Medical Specialties Commons^™

Survival Outcomes Used To Validate Version 9 Of The American Joint Committee On Cancer Staging System For Appendiceal Cancer, Lauren M Janczewski, Amanda E Browner, Joseph H Cotler, Heidi Nelson, Sanjay Kakar, Norman J Carr, Nader N Hanna, Andreana N Holowatyj, Richard M Goldberg, M Kay Washington, Elliot A Asare, Michael J Overman, American Joint Committee On Cancer Expert Panel On Cancers For The Lower Gastrointestinal Appendix Disease Site

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The standard for cancer staging in the United States for all cancer sites, including primary carcinomas of the appendix, is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. AJCC staging criteria undergo periodic revisions, led by a panel of site-specific experts, to maintain contemporary staging definitions through the evaluation of new evidence. Since its last revision, the AJCC has restructured its processes to include prospectively collected data because large data sets have become increasingly robust and available over time. Thus survival analyses using AJCC eighth edition staging criteria were used to inform stage group revisions in the version 9 …

3,3′-Diindolylmethane Augments 5-Fluorouracil-Inducedgrowth Suppression In Gastric Cancer Cells Through Suppression Of The Akt/Gsk-3Β And Wnt/Beta-Catenin, Cong Shan Li, Thi Van Nguyen, Ok Hee Chai, Byung Hyun Park, Ju-Seog Lee, Soo Mi Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most lethal cancers in South Korea, and it is a cancer of concern worldwide. 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) is commonly used as the first-line therapy for advanced GC; however, its side effects often limit the dosage range and impair patients' quality of life. Due to the limitations of current chemotherapy, new anticancer therapies are urgently needed. 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) has been reported to have the ability to protect against various types of cancer. Our study aimed to elucidate the anticancer effect of DIM in GC when treated with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fu. In our results, combined …

Bayesian Single-To-Double Arm Transition Design Using Both Short-Term And Long-Term Endpoints, Tianlin Xu, Haolun Shi, Ruitao Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The choice between single-arm designs versus randomized double-arm designs has been contentiously debated in the literature of phase II oncology trials. Recently, as a compromise, the single-to-double arm transition design was proposed, combining the two designs into one trial over two stages. Successful implementation of the two-stage transition design requires a suspension period at the end of the first stage to collect the response data of the already enrolled patients. When the evaluation of the primary efficacy endpoint is overly long, the between-stage suspension period may unfavorably prolong the trial duration and cause a delay in treating future eligible patients. …

Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Hepatic Vein And Inferior Vena Cava Invasion, Akash Shukla, Abhinav Jain

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invades intrahepatic vessels causing tumor thrombosis. Infrequently, there is involvement of the hepatic vein (HV) and inferior vena cava (IVC). In this review, we summarize the epidemiology, classification, clinical features, and management of HCC with HV and IVC invasion. While the involvement of HV and IVC usually portends an overall poor survival, selected patients may be candidates for aggressive treatment and thus improving outcomes.

Less Is More? First Impressions From Cosmic-313, Pavlos Msaouel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The COSMIC-313 phase 3 randomized controlled trial tested the triplet combination of cabozantinib with nivolumab and ipilimumab in comparison with nivolumab plus ipilimumab control as fist-line systemic therapy in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The first results presented at the 2022 European Society of Medical Oncology Congress are a milestone for the renal cell carcinoma field because they signal the advent of triplet combinations as potential treatment options for our patients. The present commentary highlights some considerations and potential next steps based on these first impressions.

Phase 1/2 Study Of Epacadostat In Combination With Durvalumab In Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors, Aung Naing, Alain P Algazi, Gerald S Falchook, Benjamin C Creelan, John Powderly, Seth Rosen, Minal Barve, Niharika B Mettu, Pierre L Triozzi, John Hamm, Gongfu Zhou, Chris Walker, Zhiwan Dong, Manish R Patel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) pathways is an appealing option for cancer treatment.

Methods: The open-label, phase 1/2 ECHO-203 study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat in combination with durvalumab, a human anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody in adult patients with advanced solid tumors.

