Medical Specialties Commons^™

The Health-Promoting Effects And The Mechanism Of Intermittent Fasting, Simin Liu, Min Zeng, Weixi Wan, Ming Huang, Xiang Li, Zixian Xie, Shang Wang, Yu Cai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern in which individuals go extended periods with little or no energy intake after consuming regular food in intervening periods. IF has several health-promoting effects. It can effectively reduce weight, fasting insulin levels, and blood glucose levels. It can also increase the antitumor activity of medicines and cause improvement in the case of neurological diseases, such as memory deficit, to achieve enhanced metabolic function and prolonged longevity. Additionally, IF activates several biological pathways to induce autophagy, encourages cell renewal, prevents cancer cells from multiplying and spreading, and delays senescence. However, IF has specific adverse …

Advances In The Management Of Spinal Metastases: What The Radiologist Needs To Know, Sarah M Bahouth, Debra N Yeboa, Amol J Ghia, Claudio E Tatsui, Christopher A Alvarez-Breckenridge, Thomas H Beckham, Andrew J Bishop, Jing Li, Mary Frances Mcaleer, Robert Y North, Laurence D Rhines, Todd A Swanson, Wang Chenyang, Behrang Amini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spine is the most frequently involved site of osseous metastases. With improved disease-specific survival in patients with Stage IV cancer, durability of local disease control has become an important goal for treatment of spinal metastases. Herein, we review the multidisciplinary management of spine metastases, including conventional external beam radiation therapy, spine stereotactic radiosurgery, and minimally invasive and open surgical treatment options. We also present a simplified framework for management of spinal metastases used at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, focusing on the important decision points where the radiologist can contribute.

Clinical Parameters Affecting Survival Outcomes In Patients With Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma: An International Multicentre Analysis, Taymaa May, Marcus Bernardini, Stephanie Lheureux, Katja K H Aben, Elisa V Bandera, Matthias W Beckmann, Javier Benitez, Andrew Berchuck, Line Bjørge, Michael E Carney, Daniel W Cramer, Anna Defazio, Thilo Dörk, Diana M Eccles, Michael Friedlander, María Jose García, Ellen L Goode, Alexander Hein, Claus K Høgdall, Allan Jensen, Sharon Johnatty, Catherine J Kennedy, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Susanne K Kjær, Jolanta Kupryjańczyk, Keitaro Matsuo, Valerie Mcguire, Francesmary Modugno, Lisa E Paddock, Tanja Pejovic, Catherine M Phelan, Marjorie J Riggan, Cristina Rodriguez-Antona, Joseph H Rothstein, Weiva Sieh, Honglin Song, Kathryn L Terry, Anne M Van Altena, Adriaan Vanderstichele, Ignace Vergote, Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen, Penelope M Webb, Nicolas Wentzensen, Lynne R Wilkens, Argyrios Ziogas, Haiyan Jiang, Alicia Tone, Ovarian Cancer Association And The Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Women with low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma (LGSC) benefit from surgical treatment; however, the role of chemotherapy is controversial. We examined an international database through the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium to identify factors that affect survival in LGSC.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with LGSC who had had primary surgery and had overall survival data available. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses of progression-free survival and overall survival, and generated Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

RESULTS: Of the 707 patients with LGSC, 680 (96.2%) had available overall survival data. The patients' median age overall was 54 years. Of …

Selinexor In Combination With Weekly Paclitaxel In Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors: Results Of An Open Label, Single-Center, Multi-Arm Phase 1b Study With Expansion Phase In Ovarian Cancer, Shannon N Westin, Siqing Fu, Apostolia Tsimberidou, Sarina Piha-Paul, Fechukwu Akhmedzhanov, Bulent Yilmaz, Lacey Mcquinn, Amanda L Brink, Jing Gong, Cheuk Hong Leung, Heather Lin, David S Hong, Shubham Pant, Brett Carter, Amir Jazaeri, David Gershenson, Anil K Sood, Robert L Coleman, Jatin Shah, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Selinexor is a first-in-class, oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound which blocks Exportin-1 (XPO1). Our objective was to determine maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of selinexor and weekly paclitaxel.

METHODS: This was an open label, single-center, multi-arm phase 1b study utilizing a "3 + 3" design and a "basket-type" expansion in recurrent solid tumors. Selinexor (60 mg or 80 mg twice weekly orally) and weekly paclitaxel (80 mg IV 2 week on, 1 week off) were one of 13 parallel arms. Efficacy was evaluated using RECIST version 1.1.

