Public Health Commons^™

Impact Of A Cerebrospinal Fluid Diagnostic Stewardship Intervention On Quantity Of Tests, Length Of Stay, Antibiotic Prescriptions, And Cost, Aaron Pathak, Sabra Shay, Todd Lasco, Mayar Al Mohajer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Redundant and low-value cerebrospinal fluid analysis for suspected meningitis can increase costs and antimicrobial use. Our diagnostic stewardship intervention limited available infectious disease cerebrospinal fluid assays to seven common tests, including a multiplex polymerase chain reaction panel. There was no significant difference in the cost of testing or clinical outcomes.

The Utilization Of Microbial Cell-Free Dna Next-Generation Sequencing For The Detection Of Human Herpesvirus-8 In A Quaternary Care Center, Rebecca Berger, Jennifer Jacobe, Fernando H Centeno, Todd Lasco, Mayar Al Mohajer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV8) can present with cutaneous or extracutaneous manifestations. While violaceous skin lesions characterize cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma, extracutaneous HHV8 is challenging to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms.

Objectives: We evaluated the role of microbial cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing (mcfDNA NGS) in diagnosing HHV8-related illness.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Methods: Between 2017 and 2024, we reviewed the medical charts of 10 immunosuppressed patients at a quaternary care center who had positive HHV8 mcfDNA NGS results.

Results: The clinical and laboratory turnaround times of mcfDNA NGS were 3 and 1 days, respectively (8.5 and 7 days for immunohistochemistry vs 5.5 and …

Toward Improving Retention In Hiv Care After Pregnancy: Lessons From A Post-Pandemic Cohort In The United States, Alexandra H Latham, Andrea Lugo Morales, Elizabeth Barba Gutierrez, Michael Jochum, Sarah Conrad, Eva H Clark, Kassandra Goytia, Megan Alam, Jessica Gerard, Jennifer Mckinney

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience low rates of retention in HIV care (RIC) and suboptimal viral suppression postpartum. Understanding contemporary barriers to RIC is crucial to identify risk factors for loss to care and thereby improve support during this vulnerable transition. This work aimed to identify factors associated with adequate RIC, defined as two HIV care visits ≥90 days apart in the first year postpartum.

Methods: Electronic records were retrospectively reviewed for PLWH who delivered from 2019 to 2023 and received prenatal care within a single county health system. Variables were collected related to both maternal and …

Inclusion Of Patient-Centered, Non-Microbiological Endpoints And Biomarkers In Tuberculosis Drug Trials, Andrew R Dinardo, Wilbert Sabiiti, Stephen H Gillespie, Sophia B Georghiou, Norbert Heinrich, Norbert Hittel, Sami Taghlabi, Danna Carrero Longlax, Mikashmi Kohli, Ursula Panzner, Collins Musia, Christoph Lange, Anca Vasiliu, Rob J W Arts, Anna M Mandalakas, Morten Ruhwald, Lieven J Stuyver, Reinout Van Crevel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tuberculosis drug trials are primarily designed to identify antibiotic regimens with the strongest potency to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, microbiologic cure is not synonymous with improved health and recovery. Beyond antimicrobial efficacy, parameters such as morbidity and mortality related to lung function, cardiovascular health, and cancer should be prioritized. This narrative review emphasizes the critical need to emphasize clinical outcomes as much, if not more, than microbiological endpoints. We examine the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and determinants of non-microbiological outcomes in tuberculosis, providing a synthesis of current knowledge. While there is growing evidence for some biomarkers to risk stratify TB …

A Pipeline For Rapid, High-Throughput Imaging And Quantitative Analysis Of Human Intestinal Organoids, Faith M Sawyer, Fabio Stossi, Erika Nachman, Robert A Britton, Michael J Bolt, Michael A Mancini, Mary K Estes, Sarah E Blutt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human intestinal organoids (HIOs) are a model system for studying human intestinal epithelium. Utilizing HIOs for high-throughput studies remains inefficient, as analyzing their cellular composition and responses to varying experimental conditions requires extensive time and labor. We describe a 96-well plate-based automated pipeline for rapidly imaging and quantifying fluorescent labeling in HIOs using a high-throughput confocal microscope and image analysis software. The pipeline was leveraged to quantify varying levels of cell proliferation among donor HIO lines in response to microbial products. Cytoplasmic fluorescence via antibody labeling was also quantified with the pipeline, enabling measurement of the prevalence of specific cell …

