Diseases Commons^™

Metabolomic-Derived Endotypes Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Amd): A Step Towards Identification Of Disease Subgroups, Kevin Mendez, Ines Lains, Rachel S. Kelly, João Gil, Rufino Silva, John Miller, Demetrios G. Vavvas, Ivana Kim, Joan Miller, Liming Liang, Jessica A. Lasky-Su, Deeba Husain

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, with a complex pathophysiology and phenotypic diversity. Here, we apply Similarity Network Fusion (SNF) to cluster AMD patients into putative metabolomics-derived endotypes. Using a discovery cohort of 163 AMD patients from Boston, US, and a validation cohort of 214 patients from Coimbra, Portugal, we identified four distinct metabolomics-derived endotypes with varying retinal structural and functional characteristics, confirmed across both cohorts. Patients clustered into Endotype 1 exhibited a milder form of AMD and were characterized by low levels of amino acids in specific metabolic pathways. Meanwhile, patients clustered into both …

Oscillometry Changes Reflect Clinically Meaningful Improvement After Bronchial Thermoplasty For Uncontrolled Asthma: A Case Report, Niranjan Setty, Alice Crawford, Brooke Kyle, Dhaval Thakkar, Rajesh Thomas, John Blakey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Asthma is a highly prevalent but heterogenous condition. Uncontrolled disease is relatively common and may be due to ongoing inflammation and/or persisting bronchial hyper-reactivity. Bronchial thermoplasty has been in use for many years but optimal case selection and post-procedure assessment remain uncertain. We present a case of a gentleman in his 50s with lifelong asthma who experienced a persistent loss of control following influenza A in 2017. Despite multidisciplinary assessment and guideline-based escalation of therapy, he had persisting symptoms. In the context of his atopy, he was trialled unsuccessfully on dupilumab. Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) was undertaken with good clinical benefit. …

Enrollment Of Females In Randomized Trials For Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Review, Frederick Berro Rivera, Mc John Caro Ybañez, John Vincent Magalong, Mario Prado, Eloise Arias Aguirre, Ana Patricia Ting Cañares, Janos Marc Rubia, Allyn Ralph Hiyas, Polyn Luz S. Pine, Kyla Lara-Breitinger, Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Martha Gulati

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) form the basis for therapeutic recommendations for both males and females. Historically, females have been significantly underrepresented in RCTs.

Objectives

The authors sought to determine the trends of representation of females in GLP-1RA RCTs from 2007 to 2024.

Methods

We reviewed eligible studies and extracted important variables. The proportion of females among the total participants was obtained per study. This was compared over time (year) of publication and over mean age of participants. This proportion was also compared between specific types of GLP-1RA received, diabetes status, indication of …

Kinetics Of Naturally Induced Binding And Neutralising Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Levels And Potencies Among Sars-Cov-2 Infected Kenyans With Diverse Grades Of Covid-19 Severity: An Observational Study, John Kimotho, Yiakon Sein, Shahin Sayed, Reena Shah, Mansoor Saleh, Ann Karanu, Viviane Oluoch, Jasmit Shah, Julius Mutiso, Zaitun Nneka, Alfred Mburu, Peter Betti, Francis M. Ndungu

Pathology, East Africa

Background: Given the low levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), despite high levels of natural severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposures, strategies for extending the breadth and longevity of naturally acquired immunity are warranted. Designing such strategies will require a good understanding of naturally acquired immunity.

Methods: We measured whole-spike immunoglobulin G (IgG) and spike-receptor binding domain (RBD) total immunoglobulins (Igs) on 585 plasma samples collected longitudinally over five successive time points within six months of COVID-19 diagnosis in 309 COVID-19 patients. We measured antibody-neutralising potency against the wild-type (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2 …

Ecological And Pathological Applications Of The Heat Shock Response, Taylor Rae Stanley

Theses and Dissertations

The heat shock response (HSR) is a cytoprotective stress response pathway that regulates cellular proteostasis. The HSR is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is essential for normal cellular functioning. Here, we explore the broad ecological and pathological impacts of the HSR. In an ecological context, we perform gene level analysis of the transcriptomes of two closely related sunfish. We found that the more invasive bluegill sunfish has gene expansions in two HSR gene families, the HSP70 family and the HSP90 family compared to the redear sunfish. These gene expansions were also observed in several other teleost fish species and were …

