Medical Specialties Commons^™

Mif-Cd74 Signaling Drives Immune Modulation In Medulloblastoma, Benjamin Draper, Zhen You, Dean Thompson, Xu Guo, Alaide Morcavallo, Diego Chillon Pino, Carlos Lorenzo Gido Nery, Sumana Shrestha, Chantelle E Bowers, Courtney Himsworth, Alberto Delaidelli, Bethany Remeniuk, Sonia Morlando, Brandon Wade, Freya Gordon, Yara Sanchez-Corrales, Bei Hopkins, Natalie Monteiro, Darren Locke, Miao Liu, Jacob Torrejon Diaz, Kevin Greenslade, Barbara Martins Da Costa, Karen Barker, Colin Kwok, Olumide Ogunbiyi, Anya Fletcher, Stacey Richardson, Carlos Custodia, Rafael Roque, Thomas Jackson, Regan Barfoot, Sergi Castellano, Rebecca M Hill, Olivier Saulnier, Thomas S Jacques, Michael D Taylor, Claudia C Faria, Olivier Ayrault, Poul H Sorensen, John Anderson, Louis Chesler, L Frank Huang, Steven C Clifford, Laura K Donovan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Relapsed medulloblastoma remains a significant therapeutic challenge as it is near universally fatal. The tumor microenvironment of medulloblastoma plays a critical role in tumor progression, influencing tumor growth, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance. We hypothesized that defining tumor-immune interactions in diagnostic and relapsed medulloblastoma may uncover mechanisms of immune evasion and identify novel therapeutic targets.

Methods: We analyzed paired primary and recurrent RNA-sequencing data from 140 medulloblastoma patients to profile immune cell composition and validate spatial relationships within the TME. To identify key tumor-immune interactions, we developed a novel algorithm to detect receptor-ligand pairs using single-cell RNA-sequencing data. These …

Qualitative Beta-2-Adrenoceptor Signaling In The Regulation Of Human Airway Epithelia Mucin And Cytokine Production, Fred Graumuller, Diana Cervantes, Tung O. Chan, Niccolette Schaunaman, Dominic R. Villalba, Burton F. Dickey, Julia K. L. Walker, Hong Wei Chu, Raymond B. Penn

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Numerous in vivo studies have demonstrated beta-2-adrenoceptor (β2AR) -agonism as permissive in the development of allergic lung inflammation, and have implicated the arrestin-dependent signaling arm of the β2AR in mediating this effect. However, the specific cell type(s) mediating β2AR regulation of allergic lung inflammation remain unestablished.

METHODS: To explore the potential contribution of airway epithelia in this phenomenon, we compared the ability of ractopamine (RP), recently identified as a Gs-biased beta-agonist, to that of the unbiased/balanced beta-agonist albuterol (ALB), on IL-13-stimulated mucin and cytokine production in human airway epithelia cultures in air-liquid interface (HAE).

RESULTS: ALB, which activates both …

Natural Maternal Immunity Protects Neonates From Escherichia Coli Sepsis., Raymond E. Diep, Ujjwal Adhikari, Kubra Gokce Tezel, Giang Pham, Allison R. Burrell, Mary A. Staat, Nguyen Thi Khanh Nhu, Minh-Duy Phan, Kate M. Peters, Mark A. Schembri, Scott H. Saunders, David B. Haslam, John J. Erickson, Susana Chavez-Bueno, Sing Sing Way

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis, with infection occurring in approximately one in every 1,000 live births. However, with E. coli colonization beginning soon after birth and defects in neonatal host defence maturation, an alternative consideration is why infection does not occur even more frequently. Here we show that newborn babies with E. coli sepsis have selectively reduced vertically transferred natural antibodies that recognize E. coli, mechanistically explaining their susceptibility to infection. Complementary preclinical studies show that preconceptual intestinal colonization with probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) primes anti-E. coli immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies with broad cross-reactivity …

Regional Variation Of Underlying Kidney Diseases In Children Undergoing Chronic Kidney Replacement Therapy Around The Globe., Dagmara Borzych-Dużałka, Marjolein Bonthuis, Uma Ali, Yok-Chin Yap, Michael Manno, Yihui Zhai, Reyner Loza, Seema Hashmi, Naye Choi, Kenza Soulami, Judith Exantus, Mohamed S. Al Riyami, Sameh Mabrouk, Marbella Ma Angeles, Cristina Zelaya-Camacho, Henny Adriani Puspitasari, Syed Saimul Huque, Francisco Cano, Kar Hui Ng, Sevcan A. Bakkaloğlu, Jerome Harambat, Kitty J. Jager, Bradley A. Warady, Franz Schaefer

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of information regarding the distribution of the diseases leading to kidney failure (KF) in children living in the emerging world. We used registry data to provide a global overview of the underlying disease spectrum in children commencing kidney replacement therapy (KRT).

