Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Suvorexant For Alcohol Use Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Study Protocol For A Phase Ii Randomized Clinical Trial, Lara A Ray, Steven J Nieto, Karen Miotto, Larissa Mooney, Richard Lebeau, Jin H Yoon, Joy M Schmitz, Ron Acierno, Nathaniel W Bailey, Jessica Jenkins, Jessica Vincent, Tracy Nolen, Shawn Hirsch, Alexis Williams, Scott D Lane

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a highly prevalent, costly, and often untreated condition in the United States. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a common comorbidity with AUD which worsens outcomes and decreases functional outcomes. Suvorexant (SUV) shows clear promise as a novel therapeutic candidate to treat AUD and PTSD.

Methods: This study features a promising compound (i.e., suvorexant), the application of a well-established human laboratory paradigm (i.e., alcohol cue reactivity), and a novel early efficacy laboratory model (i.e., practice quit attempt) to provide a cost/time-efficient evaluation of safety and initial efficacy of suvorexant for AUD with comorbid PTSD. Additionally, …

Exploring Sex Differences In Stroke Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis From The Span 1 Trial, Anjali Chauhan, Eunyoung Angela Lee, Rakesh B Patel, Mariia Kumskova, Enrique C Leira, Anil Chauhan, Yanrong Shi, Suyi Cao, Raymond C Koehler, Krishnan M Dhandapani, Mohammad Badruzzaman Khan, Pradip K Kamat, Ali Arbab, David C Hess, Alison L Herman, Ligia Boisserand, Lauren H Sansing, Andreia Morais, Xuyan Jin, Sanem Aykan, Takahiko Imai, Cenk Ayata, Karisma A Nagarkatti, Jessica Lamb, Márcio A Diniz, Patrick D Lyden, Jaroslaw Aronowski, Louise D Mccullough

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease, with different risk factors, incidence, outcomes, and treatment responses in men and women. While sex differences have been documented in preclinical studies, these findings often come from single-site studies with small sample sizes and require validation across diverse research settings.

Methods: We used data from the SPAN (Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network), a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, multilaboratory trial, to determine if sex differences in neurological outcomes are present in preclinical stroke models. We analyzed data from 665 stroke animals treated with saline, including young mice, diet-induced obese mice, aging mice, young rats, and spontaneously …

Intercalated Bacterial Biofilms Are Intrinsic Internal Components Of Calcium-Based Kidney Stones, William C Schmidt, Henry L Schreiber, Rachael E S Hammann, Chloe L P Obernuefemann, Karla Bergeron, Aleksandra Klim, Daniel Wong, Kefu Du, Scott J Hultgren, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Calcium oxalate stones comprise greater than 70% of all kidney stones. In the current conceptual framework, the initial stone nidus is thought to include the aggregation of inorganic crystallites, the formation of which is favored by elevated concentrations of dissolved constituents. Here, we show that this highly prevalent stone type comprises a form of organic-inorganic polycrystalline biocomposite with integrated bacterial biofilms. Evidence from electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy reveal the unanticipated internal structure of kidney stones from human patients, where bacterial biofilms are intercalated between polycrystalline mineral layers, even in stones identified as "noninfectious" clinically, including those in patients without …

Rev-Erb-Alpha And -Beta Coordinately Regulate Astrocyte Reactivity And Proteostatic Function, Collin J Nadarajah, Michelle Y Li, Elsa I Quillin, Kevin Boyer, Julie M Dimitry, Yining Chen, Melvin W King, Ibrahim O Saliu, Jiyeon Lee, Patrick W Sheehan, Albert A Davis, Mitchell A Lazar, Guoyan Zhao, Erik S Musiek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The molecular circadian clock is a ubiquitous transcriptional-translational feedback loop that regulates CNS function, glial responses, and neurodegenerative pathology. The nuclear receptors REV-ERB-α (

Patient-Specific Computational Flow Simulation Reveals Adverse Hemodynamic Factors Associated With Occlusion Of Directional Branches After Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, Kenneth Tran, Jesse Chait, Emmanuel Tenorio, Weiguang Yang, Alison Marsden, Bernardo Mendes, Jason T Lee, Gustavo S Oderich

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair can be complicated by branch vessel occlusion in the absence of structural stenosis. We hypothesized that computational flow simulation could identify adverse hemodynamic features associated with postfenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair branch occlusion.