RESULTS: All 35 patients …

Spatial Modelling Of The Tumor Microenvironment From Multiplex Immunofluorescence Images: Methods And Applications, Gayatri Kumar, Renganayaki Krishna Pandurengan, Edwin Roger Parra, Kasthuri Kannan, Cara Haymaker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatial modelling methods have gained prominence with developments in high throughput imaging platforms. Multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) provides the scope to examine interactions between tumor and immune compartment at single cell resolution using a panel of antibodies that can be chosen based on the cancer type or the clinical interest of the study. The markers can be used to identify the phenotypes and to examine cellular interactions at global and local scales. Several translational studies rely on key understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) to identify drivers of immune response in immunotherapy based clinical trials. To improve the success of ongoing …

Review Article: New Treatments For Advanced Differentiated Thyroid Cancers And Potential Mechanisms Of Drug Resistance, Sarah Hamidi, Marie-Claude Hofmann, Priyanka C Iyer, Maria E Cabanillas, Mimi I Hu, Naifa L Busaidy, Ramona Dadu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The treatment of advanced, radioiodine refractory, differentiated thyroid cancers (RR-DTCs) has undergone major advancements in the last decade, causing a paradigm shift in the management and prognosis of these patients. Better understanding of the molecular drivers of tumorigenesis and access to next generation sequencing of tumors have led to the development and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approval of numerous targeted therapies for RR-DTCs, including antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitors, and more recently, fusion-specific kinase inhibitors such as RET inhibitors and NTRK inhibitors. BRAF + MEK inhibitors have also been approved for BRAF-mutated solid tumors and are routinely used in RR-DTCs in …

Understanding Fertility Behavior Of The Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals In Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study, Md Anwer Hossain, Mohammad Bellal Hossain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Rohingya- the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN)- are largely characterized by a high total fertility rate (TFR) and a low contraceptive prevalence rate. This study aimed to explore the reasons behind their high fertility behavior by utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior.

DATA AND METHOD: We adopted a cross-sectional qualitative research approach. Fifteen semi-structured, face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with the Rohingya husbands, wives, and community leaders (Majhi and Imam/Khatib) living in Camps 1 and 2 of Ukhiya Refugee Camp, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. We analyzed the qualitative data using the thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS: The Muslim-majority FDMN predominantly constructed …

Trends And Correlates Of Low Hiv Knowledge Among Ever-Married Women Of Reproductive Age: Evidence From Cross-Sectional Bangladesh Demographic And Health Survey 1996–2014, Md Tariqujjaman, Md Mehedi Hasan, Mohammad Abdullah Heel Kafi, Md Alamgir Hossain, Saad A Khan, Nadia Sultana, Rashidul Azad, Md Arif Hossain, Mahfuzur Rahman, Mohammad Bellal Hossain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden has frequently been changing over time due to epidemiological and demographic transitions. To safeguard people, particularly women of reproductive age, who can be exposed to transmitting this burden to the next generation, knowledge regarding this life-threatening virus needs to be increased. This research intends to identify the trends and associated correlates of "low" HIV knowledge among ever-married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2014.

METHODS: We analyzed data derived from six surveys of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 1996, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Analyses were primarily …

Trem-1, Trem-2 And Their Association With Disease Severity In Patients With Covid-19, Ruyue Fan, Zuowang Cheng, Zhisheng Huang, Ying Yang, Na Sun, Bin Hu, Peibin Hou, Bo Liu, Chuanjun Huang, Shuai Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment caused by limited biomarkers are associated with the outcomes of COVID-19 patients. It is necessary to identify other promising biomarkers and candidate targets for defining dysregulated inflammatory states.

METHODS: The triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell (TREM)-1 and TREM-2 expression from hospitalized COVID-19 patients were characterized using ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. Their correlation with disease severity and contrast with the main clinical indicators were evaluated.