Urinary Ammonium: A Potential Novel Biomarker For Diarrhea Severity In Patients With Ulcerative Colitis, Jared A Sninsky, L Parker Gregg, Mahbubur Rahman, Adith Ram, Jason K Hou

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Pathogenesis And Clinical Treatment Of Diabetic Nephropathy, Ziyun Xu, Sheng Qiang, Zhaoyong Hu, Haiyong Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Early Versus Late Initiation Of Dialysis In Ckd Stage 5: Time For A Consensus, Emaad M Abdel-Rahman, Irtiza Hasan, Abdallah S Abdelrazeq, Ali Rawabdeh, Mei Liu, Nasrollah Ghahramani, David Sheikh-Hamad, Mariana Murea, Pradeep Kadambi, T Alp Ikizler, Alaa S Awad

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), a major global public health problem, emerged as one of the leading causes of death, affecting over 800 million individuals worldwide, with significant burden to patients and their caregivers, and may lead to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The decision on optimal initiation of chronic dialysis is a common problem faced by nephrologists, patients, and caregivers due to lack of adequate data. Determining the ideal time to initiate maintenance dialysis for individuals struggling with ESKD has remained a puzzle. Currently, there is no consensus among guidelines as to the best time to initiate dialysis. Discrepancies in guidelines …

Long-Term Anti-Sars-Cov-2 Antibody Trajectories After Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody Treatment, Elizabeth S Munroe, Greg A Grandits, Robert C Hyzy, Hallie C Prescott, Thomas W Barrett, Robin L Dewar, Nicole Engen, Anna L Goodman, Timothy J Hatlen, Helene Highbarger, Thomas L Holland, Gareth Hughes, Tomas O Jensen, Muhammad A Khan, Ioannis Kalomenidis, Nayon Kang, Sylvain Laverdure, Prasad Manian, Vidya Menon, Ravi Patel, Srikanth Ramachandruni, Tauseef Rehman, Kathryn Shaw-Saliba, Birgit Thorup Røge, David M Vock, Amy C Weintrob, Barnaby E Young, Anne P Frosch, Strive Network And Therapeutics For Inpatients With Covid-19 (Tico) Study Groups

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nMAbs) have been used to treat COVID-19 and are increasingly being used to treat other infections. However, there is concern that by neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, nMAbs may decrease the availability of antigens to the immune system, potentially impairing the endogenous polyclonal immune response and decreasing long-term immune protection.

Methods: We compared 28 and 90-day anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein neutralization activity and anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid response for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection randomized to receive nMAbs or placebo in the large platform ACTIV-3/TICO trials. We pooled results from four trials of anti-spike nMAbs. For most tested agents, measurements …

Mice With Lymphatic Dysfunction Develop Pathogenic Lung Tertiary Lymphoid Organs That Model An Autoimmune Emphysema Phenotype Of Copd, Barbara Summers, Kihwan Kim, Anjali Trivedi, Tyler M Lu, Sean Houghton, Jade Palmer-Johnson, Joselyn Rojas-Quintero, Juan Cala-Garcia, Tania Pannellini, Francesca Polverino, Raphaël Lis, Hasina Outtz Reed

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We have previously shown that mice with a loss of C-type lectin-like type II (CLEC2), which have lymphatic dysfunction due to the role of CLEC2 in platelets for maintaining separation between the venous and lymphatic system, develop lung tertiary lymphoid organ (TLO) formation and lung injury that resembles an emphysema phenotype of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We now sought to investigate whether and how TLOs in these mice may play a pathogenic role in lung injury that is relevant to human disease. We found that inhibiting TLO formation using an anti-CD20 antibody in CLEC2-deficient mice partially blocked the development …

B-Cell Immune Repertoire Sequencing In Tobacco Cigarette Smoking, Vaping, And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In The Copdgene Cohort, Matthew Moll, Zhonghui Xu, Adel Boueiz, Min Hyung Ryu, Edwin K Silverman, Michael H Cho, Craig P Hersh, Maor Sauler, Francesca Polverino, Gregory L Kinney, Jeffrey L Curtis, Laura E Crotty-Alexander, Christopher Vollmers, Peter J Castaldi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Cigarette smoking (CS) impairs B-cell function and antibody production, increasing infection risk. The impact of e-cigarette use ('vaping') and combined CS and vaping ('dual-use') on B-cell activity is unclear.