Methods: Patients undergoing 4-vessel fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair for Extent II to IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms were retrospectively reviewed. Branches that occluded without identifiable kinking or stenosis on computed tomography were included, along with an equal cohort of anatomy-matched patent controls. Patient-specific pulsatile rigid-wall simulations were performed using SimVascular with individualized geometries and boundary conditions. Abnormal time-averaged …

Rapid Urinary Lipoarabinomannan Test With Laboratory-Level Sensitivity For Tuberculosis Detection: A Performance Evaluation, Qisheng Jiang, Harisha Ramachandraiah, Carolyn Duncan, Sumanth Gandra, Ige A George, Jingyi Luan, Marcos Perez, Lorraine Lillis, David S Boyle, Scott Crick, Morten Ruhwald, Srikanth Singamaneni

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Developing rapid, non-sputum-based tests is a global priority to improve the diagnosis and timely treatment of tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we evaluated the detection limit, precision, stability, and lot-to-lot variation of a next-generation rapid diagnostic test (RDT), the plasmonic fluor (PF)-enhanced urinary lipoarabinomannan lateral flow assay (PF-LAM). We also assessed the diagnostic performance of PF-LAM, Alere Determine TB LAM Ag (AlereLAM), and electrochemiluminescence LAM assay (EclLAM), a highly sensitive laboratory-based test by comparing with microbiology reference standard (MRS) that includes molecular testing (Xpert MTB/RIF) and culture. Two sub-studies were conducted using banked urine samples. First, a preclinical study …

Generational Trends In Reproductive Factors Among Women In The Us: Implications For Breast Cancer Incidence, Lin Yang, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Reproductive factors are key breast cancer risk factors, yet contemporary generational patterns remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate trends in reproductive factors among US women born between 1910 and 2000.

METHODS: We conducted a serial, cross-sectional analysis of reproductive factors using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2020. Female participants were grouped by birth cohorts (1910-1930, then by 10-year to 2000). Self-reported data were used to derive age at menarche, prevalence of age at menarche <  12 years, age at natural menopausal, prevalence of first live birth after age 30, and lifetime number of live births.

RESULTS: Data on 28,481 US women were analyzed. From birth cohort 1910-1930 to 1990-2000, the …

Editorial: Welcome To The Journal Of Online Mentoring!, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Online Mentoring

I am pleased to welcome you to Walden University’s new Journal of Online Mentoring (JOM), sponsored by the Institute for Faculty Mentoring Excellence. This open access, peer reviewed journal is dedicated to advancing evidence based practices, scholarship, and innovation in virtual mentoring. The inaugural issue explores how online mentoring strengthens scholarly identity, ethical research practices, and doctoral student success in digitally mediated environments.

Pilot Evaluation Of The Health Passport (Hse) For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Pwidd), Sarah Halupa

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium

Purpose: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PWIDD) have disparities in health outcomes that are in part due to communication barriers. The Health Passport (HSE) application was developed in Ireland to promote participation and inclusion of PWIDD in their own healthcare experience. This evaluation’s aim was to examine the acceptability, usability, and feasibility of the Health Passport (HSE) among three United States (US) stakeholder groups: PWIDD, care partners, and healthcare and community service providers.

Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach was used in this evaluation. In Phase 1, semi-structured qualitative interviews examined usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the …

Patient Geographical Area As A Risk Factor For Postoperative Outcomes Following Lumbar Fusion Surgery, Brady Stillman, Bs

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium

Introduction: Rural communities have limited spine surgery care, which disproportionately affects older adults. Research has evaluated how hospital location affects patient outcomes; however, minimal work has investigated the impact of home location. This work’s purpose was evaluating the impact of patient geographical classification (rural/suburban/urban) on lumbar fusion outcomes.

Methods: Adult patients who underwent elective lumbar fusion (2017-2022) at a single tertiary center were identified via Structured Query Language search. Patient demographic/surgical characteristics, surgical outcomes, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected. Rural/urban/suburban was assigned by zip code.

