Diseases Commons^™

Body Composition In Patients With Obesity-Related Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Comparison Study, Hannah Salmons, Syed Imran Ahmed, Hayley E. Billingsley, Alex Reavey-Cantwell, Roshanak Markley, Michele Golino, Marco Giuseppe Del Buono, Juan Ignacio Damonte, Sebastian Pinel, R. Lee Franco, Antonio Abbate, Carrie P. Earthman, Salvatore Carbone

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Background

Appendicular lean mass index is a major determinant of cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Moreover, appendicular lean mass index can be used to diagnose sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in this population. We aimed to validate the ability of segmental single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SF-BIA) to assess body composition compared with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in patients with HFpEF and obesity, with a focus on appendicular lean mass index for its critical role in diagnosing sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity.

Methods

We analyzed 62 euvolemic patients from a heart failure outpatient clinic with …

Applying Machine Learning Methods To Generate Understandings Of Differential Item Functioning In A Flu Knowledge Assessment, William L. Romine, Tanvi Banerjee, Derrick Cox

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Current influenza trends, including the severity of the 2025 flu season and the prevalence of H5 bird flu in livestock, necessitate efforts to better understand how to educate students about its transmission. Although validated assessments of influenza knowledge exist, these have not been evaluated for affective and demographic biases. We explore differential item functioning (DIF) effects in four items focused on specific aspects of flu transmission derived from a validated influenza knowledge assessment. In doing so, we introduce and utilize a machine learning framework for exploration of DIF which offers greater flexibility than traditional statistical approaches in terms of studying …

18s Metabarcode Analyses Of Eukaryotic Species In The Respiratory Microbiomes Of Wild Canids From New Hampshire, Collin Sinclair Blake

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study is of an exploratory nature and focuses on characterizing the eukaryotic microbiota present in the respiratory tissues of six wild canids and one domestic canine. The contents of this document largely pertain to dry lab analyses of 18S barcodes in bioinformatics programs – primarily QIIME2 running in the GitBash command line, service for which was hosted by the UNH Ron Bioinformatics training server. All procedures listed within the section below were performed by second parties at the UNH Hubbard Center for Genomics Studies (HCGS), the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostics Lab (NHVDL), and the UNH Microbial Ecology and Emerging …

Robotic Transabdominal Preperitoneal Morgagni Hernia Repair, Chris Robert, Furrukh Jabbar

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Morgagni hernia is a rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, representing about 3% of all cases. It occurs due to a defect in the development of the diaphragm in the Morgagni foramen, also known as the sternocostal triangle. Case presentation: A 63-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, hypothyroidism, Barrett’s esophagitis, and cirrhosis secondary to alcohol intake (Child Pugh A) presented with increasing shortness of breath and spasmodic right sided chest pain. A diagnostic workup with a CT chest revealed herniation of fat and a portion of the colon into the right chest with adjacent atelectasis of …

Medical Reversals In The Management Of Patients With Ventral Hernia Following Publication Of Randomized Control Trials, Anila Punjwani, Vaibhav Varma, Mike Liang

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

The Demographics Of Vasopressor Requirements In Covid-19 Patients, Sammy R. Ghaoui, Paloma A. Molina, Romina Flores, Adela Bazbaz, Daryelle Varon, Joseph Varon

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

The Major League Baseball Pitch Clock: One Year Position Player Injury Analysis, Troy Puga, Nicholas Scigliano, Mckenna Box, John T. Riehl

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Background In 2023, Major League Baseball (MLB) implemented the pitch clock. The effects of the pitch clock on player injury rates is largely unknown, and some, including the major league baseball players association, have suggested that pitchers may be at an increased risk of injury with its implementation. Position players have received little attention in these discussions, even though they may be at the same theorized risk of injuries. The aim of this study is to determine if implementation of the 2023 MLB pitch clock influenced the incidence of injuries in position players. It is hypothesized that implementation of the …

Cryptococcal Meningitis In A Patient With Multiple Sclerosis On Fingolimod, Syed Hassan Amir, Teena Mathew

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Background: There are a host of pathogens that thrive only when the host is weakened enough to be susceptible – Cryptococcus is one such organism that causes fatal meningitis, primarily in HIV patients. Those immunocompromised by other means are also susceptible. Among them, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) pose a significant challenge as what may initially be considered an MS flare could mask a serious underlying infection. Objective: This case study discusses an MS patient on Fingolimod, an immunosuppressant, that likely made them vulnerable to cryptococcal meningitis. Pathogenesis: Cryptococci are encapsulated yeast that enter the body via inhalation of spores …

Retroperitoneal Schwannoma: An Abnormal Presentation Mimicking A Pelvic Mass, Isabella Sciacca, Christelle Reeves, Cameron Stokes, Steven Seligman

