Medical Specialties Commons^™

Age-Related Decline In Blood-Brain Barrier Function Is More Pronounced In Males Than Females In Parietal And Temporal Regions, Xingfeng Shao, Qinyang Shou, Kimberly Felix, Brandon Ojogho, Xuejuan Jiang, Brian T Gold, Megan M Herting, Eric L Goldwaser, Peter Kochunov, Elliot Hong, Ioannis Pappas, Meredith Braskie, Hosung Kim, Steven Cen, Kay Jann, Danny J J Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a pivotal role in protecting the central nervous system (CNS), and shielding it from potential harmful entities. A natural decline of BBB function with aging has been reported in both animal and human studies, which may contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. Limited data also suggest that being female may be associated with protective effects on BBB function. Here, we investigated age and sex-dependent trajectories of perfusion and BBB water exchange rate (kw) across the lifespan in 186 cognitively normal participants spanning the ages of 8-92 years old, using a non-invasive diffusion-prepared pseudo-continuous arterial …

Nerve Injury Inhibits Oprd1 And Cnr1 Transcription Through Rest In Primary Sensory Neurons, Ashok Subedi, Asieh Etemad, Aadhya Tiwari, Yuying Huang, Biji Chatterjee, Samantha M Mcleod, Yungang Lu, Diangelo Gonzalez, Krishna Ghosh, Mario Sirito, Sanjay K Singh, Elisa Ruiz, Sandra L Grimm, Cristian Coarfa, Hui-Lin Pan, Sadhan Majumder

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The transcription repressor REST in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is upregulated by peripheral nerve injury and promotes the development of chronic pain. However, the genes targeted by REST in neuropathic pain development remain unclear. The expression levels of four opioid receptor genes (Oprm1, Oprd1, Oprl1 and Oprk1) and the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (Cnr1) gene in the DRG regulate nociception. In this study, we determined the role of REST in controlling their expression in the DRG induced by spared nerve injury (SNI). SNI induced chronic pain hypersensitivity in wild-type mice and was accompanied by increased levels of Rest transcript and …

Bridging The Gap: Addressing The Rural-Urban Imbalance In Health Care Through The Nhsc, Kelley Arredondo, Hilary N Touchett

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Data-Driven Cutoff Selection For The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Depression Screening Tool, Brooke Levis, Parash Mani Bhandari, Dipika Neupane, Suiqiong Fan, Ying Sun, Chen He, Yin Wu, Ankur Krishnan, Zelalem Negeri, Mahrukh Imran, Danielle B Rice, Kira E Riehm, Marleine Azar, Alexander W Levis, Jill Boruff, Pim Cuijpers, Simon Gilbody, John P A Ioannidis, Lorie A Kloda, Scott B Patten, Roy C Ziegelstein, Daphna Harel, Yemisi Takwoingi, Sarah Markham, Sultan H Alamri, Dagmar Amtmann, Bruce Arroll, Liat Ayalon, Hamid R Baradaran, Anna Beraldi, Charles N Bernstein, Arvin Bhana, Charles H Bombardier, Ryna Imma Buji, Peter Butterworth, Gregory Carter, Marcos H Chagas, Juliana C N Chan, Lai Fong Chan, Dixon Chibanda, Kerrie Clover, Aaron Conway, Yeates Conwell, Federico M Daray, Janneke M De Man-Van Ginkel, Jesse R Fann, Felix H Fischer, Sally Field, Jane R W Fisher, Daniel S S Fung, Bizu Gelaye, Leila Gholizadeh, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Eric P Green, Catherine G Greeno, Brian J Hall, Liisa Hantsoo, Martin Härter, Leanne Hides, Stevan E Hobfoll, Simone Honikman, Thomas Hyphantis, Masatoshi Inagaki, Maria Iglesias-Gonzalez, Hong Jin Jeon, Nathalie Jetté, Mohammad E Khamseh, Kim M Kiely, Brandon A Kohrt, Yunxin Kwan, Maria Asunción Lara, Holly F Levin-Aspenson, Shen-Ing Liu, Manote Lotrakul, Sonia R Loureiro, Bernd Löwe, Nagendra P Luitel, Crick Lund, Ruth Ann Marrie, Laura Marsh, Brian P Marx, Anthony Mcguire, Sherina Mohd Sidik, Tiago N Munhoz, Kumiko Muramatsu, Juliet E M Nakku, Laura Navarrete, Flávia L Osório, Brian W Pence, Philippe Persoons, Inge Petersen, Angelo Picardi, Stephanie L Pugh, Terence J Quinn, Elmars Rancans, Sujit D Rathod, Katrin Reuter, Alasdair G Rooney, Iná S Santos, Miranda T Schram, Juwita Shaaban, Eileen H Shinn, Abbey Sidebottom, Adam Simning, Lena Spangenberg, Lesley Stafford, Sharon C Sung, Keiko Suzuki, Pei Lin Lynnette Tan, Martin Taylor-Rowan, Thach D Tran, Alyna Turner, Christina M Van Der Feltz-Cornelis, Thandi Van Heyningen, Paul A Vöhringer, Lynne I Wagner, Jian Li Wang, David Watson, Jennifer White, Mary A Whooley, Kirsty Winkley, Karen Wynter, Mitsuhiko Yamada, Qing Zhi Zeng, Yuying Zhang, Brett D Thombs, Andrea Benedetti, Depression Screening Data (Depressd) Phq Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Test accuracy studies often use small datasets to simultaneously select an optimal cutoff score that maximizes test accuracy and generate accuracy estimates.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree to which using data-driven methods to simultaneously select an optimal Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) cutoff score and estimate accuracy yields (1) optimal cutoff scores that differ from the population-level optimal cutoff score and (2) biased accuracy estimates.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study used cross-sectional data from an existing individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) database on PHQ-9 screening accuracy to represent a hypothetical population. Studies in the IPDMA database compared participant PHQ-9 …