Improving Primary Care Providers Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, And Intention To Change Practice About Uncontrolled Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Its Effect On Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, Formerly Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Prognosis, Olivia Amoakowaa-Senya

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the world. The mechanisms involved in its development and progression continue to be a mystery that scientists are trying to unravel. However, many research studies found a correlation between uncontrolled obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and worsening of NAFLD. Chronic intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation in OSA increase sympathetic activity and promote oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and metabolic dysregulation, which increases the risk of various diseases, including NAFLD/MASLD progression. Early assessment and screening for OSA in patients …

Assessing The Impact Of An Individual Diabetic Education Program And Big Data App On Three Generations Of Patient Populations, Avery C. Carpenter, Rechendia C. Carpenter, Ester M. Felipe

Doctoral Projects

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects numerous people worldwide. Diabetic education assists people with understanding the nature of diabetes, its side effects and how to successfully deal with the condition. The doctoral project incorporates finding out how glucose monitoring, prescription administration, dieting propensities, and the significance of customary activities. With proper education the impact on one’s health with this chronic condition can improve for the better.

The nature of this doctoral project is to assess the impact that a diabetic education program and big data app have on three generations. Members of the group partnered with Hutton Healthcare in …

Targeting The Glutamine-Arginine-Proline Metabolism Axis In Cancer, Di Wang, Jiang-Jie Duan, Yu-Feng Guo, Jun-Jie Chen, Tian-Qing Chen, Jun Wang, Shi-Cang Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metabolic abnormalities are an important feature of tumours. The glutamine-arginine-proline axis is an important node of cancer metabolism and plays a major role in amino acid metabolism. This axis also acts as a scaffold for the synthesis of other nonessential amino acids and essential metabolites. In this paper, we briefly review (1) the glutamine addiction exhibited by tumour cells with accelerated glutamine transport and metabolism; (2) the methods regulating extracellular glutamine entry, intracellular glutamine synthesis and the fate of intracellular glutamine; (3) the glutamine, proline and arginine metabolic pathways and their interaction; and (4) the research progress in tumour therapy …

Performance Of Formulas Included In The Escrs Intraocular Lens Power Calculator, Janusz Skrzypecki, Douglas D Koch, Li Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To compare the refractive prediction errors (PEs) of formulas included in the ESCRS intraocular lens (IOL) power calculator to aid in informed decisions on IOL power selection based on the output of this tool.

Setting: Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Design: Retrospective case-series.

Methods: 748 eyes of 748 patients after implantation of 1 of 3 lenses were included, single-piece: the SN60WF, PCB00/ZCB00 and 3-piece: MA60MA. IOL constants recommended by the calculator were used for the study. We performed analysis for the whole dataset, short (< 22 mm) and long eyes (>25 mm) as well as in subgroups based on the …

International Classification System For Ocular Complications Of Anti-Vegf Agents In Clinical Trials, Marko M Popovic, Michael Balas, Srinivas R Sadda, David Sarraf, Ryan Huang, Sophie J Bakri, Audina Berrocal, Andrew Chang, Chui Ming Gemmy Cheung, Sunir Garg, Roxane J Hillier, Frank G Holz, Mark W Johnson, Peter K Kaiser, Peter J Kertes, Timothy Y Y Lai, Jason Noble, Susanna S Park, Yannis M Paulus, Giuseppe Querques, Aleksandra Rachitskaya, Paisan Ruamviboonsuk, Shohista Saidkasimova, Maria Teresa Sandinha, David H Steel, Hiroko Terasaki, Christina Y Weng, Basil K Williams, Lihteh Wu, Rajeev H Muni

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Complications associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF therapies are reported inconsistently in the literature, thus limiting an accurate evaluation and comparison of safety between studies. This study aimed to develop a standardized classification system for anti-VEGF ocular complications using the Delphi consensus process.

Design: Systematic review and Delphi consensus process.