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: A schwannoma is an encapsulated nerve sheath tumor originating from differentiated Schwann cells. They are preferentially localized to the head, neck and extremities with a minor occurrence of 1-3% in the retroperitoneal space. Schwannoma symptoms often are asymptomatic due to slow growth but can present with symptoms according to their location. We report a case of a 45-year-old female with a retroperitoneal schwannoma that mimicked an ovarian mass. Case Summary: A 45-year-old female with a ten-year history of a right ovarian cyst presented with lower abdominal pain, early satiety, hematuria, low back pain and constipation. Transabdominal ultrasound showed right …

Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Glp-1 Receptor Agonist Effects On Outcomes Of Hemiarthroplasty For Femoral Neck Fractures In Diabetics, Mckenna W. Box, Troy Puga, Neil Werthmann, Yingxian Liu, John T. Riehl

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: To determine if the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients affects outcomes after hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures (FNFs). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of a local hospital system database was performed using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes to identify T2DM patients who were at least 18 years of age who underwent hemiarthroplasty (HA) for FNFs and were on a GLP-1RA at the time of injury. A random patient sample of those who underwent HA and were not on a GLP-1RA was used as a …

Prehospital Diagnosis Of Acute St-Elevation Myocardial Infraction In A Patient With Situs Inversus Totalis, Victoria Gordon, Jason Jones, Brad Ward, Casey Patrick

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

When Osteoporosis Masks Multiple Myeloma: A Diagnostic Pitfall, Neil Maithel, Rabia Mahfooz, Easlie Chen, Ali Asghar, Aftab Mahmood

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Lost Work Due To Burn Related Disability In A Us Working Population, Hannan A. Maqsood, Zhaohui Fan, Naveen F. Sangji, Danielle Pigneri

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Burn injuries can require hospitalization, operations, and long-term reconstruction. Burn-injured patients can experience short- or long-term disability. We investigated lost workdays (LWDs), short-term disability (STD), and long-term disability (LTD) in the 12-month period following a burn injury. Methods: An observational cohort study was conducted using a commercial claims database, IBM® MarketScan®. Patients aged ≤65 years with an ICD-10 burn diagnosis from 2018 to 2019 were included. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), procedure and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were used to identify patients undergoing burn-related operations. Patients were mapped to data tables for LWDs, STD, and …

Severe Hypercalcemia In A Patient Taking Chronic Shark Fin Supplements, Sumanth Reddy, Bishwas Upadhyay

North Texas Research Forum 2025

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: In this study, we discuss a case of an 86 year old Vietnamese female who presents with severe hypercalcemia, 15.0, who presented with progressively worsening physical debility which resulted in the patient being wheelchair bound after being found to be taking chronic calcium supplements. Hypercalcemia is a metabolic abnormality that is known to cause muscle weakness, changes in sensorium, dehydrations, nausea, anorexia, polyuria, constipation, fatigue, and depression. CASE PRESENTATION: Patient is an 85 year old female with significant medical history of osteoarthritis who presented to the emergency department for generalized fatigue for the past 2 weeks. Patient reports that …

Efficacy Of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment In Post-Stroke Recovery Patients, Elizabeth White, Dakota Dalton, Alexis Walker, Patrick Vu, Christopher Medina

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Each year, an estimated 795,000 adults in the United States have a stroke, making it the fifth leading cause of death and the tenth leading cause of adult disability. Current literature addresses the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for pain and physical limitations in the post-acute outpatient setting. However, stroke patients can benefit additionally from rehabilitation in the subacute hospital setting as demonstrated by this case study. A 53-year-old Caucasian female presented to the emergency department with a history of slurred speech and right-sided weakness secondary to a left middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. Head computed tomography angiogram (CTA) …

Optimization Of Venous Thromboembolism (Vte) Prophylaxis In Pregnancy And The Postpartum Period, Sereena Jivraj, Isabella Sciacca, Sherrie Dixon, Timothy Kremer

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE) continues to be a leading cause of maternal mortality (MM) in the United States. VTE accounts for roughly 9-10% of all maternal deaths. Other countries have adopted anticoagulation protocols to reduce MM rates, but the US has yet to follow suit. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) all vary in their guidelines for thromboembolism prophylaxis. Patients who deliver by Cesarean section (C-section) have higher incidences of MM due …

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis In A 55-Year-Old Female With Dengue Fever: A Case Report, Martin Twumampofo, Huy Vuong, Karen Valadez-Cuen, Oswaldo Renteria, Hector Zepeda

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Early Source Control: A Case Of Resistant Mrsa, Jack Demirjian, Paul Mathew

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Pemetrexed Induced Pancolitis: A Case Report, Jack Demirjian, Christina Tompkins, Amelia Mellor, Aasia Khan

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Disseminated Fusarium Infection To Lung, Liver, And Brain In An Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (Apml) Patient; A Case Report, Lane F. Smith, Alexandria Goyer, Ali Al-Nahi, Neil Bhangoo, Yi Lei, Zara Soomro, Amy Nguyen-Pham, Tasaduq Mir

