Medical Specialties Commons^™

Alendronate Conjugate For Targeted Delivery To Bone-Forming Prostate Cancer, Jossana A Damasco, Guoyu Yu, Ajay Kumar, Joy Perez, Rio Carlo M Lirag, Elizabeth M Whitley, Sue-Hwa Lin, Marites P Melancon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bone is the primary metastasis site for lethal prostate cancer, often resulting in poor prognosis, crippling pain, and diminished functioning that drastically reduce both quality of life and survivability Uniquely, prostate cancer bone metastasis induces aberrant bone overgrowth, due to an increase of osteoblasts induced by tumor-secreted bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). Conjugating drugs to substances that target the tumor-induced bone area within the metastatic tumor foci would be a promising strategy for drug delivery. To develop such a strategy, we conjugated a near infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe, the dye Cy5.5, to serve as a surrogate for drugs, with alendronate, …

Barriers To Colonoscopy In Uk Colorectal Cancer Screening Programmes: Qualitative Interviews With Ethnic Minority Groups, Robert S Kerrison, Natalie Gil, Elizabeth Travis, Robyn Jones, Katriina L Whitaker, Colin Rees, Stephen Duffy, Christian Von Wagner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: People from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to attend colonoscopy, following faecal immunochemical test screening, and are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at an advanced stage as a result. The aim of this research was to explore the barriers and facilitators to attending colonoscopy, perceived by ethnic minority groups living in the United Kingdom.

METHODS: Semi-structured online and telephone interviews were conducted with thirty men and women of Black-African (n = 5), Black-Caribbean (n = 5), South Asian (n = 10) and White British (n = 10) descent. Participants were eligible for screening, but had …

Association Of Cumulative Colorectal Surgery Hospital Costs, Readmissions, And Emergency Department/Observation Stays With Insurance Type, Michael A Jacobs, Jasmine C Tetley, Jeongsoo Kim, Susanne Schmidt, Bradley B Brimhall, Virginia Mika, Chen-Pin Wang, Laura S Manuel, Paul Damien, Paula K Shireman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/purpose: Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program disproportionately penalizes safety-net hospitals (SNH) caring for vulnerable populations. This study assessed the association of insurance type with 30-day emergency department visits/observation stays (EDOS), readmissions, and cumulative costs in colorectal surgery patients.

Methods: Retrospective inpatient cohort study using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2013-2019) with cost data in a SNH. The odds of EDOS and readmissions and cumulative variable (index hospitalization and all 30-day EDOS and readmissions) costs were modeled adjusting for frailty, case status, presence of a stoma, and open versus laparoscopic surgery.

Results: The cohort had 245 private, 195 Medicare, and …

Adad2 Functions In Spermiogenesis And Pirna Biogenesis In Mice, Yonggang Lu, Ippei Nagamori, Hisato Kobayashi, Kanako Kojima-Kita, Kenjiro Shirane, Hsin-Yi Chang, Toru Nishimura, Takayuki Koyano, Zhifeng Yu, Julio M Castañeda, Makoto Matsuyama, Satomi Kuramochi-Miyagawa, Martin M Matzuk, Masahito Ikawa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Adenosine deaminase domain containing 2 (ADAD2) is a testis-specific protein composed of a double-stranded RNA binding domain and a non-catalytic adenosine deaminase domain. A recent study showed that ADAD2 is indispensable for the male reproduction in mice. However, the detailed functions of ADAD2 remain elusive.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the cause of male sterility in Adad2 mutant mice and to understand the molecular functions of ADAD2.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adad2 homozygous mutant mouse lines, Adad2

RESULTS: Adad2–/– and Adad2Δ/Δ mice exhibit male-specific sterility due to abnormal spermiogenesis. ADAD2 interacts with multiple RNA-binding proteins involved in …