RESULTS: Increased expression of soluble TREM-1 and TREM-2 in the plasma of COVID-19 patients was found compared to the control group. Moreover, membrane-bound TREM-1 and TREM-2 expression was …

Gibbs Process Distinguishes Survival And Reveals Contact-Inhibition Genes In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Afrooz Jahedi, Gayatri Kumar, Lavanya Kannan, Tarjani Agarwal, Jason Huse, Krishna Bhat, Kasthuri Kannan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor growth is a spatiotemporal birth-and-death process with loss of heterotypic contact-inhibition of locomotion (CIL) of tumor cells promoting invasion and metastasis. Therefore, representing tumor cells as two-dimensional points, we can expect the tumor tissues in histology slides to reflect realizations of spatial birth-and-death process which can be mathematically modeled to reveal molecular mechanisms of CIL, provided the mathematics models the inhibitory interactions. Gibbs process as an inhibitory point process is a natural choice since it is an equilibrium process of the spatial birth-and-death process. That is if the tumor cells maintain homotypic contact inhibition, the spatial distributions of tumor …

Regional Disparities In Major Cancer Incidence In Korea, 1999–2018, Eun Hye Park, Mee Joo Kang, Kyu-Won Jung, Eun Hye Park, E Hwa Yun, Hye-Jin Kim, Hyun-Joo Kong, Chang Kyun Choi, Jeong-Soo Im, Hong Gwan Seo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated regional disparities in the incidence of 8 major cancers at the municipal level in Korea during 1999-2018 and evaluated the presence or absence of hot spots of cancer clusters during 2014-2018.

METHODS: The Korea National Cancer Incidence Database was used. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated by gender and region at the municipal level for 4 periods of 5 years and 8 cancer types. Regional disparities were calculated as both absolute and relative measures. The possibility of clusters was examined using global Moran's I with a spatial weight matrix based on adjacency or distance.

RESULTS: Regional disparities …

C4b-Binding Protein Inhibits Particulate- And Crystalline-Induced Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation, Damien Bierschenk, Nikolina Papac-Milicevic, Ian P Bresch, Valentina Kovacic, Serena Bettoni, Mateusz Dziedzic, Rick A Wetsel, Susanne Eschenburg, Christoph J Binder, Anna M Blom, Ben C King

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dysregulated NLRP3 inflammasome activation drives a wide variety of diseases, while endogenous inhibition of this pathway is poorly characterised. The serum protein C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a well-established inhibitor of complement with emerging functions as an endogenously expressed inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome signalling pathway. Here, we identified that C4BP purified from human plasma is an inhibitor of crystalline- (monosodium urate, MSU) and particulate-induced (silica) NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Using a C4BP mutant panel, we identified that C4BP bound these particles

Blockade Of Mglur5 In Astrocytes Derived From Human Ipscs Modulates Astrocytic Function And Increases Phagocytosis, Izabella B Q De Lima, Pablo L Cardozo, Julia S Fahel, Juliana P S Lacerda, Aline S Miranda, Antônio L Teixeira, Fabiola M Ribeiro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

TNF-α is essential for induction and maintenance of inflammatory responses and its dysregulation is associated with susceptibility to various pathogens that infect the central nervous system. Activation of both microglia and astrocytes leads to TNF-α production, which in turn triggers further activation of these cells. Astrocytes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases with either harmful or protective roles, as these cells are capable of secreting several inflammatory factors and also promote synapse elimination and remodeling. These responses are possible because they sense their surroundings via several receptors, including the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 …

Circulating Long Non-Coding Rnas As Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers For Alzheimer’S Disease (Ad): A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Parnian Shobeiri, Sanam Alilou, Mehran Jaberinezhad, Farshad Zare, Nastaran Karimi, Saba Maleki, Antonio L Teixeira, George Perry, Nima Rezaei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. It has also been hypothesized that plasma exosomal lncRNAs may be used as Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. In this systematic review, we compiled all studies on the subject to evaluate the accuracy of lncRNAs in identifying AD cases through meta-analysis.

METHODS: A PRISMA-compliant systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for English publications till September 2022. We included all observational studies published which investigated the sensitivity and specificity of various lncRNAs in plasma samples of AD diagnosis. Our …

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor In Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Its Role As A Potential Biomarker, Amir Hossein Behnoush, Amirmohammad Khalaji, Shaghayegh Khanmohammadi, Parsa Alehossein, Behrad Saeedian, Parnian Shobeiri, Antonio L Teixeira, Nima Rezaei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a form of chronic pain disorder accompanied by several tender points, fatigue, sleeping and mood disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, and memory problems. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also a mediator of neurotrophin for many activity-dependent processes in the brain. Despite numerous research studies investigating BDNF in FM, contradictory results have been reported. Thus, we investigated the overall effect shown by studies to find the association between peripheral BDNF concentrations and its gene polymorphisms with FM.