Results: The most common treatment-related adverse events were fatigue (30.7%), nausea (21.0%), decreased appetite (13.1%), pruritus (12.5%), maculopapular rash (10.8%), and diarrhea (10.2%). Objective response rate (ORR) in the overall phase 2 population was 12.0%. Higher ORR was observed in immune checkpoint inhibitor (CPI)-naïve patients (16.1%) …

Radiation Therapy Can Be Safely Incorporated Into Pretransplantation Treatment Regimens For Patients With Multiple Myeloma, Ethan P Damron, Muzaffar H Qazilbash, Penny Q Fang, Susan Y Wu, Bouthaina S Dabaja, Gabriela Rondon, Chitra Hosing, Richard E Champlin, Qaiser Bashir, Elizabeth J Shpall, Mark K Knafl, Hans C Lee, Elisabet E Manasanch, Krina Patel, Sheeba K Thomas, Robert Z Orlowski, Donna M Weber, Chelsea C Pinnix, Jillian R Gunther

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) often involves systemic induction therapy (SIT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Radiation therapy (RT) is sometimes used for palliation; however, many practitioners avoid RT out of concern that future peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection required for ASCT may be compromised. In this study, we retrospectively examined the possible effect of RT on PBPC collection. We reviewed the charts of 732 patients with MM treated with RT at our institution from 1999 to 2017, including patients who received RT prior to PBPC collection for planned ASCT. RT plans (both MM and non-MM …

Stem Cell Theory Of Cancer: Origin Of Metastasis And Sub-Clonality, Shi-Ming Tu, Cesar Moran, William Norton, Niki M Zacharias

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metastasis may be the secret weapon cancer uses to dominate and subjugate, to persist and prevail. However, it is no longer a secret when we realize that a stem cell has the same ways and means to fulfill its own omnipotence and accomplish its own omnipresence… and when we realize that a cancer cell has its own version of stem-ness origin and stem-like nature. In this perspective, we discuss whether stem-ness enables metastasis or mutations drive metastasis. We ponder about low-grade versus high-grade tumors and about primary versus metastatic tumors. We wonder about stochasticity and hierarchy in the genesis and …

Chd1, A Multifaceted Epigenetic Remodeler In Prostate Cancer, Haoyan Li, Loraine Gigi, Di Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chromatin remodeling proteins contribute to DNA replication, transcription, repair, and recombination. The chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD) family of remodelers plays crucial roles in embryonic development, hematopoiesis, and neurogenesis. As the founding member, CHD1 is capable of assembling nucleosomes, remodeling chromatin structure, and regulating gene transcription. Dysregulation of CHD1 at genetic, epigenetic, and post-translational levels is common in malignancies and other human diseases. Through interacting with different genetic alterations, CHD1 possesses the capabilities to exert oncogenic or tumor-suppressive functions in context-dependent manners. In this Review, we summarize the biochemical properties and dysregulation of CHD1 in cancer cells, and then discuss CHD1's …

Targeting Immunosuppressive Ly6c+ Classical Monocytes Reverses Anti-Pd-1/Ctla-4 Immunotherapy Resistance, B Leticia Rodriguez, Limo Chen, Yanli Li, Shucheng Miao, David H Peng, Jared J Fradette, Lixia Diao, Jessica M Konen, Frank R Rojas Alvarez, Luisa M Solis, Xiaohui Yi, Aparna Padhye, Laura A Gibson, Joshua K Ochieng, Xiaofei Zhou, Jing Wang, Don L Gibbons

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Despite significant clinical advancement with the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) there are still a major subset of patients that develop adaptive/acquired resistance. Understanding resistance mechanisms to ICB is critical to developing new therapeutic strategies and improving patient survival. The dynamic nature of the tumor microenvironment and the mutational load driving tumor immunogenicity limit the efficacy to ICB. Recent studies indicate that myeloid cells are drivers of ICB resistance. In this study we sought to understand which immune cells were contributing to resistance and if we could modify them in a way …

Spatial Heterogeneity Of T Cell Repertoire Across Nsclc Tumors, Tumor Edges, Adjacent And Distant Lung Tissues, Qikang Hu, Meredith L Frank, Yang Gao, Liyan Ji, Muyun Peng, Chen Chen, Bin Wang, Yan Hu, Zeyu Wu, Jina Li, Lu Shu, Qiongzhi He, Yingqian Zhang, Xuefeng Xia, Jianjun Zhang, Xin Yi, Alexandre Reuben, Fenglei Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of T cells in lung cancer and their distribution across tumor-adjacent lungs and peripheral blood is needed to improve efficacy and minimize toxicity from immunotherapy to lung cancer patients.