Objective: To examine B-cell receptor sequencing (BCR-seq) profiles associated with CS, vaping, and dual-use.

Methods: BCR-seq was performed on blood RNA samples from 234 participants in the COPDGene study. We assessed multivariable associations of B-cell function measures (immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) subclass expression and usage, class-switching, V allele usage, and clonal expansion) with CS, vaping, and dual-use. We adjusted for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg method, identifying significant associations at …

Advancing Narcolepsy Advocacy: Bridging Patient Narratives And Systemic Change, Ahmed Salem Bahammam, Lindsay Jesteadt, Hamza Dhafar, Amir Sharafkhaneh

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We introduce the Stigma-to-Structure Advocacy Framework, a novel, evidence-based model designed to transform narcolepsy advocacy by systematically bridging patient narratives with structural change. Narcolepsy remains a profoundly underdiagnosed and misunderstood neurological disorder, with persistent diagnostic delays and pervasive cultural stigma undermining patient well-being and access to care. Despite recent progress in awareness and support, advocacy efforts remain fragmented and insufficiently integrated with health policy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This perspective advances a strategic evolution of narcolepsy advocacy through the Stigma-to-Structure Advocacy Framework, which is anchored in three pillars: narrative-driven awareness, clinical system integration, and policy activation. Drawing on …

Baseline Predictors For 28-Day Covid-19 Severity And Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients: Results From The Impacc Study, Jintong Hou, Benjamin Haslund-Gourley, Joann Diray-Arce, Annmarie Hoch, Nadine Rouphael, Patrice M Becker, Alison D Augustine, Al Ozonoff, Leying Guan, Steven H Kleinstein, Bjoern Peters, Elaine Reed, Matt Altman, Charles R Langelier, Holden Maecker, Seunghee Kim, Ruth R Montgomery, Florian Krammer, Michael Wilson, Walter Eckalbar, Steven E Bosinger, Ofer Levy, Hanno Steen, Lindsey B Rosen, Lindsey R Baden, Esther Melamed, Lauren I R Ehrlich, Grace A Mccomsey, Rafick P Sekaly, Joanna Schaenman, Albert C Shaw, David A Hafler, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand, Mark A Atkinson, Scott C Brakenridge, Nelson I Agudelo Higuita, Jordan P Metcalf, Catherine L Hough, William B Messer, Bali Pulendran, Kari C Nadeau, Mark M Davis, Ana Fernandez Sesma, Viviana Simon, Monica Kraft, Chris Bime, Carolyn S Calfee, David J Erle, Impacc Network, Lucy F Robinson, Charles B Cairns, Elias K Haddad, Mary Ann Comunale

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatened public health and placed a significant burden on medical resources. The Immunophenotyping Assessment in a COVID-19 Cohort (IMPACC) study collected clinical, demographic, blood cytometry, serum receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody titers, metabolomics, targeted proteomics, nasal metagenomics, Olink, nasal viral load, autoantibody, SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers, and nasal and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomics data from patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The aim of this study is to select baseline biomarkers and build predictive models for 28-day in-hospital COVID-19 severity and mortality with most predictive variables while prioritizing routinely collected variables.

Methods: We analyzed 1102 …

Faktor Determinan Kasus Diabetes Mellitus Tipe 2 Di Kabupaten Administrasi Kepulauan Seribu Provinsi Dki Jakarta Tahun 2023, Ulinuha Setya Darmawanti

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Kepulauan Seribu Administrative District has the highest Diabetes Mellitus Incidence Rate compared to other areas in the DKI Jakarta Province, which is 317.4 per 10,000 residents. The purpose of this research is to identify the determinant factors that most influence cases of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Kepulauan Seribu in 2023, based on the relationship between factors such as Age, Gender, Occupation, History of Diabetes Mellitus, Body Mass Index (BMI), Excessive Sugar Consumption, Excessive Salt Consumption, Excessive Fat Consumption, Insufficient Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Lack of Physical Activity. This research employs an analytical observational study method with a …

The Impact Of Smoking Degree On One Year Survival Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc) At Persahabatan Hospital, Arief Wicaksono, Asri C. Adisasmita, Andika Chandra Putra