METHODS: A systematic search in online international databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, the Web of Science, and Scopus was performed. Relevant …

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation For Fatigue In Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 (Pasc), Kelly Santana, Eduardo França, João Sato, Ana Silva, Maria Queiroz, Julia De Farias, Danniely Rodrigues, Iara Souza, Vanessa Ribeiro, Egas Caparelli-Dáquer, Antonio L Teixeira, Leigh Charvet, Abhishek Datta, Marom Bikson, Suellen Andrade

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: and purpose: Fatigue is among the most common persistent symptoms following post-acute sequelae of Sars-COV-2 infection (PASC). The current study investigated the potential therapeutic effects of High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) associated with rehabilitation program for the management of PASC-related fatigue.

METHODS: Seventy patients with PASC-related fatigue were randomized to receive 3 mA or sham HD-tDCS targeting the left primary motor cortex (M1) for 30 min paired with a rehabilitation program. Each patient underwent 10 sessions (2 sessions/week) over five weeks. Fatigue was measured as the primary outcome before and after the intervention using the Modified Fatigue Impact …

Association Of Immune-Related Adverse Events With The Outcomes Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Patients With Dmmr/Msi-H Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Vincenzo Nasca, Francesco Barretta, Francesca Corti, Sara Lonardi, Monica Niger, Maria Elena Elez, Marwan Fakih, Priya Jayachandran, Aakash Tushar Shah, Massimiliano Salati, Elisabetta Fenocchio, Lisa Salvatore, Chiara Cremolini, Javier Ros, Margherita Ambrosini, Giacomo Mazzoli, Rossana Intini, Michael J Overman, Rosalba Miceli, Filippo Pietrantonio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show a tremendous activity in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but a consistent fraction of patients does not respond. Prognostic/predictive markers are needed. Despite previous investigations in other tumor types, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have not been well evaluated in patients with MSI-H cancers treated with ICIs.

METHODS: We conducted an international cohort study at tertiary cancer centers collecting clinic-pathological features from 331 patients with MSI-H mCRC treated with ICIs. Of note, the irAEs were summarized using a 'burden score' constructed in a way that the same score value could be obtained by …

Wnt Signaling In Liver Regeneration, Disease, And Cancer, Gengyi Zou, Jae-Il Park

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The liver exhibits the highest recovery rate from acute injuries. However, in chronic liver disease, the long-term loss of hepatocytes often leads to adverse consequences such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The Wnt signaling plays a pivotal role in both liver regeneration and tumorigenesis. Therefore, manipulating the Wnt signaling has become an attractive approach to treating liver disease, including cancer. Nonetheless, given the crucial roles of Wnt signaling in physiological processes, blocking Wnt signaling can also cause several adverse effects. Recent studies have identified cancer-specific regulators of Wnt signaling, which would overcome the limitation of Wnt signaling target approaches. …

Gankyrin-Mediated Interaction Between Cancer Cells And Tumor-Associated Macrophages Facilitates Prostate Cancer Progression And Androgen Deprivation Therapy Resistance, Guang Peng, Chao Wang, Hongru Wang, Min Qu, Keqin Dong, Yongwei Yu, Yuquan Jiang, Sishun Gan, Xu Gao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increasing evidence reveals that the interaction between tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitates the progression of prostate cancer, but the related mechanisms remained unclear. This study determined how gankyrin, a component of the 19S regulatory complex of the 26S proteasome, regulates the progression and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) resistance of prostate cancer through tumor cell-TAM interactions.

Bayesian Feature Selection For Radiomics Using Reliability Metrics, Katherine Shoemaker, Rachel Ger, Laurence E Court, Hugo Aerts, Marina Vannucci, Christine B Peterson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Imaging of tumors is a standard step in diagnosing cancer and making subsequent treatment decisions. The field of radiomics aims to develop imaging based biomarkers using methods rooted in artificial intelligence applied to medical imaging. However, a challenging aspect of developing predictive models for clinical use is that many quantitative features derived from image data exhibit instability or lack of reproducibility across different imaging systems or image-processing pipelines. Methods: To address this challenge, we propose a Bayesian sparse modeling approach for image classification based on radiomic features, where the inclusion of more reliable features is favored via a probit …

Next-Generation Ctla-4 Targeting Molecules And Combination Therapy: Promising Strategies For Improving Cancer Immunotherapy, Nils-Petter Rudqvist, Manushak Avagyan, Dhan Chand

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiation therapy and anti-CTLA-4 combination therapy can induce meaningful responses in some patients. Adding CD40 may provide additional benefit. Next-generation anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, such as botensilimab, are showing promise in clinical trials. Combining botensilimab with RT and/or CD40 agonist may offer additional benefits for challenging tumor types.

