Medical Specialties Commons^™

Cervical Cancer Screening Barriers And Facilitators From The Perspectives Of Women With A History Of Criminal-Legal System Involvement And Substance Use, Amanda Emerson, Marissa Dogan, Elizabeth Hawes, Kiana Wilson, Sofía Mildrum Chana, Patricia J. Kelly, Megan Comfort, Megha Ramaswamy

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: The wide availability of routine screening with Papanicolaou (Pap) tests and vaccinations against human papillomavirus has resulted in a decline in rates of cervical cancer. As with other diseases, however, disparities in incidence and mortality persist. Cervical cancer, is found more often, at later stages, and has worse outcomes in people who live in rural areas, identify as Black or Hispanic, and in people who are incarcerated. Studies report 4-5 times higher rates of cervical cancer incidence in people detained in jails and prisons than in community-based samples. Studies to explain cervical cancer differences have been inconclusive, though there …

Racial Discrimination, Knowledge, And Health Outcomes: The Mediating Role Of Hepatitis B-Related Stigma Among Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B, Julia G. Katcher, Ann C. Klassen, Hie-Won Hann, Mimi Chang, Hee-Soon Juon

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

It is well described in current literature that Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects Asian Americans more than any other racial group in the United States and that there is a stigma attached to this condition. The effects of stigma can be lasting, penetrating physiologically and psychologically, yet few studies have focused on the consequences of this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of stigma in the effect of racial discrimination and knowledge (of HBV sequelae) on health status of Korean Americans with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Three hundred sixty-five CHB patients were recruited and …

Fully Automated Deep Learning Based Auto-Contouring Of Liver Segments And Spleen On Contrast-Enhanced Ct Images, Aashish C Gupta, Guillaume Cazoulat, Mais Al Taie, Sireesha Yedururi, Bastien Rigaud, Austin Castelo, John Wood, Cenji Yu, Caleb O'Connor, Usama Salem, Jessica Albuquerque Marques Silva, Aaron Kyle Jones, Molly Mcculloch, Bruno C Odisio, Eugene J Koay, Kristy K Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Manual delineation of liver segments on computed tomography (CT) images for primary/secondary liver cancer (LC) patients is time-intensive and prone to inter/intra-observer variability. Therefore, we developed a deep-learning-based model to auto-contour liver segments and spleen on contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images. We trained two models using 3d patch-based attention U-Net ([Formula: see text] and 3d full resolution of nnU-Net ([Formula: see text] to determine the best architecture ([Formula: see text]. BA was used with vessels ([Formula: see text] and spleen ([Formula: see text] to assess the impact on segment contouring. Models were trained, validated, and tested on 160 ([Formula: see text]), …

Grit And Second Language Learning Engagement: The Mediating Role Of Affect Balance, Chenggang Wu, Xiaoyong Tian, Hui Jin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The study of the relationship between key psychological attributes of learners and their engagement in second language (L2) learning helps to understand the critical personality mechanisms influencing language learning. The present study examined the L2 learning engagement from the perspectives of grit (i.e., consistent efforts and interests devoted to a long-term goal) and affect balance (a notion that takes into account both positive and negative emotions concurrently, assessing and evaluating which side holds more significance or influence). A cohort of English L2 learners (

Characteristics Of Early Pancreatic Cancer: Comparison Between Stage 1a And Stage 1b Pancreatic Cancer In Multicenter Clinical Data Warehouse Study, Hyo Suk Kim, Young Hoon Choi, Jae Sin Lee, Ik Hyun Jo, Sung Woo Ko, Kyu Hyun Paik, Hyun Ho Choi, Han Hee Lee, Yeon Soo Lim, Chang Nyol Paik, In Seok Lee, Jae Hyuck Chang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the characteristics of early pancreatic cancer. We aimed to identify the characteristics, clues for early detection, and prognostic factors for early pancreatic cancer by analyzing a large number of patients with stage 1 pancreatic cancer.

METHODS: A clinical data warehouse that includes databases of all the medical records of eight academic institutions was used to select and analyze patients with pancreatic cancer that had been diagnosed from January 2010 to May 2023.

