Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Validation Of The Jefferson Health-Related Social Needs Screener, Sara Beachy, Kristin L. Rising, Richard W. Hass, Terry Hyslop, Isabella Muti, Mackenzie Kemp, Rhea E. Powell, Cara Martino, Baligh R. Yehia, Joseph G. Cacchione, Patricia C. Henwood

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

INTRODUCTION: Screening for health-related social needs (HRSN) is a growing national health priority. While multiple HRSN screening tools currently exist, none to our knowledge have been evaluated using robust statistical analyses. The goal of this work is to provide results from a validation study of the Jefferson HRSN screener conducted across inpatient and outpatient settings.

METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional psychometric study included HRSN assessments conducted across inpatient and outpatient settings with adult patients from March 2023 to May 2024. The study was conducted across a 17-hospital academic health system serving a diverse community in a 9-county area crossing two states …

Integrated Mirna-Mrna Analyses Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer In Black And White Patients With Or Without Obesity, Fokhrul Hossain, Martha I. Gonzalez-Ramirez, Jone Garai, Diana Polania-Villanueva, Li Li, Farzeen Nafees, Md Manirujjaman, Bolin Liu, Samarpan Majumder, Xiao Cheng Wu, Chindo Hicks, Luis Del Valle, Denise Danos, Augusto Ochoa, Lucio Miele, Jovanny Zabaleta

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive, heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer. miRNAs play an essential role in TNBC pathogenesis and prognosis. Obesity is linked with an increased risk for several cancers, including breast cancer. Obesity is also related to the dysregulation of miRNA expression in adipose tissues. However, there is limited knowledge about race- and obesity-specific differential miRNA expression in TNBC. We performed miRNA sequencing of 48 samples (24 tumor and 24 adjacent non-tumor tissues) and RNA sequencing of 24 tumors samples from Black (AA) and White (EA) TNBC patients with or without obesity. We identified 55 miRNAs exclusively …

Predictors Of All-Cause In-Hospital Mortality In Patients With Malignant Well-Differentiated Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Elvis Obomanu, Tarfa Verinumbe, Tinsae Anebo, Colton Jones, Claudia Dourado

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Factors influencing in-hospital mortality in patients with well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) remain understudied, highlighting gaps in optimizing acute clinical outcomes. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and clinical predictors of all-cause in-hospital mortality in this population.

METHODS: Using 2016 - 2020 data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), patients with malignant well-differentiated GEP-NETs were identified via the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Sociodemographic and clinical variables (heart failure (HF), malnutrition, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and tumor site) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Among 5,642 patients (mean age …

Reliability And Spatial Consistency Of Mr Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measures Along The Cerebral Perivascular Space, Enchao Qiu, Joga Chaganti, Phillip Phan, M. Alizadeh, Devon Middleton, Kiran Talekar, Prabath Mondel, Scott H. Faro, Feroze Mohamed, Hsiangkuo Yuan

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive method for evaluating water motion that may reflect glymphatic system function. However, the reliability of DTI-ALPS measurements across different region-of-interest (ROI) selection methods remains underinvestigated. This study aimed to assess the interrater reliability among three neuroradiologists in native space and compare DTI-ALPS indices derived from ROIs placed in subjects' native space versus standardized Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space.

METHODS: DTI-ALPS indices from 16 healthy subjects were calculated from both left and right hemispheres using two ROI placement approaches: (1) native space ROIs …

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

Quantifying "Medical Renal Disease": A Pediatric Pilot Study Using Ultrasound Radiomics For Differentiating Acute Kidney Injury And Chronic Kidney Disease, Laura De Leon-Benedetti, Laith Sultan, Hansel Otero, Tatiana Morales-Tisnés, Joya Sims, Kate Fitzpatrick, Julie Fitzgerald, Susan Furth, Benjamin Laskin, Bernarda Viteri