METHODS: We analyzed KF causes among 23,620 children and adolescents commencing maintenance KRT in 80 countries, using data from the IPNA Global KRT Registry (including ESPN/ERA Registry), the International Pediatric Dialysis Network (IPDN), the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), and the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA). The analysis considered …

Ai-Powered Insights In Pediatric Nephrology: Current Applications And Future Opportunities., Arwa Nada, Yamen Ahmed, Jieji Hu, Darcy K. Weidemann, Gregory H. Gorman, Eva Glenn Lecea, Ibrahim A. Sandokji, Stephen Cha, Stella Shin, Salar Bani-Hani, Sai Sudha Mannemuddhu, Rebecca L. Ruebner, Aadil Kakajiwala, Rupesh Raina, Roshan George, Rim Elchaki, Michael L. Moritz, The American Society Of Pediatric Nephrology Quality Improvement And Artificial Intelligence (Aspn Qi/Ai) Interest Group

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative force in pediatric nephrology, enabling improvements in diagnostic accuracy, therapeutic precision, and operational workflows. By integrating diverse datasets-including patient histories, genomics, imaging, and longitudinal clinical records-AI-driven tools can detect subtle kidney anomalies, predict acute kidney injury, and forecast disease progression. Deep learning models, for instance, have demonstrated the potential to enhance ultrasound interpretations, refine kidney biopsy assessments, and streamline pathology evaluations. Coupled with robust decision support systems, these innovations also optimize medication dosing and dialysis regimens, ultimately improving patient outcomes. AI-powered chatbots hold promise for improving patient engagement and adherence, while …

Accelerated Weaning Of Opioids To Reduce Pharmacologic Exposure For Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Abbot R. Laptook, Adam Czynski, Rouba Chahine, Rachel G. Greenberg, P Brian Smith, Erica Oliveira, Jenna Gabrio, Barry Eggleston, Abhik Das, Jeannette Lee, Barry Lester, Dave Clark, Michele Walsh, Helen Ko, Clare Campbell Asher, Hayley Friedman, Samuel Gentle, Karishma Rao, Anup Katheria, Kristen Benninger, Sanket Jani, Mark Cody Smith, Akram Khan, Ajay Talati, Shaina Lodhi, Fernando Mena, Amanda England, Prabhu Parimi, Ranjit Kylat, Heidi Harmon, Javed Mannan, Meghan P. Howell, Tanner Wright, Jessica Snowden, Act Now Collaborative

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To determine if newborns receiving morphine or methadone as the primary pharmacologic treatment for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) tolerate and receive fewer days of opioid using an accelerated wean protocol (15% decrements) compared with using a slower wean protocol (10% decrements).

STUDY DESIGN: Newborns ≥36 weeks of gestation receiving morphine or methadone for NOWS were enrolled in a pragmatic blinded, randomized multicenter trial. Newborns underwent protocol-driven weaning with decreasing opioid doses of either 15% or 10% decrements. Weaning was encouraged every 24 hours, and if signs of NOWS worsened, the preceding dose was resumed. To maintain blinding, the …

Promises, Pitfalls, And Paths Forward For The Pediatric Research Equity Act., Alexa L. Pagano, Danielle J. Green, Jennifer Goldman, Anjali Deshmukh

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

IMPORTANCE: Since its enactment in 2003, the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) has significantly increased the number of pediatric drug studies performed and expanded pediatric drug labeling. Despite these advancements, many drugs used in children still lack pediatric-specific US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling, even when pediatric studies are required by law. Recent legislative changes strengthened the FDA's enforcement authority over PREA. As these changes are implemented, persistent gaps in pediatric drug development warrant examination. Addressing these gaps may help ensure that children are systematically included in clinical research and that medications used in children are supported by rigorous …