Results: 461 patients were included (11.9% urban [U], 78.3% suburban [S], 9.8% rural …

Italian Medical Students' Knowledge, Attitudes And Beliefs About Medical Marijuana And Their Implications On The Italian Medical Curriculum, Sneh S. Shah, Roberta Pastorino, Phd, Giovanni Gambassi, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Medical marijuana is gaining clinical and legislative relevance in Italy, yet little is known about Italian medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness regarding its therapeutic use. As future physicians, medical students will play a key role in integrating cannabis-based therapies safely into patient care. This study assessed Italian medical students’ perceived knowledge, clinical exposure, and attitudes toward medical marijuana, and evaluated implications for the medical curriculum.

Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to students across Italian medical universities from May 2023 to March 2024. The survey used Likert-scale items to assess attitudes, perceived knowledge, educational exposure, and …

Increasing Physical Activity In Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Protocol For A Two-Stage Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Remote, Mhealth-Enhanced Intervention, Tessa Hart, Monica Vaccaro, Lauren Krasucki, Inna Chervoneva, Amanda Rabinowitz

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

OBJECTIVE: Protocol for randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining effects of novel, remotely delivered intervention (called GetUp&Go) to increase physical activity (PA) in chronic, moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI), including a mobile health (mHealth) component.

DESIGN: RCT (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06028334) with 1:1 randomization to 10 weeks of immediate treatment (IT) or waitlist (WL), with primary outcome measured at 10 weeks. A second randomization to 10 weeks of continued mHealth support vs. no treatment will allow for examination of effects of mHealth on maintenance of treatment gains.

PARTICIPANTS: 70 community-dwelling adults ≥6 months post msTBI; medically cleared and physically/ cognitively able to participate; …

Pacific Rxtracts - February 2026, Pacific Rxtracts

Pacific RxTracts

Articles:

• Reducing Proteinuria – FDA Accelerates Approval of Sibeprenlimab
• FDA Approves Oral Semaglutide as First GLP-1 Pill for Weight Loss
• New First-Line Digital Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Ammoxetine: A Potential New Antidepressant For Major Depressive
• Extended-Release Buprenorphine Dosing in Individuals With High-Risk Opioid Use
• Managing Acute Agitation Without Injections: Oral Medications in the ED
• Prescription Stimulant Continuation in Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes
• Zoliflodacin - A New Treatment For Gonorrhea
• Intranasal Dexmedetomidine for Postoperative Sleep Quality After Gynecologic Laparoscopy
• FDA Approves Depemokimab, the First Twice-Yearly Biologic for Severe Eosinophilic Asthma Cancer Care
• Engineering Allogeneic CD7-Targeted CAR-T Cells Through Targeted Base …

Intouch Week Of February 2, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Campus Illumination and Panel Discussion Honors Holocaust Remembrance Day
• Where Experience Becomes Evidence: Advancing Transplant Education at NYMC
• D.P.T. Student Experience
• Love at NYMC

Mapping The Causal Chain From Genetic Risk Variants To Lipid Dysmetabolism In Parkinson’S Disease, Ruth B De-Paula, Jonggeol Kim, Herve Rhinn, Hiba Saade, Fatima Chavez, Téah Segura, Maria Valeria Lozano, Michelle Etoundi, Karla Silos, Naomi Kass, Viktoriya Korchina, Harshavardhan Doddapaneni, Eric Venner, Joseph C Masdeu, Valory Pavlik, Melissa M Yu, Chi-Ying R Lin, Joseph Jankovic, Aron S Buchman, Donna Muzny, Richard A Gibbs, Sarah H Elsea, Asa Abeliovich, Peter Lansbury, Nora Vanegas-Arroyave, Chad A Shaw, Joshua M Shulman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The molecular pathways linking genetic variants to Parkinson's disease (PD) onset and progression remain incompletely defined; however, risk alleles in multiple genes, including GBA1, strongly implicate lipid metabolism. To systematically identify causal biomarker signatures, we analyzed comprehensive metabolome profiles from blood plasma in 149 PD patients and 150 controls, along with complementary genetic, RNA-sequencing, and metabolic data from other available clinical and pathologic cohorts. Using colocalization and summary-data-based Mendelian randomization, we tested whether expression and metabolic quantitative trait loci mediate the association between implicated genetic variants and PD risk. We further integrated differential metabolomics and proteomics from blood and brain …