Effect Of P2y12 Inhibitors On Organ Support-Free Survival In Critically Ill Patients Hospitalized For Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Jeffrey S Berger, Matthew D Neal, Lucy Z Kornblith, Michelle N Gong, Harmony R Reynolds, Mary Cushman, Andrew D Althouse, Patrick R Lawler, Bryan J Mcverry, Keri S Kim, Lisa Baumann Kreuziger, Scott D Solomon, Mikhail N Kosiborod, Scott M Berry, Grant V Bochicchio, Marco Contoli, Michael E Farkouh, Joshua D Froess, Sheetal Gandotra, Yonatan Greenstein, Erinn M Hade, Nicholas Hanna, Kristin Hudock, Robert C Hyzy, Fátima Ibáñez Estéllez, Nicole Iovine, Ashish K Khanna, Pooja Khatri, Bridget-Anne Kirwan, Matthew E Kutcher, Eric Leifer, George Lim, Renato D Lopes, Jose L Lopez-Sendon, James F Luther, Lilia Nigro Maia, John G Quigley, Lana Wahid, Jennifer G Wilson, Ryan Zarychanski, Andrei Kindzelski, Mark W Geraci, Judith S Hochman, Activ-4a Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Platelet activation is a potential therapeutic target in patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of P2Y12 inhibition among critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This international, open-label, adaptive platform, 1:1 randomized clinical trial included critically ill (requiring intensive care-level support) patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Patients were enrolled between February 26, 2021, through June 22, 2022. Enrollment was discontinued on June 22, 2022, by the trial leadership in coordination with the study sponsor given a marked slowing of the enrollment rate of critically ill patients.

INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to receive a P2Y12 …

Comparison Of Neurocognitive And Quality-Of-Life Outcomes In Pediatric Craniopharyngioma Patients Treated With Partial Resection And Radiotherapy Versus Gross-Total Resection Only, Guillermo Aldave, M Fatih Okcu, Murali Chintagumpala, Lucia Ruggieri, Charles G Minard, Fatema Malbari, Lisa E Mash, Arnold C Paulino, Susan Mcgovern, Uma Ramaswamy, William Whitehead, Lisa S Kahalley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: The optimal management of pediatric craniopharyngioma patients remains controversial, shifting from radical resection (gross-total resection [GTR]) to a more conservative approach with partial resection/biopsy followed by radiotherapy (PR+RT). To the authors' knowledge, no previous studies have compared neurocognitive and quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes between the two main treatments. In this study, the authors compared changes in intellectual, adaptive, and QOL scores in children treated for craniopharyngioma with GTR and those treated with PR+RT.

METHODS: Patients underwent annual neurocognitive and QOL evaluations for up to 10 years posttreatment, including the Full-Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), Working …

The Prevalence And Determinants Of Nafld And Mafld And Their Severity In The Va Primary Care Setting, Aaron P Thrift, Theresa H Nguyen, Codey Pham, Maya Balakrishnan, Fasiha Kanwal, Rohit Loomba, Hao T Duong, David Ramsey, Hashem B El-Serag

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A recent panel of international experts proposed the disease acronym metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in lieu of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to estimate the burden of and risk factors for NAFLD and MAFLD, and to examine the concordance between definitions in a Veterans population.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among randomly selected patients within primary care at the Houston Veterans Affairs (VA) facility. Participants completed a survey, provided blood, and underwent Fibroscan. In the absence of heavy alcohol, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus, a controlled attenuation parameter median ≥290 …

Gender Bias In Antidepressant Direct-To-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising, Leila K Asadi, Asim A Shah

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) may have significant impacts on public perception of diseases and treatments. Our objective was to examine whether DTCPA for antidepressants disproportionately portray and hence target women in the United States.

Methods: DTCPA for branded medications for depression, psoriasis and diabetes were analyzed to determine the gender of the main "patient" portrayed, as well as the content of the disease depiction.