Obesity And Outcomes In Adoptive Cellular Therapy In Solid Tumors, Derrick L Tao, Mirella Nardo, Cheuk Hong Leung, Heather Y Lin, Lei Kang, Hung Le, Ecaterina E Dumbrava, David S Hong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This cohort study investigates the association of obesity with adoptive cell therapy outcomes in patients with solid tumors.

Patient-Reported Convenience And Effectiveness Of Telehealth For Breast Cancer Management, Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Kristofer Jennings, Gil Guerra, Debu Tripathy, Meghan S Karuturi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth was rarely used for breast cancer management at tertiary care centers. We sought to examine patient satisfaction, experiences, preferences, and perceived effectiveness and technical quality of telehealth visits in follow-up patients receiving routine outpatient care in the breast medical oncology practice at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Methods: We administered a survey to 60 follow-up patients for a duration of 9 months (January 5, 2021 to October 27, 2021) who had at least one telehealth consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 10, 2020 to October 21, 2021. …

Fc-Enhanced Anti-Ctla-4, Anti-Pd-1, Doxorubicin, And Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening: A Novel Combinatorial Immunotherapy Regimen For Gliomas, Kwang-Soo Kim, Karl Habashy, Andrew Gould, Junfei Zhao, Hinda Najem, Christina Amidei, Ruth Saganty, Víctor A Arrieta, Crismita Dmello, Li Chen, Daniel Y Zhang, Brandyn Castro, Leah Billingham, Daniel Levey, Olivia Huber, Marilyn Marques, David A Savitsky, Benjamin M Morin, Miguel Muzzio, Michael Canney, Craig Horbinski, Peng Zhang, Jason Miska, Surya Padney, Bin Zhang, Raul Rabadan, Joanna J Phillips, Nicholas Butowski, Amy B Heimberger, Jian Hu, Roger Stupp, Dhan Chand, Catalina Lee-Chang, Adam M Sonabend

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain cancer that is resistant to conventional immunotherapy strategies. Botensilimab, an Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4 antibody (FcE-aCTLA-4), has shown durable activity in "cold" and immunotherapy-refractory cancers.

Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and immune microenvironment phenotype of a mouse analogue of FcE-aCTLA-4 in treatment-refractory preclinical models of glioblastoma, both as a monotherapy and in combination with doxorubicin delivered via low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and microbubbles (LIPU/MB). Additionally, we studied 4 glioblastoma patients treated with doxorubicin, anti-PD-1 with concomitant LIPU/MB to investigate the novel effect of doxorubicin modulating FcγR expressions in tumor-associated macrophages/microglia (TAMs).