METHODS: Here, we performed CDR3β TCR sequencing of 136 samples from 20 patients with early-stage NSCLC including peripheral blood mononuclear cells, tumors, tumor edges (tumor), as well as adjacent lungs 1 cm, 2 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm away from the tumor to gain insight into the spatial heterogeneity of T cells across the lungs in patients with NSCLC. PD-L1, CD4, and CD8 expression was assessed …

Analysis Of Immune Intratumor Heterogeneity Highlights Immunoregulatory And Coinhibitory Lymphocytes As Hallmarks Of Recurrence In Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Alejandro Francisco-Cruz, Pedro Rocha, Alexandre Reuben, Santhoshi N Krishnan, Priyam Das, Runzhe Chen, Kelly Quek, Jun Li, Edwin R Parra, Luisa M Solis, Souptik Barua, Mei Jiang, Rossana Lazcano, Chi-Wan Chow, Carmen Behrens, Curtis Gumb, Latasha Little, Junya Fukuoka, Neda Kalhor, Annikka Weissferdt, Humam Kadara, John V Heymach, Stephen Swisher, Boris Sepesi, Arvind Rao, Cesar Moran, Jianhua Zhang, J Jack Lee, Junya Fujimoto, P Andrew Futreal, Ignacio I Wistuba, Christine B Peterson, Jianjun Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying postsurgical recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rudimentary. Molecular and T cell repertoire intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) have been reported to be associated with postsurgical relapse; however, how ITH at the cellular level impacts survival is largely unknown. Here we report the analysis of 2880 multispectral images representing 14.2% to 27% of tumor areas from 33 patients with stage I NSCLC, including 17 cases (relapsed within 3 years after surgery) and 16 controls (without recurrence ≥5 years after surgery) using multiplex immunofluorescence. Spatial analysis was conducted to quantify the minimum distance between …

Associations Of Snfl With Clinico-Radiological Measures In A Large Ms Population., Elias S Sotirchos, Kathryn C Fitzgerald, Carol M Singh, Matthew D Smith, Maria Reyes-Mantilla, Carrie M Hersh, Megan H Hyland, Ryan Canissario, Sarah B Simmons, Georgina Arrambide, Xavier Montalban, Manuel Comabella, Robert T Naismith, Min Qiao, Lauren B Krupp, Jacqueline A Nicholas, Katja Akgün, Tjalf Ziemssen, Richard Rudick, Elizabeth Fisher, Robert A Bermel, Ellen M Mowry, Peter A Calabresi

Neuroscience Articles

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), measured using high-throughput assays on widely accessible platforms in large, real-world MS populations, is a critical step for sNfL to be utilized in clinical practice.

METHODS: Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions (MS PATHS) is a network of healthcare institutions in the United States and Europe collecting standardized clinical/imaging data and biospecimens during routine clinic visits. sNfL was measured in 6974 MS and 201 healthy control (HC) participants, using a high-throughput, scalable immunoassay.

RESULTS: Elevated sNfL levels for age (sNfL-E) were found in 1238 MS participants (17.8%). Factors associated with …

Expandable Intravertebral Implants In Post-Traumatic Vertebral Necrosis - New Classification Suggestion., Diogo Lino Moura, Josué Pereira Gabriel

Trauma and Acute Care Articles

The progressive evolution of post-traumatic vertebral necrosis and consequent loss of structural integrity of the vertebral body along with neurological risk, makes it one of the most feared and unpredictable pathologies in spine traumatology. Several studies have addressed the role of vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and corpectomy in its treatment; however, it remains a controversial concept without a defined therapeutic algorithm. The recent emergence of expandable intravertebral implants, which allow, by a percutaneous transpedicular application, the capacity for intrasomatic filling and maintenance of the height of the vertebral body, makes them a viable option, not only in the treatment of acute vertebral …