A Multi-Institutional Epid-Based 3d Dose Reconstruction Model In A Virtual Phantom For Standardized Patient Qa, Benchmarking And Auditing For Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Benjamin Zwan, Emily Searle, Cameron Stanton, Ching-Ling Teng, Seng Boh Lim, Andrew Dipuglia, Richard Popple, Michael Lovelock, Ashley Cullen, Conor K Mcgarry, Victoria Robinson, Sergei Zavgorodni, Baozhou Sun, Xiaodong Zhao, Matthew Schmidt, Juan-Francisco Calvo-Ortega, Gemma Warner, Andrew Cousins, Michael Barnes, Peter Greer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and purpose: For single-isocentre multi-target (SIMT) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), benchmarking, auditing and inter-institutional standardisation of dose verification remain challenging as they require specialized equipment and expertise. This work aims to develop and validate an electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based technique to determine 3D dose in a virtual spherical phantom which is applicable across institutions for SIMT SRS dose verification.

Materials and methods: Small-field output factors from 11 international centres were measured in-water for the TrueBeam linear accelerator, including jaw-defined and high-definition multi-leaf collimator (MLC) fields from 0.5 × 0.5 to 20 × 20 cm2 and depths from 1.5-20 cm. …

Risk Factors For The Development Of Food Allergy In Infants And Children: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nazmul Islam, Alexandro W L Chu, Falana Sheriff, Farid Foroutan, Gordon H Guyatt, Romina Brignardello-Petersen, Paul Oykhman, Alfonso Iorio, Ariel Izcovich, Katherine M Morrison, Yetiani Roldan Benitez, Rachel J Couban, Dorota Borovsky, Yiming Zhang, Leonardo Ologundudu, Keerthana Pasumarthi, Syed Fahad Farooq, Kyle Tong, Wang-Choi Tang, Haseeb Faisal, Muhammad Faran Khalid, Mohammad Saad Asif, Shannon French, Susan Waserman, R Sharon Chinthrajah, Hugh A Sampson, S Shahzad Mustafa, Jay A Lieberman, Kirsi M Järvinen, Sally Bailey, Philippe Bégin, Scott H Sicherer, Jennifer Gerdts, Melanie Carver, Lynda Mitchell, Kelly Cleary, Matthew J Greenhawt, Julie Wang, Aikaterini Anagnostou, Marcus S Shaker, Anita Chandra-Puri, Patricia C Fulkerson, Robert A Wood, Derek K Chu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: The incidence and risk (predictive) factors for early life food allergy development remain uncertain.

Objective: To estimate the incidence and quantify risk factors for food allergy development.

Data sources: MEDLINE and Embase were systematically searched to January 1, 2025. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2025, to November 25, 2025.

Study selection: Incidence estimates included studies confirming food allergy via food challenge. Risk factor analyses included cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies in any language assessing children younger than 6 years using multivariable analyses.

Data extraction and synthesis: Paired reviewers independently extracted data. Random-effects meta-analyses pooled incidence and adjusted odds …

Plasma Proteins Associated With Psychosocial Factors And Heart Disease: The Jackson Heart Study, Sara N O'Brien, Madeline G Gillman, Michael D Green, Daniel E Cruz, James S Floyd, Susan Hankinson, Daniel H Katz, Xiaojuan Liu, Michelle C Odden, Bruce M Psaty, Alexander P Reiner, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Robert E Gerszten, Amil Shah, Mario Sims, Usman A Tahir, Lesley F Tinker, Alexis C Wood, Bing Yu, Anthony S Zannas, Laura M Raffield, Láshauntá M Glover

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Knowledge of proteomic mechanisms explaining the link between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease is limited. This study aimed to (1) identify plasma proteins associated with psychosocial factors and (2) assess associational pathways between psychosocial factors, identified proteins, and incident cardiovascular disease events in a discovery cohort, JHS (Jackson Heart Study), and 2 replication cohorts, the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study), and the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Methods: JHS participants from exam 1 (2000-2004) with SomaScan 1.3k platform proteomics data were included (n=2143, mean age=55.3). Depressive symptoms and perceived stress scores were measured via the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Finds That Psychological Well-Being Predicts All-Cause Mortality Independently Of Psychological Ill-Being., Max Genecov, David Yeager

