Publications by authors named "M Vanegas"

We report a method to directly 3-D print complex heterogeneous optical phantoms with programmable tissue-mimicking absorption and scattering properties. The proposed approach utilizes commercially available multi-color mixing extruders and off-the-shelf polylactic acid (PLA) filaments, making this technique low-cost and broadly accessible. We systematically characterized optical properties, including both absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, at a wide range of mixing ratios of gray, white and translucent filaments and validated our hypothesis of a linear-mixing model between the filament mixing ratios and the resulting optical properties.

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Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disorder of mainly early onset and variable severity. Prior to the introduction of disease modifying therapies (DMTs), children with SMA type 1 typically died before 2 years of age and management was primarily palliative. Onasemnogene abeparvovec (OA), nusinersen, and risdiplam are novel DMTs which ameliorate the effects of the underlying genetic defect at least partially making SMA a treatable condition.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG) is less common than adult-onset MG but follows similar treatment strategies, although historically there have been limited clinical trials for children.
  • * Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have explored new treatments like efgartigimod and eculizumab, showing promise for improved management of MG and potentially enhancing the quality of life for patients, especially in children.
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Article Synopsis
  • Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disorder leading to muscle weakness due to mutations in the SMN1 gene.* -
  • Onasemnogene abeparvovec (OA) is a gene therapy approved for SMA that was administered to two heavy patients (20 kg) previously treated with another medication, Nusinersen.* -
  • The patients experienced mixed results after receiving OA, including liver issues needing steroids and limited improvement in muscle function, highlighting the importance of weighing risks and benefits for older and heavier SMA patients.*
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Narcolepsy with cataplexy and myasthenia gravis are both chronic neurologic conditions causing symptoms of muscle weakness, often affecting facial muscles, and have both been attributed to an immune-mediated etiology. We report an adolescent girl diagnosed with both conditions and discuss possible shared mechanisms and the diagnostic challenges presented by her case to inform and aid clinicians managing children and young people with these rare conditions.

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