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Background: Differentiating acute kidney injury (AKI) from chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children remains a critical unmet need due to the limitations of current clinical and biochemical markers. Conventional ultrasound lacks the sensitivity to discern subtle parenchymal alterations. This study explores the application of ultrasound radiomics—a novel, non-invasive, and quantitative image analysis method—for distinguishing AKI from CKD in pediatric patients. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional pilot study, kidney ultrasound images were obtained from 31 pediatric subjects: 8 with oliguric AKI, 14 with CKD, and 9 healthy controls. Renal parenchyma was manually segmented, and 124 advanced texture features were extracted using …

Current Mechanobiological Pathways And Therapies Driving Spinal Health, Rahul Kumar, Kyle Sporn, Harlene Kaur, Akshay Khanna, Phani Paladugu, Nasif Zaman, Alireza Tavakkoli

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Spinal health depends on the dynamic interplay between mechanical forces, biochemical signaling, and cellular behavior. This review explores how key molecular pathways, including integrin, yeas-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), Piezo, and Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) with β-catenin, actively shape the structural and functional integrity of spinal tissues. These signaling mechanisms respond to physical cues and interact with inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), driving changes that lead to disc degeneration, vertebral fractures, spinal cord injury, and ligament failure. New research is emerging that shows scaffold designs that can …

Cryptococcoid Sweet Syndrome Or Halogenoderma? Highlighting The Crucial Need For Serum Iodine Testing, Jacob R. Kilgore, Jonathan M. Joseph, Addie Walker, William Snider, Nicholas Culotta, Carson Bogatto, Aaron Coulon

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Beyond Smoking: A Geospatial Investigation Of Factors Associated With Lung And Bronchus Cancer Risk In Pennsylvania, Tesla D. Dubois, Daniel Wiese, Kevin A. Henry, Shannon M. Lynch

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: While smoking is the leading cause of lung and bronchus cancer (LBC), additional exposures have been implicated and may explain the rise in LBC among never-smokers. To better understand the spatial distribution of LBC incidence and associated risk factors, this study aims to identify geographic areas with significantly elevated incidence rates in Pennsylvania and investigate the potential underlying risk factors.

METHODS: Using cancer registry data aggregated to the census tract level, spatial scan statistics were applied to detect areas of higher-than-expected LBC incidence across the state. Associations were then tested between census tract inclusion in a high-incidence area and …

Development Of Emerin Mrna Lipid Nanoparticles To Rescue Myogenic Differentiation., Nicholas Marano, Liza Elif Guner, Rachel S Riley, James M Holaska

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy 1 (EDMD1) arises from mutations in EMD. Most EDMD1 patients lack detectable emerin expression. They experience symptoms such as skeletal muscle wasting, joint contractures, and cardiac conduction defects. Currently, physicians rely on treating patient symptoms without addressing the underlying cause-lack of functional emerin protein. Thus, there is a need for therapeutic approaches that restore emerin protein expression to improve patient outcomes. One way would be to deliver emerin mRNA or protein directly to affected tissues to restore tissue homeostasis. Here, we evaluated the utility of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver emerin mRNA to diseased cells. LNPs …

Association Between Weather Variables And Fascial Space Infections Of The Head And Neck: A Retrospective Chart Review, Teresa E. Fowler, Ryan F. Bloomquist, Jeffrey N. James

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The incidence of fascial space infections of the head and neck has long been suggested to correlate with weather patterns, though objective evidence is inconsistent, and a causative effect is difficult to prove. One issue in the existing literature is that correlations between space infections and weather patterns have been assessed in only a few climates, so data from additional regions is needed. The purpose of this study is to understand whether head and neck infection rates correlate with weather patterns in a humid subtropical climate, adding to the current literature derived largely from temperate environments. METHODS: In this …

Discontinuation Rates And Predictors Of Medical Cannabis Cessation For Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Mohammad Khak, Sina Ramtin, Juliet Chung, Asif M. Ilyas, Ari Greis

Rothman Institute Papers

Medical cannabis (MC) is increasingly used as a treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain, but there is limited data on factors influencing its discontinuation. This study aims to investigate the rates of MC discontinuation and explore factors influencing it in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 78 patients certified for medical cannabis over a 2 year period. Patient demographics, pain origin, and Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) scores were collected before intervention. Discontinuation rates were measured at three-month and one-year follow-up. Statistical analyses, including Fisher's Exact Test and two-sample t-tests, were performed …

