Medical Specialties Commons^™

Investigating The In Vivo Effects Of Anti-Prion Protein Nanobodies On Prion Disease With Aav Vector, Jingjing Zhang, Mengfei Wang, Dan Wang, Xiangyi Zhang, Yue Ma, Els Pardon, Jan Steyaert, Romany Abskharon, Fei Wang, Jiyan Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and animals, and the central pathogenic event is the conversion of normal prion protein (PrPC) into the pathogenic PrPSc isoform. Previous studies have identified nanobodies that specifically recognize PrPC and inhibit the PrPC to PrPSc conversion in vitro. In this study, we investigated the potential for in vivo expression of anti-PrPC nanobodies and evaluated their impact on prion disease. The coding sequences of three nanobodies were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and were administered via intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection in newborn mice. We found that the expression of these nanobodies remained robust …

Dairy Consumption And The Colonic Mucosa-Associated Gut Microbiota In Humans-A Preliminary Investigation, Ellie Chen, Nadim J Ajami, Donna L White, Yanhong Liu, Shawn Gurwara, Kristi Hoffman, David Y Graham, Hashem B El-Serag, Joseph F Petrosino, Li Jiao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Dairy consumption has been associated with various health outcomes that may be mediated by changes in gut microbiota.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the association between the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota and the self-reported intake of total dairy, milk, cheese, and yogurt. A total of 97 colonic mucosal biopsies collected from 34 polyp-free individuals were analyzed. Dairy consumption in the past year was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The 16S rRNA gene V4 region was amplified and sequenced. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) classification was performed using the UPARSE and SILVA databases. OTU diversity and relative abundance were compared …

Cardiovascular Disease In Adults With Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Clinical Characteristics, Care Recommendations, And Research Priorities Identified Using A Modified Delphi Technique, Lars Folkestad, Siddharth K Prakash, Sandesh C S Nagamani, Niels Holmark Andersen, Erin Carter, Jannie Dahl Hald, Riley J Johnson, Bente Langdahl, Eleanor M Perfetto, Cathleen Raggio, Stuart H Ralston, Robert A Sandhaus, Oliver Semler, Laura Tosi, Eric Orwoll

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a multisystem disorder most often caused by pathogenic variants in genes that encode type I collagen. Type I collagen is abundant not only in bone but also in multiple tissues including skin, tendons, cornea, blood vessels, and heart. Thus, OI can be expected to affect cardiovascular system, and there are numerous reports of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with OI. However, there is no consensus on how CVD in OI should be assessed or managed. To fill this gap, a multidisciplinary group was convened to develop clinical guidance. The work included a systematic review of the …

Evaluation Of Hyponatremia Management Pathway, Mahmoud Ammar Pharmd, Jonathan M. Siner, Mary Judson, Christopher Winterbottom

Abstracts

Society of Critical Care Medicine's (SCCM) 2025 Critical Care Congress:

Evaluation of Hyponatremia Management Pathway Implementation in a Large Academic Health System

Submission Number: 1894079

Patients with severe hyponatremia managed using the Care Signature pathway were more likely to receive hypertonic saline and had lower mortality rates compared to those not managed with the pathway. These results suggest that the pathway can improve clinical outcomes and reduce resource use. Further studies are needed to evaluate its impact on other patients’ outcomes and long-term effectiveness.

The Global Epidemiology And Health Burden Of The Autism Spectrum: Findings From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021, Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators, Lourdes Bernadette Tanchanco, Angel Belle Dy

Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Publications

Background

High-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic people are necessary for service planners and resource allocators. Here we present the global prevalence and health burden of autism spectrum disorder from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 following improvements to the epidemiological data and burden estimation methods.

Methods

For GBD 2021, a systematic literature review involving searches in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, the Global Health Data Exchange, and consultation with experts identified data on the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorder. Eligible data were used to estimate prevalence …

The Mitochondria As An Emerging Target Of Self- Renewal In T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Majd Al-Hamaly, Evelyn Winter, Jessica S. Blackburn

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common leukemia in children, with the T-cell subtype (T- ALL) accounting for 15% of those cases. Despite advancements in the treatment of T-ALL, patients still face a dismal prognosis following their first relapse. Relapse can be attributed to the inability of chemotherapy agents to eradicate leukemia stem cells (LSC), which possess self-renewal capabilities and are responsible for the long-term maintenance of the disease. Mitochondria have been recognized as a therapeutic vulnerability for cancer stem cells, including LSCs. Mitocans have shown promise in T-ALL both in vitro and in vivo, with some currently in …

