Publications by authors named "Angela Kim"

Purpose: To examine the association between multiple dimensions of gender diversity and physical activity (daily steps) in a diverse national sample of early adolescents in the United States.

Methods: This study analyzed Year 2 data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 6038, M=12.0 years).

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Objective: To assess associations between multiple dimensions of gender diversity with eating disorder symptoms in a national cohort of U.S. early adolescents.

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  • Neuropeptides play a crucial role in brain functions related to feeding and behavior, but many details about their interactions in the awake brain remain unclear.
  • The study focuses on how specific neurons in the hypothalamus react to different neuropeptides to regulate eating and the feeling of fullness.
  • Results show that the release of hunger-related and satiety-related neuropeptides can either compete or cooperate to control important signaling pathways, helping to gradually promote feelings of fullness during meals.
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  • Research indicates that despite existing therapies, the outlook for patients with refractory or recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) remains poor, prompting exploration of differentiation-inducing treatments.
  • In preclinical models of RAS-mutant PAX fusion-negative RMS, MEK1/2 inhibition has shown potential to encourage differentiation, slow tumor growth, and extend survival, although responses are often temporary.
  • The study identifies ASAP1 and ARF1 as crucial regulators in promoting differentiation in FN-RMS cells, revealing that targeting these molecules may enhance treatment strategies by affecting key transcriptional regulators, such as WWTR1 (TAZ).
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  • Neck pain is a common issue linked to musculoskeletal disorders, and this study introduces an ultrasound-guided technique called the Levator Scapulae Plane Block (LeSP Block) to treat it.
  • Two female patients, aged 77 and 50, received the LeSP Block and both reported significant pain relief afterward, with one achieving complete remission.
  • The study suggests that the LeSP Block is effective and simple to perform, recommending its use in managing shoulder and scapular pain, while calling for further anatomical studies to enhance the technique.
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  • This study investigates genetic variants linked to outer retinal tubulation (ORT) by analyzing the prevalence and clinical consequences of ORT in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).
  • A cohort of 565 IRD patients underwent SD-OCT imaging, revealing that 104 exhibited ORT, primarily associated with specific genetic variants, especially in RPE-specific and some non-RPE-specific genes.
  • The findings show a strong correlation between ORT presence and IRDs caused by RPE-specific and non-RPE-specific genes, while no cases of ORT were found in patients with photoreceptor-specific gene variants.
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Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a set of methods for quantifying somatosensory functioning. Limitations of laboratory-based QST (LQST) include high cost, complexity in training, lack of portability, and time requirements for testing. Translating QST to a home setting could facilitate future research and clinical care.

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Background: Use of anti-carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (anti-CRE) agents such as ceftazidime/avibactam has been associated with improved clinical outcome in cohorts that primarily include patients infected with CRE that are resistant to meropenem (MCRE).

Objectives: To clarify whether patients with CRE resistant to ertapenem but susceptible to meropenem (ertapenem-only-resistant Enterobacterales; EORE) benefit from therapy with anti-CRE agents.

Methods: Patients treated for CRE infection in hospitals in the USA between 2016 and 2019 and enrolled in the CRACKLE-2 study were included.

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  • Changes in health care delivery have integrated advanced care practitioners (ACPs) into internal medicine teams, enhancing patient care.
  • ACPs receive training and resources to manage both common and complex infectious diseases effectively.
  • A new curriculum and guidelines were created to support ACPs' expanded role in infectious disease management, contributing valuable information to existing literature.
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A care algorithm for partial globe subluxation cases with optic nerve and at least one extraocular muscle (EOM) transection is presented after a literature review was performed using key term variations of globe, ocular, subluxation, optic nerve evulsion or transection, and trauma. Partial globe subluxation cases with transection of the optic nerve and at least 1 EOM were included. Exclusion criteria included globe rupture, complete enucleation defined by a globe without at least 1 EOM attachment, or unclear details confirming optic nerve transection.

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Purpose: To examine the genetic and clinical features and the natural history of RBP3-associated retinopathy.

Design: Multi-center international, retrospective, case series of adults and children, with moleculraly confirmed RBP3-asociated retinopathy.

Methods: The genetic, clinical, and retinal imaging findings, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), were investigated both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

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Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive disease and the delivery of comprehensive care to individuals with this cancer is critical to achieve appropriate outcomes. The identification of gaps in care delivery facilitates the design of interventions to optimize care delivery and improve outcomes in this population.

Methods: AccessHope™ is a growing organization that connects oncology subspecialists with treating providers through contracts with self-insured employers.