Results: DTCPA for antidepressants included only women in 82% of ads, only men in 10.1% of ads, and both genders in 7.8% of ads. There were significantly higher representations of women versus men …

Vortioxetine Improves Physical And Cognitive Symptoms In Patients With Post-Covid-19 Major Depressive Episodes, Marco Di Nicola, Maria Pepe, Silvia Montanari, Maria Chiara Spera, Isabella Panaccione, Alessio Simonetti, Gabriele Sani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) following COVID-19 are frequent, can have a characteristic clinical picture, and are associated with immune-inflammatory changes. Vortioxetine is known to improve physical and cognitive performance in patients with depression and shows anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effects of vortioxetine after 1 and 3 months of treatment in 80 patients (44.4% males, 54±17.2 years) with post-COVID-19 MDE. The primary outcome was improvement in physical and cognitive symptoms measured by specific items of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), Digit Symbol …

Elevated Bile Acids Are Associated With Left Ventricular Structural Changes In Biliary Atresia, Manpreet K Virk, Muhammad Umair M Mian, Dalia A Bashir, John K Wilkes, Tobias Schlingman, Saul Flores, Curtis Kennedy, Fong Lam, Ayse A Arikan, Trung Nguyen, Krupa Mysore, Nhu Thao Nguyen Galvan, Jorge Coss-Bu, Saul J Karpen, Sanjiv Harpavat, Moreshwar S Desai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: In children with biliary atresia (BA), pathologic structural changes within the heart, which define cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, are associated with adverse perioperative outcomes. Despite their clinical relevance, little is known about the pathogenesis and triggers of pathologic remodeling. Bile acid excess causes cardiomyopathy in experimental cirrhosis, but its role in BA is poorly understood.

METHODS: Echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) geometry [LV mass (LVM), LVM indexed to height, left atrial volume indexed to BSA (LAVI), and LV internal diameter (LVID)] were correlated with circulating serum bile acid concentrations in 40 children (52% female) with BA listed for transplantation. A …

Candidate Biomarkers As Predictors Of Future Kidney Disease And Cardiovascular Dysfunction In Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes, Fida Bacha, Laure El Ghormli, Barbara H Braffett, Amy S Shah, Santica M Marcovina, Lorraine E Levitt Katz, Steven M Willi, Sonia Caprio, Ruban Dhaliwal, Samuel S Gidding

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

AIMS: Evaluate changes in circulating biomarkers as predictors of kidney disease, and cardiac/vascular dysfunction in participants from the Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study.

METHODS: Candidate biomarkers were assessed annually in 507 participants over a mean follow-up of 6.9 ± 2.4 years. Moderate albuminuria was defined as urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g and hyperfiltration as eGFR ≥ 135 mL/min/1.73 m

RESULTS: At baseline, 35.7% were male, with a mean age 13.9 years, diabetes duration 7.8 months, and HbA1c 6.0%. Higher concentrations of E-selectin and proinsulin were associated with incident moderate albuminuria and hyperfiltration. …