RESULTS: In total, 257 stage 1 pancreatic cancer patients were included. There were 134 men (52%), and the average age was 67.2 ± …

Clinical Benefit From Docetaxel +/- Ramucirumab Is Not Associated With Mutation Status In Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Who Progressed On Platinum Doublets And Immunotherapy, Kang Qin, Kaiwen Wang, Shenduo Li, Lingzhi Hong, Priyadharshini Padmakumar, Rinsurongkawong Waree, Shawna M Hubert, Xiuning Le, Natalie Vokes, Kunal Rai, Ara Vaporciyan, Don L Gibbons, John V Heymach, J Jack Lee, Scott E Woodman, Caroline Chung, David A Jaffray, Mehmet Altan, Yanyan Lou, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Docetaxel +/- ramucirumab remains the standard-of-care therapy for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after progression on platinum doublets and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The aim of our study was to investigate whether the cancer gene mutation status was associated with clinical benefits from docetaxel +/- ramucirumab. We also investigated whether platinum/taxane-based regimens offered a better clinical benefit in this patient population. A total of 454 patients were analyzed (docetaxel +/- ramucirumab n=381; platinum/taxane-based regimens n=73). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared among different subpopulations with different cancer gene mutations and between patients who received docetaxel …

The Future Of Targeted Therapy For Leiomyosarcoma, Ryan A Denu, Amanda M Dann, Emily Z Keung, Michael S Nakazawa, Elise F Nassif Haddad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an aggressive subtype of soft tissue sarcoma that arises from smooth muscle cells, most commonly in the uterus and retroperitoneum. LMS is a heterogeneous disease with diverse clinical and molecular characteristics that have yet to be fully understood. Molecular profiling has uncovered possible targets amenable to treatment, though this has yet to translate into approved targeted therapies in LMS. This review will explore historic and recent findings from molecular profiling, highlight promising avenues of current investigation, and suggest possible future strategies to move toward the goal of molecularly matched treatment of LMS. We focus on targeting the …

Stereotactic Electroencephalogram Recordings In Temporal Lobectomy Patients Demonstrates The Predictive Value Of Interictal Cross-Frequency Correlations: A Retrospective Study, Anish Sathe, Mahdi Alizadeh, Emily Johannan, Christian Raimondo, Michael R Sperling, Ashwini Sharan, Michael Kogan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Positive correlations between low- and high-frequency spectra from stereotactic electroencephalogram (SEEG) recordings have been implicated in pathological brain activity interictally and have been used for ictal detection in both focal and network models.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated SEEG signals in patients who ultimately underwent temporal lobectomy to evaluate their utility in seizure localization and prediction of seizure freedom post-resection.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed cross-frequency correlations between beta and high gamma (HG) interictal SEEG signals from 22 patients. We compared signals based on temporal versus extra-temporal locations, seizure-free (SF) versus non-seizure-free (NSF) outcomes, and mesial (M) versus mesial temporal-plus (M+) onset. …

Er Or Urgent Care? Which Is Best For Your Child?, Meggie Mckay, Jennifer Johnson

Parent-ish Podcast

The inevitable happened – a broken bone, illness or another ailment for your child. And it happened while your doctor’s office is closed. So, the dilemma every parent faces …do you go to the Emergency Room (ER) or Urgent Care?

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

The Optimization Of A Natural Language Processing Approach For The Automatic Detection Of Alzheimer’S Disease Using Gpt Embeddings, Benjamin S. Runde, Ajit Alapati, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The development of noninvasive and cost-effective methods of detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is essential for its early prevention and mitigation. We optimize the detection of AD using natural language processing (NLP) of spontaneous speech through the use of audio enhancement techniques and novel transcription methodologies. Specifically, we utilized Boll Spectral Subtraction to improve audio fidelity and created transcriptions using state-of-the-art AI services—locally-based Wav2Vec and Whisper, alongside cloud-based IBM Cloud and Rev AI—evaluating their performance against traditional manual transcription methods. Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were then trained and tested using GPT-based embeddings of transcriptions. Our findings revealed that AI-based transcriptions …

A Framework For Building Comprehensive Cancer Center’S Capacity For Bidirectional Engagement, Erika S. Trapl, Sarah Koopman Gonzalez, Kristina Austin

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: Community engagement has benefits for cancer centers’ work and for its researchers. This study examined the experiences and perceptions of community engagement by members of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) to create and implement a framework to meet the needs of the entire cancer center. Methods: This study included three phases: 1) Semi-structured interviews with 12 researchers from a basic science program to identify needs and suggestions for the support of community engagement; 2) Preliminary interview results informed the development of a survey of 86 cancer center members’ about their awareness of and readiness to integrate community …