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  • - Middle ear tumors are rare, with glomus tumors being the most common, followed by schwannomas and cholesteatomas.
  • - The text discusses a unique case of Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue hyperplasia in the middle ear, which resembled a glomus tumor but was different due to its multiple separate masses.
  • - A key differentiating feature of this tumor was its ability to shrink under pressure, an important consideration for diagnosing hypervascular-looking middle ear masses.
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Background: Barriers to cervical cancer screening in young adults include a lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of testing. Evidence shows that mobile technology reduces these barriers; thus, we developed a web app, Game-based Learning Avatar-navigated mobile (GLAm), to educate and motivate cervical cancer screening using the Fogg Behavioral Model as a theoretic guide. Users create avatars to navigate the app, answer short quizzes with education about cervical cancer and screening, watch videos of the screening process, and earn digital trophies.

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We investigated how transmission of hunger- and satiety-promoting neuropeptides, NPY and αMSH, is integrated at the level of intracellular signaling to control feeding. Receptors for these peptides use the second messenger cAMP. How cAMP integrates opposing peptide signals to regulate energy balance, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of endogenous peptidergic signaling, remain largely unknown.

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  • * NPY release decreases levels of cAMP in certain brain neurons, while αMSH release increases cAMP, showing that both neuropeptides regulate this messenger in competitive and state-dependent ways.
  • * When eating occurs, high levels of αMSH and low levels of NPY work together to maintain higher cAMP levels, ultimately promoting a sense of fullness over time.
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As a result of tumor heterogeneity and solid cancers harboring multiple molecular defects, precision medicine platforms in oncology are most effective when both genetic and pharmacologic determinants of a tumor are evaluated. Expandable patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse tumor and corresponding PDX culture (PDXC) models recapitulate many of the biological and genetic characteristics of the original patient tumor, allowing for a comprehensive pharmacogenomic analysis. Here, the somatic mutations of 23 matched patient tumor and PDX samples encompassing four cancers were first evaluated using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

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Background: Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) activity in the hypothalamus is crucial for regulation of metabolism and food intake. The peptide ligands for the MC4R are associated with feeding, energy expenditure, and also with complex behaviors that orchestrate energy intake and expenditure, but the downstream neuroanatomical and neurochemical targets associated with these behaviors are elusive. In addition to strong expression in the hypothalamus, the MC4R is highly expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region involved in executive function and decision-making.

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  • - The study aimed to describe the retinal characteristics (phenotypes) of patients with CLN-related retinal dystrophy at two medical centers in the U.S. and Brazil, comparing findings to existing literature.
  • - Eleven patients with verified variants in CLN genes underwent various eye examinations, leading to the identification of five new genetic variants and four new phenotypic presentations linked to previously known gene variants.
  • - The research highlighted significant variations in symptoms among patients with the same genetic mutations, indicating that understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype remains complex, necessitating further research for better patient guidance.
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Introduction: Mutations in the peripherin-2 gene (PRPH2) are a common cause of inherited retinal dystrophies well known for their phenotypic diversity. We describe a novel presentation of the c.623G > A; p.

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Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) plays a critical role in the mechanisms that allow cells to adapt to various oxygen levels in the environment. Specifically, HIF-1⍺ has shown to be widely involved in cellular repair, survival, and energy metabolism. HIF-1⍺ has also been found in increased levels in cancer cells, highlighting the importance of balance in the hypoxic response.

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We describe our institutional experience of developing a liquid biopsy approach using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis for personalized medicine in cancer patients, focusing on the hurdles encountered during the multistep process in order to benefit other investigators wishing to set up this type of study in their institution. Blood samples were collected at the time of cancer surgery from 209 patients with one of nine different cancer types. Extracted tumor DNA and circulating cell-free DNA were sequenced using cancer-specific panels and the Illumina MiSeq machine.

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  • Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a new neuromodulation method, showing general safety with mild and transient adverse effects (AEs), though specific AEs have not been well studied.
  • A systematic review analyzed 177 studies involving 6,322 subjects, finding that over half of the studies did not report any AEs, and only a small percentage indicated any adverse events occurred, with the most common being ear pain, headache, and tingling.
  • The review concluded that taVNS has a low incidence of AEs at 12.84 per 100,000 person-minutes-days, and there was no significant difference in the risk of AEs between those undergoing
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  • - * Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a hereditary condition that leads to night blindness in children, with various genetic and clinical features.
  • - * This study involved seven patients from six unrelated Taiwanese families diagnosed with CSNB, highlighting novel genetic variants and their predicted effects on clinical outcomes.
  • - * The research is the first of its kind in Taiwan, opening discussions on genetic testing, genotype-phenotype correlations, and future gene therapy options for CSNB patients.
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