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Lung cancer is a major global mortality problem with the worst prognosis compared to other types of cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and smoking is one of the main factors causing lung cancer. This study aims to determine the one-year survival of NSCLC patients with smoking levels and to determine what factors affect survival. This study is an observational study with a retrospective method, looking at medical record data of NSCLC patients both inpatients and outpatients at Persahabatan Hospital between January 2023 and December 2023 and then followed up until September …

The Correlation Of Covid-19 Vaccination With Covid-19 Patient Mortality In Depok City, Indonesia, Dian Nugrahari, Asri Adisasmita Prof, Nurhanifah Hamdah

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Vaccination is a disease prevention method recommended by the WHO as it will reduce disease severity, mortality rate and risks. The objective of this study is to discover the impact of COVID-19 vaccination against COVID-19 mortality rate in Indonesia. This was a retrospective cohort research on the data from the NAR COVID-19 database and the KPCPEN COVID-19 Dashboard of the Depok City Health Department from May 2020-February 2023. We performed a Cox proportional hazard analysis to obtain the risk for death. We discovered that COVID-19 vaccination reduced the mortality until it was less than 10% of unvaccinated population (0,24% for …

Asosiasi Antara Indeks Massa Tubuh Dan Mortalitas Pada Pasien Gagal Ginjal Kronis Yang Menjalankan Hemodialisa Reguler: Meta-Analisis Dari Studi Kohort, Joue Abraham Trixie Latupeirissa, Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, Dorothy Gabriella Ms., Benedikta Suryandari Ms., Vine Aprilianita Sri Indah Putri Ms.

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Chronic kidney failure patients must undergo hemodialysis for life, therefore it is important to maximize hemodialysis services in every health facility. Accordingly, factors related to survival rates must be addressed. One of them is low Body Mass Index (BMI). This study assessed the relationship between low BMI and mortality in the patients. The study design used was meta-analysis. The articles involved were in the period 2012 - 2024. There are three literature sources: medical databases, previous studies, and ongoing research. Overall, 26 articles were obtained. Data analysis showed that BMI

Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Malaria Interventions For Pregnant Women In Tanzania: Tanzania Demographic Health Survey 2022, Melisa Nyamukondiwa, Asri C. Adisasmita, Renti Mahkota, Same Betera

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Tanzania is endemic to malaria and pregnant women due to their vulnerability are among the high-risk groups. The adoption of malaria interventions targeted to pregnant women is affected by a number of factors. A cross-sectional study using secondary data from Tanzania Demographic Health Survey (TDHS) for 2022 was used. A logistic regression was used for bivariate analysis to identify factors affecting the adoption of malaria interventions during pregnancy in Tanzania. Data from pregnant women between 15 to 49 years (N=1408) were analyzed in this study. Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive therapy in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) were the …

Hubungan Gangguan Mental Emosional Dan Obesitas Sentral: Literature Review, Dwi Rahmawati, Ratna Djuwita

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

The prevalence of central obesity, both globally and in Indonesia, continues to increase. Mental and emotional disorders are one of the contributing factors to central obesity. In previous studies, it was known that the relationship between emotional mental disorders and obesity can occur in bidirections, where emotional mental disorders can cause central obesity or vice versa. This literature review aims to find out more about the relationship between emotional mental disorders and central obesity from various countries. The searching for articles used 4 databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Proquest, and Pubmed) with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis …

Cultivating Compassion: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation Of Empathy Among Medical Undergraduate Students, Anchu R Nath, Ishika Jindal, Nayanabai Shabadi, Sunil Kumar D

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND: Empathy plays a crucial role in medical practice, profoundly affecting patient outcomes and treatment. Understanding the factors that influence empathy among medical students can help in developing strategies to enhance empathetic skills during medical training. This study aims to evaluate the correlates of empathy among medical undergraduate students using an epidemiological cross-sectional design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 medical undergraduate students from various academic years at JSS Medical College for four months (September 2023-December 2023). Convenient sampling was used to select study participants. Participants completed a standardized empathy questionnaire, the Jefferson Scale …

Double-Blind Randomised Trial Of Saline Solution For Gargling And Nasal Rinsing In Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Sebastian R Espinoza, Lexton Trauffler, Amir Shamshirsaz, Alireza Shamshirsaz, Andres Espinoza, Jimmy Espinoza, Alice O'Brien