Phase Ii Study Of Copanlisib In Patients With Pten Loss: Results From Nci-Match Ecog-Acrin Trial (Eay131) Subprotocols Z1g And Z1h, Mohamed A Gouda, Zihan Wei, Jordi Rodon, Michael A Davies, Filip Janku, Robert J Gray, Victoria Wang, Lisa M Mcshane, Larry V Rubinstein, David R Patton, P Mickey Williams, Stanley R Hamilton, Raymond Liu, Daniela A Bota, Paul L Swiecicki, Gary L Buchschacher, James V Tricoli, Barbara A Conley, Carlos L Arteaga, Lyndsay N Harris, Peter J O'Dwyer, Alice P Chen, Keith T Flaherty

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Copanlisib, a pan-class phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor with activity predominantly against the PI3K-delta and PI3K-alpha isoforms, has shown promising results in preclinical cancer models with PTEN loss. Herein, we report the activity and safety data from the Z1G and Z1H subprotocols, which included patients with PTEN loss, of the National Cancer Institute Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice trial.

Methods: Patients with complete loss of cytoplasmic and nuclear PTEN as determined by immunohistochemistry regardless of PTEN mutation or deletion status were included in subprotocol Z1G, and patients with a deleterious mutation in the PTEN gene and retained expression of PTEN …

Evidence For Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation In Older Individuals With Hyposmia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Kenneth Marek, David S Russell, Luis Concha-Marambio, Seung Ho Choi, Danna Jennings, Michael C Brumm, Christopher S Coffey, Ethan Brown, John Seibyl, Matthew Stern, Claudio Soto, Andrew Siderowf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Synuclein pathology in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), begins years before motor or cognitive symptoms arise. Alpha-Synuclein seed amplification assays (α-syn SAA) may detect aggregated synuclein before symptoms occur.

Methods: Data from the Parkinson Associated Risk Syndrome Study (PARS) have shown that individuals with hyposmia, without motor or cognitive symptoms, are enriched for dopamine transporter imaging (DAT) deficit and are at high risk to develop clinical parkinsonism or related synucleinopathies. α-syn aggregates in CSF were measured in 100 PARS participants using α-syn SAA.

Findings: CSF α-syn SAA was positive in 48% …

In Vitro Hydrolysis Of Areca Nut Xenobiotics In Human Liver, Vincenzo Paolillo, Mahendran Jayakumar, Colton Sheperd, Andrew Tran, Stephanie Hoang, Nhu Dao, Parag Jain, Alan L Myers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Areca nut (AN) is a substance of abuse consumed by millions worldwide, in spite of established oral and systemic toxicities associated with its use. Previous research demonstrates methyl ester alkaloids in the AN, such as arecoline and guvacoline, exhibit mood-altering and toxicological effects. Nonetheless, their metabolism has not been fully elucidated in humans. In the present study, an HPLC-UV bioanalytical method was developed to evaluate the hydrolytic kinetics and clearance rates of arecoline and guvacoline in human liver microsomes (HLM) and cytosol (HLC). The bioassay was capable of quantifying arecoline and guvacoline (and carboxylate metabolites arecaidine and guvacine, respectively) with …

Plasma Proteomic Characterization Of Motoric Cognitive Risk And Mild Cognitive Impairment, Gabriela T Gomez, Sanish Sathyan, Jingsha Chen, Myriam Fornage, Pascal Schlosser, Zhongsheng Peng, Jenifer Cordon, Priya Palta, Kevin J Sullivan, Adrienne Tin, B Gwen Windham, Rebecca F Gottesman, Nir Barzilai, Sofiya Milman, Joe Verghese, Josef Coresh, Keenan A Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) is a pre-dementia syndrome characterized by mobility and cognitive dysfunction. This study conducted a proteome-wide study of MCR and compared the proteomic signatures of MCR to that of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS: Participants were classified as MCR using a memory questionnaire and 4-meter walk. We measured 4877 plasma proteins collected during late-life and midlife. Multivariable logistic regression related each protein to late-life MCR/MCI. MCR-associated proteins were replicated internally at midlife and in an external cohort.