Results: FcE-aCTLA-4 demonstrated high-affinity binding …

Thrombosis, Brain Metastasis Formation, And The Perivascular Metastatic Niche-Novel Insights From The Tumor Microvascular Circulation, Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge, Priscilla K Brastianos, Daniel P Cahill

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Emerging Field Of Viroimmunotherapy For Pediatric Brain Tumors, Marc Garcia-Moure, Virginia Laspidea, Sumit Gupta, Andrew G Gillard, Soumen Khatua, Akhila Parthasarathy, Jiasen He, Frederick F Lang, Juan Fueyo, Marta M Alonso, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Even to date, with the advances in multimodality therapeutic management, survival outcomes remain dismal in some types of tumors, such as pediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas or central nervous system embryonal tumors. Failure to understand the complex molecular heterogeneity and the elusive tumor and microenvironment interplay continues to undermine therapeutic efficacy. Developing a strategy that would improve survival for these fatal tumors remains unmet in pediatric neuro-oncology. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging as a feasible, safe, and promising therapy for brain tumors. The new paradigm in virotherapy implies that the …

Laparoscopic Cytoreduction After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Lance Randomized Clinical Trial, J Alejandro Rauh-Hain, Alexander Melamed, René Pareja, Taymaa May, Abdulrahman Sinno, Leah Mcnally, Neil S Horowitz, Pierandrea De Iaco, Chad M Michener, Luc Van Lonkhuijzen, Maria D Iniesta, Ying Yuan, Pedro T Ramirez, Anna Fagotti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Despite the absence of high-quality evidence of its safety and effectiveness, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is increasingly used to treat advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Objective: To assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized clinical trial (RCT) designed to compare the efficacy of MIS vs laparotomy in patients with advanced-stage EOC and a complete or partial response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Design, setting, and participants: This lead-in pilot phase of LANCE (Laparoscopic Cytoreduction After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy), an international, open-label, noninferiority RCT, opened to enrollment in September 2020 and enrolled the 100th eligible patient in February 2023. It was …

A 32-Year-Old Male With Corneal Hydrops, Justin Anderson, Ryan Grinnell, Kristina Domanski, Jamie Baydoun

School of Medicine Faculty Research

A 32-year-old male with a history of left eye keratoconus presented to the emergency department with left eye pain and blurry vision for two days. Out of concern for corneal hydrops, ophthalmology was consulted, and the diagnosis was confirmed. Per ophthalmology recommendations, the patient was started on hypertonic saline and prednisolone eye drops and referred to a corneal specialist.

An Atypical Case Of Herpes Simplex 1 Meningitis, Nadim Ojaimi, Sofia Zhang, Marcos Wolff, Christopher James Haas

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is well known to cause Central Nervous System (CNS) infections, ranging from more common HSV-2 viral meningitis to the more rare and severe HSV-1 encephalitis. Here we present an atypical case of aseptic meningitis due to HSV-1. Intriguingly, despite the potential severity of HSV-1 infections, the patient had an uncomplicated course with only mild symptoms that resolved with conservative management alone. This case report aims to provide a frame of reference for the non-specific presentation of a patient with uncommon HSV-1 meningitis.

Sevelamer-Induced Gastrointestinal Mucosal Injury: A Critical Review For Clinicians, Lefika Bathobakae, Phenyo Phuu, Saif Yasin, Rammy Bashir, Jessica Escobar, Ruhin Yuridullah, Gabriel Melki, Mohamed Elagami, Yana Cavanagh, Walid Baddoura

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Sevelamer is a non-absorbable polymer used to treat hyperphosphatemia in individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis. The deposition of sevelamer crystals in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, especially in the colon, can cause mucosal inflammation, pseudopolyps, ulceration, ischemia, or necrosis. Owing to its rarity and lack of physician awareness, the actual incidence and prevalence of sevelamer-induced gastrointestinal mucosal injury (SIGMI) remain unknown. The current evidence is retrospective, in the form of observational studies. This systematic review of case reports provides an overview of SIGMI, with a focus on its etiology, signs and symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. Electronic databases, …