Participants: Twenty-five international retinal specialists participated in the Delphi consensus survey.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify complications of intravitreal anti-VEGF agent administration based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of anti-VEGF therapy. A comprehensive list of complications was derived from these studies, and this list was subjected to …

Machine Learning-Based Prediction Model For Icu Mortality After Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Initiation In Children, Sameer Thadani, Tzu-Chun Wu, Danny T Y Wu, Aadil Kakajiwala, Danielle E Soranno, Gerard Cortina, Rachana Srivastava, Katja M Gist, Shina Menon, Worldwide Exploration Of Renal Replacement Outcomes Collaborative In Kidney Diseases (We-Rock) Collaborators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the favored renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients. Predicting clinical outcomes for CRRT patients is difficult due to population heterogeneity, varying clinical practices, and limited sample sizes.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to predict survival to ICUs and hospital discharge in children and young adults receiving CRRT using machine learning (ML) techniques.

DERIVATION COHORT: Patients less than 25 years of age receiving CRRT for acute kidney injury and/or volume overload from 2015 to 2021 (80%).

VALIDATION COHORT: Internal validation occurred in a testing group of patients from the dataset (20%).

PREDICTION MODEL: Retrospective international …

Genetics Of Cerebral Palsy: Diagnosis, Differential Diagnosis, And Beyond, Dae-Hyun Jang, Jaewon Kim, Aloysia Leisanne Schwabe, Timothy Edward Lotze

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children, characterized by diverse clinical manifestations and often uncertain etiology, which has spurred increasing interest in genetic diagnostics. This review synthesizes findings from various studies to enhance understanding of CP's genetic underpinnings. The discussion is structured around five key areas: monogenic causes and copy number variants directly linked to CP, differential genetic disorders including atypical CP and mimics, ambiguous genetic influences, co-occurrence with other neurodevelopmental disorders, and polygenic risk factors. Case studies illustrate the clinical application of these genetic insights, underscoring the complexity of diagnosing CP due to the phenotypic …

Immunopeptidomic Mhc-I Profiling And Immunogenicity Testing Identifies Tcj2 As A New Chagas Disease Mrna Vaccine Candidate, Leroy Versteeg, Rakesh Adhikari, Gonteria Robinson, Jungsoon Lee, Junfei Wei, Nelufa Islam, Brian Keegan, William K Russell, Cristina Poveda, Maria Jose Villar, Kathryn Jones, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter Hotez, Edwin Tijhaar, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Globally 6 to 7 million people are infected by this parasite of which 20-30% will progress to develop Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Despite its high disease burden, no clinically approved vaccine exists for the prevention or treatment of CCC. Developing vaccines that can stimulate T. cruzi-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and eliminate infected cells requires targeting parasitic antigens presented on major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I) molecules. We utilized mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics to investigate which parasitic peptides are displayed on MHC-I of T. cruzi infected cells. Through duplicate experiments, we identified an …

Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index And Charlson Comorbidity Index Predict Mortality, Intensive Care Unit Admission, And Length Of Hospital Stay In Patients With Fournier's Gangrene: An Analysis Of 264 Consecutive Patients, Nicholas Hauser, Chenlin Huang, Girija Vaidya, Timothy Chrusciel, Krithika Narayana Kumarasan, John Culhane, Sameer Siddiqui

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction

Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is a rapidly progressing necrotizing fasciitis. The Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), in conjunction with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), has been used as a mortality predictor during hospitalization. Patients with diabetes have also been shown to be at an increased risk for the development of FG. This study explores the potential of using FGSI, CCI, and patient diabetes status in predicting more extensive patient outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) admission and length of hospital stay.

Methods

From 2013 to 2023, inpatient admissions with the diagnosis of FG were selected from the EPIC Clarity database …

Substance Use And Outcomes Of Left-Sided Valve Replacement In Patients With Infective Endocarditis, Katie J Hogan, Christopher B Sylvester, Travis J Miles, Matthew Wall, Todd K Rosengart, Marc R Moon, Joseph S Coselli, Subhasis Chatterjee, Ravi K Ghanta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Rising rates of substance use (SU) have resulted in an increasing need for left-sided valve surgery for SU-associated infective endocarditis (SU-IE). We compared outcomes, readmissions, and costs between IE patients with and without SU-IE in a national cohort.

