Augusta University

Toward Healthcare System Digital Mission Engineering: A Multilevel Health Informatics Framework for AI Integration, Demonstrated Through Cardiovascular Risk Management

Artificial intelligence increasingly operates within interconnected healthcare information systems, but governance remains model-centered and weakly tied to institutional mission. Healthcare System Digital Mission Engineering (HSDME) adapts digital mission engineering to treat th...

Diabetes‐Associated Cognitive Impairment: Pathophysiology and Emerging Therapies

ABSTRACT Diabetes‐associated cognitive impairment (DACI) is a common yet underrecognized condition, manifesting along a spectrum from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. DACI encompasses patients who develop vascular dementia (VaD) or Alzheimer's disease (AD) with diabetes as...

Identifying incident medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw and antiresorptive drug holidays using natural language processing on clinical notes in men and women prescribed bisphosphonates or denosumab for fracture prevention

OBJECTIVE: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare complication of antiresorptive therapy for osteoporosis, with risk potentially influenced by "drug holidays" around dentoalveolar procedures. MRONJ risk is higher in rheumatic diseases. Epidemiologic studies...

FGF-23 is associated with increased risk of abdominal aortic calcification

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is involved in the regulation of phosphate metabolism and has been linked to vascular calcification. However, the genetic association between FGF23 and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) remains unclear. We conducted a bidirectional two-sampl...

Type, Ability, and Effect Systems: Perspectives on Purity, Semantics, and Expressiveness

Programming benefits from a clear separation between pure, mathematical computation and impure, effectful interaction with the world. Existing approaches to enforce this separation include monads, type-and-effect systems, and capability systems. All share a tension between precis...

Immunotherapy-Related Cardiac Arrythmias: Incidence, Pathobiology, Risk Factors and Management

Abstract Purpose of Review Immunotherapies have revolutionized treatment strategies for cancer patients, improving the prognosis in many populations with advanced malignancies. Immune check point inhibitors (ICI) and Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy are being increa...

Effectiveness of early initiation of idursulfase in infants and very young children with mucopolysaccharidosis II: a retrospective chart review in siblings

Introduction Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with intravenous idursulfase is the standard of care for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II; Hunter syndrome). Data are limited for children aged ≤12 months. This retrospective study evaluated outcomes with early ERT. Meth...

Revisiting the role of lymphatics in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Early pathological observations consistently highlighted the involvement of the intestinal lymphatic system in Crohn's disease (CD), although this remains underappreciated in current conceptual models of disease pathogenesis. This narrative review synthesizes evidence...

Ceftriaxone versus cefazolin plus gentamicin for antibiotic prophylaxis in Gustilo-Anderson type III open lower extremity fractures

OBJECTIVES: To compare fracture related infection (FRI) rates and outcomes between ceftriaxone (CTX) and cefazolin plus gentamicin (C+G) for antibiotic prophylaxis in Gustilo-Anderson (GA) type III open lower extremity fractures. METHODS: Design: Retrospective cohort study. SETTI...

Gut microbiome maturation in early childhood interacts with host genetics to predict type 1 diabetes risk

Prospective evidence linking early-life microbiome development and host genetics with type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk is limited. Here, we describe how gut microbiome maturation and host genetics influence T1D risk in the TEDDY study. We analysed 12,151 longitudinal metagenomes and ho...

Definitions of Return to Play After Shoulder Surgery in Competitive Athletes Are Nonspecific and Unstandardized: A Systematic Review

Purpose To characterize return to play (RTP) definitions in shoulder surgery literature involving competitive athletes and evaluate their quality. Methods A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guide...

Emerging Role, Molecular Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potential of 2-O, 3-O Desulfated Heparin (ODSH) Across Inflammatory and Vascular Diseases

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are structurally diverse polysaccharides that regulate inflammation, coagulation, and cellular homeostasis through highly specific sulfation patterns and interactions with cationic proteins. Among GAG derivatives, 2-O, 3-O desulfated heparin (ODSH) is a...

High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features: a clinical and genomic analysis of prognostic factors using a large cohort

BACKGROUND: High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a recently defined tumor type that is not well-understood. Prognostic factors of clinical outcomes are not well-established. METHODS: Methylation profiling was performed on tumor samples, many at the National Cance...

Natural Language Processing to Improve Vertebral Fracture Identification in Older Adults Receiving Osteoporosis Therapy

INTRODUCTION: Vertebral fracture identification using administrative codes is challenging because diagnoses often occur outside hospital and orthopedic care settings. Outpatient diagnoses improve capture but increase misclassification. Accurate methods are important for populatio...

Heart failure‐induced reprogramming of salt‐evoked neurovascular coupling in the rat hypothalamus

Abstract Neurovascular coupling (NVC) is essential for matching cerebral blood flow to neuronal activity. While NVC has been extensively studied in the cerebral cortex, far less is known about its regulation in deep brain regions such as the hypothalamus, particularly under patho...

Shoulder Surgery Studies in Contact and Collision Athletes Prioritize Patient‐Reported Outcomes but Infrequently Report Athlete‐Specific Measures: A Systematic Review

Purpose To systematically evaluate outcome reporting practices in studies of shoulder surgery in competitive contact and collision sport athletes and determine whether athlete‐relevant outcome measures are being used. Methods A systematic search based on Preferred Reporting Items...

Recruitment and Engagement in Care to Impact Practice Enhancement for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: Study Protocol

Abstract Objectives To adapt an evidence-based linkage coordinator model used in HIV care to identify, engage, and link adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) who are unaffiliated from specialty care to SCD specialists, and to assess implementation readiness, processes, outcomes,...

Elevated dNTP Pool Levels Impair Homologous Recombination and Enhance Glioblastoma Sensitivity to Irradiation and Temozolomide

Glioblastoma (GBM) standard of care includes surgical resection followed by ionizing radiation (IR) and Temozolomide, which induce DNA double-strand breaks. Homologous recombination (HR), a critical DNA double-strand break repair pathway, is augmented in GBM, contributing to resi...

Extracellular Vesicles as Molecular Regulators of Viral Infection: Implications for COVID-19 and Future Viral Pandemics

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), exposed critical gaps in global preparedness for rapidly evolving viral pandemics. Though current antiviral treatments have shown some efficacy in managing COVID-19, subst...

Smooth Muscle Cell MAPK14 Promotes Vascular Calcification During Hyperlipidemic Aging

Vascular calcification is a hallmark of vascular aging that is accelerated by hyperlipidemia and contributes to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Although vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are key mediators of vascular calcification, the signaling pathways linking aging-associa...