Feasibility And Preliminary Efficacy Of A Lymphedema And Fibrosis Self-Management Program For Head And Neck Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Jie Deng, Barbara Murphy, Lucy Andersen, Erin Mcmenamin, John Lukens, Joy Cohn, Karthik Rajasekaran, Ryan Quinn, Bryan Spinelli, Alexander Lin

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) are at high risk for developing lymphedema and fibrosis (LEF). Once diagnosed with LEF, survivors must engage in a lifelong program of self-care to minimize long-term adverse effects. However, evidence-based LEF self-management (SM) programs are lacking. To fill this void, we developed and pilot-tested a LEF-SM program for HNC survivors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The LEF-SM Program was developed using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model of health behavior change as a framework. The program was pilot tested in a three-group randomized controlled trial evaluating feasibility and preliminary efficacy. Fifty-nine participants were randomized to: Usual …

Implementation Of A Triage System For The Residents At A Residential Facility To Improve Triage Assessment Skills Of The Staff As Well As Improve The Level And Timeliness Of Care, Andrew J. Choi Rn, Neha Gopal Rn, Andres N. Padilla Rn, Dana Son

Master's Projects and Capstones

Triage is an integral part of the clinical process which involves assessing patients and determining their level of care in order to get them appropriate, timely treatment. Several countries utilize a standardized triage system with established criteria to aid staff in their decision-making during assessments (Peta et al., 2023). The Nursing and Residential Triage (NaRT) tool, from the Manchester Triage System (MTS), was shown to enhance staff clinical assessment skills and help avoid inappropriate ED transfers during a study among older adults in a residential facility (Markey et al., 2024). For this project, the main issue identified at the residential …

The Effect Of Hcv On Methadone Dose During Pregnancy, Sarah Boudova, Neel S. Iyer, Danielle M. Tholey, Jonathan M. Fenkel, Rupsa C. Boelig

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Pregnancy is a time of high patient motivation to initiate treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Hepatic drug metabolism can be altered by pregnancy and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to examine the impact of HCV during pregnancy on methadone dosing. Retrospective chart review of all pregnant patients with OUD admitted for initiation of methadone from 1/2020-6/2022. Associations were examined using Student's T-tests, chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact tests and univariate and multivariate linear regression. We identified 191 pregnancies initiated on methadone, of which 188 were screened for HCV. 111 (59.0%) were HCV Antibody (Ab)+, of whom 108 were …

Evaluation Of The User Experience For A Point Of Care Molecular Test For Causes Of Vaginitis, Barbara Van Der Pol, Rebecca Lillis, Irving Nachamkin, Stephen Young, La Shonda Crane, Jacqueline Brown, R. Lamar Parker, Alice Weissfeld, Xiaohong Liu, Christina Huang, Aarthi Raman

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Vaginitis is a major cause of healthcare visits in the US, costing over $1.2 billion annually. Point-of-care (POC) nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) could improve accuracy of diagnosis and treatment during initial visit for vaginitis compared to send-out NAATs. Methods: A secondary analysis of data was collected from test operators at POC testing sites where the Xpert Xpress Multiplex Vaginal Panel test (“MVP test”) was performed. Users completed a survey assessing their experience with the instrument system and the PCR-based MVP test. Results: The MVP test demonstrated consistent performance, measured by positive and negative percent agreement, across all user …

Quantile Index Predictors Using R Package Hyper.Gam, Tingting Zhan, Misung Yi, Inna Chervoneva

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

MOTIVATION: Evaluation of single-cell protein expression from immunohistochemistry images is used increasingly in biomedical research. Many proteins are used solely for phenotyping cells in the tumor microenvironment. Other proteins with meaningfully quantitative expression levels provide so-called functional protein biomarkers. There is still a limited number of methods and software tools available for utilizing the entire distributions of single-cell expression levels.