Diagnostic And Therapeutic Challenge: A Case Of Right Ventricular Thrombus, Angad Bedi, Muhammad Sabri, Prerana Sevella, Hussam Al Hennawi, Gregory Pirolli

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Right ventricular thrombus is a rare finding found in 4% of people diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Although right ventricular thrombi are usually associated with atrial fibrillation, deep venous vein thrombi, or intracardiac procedures, isolated right ventricular thrombi are rare. Right ventricular thrombus has also been reported in patients with right ventricular infarction, as hypokinesis of the right ventricle causes blood stasis and promotes thrombosis as per Virchow’s triad. However, we present a case of isolated RV thrombus in a patient without evidence of deep vein thrombosis or right ventricular hypokinesis who presented with dyspnea on exertion.

The Curious Case Of Kounis Syndrome: Exploring Clinical Manifestations And Management In The Presence Of Nonobstructive Coronary Arteries, Darren Drittel, Dylan Deyar, Eric Boxer, Hussam Al Hennawi, Margaret Mack

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Kounis syndrome, an allergic hypersensitivity coronary disorder, is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition triggered by various allergens, including medications. We present the case of a 41-year-old male with no prior cardiac history, who developed Kounis syndrome following vancomycin administration for suspected cellulitis. The patient initially presented with rash, fever, and malaise, which progressed to chest discomfort associated with diaphoresis and elevated troponin levels. Diagnostic evaluations, including electrocardiographic changes and coronary angiography, confirmed a diagnosis of type I Kounis syndrome. This case adds to the limited literature on vancomycin-induced Kounis syndrome, and underscores the importance of considering this diagnosis in …

Current Concepts In The Evaluation, Management, And Prevention Of Common Foot And Ankle Injuries In The Runner, Alexis S. Tingan, Aisha Bowen, Chelsea Salas-Tam, Matthew Roland, Apurva Srivastav

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Purpose of Review Running-related injuries (RRIs) are a common cause of dysfunction among runners. Foot and ankle injuries are among the most common RRIs. The purpose of this review is to detail current concepts in the pathophysiology, evaluation, management, and prevention of foot and ankle RRIs.

Recent Findings Running gait analyses are helpful in identifying biomechanical and kinematic abnormalities that can be targeted in rehabilitation. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is now being used to both qualitatively and quantitatively assess tissue integrity to guide diagnosis, prognosis, and return to run decision-making. Recent treatment analyses have demonstrated that rehabilitation exercises are vital for restoring …

Juvenile Eosinophilic Fasciitis: A Single Center Case Series, Leigh A Stubbs, Oluwaseun Ogunbona, Emily Beil, Vibha Szafron, Adekunle Adesina, Sara Anvari, Jamie Lai, Andrea Ramirez, Matthew G Ditzler, Marietta Deguzman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare disease characterized by skin induration and musculoskeletal abnormalities. Diagnostic criteria for EF are based on adult populations. There is a need to expand the literature on EF in children due to limited reported cases and potential differences compared to adults.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for six pediatric patients diagnosed with EF at our institution between November 2011 and April 2023. Inclusion criteria required patients to be under 18 years of age at the time of diagnosis and to have confirmed diagnosis through clinical history, imaging, and histology.

RESULTS: …

Impaired Bone Morphogenetic Protein (Bmp) Signaling Pathways Disrupt Decidualization In Endometriosis, Zian Liao, Suni Tang, Peixin Jiang, Ting Geng, Dominique I Cope, Timothy N Dunn, Joie Guner, Linda Alpuing Radilla, Xiaoming Guan, Diana Monsivais

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometriosis is linked to increased infertility and pregnancy complications due to defective endometrial decidualization. We hypothesized that identification of altered signaling pathways during decidualization could identify the underlying cause of infertility and pregnancy complications. Our study reveals that transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways are impaired in the endometrium of individuals with endometriosis, leading to defective decidualization. Through detailed transcriptomic analyses, we discovered abnormalities in TGFβ signaling pathways and key regulators, such as SMAD4, in the endometrium of affected individuals. We also observed compromised activity of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), a subset of the TGFβ family, that control endometrial receptivity. …