Exercise And Ischemia-Activated Pathways In Limb Muscle Angiogenesis And Vascular Regeneration, Vihang A Narkar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Exercise has a profound effect on cardiovascular disease, particularly through vascular remodeling and regeneration. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one such cardiovascular condition that benefits from regular exercise or rehabilitative physical therapy in terms of slowing the progression of disease and delaying amputations. Various rodent pre-clinical studies using models of PAD and exercise have shed light on molecular pathways of vascular regeneration. Here, I review key exercise-activated signaling pathways (nuclear receptors, kinases, and hypoxia inducible factors) in the skeletal muscle that drive paracrine regenerative angiogenesis. The rationale for highlighting the skeletal muscle is that it is the largest organ recruited …

Fanconi Anemia Caused By Biallelic Inactivation Of Brca2 Can Present With An Atypical Cancer Phenotype In Adulthood, Kara N Maxwell, Vishal Patel, Kevin T Nead, Shana Merrill, Dana Clark, Qinqin Jiang, Bradley Wubbenhorst, Kurt D'Andrea, Roger B Cohen, Susan M Domchek, Jennifer J D Morrissette, Roger A Greenberg, Daria V Babushok, Katherine L Nathanson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inherited biallelic pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA2 cause Fanconi Anemia complementation group D1 (FA-D1), a severe pediatric bone marrow failure and high-risk cancer syndrome. We identified biallelic BRCA2 PVs in a young adult with multiple basal cell carcinomas, adult-onset colorectal cancer and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, without bone marrow failure. No PVs were identified in any other known cancer susceptibility gene, and there was no evidence of reversion mosaicism. The proband's deceased sister had a classic FA-D1 presentation and was shown to carry the same biallelic BRCA2 PVs. A lymphoblastoid cell line derived from the proband demonstrated hypersensitivity to DNA …

Interlink Between The Gut Microbiota And Inflammation In The Context Of Oxidative Stress In Alzheimer’S Disease Progression, Tushar K Das, Bhanu P Ganesh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The microbiota-gut-brain axis is an important pathway of communication and may dynamically contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Pathological commensal gut microbiota alterations, termed as dysbiosis, can influence intestinal permeability and break the blood-brain barrier which may trigger AD pathogenesis via redox signaling, neuronal, immune, and metabolic pathways. Dysbiosis increases the oxidative stress. Oxidants affect the innate immune system through recognizing microbial-derived pathogens by Toll-like receptors and initiating the inflammatory process. Most of the gut microbiome research work highlights the relationship between the gut microbiota and AD, but the contributory connection between precise bacteria and brain dysfunction in AD pathology …

"Keep Your Chin Up, And Keep Eating": Perceptions Of Barriers And Facilitators To Healthful Dietary Behaviors Among Individuals With Gastrointestinal Cancer And Caregivers, Brandy-Joe Milliron, Cynthia Klobodu, Jonathan Deutsch, Karon Martyn, Dan Dychtwald, Emily Riahi, Shawn Carro, Taylor Hisek, Natalie Darcy, Ann C. Klassen

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: This study explored perceptions of barriers and facilitators to healthful dietary behaviors among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and their caregivers, including caregiver preparedness, patient and caregiver self-efficacy for symptom management, and other environmental, social, and familial factors that may serve as barriers and facilitators to healthful eating.

