Recent UMass Chan Publications

CONCLUSION: The proposed O-CCR framework exhibited reliable performance in CCR localization regardless of varying orientations and morphological configurations, while providing standardized regions that preserve the anatomical spatial information of the cervix. The consistent CCR could be applied to quantitative analysis of cervical tissue properties in future research. Ultimately, this approach c...

Bacterial colonization of tumors is widespread, yet the dynamics during colonization remain underexplored. Here we discover strong variability in the sizes of intratumor bacterial clones and use this variability to infer the mechanisms of colonization. We monitored bacterial population dynamics in murine tumors after introducing millions of genetically barcoded Escherichia coli cells. Results from...

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CONCLUSION: SC E2 administration is effective in transgender women for achieving target serum E2 and TT levels. Both SC and orally administered E2 achieved similar E2 and TT levels, but orally administered E2 resulted in much higher E1 levels.

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CONCLUSION: Children with functional limitations are an especially high-risk group who require attention in public health efforts to reduce food insufficiency.

Background: Injury severity classification is crucial for trauma-related clinical care, quality improvement, and research. This study compared injury severity score (ISS) values derived from the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) scores assigned by trauma registry coders (trauma registry ISS) to those mapped from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes (map-derived ISS) in adolescents...

CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter retrospective study, transanal total mesorectal excision resulted in similar conversion and morbidity rates among obese and non-obese patients. Obesity was associated with a significantly lower 3-year distant recurrence with no differences in other mid-term oncologic outcomes.

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Background: Visual assessment of coronary artery calcium (CAC) on ungated chest CT has been described previously. However, its reliability and clinical utility remain uncertain, particularly in PET/CT studies that use low-dose, low-slice CT and are susceptible to respiratory artifacts. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 106 patients (median age, 66 years [interquartile range, 60-75 years]; 67 me...

Osteoporosis is an aging-related disease characterized by low bone mineral density and deteriorated bone structure, resulting in an increased risk of fractures. Currently, most osteoporosis therapies target osteoclasts to inhibit bone resorption, while the three FDA-approved anabolic agents include parathyroid hormone, parathyroid hormone-related protein, and anti-sclerostin antibody that promote ...

Natural Killer (NK) cells play a critical role in regulating tumor growth, but our understanding of the mechanisms underlying their anti-tumor activity remains limited. We identified the histone methyltransferase EHMT2 as a key suppressor of NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. EHMT2 inhibition in cancer cells enhanced NK cell-mediated elimination of diverse cancers, including uveal melanoma, breast can...

Argonautes are ancient proteins with well-characterised functions in cell-autonomous gene regulation and genome defence, but less clear roles in non-cell-autonomous processes. Extracellular Argonautes have been reported across plants, animals and protozoa, yet their biochemical and functional properties remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that an extracellular Argonaute (exWAGO) released by the r...

CONCLUSIONS: Preferences/attitudes toward MOUD among criminal-legal-involved populations are shaped by intersecting multilevel determinants and differ by MOUD type. Identified factors might serve as intervention targets to better meet individuals' needs.

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that CA is associated with lower ES and VA recurrence and in-hospital mortality and improved survival compared to medical therapy alone. These findings support consideration of catheter ablation as a first-line strategy. Larger prospective trials are needed to confirm these findings and guide patient selection.

CONCLUSIONS: The overexpression of C1orf50 characterizes an aggressive immunogenomic phenotype in ovarian cancer, distinguished by genomic instability, impaired DNA repair mechanisms, and extensive immunosuppression. These findings indicate that C1orf50 warrants consideration as a potential biomarker and a prospective target for therapeutic investigation. Furthermore, they advocate for the progres...

Human in vitro liver tissue models have evolved to maintain hallmarks of hepatocellular function for extended periods with potential to model aspects of cholestasis for drug and chemical safety applications. Microphysiological systems (MPS) have been suggested as promising new approaches to model liver physiology and predict chemical-induced cholestasis in humans. This study comprehensively compar...

Aortic stenosis (AS), a progressive disease affecting aortic valve function, is common among individuals with metabolic and degenerative conditions, and is notably challenging to manage in patients with cirrhosis. Patients with cirrhosis frequently experience exacerbated AS symptoms due to the hyperdynamic circulatory state induced by portal hypertension, which masks early AS signs, resulting in d...

Pediatric obesity, the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States is associated with significant comorbidities that persist into adulthood and increase the risk of early mortality. Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the most effective intervention for severe obesity with durable reductions in BMI and obesity-related comorbidities as compared with medical therapy. MBS utilizat...

We compared outcomes of patients ≥ 70 years old undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) with graft-vs-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis regimens either including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) or without cyclophosphamide (non-Cy). The primary endpoint was GvHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) at one and five years; secondary endpoints included clinically significant acut...

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The thymus is the primary site of T cell development, central to the establishment of self-tolerance and adaptive immune function. In mammals, the thymus undergoes age-related involution, resulting in a global decline in immune function. The thymus has some regenerative ability that relies on pre-existing thymic remnants but is insufficient to prevent involution. Here, we show that the juvenile ax...

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity worldwide. This prospective cohort study investigated the association of racial and ethnic disparities in HDP and explored the potential mediation effect of environmental chemical exposures on excess HDP risk among non-Hispanic Black pregnant people. A total of 3,279 pregnant people were in...

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The Functional Annotation of Variants Online Resource (FAVOR), http://favor.genohub.org, is a whole genome variant annotation database and portal that provides comprehensive variant functional annotations of all possible variants across the genome. It can facilitate the analysis of whole-genome sequencing studies, support the interpretation of variant functional impacts, and help prioritize causal...

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a liver cancer subtype with poor survival rates. KRAS mutations are found in 15-40% of CCA, representing a new potential treatment target. Whether KRAS inhibition leads to CCA tumor regression is unknown, partly due to the lack of conditional animal models. A conditional TRE.Kras^(G12D)/Trp53 knock-out (TKP) CCA mouse model is engineered using the transposon system and ...

CONCLUSION: We recommend developing and refining a biopsychosocial outcome measurement tool that addresses unique aspects of IGMV. These findings contribute to a growing consensus on how to measure actionable, patient-centered data on biopsychosocial interventions for chronic pain.

The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device treats wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms, but occlusion rates vary. This study aims to identify factors associated with immediate WEB device occlusion. Data from patients treated with WEB devices across 36 sites were analyzed. Machine learning algorithms and ordinal regression models were developed to predict immediate incomplete occlusion for ruptured and unruptu...

Acute lymphadenopathy has a wide range of possible etiologies, ranging from self-limiting viral infections to life-threatening malignancy. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) can play a crucial role in identifying lymphadenopathy and ruling out other potential causes of soft tissue swelling, such as hernias, abscesses, and malignancies. Furthermore, POCUS enables the characterization of lymphadenopat...