Organization Of Sensorimotor Activity In Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Individuals: An Fmri Conjunction Analysis., Amber J Schnittjer, Howon Kim, Adam S Lepley, James A Onate, Cody R Criss, Janet E Simon, Dustin R Grooms

Neuroscience Articles

INTRODUCTION: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is characterized by persistent involved limb functional deficits that persist for years despite rehabilitation. Previous research provides evidence of both peripheral and central nervous system adaptations following ACLR. However, no study has compared functional organization of the brain for involved limb motor control relative to the uninvolved limb and healthy controls. The purpose of this study was to examine sensorimotor cortex and cerebellar functional activity overlap and non-overlap during a knee motor control task between groups (ACLR and control), and to determine cortical organization of involved and uninvolved limb movement between groups.

METHODS: Eighteen …

A Novel Pulsed Stimulation Pattern In Spinal Cord Stimulation: Clinical Results And Postulated Mechanisms Of Action In The Treatment Of Chronic Low Back And Leg Pain., Mehul J Desai, John Salmon, Paul Verrills, Bruce Mitchell, Neels Du Toit, Dan Bates, Girish Vajramani, Adam Williams, Sarah Love-Jones, Nikunj Patel, Serge Nikolic, Vivek Mehta, Alia Ahmad, James Yu, Nick Christellis, Sam Harkin, Ganesan Baranidharan, Robert Levy, Peter Staats, Mark N Malinowski, James Makous, Nicholas Sullivan, Shilpa Kottalgi, Melissa Hartley, Lakshmi Narayan Mishra

Neuroscience Articles

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to discuss the possible mechanisms of action (MOAs) and results of a pilot study of a novel, anatomically placed, and paresthesia-independent, neurostimulation waveform for the management of chronic intractable pain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A novel, multilayered pulsed stimulation pattern (PSP) that comprises three temporal layers, a Pulse Pattern layer, Train layer, and Dosage layer, was developed for the treatment of chronic intractable pain. During preliminary development, the utility was evaluated of anatomical PSP (aPSP) in human subjects with chronic intractable pain of the leg(s) and/or low back, compared with that of traditional spinal …

Subfoveal Choroidal Imaging In High Myopic Nepalese Cohort, Parash Gyawali, Ashutosh Jnawali, Anish Kharal, Manish Subedi, Sandeep Kandel, Prajjol Raj Puri, Nabin Paudel

Articles

Current image captioning models produce fluent captions, but they rely on a one-size-fits-all approach that does not take into account the preferences of individual end-users. We present a method to generate descriptions with an adjustable amount of content that can be set at inference-time, thus providing a step toward a more user centered approach to image captioning.

Updated Parkinson’S Disease Motor Subtypes Classification And Correlation To Cerebrospinal Homovanillic Acid And 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid Levels, Christopher Adams, Jessika Suescun, Anam Haque, Kelly Block, Shivika Chandra, Timothy M Ellmore, Mya C Schiess

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Motor classifications of Parkinson's Disease (PD) have been widely used. This paper aims to update a subtype classification using the MDS-UPDRS-III and determine if cerebrospinal neurotransmitter profiles (HVA and 5-HIAA) differ between these subtypes in a cohort from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI).

METHODS: UPDRS and MDS-UPDRS scores were collected for 20 PD patients. Akinetic-rigid (AR), Tremor-dominant (TD), and Mixed (MX) subtypes were calculated using a formula derived from UPDRS, and a new ratio was developed for subtyping patients with the MDS-UPDRS. This new formula was subsequently applied to 95 PD patients from the PPMI dataset, and subtyping …

Clinical Manifestations And Outcome Of Patients With Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis In Pakistan A Single-Center Experience, Shakeel Ur Rehman, Salman Farooq, Muhammad Bilal Tariq, Nosheen Nasir, Mohammad Wasay, Sobia Masood, Musa Karim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rapidly progressing central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater. The disease progression is very rapid, and the outcome is nearly always fatal. We aim to describe the disease course in patients admitted with PAM in a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan between the periods of 2010 to 2021. A total of 39 patients were included in the study, 33 males (84.6%). The median age of the patients was 34 years. The most frequent presenting complaint was fever, which was found in 37 patients (94.9%) …