METHODS: Using a concurrent mixed methods cross-sectional study design, individuals with GI cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy and their caregivers completed surveys, dietary assessments, and interviews. Caregiving preparedness, self-efficacy for symptom management, and dietary intake were assessed using validated instruments. Dietary quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020. In-depth interviews …

Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty In Open Angle Glaucoma Study Design: A Multicentre, Randomised, Controlled, Investigator-Masked Trial (Glaurious), Nathan Congdon, Augusto Azuara-Blanco, Yoram Solberg, Carlo E Traverso, Michele Iester, Carlo Alberto Cutolo, Alessandro Bagnis, Tin Aung, Scott J Fudemberg, Richard Lindstrom, Thomas Samuelson, Kuldev Singh, Eytan Z Blumenthal, Gus Gazzard, Glaurious Study Group

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Introduction: Laser trabeculoplasty is an effective and widely used treatment for glaucoma. A new laser technology, the Eagle direct selective laser trabeculoplasty (DSLT) device, may provide automated, fast, simple, safe and effective laser treatment for glaucoma in a broader range of clinical settings. This trial aims to test the hypothesis that translimbal DSLT is effective and not inferior to selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) in open angle glaucoma (OAG).

Methods and analysis: This is a multicentre, randomised, controlled, investigator-masked study. The primary efficacy outcome is intergroup difference in mean change from baseline IOP measured at 6 …

Nurse-Administered Auricular Point Acupressure For Cancer-Related Pain, Barb Van De Castle, Nada Lukkahatai, Bsn Lynn Billing, Xinran Huang, Hulin Wu, Jingyu Zhang, Salahadin Abdi, Jun Kameoka, Thomas J Smith

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The study aimed to (1) examine the feasibility of providing a training course on auricular point acupressure (APA) for clinical oncology nurses to integrate APA into real-world nursing care settings, and (2) examine the effectiveness of APA on cancer-related pain (CRP) under usual inpatient oncology ward conditions.

METHODS: This was a 2-phase feasibility study. Phase 1, an in-person, 8 hour training program was provided to oncology nurses. Phase 2, a prospective and feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the integration of APA into nursing care activities to manage CRP. Oncology patients were included if their pain was rated at …

A Coalition-Driven Examination Of Organization Capacity To Address Food Insecurity In Greater Houston: A Qualitative Research Study, Jemima C John, Jennifer Gonzalez, Sara-Grace Chan, Heidi Mcpherson, Jennifer N Aiyer, Esperanza Galvan, Nicole Browning, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Economic and social hardships have worsened food insecurity, particularly among low income and racial-ethnic minority groups. Given the core goal of the 150+ member Houston Health Equity Collective (HEC) to reduce food insecurity by 5% in 2025, we explored member organizations' capacity and challenges faced in screening and responding to food insecurity through care coordination efforts.

METHODS: A twice-administered Qualtrics XM survey (Provo, Utah) with 76 organizations, followed by five focus groups with 22 of these organizations, explored reach and response efforts to food insecurity. Qualitative assessments lasted between 0.5 to 1.5 h, were audio-recorded, cleaned, coded, and thematically …

Using Implementation Mapping To Increase Uptake And Use Of Salud En Mis Manos: A Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening And Hpv Vaccination Intervention For Latinas, Lara S Savas, Preena Loomba, Ross Shegog, Angelita Alaniz, Crystal Costa, Emily Adlparvar, Marlyn A Allicock, Roshanda Chenier, Margaret Goetz, Christine M Markham, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite CDC recommendations for breast and cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, cancer control behaviors are underutilized among low-income Latinas.

METHODS: We used Implementation Mapping to create SEMM-Dissemination and Implementation Assistance (SEMM-DIA), a set of implementation strategies designed to support implementation and maintenance of SEMM in clinic settings. Specifically, we used Implementation Mapping's five iterative tasks to guide the use of theories and frameworks, evidence, new data, and stakeholder input to develop strategies to accelerate and improve implementation fidelity, reach, and maintenance of the SEMM intervention. The resulting implementation mapping logic model also guides the SEMM-DIA evaluation plan to …

Do Breast Cancer Survivors With A Recent History Of Clinical Depression Report Worse Experiences With Care? A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Seer-Cahps Data, Mariana Arevalo, Trevor A Pickering, Sally W Vernon, Kayo Fujimoto, Melissa F Peskin, Albert J Farias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: We examined whether breast cancer survivors' experiences with care differed by a recent history of clinical depression, and whether associations differed by race/ethnicity.

METHODS: Using the Epidemiology and End Results-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (SEER-CAHPS) dataset, we analyzed records of breast cancer survivors who completed a survey at least 12 months after their cancer diagnosis. We assessed clinical depression 12 months prior to survey completion using Medicare claims. We used separate multivariable logistic regressions to examine the associations between depression and excellent (vs. less than excellent) ratings of experiences with care (i.e., doctor communication, getting needed care, …