Genetic Associations Between Modifiable Risk Factors And Alzheimer Disease, Jiao Luo, Jesper Qvist Thomassen, Céline Bellenguez, Benjamin Grenier-Boley, Itziar De Rojas, Atahualpa Castillo, Kayenat Parveen, Fahri Küçükali, Aude Nicolas, Oliver Peters, Anja Schneider, Martin Dichgans, Dan Rujescu, Norbert Scherbaum, Deckert Jürgen, Steffi Riedel-Heller, Lucrezia Hausner, Laura Molina Porcel, Emrah Düzel, Timo Grimmer, Jens Wiltfang, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Susanne Moebus, Thomas Tegos, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Jordi Clarimon, Fermin Moreno, Jordi Pérez-Tur, María J Bullido, Pau Pastor, Raquel Sánchez-Valle, Victoria Álvarez, Mercè Boada, Pablo García-González, Raquel Puerta, Pablo Mir, Luis M Real, Gerard Piñol-Ripoll, Jose María García-Alberca, Jose Luís Royo, Eloy Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Hilkka Soininen, Teemu Kuulasmaa, Alexandre De Mendonça, Shima Mehrabian, Jakub Hort, Martin Vyhnalek, Sven Van Der Lee, Caroline Graff, Goran Papenberg, Vilmantas Giedraitis, Anne Boland, Delphine Bacq-Daian, Jean-François Deleuze, Gael Nicolas, Carole Dufouil, Florence Pasquier, Olivier Hanon, Stéphanie Debette, Edna Grünblatt, Julius Popp, Luisa Benussi, Daniela Galimberti, Beatrice Arosio, Patrizia Mecocci, Vincenzo Solfrizzi, Lucilla Parnetti, Alessio Squassina, Lucio Tremolizzo, Barbara Borroni, Benedetta Nacmias, Sandro Sorbi, Paolo Caffarra, Davide Seripa, Innocenzo Rainero, Antonio Daniele, Carlo Masullo, Gianfranco Spalletta, Julie Williams, Philippe Amouyel, Frank Jessen, Patrick Kehoe, Magda Tsolaki, Giacomina Rossi, Pascual Sánchez-Juan, Kristel Sleegers, Martin Ingelsson, Ole A Andreassen, Mikko Hiltunen, Cornelia Van Duijn, Rebecca Sims, Wiesje Van Der Flier, Agustín Ruiz, Alfredo Ramirez, Jean-Charles Lambert, Ruth Frikke-Schmidt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: An estimated 40% of dementia is potentially preventable by modifying 12 risk factors throughout the life course. However, robust evidence for most of these risk factors is lacking. Effective interventions should target risk factors in the causal pathway to dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively disentangle potentially causal aspects of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer disease (AD) to inspire new drug targeting and improved prevention.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This genetic association study was conducted using 2-sample univariable and multivariable mendelian randomization. Independent genetic variants associated with modifiable risk factors were selected as instrumental variables from genomic consortia. Outcome data for …

Cascade Testing After Exome Sequencing: Retrospective Analysis Of Linked Family Data At 2 Us Laboratories, Julie Stefka, Haley Streff, Pengfei Liu, Meghan Towne, Hadley Stevens Smith

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Cascade testing, the process of testing a proband's at-risk relatives, is integral to realizing the full value of genomic sequencing. However, there is little empirical evidence on the uptake of cascade testing after a positive exome sequencing (ES) result in a population of probands with diverse clinical indications.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed administrative data from 2 US clinical laboratories that perform ES. For each proband with a positive ES result, we used linked family data to describe the frequency of relatives' cascade testing performed at the same laboratory, variant detection yield of cascade tests, and characteristics of probands and …

Covid19-Associated New-Onset Movement Disorders: A Follow-Up Study, Susanne A Schneider, Soaham Desai, Onanong Phokaewvarangkul, Elena Cecilia Rosca, Jirada Sringean, Pria Anand, Gary Álvarez Bravo, Francisco Cardoso, Anna M Cervantes-Arslanian, Harshad Chovatiya, David Crosiers, Femke Dijkstra, Conor Fearon, Francisco Grandas, Eric Guedj, Antonio Méndez-Guerrero, Muhammad Hassan, Joseph Jankovic, Anthony E Lang, Karim Makhoul, Lorenzo Muccioli, Sarah A O'Shea, Vahid Reza Ostovan, Javier Ricardo Perez-Sanchez, Ritesh Ramdhani, Victoria Ros-Castelló, Christina Schulte, Priyank Shah, Lars Wojtecki, Pramod Kumar Pal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Neurological symptoms are common manifestation in acute COVID-19. This includes hyper- and hypokinetic movement disorders. Data on their outcome, however, is limited.

METHODS: Cases with new-onset COVID-19-associated movement disorders were identified by searching the literature. Authors were contacted for outcome data which were reviewed and analyzed.