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Does psychological well-being (e.g. life satisfaction, happiness, meaning in life) predict the length of a person’s life, or are measures of well-being simply assessing the absence of ill-being (depression, loneliness, sadness) and are therefore redundant with ill-being measures? Individual studies have examined this question by measuring and controlling for both well-being and ill-being, but inconsistent findings have been reported. METHODS: A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis was conducted on the literature of prospective longitudinal studies linking all-cause mortality to well-being. Studies that controlled for ill-being were compared to studies that did not control for ill-being to identify the unique …

High Concordance Of Physician-Attestation With Manual Data Abstraction For Sickle Cell Type: An Ash Rc Data Hub Study, Alexis Thompson, Ashima Singh, Donna Neuberg, Amanda Brandow, Allison King, Sophie Lanzkron, Emily Semmel, Sam Walters, Susan Rogers, Kathleen Torres, William Wood

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States. The American Society of Hematology Research Collaborative (ASH RC) has built an SCD Data Hub (DH) to facilitate research and quality improvement using real-world data. To our knowledge, we report here the first analyses from the DH, focusing on cohort demographics and accurate identification of SCD diagnosis type. DH sites have data use agreements with ASH RC to extract and transfer electronic health record (EHR) data at least quarterly. Principal investigators (PI) provided additional attestation of SCD diagnosis based on existing local data sources deemed …

High-Precision Automated Bone Age: A Clinically Useful Tool In Monitoring Of Treatment Effects In Children And Adolescents, Hans Henrik Thodberg, Lise Aksglaede, Anders Juul, Shanlee M. Davis, Judith L. Ross

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

The clinical value of serial bone age (BA) determinations in children during growth is limited by the manual rater variability (precision 0.63 years). The objective of this work was to determine the precision of automated bone age and bone health index (BHI) measurements by BoneXpert and to establish the time interval at which the automated method can detect a significant treatment effect. The data were from a case-control trial (oxandrolone/placebo) following 90 boys with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) with five visits over 2 years, recording X-rays of both hands. The precision of BA was 0.08 years [0.07; 0.09] 95% CI, leading …

Response Of Reticulocyte And Red Blood Cell Indices To Single-Dose Intravenous Iron In Pregnant Women With Moderate Iron Deficiency Anemia: Secondary Analysis Of The Rapidiron Trial, Manjunath S. Somannavar, Sudhir Mehta, Dharmesh Kumar Sharma, Seema Mehta, Yogeshkumar S, Umesh Charantimath, Benjamin E. Leiby, Michael K. Georgieff, Zubair H. Aghai, Ashalata Mallapur, Umesh Ramadurg, Radha Sangavi, Praveen Patil, J. P. Akshaykirthan, Rupsa C. Boelig, Mrutyunjaya B. Bellad, Richard J. Derman

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is a significant health concern. Reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) and immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) are emerging as early markers, yet their response to different iron therapies in pregnancy is underexplored.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intravenous single-dose iron administration produces a more favorable effect on reticulocyte indices than oral iron therapy in anemic pregnant women.

METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the RAPIDIRON Trial, a multicenter, three-arm randomized controlled trial comparing ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), ferric derisomaltose (FDM) and standard oral ferrous sulfate. Reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He), Immature Reticulocyte Fraction (IRF) and other red blood …

Out-Of-Pocket Costs And Antihypertensive Medication Use Among Veterans: A Natural Experiment, Alexander R. Zheutlin, Alexander Chaitoff, Daniel Addo, Joshua A. Jacobs, Catherine G. Derington, Eric L. Stulberg, Peter A. Glynn, Bernardo Modenesi, Jordana B. Cohen, Adam P. Bress

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) control remains suboptimal in the United States despite available low-cost antihypertensive medications. Even small out-of-pocket medication costs may contribute to adherence. We determined whether $0 versus >$0 out-of-pocket costs for antihypertensive medications is associated with differences in adherence, discontinuation, BP control, and cardiovascular outcomes.

METHODS: We included veterans with newly diagnosed hypertension who initiated antihypertensive medication in the Veterans Health Administration from 2004 to 2022. A fuzzy regression discontinuity design with 2-stage residual inclusion leveraged differences in medication copay policy at a 50% service-connected disability threshold (≥50% service-connected disability: $0 out-of-pocket cost versus < 50%: $8 monthly cost). Outcomes included 1-year medication nonadherence (proportion of days covered < 80%), 1-year medication discontinuation (no medication in the final 90 days of the study year), 1-year BP control (systolic BP/diastolic BP < 140/90 mm Hg and < 130/80 mm Hg) and cardiovascular disease events (myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, peripheral artery disease, or stroke).