Gait Analysis Of Male Professional Boxers, Jacek Perliński, Joanna M. Bukowska, Łukasz Rydzik, Wojciech Wąsacz, Dariusz Kruczkowski, Tadeusz Ambroży, Wojciech Czarny, Jarosław Jaszczur-Nowicki

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: Gait plays a crucial role in both daily life and sports performance. This study analyzes professional boxers’ gait, as it is essential to understand its influence on performance and injury risk. However, there is a need to comprehend the effects of boxing training on gait and the occurrence of asymmetries between limbs. Research Question: Does the gait of professional boxers exhibit significant differences between limbs, and what are the potential implications of this asymmetry? Materials and Methods: The study involved 36 professional boxers, and the Gaitway 3D Pressure treadmill was used to collect data. The analysis was performed using …

Social Needs Risk And Patient Outcomes With Supportive Oncology Care, Rebecca Cammy, Lcsw, Joshua Banks, Ma

Department of Medical Oncology Posters

Objective

This study utilized social risk data in the electronic heath record collected in routine clinical practice and examined relationships with supportive oncology care contacts and patient outcomes.

Repurposing Of Us-Fda-Approved Drugs As Negative Modulators Of Ubiquitin Specific Protease-7 (Usp7), Seema Zadi, Sumaira Javaid, Atia-Tul-Wahab, Humaira Zafar, Muhammad Awais, Innokentiy Maslennikov, M. Iqbal Choudhary

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ubiquitin-specific protease7 (USP7) regulates the stability of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and several other proteins critical for tumor cell survival. Aberrant expression of USP7 facilitates human malignancies by altering the activity of proto-oncogenes/proteins, and tumor suppressor genes. Therefore, USP7 is a validated anti-cancer drug target. In this study, a drug repurposing approach was used to identify new hits against the USP7 enzyme. It is one of the most strategic approaches to find new uses for drugs in a cost- and time-effective way. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based screening of 172 drugs identified 11 compounds that bind to the catalytic domain of …

Combination Radiofrequency Ablation And Vertebral Cement Augmentation For Spinal Metastatic Tumors: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Safety And Treatment Outcomes, Andrew Chen, Navraj Sagoo, Christopher Vannabouathong, Yashas Reddy, Sathvik Deme, Sahiti Patibandla, Peter Passias, Shaleen Vira

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

BACKGROUND: The treatment of spine metastases continues to pose a significant clinical challenge, requiring the integration of multiple therapeutic modalities to address the multifactorial aspects of this disease process. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) are 2 less invasive modalities compared to open surgery that have emerged as promising strategies, offering the potential for both pain relief and preservation of vertebral stability. The utility of these approaches, however, remains uncertain and subject to ongoing investigation.This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the available evidence and synthesize the results of studies that have investigated the combination of RFA and VCA …

The Hip Spine Relationship—What We Know And What We Don’T: A Narrative Review, Michael Mccurdy, Yunsoo Lee, Gino Dinicola, Albert Ku, Alex R. Vaccaro, Alan S. Hilibrand, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher K. Kepler, Mark J. Lambrechts

Rothman Institute Papers

Background and Objective: The hip-spine syndrome was first described in 1983. The premise of the report was that the hip and spine are closely related and patients can easily have overlapping conditions and misdiagnoses. Since that time, there has been considerable advancement in our understanding of spinopelvic parameters and how degenerative disc disease can affect the pelvis and subsequently the acetabulum. Our objective is to provide an updated review on the relationship between hip and spine degeneration, how we define the relationship, and what steps should be taken when planning surgical intervention for these patients.

Methods: A literature review was …

Cros Or Hearing Aid? Selecting The Ideal Solution For Unilateral Ci Patients With Limited Aidable Hearing In The Contralateral Ear, Sarah Lively, Smita Agrawal, Matthew Stewart, Robert Dwyer, Laura Strobel, Paula Marcinkevich, Chris Hetlinger, Julia Croce

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

A hearing aid or a contralateral routing of signal device are options for unilateral cochlear implant listeners with limited hearing in the unimplanted ear; however, it is uncertain which device provides greater benefit beyond unilateral listening alone. Eighteen unilateral cochlear implant listeners participated in this prospective, within-participants, repeated measures study. Participants were tested with the cochlear implant alone, cochlear implant + hearing aid, and cochlear implant + contralateral routing of signal device configurations with a one-month take-home period between each in-person visit. Audiograms, speech perception in noise, and lateralization were evaluated. Subjective feedback was obtained via questionnaires. Marked improvement in …