RESULTS: We present the R package hyper.gam, providing a supervised learning framework for deriving biomarkers based on single-cell distribution quantiles. The single-cell data are first converted into sample quantile functions, which are then used as predictors in scalar-on-function regression models …

Radiation Induced Vaporization Of Exoskeletal Droplets As Potential X-Ray Acoustic Contrast Agents, Mohamed E. Eldib, William N. Frantz, Mark A. Borden, Ryan Lanning, Moyed Miften, David H. Thomas

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: In vivo dosimetry is a crucial component of ensuring accurate and safe radiation therapy (RT) delivery, but many existing techniques face challenges such as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which can limit their clinical applicability.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigate a novel contrast agent sensitive to megavoltage (MV) radiation in vitro, ultimately aiming for in vivo dosimetry.

METHODS: Vaporizable exoskeletal droplets were engineered to phase-change into ultrasound-responsive microbubbles upon exposure to MV photon radiation. These droplets comprised a hydrocarbon (HC) exoskeleton doped with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) surrounding a liquid fluorocarbon (FC) core. Radiation absorbed by the GNPs induced localized …

Gastric Sarcina Ventriculi: A Report On Two Cases, Yaomin Chen, Yu Liu, Zhiyan Fu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

: Sarcina ventriculi is a rare Gram-positive coccus that thrives in acidic environments such as the human stomach. It has been increasingly identified in individuals with delayed gastric emptying and has been reported in association with various gastric disorders. However, its exact pathogenic role is not fully understood and remains controversial. : We present two cases of patients, one with a small bowel obstruction and the other with epigastric pain, both diagnosed with Sarcina ventriculi infection by histological examination of gastric biopsies. The patients were managed with a combination of antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor, resulting in symptom resolution …

Elevated Nr2f1 Underlies The Persistence Of Invasive Disease After Treatment Of Braf-Mutant Melanoma, Manoela Tiago, Timothy J. Purwin, Casey D. Stefanski, Renaira Oliveira Da Silva, Mitchell E. Fane, Yash Chhabra, Jelan I. Haj, Jessica L. F. Teh, Rama Kadamb, Weijia Cai, Sheera Rosenbaum, Vivian Chua, Nir Hacohen, Michael A. Davies, Jessie Villanueva, Inna Chervoneva, Ashani T. Weeraratna, Dan A. Erkes, Claudia Capparelli, Julio A. Aguirre-Ghiso, Andrew E. Aplin

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Despite the success of targeted inhibitors in cutaneous melanoma, therapeutic responses are limited by the aged tumor microenvironment and drug-tolerant residual cells. Given the similarities between drug tolerance and cellular dormancy, we studied the dormancy marker, nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group F member 1 (NR2F1), in response to BRAF-V600E inhibitors (BRAFi) plus MEK inhibitors (MEKi) in BRAF-mutant melanoma models. Transcriptomic analysis of melanoma patient samples treated with BRAFi + MEKi showed increased NR2F1. NR2F1 was highly expressed in the drug-tolerant invasive cell state of minimal residual disease in patient-derived and mouse-derived xenografts on BRAFi + MEKi. NR2F1 over-expression was sufficient …

Rna Sequencing Reveals Inflammatory And Metabolic Changes In The Lung And Brain After Carbon Black And Naphthalene Whole Body Inhalation Exposure In A Rodent Model Of Military Burn Pit Exposures, Allison M. Haaning, Brian J. Sandri, Henry L. Wyneken, William T. Goldsmith, Joshua P. Nixon, Timothy R. Nurkiewicz, Chris H. Wendt, Paul Barach, Janeen H. Trembley, Tammy A. Butterick

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to emissions from open-air burn pits, where plastics, metals, and medical waste were incinerated. These exposures have been linked to deployment-related respiratory diseases (DRRD) and may also impact neurological health via the lung-brain axis. To investigate molecular mechanisms, adult male rats were exposed to filtered air, naphthalene (a representative volatile organic compound), or a combination of naphthalene and carbon black (surrogate for particulate matter; CBN) via whole-body inhalation (six hours/day, three consecutive days). Lung, brain, and plasma samples were collected 24 h after the final exposure. Pro-inflammatory biomarkers were assessed using …