RESULTS: Movement disorders began 12.6 days on average after the initial onset of COVID-19. 92% of patients required hospital admission (mean duration 23 days). In a fraction of patients (6 of 27; 22%; 4 males/2 females, mean age 66.8 years) the movement disorder (ataxia, myoclonus, tremor, parkinsonism) was still present after a follow-up …

Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In A General Population, The Hunt Study, Erika R Bjørnå, Martine T Engelsen, Hashem B El-Serag, Eivind Ness-Jensen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide and the metabolic syndrome is the main risk factor. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is widely used to screen for NAFLD, and the aims of this study were to assess the prevalence and risk factors of NAFLD in a general population.

Methods: The study was based on the third population-based Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3), Norway, performed 2006-2008. In HUNT3, ALT and lipids were analyzed, anthropometric measures done, and comorbidity and risk factors reported. Elevated ALT was used to define NAFLD and participants with other diagnosed liver diseases and excessive …

Epidemiology Of Retinopathy Of Prematurity In The Us From 2003 To 2019, Anshul Bhatnagar, Henry C Skrehot, Amit Bhatt, Honey Herce, Christina Y Weng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding retinal disease with poorly defined epidemiology. Understanding of which infants are most at risk for developing ROP may foster targeted detection and prevention efforts.

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in ROP incidence in the US from 2003 to 2019.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective database cohort study used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Databases. These nationwide databases are produced every 3 years, include data from over 4000 hospitals, and are designed to generate national estimates of health care trends in the US. Participants included pediatric newborns at risk …

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization For Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Predictors Of Clinical And Radiographic Failure From 636 Embolizations, Mohamed M Salem, Okkes Kuybu, Alex Nguyen Hoang, Ammad A Baig, Mirhojjat Khorasanizadeh, Cordell Baker, Joshua C Hunsaker, Aldo A Mendez, Gustavo Cortez, Jason M Davies, Sandra Narayanan, C Michael Cawley, Howard A Riina, Justin M Moore, Alejandro M Spiotta, Alexander A Khalessi, Brian M Howard, Ricardo Hanel, Omar Tanweer, Elad I Levy, Ramesh Grandhi, Michael J Lang, Adnan H Siddiqui, Peter Kan, Christopher S Ogilvy, Bradley A Gross, Ajith J Thomas, Brian T Jankowitz, Jan-Karl Burkhardt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

Knowledge regarding predictors of clinical and radiographic failures of middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization (MMAE) treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is limited.

Purpose

To identify predictors of MMAE treatment failure for CSDH.

Materials and Methods

In this retrospective study, consecutive patients who underwent MMAE for CSDH from February 2018 to April 2022 at 13 U.S. centers were included. Clinical failure was defined as hematoma reaccumulation and/or neurologic deterioration requiring rescue surgery. Radiographic failure was defined as a maximal hematoma thickness reduction less than 50% at last imaging (minimum 2 weeks of head CT follow-up). Multivariable logistic regression models …

Positive Selection Of Somatically Mutated Clones Identifies Adaptive Pathways In Metabolic Liver Disease, Zixi Wang, Shijia Zhu, Yuemeng Jia, Yunguan Wang, Naoto Kubota, Naoto Fujiwara, Ruth Gordillo, Cheryl Lewis, Min Zhu, Tripti Sharma, Lin Li, Qiyu Zeng, Yu-Hsuan Lin, Meng-Hsiung Hsieh, Purva Gopal, Tao Wang, Matt Hoare, Peter Campbell, Yujin Hoshida, Hao Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Somatic mutations in nonmalignant tissues accumulate with age and injury, but whether these mutations are adaptive on the cellular or organismal levels is unclear. To interrogate genes in human metabolic disease, we performed lineage tracing in mice harboring somatic mosaicism subjected to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Proof-of-concept studies with mosaic loss of Mboat7, a membrane lipid acyltransferase, showed that increased steatosis accelerated clonal disappearance. Next, we induced pooled mosaicism in 63 known NASH genes, allowing us to trace mutant clones side by side. This in vivo tracing platform, which we coined MOSAICS, selected for mutations that ameliorate lipotoxicity, including mutant genes …