Experiences Of Stigma And Barriers To Care Among Transgender And Gender Expansive Populations Seeking Mental Healthcare, Amanda Veldorale-Griffin, Elizabeth Banks, Elizabeth Patrick, Judith Cannon, Caidan Thomas Smith

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Transgender and gender expansive (TGGE) people experience increased risk for mental health issues and suicidality, as well as significant barriers to mental healthcare, due to stigma and discrimination, including from mental healthcare providers. A sample of 945 TGGE participants completed self-report surveys, measuring experiences of stigma and barriers to care, and counselor competence. Data were divided into two groups by age and analyzed through linear regressions and one-way ANOVAs. Across groups, participants (approximately 58% of younger participants and 49% of older participants) reported experiencing stigma from a healthcare provider, and all reported some barriers to care, with more than half …

Health Mentor Perspectives On (In)Effective Healthcare Teams: Insights To Inform Care Coordination For Chronically Ill Populations, Arianna Baffa, Kelly Tran, Jane Tobias, Dnp, Crnp-Pc, Nethra S. Ankam, Md, Maria Brucato, Phd

Phase 1

Background

- Disability and chronic illness are a major public health burden in the US 

• More than a quarter of Americans report a functional disability¹
• ~129 million Americans have at least one major chronic disease² 

- Interprofessional teamwork and coordination of care have potential to support the quintuple aim of healthcare³

- Patients with multiple chronic conditions and lower confidence in managing their own health experience more care coordination challenges⁴

- Patient perspectives are needed to improve healthcare services for chronically ill populations, but limited awareness of team approaches in care presents a methodological challenge to …

Designing A Multilingual Instructional Language Tool For Patient Communication In Interventional Radiology, Samuel Almodóvar, Ahlam Houssein, Gregg Khodorov, Md, Mba, Sahib Sohal, Md, Robert Pugliese, Pharmd, David Dwyer, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Introduction: Current efforts to provide language-inclusive radiological care fall short, resulting in suboptimal imaging, increased procedural time, and greater radiation exposure. Inadequate language accessibility results in poor communication, suboptimal care, and increased patient dissatisfaction. A digital language tool was developed to provide patient instructions during interventional radiology (IR) procedures, addressing this gap and enhancing patient care.

Methods: Observations were carried out to better understand workflow during IR procedures and identify how to incorporate the tool. We conducted interviews with IR physicians, nurses, and technologists to gather common procedural phrases and patient instructions. Spanish and Mandarin were selected because they are …

Exploring Physician Views On Birth Method And Route Of Delivery, Vivian Nguyen, Vincenzo Berghella, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: In the United States, rates of cesarean deliveries (CD) have been increasing. Despite recommendations from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to prevent increasing rates of CDs, planned CD has been associated with lower rates of perinatal deaths and better maternal outcomes when compared to planned vaginal delivery (VD). However, the data is limited, so it is important that we conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing maternal and perinatal outcomes in planned CD vs planned vaginal delivery (VD) for nulliparous, term, single, vertex pregnancies. The purpose of study is to survey obstetricians and gynecologists (ob/gyns) on their …

Medicine During The Holocaust: A Comparative Study Of Righteous Dutch, German, And Italian Physicians, Vincent Tse, Salvatore Mangione

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Authoritarianism can hinder altruism, even among physicians, the most altruistic members of society. Hence, we postulated that the proportion of doctors who saved Jews during the Holocaust (i.e. “Righteous Among the Nations”) was higher in a democratic country like the Netherlands as compared to authoritarian ones like Germany and Italy.

Methods: We analyzed the Yad Vashem database and other census data to determine the total populations, numbers of physicians, numbers of “Righteous”, and numbers of “Righteous” physicians in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands during WWII. A chi-squared analysis for independence evaluated the association between proportion of “Righteous” physicians to …

Exercise Performance In Ordinary Children And Adolescents: Baseline, Pandemic, And Post-Pandemic, Abby Skiena, Gina D'Aloisio, Ms, Takeshi Tsuda, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic might have created considerable negative impacts on the physical fitness of ordinary adolescents, which may pose a major threat to long-term cardiovascular health.