Epigenetic Profiling Of Cell-Free Dna In Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Novel Biomarker Approach For Metabolic Brain Diseases, Kyle Sporn, Rahul Kumar, Kiran Marla, Puja Ravi, Swapna Vaja, Phani Paladugu, Nasif Zaman, Alireza Tavakkoli

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Due to their clinical heterogeneity, nonspecific symptoms, and the limitations of existing biomarkers and imaging modalities, metabolic brain diseases (MBDs), such as mitochondrial encephalopathies, lysosomal storage disorders, and glucose metabolism syndromes, pose significant diagnostic challenges. This review examines the growing potential of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) epigenetic profiling as a dynamic, cell-type-specific, minimally invasive biomarker approach for MBD diagnosis and monitoring. We review important technological platforms and their use in identifying CNS-specific DNA methylation patterns indicative of neuronal injury, neuroinflammation, and metabolic reprogramming, including cfMeDIP-seq, enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-seq), and targeted bisulfite sequencing. By synthesizing current …

Effects Of Maackia Amurensis Seed Lectin (Masl) On Oscc Cell Morphology, Pdpn Expression, Growth, And Motility In A Phase 1 Clinical Trial, Ariel C Yin, Cayla J Holdcraft, Tyler J Hellmig, Eamonn J Brace, David I Suster, Alan J Shienbaum, Dylan Roden, Evelyne Kalyoussef, Ghayoour Mir, Eugenio Capitle, Soly Baredes, Rabie M Shanti, Mika K Kaneko, Yukinari Kato, Hisataka Kobayashi, Aki Furusawa, Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, Gary S Goldberg

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Podoplanin (PDPN) has emerged as a functionally relevant biomarker and chemotherapeutic target expressed by OSCC cells. PDPN signaling can directly increase tumor cell invasion and metastasis, and also inhibit host lymphocyte activation and immune response. Accordingly, antibodies and Maackia amurensis seed lectin (MASL) can target the PDPN receptor to inhibit OSCC cell migration and viability. However, the effects of MASL on OSCC cells in oral cancer patients has not yet been reported.

METHODS: We conducted a Phase 1 human clinical trial to examine the effects of a single 100 mg oral dose of MASL on OSCC cell morphology, PDPN …

Incidence Of Heart Failure Following Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery, Harrison S. Fellheimer, Mahaa Ayub, Gabriel I. Onor, Lauren O'Mara, Eric Tecce, Pedro K. Beredjiklian

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Previous literature suggests a relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and heart failure (HF), indicating that patients with CTS are more likely to experience cardiomyopathy. Amyloid deposition leading to CTS may be prodromal for the development of amyloid cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that patients undergoing surgery for CTS would have an increased risk of HF compared to those who did not undergo surgery.

METHODS: The TriNetX database was queried using the primary ICD-10 code for CTS to identify patients. Patients were included if they had surgical treatment for CTS, reported as endoscopic or open carpal tunnel release, or median nerve …

Effect Of Margin Thickness And Cement Gap On The Fabrication And Fit Accuracy Of Additively Manufactured Crowns In Definitive Resins With Different Filler Content, Mustafa Borga Dönmez, Gülce Çakmak, Çiğdem Kahveci, Amir H. Nejat, Burak Yilmaz, Pinar Altinci

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To evaluate how commercially available composite resins in varying filler content affect the fabrication and fit accuracy (trueness and precision) of additively manufactured (AM) definitive crowns with different margin thickness and cement gaps by comparing them to subtractively manufactured (SM) polymer-infiltrated ceramic crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two identical unprepared mandibular right first molars were prepared by an experienced prosthodontist for crowns with either 0.5 mm or 1.0 mm chamfer margins, verified using silicone indexes and a periodontal probe, and then digitized with an industrial-grade scanner. These scan files were used to design reference crowns with either 50-µm or 80-µm …