METHODS: Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016-2018), we identified 10,098 patients with infective endocarditis (IE) who underwent isolated aortic or mitral valve replacement. Outcomes within the same calendar year as the index operation were compared between patients with and without SU-IE. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality and 30-day and 90-day readmissions. Kaplan-Meier analysis and …

Predicting Operative Mortality In Patients Who Undergo Elective Open Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair, Kyle W Blackburn, Susan Y Green, Allen Kuncheria, Meng Li, Adel M Hassan, Brittany Rhoades, Scott A Weldon, Subhasis Chatterjee, Marc R Moon, Scott A Lemaire, Joseph S Coselli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

We have developed a model aimed at identifying preoperative predictors of operative mortality in patients who undergo elective, open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. We converted this model into an intuitive nomogram to aid preoperative counseling.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 2884 elective, open TAAA repairs performed between 1986 and 2023 in a single practice. Using clinical and selected operative variables, we built 4 predictive models: multivariable logistic regression (MLR), random forest, support vector machine, and gradient boosting machine. Each model’s predictive effectiveness was evaluated with the C-statistic. Test C-statistics were computed using an 80:20 cross-validation scheme with …

Evaluation Of Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis In Pediatric General Medicine Patients After Transfer From The Intensive Care Unit And At Discharge, Lamees Loubani, Jenna W Bartlett, Brent Mothner, Rathi Asaithambi, Surin Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study was to determine continuation rates of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) upon transfer from a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) to a general medicine unit and upon hospital discharge. The secondary aim was to identify patient characteristics or concomitant medications that were associated with continuation of SUP at transfer from the PICU.

METHODS: This retrospective chart review included patients who were initiated on acid suppression for SUP in the PICU between June 2021 and May 2022 and subsequently transferred to a general medicine unit prior to discharge. Patients were excluded if they were receiving …

Hemodynamic And Clinical Outcomes With Balloon-Expandable Valves Versus Self-Expanding Valves In Patients With Small Aortic Annulus Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials And Propensity Score Matched Studies, Mushood Ahmed, Areeba Ahsan, Shehroze Tabassum, Irra Tariq, Eeshal Zulfiqar, Mahnoor Farooq Raja, Asma Mahmood, Raheel Ahmed, Farhan Shahid, Syed Khurram M Gardezi, Mahboob Alam, Rodrigo Bagur, Mamas A Mamas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is considered more effective than surgical aortic valve implantation for patients with a small aortic annulus (SAA), however, the comparative efficacy of different transcatheter heart valves (THVs) remains uncertain. A literature search was performed across databases from their inception until June 2024 to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and propensity-score matched (PSM) studies. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using a random-effects model to pool risk ratios (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). The analysis included 10 studies with 2,960 patients. BEVs were associated with a significantly smaller indexed effective orifice area (MD: -0.18, 95 …

Prevalence Of Psychiatric Comorbidities And Treatment Initiation In African American Pediatric Patients With Vitiligo: A Retrospective, Single-Center, Case-Control Study, Emily Strouphauer, Sana Suhail, Carly Mulinda, Promise Ufomadu, Nicole Nyamongo, Grace Lee, Soo Jung Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo may impact psychosocial development, especially among African American pediatric patients, given heightened visibility and increasing rates of anxiety and depression in this subpopulation.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate psychiatric comorbidities and treatment initiation in African American pediatric patients.

METHODS: A total of 327 African American pediatric patients with vitiligo were each matched to 3 patients without vitiligo by age, race, and sex in this case-control study. Prevalence of psychiatric conditions and subsequent initiation of pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy were analyzed.

RESULTS: Compared to controls, pediatric African American patients with vitiligo were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with depression (

LIMITATIONS: This …

Assessing The Predictive Power Of Nutritional Indices On All-Cause And Cardiovascular Mortality In Hemodialysis Patients: A Longitudinal Study, Qian Wang, Zengchun Ye, Jialing Rao, Wenbo Zhao, Jianqiang Liu, Yanru Chen, Juncheng Xiang, Xin Zhen, Jiawen Li, Yunfang Zhang, Xianrui Dou, Zhaoyong Hu, Jun Zhang, Hui Peng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: The prognostic value of nutritional scoring tools in assessing the relationship between nutritional status and prognosis in hemodialysis patients is unclear. This multicenter retrospective cohort study compared the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Controlling Nutritional Status scores (CONUT), and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) for predictive accuracy of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially the impact of dynamic changes over time on prognosis.