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Previous studies have shown that hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling reduced the duration of symptoms in upper respiratory infections caused by coronavirus. This study aims to investigate the effects of two saline regimens on symptoms associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods: Between 2020 and 2022, individuals aged 18-65 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were randomly assigned to either low- or high-saline regimens for 14 days. The low-saline solutions contained 2.13 g of salt dissolved in eight ounces of warm water, while the high-saline solution contained six grams of …

Orthogonal And Multiplexable Genetic Perturbations With An Engineered Prime Editor And A Diverse Rna Array, Qichen Yuan, Hongzhi Zeng, Tyler C Daniel, Qingzhuo Liu, Yongjie Yang, Emmanuel C Osikpa, Qiaochu Yang, Advaith Peddi, Liliana M Abramson, Boyang Zhang, Yong Xu, Xue Gao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Programmable and modular systems capable of orthogonal genomic and transcriptomic perturbations are crucial for biological research and treating human genetic diseases. Here, we present the minimal versatile genetic perturbation technology (mvGPT), a flexible toolkit designed for simultaneous and orthogonal gene editing, activation, and repression in human cells. The mvGPT combines an engineered compact prime editor (PE), a fusion activator MS2-p65-HSF1 (MPH), and a drive-and-process multiplex array that produces RNAs tailored to different types of genetic perturbation. mvGPT can precisely edit human genome via PE coupled with a prime editing guide RNA and a nicking guide RNA, activate endogenous gene expression …

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Cutaneous Adverse Events: Mechanisms Of Occurrence, Abdulaziz M. Eshaq, Thomas W. Flanagan, Abdulqader A. Ba Abbad, Zain Alabden A. Makarem, Mohammed S. Bokir, Ahmed K. Alasheq, Sara A. Al Asheikh, Abdullah M. Almashhor, Faroq Binyamani, Waleed A. Al-Amoudi, Abdulaziz S. Bawzir, Youssef Haikel, Mossad Megahed, Mohamed Hassan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Immunotherapy, particularly that based on blocking checkpoint proteins in many tumors, including melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast (TNB cancer), renal cancer, and gastrointestinal and endometrial neoplasms, is a therapeutic alternative to chemotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapies have the potential to target different pathways leading to the destruction of cancer cells. Although ICIs are an effective treatment strategy for patients with highly immune-infiltrated cancers, the development of different adverse effects including cutaneous adverse effects during and after the treatment with ICIs is common. ICI-associated cutaneous adverse effects include mostly inflammatory and bullous dermatoses, as …

Impact Of American Thyroid Association's Revised Cancer Management Guidelines On Thyroid Cancer Incidence Trends: A Retrospective Cohort Study, 2000-2020, Pierre Fwelo, Natalia I Heredia, Ruosha Li, Ayrton Bangolo, Vignesh K Nagesh, Simcha Weissman, Xianglin L Du

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The past four decades have seen a steady increase in thyroid cancer in the United States (US). This study investigated the impact of the American Thyroid Association (ATA)'s revised cancer management guidelines on thyroid cancer incidence trends and how the trends varied by socioeconomic, histologic, geographic, and racial and ethnic characteristics from 2000 to 2020.

Methods: We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify thyroid cancer cases diagnosed among US patients between 2000 and 2020. We employed joinpoint regression software to fit, assess, and compare thyroid cancer incidence trends over time stratified by …

Global Prevalence Of Helicobacter Pylori Antibiotic Resistance Among Children In The World Health Organization Regions Between 2000 And 2023: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Aryan Salahi-Niri, Ali Nabavi-Rad, Tanya Marie Monaghan, Theodore Rokkas, Michael Doulberis, Amir Sadeghi, Mohammad Reza Zali, Yoshio Yamaoka, Evelina Tacconelli, Abbas Yadegar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. The infection is typically acquired in childhood and persists throughout life. The major impediment to successful therapy is antibiotic resistance. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively assess the global prevalence of antibiotic resistance in pediatric H. pylori infection.