RESULTS: Proteome-wide analysis (n = 4076) identified 25 MCR-associated proteins. Eight of these proteins remained associated with late-life MCR …

Performance Comparison Of 10 State-Of-The-Art Machine Learning Algorithms For Outcome Prediction Modeling Of Radiation-Induced Toxicity, Ramon M Salazar, Saurabh S Nair, Alexandra O Leone, Ting Xu, Raymond P Mumme, Jack D Duryea, Brian De, Kelsey L Corrigan, Michael K Rooney, Matthew S Ning, Prajnan Das, Emma B Holliday, Zhongxing Liao, Laurence E Court, Joshua S Niedzielski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of prominent machine learning algorithms in predicting normal tissue complication probability using clinical data obtained from 2 distinct disease sites and to create a software tool that facilitates the automatic determination of the optimal algorithm to model any given labeled data set.

Methods and materials: We obtained 3 sets of radiation toxicity data (478 patients) from our clinic: gastrointestinal toxicity, radiation pneumonitis, and radiation esophagitis. These data comprised clinicopathological and dosimetric information for patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer and anal squamous cell carcinoma. Each data set was modeled using 11 commonly employed machine …

Forecasting Intraoperative Hypotension During Hepatobiliary Surgery, Juan P Cata, Bhavin Soni, Shreyas Bhavsar, Parvathy Sudhir Pillai, Tatiana A Rypinski, Anshuj Deva, Jeffrey H Siewerdsen, Jose M Soliz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prediction and avoidance of intraoperative hypotension (IOH) can lead to less postoperative morbidity. Machine learning (ML) is increasingly being applied to predict IOH. We hypothesize that incorporating demographic and physiological features in an ML model will improve the performance of IOH prediction. In addition, we added a "dial" feature to alter prediction performance. An ML prediction model was built based on a multivariate random forest (RF) trained algorithm using 13 physiologic time series and patient demographic data (age, sex, and BMI) for adult patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery. A novel implementation was developed with an adjustable, multi-model voting (MMV) approach to …

Status Of Abortion Curriculum In Genetic Counseling: Survey Of Graduate Programs And Recent Graduates In The United States, Gina Sanchez, S Shahrukh Hashmi, Erica Bednar, Sarah Horvath, Bhavik Kumar, Katelynn Sagaser, Claire N Singletary, Aarti Ramdaney

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Genetic counselors (GCs) are trained to help individuals navigate the medical and psychological implications of genetic test results, familial conditions, and ultrasound anomalies. Therefore, familiarity with reproductive options, including abortion, is vital. However, previous studies have found gaps in GCs' knowledge regarding abortion care and there are currently no recommendations regarding abortion curriculum. This study aimed to assess the state of abortion curriculum in genetic counseling graduate programs in the United States and to examine and compare the satisfaction levels of program representatives and recent graduates. Program representatives and recent graduates were invited to complete an anonymous survey evaluating the …

Human Hypofunctional Ncf1 Variants Promote Pulmonary Fibrosis In The Bleomycin-Induced Mouse Model And Patients With Systemic Sclerosis Via Expansion Of Spphuman Hypofunctional Ncf1 Variants Promote Pulmonary Fibrosis In The Bleomycin-Induced Mouse Model And Systemic Sclerosis Patients Via Expansion Of Spp1+ Monocytes-Derived Macrophages, Xinran Yuan, Xiaodong Qin, Kenji Takemoto, Jian Zhao, Matthew Sanderson, Xue Xu, Yu Zhang, Kristi L Helke, Bethany Jacobs Wolf, Joel M Guthridge, Judith A James, Xiaodong Zhou, Shervin Assassi, Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Dandan Wang, Lingyun Sun, Betty P Tsao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: We assessed the role of a systemic lupus erythematosus causal hypofunctional variant, neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (NCF1)-p.Arg90His (p.R90H) substitution, in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Association of NCF1-H90 with SSc was performed in case-control cohorts, bleomycin (BLM)-treated Ncf1-R90 C57BL/6 wildtype and Ncf1-H90 knock-in (KI) littermates. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subsets were analysed by cytometry by time-of-flight.

Results: The NCF1-H90 allele is associated with risk for diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) in Chinese and European Americans, and lung fibrosis in Chinese patients with SSc (OR=2.09, p=7.96E-10). Low copy number of NCF1 associated with lung fibrosis in European Americans (OR=4.33, p=2.60E-2). BLM-treated …

Association Of Systemic Inflammation And Long-Term Dysfunction In Covid-19 Patients: A Prospective Cohort, Felipe Dal-Pizzol, Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon, Henrique Ritter Dal-Pizzol, Gabriele Da Silveira Prestes, Diogo Dominguini, Carolina Saibro Girardi, Lucas Santos, José Cláudio Fonseca Moreira, Daniel Pens Gelain, Roger Walz, Tatiana Barichello, Cristiane Ritter

