Publications by authors named "Asra Ahmed"

Background: There is growing concern that biased practices in medical education can contribute to health disparities, however, there is a lack of resources to address these concerns.

Methods: Kern's six steps of curriculum development informed the creation of a toolkit and faculty development workshop to improve the incorporation of DEIAJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, advocacy, and justice) in medical education materials. The authors conducted two 60-min workshops; each consisted of an introductory lecture, case-based activity, and group discussions.

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We aimed to examine the association between relative monocytosis and the recurrence of pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. Clinical, laboratory, radiographic and treatment data for 86 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis over a 20-year duration. Parameters such as biological sex, age at diagnosis, time to diagnosis, molecular diagnostic data and imaging were collected.

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A retrospective analysis of 20 adult patients with histopathological and clinical diagnoses of ECD was conducted at a single institution over a twenty-year period (2002-2022). Clinical responses were compared on the basis of treatments rendered, which included chemotherapy, immunotherapy, systemic corticosteroids, surgery and radiation, or targeted agents, referring to any small molecular inhibitors. Treatment response evaluation varied by the anatomic site(s) of disease, the extent of disease at diagnosis, and the imaging modality employed.

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Over 50% of patients with systemic LCH are not cured with front-line therapies, and data to guide salvage options are limited. We describe 58 patients with LCH who were treated with clofarabine. Clofarabine monotherapy was active against LCH in this cohort, including heavily pretreated patients with a systemic objective response rate of 92.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Levels of circulating calprotectin are higher in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients compared to healthy controls, indicating its potential role in the condition.
  • - The study revealed calprotectin's association with increased neutrophil counts and C-reactive protein levels, while showing a negative correlation with platelet counts, suggesting its involvement in thrombocytopenia.
  • - Mechanistic insights suggested that calprotectin may trigger aPL-mediated thrombocytopenia by activating platelet surface receptors and the NLRP3-inflammasome, leading to reduced platelet viability.
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Rosai Dorfman disease (RDD) is a non-Langerhans cell histiocytic neoplasm characterized by sinus histiocytosis with variable emperipolesis. There is a limited understanding of the factors that contribute to disease progression. Traditional management of RDD consists of local therapies (resection, radiation) for localized disease and myelosuppression for systemic disease; targeted medications have also recently been introduced into clinical practice as an additional therapeutic modality.

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Background and objective Low flexural strength (FS) and impact strength (IS) are major drawbacks in removable prostheses made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Attempts to enhance the strength and longevity of these prostheses have been of keen interest among researchers. Nanofillers are new and advanced reinforcements that can chemically modify PMMA.

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Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a cytokine-driven inflammatory syndrome that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Overall survival in adult patients with secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis remains suboptimal, and novel therapeutic strategies are needed. The phosphorylation-dependent activation of the Janus family kinases JAK1 and JAK2 are hallmarks of the final common pathway in this disease.

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Medical school assessments should foster the development of higher-order thinking skills to support clinical reasoning and a solid foundation of knowledge. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used to assess student learning, and well-written MCQs can support learner engagement in higher levels of cognitive reasoning such as application or synthesis of knowledge. Bloom's taxonomy has been used to identify MCQs that assess students' critical thinking skills, with evidence suggesting that higher-order MCQs support a deeper conceptual understanding of scientific process skills.

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An isolated IgA-mediated autoimmune hemolytic anemia can present a diagnostic challenge. When a routine direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is negative but clinical suspicion remains high, further testing with monospecific antisera should be performed. As with IgG-mediated WAIHA, steroids are first-line treatment, though splenectomy is often required to achieve a durable treatment response.

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Background: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and has been implicated in pathogenesis of pulmonary, oral and systemic diseases. Smoking during pregnancy is a risk factor for the developing fetus and may be a major cause of infant mortality. Moreover, the oral cavity, and all cells within are the first to be exposed to cigarette smoke and may be a possible source for the spread of toxins to other organs of the body.

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This phase 1/2 study in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (N = 53) assessed CRd--carfilzomib (20, 27, or 36 mg/m2, days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 1, 2, 15, 16 after cycle 8), lenalidomide (25 mg/d, days 1-21), and weekly dexamethasone (40/20 mg cycles 1-4/5+)--in 28-day cycles. After cycle 4, transplantation-eligible candidates underwent stem cell collection (SCC) then continued CRd with the option of transplantation. The maximum planned dose level (carfilzomib 36 mg/m2) was expanded in phase 2 (n = 36).

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Purpose: This single-center, open-label, phase II trial evaluated the bortezomib, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), and dexamethasone combination regimen (VDD) as initial treatment for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM).

Patients And Methods: Enrolled patients (N = 40) received up to six 3-week cycles of treatment with bortezomib 1.3 mg/m(2) intravenously (IV) on days 1, 4, 8, and 11; PLD 30 mg/m(2) IV on day 4; and dexamethasone 20 to 40 mg daily as specified in the study design.

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