Tak1 Blockade Plus Azacitidine Induces Apoptosis, Augments Cytarabine, And Ablates Clonogenicity In Mll-Af9+ Human Aml Cell Lines, Austin P. Runde, Cameron Lewis, Peter Breslin Sj, Jiwang Zhang

School of Medicine

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) encompasses a diverse group of cancers that originate in the blood-forming tissues of the bone marrow [1]. Aside from the PML-RARA⁺ subtype, AML carries a 5-year survival rate of 28% for patients 20+ years of age. AML is the most common cancer of the hematopoietic system and is slightly more common in biological males; the average age at diagnosis is 68 years. Standard frontline treatment for AML is a two-phase regimen of intensive chemotherapy (CTx) employing daunorubicin and cytarabine; etoposide may also be added in select regimens. Despite 60-70% of patients achieving complete remission (CR), …

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy And Clinical Associations With Renal And Hematological Toxicities And Survival In Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors: An Analysis From Two U.S. Medical Centers, Tao Xu, Joseph S. Dillon, Mary A. Maluccio, Dawn E. Quelle, Sarah H. Nash, Hyunkeun Cho, Kristen E. Limbach, Nicholas J. Skill, Yvette Bren-Mattison, Michael A. O’Rorke

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: Renal and hematological toxicity are side effects and dose-limiting factors of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT). We aimed to assess the changes in renal and hematological function and associations with survival in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients treated with PRRT. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 448 NET patients treated with either 177Lu-DOTATATE or 90Y-DOTATOC were followed for changes of renal and hematological function. Renal function was assessed by monitoring changes in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Hematological function was determined by examining changes in white blood cell counts (WBC), platelet counts, and hemoglobin levels over …

Using Patient-Reported Experiences To Inform The Use Of Foam Dressings For Hard-To-Heal Wounds: Perspectives From A Wound Care Expert Panel, Kevin Woo, Nick Santamaria, Dimitri Beeckman, Paulo Alves, Breda Cullen, Amit Gefen, José Luis Lázaro-Martínez, Hadar Lev-Tov, Bijan Najafi, Andrew Sharpe, Terry Swanson

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Caring for patients with hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds requires a multifaceted approach that addresses their diverse needs, which can contribute to the complexity of care. Wound care providers must have a comprehensive understanding of the patient's comorbid conditions and psychosocial issues to provide personalised and effective treatment. Key quality indicators for effective wound care involves not only selecting appropriate local wound care products, such as foam dressings, but also addressing individual patient experiences of wound-related pain, odour, itch, excessive wound drainage, and self-care needs. The purpose of this review is to inculcate the wound care practice community, research scientists and healthcare …

Protein Consumption And Risk Of Cvd Among Us Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis (Mesa), Ji Yun Tark, Ruosha Li, Bing Yu, Alexis C Wood, Nikhil S Padhye, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Although some randomized trials have reported beneficial effects of protein intake on cardiometabolic risk factors, evidence from prospective studies have not supported a strong link between protein intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It is also unclear whether diversity in protein intake plays a role in CVD risk.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated prospective associations of (1) protein intake, overall and by food source and (2) diversity of protein sources with risk of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke.

METHODS: In a multi-ethnic cohort of 5879 U.S. adults (45-84 years), who were free of CVD at baseline, protein intake was …

Musical Hallucinations In An Elderly Female With Hearing Loss, Jacqueline Cavendish, Lynne J. Goebel

Internal Medicine

Musical hallucinations (MH) are rare auditory phenomena in which patients perceive music without a known source. Risk factors for MH include hearing loss, older age, female gender, epilepsy, and certain medications. This case report details the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of an 82-year-old woman who developed MH following the onset of hearing loss. Despite treatment attempts with gabapentin, quetiapine, and donepezil, the symptoms persisted, demonstrating the difficulty in treating this condition.