Resolution Of Cisplatin-Induced Fatigue Does Not Require Endogenous Interleukin-10 In Male Miceb, Kiersten Scott, Nabila Boukelmoune, Cullen Taniguchi, A Phillip West, Cobi J Heijnen, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Based on previous results showing a pivotal role of endogenous interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the recovery from cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, the present experiments were carried out to determine whether this cytokine plays any role in the recovery from cisplatin-induced fatigue in male mice. Fatigue was measured by decreased voluntary wheel running in mice trained to run in a wheel in response to cisplatin. Mice were treated with a monoclonal neutralizing antibody (IL-10na) administered intranasally during the recovery period to neutralize endogenous IL-10. In the first experiment, mice were treated with cisplatin (2.83 mg/kg/day) for five days and IL-10na (12 μg/day for …

Resolution Of Cisplatin-Induced Fatigue Does Not Require Endogenous Interleukin-10 In Male Mice, Kiersten Scott, Nabila Boukelmoune, Cullen Taniguchi, A Phillip West, Cobi J Heijnen, Robert Dantzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Based on previous results showing a pivotal role of endogenous interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the recovery from cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, the present experiments were carried out to determine whether this cytokine plays any role in the recovery from cisplatin-induced fatigue in male mice. Fatigue was measured by decreased voluntary wheel running in mice trained to run in a wheel in response to cisplatin. Mice were treated with a monoclonal neutralizing antibody (IL-10na) administered intranasally during the recovery period to neutralize endogenous IL-10. In the first experiment, mice were treated with cisplatin (2.83 mg/kg/day) for five days and IL-10na (12 μg/day for …

Bridging Clinic And Wildlife Care With Ai-Powered Pan-Species Computational Pathology, Khalid Abduljabbar, Simon P Castillo, Katherine Hughes, Hannah Davidson, Amy M Boddy, Lisa M Abegglen, Lucia Minoli, Selina Iussich, Elizabeth P Murchison, Trevor A Graham, Simon Spiro, Carlo C Maley, Luca Aresu, Chiara Palmieri, Yinyin Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancers occur across species. Understanding what is consistent and varies across species can provide new insights into cancer initiation and evolution, with significant implications for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. We build a pan-species cancer digital pathology atlas (panspecies.ai) and conduct a pan-species study of computational comparative pathology using a supervised convolutional neural network algorithm trained on human samples. The artificial intelligence algorithm achieves high accuracy in measuring immune response through single-cell classification for two transmissible cancers (canine transmissible venereal tumour, 0.94; Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease, 0.88). In 18 other vertebrate species (mammalia = 11, reptilia = 4, aves …

Limitations Of Telemedicine Vs. Face-To-Face Eye Examination In A Patient With New Headaches, Joseph Hallak, Od, Danielle Kalberer, Od

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: During the emergence and rise of COVID-19, precaution directives and limitations on in-person eye examinations re-routed a significant portion of care to telemedicine and virtual modalities. While these technologies allowed for healthcare communications that otherwise could not occur during such trying times, there are major limitations to these sanctioned applications. This report will present a seemingly benign case that could have easily been re-routed from an in-person examination to a telemedicine version due to the patient’s seemingly “routine” vision complaints.

Case Report: A 50-year-old male patient contacted the eye clinic with a complaint of a minor, new, unexplained headache …

Barriers To Care In Juvenile Localized And Systemic Scleroderma: An Exploratory Survey Study Of Caregivers’ Perspectives, Leigh A Stubbs, Andrew M Ferry, Danielle Guffey, Christina Loccke, Erin Moriarty Wade, Pamela Pour, Kaveh Ardalan, Peter Chira, Ingrid M Ganske, Daniel Glaser, Gloria Higgins, Nadia Luca, Katharine F Moore, Vidya Sivaraman, Katie Stewart, Natalia Vasquez-Canizares, Raegan D Hunt, Renata S Maricevich, Kathryn S Torok, Suzanne C Li, Childhood Arthritis, Rheumatology Research Alliance (Carra) Scleroderma Workgroup

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Juvenile localized scleroderma (LS) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) are rare pediatric conditions often associated with severe morbidities. Delays in diagnosis are common, increasing the risk for permanent damage and worse outcomes. This study explored caregiver perspectives on barriers they encountered while navigating diagnosis and care for their child's scleroderma.

METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, caregivers of juvenile LS or SSc patients were recruited from a virtual family scleroderma educational conference and a juvenile scleroderma online interest group. The survey queried respondents about their child's condition and factors affecting diagnosis and treatment.

RESULTS: The response rate was 61% (73/120), with …

A Small Secreted Protein Nicol Regulates Lumicrine-Mediated Sperm Maturation And Male Fertility, Daiji Kiyozumi, Kentaro Shimada, Michael Chalick, Chihiro Emori, Mayo Kodani, Seiya Oura, Taichi Noda, Tsutomu Endo, Martin M Matzuk, Daniel H Wreschner, Masahito Ikawa

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The mammalian spermatozoa produced in the testis require functional maturation in the epididymis for their full competence. Epididymal sperm maturation is regulated by lumicrine signalling pathways in which testis-derived secreted signals relocate to the epididymis lumen and promote functional differentiation. However, the detailed mechanisms of lumicrine regulation are unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that a small secreted protein, NELL2-interacting cofactor for lumicrine signalling (NICOL), plays a crucial role in lumicrine signalling in mice. NICOL is expressed in male reproductive organs, including the testis, and forms a complex with the testis-secreted protein NELL2, which is transported transluminally from the testis to the …

Association Of Radiotherapy Duration With Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Esophageal Cancer Treated In Nrg Oncology Trials: A Secondary Analysis Of Nrg Oncology Randomized Clinical Trials, Christopher L. Hallemeier, Jennifer Moughan, Michael G. Haddock, Arnold M. Herskovic, Bruce D. Minsky, Mohan Suntharalingam, Kenneth L. Zeitzer, Madhur K. Garg, Bruce D. Greenwald, Ritsuko U. Komaki, Lindsay L. Puckett, Hyun Kim, Shane Lloyd, David A. Bush, Harold E. Kim, Thomas E. Lad, Joshua E. Meyer, Gordon S. Okawara, Adam Raben, Tracey E. Schefter, Jerry L. Barker, Carla I. Falkson, Gregory M.M. Videtic, Rojymon Jacob, Kathryn A. Winter, Christopher H. Crane

Einstein Health Papers

IMPORTANCE: For many types of epithelial malignant neoplasms that are treated with definitive radiotherapy (RT), treatment prolongation and interruptions have an adverse effect on outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between RT duration and outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was an unplanned, post hoc secondary analysis of 3 prospective, multi-institutional phase 3 randomized clinical trials (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group [RTOG] 8501, RTOG 9405, and RTOG 0436) of the National Cancer Institute-sponsored NRG Oncology (formerly the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, RTOG, and Gynecologic Oncology …

Extended Analysis Of Hiv Infection In Cisgender Men And Transgender Women Who Have Sex With Men Receiving Injectable Cabotegravir For Hiv Prevention: Hptn 083, Mark A Marzinke, Jessica M Fogel, Zhe Wang, Estelle Piwowar-Manning, Ryan Kofron, Amber Moser, Pradip Bhandari, Ryann Gollings, Lane R Bushman, Lei Weng, Elias K Halvas, John Mellors, Peter L Anderson, Deborah Persaud, Craig W Hendrix, Marybeth Mccauley, Alex R Rinehart, Marty St Clair, Susan L Ford, James F Rooney, Adeola Adeyeye, Suwat Chariyalertsak, Kenneth Mayer, Roberto C Arduino, Myron S Cohen, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Brett Hanscom, Raphael J Landovitz, Susan H Eshleman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