Real-World Effectiveness Of Add-Onfremanezumab In Patients Receiving Onabotulinumtoxina For The Prevention Of Chronic Migraine In A Us Tertiary Headache Center: A Retrospective Chart Review Study, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Fred Cohen, Maurice T. Driessen, Lynda J. Krasenbaum, Mario Ortega, Mary Hopkins, Michael J. Marmura

Department of Jefferson Headache Center Papers and Presentations

Background: Concomitant fremanezumab, a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway monoclonal antibody (mAb), and onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) improve treatment response compared with onabotA alone in patients with chronic migraine (CM). Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study that assessed treatment response (change over time in monthly headache days [MHD] and pain intensity [PI]) in adult patients with CM receiving fremanezumab as add-on therapy to onabotA for CM prevention. Results: In the study population (N = 116, age 50.0 ± 13.1, female 85.3%, pre-index onabotA use 46.5 ± 34.2 months) receiving concurrent onabotA and fremanezumab for 17.5 ± 11.6 months, MHD decreased …

Sociodemographic And Clinical Characteristics Of People With Oldest Older Age Bipolar Disorder In A Global Sample: Results From The Global Aging And Geriatric Experiments In Bipolar Disorder Project, Peijun Chen, Martha Sajatovic, Joy Yala, Kaylee Sarna

Faculty Scholarship

Objects: Studies of older age bipolar disorder (OABD) have mostly focused on “younger old” individuals. Little is known about the oldest OABD (OOABD) individuals aged ≥70 years old. The Global Aging and Geriatric Experiments in Bipolar Disorder (GAGE-BD) project provides an opportunity to evaluate the OOABD group to understand their characteristics compared to younger groups. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the GAGE-BD database, an integrated, harmonized dataset from 19 international studies. We compared the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of those aged <50 (YABD, n = 184), 50–69 (OABD, n = 881), and ≥70 (OOABD, n = 304). To standardize the comparisons between age categories and all characteristics, we used multinomial logistic regression models with age category as the dependent variable, with each characteristic as the independent variable, and clustering of standard errors to account for the correlation between observations from each of the studies. Results: OOABD and OABD had lower severity of manic symptoms (Mean YMRS = 3.3, 3.8 respectively) than YABD (YMRS = 7.6), and lower depressive symptoms (% of absent = 65.4%, and 59.5% respectively) than YABD (18.3%). OOABD and OABD had higher physical burden than YABD, especially in the cardiovascular domain (prevalence = 65% in OOABD, 41% in OABD and 17% in YABD); OOABD had the highest prevalence (56%) in the musculoskeletal domain (significantly differed from 39% in OABD and 31% in YABD which didn't differ from each other). Overall, OOABD had significant cumulative physical burden in numbers of domains (mean = 4) compared to both OABD (mean = 2) and YABD (mean = 1). OOABD had the lowest rates of suicidal thoughts (10%), which significantly differed from YABD (26%) though didn't differ from OABD (21%). Functional status was higher in both OOABD (GAF = 63) and OABD (GAF = 64), though only OABD had significantly higher function than YABD (GAF = 59). Conclusions: OOABD have unique features, suggesting that (1) OOABD individuals may be easier to manage psychiatrically, but require more attention to comorbid physical conditions; (2) OOABD is a survivor cohort associated with resilience despite high medical burden, warranting both qualitative and quantitative methods to better understand how to advance clinical care and ways to age successfully with BD.