RESULTS: Among 417 …

Cardiovascular Disease And Dyslipidemia In Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes, Grace K Kim, Preneet Cheema Brar, Nidhi Bansal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose of review

Despite advances in type 1 diabetes (T1D) management, mortality is still increased, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause. Dyslipidemia is a highly prevalent modifiable CVD risk factor. We reviewed the existing literature on CVD mortality in T1D to highlight CVD risk in pediatric patients with T1D.

Recent findings

Pathophysiology of T1D and premature CVD risk is still not fully understood. Dyslipidemia remains a highly prevalent and undertreated CV risk factor in T1D. Statins have been shown to be safe and effective to improve CVD risk in adults with T1D, and in children with familial hypercholesterolemia, …

Ms-Gator: Multi-Scale Graph Attention With Topological Reasoning For Segmentation And Classification Of Prostate Cancer Based On Gleason Scores Using Histopathology Images, Sujata Patil, Mahadeva Swamy, Kavitha Sooda, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli, Khalid Nazim Abdul Sattar, Md Rafeeq

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Prostate cancer is one of the prevalent and potentially fatal malignancies, affecting men globally. Accurate segmentation and classification of prostate cancer in histopathology images remain challenging due to complex tissue architecture, staining variability, and high inter-observer differences in manual diagnosis. To address these challenges, this research proposes a Multi-Scale Graph Attention with Topological Reasoning (MS-GATOR) for segmentation and classification of prostate cancer based on Gleason Scores (GS). The MS-GATOR incorporates topological reasoning with hierarchical biological structures by constructing a graph-based representation among three spatial scales such as nuclei, glands, and tissues using Delaunay triangulation to capture both geometric and photometric …

An Emerging Approach To Ibd Treatment: Personalized Nutrition Through Gut Microbiome Optimization., Kafayat Yusuf, Thomas M. Attard, Mazin Al-Kasspooles, Shahid Umar

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by relapsing and remitting disease activity. Despite decades of research, a definitive cure for IBD remains elusive, as cycles of remission and flare-ups mark the disease course and often relies on long-term pharmacologic and supportive strategies. Increasing evidence indicates that diet and nutrition play an important role in modulating the outcomes of IBD. Although a wide range of dietary interventions has been explored, no universally effective approach has been established. Investigations have also proven that different dietary interventions can significantly affect clinical outcomes by altering gut …

A Digital Diabetes Prevention Program For Hispanic Adolescents (Fit24+): Protocol For A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial, Erica G Soltero, Marbelly Partida, Sandra Mihail, Lizette Villanueva, Callie Lopez, Salma M Musaad, Teresia M O'Connor, Maria J Redondo, Matthew Buman, Debbe Thompson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Hispanic youth are disproportionately impacted by obesity and subsequent type 2 diabetes (T2D) yet remain underrepresented in diabetes prevention research. Digital health interventions hold promise for increasing the accessibility to and engagement in disease prevention programming, particularly among high-risk populations. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding digital T2D prevention programs for adolescents or Hispanic youth.

Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the protocol for examining the feasibility of a 12-week digital diabetes prevention program among Hispanic adolescents with obesity.

Methods: Participants (N=40; aged 12-16 years) will be randomized (1:1) to a 12-week …

Dapk2 Regulates Pkm2 Phosphorylation At Threonine 45 To Facilitate Disturbed Flow-Induced Atherosclerosis, Shuai Guo, Long Xu, Yixin Chen, Yuan Zhao, Yuting Zhang, Runfa Yu, Kaixiang Cao, Litao Wang, Wenjia Ai, Jiang-Yun Luo, Lu Lu, Jun He, Yuan Zhou, Li Wang, Andrew H Baker, Yuqing Huo, Yiming Xu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Oscillatory shear stress (OSS), resulting from disturbed blood flow, is implicated in atherosclerotic plaque formation by incompletely understood mechanisms. This study aims to elucidate the involvement of death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) 2 in OSS-induced endothelial cell (EC) activation and atherosclerosis.