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

COVID-19 has significant long-term impacts, including a chronic syndrome known as long-COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms post-recovery. The inflammatory response during acute infection is hypothesized to influence long-term outcomes. This study aimed to identify inflammatory biomarkers predictive of functional outcomes one year after hospital discharge. A prospective cohort study was conducted with 213 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs in Southern Brazil between June and November 2020. After exclusions and follow-ups, 109 patients were evaluated for one-year post-discharge. Plasma levels of Th1 (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-12), Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13), and Th17 (IL-17, IL-22) cytokines were measured. Functional outcomes in …

Immunogenomic Determinants Of Exceptional Response To Immune Checkpoint Inhibition In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Tejas Jammihal, Renee Maria Saliby, Chris Labaki, Hanna Soulati, Juan Gallegos, Arnau Peris, Dustin Mccurry, Chunlei Yu, Valisha Shah, Deepak Poduval, Talal El Zarif, Nourhan El Ahmar, Yasmin Nabil Laimon, Marc Eid, Aseman Bagheri Sheshdeh, Katherine M Krajewski, Florian A Büttner, Matthias Schwab, Daniel Heng, Rafael C Casellas, Kunal Rai, Niki M Zacharias Millward, Pavlos Msaouel, Jose Karam, Sabina Signoretti, Eliezer Van Allen, Toni K Choueiri, David A Braun, Sachet A Shukla

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immune checkpoint inhibitors can lead to 'exceptional', durable responses in a subset of persons. However, the molecular basis of exceptional response (ER) to immunotherapy in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) has not been well characterized. Here we analyzed pretherapy genomic and transcriptomic data in treatment-naive persons with mccRCC treated with standard-of-care immunotherapies: (1) combination of programmed cell death protein and ligand 1 (PD1/PDL1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibitors (IO/IO) or (2) combination of PD1/PDL1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitors (IO/VEGF). In the IO/IO cohort, clonal neoantigen load was significantly higher in persons with …

Community Outreach, Engagement, And Mentoring Program For Underrepresented Scholars In Cancer Health Disparities, Lorna H Mcneill, Cassandra L Harris, Terrence R Adams, Berta R Salazar, Crystal L Roberson, Leonetta B Thompson, Kamisha H Escoto, Kayce D Solari Williams, Shine Chang, Tzuan A Chen, Birnur Buzcu-Guven, Lorraine R Reitzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective:

Racial/ethnic minorities and women are affected by cancer and cancer risk factors at higher rates; however, they are largely underrepresented in scientific professions focused on health disparities. One way to reduce disparities is to increase diversity within the workforce by planning training activities for minority scholars, paying close attention to community outreach. This paper describes the outcomes of a robust community outreach plan engaging communities in education, research, and clinical trials to increase the number of underrepresented student scholars in cancer disparities research through research training, mentorship, and service-learning activities provided within local organizations.

Methods:

The program provided two …

Re: Prevalence Of Cancer Survivors In The United States, Shine Chang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Molecular Profiling Of Bladder Cancer Xenografts Defines Relevant Molecular Subtypes And Provides A Resource For Biomarker Discovery, Sharada Mokkapati, Ganiraju Manyam, Alexis R Steinmetz, Côme Tholomier, Alberto Martini, Woonyoung Choi, Bogdon Czerniak, Byron H Lee, Colin P Dinney, David J Mcconkey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bladder cancer (BLCA) genomic profiling has identified molecular subtypes with distinct clinical characteristics and variable sensitivities to frontline therapy. BLCAs can be categorized into luminal or basal subtypes based on their gene expression. We comprehensively characterized nine human BLCA cell lines (UC3, UC6, UC9, UC13, UC14, T24, SCaBER, RT4V6 and RT112) into molecular subtypes using orthotopic xenograft models. Patient-derived, luciferase-tagged BLCA cell lines were cultured in vitro and engrafted into bladders of NSG mice. Tumor growth was monitored using bioluminescence imaging and mRNA-based molecular classification was used to characterize xenografts into molecular subtypes. RNAseq analysis and basal, luminal, and epithelial-mesenchymal …

The Metabolic Basis Of Cancer-Related Fatigue, Robert Dantzer, Brandon Chelette, Elisabeth G Vichaya, A Phillip West, Aaron Grossberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although we are all familiar with the sensation of fatigue, there are still profound divergences on what it represents and its mechanisms. Fatigue can take various forms depending on the condition in which it develops. Cancer-related fatigue is considered a symptom of exhaustion that is often present at the time of diagnosis, increases in intensity during cancer therapy, and does not always recede after completion of treatment. It is usually attributed to the inflammation induced by damage-associated molecular patterns released by tumor cells during cancer progression and in response to its treatment. In this review, we argue that it is …

Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922 Suppresses Tumor Growth And Modulates Immune Response Through Yap1-Tead Pathway Inhibition In Gastric Cancer, Katsuhiro Yoshimura, Gengyi Zou, Yibo Fan, Kohei Yamashita, Lingzhi Wang, Jingjing Wu, Ruiping Wang, Shan Shao, Ailing W Scott, Jiankang Jin, Melissa Pool Pizzi, Xiaodan Yao, Calena-Abel Brown, Linghua Wang, Qiong Gan, Rebecca E Waters, Feng Yin, Shumei Song, Shilpa S Dhar, Jaffer A Ajani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a vital chaperone involved in the folding and stabilization of various cellular proteins, regulates key functions in many tumor cells. In the context of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), where HSP90's role remains largely unexplored, we aimed to investigate the significance of HSP90 inhibitor, AUY922, in regulating the YAP1/TEAD pathway and its association with the tumor immune microenvironment (TME). Our results showed that AUY922 effectively inhibited GAC aggressiveness in both the invitro and invivo models, induced apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest. Various functional assays elucidated that AUY922 potently inhibited the expression and interaction among YAP1/TEAD and HSP90, resulting …

Radiotherapy In The Treatment Of Primary Cutaneous Cd4+ Small/Medium T-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorder, Susan Y Wu, Ethan P Damron, Jie Xu, Penny Q Fang, Julia Dai, Ranjit Nair, Luis E Malpica Castillo, Luis E Fayad, Carlos A Torres-Cabala, L Jeffrey Medeiros, Francisco Vega, Roberto N Miranda, Madeleine Duvic, Chelsea C Pinnix, Bouthaina S Dabaja, Swaminathan P Iyer, Auris O Huen, Jillian R Gunther

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (PCSM-LPD) is an increasingly recognized entity with heterogeneous management strategies that may include radiotherapy.

Objective: Our aim was to characterize treatment options for PCSM-LPD, with a focus on the role of radiotherapy.

Methods: This is a retrospective review of 46 patients seen in the Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with a clinicopathologic review consistent with PCSM-LPD. All patients were biopsied and underwent observation, topical/intralesional steroids, and/or radiotherapy. Patients were confirmed to have residual disease prior to radiotherapy.

Results: All patients achieved a complete response (CR). …

Bills To Restrict Access To And Harm From Indoor Tanning Facilities In Us State Legislatures, 1992‒2023, David B Buller, Julia Berteletti, Carolyn Heckman, Kevin R J Schroth, Alan C Geller, Jerod L Stapleton, Irene Adjei, Anna Mitarotondo, Samantha R Guild, Jeffrey E Gershenwald, Robert Dellavalle, Sherry Pagoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives. To describe progression, content, and stringency of state legislation regulating indoor tanning and association with state government political party leadership.

Methods. Trained research assistants used legal mapping methods to code legislative bills on indoor tanning introduced in US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We calculated composite scores on the stringency of age restrictions and of warnings, operator requirements, and enforcement. We evaluated associations of the political party of the legislative sponsor and legislature majority.

Results. Between 1992 and 2023, 184 bills were introduced in 49 of 50 states and DC (56 laws were enacted, and 126 …

Healthcare Costs In The United States By Demographic Characteristics And Comorbidity Status, Naomi N Adjei, Allen Haas, Charlotte C Sun, Hui Zhao, Paul G Yeh, Sharon H Giordano, Iakovos Toumazis, Larissa A Meyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Current, real-world healthcare cost information is needed to project future expenditures and inform policy. We estimated the healthcare costs for adults in 2019 in the United States by age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and comorbidity.

Methods: We aggregated and summarized the healthcare costs in 2021 US dollars using claims data derived from Optum's deidentified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database, which includes inpatient, outpatient, and prescription claims for commercial and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries nationwide.