Methods: Healthy adolescents (ages 11 to 18) who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were grouped into baseline (~ 3/2020), pandemic (4/2020 ~12/2022), and post-pandemic (1/2023~ 5/2024) periods. Data are shown as mean ± standard deviation.

Results: Peak oxygen consumption (VO2/kg) and peak work rate (WR/kg) were significantly reduced during pandemic in both sexes and did not improve during post-pandemic in males (Table 1). The decline of peak oxygen pulse (OP/kg) …

Characterizing The Effects Of Antimuscarinics On Rhoa Signaling, Zuhra Tukhtamisheva, Elizabeth L. Mcduffie, Jordan Lee, Steven S. An, Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., Charles Scott

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma is driven by acetylcholine-mediated activation of the muscarinic acetylcholine 3 receptor (M3R), promoting bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and airway remodeling. Despite directly targeting this pathway, antimuscarinics remain adjunctive rather than first-line therapy, suggesting a disconnect between biological rationale and clinical efficacy. Recent work from the Scott Lab at Thomas Jefferson University demonstrates that M3R in human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells drives muscle shortening through G_12/13–driven RhoA signaling rather than through G_q/11-dependent calcium flux. We therefore investigated whether clinically prescribed antimuscarinics effectively inhibit G_12/13-dependent RhoA signaling in HASM cells.

Methods: …

Interrelationship Between Body Mass Index, Venous Sinus Pressures, Craniospinal Elastance, And Intracranial Pressure In Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Rachel Wang, Ba, Bs, Scott W. Keith, Phd, Pascal M. Jabbour, Md, Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, Md, Michael J. Marmura, Md, Michael R. Gooch, Md, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Md, Phd

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: To investigate the interrelationship between body mass index (BMI), venous sinus pressure (VSP), and craniospinal elastance in determining lumbar puncture opening pressure (LP OP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who received venous manometry (8/2021-11/2025) followed by LP within 7 days before stenting. VSPs were measured at standardized locations, including the torcula (TP) and sigmoid/jugular (SIJ) sinuses. Elastance was calculated as (OP – closing pressure)/volume of CSF removed. Statistical analysis (JASP 0.19.3) was performed using generalized linear model (Gaussian identity; scaled center) to assess relationships between LP OP, BMI, …

Comparative Analysis Of Fsrt And Srs For Vestibular Schwannoma Using A Large Multi-Institutional Dataset, Ian Argento, Bs, Daniel Uralov, Md, Jacob Beiriger, Md, Anika Walia, Bs, Kalena Liu, Bs, Wenyin Shi, Md, Jacob B. Hunter, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) both achieve high control rates of vestibular schwannomas (VS), but their comparative effects on functional outcomes remain uncertain. Prior studies are limited by small sample sizes and heterogeneous methods.

Methods: Deidentified data were analyzed from 100 healthcare organizations through TriNetX. Adults with VS (ICD-10: D33.3) and sensorineural hearing loss (H90.A/H90.1–H90.8) were included. Patients with neurofibromatosis or prior surgical resection were excluded. Treatment cohorts consisted of single-session SRS or ≥2-sessions of FSRT. Propensity score matching (1:1) yielded 909 patients per cohort. Outcomes—including hearing loss, cerebral edema, hydrocephalus, and cranial nerve …

Assessing Familiarity And Comfortability Of Phase 2 Skmc Students In Working With The Intellectually Disabled Population, Lily N. Dudash, Jessica Tomaszewski, Md, Talia Gillespie, Katie Labgold, Phd, Mph

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: People living with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) are at increased risk of poor health outcomes due to inadequate access to quality healthcare. Literature suggests that trainees are underprepared to adjust their clinical practice to treat these patients, which may implicate undergraduate medical education curriculum. This study assessed the comfortability of SKMC students who have completed Phase 2 of the JeffMD curriculum in performing clinical tasks while caring for patients with IDD, and if that comfort is affected by prior experience. We predict that students will report low levels of comfort and be engaged in an educational intervention. …

The Impact Of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Factors And Insurance Status On Outcomes Following Reduction Mammoplasty, Teresa Chan, Kelsey Van Housen, Mspas, Emily Isch, Md, Judith Monzy, Julianne Bartz, Matthew Jekins, Md, David Kim, Md, Andrew Newsman, Md, Heather Mcmahon, Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood-level deprivation on surgical outcomes in breast reduction remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of area deprivation index (ADI) and insurance status on postoperative outcomes following reduction mammoplasty.