Methods: Publicly available resources, including genome-wide microarray, RNA sequencing, and single-cell RNA sequencing, were utilized to identify key OSS-sensitive regulatory factors. Techniques such as mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation assay, and RNA sequencing were employed to identify pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) as the binding protein of DAPK2 and determine the specific site of PKM2 phosphorylation by DAPK2. To assess …

International Consensus On The Evaluation And Management Of Hypothalamic Hamartomas: Results From A Modified Delphi Survey, Nathan T Cohen, Xiaotong Li, Madison M Berl, Chima O Oluigbo, Hiroshi Shirozu, Samuel F Berkovic, Margaret Zacharin, Wirginia Maixner, Andreas Schulze-Bonhage, Kerstin Klotz, Nicola Specchio, Sarah Ferrand-Sorbets, Christine Bulteau, Alexis A Arzimanoglou, Jean Regis, J Helen Cross, Martin M Tisdall, Hanna Richardson, Arthur Cukiert, Cristine Cukiert, Julia Jacobs, Elizabeth J Donner, Phillip L Pearl, John F Kerrigan, Angus A Wilfong, Kevin C J Yuen, Dennis J Dlugos, Daniel Curry, Irfan Ali, John Ragheb, Lisa Soeby, Erica Webster, William D Gaillard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and objectives: Hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are rare brain lesions associated with epilepsy and numerous comorbidities. Worldwide treatment is varied. There is a paucity of high-quality evidence to guide treatment. This study aimed to establish expert consensus on the evaluation and management of HH.

Methods: A modified Delphi survey was designed by the Medical Advisory Board of Hope for Hypothalamic Hamartomas and was conducted among 17 International League Against Epilepsy level II epilepsy surgery centers. The survey included 257 questions in round 1 and 81 refined questions in round 2, covering domains of diagnosis, imaging, medical and surgical treatment, neuropsychological …

Acute Traumatic Aortic Injury: What The Radiologist Needs To Know, Kristina Ramirez-Garcia, Catalina Jaramillo, Emma Ferguson, Jason Au, Erika Odisio, Gustavo S Oderich, Daniel Ocazionez, Cihan Duran, Thanila Macedo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Acute traumatic aortic injury (ATAI) is a rare but life-threatening consequence of blunt trauma that requires prompt diagnosis and accurate imaging assessment. This review presents an imaging-based approach to ATAI, with emphasis on computed tomography angiography (CTA) as the first-line modality for diagnosis, grading, treatment planning, and follow-up. CTA enables the detection of both direct and indirect signs while also allowing for the assessment of lesion severity, extent, and associated findings that may influence management. Familiarity with common mimics and anatomic variants improves diagnostic confidence and helps avoid false positive interpretations. Careful protocol optimization, including multiphasic acquisition, bolus timing, and …

A Multidomain Peptide Hydrogel-Liposome Composite For Controlled Release Of A Cyclic Dinucleotide In Oral Cancer, Joseph W R Swain, Andrea H Molina, Gemalene M Sunga, Danielle Chew-Martinez, Neeraja Dharmaraj, Alejandra Cobos Perez, Arghadip Dey, Ephraim J Vázquez-Rosado, Simon Young, Jeffrey D Hartgerink

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While immunotherapy is a promising treatment strategy for cancer, the majority of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with single-agent immunotherapy do not respond. Therefore, researchers are investigating combination treatments with immunostimulatory molecules that can maximize anti-tumor responses. Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are STING agonists that hold promise in combination approaches, but they require frequent intratumoral administration when used in both preclinical models of HNSCC and clinical trials. To reduce administration frequency, we have created a peptide hydrogel–liposome composite system, K2-Lip(CDN), for local and prolonged availability of CDN. We investigated the loading limits of cationic liposomes in both …

Reirradiation Treatment Effects In The Clinic (Retec) Proposal - Proof Of Concept Based On Spinal Cord Dose Tolerance For Reirradiation With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, Jimm Grimm, Anand Mahadevan, Olusola Obayomi-Davies, Scott G. Soltys, Arjun Sahgal, Kristin J. Redmond, Michael T. Milano, Wolfgang A. Tomé, Kenneth Brooks, Scott Dodd, John Austin Vargo, Gopal Subedi, Jinyu Xue, Bisher Ebid, Felix Ehret, Byung-Han Andrew Rhieu, Christoph Fürweger, Rachel Grimm, Alexander Muacevic, Vitali Moiseenko, Shalom Kalnicki, Mark Mclaughlin, Lawrence R. Kleinberg, John R. Adler, Iris C. Gibbs

College of Health Professions Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Since the inception of spinal radiosurgery decades ago, the factors influencing spinal cord recovery have remained unclear. Elucidating these factors would aid in reirradiation planning and delivery. We describe modeling reirradiation normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCP) from compiled published data, akin to the collaborative Quantitative Analysis of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic (QUANTEC) and High Dose per Fraction, Hypofractionated Treatment Effects in the Clinic (HyTEC) projects.