HPTN 083 demonstrated that injectable cabotegravir (CAB) was superior to oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) for HIV prevention in cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men. We previously analyzed 58 infections in the blinded phase of HPTN 083 (16 in the CAB arm and 42 in the TDF-FTC arm). This report describes 52 additional infections that occurred up to 1 year after study unblinding (18 in the CAB arm and 34 in the TDF-FTC arm). Retrospective testing included HIV testing, viral load testing, quantification of study drug concentrations, and drug resistance testing. The new CAB arm infections …

Zoster-Associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes And Increased Stroke Risk, Andrew N Bubak, Christina Coughlan, Janelle Posey, Anthony J Saviola, Christy S Niemeyer, Serena W R Lewis, Sara Bustos Lopez, Adriana Solano, Stephen K Tyring, Cassidy Delaney, Keith B Neeves, Ravi Mahalingam, Kirk C Hansen, Maria A Nagel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) caused by varicella zoster virus reactivation increases stroke risk for up to 1 year after HZ. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, however, the development of stroke distant from the site of zoster (eg, thoracic, lumbar, sacral) that can occur months after resolution of rash points to a long-lasting, virus-induced soluble factor (or factors) that can trigger thrombosis and/or vasculitis. Herein, we investigated the content and contributions of circulating plasma exosomes from HZ and non-HZ patient samples. Compared with non-HZ exosomes, HZ exosomes (1) contained proteins conferring a prothrombotic state to recipient cells and (2) activated platelets …

Stranger Things: New Roles And Opportunities For Androgen Receptor In Oncology Beyond Prostate Cancer, Javier Leo, Eleonora Dondossola, Kaitlin J Basham, Nathaniel R Wilson, Omar Alhalabi, Jianjun Gao, Katherine C Kurnit, Michael G White, Jennifer L Mcquade, Shannon N Westin, Elizabeth A Wellberg, Daniel E Frigo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The androgen receptor (AR) is one of the oldest therapeutic targets in oncology and continues to dominate the treatment landscape for advanced prostate cancer, where nearly all treatment regimens include some form of AR modulation. In this regard, AR remains the central driver of prostate cancer cell biology. Emerging preclinical and clinical data implicate key roles for AR in additional cancer types, thereby expanding the importance of this drug target beyond prostate cancer. In this mini-review, new roles for AR in other cancer types are discussed as well as their potential for treatment with AR-targeted agents. Our understanding of these …

Cancer Cell-Extrinsic Roles For The Androgen Receptor In Prostate Cancer, Andrew W Hahn, Bilal A Siddiqui, Javier Leo, Eleonora Dondossola, Kaitlin J Basham, Cindy K Miranti, Daniel E Frigo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Given the central role of the androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer cell biology, AR-targeted therapies have been the backbone of prostate cancer treatment for over 50 years. New data indicate that AR is expressed in additional cell types within the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, targeting AR for the treatment of prostate cancer has established side effects such as bone complications and an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disease, indicating broader roles for AR. With the advent of novel technologies, such as single-cell approaches and advances in preclinical modeling, AR has been identified to have clinically significant functions in other cell …

Neurocomputational Mechanisms Of Food And Physical Activity Decision-Making In Male Adolescents., Seung-Lark Lim, Amanda S. Bruce, Robin P. Shook

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

We examined the neurocomputational mechanisms in which male adolescents make food and physical activity decisions and how those processes are influenced by body weight and physical activity levels. After physical activity and dietary assessments, thirty-eight males ages 14-18 completed the behavioral rating and fMRI decision tasks for food and physical activity items. The food and physical activity self-control decisions were significantly correlated with each other. In both, taste- or enjoyment-oriented processes were negatively associated with successful self-control decisions, while health-oriented processes were positively associated. The correlation between taste/enjoyment and healthy attribute ratings predicted actual laboratory food intake and physical activities …