Methods: We performed a systematic search of publication databases that assessed H. pylori resistance rates to clarithromycin, metronidazole, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and tetracycline in children. The WHO region classification was used to group pooled primary and secondary resistance estimates along with 95% confidence interval (CI). H. pylori antibiotic resistance rates …

Relative Survival, Conditional Survival, And Causes Of Death In Patients With Early Gastric Cancer, With A Focus On Differences Between Cardia And Non-Cardia Cancer, Anas Elgenidy, Omar Alomari, Mohamed Marey Hesn, Anas Khaled, Sarah A Nada, Mostafa Elsayed, Ali Mahmoud, Mohammed Al-Mahdi Al-Kurdi, Ahmed M Afifi, George Cholankeril

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Many researchers believe that cardia (CGC) and non-cardia (NCGC) are two different types of tumors, having different features like incidence rate, risk factors, geographical location, and socioeconomic status. This study aims to investigate the causes of death (COD) survival rates among early gastric cancer patients with a focus on differences between CGC and NCGC.

Methods: This retrospective study employed SEER*stat software (version 8.3.92) to analyze the SEER 17 plus dataset (2000–2019). Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed. Relative survival and conditional survival post-diagnosis were calculated using R software (version 4.1.0) among the different subgroups.

Results: Within the follow-up period, …

Sparkled: Social Programming In Kids Affects Risk Of Latent Endothelial Disease, Rebecca Drakowski

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Social Health Programming (SHP) is a holistic intervention that can empower communities to address modifiable risk factors for poor cardiovascular health, including suboptimal nutrition or psychosocial stressors. SHP participation has been shown to increase dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, decrease perceived stress, and improve cardiovascular endurance. However, it is unknown how SHP participation during adolescence affects carotenoid serum levels, hair cortisol concentrations (biological marker of chronic stress), or vascular reactivity index (VRI; measure of subclinical cardiovascular health).

Methods: Adolescent girls and young adult women (12–29-year-old) were enrolled in this observational cohort study. Serum, hair, and saliva samples were …

Protocol For Culturing Patient-Derived Organoids Of Cervical Cancer, Rui Wang, Timothy Harris, Dalissa Negrón-Figueroa, David Lo, Allison Judge, D'Shaunique Walters, Bo Jiang, Lauren E Colbert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Herein, we present a protocol for culturing patient-derived organoids (PDOs) of cervical cancer that includes workflows for tumor biopsy/resection tissue and cytobrush-sampled cells. We describe steps for PDO culture initiation, including rinsing, gentle dissociation, Lymphoprep separation, and cell assessment, as well as seeding cells from surgical and cytobrush tissue digestion. We then provide guidance on PDO maintenance and passage and techniques for producing conditioned medium. Overall, this protocol serves as a valuable guide for establishing and maintaining cervical cancer PDOs. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Colbert et al.

Utility Of Colposcopy For The Screening And Management Of Cervical Cancer In Africa: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Providers’ Training And Practices, Joël Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Freddy Gnangnon, Sharon Kapambwe, Celine Bouchard, Nomonde Mbatani, Elodie Gauroy, Nathalie Ledaga Ambounda, Robert Yu, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Gregory Halle-Ekane, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Jean-Marie Dangou, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a public health issue in Africa with devastating socioeconomic consequences due to the lack of organized screening programs. The success of screening programs depends on the appropriate investigation and management of women who test positive for screening. Colposcopic assessment following positive screening results is a noteworthy issue in Africa. This study aimed to assess the utilization of colposcopy by providers in the region.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior colposcopy training, whether they performed colposcopy and the …

Large-Scale Crispr/Cas9 Deletions Within The Wfdc Gene Cluster Uncover Gene Functionality And Critical Roles In Mammalian Reproduction, Katarzyna Kent, Kaori Nozawa, Rachel Parkes, Laura Dean, Frey Daniel, Mei Leng, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Martin M Matzuk, Thomas X Garcia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite 96 million years of evolution separating humans and rodents, 11 closely related reproductive tract-specific genes in humans—SPINT3, WFDC6, EPPIN, WFDC8, WFDC9, WFDC10A, WFDC11, WFDC10B, WFDC13, SPINT4, and WFDC3—and the 13 reproductive tract-specific orthologous genes in mice, form highly conserved syntenic gene clusters indicative of conserved, combined critical functions. Further, despite significant progress toward a nonhormonal male contraceptive targeting the protein encoded by one of these genes, epididymal peptidase inhibitor (EPPIN), and associations found between mutations in EPPIN and an increased risk of male infertility, neither EPPIN nor …