dynamic behavior of nanoparticles, offering unprecedented control over drug loading and release. Their large surface area, tunable porosity, high water content, biocompatibility, and stimuli-responsive behavior enable transport across biological barriers. This review critically examines nanogels’ unique properties, classifications, diverse methods of preparation, drug release mechanisms, characterization techniques, and various applications in therapeutic areas, such as cancer therapy, wound healing, transdermal and ocular drug delivery, and theranostics. Highlights are shed on nanogels’ potential to target specific sites, both by functionalization and stimuli-responsive behavior, therefore improving …

Influenza B Viral Infection Complicated By Acute Fulminant Myocarditis Requiring Mechanical Support: A Case Report., Tareef Hesham Kannout, Muhammad Azam Shah, Fahmi Abdullah Alkaf, Faisal A. Alghamdi, Mohammed Alreshidan

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Acute fulminant myocarditis represents a severe complication of myocarditis, necessitating early suspicion and intervention for improved patient outcomes. Influenza B-induced myocarditis remains a relatively rare entity. A young lady presented to the emergency department with symptoms of heart failure and cardiogenic shock, requiring inotropes without significant improvement. For the continued deterioration of her hemodynamics, she underwent mechanical circulatory support, including Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP).  The follow-up investigations showed positive influenza B. She was treated with antiviral therapy and steroids, resulting in gradual improvement in hemodynamics and left ventricular ejection fraction

Bridging The Gap In Women's Healthcare — The Homoeopathic Perspective And Evidence Base, Subhash Kaushik

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

NA