METHODS: Hemodialysis patients from four hospitals were included. Laboratory data and nutrition scores were collected at the initiation of dialysis, and at 6th, 12th, and 18th months after dialysis initiation. A joint model analyzed the relationship …

Nuclear Expression Of Dynamin 2 Is Associated With Tumor Aggressiveness In Bladder Cancer Patients: A Bioinformatics And Experimental Approach, Mahdieh Razmi, Leili Saeednejad Zanjani, Mandana Rahimi, Roya Sajed, Sadegh Safaei, Zahra Madjd, Roya Ghods

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Dynamin 2 (DNM2) is aberrantly expressed in different malignancies and exerts a function in tumor progression.

AIMS: This study, for the first time, aimed to evaluate the clinical and prognostic value of DNM2 in the pathophysiology of bladder cancer using bioinformatics analysis and experimental evaluation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed gene expression of DNM2 in bladder tumor by GEPIA2 and GENT2 platforms. Cluster subnetworks were recognized from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using the MCODE plugin to screen the key genes. Subsequently, the pathway enrichment analysis was evaluated. Then, the immunohistochemical examination was conducted on 209 paraffin-embedded bladder cancer …

Maturity-Onset Diabetes Of The Young: A Proposal For Updated Nomenclature, Mustafa Tosur

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Given the contemporary understanding of diabetes genetics, the term "maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY)" warrants renaming. I propose adopting the term "monogenic diabetes" in conjunction with the specific gene name.

Defining The Peripheral Plasticity Of Nociceptive Afferents Following Spinal Cord Injury And Physical Therapy Intervention., Morgan Julianna Forston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is to explore the peripheral plasticity of nociceptive afferents following spinal cord injury (SCI) and whether it is exacerbated or induced when physical therapy-based muscle stretching, a therapy we have shown to be detrimental to locomotor recovery in rodents, is implemented post-SCI. Chapter I provides a brief introduction on sensory afferents with particular emphasis on nociceptive afferents and their multifaceted role within the peripheral and central nervous systems. Chapter II describes SCI epidemiology and common sensory related complications that occur in patients as well and pharmaco- and physical therapies that are employed post-SCI. Chapter III …

Genome-Derived Ampullary Adenocarcinoma Classifier And Postresection Prognostication, Brett L Ecker, Kenneth Seier, Austin M Eckhoff, Gabriella N Tortorello, Peter J Allen, Vinod P Balachandran, Nicola Blackburn, Michael I D'Angelica, Ronald P Dematteo, Daniel G Blazer, Jeffrey A Drebin, William E Fisher, Danielle Fortuna, Anthony J Gill, Marie-Claude Gingras, T Peter Kingham, Major K Lee, Michael E Lidsky, Daniel P Nussbaum, Michael J Overman, Jaswinder S Samra, Ronglai Shen, Carlie S Sigel, Kevin C Soares, Charles M Vollmer, Alice C Wei, Sabino Zani, Robert E Roses, Mithat Gonen, William R Jarnagin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Ampullary adenocarcinoma (AA) is characterized by clinical and genomic heterogeneity. A previously developed genomic classifier defined biologically distinct phenotypes with greater accuracy than standard histologic classification. External validation is needed before routine clinical use.

Objective: To test external validity of the prognostic value of the hidden genome classifier of AA.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study took place at 6 international academic institutions. Consecutive patients (n = 192) who underwent curative-intent resection of histologically confirmed AA were included. The data were analyzed from January 2005 through July 2020.

Exposures: The multilevel meta-feature regression model previously trained on …

Economic Disadvantage During Childhood, Obesity, And Diabetes Across Three Birth Cohorts Of Older Mexicans, Jesús-Daniel Zazueta-Borboa, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Rebeca Wong, Neil Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes prevalence has increased markedly in Mexico. We examined the individual and joint contributions of economic disadvantage during childhood (EDDC) and elevated body weight on diabetes prevalence in 3 cohorts of Mexican adults.