Methods: A retrospective review of reduction mammoplasty cases was conducted at a single institution over a 7-year period. Patients ≥18 years old who underwent reduction mammoplasty for benign macromastia were included. Zip-code linked ADI, insurance type, and postoperative complication rate were assessed.

Results: A total of 594 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 36.2 ± 13.1 years and mean body mass index (BMI) …

Neck Circumference As A Novel Predictor Of Cardiovascular Risk Assessed Using Framingham And Prevent Equations, Stephen Garrova, Roshaan Gilani, Steven Muller, Jean Pierre Charpentier, Brian Fedgchin, Glenn Cooper, Cindy Cheng

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: While body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are standard clinical tools for anthropometric cardiovascular risk assessment, they are limited by measurement variability and patient discomfort. Neck circumference (NC) may offer a novel, convenient, and accurate alternative anthropometric measure for assessment of cardiovascular risk.

Methods: Standardized anthropometric measurements (NC, WC, BMI) were obtained by trained medical students from eligible patients (n = 110, 68% female, 75% African American) from primary care and cardiology offices in an IRB-approved cohort study with retrospective chart review. Electronic medical record data extraction via double data entry was used to calculate cardiovascular …

Jefferson Heart Health (Jhh): A Successful Student-Delivered Motivational Interviewing Pilot Program To Lower Cardiovascular Disease (Cvd) Risk, Nicholas Tomasko, Bs, Cindy Cheng, Md, Phd, Rafael Hernandez, Bs, Alessandra Sapon, Bs

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: The Jefferson Heart Health (JHH) program utilizes student health coaching by trained undergraduate and medical students supporting patients to sustain lifestyle changes and subsequently determine: how can we effectively educate patients by improving adherence to lifestyle recommendations? Also, what is the effectiveness of student-delivered health coaching for reducing patient cardiovascular risk? With our unique student-delivered program, we promote cost-effective lifestyle interventions for lowering overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden.

Methods: We successfully completed a four-week pilot with consistent patient attendance. Certified student JHH coaches, supervised by the certified obesity-management specialist and principal investigator, met weekly with 23 patients: 82.6% female/17.4% …

Systematic Evaluation Of Batch Effects In The Cancer Genome Atlas Program Underscores The Need For Batch-Controlled Analysis, Zhongxuan Chen, Stepan Nersisyan, Isidore Rigoutsos, Eric Londin

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: To systematically assess the impact of batch effects on differential expression of isomiR, mRNA, and non-coding RNA (sncRNA) across 13 The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cancer types and develop a standardized, batch-controlled analysis protocol for TCGA datasets.

Methods: Data analysis and visualization were performed using Python v3.12. Plots were generated using matplotlib and seaborn. isomiR, mRNA, and sncRNA sequences across 13 TCGA cancer types were used. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed using scikit-learn for dimensionality reduction. Differential expression was conducted using DESeq2 under the following protocols: 1) primary tumor samples vs matched normal samples processed in the same …

Elucidating The Binding Site Of The Arrestin-Biased Agonist Icl1-20, Kesara Wein, Roger Armen, Jeffrey L. Benovic, Charles P. Scott

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Background and Purpose: 6.7 million Americans live with congestive heart failure (CHF). In CHF, catecholamines are released into cardiac tissue, bind β-adrenergic receptors (βARs), and activate G-protein signaling cascades, causing ischemia and apoptosis. Accordingly, β-blockers are used to antagonize catecholamine binding to βARs and suppress apoptotic downstream effects. However, β-blockers have dose-limiting hypotension, bradycardia and fail to stimulate the cardioprotective β-arrestin signaling pathway. These limits create opportunities for the development of drugs that selectively stimulate β-arrestin signaling while suppressing cardiotoxic G protein signaling. We have previously reported a biased agonist of the β-arrestin pathway (ICL1-20) that selectively stimulates β-arrestin recruitment …