Case Report: Navigating The Challenges: Successful Mechanical Thrombectomy In A Case Of Persistent Primitive Hypoglossal Artery, Kamran Ahmed Khan, Irfan Amjad Lutfi, Jehangir Ali Shah, Salman Farooq, Shahnoor Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed Solangi, Ayan Ahmed Khan, Fazal Zaidi, Ali Ammar, Nadeem Qamar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA) is a highly uncommon abnormal connection between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA), with reported incidences ranging from 0.027 to 0.26%. Attempting endovascular intervention in such cases presents a considerable challenge as it carries a higher risk of embolization and other procedure-related complications that may affect a wide area of the brain. We present a case study involving the utilization of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) to treat an ischemic stroke in the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) despite the presence of PPHA. Performing mechanical thrombectomy in an anomalous vascular connection …

Epilepsy Center Characteristics And Geographic Region Influence Presurgical Testing In The United States, Stephanie M Ahrens, Kristen H Arredondo, Anto I Bagić, Shasha Bai, Kevin E Chapman, Michael A Ciliberto, Dave F Clarke, Mariah Eisner, Nathan B Fountain, Jay R Gavvala, M Scott Perry, Kyle C Rossi, Lily C Wong-Kisiel, Susan T Herman, Adam P Ostendorf, Naec Center Director Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

bjective

Persons with drug‐resistant epilepsy may benefit from epilepsy surgery and should undergo presurgical testing to determine potential candidacy and appropriate intervention. Institutional expertise can influence use and availability of evaluations and epilepsy surgery candidacy. This census survey study aims to examine the influence of geographic region and other center characteristics on presurgical testing for medically intractable epilepsy.

Methods

We analyzed annual report and supplemental survey data reported in 2020 from 206 adult epilepsy center directors and 136 pediatric epilepsy center directors in the United States. Test utilization data were compiled with annual center volumes, available resources, and US Census …

Attitudes, Perceptions, And Preferences Towards Sars Cov-2 Testing And Vaccination Among African American And Hispanic Public Housing Residents, New York City: 2020-2021, Chigozirim Izeogu, Emily Gill, Kaitlyn Van Allen, Natasha Williams, Lorna E Thorpe, Donna Shelley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

African American and Hispanic populations have been affected disproportionately by COVID-19. Reasons are multifactorial and include social and structural determinants of health. During the onset and height of the pandemic, evidence suggested decreased access to SARS CoV-2 testing. In 2020, the National Institutes of Health launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx)- Underserved Populations initiative to improve SARS CoV-2 testing in underserved communities. In this study, we explored attitudes, experiences, and barriers to SARS CoV-2 testing and vaccination among New York City public housing residents.

Methods

Between December 2020 and March 2021, we conducted 9 virtual focus groups among …

Population-Based Mini-Mental State Examination Norms In Adults Of Mexican Heritage In The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, Avram S Bukhbinder, Miriam Hinojosa, Kristofer Harris, Xiaojin Li, Christine M Farrell, Madison Shyer, Nathan Goodwin, Sahar Anjum, Omar Hasan, Susan Cooper, Lois Sciba, Amanda Falk Vargas, David H Hunter, Guadalupe J Ortiz, Karen Chung, Licong Cui, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Joseph B Mccormick, Paul E Schulz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background:

Accurately identifying cognitive changes in Mexican American (MA) adults using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) requires knowledge of population-based norms for the MMSE, a scale which has widespread use in research settings.

Objective:

To describe the distribution of MMSE scores in a large cohort of MA adults, assess the impact of MMSE requirements on their clinical trial eligibility, and explore which factors are most strongly associated with their MMSE scores.