Psychosis And Personality Changes Following Traumatic Brain Injury, David Hanna, Sonya Priven, Nathan Carroll, Heba Ekladios, Adriana Fitzsimmons

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Psychotic disorders following traumatic brain injury (TBI) are a significant concern in psychiatry, with chronic sequelae often overlooked. The pathophysiology of post-TBI psychosis involves neuroplasticity and neuronal remodeling, potentially exacerbating vulnerabilities to chronic psychotic disorders. Differentiating post-TBI psychosis from primary schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions is crucial for appropriate treatment. This case report discusses a 63-year-old male with a history of TBI from a gunshot wound sustained in adolescence, who later developed schizophrenia. The report explores the patient's psychiatric symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, personality changes, and imaging findings. The report examined the complex relationship between TBI and psychotic symptoms, considering genetic, …

Assessing Radiology And Radiation Therapy Needs For Cancer Care In Low-And-Middle-Income Countries: Insight From A Global Survey Of Departmental And Institutional Leaders., Stephanie A Parker, Joseph Weygand, Beata Gontova Bernat, Amanda M Jackson, Osama Mawlawi, Izabella Barreto, Yao Hao, Rao Khan, Afua A Yorke, William Swanson, Mohammed Saiful Huq, Eugene Lief, Cesar Della Biancia, Christopher F Njeh, Ahmad Al-Basheer, Oi Wai Chau, Stephen Avery, Wilfred Ngwa, Peter A Sandwall

Oncology Articles

PURPOSE: The global cancer burden and mortality rates are increasing, with significant disparities in access to care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to identify radiology and radiation therapy needs in LMICs from the perspective of departmental and institutional leaders.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: A survey was developed and conducted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Global Needs Assessment Committee and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine International Council. The survey, organized into 5 sections (Introduction, Infrastructure Needs, Education Needs, Research Needs, and General Information), was open to respondents from March 1, to August 16, …

Impact Of Pathologist-Directed Comprehensive Genomic Profiling In Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer In A Large Healthcare System, R Meng, Carlo Bifulco, Brian Piening, See Full List Of Authors In Comments

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Impact Of State Abortion Policies On Family Medicine Practice And Training After Dobbs V Jackson Women’S Health Organization, Karen L. Roper, Sarah Jane Robbins, Philip Day, Grace Shih, Neelima Kale

UK CARES Faculty Publications

PURPOSE The Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs) Supreme Court decision revoked the constitutional right to abortion. Now, restrictive state abortion laws may con- tribute to the shortage and strain already felt in primary care practice, especially related to the provision of reproductive health care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate perceived impacts of state abortion legislation on family medicine clinicians’ practice and medical edu- cation regarding reproductive health care.

METHODS Ten questions were added to the 2022 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance general membership survey to evaluate impact on relevant themes in reproductive …

Enlarged Perivascular Space Burden Predicts Declines In Cognitive And Functional Performance, Timothy Justin Libecap, Colleen A. Pappas, Christopher E. Bauer, Valentinos Zachariou, Flavius D. Raslau, Brian T. Gold

Neurology Faculty Publications

Introduction: We evaluated the relationship between baseline enlarged perivascular space (ePVS) burden and later cognitive decline.

Methods: 83 community-dwelling, older adults (aged 56–86) completed three annual cognitive assessments that included the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®) Dementia Staging Instrument Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and composite measures of executive function and episodic memory. An MRI scan at baseline was used to count ePVS in the basal ganglia and centrum semiovale. Mixed effects models were run with ePVS as the predictor variable and cognitive measures as the dependent variable. Covariates included age, sex, education, cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) risk factors, and cSVD …

Clostridium Septicum: Cause Of Gas Gangrene In The Upper Extremity Leading To Proximal Trans-Humeral Amputation, A Review Of Clostridium Septicum., Mark Lagreca, Denise Chen, Patrick Frick, Genoveffa Morway, Austin Egger, Julia Mayberry

Orthopedic Surgery Resident Research

INTRODUCTION: Gas gangrene is a rare, often lethal infection of soft tissue that is commonly associated with the Clostridial species due to penetrating injuries. Case reports of spontaneous atraumatic gas gangrene due to the Clostridium septicum species are exceedingly rare. Atraumatic C. septicum is notably related to bowel pathologies, immunodeficiencies, and individuals with vascular insufficiency. The rapid progression of Clostridium myonecrosis contributes to its high mortality rates.