Clonal Gene Signatures Predict Prognosis In Mesothelioma And Lung Adenocarcinoma, Yupei Lin, Bryan M Burt, Hyun-Sung Lee, Thinh T Nguyen, Hee-Jin Jang, Claire Lee, Wei Hong, Robert Taylor Ripley, Christopher I Amos, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but lethal pleural cancer with high intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). A recent study in lung adenocarcinoma has developed a clonal gene signature (ORACLE) from multiregional transcriptomic data and demonstrated high prognostic values and reproducibility. However, such a strategy has not been tested in other types of cancer with high ITH. We aimed to identify biomarkers from multi-regional data to prognostically stratify MPM patients. We generated a multiregional RNA-seq dataset for 78 tumor samples obtained from 26 MPM patients, each with one sample collected from a superior, lateral, and inferior region of the tumor. By …

Mirizzi Syndrome: The Trojan Horse Of Gallbladder Disease, Mary Froehlich, Elizabeth M. Sodomin, Taylor Fontenot, Noama Iftekhar, Christian N. Chan

Department of Surgery Faculty Research

Background: The incidence of Mirizzi Syndrome ranges from 0.05 to 5.7 % of patients who undergo cholecystectomy. The purpose of this study is to examine the preoperative workup and postoperative outcomes for patients diagnosed with Mirizzi Syndrome. Methods: Retrospective chart review was conducted between January 2018 and January 2022 at a single institution. All adult patients who underwent cholecystectomy were included. Results: 1628 patients underwent cholecystectomy of which 47 were diagnosed with Mirizzi Syndrome. The majority of patients had type 1 Mirizzi Syndrome. Preoperative studies were often nondiagnostic and 81 % of cases were diagnosed intraoperatively. 66 % of cases …

In-Hospital Mortality Trends After Surgery For Traumatic Thoracolumbar Injury: A National Inpatient Sample Database Study, Michael Mccurdy, Rajkishen Narayanan, Omar Tarawneh, Yunsoo Lee, Matthew Sherman, Teeto Ezeonu, Michael Carter, Jose A. Canseco, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Christopher K. Kepler, Gregory D. Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Given the increasing incidence of traumatic thoracolumbar injuries in recent years, studies have sought to investigate potential risk factors for outcomes in these patients.

RESEARCH QUESTION: The aim of this study was to investigate trends and risk factors for in-hospital mortality after fusion for traumatic thoracolumbar injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing thoracolumbar fusion after traumatic injury were queried from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2012 to 2017. Analysis was performed to identify risk factors for inpatient mortality after surgery.

RESULTS: Patients in 2017 were on average older (51.0 vs. 48.5, P = 0.004), had more admitting diagnoses …

Endoscopic Hyperspectral Imaging System To Discriminate Tissue Characteristics In Tissue Phantom And Orthotopic Mouse Pancreatic Tumor Model, Na Eun Mun, Thi Kim Chi Tran, Dong Hui Park, Jin Hee Im, Jae Il Park, Thanh Dat Le, Young Jin Moon, Seong-Young Kwon, Su Woong Yoo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In this study, we developed an endoscopic hyperspectral imaging (eHSI) system and evaluated its performance in analyzing tissues within tissue phantoms and orthotopic mouse pancreatic tumor models. Our custom-built eHSI system incorporated a liquid crystal tunable filter. To assess its tissue discrimination capabilities, we acquired images of tissue phantoms, distinguishing between fat and muscle regions. The system underwent supervised training using labeled samples, and this classification model was then applied to other tissue phantom images for evaluation. In the tissue phantom experiment, the eHSI effectively differentiated muscle from fat and background tissues. The precision scores regarding fat tissue classification were …

Kinship, Gift Exchange, And The Management Of Diabetes, Bryen Turco, Vito Agrusa, Laila Abdallah, James Peter Meza

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

The authors examine the impact of kinship structures on the management poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

Tailoring T Fh Profiles Enhances Antibody Persistence To A Clade C Hiv-1 Vaccine In Rhesus Macaques, Anil Verma, Chase E. Hawes, Sonny R. Elizaldi, Justin C. Smith, Dhivyaa Rajasundaram, Gabriel Kristian Pedersen, Xiaoying Shen, La Tonya D. Williams, Georgia D. Tomaras, Pamela A. Kozlowski, Rama R. Amara, Smita S. Iyer

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

CD4 T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are essential for establishing serological memory and have distinct helper attributes that impact both the quantity and quality of the antibody response. Insights into Tfh subsets that promote antibody persistence and functional capacity can critically inform vaccine design. Based on the Tfh profiles evoked by the live attenuated measles virus vaccine, renowned for its ability to establish durable humoral immunity, we investigated the potential of a Tfh1/17 recall response during the boost phase to enhance persistence of HIV-1 Envelope (Env) antibodies in rhesus macaques. Using a DNA-prime encoding gp160 antigen and Tfh polarizing cytokines …