Results: A total of 9 227 901 adults were included in the analysis. The largest group represented was 71 to 75 years old (13%), female (53%), White …

Cost Of Ovarian Cancer By The Phase Of Care In The United States, Naomi N Adjei, Allen M Haas, Charlotte C Sun, Hui Zhao, Paul G Yeh, Sharon H Giordano, Iakovos Toumazis, Larissa A Meyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ovarian cancer is associated with delayed diagnosis and poor survival; thus, interest is high in identifying predictive and prognostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic agents. Although the costs of ovarian cancer care are likely to increase as newer, more effective, but more expensive treatment regimens become available, information on the current costs of care for ovarian cancer-across the care continuum from diagnosis to the end of life-are lacking.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate real-world mean and median costs of ovarian cancer care within the first 5 years after diagnosis by patients' phase of care, age, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. …

Adipose Tissue Deficiency Impairs Transient Lipid Accumulation And Delays Liver Regeneration Following Partial Hepatectomy In Male Seipin Knockout Mice, Qianqian Dong, Ziwei Liu, Yidan Ma, Xin Chen, Xiaowei Wang, Jinye Tang, Kexin Ma, Chenxi Liang, Mengyu Wang, Xiaoqin Wu, Yang Liu, Yaru Zhou, Hongyuan Yang, Mingming Gao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Liver diseases pose significant health challenges, underscoring the importance of understanding liver regeneration mechanisms. Systemic adipose tissue is thought to be a primary source of lipids and energy during this process; however, empirical data on the effects of adipose tissue deficiency are limited. This study investigates the role of adipose tissue in liver regeneration, focusing on transient regeneration-associated steatosis (TRAS) and hepatocyte proliferation using a Seipin knockout mouse model that mimics severe human lipodystrophy. Additionally, the study explores therapeutic strategies through adipose tissue transplantation.

Methods: Male Seipin knockout (Seipin-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice underwent 2/3 partial hepatectomy (PHx). Liver …

Psychiatric Manifestations Of Encephalitis, Paris Bean, Ashley Heck, Ralph Habis, Swathi Sowmitran, Zoe Cartaina, Rajesh Gupta, John Probasco, Rodrigo Hasbun, Arun Venkatesan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Encephalitis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition of infectious or autoimmune cause. We aim to characterize the frequency and clinical spectrum of presenting psychiatric symptoms in encephalitis in order to inform earlier recognition and initiation of treatment.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of adult patients who met the 2013 International Encephalitis Consortium (IEC) and/or 2016 Graus criteria between February 2005 and February 2023. The study included two hospital systems in Houston, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland and included a total of 642 patients. Psychiatric manifestations were grouped into five high-level categories: behavior, psychosis, mood, sleep disturbances, and catatonia. …

The Role Of Double-Zero-Event Studies In Evidence Synthesis: Evaluating Robustness Using The Fragility Index, Zelin Wang, Xing Xing, Eun-Young Mun, Chong Wu, Lifeng Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rationale: Zero-event counts are common in clinical studies, particularly when assessing rare adverse events. These occurrences can result from low event rates, short follow-up periods, and small sample sizes. When both intervention and control groups report zero events in a clinical trial, the study is referred to as a double-zero-event study, which presents methodological challenges for evidence synthesis. There has been ongoing debate about whether these studies should be excluded from evidence synthesis, as traditional two-stage meta-analysis methods may not estimate an effect size for them. Recent research suggests that these studies may still contain valuable clinical and statistical information. …

From Stable Teamwork To Dynamic Teaming In The Ambulatory Care Diagnostic Process, Scott I Tannenbaum, Eric J Thomas, Sigall K Bell, Eduardo Salas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dynamic teaming is required whenever people must coordinate with one another in a fluid context, particularly when the fundamental structures of a team, such as membership, priorities, tasks, modes of communication, and location are in near-constant flux. This is certainly the case in the contemporary ambulatory care diagnostic process, where circumstances and conditions require a shifting cast of individuals to coordinate dynamically to ensure patient safety. This article offers an updated perspective on dynamic teaming commonly required during the ambulatory diagnostic process. Drawing upon team science, it clarifies the characteristics of dynamic diagnostic teams, identifies common risk points in the …

Protein Arginine Methyltransferases As Regulators Of Cellular Stress, Julia Zaccarelli-Magalhães, Cristiane Teresinha Citadin, Julia Langman, Drew James Smith, Luiz Henrique Matuguma, Hung Wen Lin, Mariana Sayuri Berto Udo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Arginine modification can be a "switch" to regulate DNA transcription and a post-translational modification via methylation of a variety of cellular targets involved in signal transduction, gene transcription, DNA repair, and mRNA alterations. This consequently can turn downstream biological effectors "on" and "off". Arginine methylation is catalyzed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs 1-9) in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, and is thought to be involved in many disease processes. However, PRMTs have not been well-documented in the brain and their function as it relates to metabolism, circulation, functional learning and memory are understudied. In this review, we provide a comprehensive …