CASE REPORT: The authors report a case of a 71-year-old right-hand-dominant female who developed fulminant atraumatic left forearm pain and swelling. The patient was indicated for emergent irrigation and debridement (I&D) of the …

Genomic Landscape Of Fusions In Solid Tumors Detected By Dna And Rna Comprehensive Genomic Profiling At A Large Community Health System, A Dowdell, Carlo Bifulco, Brian Piening, See Full List Of Authors In Comments

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Auricular Acupressure In Managing Sleep Quality, Mood, And Quality Of Life In Parents Of Children With Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Yi-Chien Chiang, Shih-Hsiang Chen, Debra K. Moser, Yu-Chuan Wen, Yu-Ting Ling, Ya-Chu Hsiao

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Objective: This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an auricular acupressure intervention on sleep quality, mood state, and quality of life (QOL) among parents of children with cancer.

Methods: Thirty-five parents were assigned to three-weeks intervention in an active auricular acupressure group (AAG) or a sham auricular acupressure group (SAG). Feasibility was assessed by adherence to the acupressure protocol. Outcomes were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for sleep quality, the Profile of Mood States for mood, and the QOL short form for QOL. The data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations to identify changes …

A Time-Stratified, Case–Crossover Study Of Heat Exposure And Perinatal Mortality From 16 Hospitals In Sub-Saharan Africa, Claudia Hanson, Jeroen De Bont, Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, Maria Del Rosario Alsina, Federica Nobile, Nathalie Roos, Peter Waiswa, Andrea Pembe, Jean-Paul Dossou, Claudia Hanson, Hussein Kidanto

Brain and Mind Institute

Growing evidence suggests that extreme heat events affect both pregnant women and their infants, but few studies are available from sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from 138,015 singleton births in 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, we investigated the association between extreme heat and early perinatal deaths, including antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths, and deaths within 24 h after birth using a time-stratified case–crossover design. We observed an association between an increase from the 75th to the 99th percentile in mean temperature 1 week (lag 0–6 d) before childbirth and perinatal mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 1.34 (95% confidence interval …

Act With Cf: A Randomized Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Vs Supportive Psychotherapy For Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, C. Virginia O'Hayer, Patrick J. Smith, Christopher F. Drescher, Heather Bruschwein, Chelsi N. Nurse, Hallie M. Kushner, Krista Ingle, Michael J. Stephen, Jeffrey B. Hoag

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, is common among adults with CF, associating with poor quality of life, lung function, and healthcare utilization. This 3-year, multi-site, telehealth-delivered randomized trial sought to determine whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT with CF) is superior to supportive psychotherapy (SP), in improving psychological functioning for adults with CF.

METHODS: One hundred twenty-four adults with CF and elevated anxiety and/or depressive symptoms were recruited coincident with the first COVID lockdown, from Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, University of Virginia, Augusta University, Duke University Medical Center, and social media. Participants were randomized to 6 weeks of …

Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions Of Hypnotherapy In Cancer Care: Development And Validation Of A Survey, Malwina Szmaglinska, Lesley Andrew, Deborah Kirk, Debbie Massey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and purpose: Hypnotherapy has shown promise in cancer care for alleviating pain, managing nausea, reducing anxiety and fatigue, and improving overall quality of life. Despite its potential benefits, there remains a significant gap between evidence and clinical practice. One way to bridge this gap is to assess healthcare professionals' perceptions and address them accordingly. While survey tools assessing perceptions in healthcare exist, they often are outdated, lack contemporary focus and specificity to complementary therapies like hypnotherapy, particularly in the context of cancer care. This study aimed to develop, psychometrically evaluate, and pilot a survey designed to assess Australian healthcare …

The Emerging Role Of Long Noncoding Rnas In Sorafenib Resistance Within Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Puneet Vij, Mohammad Shabir Hussain, Sanjaya Satapathy, Everardo Cobos, Manish Kumar Tripathi

School of Medicine Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer originating from hepatocytes, is a major health concern and among the most common malignancies worldwide. Sorafenib, approved by the U.S. F.D.A., is the primary first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. While the preferred first-line systemic regimen for HCC is immunotherapy with Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or Tremelimumab-actl + durvalumab, Sorafenib is still an alternative recommended regimen. While some patients with advanced HCC may benefit from Sorafenib treatment, most eventually develop resistance, leading to poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play a critical role in tumorigenesis and the development of HCC, …