PURPOSE: Simple dose-time recovery factors for the spinal cord serve as a basis to propose the Reirradiation Treatment Effects in the Clinic (ReTEC) project. ReTEC aims to define human organ recovery factors …

Utility Of Right Ventricular Mass Ratios In Recipients With Pulmonary Hypertension: A United Network For Organ-Sharing Database Analysis, Matthew P. Weber, Danial Ahmad, Howard J. Eisen, Eugene Storozynsky, René J. Alvarez, J. Eduardo Rame, Keshava Rajagopal, John W. Entwistle, Charles Hoopes, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: There is a lack of data reviewing the role of predicted cardiac mass ratio (PCMR) in transplant recipients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). In particular, the right ventricular (RV) mass ratio (RVMR) is a component of PCMR not yet studied separately for this purpose. We aimed to review the relationship of PCMR and RVMR with PH in terms of post-transplant overall survival.

METHODS: The United Network for Organ-Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for primary heart transplant (HTx) patients from 2004 to 2023. Predicted RVMR was calculated for donors and recipients. A parsimonious multivariable model Cox model was formed for risk …

Cerebellar Oligodendrocytic Α-Synuclein Pathology And Dentate Nucleus Neuronal Hypertrophy In Parkinson’S Disease, Diego Iacono, Hui Peng, John Paul Bouffard, Roger Kurlan

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD) research has historically prioritized basal ganglia dysfunction and neuronal Lewy body pathology, often overlooking cerebellar and non-neuronal cells contributions. This study investigates cerebellar neuropathology in iPD, specifically focusing on neuronal and non-neuronal cells of the dentate nucleus (DN) and its adjacent white matter (DN-WM). We systematically assessed autopsy-confirmed iPD brains vs. age-matched controls using immunohistochemistry and stereology-based morphometry methods. The study evaluated α-synuclein pathology, other common age-related co-occurring pathologies (β-amyloid, Tau, neuroinflammation), myelin integrity (Luxol-Fast-Blue), and neuronal volumetric changes in the DN of the cerebellum. In iPD brains, we identified intracytoplasmic α-synuclein inclusions within oligodendrocytes across …

Contributing Factors Of Contralateral Breast Cancer In Patients With Brca Mutation (On-Brca Ii Study, Korea-Bsg 11), Seon-Hi Shin, Sung Gwe Ahn, Jai Min Ryu, Sae Byul Lee, Hyung Seok Park, Eun-Shin Lee, Janghee Lee, Byeongju Kang, Sanghwa Kim, Eun Young Kim, Young-Joon Kang, Sun Young Min, Moohyun Lee, Se-Kang Kim, Hong-Kyu Kim, Chihwan David Cha

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The cumulative risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in BRCA1/2 carriers is remarkably higher than in non-carriers. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological predictors associated with the risk of metachronous CBC among breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations using correspondence analysis.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent BRCA testing between January 2008 and December 2018. The inclusion criterion was patients being between 20 and 80-years-old with invasive breast cancer (pT1-3, N0-3). We performed univariate and multivariate survival analyses to assess the risks associated with BRCA mutations, and conducted correspondence analysis to identify contributing factors for CBC …