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Background: Disseminated fusarium, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals, is associated with persistent fevers, rash, and lung involvement. Despite interventions, mortality rate remains high, exceeding 75% for disseminated disease. There are only 26 documented cases worldwide between 1974 and 2022 with CNS involvement. This case highlights a rare presentation of disseminated fusarium infection involving the lungs, liver, and brain in a 53-year-old male with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), highlighting critical diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Case Presentation: A 53-year-old male with a history of APL with PML/RARA fusion t (15,17) after chemotherapy presented with persistent fevers, rash, encephalopathy, and severe sepsis while undergoing …

Cardiac Tamponade By Perforated Ventricle Post Tavr - A Rare But Life Threatening Case, Arjun Kamath, Jorge Garza, Ethan Goldberg, Deekshita Valiveti, Abhay Vakil, Zuhair Ali

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Not Your Average Syncope: A Case Of Bifascicular Block, Shuchita Jhaveri, Maria Amigo, Zahoor Khan, Marloe Prince

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

A Unique Case Of Small Bowel Arteriovenous Malformations In The Setting Of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Austin Moore, Evan Chen, Hassan Ahmed

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are a common cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and often require intervention for definitive treatment. The diagnosis and management of this disease process becomes complicated when combined with an immunologic coagulation disorder. There is very limited literature describing management techniques for patients with these coinciding diseases. This unique case describes a 65-year-old male with a history of AVMs of the small bowel as well as immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Previously he had undergone multiple medical interventions for management of his ITP, including steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. He had also undergone multiple imaging and endoscopic interventions to …

When The Chest And Heart Connect: A Rare Case Presentation Of Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm, Victor Delprincipe, Aditya Sharma, Wendy Phillips, Malik Amir, Sanjeev Nair

North Texas Research Forum 2025

We present a rare case of left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVPA) resulting from a prior cavity that persisted after surgical treatment of empyema via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) that ultimately lead to chronic inflammation of pericardium, resulting in obtuse marginal artery occlusion causing pseudoaneurysm. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the chest suggested that this cavity may have intermittently formed a fistula with the left ventricle, contributing to blood loss and progressive pseudoaneurysm formation. The case highlights the complex interplay between thoracic structures and cardiac pathology in the development of LVPA, with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges addressed.

Should Sglt-2 Inhibitors Be Withheld In The Hospital Setting Due To Increasing Prevalence Of Euglycemic Dka, Raja Hamsa Chitturi, Franklin Hernandez, Charmaine Butt, Karthikram Komanduri, Mitra Chandan

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Life Threatening Hemorrhage After In Office Drainage Of Suspected Bartholin Gland Cyst, Rebecca Johnson, Sandra Zhi, Megan Khuu, Robert Boccaccio

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Labial masses are common in OBGYN clinics. They are benign the vast majority of times. Common causes are Bartholin cysts, epidermal inclusion cysts, labial warts, sebaceous cyst. We report a case of a 33 year old who presented for what appeared to be a benign Bartholin gland cyst but resulted in massive hemorrhage, exam under anesthesia, massive transfusion, and embolization. Case Summary: A 33 year old patient presents for a painless, non-enlarging labial mass that has been present for 3 weeks. History and physical exam were consistent with a commonly encountered condition, Bartholin gland cyst. Routine incision and drainage …

Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis Associated With Hepatitis C: A Case Report Of Progression To End-Stage Renal Disease, Boney Lapsiwala, Karthik Kasireddy, Marisha Sharma, Mayank Singh, Vaishnavi Singh, Victor Canela

North Texas Research Forum 2025

A Case of DNAJB9 with rapid renal progression to End-Stage Renal Disease in a patient with previously treated HCV Background Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare and progressive kidney disease, accounting for 0.5% to 1.4% of native kidney biopsies. It is characterized by non-amyloid fibrillar deposits in the extracellular matrix. Although historically regarded as idiopathic, recent studies have revealed associations with autoimmune diseases, malignancies, and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. DNAJB9, a proteomic marker identified through mass spectrometry, has been consistently found in FGN cases, regardless of congophilia. This case illustrates FGN in a patient with a history of successfully …

Robotic Whipple Procedure, Chris Robert, Soomal Memon, Umar Butt, Furrukh Jabbar

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive tumor with surgery being the corner stone of multidisciplinary treatment. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is a technically demanding procedure associated with significant morbidity. Case presentation: 70-year-old man with a past history of hypertension presented with jaundice, dark urine and a total bilirubin of 24. His CT scan showed biliary and pancreatic ducal dilation. An EUS revealed a 2cm pancreatic mass with an intact interface between the mass and splenoportal confluence, the biopsy was suggestive of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. We performed a Robotic Whipple procedure. Robotic Whipple surgery is superior in meticulous dissection of the retro pancreatic tunnel. …

Under-Utilization Of Non-Selective Beta-Blocker In Patients With Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension & Esophageal Varices, Sohaib Ahmed, Ana Moraga, Syed Usman Mumtaz, Varun Mehta, Boran Mao, Juan Pablo Meruvia, Amar Mandalia, Shamol Williams

North Florida Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Cryptococcoid Sweet Syndrome Following Carcinoid Tumor Removal, Ashlyn Fletcher, Taylor Smith

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.