METHODS: Data on those 60-69 years old from the 1930-1939, 1940-1949, and 1950-1959 birth cohorts in Waves 1 (2001), 3 (2012), and 5 (2018) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study were used. EDDC was defined as the absence of a toilet in the household before age 10. Body mass status was defined using self-reported perceived body image at age 50. Diabetes was based on respondent …

Smooth Muscle Cell Stress Response: Essential In Atherosclerotic Pathogenesis, Pujun Guan

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Recent research using lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing unveiled a previously undescribed and prominent role of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in atherosclerotic plaque formation. SMCs undergo complex phenotypic modulation characterized by de-differentiation of SMCs and heterogeneously increased expression of markers for macrophages, fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and mesenchymal stem cells as plaques form. Cultured SMCs exposed to exogenous cholesterol mimic many of the phenotypic changes associated with plaque formation, and our lab determined this SMC modulation is driven by cholesterol entering the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and triggering ER stress and PERK signaling. Further, …

Characteristics Of High-Risk Bipolar Bone Loss Lesions Using 3-Dimensional Imaging, Petar Golijanin, Justin Arner, Claire Ryan, Qais Zai, Liam Peebles, Annalise Peebles, Phob Ganokroj, Ryan Whalen, Stephanie Eble, Danielle Rider, Srdjan Ninković, Matthew Provencher

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The concept of on-track versus off-track bone lesions in glenohumeral instability continues to evolve. Although much has been ascertained from an original biomechanical model, bony pathological changes, especially on 3-dimensional (3D) imaging, have not been fully evaluated.

PURPOSE: To compare the differences in on-track versus off-track lesions to characterize glenoid and humeral head bone defects using 3D modeling software.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS:A consecutive cohort of 75 patients with recurrent anterior instability, with evidence of Hill-Sachs lesions (HSLs) and
glenoid bone loss (GBL) and a mean age of 27.1 years (range, 18-48 years), were …

A Clinician’S Guide To Pediatric And Adolescent Alopecia Areata Treatments, Heli A. Patel, Rishab R. Revankar, Jenna E. Koblinski, Benjamin Ungar, Emma Guttman-Yassky, Jamie B. Mackelfresh, Dirk Elston, Peter Lio

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Background: Available treatment options for pediatric alopecia areata are limited and may even exacerbate the physical and psychosocial burden. Objective: This article aimed to provide a treatment classification system and counseling recommendations. Recommendations: Topical corticosteroids are appropriate for initial treatment due to their ease of use and safety. Topical minoxidil and dithranol are often used as adjunctive treatments based on mixed data. Intralesional corticosteroids are effective for localized disease, but injections may be challenging in children. Contact immunotherapy, systemic corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive agents such as topical and oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, dupilumab, and low-dose methotrexate demonstrate varying effectiveness, adverse …

Obstructive Sleep Apnea And Obesity: How Weight Loss Improves Sleep Apnea Severity And Quality Of Life - An Integrative Review, Hannah Wilson, Neda Akbarshahi

Master's Projects

Introduction: With the growing prevalence of OSA due to the obesity epidemic, there is an urgent need to update treatment regimens. While CPAP continues to be the gold standard of OSA care, challenges with adherence and limited access to effective weight management strategies often impede care. The complex bidirectional relationship between obesity and OSA highlights the importance of addressing weight management in this patient population to help mitigate cardiometabolic risks. Personalized weight loss therapies should be integrated into standard OSA treatment regimens to reduce OSA severity, reduce comorbid conditions, and improve quality of life.

Aim: The objective of this integrative …

The Inclusion Of Soybean Co-Products In Ruminant Supplements On Health And Reproductive Efficiency, Kirsten Midkiff

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybeans are a vital commodity for Arkansas and the United States, with co-products such as soybean meal having wide popularity in animal feeds due to high protein content and palatability. Soybean meal primarily is utilized in diets for swine and poultry operations with a small market in the beef cattle industry, likely due to the increased costs that are associated with the product. On the other hand, soybean oil is a product from the production of soybean meal that is not as widely used in the livestock industry as most of the oil produced is used for industrial purposes. Additionally, …