Methods:

Visits between 2004–2021 in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort were analyzed. Eligible participants were ≥18 years old and of Mexican descent. MMSE distributions before and after stratification by …

Syntaxin 3b Is A T-Snare Specific For Ribbon Synapses Of The Retina, Mariajose Perez-Hurtado, Calvin Dao, Amanda E Saenz, Ruth Heidelberger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in the syntaxin 3 gene have been linked to a severe retinal dystrophy in humans that presents in early childhood. In mouse models, biallelic inactivation of the syntaxin 3 gene in photoreceptors rapidly leads to their death. What is not known is whether a monoallelic syntaxin 3 loss-of-function mutation might cause photoreceptor loss with advancing age. To address this question, we compared the outer nuclear layer of older adult mice (≈ 20 months of age) that were heterozygous for syntaxin 3 with those of similarly-aged control mice. We found that the photoreceptor layer maintains its thickness in …

Sp1 Trans-Activates The Murine H+-K+-Atpase Α2-Subunit Gene, Xiaobo Wang, Yili Zhang, Xiuyun Zhou, Xiumei Xia, Weijun Teng, Lin Sheng, Jing Ding

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute lung injury (ALI) followed with severe inflammation and oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant are the properties of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and aquaporin 5 (AQP5). The goal of this study was to see if soy isoflavone can diminish lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and the underling mechanism. LPS-induced ALI was given to Sprague-Dawley rats 14 days following oophorectomy. One hour before the LPS challenge, estradiol (1 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously as positive control and soy isoflavone was intragastric administration for 14 days prior to LPS challenge with different doses. Six hours after LPS challenge, the pulmonary edema, pathophysiology, inflammation, and the oxidative …

Health Disparities In Turner Syndrome: Uthealth Turner Syndrome Research Registry, Priscille Donate, Michelle Rivera-Davila, Siddharth K Prakash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: Turner Syndrome (TS) is caused by partial or complete absence of the second sex chromosome in a phenotypic female. TS is associated with recognizable congenital anomalies and chronic health conditions. The principal objective of this study was to evaluate the health-related knowledge and insight of participants.

METHODS: In 2015, we founded the UTHealth Turner Syndrome Research Registry for longitudinal follow-up of individuals with TS. Study participants were recruited from UTHealth Houston clinics and the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States. Participants completed a questionnaire about demographics, karyotype, congenital anomalies, health history, frequency of contact with care providers, and …

Risk Of Depression In A Suburban Primary Care Setting Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carman H Whiting, Pouran Yousefi, Jude K A Des Bordes, Nahid J Rianon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Major depression is a common disorder affecting millions of adults each year. Many population-based surveys showed an increase in the number people with symptoms of depression at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim was to determine and compare the prevalence of depression risk in a primary care setting before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on retrospective review of medical records from a large suburban primary care clinic. Records of adults 18 years and older, seen between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020 and who had also been screened for …

Hermann ("Hugh") Blaschko (1900-1993): Father Of Catecholamine Metabolism, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, Jiries Ganim, Anne B Leuppi-Taegtmeyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Social Protection And Foundational Cognitive Skills During Adolescence: Evidence From A Large Public Works Program, Nader Aboul-Fettouh, Kevin P Lee, Natalie Kash, Kathleen Kroger, Sirunya Silapunt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Reddit, a popular social media website, has numerous forums where users may discuss healthcare-related topics and request diagnostic and treatment advice for dermatologic conditions. We sought to analyze and grade user-submitted requests for dermatologic advice and their top responses on Reddit.

METHODS: User-submitted posts requesting diagnostic advice and their respective responses on two popular Reddit forums, SkinCareAddiction (ScA) and DermatologyQuestions (DQ), were reviewed by three board-certified dermatologists using a grading rubric designed for this study.

RESULTS: 300 posts and comments were reviewed. Diagnoses among all graders matched in 52.3% of posts with a mean grader confidence score of 4/5 …

The Value Of Multiple Medication Trials Prior To Balloon Sinuplasty In The Management Of Chronic Sinonasal Disease, Anand G. Shah, Macaulay Ojeaga, Josephine Novak, Vincent Honrubia

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction In patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, conservative interventions with extended medical trials are often attempted prior to procedural treatment. Balloon sinuplasty (BSP) is an established procedure for symptomatic relief from chronic rhinosinusitis. However, data suggesting the suboptimal efficacy of prolonged medication management trials, prior to BSP, is lacking.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of prolonged medication management trials, prior to BSP, for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Methods A retrospective review was performed for all adults with chronic rhinosinusitis who received extended medical management prior to their BSP at two outpatient clinics, from November 1, …