Risk Factors For In-Stent Stenosis After Flow-Diverter Implantation For Intracranial Aneurysm: A Single Center Analysis Of 161 Consecutive Patients, Rabab Alshahrani, Spyridon Karadimas, Mohammed Ali Alvi, Patrick Joseph Nicholson, Timo Krings

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Flow diverters (FD) are used for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, by redirecting flow and serving as a scaffold for endothelial coverage of the aneurysm ostium. However, in-stent stenosis has been observed in some patients treated with these devices, the cause of which and the epidemiology remaining elusive. In the current study we aimed to elucidate potential factors leading to higher degree of in-stent stenosis including gender, location, and type of FD.

METHODS: The authors queried their institutional Electronic Health Record (EHR) for all patients undergoing FD for intracranial saccular aneurysms. We excluded cases where an FD was performed …

Utility Of The Us Preventive Services Task Force For Preeclampsia Risk Assessment And Aspirin Prophylaxis, Thomas Mcelrath, Arun Jeyabalan, Arkady Khodursky, Alison Moe, Manfred Lee, Maneesh Jain, Laura Goetzl, Elizabeth Sutton, Pamela Simmons, George Saade, Antonio Saad, Luis Pacheco, Esther Park-Hwang, Antonina Frolova, Ebony Carter, Ai-Ris Collier, Daniel Kiefer, Vincenzo Berghella, Rupsa Boelig, Michal Elovitz, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Joseph Biggio, Kara Rood, William Grobman, Carrie Haverty, Morten Rasmussen

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines on preeclampsia risk assessment and aspirin prophylaxis (AP) have not been evaluated for clinical utility.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate which characteristics in the USPSTF guidelines identify risk status and the association of preeclampsia risk with AP recommendations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This observational cohort study enrolled from July 2020 to March 2023 with data analysis performed from October to December 2024. Enrollment occurred at 11 centers throughout the US or via direct-to-participant recruitment. Pregnant participants aged 18 years or older with a singleton pregnancy less than 22 weeks' gestation were selected via …

Current Trends In Clinical Trials For Merkel Cell Carcinoma (Mcc), Tilak Patel, Rachel Butz, Brian Boulmay, Vilija Vaitaitis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine cutaneous malignancy with high rates of recurrence and metastasis. The treatment of MCC has historically involved surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; however, current clinical trials are investigating immunotherapies, intratumoral injections, and combination therapies to improve outcomes. This review explores the current trends in clinical trials for MCC, highlighting recent advances in management.

Optimizing Stereotactic Intracranial Neoplasm Treatment: A Systematic Review Of Pet Integration With Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, Robert C. Subtirelu, Eric M. Teichner, Milo Writer, Kevin Bryan, Shiv Patil, Talha Khan, Lancelot Herpin, Raj N. Patel, Emily Christner, Chitra Parikh, Thomas Werner, Abass Alavi, Mona-Elisabeth Revheim

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

OBJECTIVE: Traditional imaging modalities for the planning of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) are non-specific and do not accurately delineate intracranial neoplasms. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) for the planning of GKRS for intracranial neoplasms (ICNs) and the post-GKRS applications of PET for patient care.

METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect were searched in order to assemble relevant studies regarding the uses of PET in conjunction with GKRS for ICN treatment. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to identify relevant studies on the use of PET in conjunction with …

Integrase-Deficient Lentiviral Vector As A Platform For Efficient Crispr/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing For Mucopolysaccharidosis Iva, Fnu Nidhi, Shunji Tomatsu

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is a lysosomal storage disorder causing systemic skeletal dysplasia due to a deficiency of N-acetyl-galactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (GALNS) enzyme activity, leading to the impaired degradation and accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), keratan sulfate (KS) and chondroitin-6-sulfate. While treatments such as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are available, they have significant limitations regarding efficacy in skeletal tissues and long-term safety, highlighting the need for more effective therapies. We evaluated a novel gene therapy approach using a dual Integrase-deficient lentiviral vector (IDLV) to deliver an expression cassette that includes human GALNS cDNA and Cas9 sgRNA, …