Evapecognition: An 18-Year Dataset Of Great Ape Cognition, Alejandro Sánchez-Amaro, Sonja J Ebel Van Wijk, Carin Molenaar, Akzira Abuova, Lizbeth Mujica-Manrique, Sarah M Leisterer-Peoples, Bret Beheim, Luke Maurits, Anna Albiach-Serrano, Matthias Allritz, Nazli Altınok, Federica Amici, Alice Mi Auersperg, Filippo Aureli, Elisa Bandini, Jochen Barth, Leïla Benziad, Bettina E Bläsing, Manuel Bohn, Marie Bourjade, Juliane Bräuer, Marie-Hélène Broihanne, Sarah F Brosnan, Nereida Bueno-Guerra, Thomas Bugnyar, David Buttelmann, Frances Buttelmann, Trix Cacchione, Malinda Carpenter, Fernando Colmenares, Catherine Crockford, Katherine A Cronin, África De Las Heras, Arianna De Marco, Sarah E Detroy, Valérie Dufour, Shona Duguid, Robin I M Dunbar, Johanna Eckert, Jan M Engelmann, Joel Fagot, Julia Fischer, Sofia Ingrid Fredrika Forss, Martina Funk, György Gergely, Julia R Greenberg, Johannes Großmann, Sebastian Grüneisen, Marta Halina, Daniel Hanus, Sarah R Heilbronner, Christophe Heintz, Robert Hepach, Esther Herrmann, Satoshi Hirata, Alenka Hribar, Gabriele Janzen, Juliane Kaminski, Patricia Kanngiesser, Fumihiro Kano, Katharina C Kirchhofer, Hagen Knofe, Kathrin S Kopp, Christopher Krupenye, Isabelle Barbara Laumer, Stephen C Levinson, Ulf Liszkowski, Héctor M Manrique, Gema Martin-Ordas, Emma Suvi Mcewen, Richard T Moore, Enric Munar, Marcos Nadal, Christian Nawroth, Suska Nolte, Marie Pelé, Patrizia Potì, Hannes Rakoczy, Julia Riedel, Amélie Romain, Federico Rossano, Yvan I Russell, Gloria Sabbatini, Marie Schäfer, Marina Scheumann, Martin Schmelz, Benjamin Schmid, Vanesa Schmitt, Carla Sebastián-Enesco, Amanda Madeleine Seed, Chikako Suda-King, Tibor Tauzin, Sebastian Tempelmann, Claudio Tennie, Valentina Truppa, Jana Uher, Amrisha Vaish, Edwin J C Van Leeuwen, Elisabetta M Visalberghi, Christoph J Völter, Victoria Vonau, Claudia A F Wascher, Roman M Wittig, Wouter Wolf, Michael Tomasello, Katja Liebal, Josep Call, Daniel B M Haun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The study of great ape cognition offers insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, but is hindered by small sample sizes and restricted access to data. To address this, we present the EVApeCognition Dataset, a publicly available resource comprising 262 experimental datasets from 150 scientific publications from the Wolfgang Köhler Primate Research Center (2004-2021) in Leipzig, Germany. Eighty-one apes participated in 150 studies, with a majority (N = 78) participating in more than one study. Publication of the dataset aims to make these unique datasets accessible for future meta-analyses and correlational analyses, helping us better understand how our great …

Contraception In The Ed: Understanding Education And Opportunities For Clinicians To Advise Patients, Hannah B. Lewis, Teagan R. Mccarthy, Dara Kass, Jennifer L. Kahoud

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction: The United States faces a high rate of unwanted pregnancies. Despite this, many people continue to face barriers to accessing contraception. The emergency department (ED) can help bridge these gaps, but emergency clinicians must first feel comfortable offering contraceptive services. In this study, we sought to determine emergency clinician comfort in prescribing contraceptives and educating patients on their use. We also gauged clinician interest in receiving education specifically geared toward contraceptive care.

Methods: We conducted an online survey of ED residents, attendings, and advanced practice clinicians at Thomas Jefferson Univerity Hospital and affiliates in both the urban and suburban …

A Prolonged Nightly Fasting Plus Telehealth Coaching Intervention (Pnf+) For Men On Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Pca: A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial, Kuang-Yi Wen, Julianne Freedman, Kevin K. Zarrabi, Rachel Slamon, Rita Smith, Jessica Liang, Patrick Mille, William J. Tester, William Kevin Kelly

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a 3-month health coaching intervention to promote PNF and healthy diet for men on ADT for PCa.

Methods: The study was carried out via a two-armed randomized controlled trial including 40 patients with PCa at a medical center in Philadelphia. During the 3-month period, the intervention group (PNF+) received health coaching utilizing an interactive text message system, and the control group received healthy eating text messages for the same duration. The outcome variables were feasibility and acceptability.

Results: The PNF+ group (n = 27) had high …